This is a comprehensive summary of the Mantle of Responsibility as it appears in the Halo Universe through both the games and extended fiction.
Overview
“Guardianship for all living things lies with those whose evolution is most complete. The Mantle of Responsibility shelters all.”
– Cortana (Halo 4 – Requiem)
The Mantle of Responsibility is the obligation of the most evolutionarily advanced beings in the Halo to serve as stewards to all life forms of lesser capability which fell under their domain. In other words, those who hold the Mantle are responsible for ultimately striving towards the cultivation and preservation of all life. A majority of knowledge about the Mantle makes itself known in the main line of games (Halo: Combat Evolved – Halo 4) or in the entries of the Forerunner Saga (Cryptum – Silentium).
Origins
The belief in the Mantle of Responsibility originated from the Precursors, the ancient race responsible for genetically engineering many species in the galaxy including both the Forerunners and the Humans. They developed the concept from their philosophy known as neural physics, which maintains that the universe itself is alive, albeit in a way that is beyond the understanding of even the Forerunners. Both why the Precursors created the Mantle and whether or not it is also a physical entity are unknown.
“Precursors felt the Mantle extended to the entire universe, energy and matter as well as living creatures … some say. The universe lives, but not as we do.”
— Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting (Halo: Cryptum – 103)
The Forerunners later extended the principles of neural physics and established their concept of “Living Time”, which they define as “the joy of life’s interaction with the Cosmos” (Halo: Cryptum – 267). Within this philosophy, time is represented by twisting strands – world-lines – which link the fates of individuals when they intertwine – these junctions are called synchrons.
Forerunner Mantle
“The Mantle of Responsibility, for all things, belongs to Forerunners alone!”
– Ur-Didact (Halo 4 – Epilogue)
When the Precursors attempted to pass on the Mantle, the Forerunners firmly believed that they were first in line to receive it. However, the Precursors decided that Humans were more capable than the Forerunners; the Humans would receive the Mantle. Unwilling to accept the decision, the Forerunners rose up against their creators in an effort to seize the Mantle and drove the Precursors to Path Kethona and beyond, pushing their creators to the brink of extinction. In eliminating the Precursors, the Forerunners believed they had attained the Mantle and began to assume the duties associated with its mandate of ubiquitous stewardship. This point marks a schism which separates the true Mantle from the Forerunner Mantle, the latter of which the Forerunners would manipulate to secure their position of power.
After wiping out the Precursors, Forerunners developed and instituted a variation of the Mantle of Responsibility tailored to suit their own purposes. In fact, most of what comprises the Forerunner Mantle is fictional. The most prominent example of this departure is their redefinition of the most central purpose of the Mantle in order to ensure their supremacy; although Forerunners would aid the growth of life-forms they deemed inferior, the Forerunners refused to let other life forms continue to grow to a point where those could surpass the Forerunners and take on the Mantle. Their devolution of the human race at the conclusion of the Human-Forerunner war serves as evidence of this denial; in the Halo 4 terminal videos, the Librarian concedes that the humans possessed an evolutionary code which could surpass that of even the Forerunners. In addition, the brand “Forerunners”, selected by those beings on the premise “that others would come after us” (Halo: Cryptum – 31), appears to offer further evidence of this attempted cover up by the ancient Forerunners after the revelation of their actions in Halo: Silentium.
The Forerunners added several other elements to bolster their claim of holding the Mantle. They established what they referred to as the “Rule of the Mantle”, which is a set of instructions derived from the principle task that defines the Mantle. Furthermore, the Forerunners added a scriptural element that they could contribute to in order to enhance its credibility and established a religious set of prayers known as “The Twelve Laws of Making and Moving”. In addition, they instituted a position known as “Master of the Mantle”, whose only known duties pertain to securing a durance – timelock containing memories – and a bit of plasma from burial ceremonies of deceased Forerunners.
After thousands of years, the Forerunners finally faced a test they could not conquer: the Flood. It was only during the events of Halo: Silentium, when the Forerunners knew their defeat at the hands of the Flood was assured, that the defiant race at least conceded and handed off the Mantle to the Human race; the Forerunner Grow Through Trial of Change divulges the passing of the Mantle to Humankind in the epilogue of Halo: Silentium. However, in spite of the intention to pass the Mantle along, the Ur-Didact voices his reluctance to recede in the epilogue of Halo 4.
Physical Manifestation
The above (attached) glyph is the Forerunner symbol for the Mantle. It is otherwise known as the Eld, or “Tree-Mark”. In the games, Forerunner architecture typically displays this symbol some form (e.g. engraved on the walls, disc shaped icon, hologram, etc.). For example, in Halo 4, the player can find metallic, silver discs bearing the same pattern and inscriptions on Ivanoff Station and on Requiem near the Cartographer. The Eld is so universally recognized that in spite of their disconnection and subsequent isolation from the rest of their race, the ancient Forerunners on Path Kethona still could identify the glyph and its meaning.
Similar Entities
One entity that develops concepts similar those held by Halo’s Mantle of Responsibility is the Matrix of Leadership from Transformers. Within the Transformers universe, the Matrix serves a similar function as the Mantle in that its principles come before its image, thus placing emphasis on a goal for all to strive towards. In addition, both the Matrix and Mantle require their holders to exhibit the highest degree of altruism.
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