Orokin (Earth-3812)

"We are orokin, guardians of all that exists. The roots of the galaxy have grown deep under our careful tending. Where there is life, the wisdom of our countless generations has saturated the soil. Our strength is a luminous sun towards which all intelligence blossoms, and the impervious shelter beneath which it has prospered."

- - Ur-Didact

The orokin (Latin Primoris prognatus, meaning "Firstborn"), also known as Forerunners to numerous species, were an ancient sapient species which had since old times achieved advanced technology and interstellar travel. With the Mantle as their path of life, the orokin believed themselves to be the caretakers of the Milky Way galaxy and all of its wonders. Their empire, the Ecumene, existed for millions of years, with the Ecumene acquiring dominance over the entire galaxy. Their victories were short-lived, as the parasite known as the flood arrived from beyond the galaxy to assimilate all life, prompting the orokin to create the Halo Array and exterminate all life in the Milky Way in the process, including their own. Ruins of their civilization and remnants of their technology continued to exist, with some organizations, such as the dissolved Covenant, believing the orokin to be gods.

Origins
Discovered by the xel'naga, an ancient race, the orokin hailed from the planet of Ghilbalb, near the galactic core, which served as the epicenter for the orokin's ever growing interstellar civilization, which consisted of twelve systems within its nebular complex. However, it eventually became uninhabitable after extensive astroengineering. During multiple attempts to manipulate stars within their home system, they provoked an accidental series of supernovae that destroyed Ghilbalb through radiation, nearly extinguishing them.