Hmm. Well. I doubt I can do this without forgetting detail, but then again I'm going to have to summarize anyway. This ain't so much legendary as it is LASO. Billions of years ago, there existed a race of incredibly powerful beings known as the Precursors. They apparently existed before the Big Bang itself, and used a strange technology called "neural physics" for basically everything. They created multiple species, though many were eventually deemed failures. Two such species were the forerunners and humanity. The forerunners themselves were apparently deemed unworthy, and fought back against their creators. The precursors basically allowed themselves to be defeated, and while some went into stasis, others converted themselves into a strange powder that it was believed could reform them. Those forerunners who fought the precursors were exiled to a planet in another galaxy where they had fought, evolving their own society and species (I don't really know this well, I didn't understand it when reading), while the rest forgot about the reality of the precursors. Fast forward a significant period of time, and many species have become technologically prominent. Humans and forerunners are among the top of the galaxy technologically, with the san'shyuum in an alliance with the former. Humans discover a being known as the Primordial locked away in stasis. Its message is very disturbing, so it is kept locked away, in secret. The humans discover the powder made from precursors, and unaware of its origin or purpose, discover that if fed to a "pet" species called Pheru, makes them incredibly docile. So this powder is wide spread and becomes very popular among pet owners. However, either before or during these decades of feeding, the powder was corrupted. Eventually, treated Pheru grew strange growths and rumors, which other Pheru were compelled to eat. This was the first Flood. This strange disease would eventually come to infect other species, humans included, and become the flood we all know today. Humanity engages this threat on all fronts, desperate to stop it. When traces are found on a forerunner colony, Lord of Admirals Fortchenko orders it destroyed, without explanation, knowing the power of the parasite. This starts a war with the forerunners, so now humanity is facing two threats. They eventually hit on a form of the flood that makes it attack everyone, including other flood forms. Half of the vulnerable human population is affected with this new strain and placed in the way of the flood. These new forms fight the flood back, though in reality the flood, as the precursor's "final test", decides that they have passed and leaves. The forerunners, unaware of what humanity has been doing this whole time, eventually crushes their military might, with the Didact (A forerunner Promethean Warrior of high standing) and Fortchenko (I'm now positive I spelled that wrong, but it's too late to turn back now!) engaging in a final stand over one of the last human-controlled world. They are defeated, and due to the librarian's (a forerunner life shaper and the Didact's wife) pleas, important human generals are digitized using a device called the "composer", a machine that utilizes precursor neural physics to convert biological forms into digital constructs akin to AI. It was intended to make forerunners immortal, but discovered that somewhere in the process that those who underwent this fate could go insane, or rampant as the case may be. Those remaining living humans are devolved into multiple primitive subspecies and seeded on Earth (Erde-Tyrene). They do not recall much of their old glory, being in essence Stone Age civilizations with scraps of more advanced technology and wisdom. The Didact is exiled by the Master Builder Faber (the third member of their council) to meditate for I believe 1000 years on Earth due to his part in the war and opposition of Faber's latest project. The Master Builder is planning and constructing the Halo Array, a weapon of unspeakable power to use should the Flood ever return. All this sets up the events of Greg Bear's novels, which I mean to cover in part II. Yes, I'm doing parts. You've brought this upon yourself. I currently want to do something besides typing a novel, though, so I'll continue this sometime later.