Editing War of Beginnings

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*[[Planet of Blue and Red]]{{Ref/Reuse|bcpreview}}

*[[Sanghelios]]<ref>'''Halo Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Halo Universe''', ''page 120'' (2011 edition)</ref><ref>'''Halo: The Cole Protocol''', ''page 90''</ref>{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}

*San'Shyuum-Sangheli alliance declared{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}

|commanders1=*[[Breaking Shadow]]{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}

*[[Kaidon|First Kaidon]] [[Mhelaat 'Orlam]]†{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}

*Dozens of [[Boarding|ship-boring]] craft{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P258}}

The '''War of Beginnings''',<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/locations/sanghelios '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Sanghelios'']</ref> also known as the '''San'Shyuum-Sangheili War'''<ref>'''[[Halo: Broken Circle]]''', ''page 1''</ref> and the '''First Age of Conflict''', was an interstellar war set between the [[Sangheili]] species and the [[Reformist]] [[San'Shyuum]], over religious and technological differences. At the conclusion of the war, the [[Writ of Union]] was penned and initiated, and the [[Covenant]] was kindled.<ref name="Harvest">'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''', ''page 147''</ref>

[[File:H2A Terminals - Ancient Arbiter 4.jpg|thumb|250px|left|The San'Shyuum land on Ulgethon.]]

[[File:H2A Terminals - Executed san'shyuum.jpg|thumb|275px|right|The severed heads of the San'Shyuum delegation.]]

On the ground, the Sangheili had an early advantage, with each warrior comparable in skill to several San'Shyuum in battle. However, the San'Shyuum's technological superiority, and possession of the Forerunner Dreadnought, meant that they had the advantage in space battles, using the Dreadnought to great effect in devastating hit-and-run strikes against the Sangheili war fleets.{{Ref/Reuse|Encyclopedia}} The San'Shyuum were successful in driving the Sangheili away from their [[Sangheili colonies|interstellar colonies]], while obliterating many Sangheili by appropriating Forerunner relics. The Sangheili were devastated by the lack of honor that the war brought; they were forced to continuously retreat as the San'Shyuum came closer and closer to [[Sanghelios]].<ref name="bc57">'''Halo: Broken Circle''', ''pages 57-58''</ref> During the war, the Sangheili made use of a type of handheld flak cannon that is part of the design lineage of the [[Fuel rod cannon]].{{Ref/Book|Enc22|Page=298}}

Eventually, the Sangheili came up with a plan to defeat the vessel. They would sacrifice their colony of [[Codisfold]], hiding dozens of [[Boarding|ship-boring]] machines in the rings around the planet, hoping that they could board the Dreadnought. When the San'Shyuum arrived to destroy Codisfold, the ship-boring machines launched, carrying several skilled Sangheili infiltration teams.{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22P258|Enc22|Page=258}} The teams secretly stole onto the Dreadnought, damaging several of the Dreadnought's key systems and slaughtering thousands of San'Shyuum. While they were taken by surprise, the San'Shyuum counterattacked and managed to kill all of the Sangheili intruders.{{Ref/Reuse|Sacrifice}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P258}} Following this raid, the San'Shyuum attacked Codisfold, killing millions of Sangheili residents.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P258}} This event proved that the San'Shyuum and their keyship were not invulnerable,{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}{{Ref/Reuse|Sacrifice}} and began to sway the opinions of the surviving San'Shyuum. Their leader, [[Pervading Stone]], demanded that they continue their campaign against the Sangheili. Other key figures, such as [[Breaking Shadow]] and [[Ushering Dusk]], opposed this and instead proposed a truce.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22P258}}

Meanwhile, the current [[First Kaidon]] of Sanghelios, [[Mhelaat 'Orlam]], suggested that the Sangheili respectfully make use of their own Forerunner artifacts—many of which were known to be powerful weapons—to stave off certain annihilation at the hands of the San'Shyuum. As they Sangheili believed the manipulation of their gods' technology to be heresy, this proposition was resisted for a time, and 'Orlam was assassinated as a result.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} However, an underground movement of Sangheili scientists began covertly studying their relics and incorporating elements into their warship, weapon, and armor designs.{{Ref/Reuse|Encyclopedia}} Soon, the group of underground scientists emerged and declared their sins,{{Ref/Reuse|bc57}} and in [[876 BCE]], 'Orlam's son, [[Pelahsar the Strident]], lead the Sangheili to amend their beliefs on the treatment of Forerunner technologies in order to survive.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} The scientists were allowed to live and their discoveries were put to use in the creation of new weapons and fleets of ships. The Sangheili began to hold their position and did not give up any territory to the San'Shyuum, though the Dreadnought continued to heavily damage the military. Occasionally, the Sangheili gained ground by employing hit-and-run tactics with slipspace before the Dreadnought could destroy their ships.{{Ref/Reuse|bc57}} The San'Shyuum soon began to realize that if there were other species with martial capabilities like the Sangheili, they would be in serious danger.{{Ref/Reuse|Harvest}}

The war eventually led to a skirmish on [[Anvari]] in [[860 BCE]]. The planet's location made it of strategic importance to the Sangheili, however the San'Shyuum desired to take control of the world for the numerous Forerunner artifacts located on and underneath the planet's surface.<ref>'''Halo: Broken Circle''', ''pages 1-3''</ref> The San'Shyuum forces were led by [[Mken 'Scre'ah'ben|Mken 'Scre'ah'ben, High Lord of Sacred Relics]], while the Sangheili forces were led by [[Ussa 'Xellus]]. Although the San'Shyuum were vastly outnumbered,<ref>'''Halo: Broken Circle''', ''pages 6-7''</ref> they used [[Aggressor Sentinel]]s to weaken Sangheili forces while scientists uncovered and examined the Forerunner structures. Eventually, the San'Shyuum's command stations were breached by Sangheili assassins—forcing all San'Shyuum on the planet to retreat to orbit. High Lord Mken had ordered the Forerunner Dreadnought to fire upon the Sangheili forces, but under Ussa's command, most of them had escaped into a Forerunner structure, which the San'Shyuum were unwilling to damage.<ref>'''Halo: Broken Circle''', ''pages 9-13''</ref> The Sangheili on the planet were eventually forced to flee the system.<ref name="bcpreview">'''Halo: Broken Circle''', ''Chapter 1''</ref>

The discovery that the Sangheili had begun to make use of Forerunner technology softened most San'Shyuum toward the possibility of a cease-fire, but Pervading Stone only grew more incensed. Seeking to obliterate the species once and for all, he finally took the Dreadnought to [[Sanghelios]], [[Battle of Sanghelios|ravaging]] both the planet and its two moons, [[Qikost]] and [[Suban]].{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22|Enc22|Page=191}} The San'Shyuum and the Sangheili both fought for possession of the numerous Forerunner artifacts on the planet.<ref>'''Halo Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Halo Universe''', ''page 120'' (2011 edition)</ref> The state of [[Vadam]] was one of the many Sangheili city-states attacked by the San'Shyuum during the battle. However, [[Vadam keep]]'s well-defended position in [[Kolaar Mountain]] prevented the keep from being destroyed.<ref>'''Halo: The Cole Protocol''', ''page 90''</ref> During the battle, the Sangheili unleashed their powerful Forerunner weapons on the Dreadnought, eventually managing to bring it down on [[Suban]] and trap it with [[gravity anchor]]s. With the San'Shyuum held captive within their keyship for a time, the Sangheili long debated whether to simply destroy the vessel and those within, or to breach it and take the Dreadnought for themselves.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}

The San'Shyuum had realized that they would not be victorious in this war with only one ship, especially one that was not nearly as invincible as they had originally thought.{{Ref/Reuse|bc57}} In [[852 BCE]], the San'Shyuum sent an unarmed delegation to the Sangheili, who recounted all that had transpired in recent years. After this meeting, Breaking Shadow and Pelahsar the Strident forged a tenuous truce, forgiving the other's species for their crimes and working toward peace.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} In time, the Sangheili learned of the San'Shyuum's belief in the [[Great Journey]], where the Forerunners used the [[Halo Array]] to ascend to a god-like state, and wished to repeat this process on themselves. Coupled with this belief and the fact that the cause of war was obsolete, the Sangheili agreed to unite with the San'Shyuum into an alliance to avoid mutual extinction. By the end of [[852 BCE]], the two species formalized this newfound peace in a treaty known as the [[Writ of Union]]. This would form the [[Covenant]], which defined the two races' positions: the San'Shyuum would act as the religious leaders, studying the Forerunners' technology and seeking out the Halos, while the Sangheili would serve as their [[Covenant Honor Guard|protectors]], using weapons and technology developed by the San'Shyuum.<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 151''</ref>

 

{{War of Beginnings}}

With the signing of the Writ, the [[Sangheili treaty commission]] was formed.{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Broken Circle|Page=18}} As well, the [[Ministry of Relative Reconciliation]] was also created, with [[Qurlom]] at its head.{{Ref/Novel|Halo: Broken Circle|Page=18-23}}

The Dreadnought was decommissioned and made the center point and power source of ''[[High Charity]]'', a mobile planetoid which would serve as the capital of the Covenant.{{Ref/Reuse|Harvest}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}

===Ussa 'Xellus' insurgency===

While most Sangheili willingly—or begrudgingly—joined the new Covenant, there were those who resented what they viewed as submission to the San'Shyuum. The Covenant sought to make an example of these dissenters, silencing those who rejected the new union with overwhelming force. An incarnation of the [[Swords of Sanghelios]] formed at this time to bring the holdouts to the Writ of Union to heel. The resistance movement would come to be led by the Sangheili [[Ussa 'Xellus]], a skilled strategist and veteran of the war. After the [[Xellus keep]] was attacked by a Covenant air raid, the civil war expanded across [[Sanghelios]]. Because of their inferior numbers 'Xellus and his followers were soon driven into hiding in the desolate region of [[Nwari]]. However, 'Xellus would travel across Sangheili colonies, looking for dissidents he could recruit to his cause. After the like-minded elder Sangheili [['Crecka]] showed him [[The Refuge]], 'Xellus intended to make the Forerunner world his new base of operations and home for his people. Ussa and his followers soon left the Nwari region for the [[shield world]] as Covenant assassins closed in on their location.{{Ref/Reuse|bcpreview}}

Eventually the Refuge was discovered by the Covenant and a fleet was sent to destroy the insurgents. However, Ussa activated the shield world's Disassembler process, which convinced the Covenant that the rebels had been killed. However, the Sangheili rebels—now known as the [[Ussans]]—lived on in the disparate components of the shield world,<ref name="bc182">'''Halo: Broken Circle''', ''pages 182-183''</ref> even after the Covenant's [[Great Schism|dissolution]] in [[2552]].<ref>'''Halo: Broken Circle''', ''pages 291-294''</ref>

===Other rebellions===