War of Beginnings

The War of Beginnings was the first inter-species war between the Sangheili and San'Shyuum, and paved the way for the epoch of the Covenant.

The state of the Sangheili sphere
The War of Many Banners was a large, multi-power Sangheili civil conflict. Much of what took place in that war set the stage for the Sangheili going into the War of Beginnings a century later. The defeat of the Tiar-Shi Sphere by the Crimson League resulted in numerous changes. The Tiar-Shi began focusing more on new settlements rather than conquering pre-existing territories and had spent numerous resources rebuilding their devastated military.

Out of their new colonization drive came the world of Ulgethon. On the military side, they had become the most standardized military force.

Ulgethon & the periphery


The San'Shyuum's first contact with the Sangheili occurred on the underdeveloped fringe colony of Rerto'tha, where the Reformists were welcomed as gods or messengers thereof (the details are unclear and possibly mythologized), emboldening them to approach the leaders of the better-developed Ulgethon. Ideological differences regarding the treatment of Forerunner artifacts ensued; most pointedly, the Sangheili of Ulgethon were outraged at what they saw as a grave blasphemy in the San'Shyuum having "stolen" a divine vessel, and in so doing assumed the Forerunners' place. This resulted in the local Sangheili summarily executing the San'Shyuum envoys and declaring holy war on the other species. The War of Beginnings had begun, and would soon envelop much of the Sangheili sphere. The massacre at Ulgethon led to the first major battle between the Sangheili and the San'Shyuum, and a protracted siege of the world.

Tiar-Shi forces and the San'Shyuum would come to blows over Forerunner artifacts on the planet of Divine Equilibrium. Led by Ussa 'Xellus, son of the famed Reta 'Xellus, the Tiar-Shi forces, unfortunately, couldn't overcome the San'Shyuum but they overall denied them access to those artifacts.

Sangheili alliance
Although the war only affected the Tiar-Shi Sphere at first, other groups would soon be enveloped by the fighting as word spread and the San'Shyuum struck at Sangheili worlds regardless of their affiliation. Quite soon, however, the Reformists learned how factionalized the Sangheili were, and sought to exploit this. Learning everything they could about the Sangheili, the San'Shyuum began approaching various independent groups and offering them benefits in exchange for allegiance, an offer some groups accepted. Meanwhile, the major Sangheili groups realized the severity of the threat to their religion and way of life, and a grand council was convened between the leaders of the major Sangheili factions. Even as the specifics of their religious beliefs differed, most still accepted the universal sanctity of Forerunner relics. The war was no longer about politics or territory but the protection of the relics they all held most dear- a holy war. For the first time, sworn enemies (most prominently the Tiar-Shi Sphere and the Crimson League) would join forces. This marked the beginning of the Righteous Host, the largest alliance of Sangheili in history up until that point.

Striking the heart
Throughout the war, the San'Shyuum periodically attempted to find allies among different Sangheili groups, though most of the major factions remained against them. For much of the conflict, the relatively progressive Irshun League sought to remain neutral. However, seeing the potential to damage, and get ahead of their geopolitical rivals (especially after the formation of the Righteous Host), the Irshun League sided with the San'Shyuum. Their proximity to the other Sangheili powers allowed San'Shyuum to forces to strike far deeper into the other Sangheili factions.

With better access to the interior of Sangheili space, San'Shyuum and Irshun forces pressed inward. Recognizing the threat this posed to the wider chunk of the Righteous Host, permissions were granted to begin studying Forerunner artifacts in the hopes of creating a fleet capable of slowing down the push. This decision while largely unpopular was seen as the only possible method of stopping the invading forces. When San'Shyuum and Irshun forces reached one of Urs' stellar neighbours, Daikasem and Tiar-Shi forces held the line for a time before retreating.

The new fleets of ships created with some knowledge from Forerunner artifacts, came online just as Irshun and San'Shyuum forces besieged Urs proper, including Sanghelios, for three years starting in 856 BCE. Having already sustained massive losses and managing to ground the battle into a stalemate, Tiar-Shi and Crimson forces agreed to a ceasefire separately with the Irshun/San'Shyuum. This would prompt the collapse of the Righteous Host and over the course of 852 BCE, Daikasem forces would suffer a similar fate.

Writ of Union
With the Daikasem forces defeated in 852 BCE, the three main parties agreed to the dissolution of the Righteous Host. The Writ of Union was signed between the San'Shyuum and their Sangheili allies, forming the Covenant.

Exodus, insurgencies and continued fighting
Many in the Tiar-Shi Sphere and Crimson League could not stand to be under this new Covenant, prompting numerous desertions, disappearances, secession attempts, and outright insurgencies. A prominent figure in the post-war years was the disillusioned Ussa 'Xellus who would continue hostilities with the Covenant separately. He would eventually be forced to flee known space with several allies, founding a splinter civilization outside the Covenant's reach.

Several smaller independent polities would continue fighting the newly founded Covenant, years after the war. Usually in guerrilla-style warfare.

Legacy
The War of Beginnings not only helped found the Covenant but helped shaped Sangheili internal politics; the defeat brought an end to any imperial ambitions of the Tiar-Shi Sphere, losing its power and prestige. The Crimson League began to shift its organizational focus in order to remain relevant and prevent a hemorrhage of members. The Irshun League, despite being victorious gradually dissolved into the Covenant's structure as its members saw it as irrelevant.

Over time, various members of the Crimson League, Tiar-Shi Sphere, and Daikasem Convention left their respective organizations and joined the burgeoning Covenant. This would prompt some of these organizations into outright joining the Covenant as well, in order to maintain some form of relevance.