![[Spoilers#^DLS]] *Retcon: This is no longer called the First Galactic War, it is simply known as the Ceaseless Fray.* Also known as the [[Ceaseless Fray]] ## Summary For at least a millennium, humanity toiled in their war against the [[Yill Maingess]]. Eventually, the war ended and the Yill Maingess left the [[Milky Way Galaxy]]. Soon thereafter, the [[Stellar Decay]] began. Duration: ~4000 CE to ~5000 CE (records are unclear) ~3215 to 2215 AR >[!warning] *Actual Duration: 4493 CE to 7865 CE (5587 AR to 2215 AR)* >[!info] >*Note: It is entirely possible (and true) that the war went on much longer. At the time, the government was in complete control of humanity. Records were intentionally obfuscated and history rewritten again and again, to keep morale high. This created an artificial gap in the historical record. However, not even stellar positioning can be used to reverse engineer the correct date, due to historical records being altered. This is a true testament to just how much control the government had over humanity. Not even the Methuselans alive at the time can properly account for the duration. Montgomery is one of the few people who know the truth and his knowledge was lost with his death in 2386.* > Even the [[Methuselan|Methuselans]] that existed during the war with their [[Academy Of Archivists]], could not fully avoid the manipulation of history. ## Technological Stagnation In the early age of the war, technology accelerated rapidly. Spacecraft, weaponry and material sciences created marvels, not seen again since this era. However, once the war reached its optimal stalemate point (which was a fallacy in and of itself), advancement was seen as an unnecessary complication. Sustainment was the new goal for humanity. All new military technology was effectively banned by the government. In truth, we had reached a logical peak, regardless. The new doctrine led to massively more efficient manufacturing and maintenance workflows. Allowing a factory to frontline system to feed the war effort indefinitely. --- ## Conclusion Of Hostilities The war itself was never being won. We were simply feeding personnel and materiel into the maw of the still tolerant [[Yill Maingess|Yims]]. The alien combat ability was many magnitudes above our own, easily destroying everything we threw at them for the duration of the war. The end of the war was a subject of much debate during the [[Second Golden Age]]. Some kind of plan was enacted by a group working outside the [[Sol Ascendancy]]'s direct purview. The exact nature of what that group did in unknown, but the results were clear. The Yill Maingess ended up leaving the galaxy. The final battle resulted in the loss of almost all the colonies within about 15,000ly from the core, completely scrubbing the inner Norma Arm of human life. The Sol Ascendancy was forced to declare this a victory, even though it was counter to their plans for endless war. Without the ongoing conflict, the government fragmented and humanity diversified. Over the next several centuries, the Second Golden Age began.