| rdfs:comment | - Compared to some species, such as humanity, the Sangheili have been a technologically advanced society for a considerable amount of time, expanding from their homeworld of Sanghelios relatively soon after acquiring interstellar travel capabilities, and making First Contact with the San'Shyuum in 938 B.C.E., leading to total war. It is easy to forget that, in the long run, their establishment of interstellar colonies is still only a recent occurrence in the 100,000 years since the Forerunners embarked upon their "Great Journey", and that for the most part the Sangheili remained as they were when they were archived - a primitive but robust warrior species, perfectly adapted to the harsh conditions of Sanghelios. It is therefore difficult to see how the Sangheili could have colonised a planet
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| abstract | - Compared to some species, such as humanity, the Sangheili have been a technologically advanced society for a considerable amount of time, expanding from their homeworld of Sanghelios relatively soon after acquiring interstellar travel capabilities, and making First Contact with the San'Shyuum in 938 B.C.E., leading to total war. It is easy to forget that, in the long run, their establishment of interstellar colonies is still only a recent occurrence in the 100,000 years since the Forerunners embarked upon their "Great Journey", and that for the most part the Sangheili remained as they were when they were archived - a primitive but robust warrior species, perfectly adapted to the harsh conditions of Sanghelios. It is therefore difficult to see how the Sangheili could have colonised a planet such as Ketesh thousands of years before they acquired slipspace technology, forgotten about the colony, and its inhabitants built up a society to rival that of Sanghelios itself. The answer, of course, is that they didn't. Genetic studies of Sangheili mitochondrial DNA show that the Kaaranese split off from the main species much earlier - approximately 250,000 years ago, even before the activation of the Halo Array. Exactly how the Kaaranese reached Ketesh remains a mystery few feel confident in solving - even Kaaranese legend is extremely hazy on the subject, mentioning only that their ancestors were "guided" to their new home by "the Holy Light of the Gods wisdom" as they fled persecution, and known as the First Exodus of the Followers of Light. Exactly what they were fleeing is not stated - neither is how they reached Ketesh, when it would be another 99062 years until their Sanghelios ancestors would achieve interstellar travel themselves. What is known is that the Kaaranese Sangheili made this planet their home, and have branched out in almost every way possible, making it their own. The Kaaranese were discovered by a routine missionary ship patrol in 2132, the discovery of a Sangheili world with no prior connection to Sanghelios or the Covenant sending ripples of shock and disconcertion throughout the upper echelons. The Sangheili military leaders, expecting a fierce resistance, prepared to conquer the planet with their military might. The Prophets, equally distressed at the thought of once again facing a hostile Sangheili world, poured their efforts into communicating and negotiating with them, hoping to prevent them from becoming a rallying point for anti-Prophet sentiment. Ultimately, both of these steps were unnecessary - Ketesh joined the Covenant as its most recent acquisition willingly, with only a few religious groups voicing resistance. Today, Kaaranese make up 15% of the Sangheili military personnel, with members in the upper echelons of the Covenant military. Though retaining a distinct and unique cultural flavour, Kaaranese have a fascination with Sanghelios culture, and the cultural influence of their brethren has become popular, replacing the older Qu'refran Architecture once common across the planet.
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