The WAR PERIOD denotes the period of human history marked by the escalating sequence of armed conflicts between the Tres Magnae (the "Three Agencies") and their clients, which began after the stability of Fencepost Period had degenerated.
The War Period is customarily delineated as a 220-year span, beginning with the attack on the Grey homeworlds and the dismantling of the Tres Magna and ascension of the Supreme Eminence in 595 N.E.
Contrary to popular hopes and expectations, the end of Reticulan dominance in the Fencepost Era wrought even greater antipathy and suspicion between the Agencies. Spying and weapons development accelerated, rather than diminished. Without the Reticulans as referee, there was a no-holds barred contest for dominance.
The War Period began as a series of small-scale squabbles over border territories with each dispute raising greater questions which resulted in greater disputes.
Jackal Hatter's famous phrase about the War Years perfectly encapsulates the absurdity of the War Years:
-
"The more we fought, the more we fought."
