Protoss

File:Protoss portrait.jpg

Artanis, a young Protoss "Praetor" in the StarCraft universe.

Template:StarCraft storyline The Protoss are a fictional race in Blizzard Entertainment's real-time strategy computer game series StarCraft. They are described as technologically advanced and rely on cybernetics in battle as well as having mastered their powerful psionic abilities. They are the primary opponents of the Zerg. The Protoss are also described as highly religious and follow a strict code known as the Khala. They are engaged in a devastating war with the Zerg; they have recently had to deal with a civil war within their ranks.

Protos in Greek means 'first'. This name is supposedly given because the Protoss were the first semi-successful Xel'Naga creation. The Protoss were later deemed a failure by the greater species, leading to the engineering of the Zerg.

Physiology

Protoss are about three meters tall and have two luminous eyes, digitigrade legs, four digits on each of their hands (two digits flanked by two opposable thumbs) and toes, broad chests and shoulders, and narrow waists with slim midsections. Their skin is smooth and becomes rough and cracked with age. Extending back from the crown of the head, Protoss have a bony crest. Otherwise the head of a Protoss may be subtly different varying on which tribe they are descended from. Their eyes are typically blue, yellow, orange or red, with the latter two colors more common (but not exclusive) for Dark Templar. As only one female Protoss is seen, and not in detail, the physical differences (if any) between males and females are unknown, as are the Protoss reproductive systems.

Protoss do not have any visible noses, ears, or mouths. Though it is unknown how their senses of hearing or chemoreception operate, they are widely believed to possess such sensitivities. In the Starcraft novel 'Firstborn,' it was revealed that Protoss can indeed hear and smell. It was also revealed that Protoss do not need to eat or drink as humans do, and indeed do not have mouths at all. Instead, their bodies take energy from sunlight and starlight in some manner, possibly absorbing stellar radiation. They can communicate telepathically with one another, even over long distances. A Protoss' average life expectancy is several hundred years, as the Protoss Artanis, who is 262 years old, is considered young; Raszagal, nearly 1100 years old, is considered elderly. Protoss have a psionic pulse encased within their physical body. Once that body is destroyed, the psionic pulse dissipates, flaring with a pale, blue light.

Protoss also have long neural strands sprouting from the back of their heads. These strands are what keep Protoss connected to the universal protoss psychic 'network'. When the Dark Templar split from the main body of Protoss, they first severed their neural strands to display their rebellion against the High Templar caste and the Khala. It can be observed that the Dark Templar display instead the bound up roots of their strands in many conceptual art pieces and in the end Protoss campaign clip of Brood War.

Society

Protoss philosophy

See main article: Protoss Empire

Protoss religion takes its roots from the wars that plagued Aiur following the retreat of the Xel'Naga. United under the teachings of Khas after several generations of warfare, the Protoss began to adhere to Khas's teachings of the "Khala", or Path to Ascension. When Protoss warriors die in battle it is believed that they have reached the "Khala's End." There are many similarities between the Protoss Khala and current or historical religious and philosophical movements. The most obvious parallel is with ancient (pre-Christian) Rome. The Khala's tenets of courage, duty and selflessness are reminiscient of the Stoicism of Marcus Aurelius and many "Protoss" titles such as Executor, Judicator, Arbiter, Praetor and even Templar as well as names like Antioch are derived from Latin. The Khala possesses a caste system which bears a striking resemblance to modern day Hinduism even including a group of "Untouchables", considered outside of the caste system (the Dark Templar). Plato in his book "The Republic", also spoke of three castes for his perfect polis which perfectly match the three protoss castes: These are the leaders (Judicators), guardians (templars) and workers (khalai.) The strictness of Protoss hierarchy is reminiscent of Medieval Catholicism and the Aristotlean Chain of Being ideology that influenced the Catholic views on authority. It is likely that the Templar caste got its name from the Templar Knights, a holy order that took part in the Crusades. Another resemblance to Catholicism is the name of the Conclave, which is the same as the name of the high Vatican. There is a historical similarity with Islam, in that Khas united various tribes under a single religion as Muhammad did with the nomadic Arabic people. The concept of a Path of Ascension might also be influenced by the buddhist Noble Eightfold Path. The term zealot dates from ancient Israel.

• Khala ("Path of Ascension")
• Dae'Uhl ("Great Stewardship")

Religious figures in Protoss society

• Khas — Originally known as Savassan until his name was lost, Khas was a prominent figure in Protoss society. He was the charismatic and spiritual leader who brought an end to the Aeon of Strife by using ancient Xel'Naga artifacts, the Khaydarin Crystals, to unite the warring tribes by calling them into a communal telepathic matrix. The belief that this was necessary for the Protoss to survive became known as the Khala, and it is followed by almost all Protoss factions. The Path of Khala is the sole and dominant religion in Protoss society, and societal rank (for example, Templar, or Judicator) and honour are linked with Khala.
• Adun — Another well-known figure in Protoss culture, he is honored by Khalai and Dark Templar alike. A powerful warrior in his time, he was charged with the extermination of the Rogue Tribes by the Conclave. Unable to bring themselves to slaughter their kin, Adun and his troops attempted to hide the heretics. Though he failed, he would be known as a saviour to the Dark Templar, and would gain similar status on Aiur after the myth of the heretics spread, revealing that he "saved" Aiur from the heretics and their "anarchist" ways. The phrase "En Taro Adun" (translating roughly to "In honor of Adun") is used by the Protoss as a formal greeting or farewell, and also serves as a battlecry, although Dark Templar often use "Adun Toridas" instead of "En Taro Adun". "Adun Toridas" translates roughly as "Adun Delivered us".

History

Aiur is one of many worlds engineered by the Xel'Naga, a race of extragalactic geneticists, obsessed with creating the perfect race that would be marked by a distinct purity of form. The Xel'Naga, after innumerable failures to create such a race, turned towards Aiur.

They watched over a particular species of hunters and warriors and discerned that they indeed had a purity of form, as they were incredibly adaptable and had unmatched strength and speed. However, they found the most intriguing ability of the species to be a psionic link shared by the entire race. This link, a form of instinctive telepathy, enables them to communicate with one another, so that even large groups could work together efficiently.

The Xel'Naga altered them to some extent with their Khaydarin Crystals, but were content to remain unseen for many generations. The Xel'Naga felt they had achieved their goal, and gave the new race the name of Protoss, which loosely translates as 'the First Born'. Aiur was eventually covered with civilized Protoss, and so the Xel'Naga descended onto Aiur in order to more closely study the evolution of their charges. A Temple marks where they first set down upon Aiur.

The Xel'Naga were initially revered as gods, as the Protoss looked towards their creators with respect and a lust for knowledge. However, as the understanding and personal awareness of the young Protoss grew, they began to place greater pride in individual achievements rather than the benefit of the community. The various Tribes sought to distance themselves from one another, seeking their role not only within their immediate society, but the universe as a whole.

The tribes began to fear treachery from their masters, and in seeking to sever themselves from the rest of their race, attempted to lose the psychic link that they shared. This dissolved whatever remnants of brotherhood or unity that the Protoss had shared. Feeling that the greatest attribute of the Protoss was lost, the Xel'Naga began withdrawing from Aiur. However, the suspicious Protoss responded with an attack that destroyed a number of Xel'Naga Worldships. The Xel'Naga Worldships fended off the hasty attack and left the system. The Protoss Tribes then turned against each other, beginning the Aeon of Strife, the most devastating civil war in recorded galactic history.

The Aeon of Strife

During the Aeon of Strife, Protoss advancement slowed, and the tribes waged a massive war with each other, lasting hundreds of years. Little is known from this time, but it is known that the Protoss lost their psionic link with each other. The Aeon of Strife was the longest, most devastating civil war to ever strike any currently known species. The most famous Tribe from this time period is the Akilae Tribe, which are to this day renowned as the Protoss' finest psionic warriors.

He Who Brings Order

The mystic Khas (a word meaning "He who brings order") eventually brought about the end of the Strife. He had studied the "forbidden" teachings of the Xel'Naga and unearthed the Khaydarin Crystals. With these crystals he was able to amplify the psionic link, which had submerged itself in the minds of the Protoss, and recreate the link.

With this power, he traveled across Aiur, teaching the Protoss he encountered how to join the psionic link; this became a philosophy called the Khala. Eventually he reunited the majority of the Protoss, forming three castes in accordance with the reorganisation demanded by the Khala.

The very first group of warriors and students to surround him was the Ara Tribe, which joined the Judicator Caste. The other Tribes to quickly join also became members of this caste.

The next group of Tribes became the Templar Caste (the warriors), and the majority of the Protoss became the Khalai Caste (workers and artisans), ending the civil war.

The Conclave, the ruling council of the Protoss, was also founded during this time, uniting Aiur under one government.

The philosophy known as the Khala brought on the Second Age for the Protoss. The Tribal society evolved into three Castes: the Judicator Caste (led by the Conclave), the Khalai Caste and the Templar Caste.

Rogues

Unknown to the majority of Protoss at this time, some Protoss refused to join the Khala, yet did not act on the violent emotions of the Strife. Adun and his Templar refused to exterminate them as ordered by the Protoss Conclave. Instead, Adun taught them how to hide themselves from the Conclave and to create psionic storms. He hoped that the Tribes would see the folly in resisting and join the Khala. The latter lesson backfired, as later they found that without the discipline of the Khala, the storms could not be controlled properly. The storms spiraled over Aiur, revealing the presence of the Rogue Tribes to the Protoss.

The barely reunited tribes began to fight once more. Old vendettas and ancient prejudices were reborn as the Protoss who refused the way of Khala were branded as traitors and hunted down.

Eventually the Conclave devised a way to impose order on the Protoss once more. The Rogue Tribes were secretly placed on board a Xel'Naga Freighter and exiled from Aiur. Their fate was kept a secret from the other Protoss. Eventually they became known, in legend, as the Dark Templar. These Protoss, forced to draw on cosmic energies to power their psionic abilities, ceremonially severed the nerve cords that linked them to the Protoss telepathic community.

Dark Templar

The Rogue Templar journeyed through the stars for hundreds of years. During this time the creation of the Dark Archon was banned, and the habit of cutting off their psionic appendages became common. In order to use psionic powers, they were forced to draw energy from the void. They also developed their fleet of Corsairs, vessels designed to defend themselves as they had traveled through the stars. Over time, they learned how to control their power, strong as that of the Khala but without its limitations.

During these journeys the Rogue Tribes had encountered Char, probably early in their journey. While the Zerg had not yet reached Char, the Rogue Tribes somehow lost the Khalis crystal on the planet. The Rogue Tribes eventually discovered the dark planet, Shakuras, during their journeys and remained, due to the presence of a Xel'Naga Temple. On the planet, they either found or created a Warp Gate, which they could use to travel to Aiur. However, they did not use that Gate to connect to Aiur for a long time.

Struggling to adapt to their harsh and nearly lightless environment, the Rogue Tribes altered their skills and even their biology to cope. Eventually Matriarch Raszagal, aged 1046 at the time of StarCraft: Brood War, was the only Dark Templar who was old enough to clearly remember the exile from Aiur, became the leader of the Dark Templar.

Expansion and Discovery

The Protoss conquered hundreds of worlds within their corner of the galaxy, spreading civilization to many of the less advanced races that they encountered.

The Protoss follow the Dae'uhl (Stewardship) of the planets once claimed by the Xel'Naga. They started supervising and protecting the lesser life forms, but they rarely interfered.

When the Terrans arrived in the Koprulu Sector, colonizing over a dozen worlds within Protoss space, the Protoss observed silently. They put the humans under their Stewardship.

The Protoss suffered disastrous contact with the Zerg. They tracked Zerg drones on the edge of Protoss space and discovered their true purpose: to conquer the Protoss and absorb their psionic abilities into the gene pool. A long war ensuded between them, the Protoss only able to keep the Zerg at bay by keeping the location of Aiur, heart of their resources and cornerstone of the Protoss psionic matrix, a closely guarded secret. They realized that the Zerg had secretly been infesting the Terran planets, so they began to liquidate these planets as a means of controlling the infestation. The Protoss destroyed their first targets without warning or mercy.

The Fall of Aiur

After the destruction of the first Terran planet (Chau Sara), Tassadar would wait until the Terrans had left the planet before he attacked, but he would scour the surfaces clean of all Zerg. Tassadar, the leader of the force sent to scour the planets of the Zerg, enlisted the aid of the Dark Templar on Char without the permission of the Protoss Conclave after he discovered that they could be used to defeat the Zerg. Normally, a Zerg Cerebrate, a Zerg Brood commander, would be reincarnated if slain; however, the energies of the Dark Templar were able to cut off the reincarnation power. Unfortunately, when the Dark Templar led by Zeratul destroyed the first Cerebrate, the Zerg Overmind unexpectedly linked its mind with Zeratul. Their secrets were exposed to one another, and as a consequence, the Overmind discovered the location of Aiur. The stalwart Protoss defenders were unable to stop the Swarm from breaking through their defenses and the Overmind itself was able to implant into the crust of Aiur. With this beachhead the Zerg infested much of the planet in an instant, disrupting Aiur’s psionic power network and destroying the foundries and temples vital to the Protoss resistance. After a long battle, the Zerg finally managed to conquer the planet. Meanwhile, Tassadar was trapped on a space platform above Char, while Zeratul was captured in an installation by Infested Kerrigan, who had remained behind.

The New Executor

When the Overmind landed on Aiur, Aldaris of the Conclave anointed a new Executor (the player) to take over command of the Velari Tribe. Aldaris ordered the Executor to launch victories in the Antioch and Scion provinces of Aiur. Fenix battled with the Executor in Antioch, but was instructed to stay and defend the outpost while the Executor liberated Scion from the Zerg. Despite Scion being reclaimed, Fenix fell in battle defending the outpost against overwhelming numbers.

The Conclave, believing they were winning the war on Aiur, turned to personal issues and instructed Aldaris to take the Executor with him to Char to search for and arrest Tassadar. Finding Tassadar on the platform overlooking Char, Tassadar pleaded with the Executor to help him find Zeratul and his Dark Templar. On the way to Zeratul's location, Aldaris and Tassadar bickered over the Executor's loyalty, finally ending in the Executor siding with Tassadar, leaving Aldaris to return to Aiur giving the Executor a warning that the Conclave would not be pleased. The Executor and Tassadar fought their way through several Zerg Broods and the Terran Installation, finally reaching the captive Zeratul and his Dark Templar. The Protoss Fleet then departed from Char to travel to Aiur. The return home, however, wasn't a warm welcome.

Upon landing on Aiur, Aldaris ordered Tassadar and the Executor to cease their resistance and surrender themselves to the Conclave. The Executor, Tassadar and Zeratul took shelter in a Velari Tribe base overlooked by Fenix, who was reincarnated into a Dragoon. Afterwards, a hard fought rebellion between the Executor's Velari Tribe and the Tribes of the Conclave Praetor Guard took place at the capital city and continued until the point where Tassadar couldn't bear to see his brethren slaughtering one another anymore.

Aldaris took Tassadar into custody and placed him within a Stasis Cell, awaiting his trial, which would obviously end with his execution. Zeratul and the Dark Templar by this time vanished, leaving the Executor and Fenix to fend for themselves. Fenix, believing that they will surely fall to the Zerg without Tassadar, told the Executor to launch a desperate offensive against the Conclave base where Tassadar was being held. With help from Captain Raynor and his flagship, 'Hyperion,' The Executor launched the offensive on the Conclave and eventually freed Tassadar from his Stasis Cell. Aldaris quickly summoned reinforcements to imprison Tassadar again but was stopped short from the arrival of Zeratul and his Dark Templar. Aldaris and Zeratul bickered over dying traditions that the Conclave are unwilling to give up and after the long conversation Aldaris bitterly called off the praetor guards and let them go.

With Tassadar resting to ready himself for the final battle, the Executor and Fenix led an escort force of the remaining Velari Tribe forces to protect Zeratul as he slew two Cerebrates that caused a major distraction long enough to allow Tassadar and his force to attack the Overmind directly.

Fall of the Overmind

Taking advantage of the confusion that followed, Tassadar, with the aid of his loyal Sargas Tribe, and the Terran forces led by Jim Raynor, launched an all out attack on the Zerg Hive Cluster defending the Overmind. The battle was grusome and fierce and Tassadar's forces were loosing ground little by little while Raynor's men began to run low on resources to continue fighting. At one point in the battle the Protoss inflicted enough damage to destroy the Overmind's outer shell. Before the Overmind could find a way to defend itself, Tassadar, combined the energies of Dark and High Templar into the hull of the Gantrithor to destroy the Overmind in a head on collision course, having Tassadar sacrifice himself in the process.

The victory, however, was nearly in vain, for in the aftermath most of the Protoss population (about 70%) was slain, Zerg were running loose/mindless on Aiur, and the Conclave had fallen. It is interesting to note that before the battle with the Overmind began, the Protoss Conclave, realizing that Tassadar, Zeratul, and Jim Raynor had done much more than they could have hoped to accomplish, repented their past blind adherence to tradition. Aldaris remarks that they "...represent what is greatest in us all..."

Survival

With Zerg running loose across Aiur, Zeratul, a prominent Dark Templar leader, suggested that they and the surviving Protoss abandon their ancestral home and flee to Shakuras, the homeworld of the Dark Templar. Despite protests from Aldaris, the leader of the remaining Judicators, they did so. It was at this time that Aldaris appointed Artanis as the new Praetor of the remaining Protoss forces. However, it was soon discovered that the Zerg had followed them to Shakuras, and that they had manifested themselves around the Xel'Naga Temple. The Matriarch of the Dark Templar, Raszagal, noted that they would need two crystals, the Uraj and the Khalis, containing the powers of Khala and Dark Templar (respectively), to defeat the Zerg.

However, Sarah Kerrigan, a Terran Ghost operative that had been infested by the Zerg into a ruthless servant of the Overmind, came to them and told them that there was a new Overmind growing on the planet Char. She claimed that she was free from the Overmind's control and that she didn't want to come under its influence again. So, when they agreed to help cripple the maturation of the Overmind, Kerrigan agreed, in turn, to help with the collection of the two crystals.

After the two crystals had been discovered and the Overmind was crippled, Aldaris and his followers declared civil war with the Protoss under the command of Artanis, Zeratul, Fenix, and their Terran allies (notably James Raynor). Aldaris's forces were defeated, and while Zeratul and Artanis were interrogating him, Kerrigan intervened and killed Aldaris. Zeratul was outraged, and banished Kerrigan from Shakuras. The Protoss proceeded to secure the Xel'Naga temple and combine the powers of the two crystals. This purged the surface of Shakuras of all Zerg. The Protoss, having defeated the Zerg force, believed they had a secure world from which they might hope to rebuild their shattered civilization.

In spite of her banishment, Kerrigan did return to Shakuras (much later), and with the aid of Samir Duran, her Zerg armies assaulted the new Protoss capital city of Talematros. Duran blew up a large pylon cluster and under cover from the great explosion, Kerrigan and her Zerg forces kidnapped Raszagal, the Dark Templar Matriarch. This led Zeratul to confront Kerrigan, demanding the release of the Matriarch. Kerrigan claimed that if Zeratul killed the new Overmind on Char, she would allow Razsagal to return to her tribe. Raszagal, whose mind had secretly been infested by Kerrigan, convinced Zeratul to go with her plan. The UED (United Earth Directorate) on Char were defeated and Zeratul arrived as promised and killed the Overmind. Raszagal was allowed to return to the Protoss, but under the nefarious influence of the Zerg, she wanted to stay at Kerrigan's side. Zeratul was outraged and "stole" Raszagal back, hoping to cure her. But before Zeratul could cure Raszagal and return to Shakuras in a dimensional warp, Kerrigan's forces had ruined his Protoss settlement. Facing defeat, Zeratul was forced to kill Raszagal so that she would not live as Kerrigan's slave. Surprisingly, Kerrigan allowed Zeratul to leave after that, thinking that he would never forgive himself for killing his own Matriarch.

Later, when Kerrigan had gathered her forces above Char, part of the remaining Protoss under Artanis (as well as forces commanded by the United Earth Directorate and the Terran Dominion), attempted to stop Kerrigan. However, Kerrigan defeated all three forces, and the remaining Protoss commanded by Artanis (Fenix had been killed and Zeratul had disappeared) retreated to Shakuras to begin "rebuilding their once-glorious civilization".

Heroes and other notable Protoss

• High Templar Tassadar: Executor of the Koprulu Expedition
• Prelate Zeratul: Praetor of the Dark Templar
• Praetor Artanis: Praetor of the Protoss Defense Forces
• Praetor Fenix: Praetor of the Protoss Defense Forces
• Judicator Aldaris: Advisor to the Koprulu Expeditionary Force
• Matriarch Raszagal: Matriarch of the Dark Templar
• Taldarin
• Ulrezaj

References

Protoss at StarCraft2.com

External links

• Battle.Net: Protoss