Information AboutProtoss |
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The Protoss are a race in Blizzard Entertainment 's Real-time Strategy Computer Game , '' StarCraft ''. They are technologically advanced and rely on psionic abilities and cybernetics in battle. They are the primary opponents of the Zerg . The Protoss are highly religious and follow a strict code known as the Khala . The Protoss have mastered their Psionic powers, and are currently 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. They (the Protoss) were later deemed a failure by the greater species, leading to the engineering of the Zerg . In StarCraft online culture, the Protoss are often referred to simply as Toss (or '''Pro''' by some Korean players or as "P'to" for written abbreviation); amongst experienced players, it's often abbreviated to simply '''P'''. HISTORY Aiur is one of many worlds engineered by the Xel'Naga , a race of extragalactic geneticists, obssessed 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, the most intriguing ability of the species is a psionic link that is shared by the entire race. This link was a form of instinctive telepathy, enabling 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 Crystal s, 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, or '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. During this time, the Protoss maintained colonies on other planets, but these too quickly became gripped with the Strife. 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 Crystal s. With these crystals he was able to amplify the psionic link, which had submerged itself in Protoss egos, and recreate the link. With this power, he traveled across Aiur , teaching the Protoss he encountered to join the psionic link; this became a philosophy called the Khala . Eventually he reunited the majority of the Protoss, forming three castes and a new Tribe. The very first group of warriors and students to surround him became the Ara Tribe , and 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 philosophy known as the (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 Storm s. The latter lesson backfired, however, as the storms could not be controlled without the discipline of the Khala . The storms spiralled 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 . Matriarch Raszagal , a very old Protoss and Dark Templar leader, is old enough to remember the Exile clearly. 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. Expansion and Discovery The Protoss conquered hundreds of worlds within their corner of the galaxy, spreading civilization to many of the more 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. The Protoss discovered Zerg probes on the edge of Protoss space and discovered their true purpose; to conquer the Protoss and absorb their psionic abilities into the gene pool. 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. 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 . 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 Overmind itself landed on Aiur, but after a long, stalemated battle, Protoss forces slew several Cerebrates as a distraction tactic. Taking advantage of the confusion that followed, Tassadar, with the aid of Terran forces led by Jim Raynor , combined the energies of Dark and Light Templar and sacrificed himself to destroy the Overmind. Even then, in the aftermath, most of the Protoss population (about 70%) was slain, Zerg were running loose on Aiur, and the Conclave had fallen. It is interesting to note that before the battle with the Overmind begins, the Conclave, realizing that Tassadar, Zeratul, and Jim Raynor had done much more than the Conclave could have hoped to accomplish, repented their past blind adherence to tradition. Aldaris remarks that they are the representatives of Aiur in its darkest hour. Survival With Zerg running loose across Aiur, Zeratul , a prominent Dark Templar leader, suggested that they flee to Shakuras , the homeworld of the Dark Templar. Despite protests from Aldaris , the leader of the remaining Judicators, they did so. However, it was soon discovered that the Zerg had followed them there, 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 , each containing the powers of either light or dark Templar (respectively), to defeat the Zerg. However, Sarah Kerrigan , a Terran Ghost operative that had been infested by the Zerg into a ruthless servent 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 in the confusion, Kerrigan intervened and killed Aldaris, kidnapped Raszagal, and claimed that she had been brainwashing Raszagal to do her bidding all along. The Protoss, after suffering these losses, proceeded to secure the Xel'Naga temple and combine the powers of the two crystals. This purged the surface of Shakuras of all life; only the Protoss taking refuge in the temple survived. The Protoss, therefore, defeated the Zerg force. It is not known how Kerrigan survived, though the fact remains she did and was able to hold the Dark Templar's Matriarch captive, forcing Zeratul to slay the new Overmind the UED had pacified on Char, knowing that only Dark Templar energies could truly harm the Overmind and its Cerebrates. Kerrigan had needed to defeat the UED in order to regain control of her Zerg forces. She extorted Zeratul into commanding his Dark Templar warriors to do this act, promising him that she would allow the matriarch Raszagal to return to him. After Zeratul's Dark Templar defeated the UED and their Zerg, Kerrigan was true to her word and "allowed" Raszagal to return to him. However, Raszagal, still under the influence of Kerrigan, refused. Thus, Zeratul was forced to kill Raszagal. Kerrigan, surprisingly, let Zeratul and some of his remaining Protoss forces go. Later, when Kerrigan had gathered her forces above Char, 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-grand civilization'. PHYSIOLOGY Protoss are about 3 meters tall and have two luminous eyes, Digitigrade legs, semi-permeable skin covered in scales, four digits on each of their hands (of which two are opposable) and toes, broad chests and shoulders, and narrow waists with slim midsections. Extending back from the crown of the head, Protoss have a bony crest. Beneath it, emerging from the back of the head, are the nerve cords, allowing Protoss to access their racial psionic Gestalt . This gestalt is the basis of the Khala. Protoss are bereft of mouths, noses, or visible ears. Though it is unknown how their senses of hearing or chemoreception operate, they are widely believed to possess such sensitivites, likely to acute degrees due to their perfected nature. They can communicate telepathically with each other, especially over long distances. Due to their nature (possibly Psi-based physiology), which deviates widely from conventional biology as it is understood, illness is unheard of, and their physical resilience and capability is astounding due to the lack of limitations normally posed by typical biological processes. One (fan-based) theory is that they consume Psi-based energy for sustenance, which could contribute their almost emaciated appearance (no storage of physical fat) as well as their long lifespans (no ingestion of unhealthy materials). A Protoss' average life expectancy is about a thousand years (see Matriarch Raszagal ), apparently not unlike that of Antediluvian humans in the Bible - but, because of their arcane nature, their life expectancy may extend well beyond that figure. Protoss under 300 years rarely have any significant political positions. Protoss blood is blue, with a slight iridescence. They also have a psionic pulse encased in a physical body. Once that body is destroyed, the psionic pulse dissipates, flaring with a pale, blue light. As in humans, coloration is considered a sign of ethnicity, with each Protoss tribe having a specific color or typical pattern of markings associated with it. The main exception is the Ara tribe, as it was not originally created through inheritance, instead derived from unrelated students who originally followed Khas and his philosophy, the Khala . The Protoss brain is similar in structure to the human brain. The most noticeable differences lie in the cerebellum, primarily in its size. The Protoss cerebellum is elongated in comparison to the human cerebellum, resulting in a larger surface area which accounts for the greater cognitive abilities of the Protoss. PROTOSS RELIGION Protoss religion takes its roots from the wars that plagued Aiur following the retreat of the Xel'Naga . United after several years under the teachings of Khas , the Protoss began to adhere to Khas's teachings of the " Khala ", or Path to Ascension. The resulting religion bears a striking resemblance to modern day Hinduism in teachings, e.g. it includes a caste-based social system, and even a group of "Untouchables" not considered part of the caste system at all (the Dark Templar ). However, it is more like Medieval Catholicism in how it is carried out, with a hierarchy and Zealot warriors; the Khala has a caste system and focuses heavily on the teachings of Khas and the ability of the Protoss to use Psionic powers. When Protoss warriors die in battle it is believed that they have reached the "Khala's End." Religious principles
Religious figures in Protoss society
HEROES AND OTHER NOTABLE PROTOSS
GAMEPLAY ATTRIBUTES
During the Aeon of Strife, some Protoss warriors used focused psionic energy to surround themselves in impregnable energy shields. Over time, Conclave scholars and Templar sages learned to reproduce the energy shield using induced psi-field generators, which allowed even the smallest robotic machine to surround itself with a protective field. All Protoss military units (including buildings) have shields; when damaged, shields regenerate over time, at a faster rate than the regeneration of Zerg unit hit points. Shields, however, always take full damage (see Damage Types ). Shields are instantly drained by the Terran Science Vessel's EMP ability. Shields on all units can be regenerated almost instantly by the Protoss Shield Battery structure. However, they are unable to recover damage to their Hit Point s. (This makes the Defiler's Plague ability extremely dangerous to tight Protoss armies.)
Protoss structures (and Protoss units, to a lesser extent) draw their energy from a great psionic energy matrix that emanates from Aiur . While the Nexus provides a link to this matrix, Khaydarin Crystal -based Pylons are needed to actually tap into the energy required to provide psionic energy to new colonies. Each Pylon generates a short-ranged field of energy that can provide the power needed by structures and warp gates. If a Protoss building loses its connection to the Psionic Matrix (e.g. all Pylons in range are destroyed), it will shut down until it is reconnected. New units cannot be gated in if there is insufficient psionic energy to provide them with power. The most technologically advanced race in the game, the Protoss field relatively small but very powerful armies. Their units cost much more than those of the Terran or Zerg, and require more supply, but are far more powerful than the equivalent units of those races. Their shields also serve as a replaceable buffer of health. The Protoss builder unit, the Probe, does not actually ''build'' structures but instead places a dimentional anchor and warps them in from Aiur ; once the Probe has finished opening the warp gate, it can drift off and begin mining resources while the building warps in, or it can continue warping in other buildings. UNITS Land units
Air units
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Arbiter — Caster; all player-owned units in a certain range except other Arbiters become cloaked without cost. Arbiters can cast ''Stasis Field'' that freezes all units in an area for a set amount of time. No health or energy points can be lost or gained during stasis. No other abilities can affect units, including the undoing of the stasis field. Arbiters can also cast ''Recall'', an ability that transports a player's units in a targted area to the vicinity of the arbiter almost instantaneously. Arbiters can ''Recall'' locked down units but cannot ''Recall'' units in stasis. Special ability and energy point upgrades can be purchased at the Arbiter Tribunal.
BUILDINGS All buildings must be built in the vicinity of a Pylon except for the Nexus, Assimilator and other Pylons. All Pylon-requiring buildings without a Pylon in range will cease all operations, including upgrades, unit training, energy point restoration, and attack. Basic buildings
Advanced buildings
STRATEGIES Strategy REFERENCES |
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