Protoss Profile Part 1

 

 

* Credit goes to Blizzard, people who made pictures and videos, ect. 

THE DAELAM

                The mysterious and enigmatic Protoss are one of the eldest and most powerful species of Starcraft. They combine high level machinery with their own psionic might, wielding technology nearly incomprehensible to the Terrans. Yet despite this, the Protoss’s destiny is in peril.

                A population that was once in the many billions has been shattered. Their homeworld has fallen, their empire in ruins. Worse they recently suffered a corruption of much of their race, courtesy of a scheme millenia in the making. Yet from tragedy comes triumph. For the first time even in history the Daelam have truly unified the entirity of the Protoss race, not just of Khalai and Nerazim, but of Tald’arim and Purifier as well.

                The Protoss stand bloodied, but far from beaten. They are at the peak of militarization and diversity. From the legendary Golden Armada and the Tal’arim Death Fleet, to the deadly efficient Purification force and stealthy Nerazim, the Protoss stand  united, poised to fight off the darkness , and even claim once more the light.

*NOTE: The point the Protoss are taken from is just prior to the final invasion of Auir but after Artanis has unified all factions. With no Amon in this tournament and no possession existing he is free to command the last remnants of his race into battle.

===AUIR FACTION (FORMERLY KHALAI) ===

The Auir faction refers to the original Protoss faction that unified at the end of the Age of Strife with the formation of the Khala- a gestalt field that allows all Protoss living in it to feel and experience the thoughts and emotions of each other. This Khala field unified the vast majority of the Protoss race, allowing them to form a glorious, millennia old civilization. Their empire came to rule the Korpulu sector and beyond, comprising of thousands of planets.

Unfortunately with the surprise Zerg attack on Auir their empire was dealt a mortal blow. Billions died and the rest had to flee to a world owned by those long thought to be renegades to the Khalai; the Nerazim. The Khalai leaders tried to mend fences, tried to unify their race with the respect to both sides. For the most part the Nerazim leaders recognized the need for the same however cooperation was difficult given different cultural values and this resulted in much debate and at least two accounts of rebellion.

The reclamation of Aiur was the one common goal both Nerazim and Khalai possessed, so to this end, Hierarch Artanis led the Golden Armada in an effort to reclaim the protoss home world and unify their race. However, the invasion was thrown into awry with the revealed presence of Amon, who corrupted the Khala. The vast majority of the Khalai was corrupted in an instant, with only those who severed themselves from the Khala becoming immune.

As a result of much of his people being in Amon’s thrall Artanis was forced to make some major changes, including the disbandment of the caste system and the eventual destruction of the Khala system, to save his people. The Khalai protoss still show the results of this time however, being considered more empathetic and team-oriented than most Protoss.  

Militarily the Khalai Protoss prioritize power over stealth . From the humble zealot to the mighty Collosi every Protoss warrior is clad in durable armor, energy shielding and  powerful weaponry. Backed up with tactical options such as the sentry or psionic might offered by the High Templar, the Protoss are a capable army in any ground engagement. However the most important aspect is the fleet, the legendary ‘Golden Armada’- a symbol of pride and fear in the enemy.

*to avoid confusion with the Protoss home world, I will be referring to this faction by their former name ‘ Khalai’ throughout the profile.

== =NERAZIM===

Long ago, when the Protoss were unified by the Khala, a small minority refused to join the system. They feared the loss of their independence, the loss of their individuality, and made every effort to avoid the mainstream Protoss race. Furious, the leaders of the mainstream Protoss, the Conclave, eventually ordered them wiped out. However a heroic Templar officer named Adun refused to carry out the deed and instead taught them to hide before sacrificing his life to allow them to flee.

Millennia later and the Nerazim have now unified with their brethren, having taken the Khalai in after their home world of Aiur. This they do in memory of Adun as well as the sincere hope that they can be one people once more.

Driven by individuality and a thirst for knowledge, the Nerazim developed along a very different path than the Khalai. Nerazim work in smaller groups than the Khalai, and are far more individualistic. With a less monolithic culture, each Nerazim is encouraged to forge their own path, and they believe that fostering this attitude leads to their great successes. They remain willful and often fiercely independent, with their closest allegiance being first to clannish warrior bands and then to the Nerazim, the great tribe to which all Dark Templar belong. However when the greater good calls they can still band together to fight, even sacrifice themselves, for the Protoss race as a whole.

All Nerazim go through the ‘shadow walk’ as a rite of passage. It requires the aspirant to walk down a valley and keep only to the shadows, out of which veteran Dark Templar will spring unexpectedly to assault him/her. Those who make it to the end of the valley without being incapacitated pass the test.

Militarily the Nerazim are heavily stealth and guerrilla oriented. They employ teleporting stalkers, stealth oriented Dark Templar , farseeing oracles and smooth corsairs, which can create a disruption fields to negate enemy fire or destroy detectors.  Their own specialized pylons can cloak nearby allies and even allow the Nerazim commander to recall nearby forces to them. In times of desperation the fearsome Dark Archon might be employed, with the ability to instill Chaos among the enemy or even mind control enemy units.

As Nerazim leadership works to build bridges with the Khalai they have taken to coopting or even adapting each other’s units, most notably the destructive Void Ray.

“The Shadow Walk,” Zeratul explained as he led Tassadar down from the small nook they had found and across the valley they were currently using as their combined camp. “The test each Dark Templar must undergo to demonstrate his mastery of our skills.”

Raynor, walking along behind the two protoss, suddenly understood what Zeratul was saying. All this time he had thought Tassadar was simply learning more about his heritage, and about the powers every protoss possessed. Apparently it had been more than that. Zeratul had been training the Executor, yes, but not just as a friendly gesture. He had been teaching Tassadar to become a Dark Templar!

(…)

“You must traverse the valley to the far end,” Zeratul replied. “Pass through the shadows only. Let none prevent your progress.”

“That’s it?” Raynor couldn’t stop himself from asking. “That’s all he has to do, walk across the valley?”

Both protoss glanced at him and nodded. Then Raynor’s brain caught up with his hearing and he glanced down at the valley again, realizing what he’d seen as they’d passed. Tassadar’s Zealots were all on the east side, in the fading sunlight. But Zeratul’s followers had vanished into the shadows. The same shadows Tassadar was expected to stay within as he walked. Crossing a valley filled with invisible warriors who could attack at any time—yeah, that was a challenge.

(…)

So he returned to the nook and settled himself there, back against the wall, to watch the show.

Tassadar was moving slowly but surely through the shadows. Somewhere before beginning the ordeal he had shed his uniform and now wore only the long loincloth, more ceremonial than necessary. His eyes glowed blue-white, pinpricks in the darkness. Shadows swirled about him, enveloping him as he walked.

Then the first Dark Templar struck.

It was difficult to follow, particularly from a distance. Raynor’s first clue came when Tassadar twisted to one side, arm rising to block a blow. Then a protoss was standing beside him, angling for position, his hands wreathed in that strange beyond-dark glow Zeratul had manifested when saving Tassadar from the zerg. Those hands swung toward the Executor and Raynor thought he could feel the cold rising off them, though he knew it was just his mind playing tricks on him. Still, he breathed a sigh of relief when Tassadar blocked the first blow and tripped the warrior, sinking to his knees alongside, his own hand lashing out to land against his opponent’s chest and pin him to the ground. That was a clear defeat, and the Dark Templar did not rise as Tassadar straightened and resumed his walk.

The second attack came from behind, a protoss appearing from shadows Tassadar had just passed. This one’s hands also bore the darkness, stretched between them like a garrote torn from deep space, and with a quick flick the protoss tossed the band over Tassadar’s head and around his neck. The Dark Templar tugged back sharply, planning to catch his quarry about the throat and yank him off balance. But Tassadar raised his right hand and his glittering psi-blade burst from it, the blade slicing cleanly through the dark band and scattering its shadowy substance. The warrior Tassadar dispatched with three quick moves, one to the chest and one to the throat and one to the space between the glowing eyes, and then he was moving again.

(….)

Tassadar was halfway across the valley now. He had faced more than a dozen of the Dark Templar, defeat-ing each one in turn. Some he had conquered with only his speed and strength. Others he had used his psi-blades to disarm. Still others he had bested

their own gifts, as when one had punched at him with a dark-shrouded fist and Tassadar had caught the blow, his own hand stealing the darkness and then releasing it harmlessly back into the shadows. Each Dark Templar, as he was defeated, moved aside to let him pass.

But he still had half the valley to go, and many Dark Templar yet to defeat—including Zeratul himself.

As Raynor watched, however, he noticed something strange. Tassadar’s eyes were still visible among the shadows, but now he saw a faint speck of light upon the protoss warrior’s chest as well. A second appeared, then a third, forming an inverted triangle above the Executor’s triple hearts. The tiny spots grew brighter, as did Tassadar’s eyes, and slowly the glow crept across the rest of his body, until his entire frame was engulfed in a near-blinding light. It dispersed the shadows around him, scattering them into small pockets of stubborn darkness—pockets shaped much like protoss warriors preparing to strike.

Raynor blinked. For just an instant, as the glow had flared to full intensity, he thought he’d seen a flicker from it, like a candle bending in a strong wind. Or a faint shadow scurrying clear of the revealing light. But now it was gone and he wasn’t sure if he’d imagined it.

(…)

Finally he was just below the nook, and one last patch of shadow remained before him. As Tassadar approached the shadow spread out rather than shrink-ing back, extending tendrils to wrap around him and smother his light. The glow dimmed but did not die, and in return it lanced deep into the darkness, stripping away layers until the form of a tall, bent protoss was revealed. Zeratul.

“Excellent,” the Praetor acknowledged, letting the shadows fall away from him now that they were no longer useful. “You have used both light and darkness to good advantage. Your skill with your Templar gifts is commendable, and you use our native gifts as one born to them. Truly you are worthy.” Not for the first time Raynor could hear the grin in the old protoss’s mental voice, the hints of laughter wrapped around every word. “Provided you can escape my grasp and reach the gathering place beyond.”- Queen of Blades, Shadow Walk example

TAL’DARIM

Millions of years ago, after the Aeon of Strife, the Protoss tribe known as the Tald’arim (meaning “Forged” in their language) seemingly disappeared from all Protoss records. Yet sometimes mysterious, unexplained happenings events occurred that the Protoss could not explain. Vessels would take off into the cosmos and never return- attack forces would go missing. It was rumored by the Protoss populace that ‘angry whispers of the past would strike when you are most vulnerable’ . If these tales are true then the Tal’darim and the Khalai Protoss have fought a secret war for countless years, only without the Khalai being even aware of it.

Separated for millions of years, the Tal’darim evolved a different mindset than their regular kin. Their culture became brutal, a social Darwinian climate where the strong and clever survived while the weak perished. Tactics other Protoss would find dishonorable are routinely in use with the Tal’darim. That said they do have some fragments of honor such as a ritualized dueling system and a willingness to follow their word once given.  worshipped the death god Amon who promised them that in return for obeying him they would all ascend one day to the same state as him (a lie).

Their society operates to theconcept of the Chain of Ascension—obey those above you, while being superior to those below you. One may ascend the chain through Rak'Shir duels, or simply move up as openings in the chain are created. Those high up in the chain are referred to as ascendants, while the top of the chain is the highlord, of which there have been many. It is their philosophy that as the weak are removed from the chain, the Tal'darim grow stronger. Attacking a superior outside a Rak'Shir duel is punished through public execution.

The Tald’arim eventually burst onto the scene in the Second Great War, revealing themselves the servants of Amon. A sub-branch sought and failed to prevent the Terran James Raynor from acquiring artifacts, while the main branch kidnapped Daelam prisoners and attacking Terran/Protoss worlds. However, towards the middle of the war, a powerful ascendant, Alarak, learned the truth about Amon and defected to Artanis. Through the help of the Daelam and his own guile Alarak eventually beat the Highlord Ma’lash in a Rak’shir duel and seized control of the entirely of the Tal’darim race, brining it over to the Daelam.

Militarily it must first be noted that the Tal’darim are noted addicts of the gas known as ‘Terrazine’. This drug is noted for rejuvenating brain matter as well as boosting psionic powers but at the cost of hallucinations, violent outbursts and sometimes madness. As pretty much the entire faction enjoys Terrazine for its religious connotations they would possess numerous psionic warriors to battle. The Tal’darim are known for stealing successful tech from their Khalai and Nerazim brethren, thus possessing a well-stocked force. Yet they also bring their own unique variants to the fray like a modification to Void Rays or the terrifying Wraithwalker. Tal’darim modificatinos emphasize death and their doctrine appears to be to achieve it by any means necessary. They are cunning by nature and skilled at exploiting weaknesses in enemy ranks.

PURIFIER

The purifiers were built under direct order of the Conclave to be an ultimate fighting force at a time when protoss scientists were making technological advancements in intelligent robotics and artificial intelligence. The program was originally kept in shadow and unified by the belief that consciousness could be turned into data, thereby used to preserve the thought-process and decision-making ability of a formerly living being. replications were often 99.3% accurate to the protoss subject the replication was patterned after. The Conclave moved to use this technology to build a force replicated from the greatest warriors in history.

Like the Khala protoss they were built by, they possess their own unique ‘network’ by which they can translate data, plans and other thoughts across. Moreover  they are said to be stronger and  more effective when in close proximity to one another..

They did not, however, treat the purifiers with the same respect afforded to regular Templar. Instead, the purifiers were little more than slaves in the Conclave's eyes. Eventually, the purifiers chose to rebel, killing their masters. In return, the Conclave determined that the purifiers were too dangerous and banned them. They were powered down and launched away in a command vessel, Cybros, to be reactivated only in the direst of circumstances

In 2506 Amon turned out to be a ‘direst of circumstance’. Artanis, needing allies, disregarded the advice of his allies and awakened them. Though the Purifiers were less than happy with the Protoss at first eventually he convinced them that the Templar would treat them better now, and won them over with his honor. The Purifiers would serve the rest of the war against Amon.

If Khalai focus on the air fleet, Nerazim on stealth and guerilla tactics and the Tal’darim on psionics and cunning death, Purifiers are methodical destruction waiting to happen. While much of their force is ground they utilize their khala-esque network to systematically purge enemy life with machine precision. Collosi and Tempests are the most famous of this faction’s arsenal.

 

PROTOSS PHYSIOLOGY

The typical Protoss Templar stands around 3 meters tall with a slender and agile physique. They walk on two large digits with knees that buckle backwards rather than forwards as humans do. They possess eyes but no nose, mouth or any orifice whatsoever. Instead they hear and smell along with absorbing and secreting nutrients through their skin. Their eyesight meanwhile is extremely impressive, not only capable of seeing farther and better than a human but also capable of seeing through smoke or soot. They are likely capable of night vision.  Protoss are remarkably self-sufficient requiring only a small amount of water (much less than a human) and sunlight {or moonlight, which is reflected sunlight) to exist. Even then they can go for weeks without either before suffering from deprivation. They possess three hearts , fewer organs and scaly skin. Protoss can live a thousand years.

These traits are why the Xel’Naga, the ancient precursor race of Starcraft, considered them ‘Pure of Form”. Thanks to their biology they can survive and fight in the void of space without specialized suits or live in environs of extreme hot or cold without much issue{though obviously not too extreme}.They are more durable than a human and examples in text show zealots fighting on proliferated by poisonous hydralisk spines, having bodies half-dissolved by acid or even set alight by Terran flamethrower troops. Even when they sustain fatal wounds they can still fight on- in the background to one short story a zealot had all his limbs ripped off and then decided to become an immortal.

With three hearts they can achieve speeds that a human cannot, with the zealot being capable of 75mph running speed as well as being able to run far longer at that speed . For example the zealot in Cold Symmetry ran for an estimated 16 hours and crossed thousands of kilometers.  In actual combat zealots have been observed deflecting hypersonic hydralisk spines with their blades (Carrier short story) or Dark Templars sidestepping gunfire (StarCraft Frontline, issue 3).They are more agile, with an example in Why We fight showcasing a zealot vaulting on top of a thirty meter Ultralisk to deliver the fatal blow to the skull or zealots in Queen of Blades described as rapidly ascending cliffs, jumping over craters, ridges etc.. While these examples  are all of better than average individuals they all showcase moves that a human would be incapable of.  Acceding to text they are also physically stronger than humans, with one example has a Protoss warrior able to pick up a fellow Protoss and hurl him with such force that he was nearly killed.  If lacking any other option Protoss have vicious sharp claws to wield in melee.

This natural advantage translates to mentality as well. As the below example shows Protoss minds process information  at a far faster and volumous rate than human minds. In combat this gives them superior initiative, reaction time and the ability to form (and then spread, via telepathy) planning on the fly. Thanks to dsicipline and training (Protoss dedicate decades or even centuries to mastering combat) they possess superior control over their emotions and pain then humanity.

“He unclipped a console from his belt and sent a cloud of micro-spies into the large chamber. The tiny propeller-driven devices were Umojan tech, and he’d paid dearly to get them from the black market, certain they’d come in handy one day. They immediately began circling slowly, scanning, measuring, listening—

—until a bright blue beam flashed out from the opposite side of the cave, flicking from one micro-spy to the next, disintegrating each in a dazzling flash of light.

Jake leapt backward into shadow, knowing even as he did so that it didn’t matter. Whatever had just incinerated his micro-spies had certainly targeted him as well. Even as the first hot surge of adrenaline roared up through his gut, his chest, his heart, he was already realizing that he was only alive because that same something wanted him alive.

He took a deep breath, a second, a third... then stepped forward. Running would be the worst thing he could do.

Across the cave, on the other side of the chamber, where another lava tube opened into the great space—or perhaps it was a continuation of this lava tube—something shimmered. Something tall. Something not human.

In that instant, Jake suddenly knew he was extremely lucky... and extremely unlucky too. He was now one of the very few human beings in the sector who had ever been face to face with a protoss. The reason there were so few was that most of those who had ever been face to face with a protoss had not survived the encounter.

"Uh, hi," he said. He raised his right hand in a tentative greeting.

* * *

Lassatar studied the creature across from him. He’d been aware of its presence on the island since the day it arrived. Now, here in this cavern, he could finally examine it.

Human. Encased in primitive technology. It imagined itself powerful. It had a pretense of thought wrapped around a core of primal surges—mostly fear. It was a biological imperative, pretending toward thought, even aspiring toward true thought, but really just an organic machine fueled by a clumsy tangle of hunger, fear, rage, and vague uncomfortable desires.

It desired intimacy, but it feared connection with its own kind. It desired knowledge, but feared discovery. It desired change, but feared action. It desired peace, but feared death.

It desired sentience, hungered for a light it could only dimly sense, but feared to give up the animalistic state of being that kept it trapped in a cage of emotions. It did not act as much as it reacted.

All this and less.

That humans had achieved warp technology was more a demonstration of how easily knowable this universe could be than evidence of any native intelligence. The human species had not yet finished evolving, and probably never would. It would destroy itself before it had a chance to create its own higher state of being.

Nevertheless, the raw passion of these creatures gave them a terrifying set of abilities. They could create almost as ferociously as they could destroy. They weren’t mindless. And to this dark templar, the possibility of what a human might become was a tantalizing question, one that deserved enormous consideration.

If you share a galaxy with another life-form, it is either a partner or a scourge. There is no neutrality. If the relationship is not one of mutual contribution, then it is one of eternal warfare and destruction. Life is inevitable. Resources are finite. The rest is left as an exercise for the trainee.

In the brief instant between the destruction of the micro-spies and the moment when the creature raised its hand in greeting, Lassatar sorted through a thousand options. His curiosity overruled them all.

He’d had experience with humans before, most of it violent, but a chance encounter on a trivial world had left him pondering the possibilities of sentience in this unfinished species. Could its primitive and brutal mind be trained? Could this animal be uplifted? Could it learn the deeper responsibilities of the technologies it had created? Or was it like the giant herbivores of the mainland—an evolutionary dead end, doomed by its own biology to feed and be fed upon in turn, with no real capability to understand its own participation in the processes of time?

The creature before him now...

Lassatar recognized a curious kinship.

Like him, the creature had chosen to separate itself from its own kind. Humans did that often, and often without apparent reason.

At first consideration, it made no sense. The behavior seemed to have no evolutionary value. Separated from the tribe, the herd, the family, a lone unit’s ability to survive was considerably reduced. Even the hard shell of technology was rarely enough protection against the raw forces of the universe. And if the lone unit traveled without a mate, without the capacity to reproduce, then the action was biologically futile.

But if the evolutionary value was not immediately apparent, it was still inherent. Otherwise, the behavior would not continue to occur, would have disappeared from the species quickly. Clearly, there existed a survival value for the larger gene pool in having some of its members commit to exploration and discovery. The behavior could function as a useful avenue toward the development of greater thought within the species—a path toward the growth of a genuinely conscious mind. It could even be an evolutionary trigger as profound as the ability to walk upright or the use of tools.

The future of humanity was an issue that protoss elders occasionally discussed. Humans were a curious anomaly, a species trapped on the cusp of possibility. Caught between their raging biological impulses and the possibility of true sentience, humans were a question in the process of asking itself. The resolution of the dilemma might be interesting, but was not worthy of serious consideration—not until the threat of the zerg had been totally eliminated. Nevertheless, any encounter would be another piece of the growing structure of thought.

Lassatar was a guardian of secrets, a protector of ancient mysteries—and he regarded his duty as a sacred responsibility. More than that, an identity. Lassatar felt his job required him to be the living spirit of protoss heritage. It wasn’t enough for him to be just a guardian. He needed to be a living embodiment: he needed to be an access to the powers and abilities of the past.

He believed that the mysteries and secrets of the ancient past were significant, and that they had profound meaning for the protoss of today. Life was mutable. The earliest protoss knew this—not just as theory, but as an actual application.

Life evolved. It changed. It challenged itself and adapted to whatever circumstance occurred around it. To a higher mind, the processes were beautiful and cruel and powerful. To a higher mind, one that thought in terms of millennia, evolution was a tool, and the first members of the protoss species used that tool handily. They practiced the application of evolutionary pressures to maintain and control the environments of the worlds they claimed. Often, they uplifted whole ecologies from primal to stable.

As he studied the ancient processes, Lassatar had briefly considered how those mysteries could be applied today. For instance, could humans be uplifted toward true sentience? Would they then become a useful partner in the war against the zerg?

That was an interesting question, but not one that any protoss authority was apt to consider at length, let alone pursue. The humans were prone to uncontrolled emotions and violence. Even true sentience would not remove that emotional core of being. Uplifting humanity might result in a very dangerous species, possibly a threat to the protoss. That risk was too great.

And... it was not an inquiry he could assume on his own without violating the integrity of his office. He was only the guardian of mysteries, not the master. Nevertheless... an anomalous event had forced him into a different domain of thought.

He had been searching for an important relic, a xel’naga artifact. He’d found it near a single human settlement. But at the same time he had also encountered a human child as well. The creature had demonstrated a startling amount of innocence and wonder, traits that had not been evident in any of the confrontational encounters of protoss experience.

But if that one immature human was capable, what did that suggest about all of them?

Lassatar was well aware that humans had not yet achieved sentience, not even the illusion of it. On the scale of self-awareness, humans were barely above insects. They were owned by the physicality of their beings, controlled by their brain chemistry, driven by their own hormonal storms, victims of the circumstances into which they were thrown by birth. They were dazzled by stimuli and functioned as creatures of reaction—simple and predictable organic machines. That their brains had evolved toward the capability of rationalization was an accident of evolution—a process still ongoing.

But the encounter with the small female and her father, who had been transformed from a violent being into a loving and compassionate protector, had left him puzzled and curious.

Compassion and empathy were acknowledgments of the self-ness of others, a key component of sentience, the ability to recognize the existence of consciousness outside one’s own being. A small first step, but perhaps the most necessary one. Seeing this potential demonstrated in a human—it demanded investigation. And the next question too. Why did this capacity diminish with age in humans? Why didn’t it mature with the individual? Was this the source of the species’ failure to achieve true sentience?

Lassatar gave the question to his acolytes while he considered the nature of the xel’naga artifact. Little was known about it, and there might be some significant risk in reactivating it. This was not a task to be undertaken lightly.

So he told his acolytes to consider the nature of self-awareness and sentience. Consider the questions of compassion, recognition of the self-ness of others. Consider the nature of awareness as a function of time-binding and how memory creates history, history creates identity, and identity creates the survival drive.

What kind of consciousness results, he asked his acolytes, if a species is uplifted? He did not specify which species he was thinking of, and he was careful to remind them of their limits. The job of the guardian was to protect, not to apply. Yes, research was part of the job, but not direct experimentation.

Even so, the acolytes questioned—wasn’t experimentation part of the process of research? That was a wholly different matter and one that Lassatar was not yet willing to pursue. It required more consideration than he wanted to give at this moment. The xel’naga artifact required his attention first.

So he left them with the single mandate to consider in depth the essential dilemmas of sentience, confident that such an inquiry would keep them busy and out of trouble. Perhaps he should have been more specific in his mandate.

He took himself and the xel’naga artifact to a remote and barren asteroid and quietly, patiently, methodically considered its history, its nature, and why it had been deliberately hidden by the ancient race. When he finally felt he understood, he reactivated the artifact.

And discovered—

What he discovered... left him disturbed.

Not for what it was, but for what it could be. It was not simply the power that the xel’naga artifact unleashed; it was the implications of that power. Could he, should he, would he reveal what he had discovered?

This was not a question he could resolve on his own, but neither was it an inquiry he could share with any other protoss. He was riding a conundrum that could consume him. He did not see any possibility except self-exile.

He returned from his retreat to inform his acolytes that they would have to disband, only to discover they had disappeared. That was the first time he used the power of the xel’naga artifact.

He used it to follow their psionic trail here...

What he found distressed him. Then he was horrified. Then he was saddened.

And if he had been capable of panic, he would have experienced that too.

His acolytes had taken his inquiry and pursued it to the point of madness. If it was possible to alter the genetic structure of a species to change its behavior, could they modify the zerg into something less dangerous?

Here, separated from the body of protoss thought, away from the eyes of protoss authority, Lassatar’s acolytes had quietly and methodically experimented with the biology of the zerg. They had justified their actions to themselves by deciding that they were simply testing a theory so they could report on its usefulness. But there was an arrogant pride in their work as well. They had felt that having evidence of a successful effort would shift not only the conversation about the zerg, but the entire methodology of combat as well. Driven by ambition, his acolytes had believed they would ascend to higher levels.

If only they had survived.

The presence of the human complicated the situation even further.

Lassatar’s acolytes had selected this world for the same reason as the human. It was so far removed from the frontiers of the Koprulu sector, it had been extremely unlikely that their presence here would be detected. All the more ironic then that the human had found the evidence of their experiments.

It had to be an accident.

If humans were investigating his acolytes’ experiments on this world, then they would have sent more than a single explorer.

So it had to be an unfortunate accident.

So he did not see this human as a threat; therefore, there was no need to act against it. But perhaps...

Lassatar had to leave the rest of the thought unfinished. He couldn’t see all the possibilities of the situation. Not yet. There were too many unknowns. And he still hadn’t solved the problem of the xel’naga artifact.

The entire process of thought—the content as well as the context—flashed through his mind in less time than it took to zap the micro-spies out of existence. So by the time the human raised its hand and said, "Uh, hi," Lassatar had already decided to let it live.

Like all protoss, he took no pleasure in the wanton destruction of life. It was wasteful. Allowing the human to continue would be an access to additional opportunities. Killing it would eliminate that option.

So he faded backward into darkness, disappearing from the vision of the human.”

===PROTOSS TELEPATHY===

Lacking orfices the Protoss communicate via telepathy, able to send thoughts and emotions  to one another by mind. The distance that they can do so unaided is unknown and is likely dependent on training, as  the great high templar Tassadar was able to conduct interstellar telepathic conversations and the preserver Zamara was able to read the thoughts of an entire Terran space station. However in other cases it is shown that the Protoss need to construct psi-spires to ensure good communication throughout the entire planet.

“Information flooded him with such astonishing rapidity he whimpered and shut his eyes and ears in a

futile, foolish attempt to block it out. It kept coming, of course, for this information, this knowledge, these sensations of unity, were not coming from his senses. At least . . . not the traditional five senses.

Emotions and sensations slammed into his head.

Jake gasped soundlessly. And then, suddenly, as if he had been riding a runaway horse that had suddenly slowed to a comfortable canter, Jake was processing it all.

No. Not Jake, not Jacob Jefferson Ramsey.

And not Zamara, nor Temlaa.

All.

All of them were working together, almost in a dance, catching the information and sensation, registering it, integrating it, and moving on. The supreme onfidence of Randall, walking down a corridor some- where. The master chef, writing out the menu and sending an assistant to harvest herbs. And oh, Jake didn’t want to see but he couldn’t help it, couldn’t ignore it, could only see and integrate Rosemary’s warm feelings of sexual satiety and momentary content. Dozens of people, hundreds of thoughts and feelings, crowding upon Jake and Zamara, and they were juggling them deftly.

Until they stumbled across one thought.

Somewhere, in this massive complex that was part mansion and part laboratory and part training facility, someone had a thought that caught Jake and Zamara like a punch in the gut. It was a fleeting thought, a butterfly wing–light thought, crowded out at once by more pressing thoughts of food and a hot shower.

Wonder what kind of bonus we’ll get from Mr. V for the mind reader.”

Though once everything was open via the Khala system, with its downfall Protoss can now communicate mentally what they choose to share. Protoss in conversation can choose to block out or allow in other individuals in at will. Telepathically they can connect with Terran video communication systems as well as read the minds of enemies in combat. Language is no barrier since ‘thoughts’ transcends such barriers. In the Dark Templar saga Protoss (or a Terran possessed by the Protoss) were shown using this ability to create and spoil ambushes, identify rough positions of enemies, devise battleplans on the fly and other mischief on the battlefield.

“They were followed, like the kal-taar were. Followed by those who would slay them and use their blood for paint.

And their lives, too, depended on how fast they ran now.

Jake swiveled his head over his hunched shoulder. He

had no need to look to see his enemy, for their thoughts attacked him—their threats, their hunger for the kill. But he liked to see them. And so he did, brief glimpses of something dark gray amidst the bright green of the grasses. Something with glowing eyes, assaulting him with mental cries that were intended to freeze his blood but only enraged him.

It took all of Jake’s self-control to not drop to all fours, wheel around, and rip out the throat of his pursuer. But that was not what he was supposed to do. This was an initiation for him. He needed to shield his true thoughts from his enemies. He could not permit himself to fall prey to his own bloodlust.

He faced forward again, leaping high over the huge trunk of a fallen tree. He landed in a crouching position and sprang forth with only the barest slowing. His pursuers cleared the trunk a heartbeat later. They were closing on them, and Jake felt panic, they were closing on them, would the others attack in time to—

“Temlaa! Control your thoughts!”

Savassan’s rebuke was harsh and painful. Jake under-

stood and was horrified at his slip. He had given everything away!

Behind him the pursuing Furinax skidded to a halt,

gathered themselves, and turned to flee. But it was too late. Twenty Shelak dropped from the dark, looming jungle canopy onto the other protoss. Jake turned and joined his kin, leaping on the Furinax, using his sharp claws to tear open the bellies of their enemies. His skin knew the scent of fresh blood and moist earth, of flowers and decay.

It was so good to kill, to feel the bloodlust surging through his veins.

Telkar, the leader of the Shelak, turned his glowing eyes on Jake. “Temlaa, you very nearly ruined everything!”

Jake shrank back. “I know. I will be better next time. I will be more disciplined.”

“Temlaa’s mistake did not come until we had already

brought them close enough for the kill,” Savassan said. “He did well for his first time.”

Jake looked gratefully to the older protoss.

Telkar narrowed his eyes. “You will do better on your second time, Temlaa,” he said, “or there will not be a third.”

Jake wanted to leap and dance happily. He would be permitted to go on the hunt again! “Only the younglings spread their thoughts without care of who understands them,”

A scene of ambush from the ancient Protoss Aeon of Strife, Dark Templar series

“Focus, Jacob. Listen for the threat amid the fear and anger. Your lives depend upon this (Zamara) .

Jake thought fleetingly of Temlaa and Savassan, racing through the dark, misty rain forest of Aiur,

minds alert for the thoughts of predators, animal or protoss. He clung to that image and tried to both focus and run.

— got a clear shot—

“On the left!” Jake shouted. Rosemary whirled sharply to the left and fired. There were no more

thoughts from the left.

— don’t know what’s going on but I’m getting out of here—

Rosemary turned at the movement and Jake screamed, “No, he’s just getting out of the way!”

The petite assassin hesitated, then lowered her weapon and kept running. Jake felt a flood of relief.

In the midst of all this horror and slaughter, he’d just  managed to save a life.”-Dark Templar series. Note Jake is being possessed by the Protoss Zamara here and she was teaching him how to use their shared powers.

Protoss telepathy combines with their mental processing power to absorb a wide range of information at a speed that far surpasses terran telepaths of their universe. An example is found below.

“Rosemary swallowed hard. So many thoughts crowded her mind at once. Where to begin?

Images came—the cave where she and Jake had found Zamara, her betrayal of the archaeologist, his horror at having been used to turn a madman loose on his friends, the stories of Temlaa and Vetraas and Khas and Adun, the Sundrop—oh, God, the Sundrop—the whirling radiant darkness—what an oxymoron that was—that was Ulrezaj, the sudden and unexpected pain in her chest when Jake said he was dying, the living carpet of zerg that just came on and on and on, Ethan‘s betrayal and resurrection as a tool of this Kerrigan who—

She opened her mouth to speak, to try to begin the linear, calm telling of the tale, when Selendis touched her mind: ―Well done, Rosemary.‖

Well done? She hadn‘t even started—

―Thoughts are richer and swifter than words. And your thoughts are vibrant,‖ Selendis replied.

―You were more eloquent than I—or many others—expected.‖

―Well, I guess that‘s good,‖ Rosemary replied.”

“Zamara navigated them as smoothly as an experienced rafter does a river. He swiftly isolated those

with information and began to probe their thoughts.

“Prof? Ready to go here. . . .”

His eyes still closed, Jake held up a finger for silence. There. That was the one. The woman in charge of security for the entire compound. Quickly Zamara/Jake scanned her thoughts. Jake almost laughed aloud as he realized that Zamara had an eidetic memory.

“I’ve got a map now,” he said to R. M., and he realized that his voice sounded slightly different—more

confident, less frightened. “Alison Lassiter is the security chief. I know exactly where the communications room is now. There are some codes . . . hang on . . .”- Firstborn

In the span of a few heartbeats and before she was fully knowing of what she was doing Rosemary told essentially the plot of three books to the Protoss. And as later lines proved they absorbed this information perfectly.  In the second quote Jacob Ramsey (possessed by a Protoss) casually ‘scanned’ the minds of other human security officers to look for codes and maps of the complex without being detected. Protoss are not only capable of just reading surface thoughts; in the Dark Templar series it is established the Protoss can probe deeper though this process is far more invasive.  If the Protoss in question feels like s/he really wants to know  every bit of information or feels the other is lying (which is possible for base telepathy with technological devices or by stronger telepaths, but very hard to do),  then they can probe incredibly deep, even capable of revealing repressed memories and undoing technological mental blocks (Terran resocialization of criminals, for instance). A Protoss can even read the entire life of an individual in moments (and process it) however in this instance they would need physical contact for all but the most powerful telepaths. Language is no barrier to thought reading, which Protoss can do on first contact.

To use an analogy comparing telepathy to the internet all Protoss are instinctively capable of picking up on immediate news headlines that flash up on a page. With a little more effort (usually not detectable by the individual they are using it on depending on the skill of the Protoss) they can sort through the mind like a search engine, sifting through brains to find what they want. Here they can find basically everything they want save the most guarded and buried thoughts..or that hidden behind encrypted passwords and security measures. With greater effort and to the point of clear detection the Protoss can breach his way through to discover even theses.  

While Protoss trained in the arts can inflict deadly and mass mental attacks, even weaker Protoss might be able to disorient, confuse or otherwise hurt the minds of enemies in combat. In addition to having numerous fatal means stronger Protoss can manipulate minds, plant memories or even plant orders like suicidal thoughts or murder.  

===TELEPATHY VS. CLOAKING===

It is shown many times in the novels that the Protoss can detect things via telepathy that they cannot otherwise see, like an enemy lying nearby in ambush or a sudden zerg attack. As Protoss are not relying on sight here there is no reason one of them should not be able to detect a foe that is ONLY using a cloaking device. It is for the same reason that if you attached clown shoes to a cloaked individuals feet or a constantly booming boom box you would probably be able to quickly guess their location.

However, it is clear that in lore Protoss CAN in fact be caught off-guard by cloaked or burrowed foes.

I would propose this is the result of a combination of training, distance and Hive mind factors rather than inability for Protoss to detect them.

In the case of Ghosts the answer is simple: Telepaths can shield their minds from other telepaths in lore. Though a stronger telepath can overpower a weaker one to break through mental defenses(such as in SC Spectres), that requires both time and actually knowing the enemy is there. Which they wouldn't if the cloaking device worked and their passive telepathic detection wasn't receiving anything on the first hit. Too the Terrans do have psychic blocking tech devices that make it harder to detect, though these too can be overwhelmed in time. Still if you combine the tech with a ghost's natural ability/training it would take the Protoss a while to overpower such a defense.

In the case of cloaked Wraiths it is mostly distance. The addition of Psi-spires in 1km+ capital ships shows that, for the most part, Protoss telepathic range is probably going to only be a little better than their hearing range (which is still superhuman) but they are going to have difficulty 'hearing' thoughts over such a wide distance. Some trained and spectacular individuals can but in space or atmo combat, most are not going to easily be able to follow such vessels given distance.

With the Zerg their hive mind makes it nearly impossible for the Protoss to read individual Zerg thoughts, only general and somewhat tell how nearby they are by intensity. In the case of a Lurker Protoss will have difficulty telling its location particularly when surrounded by Zerg without telepathy alone, and even in the event of the Lurker being alone the pervasive hive mind is going to inhibit attempts to locate exactly its underground position without an observer present. I do think the Protoss would find eventually the Lurker without detection help but it would take a while and they would incur causalities.

In the case of other Protoss like Dark Tempalrs the nerazim bring training that comes with learning how to block off their minds and mystical cloaking devices, so it is understandable why other Protoss would have difficulty in finding them . Cloaked mothership parties against another Protoss force would presumably be the same, for they are also trained and skilled enough to close off minds.

TL;DR: Protoss can be considered minor detectors by default but with a lot of Caveats. A few individuals might be considered full detectors (like Protoss heroes for example).

===PROTOSS MINDSET===

“The thing that defines every Protoss is our willingness to put ourselves in harm's way to protect others. To sacrifice for the good of all”

Though each Protoss faction has differences in culture, all value highly certain traits in their different ways. The notion of honor and loyalty is at the very core of the Protoss race. Honor refers to upholding some of the race’s most sacred principles such as keeping control of their emotions, behaving gloriously and without fear in battle. Loyalty refers to dedication to their race and cause above all, ensuring that every Protoss is ready to sacrifice themselves if necessary for the greater good. There are heavy variances among Protoss individuals in this theme. For example some Nerazim used to believe that their loyalty extends to the Nerazim faction and not the overall Protoss race, while the Tal’darim’s absolute loyalty to their leader is not always shown by many Auir or Nerazim leaders (such as Tassadar disobeying the Old Conclave).

The Protoss believed they were abandoned long ago by the Xel’Naga, due in part to their pride and extreme emotions. This has resulted in a society dictated by control, of the tempering of pride (though the Tal’darim skirt this rule at the top). However pride is still there and indeed it sometimes emerges as a weakness. The Protoss are shown to have difficulty conceiving in defeat or the need to retreat, being far more willing to die gloriously in battle than do that. Though recently commanders such as Artanis, Selendis etc have allowed for protocols of tactical retreat the concept of Surrender is probably beyond them .

However  the Protoss do not view anyone in their armies as ‘fodder’ . Each warrior given is a gift whose lives they take great care to ensure are as protected as possible (by spending long years training, equipping them with multiple layers of armor and high quality equipment etc). If protoss lives must be spent the enemy will have a huge price to pay.

=

===COMMON TECHNOLGOY & TERMS===

CLOAKING: Cloaking refers to the ability of several Protoss units to turn nearly invisible .Sometimes this is accomplished through technological means, like with the observer or now corsair. Sometimes it is accomplished through psionic means, like with the Dark Templar. Sometimes it is a combination of both like with the Mothership.

Whatever the means cloaking in SC carries several attributes. The first of which is that SC cloaking renders the target nearly completely invisible ensuring that it cloaked warriors are incredibly difficult to detect with the naked eye. Sometimes the slightest ripple might be seen at best . Most basic scanners, such as a ghost’s heat vision or motion scanners, the infared of a marine suit, light detection scans etc do not work on a cloaked individual. Only the strongest, most concentrated of scans can serve as detection.

Starcraft cloaking is shown to be able to bypass forcefields to an extent, being able to fool those devices into thinking that no one is there.

CRYSTAL LINK MATRIX : The crystal link matrix is a crystal built into the suit of every Protoss warrior that, upon taking a near fatal wound, automkatically transports the warrior back to the main base . This allows the warrior to either be given the proper rights of his people or, as is increasingly done, be fitted inside a battlesuit  like an immortal, dragoon or stalker. This matrix can also be manually activated by either the user or remotely by command if necessary.

CYBERNETICS: The protoss are a technologically advanced race and their use of cybernetics is testament to this. In their time of operation, dragoon 'pilots' could come to control their exoskeleton as well as if it were their own body.This is an ability shared by the current generation of protoss cybernetic warriors, the immortals and stalkers.

Protoss cybernetics extends beyond crippled warriors. Zealot power suits are compatible with cybernetic leg enhancements that bolster the warrior's speed. Karax attached cybernetic tentacles to the tips of his severed nerve chords, allowing him to control the limbs via thought

KHAYDARIN CRYSTALS : These  are psi-active, monolithic psionic artifacts left behind by the xel'naga on various worlds. The protoss use them to strengthen their psionic bond and power their psionic technology. High Templars and both kinds of archons for instance sometimes carry them to stor excess psionic energy for spellpower (in addition to their own stockpiles). They also serve a key role in serving as a energy node to to provide for the psionic matrix. Arbiters, Motherships and similar Protoss vessels all carry such crystals to help power their various abilities while shield batteries use them to store and then dole out psionic energy (reshielding).

 

PHASESMITHING : This type of production allows Protoss engineers to create, meld and mainuplate matter, teleporting in valuable parts out of thin air  exactly where they are needed. Such an ability allows Protoss engineers to manufacture robotic units (sentries, sentinels ect) inside Protoss bases, though there is a progressive difficulty in doing so depending on how powerful what being warped in is. It too is what allows the Protoss to manufacture their devices with such precision and quality, for Protoss metal is said to never decay or erode. In one claim, stated in the short story It Shall End in Fire, it is said that one of the most powerful crystals created by the Protoss has only failed once in several thousand years.  

PLASMA SHIELDS: A technology universal, 100%, among all Protoss units and heroes, the Plasma shield combines technology and the Protoss’s own innate psionic ability to project a miniature energy shield. While originally in the ancient days of Auir these shields drew entirely from the warrior’s own psychic reserves, as time moved on and the Protoss acquired more advanced vehicles and weapons these psionic shields were built into generators. The larger the generator for the greater vehicle meant the better protection available. All Plasma generators recharge when out of combat.

At the level of the base zealot a plasma shield can help the warrior survive withering machine gun fire, point blanked acid explosions or even other psionic weapons. This power is, of course, scaled up for each unit cumulating in the Protoss mothership which can survive a sustained attack by dozens or hundreds of zerg flyers at once before failing.

 

Note that a Plasma shield is NOT physical armor. Physical armor is a second layer of defense.

PSIONICS: (a.k.a. psychic powers) are the ability of using the mind to induce paranormal phenomena. The protoss are masters of psionic powers, with every single member of their race capable of it . The protoss can use their psionic abilities to shield themselves, charge their tools and weapons, and to make, manipulate or meld matter. By definition in Starcraft psionic weaponry ignores almost all forms of physical armor in regards to toughness but still effected by other factors somewhat such as densitiy (example seen in a similar, more popular fiction: Jedi lightsabers can carve through metal with ease but still take some time to carve through a blast door). Many protoss units use psionic weaponry or powers, and the Protoss do have generators (such as with mothership or oracles) to store this.

Protoss Machines (robots) are inherently receptive and able to communicate via telepathy, like the rest of the Protoss.

PSIONIC MATRIX NETWORK: Protoss structures draw their energy from a aura of psionic energy known as the psionic matrix.  While a 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 aura of energy, which can provide the power needed by structures and warp gates. If a protoss building loses its connection to the psionic matrix, it will shut down until it is reconnected, and new units cannot be gated in if there is insufficient psionic energy to provide them with power. Warp Prisms, energizers or rarer craft can function as an emergency psionic matrix, though in doing so they make the ship immobile and an obvious target.

A Psionic Matrix is not just a power source- it is a means of reinforcement, with the Protoss able to warp structures, infantry, heavy armor even starships directly to the battle!  They are able to do this via the opening of warp rifts, resulting in portals inside structures. The building can then set a second portal which  in effect ensures that any area of land covered by a pylon or warp prism’s psionic matrix is a parcel of land that the Protoss can warp any unit, infantry, vehicle or air vessel, at will.  Protoss commanders thus can bring their troops to the battlefield nearly instantaneously.

In addition in lore the Protoss commanders have been shown using their psionic matrix to recall surrounded, ambushed or otherwise overwhelmed troops back to base- a move that is quick, sudden and nearly impossible to stop. It can be done even for allies-in Brood War Raynor,allied with Fenix, reluctantly had the Protoss recall the entirety of the besieged Terran Dominion force away from the assault force of the United Earth Directorate- right as the latter was about to utterly destroy the former. To date the only one who has managed to stop it is kerrigan who utilized her formidable psionic powers to shield her vessel to prevent a lone protoss captive from warping out .  

TELEPORTATION : Connected to the Psionic Netowrk strongly is the technology known as teleportation, for it is the main mechanism by which Protoss traverse the network. The protoss have spent thousands of years studying the nature of time and space and as a result, their ability to manipulate it far exceeds that of other races. In fact they can do so with almost complete reliability. This can be done on the base level through personal warp generators, like with the stalker or the psionic transfer ability of the adept. Dark Templars have their own teleporting ability, though that is more similar to psionic powers than technology. As already discussed, every single Protoss already has a personal transporter built into them in case lasting damage is sustained.

Outside of the psionic matrix Protoss are also capable of large scale teleportation. Arbiters and Motherships can rip holes through space-time allowing Protoss to travel from point A to B in seconds even though they are normally tens of thousands of kilometers away from one another.This can occur with entire bases rather than single buildings at a time; in the Zerg campaign of Brood War Zeratul sought to teleport his entire base away from Kerrigan, though this took some prep time.

===INFANTRY===

• A note on Variants: Courtesy of Legacy of the Void, many units now have variants now, variations upon the main faction from other specific tribes. Variants will be lsited in the ‘Special category”. Everything listed before that, unless otherwise noted, can be considered universal to both variants and the original form (which is still in use).

ZEALOT

Weapon Type: Psi Blades

Armor Type: Power Suit

 Mobility: 8

 Training: 6-8

Max Range: Lunging Range

Preferred Range: Melee

Classification: Close Quarters specialist

Role: Frontline Assault, Melee Warrior

Speed: 75mph/120 kph (Up to 88mph/141 kph for Charge, slightly higher for some variants)

Utilized By: Auir, Tal’darim, Purifier and Nerazim

For thousands of years, the Protoss of the Templar caste have defended their people, dedicating their long lives to the pursuit of martial perfection. Zealots are peerless warriors who have yet to ascend to the uppermost ranks of the Khala. Ever eager for advancement, they train for decades in hand-to-hand combat, tactics, strategy, pain tolerance, and martial discipline. Their formidable physiques are further enhanced by cybernetic implants and power suits. Zealots use their substantial psionic abilities to create blades of pure energy- capable of ignoring almost any physical armor regardless of density-  that serve as their primary melee weapons.

A Zealot is a master of his own emotions, able to transform his passion into peaceful focus or unbridled rage. This gives them a determination that is described as far exceeding any Terran capability and as a result they can fight longer, harder and better than their contemporary adversaries. Already far faster than a human by virtue of biology, those Zealots who have proven themselves can upgrade themselves with cybernetic legs, allowing them to rush across fields with blurring speed. In one impossible, likely outlier feat one Zealot was able to run the circumference of his moon- many thousands of kilometers- in likely sixteen hours. There is a reason why a melee warrior can still compete in an era of hypersonic machine guns.

The Protoss believe that even the life of the lowliest of warriors is something to be preserved as much as possible. To that end every single Protoss zealot has a power suit and a psionic shield generator. And, in the event they suffer a mortal wound, the crystal matrix  built into the suits of every single Templar swiftly and automatically teleport the warrior back to base. There to be transferred into a Dragoon or Immortal suit, depending on his status.

OFFENSIVE: PSI-BLADES

Most Protoss warriors wield a pair of psionic bracers that allow them to focus their innate psionic energy into deadly dual close quarter weapons. The only exception is the ancient zealot variant which uses a longer psionic spear type weapon. At least one comic had a Protoss zealot using his plasma shield as a ramming device against the enemy.

They are highly skilled warriors physically superior to the Terran’s best in melee, and able to move so fast their movements are sometimes described as blurs.

“As he watched, glowing spikes appeared from their forearms, extending over their fists, and he realized these energy blades were their primary weapons. The Executor himself perched on the crater’s edge but did not participate in the conflict—instead he sat and watched, just as Raynor was doing.

The zerg were taken completely by surprise. The brood had been concentrating on getting across the crater and was unprepared for the sudden attack from above. Protoss were among them in an instant, carving through the zerg’s tough skin with their energy blades, and a dozen or more zerg had fallen before the rest had time to react. Raynor saw four warriors close in on an ultralisk, each targeting a leg, and slice the massive zerg to pieces before it could bring its large scythe-tusks to bear.’-Queen of Blades
 

 - DEFENSIVE : PLASMA SHIELD

 Power Suit: The suit consists of a series of overlapping segmented shells providing flexibility and protection. The throat and back are left bare to allow for full movement. The armor is effective against small-arms, as well as glancing blows by Zerg. The suit may be configured to provide full life support in vacuum or hostile environments (and nuclear/biological/chemical (NBC) shielding. Transceivers to communicate without telepathy, navigation tools, vital signs monitor and the crystalline matrix are housed within, as well as being the location of the Zealots Plasma shield generator.

.

Supplementary lore suggests that some Zealots can learn precognition to help avoid attacks, or those with awesome reflexes might be able to defend themselves with their psi-blades, striking down projectiles in the manner of a jedi.

“Nothing happened for a while, however. The warriors below didn’t mill about the way humans would, which Raynor found disconcerting. No walking in circles, no whittling stray sticks or carving small rocks, no chatting. No eating or drinking, either, which meant his first guess had been correct—they didn’t need food the same way he did. They simply crouched and remained that way, not moving at all for hours on end.

Then suddenly one would stand and stretch, perform-ing a series of gymnastics before returning to his crouch in the exact same spot. It was eerie.”- Zealots outside of combat

VARIANTS:

All Protoss factions make use of zealots. The standard, short bladed variant appear dominant in both the Auir and Tald’arim factions however other variants exist.

Solarite Reaper (Khalai) : The ancient ‘Auir Zealot’ – composed of ancient warrior sput into stasis by the tens of thousands to fight in a future conflict- wield a psionic spear weapon. Known as ‘Solarite Reapers” in  battle this unit specializes in taking out hordes of encroaching enemies  close together but is somewhat slower against singular enemies.  

 

Centurion (Nerazim) :The Nerazim, imitating their Auir cousins, have developed the Centurion and combined it with their own unique abilities to manipulate the Void. While in pitched combat the Centurion is nearly the same as his Auir cousin, it is in the initial charge where this ability manifests. When activated Centurions physically moves through the shadows in a manner similar to the Dark Templars, allowing them to phase through friendly or enemy  units and cloaking the warrior at the same time. When the Centurions hit the enemy the resulting psionic backlash momentarily stuns the target and foes in the immediate vicinity, allowing the Centurion unihibited first strike.

 (6:30-50 for  Centurions and Auir Zealots

Sentinel (Purifier) : Finally the Purifier has the Sentinel variant. Tough, durable and possessing the same charge ability as the Zealot, the Sentinel is run by basic AI designed to replace (i.e. minimalize) Zealot causalities on the field. They possess automated self-repair systems and when the Sentinel is shot down these systems activate, rapidly reassembling the Sentinel on the battlefield. Though there is a cooldown during which the systems cannot resurrect again the Sentinel while recharging, this ability ensures the enemy must kill the Sentinel twice on the field, in rapid succession, to put it down.  

Also unlike with other purifier units the Sentinel is a simple A.I. comparable to a Protoss drone, and thus can be manufactured in greater numbers.

(Sentinel can be seen beginning at 6 min in)

 

DRAGOON

Training: 6-8

Mobility: 3

Classification:   Assault Walker

Range: Above one Kilometer

Utilized by: Auir faction.

Size: 4m

Basic Description:  

The Protoss as a race are a faction that do not like waste. To them the life of each and every warrior is precious, a commodity that cannot be squandered unless it is necessary for the greater whole of the race or its objectives. That is why even their basic zealot is equipped with shielding, power armor and decades or more worth of training. But despite all this sometimes it is inevitable that a warrior will fall in battle.

Enter the Dragoon.  Each zealot is equipped with a fail-safe on their suit that recalls the warrior the moment s/he is mortally wounded.  When this crippled warrior is recalled back to base, s/he may request or be asked to fight on(which, given Protoss mindset, is going to be common response). The technicians will then respectfully merge him with a dragoon exoskeleton allowing the Templar to fight again. The dragoon is a machine, yet one guided psionically by the mind and martial instincts of a veteran Protoss warrior.

After the Fall of Auir the technology was thought lost until, in Artanis’s attempted re-conquest of the planet, the technology was rediscovered and upgraded. Now the Dragoon skin is even more durable than before, courtesy of Karax equipping them with additional armor, followed by Artanis ordering yet more armor for certain dragoons under his command ( so much more durable than a stalker, less than an immortal).  Capable of serving as both anti-air and anti-ground, and with a range over one kilometer, the Dragoon is a potent warrior made all the more significant in that it is a recycled one.
 

LOADOUT:

Armament: Swivel mounted Phase Disruptor. A man hit by one would be disintegrated entirely in an instant, a tower blown up and vehicle armor will not stand up long to such attacks.

Defense:  Plasma Energy Shield. Thanks to Karax the Protoss metallic plating is greatly improved and can resist far more fire than before, though the immortal is still better armored.  

DARK TEMPLAR

Weapon Type: Warp Blades

Armor Type:  Light Plated Armor

 Mobility: 6.5

 Training: 5-6

Max Range: Teleportation

Preferred Range: Melee (Blades)  

Classification: Infiltration specialist

Role: Espionage, Infiltration, Assassination, specialized infantry

"Though we strike at you from the shadows, do not think that we lack the courage to stand in the light." -Zeratul
The Nerazim as a people have already been detailed. Unlike those who come from the Khala culture, who until very recently were strictly dominated by caste, the Nerazim were always free to choose their occupation and trade. Thus while full-time Nerazim warriors in the style of the zealot do exist (with centuries of experience and training) many are part-time warriors who take up multiple occupations. Those who take the path of the warrior undergo the Rite of Shadows, a ritual in which they are tested by their elders and learn to shadow-walk (cloak).

In place of the Khala’s bright energies, the Dark Templar learned to manipulate the darker powers of the Void, which gave the Dark Templar the ability to become invisible at will. Armed with their potent Warp Blades, the Dark Templar are deadly and relentless foes capable of devastating conventional forces. Nerazim can become ‘one’ with the shadows, allowing them to hide in plain sight, virtually undetectable to all but the most advanced scanners. Lesser variants, such as those built into marine suits, ghost suits ect, can’t do it. They are capable of permamently cloaking.

 - Melee: Warp Blades : Warp Blades warp the space around them, they don't damage an object by cutting into it, but rather by inserting a void into anything that crosses their path. A Dark Templar blade can cut through just bout anything with ease, and in one comic they cut through a 20 centimeter steel wall without issue. Some Dark Templars are known to carry scythes, while others prefer swords.  

“He had watched Tassadar and his Zealots fight Kerrigan and her brood and had seen Zeratul do the same. Both times he had been impressed by the protoss’s speed, strength, and skill. They were either warriors born or heavily trained. Either way, he had been awed by them. Watching the protoss battle the zerg had been like watching a trained swordsman moving through a raging mob—the swordsman moved smoothly, gracefully, and wielded his blade with precision, while all around him the mob rampaged mindlessly, using nothing more than brute force and vast numbers to overwhelm.

But this time the swordsman faced another swordsman. Or rather, two bands of swordsmen faced each other.

It was an amazing display. Raynor was sure he missed much of it, because the protoss simply moved too quickly for him to follow. A Zealot would pivot forward, dancing as much as attacking, and his arm would lash out, blade crackling in the thin air, sparks appearing as the energy ignited stray bits of ash and soot. A Dark Templar would float forward to meet the attack, spinning around, one arm swinging up smoothly, glittering blade extended, and the two energies would cross, blue and green colliding, shedding flickers of shadow and brightness in all directions, dazzling the eye. Then the two combatants would pull apart and step away, only to circle and close and strike again. Not once, that Raynor saw, did a blade connect with flesh. Each blow was matched by a countermove, each blade blocked by another blade. This wasn’t slaughter, or even bloodshed. It was a dance, a display, a show of skill and talent and art.

It was beautiful. And for someone like Raynor, who had grown up with harsher realities and rougher tools, it was a brief glimpse into another world. What would it be like to be from a race whose combat had become so stylized, so perfect, that it was poetry to watch? A race that could fight without wounding, win without killing, defeat with hurting? He couldn’t even imagine it.

As their warriors battled, the two leaders had watched, unmoving. “Your warriors are well-trained,”

Tassadar commented after several minutes, his words halting, as if they had been dragged from him against his will. Raynor could hear the grudging respect in them.

“As are yours,” Zeratul replied, returning the compliment more easily. He nodded at his counterpart.”-Queen of Blades

 - Defense:  Psionic Shield (which Vorazun has worked on bolstering) and Light Armor. Their main defense is of course their cloaking

Special Powers : (Exclusive to Nerazim….not possessed by Blood Hunters or Avengers).

Recently, with the fall of Shakuras, the Nerazim have poured their focus into mastering the Void with intensified passion that has borne fruit. In addition to their cloaking the remaining Nerazim warriors have learned the special ability:

Shadowstrike. This ability allows the Nerazim to bypass all ranged and teleport right into melee combat. There they launch a barrage of teleporting strikes(5) so fluid and rapid that the enemy cannot hope to hit them. They skim the outskirts of reality, emerging quickly from the shadows, attacking and disappearing before they can get shot (in game they are actually invulnerable).  As Nerazim are naturally suited to assassination they can use the opportunity to kill officers, disable transportation, wound strong foes and generally just inflcit havoc on enemy lines.

However using the ability is taxing, and after a couple or so strikes it wears off, leaving the Dark Templar to fight as a normal, cloaked, shielded warrior. That said their last ‘teleport’ is always back to the spot they initially jumped from, meaning that  if they are not engaged in combat  when they start they  can retreat until they regather the energy to try again (or just charge in as normal).

As Vorazun’s coop shows, the Dark Templar have learned longer ranged blink teleportation as well as the Blood Hunter’s Void Prison. Applications include both a free avenue to retreat and even bypass enemy defenses.

“In the time it had taken Vorazun to incapacitate this Nerazim, Mohandar had already dealt with two other rebels. He was leaning on the center table, shaking from exhaustion.

Vorazun searched the room for Taelus. He was gone, hidden from sight.

In the midst of a strike.

Vorazun dived to the side to avoid the attack, but it never came. Not for her, at least.

Taelus reappeared from a roiling mass of smoke. He was a blur of violet robes, verdant gems, and clattering zerg bones. His warp blade carved an emerald crescent through the air as he stabbed forward, plunging the weapon straight into Mohandar's back. The tip of the warp blade burst through the elder's chest. It was a clean strike. A single killing blow.”- Dark Templar teleport in action

(Shows both Shadow Furty and the variant known as the Avenger starting 6:20 in)

VARIANTS

Avengers : Just as the Nerazim have mimicked the former Khalai, so too have the Khalai mimicked the Nerazim. In the days following Amon’s possession of most of the Khala many of the survivors swore oaths of vengeance and looked to the Nerazim as guidance. They trained in the ways of te Nerazim and returned to Auir in secret to wage war with Amon. However though they do not know the Shadowstrike move, they did upgrade their suit’s crystal matrices, allowing these devices self-awareness to teleport the user out of the way the moment before a deadly blow is struck. They  are then teleported back to the Dark Shrine with restored shields and immediately ready for another battle (though the matrix doubtless has flaws and needs a while to recharge before doing so again).

Blood Hunter: The final variant, a variant that actually emerged independently of the Nerazim, are the blood hunters or the  assassins of the Tal'darim. Due to their brutal and unforgiving society, any weakness in their numbers is despised. Tal'darim deemed too weak to be of service by the Highlord are hunted down and slain by the blood hunters. These Blood Hunters,permanently cloaked like their Nerazim compatriots, also posses the ability to cast Void Prison. Cast only on ground this psionic  temporarily disables all attacks, abilities, movement ect by the target. Cast strategically it can temporarily disable detectors or remove overpowering units from the fray long enough for their allies to be dealt with.

(12:08 for Blood Hunters. Note: Some Nerazim know the move, too)

 

 

Additional Factors:

Can merge into an archon with High Templars or other Dark Templars. Can merge into a Dark Archon with other Dark Templars.

===ELITES===

HIGH TEMPLAR

Weapon Type:  Psionic Powers

Armor Type: Light Body Suit

Max Range:  (Lore) Line of Sight

Preffered Range:  See Above

Mobility: 6

Training : 7-9

Classification:  Psionic Support

Utilized By: Auir, Taldarim

Basic Description:

The High Templar are the most seasoned warriors of the Protoss armies, an elite cadre who have advanced far beyond the Zealots to attain an even higher plane of martial focus. Although they excel in physical combat, High Templar prefer to use psionic attacks that they have developed through intensive training. The Protoss have such powerful psionic abilities that their presence inadvertently disrupts other life-forms. With careful guidance, High Templar can learn to augment this effect, creating storms of raw psionic energy that can tear apart the minds of lesser species.

As veteran warriors, the High Templar have attained a superior plane of martial focus, where control and ironclad stoicism replace the battle rage and traditional forms of combat employed by the Zealots. The High Templar’s training has also amplified their psionic presence to such a degree that it is capable of disrupting the physical world around them. By concentrating this power, the High Templar can unleash massive storms of psionic energy that rip the minds, bodies, and machines of their enemies to shreds.

LOADOUT

PSI BLAST: Even without the energy to create storms, High Templars  and the Ascendents can still blast singular foes with psionic blasts capable of melting minds and metal from afar. They can also fight with psi-blades as a last resort.

DEFENSIVE

Psionic Shields

The light armor suit is a scaled down version of the standard protoss power suit worn by high templar, being composed of light metal alloy reactive to Protoss psionics. The suit provides limited protection against small-arms. It may be configured with full life support, limited nuclear/biological/chemical (NBC) protection, and a transceiver to communicate without telepathy. These suits are less bulky and more intricately designed than their power suit counterparts. Like other forms of  Protoss armor, teleportation matrixes are built into it.

SPECIAL POWERS  

*these are exlusive to the High Templar

Psionic Storms: 

Protoss who follow the Khala can produce such a storm by closing their mind to the outside world, sending out psychic "ripples" that are described as ‘disruptive to the very atomic presence of the physical world’. With concentrated effort the high Templar can summon storms of raw psionic energy that tear apart molecular structures and shatter the minds of other species. n the novel Twilight it is shown that these storms also temporarily jam certain types of communication, such as the electronic types that the Terrans use. Such is the power of a psionic storm that it can send shockwaves through the air around it, so not even air foes can escape! In  lore one of these storms was able to cover half a valley, decimating everything inside (including Terran 600 meter Battlecruisers, though these were not totally destroyed) and the short story Carrier  states that a psionic storm could annihilate much of a dead carrier husk. In addition Shadow Hunter mentions even bigger storms miles around. However presumably it would take a great deal of preparation and control to summon such a storm and the vast majority of the time they are far smaller than that.   

Recently the High Templars, with the fall of Auir and the severance of the Khala, have made another, major breakthrough. The average size of psionic storms have increased even further but the real change is that these have become so fine-tuned that they do not hurt the Protoss caught inside. Far from it the mass of psionic power actually serves to re-invigorate the psionic shields of Protoss troops and vessels. Meanwhile the psionic storm remains as deadly to the enemy inside as it was before.

“The Marines and Firebats continued to dish out destruction in self-defense, but then one of the robed Protoss Templars climbed onto a pile of rocks. Raising his three-fingered hands to the sky, he summoned an awesome Psionic Storm that battered the Wraiths into confusion, slamming the single-man fighters together, driving several down to the ground as if they had been hit by a huge invisible flyswatter.

Massively damaged, the Battlecruisers and the remaining Wraiths tried to pull away, but from the other side of the valley, a second High Templar called yet another Psionic Storm that hammered them from the east.

Only one of the Battlecruisers and three Wraiths managed to pull away to the relative safety of the foothills, limping back from the dangerous valley and leaving damaged and destroyed Terran vessels strewn all across the battlefield.”- Shadow of the Xel’naga

(As the video shows they could be used very effectively with the Sentry, which is previewed in the support section). 

 

Feedback: High Templar are deeply attuned to the energy flows that surround them, whether its psionic energy or the universes fundamental particle currents. By means of their formidable psionic ability, these warriors can grasp the energy currents present in beings or machines, and drain them through a violent chain reaction. This backlash may cause grievous wounds to living beings, or massive structural damage to machines. If the target happens to bristle with energy, the powerful psionic Feedback may destroy it outright.

Battlecruiser Yamato reactors, raven fabricators, zerg biological energy ect all can be effected by the High Templar. Though this might seem redundant given the potency of the psionic storm, this is actually far more damaging to those massive, singular foes like shielded hybrid or battlecruisers that could endure the psionic storm for a while.

Hallucination(rare)

A more subtle power is the ability for high templar to create illusory duplicates of other objects. While these phantoms have no substance and cannot affect the material world, they are useful to confuse and divert the attention of the protoss' enemies. They can even make it appear like they are taking fire.  In lore Tassadar was able to project his face over a Hydralisk to trick Kerrigan into killing it, and also could project himself into seeming like an ordinary zealot to avoid attention. Though usually these hallucinations do not last long in some cases, such as during Aldaris’s rebellion on Shakuras, they can be controlled to ensure longevity and be used as commander proxy, deflecting assassination attempts.

““Where?” Kerrigan wheeled about and spotted the High Templar the same time Raynor did. The protoss leader was now standing behind her, ten paces back, still looking unfazed. Raynor wasn’t sure how he had moved so quickly, and Kerrigan didn’t seem to care.

She practically skipped across the distance, bounding up and spinning, then landing on one foot and leaping to spin again. It was beautiful, a ballet of death, her body transformed into a single whirling blade, and in the time it took to blink she had closed the gap and her blades had found flesh.

The flesh of a hydralisk, which collapsed in pieces, its body still twitching as the image of Tassadar faded from it.

“An illusion?” Kerrigan howled, turning back toward “

- Khaydarin Amulet:  Actually an item rather then a power, High Templars  may also wear amulets carved from khaydarin crystals to improve their connection with the Khala and thus channel their psionic abilities with greater efficiency. Essentially with this they can cast more spells. 

ASCENDANT (Tal’Darim Variant)

Ascendants climb the Chain of Ascension by killing, directly or otherwise, their superiors in Rak'Shir duels. After years of absorbing terrazine, a psionic boosting drug, and having the advantage of using their supplicant’s essence, they become very powerful and develop very powerful psionic powers.

Psionic Orb: An Ascendant can fire a psionic ball of energy forward which crosses hundreds of meters at a time unleashing deaoy psionic energy on those it passes by.   Though less potent than a psionic storm, the orb covers more ground.

Mind Blast:  Against monstrous foes that might prove difficult for the orb to destroy, the ascendant can focus his formidable psionic prowess into a powerful mind blast.  Many but the most heroic or powerful would die instantly from such an attack.

Sacrifice: As Tald’arim are a lot less concerned with the lives of their fellow Protoss they can drain psionic energy from their fellow Protoss at great harm for their victims. In game this will actually bring the afflicted Protoss near death but this ‘sacrifice’ will fully restore a depleted ascendant’s energy.

(7:20 Ascendant shown)

ARCHONS

Weapon Type:  Psionic Shockwave

Armor Type:  Psionic Shields (massive)

Max Range:  Line of Sight

Proffered Range:  ~150 meters

Mobility:  3

Training: 9

 Classification: Psionic Shock Troop

Utilized by : Auir, Nerazim

Size: 10 meters

Basic Description:

Although their abilities are already impressive, High Templar and Dark Templar can wield even greater might by laying down their lives to merge their souls and form Archons. These unified Protoss spirits radiate incalculable power, unleashing psionic barrages against cowering enemy forces both in the air and on the ground. With the reunification of the Protoss race, any pair of High Templar or Dark Templar, or even one of each, can be fused together. The Protoss are loath to sacrifice their loyal warriors, but those who make this final commitment are forever honored in the memories of their people.

In times of great need, two High Templar or Dark Templar can merge into a single entity that radiates overwhelming psionic power and rage. The decision to lay down the lives of valuable Templar is never made lightly. Perhaps their energy was spent. Perhaps their commanders, desperately needing a shock troop, gave them the order to do so. Maybe the warriors themselves chose this final act of sacrifice over succumbing to their injuries, as occurred in the Legacy of the Void trailer. Regardless of its origins, the Archon’s presence on the battlefield fills the minds of all beings—psionic or otherwise—with primal fear and awe.

As shown in the official Legacy of the Void, it takes a mere handful of seconds for two Templar to fully merge into an archon on the battlefield.

Recently the Protoss, in their drive to refine everything for the maximum of potential, have succeeded in allowing the Archon to retain knowledge of its High Templar spells. Meaning those formed of a high Templar can cast Feedback and Psionic Storms.

 

LOADOUT

Psionic Shockwave: Archons use rage and will to shape their energy into deadly Psionic Shockwaves. These powerful blasts rip organic tissue apart, causing massive damage through rapid cellular degeneration—like preternaturally sharp subatomic scalpels performing a dissection—and the transfer of thermal energy. While Psionic Shockwaves are most effective against biological targets, even heavy plating yields before their might.

Artanis’ High Tempalrs have recently researched the High Archon, which allows Archons to cast feedback and psionic storm.

-Melee:  See above

-Defense: Massive Psionic Shield (all versions) : The Protoss Energy shield of the Archon is strong that it can temporary deflect furious Ultralisk blows, tank siege tank rounds, or endure all manner of firepower.

The Archon is, for the most part, a being of pure energy that hovers above ground by displacing gravity itself. Nonetheless, this embodiment of power has a nigh-intangible physical form with unmistakable Protoss features—a remnant of the Templar who sacrificed their lives to bring it into being. Its purpose is to shape and anchor the psionic maelstrom, preventing the Archon from burning out like a star as soon as the merging is complete. Underneath all that they do have plate armor, but it won’t stand up for long to heavy fire.

DARK ARCHON

"Fear not, comrades, for we have archons of our own! Should the dire need arise, all Dark Templar may merge to become Dark Archons. Though we sacrifice our warriors in doing so, only the might of the Dark Archons can match the forces of Aldaris!" – Zeratul

Like their high templar brethren, two dark templar sacrifice themselves in a psionic melding giving rise to the dark archon. The powers of dark archons extend well beyond those of the regular archon, more than compensating for their lack of any physical attack capability. The burning, crimson figure of the dark archon spreads fear across any battlefield. These powerful creatures of living psionic energy embody the eternal wrath of the Dark Templar. Dark archons wield psionic powers of the Void.

The creation of the Dark Archon was always carefully regulated by the Nerazim leaders. Recently, with the fall of Shakuras, the creation of the Dark Archon has not only been sanctioned but even encouraged to an extent. As the Dark Templars explore new techniques in desperation a greater potential for this unit has been unlocked.

The first is that while Archons are typically temporary things lasting for battles or breif campaigns before burning outthe Nerazim have somehow managed to explore avenues they hadn’t before, allowing their archons to survive a indeterminate but far longer time. As a result Dark Archons in Legacy of the Void can be warped in from elsewhere like a normal unit rather than being strictly required to warp in on the field. The second is that the Dark Archon is capable of a psionic shockwave as a base attack that it wasn’t capable of before.

 

Third and most importantly the Dark Archon no longer loses its shielding when it casts a spell as it did in Brood War.

OFFENSIVE: Psionic Shockwaves, though a bit weaker than the regular archon’s.

DEFENSIVE: See the other Archon variant.

SPECIAL:

Feedback: See High Templar profile

Maelstrom: All living things have minds for the Dark Archon to shape and mold. With a powerful surge of mental energy the Dark Archon can stun a group of erstwhile attackers for a short period of time. While this maelstrom of psychic force only affects organic units, the area of its effect makes it a powerful weapon to employ. Those caught in the area of effect are unable to move, fire or use powers for a short amount of time.  

 

Confusion: This spell instill madness among enemy units,  temporarily causing them to shoot and fire upon each other without pause .

Mind Control : Although subtle use of psionics to influence others has long been utilized by the Judicator Caste, the ability to totally control the minds or bodies of others has long been thought to be impossible. This power of command is the ultimate weapon in the arsenal of the Dark Archon. Through an immense expenditure of will and energy, the Dark Archon projects a portion of its psychic essence into any material being, absorbing both the knowledge and powers of those who call themselves enemies of the Protoss. Dark Archons can even mind control the whole crew of combat vessels, though presumably this would result in a greater expenditure of energy.

(10:21 to 14:50. Shows Dark Arc

Those of incredible willpower, such as Kerrigan or the race of the Hybrids, can resist this mind control.

Finally there is one variant, done only once in lore, that might be the most powerful of them all.
 

TWILIGHT ARCHON

This powerful creature, requiring a specific transformation, proved to be overpowering even to a horde of Zerg.  So far it has only been done when a High Templar cut off from the Khala and re-learned the powers of the Dark Templar merged with another High Templar. Essentially one of the two individuals needs to know both the powers of the Void and the Khala, which are called in lore "Twlights" and are unicorn rare. The Twilight Archon, being a fusion of the two halves of the Protoss species, carries with it a variety of powers including

A Dark Templar commander who looked on called this creature “the future”.  And they kind of are, for they do something only Tassadar and Adun have been able to repeat; use the powers of both the Nezarim and the Khalai with full efficiency.  With powerful psionic shockwaves, psionic storms large enough to be seen from space, teleportation and more this archon is going to be a rare, short-lived superweapon.

===LIGHT CAVARLY===

STALKER

Mobility: 8

Training:5

Utilized by: Nerazim, Purifier, Tald’arim

Max Range: Roughly on par with the marine.

Classification: Teleporting Walker

Size: 5m tall

The Stalker is the Dark Templar version of the Dragoon ,being modeled directly after the battlesuitHowever while the Dragoon contains the mortally injured body of a Templar warrior, the Stalker is a concept taken yet further. When the Nerazim is near death technicians of that faction are able to binds the ‘shadow essence’ of the Nerazim to the exoskeleton . Thus stalkers aren’t machines controlled by a Nerazim pilot; they are the Nerazim themselves.

   (6:56 shows new Stalker upgrade)

Stalkers are rather infamous for their void displacer technology or ‘blink’.This allows them to instantly fade away then appear elsewhere, bypassing cliffs, fortified positions or other obstacles. Though limited by range allows the Stalker to be the ultimate hit and run fighter, capable of raiding enemy supply lines or unprotected positions before quickly fading away. Or in pitched combat they can teleport to the rear of their own forces while shields recharge. Each “Blink” generates a flux that taxes the Stalker’s systems; it must go through a brief recharge period before initiating another displacement

During the course of the End War Phasesmith Karax has installed further upgrades to this unit. Now when they teleport the in-built phase reactor draws energy from the touch of the void and restores some of their shielding (up to half of it, given game stats).

Loadout:

Armament:

 PARTICLE DISRUPTOR : The stalker’s particle disruptor fired antimatter bolts sheathed in psychically charged fields. The anti-matter cancels out with the normal matter that is the target's armor and thus creates a burst of photons damaging to a target.  It can pierce through Terran Marine armor with ease and rock a tank in a single blast.

 - Defense:

 

Plasma Shields . The Stalkers are built into an armored walker that, while not as heavy as its Dragoon cousin, is still tougher then Zealot armor.

Variant:

Instigator: The Tald’arim and the Purifiers also have Stalkers. In the case of the former it appears to be stolen almost entirely from the Nerazim with little to no significant differences. The Purifier variant, known as the Instigator, lacks the regenerative shielding of the phase reactor but possesses the ability to ‘store’ multiple ‘charges’ in their Void Displacer, allowing for more rapid and continuous teleporting.

ADEPT

Weapon Type: Psionic Glaive

Armor Type: Power Suit

Training: 6-7

Mobility: 8

Classification: Psionic Ranged Infantry

Max Range: Roughly 500m

Preferred: Variable

Role: Harassment, Ranged Warrior, Officer

Utilized By: Auir-Purifier mix

 

Recognizing the need to fill the void between High Templar and Zealot, Hierarch Artanis recently commissioned the officer class known as the ‘Adept”. They were deployed in the End War, when groups of Templar volunteered to adopt Purifer ordinance refined by Phase-smith Karax. This ordnance allowed the Templar to amplify their psionic potential and project their minds for teleportation while weakening their enemies.

The Adept is a short ranged warrior capable of attacking land and air targets, but with a specialization in light, biological units. However the most notable ability is to project a psionic image of itself, insubstantial and invulnerable to harm, that can be then used for all manner of tactical options. These visions can then be sent to the rear of the enemy, up higher ground, scouting, to a safe spot far away or even directly into enemy ranks, as the psychic feedback caused by touching one of these shades makes the victim far more vulnerable to damage for a temporary period. After a couple seconds the adept can teleport to the shade’s location- or cancel it, if the adept is not satisfied with the placement.

OFFENSIVE: Glaive Cannon: Psionic weapons said to be able to punch through light armor with ease.

DEFENSIVE: Plasma Shield, power suit (see Zealot) .Also seems to be carrying a regular shield.  Their psionic shades are invulnerable.

===ARMOR====

IMMORTAL

Weapon Type: Phase Disruptors

Armor Type:  Exoskeleton, Hardened plasma shields

Speed:  Slow

Classification:   Protoss Assault Walker/Tank

Utilized by :Auir, Nerazim & Tald’arim

Size: 8 meters tall

Basic Description:

Before the loss of Aiur, crippled Protoss warriors could volunteer to continue their service by transplanting their shattered remains into Dragoon exoskeletons. For a time the remaing technology was lost.  The remaining Dragoons, now known as Immortals, were then refitted with Twin Phase Disruptors and hardened energy shields. These heavily armed and shielded fighters give critical support by eliminating enemy artillery and ranged attackers, although they are vulnerable to rapid assaults from lesser foes. For a time the Immortal seemed to be doomed to die an early exctinction.

In the attempted reconquest of Auir, the Protoss recovered the dragoon shines allowing them to create more of these walker type units. However they did not abandon the Immortal archtype but rather refined it and divided it. Determining who had a right to be an immortal or dragoon was now a question of rank. Those who had demonstrated immense skill, who were of high rank or notability, were made into immortals- the rest made into dragoons. Ideally the Protoss would have liked to have made them all into immortals however this strained the resources of their already ailing race.

LOADOUT:

Armament: Immortals are equipped with dual Phase Disrupter cannons, upgraded versions of the original Dragoon weapon systems, which fire powerful antimatter bolts sheathed in pure energy. These blasts can easily punch large holes in heavy plating, but their limited field of fire prevents Immortals from engaging aerial targets.

Recently, Karax has experimented somewhat with adding Nerazim shadow cannons to this model from the variant “Anihilator”.

Defense:   Hardened Shields: The use of energy for defensive purposes is a standard Protoss practice. By intertwining spectrums and wavelengths of varying intensity, they have created an incredibly dense field that mitigates powerful impacts—like siege tank cannon fire, or the blades of an Ultralisk—through energy dissipation. When the remaining Dragoons were turned into Immortals, the Protoss decided to outfit them with these Hardened Shields in an attempt to further preserve their most ancient and venerable warriors..As a weakness, these shields do not activate when hit by small attacks and can be overpowered by a almighty one, like a Yamato cannon.

 

However recently the Protoss have experimented with outfitting Immortals with an alternative type of shielding, this one capable of withstanding much more damage in theory including from small attacks, butt which has to be activated by a built-in generator. This effect lasts a few seconds and can recharge quickly after use.

Exoskeleton: Even without the hardened shield, the Protoss Immortal has the armor of a tank, and will be difficult to fully put down. Immortal pilots live in a sterile nutrient solution saturated with microscopic machines, which helps preserve their mangled bodies. The machines repair aging tissue, destroy any foreign matter that might penetrate the cockpit—usually due to hull breaches—and regulate the pilot’s heart rate, brain activity, and biological functions.

The Vanguard and Annihilator lack the heavy defense of the Immortal proper, but still possess powerful plasma shields and the exoskelaton.

Variants:

Anihilators: The immortal design proved to be so successful that two other Protoss sub-factions copied from it. The Nerazim believe that their connection to the Void strengthens near death. To this end they have employed immortal technology on some of their warriors to hold them in such a state of near-death indefinitely, greatly boosting their powers While these ‘Annihilators’ are still extremely armored and protected by a powerful energy shield, the main defense is removed and replaced with a secondary cannon known as the ‘Shadow Cannon’. This shadow cannon, firing straight void energy, is a extremely powerful cannon that while slow to recharge can destroy or devastate enemy tanks, flyers, monstorous creatures, even capital ships (at least in game) with a single salvo. It has a massive range as well, on par with the collosus or siege tank.

(12:25-16:00 shows both Immortal and Anihilator)

Vanguards: The Tald’arim take a different approach. To them being forced into a immortal is not a mark of honor, but of shame. The vanguard are piloted by Tal'darim warriors that fell in battle. Disgraced in defeat, they are placed in a vanguard for one more chance to make up for their failure. They revel in causing as much destruction as they can before dying in service to their Highlord. Instead of Phase Disruptors they are armed with scatter cannons- long range mortar-like weapons that cause immense damage to ground units at range, particularly against armored. Each blast fires multiple projectiles out  Of the three the vanguard, as per its mass-destruction goal- is the best at causing massive damage to groups of foes.

(Vanguards starts at 10:40)

DISRUPTOR

Mobility:5

Training: 5?

Weapon Range: Immediate Vicinity-‘energy ball’ can be controlled at artillery range.

Classification: Anti-infantry specialist

Utilized by: Purifier

Size: 7 meters

The Disruptor was created under the Purifier program, which, through technological advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence, sought to replicate consciousness as data, preserving the thought processes and decision-making capabilities of formerly living beings. Originally, this construct was designed to channel the power of its Solarite Reactor through its alloy hull—rendering it invulnerable until the accumulated energy reached critical mass and unleashed a violent explosion.

 

The stress to the Disruptor’s systems and structure proved too much to handle, but further refinements harnessed the destructive capabilities of the Solarite Reactor, allowing the Disruptor to perform its primary function: annihilate its intended targets with directed spheres of unstable energy.Now, instead of having to rapidly close to do damage, the Disruptor can attack at artillery range.

Offensive: Purification Nova: When activated, the disruptor emits a ball of glowing solarite energy.  This solarite ball can be directed to close in to the enemy. The ball of energy is invulnerable and moves extremely rapidly.   Once in range the energy ball explodes outward with a blast radius exceeding that of a Reaver’s  and more powerful too.

As a weakness the disruptor is immobile while it controls this energy however with artillery range it can remain far away.

Defense: Shields and Vehicle Plate.

Reaver

Weapon Type: Scarabs

Armor Type:  Dense Plates

Speed:  Slow

Classification:   Heavy Siege Crawler

Utilized by :Auir

Size: 9 meters tall, 20 meters long

Basic Description:

The Reaver evolved from a civilian mobile manufacturing unit that was militarized to become a mobile artillery piece, ensuring that fewer lives would be lost when assaulting enemy bases. Somewhat fittingly, reavers are renowned for leveling entire colonies in minutes. Often works in tangent with air support, to compensate for its slow speed.

The reaver itself does not mount any weaponry, but instead houses a micro-manufacturing plant similar to the carrier, producing tiny robotic drones known as scarabs. Though it originally fell into disuse after the Brood War, the recent war with Amon has seen the Reaver resurge as a major weapon against the forces of the Dark Xel’naga.

LOADOUT:

OFFENSIVE: Scarabs are small, highly explosive  & electromagnetic drones constructed and launched by reavers. They are launched at enemy targets and installations in groups, able to level enemy structures in moments. Unlike interceptors however, Scarabs do not return to the reaver. Instead, they explode on impact, generating devastating electromagnetic fields that cause heavy damage to their targets, capable of killing a dozen armored marines in a single explosion!  Ten Scarabs can be held at once (in addition to the ability to build more).  Scarabs have an inner tracking system allowing them to follow targets limited distances.

During the war Artanis upgrades his reavers with Solarite payload, which boosts their explosion radius by 25%.

(Reaver starts at 15:10, Collosi follows soon after

Mobile Manufacturing plant: The Reaver does not run out of ammo, for it keeps producing its own.

Defense:  Plasma Shield (Vehicle level- stronger then infantry)

Plating: The Reaver is covered in heavy, dense plating of an unknown metal, which is shown to be stronger than the metal of most tanks. Protoss metal does not corrode or rust.

Colossus

Weapon Type: Thermal Lances

 Armor Type:  Plasma Shield, plated armor

Classification:  Weapon of Mass Destruction

Utilized by : Auir, Purifier, & Tald’arim

Max Range: Estimated 12.44 miles

Role: Artillery, Anti-infantry

Size: 70 meters tall

Basic Description:

“"There’s a terror I don’t need to tell you about however. It needs no introduction. It’s been slapped on every billboard and leaflet you've ever seen pertaining to the Protoss, and it is truly one of the most fearsome sights you could ever behold. The Colossus, standing at over 17 stories tall, is a skyscraper of destruction. We've gone and compiled a full report on all the data we've managed to gather on this fearsome tower of death, but honestly, all I feel after reading it is more afraid. Still, it is essential to understand our enemy, overcome any hesitation, and press forward."- Radio Liberty

The towering Colossus is a Protoss robot design dating back to the bloody conflicts of the Kalath Intercession. It strides across the battlefield on four tall, slender legs that allow it to cross steep elevations with ease. The Colossus’ heavily armored hull carries two powerful Thermal Lances, with one on each side of its body. The robot’s beam attack cuts a broad swath across its targets, making the Colossus an ideal anti-infantry weapon. Unlike most other Protoss robots, the Colossus was created purely for destruction. Manufacturing Colossi has been outlawed for centuries, but the increasingly desperate war against the Zerg has forced the Protoss to revive the line.

LOADOUT:

Armament:

These twin cannons fire beams of superheated plasma that quickly incinerate scores of enemy ground targets. While powerful, Colossi weapons originally presented a design issue, as their range is somewhat limited. Khalai phase-smiths built an extended Thermal Lance with enhanced airflow that could operate at higher temperatures, increasing beam velocity and effective range without loss in power output.

A colossus's beam cuts a fiery swathe of destruction through multiple enemies with each firing cycle, able to reduce a group of marines to ashes in an instant. Indeed in the short story of the same name it is shown  that Dark Templars, in a possible vision, can be utterly erased by these lances in an instant- destroying plasma shield, armor, and warrior in a single blow, as well as erasing the building covering them in an instant! ! In the official short story, the Colossus was described as  "incinerating every surrounding molecule until a silhouette, loving in its perfection and detail, had been etched into the earth" .

They aregenerally tough to take out too, as in the short story Momentum a seige tank operator relayed how three Collosi had attacked his base and it had taken the sacrifice of an entire wing of goliaths and “more vikings than he cared to count’ to kill two + cripple the third.

The Colossus’ Targeting System uses a robotic AI—along with gravity-sensitive gyroscopes—to analyze target composition, and predict their movement patterns. This ensures the Thermal Lance’s beams will sear a path of maximum destruction among enemy forces. The Targeting System is so precise that the Colossus can fire its weapons point blank without risk of damaging itself. All variants of Collosi possess this boost.

Defense:  It has a stronger then average Plasma shield, and a heavily armored hull . It is so large however that it is an easy target even for aircraft.

VARIANTS:

Purifier Collosi: While the Auir faction has utilized the deadly Collosi for two years now, recently Artanis has rediscovered the original precursor Collosi variant of the Purifiers. This Collossi is amazingly even more deadly, capable of firing beams of such superheated plasma that to even walk on the land that its thermal lance has torn through is to be incinerated. Even those foes that survive the Collosi’s initial barrage of lance would be set aflame by the lingering fire.

Wraithwalkers are the Tal’darim variant. They had their thermal lances replaced with charged pulse blasters, making them powerful against priority targets. These charged weapons specialize in destroying monstrous foes like ultralisk or thor, but are weaker against hordes by their nature. However, unlike regular collosi, the Wraithwalker is capable of targeting aircraft.  

(Starts at 54:00 in)