Protoss

"Stay alert people, these guys play hardball."

- Jim Raynor

The protoss are a sentient humanoid race native to Aiur. They are technologically advanced and rely on psionic abilities and cybernetics in battle. They are the primary opponents of the zerg. The protoss of Aiur are highly religious and follow a strict code known as the Khala. The protoss have mastered their psionic powers and were recently engaged in a devastating war with the zerg. They have also had to deal with civil wars within their ranks.

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

History
The protoss were discovered by the xel'naga on Aiur, a world the xel'naga had previously engineered. They were fascinated by their purity of form and their mental connection, believing that to be purity of essence. Pushing the evolution of the protoss, the xel'naga eventually descended to Aiur. The protoss, who revered the xel'naga as gods, learned much from them. However, these discoveries divided the protoss, causing their psychic links to disappear and wars to break out amongst them. The xel'naga left the planet as the protoss fell into the Aeon of Strife.

The destructive civil war ended when Khas, using xel'naga-derived artifacts called khaydarin crystals, re-created the psionic link. It became the basis of a new philosophy called the Khala.

Approximately 1500 by terran reckoning, the Conclave attempted to exterminate rogue heretics who had deliberately cut themselves off from the Khala and would later become known as the Dark Templar. They ordered Executor Adun to execute them, but Adun refused, instead teaching the rogues to hide from the Conclave. Eventually the rogues lost control of their powers, alerting the Conclave. They were secretly banished on a xel'naga ship.

By 2499 the protoss became aware of a xenomorphic threat, the zerg, another alien species also created by the xel'naga. The zerg were attacking the terrans, a species which had traveled to the Koprulu Sector two hundred years previously. The Conclave dispatched Tassadar and a force of protoss to destroy the infestation by purifying the infested worlds.

Tassadar's force failed in its mission, and the remnants traveled to the new zerg homeworld, Char. There, Tassadar struck an alliance with the Dark Templar prelate, Zeratul. They discovered a weakness in the zerg command structure which could be exploited only by the Dark Templar, and clashed with their new leader, Infested Kerrigan. Meanwhile, the majority of the zerg force traveled to Aiur. The protoss were losing the battle, but when Tassadar brought Zeratul to Aiur, a protoss civil war broke out between Tassadar's followers and the followers of the Conclave. Eventually Tassadar's faction won. Unimpeded by the Conclave, Tassadar's followers attacked the Overmind itself. Tassadar died during the battle. The majority of protoss on Aiur were killed.

The protoss fled to Shakuras, followed by a zerg faction. The protoss destroyed the renegade zerg, saving themselves but advancing Infested Kerrigan's aims. With the assistance of her enigmatic minion Samir Duran, she would later force the protoss into destroying the second Overmind for her, making her the sole leader of the Zerg Swarm. As the protoss attempted a revenge strike on Kerrigan, Duran abandoned her to conduct protoss/zerg hybridization experiments, which were discovered by Zeratul. The latter exiled himself for several years following the discovery.

Physiology


Protoss are about three meters tall and have two glowing eyes, digitigrade legs, semi-permeable skin covered in scales, four digits on their hands (of which two are thumbs) and toes, broad chests and shoulders, and narrow waists with slim midsections. Extending back from the crown of the head, protoss have a bony crest. Beneath it, emerging from the back of the head, are the nerve cords, allowing them to access their racial psionic gestalt. This gestalt is the basis of the Khala.

The xel'naga considered these beings to have purity of form as the protoss are incredibly adaptable to harsh natural conditions and climates, and their strength and speed were unparalleled amongst the other races known to the xel’naga. Protoss even have sharp claws, which can be deadly weapons if a protoss is caught unarmed.

Protoss are bereft of mouths, noses, or visible ears. Two of the protoss portraits (namely those of Aldaris and the Arbiter unit) appear to have mouths or at least folds on their faces that resemble mouths, but these "mouths" do not ever open. Protoss derive sustenance from light, capable of living off of moonlight (reflected sunlight), and can go without light for extended periods of time. They drink water, and what little water they need is absorbed through their skins. The Dark Templar were able to survive on the formerly lightless world of Shakuras using techniques such as biological modifications they made to themselves.

The protoss used to hunt, but they did so to collect the blood and hides of animals for various purposes, not for sustenance.

Protoss hear and smell through their skin, and it is believed that their primary sense is sight. Protoss have a sense of smell sharp enough to identify other protoss and see very well at night. A protoss' skin color may change in response to changes in its emotions.

Protoss sleep and dream in a manner similar to humans.

A protoss' average life expectancy is about a thousand years; Raszagal, aged 1045, was considered old. Protoss under 300 years rarely have any significant political positions. Artanis, who was 262 years old during the Brood War, is considered young, despite his powerful military position.

Protoss are not a prolific people.

Protoss blood is blue or purple.

As in humans, coloration is considered a sign of ethnicity, with each protoss tribe having a specific subtly differing hue or typical pattern of markings associated with it.

As with terrans and zerg, protoss genetic material consists of DNA with helix stands. There is evidence that the protoss have yet to unlock their full genetic potential, but this theory died along with the Protoss Advance/Experimental Facility

Medical Care
On the battlefield protoss warriors are known to fight with tremendous power and grace, but despite the chaos they inflict on their enemies they are capable of being mortally wounded. When a protoss nears death, their foes often bear witness to a startling flash of bright light as the protoss warrior seemingly disappears. Primitive races are known to quail in superstitious fear upon seeing this, but it is actually another aspect of protoss technology at work rather than any sort of supernatural feat.

Protoss armor is typically equipped with a complex teleportation mechanism that can detect when its wearer is grievously injured and automatically teleports the warrior to the nearest safe haven. This of course is dependent on the mechanism being fully functional, as there is the risk of being damaged during combat.

Those protoss who are too badly injured after the battle but still wish to continue fighting are placed within the shell of a dragoon or immortal, which allows them to serve their brethren on the battlefield. The choice is left to each individual protoss; whether to continue service or join with their ancestors in the Khala.

Terran understanding of protoss physiology is limited. Their respective biologies are similar enough for substances and drugs, such as Sundrop and a medic's medicine to affect both.

Mental Abilities
Protoss are extraordinarily focused, to a degree unmatched by humans. Their powerful psionic abilities extend further than that of human ghosts.

The protoss brain is similar in structure to a human brain. The most noticeable differences lie in the cerebellum, primarily in its size -- it is elongated in comparison to humans.

Protoss are natural mind-readers. Protoss must learn to filter the thoughts they read and filter (or block) the thoughts that they release (which would prevent other protoss from reading their minds). The ability to block thoughts is compromised by the Khala, which prevents the protoss which follow that philosophy from hiding from each other. During the Aeon of Strife, Protoss regularly used their mind-screening abilities to ambush each other.

Protoss can use their psionic abilities to shield themselves, charge their tools and weapons, and to make, manipulate or meld matter. At least some of these abilities can only be used by a small minority of protoss without technological assistance (such as the creation of shields).

Protoss can sometimes access memories and strands of experience from protoss who have died and entered the Khala, but only preservers have full access to this knowledge. Protoss warriors can learn from the spirits of fallen warriors at the Templar Archives.

Communication
Protoss can communicate telepathically with each other. They can do so through "speaking", a method that transmits little or no emotional content. Using their nerve cords they can also communicate in a manner which enables them to sense each others' emotions, a key part of their psionic gestalt, the Khala. During the Aeon of Strife this ability had fallen into disuse, but was restored by the mystic Khas. Protoss who follow the Khala use both methods of communication. Dark Templar ritually sever their nerve cords, which prevents the emotional link.

Protoss can create a special kind of mind-meld deep within the Khala, where no one can lie. Protoss performing this kind of mind-meld hold up their hands and face their palms to each other; both palms softly glow. This kind of communication was also possibly held between Executor Adun and Raszagal, the latter not following the Khala.

Protoss "speak" a language called Khalani, communicating through telepathic bursts. The privacy of the conversation is up to those involved on it. Even through communication, pain can be caused via this telepathy via mental spikes. Terrans exposed to protoss communication often hear nearly meaningless sounds. However, at least some protoss have the ability to "translate" the thoughts into a form which a terran can understand.

The protoss of the Aeon of Strife did not understand the concept of non-psionic communication. Khas effectively (re-)created the concept of reading and writing, a necessity for translating some xel'naga relics.

In addition to telepathy, protoss possess a degree of body language used in conveying feelings, intent, etc. For instance, a bob of the head and movement of a protoss' nerve chords is a sign of contempt. Bowing of the head, shaking and/or mottling of the skin is a sign of emotional distress.

Preservers

 * Main article: Preserver

A very small number of protoss have the ability to hold the memories of many other protoss from centuries or millennia ago, even claiming to hold "all the memories of the Protoss".

Protoss religion
Modern protoss religion has its roots in the Aeon of Strife, the period of chaos following the retreat of the xel'naga. At the end of the Strife, the protoss were reunited under the precepts of the Khala ("Path to Ascension") as promoted by the mystic Khas. The Khala took advantage of the natural psionic communal link and established a caste system.

Not all protoss embraced the Khala. These outcasts, eventually known as the Dark Templar, were later banished from Aiur.

Religious principles

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

Religious figures in Protoss society

 * Khas &mdash; A prominent figure in protoss society, he was the charismatic and spiritual leader who brought an end to the Aeon of Strife by using ancient xel'naga artifacts, the khaydarin crystals, to unite the warring tribes by calling them into a communal telepathic matrix. The belief that this was necessary for the protoss to survive became known as the Khala, and is followed by almost all protoss factions. The Path of Khala is the sole and dominant religion in the society of the protoss of Aiur, and societal rank (for example, Templar, Judicator) and honor are linked with Khala.


 * Adun &mdash; Another well known figure in protoss culture, he is honored by Khalai and Dark Templar alike. A powerful warrior in his time, he was charged with the extermination of the rogue tribes by the Conclave. Unable to bring themselves to slaughter their kin, Adun and his troops attempted to hide the heretics. Though he failed, he would be known as a savior to the Dark Templar, and would gain similar status on Aiur after the myth of the heretics spread, revealing that he "saved" Aiur from the heretics and their "anarchist" ways. The phrase "En Taro Adun" is used by the Protoss as a formal greeting or farewell, and also serves as a battlecry, while the Dark Templar use "Adun Toridas" in a similar fashion.


 * Tassadar &mdash; He gained a following after his heroic death in defeating the Overmind. He serves as a contemporary example of protoss virtues, and some Templar (notably Artanis) have taken to saying "En Taro Tassadar".

Current

 * Ash'Arak
 * Bel'shir
 * Braken
 * Shakuras
 * Ynoth

Abandoned

 * Aiur
 * Dylar IV
 * Gyras
 * Khyrador
 * Swampus

Fanatics
A number of protoss worlds are colonized by fanatics who have remained behind following the protoss retreat.


 * Jotun
 * Monlyth

Protoss Units and Gaming

 * Protoss gaming
 * StarCraft Protoss units
 * StarCraft: Ghost Protoss units
 * StarCraft II Protoss units

StarCraft II Protoss gameplay
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