Shakuras

"A dark land of ancient plateaus and oceans of night... Night becomes day, and our ancient fathers aid us... We erase that which blights our face, but not that which lies within... The land that rests in twilight will be the place of our greatest triumph and also our greatest shame."

- Tenarsis.

Shakuras was the homeworld of the Dark Templar.

It possessed at least two moons of different sizes, the larger of which has the outermost orbital path and the smaller one being much closer. Its star system also featured a gas giant.

Shakuras was a desert planet with ebony rock, fixed in a state of perpetual twilight, although there were no clear differences between night and day. In contrast with Aiur (homeworld of the Khalai protoss), Shakuras was a planet almost devoid of vegetation. It was also the homeworld of the kakaru. The skeletons of previously-existing lifeforms can be found scattered over the planet.

It was home to a warp gate and a xel'naga temple. The capital was Talematros. The city was destroyed during the Brood War but was rebuilt by 2503.

In 2506, Shakuras was invaded by Amon's corrupted Zerg and Hybrid forces after the warp gate on Aiur was activated, following the failed Reclamation of Aiur. After evacuating as many Nerazim as possible, Matriarch Vorazun and Hierarch Artanis worked together to defend the xel'naga temple until it was overloaded, destroying the planet and a sizeable portion of Amon's forces.

Early History
The xel'naga constructed a temple above a nexus of powerful cosmic energies. When the Dark Templar found it, they decided to remain there to study it. Shakuras was a harsh desert, and the Dark Templar had to alter their own biology to adapt to the world.

Despite their isolation, Shakuras was not entirely unknown to the Khalai, the prophet Tenarsis receiving visions of the world and the conflict that would blight it long before the reunification of the protoss kindreds.

The Stand
"The destruction of our ancient home of Aiur still pains me. The blackening of our lands, the destruction of our cities and the defilement of our temples by the accursed Zerg leaves a void in my soul that can never again be filled. Now Shakuras is my new home, and I am finally beginning to understand why our exiled Dark Templar brethren settled here. I've spent many days just quietly gazing out at the strangely sad beauty of the water here. The waves hold the color of pure indigo and they mesmerize me and calm my soul. How could anyone leave this place after seeing such sights?"

- High templar Rassidan

In 2500, the Khalai survivors from Aiur traveled to Shakuras through the warp gate. The zerg took control of the gate and followed the protoss to Shakuras. The protoss were ambushed by hydralisks, but saved by dark templar. Praetor Artanis then had the gate secured.

Two cerebrates took up station around the temple. After welcoming the Khalai survivors to Shakuras, Matriarch Raszagal had them scour the temple grounds of the infestation. Once this was done, Sarah Kerrigan arrived and approached Raszagal, Judicator Aldaris and Dark Prelate Zeratul, asking to be escorted to their Citadel.

Kerrigan offered to help find the Uraj and Khalis. She then departed with Artanis, Zeratul, the Executor and a protoss army to secure the crystals.

In their absence, Aldaris and a legion of Khalai survivors began an open revolt against Raszagal. Upon the army's return, Raszagal ordered the Executor to terminate Aldaris and quell the uprising. Artanis and Zeratul confronted Aldaris, but Kerrigan killed him before he could reveal that she had manipulated Raszagal. Zeratul banished Kerrigan from Shakuras for interfering in a protoss matter.

Artanis carried the Uraj to the temple while Zeratul handled the Khalis. The zerg sent all their legions to destroy them, but the Executor prevented the zerg from destroying the temple while Artanis and Zeratul channeled the temple's energies. Once the channeling was complete, the protoss withdrew into the temple. The resulting explosion obliterated the zerg on Shakuras but left a wasteland of sand dunes and shattered ruins.

Dark Vengeance
A Dark Templar terrorist known as Ulrezaj tried to drive the Protoss of Aiur away from Shakuras. His plot involved using false khaydarin crystals to genetically enhance zerg to run amok on the planet, as these zerg were immune to the effects of the xel'naga temple, causing the Dark Templar to hide in their secret places and leave the other protoss to fend for themselves. Fortunately Zeratul and Artanis were able to launch an expedition aimed at destroying the false crystals. A Dark Archon Hero and other protoss warriors infiltrated Schezar's Char base, destroying the crystals.

Ulrezaj had hatched another plot, however. Working with terran mercenary commander Alan Schezar, they created an EMP Generator capable of weakening protoss psionic energy, granting an enormous combat advantage. However, Zeratul's forces were able to defeat Ulrezaj and save their planet.

The Drawing of the Web
When Kerrigan returned to Shakuras, the pylon clusters generated an electromagnetic field that prevented her fliers from maneuvering. These clusters were infiltrated by Samir Duran, who caused a surge within them, resulting in an explosion which destroyed Talematros. During the confusion, Kerrigan's minions kidnapped Raszagal.

Interbellum
After retreating from Char Aleph, Artanis and the survivors of his fleet returned to Shakuras to rebuild their civilization. For the next four years, the Khalai attempted to reunify their society with the Dark Templar. Interacting with them and the temple led to many new developments as the protoss prepared themselves for continuing the war with the zerg.

In 2503,  protoss survivors from Aiur, accompanied by a terran named Rosemary Dahl, arrived on Shakuras. They had fled combat with Ulrezaj, and wanted to recover a preserver, Zamara and her "host", Jake Ramsey. The Tal'darim had been subjected to a drug, Sundrop, which had cut them off from the Khala, but they eventually broke their addictions and reintegrated into protoss society.

End War on Shakuras
In the war that was waged between the forces of the Protoss Protectorate and Amon, Shakuras came under assault by the zerg and hybrid after the Reclamation of Aiur failed. Amon reactivated the warp gate that connected Aiur and Shakuras and sent millions of corrupted zerg and many hybrids to overrun Shakuras. He also unleashed the void thrashers against the protoss, devastating the Shadow Guard. Matriarch Vorazun contacted Artanis and informed him that most of Shakuras has already fallen to Amon, only Talematros remained in Nerazim control but under heavy siege. With little time, Vorzun requested aid in the evacuation of her people. Artanis cleared out the launch bays of the zerg and Void thrashers so that her ships could escape, saving Vorazun's remaining people.

Although managing a successful evacuation of the Nerazim from Shakuras was made, Vorazun didn't want to leave Shakuras in Amon's hands as had Aiur. She decided to rather destroy the whole planet and instead aid Artanis in his quest to finally retake Aiur. Artanis reluctantly agreed but also made the bold plan to bleed Amon by destroying as many of his Zerg and Hybrids that remained on Shakuras.

Destruction
"Shakuras is gone. It has become one with the eternal night. But the traditions we forged there will remain with us forever."

- Matriarch Vorazun on the passing of Shakuras In order to destroy the planet, the protoss overloaded the planet's xel'naga temple, and lured as many of the zerg and hybrids onto the planet as possible. The protoss once again defended the xel'naga temple from the Zerg until its overload could be activated. Over a billion of Amon's corrupted zerg forces were killed in this process, along with many of Amon's Hybrids.

Despite the loss of their world, the Dark Templar endured and continued to aid Artanis in the End War against Amon. Many Khalai protoss were also saddened by the loss of Shakuras, as they lost their sanctuary that welcomed them in their time of need.

Sacred monuments

 * Naszar

Landforms

 * Isle of Razjan
 * Kakaru Keys
 * Rock Garden
 * Shakuras Plateau

Settlements

 * New Antioch
 * Talematros

Structures

 * Alterzim Stronghold
 * Shakuras Templar Proving Grounds
 * Warp conduit (network hub)
 * Warp gate
 * Xel'naga temple