Ulrezaj

"As far as we are concerned, killing high-born Templar is an act of righteous justice! Let the rulers of Aiur feel what it's like to be hunted and driven from their homes! Let them suffer as we Dark Templar have suffered at their hands!"

- Ulrezaj to Zeratul while on trial

Ulrezaj is a Protoss Dark Archon formed from four Dark Templar. He is named after their most powerful personality. He leads a group of Dark Templar who still resent their exile from Aiur and demand that the Khalai Protoss be removed from Shakuras or be exterminated.

Ulrezaj was introduced in Enslavers: Dark Vengeance, which took place after Aldaris' rebellion on Shakuras during Episode IV.

Biography

 * Main article: Enslavers: Dark Vengeance

In the aftermath of the defeat of the Zerg forces on Shakuras, Zeratul led a force to the Zerg-ravaged world of Aiur in order recover wounded heroes who may yet live. His forces discovered three Templar heroes lying in Stasis Cells, but they were surrounded by a Zerg Hive Cluster. Zeratul's forces defeated the Zerg, but were surprised when four Dark Templar, including their leader, Ulrezaj, attacked the "high-born Templar" while they lay within their cells. Only one of the heroes, Eredas, survived the attacks. Ulrezaj and his cohorts were arrested and taken to Shakuras for trial by Zeratul's forces. Previous to his activities on Aiur, Ulrezaj had made connections with Alan Schezar and his smugglers, Schezar's Scavengers. He summoned them to Shakuras; during their attack on the Protoss, Ulrezaj escaped during the battle, stole a sacred Khaydarin Crystal during the confusion, then slipped away unnoticed.

Revenge
Ulrezaj's forces traveled to Korhal IV, which was contested territory due to the United Earth Directorate conquest. They didn't stay there long, but did leave behind the Khaydarin Crystal in the care of a Zerg base. When Zeratul and Praetor Mojo arrived at Korhal, they were shocked to discover the crystal in the hands of Zerg who were defending Terrans. This led Mojo to believe that he was facing his old enemy, Alan Schezar, who had previously controlled Zerg. The Protoss forces had the choice of retrieving the crystal or defeating Schezar's Scavengers; they chose the former.

The crystal turned out to be a fake made from a strange fusion of Dark Templar and Zerg energy; it could lead to several more fake crystals stationed on Char by the Fist of Ulrezaj.

Zeratul sent a number of heroes, including a Dark Archon Hero, to Char in order to destroy the warped crystals. Only the psionic fury of a Dark Archon was capable of this. Zeratul's forces staged a diversionary attack which would keep most of Ulrezaj's forces away from the crystals for an hour, giving the heroes time to accomplish the mission. The Fist of Ulrezaj and mind-controlled Zerg forces guarded five crystals; each time one was destroyed, the Zerg it was controlling fell dormant. All five crystals were shattered.

Dark Vengeance
Through an unknown process, Ulrezaj had fused with his three Dark Templar consorts to create a very powerful, but insane, Dark Archon, with Ulrezaj as the dominant personality.

Ulrezaj's plan of revenge against the Protoss of Aiur now settling on Shakuras was two-fold. He had hoped to use the warped Khaydarin Crystals to mutate Zerg he had captured, rendering them more powerful and immune to the effects of the Xel'Naga Temple. They would be brought to the space platform over Shakuras through a Warp Gate. He believed the Dark Templar would hide in their secret places on Shakuras, while the Protoss from Aiur would be caught in the open and destroyed by the Fist of Ulrezaj and his Zerg. This plan was foiled by Zeratul's forces.

Ulrezaj's second plan was still put into effect. Alan Schezar and the rest of his Scavengers had been hiding out on Braxis, where his men constructed a powerful EMP Generator.

Ulrezaj placed an orbiting space station over Shakuras to launch his assault. Schezar's EMP Generator was on the platform, draining the psionic energies of the Protoss. Zeratul and Ulrezaj tried to persuade each other, but both failed. The Fist of Ulrezaj and Schezar's Scavengers fought on Shakuras' space platform, but were defeated. Alan Schezar did not survive the battle.

Ulrezaj survived the battle over Shakuras, and it is said his hatred still burns hotter than the brightest star.

Dark Future

 * Main article: StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Shadow Hunters

"Ulrezaj and the being he serves are stronger than you can possibly imagine."

- Felanis discusses his motives with Alzadar.

"Whoa, whoa—Ulrezaj has a boss?"

- Rosemary Dahl's reaction


 * Main article: StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Shadow Hunters

Ulrezaj sent at least one Dark Templar assassin after Preservers, Protoss who hold the memories of dead Khalai, believing they "know too much" and could threaten him. An assassin attacked Zamara, and she was able to read his mind, determining that Ulrezaj had sent the assassin.

Ulrezaj had returned to Aiur, which was still populated by a group of stranded Protoss survivors (the Shel'na Kryhas). He corrupted one of their members, Felanis, who created his own followers among the group. Eventually Felanis set up a cult, which splintered off and moved into the Aiur cavern system. The group became known as the Tal'darim ("the Forged"). They referred to Ulrezaj as the Xava'tor, or Benefactor. Ulrezaj induced them to use a drug called Sundrop which rendered them dependent and loyal to him, in addition to mentally transforming them into Dark Templar. This enabled them to learn Dark Templar abilities such as cloaking.

In this endeavor, Ulrezaj was serving his own mysterious master, who had set him a task. Only Felanis, leader of the Tal'darim, knew his true nature; none of the other Tal'darim had even seen Ulrezaj. Ironically, the Tal'darim despised Dark Templar.

Ulrezaj taught the Tal'darim how to capture Zerg and bring them to him. In return, he occasionally asked for one of them to go with him -- the "Xava'kai" ("Hands of the Benefactor") -- to help him with unspecified tasks. In addition, they knew of his desire for Preservers.

Ulrezaj forbade the Tal'darim from entering the giant crystal chamber on pain of death. In this chamber, he used a Xel'Naga Khaydarin crystal artifact to "drain" the bodies of the Xava'kai, for reasons unknown. He also stored about a half dozen vats with strange unseen psionic creatures.

Shadow Hunting on Aiur
Zamara herself arrived on Aiur approximately four years after its fall. She intended to visit the giant crystal chamber and acquire a piece of the crystal. Her current form was an unusual one; trapped within the brain of fugitive Terran archaeologist Jake Ramsey. They arrived in a system runner, accompanied by mercenary Rosemary Dahl.

They made contact with the Shel'na Kryhas and quickly struck an alliance. The Shel'na Kryhas had lost many members over time, both to Zerg attacks and to defection to the Tal'darim, as many Shel'na Kryhas believed the Tal'darim lost fewer members to the Zerg. Word eventually reached the Tal'darim of Ramsey and Zamara.

Dahl was sent to scout the caverns for a safe path to the giant crystal chamber. However, she was captured by the a team of Tal'darim led by former Templar Alzadar. He intended to force her to lure Ramsey (and therefore Zamara) to them. To this end, he subjected her to Sundrop, which was addictive to Terrans as well, and possessed deadly withdrawal symptoms for them. Dahl could not withstand the drug and submitted to Alzadar.

Dahl's task was made easier by her insistence on not having her mind read, but she eventually broke down and revealed her betrayal to Ramsey. He and Zamara broke her addiction and reached into her mind. The Tal'darim had communicated freely around her during her captivity, and so Zamara was able to identify their leader as the Dark Archon Ulrezaj (something the Tal'darim themselves did not know).

Dahl, Shel'na Kryhas leader Ladranix (a Templar) and several other Protoss lured Alzadar to them and ambushed him. They broke his addiction to Sundrop and convinced him of the truth behind Ulrezaj. He cooperated in their mission to acquire a piece of the crystal. Within its chamber, they discovered the vats with the strange creatures, and on their way out they found the dessicated bodies of several Xava'kai... Ulrezaj had apparently been draining them. The Tal'darim learned of the infiltration and attacked, but Alzadar caused them to pause by telling them of Ulrezaj. Meanwhile Ramsey, Dahl and Ladranix, along with several other Shel'na Kryhas, headed towards the Warp Gate. Zamara intended to reactivate it and use it to head for Shakuras.

The escape attempt devolved into a massive brawl between the two Terrans, Shel'na Kryhas, Terran Dominion forces sent by Valerian Mengsk, and Zerg forces led by an advanced Infested Terran, who had once been Rosemary Dahl's lover, and still had a love for her even while infested. Ramsey and the Shel'na Kryhas were joined by a number of (former) Tal'darim, under the command of Alzadar, although most simply attended to escape.

This is when a very angry Ulrezaj made a personal appearance at the scene. He wished to capture Zamara for his own purposes and punish the renegade Tal'darim. All the other forces on the battlefield opposed him, but he easily destroyed numerous opponents and spacecraft.

Ramsey proposed a desperate solution; a fusion between the powers of the Dark Templar-like renegade Tal'darim and the Khala-based powers of the Shel'na Kryhas. The attack surrounded Ulrezaj with a cocoon of power, feeding off his essence, and enabling Ramsey, Dahl and some others to escape.

Twilight
Ulrezaj's fate is currently unknown. However, he appears on the front cover of StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Twilight, suggesting that his story will be continued in the novel.

Abilities
Ulrezaj is a Dark Archon made from seven of the most powerful Dark Templar. The seven personalities work in unison.

He appears as a huge swirl of "glowing darkness". His outer nimbus creates atmospheric effects such as wind and electricity. Despite his size, he is capable of moving "at the speed of thought".

Ulrezaj is capable of creating blasts of dark psionic energy, which destroy creatures and objects in or near their path. Dark tendrils of shadow snake on the ground from his position, attacking creatures they can reach.

The Fist of Ulrezaj
Ulrezaj is served by a band of fanatical Dark Templar called the Fist of Ulrezaj. Their faction color is purple.

The Tal'darim

 * Main article: Tal'darim

The Tal'darim, also known as "the Forged", are a group of Protoss survivors on Aiur secretly created and manipulated by Ulrezaj.