Solarite

Raw solarite

Solarite is an exothermic material used prominently in protoss machinery.

Properties

Chemical

"Think of it this way. If it explodes, we die quickly and painlessly. We might as well reach the end with grace."

- Orlana on solarite combustion^(src)

Solarite is a volatile material that can explode if handled too violently, though it is rare. Through protoss history, at least eighteen space-faring vessels had been destroyed by solarite flares, and the mishandling of solarite has caused the immolation of a protoss village.

A creature native to Slayn had an unusual digestive system that caused it to excrete solarite as a by-product of its natural digestion.

Construction

The protoss made extensive use of solarite to power many of their machines. The Khalai used solarite across the sector to power their systems and robotics. The Tal'darim used solarite to power their motherships, as well as their titanic warp prisms. The Nerazim used solarite to power Talematros in 2506.

Zealots armed with spears with solarite blades, named "Solarite Reapers," were put in stasis on the Spear of Adun.

In 2506, over the course of the End War, the Daelaam phase-smith Karax developed void rays and phoenixes that were augmented with solarite. The augmented void rays could focus their prismatic beams at a longer range than before, while the phoenix could use its Graviton Beam without needing to divert power from other systems. Reavers could also be outfitted with solarite payloads in their scarabs, increasing their damage output.

The Moebius Corps used solarite to power EMP generators and hybrid-containment cells. The Terran Dominion was studying solarite on Korhal, but eventually turned their samples over to the Daelaam.

History

By the time of Adun, solarite had been in use for centuries. Solarite was used to initially create the synthetic star that powered the Spear of Adun, a power that could keep the ship functional through many centuries.

Solarite fell out of use after Adun's time; Artanis expressed surprise that the Spear of Adun was powered by it, as the protoss had not made use of the material for millennia.

The End War

During the End War, the Daelaam made extensive use of solarite in their operations of the Spear of Adun. As the fleet recovered solarite and other valuable sources of energy, the phase-smith Karax was able to better operate the arkship and bring more of its dormant systems on-line, and made breakthroughs in protoss technology from his studies of the two.