Disrupter and its implications

[Shadow Archon]

I assume that since the Protoss can create machines that can replicate certain psionic-based effects (like Plasma shields), they could maybe work around it to a degree until they learn how to use the Void or find/create a proper replacement.

Yeah. The Dragoon working is fine, but the Protoss Zealots in Stasis? Who've just had their nerve chords cut and are fighting like normal without any tech assist?

I don't know...

Wait...

There's an out here.

Maybe...the Protoss are using the Void energy...but applying the Khala's discipline and philosophy to it?

Could that explain the appearance differences? I mean, part of the Khala philosophy is about how you discipline your psionic powers. Who says that innate psi power or the power drawn from the Link has to be the only source? The Void could be a substitute.

I mean, Warp Blades are green because they fundamentally work differently than just Psi Blades, but a lot of the Void use has a different feel to it. The Nerazim use Dark and Shadowy powers all based on when Adun originally taught them to hide with psi, while the Khalai Protoss psionics are full of bright light and blue energy used in how they discipline themselves to use it in different ways.

Maybe the Mutilated Khalia use an ordered internally-transformed Void while the Nerazim embrace a chaotic natural Void?

Would that work?

Embracing the void seems like the only option but it's an out that can be seen as "too easy and boring" if written poorly. I'd imagine the void is not something all Protoss would be able to wield and/or that it would be either difficult or long-term training to use... more time than what LotV's timeframe would allow I'd wager. Also, this path essentially makes the Protoss race become Nerazim which limits their scope and complexity in future. Would be nice if the Protoss were more active in finding and developing a solution of there own.

Eh, given the EU, that's not really something that I see happening.

Tassadar grasped onto using the Void as a psionic force in Queen of Blades/Original Starcraft relatively quickly given it takes place in one year.

Sure, him being the Twilight Messiah might mitigate that, but you've also got that one Protoss in the Frontline comic who learned to use Void energy from a Dark Templar in a short time span after her Nerve Chords were cut by a Zerg.

I'm officially going with the fan-theory of Ordered Void for now.

Taking the Khala philosophy and applying it to a new source of psi energy.

This way, it's both new and old, while also keeping a sense of dignity for the Khalai and the Nerazim.

I wouldn't be surprised if this turns out to be the case.

Well, fingers crossed for right now.

I have more faith in James Waugh right now then Brian Kendragon going by Waugh's interview, so hopefully, this doesn't happen.

Maybe, but we don't actually know if the Neo-Overmind's creation or appearance on Char didn't involve Khaydarin Crystals either.

Well, the only thing they mention is the Khalis crystal.

Infested Kerrigan
That should be obvious, gentlemen; the source is the Overmind itself. When the Cerebrates merged together, they must have locked onto the Khalis' energies and nested near it. It's probable that there'll be a number of Broods protecting that area. It's risky, but if we can strike hard and fast, we might be able to fight our way through their defenses and escape with the crystal.

Except, the new Overmind only manifested near it, not on top of it, but, is that close enough?

Khaydarin Crystals have Khalai energies mainly, while the Khalis was emanating Void Energy, so I don't know.

Didn't the Overmind land on Char when they got to the sector in the first place?

Well, this does make me wonder if the Uraj and the Khalis will have a use in Legacy of the Void.

I agree on both counts... as long as they don't just treat it only as a gimmick to move the plot.

They shouldn't.

James Waugh implied it was one of the central themes.

I think we might be on to something here...

I did notice that she has not only blue Khaydarin Crystals on her robe, but also the Green Crystals that the Dark Templar use (Dark Templar, Stalkers, Zeratul, etc.), which I'm guessing are Argus Crystals, the DT equivalent to the Khaydarin. Of note, the device around her nerve chords are Argus Crystals, and the ones on the ankle bracelets.

Maybe Artanis is using the Void as psychic buffer to keep her isolated from Amon's reach, preserving (ha!) her connection to the Khala?

The Machine could also link her to a synthetic Khala as discussed. After everything is said and done, a synthetic Khala would be something to create for those who want to be in the Khala but have lost their Nerve Chords.

Hell, with a Khala with an on/off switch and the ability to edit the connection, you might get some Nerazim who are actually curious about it.

That would be interesting. Nerazim born on Shakuras who never had the chance to be in the Khala, with their Nerve Chords cut at birth, and have an opposite moment where Protoss on Shakuras reject Nerazim culture to join the Khalai.

Yeah, I'd considered all this, too. I'd guess that the artificial/synthetic replacement would have to have some degree of sentience (where the Purifier's would fit in) in order for the Khala to even be used/go through. There's plenty they could do with symbiont Protoss!

I know.

Gosh, if this doesn't end up a thing, I will actually want to be a story writer for Blizzard just to ensure it becomes an actual thing.

You never know, we might get a little bit of what you said about them in LotV if they're one of the factions of Protoss the player has to rally to their cause.

They are.

Artanis goes to their homeworld and confronts their leader.

James Waugh stated we'll learn all about the Tal'Darim's history and culture, with all the diversity they have from both the Nerazim and the Khalai.

Technically, you have like, five Protoss factions with cultural difference right now.

1. Modern Khalai. 2. Ancient Khalai woken aboard the Ark Ship. 3. Nerazim. 4. Purifiers. 5. Tal'Darim.

At this point and because the Tal'Darim have been implemented so poorly (especially when you don't have EU knowledge), any bit of expansion on their part can only be a step in the right direction. Even then, there's the likelihood that it will all be "too little, too late" anyway.

I don't know.

If they execute it well enough, I can be completely fine with their lack-luster implementation.

Of course...Blizzard and execute well...don't generally go together when talking about SC2.

Well, the term "Aeon" does represent an enormous of time that is usually measured in the "millions of years" range.

I know. It's just...I was thinking you know, tens or hundreds of thousands of years mainly? Millions? The Protoss have been in space longer than we were a species....

Still, could be hyperbole since Zeratul mentions serving Raszagal for millenia (when he probably meant centuries) when he's yet to have lived one. Who knows?

Eh, I just chalked that up to straight inconsistency between the manual and the game.

In the end, we'll just have to see.

...I also am really, really wishing they don't lose the Arkship in Legacy of the Void. I do not want that beauty killing Amon by doing a Gantrithor or Amon blowing it up in the last cinematic.

[Turalyon]

Yeah. The Dragoon working is fine, but the Protoss Zealots in Stasis? Who've just had their nerve chords cut and are fighting like normal without any tech assist?

I'm not too concerned about Zealots since I'm sure they could develop tech in their forearm bands to simulate the psi blades if they had to. On the other hand, given their sole reliance on psionic power, I would expect High Templar to be quite powerless though.

Maybe...the Protoss are using the Void energy...but applying the Khala's discipline and philosophy to it?

Could be, but I'm sure that'd still be a difficult thing for Khalai Protoss to do straightaway given it's unfamiliar territory and that the Void is most definitely not like the psychic link at all (which is what the philosophy was geared toward). We don't know enough about how a Protoss becomes aware of and draw energies from the void to just assume that they can all do it just like that.

Tassadar grasped onto using the Void as a psionic force in Queen of Blades/Original Starcraft relatively quickly given it takes place in one year.

Sure, him being the Twilight Messiah might mitigate that, but you've also got that one Protoss in the Frontline comic who learned to use Void energy from a Dark Templar in a short time span after her Nerve Chords were cut by a Zerg.

Yeah, Tassadar is a unique case so it's hard to use him as an example. For that second example, was that Protoss still devoted to the Khala as a philosophy/religion? Either way, I'd still have some issues about it being too neat and tidy since it kinda devalues and cheapens the whole impact of losing the Khala if they can just bounce back with the void without skipping a beat/doing anything.

Well, the only thing they mention is the Khalis crystal.

Except, the new Overmind only manifested near it, not on top of it, but, is that close enough?

Khaydarin Crystals have Khalai energies mainly, while the Khalis was emanating Void Energy, so I don't know.

At the least, the Khalis is a Khaydarin crystal shard. I suppose different energies have different effects and conditions on Overmind manifestation.

Didn't the Overmind land on Char when they got to the sector in the first place?

Impossible to say. All we know at the time was that it's rumoured to be at the heart of the Tiamat fleet. Most people think it didn't "land" or be manifest until it landed Aiur. So, the theory that a Khaydarin crystal was indeed a necessary component for the Overmind to land/take shape may have some weight afterall.

The Machine could also link her to a synthetic Khala as discussed. After everything is said and done, a synthetic Khala would be something to create for those who want to be in the Khala but have lost their Nerve Chords.

Hell, with a Khala with an on/off switch and the ability to edit the connection, you might get some Nerazim who are actually curious about it.

That would be interesting. Nerazim born on Shakuras who never had the chance to be in the Khala, with their Nerve Chords cut at birth, and have an opposite moment where Protoss on Shakuras reject Nerazim culture to join the Khalai.

Never thought about it from the Nerazim angle until now. Goes to show how much potential the idea of a synthetic Khala really has.

I know. It's just...I was thinking you know, tens or hundreds of thousands of years mainly? Millions? The Protoss have been in space longer than we were a species....

Millions of years does sound quite difficult to believe, but really, so does the alternative of many thousands of years (at the least, the manual does state it lasted at least thousands of years) when you think about it.

...I also am really, really wishing they don't lose the Arkship in Legacy of the Void. I do not want that beauty killing Amon by doing a Gantrithor or Amon blowing it up in the last cinematic.

I'd doubt it'd be another Gantrithor/Overmind moment - I mean, how big are you expecting Amon to be? The Spear of Adun is ginormous! Besides, even if this one were to be destroyed, given the knack of the Protoss in Sc2 finding massive war machines seemingly out of the blue, there are probably more Arkships out there waiting to be found.

[Shadow Archon]

I'm not too concerned about Zealots since I'm sure they could develop tech in their forearm bands to simulate the psi blades if they had to. On the other hand, given their sole reliance on psionic power, I would expect High Templar to be quite powerless though.

That's going to be weird.

I guess the could go around it by not having Khalai High Templar appear at all...

Or use Tal'Darim High Templar to get around it.

They do have their Nerve Chords still.

Could be, but I'm sure that'd still be a difficult thing for Khalai Protoss to do straightaway given it's unfamiliar territory and that the Void is most definitely not like the psychic link at all (which is what the philosophy was geared toward). We don't know enough about how a Protoss becomes aware of and draw energies from the void to just assume that they can all do it just like that.

I guess we'll just have to see.

I'm interested in playing around with the non-Khalai Protoss anyways. The Nerazim[s Zealot proxy massively piqued my curiosity.

Yeah, Tassadar is a unique case so it's hard to use him as an example. For that second example, was that Protoss still devoted to the Khala as a philosophy/religion?

She was a teacher who taught children about the Khala.

So yeah.

Either way, I'd still have some issues about it being too neat and tidy since it kinda devalues and cheapens the whole impact of losing the Khala if they can just bounce back with the void without skipping a beat/doing anything.

Well, it did clearly show the impact of the lost, and the almost instant drop to depression from the "silence," so, hopefully, there is a proper show of it.

Of course, she also ended up created a Twilight Archon with her High Templar lover...so...

Still wondering if we get to see those guys again given the oddity of two DTs becoming normal Archons now.

At the least, the Khalis is a Khaydarin crystal shard. I suppose different energies have different effects and conditions on Overmind manifestation.

I guess that would work.

Impossible to say. All we know at the time was that it's rumoured to be at the heart of the Tiamat fleet. Most people think it didn't "land" or be manifest until it landed Aiur. So, the theory that a Khaydarin crystal was indeed a necessary component for the Overmind to land/take shape may have some weight afterall.

Hmm...

I'm actually wondering about it now. Besides the necessity...

Maybe the Overmind's big attempt at assimilating the Protoss would be him trying to integrate himself into the psionic link using the Khaydarin crystals?

I mean, if Amon does resurrect from the Overmind's Corpse at the beginning of LotV, that does explain why the plan was all set to go right when he wakes up.

Never thought about it from the Nerazim angle until now. Goes to show how much potential the idea of a synthetic Khala really has.

Be pretty cool to have artificial nerve chords too.

I do find it hilarious that Artanis in his big appearance in SC2 will be going back to his Brood War short Nerve Chord bud for right reasons this time.

Millions of years does sound quite difficult to believe, but really, so does the alternative of many thousands of years (at the least, the manual does state it lasted at least thousands of years) when you think about it.

Not for me. I'm used to that in my sci-fi, especially with the Protoss living over a thousand years. I don't think we've even seen a Protoss die of old age yet.

I'm used to Babylon 5 with the Minbari having space-craft for thousands of years before humans even reach the stars.

Or the millions of years old First Ones.

I just thought the Protoss would be more like the Minbari in terms of age.

I guess they might be treating "Amon's older than the universe!" a bit seriously if they go with the millions of year old civilization for the Protoss.

I'd doubt it'd be another Gantrithor/Overmind moment - I mean, how big are you expecting Amon to be? The Spear of Adun is ginormous!

I was expecting either overkill or the Arkship being only in the front piece, the rest of it cut from it.

It is the "Spear" of Adun after all.

Besides, even if this one were to be destroyed, given the knack of the Protoss in Sc2 finding massive war machines seemingly out of the blue, there are probably more Arkships out there waiting to be found.

Nah.

They've already stated that the Conclave built only three, and the Spear is the last one.

Makes you wonder what the hell destroyed the other two, huh?

[Gradius]

I am worried though, because, the LotV writer did say that the Tal'Darim split from the main Protoss millions of years ago

Ewwww, where was that?

Millions? The Protoss have been in space longer than we were a species....

Has something been retconned already, because the DT saga puts the protoss getting out of the stone age at 500 BC. Only two protoss lifetimes have passed since they've been in space.

[Shadow Archon]

Ewwww, where was that?

Says it during this video.

The Tal'darim: about ten seconds after 25:22. "When they left with Amon millions of years ago..."

The Normal Protoss: about ten seconds after 10:27. "So, thematically, what was interesting to me, I really think this is a campaign, narratively, about a race that needs to change. This is an ancient race that has been bound to a thinking that really has served its time. It's Millions of Millions of years you know. These are creatures that live a thousand years."

He seems to be talking about the point where the Aeon of Strife began when he mentions "Left with Amon" and Amon was with the Xel'naga that left to Zerus. I mean, I guess that fits with the manual that states the Xel'naga were around tens of millions of years ago, but the other statement...

Do we have a solid time figure on how long the Aeon of Strife went on?

Has something been retconned already, because the DT saga puts the protoss getting out of the stone age at 500 AD. Only two protoss lifetimes have passed since they've been in space.

Actually....

"Over two millennia ago, the great Khas, as he had become known—“He who brings order”—had rediscovered the profound link all protoss could have with one another." -Shadow Hunters.

Over two millennia does mean it is a longer time period than just two, and that's from Adun's time, which is about a millennia before Starcraft 1 since Razsagal's a teen or so.

Of course, that hardly shows that millions of years are involved.

Well, at least with the Tal'Darim, the Protoss had advanced technology at the beginning of the Aeon of Strife before they warred themselves back into the Stone Age according to one snippet from the old SC1 map descriptions:

"In the Aeon of Strife, Protoss warriors created warp gates to travel great distances instantaneously. The knowledge involved in their creation has been lost, but on some planets, these gates still remain. When these sites are discovered, they spawn some of the most violent battles as great powers try and control these ancient places of power. A series of these gates have been discovered and you and an Allied team have been dispatched to control these gates and discover the mysteries they contain." - SCC

So, depending upon when the Tal'Darim left...

[Gradius]

Says it during this video.

The Tal'darim: about ten seconds after 25:22. "When they left with Amon millions of years ago..."

The Normal Protoss: about ten seconds after 10:27. "So, thematically, what was interesting to me, I really think this is a campaign, narratively, about a race that needs to change. This is an ancient race that has been bound to a thinking that really has served its time. It's Millions of Millions of years you know. These are creatures that live a thousand years."

He seems to be talking about the point where the Aeon of Strife began when he mentions "Left with Amon" and Amon was with the Xel'naga that left to Zerus. I mean, I guess that fits with the manual that states the Xel'naga were around tens of millions of years ago, but the other statement...

Do we have a solid time figure on how long the Aeon of Strife went on?

Really hoping that's something he improv-ed on the spot given how clueless the writers generally are about SC lore.

Actually....

"Over two millennia ago, the great Khas, as he had become known—“He who brings order”—had rediscovered the profound link all protoss could have with one another." -Shadow Hunters.

Over two millennia does mean it is a longer time period than just two, and that's from Adun's time, which is about a millennia before Starcraft 1 since Razsagal's a teen or so.

Of course, that hardly shows that millions of years are involved.

Well, at least with the Tal'Darim, the Protoss had advanced technology at the beginning of the Aeon of Strife before they warred themselves back into the Stone Age according to one snippet from the old SC1 map descriptions:

"In the Aeon of Strife, Protoss warriors created warp gates to travel great distances instantaneously. The knowledge involved in their creation has been lost, but on some planets, these gates still remain. When these sites are discovered, they spawn some of the most violent battles as great powers try and control these ancient places of power. A series of these gates have been discovered and you and an Allied team have been dispatched to control these gates and discover the mysteries they contain." - SCC

So, depending upon when the Tal'Darim left...

It's a retcon. The protoss were still stone age when the xel'naga left. They have a rock fight with each other and don't understand the concept of a space ship.

[Visions of Khas]

Well, it makes sense that the Tal'Darim left with Amon long ago, because somebody had to carve out all of those caverns devoted to Xel'Naga beyond Khalai space. Confirms one small headcanon of mine.

[Shadow Archon]

Really hoping that's something he improv-ed on the spot given how clueless the writers generally are about SC lore.

Alright then.

I doubt that's the case, but we'll see.

It's a retcon. The protoss were still stone age when the xel'naga left. They have a rock fight with each other and don't understand the concept of a space ship.

Actually, the DTS would be the recton.

Because that map description did come first.

Of course, no one even really pays attention to those, so it shouldn't be an issue to ignore it since it wasn't front and center.

The RPGes also had the pre-Aeon of Strife Protoss be really advanced, but that was also retconned to non-canon status.

Anyways, it doesn't change the fact that there is room for millions of years. As incredulous as it is.

[Gradius]

Well, it makes sense that the Tal'Darim left with Amon long ago, because somebody had to carve out all of those caverns devoted to Xel'Naga beyond Khalai space. Confirms one small headcanon of mine.

The Xel'Naga abandoned the protoss. Wasn't Amon playing along with the rest of the Xel'Naga at the time? When did they have the opportunity to leave?

Maybe they just stole a xel'naga ship during the Aeon of Strife. But their tech tree should be completely different.

Actually, the DTS would be the recton.

That's what I meant.

[Shadow Archon]

That's what I meant.

Alright.

Well, either way, if what James Waugh said wasn't an exaggeration and the Khalai really had the Khala for millions of millions of years, the SC2 site says after the Aeon of Strife ended, the Protoss became an interstellar empire in only centuries.

So, that would mean, the Protoss have had space ships longer than humanity has existed as a species...

But their tech tree should be completely different.

Maybe the Tal'Darim pulled a UED?

You know, just looted the stuff?

I mean, you have those Collossi and Motherships just tossed around and hidden in different places. It wouldn't be that hard to believe that the Tal'Darim came across them and managed to activate the different caches for themselves.

Obviously, they will have unique Tal'darim units in Legacy of the Void since we have a Nerazim Zealot of all things, so we might get an explanation for the odd appearance of the Khalai and Nerazim tech in Wings and Swarm.

You could just say the Sundrop trick was used again, just this time at locations with Khalai/Nerazim industry. Ulrezaj was active on multiple worlds, and Metzen has stated the Tal'Darim in Wings had a connection to Ulrezaj.