[Spoilers] Thoughts on Legacy of the Void

[GnaReffotsirk]

Makes sense.

[ragnarok]

Had the majority of the Protoss not severed themselves, Amon would have clung on to the Khala, escaping imprisonment to the Void. (I say "Majority" because I severely doubt every single Protoss severed their nerve cords at that moment; there had to be many still off Aiur at that time. But when the majority of the Aiur Protoss severed their cords, the Khala's "footprint" was reduced considerably, leaving nothing substantial for Amon to grasp.)

Interesting, didn't think about the number of Protoss in that respect. Makes me wonder just how many would have actually needed to retain the Khala in order for Amon to stay in the material universe....

[Gradius]

What would have happened if Amon never recalled the Golden Armada back to Aiur? The artifact would have just sucked him in and pooped him back out again or what?

[Turalyon]

My best guess is that the Khala provided the one foothold in the material universe that Amon needed to stay anchored. When the Artifact imploded, there was no foothold left for Amon to cling on to, so he was expelled back to the Void.

Had the majority of the Protoss not severed themselves, Amon would have clung on to the Khala, escaping imprisonment to the Void.

I thought the Overmind's carcass was the foothold that allowed Amon to anchor into the material universe and provided the means for Amon to control the Protoss through the Khala. If Amon was already in the material universe from the start of Sc2, he wouldn't have waited until LotV to control the Protoss and Zeratul should've noticed something when he went poking around the Overmind's remains.

I'm guessing that Artanis wasn't really sure what would happen either but I'm certain he wasn't going to hedge his bets at that moment and risk Amon coming back/mind controlling them. Cutting off the cords had worked before and prevents any chance of mind control, so it was probably the most wise move at the time for all of them to cut their own cords themselves while they still could rather than risk more potential slaughter.

[Visions of Khas]

I thought the Overmind's carcass was the foothold that allowed Amon to anchor into the material universe and provided the means for Amon to control the Protoss through the Khala. If Amon was already in the material universe from the start of Sc2, he wouldn't have waited until LotV to control the Protoss and Zeratul should've noticed something when he went poking around the Overmind's remains.

Well, Duran resurrected Amon with Kerrigan's essence on the world of Atrias. I'm guessing this process allowed Amon to "extrude" his essence from the Void and into the material world. How he anchored himself without a body is anybody's guess. I guess we could go with Diablo rules and reason his essence wandered around until it came to Aiur and used some "backdoor" he built into the Communal Link.

The Artifact extracted him from the Khala. With the Communal Link severed, and Amon's most previous form/housing (The Artifact) destroyed, he was pushed back to the Void.

What signs were there that Amon used the Overmind's carcass?

[ragnarok]

What would have happened if Amon never recalled the Golden Armada back to Aiur? The artifact would have just sucked him in and pooped him back out again or what?

Likely. Remember, Artanis specifically said that once Amon was sucked into the Keystone, it was vital to convince the other Khalai Protoss to cut their chords. This means that if they chose not to, it would have all been for nothing.

I thought the Overmind's carcass was the foothold that allowed Amon to anchor into the material universe and provided the means for Amon to control the Protoss through the Khala. If Amon was already in the material universe from the start of Sc2, he wouldn't have waited until LotV to control the Protoss and Zeratul should've noticed something when he went poking around the Overmind's remains.

I'm guessing that Artanis wasn't really sure what would happen either but I'm certain he wasn't going to hedge his bets at that moment and risk Amon coming back/mind controlling them. Cutting off the cords had worked before and prevents any chance of mind control, so it was probably the most wise move at the time for all of them to cut their own cords themselves while they still could rather than risk more potential slaughter.

You don't know that for the Overmind's body. The main problem here is we don't know why Amon wasn't able to get out of the Void prior to Kerrigan's defeat at the end of WoL. Because Stukov said that Duran had been trying to revive his master for thousands of years, it would imply that Amon had been IMPRISONED in the void, and Kerrigan's essence was the last piece of the puzzle needed to free him. As for the whole poking the Overmind's remains, all Zeratul was able to get was that someone was controlling the Overmind was above and that's it. If you had looked at the mission objectives back in that mission, it specifically said Zeratul was trying to extract memories from the Overmind's RESIDUE, which could mean that whatever was still left of the corpse didn't have the memories he needed to know about Amon (at least not yet)

[Turalyon]

Well, Duran resurrected Amon with Kerrigan's essence on the world of Atrias. I'm guessing this process allowed Amon to "extrude" his essence from the Void and into the material world. How he anchored himself without a body is anybody's guess. I guess we could go with Diablo rules and reason his essence wandered around until it came to Aiur and used some "backdoor" he built into the Communal Link.

The Artifact extracted him from the Khala. With the Communal Link severed, and Amon's most previous form/housing (The Artifact) destroyed, he was pushed back to the Void.

Eh, it's just the same as saying "MAGIC!" really. However, it does have a semblance of logic (to a degree), so I'll take it!

What signs were there that Amon used the Overmind's carcass?

None. I just guessed/thought/deduced it was due to this since Amon was technically free/resurrected at the end of WoL and could've mind controlled the Protoss at anytime between the end of WoL and the start of LotV, yet it didn't. I guessed that the reason it didn't then was maybe because it couldn't or had a restriction. Even though Amon only mind controls the Protoss once their invasion force lands on Aiur in LotV, I don't believe the restriction was due to limitations of distance or being localised to Aiur since Amon can possess Rohanna on the Spear of Adun at any time throughout the campaign and can maintain his control over the Golden Armada as they fly about the galaxy wreaking destruction. Hence the Overmind carcass thing as a possible explanation. Plus, it would seem like a convenient plot device to explain away the question of why Amon didn't just mind control the Protoss earlier than when he actually did in LotV.

[Visions of Khas]

Hence the Overmind carcass thing as a possible explanation. Plus, it would seem like a convenient plot device to explain away the question of why Amon didn't just mind control the Protoss earlier than when he actually did in LotV.

The Overmind did embed itself at a nexus of psionic energies on Aiur. And I always wanted that khaydarin crystal used by the Overmind to have some significance at some point...

[ragnarok]

The Overmind did embed itself at a nexus of psionic energies on Aiur. And I always wanted that khaydarin crystal used by the Overmind to have some significance at some point...

It's a shame they didn't explain this more. The Overmind specifically said the crystals held power untold of, which implied it can do a lot more than the Protoss using it like some Duracell battery. He said that it was upon the sacred ground where the temple was built that he may be manifest.

The crystal was needed to strengthen him, though I'm still unsure why he had to choose that specific location....

[Visions of Khas]

The crystal was needed to strengthen him, though I'm still unsure why he had to choose that specific location....

Ugh, well I guess it depends on the lens through which you view it.

The Overmind states that "It is upon that ground alone that [he] may be manifest," and the Temple stands upon ground "Most hallowed." Back in the pre-StarCraft II days, this might imply a psychic significance, a leyline of energies converging on that spot, just as the Xel'Naga Temple on Shakuras was cited atop a nexus of cosmic energies.

If, however, we view these events post-LotV, then a couple more things may be at play. First we have to keep in mind that it may be pure hubris on Amon's part. "It was here I first made footfall to create the Protoss, and it is here that the Protoss shall fall by my hand!" Moreover, maybe there is some geological or psychic significance that Amon imbued that location with.

One other thing I thought of, from another conversation: Maybe that location served as the aperture or "opening" to the Psionic Matrix of Aiur, and it was through this that Amon insinuated himself within the Khala. Perhaps that was his goal too with the Overmind; for it the lay claim over the Protoss' minds.