Random Thoughts Thread

[ragnarok]

*points to Tal'Darim*

Although perhaps Terrazine somehow helps Tal'Darim focus their void energies more clearly. I also have a pet theory that most Tal'Darim are young; older members are either killed by attrition and backstabbing, or burn out from excessive Void use, as the DTs fear.

But has there been any PROOF that too much use of Void energy is fatal?

[Visions of Khas]

I think the short story Lense of the Void explores those consequences, Rag.

[ragnarok]

I think the short story Lense of the Void explores those consequences, Rag.

Didn't read that yet, I'll go check later today

[Visions of Khas]

Sharas had reached up to grasp Theromos's shoulder, their gazes locked together. The tendrils of shadow still played over teacher and student, but now the Void energies began to brighten. The Nerazim's eyes glowed more strongly, and wisps of red fire raced across their limbs.

Theromos yelled, "Resist! I know the power is upon us. I know the draw of the Void and the oblivion it promises, but you must resist."

Sharas shouted back, her psionic voice tinged with a deep new note. "The Void calls to me! It calls to us. We could become so much more. Together we could become one with the vast energies of the Void."

Theromos shook his head, trying to break the connection that was forming between the two dark templar. "And we would be lost. You would be lost. Let it go. Return to your merely physical form and be content."

His words must have had some effect upon Sharas, because slowly the tendrils dissipated and the shadows faded.

Soon only two exhausted Nerazim remained.

When confronted with the full power of the Void, Dark Templar seem be drawn to it like moths to a flame. I can only assume it has some Nirvana-like allure; not in the prosaic, western understanding of "Being subsumed by bliss," but rather the Vedic understanding of liberation by annihilation, the losing of self.

Which is ironic, because that selfsame annihilation -- the potential loss of self -- is what frightened the Dark Templar away from the Khala in the first place.

Of course, this doesn't explain whether the appeal of that annihilation is particular to the Void and its energies; is due to Amon's dark voice whispering to the protoss; or is some psychological quirk endemic to all protoss. If it's the latter-most possibility, that could offer terrans an edge in the psionics department.

[ragnarok]

I remember, this was said back in the SC1 manual, that they refused to lose their identities merely to promote the Judicator's agendas or something.

It's possible regarding the Void and the Khala is that the latter's case the SLIGHTEST bit would mean the loss of self, whereas the former requires an almost excessive amount. Maybe that's why most Nerazim were fine using the Void, because they believed as long as you don't go over a certain limit, everything's fine.

For the appear of annihilation, I'm not convinced that was due to Amon's voice. If you repeatedly click on a DT unit, one of his quotes will be "I hear an ancient voice, whispering from the Void, and it chills my lightless heart..."

But that doesn't prove it's Amon. The Void has plenty of entities besides him, and Blizzard hasn't exactly given us much details on who else is in there.

[Turalyon]

So... the Khala being bad means it "had" to go. If the Void is then like the Khala to the DTs, then it too has to go cos its "bad", right?

Maybe the Protoss are not drawn to the energy pools themselves (ie" Void or Khala) from which they draw to power. Maybe it's their physiology perhaps evolving to involve psionics at almost a fundamental level being the reason.

[ragnarok]

So... the Khala being bad means it "had" to go. If the Void is then like the Khala to the DTs, then it too has to go cos its "bad", right?

That's something Blizzard can look for reasons why in the next SC game, assuming it happens.

[Visions of Khas]

Maybe the Protoss are not drawn to the energy pools themselves (ie" Void or Khala) from which they draw to power. Maybe it's their physiology perhaps evolving to involve psionics at almost a fundamental level being the reason.

I'm delving into the whole Thanatos Drive thing right now. Maybe the protoss' abandonment by the Xel'Naga scarred them on a profound level, leaving lasting damage in their racial memory. This would be akin to a child dealing with abandonment issues and lashing out, leading to self-destructive behavior later in life. This culminates in the desire for self-annihilation, achieved either through the Khala's repression-of-self, or the Void's embrace of oblivion. The protoss' Thanatos drive is directly contrasted to the zerg's representation of the Eros drive --

Okay I can only carry on with so much bullshit lol.

So... the Khala being bad means it "had" to go. If the Void is then like the Khala to the DTs, then it too has to go cos its "bad", right?

Eh, I wouldn't consider either the Khala or the Void bad in any way. They're tools (like Blizzard's writers). But like any tool, they can be used for either good or bad. The Khala was corrupted later on and used against the protoss. The Khala was a huge boon for the protoss, and a huge loss as well.

[ragnarok]

Eh, I wouldn't consider either the Khala or the Void bad in any way. They're tools (like Blizzard's writers). But like any tool, they can be used for either good or bad. The Khala was corrupted later on and used against the protoss. The Khala was a huge boon for the protoss, and a huge loss as well.

The whole Khala corruption matter was a good concept because it WOULD force the Protoss to figure out how to carry on if they lose it, but at the same time they took it too well. Rohana was the only one who resisted this until almost the very end. All the others Artanis only had to spend a few seconds to convince them.

I had at least hoped by the time of Evolution some Khalai would be looking for ways to restore their cords, with Amon gone and all....

[Turalyon]

Eh, I wouldn't consider either the Khala or the Void bad in any way. They're tools (like Blizzard's writers). But like any tool, they can be used for either good or bad. The Khala was corrupted later on and used against the protoss. The Khala was a huge boon for the protoss, and a huge loss as well.

I was kinda being facetious with that comment but here's my more serious take on it:

The Khala definitely has its benefits in the backstory and lore but one can hardly tell if you only played LotV. I mean, what demonstrated boon did the Khala have in LotV apart from when Rohanna managed to finally evince Amon's motivation from it before being finally cut off from it? She would pay lip-service to it but that is hardly demonstrative. She instead comes across as a staunch traditionalist who doesn't know when to let things go even when it's proven to be bad for them making her advocacy of the Khala (and the Khala itself by relation) a bad thing rather than a good thing. It kinda comes across that the Khala is perhaps also the reason why there is division between them and the various Protoss factions like the Dark Templar, Preservers and Tal'darim. Finally, it also potentially excuses Aldaris for being the arsehole he really and just actually is (which is what makes him awesome) because you can just say it was the backward religious zealotry of the Khala that it demanded of him that was the problem - which is kinda shallow and is sort of what Rohanna ends up exemplifying in LotV.

Although I like the idea of Protoss losing the Khala, it sucks when they render something that is culturally significant to the Protoss into a binary plot device. Kinda like how they undermined the Zergs "culture" by turning the Overmind into a plot device.