Exercise 01: Establishing the Status Quo

[Visions of Khas]

Imagine how vast that area would have been, and the time it would take for anything to get to the overmind.

I wonder if one reason the Overmind landed on Aiur was to lure the Templar into a false sense if security. "Oh look, the leader of our foe has taken up residence just over the hill. Hah, this'll be easy!

I didn't mean "Over the hill" in literal terms, but relative terms. I'd think the Protoss would feel their home field advantage would win them through, and the Overmind wanted to capitalize on this perceived but false advantage.

The cerebrates might have been confident the protoss had no ability to kill them, given Fenix' failure previously. The Overmind might have seen the rift between the protoss and the dark templar, and so assumed, after watching fenix fail, that event on char was a one-off.

He left Kerrigan to fend off the Dark Templar, after all. Her mobility and psychic prowess would make her more suitable to hunt down the Dark Templar than any Cerebrate. After quelling the Dark Templar on Char, she went on to cut off the head of the Nerazim. I think this was part of the Overmind's strategy to defeat the Protoss. Kerrigan's own egotism let Zeratul and the few Dark Templar Warband survivors to escape to Aiur. Even then, the Conclave's pride almost destroyed that one small spark of hope.

Again, I like to think the Overmind somehow subtly influenced the Protoss' psyche by interfacing with Aiur's matrix, exacerbating the Dark Templar-Khalai strife.


Even with everything against them, the Dark Templar Warband barely made it to help. They were like some kind of band of... Rogues. Guess that makes Zeratul Rogue One!

[ragnarok]

Again, I like to think the Overmind somehow subtly influenced the Protoss' psyche by interfacing with Aiur's matrix, exacerbating the Dark Templar-Khalai strife.

Ah yes with the whole psychological exploitation. Personally I don't really think he needed to, the Conclave NEVER allowed the Khalai people to forget the dangers of the Nerazim

He left Kerrigan to fend off the Dark Templar, after all. Her mobility and psychic prowess would make her more suitable to hunt down the Dark Templar than any Cerebrate. After quelling the Dark Templar on Char, she went on to cut off the head of the Nerazim. I think this was part of the Overmind's strategy to defeat the Protoss. Kerrigan's own egotism let Zeratul and the few Dark Templar Warband survivors to escape to Aiur. Even then, the Conclave's pride almost destroyed that one small spark of hope.

I'm still unsure about this one. From what people said from the 2006 book Queen of Blades, it seemed that Kerrigan volunteered to stay behind to deal with the dark templar. Of course that book certainly had exaggerated her power levels too much, as no one is supposed to have infinite power. Unfortunately Blizzard only got that part right in WoL when she was defeated on Char.

[GnaReffotsirk]

I like the idea that the Overmind did a sort of 'mind gem' effect on the protoss psyche through the matrix. Agitating them in some way, making them restless, impulsive, even went and almost destroyed themselves, destroying their own Great Forum in the process, while an alien invasion is taking place.

Subtle, but nice.

Lucky for Tassadar, he already has some training in the use of the Dark side of their powers, maybe allowing him to at least be detached, though not fully, from the influence of the external agent that has rooted itself like a virus.

Maybe that's why of all the killing, he just snapped and went "wtf are we killing each other for? Alright, alright, I submit. Executor, you know what to do." Just to calm them all down.

[ragnarok]

I like the idea that the Overmind did a sort of 'mind gem' effect on the protoss psyche through the matrix. Agitating them in some way, making them restless, impulsive, even went and almost destroyed themselves, destroying their own Great Forum in the process, while an alien invasion is taking place.

Subtle, but nice.

Lucky for Tassadar, he already has some training in the use of the Dark side of their powers, maybe allowing him to at least be detached, though not fully, from the influence of the external agent that has rooted itself like a virus.

Yeah but even then it'd still be affecting all the other Khalai Protoss, and if that's the case Tassadar would be alone. Unless you're trying to give Tassadar a power to shield the Overmind's "mind gem" effects from them

[GnaReffotsirk]

It would be very subtle. Has to do with "purity of essence". It's like when you're just about to get that hint that you have a fever. It's very subtle but makes you a bit edgy, if not ever so slightly.

[ragnarok]

It would be very subtle. Has to do with "purity of essence". It's like when you're just about to get that hint that you have a fever. It's very subtle but makes you a bit edgy, if not ever so slightly.

Then I want to hear your details on how it relates to the purity of essence first.

[GnaReffotsirk]

As I said before, purity of essence is evidenced by unity of purpose and motivation from a subconscious level. It's like being driven to fulfill an emergent purpose of the whole as the whole progress day by day.

Since the Xel'Naga had designs for the protoss and zerg, in their attempt to create a race pure in essence and form, where the Zerg overmind was their cause for celebration, with respect to purity of essence, it would not be far fetched to assume that inorder to assimilate the protoss, who once had purity of essence, the Overmind would have to assimilate their minds as well. Take control of them at least.

edit:

To add, we could also speculate that if the above is true, then the Overmind imbedding itself unto aiur would be a kind of end point for the experiment. The Overmind would be in the spot the Xel'Naga could control and watch, while it shows them what they've created.

[ragnarok]

As I said before, purity of essence is evidenced by unity of purpose and motivation from a subconscious level. It's like being driven to fulfill an emergent purpose of the whole as the whole progress day by day.

Since the Xel'Naga had designs for the protoss and zerg, in their attempt to create a race pure in essence and form, where the Zerg overmind was their cause for celebration, with respect to purity of essence, it would not be far fetched to assume that inorder to assimilate the protoss, who once had purity of essence, the Overmind would have to assimilate their minds as well. Take control of them at least.

That I can see. But one major problem is that we never got to learn just how far the Overmind got in his progress with the Khaydarin crystals before Tassadar killed him. Well before SC2 was out, many fans had theorized if Duran would have tried to continue what the Overmind started.

In a way he did, but we didn't expect the hybrid theories we had back then to turn out like this....

[GnaReffotsirk]

They Khaydarins were never explored in detail, only shown that it was a prerequisite for the Overmind to 'manifest' or plant himself on Aiur. We are also shown that it was necessary before the player (a cerebrate) can begin a mission (controlling hive clusters and broods). It was right in front of us during dialogue, like the protoss also has.

The Protoss uses a blue one, probably showing the consciousness of the protoss as blue. While the Zerg has reddish hues, showing the rage and aggression as opposed to the controlled and stoic protoss.

We can take from that to say that in SC universe, Khaydarins are necessary for remote control, so to speak. The Executor could be using his desktop crystal to communicate with the Judicator, even his men on the field. Note that the Executor is on this sort of high-rise building. Maybe the artists implied the protoss executors command their troops from their own living rooms, far away from the field, through telepathy, or some technology (protoss in-game GUI), some interface that translates thoughts into digital information for troops and robots to interpret.

All this to say that both the Zerg and Protoss require Khaydarin for mental powers to be useful. Even High templars use Khaydarin amulets for their powers.

I think Alan Schezar also used Khaydarins to control his own cerebrate.

edit:

And so, when the Overmind deliberately wanted to imbed itself on a Khaydarin rich location, I think it knows what that would grant him. At least for the swarm, maybe not entirely about having an effect on the protoss.

[ragnarok]

I think Alan Schezar also used Khaydarins to control his own cerebrate.

That ALONE didn't control cerebrates. It was said in Enslavers that Schezar had taken refuge in an old Protoss fortress, and the old technologies there, combined with the use of the crystals, allowed him to control the Cerebrate and the zerg forces.

All this to say that both the Zerg and Protoss require Khaydarin for mental powers to be useful. Even High templars use Khaydarin amulets for their powers.

That I'm unsure of, since we just don't know the details of the Overmind's work. Even if he had finished, we don't know what used he'd have made of it other than to get around the Khala so that the Protoss people could be assimilated.