Do we know if the Xel'Naga are organic?

[ArcherofAiur]

This is amazing Arch. I didn't think Warhammer's Lore is as cool.

Yeah, the Xel'Naga being just some organic race like everybody yet the ones first (and so uses manipulation to remain in power) sounds kinda lame in the sci-fi scene, but very dramatic nonetheless imo.

This is very interesting.

If you liked that you should pick of the Necron army book. It and all the other army books are filled with incredible lore, written by none other than the great Andy Chambers who now works for Blizzard on the Starcraft 2 lore team!

[Roland]

Their biologically based for sure, but at the level of technology they posses I'd find it hard to believe that they don't at least have some sort of cybernetics, although it's worth pondering whether a Biologically perfect race really need cybernetic enhancement.

Given their reproductive method though (that's what I'm calling the Cycle) it's possible their have fairly small numbers, as it's probably not logistically reasonable to produce billions of the proper sort of hybrid before the present cycle runs out, and the generation dies off, point being they may need innumerable robots (possibly sentient, we know how they are about guiding life-forms) to help maintain the worldships and do the dirty work. Think more advanced Keepers from Mass Effect. For all we know Duran could have a similar origin. Also keep in may Khaydarin crystals have been know to appear somewhat like sentient AI.

The Xel'naga themselves may not be robotic, or even cybernetic, but it's highly likely they made androids of sorts in some semblance of themselves to help with their work.

[ArcherofAiur]

Their biologically based for sure,

How do you know? Thats what the threads about: What is the evidence for the Xel'Naga being organic?

[Kimera757]

How do you know? Thats what the threads about: What is the evidence for the Xel'Naga being organic?

Read Twilight, geez.

[ArcherofAiur]

Read Twilight, geez.

I read the wikipedia article. Could you just spoiler the info your refering to instead of just refering to the book?

[Kimera757]

*Sigh*

Reading the xel'naga article would have given you the info.

Anyway, the xel'naga aren't a single species, but a chronological/ontological series of species.

The xel'naga are incredibly long-lived but cannot reproduce like most organic beings. Instead, as their time closes, they modify a pair of species - one with purity of form, and one with purity of essence - to "become" them. The two species naturally merge over time to become the next incarnation of the xel'naga.

The protoss and zerg were modified the same way (and both were clearly organic species). However, the zerg wrecked the xel'naga's plans by attacking them.

Samir Duran is creating his hybrids, although according to Zamara that is not the right way to create a new incarnation of the xel'naga (it's not a natural merging).

[l33telboi]

The Xel'Naga basically reproduce by somehow merging two species. In this case that's what they've been doing with the Zerg and Protoss. The two species were supposed to be merged at some point and thus become new Xel'Naga. Since both Protoss and Zerg are very much biological creatures, it's pretty safe to assume that the result of their merger would be biological too. Basically, imagine taking a chimp and a fish and then doing science to them - you’d get a half-chimp half-fish creature, still very much biological, but different from their original form.

Personally I'm thinking they're rather formidable as a species, and logically combining the Zerg and the Protoss would be a case of taking the best from both sides. Imagine a race that regenerates, reproduces and evolves like the Zerg, but also have the psionic potential the Protoss have. Scary stuff.

EDIT: It appears I've been ninjad.

[ArcherofAiur]

*Sigh*

Reading the xel'naga article would have given you the info.

Anyway, the xel'naga aren't a single species, but a chronological/ontological series of species.

The xel'naga are incredibly long-lived but cannot reproduce like most organic beings. Instead, as their time closes, they modify a pair of species - one with purity of form, and one with purity of essence - to "become" them. The two species naturally merge over time to become the next incarnation of the xel'naga.

The protoss and zerg were modified the same way (and both were clearly organic species). However, the zerg wrecked the xel'naga's plans by attacking them.

Samir Duran is creating his hybrids, although according to Zamara that is not the right way to create a new incarnation of the xel'naga (it's not a natural merging).

Yes I knew that but as we discussed earlier in the thread that doesnt mean part of the cycle cant be energy or mechanical based. In fact the "energy phoenix" seems to be strong evidence that part of the cycle is energy based.


Now about the Xel'naga form that created the protoss and zerg, the manual talks about how they were destroyed by the zerg. Can someone check the exact wording in the manual cause I seem to remember it saying they were assimilated. I think assimilated would be point towards them not being energy or mechanical at least at that point.

[Kimera757]

Yes I knew that but as we discussed earlier in the thread that doesnt mean part of the cycle cant be energy or mechanical based. In fact the "energy phoenix" seems to be strong evidence that part of the cycle is energy based.

The hell?

First of all, the "energy creature" is just a term. It does have an organic skin. It's not a Vorlon (which could actually be poisoned, oddly enough).

Second, it's not a xel'naga, it's a creature created by the xel'naga. A bunch sacrificed themselves to create a wormhole.

Now about the Xel'naga form that created the protoss and zerg, the manual talks about how they were destroyed by the zerg. Can someone check the exact wording in the manual cause I seem to remember it saying they were assimilated. I think assimilated would be point towards them not being energy or mechanical at least at that point.

The Xel’Naga, having kept a constant watch on the Overmind, were horrified to find that it had actually severed their psychic link, effectively hiding itself from their view. With its need to consume driving its minions into a lustful frenzy, the Overmind launched the now space-faring Zerg swarms at the unsuspecting Xel’Naga. The ancient race did what they could to stem the tide of the ever-advancing Zerg onslaught, but in the end their efforts were in vain. Wave after wave of Zerg swarms hammered the reinforced hulls of the Xel’Naga’s ships with no signs of abatement.

Within only a few hours the Zerg overran the defenses of their creators and laid waste to the Xel’Naga fleet.

As the greater whole of the Xel’Naga race was consumed by the raging, genetic whirlwind of the Zerg, the Overmind gained the knowledge and insights of its masters. The Overmind processed thousands of sentient beings into itself, causing it to grow far more powerful than it had ever imagined. It learned the secrets of the sacred Khaydarin Crystals, and began to incorporate the energies of these Crystals into its own. Through the intimate knowledge of evolution and proto-genetic physiology gained from the Xel’Naga, the Overmind was able to increase the level of sentience in many of the higher Zerg strains, while still keeping them fully under its control.

Through dissecting the memories of the Xel’Naga, the Overmind was made aware of the myriad races that had at one time or another been influenced by the ancient race.

Canadian version, so may have odd spelling.

[ArcherofAiur]

Ah yes energy encased around organic skin. The reference to organic skin seems to imply that the interior is not organic No?

BTW did anyone immediatly think of the aliens in James Cameron's "The Abyss" when they read about the hatchlings?