How ar the artifacts Dues Ex Machina?

[Eivind]

How could we answer that? We have too little information yet.

[Turalyon]

How could we answer that? We have too little information yet.

My question's not really about looking for a definitive answer but rather to illustrate the illogic of introducing something so conveniently powerful that has always somehow been there to begin with. Besides, you and the others have proven yourselves to be quite good on the speculative front, I'm sure you'll appreciate the challenge

I've tried to think up possible and plausible reasons for this as well but all I got was something hackneyed/ convenient... the DV just doesn't know about them yet for some reason, is vulnerable to the artifact as well or something contrived. If we ever did know the reason, I somehow doubt that it will not be hackneyed as well. I guess that's the problem you run into when you introduce half-baked plot devices.

[Karass]

The thing is, DV couldn't afford to wipe out Protoss and Zerg long ago, oh no! He needs them to create the Hybrid while posing as Duran. That is why he used the Swarm to get rid of his brethren, the Xel'Naga, and put the Zerg on the collision course with the Protoss to stage the right itutation to create Protoss/Zerg Hybrid, thus completing the Cycle according to DV's vision.

Maybe DV needed Moebius an Raynor to assemble the Artifact for some reason. I bet we'll get more insight in this matter in HotS. BTW, Zeratul was mostly likely attacked by the Tal'darim before teleporting onto the Hyoerion: he states that he was attacked by "the Hounds of the Void" (i.e. DV's minions) and he meets up with Raynor just after The Dig mission, where Raiders get an artifact fragment from Xil, guarded by Tal'darim.

[Turalyon]

The thing is, DV couldn't afford to wipe out Protoss and Zerg long ago, oh no!

I'm not saying that the DV wants to wipe the Protoss and Zerg out, I'm saying that it could potentially do that if it wanted to. With the knowledge the DV has and the artifacts being somehow existing, it could've subdued both the Zerg and Protoss earlier on in the proceedings and then go mad scientist and make his Hybrids.

Maybe DV needed Moebius an Raynor to assemble the Artifact for some reason.

No doubt the artifact has some role with the "Xel'Naga cycle". I'm not disputing this. What I am disputing is the timing and the convenience of how things are coming together into a neat little package.

[Eivind]

The question that no one asks is this: Where the hell is the Dark Voice now? Let's assume Duran is a servant of him. He has probably set events in motion that will bring DV back or something. The artifact may be a key to this.

Also, the Dark Voice has to wait for the hybrids to wipe out the Zerg and Protoss (which we see he can do with ease). The hybrids are his "race" or "kin" or whatever you'd call it, and since they are components of the Zerg and Protoss, annihiliation of the latter two is kind of a dumb thing to do if you are going to use them to create a new race. The hybrids are only now beginning to awaken.

[DarthYam]

how long have the hybrids been in development? he needs both of them. Duran stated that kerrigan indirectly helped in the development. The dark voice may have been incapacitated by a xel'naga sacrifice during the fall, forcing duran to carry out his dirty work.

[Karass]

Duran is quiet obviously Dark Voice's "proxy", his facade which changed names many time throughout the millennia, rather than a separate person. And I doubt that DV would want to subdue Zerg and Protoss, because he doesn't directly interferes to let the Cycle unfold, he just put the Zerg on the collision course with the Protoss in order to stage the creation of the Hybrid.

[flabortast]

Perhaps the artifact is NOT a weapon. Maybe its primary use is different but it's secondary effects of damaging Protoss and Zerg was an invaluable tool.

[Turalyon]

And I doubt that DV would want to subdue Zerg and Protoss, because he doesn't directly interferes to let the Cycle unfold, he just put the Zerg on the collision course with the Protoss in order to stage the creation of the Hybrid.

We're not sure what the DV really wants. If he wanted to make Hybrids and force the cooperation of two unwilling species, you can't deny that the artifact would have been a great tool to "encourage" them to do so with minimal fuss and at a much earlier time. At the least, it would help subdue the more resistant individuals of each species to allow his greater plan to go forward with ease.

Also, why would the DV risk the Zerg and Protoss getting potentially powerful enough to stop it, even if it intended to pit them against each other, just to make Hybrids? Sure, I understand that their 'collision' will weaken both species as they fight, but what an effing mess to try and procure samples and then grow Hybrids in a warzone with the real possible threat of one or both races finding out what the DV is doing and then bringing its plans into ruination (as what seems to be happening in SC2s storyline)!

The DV could have started Hybrid production in the early years of Protoss and Zerg evolution (much like Dorian Routhe on Earth rounding up all the "rejects" for his experiments) without so much fuss as there is now. If the artifacts were made by the DV (near Protoss space) and the DV also influenced the Overmind (on the other side of the galaxy), it doesn't seem that hard for the DV to go from place to place to procure samples to start his own Grand Experiment right from the get go.

[mr. peasant]

Perhaps the artifact is NOT a weapon. Maybe its primary use is different but it's secondary effects of damaging Protoss and Zerg was an invaluable tool.

I hope that's not the case. Otherwise, it would be even more convenient powers as the plot demands. In which case, the Artifact could probably be renamed the DEM emitter, or something.