PROTOSS HISTORY
THE XEL'NAGA AND THE FIRST BORN.
Although only fragmented documentation remains,
ancient Protoss texts speak of a highly advanced race that ruled over thousands
of worlds in the galaxy, tens of millions of years ago. This enigmatic
race, often called the Xel'Naga, or 'wanderers from afar', was rumored
to have seeded and cultivated thousands of worlds of various species on
the cold barren worlds within their domain. Protoss traditions hold that
the Xel'Naga were a peaceful and benevolent race, utterly consumed with
the study and propagation of sentient evolution within the universe. Nothing
is known of the origin of the Xel'Naga, save that they were not native
to the galaxy over which they held sway. Obsessed with fashioning the perfect
life-form, the Xel'Naga labored to create a creature that would be defined
by a distinct purity of form. For thousands of years they carefully steered
the delicate 
evolutionary processes of their budding species. Although their protracted
experiments produced many intriguing deviants and mutations,
the races that the Xel'Naga cultivated always fell short on their enormous
expectations. Despairing at last, the Xel'Naga focused their frustrated
efforts on the most promising of their engineered worlds. Aiur, a massive
jungle-world on thegalaxy's
fringe, had become a race of highly advanced beings. These beings were
incredibly adaptable to harsh natural conditions and climates. Their strength
and speed were unparalleled amongst the other races known to the Xel'Naga.
The race had even developed a rudimentary tribal society based upon group-hunting
and warrior rule. However, their most distinct aspect was that they communicated
with each other through a very complex method of instinctive telepathy,
allowing them to operate communally with striking efficiency. The Xel'Naga
were pleased with the progress of their latest creation and conceded that
the new race was the first of all their experiments to evolve beyond the
feral constraints of baser life-forms. To signify their ascension in the
galactic order, the Xel'Naga gave the new race the name of Protoss, or
'the First Born'. The early Protoss lived in harmony and seclusion upon
the world of Aiur for hundreds of generations, never knowing of the Xel'Naga
who watched over them from afar. Although the Protoss were the most advanced
species to arise, the Xel'Naga were still unsatisfied with their slow progress
and saw fir to drive the Protoss' evolution even further. The Xel'Naga
spent yet another millennium subtly guiding the steps of their children,
eventually succeeding in leading the Protoss to the state of total sentience
and awareness. The First Born gradually became highly intellectual and
introspective, achieving great heights in not only their cultural advancements,
but personal, individualistic advancements as well. Exhilarated by their
seeming success, the Xel'Naga finally made themselves known to the Protoss,
never suspecting the chaos that was to come.
The Protoss civilizations spread across the face
of Aiur within only a few thousand years, eventually culminating with the
warring Tribes settling under the centralized rule. In an attempt to discern
the full extent of their creations evolution, the Xel'Naga had come down
from the heavens and integrated themselves into the Protoss culture. The
arrival of the Xel'Naga seemed to bring the scattered Tribes even closer
together as the overjoyed Protoss looked to their wizened creators for
new truths and insights. The Xel'Naga marveled at how driven the Protoss
were to plumb the mysteries of the universe around them. The Protoss harbored
an insatiable lust for knowledge that led them to develop radical, progressive
strains of scientific and meta-neural study. As their understanding and
personal awareness grew the Protoss became exceedingly proud and began
to see more value in personal achievement than communal advancement. The
more successful Tribes began to isolate themselves from one another, each
seeking to define their own roles, not only within their immediate society,
but within the greater universe as well. As the tribes grew further apart,
the Xel'Naga reeled in frustration. They speculated that perhaps they had
pushed the evolution of the Protoss too far, marring the purity of their
creation. Many Xel'Naga believed the Protoss had lost their greatest strengths,
as individual egos arose to overpower the once primary communal link. The
Tribes, driven by individualistic pursuits, rekindled their own ancient
principles and rites in order to set themselves further apart from their
brethren. Where once there was only awe and reverence for their creators,
suspicions began to brew amongst the Tribes regarding the interests of
the Xel'Naga in their affairs. As months passed on Aiur, the Protoss began
to shy from their Xel'Naga teachers, and each Tribe cultivated wild and
unsubstantiated rumors of their creator's supposed treachery. Attempting
to completely sever themselves from the rest of their race, the Tribes
began to lose the connection to their primal psychic link. This breakdown
in the inherent empathy of the Protoss for one another did the most to
dissolve the last remnants of unity and brotherhood amongst them. The severing
of the psychic link was also the greatest sign to the Xel'Naga, that the
Protoss had tragically lost their most fundamental element of their greatness.
Believing that they had made a grave mistake in pushing their failed creation
too fast, the Xel'Naga made to depart Aiur forever. The suspicious Protoss,
at hearing of their creators' departure, reacted with a rash, violent attack
upon the Xel'Naga's world-ships. Many hundreds of Xel'Naga were murdered
by the raging Protoss, who only decades ago had worshipped them as gods.
The Xel'Naga fended off the Protoss' reckless attack and sorrowfully launched
the greater number of their massive ships into the trackless void of Aiur.
The Protoss Tribes, left confused and abandoned in the wake of the Departure,
turned on each other in despair. What followed has been recorded as the
bloodiest, most violent civil war ever recorded in galactic history: The
Aeon of Strife. The raging battles waged during the Aeon of Strife were
fought by countless generations of Protoss, all bent on perpetuating the
guilt and blame for their abandonment. Although few actual records remain
from this 'lost period' of Protoss history, it is clear that the First
Born devolved into frantic legions of merciless killers. Drive by centuries
of unthinking hatred towards their brethren, entire generations lived and
died without ever knowing the legacies of their past or of the primal psychic
bond that their forefathers had once shared. It is legend that even the
greater land-masses of Aiur were so devastated by the epic struggle between
the maddened Tribes. It seemed that the whole of the once glorious Protoss
culture was precariously poised upon the precipine of total annihilation.
KHALA: THE PATH OF ASCENSION.
Although there were many different factors which
led to the ending of the Aeon of Strife, one unprecedented discovery is
cited with bringing about the radical changes of the Second Age. As the
ancient, vicious blood feuds continued to take its toll on yet another
generation of Protoss warriors, one eccentric mystic stumbled upon a pivotal
insight. The mystic, whose true name has been forgotten in the annals of
history was eventually named Khas or 'he who brings order'. Khas, having
studied the archaic forbidden teachings of the Xel'Naga unearthed ancient,
monolithic artifacts known as the Khaydarin Crystals. The Crystals, left
behind by the Xel'Naga, were fundamental in facilitating their proto-genetic
experiments. Khas was able to channel the primal energies of the Crystals
through himself, allowing him to access the primordial, psychic bond of
his race. For the first time in thousands of years, the primal chord
of the Protoss was tapped. Flooded by the emotions emanating from every
member of his race, Khas became aware that the Protoss had not lost their
primal link, but had simply forgotten how to attune themselves to it. Horrified
by the warring emotions that had been tearing his race apart for countless
centuries, Khas began to search for a way to heal the searing pains of
his people. Khas, gathering many young Protoss together, was able to teach
the new generation of warriors how to access their latent psychic bond.
These young ones, suddenly free to distance themselves from the horrendous
strife around them, were able to see clearly that the conflict of their
race was folly. They believed that the Xel'Naga had been right to abandon
them and because their racial essence had been corrupted by the rise of
ego, they were indeed a failed creation. They maintained, however, that
because their inherent failure was not of their own doing, the inner conflict
of the Protoss and racial turmoil was baseless and hollow. Khas developed
a radical system of psychic progression that he hoped would discipline
the new generation and keep them from repeating the tragic mistakes of
their ancestors. His theory, known as the Khala, or 'Path of Ascension',
called all Protoss to forsake their own whims and strive to reunify their
once mighty , communal race. The Greatest hope of Khas was that the Khala
would instill a new sense of essence and vitality within the Protoss race.
Slowly, many Protoss gave up their ages-old feuds and rallied behind the
ever growing legions of the Khalai. This marked the true turning point
in the Aeon of Strife and led to the rise of the Second Age. As the terrible
wars subsided and the Tribes once more began to heal and bond, the premise
of the Khala began to permeate even the deepest, most fundamental roots
of Protoss society.
DAE'UHL: THE STEWARDSHIP.
The Khala, primarily meant to define a rigid system
of behavior, also called for a shift from Tribal society to a Caste system.
All members of the Protoss Tribes were split into three new castes: the
Judicators, the Khalai, and the Templar. This shift worked to remove the
last remnants of the old hostilities between the Tribes and strengthen
the resolve of the Protoss to embrace a new beginning. The Judicator caste
was compromised of Protoss elders and statesmen, with its main responsibility
being the governing of the Protoss under the dictates of the Khala's Law.
The Judicator Assembly was ruled over by a small group of Elders known
as the Conclave. The second Caste, known as the Khalai compromised the
greater bulk of Protoss society. The Khalai caste represented the driving
industrialists, scientists, and workers who continued to rebuild their
homeland after the harsh conflicts of the Aeon of Strife. The third caste,
called the Templar, were the holy warriors and the defenders of Aiur, who
followed the Khala's disciplines to achieve ever-escalating pinnacles of
psionic power. Under the new leadership of the Conclave and their Judicator
Administrates, and armed with the zealous might of the Templar, the Protoss
soon rebuilt their decimated world of Aiur into a budding paradise. With
their ever growing prosperity leading them to discover many of the sciences
and studies they had lost, the Protoss learned to travel amongst the stars.
Over the course of only a few hundred years, the Protoss conquered hundreds
of worlds within their corner of the galaxy, and spread the fruits of their
great civilization to many of the more advanced races that they encountered.
All in all, the Protoss inadvertently succeeded in reclaiming an eighth
of the worlds once presided over by the Xel'Naga. In keeping with he strict
codes of the Khala, the Protoss took upon themselves the burden of the
Dae'Uhl, or 'Great Stewardship'. Following the ancient traditions of the
Xel'Naga, the Dae'Uhl called for Protoss to protect and safeguard the lesser
races that lived under their shadow. Unlike the predecessors, however,
the Protoss refused to manipulate or interfere in the evolutionary processes
of the lesser races under their protection. Ever vigilant against the xenomorphic
threats, the Protoss kept a close watch over their unsuspecting wards.
But, much like the Xel'Naga many millennia before, the Protoss kept their
presence hidden from the lesser races in their care. Many hundreds of species
grew and thrived on the various worlds within their space, never knowing
that they were secretly guarded from above.
THE DARK TEMPLAR
Although their new enlightened civilization grew
and thrived, the Protoss Conclave kept a dark, shameful secret hidden from
the masses. There were a few dissident Tribes who refused to embrace the
Khala, believing that their individual identities would be erased to further
promote the Judicator rule. The Rogue Tribes were not hostile or militant,
but they believed that the Conclave's communal agenda would be the eventual
doom of their race. Thus, the knowledge of the Rogue Tribes was kept hidden,
for the Conclave believed that their aberrant influence might spread throughout
Protoss society and destroy all that Khas had accomplished. Convinced that
the Rogue Tribes constituted a palpable threat to the new order, the Conclave
ordered the Templar forces to eradicate the dissidents. The Templar,
led by a young warrior named Adun, could not bring themselves to slaughter
their wayward brethren. Instead, the idealistic Adun attempted to hide
the Rogue Tribes away from the sight of the Conclave. Adun believed that
he could convince the Rogues of the Khala's truth by teaching them
how to manipulate their own latent psionic powers. Although their powers
equaled those of the mighty Templar, the Rogues still refused to submit
their passionate, free spirits to the Khala. Without the discipline of
the Path of Ascension, the powers of the Rogues spiraled out of control
and unleashed horrible, devastating storms across the fields of Aiur. The
Conclave, shocked that the Templar had not destroyed the Rogue Tribes,
attempted to salvage the desperate situation. If the Conclave punished
Adun and the Templar for their insubordination, it would be forced to admit
the existence of the Rogues. Thus the Conclave decided to banish the wayward
Tribes from Aiur forever. The Templar under Adun were sworn to silence
as the Rogues were loaded into an ancient, but functional Xel'Naga ship
and launched them into the void of space. Forever after the Rogue Tribes
would be known as the Dark Templar. Over time, the legend of the Dark Templar
spread across the face of Aiur, sparking the imagination of many young
Protoss. To show their disdain for the Conclave and their Judicator lackeys,
the Dark Templar ceremoniously cut off their nerve-appendages, effectively
severing themselves from the basic communal link that all Protoss share.
It was widely rumored that since the Shadow Hunters were cut off from the
primal chord of their race, they were forced to draw their psionic energies
from the dark, cold void of space. This tale, above all others, worked
to incriminate the vagabond warriors for all time. Hunted and feared by
their own brethren, the Dark Templar led a solitary existence within their
space-faring vessels. Traveling throughout the cold void of space, they
never abandoned their love for Aiur, and thus worked to safeguard their
long lost Homeworld in any way they secretly could.
HUMANITY AND THE COMING OF THE ZERG
The Protoss bore silent witness to the portentous
arrival of Humanity to their edge of space. Although the Protoss were uncertain
of the vagabond origins of the Terrans, they knew that these volatile,
short lived humans would prove to be an interesting study. Two centuries
passed as the Protoss watched over the bugging Terran colonists. The Terrans
had succeeded in building rudimentary colonies on over a dozen worlds within
the Protoss' borders. Although the technology of the Terrans were inferior
to that of the Protoss, they adapted to the worlds upon which they lived
and thrived. The Protoss found the Terrans to be fascinating in that they
constantly fought against one another, yet sill flourished and advanced
their technologies and industries by leaps and bounds.
The Protoss were alarmed at how quick the Terrans
were to access and drain the natural resources from the various worlds.
It seemed to the Protoss that the Terrans had no respect for the delicate
balance of nature, as they recklessly sped from one world to the next,
leaving nothing but a barren wastelands in their wake. Bidden by the strict
dictates of the Dae'Uhl, the Protoss were forbidden to directly interfere
with the reckless Terrans, no matter how much they wished to do so. This
disjointed relationship lasted for many years between the two races. Yet
a routine Protoss scouting mission found evidence that spelled certain
ruin for the hapless Terrans.
The High Templar Tassadar, accompanied by his renowned
Templar expeditionary force, found a number of small biological constructs
floating near the borders of Protoss space. Upon close inspection, Tassadar
deduced that the rather nondescript alien organisms were in fact deep space
probes. Although Tassadar could not discern their point of origin, it was
clear that they were heading towards the Koprulu sector of Terran colonies.
Tassadar brought living probes back to Aiur for
immediate study. The strange aliens were unlike unlike anything that the
Protoss had ever seen before. The retrospective physiology's of the probes
were apparently engineered for deep space travel and reconnaissance. In
an attempt to discern their primary quarry, the Protoss focused the energies
of the Khaydarin Crystals through the tiny minds of the probes. The Protoss
were shocked to discover that the alien probes responded quickly and naturally
to the powerful energies of the Crystals. Their shock was garnered from
the fact that only the creatures born of the Xel'Naga's proto-genetics
could properly process the energies of the great Crystals. More alarming
was the vague thought stream that kept repeating, over and over, through
the tiny brains of the probes; 'Find Humanity'...'Eradicate'...Learn'...'Evolve'
The Protoss speculated that the probes were the harbringers of a bold
new threat to their section of the galaxy. If the creatures were engineered
with Xel'Naga technologies, they would be very advanced and extremely powerful.
It seemed clear to the Protoss that this new race constitutes a palpable
danger to all living beings, and that wherever the greater bulk of the
race was, it must still be searching for the unsuspecting colonists.
The Protoss began to send out advanced scouts to
scour the surrounding space-ways for any sign of the enemy invaders. Tassadar
claimed that under the dictates of the Dae'Uhl, it was the chosen responsibility
of the Protoss to protect the races under their watch. The Conclave, however,
argued that if the 'worthless' race of Terrans had already been infested
by some new threat, they must be put to the flame and eradicated. A great
debate began between the Judicators and the Templar as to how they should
involve themselves in the Terrans' imminent plight.
The one fact the both castes agreed upon was that
the creatures were undeniably engineered through Xel'Naga sciences. And
if they were indeed creatures of the Ancient Ones, the Protoss had best
be on their guard. It was agreed to send Tassadar and his expeditionary
force to monitor the Terran worlds and attempt to discern the severity
of the impending danger. To this end, Tassadar led his command ship, he
Gantrithor, and an escort of massive Protoss warships towards the Terran
sector of Koprulu.
THE BEGINNING OF THE END
Upon arriving in the Terran Sector, Tassadar's scouts
found evidence that the mysterious alien threat had already began to take
it's toll upon the Terran colonies. Upon closer inspection, Tassadar found
that he fringe-colony of Chau Sara had indeed been infested by alien organisms.
The entire surface of the colony had been covered with a thick, toxic substance
that continued to erode the planet's crust. To make matters worse, the
aliens themselves had either infested or slaughtered most of the human
colonists. Tassadar, horrified by the colony's devastation, could only
wonder why the Terrans had not already rushed to aid their besieged world.
The Conclave, hearing of the colonies fate, immediately
ordered Tassadar to burn the entire planet of it's infestation. Knowing
that the burning would eradicate all life on the planet, Tassadar sorrowfully
obeyed his masters. The lumbering Protoss warships powered up their weapons
and opened fire upon the unsuspecting colony. This costly ploy was successful
in destroying the alien infestation, but there were still a few neighboring
worlds that had no doubt been infested as well. Tassadar was ordered to
burn those worlds and any other Terran settlement that had even the slightest
possibility of infestation. While moving his fleet to the second infested
colony of Mar Sara, Tassadar began to doubt the morality of his orders.
The Terran warriors, caught completely by surprise
by the initial attack of the Protoss upon Chau Sara, launched a fleet of
starships to intercept Tassadar's fleet. The Terran fleet prepared to defend
the colony from the Protoss, just as Tassadar commanded his ships to pull
away and withdraw. Tassadar, struggling with his inner doubts, could not
bring himself to destroy Mar Sara or the fleet that had come to protect
it. He sought a way to defeat the aliens without arbitrarily wiping out
humanity in the process. Thus engaged, Tassadar refused to follow the genocidal
orders of his masters. Remaining with his fleet, far outside the range
of Terran sensors, Tassadar waited and watched as the alien presence
continued to enroach across the Terran wastelands.
Credit must go to BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT as well as Davidson
& Associates for this COMPLETE extract of the history
of the Protoss, as seen above.
