Aiur

Aiur has witnessed the ups and downs of Protoss history – from the primitive origins of the psi race to accelerated evolution at the hands of the mysterious Xel’Naga. The Xel’Naga abandoned Aiur due to growing strife among the Protoss, which eventually led to the destruction of their primary telepathic link. The Departure, as this event was later known, caused the Protoss community to fall into the most brutal civil war ever recorded in galactic history: the Era of Strife. The conflict raged for several generations, devastating the major land masses of Aiur and bringing many of the lesser life forms to the brink of extinction.

Before the Zerg swarm invaded the planet, Aiur was a thriving world of crystal clear oceans, lush jungles, and lavish cities. Due to the low level of greenhouse gases and the planet’s even orbit, Aiur evolved a climate conducive to the emergence of life. For eons, a great variety of species populated the planet’s rainforests. In doing so, the native species of the Protoss evolved far more than any other.

• Population : approx. 5,000,000,000+ Zerg, unknown number of surviving Protoss
• Affiliation : Zerg Swarm
• diameter/gravity : 12,273 km; 0.98 standard units
• Axle inclination / climate : 18.50°; +/- 30 °C, high humidity
• Geography / Major Settlements : 5 major continents, 4 oceans, 2,000 lakes, 12 mountain ranges (5 of them volcanic); ~38 Protos temples (destroyed), 5 metropolises (destroyed), 2,000 smaller settlements (destroyed), ~65 primary Zerg hive nests, ~289 secondary hive nests, ~600 tertiary hive nests
• Moon(s) : 1 – Saalok (white, medium size, >3,500 km diameter)
• Prevailing Terrain : Jungle/Wasteland
• Dominant life forms : Zerg
• Native Life Forms : (It is unknown which species survived the Zerg invasion) Bengalaas, Kal-taar, Kwah-kai, Lombad, Mai-Lur, Omhara, Protoss
• Imports : None
• Exports : None

Though the Xel’Naga had disappeared, evidence of their presence remained on Aiur: deep, subterranean caverns and monolithic khaydarin crystals, some of which can still be visited today. The discovery of these alien Xel’Naga relics was instrumental in ending the civil war. Protoss legend has it that a mystic named Khas unearthed a Khaydarin artifact and thereby rediscovered the communal psi link lost among his people before the Era of Strife.

Khas uses this knowledge to rebuild the Protoss community. He developed the new Lore of the Khala, in which he called on the Protoss to put an end to the old feud and unite again. As one by one protoss joined the psionic link of their ancestors, they were inundated with the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of one another and the entire species, and the hatred that had fueled the Era of Strife faded away.

In the centuries that followed, Aiur flourished in a golden age. The planet’s war-torn continents healed, native species thrived, and numerous cities and temples were built on its surface. The Protoss people grew into the billions and Aiur became the center of an interstellar empire.

The flourishing growth of this period ended abruptly with the arrival of the swarm. The rapidly mutating Zerg had nothing less in the collective sense than assimilating the entire Protoss species, and eventually they launched an all-out attack on Aiur. Led by a highly evolved consciousness known as the Overmind, countless Zerg overran the ranks of the brave defenders, leaving deep paths of destruction in their wake across Aiur’s continents.

Desperate to save his people, the former Executor Tassadar made the ultimate sacrifice, setting his ship Gantrithor on a collision course with the Overmind. Though the resulting explosion destroyed the monstrous Zerg entity, Tassadar’s heroic death failed to drive the enraged Zerg from his home planet. Aiur was lost. The beleaguered rest of the Protoss community was forced to flee their beloved homeworld. On the distant planet of Shakuras, the exiles found refuge. It was home to the Dark Templar, a group of renegade Protoss long ago exiled for their disregard for the Khala of Aiur.

Since then, Aiur has been under the control of the swarm’s new leader, the Queen of Blades. Some areas of the planet remained untouched by the invasion, but most of Aiur is now a Zerg breeding ground, littered with ash, wrecked war machines, and the remains of the dead. Scattered groups of Protoss are rumored to still reside on the planet, but their true numbers are unknown. The fate of the other creatures on Aiur is also uncertain. Some Protoss suspect that some of these species were assimilated by the Zerg and turned into killing machines that now serve the Swarm.

After its long and rich history, the planet now stands for many as a symbolic reminder of the destructive power of the Swarm. Though the Protoss once considered themselves the most advanced civilization in the galaxy, the tragic fate of Aiur has taught them a valuable if painful lesson. They will only survive this chaotic age that has descended on the Koprulu sector by accepting new war tactics and allies.

Starcraft History

The story of Starcraft is getting more and more extensive. Already the first part and the expansion Brood War offer a lot of reading material. In addition, there are numerous Starcraft books. With Starcraft II, the story is expanded significantly. On this page we offer a lot of information about the complete Starcraft story. How the three races were created is listed here in chapters. This starts with the chronicles of Starcraft 1 and goes all the way to the campaigns of Starcraft 2.

In our summary of the Starcraft 2 prehistory we have listed information from fairs and other sources.

If you would like to know what happened in certain time intervals, our Starcraft timeline is just right for you. The most important events are listed there.

Protoss Tribes

Although the Khala demand that the Protoss abandon their old tribal communities and accept the new castes of Judicators, Templars and Khalai, many still cling to the customs and relics of the old traditions. The various tribes remain intact only to serve as a cautionary reminder of the mistakes of the old Protoss. With the rise of the Judicators as the ruling caste over all Protoss, the old dilemma of separatist tendencies and tribal claims is no longer a threat to the community as a whole. The most important aspect that has survived from ancient times is that each Protoss tribe has its own unique skin color, which can range from mottled grays to a deep blue.

Judicator Caste

• Ahra
• Shelak

Templar caste

• Akilae
• Sargas
• Auriga

Khalai caste

• Furinax

Terran Factions

Starcraft History | Protoss Tribes | Terran Factions | Zerg Races Each of the various Terran military factions benefits from the advanced hardware and weaponry produced by the colonies in the Koprulu sector. Numerous factions modify their weapons based on the particular characteristics or preferences of their fighting troops. Most Terran tanks, aircraft, and war machines were developed and produced by private corporations, but the plans and technical blueprints for them have since been stolen, smuggled out, and bartered away, ending up in the hands of scientists from a wide variety of political factions and groups.

The Confederation of Terra
Omega Squadron “The Skull Legion
Nova Squadron
Alpha Squadron “The Blood Hawks
The Pirate Militias
The Sons of Korhal
The Protectorate of Umoja
The Kel Morian Combine.

Zerg Races

Little is known about the various races that make up Zerg swarms. Terran scientists have begun to document and classify some of the larger races that have ravaged their colonies. What seems clear is that each particular race/breed is descended from a unique Cerebrate that carries out the commands of the Overmind. Each cerebrate has the power to build its own brood to carry out its tasks. While it is difficult to distinguish one brood from another, Terran scouts believe they have found that they vary in functionality and purpose. It is considered proven that certain races work so closely together as if they were intertwined extensions of a larger tactical force. Terran researchers have given the races names of monsters from ‘ancient Earth’ mythology.

The Command Wing

• Tiamat
• Fenris
• Baelrog

Primary attack units

• Garm
• Jormungand
• Surtur