Starcraft 2 Dark

[Vicki]

Nerazimoften cut off their psionic appendages,[4] and developed the use of special clamps to control the energy bleed.[5] The style of these clamps has changed over time.[6] They can also be used for Khalai protoss who lost their own psionic appendages by accident or in battle (particularly with the zerg).[5]

Driven by individuality and a thirst for knowledge, the Nerazim developed along a very different path than the Khalai.[1] Nerazim work in smaller groups than the Khalai, and are far more individualistic. With a less monolithic culture, each Nerazim is encouraged to forge their own path, and they believe that fostering this attitude leads to their great successes.[16] They remain willful and often fiercely independent, with their closest allegiance being first to clannish warrior bands and then to the Nerazim, the great tribe to which all Nerazim belong. By their nature the Nerazim are a diverse group of freethinkers motivated by their regard for one another and tribal bonds rather than abstract notions of authority.[1] As such, many Nerazim develop skills outside their chosen professions, unlike in the strict caste system of the Khalai. Examples include some of their engineers also having knowledge in combat.[17] Different clans take great pains to distinguish themselves through variations in weapons, armor, markings, and dress. Regardless of clan, reputation and personal responsibility are paramount in the eyes of any Nerazim: individuals must always be accountable for their actions. As a result, deeds rather than words act as the Dark Templar's guide. Individual clans can be prone to feuding and rivalry, but they are quick to band together against a common threat, such as that presented by the zerg.[1] Family is important to the Nerazim, and the family unit is part of their social structure.[18] They are less demonstrative than the Khalai when it comes to the display of emotion,[6] and are more introspective.[19]

The Nerazim sever their nerve cords in order to fully separate themselves from the Khala. To prevent energy bleed, the Nerazim put clamps on the cut cords[5]. This severing leads to a weakness where Void energy channeled through the exposed nerve chords can knock a Nerazim unconscious, serving as a nonlethal way to incapacitate a Nerazim warrior.[11]

The Nerazim maintained the same system of writing as the Khalai. Unlike the Khalai however, female Nerazim are able to become figures of authority.[2] Some Khalani phrases are exclusive to the Nerazim's vocabulary, while others that are also used by the Khalai have a different meaning to the Nerazim than their counterparts.[18]

The xel'naga retain the position of "gods" in Nerazim religion.[20][21] They consider anything that "taints" the Void to be unholy.[21] Funerary rites are conducted for the deceased.[11] Some, if not all Nerazim appear to store their dead in mausoleums and crypts.[22][23]

Nerazim wield the energies of the Void.[4] These energies are harmful to the zerg cerebrates and Overmind due to the similarities of the cosmic energies they wield.[27] The Dark Templar consider their powers to be the "true gifts" of the protoss, and consider the Khala to be diluted and narrowed by the (former) leaders of the protoss,[28] and the robbing of individuality.[29] Their own powers are considered "wider."[30] This power protects Nerazim from zerg infestation.[31] However, those who walk the path of the Void do so with diligence and reverence, for they know full well the dangers lurking in the shadows of the Void.[13]

Nerazim are cut off from the preservers; they have no preservers of their own, and their memories cannot be accessed by the preservers.[26] As they are severed from the Khala, communicating with the Nerazim via telepathy requires Khalani to be mentally communicated rather than the essence of thoughts being expressed.[32]

A few rogue tribes refused to submit to the Khala, believing that their individual identities would be erased to further promote the rule of the Judicator Caste. Although they were not hostile or militant, they believed that the communal agenda of the Conclave would be the eventual doom of the protoss. The rogues held no ill-will toward their brethren and attempted to live their lives unnoticed as best they could. Nonetheless their existence was known to the Conclave.[4] They were joined further by individuals from other tribes who did not follow their kin's embrace of the Khala.[16] More Nerazim stemmed from the Sargas Tribe than any other Khalai tribe.[4]

Approximately one thousand years before the Great War, the Conclave, under the leadership of Kortanul, had collected records on the locations of the Rogues. The Conclave ordered the Executor Adun to report to the Conclave so they could tell him about this new threat, which they believed could cause a new Aeon of Strife. Adun was given Raszagal, a young prisoner, to question. He brought her to the Citadel of the Executor so the other Templar could question her. The Conclave gave him their information so he could quietly track down the rogues, abduct them, and execute them.

Adun was unable to bring himself to execute the Rogues. He transmitted fake recordings of the executions to the Conclave and hid the Rogues, even teaching them how to cloak. The Rogues ended up developing these abilities more quickly than Adun could teach them.[26] Unfortunately, the Rogues, still learning their powers, lacked the discipline of the Khala. They inadvertently unleashed psionic storms, which spiraled out of control on Aiur.[4] The Conclave discovered the corpses of dead Rogues, only to realize these Rogues had been depicted in the execution recordings.[26]

The Nerazim ceremoniously cut off their nerve cords to show their disdain for the Conclave and the Judicator. This act cut them off from the Khala, forcing them to draw their psionic energies from the Void.[4] Forevermore they would be known as the Dark Templar, as they had forsaken the Khala's light.[16] After leaving Aiur, they adopted the name "Nerazim," to give name to the new tribe that had formed from the exiles.[2] As their legend spread across Aiur, sparking the imaginations of many young protoss, this tale worked to incriminate them. Although they were hunted and feared by their own brethren, the Nerazim never abandoned their love of Aiur and worked to safeguard it in any way they secretly could.[4] During this time the creation of the dark archon was banned.[35]

During their exile from Aiur, the Nerazim were free to experiment with new technologies.[7] They developed their fleet of corsairs; vessels designed to defend themselves as they had traveled through the stars.[36] On board the xel'naga ship they had been exiled on, the Nerazim were able to gain access to new knowledge, which helped them create warp blades.[13]

The first step on the Dark Templar's journey was the moon of Ehlna, which they discovered shortly after leaving Aiur. It had a xel'naga-crafted warp gate, so the exiled protoss stayed. They discovered the moon had a combination of energies which altered khaydarin crystals, making them quite efficient at storing memories. Without preservers, the Dark Templar had no other way to store memories, so they used this technological means. After more than two centuries, the Dark Templar departed, but some remained to operate a shrine, the Alys'aril, where the memories could be extracted from pilgrims and stored. Numerous vessels remained behind as well.[2]

Struggling to adapt to their harsh and nearly lightless environment[38] (protoss feed on light),[39][40] the Rogue Tribes altered their skills and even their biology to cope.[38] The abilities that Adun had taught them served them well on their adopted homeworld, and their culture flourished.[13] Some tribes would live in other star systems and aboard small ships.[1]

During this time, both the Khalai and Nerazim fought a running conflict with one another. In 2497, Nerazim terrorists attacked a Conclave tower during the celebration of Khas'mas. Praetor Fenix fought through the terrorists, and slew them with their own warp blades.[41]

Eventually Raszagal, age 1045 in 2500 and one of few Dark Templar who was old enough to clearly remember Aiur, became Matriarch of the Dark Templar. She ruled for approximately five hundred years before the outbreak of the Brood War.[35]

The Dark Templar learned of the zerg from discovering their probes[34] and in 2500 Dark Prelate Zeratul was drawn to Char by a powerful psionic call. On Char, he encountered Executor Tassadar[42] and overcame his prejudices.[43]

The Dark Templar were greatly concerned about the zerg and chose to test themselves in battle against small bands of zerg on Char. The zerg proved frighteningly resilient and numerous, and so the Dark Templar brought the Khalis to Char so that they might try to wield its energies against them.[34]

On Aiur, Zeratul and his dark templar helped Tassadar's followers destroy the Heart of the Conclave.[48] However, Tassadar surrendered[49] and Zeratul slipped away in the chaos.[50] but they returned in time to rescue Tassadar from Judicator Aldaris.[51]

Zeratul infiltrated the primary zerg hive clusters and assassinated two cerebrates.[52] The Conclave saw the results of this and admitted via Aldaris they were wrong about the Dark Templar.[53] Zeratul participated in the assault on the Overmind,[54] which ended when Tassadar channeled Dark Templar energies through the hull of the Gantrithor and crashed it into the Overmind, destroying it.[55]

Zeratul banded together with Aldaris, Praetor Fenix and Commander Jim Raynor in order to unite and lead the Khalai survivors.[35] He offered to shelter them on Shakuras and found them passage to the warp gate.[56] On Shakuras, the Dark Templar rescued the refugees when they were ambushed by hydralisks.[57]

Raszagal welcomed the Khalai to Shakuras and ordered the death of two cerebrates who had infested the temple grounds. The Dark Templar were instrumental in this. It was then that Kerrigan arrived[37] and Raszagal, who had been mentally enslaved by Kerrigan,[43] asked the protoss to accept Kerrigan's assistance. While Kerrigan and Zeratul assisted Praetor Artanis and the Executor in securing the Uraj[58] and Khalis crystals,[59] Aldaris began an open revolt against Raszagal, who in turn ordered his death. Zeratul felt something was wrong with Raszagal, who was normally gentle,[60] but followed her orders, even authorizing the creation of dark archons to match Aldaris' forces.[61] Kerrigan killed Aldaris before he could reveal Raszagal's secret, and Zeratul banished her from Shakuras.[62]

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