Khaydarin Crystals

This is a relatively small article and on a subject that has not even been confirmed to be a major part of Starcraft II, but the Khaydarin crystal are so fascinating and important to the events of Starcraft and Brood War that they certainly deserve their own article.

The exceedingly vital Khaydarin Crystals are possibly the most under-discussed Starcraft subject for their level of importance. They shaped the Protoss race, formed the Khala, are used to power most Protoss buildings (generate power field around pylon, seen on top of nexus.) I'll go into as much detail as I can about them and try to determine if they have a part In Starcraft II, and if so what?


What are they:

The Khaydarin crystals are hard to define, they have innumerable uses, and originally the Xel�Naga used them as computer interfaces and for data storage. Later, when the Xel�naga observed cultural differences evolving among the Protoss they gave one crystal to the Sargas tribe (one of the tribes which later became the Dark Templar) and another to a typical tribe which would become High Templar. As the years rolled by the crystal given to the Sargas took on a darker aspect and seemed far more reminiscent of the dark templar, whereas the crystal given to the future high templar took on typical aspects of their culture. These two crystals where the legendary Uraj and Khalis crystals used to blow the Zerg swarm to Kingdom Come. After the Xel�naga abandoned the Protoss The Aeon of Strife began. It only ended thousands of years later when Khas, arguably the greatest Protoss ever, rediscovered the lost crystals and used them to reconnect the Protoss people with the Khala. (On a side note the crystals had writing on them which the Protoss could not comprehend as the only communication they had was psychic, the writing was from the Xel�naga, who apparently were not as psychically adept as the Protoss) The cave in which he discovered the crystals had a single large crystal which �beat like a heart.� The cave also contained a number of smaller crystals which had several seemingly shriveled Protoss corpses linked to the them by organic cords, When Khas tried to connect himself to the crystals, he too began to shrivel until his apprentice disconnected him at which point he instantly returned to normal. He reported having been psychically connected with the other shriveled Protoss. During the Brood Wars they were used to power the entire Protoss civilization, pylons use them to generate power fields most notably among vast amounts of other applications. Everything you think of as typically Protoss has crystal behind it.

To summarize, their uses are many, and there is no evidence that the above are the only powers they have, the Overmind once said the Protoss do not even understand the power in the crystals.


Role in Starcraft II:

Blizzard hasn�t really said anything on if and what their role will be in Starcraft II, so following is pure speculation based on what is already know about them.

I do believe that they will have a role in Starcraft II or at least the lore leading up to it. They are simply too important to be left out.

One worthwhile note is that the first to crystals given to the Protoss took on aspects of their caretakers, so it is conceivable that there could easily be crystals with aspects of the Zerg or even Terran. The effects of bringing Dark and High templar crystals together at the Xel�naga temple were massively powerful, there�s no telling what could happen with other combinations at certain locations. The crystals maintain the essence of their owners, if a Zerg and Protoss crystal were brought together under the proper circumstances the result could be a kind of hybrid crystal possibly used as blue prints for the hybrid race.

On a different train of thought, entities could be stored in the crystals in much the same way the Protoss Khala keeps the essence of every Protoss who died in it, that�s how Adun could be reincarnated (or maybe has in Tassadar) is that his soul has always existed in the Khala. The shriveled bodies Khas found in the cave were in a network of themselves connected only by the mysterious powers of the crystals. In this way The Xel�naga may have been stored for all the billions of years, whereas Duran was left conscious to wake the Xel�naga once the time was right.

There�s any number of uses for the crystals, I Will try to expand on them in the future, but for now, post any that come to mind.

Note: To change the aspects of a crystal you don't need to have any psychic powers, the only difference between the original two tribes who were given crystals is that the Sargas used assassination and stealth rather than straight up fighting like the Akilae tribe to which the other crystal was given, at the time their were no psychic differences between them, the distinctions between Dark and High Templar had not yet been made, they were just separate styles of life which influenced them.

Note 2: In one of the books a large storm uncovered a Xel'naga temple on the Terran planet Bhekor Ro, the citizens called the Dominion army to investigate, but the temple somehow also attracted both Zerg and Protoss forces. When the Terran nuked the temple a strang "phoenix like" creature was unleashed and swooped down to absorb both Zerg and Protoss forces while leaving the Terran unscathed. Both Protoss and Zerg are susceptible to energies channeled through crystals because they were evolved with the use of the crystals, Terran however are immune to the effects as the developed separately from the Xel'naga. No doubt the phoenix was somehow related to the crystals and so absorbed both Zerg and Protoss into it. There's no telling whether or not the phoenix actually did something with the absorbed Protoss and Zerg but the incident in relation to the crystals is certainly worth mention. It is possible this phoenix bond the very essence of Protoss and Zerg within it.


Kudos to Stebo for proofreading the whole thing for me.

Wow... I had complete Deju Vu while reading all of this...

Anyways, so are you saying that these crystals give not only energy fields for Protoss buildings, but it also gives psionic powers to provide mind tricks and mental capabilities beyond belief? <----- I'd like some feed back on this Roland, If you get the time. :]

I understand the form of where the Uraj and Khalis crystal came from and what their purpose was, I just so ironicly read alot of info on the this topic 2 days ago. I'm still curious, cause at this point I'm still wandering if it was the Xel'Naga Temple that awoke the Xel'Naga, or if it was Duran. Then yet again, The Xel'Naga temple perhaps awoken Duran, and Duran awoken the Xel'Naga? Bah, I give up... it's just one big formula still trying to be solved...

Kudos Roland, I love reading your articles, they are pleasant and well educated to the community. I personally trust your judgment and believe every word of this article, so hopefully most of what is said on all your articles is accurate. ^^ io

Wow... I had complete Deju Vu while reading all of this...

Anyways, so are you saying that these crystals give not only energy fields for Protoss buildings, but it also gives psionic powers to provide mind tricks and mental capabilities beyond belief? <----- I'd like some feed back on this Roland, If you get the time. :]

I understand the form of where the Uraj and Khalis crystal came from and what their purpose was, I just so ironicly read alot of info on the this topic 2 days ago. I'm still curious, cause at this point I'm still wandering if it was the Xel'Naga Temple that awoke the Xel'Naga, or if it was Duran. Then yet again, The Xel'Naga temple perhaps awoken Duran, and Duran awoken the Xel'Naga? Bah, I give up... it's just one big formula still trying to be solved...

Kudos Roland, I love reading your articles, they are pleasant and well educated to the community. I personally trust your judgment and believe every word of this article, so hopefully most of what is said on all your articles is accurate. ^^ io

Not exactly, crystals do provide the energy for pylons but thats all thay can give (to my knowledge), for psionic powers and information they serve much more as virtual middle-men. Taking things from one person and giving them to another, so it is theroretically possible to transfer psi powers from one person to another using the crystals. So say you put a crystal in a dark templar community for some time, then moved the crystal into a high templar community, it could radiate out dark energies and change the high templar to twilight. It's also possible to more directly straight up charge them with psi energies instantly then transfer the same energies to another being potentially vastly increasing the 2nd parties own powers.

Finally, It's unlikely that the temple woke Duran as his first appearance was before it's eruption. So either the Xel'naga woke first or Duran was already awake.

By the way something just occured to me and I'm editing another comment onto the article

Wow... I had complete Deju Vu while reading all of this...

Anyways, so are you saying that these crystals give not only energy fields for Protoss buildings, but it also gives psionic powers to provide mind tricks and mental capabilities beyond belief? <----- I'd like some feed back on this Roland, If you get the time. :]

I understand the form of where the Uraj and Khalis crystal came from and what their purpose was, I just so ironicly read alot of info on the this topic 2 days ago. I'm still curious, cause at this point I'm still wandering if it was the Xel'Naga Temple that awoke the Xel'Naga, or if it was Duran. Then yet again, The Xel'Naga temple perhaps awoken Duran, and Duran awoken the Xel'Naga? Bah, I give up... it's just one big formula still trying to be solved...

Kudos Roland, I love reading your articles, they are pleasant and well educated to the community. I personally trust your judgment and believe every word of this article, so hopefully most of what is said on all your articles is accurate. ^^ io

Not exactly, crystals do provide the energy for pylons but thats all thay can give (to my knowledge), for psionic powers and information they serve much more as virtual middle-men. Taking things from one person and giving them to another, so it is theroretically possible to transfer psi powers from one person to another using the crystals. So say you put a crystal in a dark templar community for some time, then moved the crystal into a high templar community, it could radiate out dark energies and change the high templar to twilight. It's also possible to more directly straight up charge them with psi energies instantly then transfer the same energies to another being potentially vastly increasing the 2nd parties own powers.

Makes sense, that is probably how Tassadar was capable of the High Templar and Dark Templar energies. With both powers combined, he was able to sacrifice himself to destroy the great and might Overmind itself... wow, now that I look on it that way, the Protoss are capable of ruing almost anything threat that gets in their way. Tassadar + Dark Templar energies + High Templar energies > Overmind... wow, and that is by one individual, Tassardar the Great. Although Tassardar was an elite Templar, so I highly doubt any Protoss could learn under the influence of him and is capable of destroying an Overmind.

w.e... now I'm just babbling on with my mind opened, but I see your point. ^^ io

Finally, It's unlikely that the temple woke Duran as his first appearance was before it's eruption. So either the Xel'naga woke first or Duran was already awake.

I see... but I just found it ironic is to how Duran suddenly appeared in the first mission of the Terran Campaign of BW... which is the mission right after the last mission of the Protoss Campaign when the Xel'Naga Temple was activated... just my thoughts.

I'm sorry I got my campaign order mixed up, your right, it's totally possible that the temple woke Duran up, it's even possible he was mixed in with the energy burst out of it like on the temple at Bhekor Ro when the energy phoenix came out (seem my edit to the article).

I doubt that the Xel'naga woke first, they probably would have made a foorprint, I think Duran is their to wake them up, not vice-versa, I believe Duran refers to himself as serving them.

Note 2: In one of the books a large storm uncovered a Xel'naga temple on the Terran planet Bhekor Ro, the citizens called the Dominion army to investigate, but the temple somehow also attracted both Zerg and Protoss forces. When the Terran nuked the temple a strang "phoenix like" creature was unleashed and swooped down to absorb both Zerg and Protoss forces while leaving the Terran unscathed. Both Protoss and Zerg are susceptable to energies channeled through crystals because they were evolved with the use of the crystals, Terran however are immunue to the effects as the developed separatly from the Xel'naga. No doubt the phoenix was somehow related to the crystals and so absorbed both Zerg and Protoss into it. There's no telling whether or not the phoenix actually did somethign with the absorbed Protoss and Zerg but the incident in relation to the crystals is certainly worth mention. It is possible this phoenix bond the very essence of Protoss and Zerg within it.

Interesting. The Zerg no doubt are easy to control, thus refering to the Overmind and it's influence over the Brood's, but I never knew the Protoss has such a 'weak spot' to be influenced by the crystals. After all, the Protoss are bold minded.

Yes, apparently even they can't resist their creators influence which makes you wonder why the Xel'naga didn't fight back more when the Protoss attacked them over Aiur.

My opinion? That the humans are 'immune' to the crystals powers?... I'd say humans are either to stupid to receive the calling of the crystals, or a human's mind is way to complicated to control, thus the crystals are useless against a human brain patterns.

Just my opinion, but it makes sense if you think about it...

E.G. On Futurama, when the "flying brains" attack earth? Who was the one man that could block their mind powers? Fry; A complete dumbass without a clue. ;)

Yeah those Humans are such idiots, good thing we're not like them.

I applaud your Futurama referance.

nice article
here my thoughts

I really dont think that the terrans will be or ever be affected by the cristals powers since they are the only race that wasnt created by the xel-nagas in the first place, both protoss and zerg are pretty much alike since they were both created by the xel-nagas, firstly the xel-nagas made the protoss, and since in their first part of their experiment went so well they started to accelerate their cerebral evolution, making them smarter really fast, this started to cause mayor wars among the tribes of protoss against the colonies of the xel-nagas, there was a lot of bloodshed, finally the protoss forced the xel-naga to leave aiur.
However they did not stop there, they went on a planet called char to start anew their experiment, while they created another species which was the zerg, they clearly didnt accelerate their intelligence, so as not to go amok like the protoss, in fact they slowed down their intelligence and made them able to assimilate other creatures, in the end they made several ways of getting the zerg organized, which were the cerebrates and the overmind, however they were tricked, when they were all on their ships orbiting the surface of char the overmind quickly gathered all swarms agents and overpowered the xel-nagas battleships leaving none alive. How ironic that the xel-nagas while thinking that they had perfected their creation, in the end they were absorved by the same being they gave life to.

Having said that i really dont think that the terrans have a very important role regarding the cristals if not like some sort of bounty hunters (pretty much like raynor was doing in the missions). However the xel-nagas could have made several artifacts that could affect both protoss and zerg alike, possible as weapons of mass destruction that could destroy entire planets, perhaps they are biological weapons that affect only protoss or zerg, or perhaps they serve a secret purpose that the xel-nagas thought it was important before they made any race.

Roland:
I really dont believe that the xel-nagas woke duran since they all died from either protoss tribes, or the swarm up on high orbit, there are still traces of the civilization, we can know by some important protoss temples that were actually made by the xel-nagas. Moreover i believe that those cristals empower or grant an enormous power, because the only way the overmind could land on aiur was by destroying the first landing site of the xel-naga in aiur. I really believe that duran served or is serving the xel-nagas, he could possibly escaped the rampage in char and hidden himself, wether not sure as to what to do next. Or he could had betrayed the xel-nagas and ran before the killing started, or lured the zerg into the xel-nagas warships. In fact he could be a robot designed by the xel-nagas so as to finish what they could not.

Stebo:
The question is why is Duran starting to move now, and not in sc1 or before. I mean why did he chose this time. Are the artifacts design so as more or less a time-bomb, so Duran has to quicken his plans before its to late? Or are they manually operated? Moreover does Duran know about the existence of these artifacts?
I mean he was on Braxis just to join the UED, that means that he must had some information regarding the plans of the UED, meaning that he wasnt after Mensk, he was after Kerrigan and i bet he made some plans in Tarsonis regarding his next move. Thereby leaving the UED because it no longer convinced him and then joined kerrigan, which was phase 2 of his plan. So which would phase 3 involve?