The Daelaam are the unified Protoss protectorate organization representing all known Protoss kindred, races, castes, and factions. Before the Brood Wars, Protoss society was divided—the Khalai of the Protoss Empire, the exiled Nerazim, the heretic Tal'Darim, and the hibernating Purifiers. Because of the Great War and subsequent Brood War, the former body collapsed and all branches of Protoss were forced to band together in sharing knowledge, integrating technology, and for mutual survival.
Khalai The Khala, or "The Path of Ascension", was the religious law of the Protoss, established after an era known as the "Aeon of Strife" that followed the departure of the Xel'Naga. There are four distinct castes: The Khalai, or "The Enlightened Ones", consisted a caste of artists, engineers, and scientists which constituted the majority of Protoss society; the Templar, consisted a caste of militarism, industrialism, and law enforcement charged with exploration and the defense of Protoss interests; the Preservers, consisted a caste of historians, educators, and archivists charged with maintaining the telepathic network that unified Protoss society into the Khalai; and the Judicators, consisted a caste of theologians, politicians, and
judiciaries which formed the Conclave
ruling class over Protoss society.
Tassadar • Voiced by:
Michael Gough in
StarCraft,
Michael Dorn in
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Tassadar is a high templar who holds the rank of
executor in the Khalai military. He appears in
StarCraft and in several novels, most notably
Queen of Blades. Tassadar is voiced by
Michael Gough in
StarCraft, with
Michael Dorn playing the part in later appearances. Described as being fascinated with, if somewhat wary of, the
dark templar, Tassadar is the commander of the fleet that made first contact with the Terrans by destroying their colony of Chau Sara to contain Zerg infestation. However, Tassadar eventually disregards his orders to continue destroying worlds with no concern for the Terrans, and instead engages the Zerg by conventional means. After tracking the Zerg to their homeworld of Char, he encounters the dark templar
Zeratul and
Jim Raynor, forging a friendship with the two and learning how to use his psionic powers in conjunction with the powers of the dark templar. The Khalai government sees Tassadar's consortion with the dark templar as heretical and as a bigger threat to their society than the Zerg invasion of the Protoss homeworld Aiur, sending
Aldaris and
Artanis to arrest him. Artanis however, along with
Fenix, sides with Tassadar, sparking a civil war between Tassadar's followers and the government. The conflict is only ended when Tassadar demonstrates the effectiveness of the dark templar against the Zerg. With Raynor, Zeratul and Fenix, Tassadar breaks through the Zerg defences on Aiur to the
Zerg Overmind; Tassadar channels both his own psionic energies and those of the dark templar through the hull of his flagship and crashes it into the Overmind. The resulting discharge of energy destroys the Overmind and transcends Tassadar to a new level of spiritual existence; Metzen refers to this transformation as becoming a "twilight messiah". Fenix allies his templar forces with Tassadar's upon the schism between Tassadar and the Protoss government, later leading a task force against the Overmind's outer defenses, facilitating Zeratul's assassination of a number of cerebrates and ultimately the death of the Overmind itself. Over this time, Fenix develops a strong friendship with Tassadar's Terran companion Jim Raynor. In
Brood War, Fenix and Raynor remain behind as a rear guard when the Protoss evacuate the now Zerg-overrun Aiur through a warp gate. They hold it until attacked by United Earth Directorate forces pursuing Arcturus Mengsk, upon which they escape through the gate, disabling it as they depart. With Raynor and Mengsk, Fenix enters into an alliance with Sarah Kerrigan against the UED, even leading the Zerg forces on a raiding mission for resources on Moria. However, after the UED is routed from their position on the Dominion capital world of Korhal, Kerrigan turns on her allies. Though unfazed by Kerrigan's betrayal, Fenix is slain when Kerrigan's Zerg launch a surprise attack against his base camp on Korhal. In
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, Raynor shows that he still harbors a grudge against Kerrigan for Fenix's death after seeing her willingly become infested again after all his hard work in returning her to human form. In
Legacy of the Void, it is revealed that before Fenix's defeat at Antioch in
StarCraft, his personality was cloned and inserted into an experimental mechanical body of ancient Purifiers. This body was locked inside a stasis vault on planet Glacius. Artanis obtained Fenix and with his help he was able to gain the Purifiers as allies against Amon. During the campaign he concludes that despite having Fenix's memories, he was a different being. Because of this, he changed his name to
Talandar. Fenix also appears as a playable character in
Heroes of the Storm.
Rohana • Voiced by
Claudia Christian Rohana was one of three grand preservers who helped create the arkships. When the Spear of Adun was reactivated, she served as a councilor to Hierarch Artanis. Before her stasis aboard the Spear of Adun, Rohana was a driven Protoss who was not afraid to seek out tasks others thought impossible. She displayed strict adherence to tradition, yet was creative when faced with the issues. After she was awakened, Rohana held on to the old ways of the Protoss Empire, openly speaking out against her Nerazim crew, Artanis' Terran allies, and the reawakening of the Purifiers. She served as a reminder of the past, clinging to old traditions and ways, and refusing to cut her connection from the Khala even as Amon continued to possess her, stating knowledge and history was the only thing that brought unity to the Protoss. Though Artanis valued her memories and her ability to see into Amon's thoughts, he began to grow weary of her adherence to the old ways and her objections to his choices, becoming more of a critic than a councilor. Eventually, she came to terms with the Daelaam, and cut herself from the Khala, stating that perhaps history did not need to be recorded with perfect clarity.
Selendis • Voiced by
Cree Summer Selendis is the executor of the Protoss military following the reunification of the race. The character is introduced in the novel
Twilight and in the
Wings of Liberty campaign. Selendis is fiercely loyal to her race's ideals and completely dedicated to her responsibilities. A protégée of Artanis, though Tassadar is freed by
Fenix,
Raynor, and
Zeratul. Aldaris later witnesses the rebels successfully penetrate the Zerg's core defenses, and wishes them luck in their final battle against the Overmind. In
Brood War, Aldaris reluctantly allies with the dark templar when the Protoss flee Aiur for Shakuras. However, when Sarah Kerrigan is accepted as an ally by dark templar matriarch Raszagal, Aldaris is furious. While Artanis and Zeratul are absent, he discovers Raszagal is being mentally controlled by Kerrigan and instigates a rebellion amongst the Khalai refugees. When his insurrection is thwarted, the judicator tries to explain his actions to Artanis and Zeratul, but is murdered by Kerrigan before he can reveal her involvement.
Taldarin Ancient Protoss, a Protoss dragoon, holding the rank of praetor. He was introduced in the StarCraft 64 map, Resurrection IV. Along with Jim Raynor took part in the mission on Braxis to de-infest Alexei Stukov. To date, it is his only appearance.
Karax • Voiced by
Travis Willingham Karax is a Khalai phasesmith. An expert in weapons, armor, and ships. Karax is one of the most precise of Protoss engineers. Over the course of the war against Amon, he was able to rise above his worker origins, serving as an important part of the war effort. Karax is shorter and stockier than most Protoss. The armor he wears also differs in that it is more functional than ceremonial. Karax was among the Golden Armada when it assaulted Aiur.[1][3] After Amon forced the Protoss into retreat, he guided Hierarch Artanis through the Spear of Adun, explaining its systems and how he had given orders for the Templar in stasis to have their nerve cords removed, as per Amon's corruption of the Khala. He had already been forced to sever his own nerve cords, but had attached cybernetic tentacles to the tips, effectively giving him extra means of physical manipulation.
Urun • Voiced by
Jonathan Cook Urun is the leader of the Auriga Tribe and a member of the Hierarchy. Urun appears in
Wings of Liberty leading the remnants of the Protoss air force in battle during the end of the Protoss mini-campaign, fighting against the hybrids and the enslaved Zerg Swarm.
Adun Adun was a Protoss warrior and strategist who led the Templar shortly before the exile of the Nerazim. All Protoss revered him as a hero. Adun's legacy achieved exalted status, and was woven into Protoss lore, language, and culture.
En Taro Adun! ("In honor of Adun!") became both a salutation and a battle cry used by the Khalai;
Adun Toridas ("May Adun give you sanctuary") became a standard Nerazim expression. Both the
Citadel of Adun and the
Spear of Adun were named after him. The Zerg, having gained knowledge of Adun's significance to the Protoss, referred to their enemies as "The Children of Adun."
Lasarra • Voiced by
Courtenay Taylor Lasarra was a female Protoss scientist stationed on Kaldir when it was attacked by Sarah Kerrigan, and was captured during the attack on Kaldir at the request of Abathur, who wanted to experiment on her even though it was known that the Protoss could not be infested.. During her time onboard Kerrigan's leviathan, Lasarra interacted with Kerrigan a number of times. Kerrigan tried to justify her actions on Kaldir as self-preservation, but Lasarra is unconvinced and tells her that it is no justification for the killing of innocents.. Eventually, as one of the Protoss ships was able to break through the Zerg blockade, Lasarra was implanted with a special larva and allowed to warp in to that ship. The larva devoured her and then other lifeforms being stored on the ship, evading detection. It eventually transformed into a broodmother, Niadra, which bred a new brood that infested the ship, killing every Protoss on board. Kerrigan later showed some regret over Lasarra's death, as she told Izsha that she did not enjoy having to kill her.
Kaldalis • Voiced by
Stephen Stanton Kaldalis is a Protoss zealot and a close friend of Hierarch Artanis. Kaldalis takes pride in the history of the Protoss and the Khala, though does not express prejudice towards the Nerazim, and believes that driving them away was a sin. A scar runs down his left eye. Kaldalis survived the Zerg conquest of Aiur during the Great War. Afterwards, he joined the Protoss Protectorate led by Hierarch Artanis. Kaldalis was impressed by Artanis' vision of a unified Protoss society, the Daelaam, which incorporate the cultures of Khalai, Nerazim, Tal'Darim, and Purifiers.
Karass • Voiced by
Guerin Barry Praetor Karass was a Protoss high templar. His mastery of psionic powers was considered legendary. On the eve of the Second Great War, Karass and his troops journeyed to Ulaan in pursuit of Kerrigan. There he met the Prelate Zeratul; the dark templar was seeking information on the hybrids. The praetor put himself at Zeratul's disposal, and the pair broke through Zerg patrols and found the prophecy Zeratul and Kerrigan sought. Kerrigan attacked the outnumbered Protoss shortly afterward. Karass instructed Zeratul to escape with the information; the praetor and his troops proceeded to buy Zeratul time with their lives. The dark templar reluctantly withdrew aboard Void Seeker, and swore that Karass' sacrifice would not be in vain.
Talis • Voiced by
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn Talis was a Protoss Praetor. She was seen in the prologue of the Legacy of the Void, when Zeratul helped her defeat Amon's forces. She defends the Xel'Naga temple from both Hybrid and Tal'Darim attacks, allowing Zeratul to escape, before dying from countless void shades and Hybrid attacking her.
Nerazim The Nerazim, or the "Dark Templar", were exiled from Aiur for refusing to submit to the communal will of the Khala. They are warriors who strike from the shadows, and remain dedicated defenders of their people despite their banishment. After the devastation of Aiur in
StarCraft, the Nerazim took in their Khalai brethren on their shadowy homeworld of Shakuras, where both sides work to rebuild Protoss society.
Raszagal • Voiced by Debra De Liso Raszagal was the
matriarch of the Nerazim on Shakuras, and mother to Vorazun. The character appears in
Brood War and in the novel
Shadow Hunters. Described as one of the oldest living Protoss and imbued with tremendous psychic powers, she is one of the few to clearly remember the Protoss homeworld from before the exile of the Nerazim. During her youth, Raszagal was important in ensuring the dark templar were only exiled, rather than exterminated. In
Brood War, Raszagal directs Zeratul and Artanis to cleanse the Zerg from Shakuras and welcomes Sarah Kerrigan as an ally in their mission. This spurs Aldaris to rebellion; Raszagal consequently orders his death. Kerrigan and Samir Duran later kidnap Raszagal from Shakuras, using her to blackmail Zeratul into killing the second Overmind. It quickly becomes apparent that Kerrigan has
mentally subverted Raszagal and has been using her to manipulate events from the beginning. Zeratul captures Raszagal, but is unable to hold off the Zerg forces long enough to escape. Realizing that the matriarch is beyond redemption from Kerrigan's influence, Zeratul kills Raszagal. Raszagal's mind is freed by the lethal blow, and she dies thanking Zeratul for releasing her, naming him as her successor as leader of the dark templar.
Vorazun • Voiced by Rachel Robinson Vorazun is a Nerazim matriarch, daughter to Raszagal, second-in-command to Artanis, and the leader of the surviving Nerazim on Shakuras. She is a skilled warrior, and dedicated to her people. Vorazun is deeply committed to the individuality and culture of her people. While she originally feared the cultural change the Daelaam was bringing to her people, she nonetheless remained committed to its ideals in a unified Protoss nation. Vorazun had a complicated relationship with Artanis, even before her ascension to Matriarch. Artanis originally believed she was against his vision on unification. Despite Vorazun's many objections, she nominated Artanis for the role of Hierarch of the Daelaam. By the End War, Vorazun gained a greater deal of respect for Artanis. After the destruction of Shakuras and witnessing him survive against countless foes alone, she claimed Artanis had partaken and completed the "Shadow Walk", becoming Dark Templar. She also comforted Artanis after he killed Zeratul while under Amon's control. Vorazun had accused Zeratul of treasion against the Nerazim for his role in the death of her mother. Despite Artanis' protests regarding Raszagal's corruption by Kerrigan, she stated she would always hold Zeratul in contempt. It wasn't until following Zeratul's prophecy that lead to Ulnar, she admitted that he was closer to the truth than anyone, and after finally realizing that Zeratul's dedication to the Xel'naga prophecy gave the Protoss hope, she vowed to honor him with Artanis.
Mohandar • Voiced by
Armin Shimerman Mohandar is a prelate within the Nerazim, the elderly leader of the Nerazim and member of the Hierarchy. In the
Dark Templar Saga, Mohandar attends a meeting of the Hierarchy to discuss Zamara, a missing preserver, Ulrezaj, a powerful dark archon and old enemy of the Khalai. Mohandar appears in Zeratul's apocalyptic vision at the end of the Protoss mini-campaign in
Wings of Liberty. Mohandar appears in the
StarCraft II short story
Children of the Void, set before Legacy of the Void. He was killed while quelling a Nerazim uprising in the capital city of Talematros with Matriarch Vorazun.
Ulrezaj Ulrezaj is a Nerazim rebel who believes that the Khalai Protoss should either be removed from Shakuras or exterminated. He is introduced in the
downloadable Brood War campaign "Enslavers: Dark Vengeance", and later appears as the antagonist of the novels
Shadow Hunters and
Twilight. Brought up as a
scholar on the moon of Ehlna, Ulrezaj begins to abuse his position by learning from prohibited sources of information. Resenting the exile of the dark templar from Aiur, he abandons his career and takes up arms against the Khalai Protoss as they establish themselves on Shakuras. He later uses the knowledge learned from his early days to become a dark archon, an immensely powerful psionic being created by several Protoss merging. Allying with a Terran smuggler, Alan Schezar, Ulrezaj moves an orbital base over Shakuras; Ulrezaj uses Schezar's resources to mutate Zerg to attack the Khalai Protoss, while an
EMP device disables Shakuras' power grid. Though defeated by Zeratul's forces, Ulrezaj escapes. Ulrezaj reappears several years later, residing on Aiur where he is manipulating a faction of Protoss survivors who were not evacuated. Ulrezaj uses these Protoss to attempt to capture a Terran archaeologist, Jacob Ramsey, who has the powerful mind of a Protoss
archivist, Zamara, residing in his own mind; their failure to do so leads to Ulrezaj personally trying to take Ramsey, but the archaeologist escapes through a warp gate while both Zerg and Valerian Mengsk's forces also attempt to capture him. Ulrezaj traces Ramsey to Ehlna, breaking through the defenses of both the Protoss and the Dominion. However, Zamara uses the last of her energy to lock Ulrezaj's mind into a storage crystal, sacrificing herself to keep Ulrezaj trapped.
Tal'Darim The Tal'Darim, referred to as "the Forged" or "the Chosen" are a fanatical sect of Protoss cut off from the Khala, who actively worship the Xel'Naga as gods. They are one of the antagonists in every game, and serve
Amon, to rebuild the universe in his name. However, they become allies with Artanis after Alarak defeats Ma'Lash in the rite of Rak'Shir and becomes leader, vowing to bring down Amon.
Alarak • Voiced by
John de Lancie Alarak is a central figure of the Tal'Darim in the service of Amon. He was first described in the short story
Ascension, one of the lead-up short stories before the release of
Legacy of the Void. In the story, he holds the title of Fourth Ascendant, a minor leader in the Tal'Darim hierarchy, known as the "Chain of Ascension"; one can only advance in rank through Rak'Shir, a ritual
trial by combat of their immediate superior. When the First Ascendant, Nuroka, challenges Highlord Ma'lash for leadership of the Tal'Darim, Alarak remains neutral, until Ma'lash seemed on the brink of defeat; he then declared for him, offering his psionic strength, allowing Ma'lash to defeat Nuroka. With the First, Second, and Third Ascendants claimed in the battle, Alarak is named First Ascendant; however, Ma'lash is wary, and threatens a slow and painful death if Alarak betrays him. Throughout the ritual, Alarak is filled with doubts as to Amon's goals, which becomes a betrayal as Amon begins to phase out the Tal'Darim and other "mortal" forces, relying more and more on his hybrid. Alarak thus forms an alliance with Artanis, who pledges to aid in bringing down Ma'lash and removing the Tal'Darim from Amon's service. With the aid of Artanis' forces, Alarak challenges Ma'lash to Rak'Shir and defeats him, becoming the new Highlord of the Tal'Darim. Declaring that Amon had lied to them, Alarak promises revenge against Amon, and joins force with Artanis. After Amon is destroyed, Alarak decides to find a new homeworld for the Tal'Darim rather than join the remaining Protoss on Aiur, though he allows any of his people who wish it one chance to remain with Artanis. Alarak, in
Legacy of the Void, possesses immense psionic powers and is always rude and arrogant, exhibiting a sadistic and totalitarian personality. He renounces the concept of
freedom and holds zero respect for anything other than the ability to slaughter. Alarak appears in
Nova Covert Ops and is a playable character in
Heroes of the Storm.
Ma'Lash • Voiced by
Stephen Stanton Ma'Lash was the Highlord of the Tal'Darim. He is featured in
Legacy of the Void and in the short story
Ascension. Ma'Lash used brute force to become the Highlord. He enjoys killing his challengers slowly, barely keeping them alive while at the verge of being extinguished. In
Legacy of the Void, Alarak invokes the rite of Rak'Shir; Ma'Lash loses and dies.
Ji'nara • Voiced by
Nicole Oliver Ji'nara is the current first ascendant of the Tal'darim. She was previously the fifth ascendant and is Highlord Alarak's direct subordinate.
Nyon • Voiced by
Gary Anthony Williams Nyon is a Tal'Darim
executor who
Raynor's Raiders fight in
Wings of Liberty for pieces of Xel'Naga artifacts. He is killed later in the game, when the Raiders destroy his mothership. He was not referred to by name until Alarak mentioned he was driven to insanity under the influence of terrazine.
Felanis Felanis was the leader of the Tal'darim who knew the truth behind the organization.
Purifiers The purifiers are a synthetic race conceived as an "ultimate fighting force" at a time when Protoss scientists and engineers were making technological advancements in intelligent and sentient robotics.
Talandar • Voiced by
Marc Graue In
Legacy of the Void, Daelaam' forces uncover a Purifier robot whose personality and memories were cloned from Fenix. This Purifier thinks he is Fenix in a dragoon shell. Artanis is overjoyed to meet this manifestation of his old comrade and is in no rush to tell him the truth, allowing him to discover it at a pace he is comfortable with, by studying the combat logs. Eventually, upon learning more about Fenix, he decides to have his name changed to "Talandar." He becomes the ambassador between the Daelaam and the Purifiers, convincing them to join forces. He follows Artanis in battle to reclaim their homeworld.
Clolarion • Voiced by
Unknown Clolarion was a legendary Protoss executor, whose deeds were taught to Templar warriors long after his death. Because of his status, Clolarion was chosen to take part in the purifier program. His mind was scanned into a robotic shell, in an attempt to recreate and preserve the greatest warriors of the Templar. The Clolarion purifier was sealed in Cybros along with the rest of the purifiers after their rebellion against the Conclave. In 2506, during the End War, the Daelaam under the command of Hierarch Artanis came to Cybros to reactivate the purifiers. Clolarion acted as their spokesman and leader during the mission, and ordered the Purifiers to engage the Zerg on the station, and then purified the surface of Endion, the forest moon Cybros orbited. With the battle over, Artanis asked the purifiers to join the Daelaam in the war against Amon. Clolarion questioned his sincerity and only accepted an alliance on the condition of
Talandar being their ambassador. ==Zerg characters==