STARCRAFT UNIVERSE

The 'StarCraft universe' is a fictional universe in which the ''StarCraft'' series of computer games and books are set.

Contents

Games set in the StarCraft universe

Books set in the StarCraft universe

Amazing Stories Articles

Races

Locations and territories

Koprulu Sector

History

A violent place

Planets of StarCraft

Outlying Worlds

References

Games set in the StarCraft universe

★ ''StarCraft'' - RTS
:
★ '' - official expansion pack
:
★ '' - authorised add-on pack
:
★ '' - authorised add-on pack

★ '' - stealth game, postponed indefinitely, but at the 2007 BlizzCon, Blizzard mentioned that they would like to continue production sometime in the future.

★ ''StarCraft II'' - RTS

Books set in the StarCraft universe

★ '' (2000) ISBN 0-7434-1898-0 (eBook only)

★ '' (2001) ISBN 0-671-04148-7

★ '' (2001) ISBN 0-671-04149-5

★ '' (2002) ISBN 0-671-04150-9

★ '' (2006) ISBN 0-7434-7133-4

★ '' (2006) ISBN 0-7434-7134-2''

★ '' #1: Firstborn'' (2007) ISBN 0-7434-7125-3

★ '' #2: Shadow Hunters'' (2007) ISBN 0-7434-7126-1 for November 27, 2007.

Amazing Stories Articles

★ Metzen, Chris and Samuel Moore. “.” ''Amazing Stories'' 596 (Spring 1999): 20-27.

★ Neilson, Micky. “.” ''Amazing Stories'' 601 (Spring 2000): 70-75.

Races

★ Protoss - an alien race possessing advanced technology and powerful psionic abilities.

★ Terrans - the descendants of human interplanetary travelers.

★ Zerg - a race of parasitic insectoids directed by a hive mind, known for their swarming tactics.

★ Xel'Naga - an ancient, highly advanced race that engineered the evolution of the Protoss and Zerg. Unlike the other three races, the Xel'Naga are not playable in the ''StarCraft'' games.

Locations and territories

Koprulu Sector

The ''Koprulu Sector''—nicknamed the 'Terran Sector'— is a in space colonized by the Terrans in the StarCraft series. Much of the series' action is set in it, and it comprises several planets, distributed around a number of stars.
The initial colonization took place in a large star system with many habitable (but mostly wasteland) worlds. Korhal is in the same star system as Tarsonis, and ''Vyctor 5'' was stated in to be in the ''Koprulu Star System''.

History

Following the decline of western civilization, a new world-government is re-asserted over Earth: the United Powers League (UPL). A police-state, it encompasses almost all of Earth. Rounding up dissidents, hackers, synthetics, the cybernetically enhanced, tech-pirates, and criminals of every kind; Project Purification was instituted: a planet-wide culling in which 400,000,000 died.
However, the brilliant young scientist Doran Routhe wanted to explore deep space. It was very risky, but he had no problem with sending political prisoner lab rats to their deaths; 56,000 prisoners were secretly prepared for transport. Of these, 40,000 were loaded into four sleeper-ships designated the ''Reagan'', the ''Argo'', the ''Sarengo'', and the ''Nagglfar''. These were sent on a 1 year journey into deep space to Gantris VI, an outlying planet. The ''Nagglfar'' was also equipped with an artificial intelligence called ATLAS. Routhe believed they would set up a colony and mine new resources for the United Powers League.
ATLAS scanned the prisoners, and discovered something unusual about them - a high proportion of them had a mutation leading to psionic potential. While currently weak, it would manifest in only a few generations. This information was logged and sent back to Earth. This may explain how the United Powers League came to know of this experiment.
However, the guidance computer failed, and they traveled at faster than light speed for 28 years, traveling 60,000 light years to the far edge of the galaxy, emerging in a habitable star system with a large number of wasteland planets. When they awoke, the survivors had no idea where they were or where Earth was: all hope of making contact again was lost.
The ''Sarengo'' crashed on Umoja, killing 8,000 prisoners; the ''Reagan'', which landed softly, founded the colony of Umoja; the ''Argo'' founded the colony of Moria; and the ''Nagglfar'' built the main Terran colony in the sector: Tarsonis.
As the Tarsonians had access to ATLAS, they had a technological head-start on their stellar neighbors. Even so, it took them sixty years to build second-generation subwarp engines and explore the rest of the system, discovering the other two colonies.
The Terrans of Tarsonis eventually created an interstellar Terran Confederacy, mainly through the creation of new colonies. They also came into conflict with Moria over its own colonies. The Morians founded the Kel-Morian Combine to fight back, sparking the Guild Wars, but lost.
There were roughly thirteen important Terran colony planets in the sector by the 25th century, at least ten of which were in the original star system. However, war broke out with the Zerg invasion and subsequent clashes with the Protoss at the dawn of the 26th century.

A violent place

Various Terrans have commented on the amount of violence in the Koprulu Sector.
The Koprulu Sector is a violent place, with many "small" pirate militias armed with everything from nuclear missiles to advanced battlecruisers and equipped with bootleg labs and large numbers of troops.

Planets of StarCraft

Colony(ies)	Description
Tarsonis	''Tarsonis'' is a Terran colony, landing site of the supercarrier ''Nagglfar''. The planet has a temperate climate and a core continent. It was the most advanced of the three original Terran colonies and capital world of the Terran Confederacy.It was the capital world of the Terran Confederacy until it fell to Zerg lured there by Psi Emitters planted by Alpha Squadron at the end of StarCraft Episode I. After the death of the Overmind, Sarah Kerrigan used Tarsonis as her base of operations. After killing the second Overmind, Kerrigan relocated to an orbital platform over Char, and Tarsonis is assumed abandoned.
Moria	''Moria'' is a Terran colony, one of the largest resource nodes in the Koprulu Sector; landing site of the supercarrier ''Argo''. The colony is defended by the Kel-Morian Combine.It was on Moria that Praetor Fenix located all the resources for Kerrigan's assault against the United Earth Directorate forces occupying Korhal IV in StarCraft Episode VI.
Umoja	''Umoja'' is a Terran colony, one of the original three; landing site of supercarrier ''Reagan'' and crash site of supercarrier ''Sarengo''. It is defended by the neutral Umojan Protectorate.
Korhal IV	''Korhal IV'' is a Terran colony. One of the core Confederate worlds originally settled by Tarsonian colonists, this planet rose up against the Confederacy, and in retaliation the Confederacy launched a massive planetary bombardment of nuclear weaponry aimed at eliminating the dissents, transforming the planet into a nuclear desert. The survivors of the rebellion called themselves the Sons of Korhal.By the time of the fall of the Confederacy, the planet had de-radiated enough to allow resettlement. When the Sons of Korhal became the Terran Dominion, it's leader Arcturus Mengsk, made it the Dominion throne world. More recently, the planet changed hands among the Terran Dominion, the United Earth Directorate, and the Terran Dominion again. It's capital city is ''Augustgrad''.
Chau Sara	''Chau Sara'' was an outlying, but nevertheless important Terran colony. It was one of the first Terran planets to be invaded by the Zerg. Little is known about its current state, except that since then it has been purified of all life by the Protoss. After the bombardment, according to , an ice age started on the planet, result of a nuclear winter, and the planet deviated four degrees from its orbit. This is also a testimony to the power of Protoss weaponry and technology.
Mar Sara	''Mar Sara'' was an outlying Terran colony. This planet was invaded by the Zerg after Chau Sara. Its fate was similar to Chau Sara's. Homeworld of James (Jim) Raynor.
Antiga Prime	''Antiga Prime'' was an outying Terran colony, the first world to openly revolt against the Confederacy since the incineration of Korhal IV.The renegade activist coalition known as the Sons of Korhal was responsible for instigating the rebellion. During the battle of Antiga Prime, a Psi Emitter was planted in the Confederate base by Sarah Kerrigan to attract the Zerg and destroy the Confederate forces. It is now a lifeless, purified world. It is also upon this planet that General Edmund Duke crashed and was saved and recruited by Sons of Korhal leader Arcturus Mengsk.
Dylar IV	''Dylar IV'' had been an important Terran colony, a primary world of the Confederacy and base of operations of Omega Squadron. It is believed to have been overrun by the Zerg. Since then, it has been recolonized by the Terran Dominion, and shipyards have been constructed in planetary orbit around it. Here, Battlecruisers were fueled and repaired.In a swift action, the United Earth Directorate stole the Battlecruisers, defeated the Dominion counterattack, and impressed the Dylarian defense forces into their fleet. This was the first major spaceship battles between the Dominion and the United Earth Directorate. The UED has left the sector, so Dylar IV's current status is unclear. According to , the planet was a former Protoss colony world and was given back to the Protoss.
Brontes IV	''Brontes IV'' was a Terran colony, one of the primary worlds of the Confederacy. It quickly was overrun by the Zerg. Little is known about its current state.
Tyrador IX	''Tyrador IX'' was an important Terran colony, a primary world of the Confederacy. Little is known of its current state, but it is rumored that it escaped Zerg infestation. If it is still populated, it is most likely a planet of the Dominion.
Braxis	''Braxis'', a small world and a Terran Dominion colony by the time the United Earth Directorate fleet reached the Koprulu Sector. Much earlier, it had been a Protoss colony, by the name of ''Khyrador''. It was fortified by the Terran Dominion shortly after the death of the Overmind. It is presumed that it is the closest Koprulu Sector object to Earth, since the UED fleet first landed here. The Psi Disruptor was set up there once it was captured at Tarsonis and shipped to Braxis. In ''Resurrection IV'', a disaster has struck Braxis, homeworld of the Ursadon. The UED, in it's opening assault, took control of the capital city of Boralis.
Vyctor 5	''Vyctor 5'', a wasteland planet a day's travel from Umoja, which features a stable weather formation, the ''Fujita Pinnacle''. It was a Terran Confederacy world and is featured in . According to it is found in the Koprulu star system. Its capital is ''Lockston''.
Dark Moon	''Dark Moon'' is the title for an unnamed moon (presumably). It is not known what planet it revolves around, if the moon actually has a name, or where it is located (although it appears to be found on a journey between Char and Shakuras). It is featured in the mission ''Dark Origin'', and is the base of Samir Duran and his Protoss/Zerg Hybrid.

There were thirteen important Terran worlds, according to StarCraft Episode II.

Outlying Worlds

★ ''Aiur'' is the homeworld of the Protoss. Jungles and oceans cover most of the planet.
It was the primary target of the Zerg infestation. All Protoss are thought to have fled the planet by now, and the Zerg have moved on. On a few occasions, it has been used as a temporary staging ground: once while Jim Raynor and Fenix fled the UED, and once for a time when Zeratul and his brethren returned to rescue a few Protoss survivors that had been left behind. Both times it was shown to still be infested with Zerg.

★ ''Shakuras'' is a planet devoid of vegetation. It was the planet the Dark Templar fled to when they were exiled long ago by the Conclave.
More recently, Protoss survivors from Aiur sought refuge there. Zerg infestation was cleansed with the help of an ancient Xel'Naga temple, and the twin crystals Uraj and Khalis. The Protoss race currently resides there.

★ ''Zerus'' is the planet that was the homeworld of the Zerg, located near the core of the galaxy. An inhospitable ash-world that was once full of insectoid creatures, it served as the birthplace of the Zerg race.

★ ''Char'' is a tectonically active lava world which orbits an outlying binary star system. It is one of the richest resource nodes ever visited by Terrans. It was the staging area of the Zerg during their search for, and consequent invasion of, the Protoss homeworld of Aiur. The planet is currently the headquarters of the Zerg Queen of Blades. It is not clear whether or not Char is within the Koprulu Sector, but it is presumed so as it is labeled as a Terran Dominion border world.

★ ''Abaddon'', a lava-drenched planet which would have been featured in . Photographic evidence (computer wallpapers) indicate the United Earth Directorate may have left or placed a base on the planet.

★ ''Earth'' is also a key planet in the Starcraft Universe, being both the original home of the Human colonists in the Koprulu Sector, and the capital planet of the United Earth Directorate. Due to its location 60,000 light years from the Koprulu Sector, it still has yet to be featured in the games themselves, outside a brief mention in a UED propaganda video concerning the victory on Char. It is unknown whether it will be featured more heavily in future storylines.

References

★ StarCraft homepage at Blizzard Entertainment

★ Battle.net StarCraft Compendium

★ Underwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. ''StarCraft (Manual)''. Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998.

★ Underwood, Peter, Chris Metzen and Bill Roper. ''StarCraft: Brood War (Manual)''. Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998.

★ Neilson, Micky. ''StarCraft: Uprising.'' New York and Toronto, Ontario: Pocket Books, 2000. ISBN ISBN 0-7434-1898-0 (eBook only)

★ Koprulu Sector violence

★ More Koprulu Sector violence

★ StarCraft novels, including two future releases