TERRAN (STARCRAFT)

The 'Terrans' are the name given to the Humans in the StarCraft universe. They are descendants of criminals and cybernetically-enhanced Humans exiled from Earth. A small number of Terrans possess psionic abilities, although they are still generations away from reaching their full potential. The Terrans found themselves caught in the middle of a war between the Protoss and the Zerg. After the central government of the Terrans, the Confederacy, was brought down during the events of ''StarCraft'', a force dispatched from Earth attempted to take control of the sector (including the newly-established government, the Dominion) during the events of ''. Amid continued infighting, some Terrans have stricken up allegiances with the Protoss, who have done all in their power to protect them from the Zerg. Despite their best efforts and the efforts of a united Terran front, they suffered grave defeats during the events of ''Brood War''.

Contents

Fictional race history

Background

Events in StarCraft

Events in StarCraft: Brood War

Future

Heroes and other notable Terrans

Notes

General references

External links

Fictional race history

Background

Humanity, now in the twenty-third century, is plagued by corruption, injustice, and overpopulation, among other things. In order to solve these problems, most of the world's governments band together to form the 'United Power League', a tyrannical world government that controls almost all activity on Earth. The government launches a worldwide genocide to purge Earth of criminals, hackers, and others.^[1] The scientist Duran Routhe gathers forty thousand such prisoners, and launches them into space on four super carriers, with the first controlled by a computer called ATLAS. Over the course of the trip, ATLAS malfunctions and sends the ships into warp-space, causing each ship to crash land on a different planet thousands of light-years from Earth, in what becomes known as the Koprulu Sector. Each group of survivors emerge from their ships, unaware of the survivors on the neighboring planets.
Sixty years pass before technological advancements enable the neighboring worlds to re-unite. This creates a period of prosperity, which leads to the colonization of other uninhabited worlds. During this period, the Terrans on the planet Tarsonis unify and form the 'Terran Confederacy'. The Confederate exploration and colonization of the Koprulu Sector alarm the neighboring Terran Kel-Morian Combine, who begin to aid the enemies of the Confederacy. The growing tensions between the Confederacy and the Kel-Morian Combine eventually sparks a war between the two. By the end of the war, the Confederacy gain control over the other's assets, but soon become antagonized by the other Terran worlds.
The Confederacy face the strongest opposition within their original colonies. Korhal, one of the first planets Confederate colonies, is politically destabilized by the radical senator Angus Mengsk, who convinces his followers to rise against their Confederate leaders. The ensuing uprising originally forces the Confederacy to abandon their posts on Korhal, and retreat to Tarsonis. The Confederacy then brutally responds in order to suppress the opposition. They deploy three Ghosts to assassinate Mengsk and his family. Angus' son, Arcturus, succeeds his father as the leader of the opposition. He forms alliances with neighboring worlds and leads an offensive against the Confederacy. This incites the Confederacy to launch a series of nuclear strikes on Korhal's capital city, which kills millions. Arcturus survives the attack, and swears vengeance.

Events in StarCraft

Mengsk and the Sons of Korhal struck many Confederate bases, but each attack was responded by to by a media that portrayed him as a terrorist. The group was outlawed, and many colonies refused to associate with anyone who was connected with the group. During this time, Mengsk made a personal goal of killing all the Ghosts who had killed his father. Although he killed two of them, one of them, Sarah Kerrigan, he instead made his second-in-command.
During this time, the sister worlds of Chau Sara and Mar Sara were under attack by mysterious organisms that had manifested on Chau Sara. However, an alien fleet appeared from warp-space and bombed the planet, destroying all life. The Confederacy raced to meet the aliens, having never encountered them before. The fleet took up orbit over Mar Sara when the Confederacy attacked. The fleet identified itself as the Protoss, and agreed to spare the colony. Shortly afterwards, insect-like aliens very different from the Protoss appeared on the planet.

★ Note: the following takes place in the StarCraft storyline.
As Mar Sara was consumed by the aliens, identified as the Zerg, the colonists, including Jim Raynor, were herded into containment grounds while the Confederacy avoided action against the Zerg. Fearing the colony would be abandoned, the Magistrate (the player's character) contacted the Sons of Korhal. The bulk of the colonists escaped, although in doing so they were branded as traitors for associating with the Sons of Korhal. Mar Sara was subsequently bombed by the Protoss.
Raynor, Mengsk and his lieutenant, Kerrigan, assisted in the revolt of Antiga Prime, a Confederate world. During the revolt, the Confederate flagship, battlecruiser ''Norad II'' crashed, and its commander, General Duke, was rescued and conscripted into the Sons of Korhal, along with Duke's Alpha Squadron. Also, with Confederate blueprints stolen during the evacuation of Mar Sara, Mengsk built a "Psi Emitter" that could lure Zerg to their signals. In a control experiment, the Emitters were used to lure Zerg to the Confederate bases on Antiga Prime and destroy them. As the Sons of Korhal left the planet, the Protoss again unleashed an attack to exterminate all life.
Moving his fleet into orbit over Tarsonis, Mengsk began the attack that would consolidate his power in the sector. Sending Duke with a repaired ''Norad II'' to the orbital platform ''New Gettysburg'', Duke destroyed the Confederate forces there and activated Psi Emitters. Mengsk admitted to authorizing this, shocking Raynor and Kerrigan. In the subsequent wave of Zerg, most of the citizens were killed, shattering the Confederacy's heart and establishing Mengsk as the new power.
As the 'Terran Dominion' began to form, the Protoss took up orbit once again, but the Executor Tassadar attempted to destroy the Zerg directly to spare the survivors. Mengsk sent Kerrigan to combat the Protoss, despite Raynor's objection. The Zerg took this opportunity to overwhelm both forces. Kerrigan was abandoned as Mengsk fled the system. Raynor, having his fill with Mengsk's recent actions, took command of a small force and left on his own.
With the Dominion capitol established at Korhal, Mengsk annexed several colonies and planets, and conscripted most of the remnants of the Confederate army. He then set to work ensuring the safety of his rule and building up his power. Duke accompanied a small force to Char, where the Zerg had recently nested, but was forced to pull back. The Dominion continued to grow in power during the war on Aiur.

Events in StarCraft: Brood War

Following the discovery of extraterrestrial life in the universe, the United Powers League began to grow in power and influence following wide-spread panic that was incited by thoughts of a possible alien invasion.^[2] As many nations began to ally themselves with the United Powers League, the government was reborn as the 'United Earth Directorate'. Upon its formation, the government began diverting a great sum of its resources to examining, analyzing, and eventually defeating the Zerg and Protoss forces in an attempt to protect Earth.^[2] During the events of '', the United Earth Directorate deploys an expeditionary fleet to establish control in the Koprulu sector.

A Marine appears during the Directorate's victory report.

Led by Admiral Gerard DuGalle, a famed and experienced military leader, and his longtime friend, Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov, the fleet enters the Koprulu sector in hopes of subduing the Zerg, Protoss, and Dominion.^[2][5] The fleet achieves initial success by disrupting the Terran Dominion's activity within the sector, forcing Mengsk on the run. With the assistance of Samir Duran, the United Earth Directorate is able to activate the Psi Disrupter, which inhibits Zerg activity. The Directorate launches ground offensive on the Zerg home world of Char, and ultimately captures the Overmind. However, Duran, who attempts to hinder the Directorate's progress throughout the campaign, betrays and kills Stukov. Nevertheless, the news of the victory on Char galvanizes Directorate forces and followers.
The Directorate's offense is halted towards the latter portion of Brood War. Sarah Kerrigan manages to rally the forces of Fenix and Raynor with Mengsk to launch a united counter attack on the Directorate. The alliance manages to cripple the expeditionary fleet by destroying the Psi Disrupter and Overmind, allowing Kerrigan to gain complete control over most Zerg forces. Realizing that they had been pawns in Kerrigan's master plan, the Dominion and Protoss side with Directorate for a final confrontation with the Zerg. Kerrigan's forces defeat the alliance above Char, and afterward hunt for the remnants of Directorate's expeditionary fleet. During the game's final sequence, the Zerg proceed to destroy the remainder of the Directorate fleet, including DuGalle's flagship. Blizzard Entertainment has hinted that the Directorate may make a return in the upcoming ''Starcraft II''.^[6]

Future

In StarCraft II, the Dominion has become the dominant Terran power again, although there is still resistance. The Confederacy still has a few scattered forces, but at the time of Brood War were not a threat. The UED still maintains their control of Earth, and are hinted to have a few soldiers stranded in the Koprulu sector. The Kel-Morian Combine still exists and is still a large, wealthy mining guild. The status of various other independent militias have just yet been divulged in detail, however, the Umojan Protectorate is apparently an independent rebel entity again.

Heroes and other notable Terrans

'From ''StarCraft / '''

★ Emperor Arcturus Mengsk I

★ Marshal James Raynor

★ Lieutenant Sarah Kerrigan

★ General Edmund Duke

★ Admiral Gerard DuGalle

★ Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov

★ Lieutenant Samir Duran
'From '''

★ Agent Nova Terra
'From ''StarCraft 2'''

★ Tychus Findlay

Notes

1. Blizzard Entertainment, Starcraft - Terran History, Blizzplanet, Retrieved on July 4, 2007
2. (1998) ''StarCraft Expansion Set: Brood War Instruction Manual'' (in English). Blizzard Entertainment, 9
3. (1998) ''StarCraft Expansion Set: Brood War Instruction Manual'' (in English). Blizzard Entertainment, 9
4. (1998) ''StarCraft Expansion Set: Brood War Instruction Manual'' (in English). Blizzard Entertainment, 9
5. (1998) ''StarCraft Expansion Set: Brood War Instruction Manual'' (in English). Blizzard Entertainment, 18
6. Blizzard outlines Starcraft II gameplay Park, Andrew

General references

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

External links

★ Battle.Net: Terran