SC2Mapster

Hi guys, I would like to start a discussion regarding the Xel'Naga and what they are. This comes from a post in the dev thread for SCMR Silver, an image is attached for an idea:

How would you guys feel if the Xel'Naga were such as illustrated in the image below?

My defense would be this: they wanted a race where minds and body were conditioned and locked to act in a communal link.

Purity of form, a body that does not degenerate quickly, almost immortal. Purity of essence, rooted in or capable of acting independently under an overruling singular thought, purpose, or drive uniting every member.

Because they are actually more similar to the Zerg in their essence, that they have some sort of hive mind mechanics going on, so that they cannot exist in a host without such a capability.

When the protoss lost their communal link, the Xel'Naga discarded them because they think this essence of the protoss was weak, and so they went and created the Overmind.

Thus, I would say, they inhabit host bodies, "offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing", so they can act and survive.

Without host bodies, they will be disconnected, and will soon dissolve to nothing. They would be like cerebrates, where each one would regenerate another, keeping them alive, but they would require host bodies to do so.

In return, the host will be in a state of pure bliss, oblivious to whatever things the Xel'Naga would use their bodies for.

Please share your thoughts and ideas.

edit: for clarification, the teal mesh would be the Xelnaga, and the brown would be the host.

I could add something to your idea. It goes like this:

they could be assisting the evolution of beings to absorb their essence in some way. Like how the overmind then began to assimilate other races to perfect the Zerg's overall physical attributes. This happened after the Overmind killed the Xel'Naga, so I guess that's where it got the idea.

Taken as a whole the Zerg, if allowed to assimilate all life, would have all of the best things each species could offer. But then the Overmind selects aspects for his own purpose, and the Xel'Naga would be wanting another thing.

Maybe for every generation of Xel'Naga, they would be a more 'evolved' version of the former ones, but their evolution would be done by themselves, on another species they tinker with. Currently with the protoss, then the Zerg, they wanted pure essence and form.

Imagine humans would tinker with an animal's Dna, so that it will be compatible with the current state of human DNA. We would then inseminate a modified spem unto a female egg, and a new generation of human will be born.

This baby will then be the next gen, and the process would repeat.

I don't know if my thoughts are in sync with your initial idea.

Quote from GnaReffotsirk: Go

the overmind then began to assimilate other races to perfect the Zerg's overall physical attributes. This happened after the Overmind killed the Xel'Naga, so I guess that's where it got the idea.

Assimilating other races was part of the zerg biology way before the Overmind.

soulfitcher is correct. in fact what i described up there is how the zerg used to evolve from their worm like state.

they would manipulate the genetics of their host, while using their bodies.

the xelnaga in the manual was stated to onlh want to perfect their protogenetic capabilities. they also had psychic link, which they relied upon to keep watch of the Overmind. the overmind severed this link when it attacked them.

Idea behind all that xel naga and shit is they are basicaly first entities in material universe. And as they originaly came from the void (which is non-material universe and a cradle of each ever existent entity) as "spirits" they hadn't some definite shape or form. So when they incarnate in matter they got a look of ugly floating faceless squids.

Yeah, I understand Blizzard's current take on the Xel'Naga. However, they don't seem to appear like this in the manual. They seem to be physical, with psychic abilities, given that the Overmind was able to assimilate them and take a huge pile of knowledge and information.

nah see i like the concept art alex06 we could just say the two in the campaign were different because they were in the void they can take whatever form the want ex tassadar

no primal zerg + human = xel naga the protoss were never pure of form due to amon humans were never messed with

@DrSuperEvil: Go No, zerg had purity of essence. What he means is that because of Amon's interference the Swarm and the protoss did not have their purities anymore. But primal zerg still have it, and as Blizzard described purity of form as a great psionic potential, Kerrigan had it, so that's why she could ascend.

That is one way to see it, in the end Blizzard turned the whole thing into a confusing mess.

Before sc2, the attribute "purity of essence" is given to the protoss and the Zerg. The protoss for their communal link; the zerg with the overmind - which the Xelnaga made.

They had accomplished their goals of creating a race with purity of form and essence with the zerg, and they were proud of it. At first, the zerg was naturally endowed with purity of form, then with the creation of the overmind, purity of essence.

I have this idea, that like we do today, in the quest for creating A.I. , robots, transhumanism, maybe, the XelNaga was trying to create their own image.

Maybe the xelnaga's workmanship can show us what they look like, how they live, and who they are.

Quote from GnaReffotsirk: Go

Maybe the xelnaga's workmanship can show us what they look like, how they live, and who they are.

Then they are a race of living pyramids and obelisks.