Monlyth
the protoss shrine-moon
Monlyth was a protoss shrine-moon held by the Tal'darim, a site of ancient xel'naga relics and a hidden piece of the Keystone. During the Second Great War it was laid waste as the Swarm and Raynor's Raiders fought over the relic it guarded.
Monlyth was a moon, the largest of eight orbiting a planet bathed in the glow of a yellow-orange star. Visited by the xel'naga in antiquity, it became a protoss shrine-world, and the Tal'darim made it one of the sites where a piece of the Keystone was hidden away.
A shrine of the xel'naga#
In antiquity Monlyth was visited by the xel'naga, and the relics marking their presence remained after they passed on. The moon became a protoss shrine-world, and a piece of the Keystone was stored there, though it came to be abandoned by the protoss centuries before the Second Great War. The Tal'darim chose to remain, and the sect and their shrines stayed an enigma to terran scientists. Among the moon's features were the Abyssal Caverns, the Fossil Quarry, and Monlyth Ridge, alongside structures such as its Burial Grounds and the Zenith.
The war over the relic#
During the Second Great War, the Tal'darim on Monlyth were attacked simultaneously by the Zerg Swarm and Raynor's Raiders, both of which sought the component of the xel'naga device the protoss guarded. The terrans ultimately carried the component away, while the zerg laid waste to the entire moon.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Monlyth?
- Monlyth was a moon, the largest of eight orbiting a planet bathed in the glow of a yellow-orange star. Visited by the xel'naga in antiquity, it became a protoss shrine-world held by the Tal'darim.
- Why was Monlyth significant to the protoss?
- Monlyth was a site of ancient xel'naga relics, and the Tal'darim made it one of the places where a piece of the Keystone was hidden away. The protoss abandoned that piece there centuries before the Second Great War, but the Tal'darim chose to remain.
- What happened to Monlyth during the Second Great War?
- During the Second Great War the Tal'darim on Monlyth were attacked simultaneously by the Zerg Swarm and Raynor's Raiders, both seeking the component of the xel'naga device the protoss guarded. The terrans carried the component away, while the zerg laid waste to the entire moon.
- What were some of Monlyth's notable features?
- Among the moon's features were the Abyssal Caverns, the Fossil Quarry, and Monlyth Ridge, alongside structures such as its Burial Grounds and the Zenith.
Gallery

Images via StarCraft Wiki
Sources
- WikiMonlyth — StarCraft Wiki entry
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Related entries
Protoss
The protoss are an ancient, psionically gifted humanoid species native to Aiur, uplifted by the xel'naga and bound together by the Khala. Among the three dominant species of the galaxy, they are the most technologically advanced, and the most divided by their own history.
Tal'darim: the fanatical protoss sect of Amon
The Tal'darim, known as the Forged or the Chosen, were a fanatical and warlike sect of protoss taken from Aiur by Amon before the Aeon of Strife, who served the fallen xel'naga for ages before Highlord Alarak turned them against him.
Kerrigan's Swarm: the Zerg Swarm under the Queen of Blades
Kerrigan's Swarm was the faction of the Zerg Swarm led by Sarah Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades, formed when the death of the Overmind split the leaderless zerg and Kerrigan seized control of the broods she would command through the Brood War, the Second Great War, and the war against Amon.
Keystone
The Keystone, also known as the xel'naga artifact, was an ancient relic that could channel and redistribute energy, matter, essence, and consciousness. A major catalyst of the Second Great War, it de-infested the Queen of Blades, was twisted toward Amon's resurrection, and was finally used to banish him.
Raynor's Raiders: the rebel band of Jim Raynor
Raynor's Raiders were the terran rebel formation led by Jim Raynor, born from Raynor's Rangers after Arcturus Mengsk abandoned Sarah Kerrigan at New Gettysburg, waging a long insurgency against the Dominion from the battlecruiser Hyperion.
Second Great War
The Second Great War broke out in 2504 between the Zerg Swarm and the Terran Dominion, four years after the Brood War. It saw Sarah Kerrigan deinfested and then reborn in primal form, the death of Arcturus Mengsk, and the resurrection of the fallen xel'naga Amon.
Mentioned in6 entries
Keystone
The Keystone, also known as the xel'naga artifact, was an ancient relic that could channel and redistribute energy, matter, essence, and consciousness. A major catalyst of the Second Great War, it de-infested the Queen of Blades, was twisted toward Amon's resurrection, and was finally used to banish him.
Raynor's Raiders: the rebel band of Jim Raynor
Raynor's Raiders were the terran rebel formation led by Jim Raynor, born from Raynor's Rangers after Arcturus Mengsk abandoned Sarah Kerrigan at New Gettysburg, waging a long insurgency against the Dominion from the battlecruiser Hyperion.
Second Great War
The Second Great War broke out in 2504 between the Zerg Swarm and the Terran Dominion, four years after the Brood War. It saw Sarah Kerrigan deinfested and then reborn in primal form, the death of Arcturus Mengsk, and the resurrection of the fallen xel'naga Amon.
Tal'darim
The Tal'darim were a warlike sect of protoss taken from Aiur by Amon before the Aeon of Strife. Calling themselves the Forged and the Chosen, they spent ages worshipping the fallen xel'naga as their god until Highlord Alarak turned them against him.
Tal'darim: the fanatical protoss sect of Amon
The Tal'darim, known as the Forged or the Chosen, were a fanatical and warlike sect of protoss taken from Aiur by Amon before the Aeon of Strife, who served the fallen xel'naga for ages before Highlord Alarak turned them against him.
Xil
Xil was a barren desert world whose biosphere had been wiped out overnight long after a visit by the xel'naga. Its ruins drew the Tal'darim, a Moebius Foundation expedition, and Raynor's Raiders, who fought through the executor Nyon for an artifact buried in a xel'naga temple.
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