Terrazine

Terrazine was a potent psionic reagent sought by protoss, zerg, and terrans across the Koprulu sector. The protoss called it the "Breath of Creation," which is the literal meaning of the term in Khalani, and the Tal'darim believed it to be a gift from the xel'naga that allowed them to commune with Amon and peer beyond the veil. Its composition appeared foreign to the material universe, with origins speculated to lie within the Void, and it had the power to enhance psionic ability at the price of madness, addiction, and death.

Properties#

Terrazine's properties appeared foreign to the material universe, and its origins were speculated to lie within the Void. On the Tal'darim homeworld of Slayn it was found in the presence of large amounts of Void energy, and a sufficient concentration could sustain Void shades, though not at full strength. The Tal'darim used it to draw closer to Amon. Terrazine resembled vespene gas but contained additional organic substances and was less flammable. It appeared purple and misty green, carried a coppery, blood-like smell, and without special preparation did not last long in storage. It could even serve as a power source for power suit technology.

Its biological effects were unpredictable. Terrazine could enhance the psionic power of ghosts and other psychics, raising them by one or more points on the Psi Index, and Gabriel Tosh believed it could bring a ghost's powers near to those of the protoss. It rejuvenated brain cells, allowing terrans to overcome memory wipes, and could grant limited psionic potential to those who had shown none before. Its side effects included hallucinations, memory loss, and violent outbursts, with overdoses proving fatal. The gas was addictive, building up in the system with repeated use and producing withdrawal within hours. Jorium served as a stabilizing agent, and a strict schedule of terrazine and jorium intake minimized the worst effects. Enough exposure could turn a terran's eyes violet, and long-term exposure wiped out the jungles of Slayn entirely.

Discovery and Project Shadowblade#

Terrazine had been used by the Tal'darim for millennia as a holy substance, and they continually sought out terrazine-rich worlds to convert into shrine worlds, heedless of the catastrophe this brought to native life. Terrans first discovered the gas on the world of Demon's Fair in 2501, when an unmanned probe found it in a set of Tal'darim ruins. After its ability to generate psionics in terrans was recognized, Project Shadowblade was commissioned to create the spectres, with General Horace Warfield placed in charge. Within a year, the miners and test subjects began to behave erratically, and the project was shut down. Nearly everyone involved was killed or imprisoned, with the exception of Warfield, who retired, and a survivor named Cole Bennett.

The Spectre Rebellion#

Elements of Project Shadowblade survived, and the renegade ghost Gabriel Tosh rediscovered the substance, met with Cole Bennett, and rallied former comrades from the Ghost Academy. They found a rift of terrazine on Altara, and as the ghosts regained their memories and grew in power, they plotted revenge against Emperor Arcturus Mengsk and the Terran Dominion. The spectres struck at Augustgrad and later at Korhal Palace, intending to capture Mengsk and force him to confess his crimes, but were repelled by Nova Terra and the Annihilators despite heavy losses on both sides. In the course of these battles, Nova herself was exposed to terrazine, which forced her own memories back to the surface. Bennett was eventually killed and his station destroyed by a nuclear missile, halting the rebellion, though Tosh escaped and swore to restart the program.

The Second Great War and after#

During the Second Great War, Gabriel Tosh commissioned Raynor's Raiders to steal terrazine from protoss altars on Bel'Shir, which were guarded by Tal'darim who regarded the gas as a sacred gift and refused to surrender it. The Raiders took what they needed by force. Tosh intended to build an army of spectres and stored his terrazine aboard Avernus Station. Warned by Nova Terra of the gas's effects, and unwilling to unleash an army of unstable psychics, Jim Raynor allied with Nova against Tosh. Nova destroyed the terrazine tanks, the jorium stockpile, and the indoctrinator needed to make spectres, and killed Tosh.

During the End War, the Tal'darim Alarak sought the aid of Hierarch Artanis to challenge Highlord Ma'lash on Slayn, where terrazine rose from the underground and Amon's forces emerged from the mist. After the victory, Phase-smith Karax used terrazine taken from Slayn to test the Keystone's capacity to store Void energy as part of the effort to extract Amon from the Khala. Years later, during the Defenders of Man insurgency, Nova Terra returned to harvest terrazine from the Jarban gliders of Jarban Minor, guided there by Highlord Alarak, and used it to undo the mind wipe the Defenders of Man had inflicted on her.