Zerg

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A Zerg Hydralisk
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A Zerg Hydralisk

The Zerg are a vaguely insectoid race in the fictional StarCraft universe. They have many similarities in appearance with the Tyranids from the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000. They are one of three races in StarCraft and its expansion StarCraft: Brood War. They also share many characteristics with the Borg of Star Trek: they roam the galaxy assimilating species they encounter into themselves, and they share a hive mind ruled by the Overmind, much like the Formics from Ender's Game. The Zerg are separated into a number of broods that are named after monstrous mythological beasts, predominantly from Norse mythology. Each brood serves a specific purpose and is controlled by a Cerebrate that is physically incapable of disobeying the Overmind. Zerg was originally spelled "Zurg" but the name was changed before StarCraft's release, because it was being used by Disney in the movie Toy Story.

Due to the Zerg's unique use of overwhelming numbers of relatively weak units, rather than smaller numbers of stronger units, the term "to Zerg", (verb) "Zerg Rush" or "Zerging" is the act of using mass numbers to achieve an objective, and it has become widely accepted in a variety of other games, including Planetside, Warcraft III, World of Warcraft, Dark Age of Camelot, and other multiplayer games.

Contents

[edit] History

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The history of the Zerg in the StarCraft universe began when the ancestral Zerg species was discovered on the irradiated, unstable, mostly unatmosphered planet of Zerus, in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, by the mysterious and ancient Xel'Naga civilization after they had abandoned the Protoss on Aiur, giving up on them as a failure. The ancestral Zerg organisms were small and weak larva-like creatures, but they contained the purity of essence sought by the Xel'Naga, being capable of surviving and thriving in a staggering variety of environmental conditions.

With the help of Xel'Naga proto-genetic manipulations, the Zerg survived the torrential firestorms of their world and thrived. As the Xel'Naga pushed their evolutionary advance, they eventually began to develop the ability to burrow into the spinal columns of some less vulnerable creatures on Zerus, parasitically merging with their nervous systems. These new bodies would then be used to manipulate their surroundings. The Zerg began to assimilate the genetic strains and processes of these host animals. However, as the Zerg had an undeviating drive to consume only the most advanced species they encountered, they eradicated lesser, weaker species. The Xel'Naga were surprised to find how quickly the Zerg could steer the evolution of their host creatures. They developed armor-piercing spines, razor-sharp limbs, and ultra-dense carapaces within only a few generations.

Wary of the chaotic infighting that had enveloped the Protoss, the Xel'Naga created the Overmind, an enormous brain-like entity, to bring order to the Zerg. At first it was only a semi-sentient entity created from the instincts and collective sentience of the Zerg, but it quickly evolved.

The Overmind did not directly communicate orders to its minions. As new species were added to the Swarm, it began to relay orders through Cerebrates, giant versions of the Zerg larvae. Direct orders were relayed through Queens and Overlords.

[edit] Expansion

A Mutalisk
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A Mutalisk

The Overmind began to think of its future. In order to continue finding new species, it needed to leave Zerus. Extending its senses into space, it became aware of enormous space-faring organisms. It lured them to Zerus with its psychic abilities and assimilated them into the Swarm. Soon all the Zerg had the ability to survive in space. The Xel'Naga considered this a triumph. The Zerg had not only overcome their weaknesses, but had also retained the purity of their terrible overriding essence.

The Overmind extended itself further into space, becoming aware of the Xel'Naga Worldships in orbit above Zerus. The Xel'Naga realized their psionic link with the Overmind had been severed — the Overmind effectively hid itself from their view.

The Overmind sent its minions into space, attacking the unsuspecting Xel'Naga. Despite the ancient race's best efforts, it was overwhelmed as the Zerg crashed into the hulls of its ships. Within a few hours the Zerg had laid waste to the Xel'Naga fleet. The greater whole of the Xel'Naga was consumed by the raging, genetic whirlwind of the Zerg, and the Overmind gained their knowledge and insights. Processing thousands of sentient beings into itself caused the Overmind to grow much more powerful. It learned the secrets of the sacred Khaydarin Crystals, and began to incorporate the energies of these Crystals into its own. Through the knowledge gained from the Xel'Naga, the Overmind was able to increase the level of sentience in many of the higher Zerg strains, while still keeping them fully under its control.

The Overmind dissected the memories of the Xel'Naga experiments with the Protoss. The Zerg then devoted their energies to seeking out the powerful Protoss in the hope of absorbing them into the Swarm, uniting purity of form and of essence, and to optimize the evolutionary possibilities for its species.

[edit] The Determinant

The Zerg did not know the exact location of Aiur, homeworld of the Protoss, but they were able to travel towards it, adding new species (such as the Mutalisk and Zergling) to the Swarm from various planetary genepools along the way. However, the Zerg Overmind despaired; how could it defeat the Protoss with their powerful psionic abilities, when its own were so limited?

In the shadow of the Protoss lay the Koprulu Sector, a patch of space inhabited by the Terrans. This species had been discovered by Zerg deep space probes. Normally the Zerg would not be interested in such a weak species, but they exhibited a powerful psionic potential. Their probes discovered Terrans living on over a dozen worlds.

The Zerg slowly made their way towards the Terran worlds. The journey lasted for sixty years, but eventually the massive, extended Zerg Swarm reached the outskirts of the Koprulu Sector. According to StarCraft: Uprising, the Zerg infested a number of Fringe Worlds upon their arrival. The Overmind subtly infested the surface of the Terran Confederacy colony of Chau Sara with Hive Spores, then sent its minions down to the surface to infest the Terrans. The Terrans were defeated and largely enslaved or killed.

The Zerg were surprised at the Terran response, and were defeated by a sudden attack by the Protoss, led by Executor Tassadar. The Overmind told its minions not to fight back, in order to observe Protoss attacking for the first time. The attack sterilized all life on the surface of Chau Sara, effectively ending the Zerg infestation.

The Terrans did not warn their compatriots on other worlds, enabling the Zerg to infest Mar Sara virtually unopposed. It is at this point that the StarCraft game begins.

[edit] Plot advancement in StarCraft: Brood War

The Zerg were originally controlled by the Zerg Overmind, who was destroyed by the Protoss Tassadar (at the cost of his own life) at the end of StarCraft Episode III.

By Episode IV, it was revealed that the Zerg had formed a new, young Overmind on Char, the adopted Zerg homeworld, but it was captured by the United Earth Directorate in Episode V. In Episode VI, the final act to date, Infested Kerrigan, the self-claimed Queen of Blades, a former Terran Ghost telepath soldier who had been infested (transformed) into a Zerg/Terran Hybrid, had the second Overmind killed and claimed leadership over the entire Zerg Swarm.

With the Terran Dominion decimated, the expeditionary fleet of the United Earth Directorate destroyed, and the Protoss homeworld Aiur conquered by the Zerg with the survivors fleeing to Shakuras, the Zerg currently stand as masters of the StarCraft universe.

[edit] Zerg Control

All Zerg are directly subject to the will of the Overmind; it is a biological impossibility for them to oppose its directives. Only Cerebrates (smaller brains), and possibly Overlords and Queens, have sentience, and control individual armies (called Broods), using Overlords as lieutenants to directly control the warriors and workers. The lesser Zerg minions are wholly dependent upon the Cerebrates and the Overlords for order. Should a Cerebrate die, its brood may run amok; the animalistic natures of individual Zerg emerge. In the context of a multiplayer match, when an Overlord dies, a Zerg player loses control points, and must create more overlords to replace the loss. Without these control points, additional Zerg units cannot be built. Even Zerg buildings are living organisms, and aren't built but grown. They act as organs in the body of the Zerg Hive Cluster.

Zerg's broods are mostly named after Norse mythological monsters (Jormungand, Garm, Surtur, etc.).

[edit] List of notable Zerg

  • Cerebrates:
  • Entities who controlled the Zerg swarm:
  • Notable Zerg/Terran Hybrids:
  • Torrasque: Ultralisk of a much stronger variety, infamous for being reincarnated multiple times by Cerebrates.
  • Hunter Killer: A much stronger version of the Hydralisk. It's exclusively bred by the Tiamat Brood and are used in many missions, usually used as shock troopers, although no more than 12 have ever been seen at once (in campaigns).
Spoilers end here.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Wikibooks
StarCraft by Blizzard Entertainment
StarCraft Universe Gameplay of StarCraft • StarCraft storyline • Psionic technology
Factions and Organizations Judicator Caste • Kel-Morian Combine • Khalai Caste • Protoss • Protoss Conclave • Pirate Militias • Raynor's Raiders • Sons of Korhal • Templar Caste • Terran • Terran Confederacy • Umojan Protectorate • United Earth Directorate • Xel'Naga • Zerg • Zerg Brood
Locations Aiur • Antiga Prime • Braxis • Char • Chau Sara • Korhal • Mar Sara • Moria • Shakuras • Talematros • Tarsonis • Umoja • Zerus
Characters Aldaris • Artanis • Gerard DuGalle • Edmund Duke • Samir Duran • Fenix • Sarah Kerrigan • Arcturus Mengsk • Nova • Raszagal • Jim Raynor • Alexei Stukov • Tassadar • Zeratul • Zerg Overmind • Minor Characters
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