Khas

**Khas**, once known as **Savassan** was the protoss credited with ending the Aeon of Strife by creating the psionic philosophy called the *Khala*.

## History

Savassan was born during the Aeon of Strife, a warrior of the Shelak tribe. Though he kept this secret, he was unaffected by the madness that gripped most of the protoss species.

The Shelak tribe guarded a number of xel'naga artifacts, though they did not understand them. The artifacts were covered in writing that Savassen believed he could decipher with time. To that end, he and Temlaa copied as many of the inscriptions as they could onto parchment made from animal skins, and left the tribe.

In their subsequent travels, Savassen discovered a cavern full of khaydarin crystals. By touching one, he rediscovered the long dormant psionic link shared by all protoss. He and Temlaa brought the crystals back to the Shelak tribe. The tribal leader Telkar wanted to employ the crystals as a weapon against their enemies, but Temlaa and Savassen had a more scholarly interest in learning about the crystals.

With further study, they discovered they could access the psionic link when they were not with the crystals. They also were able to use the crystals to decipher the inscriptions on the xel'naga artifacts. Granted visions by the crystals, Temlaa and Savassan were able to learn the location of an undiscovered cavern where more xel'naga artifacts could be found.

The duo traveled to the location they had foreseen, which led them to an open plain with khaydarin crystal strewn across it. By solving the Perfect Ratio problem, Savassan was able to touch the appropriate crystals in order to open the cavern. Inside, they discovered several dead protoss, withered away and seemingly attached to a vine that connected to a massive khaydarin crystal. Savassan connected himself to the vine -- the crystal began to glow a magenta color, and he too began to waste away. Temlaa used a console inside the cavern to free him -- and he was restored both physically and mentally. While attached to the crystal, Savassan gleaned information about the self-hatred the protoss felt, which drove the Strife -- and learned that recreating the species-wide psionic link would end the wars between the tribes.

With this in mind, Savassan returned to the Shelak tribe and taught them to reconnect with the psionic link. Afterwards, he adopted the name Khas and began to travel Aiur, reawakening the link for nearly all of the protoss. Eventually he transformed protoss society under his philosophy, which he called the Khala. The first of his students formed a new tribe -- the Ara tribe.

Some of the tribes resisted -- for instance, the Gyras tribe, who had engaged in blood feuds in an arena throughout the Aeon of Strife. Khas used the psionic energy of the khaydarin crystals to obliterate the arena. The Gyras soon adopted the khala for themselves. The Aeon of Strife was soon ended and protoss society began to be restructured, forming a caste system with the Judicator, Templar, and Khalai castes.

Khas lived to die peacefully of old age. His psionic energies merged into the Khala, and he became one with it.

## Legacy

Before the death of Adun, protoss often saluted each other with the phrase "En taro Khas." Even into the time of the End War, protoss still often said "Khas preserve us" and "Khas help us."

## Source

Khas is derived from *Starcraft*. For canon information, please visit:

* Starcraft Wiki