The Valley of the Shadow is a resource-rich area on Brontes IV. However, the terran colonists were unable to exploit the wealth due to harsh local environmental conditions. The zerg Incubus Brood did not consider this a hardship however and exploited the resources, until the protoss Judicator Syndrea ordered her archon adviser, Aedus/Xerxes, to destroy the zerg harvesting operation and use the resources for her own forces.