#(and tristram from diablo)

[xwhitenoise]

why is the incredibly ominous track from the gauntlet of shar not on spotify, wtf

[ohnoitstbskyen]

Why do you think Diablo has disenged on it's core themes? (I mean I agree) I've always considered it to be a franchise with some insane wasted potential, but my perspective comes more from Diablo 3 and 4. Id be nice if you could expand on that.

I mean, my argument is that Diablo 1 was a dungeon crawler with a randomized loot mechanic that existed mostly to enable the roguelike random level generation that ensured replayability for the adventure. Players shouldn't be able to simply beeline it to the most powerful items in the game once they figure out exactly where they are, so randomization made each journey into the Tristram Cathedral a new process of discovery.

It's a game that, yes, wants to provide engaging gameplay, but just as much as the discovery of loot, it is driven by discovery of its world and story - multiple NPCs in the game exist that have no function or benefit to the player except as characters to interact with. You find lore tomes in the labyrinth which give you exposition about the world, but offer no tangible benefits. Shrines will randomize your stats, transform your potions, curse your items, randomly teleport you into a horde of monsters. The world is populated by objects, people and events that entice a player with curiosity to see what happens as much as they entice the player with the power fantasy of Making Number Go Up, and plenty of interactions have no hard gameplay benefit. "Sub dungeons" in the labyrinth, like the Halls of the Blind or Chamber of Bone, exist in part to give the player lootable rewards and monsters to fight, but also each of them have their own exposition, lore and worldbuilding (however limited by budget and technical limitations).

Diablo 2 realized that the skinner box thrill of randomized loot drops and number-go-up optimization was by far the most primally emotionally engaging part of Diablo 1's gameplay, and began the process of reorienting the franchise ENTIRELY to enable that specific pleasure. The loot system expands exponentially, crafting, gem slotting, etc all get introduced, and loot mechanics are given pride of place in terms of how the game engages the players. Shrines all provide knowable, specific benefits, every NPC is either a quest-giver or a merchant, there are HUNDREDS of randomized sub-dungeons on every map, and the vast majority of them have absolutely no narrative content whatsoever, they are merely slot machine arms for the player to pull, hoping for a chance of a jackpot loot drop.

Diablo 3 is the apotheosis of this process - a game which drops all pretense that the nature of your loot matters in favor of orienting every part of it around chasing the high of Getting A Bigger Number. You're a sorcerer running around with a greatsword? No problem! You cast all your spells as normal. So long as the greatsword has Bigger Numbers, anything works. Templar with a Wand? Equally viable! Damage numbers inflate into the millions, hordes of monsters swell with ever greater numbers, your spells and abilities clear entire screens in seconds, and everything in the game revolves around enabling the player's power fantasy.

In Diablo 1 you are an unimportant adventurer, the latest in a long line of unremarkable hopefuls, stepping alone into the bowels of a middle-of-nowhere village church, creeping slowly through its doors and hallways, fighting its monsters primarily one by one. Any group of ranged monsters can kill you in seconds, even in the late-game, and if you get surrounded, likely as not you are quite simply dead. It's tense, lonely, unglamorous and often desperate. Unwieldy inventory management puts constraints on your ability to heal and restore mana. You can only carry so many potions while leaving room for loot, and remember to leave room for your Town Portals and Identify scrolls, and for your all-important gold, which will clog your inventory almost totally by the end. Slay a unique monster and hope to god that the item it dropped wasn't cursed. Touch a shrine and you might lose 2 Strength points and suddenly be unable to equip your armor. When you kill Diablo, you find he is nothing but the possessed body of a young boy who was abducted and abused by a corrupt priest, an ugly and mundane tragedy leading to extraordinary suffering.

In Diablo 3 you are the most specialest most important incredible super-hero that has ever existed. You are a half-angel half-demon unstoppable killing machine, mowing down hordes of demons and corrupted angels like nothing, absolutely BATHING in infinite showers of ultra-powerful legendary loot, each more ultra-powerful and legendary than the last. You deal ten million damage with a single ability. You fight Ultra Diablo, the special super-powered SUPER SAIYING MEGA ULTRA super-powered extra special Prime Evil who is the most powerful evil bad guy who has ever existed and YOU are the only one in the whole universe who can beat him because you're SO special, yes you are! Identify shit by clicking on it! Cast town portal whenever you want! Enemies drop infinite health potions whenever you need them! Fuck it, you even KILL DEATH by the end because you are invincible and immortal and unstoppable and perfect. Fear has no hold on you, never in your life will you know uncertainty or doubt. AND it's your birthday! Buy a sword that is 3.2% better than your magic wand with real money in the auction house as a treat!

tl;dr Diablo 1 is an adventure game, Diablo 3 is Cookie Clicker.

[gigabyte-flare]

The Necromancer

A Gigabyte Flare One Shot

Summary: Ash is a seasoned Demon Hunter that stumbles upon the village of Tristram to assist with an ongoing undead infestation. However, a recluse Necromancer hiding out in the nearby Cathedral has other plans...

Word Count: 2.3k

Pairing: necromancer!Sephiroth x OC/Self Insert

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. Actions depicted in this story are not condoned in real life. You are responsible for your own content consumption. If any of the following warnings trigger you, please read at your own risk. Minors do not interact, this story is 18+ only.

Warnings: Sex (p in v), dubcon (OC caves like instantly), oral (f and m receiving), breeding kink

A/N: This is actually an old fic I wrote back in 2021 starring Sephiroth in a Diablo AU that never got posted anywhere. It's an OC/self insert, I hadn't started writing x reader fics at that point. I hope you enjoy it anyway! I wanted to share it because I really like how this one is written!

I wandered into the Slaughtered Calf Inn half awake and starved from my journey to Tristram. The air stank of death; there were rumors a Necromancer had taken up residence in the bowels of the Tristram Cathedral and was tormenting the town with his experiments. I practically collapsed at the bar; the innkeeper approached and slid a pint of beer, some bread and cheese in front of me. I ripped off a piece of bread and ate it.

“Couldn’t have found a worse time to come, traveler. We’ve had a bit of a…” the innkeeper cleared his throat before continuing, “undead problem.”

“That’s why I’m here friend,” I said as I motion to the two hand crossbows strapped to my waist, “I’ve come to alleviate your Necromancer problem.”

“Ay, he showed up about three months ago, cursed thing,” the innkeeper growled as he wiped down the bar, “what are you, some kind of mercenary?”

I shook my head, “I’m a Demon Hunter; I specialize in the slaying of the undead.”

“You’ll want to talk to Leah, she has the key to the Cathedral gate,” the innkeeper said before calling out, “Leah! Someone has come to take care of the Necromancer!”

“Oh! That’s fantastic!” Leah rushed in and approached the bar, “you must be the Demon Hunter!”

“I am,” I hold out my hand to shake hers, “I would have gotten here sooner but there seems to be undead all over the place around here.”

“You can thank the Necromancer for that, that bastard,” Leah groaned as she sat beside me.

I took a sip out of the pint, “what happened when the Necromancer showed up?”

“He murdered my Uncle Deckard, slit his throat right open and then he was revived and turned into one of his puppets right before my eyes. I had just enough time to run out and lock the gate before the whole place was overrun with undead.”

I watched as tears welled up in Leah’s eyes, “I’m so sorry.”

Leah wiped her eyes, “I’m just glad you’re finally here so we can kill that monster.”

“You’re not going anywhere Leah, I’m going to the Cathedral alone.”

Leah looked over and glared at me. When she was met with my cold stare, she let out a sigh and relaxed her shoulders, “I’ll take you to the Cathedral gate and unlock it.”

“Then you’ll come back here.”

“Yes. I’ll come back here.”

“Good, I’m going to retire to one of the rooms and rest up. Leah, would you mind bringing me to the gate tomorrow morning?”

“Sure, I’ll meet you there at sunrise.”

“Alright, see you in the morning then, Leah,” I say as I stand up from the bar and head into one of the rooms.

My sleep was restless; I couldn’t help but feel like someone was watching me from the shadows in the room. 

********

Sephiroth poured over the volumes of books that were kept deep in the bowels of the Tristram Cathedral. He had heard about Cain Deckard’s research on the lesser evils and decided to take the old man out in order to gain access to it. The fact that he now had his own large lair to do his experiments was a very nice perk. His jade, cat-like eyes scanned the pages of Deckard’s research, deeply engrossed in the writings. His silver hair, which went well past his knees, seemingly glowed in the low light of the candles in the room. Suddenly, he stood alert, his eyes wide, as if sensing something. His left hand wove in the air and clenched as he held Deckard’s research in his right hand. A pale blue light encompassed his left fist. The light glowed brighter as he stood there. He suddenly spread his fingers and his hand engulfed in a blue flame. 

A few minutes passed and a group of skeletons came into the room, dragging a woman into the room with them. She kicked and thrashed in an attempt to break free, but Sephiroth’s magic was much too powerful for her. Sephiroth slowly turned to the skeletons and the captive intruder. 

His jade eyes scanned her body up and down. Demon Hunter: he knew their kind, however he admittedly had never seen one so beautiful. She had haunting blue eyes, short brown hair that was styled asymmetrically to one side. 

She was thin, but muscular; he could tell she took good care of herself. His eyes lingered on her perky breasts, which bounced gently as she fought the restraint of his skeletal thralls. When his eyes finally met hers, her eyes were filled with hatred and death; he knew if his magic relented that her powerful hands would end up around his throat. He felt a warmth in his loins, something he didn’t think he could ever feel. 

He smirked at the woman, crossing his arms as he continued to watch her struggle.

“Did you seriously think you could just waltz in here and kill me?” Sephiroth asked, his voice cool but sinister.

She spat at him, “you fucking bastard, let me go!”

“I will not,” he purred as he approached her, standing within inches of her, “you intrigue me, Demon Hunter.”

“Are you going to kill me and turn me into one of your puppets?” the woman growled.

“I could do that,” his gaze lingered back to her breasts for a moment before he looked back into her hate filled eyes, “but you’ll be much more entertaining to me alive.”

The hate in her eyes suddenly yielded to fear and she started to struggle more violently, as if sensing what was going to happen to her. Watching her be consumed by fear excited him, he could feel it in his leather trousers. Dropping his arms to his sides before bringing up his left arm, he spreads his fingers on his left hand again, now glowing with a pale blue aura.

“Keep her perfectly still,” he commanded.

The skeletons tightened their grip on the captive girl, holding her still by her arms, torso and legs. Leaning in, Sephiroth takes in her scent by sniffing ever so subtly. She smelled sweet, almost like a wildflower, he wondered why. He felt his cock pulse at her scent, making the confines of his trousers increasingly uncomfortable. 

As if his right hand had a mind of its own, he suddenly grasped one of her breasts. Giving it a gentle squeeze, he was surprised by how soft and supple it was. He then grasped her other breast with his other hand even though it was still pulsing with power. The woman let out a soft whimper as she attempted to squirm, but the skeletons’ iron grip kept her in place. 

Sephiroth’s hands slid from her breasts, down the sides of her body and came to a rest on her hips. He didn’t understand what exactly he was feeling, as he never experienced anything like this. His left hand groped at her toned backside as his right gently grasped her chin and tilted her head back. His lips suddenly met hers and he kissed her gingerly. He could feel her tremble in his grasp as he kissed her. He released her from his grasp, brought his left hand up into a fist as his hand burst into blue flame.

“Bring her to the bedroom and place her onto the bed.”

The skeletons carried her into an adjacent bedroom, Sephiroth followed close behind. He watched as the skeleton thralls gently placed her onto his bed, it pleased him that she didn’t attempt to flee. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the thralls and they left the room. He closed the door as they left. He watched her intently as she lay on the bed, her legs spread wide as she propped herself up by her elbows. He began to unbutton his loose gray tunic, revealing his pale, but very well toned chest and abdomen. He pulled it off and tossed it aside before approaching the bed.

“Tell me Demon Hunter,” he began as he climbed onto the bed, crawling between her spread legs, “what is your name?”

“It’s… it’s Ash.”

“Ash… the remnants of a flame,” he said as he began to undo her trousers.

He slowly pulled them off, taking care to also remove her boots as well and he pushed them onto the floor. They fall with a loud thud. He gazed in awe at what he saw; Ash’s legs remained spread, her vagina fully exposed to him. It was oozing with juices and she smelled absolutely divine, inviting even. His cock was begging to be released but he wanted to savor her before indulging himself. 

“What is your name…?” Ash suddenly asked with a slight whimper.

“I am called Sephiroth,” he replied as he approached her very aroused entrance, “it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance my beautiful phoenix.”

Closing his eyes, he once again inhaled her natural scent. He felt chills throughout his body, almost as if he was getting high off her.

She’s in heat, he realized as he once again gazed upon her beautiful entrance, if I mate with her now, she will likely be impregnated from my seed.

This realization excited him; a devious smirk crossed his lips before his tongue caressed her clit. He felt her flinch in response; his tongue caressed it a few more times before his lips latched onto it, suckling her. He felt her heels dig into the bed and her fingers grip onto the sheets. After a few moments she moaned his name as one of her hands gripped the back of his head. His lips moved from her clit to the lips of her soaked pussy and he lapped up her juices. The taste of her was indescribable. His tongue slipped inside her and stroked her inner walls, making her squirm even more. As he indulged himself on her, he could hear her pull her tunic off and toss it across the room. Removing his mouth from her entrance, he gazed upon her now naked chest.

Her breasts were perfect. Round and perky, her nipples were erect from arousal. He looked into her blue eyes, now filled with lust. He climbed on top of her, placing a gentle kiss on one of her breasts, his lips cupping the erect nipple perfectly. Meanwhile, his deft fingers stroked her pussy before pushing two of them inside her. Moving his fingers in a come hither motion, she squirmed beneath him as he began to suckle her breast. He suddenly pushed a third finger inside her, causing Ash to let out a rather loud moan. His cock pulsed in his trousers, he couldn’t stand it anymore. He pulled his fingers out of her, now soaked in her juices. He licked his fingers clean as he gazed upon her naked body.

“Ash, allow me to ignite your flame,” Sephiroth said in a lust filled growl as he undid his own trousers.

His member, now free from its leather prison, stood erect and ready. Ash let out an audible gasp as she gazed upon it. It was easily 10 inches in length. Now nude himself, he stood on his knees over her, slowly stroking himself as he gazed upon her form. Ash suddenly sat up, approaching his member, wrapping her mouth around it. He gasped as her head bobbed up and down on his shaft. Sephiroth growled as he tilted his head back. His fingers ran through her hair as she sucked his cock. His hips instinctively thrusted into her mouth, which she didn’t seem to mind thankfully.

“Oh Ash, my queen,” he moaned as he gripped the back of her head as he continued to thrust into her.

Ash, suddenly taking her mouth off him, laid back down onto the bed, spreading her legs wide open.

“Come, my king,” she whispered, looking up at him, her eyes pleading, “take what is rightfully yours.”

Without saying a word, Sephiroth climbed back on top of her, pinning her to his bed. One hand grasped his member as he led it to her eager pussy. When he felt himself in position, he thrusted into her hard and fast. Ash screamed, her fingers digging into his back as he pounded into her. Animalistic instincts took over his thoughts, all he could think about was breeding her. As if reading his thoughts, she angled her hips in such a way that he could thrust deeper into her body. Gazing down at her, his hands once again grasped her breasts as his lips locked onto hers. She moaned his name into their kiss as her legs wrapped around his waist, as if to beckon him to release inside her. He could feel his climax approaching as he fucked her relentlessly.

Ash suddenly began to violently tremble as she let out a loud, lust filled moan and in that moment, Sephiroth felt a burning heat release from inside him as he pushed inside her as hard as he could. His cock pulsed inside her, pumping his seed deep into the depths of her womb. Her legs tightened their grip around his waist, forcing him deep into her. After a few moments, he began to thrust into her again before another wave of ecstasy consumed him and more of his seed spilled into her body. He watches as her eyes roll into the back of her head, however, he does not relent. It was going to be a very, very long night.

[lowercasespaghetti]

Thank you, @jerkeline for tagging me in this. It's a nice way to get out of the shell I hide in.

Favourite Colours: I'm quite partial to blue, rich navys and sky tones. I just love the velvet and electric textures of the colour. It's like those super sour candies. I also do quite like a rich yellow, darker tones of the colour are so serene. But blue does take the cake here.

Last Song Played: The last song I listened to was Anchored by Massa Nera. It's one of my favourite songs. Before that it was the Tristram theme from Diablo II.

Currently Reading: At the moment I'm re-reading the Bionicle comics, for a hit of nostalgia and escapism. I'm trying to read more in general, but I'm not great for it.

Currently Craving: A really nice hug, tranquility. A momentary escape, adventure, mystery. There's these really excellent veggie chicken things that are so crispy and flaky, it's almost like real fried chicken; one of those in a sandwich with some ceasar dressing and lettuce.

Coffee or Tea: I'd like to lie to myself and say tea, but the untouched boxes in my pantry would give me away. I also genuinely really like the flavour of coffee, I like that smooth dark taste.

I summon @corrach, @mousegirlpodcast, @ass-beef. Complete this at your leisure, or don't: I can't make you do anything you wouldn't do already.

[autolenaphilia]

Diablo (1997)

The first Diablo game from 1997 feels like the computer role-playing genre boiled down to its bare essentials. A minimalist game made in what is often an (over-)complicated genre. There are only three character classes, a melee-focused warrior, a bow-and-arrow focused Rogue, and a magic-focused sorceror. There are only four main stats to upgrade, strength, magic, dexterity and vitality. There is a single town area, Tristram with the usual RPG shops, and it exists on top of the 16-level mega-dungeon where you will spend the bulk of the game. There is story and lore, but far less of it than the often wordy RPG genre.

It’s about a straight-forward dungeon crawler game as it gets. It’s a game about fighting the monsters, getting XP, items and money from them, upgrading your character and equipment until you are strong enough to take on Diablo himself, the final boss, hiding out at the end of the dungeon. This kind of laser-focused simplicity and mininalism is beautiful in itself in my opinion. This game knows what is about, and that is the combat. It’s designed so you can just ”get in and start smashing things. ” to quote lead designer David Breivik.

And the action is what defined the game’s legacy. Diablo is far from the first action-RPG, but it’s a major and influential title in that genre. Its success established the genre in western computer gaming. Diablo’s isometric third-person perspective with real-time point-and-click controls became widely imitated, not just by its sequels that continue to this day, but by a whole genre of “Diablo-clones.” including many beloved games like Nox and Dungeon Siege.

And the action in the original Diablo remains addicting to this day, offering a visceral enjoyment but also requires you to think and act strategically. It’s a difficult game, rushing in and aggro-ing too many enemies at once will kill you quickly, so you have to advance cautiously and think about what you are doing.

It gets frustrating at times. And some things haven’t aged well, like the slow movement speed. Yet Diablo is not as punishingly difficult as some of its influences like Rogue. It remains reasonably accessible. You can save and reload at any time. I’m notoriously bad at managing stats in rpgs, I tend to end up with an underpowered character in the end, but even I was able to figure out Diablo’ssimple four-stat system. And what saved me in the end is the ability to restart the game with the same character, keeping your stats and items. It was after doing that twice that I was finally able to defeat the final boss.

And replaying the game isn’t as much of a grind as you might think. The dungeon’s levels, including sidequests, item drops, and what enemies are on which floor are randomly generated (its most obvious inspiration from Rogue). Each playthrough is different, lending variety and replayablity to such a simple game. And there is multiplayer too, which I haven’t even explored yet.

It helps that the game sustains such a strong atmosphere throughout. It may look a bit grainy by modern standards, but the art direction, music and sound design are so excellent. It creates in combination with the tense gameplay this convincing gothic horror/dark medieval fantasy mood that is utterly compelling.

And it’s an experience well worth seeking out today. Blizzard might have ruined franchise’s reputation with later games with always-online requirements and predatory monetization, but the original Diablo is a game that is free from such things. It’s an achievement that stands the test of time. You can get it on GOG, and I highly recommend using the devilutionx port.

[debochira]

Diablo's Gate

Fanfiction! A crossover between Diablo and Baldur's Gate III

Warnings: Blood, violence, depictions of corpses, corpses... Look, it's Diablo, Mature Audiences only and all that.

Four heroes journey to the town of Tristram, where a dark evil has been brewing. Together, they will smite this Lord of Terror and bring peace to the land… but even if they succeed, can they withstand the horrors of victory? Rated M for Mature. AU Fusion Fic.

Diablo's Gate

ACT I - The Darkening of Tristram

Prologue - The Arrival of the Four

~~~

Take heed and bear witness to the truths that lie herein, for they are the last legacy of the Horadrim.

There is a war that rages on even now, beyond the fields that we know - between the Utopian Kingdoms of the Ethereal Planes and the Nine Layers of the Burning Hells. This war is known as the Great Conflict, and it has raged and burned longer than any of the stars in the sky. Neither side ever gains sway for long as the forces of Light and Darkness constantly vie for control over all creation.

When the eternal conflict between the Ethereal Planes and the Burning Hells falls upon mortal soil, it is called the Sin War. Angels and Demons walk amongst humanity in disguise, fighting in secret, away from the prying eyes of mortals. Some daring, powerful mortals have even allied themselves with either side, and helped to dictate the course of the Sin War...

~ Jered Cain

~~~

There was scarcely a soul in town who had not heard of the death of King Leoric Thorm. He had only been King for five years, having declared himself so upon settling in the rural town of Tristram. There, he appropriated the ancient Horadric monastery and repurposed it into a Selunite temple. The townspeople were not pleased by this development but, thanks to the charms of Leoric's beautiful daughter Isobel and his own pure heart and earnest justice, he won their favor.

The first year of his reign was rather splendid, if only compared to the four years that followed. The changes were subtle, too gradual to be noticed by those who rarely saw him.

At first it was suspected that he was stricken ill. The prevailing hope was that with some rest and fair weather, King Leoric Thorm would regain his vitality and resume his noble rulings.

This was not to be, for King Thorm became hollow, sunken, and decrepit. His gaze became harsher, even vicious at times, as bouts of paranoia slithered into his mind.

No one could have predicted the first slew of executions, let alone seeing Queen Asylla herself among them. Perhaps they had privately questioned the king's state, for soon after their deaths he declared war against the neighboring country of Westmarch. From that moment on, King Leoric Thorm became known as The Black King of the Sword Coast.

The horror of the Black King's reign grew ever worse when his beloved daughter, Princess Isobel, vanished without a trace. His fury knew no bounds, executing scores of innocent people in search for his only remaining family. Such was his madness that he even accused his own lieutenant, Lachdanan Ravengard, of kidnapping Isobel despite the fact that Lachdanan was away at war with Westmarch.

It was Lachdanan himself who finally slayed the Black King, wishing with all his heart that this would put Leoric to rest at last. The king was given a burial in the royal crypts of his Selunite temple. Despite the people's rejoicing, Lachdanan himself soon vanished inside the temple, most likely to find Princess Isobel.

He was never seen again.

~~~

That was all she needed to hear from the local drunkard to convince her to go to Tristram. Perhaps this was a simple case of a runaway daughter that went horribly wrong, perhaps there was a conspiracy deeper than anyone could know. Either way, she was determined to find out.

She always packed light, needing little more than her sleep clothes, her work clothes, and the axe she loved to heft over her shoulder. The journey was a few days by foot; shortly after the Black King gained his new nickname, caravans stopped coming to Tristram unless they had merchandise to sell, which was perfect for her as she loved traveling. The Sword Coast was always beautiful even at the worst of times.

It helped that she had some interesting company with which to converse on the way.

"A sorcerer, eh?" she asked between sips from her wine-filled canteen. "What brings you all the way from the Far East, soldier?"

Her companion took the canteen and brought it to his parched scaly lips. His white scales carried a red undertone, particularly around his throat, which made his head stick out from his dark robes. "My clan was curious about the matter," he said. "What about you, warrior?"

"Karlach," she said, offering her hand. "Karlach Cliffgate."

"Tavarus," he replied as he took her hand in turn. "Call me Tav."

"Pleasure. As for me, I heard there was trouble afoot."

Tav raised an eye ridge. "A regular knight in shining armor, you are. I daresay I'm surprised to see one of your kind so close to what seems to be demonic activity."

"Ah, that." Karlach was certainly accustomed to strange looks at her vibrant red skin and twin curved horns, not to mention innocent children chasing her tail. Even her hair had a touch of the unknown with its black color and red highlights. By any casual observation, she was a demon straight from the Burning Hells. "Well, truth be told, I have a reputation to uphold. I pride myself on not caring what others think, and if they're willing to work with me, I can show them not every tiefling allies with the forces of evil." She took a deep swig of her canteen and gestured back at Tav. "Besides, you're not exactly human yourself."

"Well spotted," he replied, blinking his flaming red eyes at her. "I wish I could say something as inspirational as you but the truth is I am here only to investigate rumors of this demonic activity."

Karlach scoffed. "And what are you going to do if there is? You're just going to leave?"

"The thought occurred to me," Tav said before he laughed. "Of course I'm not just going to leave. In the event of demonic activity, I'll do my best to repel their forces until the rest of my clan can arrive."

"A tiefling and a dragonborn," Karlach mused. "What a pair we make, eh soldier?"

Tav nodded as he leaned on his quarterstaff. "I've heard worse jokes."

Karlach opened her mouth to continue when a breeze of frigid, biting air rolled over her. It was broad daylight in the middle of summer, yet the wind was cold as ice.

Rather than making her feel cold, it soaked her in an aura of dread. Her fingers itched against her axe; there, just beyond that hill, something was waiting for them.

RUN! her mind screamed, yet her tempered instincts forbade this.

"Did you feel that?" Tav asked.

"You felt it too?" Karlach whispered. "What in the hells was that?"

Tav's red eyes narrowed at the horizon. "Evil, my friend. That was pure evil."

Karlach took a deep, shaky breath. She took a step forward, then another, then another, but that pervasive aura never left her. Each step took longer than the last, each footfall the heartbeat of a dying animal.

"I'm not going back," she said, though she did not know if she was stating that to Tav, herself, or the burning terror emanating from Tristram. "I-I am not going back!"

Then you face death.

A whisper in her ear, a lover's charm before the plunge.

"My mother did not raise a coward," said Tav, his grip on his quarterstaff tight enough to dig his claws into the wood. "I suspect yours didn't either."

Karlach stood straight, brushed the invisible caress of the wind from her neck, and shook her head. "My mum certainly did not."

~~~

"Of course I'm out of wine," grumbled the town magistrate as he tipped over his empty goblet. Another dreary day in dreary old Tristram, only now he did not have the benefit of alcohol to make the time more palatable. He supposed he could strike up a conversation with one of the townsfolk, but he had too much paperwork to sort through.

He was the ninth Tristram magistrate this year; while his predecessors were stated to be taking leaves of absence, he could guess what really happened to them. He was quite sure his survival was thanks to Lieutenant Ravengard. He never did thank the man for ending the Black King's reign of terror, and now that the lieutenant disappeared inside the temple, he never would.

Tucking a silver lock of hair behind his ear, the magistrate sighed. "So much to do, so much to do..." With the Black King's reign ended, the magistrate knew he had plenty of time to organize and catalog the events of the king's death, but he also had to finish his predecessors' work, investigate hearings of treason and heresy, and find the source of the town's poisoned water supply! That was not even part of a magistrate's duty, but with the other officials either too scared or too dead to coordinate such efforts, that task fell to him as well.

Perhaps it was because he was the only elf in Tristram, not that it was his choice. Ever since that aristocrat sent him here and sang his praises to the Archbishop Lazarus Gortash, he had been getting dirty looks from everyone except that lovely barmaid and the elder of the village, Deckard Cain.

Speaking of lovely, a knock sounded at his door. His green eyes were happy for the distraction as he had spent too long looking through documents by candlelight. One of the benefits of not needing sleep, he supposed.

He opened the door to find the barmaid smiling on the other side. "Hello, my dear."

"Good morning, Magistrate Ancunin," she said.

Blinking, the magistrate glanced to the window. "Gods, it really is morning." He turned back to her with an easy smile and a bow of his head. "Good morning to you as well, Gillian."

Gillian held up a covered basket, the scent of freshly baked bread seeping through the cloth. "I thought you might be hungry, Magistrate."

"Darling, I've told you before to call me Astarion."

"Oh, I do apologize, Magis... Astarion. I forget myself sometimes."

"All is forgiven," said Astarion as he held the door open for her to come in. "I must say, you seem in good spirits this morning."

Gillian nodded, setting the basket on the short table near the fireplace. "I've heard rumors of heroes coming to Tristram," she said. "They're coming to help us."

"Took them long enough," he grumbled. "I only sent the summons out weeks ago."

"You mustn't blame them, Astarion." Gillian uncovered the basket—a freshly baked loaf of bread, several apples, and some aged cheese—and split the loaf, offering a bite to her host. "This town isn't the beacon of goodness it once was, now that King Leoric is no longer with us."

"Dreadful affair, that."

Gillian frowned; how Astarion hated seeing such an expression on her face. "I don't like to think about how the King died. I like to remember him for the kind and just ruler that he was. His death was so sad and seemed very wrong, somehow."

Astarion nearly said that of course it was sad and wrong that the Black King was slain by his own men after he accused them of a crime they could not possibly have committed, but he held his tongue. He simply popped a piece of bread in his mouth and hummed both at the flavor and the situation. "I suppose Archbishop Gortash is still leading that expedition?"

"Yes," Gillian said, frowning. "They left three days ago. I'm worried, Astarion, they should have been back by now."

"Who knows how deep that temple runs," Astarion replied. "I'm given to understand it used to be a Horadric Monastery. Caves and catacombs abound."

Gillian nodded. "Elder Cain once told me that the Horadrim used to maintain monasteries and temples as deep into the earth as the tallest towers stand above." She fiddled with the cloth from her basket, her knuckles white from her grip. "I... I don't know what's happening, Astarion."

The magistrate did not know the kindly girl that well, but even he had a compassionate side. He set a hand on her shoulder and said, "I'm sure they'll be all right, Gillian. With a smith like Griswold in their ranks, I'm sure they will return in time."

"I wonder what heroes will arrive," Gillian mused aloud.

"Whoever they are," Astarion said, "at least they'll have company."

Gillian nodded. "Moreina."

"That's the one. Apparently she's here on behalf of her sisterhood, though I do wish they had sent more than one admittedly-lovely heroine." The basket emptied, Astarion sighed as he stood up. "Thank you for breakfast, Gillian, but I must return to my duties. Far be it from me to leave the impression that I'm lazy."

"I would never call you lazy, Astarion. You're a very hardworking man, and I'm grateful that we have you looking out for us."

"Now let's not get carried away," he said with a laugh. "I do intend to return to Baldur's Gate one day, preferably within the next year."

Gillian simply bowed her head and said, "As long as we have you, I'm thankful." She turned to leave when the air thickened with the sound of screams. Astarion with his elven grace was out the door before Gillian even realized he had moved. She ran after him, out of the inn, and to the Selunite Temple, where the screams were loudest.

A woman stood guard at the entrance of the temple, her bow tight in her hand. She loosed arrow after arrow at something inside, though Astarion and Gillian were too far to see what. Her flaming red hair billowed in the wind, though that wind seemed to originate from the temple itself. When she saw the two approach, she roared, "STAY BACK!"

Gillian obeyed, Astarion did not. He ran past the stone walls marking the entrance to the temple's front yard just as several figures emerged from the temple itself.

The first was the blacksmith, Griswold. He was covered in cuts and scrapes, but that was nothing compared to what he had in his arms: a boy, barely clinging to life, his left leg ending just below the knee. Fresh blood dribbled from the wound, leaving a trail of red from the temple entrance all the way to Gillian's open arms.

"Wirt!" she cried as she took the boy from Griswold. Her dress already staining red, Gillian carried Wirt to the local healer, Pepin.

Astarion, meanwhile, stood in horrified silence at the rest of the townsfolk, all three of them. Twenty men had gone into the temple, including Archbishop Gortash, yet only these three brave souls remained. Griswold was the most well-off, having only suffered superficial wounds. When Gillian took the boy, he returned to the other men to help them, Astarion joining him.

Griswold lifted one man's arm over his shoulder and hefted him out to the grass beyond the temple's borders, though the man's ramblings would come to haunt Astarion for years afterward: "Big! Big cleaver killing all my friends. Couldn't stop him, had to run away, couldn't save them. Trapped in a room with so many bodies... so many friends... no! NO!"

The man Astarion went to help was too far gone for aid. He collapsed in a heap near the temple entrance, even as Moreina continued to fiercely guard against whatever was inside. "I'll get some potions," Astarion said. "That healer, he'll have some."

He made to stand, only for his charge to grasp his sleeve. "Please, listen to me," the man whispered, his breath stale with blood. "The Archbishop Gortash, he led us down there to find the lost princess." He turned his head and coughed, spewing bloody globs onto the dying grass. "The bastard led us into a trap!"

Astarion paled upon hearing this. "No, that's... Gortash wouldn't, he wouldn't—"

"Now everyone is dead... Killed by a demon he called The Butcher." The man tightened his grip on Astarion, his eyes alight with the last of his strength. "Avenge us! Find this butcher and slay him so that our souls may finally rest..."

"I..." It was too late. The man, whose name Astarion did not even know, was gone.

Moreina the Ranger finally lowered her bow, her fingers red. Her breath was level, and though her forehead was blotted with sweat, her eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. She knelt beside the man, closed his eyes, and uttered a solemn vow. "Your death will be avenged."

~~~

Several days later...

Karlach and Tav slept very little for the rest of the journey; every time they closed their eyes, they were beset by horrific visions. Bodies, twisted and deformed, reaching from the darkness; mirror images of themselves, covered in maggots and pustules; the sun blotted out of the sky while red clouds rained blood onto dead lands.

The nights were terrible, yet the days were even worse. For if they had ventured past the abandoned wagons and houses at night, they might never have seen the mangled corpses of travelers and village folk. Karlach in particular was plagued by the memory of witnessing a crow picking at what was once a man, one eye bobbing from the crow's beak while the other seemed to stare lifelessly right at her.

Tav was haunted by the three corpses hanging from a gnarled tree, their bodies bare to the elements and their limbs shifting in the strong winds that carried that same dread that beset the pair from the beginning. Tav swore one of the bodies was still alive as its legs moved with slightly more purpose, though he dared not disturb them.

They both carried on, through angry marshes and crude wetlands, until at last they came to a river of clean, thriving water.

As if by some miracle, the closer they came to the river, the more the wind died down. By the time they reached it, that feeling of dread shrank to a tingle of anxiety.

The pair tried to carry conversation but even with the river keeping the darkness at bay, there was little they cared to talk about. They did share a quiet laugh at the hope that Tristram would have a tavern with stronger drinks than ale.

It was late into the evening when Karlach and Tav crossed the latest ridge and beheld the sight of Tristram itself. They made their way down the ridge to the town entrance, though they stepped carefully once they saw strange, unholy lights emanating from the temple at the far side of town. Tav's sharp eyes even caught glimpses of short, leathery creatures moving to and fro between the windows. Nothing left the temple but its mouth was cavernous in its vulnerability.

Crossing the threshold into Tristram itself should have been a blessing, for the evil dread vanished once the pair were within the boundaries of the town. However, it was all too clear that the town itself held no true holy power. It was as if the demonic force decided it had had its fun and wanted to bide its time for the next opportunity.

The pair arrived from the north and followed the river southwest, where they spotted a wooden bridge that connected their land to the main body of Tristram. As they approached, they noticed a young boy sitting beneath a tree, its leaves already reddening with autumn fatigue.

"Hello!" Karlach called. The boy's head snapped in their direction and his eyes widened. Karlach waved at him. He did not wave back. "Cheers, lad! This is Tristram, innit?"

The boy's already pallid face grew even paler as he hobbled to his feet—foot! He was missing his left leg! Instead, there was only a crude peg leg in its place.

"DEMONS!" he bellowed, waving a small knife at them. "STAY BACK, STAY BACK OR I'LL—I'LL—"

Tav raised his hands defensively and said, "Easy, lad. We're not demons, we've come to answer the summons by—"

"DEMONS!" the boy cried again as he turned on his only heel. He hobbled with frenzied speed toward the bridge, though his peg leg sank more and more into the shore with every step.

"Boy, stop!" Karlach sprinted for the boy but his frenzy drove him right into the water. "Damn it, no!"

Even in the water, the boy tried to escape his would-be pursuers. His cries of "DEMON!" allowed more and more water into his mouth until he gurgled the word over and over.

"Oh hells..." Karlach dove into the water after him. Her strength and stature allowed her to easily catch up to him, though even then his panicked state would not relent. Thankfully, in his madness he dropped his knife, so he only had weak fists to protest against Karlach's rescue. "Easy there, lad, I've got you."

"IT'S GOT ME!" he cried. "HELP, IT'S GOT ME!"

"For fuck's sake!" Karlach's only relief came from the fact that the boy was so light, so she had no trouble lifting herself out of the water with one arm. The boy continued to fight against her even as she set him down on his rump. "Look, boy, I'm not a demon!"

The instant she released him, he turned and crawled with fiendish fervor away from her, still crying to the town of this new 'demon'.

He did not have to crawl far, for his bellows awoke everyone in town. They were already gathering in front of Karlach by the time she put him down, torches and pitchforks raised.

Karlach took several steps back and raised her hands. "I swear I'm not a demon," she said as calmly as possible. "My name is Karlach. I'm a tiefling, okay?"

Tav caught up to her but she wished he had stayed behind, for his appearance sparked even more animosity from the townsfolk. "Do you always get greeted like this?" he asked.

"Honestly, no," she replied. "These people have seen something horrible, soldier."

The frontmost man, a burly type in a red tunic, folded his arms across his chest. "What business have ye here?!" he declared. While he was certainly intimidating, Karlach and Tav kept a sharper eye on the woman off to the side, her hair tied back and her bow aimed at them.

Tav cleared his throat and said, "I am Tavarus of the Vizjerei, and this is my companion Karlach Cliffgate."

"We don't care who ya are!" yelled a shriveled man with sunken eyes and breath of strong liquor. "Clear out, you evils!"

"We are not evils!" Karlach roared. "We're here to help you people!"

"We didn't ask for help!"

"Well, someone did!"

"Who?!"

"Magistrate...!" Karlach sighed and pulled out the scroll which had provoked her questioning that drunkard three days prior, then looked at the bottom. "Ancunin."

A new voice rang out from the crowd. "Really, I send for help and this is the thanks you give them?" An elf with silver hair emerged and dusted himself off, having squeezed through to get to the front. "I do apologize, we've had some... situations come up. I am Magistrate Astarion Ancunin and I would like to thank you for making the journey to Tristram even if they won't."

With his vouching, the townspeople lowered their weapons. The red-haired woman did as well, though her eyes were steely as she approached the two. "Forgive me, I did not realize you had been called here."

Karlach shrugged. "Not the worst welcome I've had," she said. "And you are?"

"Moreina," said the ranger, "of the Sisterhood of the Sightless Eye."

Astarion looked back at the townsfolk and declared, "All right, you all heard them, they're not evil. Go home, get some rest, and do try and help young Wirt back to himself."

A cute barmaid knelt down and cupped Wirt's cheek. "It'll be all right, you're safe now." She and the burly man helped Wirt back to his feet and escorted him to the large building in the center of town.

"He was never in danger," Karlach muttered. Tav merely shrugged.

Astarion's ear twitched. "You'll have to forgive him," he said. "He... suffered much recently. They all have."

"What has been going on here?" Tav asked, his eyes drifting to that damned temple. "Who is responsible for this?"

"Come to the tavern," Astarion said. "Myself and the village elder will explain what we can."

The four marched through town, though Karlach and Tav stopped at the foul-smelling well in the center. Its water was nothing like the refreshing blue of the river; it was yellow and stank of sickly sweet bile. They refrained from asking about it, figuring that question could be answered in the tavern.

Once inside, they saw Gillian tending to the boy, Wirt, in a corner. In the opposite corner sat an old man, his blue robe seeming almost too big for his frame. Astarion led the trio over to the man and sat down, gesturing for them to do so as well.

"Greetings," said the old man, "my name is Deckard Cain."

The pair introduced themselves for the second time, to which Cain gave them the first genuine smile of the evening.

"Hello, my friends. Stay a while and listen..."

[flowerfletching]

Okay so I have a LOT of AUs which made it a bit difficult to decide which one to use for the assessment but I think this one will work fine. The AU I will be presenting is a Ranger's Apprentice and Diablo 3 Reaper of Souls.

I understand that there are many ways that this can work (Ex: Morgarath being a prime evil and rangers being the demonhunters that have to stop him) but here's the way I've done it:

Set in The Early Years

As it turns out, Halt was apprenticed to two people at once. One of his mentors was Pritchard and the other one was a man named Fiacre that was a demonhunter. Halt started the apprenticeships at about the same time, it was actually so close that Fiacre and Pritchard almost found him at the exact same time. And while yes it was extremely difficult to try to juggle both apprenticeships, Halt somehow found a way to manage it. Naturally, this spawned some differences from the canon universe.

An example of this is when Halt climbed the mountain to spy on Morgarath. Instead of just figuring out what was going on and leaving, he decided that he was not going to give Morgarath the chance to cause any more trouble, at least for awhile anyways. So he used what he learned from Fiacre to blow up as much as he could and then left, having to escape in the process to avoid dying himself. That one decision would take Morgarath years to recover from (15-16 of them perhaps?) since Halt had left him with almost nothing.

When Halt went to Crowley to report on it, while his friend was greatful that Morgarath wouldn't be able to cause any more damage, he also got pissed at Halt for how risky it was. As Crowley was chewing Halt out for nearly getting himself killed, Fiacre walked in. After Halt's second mentor, now only since Pritchard passed, was explained to what the situation was, he also got a bit angry at Halt for his actions. Though, he didn't talk to much about it since there was a very important reason for his visit.

Fiacre explained that he would need to go off and exterminate the evil from his realm and that the task was so dangerous that he may not even survive. Naturally, Halt didn't want to lose his only other mentor, or in his mind, his other father figure. That resulted in Halt telling Fiacre that he was coming with. Both Crowley and Fiacre both tried to tell Halt no, saying that he was needed here to help rebuild the kingdom, but Halt said that it sounded like he was needed far more in the universe that had evil running rampant that needed to be stopped. They conceeded that Halt was right and that it would make sense, that didn't mean that they were fine with it though. But then, Crowley said he'd come with.

The other two tried to tell him no but Crowley pointed out that they'd be more likely to make it back alive if there was someone else to help them. They tried bringing up that he was needed in his position but Crowley said that they could put Farrel in charge until they got back, being that he had a badly broken leg at the time. Halt continued to try and say no but Fiacre decided that Crowley could come with as well. When Halt tried again to make it so that Crowley didn't have to come with, he got told something about the fact that he just almost got himself killed so his opinion didn't count.

They left soon after that conversation, after they'd gotten more prepared and left a letter explaining where they would be for awhile, of course. They teleported to Fiacre's universe, teleporting being something that Halt and Crowley were not used to, and landed on the outskirts of Tristram. And with that, the future acts were ready to unfold.

-------------------

Because the war with Morgarath didn't happen (since Halt blew everything up lmao-) I needed to find another way to work the next generation into the story. Basically what I decided was that the main five children (Horace, Alyss, George, Jenny, and Will) were all souls that Malthael had taken too early, ones that hadn't even had a chance to experience life yet. Once he was defeated, they wanted to save those five but they didn't have anywhere that they could go. That was until they remembered that they'd had Baron Arald build a ward or orphaned children just in case the war with Morgarath, which seemed inevitable at the time, did actually come upon them. So, they decided to place them there.

The thing is that the infants already had names that they would have gotten, had they had the opportunity to live. Their names were written down on a paper that was almost bonded with their souls, though the papers got more difficult to read due to corruption which made them a bit harder to decipher on each child. Then they reached the last child, who had almost disappeared due to the intense damage done to its new soul, that had a paper that had been corrupted so badly that they couldn't even figure out the last name. That last child was Will.

------------

I hope that I was able to explain this AU good enough since I absolutely love it but if I didn't or if there are any questions, please let me know! Not gonna lie I also wanna turn this AU into a fanfic but we'll see if I can actually bring myself to write it TvT

[arduousfanfare]

Thesis Statement: Blizzard wrote itself into a corner with Diablo 4 and are now trying to reconnect the dots to past games/lore.

Spoilers For: Diablo, Daiblo 2, Diablo 3, Diablo Immortal, Diablo 4. Pedantically discussing the larger pieces.

On a personal level what isn't considered spoilers, to me, is facts that are instantly found on any wiki, general lore in the basic of searches. Including game information, art, etc.

For Context: In Diablo 4: Season 3, Season of the Construct is led by Zoltun Kulle. Diablo 4 takes place 50 years after the DLC of Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls. Diablo Immortal is supposed to put the gap between Diablo 2 and Diablo 3. Between Diablo 2 and Diablo 3 it's 20 years. Between Diablo 1 and Diablo 2 it's 2 years.

The Focus: Game World Maps, expanding the world created in December 1996 with every iteration except Diablo 4 can be both good and bad.

The Problem: How each game ends, tying into the world "transformation" but poorly in the sense as with each iteration creates more disconnect.

And now without further ado...

In the beginning there was a town. It was cursed. The NPCS are few and far between but all serve specific purposes as you descend down into the darkness of the blighted church.

The roots heavily inspired by a table top game, Dungeons & Dragons. A lone hero fighitng to defeat the evil that has poisoned them. As the years go on this basic format warps significantly. There is no world map at this point. There is 3 character classes without limitations on what items and skills they can develop. The player can choose what points to invest in their basic stats and skills to invest in as well as some items will provide their own skills.

In Diablo 2 you are in a hodgepodge camp with other survivors. Two look familiar but not exactly. If you do look it up from Diablo 1 the Warrior, Rogue, Sorcerer are Prince Aiden [Becomes the Dark Wonderer and brings the blight of Diablo to the rest of the world], Jazreth [Becomes Diablo 2 Villain the Summoner], and Moreina [Becomes Blood Raven formerly of the Sisterhood of the Sightless Eye]. The town of Tristram has fallen a second time and a familiar face joins the journey through the lands through an ACT structure. That is the only way to orient the world. The world if Procedurally Generated while the Camps is what orient and grounds the player.

The player can choose between multiple classes this go around with more unique basses, skill trees, basic backstories. All NPCs proceed to comment on whatever you choose. Continuing to give purpose in every step as to why the player is here.

Each ACT has a completely different Tileset, with different color enemies of similar statures mixed with new ones to continue to test your mettle against. As you progress it does feel like you are traveling the world.

Lore Point:

The End of Diablo 2: The World Stone is destroyed and exposes Sanctuary more to Heaven and Hell. Wrapping up key stories like the Barbarian Tribes being scattered without purpose after losing the stone.

Everything serves a significant purpose and is extremely detailed.

These trappings are what forms a style that people continue to enjoy today in other games based on this format of using a town to ground the player in the world. Path of Exile taking advantage of this format.

In Diablo 3 you choose your class, you are a traveler who make their way to New Tristram, talk to a Familiar NPC, meet the real Protagonist of the game, retread old enemies and plot points. You do Travel the World, you do have an ACT structure tied to the World Map. You see Sanctuary for what it is. A super continent.

You do get to visit Islands and Heaven/Hell through portals. It all comes together in an established thing.

Lore Point:

Diablo Immortal: Uses the same map and locations as Diablo 3. Continuing to bridge the game between 2 and 3.

The End of Diablo 3: You kill Diablo, trapping him with the other Evils into the Black Soulstone.

The End of Diablo 3; Reaper of Souls: Malthael shatters the Black Soulstone, the 7 Evils are released into the world, the final prophecy of Adria comes true.

Your Player Character is now a retconned child of the Nephalem, you do have a background but again it doesn't play into any significant story beat as you are not the Hero of this story. You are more of a witness.

With all that being said, laid out, established...

[On one hand, this could've been the reset that this franchise needed. This could've been a great leap forward with deepening every piece in a new but familiar space. This could've been Diablo's WoW moment. It hasn't been. This is Diablo Casual.]

In Diablo 4 you are a lost person who tries to weather the storm only to stumble into the cult of Lilith and start the journey to understand her reawakening. Only to find out you're not the Hero of this Story either and you can skip the campaign by making 1 character, get past the cutscene and forget about it. You don't have to play it at all. Which means you can get right into killing demons and getting that sweet loot.

Arguably the actual Campaign is so poorly written and with how it "ends" on a cliffhanger of the real Main Character sailing away... Its mind numbing when the entire game world has been this one significant space and islands dotting around it. Heaven/Hell accessed by Portals but Heaven is silent. Hell is developed a little more interestingly but its not enough.

The Main Antagonist of the game Lilith is devolved into a cartoon villain. There was an opportunity to present these legendary characters into a more moral grey light, possibly adding real rpg components and pushing the story forward in a significant way. None of this happens.

The map is a super continent. Each significant town is a main hub with smaller places spread out. None of the previous locations are mentioned. The character classes are back to basics with only 5 without a knight type. There are distinct tile sets but the enemies are reused/recolored like Diablo 2. There are some enemies who represent classes from Diablo 3, like cultish Zakarum and the monks. But there is no grounding. There is no roots. There is no reason.

Overall the disconnect is surreal. Even more so with "story themes" [in the clinical loosest meaning] being put into Seasons and Zoltun Kulle being hunted for in season 3. It feels out of left field. It could've been tied in better with previous game mentioned Horadrim, deepening how this continent has deep dark roots to previous games. That just like trying to renovate an old house the bones will remember what was lurking there. People have in ancient times rebuilt cities on top of the same points like the city of Troy. Each iteration pancaked on top the next to do in theory better. Building its history.

I understand this is a new game in an established franchise. I understand they wanted to go back to darker, gritty roots that feel more reminiscent of Diablo 1. I understand they took almost every axed feature of Diablo 3 and put it into Diablo 4. Dedicated PvP areas, Paragon Boards, deeper but simpler character creation with builds. Wanting to provide an easier point of entry into this. I understand not everyone really cares about Lore. I understand the first two games were made by essentially the same people/team and then the next two/three games by different people. I understand that even if the original creators had stayed on it wouldn't have made any difference and its just mental conjecture.

I don't understand the why. I can't even figure out if its the execution of these ideas that's bothering me the most or whoever is allowed to write it hasn't put in the work about it. I'm not saying we need the original team back on this because that's a boring argument. I'm saying there is no cohesive structure. No one seemingly at the wheel making these decisions in a significant way that would further the story of this particular game.

It all feels out of left field. Not disappointment. Just disconnected.

Is asking more from a Billion Dollar AAA company too much? Some would say yes. I wouldn't say so. Expectations is a loaded word. Everyone has their own biases and I wouldn't mind a Diablo MMO. But perhaps Blizzard has been clouded too long with WoW. There is so much potential but it continues to feel wasted.

[my-jokes-are-my-armour]

Just tiny bit of my own version of atmospheric Tristram from Diablo.

The position is not very good (I can't anyway), my A string is dead and a bit off but I did play about 10 min, two days in a row and my crippled hand is just stiff. No nerve in fire. I am emotional 😭.

10 min is ridiculous when I played around 15 to 20h a week. But it does so much for the soul.

To be safe I won't play until next week but @spoonietimelordy you may have unlocked something, asking me question about guitare. So thank you 😭 🙏.

[qaylikekay]

Fuckin nerd rant but was looking up some Diablo 1 stuff and ended up skimming through some of the other, newer Diablo stuff on the wiki and just wow. Just a complete misunderstanding of the original premise. Everything is grandiose, every named character important, with an epic backstory, and everything has to lead back to some other big name or another in a big circlejerk. Like what happened to letting this just be grim, the people of Tristram weren't special, the 'heroes' that went into the Chapel weren't god's chosen. They were vagabonds, sellswords, outcast mages looking for ways to horde spells. When you made it to lava filled caverns and finally Hell itself, it was oppressive, a stark contrast to the world above. You were fighting horrors few had ever witnessed and praying the tin suit you had strapped to yourself held together just a bit longer while you scrabbled for a way back to town. Being able to conjure a wall of hire was impressive and the brightly animated flames licking against the cold stone was dazzling. Now immortal, half angel half demon humans fly into battle in a clash of magical arcs, bright streaming lights from angel wings, and roaring demon fire. Set aside the fact for a moment that Blizzard, as a company, sucks ass, and Diablo4 looks to be packed with awful monetization nonsense. Even though they've tried to grimdark D4 up a bit, I really don't know how you step back from that. They've built-up this horribly grandiose, bloated world story, and streamlined the series into such a looting, build optimizing, grind fest that even if I felt inclined to want to buy a Blizzard game at this point like what is left of the things that made Diablo... Diablo? I don't need Deckard Caine summoning heaven sent minerals to be forged into a resplendent suit of armor, foretold in Horadric scrolls. I want the local blacksmith spotting a rock falling out of the sky, shrugging and assuming it must be magical before cutting a ring out of it hoping that maybe it will somehow confer some slight edge before sending the latest wandering warrior into a pit in the ground likely to die.

[creoterative]

Diablo III x TWDG

While I'm playing Diablo III (again), in Expert Mode this time though, I somehow rediscovered my love for this game, since now the enemies are actually challenging again. I can feel this fear and excitement that I felt when I played it for the first time (which was years ago) and the little addition I made just makes it more fun. Even though Marlon regularly gives me heartattacks, because he loses too much dicipline or gets tanked by some boss monster.

What I also did, was analyze the three companions, that you can take with you on the journey you make. I noticed before that they had quite good character arcs, but if you take the time to listen to literally every single word they say, you can see how much input they have in their own stories.

And that's why I took it upon myself, to develop this funny little crossover further and give the companions TWDG personas as well, as you might have noticed xD I'm a sucker for unreasonable and weird crossovers, okay, leave me be.

I've been playing as the Demon Hunter for a few months now again, since that class is by far my favorite (although I love all the classes), and, well, I called that specific Demon Hunter Marlon. Of course, the companions all got blessed with a TWDG persona as well, so... there.

Anyway, here are some things I noticed, it's just me babbling about this game and how much I love Diablo and TWDG, so feel free to skip through this xD It's mostly stuff I noticed, a summary and some minor headcanons.

(SPOILERS ahead)

Louis aka Lyndon the Scoundrel

-He was by far the most entertaining. Louis basically says something in literally any situation, he's constantly making jokes and mocks our enemies, which is quite refreshing. And close to the real Louis in TWDG.

-Since Louis is an archer himself here, it can be a bit difficult to get out of crazy situations, because he cannot give you the backup that Aasim might give you. Aasim may charge in and stun opponents, while Louis has to remain in the distance and try to hit something. Which he does quite well, not gonna lie, but before I got the blocker technique for him, I basically had to do most of the work, if we wanted to make a run for it xD

-His story is amazing. He's a thief from a big, rich city in... the north, I think? Together with his older brother, who was a royal guard, he managed to stage some heists, where they would rob something and he'd tell his bro about the time and date, so he could arrest them (but Louis of course magically disappeared before they could get him too). Then they split up the collected money.

-Louis falls in love with a woman though, that is only interested in his brother. He's jealous, tries to cover it up and continues to decieve the local guards with his bro. But one time, his big brother shows up too early and that raises suspicion. Louis can escape, but his brother gets arrested.

-Feeling guilty for it, and for lusting after his wife, Louis flees and tries to make a living as a thief in Tristram, sending a lot of the money he gets to his brother in prison. Only as the story progresses, he finds out that his brother was killed because of him, as some sort of revenge. And they leave us with a frikin' cliffhanger too, because Marlon and Louis plan on hunting the murderer of his brother, but the game never lets us do it xD

-Anyway, Louis is a delight to be around, especially when in camp, because he's constantly getting on Aasim's nerves for being too stiff and 'boring'.

-Even though he's a thief, he has a very clear idea of what's right and wrong (unlike someone else, cough) and right after claiming that he hates children, he plays with some in the camp, so... he has a bigger heart than it seems. Wayyy bigger.

-Don't make him angry. It's not like Louis is shouting or anything, that's more Aasim's or Marlon's part, but Louis is just creepy when he's angry. He sounds as if he's gonna come back at night to slit your throat, which completely contradicts the rest of his cheery and up-beat character.

-He's quite determined and is eager to not let his fear shine through, even though we're literally facing the Angel of Death itself at the end of the game. Louis is questioning the reason for our journey quite a lot actually, but he never seems to really doubt the cause, you know? It's like he's trying to make Marlon think about what he's actually doing with his life, because that guy is all about fighting and working, never giving himself time to enjoy the actual friendships he's made, unlike Louis.

-It's just so funny how optimistic and sarcastic he is. He tries to lighten up the mood any chance he gets and even though he flirts with almost every single woman we meet, it's nothing too serious and usually just earns him a smack to the head from Marlon.

-I have no idea why, but I LOVE the scene where Louis curses out Imperius, the archangel of valor, for being a dick to Marlon. Louis is standing in the face of annihilation, since Imperius could easily kill him with one snap of his fingers, Louis not being a Nephalim like Marlon, but he doesn't give a shit and tells that guy to go kiss his ass.

-Louis appears to be the most human of them all. He's just trying to live his life, while also helping to save the world, but what makes him so human are his reactions towards certain things done by Maghda's council (aka Lilly, heh). Or when he reacts to entering the halls of agony, he's shocked to see what the former king established and shows his disgust, while Brody and Aasim try to keep calm and focused. He allows his feelings to run free.

-His relationship with Marlon changes greatly over time. At first, the're not necessarily fond of each other, Marlon not liking his background as a thief and fearing betrayal, while Louis thinks of him as arrogant and slowminded. But in time, they become great friends and even though Marlon has to drag him out of a tavern once in a while, Louis is an important ally to him, especially when talking about optimism and Louis' living-in-the-moment-philosophy. In the end, Marlon almost becomes a brother for Louis and vice versa. He even offers Louis a very big amount of his own gold to send to his brother, before they find out about his death.

Brody aka Eirena the Enchantress

-Brody is a very sweet character, in either of the games (well, before the slight panicattack she had in TWDG). She's kinda confused, since she's been born 500 years in the past, but she's curious and wants to learn as much as she can about the world she's been sent to.

-Her story is quite sad as well. Brody was a young magician in Caldeum, the juwel of the east, the big city in the even bigger desert. And she learned some quite powerful spells from a group of other magicians. Only to dicover, that they were a cult trying to summon demons, so she and her sisters slaughtered them all to save the city.

-Brody and her sisters were cursed by the last remaining cultist though and almost died, when a mysterious prophet appeared and saved them. He trained them properly and gave them the order, to go to sleep in tombs and wake up in another time to search for a hero and accompany them on their journey. Well, that worked out well so far, but Brody was the only one to survive the sleep stage and woke up again.

-She's quite young, I think she's around 21/22 other than Marlon, Louis and Aasim, who are all around 25-30. Which is quite confusing, since she should be wayyy older. But it makes her kinda naive and vulnerable too, since she's used to her own old world and doesn't yet understand all the dangers, that come with this new one. That's why she seeks Marlon's advice a lot.

-Funny sidefact, Brody doesn't like rain, which is kinda ironic considering the weather in TWDG when she's killed.

-In battle, she's a quite formidable foe, since her spells can make enemies fight for you, which is coming in handy very often. Especially since she can also somewhat control boss monsters for a short amount of time.

-Brody needs to keep her distance just as much as Louis needs to, but unlike Louis, she has a few techniques up her sleeve to escape difficult situations via big clouds of magic dust or just plain explosions. That makes it easier to run away, since she can distract enemies, especially with the mindcontrol thing. Demons will prefer to fight the controlled monster over fighting Marlon, which is pretty interesting, and useful of course.

-Other than Louis, she has a very calming effect on Marlon. When they are out on a journey together, they tend to get into deeptalk a lot more ( and I mean A LOT), especially about how they feel inwardly when fighting. Marlon seems to enjoy her company and openly asks her questions, which is different than with Louis, where it's the thief that bugs him with the questions.

-Brody is like a puppy, really. Whenever she sees something new, she gets excited and want to examine it, until Marlon tells her to let go of the magic jemstone that holds three demons in it...

-She feels a lot like some part of her got lost over time, while she was sleeping. That's a big part of their conversations in game, since Marlon feels kind of the same, having lost his entire family to demons at a young age. So they try to comfort each other by saying that it's just something everybody has to live with in a way and that they'll find a way to compensate for the emptiness.

-Brody is... well, she doesn't realize anything when it comes to love. Which is quite adorable. She doesn't know what a flirt is, so even when Louis jokingly tries to seduce her, she answers honestly and without any thoughts in the back of her mind, as if it's a totally normal conversation.

-She openly states that she sees Marlon as her big brother, to which he answers, that he doesn't mind, but she should never ask him about romantic advice, because he doesn't have the slightest idea. Brody admits, that she thought about marriage a few times already, but also states, that it 'isn't for her', implying, that romance in general may be something, she just doesn't quite understand. Which is obvious, to be honest.

-Ironically, her specialty are illusions. She can see right through them and even create her own, using her magic staff and a little focus-mirror, because she gets easily distracted. Even in Diablo III, Brody's a dreamer and gets quite affected by the misery and despair of others. She even pities the cultists, stating that it must have been great sorrow that made them join this organization.

-Brody was actually the only one of her sisters to ever wake up, because the prophet who trained them saw great potential in her. He gave the remaining sisters a choice, either leave the sisterhood and live out their lives, or help ensure, that Brody would wake up in the right time and place. There was one of her sisters, Lysa, who envied her for being the chosen one (even though Brody didn't even know about this) and tried to kill her in her sleep. The remaining sisters gave their lives to protect her, but Lysa managed to lure Brody into her trap after she had accompanied Marlon for a while.

-Lysa got defeated by them in the Lair of the Prophet, which left Brody with a feeling of senselessness, not knowing if the sacrifice her sisters made, was worth it. Marlon can comfort her though by telling her, that the prophet chose her for a reason and that her sisters believed in her so much, that they gave their own lives for her. That Lysa let her envy take over, wasn't Brody's fault and she should be glad, that she was able to free her sister from the grasp of the demons. That moment made me kinda sad for the TWDG Marlon and Brody, since they could've had conversations like this too, trying to make the others feelings of guilt disappear. But nooo, someone had to be a dick about it.

-After her special companion quest, she decides to become the leader of a new organization and continue on with the cause of the prophet, who helped her so many years ago. It shows, that she's willing to change directions and think about something new, just like she was in TWDG, but this time, Marlon actually helps her instead of punishing her for it.

-Brody is very kind and passionate, she is probably the most affected by unjust acts and betrayal. Louis and Aasim are so used to it, that they kind of expect it around every corner and Marlon... well, he hunts the witch Adria, who betrays the gang, for over three acts, and... yeah... it's wild. But I don't have to mention, that she's great with kids, right?

Aasim aka Komrac the Templar

-Ohhhh boy, Aasim.

-He's actually the first of the companions we find, and he makes it very clear from the beginning, that he doesn't follow Marlon, because he likes him so much. In fact, Aasim even states later, that he despised Marlon from the start, because he seemed to be driven by hate and anger. Which is true, to be honest.

-Aasim takes the longest to warm up to Marlon and vice versa. They had a pretty rough start, being quite cold towards each other, until Aasim accompanied him on a few journeys and they got to talk about their respective orders.

-Aasim is my favorite of them battle wise, because unlike Marlon he can actually take a hit or two. He's quite tanky and just yeets himself into battle, fueled by the strong belief in his order and the light he defends.

-Also he's pretty useful when I need to get out of a sticky situation, he'll create a diversion and lets me escape, then he follows after stunning the enemy. We literally don't have to worry about him since he is pretty much invulnerable, so... good job, Aasim, keep it up.

-His story is a tragic one, like the other two companion stories. Aasim was a pretty bad guy before he got captured by the holy order of the templars. They 'purified' him by whipping him until he was unconcious and the pain made him forget his past.

-Then he was sent out to do good and bring the light back to the earth. That definitely worked well, since he literally threatened Marlon into a deal, so that he can keep his foliants and holy scripts to himself. After finding out about the real intentions of his order and that he was basically used to gain more power, he decides to fight his former brothers, accompanied by Marlon.

-Let's just say, that fight... doesn't end well for the order.

-Almost everyone in camp says, that they think he's pretty grim, but has a good heart. Which is literally what Aasim is in TWDG, I was a bit proud. And yes, he took his time to come out of his shell, but he revealed himself to be courageous and proud as well and... a little bit stoic, hot-headed even.

-But Aasim seems to be pretty brutal as well. He once asked Marlon, while they were both hunting that witch Adria, how long she'd last if he held her head under one of those blood pools. Which is fairly disturbing, but also kinda fits him. And of course Marlon got pretty excited about that.

-Aasim is... quite angry. He's more similar to Marlon in that case, without even realizing it. They both share this untamed fury and love to rush into battle, although for different reasons. The one reason they share though, is protecting the innocent, which is honorable and... Aasim was kinda cute talking to those kids in Caldeum.

-He may not be as childish and sarcastic as Louis is, but he loves mocking the enemy, which is very entertaining on its own. If... well, if we survive, that is. One of his skills is taunting the enemy. One of his SKILLS.

-He hates Louis. And funny thing, in Diablo, he actually has a thing for Brody. A little inconvenient, since she doesn't realize it at all, but at least he tells her about his feelings with enough encouragement from Marlon. That backfires, but eh. It was adorable.

-The comments he made about the sand in his boots, when they walked through the deserts? Urgh. Aasim, please don't turn into Anakin Skywalker, yes, the sand gets everywhere, especially when you fight nasty hordes of monsters.

-I dunno, but his relationship to Marlon stays quite platonic and distant over the whole course of the game. He thanks him for helping him with his order and Marlon actively tries to let him find a new direction in life, but apart from that, the only thing really connecting the two, is their desire to protect the weak. And I think that makes him a great character all on his own, because there are only subtle moments, where you can hear, that he actually cares a lot about his teammembers. It shows when he's fighting and solving conflicts.

-And the fact that his special trinket is actually a book. Like, come on.

Now, for the final part, a little bit about the main character himself

Marlon aka The Nephalim/Demon Hunter

-I still need to draw him.

-I actually started this just for fun, but simply by naming my first character on my new account Marlon, that guy became something special. And what could fit him better, than a dark, mysterious Demon Hunter with a crossbow?

-I know, he isn't that dark and mysterious in TWDG, that's why I'm glad he has the top notch character development in Diablo, thanks Blizzard.

-Starting off with a tragic backstory, his family got butchered by the demons and after fleeing with his younger sister, she succumbed to madness and fell in the river. He tried to grab her, but didn't have the strength to pull her out, so she died and he was left alone with his fears and sorrows. Almost giving in to the darkness himself, Marlon was rescued by a group of survivors, who taught him how to handle numerous weapons and traps, so he could defend himself.

-That's when he decided to dedicate his life to saving the innocent and defend the weak, leading him to Tristram, where the fallen star had caused the dead to rise. And that's where the fun begins.

-Because he appears to be quite arrogant towards the local residents, at least when he first meets them. Marlon knows, he's powerful now and has skills, that others could only dream of, making him a bit of a nuissance at first. He's commited and doesn't falter, even in the middle of a seemingly unwinnable fight. His anger and hatred drive him forward, which is why people in Tristram are a bit intimidated at first.

-It's his height too. I swear, he was tall in TWDG, but in Diablo? That.... how? It's probably the armor, but even his little sister's ghost states later, that he has grown a lot since they last met. Well, it's been a long time, but still.

-His bad side comes out often in the beginning of the game. He's seen some real shit, like, real real shit, and to an extend, he's proud of it, because it gave him power and it made him resistant to certain psychological pain. But that also gives him more of that bounty hunter atmosphere, he's just there for the loot, for the sake of killing. Later, Marlon establishes himself as the hero, that defies the laws of nature and can punch his way through literal hell to safe humanity, but it... it takes a looong time 'till he reaches that point. Which is cool, it makes the character development even greater.

-His moral compass is a fucking roulette wheel. Like I mentioned earlier, it's funny how Louis is the thief and supposed scoundrel, while Marlon is way more vindictive and says pretty questionable things from time to time.

-BUT that starts to change once Deckard Cain dies. One of the more important characters in the game (actually one of THE more important characters in the game), Deckard helps him greatly in achieving his goal and it's only through him, that the mystery of Tyrael's fall from the heavens can be solved. His sacrifice is the first character death, that really stings and it takes its toll on Marlon too.

-And after that, Marlon starts to care about his partners more, asking them about their personal life (that's up to the player of course, but here the really interesting infomration can be asked) and trying to help them solve their own problems. Even though he can barely solve his own.

-Marlon is, uhm... quite vulnerable out there to be honest. I mean, it's his class, Demon Hunters aren't supposed to hit hard, it's all about arrows, traps and such for them. Which is why his fighting style is a lot of shadow magic, and I mean a lot. Crowfeet traps, flips and illusions, even posessed animals like wolves and spiders, that come to his aid. And of course, don't forget the angry flesh-eating plant, Rosie. Still, it's very cool to play as a Demon Hunter, especially since you gotta be strategic and quick on your feet (which I am not, but ergh, whatever). And that hail of arrows? Geez.

-Marlon is SO bad at following his own advice. He runs around in camp, talking to all the people and his friends, saying that a life isn't worth anything without friendship and kindness. And then he gets back into his corner of darkness and soaks himself in self-pity, not talking to either of them about his own past, AT ALL.

-He's somehow constantly torn between loving to be something special but at the same time just wanting to be normal, so that others don't run from him.

-That's also another point where he connects with Brody. Both are something unnusual, she's from a completely different time, while he is the child of an angel and a demon, so people are bound to stare at them. They even have a little talk about it and both seem kinda sad, knowing that wherever they go, they won't find a place to call home, since this feeling of being different will hang over them.

-I swear the scene where he saw his little sister again in the Realm of Death, I cried my eyes out. He blames himself entirely for her death and the fact, that his hatred is actually directed towards Marlon himself is even more heartbreaking.

-Oh, how he hates Imperius. Funny thing is though, Louis has to defend him, since Marlon is just getting tired of arguing with the archangel, until Louis calls him out for it xD

-Like his TWDG counterpart, he despises people without gratitude and tells them that to the face. That mayor in Tristram, that didn't move his wagon, because he was afraid of the dead outside? Yeah, he literally told him to go to hell for his cowardice. Which is quite ironic...

-But he told many people in the game to go to hell, so...

-Marlon gets pretty irritated when people can see through him. Well, like his TWDG counterpart. When Myriam started to talk about his feelings and the guilt he carries with him, he gets so frustrated, he can only slightly insult her before he runs away.

-May I mention, that for a short period of time, he was some kind of grim reaper? Having the power of the dead? So he could harm Malthael?

-The whole reason behind the Demon Hunter is, that in order to fight what you hate, you have to overcome your own fears. That's why Marlon can face almost every danger, that is in front of him, even the Devil and the Angel of Death. But nobody can teach you how to face your own feelings of guilt and that's the only thing Marlon literally cannot cope with. When Leah dies, he hunts Adria for the next three acts of the game, and even after he killed her, he still feels guilty for not seeing through her lies. That's the tragedy of both his characters, in Diablo and in TWDG, when he fails, he just can't deal with the loss and the guilt, so he does things, that are either unreasonable or only bring peace for a short amount of time.

-And we don't want to talk about the fact, that he must feel REALLY tired after Malthael got destroyed and Tyrael basically told him, that all the souls of the seven evils are free again. I felt pretty stupid when that happened, this whole game was basically for nothing, thanks.

-The armor he can wear is ridiculous. There is no way he can move fast with this amount of steel on him. But it looks cool, so...

-I love this quote from the Demon Hunter Trailer

"As long as I'm here, they are the prey. And I am the Hunter."

Gives me chills every time. And kinda fits his character in TWDG as well, he wants to be the big brother, the guardian, you know?

-It's, uhm... interesting how easily he gets startled whenever someone he likes does something 'bad'. Like, when Haedrig, the blacksmith, told him about his wife and that she was imprisoned for using magic spells, Marlon was so shocked, Haedrig didn't allow him to talk to him for a few days. Adorable, but confusing, since he's fighting people, that are way worse.

-I dunno, but apart from playing big brother for almost everyone except Aasim, he acts like a big child sometimes. When Brody warns him about an illusion in the desert the first time they meet, he snaps back at her, saying that he knows a trap when he sees one. First, no, he doesn't, second, when Brody shows him the illusion, he acts all casual about it, quickly asking stuff about her powers instead of admitting, that he was just too proud to accept help.

This was such a fun experience, I even considered doing this again with Violet as a Necromancer or Mitch as a Barbarian. Or James as a Crusader? Any suggestions?

Well, that's all for me today, I'm gonna start my preparations for the finals this semester now, so... until July then ^^

Have fun and stay safe out there!

[kincalling]

This might be the biggest longshot, but I'm the nephalem from Diablo 3 and I'd love to find anyone else who kins from this source, especially other nephalems!! I was a male necromancer named Kahir that traveled in a group with the other classes since we had all arrived at Tristram around the same time. If that's familiar at all, interact and I'll reach out!! Please be over 18 as I'm an adult!

🃏

[dundunny]

Diablo IV done. In July I sat down for about nine hours straight playing it and got severe carpal tunnel that lasted for months, which in retrospect is nuts because I injured myself for a game that's only... OK.

I think the issue with Diablo is it should have ended after II. Any extensions to the plot feel forced. Let's step back to III for a bit. I actually would get angry playing the game because of all the retconning happening, which Blizzard did to justify moving this forward. However it ended (particularly with the expansion pack) with the revelation the player is a Nephalem and a heavy hint that from now on the Nephalem would be wrenching humanity's fate back from angels and demons, setting up the next game. Which is crazy because I don't think the word "Nephalem" was mentioned a single time in IV. Although I could see connections between III and its predecessors, no matter how much I disliked the story, IV feels more detached. Cain's dead, and Diablo himself appears I think for maybe half a second in a cutscene. Of course Tristram was shoveled in needlessly, but it feels like we're doing that by rote at this point.

It terms of plot itself it's... it's fine. There's nothing terrible about it, I think it was better than III actually just because it didn't upset me. Lilith is all right as a villain, although I think for a "mother" she's very eager to kill her children, but I guess for her ultimate survival is more important. Starting from II, each act in a Diablo game is in a different area, and IV is no different except you can walk to any location from the beginning of the game (although you may be underleveled) and there are six areas, therefore six acts. Normally each of these is fleshed out, but toward the end I think they were rushing it. I actually timed myself, I beat act IV in a 1.25 hours. I didn't even go to the major town there because the plot didn't direct me toward it. At some point I'm like why did you even make this a separate thing?

The only major criticism I have of the game though is why I was rushing: You max out your level way too early on. Kind of. So you level up normally and unlock abilities all the way to 50. Once you hit 50, it stops and you can just add stats. That's fine, but all the enemies cap at 50. You can increase the difficulty to hard... but to go above that, you gotta beat the game. And I hit 50 toward the end of act II. Meaning I had trudge through four more of these without facing much opposition. And it's not like I was grinding; I just did all the sidequests and extra dungeons I found along the way. I don't see the point of preventing me to have a greater challenge should I wish. Overall I did find IV to be much easier than III, even when I wasn't overpowered. Like remember those enemies that would drop rotating arcane beams on the floor and you had to retreat so you wouldn't die? Yeah, that's not an issue anymore.

In terms of gameplay it's... again, OK. It's Diablo, we all know what it's about by this point. They changed up the abilities a bit in that you can put whatever one you want on any key, including the base attack on say... 1 or 2 instead of on the mouse. It allows for greater flexibility for fighting style and experimentation. But I think III was more fun. Take for example the witch doctor. You could make your base attack a jar of spiders. That was hilarious and enjoyable. I'm not feeling the same in this game.

Also with the environment. III had some pretty crazy areas. Like remember Cydaea? As you went down her web, there were all these giants in bondage gear in the back. Or finally going up to heaven and it had this weird, glass-like quality? IV is just miserable. Here's Russia where everyone is starving and cold. Next is Scotland where everything is muddy and wet. And then there's the desert, again, and after following Zultan Tulle so much in III I'm tired of that. Nothing really stroked my interest until we got to hell, and even then it was... aight. I mean, we've gone to hell in pretty much each game so you need to create something that's really gonna wow me at this point.

Maybe it's because I'm getting older or perhaps because the world feels awful now, but there's something about the helplessness you see in Diablo games that are getting to me. There's no happiness even after you help people; you try to find a cure for someone but it turns out it's too late and they transform into a monster you have to kill. You help a child find their parents' grave, and their ghosts come and attack you, blaming the child for "leaving them alone." A man is looking for his son, and upon finding him, he's transformed into a demon, rejecting his father's love and cursing him. It gets to the point that you wonder how humanity has survived. Like for example, how does trade even exist with all these giant scorpions, murderous trees, bandits, werewolves, and fourteen-foot snakes are running around. You see countless bodies rotting on the ground wherever you go. Like back in Diablo I, yeah shit was terrible, but you get the sense that wasn't the norm and what was happening under the church is an unusual situation. Now in IV it feels like this happens all the time and there's no hope left. You come out of it feeling worse than before.

In the end, if you like Diablo, sure, play it. There's nothing offensive about it, but it doesn't particularly shine in any aspect. I wanted to do the post-game stuff, but my carpal tunnel started flaring up whenever I did, so whatever. I'll move onto Final Fantasy XVI now.

[fugu-in-f]

brain is like 'i want the incessant agonizing scream of my anxiety to cease' and also 'set it to the acoustic guitar feeling from Diablo's tristram theme'

'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa' but like catchy and nostalgic, right?

[smlpodcast]

The SML Podcast - Episode 915: Lottery Dreams

Download Episode 915 --

It's a PartyCast with a batch of reviews and previews to tackle, so let's not waste any time!

The show kicks off with Brooke Poole, Pernell Vaughan, Chris Taylor, and Aki all on hand to hang out and chat about our weeks and what we'd buy if we won the lottery. Aki would obviously buy a crap ton of Gunpla and a Little Caesar's franchise, Pernell would get a second home so he could buy more board games, Chris would launch a music career and buy instruments, and Brooke would buy a boat and go to Japan. Me? Panasonic Q baby. That's all I want. Plus reviews!

0:00 - Intro/Lottery Discussion 20:44 - PREVIEW: Keepers of Astraela - GSE Studios (Brooke) 30:44 - PREVIEW: Tavern Talk - Gentle Troll Entertainment (Brooke) 42:58 - Front Mission 2: Remake - Storm Trident, Forever Entertainment (Chris) 55:55 - Trepang2 - Trepang Studios, Team17 (Aki) 1:06:45 - Zombie Soup - AeonSparx Interactive, Astrolabe Games (Pernell) 1:17:17 - Alphadia I & II - EXE-CREATE, KEMCO (Chris) 1:32:00 - My Little Universe - Estoty, SayGames (Pernell) 1:39:48 - Chemically Bonded - ds-sans, Ratalaika Games (Aki) 1:49:28 - IGNISTONE - MONO ENTERTAINMENT, Kodansha (Pernell)

The show ends with some spooky Diablo goodness from The OneUps to set the Halloween mood for the rest of the month!

1:59:46 - The OneUps - Tristram und Isolde (Diablo)

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/329033002/keepers-of-astraela https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gentletroll/tavern-talk-a-cozy-barkeeper-talking-simulator https://storm-trident.com/ https://forever-entertainment.com/ https://www.trepang2game.com/ https://www.team17.com/ https://aeonsparx.com/ https://www.astrolabe-games.ca/ https://twitter.com/ExeCreate https://www.kemco-games.com/ https://estoty.com/ https://say.games/ https://ds-sans.com/ https://www.ratalaikagames.com/ https://twitter.com/mono2568 https://creatorslab.kodansha.co.jp/ https://theoneups.com/ https://www.keymailer.co/ https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sml-podcast/id826998112 https://open.spotify.com/show/6KQpzHeLsoyVy6Ln2ebNwK https://twitter.com/theSMLpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/theSMLpodcast/ https://store.streamelements.com/thesmlpodcast ALL REVIEWED GAMES HAVE BEEN PROVIDED FOR FREE FOR THE PURPOSE OF ANY COVERAGE ON THE SHOW

[metalmessage]

[ Artwork: Timon Kokott ]

TRACKS: 01. The Dark Wanderer 06:56 02. Tristram 04:56 03. The Desert Sands 04:55 04. Risen From The Grave 07:03 05. The Fallen Temple 06:50 06. Mephisto 05:41 07. Lord Of Hell 04:07 08. Sescheron 04:59

total 45:27

[ Pic: Anna-Lena Hickmann ]

LINE-UP: Christian Krajewski • Lead Guitars, Vocals Ersin Kara • Guitars Oliver Krajewski • Bass Alexander Czernik • Drums

Action: OLD RUINS Title: Always Heading East Base: Gelsenkirchen • Germany Style: Black Metal Genre: Melodic Death Metal, Black Metal, Post Black Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal FFO: Early In Flames, Children Of Bodom, Arch Enemy, Tribulation Type: Full-length Format: CD + Vinyl Label: Doc Gator Records Release: Sept. 15, 2023 𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗥𝗨𝗜𝗡𝗦 ⚠️ 🎧 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗙𝗬 Alert🤘 • Feel free to share: https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/artist/16B7r7ccFBc2CGIdwzxSWA?si=40mlzhJsSlKidNDuGm5iEQ&nd=1 https://youtu.be/8tXT_4ny51o [ Official Video ] Bulletpoints: 🔘 The top debut album of the capable Germans 🔘 Individual, also vocally highly distinctive style 🔘 Melodic-catchy, gripping Black Metal

OLD RUINS • Fascinating tragedy

OLD RUINS can be rightly classified as BLACK METAL, whereby the resourceful German formation has created its own, very individual style with many influences from the areas of Heavy, Doom and Melodic Metal and is thus a very appreciated term to a large part of the underground scene already since their first demos on YouTube.

OLD RUINS also made first plans for their stage debut, but the Lord Of Destruction had other plans and brought the world a pandemic. However, OLD RUINS were not discouraged by this and began in August 2020 with the recordings of the completely convincing 6-track debut EP „Old Ruins“, which physically and digitally passed the gates of hell on November 06, 2020 and brought darkness from the heart of the Ruhr area over Tristram. 


On September 15, 2023, OLD RUINS will release their first long-player entitled „Always Heading East“ on Doc Gator, with which the record company proves exquisite taste. 


OLD RUINS was founded in 2019 and was initially supposed to be a pure studio project of drummer Alexander Czernik and singer/lead guitarist Christian Krajewski. But the thus only really hungry players quickly developed a damn dark, very atmospheric sound, which is still not easy to categorize and which remains not least because of this permanently as fascinating as exciting and wear-free. Inspired by their ingenious concept, they completed the line-up with Oliver Krajewski on bass and Ersin Kara on guitar. About their debut album „Always Heading East“ the conspiratorial gloomy souls say:


“The lyrics lyrically refer to the video game classic ‚Diablo‘ from Blizzard. The dark atmosphere of the game has always fascinated us immensely. Whether the tragic story without any happy ending, or the neglected (sound)worlds on ‚Always Heading East‘ were the main inspiration is hard to say today“, but „when you close your eyes and put the record on, you really dive into the mystical story of the dark wanderer“, Christian Krajewski raves fervently, adding: „If you’re not versed in the history of the video game, you can still immerse yourself in the dark musical world of the album and enjoy the soothingly atmospheric Black Metal sound. „

Where Iron Maiden have to deal with only one beast, the brave warriors of OLD RUINS are exposed to numerous spawns of hell. Face to face they bravely take on MEPHISTO the Lord Of Hate, LILITH – Daughter Of Mephisto and Queen Of The Succubi, TATHAMET The Seven-headed Dragon and BAAL The Lord Of Destruction.

Follow these exceptionally talented German top artists on their new adventures in „Always Heading East“ and dive into a dark, atmospheric sound experience of a very special kind – inspired by the legendary world of Diablo! DISCOGRAPHY: 2020 • Old Ruins • EP 2023 • Always Heading East • Full-length OLD RUINS are available for interviews via phone, Skype, Zoom & email oldruins.official@googlemail.com

🌐 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙤 & 𝙋𝙍: 𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗚𝗘 ᴳᴸᴼᴮᴬᴸ • 𝐸𝓈𝓉. 2001 https://www.metalmessage.de/PR_OLD_RUINS_en.php

MEDIA FEEDBACK:

10 / 10 ➤ „… explosive mixture … epic … melancholic … great melodies … predominantly midtempo … the vocals put the crown on the whole thing …“ (Bleeding4Metal)

9,5 / 10 ➤ „OLD RUINS deliver a tour de force on their full-length debut, combining the raw frenzy of Black Metal with exquisite melodies and riffs from Heavy and Epic Metal. This album is by no means just a homage to a cult game, but skillfully forged black stainless steel!“ (Soundmagnet)

9 / 10 ➤ „… a dark, atmospheric album, coupled with influences from Death Metal and doom, as well as from classic Heavy Metal … anyone who likes dark and atmospheric Black Metal should definitely risk an ear here …“ (Moshpit Passion)

8,7 / 10 ➤ „… an album rich in detail, full of subtleties … multi-layered in its orientation, but still at home in melodic Black Metal. A promising newcomer, of whom you certainly haven’t heard the last … my insider tip for this month. Strong.“ (Zephyr’s Odem)

8,5 / 10 ➤ „… a heavyweight … jewel …“ (Saitenkult)

8,5 / 10 ➤ „… Krajewski’s harsh vocals are typical for the genre, but his fine guitar leads and harmonies are worthy of any Epic Metal combo and have nothing to do with some blind bludgeoning from the Black Metal mud corner. By the way, this also applies to the production …“ (Obliveon)

8,5 / 10 ➤ „This is how Melodic Black Metal must be. Here, a black dripping atmosphere is conjured out of the hat … falling for the melancholy of the black vocals … strong riffing, which could almost be classified as heavy metal … this Black’n’Heavy mixture is a great mood, doesn’t let boredom arise and immediately runs into the auditory canals to burn itself there …“ (Hellfire)

8 / 10 ➤ „… very great sounding atmospheric and melodic mixture of Black, Death, Doom and Heavy Metal …“ (A Different Shade Of Black Metal)

8 / 10 ➤ „Rounded off by an oldschool but nevertheless tidy and powerful production that should satisfy purists as well as friends of modern Metal productions. Let’s hope that the Ruhr area formation will follow this promising starting signal with many more releases, because here we could have a very exciting new entry in the black metal lexicon. And in such a hopelessly overrun genre, this fact alone is a small accolade!“ (Powermetal DE)

8 / 10 ➤ „… epic sound that lies somewhere between late-80s Bathory, mid-range Immortal, early In Flames and Dissection … while not missing out on great melodies and clear references to classic Heavy Metal … melancholy and epicness are the two cornerstones …“ (Metal DE)

8 / 10 ➤ „… works excellently over the entire playing time … varied, full of strong melodic arcs … with numerous, successful epic moments … the so-called Gothenburg sound as well as Doom and Death Metal are also cleverly integrated … appealing level … the production is quite powerful and relatively modern, more like a Power Metal record … all kinds of subtleties make this album a feast for the ears …“ (Neckbreaker)

12 / 15 ➤ „… should convince not only the quality-conscious Black- but also the inclined Epic-Metaller …“ (Legacy Magazin)

7,5 / 10 ➤ „… score with a proper Heavy Metal attitude … spirit meets melancholy and finds a nice balance … the songs are varied, but always have their own style and sound homogeneous … everything sounds like from one cast … interesting and detailed, without overwhelming … comparisons to Alcest, but also newer Tribulation spontaneously come to mind …“ (Crossfire Webzine)

3,7 / 5 ➤ „… sounds like dark big battles … besides genre-typical jangling and tremolo riffs there is also a good portion of Power, Thrash and Death Metal … partly almost traditional metal underpinnings. That makes mood. The sound is also not cold and clanking, but quite dense and fat … a plus of atmosphere even reminds something of the Irish Primordial … quite surprising …“ (Handwritten Mag)

7 / 10 ➤ „It almost feels like there is a hidden meaning underneath the surface of Christian Krajewski’s vocals with a fresh emotive quality rising to the surface from the black depths, something which works very well … despite being shrouded in a cloak of darker atmospheres there is a real sense of epic majesty …“ (Metal Noise)

7 / 10 ➤ „… a heavy reliance on melody … not afraid to measure themselves with less explosive but still rocky dynamics … great passion of the musicians involved …“ (Heavy Metal Webzine IT)

➤ „OLD RUINS do a lot of things right on their debut ‚Always Heading East‘, above all they know how to create an atmosphere that sweeps the listener along and where it doesn’t matter if you know the source of inspiration or set off ignorantly down the dark paths to Tristram. Black/heavy/doom metal that isn’t hard to digest and is fun to listen to.“ (Breakout)

➤ „… they master a broader spectrum of Metal music … sounds sharp and does not have the atmosphere that the representatives of the genre usually aim for … compositionally it is also quite edgy, but this is due to the organisational talent that seems to generally characterise these creators … the melodic moments are pronounced … carry something distinctive …“ (Flight Of Pegasus)

➤ „In many ways, the album hits those emotions that grab you, consume you and at the same time are delivered so (almost) elegantly that you just want more all the time … there are elements of several branches of Metal, but imagine some of the early In Flames, a little Children Of Bodom, a little Arch Enemy and then add a little Tribulation and mix it well together, and you have the sound of OLD RUINS – presented here on a really good album that will surely appeal to many.“ (Rancor Metalzine)

➤ „A crushing Heavy/Post Black Metal album. It’s heavy. It hits hard. At the same time, it’s also beautiful and soaring high with its elegant moments that can touch your very soul. A moving record while being brutal with a high-dynamic sound.“ (Noisewriter)

➤ „Dissection/(early) In Flames/Dark Tranquillity meets Epic Heavy Metal in all its powerful, enthralling, captivating glory. High Heavens, Burning Hells!“ (KMäNriffs)

➤ „… much to love about this … heavy, but often not blistering, with headbanging beats and hypnotic riffs … the subtle Black Metal influence is there, without OLD RUINS having to rely on it much, creating a unique sound … great …“ (Wanna Hear a Great Song Today?)

➤ „… clear recommendation … melodic guitar harmonies … OLD RUINS are clever songwriters and change tempo and mood in pretty much all tracks again and again, so that no boredom arises … really strong album, somewhere between Black and Heavy Metal, whereby the latter clearly predominates … is really fun … I had not expected otherwise after the great EP …“ (Vampster)

➤ „… very atmospheric … influences from Melodic Metal clearly recognisable … slight doom influences that give the songs more depth and balance, making them even more accessible than they already are … perfectly staged and also produced … professionals at work …“ (Metalglory)

➤ „… imagine some early In Flames, some Children Of Bodom, some Arch Enemy and then add a little Tribulation and mix it all together well, presented on a really good album that I’m sure many will enjoy.“ (Metaltone DK) etc.