#Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls

[impossiblycolorfulpanda]

Battle couple Azulaang

If two people played male monk and female wizard in diablo 3.

It would perfectly represent what I imagine an aged-up Azulaang as a battle couple would look like.

[bcamelsamples]

Sample: History of the Crusade (Diablo III)

From 2013 to early 2020, I was a community manager at Blizzard Entertainment, dedicated to the Diablo franchise. The majority of my games career thus far has been at Blizzard, and as a community manager, and one of the most special and important times of my life.

My absolute favorite part of being a community manager was content creation. I loved writing blogs, developing videos, and coming up with really cool, engaging content for players to enjoy. I love Diablo, and I loved sharing that love with other folks who enjoyed the game as much as I do.

While working on the launch ramp up to Reaper of Souls, I was tasked with a lot of preview content generation, and jumped on anything lore related I could grab. I'm also approximately 300% Paladin at heart, so writing about the Crusader and their history was a huge win for me.

I spent time talking extensively to both Leonard Boyarsky and Brian Kindregan, two of our writers and narrative designers on the team. Leonard and Brian are intensely creative individuals who have done tons of incredible work, and getting to channel their creations into a community piece was an honor - and honestly, just a lot of fun!

The original article has unfortunately been taken down from the Blizzard site, but the Wayback Machine snapshot can be found here. As there's no guarantee this will be preserved forever, the text has been copied below.

The History Behind the Crusade

Faithful of Akkhan. Bastions of the Light. Stalwart redeemers of the Zakarum. All of these names could very well describe the newest hero class available in Reaper of Souls™.

Unlike other orders of the Zakarum, the Crusaders bring a distinctly grittier version of a traditional holy warrior to the world of Sanctuary. But where did they come from? What is their role in the Zakarum faith? How will they tackle the looming threat of Malthael on the horizon?

The answers to these questions and many more lay below, so let's kick off our week-long inside look at the Crusader class with some delectable servings of lore!

*****

The Rise of the Zakarum

The Zakarum faith was founded many years ago, sometime after the Mage Clan wars by the prophet Akarat, a wandering ascetic from Xiansai. According to many historical accounts, it was during this pivotal time (in which humanity was beginning to reject magic for the comforts of religion) that Akarat received a startling revelation from a being he referred to as Yaerius, or "son of light" in his native language.

While there is some debate among scholars as to the true nature of Akarat’s prophecy—specifically, whether the "being" Akarat saw was the archangel Yaerius or simply an echo of Uldyssian’s sacrifice at the end of the Sin War—its significance is undeniable. It is said that the vision, manifesting as a magnificent flash of light and energy across the sky, ignited the fundamental belief within Akarat that humans were powerful vessels of light, and that all should seek their "inner light" in order to live good lives.

Upon receiving this revelation, Akarat set out on a grand journey to the cities Kehjistan, spreading word of his findings and encouraging others to embrace the Light he knew existed within them. Although Akarat would eventually vanish from all historical record, his teachings lived on through the people of Sanctuary, serving as the spiritual basis for the Zakarum faith and church. (Fun fact: The name "Zakarum" comes from "Zakara," meaning "inner light.")

*****

Light's Dawn: The Birth of the Crusader

During the reign of Emperor Tassara and shortly before General Rakkis’ historic march to the West, a priest by the name of Akkhan sensed a foul taint growing within the Zakarum church. This taint, unknown to Akkhan at the time, was caused by no other than that of the Prime Evil Mephisto, Lord of Hatred, his darkness steadily seeping from the soulstone which lay beneath the Temple of Light in Travincal.

Determined to redeem his beloved faith, Akkhan sought out the most devout, talented warriors and issued them a sacred mission: find a way to cleanse the Zakarum of decay and corruption once and for all. These warriors traveled to the east, directly opposite the Paladins traveling with General Rakkis, following the rumored path Akarat took in the last days of his life before disappearing.

And so the Crusader order was born.

*****

Amongst the Zakarum: The Crusader's Role

Long time players of the Diablo franchise are likely familiar with the Zakarum faith and may even fondly remember time spent with their Paladin, the playable holy warrior from Diablo II. While Crusaders and Paladins share a devotion to the Zakarum faith, they aren't directly related to one another nor necessarily serve the same goals.

So how exactly do the Crusaders fit into the picture?

Of Paladins Past and Present:

Let's go over what we currently know: a quick overview of the well-beloved Paladin. Paladins are devoted warriors of the Zakarum. Over time since their founding, different sects of Paladins began to form, with separate goals and bases of operation.  This includes the Knights of Westmarch, the Order of Paladins, and the Hand of Zakarum.

During the events of the Zakarum Inquisition, the Hand of Zakarum was discovered to be corrupt and collapsed shortly after the events of Diablo II. The Order of Paladins, disgusted by the corruption of their faith, broke away and fled to the west, eventually settling in Westmarch. The Knights of Westmarch, already established from General Rakkis' conquest and eager to diminish their connection to Mephisto's corruption, absorbed the Order of Paladins and disassociated themselves from the Zakarum faith.

These different orders, some intentionally while others as a result of malevolent misdirection, evolved their arts and practices over the years, eventually developing into the Paladins we see today.

The Crusade Continues:

Unlike the Paladins, the Crusaders are an elite and insular group that has seen very little change since their founding, maintaining beliefs and practices most close to the original teachings of Akarat. Though Crusaders may exhibit similar ability to wield and bend the Light to their will as their Paladin counterparts, their fervor comes from a much more pure sense of righteousness. This is in part by design. During their formation, Akkhan made certain to only recruit those with the strongest conviction and battle potential. He also actively avoided bringing in anyone with Paladin training, fearful of any existing defilement or corruption carrying over into his crusade.

As a result of this focused purpose and very guarded lifestyle, the order itself is actually quite small. In total, only 427 Crusaders were sent east, and over time, their numbers have dwindled to the 341 known today. In practice, the Crusaders remain a loosely organized group, often traveling alone or with, at most, a single apprentice—a partnership which will persist until the Crusader's death. When it comes time for the Crusader to lay down their weapon, generally by falling in battle, their apprentice will not only take up their shield and armor, but their name as well, continuing a legacy set in motion so many generations ago.

*****

Starting the Journey: The Nephalem Crusader

As with the other Diablo III classes, the Crusader is a nephalem, their blood pulsing with same hidden power. Hearing the tales of a mysterious star falling from the sky and having exhausted their search in the East, the Crusader has traveled to New Tristram, hoping to discover anything that might save their faltering faith.

Will you take up the flail and shield in the name of the Zakarum? Are you eager to smite your foes with the pure, unblemished power of the Light? Let us know in the comments below if you'll be rolling out your living, battle hardened tank on launch day!

[bird-knight]

I'm proud of the head but that's as far as it goes. ;-;

[barbie-necromancer]

I never completed Diablo 3 in the Barbarian class So i’m doing that now. Read a study about how women and enbys are less likely to play a man in a video game than men are, so I picked the male Barbarian. Named him Iroh. He specializes in fire and electricity, and is a slut.

Here he is in his Infernal Red and Elegant Magenta looks!

[ufohmy]

Hmm 🤔

[theguywithaplan]

List of Video Games Turning 10 Years Old in 2024

Alien: Isolation

Assassin's Creed: Rogue (the one where you play as an Assassin turned Templar.)

Assassin's Creed: Unity (the one set during the French Revolution.)

Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky

Azure Striker Gunvolt

The Banner Saga

Bayonetta 2

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea (the DLC where you go back to Rapture)

A Bird Story (a sort of spin-off of "To the Moon")

BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! (is this a sequel to 1 or a prequel to 1? I forgor)

Bravely Default (in North America)

Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (the one with K*vin Sp*cey)

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (to date, the last new Castlevania game to release)

Child of Light

The Crew (going offline at the end of March)

D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die (a wonderfully strange game from the guy that made Deadly Premonition)

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (in North America)

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (in North America)

Dark Souls II

Deception IV: Blood Ties

Demon Gaze

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls

Disney Infinity 2.0

Divinity: Original Sin (from the team that would go on to make Baldur's Gate 3)

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Dragon Age: Inquisition (the winner of GOTY at the very first TGAs)

Drakengard 3

Earth Defense Force 2025 (EDF! EDF! EDF!)

The Evil Within (from the creative director of Resident Evil)

Fable Anniversary

Fairy Fencer F

Far Cry 4

Freedom Planet

Guilty Gear Xrd Sign

Hyrule Warriors

Inazuma Eleven (in North America. And digital only.)

Infamous: Second Son (as well as its expansion, First Light)

Kirby: Triple Deluxe

The Last of Us Remastered (just one year after the original version came out...)

The Legend of Korra (the game from PlatinumGames that you can't buy anymore)

Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

Lego The Hobbit

The Lego Movie Videogame

Lethal League (from the team that would go on to make Bomb Rush Cyberfunk)

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (the third and final chapter of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy)

Lisa: The Painful (yes, really)

LittleBigPlanet 3

Lords of the Fallen (not to be confused with Lords of the Fallen, which came out in 2023)

Mario Golf: World Tour

Mario Kart 8 (the original version)

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes (the prologue to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, which came out 18 months later)

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Might & Magic X: Legacy

Murdered: Soul Suspect (it's like Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, but not as good)

Natural Doctrine

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty! (a from the ground up remake of the first Oddworld game from 1997)

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 (yes, it got a sequel. I don't know how or why.)

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth

Pokemon Omega Ruby & Pokemon Alpha Sapphire

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy (the last time that Professor Layton himself was the protagonist. At least, until the New World of Steam comes out)

Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Pushmo World

Risen 3: Titan Lords

Sacred 3

Samurai Warriors 4

Shadowrun: Dragonfall

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (the 3rd one)

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments

Shovel Knight (yes, really)

Skylanders: Trap Team (the 4th one)

Sniper Elite III

Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric

Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal

South Park: The Stick of Truth

Steins;Gate (in North America)

Strider (the one from Double Helix)

Sunset Overdrive

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS (or Smash 4 for short)

Tales of Xillia 2

Tales of Hearts R

The Talos Principle

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call

Thief (the reboot)

This War of Mine

Toukiden: The Age of Demons

Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (this game merged the storyline of the War for/Fall of Cybertron games with the storyline of the Michael Bay movies. I’m not joking)

Transistor

Valiant Hearts: The Great War

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

The Walking Dead: Season Two

Wasteland 2

Watch Dogs

The Witch and the Hundred Knight

The Wolf Among Us (sequel this year!)

Wolfenstein: The New Order

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z

Yoshi's New Island

[raviollies]

Was rewatching a cutscene from Diablo 4 and *man* am I still disappointed with what they've done... I really enjoyed the art direction, the story (Give me any story centered on motherhood/evil mother who loves you in a fucked up way and I genuinely eat that up, yum yum - Lillith unironically best demon in that franchise), the soundtrack and the honestly up until endgame the gameloop was fine.

I gave an honest effort to endgame (I think i got to level 80 something?) but it just got less and less fun with the constant nerfs....I Loved Diablo 3 endgame because it was fun to just make bonkers builds and speedrun the rifts, and their decisions (greedy) to nerf enemy density/build dmg/drops is just...man. What squandered potential....Diablo was never about being balanced it was about what bullshit you can break in endgame to get revenge on that second boss that was spanking you in the beginning of the game (Duriel)

I will say I haven't touched D4 since S1 so if that's changed lmk!

I hope that this follows the redemption path of Diablo 3 & yeah I'm a sucker who'll buy the DLC because Diablo is a franchise near and dear to my heart, but I just get sad at how they massacre it...please...I believe in you....make DLC good...Reaper of Souls was good...please

[8bitsupervillain]

End of the Year 2023: Pre-2023 Good Games

Now we're talking, it's time for good games. As with previous years I decided on separate lists to talk about games that came out before 2023 and those that came out during the year itself. I agonized over this list. Hope you enjoy it

10: Diablo III

In the meh games list I mentioned that I'm not a fan of Diablo III. In fact for the longest time I was fairly cold on this game and really disliked it. There's something to Diablo III however, every few months since finishing the Reaper of Souls expansion way back in 2014 that kept the game popping up in my mind. You should play it again, it would say. Roll a new character, it's probably better than you remember. Then I would inevitably try it again, play a few hours and then just sort of peter off it. Perhaps it's simply because of the sheer ineptitude of Immortal, and my complete and utter lack of caring for Diablo 4 that made my most recent playing Diablo III feel so much more fun. I think enough time has passed that I can freely admit to enjoying this game for the most part. I just never go out of my way to play it, but it'll probably happen again that I'll be doing whatever and the urge to play it will occur

09: Doom 3

It's something of the black sheep of the Doom franchise, but I recall quite enjoying the games when I played them spur of the moment this year. A lot of people bemoan the fact that they just made Doom 3 a horror game, but I'm not so sure I agree with that assessment. Sure it has spooky lighting, and impenetrable darkness, but you're never really put into a less empowered state compared to the original Dooms. You're never starved for ammo, and except for the odd jumpscare there's never anything really scary that happens in the game. More so in the Resurrection of Evil expansion, where they give you the super shotgun. It's slower, and more methodical than the other Doom games, but I really don't feel it's any lesser as a result. It's truly unfortunate there's no way to really get the original versions of Doom 3 an Resurrection of Evil outside of looking in nefarious places, because I played the BFG Edition as well as the original Doom 3 and it made me feel physically ill. The originals are surprisingly forward thinking made games because it's wild to me a game from 2004 has support for a 1080p resolution.

08: Higanbana no Saku Yoru Ni (The Unforgiving Flowers Blossom in the Dead of Night)

A delightful horror themed visual novel that I freely admit I never would have ever heard of if not for Umineko. It's more of a straightforward horror tale than a Umineko because this is about the local ghosts and monsters that haunt a school. I haven't finished the second of the two games, but I did quite like the stories in The First Night. Well worth checking out if you want to see some of Ryukishi07's lesser known works.

07: The Witcher II

A lot more competently put together than the original Witcher. It's also much more action focused compared to the original. I kind of miss the different fighting stances that were in the first Witcher game, but I can understand that the series needs to undergo some streamlining as they become a more cross-platform series. It's a fine story as well, where it seems to be pulling from more contemporary fantasy stories of the time like your Game of Thrones with all of its fantasy political intrigue. But it also includes troll fart jokes, so it still remembers some of its origins as well. One of the only things I didn't really like in this game was the inclusion of the odd Quick Time Event. There's not a particular lot of them, but they just felt weirdly out of place.

06: Dragon Age II

I think it handled the transition from traditional CRPG to a more action focused one rather well honestly. It's not the deepest combat in the world, but I never really had any particular complaint with how it was implemented. I liked the time skips in the story as well, jumping to more important parts of Hawkes' life rather than meander and get bogged down in the weeds of showing their entire time in Kirkwall. A fine enough story, even though its attempts to make the final endgame events bigger than previous plot points just fall flat on its face. It was fun seeing the fantasy RPG equivalent to a Like a Dragon game.

05: Might and Magic X: Legacy

I don't know a thing about the Might and Magic series. I know one of the strategy spinoffs is regarded as the absolute pinnacle of the genre, but as far as the mainline ones go I know nothing. That being said however I did quite like the first person dungeon crawling and combat here in MMX. It's nothing groundbreaking, and I doubt it was anything particuarly special when it came out nearly a decade ago in 2014. I appreciate that the game is more than willing to let you screw up making your party and going in with a "suboptimal" team. Rather than hold your hand and tell you which classes to bring or how to level them. I wish Ubisoft would let some developers make another one of these because I enjoy these lower budget RPGs that aren't these massive open world fiascos. Also you could make bank by upsetting the crowd who cries about ruining beloved franchises by making new entries in older series. But really I just greatly enjoy this type of RPG, and I would love to see more of them. I don't know if it will save Ubisoft from their impending implosion, but I would love to see them take chances on this type of game again rather than see them put out another big open world game that takes a hundred hours to finish.

04: Bravely Default II

With series like the Bravely Default series I usually try to play the games in release order. I know developers go to great pains to make it so you can follow a narrative for a game without having played every single entry prior to it. Regardless I try to play the first entries first. Sometimes this is a double edged sword because who's got time to play the eight or so entries before you play Ys VIII? Other times you got two entries, Bravely Default and Bravely Second. But here's the thing, while I played Bravely D 1 way back on the 3DS I know I never actually finished it, and I never touched Bravely Second. But towards the end of December 2022 I decided what the hey, I'll play Bravely Default 2 and just try to figure it out from there. This game was an utter delight to play, something about the turn based combat, good story, and charming visuals just combined to make this game a real treat for me. Even when I was going out of my way to suck the fun out of the game by grinding up the job levels I was having a heck of a good time. While I enjoy the story that's not what kept bringing me back to the game. I kept coming back to it just for the sheer enjoyment of playing the actual game. A novel concept! Bravely Default II was just an immensely enjoyable game and I highly recommend it to those who enjoy turn-based RPGs.

03: Potato Flowers in Full Bloom

This is as late an entry as one could possibly get. I went into this completely blind and I came away absolutely stunned. This is a great turn-based dungeon crawler RPG that I cannot recommend highly enough. It's clearly done by people who have a great love for the DRPGs but it isn't so bogged down with the ideas of what a "hardcore" DRPG should be that it loses itself in the fine details. Rather than get super in depth with the challenge one would find in a Wizardry Potato Flowers just focuses on a superlative gameplay loop that is just extremely enjoyable to play.

02: Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

It seemed like a lock way back at the start of the year. Sure Bravely Default 2 was a sheer delight, but it couldn't match Deadfire. The combat, the look, the storyline, everthing was just such a marked improvement over the basic perfection I felt playing Pillars of Eternity 1.

01: Umineko: When the Seagulls Cry

But something came along in May that just swept the legs out from under it. There has not been an experience that has just taken up permanent residence in my head since finishing it. I went into Umineko knowing basically nothing, and by the time I finished it my mind just kept going over it again and again thinking about the characters, and the story, just replaying and rethinking events over and over again. Just a masterfully crafted narrative, and a killer soundtrack to boot.

01: Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

But the thing about games is that there's more to them than just the story, the gameplay also matters. The short of it is that Pillars of Eternity II quite handily beats Umineko on the gameplay front. Plus, I really don't want to downplay the story of PIllars II because it stands strongly in my memory as one of the most superbly written stories I have ever experienced in any RPG, much less games in general.

01: Umineko: When They Cry

But the story contained within the one hundred and twenty hours worth of Umineko is without hyperbole some of the best written I have had the pleasure to experience. Just some of the most astonishingly well-written character I have ever seen in any medium. Such dedication to the crafting of some of the most vile duplicitous bastards you have ever seen, it's staggering.

01: Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

The storyline in Deadfire takes the already major stakes from Pillars of Eternity I and manages to raise them even higher without making it seem like it's going to ridiculous lengths. The many characters you meet in this game are some of the strongest and best written I have seen in an extraordinarily long time. It's such a wonderful balancing act that you have such a range of characters who have their own plots and schemes that can affect the world but they all gel really well together. Even the overtly optimistic characters are played in a very realistic way where it doesn't come across as the game trying to pander with naive cheerful characters.

Umineko no Naku Koro Ni

I find it incredible that a series of such gargantuan length was able to maintain and hold my interest for the majority of its length. There were a couple of times early on where I felt my interest waning a bit, but everytime it was able to draw me back in and just revitalize my enjoyment. I am also immensely surprised at just how strongly it has remained lodged in my memory since finishing it. I feel reasonably confident if pressed I could give a summation of the entire VN just going off of memory and lose very little in the retelling.

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

As with the original Pillars the sequel does an amazing job integrating the DLC expansions quite seamlessly into the main narrative. There were times that I would embark on what I thought was a simple sidequest but was actualy a large add-on that was just as well crafted as the stuff in the main game. It was a very nice and greatly appreciated attention to detail.

02: Umineko no Naku Koro Ni

I adore this game, I will sing its praises even while carrying the small issues I have with the production. It is such a genuinely great piece of work that I worry that I might be overselling how good it is. But I genuinely feel that it is certainly worth all the praise the visual novel has accrued since its release.

01: Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

However, games are more than just their story. It comes down to gameplay as well as the story that determines what I think the best of the year (pre-2023) truly is. And that's Pillars of Eternity II. I went in to this game with very high expectations, and I was truly surprised at how masterfully the game had met every single one of them. Despite some minor character and story wobbles I adore everything Pillars II set out to do. I highly, highly recommend this game to anyone who has even a passing interest in CRPGs.

What do you think everyone?

But in my heart I know the award goes to Umineko.

[scariercnidaria]

the diablo 3 reaper of souls hearse that belongs to the funeral service next to my workplace btw. if you even care

[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.

[impossiblycolorfulpanda]

Hi. I see you're really keen on the idea of an Azula redemption arc and I was wondering if you were willing to help me.

You see, I'm writing my own Zutara au and I wanted to give Azulas a simple but well meaning redemption arc but I don't know where to start. She is a complex character so I don't wanna go "and now she is good". Because that's also the point, I don't want to turn her into a goody-goody two-shoes, picture perfect princess. I want to keep that snarky and sarcastic side of her, mixed in with a little bit of tsundere. I want to make her an aunt to my two Zutara babies so she'll keep her caring side but more on the down low.

Anyway... Do you think you can give me some ideas? I also don't know who I want to ship her with so Azulaang ideas are welcome but not a must (nothing against the ship, i just haven't decided between Taang or Azulaang)

Thank you!!

How about this?

Due to Azula and Aang being a descendant of Aang's past life Roku. The two become spiritually connected, linked, and bonded with each other. This bond came to be right after Aang let go of Katara and embrace his last chakra, which instantly caused Aang to lose any romantic feelings he had for Katara. They can use this bond to slowly create another, more emotional and intimate bond. We don't give Aang enough credit of being sassy, sarcastic and mischievous in his own right. I'd kill to see Aang and Azula throw sass and comebacks at each other, it'll be peak entertainment.

I picture Azula's redemption being like Dante's divine comedy trilogy but it's metaphorical and psychological. She'd go through 9 circles of the burning hells, 9 earthly terraces of purgatory and 9 spheres of the high heavens. That's a total of 27 episodes.

You want an example of what a redeemed Azula looks like? Look no further than Diablo 3 reaper of souls, the female wizard: A deadpan snarker? check. Has fire and lightning powers? check. Is a prodigy? check. Her characteristics, design and clothing based on East Asia? check. Insufferable genius but can back it up? check. A one woman army? check. Is voiced by Grey DeLisle herself? check check check.

I've read a few Azulaang AUs where Aang teaches Azula how open and master her chakras. Each has there own interpretation on what's blocking each of her chakras. Here's what I have in mind.

Azula's fear is abandonment and being seen as monster, as evidence with the beach and the mirror scene.

As for her guilt, it's possible she may have some guilt over how Zuko was treated given how quick she was to overturn his banishment, she just couldn't bring herself to admit it and apologize. I than imagine Azula going through the same stuff Zuko went through in Zuko alone. Azula sees the damage her war has wrought, befriends some earth commoners but later turn against her either by finding out who she is or when she does something maniacal and unhinged which. Azula takes their rejection WAY harder than Zuko and angrily lashes out and wounds an innocent, which increases her guilt further.

Shame. Her failure to fulfil Ozai's promise to be fire lord and her humiliating defeat by Katara's hands is pretty self explanatory.

Greif. Contrary to popular belief, I think Azula loved Lu Ten and the two had close relationship. Why else would she only have her sights on Ba sing se and is dead set on bring it down? What comes in the form of new love, Azula sees Zuko and starts bawling her eyes out.

The lies she was told all came from Ozai. I picture Ozai and Azula having a similar dynamic between Anaken and Palpatine. You oughta explore more of the relationship between Ozai and Azula.

It's obvious by now she fell prey to the illusion of separation, but she also seems to be chasing after the illusion of perfection.

Her earthly attachment? It's Ozai. Hands down.

I hope any of this helps.

Btw, I'm currently trying to write a book 4: air. But the second half of season 2 of legend of korra will be shown in Aang's saga. Particularly book 4: air. Ozai is the dark avatar and he’s the most powerful firebender, earthbender, waterbender, airbender and energybender in existence after slaying the last lion turtle and absorbing its soul during Sozin's comet. But instead of Ozai fusing with Vaatu, Ozai IS Vaatu, and he was directly but secretly behind the starting of the 100-year-war. It's Aang that goes through the destruction of the original avatar cycle and heralds a new spiritual/avatar era, but this time, Raava becomes the spirit of light/peace and darkness/chaos at the same time, aka, the spirit of balance, she also embodies and controls all sources of bending.

[fatguysupreme]

Okay. Lets start 2024 off right, with an all new all improved

ABOUT ME, (dni list at the bottom)

Hey! Hi there! Im Brutus, Im an 18 year old artist who knows a lot about a ton, and also jack shit about more than a ton. Im a weird fella, so if you can get past the *odd username, weird typing habits, and even weirder hyperfixations* you just might like me!

since the turn of the new year, i have officially been playing Diablo 3: reaper of souls for 10 whole years!

i enjoy superheros, Dc + marvel (i dont discriminate) , i also enjoy niche/ slightly forgotten games, shows and characters like:

(i dont hear from many people who talk or know about some of these, thats why they're on the list.)

Hells, the 2000's anime movie

The MAXX

Growing up creepie

Rockstar's Manhunt game series

Garage: bad dream adventure

Alice madness returns

Hatred and postal (though they are kicking back up fandom wise from what im seeing)

the game Vampyr

the Dark lord in the early ages Bookseries.

i have many other interests but i fear this post will be longer than the declaration of fraggin' independence if i list every single thing i like. soon enough there will be enough posts of fanart that you'll see for yourself which interests are which.

i have a few illnesses, such as Autism, psychosis and OSDD. please be paitent with me because not only am I a sickly Victorian child at this point, i am quite frankly dense and i might not understand you.

Lemme get this straight, i love making buddies and i looove people interacting with the things i make, but i feel its important to lay down my list of people who should not interact with me.

Do not interact with me if:

you are anti LGBTQ, or have any type of hate for People of color.

DSMP enjoyers, leave my sight immediately.

proshippers-- dont you dare.

thats about it! i dont gatekeep and to be honest it irritates me to no end. ill share with you any topic! it might sound like i am at first but i promise you ask and you shall receive. you want to know where to watch The MAXX?! well of course buddy! its on amazon prime-- only one season of absolute goodness.....buttt y'gotta pay for it though haha!

anywho, thats all i wanted to say. thank you for reading, and i hope my art peaks your interest. if you need anything please message me, ill answer sooner or later-- tumblr does not give my phone notifs.

[pathfinderunlocked]

Adria, Blood Witch Demon - CR 14 Demon

A boss based on Adria from Diablo 3.

Artwork by Aaron Gaines, official art for Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, copyright Blizzard Entertainment.

I love the combat and storytelling in the Diablo games, and the recent release of Diablo IV inspired me to turn a boss from Diablo III into a Pathfinder monster.

I wrote “Adria” as the creature’s name in the title of the post to make this easier to find for people searching for Diablo-themed content, but presuming that your players aren’t actually playing a Diablo campaign, Blood Witch Demon is her actual species of demon, and is the name used in the stat block below.  (She was referred to as a “Blood Demon” or “The Witch” in Diablo, but those are both a bit too generic, so I combined them.)

Blood Witch Demons are former humanoids that chose to make pacts with demon lords, offering their bodies as vessels for the demon lord’s progeny to enter the mortal realm.  Their children are tieflings with a demon lord’s bloodline, and as payment for this method of infiltrating the material plane, the humanoid, usually a witch, gains the ability to permanently transform into a powerful demonic form.  A person who makes this exchange isn’t required to transform into their Blood Witch Demon form right away, and often waits until they are cornered and in mortal danger to do so, as the transformation is irreversible, and the obviously demonic form is very hard to explain to one’s coworkers and parents.

Adria is female, but blood witch demons are not necessarily female, nor do they even need to be the opposite sex of the demon lord, since no actual physic union occurs between them.  A humanoid is eligible as long as it is capable of bearing or siring offspring - although exactly what causes a demon lord to choose an individual to produce its tainted offspring is up to each demon lord.

The only good reason this creature probably has to ever turn off Expanded Form is if it’s fighting in a narrow area.  It actively avoids such fights, as its main form of attack is mass summoning.

Blood Witch Demon - CR 14

Six massive skeletal insectoid legs and a pair of tattered wings, torn flesh draped across them, begin to emerge from the back of this horned humanoid, ripping out of her skin and expanding to several times the size of her body.  A sash is draped around her segmented, carapaced body, and her blood red clawed feet hover a few inches above the ground despite the lack of movement in her wings.

XP 38,400 CE Huge outsider (chaotic, demon, evil) Init +9 Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, true seeing; Perception +38 Aura blood-leeching aura (30 feet)

DEFENSE

AC 30, touch 17, flat-footed 24 (+4 deflection, +5 Dex, +1 dodge, +12 natural, –3 size) hp 296 (16d10+208) Fort +18, Ref +15, Will +16 DR 10/cold iron and good Immune electricity, poison Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10, negative energy 15 SR 25

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft., air step (max ranks Fly) Melee 2 claws +20 (1d6+6 plus 2d8 bleed), 2 wings +15 (1d8+3) Space 15 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (15 feet with wings) Special Attacks expanded form

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 16th; concentration +26) Constant—air step (5 ranks Fly), shield of faith At will—corruptive blast (DC 23, see text), greater dispel magic (self only), damnation stride (DC 25, self plus 50 lbs. of objects only, 3 round cooldown) 3/day—crashing summon (1d4+1 fiendish bloodspatter oozes, see text) 1/day—fly (self only)

BASE STATISTICS

Without expanded form, a blood witch demon’s statistics are: AC 32, touch 19, flat-footed 26; Melee 2 claws +22 (1d8+6 plus 2d8 bleed); Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; CMB +22, CMD 42

STATISTICS

Str 22, Dex 20, Con 36, Int 28, Wis 22, Cha 20 Base Atk +16; CMB +24; CMD 44 Feats Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Craft Wondrous Item, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (conjuration) Skills Acrobatics +21, Bluff +24, Craft (alchemy, calligraphy) +26, Fly +17, Knowledge (arcana, history, local, planes, religion) +28, Linguistics +13, Perception +25, Spellcraft +25, Use Magic Device +21 Languages Aboleth, Abyssal, Aklo, Celestial, Common, Cyclops, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Infernal, Ignan, Necril, Protean, Sphinx, Terran SQ undersized weapons and armor Gear headband of vast intelligence +4 (acrobatics, fly)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Blood-Leeching Aura (Su) When a creature within 30 feet of a blood witch demon recovers hit points, it recovers 1 fewer hit point per die rolled.  The blood witch demon recovers these hit points in the creature’s place.

Corruptive Blast (Sp) As a standard action, as a spell-like ability, a blood witch demon can launch a swirl of corruptive dark energy at a target within close range (typically 65 feet).  The target takes 15d6 damage and is dazzled for 1 round; this increases to 15d8 if the target is good-aligned.  A DC 23 Reflex save halves this damage and negates the dazzled effect.

Additionally, the target’s space becomes infused with a dark swirl of corrupting energy, obscuring visibility (50% miss chance) when targeting a creature within or shooting through this space, and dealing 7d6 damage (or 7d8 damage to a good-aligned target) to any creature that enters this space or ends its turn in it.  A DC 23 Reflex save halves this damage.  This dark swirl of corrupting energy lasts for 2 rounds, but if it kills a creature with at least 1 hit die, its duration increases to 16 days.

Treat this as a 4th-level evocation spell with the evil descriptor.

Crashing Summon (Sp) As a full-round action, as a spell-like ability, a blood witch demon can summon 1d4+1 bloodspatter oozes with the fiendish template, much as though casting the summon monster spell.  The range of this spell is close (typically 65 feet).  These summoned creatures automatically return whence they came after 1 hour.

When a blood witch demon summons bloodspatter oozes, each ooze is summoned in the sky and immediately crashes down to the spot where it was summoned to.  Each bloodspatter ooze can immediately perform a falling charge against a creature adjacent to where it is summoned, gaining a circumstance bonus equal to the blood witch demon’s Intelligence bonus (usually +10) on the attack roll, a +2 bonus to the attack roll and -2 penalty to AC from the charge, and a +1 bonus for attacking from higher ground (for a total of +13 bonus on the attack).  The bloodspatter oozes do not take falling damage from this.

A blood witch demon that summons bloodspatter oozes must place them at least 20 feet away from each other.  They can, however, be place closer than 20 feet to existing bloodspatter oozes that were already summoned.

Treat this as a 7th-level conjuration (summoning) spell.

Expanded Form (Ex) As a move action, a blood witch demon can expand its form, growing tattered wings and six massive skeletal insectoid legs from its back, or shrink its form, withdrawing these extra limbs back into its flesh.  It is typically Huge-sized while using its Expanded Form ability and Medium-sized while not doing so.  A blood witch demon can only use its wing attacks while in Expanded Form.

The effects of Expanded Form are already included in the stat block above.

Spell-Like Abilities A blood witch demon uses Intelligence, not Charisma, as its spellcasting ability score for its spell-like abilities.

Recharge Summon (Su) As a full-round action, by lowering its AC, DR and SR by 5 for 1 round, a blood witch demon can regain one of its daily uses of crashing summon.  Additionally, once per day when a blood witch demon is reduced to half its hit points or fewer, it regains one of its daily uses of crashing summon. 

Undersized Weapons and Armor (Ex) While in its Expanded Form, a blood witch demon uses weapons and armor as if it were two size-categories smaller (typically Medium-sized).  A blood witch demon that is not in its Expanded Form uses weapons and armor appropriate to its size.

[vikingnerd793]

OK so I feel spoiled that I've loved so many games since 2018. But here is my personal favorite games ever list, updated

1. Assassin's Creed Valhalla

2. Skyrim

3. Baldur's Gate 3

4. Elder Scrolls Online

5. Diablo IV

6. God of War Ragnarok

7. Assassin's Creed Origins

8. God of War (2018)

9. Assassin's Creed Black Flag

10. tie between Diablo II and Diablo III with the Reaper of Souls expansion

SPOILER BELOW

BG 3 was incredible and I'm shocked I enjoyed a turn based game that much .... I sincerely hope for DLCs! If they could just add in a new ending for a certain character someday, it would be a 100% masterpiece for me. Maybe a DLC or a patched in cutting room floor option. That was so traumatic and then roll credits after.....omg...

[technicallyoneofakind]

*bangs head against the wall* I want to make a post about DLCs and how there are cooler cheaper videogames or activities... But I fear I only have Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls Adventure mode on the brain...