#Diablo lore

[aoeability]

I'd like to add that Diablo 3 established angels in general are recognized by humanity as paragons, and Cain says all humans regardless of culture believe so (which might have been retconned in 4). Of note is the fact that most depictions of angels in 3 are on Zakarum propety, oddly enough. Evidence thereof is present within the Tristram Cathedral, which notably features a staines glass of Imperius

Kingdom of Westmarch also has a large depiction of Tyrael in one of its churches but I can't find a high-quality image. What I think is interesting is that Neyrelle in 4 seems completely unaware of who Tyrael is, despite his suposedly revered status. This led me to a headcanon that Zakarum acknowledges the five main angels, while Cathedral doesn't.

I drew a little clip inspired by the game's look "Guardian Angels".

I feel like Tyrael is constantly brushing up the favorability of humans, but because of The Reapers, the favorability of humans towards angels has decreased again (it did in D4), and I'm curious to see how the storyline will be set up in the future.

BTW English is not my native language, I used a translation program, I hope it doesn't affect the reading!😆

[gigglemeshthegayboi]

[kurj]

diablo 2 sorceress!!

this was super fun, tried to draw her looking more simple, cartoonish and a bit silly in too large gloves

[visterical]

nothing fancy because I am tired. super long ramble is in tags

[hypodermicfroggy]

From my experience, enjoyment of the worlds of Blizzard games comes in a spectrum:

Overwatch: Because the developers refused to elaborate further with the lore on account of corporate greed and mismanagement, everything is up to speculation and you can basically do whatever you want with these settings and characters.

World of Warcraft: Please, god, stop elaborating.

[diablo-that-first-spark]

Hell has frozen over: I am deviating from the lore

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, my dearest cupcakes, you read that correctly. Hell is indeed an icy wasteland now and the Seven Evils need full winter gear to function. I am officially ignoring certain parts of the lore and deviating back to a previous version of them.

For those who don’t really know me, here’s why this is a big deal:

Lore is sacred.

Respect the goddamn source material.

These are the two golden rules I always follow, no matter the fanart or fanfiction I create (I’m talking about serious attempts here, not jokey sketches or memes, of course). I do not trample over established lore and rules in a world, just because I want to tell my story. I always do my best to make my story and characters work within the guidelines already set by the original creators. I don’t retcon backstories, I don’t blackwash, I especially don’t rainbow-wash, all of these are shameful practices in my eyes, and I would not be caught dead doing them.

Anyway.

With Diablo 4 out and its spin-off stories being published, I am finally forced to partially let go of the “Lore is sacred” golden rule… or at the very least, stay true to a former version of said lore. Namely, the Diablo 3 and the Sin War trilogy versions.

Now, it is obvious that Blizzard is doing its best to ignore D3 altogether in D4, outside of bringing back a few older locations like Maghda’s boss arena or the Forgotten Overlook. Returning D3 characters would rather die than mention anything from that game, while D2 characters (who should be dead 3 times over by this point) can’t shut the hell up about their former adventures.

It is also an undisputed fact that D3 is the least popular entry in the franchise among the hardcore non-fanart-creating part of the fandom. A sad fact, but a fact nonetheless.

Now, I am not saying Blizzard is a shit company, they don’t know what they are doing, I know better. No. Stories change. Things get retconned. Characters rewritten. Course-correction is necessary. That happens to almost every long-running story, it is entirely normal.

I just don’t like these changes, I think they take away from the lore overall. Attempts to erase my favorite entry from the franchise won’t make me happy, naturally, even if I wholeheartedly understand the purely logical and business reasons behind it.

So! Not to mince words, here is a list of every retcon I can think of from the top of my head, that I am going to apply to That First Spark:

1) Nephalem are weak no-name peasants who look perfectly human

Going by D3 and Sin War rules, in TFS nephalem are absolute powerhouses who survive insane shit being thrown at them, just because they are nephalem. Their power level is either off the charts or much higher than normal, both in magic and in physical strength. As a personal preference, I will also make the First Generation Nephalem (namely, Rathma) a little bit inhuman. I lllloved it when we still believed Elias would be Rathma, his design was perfect for the role. I will give Rathma a bit of a redesign for Act IV but his slight but disturbing inhuman appearance will remain so. No full-blown furry designs, that is just ridiculous, good lord.

(One day, I might write a rant about the current state of the Nephalem-era of history, because it is an absolute travesty. One day.)

2) Inarius is just a “lieutenant” of Tyrael

Yeah, nah, eff that. Rhythm brothers, till the day I die.

3) Rathma becomes the First Necromancer after he corrects a very plot-convenient mistake.

(Not going into more detail because the Rathma graphic novel is still very new.)

I’m going back to the original lore, which is far more interesting: Linarian had started a rebellion among his generation, after he realized their children were born weaker because of Inarius’ meddling. The rebellion goes horribly wrong, Inarius manages to kill most of the first generation nephalem with the aid of the Worldstone then he disappears and suffers a fate of isolation that eventually breaks his mind. On the other side, Linarian goes insane over the guilt of leading his fellow nephalem to their deaths, until the dragon Trag’Oul finds him and teaches him of the Balance, giving him the name “Rathma” (“Keeper of the Balance”).

None of this is made up by me, btw. This is how the lore was in the Sin War trilogy books.

4) Demons can be born/manufactured from the blood of angels

That is just the dumbest stuff Diablo Immortal has ever pulled, like hell I will work with that.

5) Lyndon didn’t kill Rea, instead he allows her to make his life hell

Hells, I already retconned it with the ending of Act I, without even trying. I saw into the future with this!

On a personal note: this is the most terrible story line they could have given to Lyndon, I hate everything about it, and I wish it to the deepest pits of hell. He deserves better. Grimdark is utter trash.

6) Lilith is an unkillable boss bitch that walks away from lethal crippling injuries like it’s nothing

Oh do not worry, she is going to be an absolute nightmare to take down. Quiet and co. will have to work for it hard. But originally Lilith has never been the “strahng wahmen unkillable boss bitch” modern day trope, and she won’t be that in TFS either. I have to be clever with what kind of injuries she may or may not receive.

7) Kingsport is on the south-western shore of the Western Continent

TFS works with the Diablo 3 version of the world map. If there is a location that is needed for the story, which shows up on the D4 map, but not the D3 map, I will bring that one detail in. There is nothing big behind this decision, I just grew used to the D3 map.

8) Lilith initiates the Purge of the Renegades because of Linarian's vision her son told her about

I am working with the Book of Cain version: Lilith assumes Inarius is already plotting the genocide of the children when he withdraws to meditate on the right choice. So she kills every angel and demon so that should Inarius want to destroy the children, he would remain utterly alone on a dead world. Her gambit would pay off in the end, although not before Inarius banishes her.

---

I am sure there will be a bit more retcons down the line, but for now, these are the critical nodes I see from here.

It probably doesn’t sound too bad for you, and I agree, I am probably making a mountain out of a mole-hill here. However, I have my own code to follow in creative works, and I honestly feel like this deviation from my usual methods warrants a heads-up.

So, anyway, back to the drawing board! I wish I had an ETA to give you cupcakes about the arrival of Act IV, but unfortunately I don’t. Thank you for your continuous patience!

2024.08.26.

[flickynightdarkness]

Comfort Characters List (Waves 6, 7, 8 & 9)

Atsuover, Rageminer, Nicky Tate, WolfyChu, Rosanna Pansino, Ava Ryan (YouTubers)

Pichu, Torchic, Jirachi, Manaphy, Dwebble, Sylveon (Pokémon)

Slinky Dog, Jessie, Trixie & Bonnie (Toy Story)

Humf

Patrick Star (SpongeBob SquarePants)

Sunflower (Plants Vs Zombies)

Dum Mee Mee (Shopkins)

Unikitty (Unikitty Series)

Flurry Heart & Apple Bloom (My Little Pony)

Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa & Po (Teletubbies)

Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls)

Numbuh 5/Abigail Lincoln & Numbuh 3/Kuki Sanban (Kids Next Door)

Bender (Futurama)

Tom, Matt & Tord (Eddsworld)

Monika (Doki Doki Literature Club)

Moomintroll, Moominmamma & Snorkmaiden (Moomin Series)

Pepa & Mirabel (Encanto)

Wednesday Addams (Wednesday Series)

Suki (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Tyke & Tuffy (Tom & Jerry)

Wanda (Fairly Oddparents)

Lilo, Stitch & Angel (Lilo & Stitch)

Yoshi & Mario (Super Mario)

Sonic, Tails, Vector, Chip & Tails Doll (Sonic The Hedgehog)

Komasan (Yo-Kai Watch)

Oswald The Lucky Rabbit

Amethyst, Garnet & Pearl (Steven Universe)

Scarecrow (Batman: Brave & Bold)

Harley Quinn (MultiVersus)

Foxy & Funtime Freddy (FNAF)

Lesley (DHMIS)

Rover, Isabelle, Timmy & Tommy (Animal Crossing)

Woolly & Tig

Shaggy (Scooby Doo)

Slappy (Goosebumps)

Zoe Kusama (Criminal Case)

Pim (Smiling Friends)

Streber (Spooky Month)

Mio Mao

Inky (Pac-Man)

Odie (Garfield)

Sonic (Sonic The Hedgehog Movie)

Sans & Napstablook (Undertale)

Giulia (Luca)

Della Duck (Ducktales)

Candy Cat & Bunzo Bunny (Poppy Playtime)

Winner & Cake (BFB)

MePad, Paintbrush, Bow & Lightbulb (Inanimate Insanity)

Kasane Teto, Kagamine Rin & Hatsune Miku (Vocaloids)

Boyfriend, Girlfriend, Tabi, Sunday, Garcello, Annie & Chris (Friday Night Funkin)

Dave Algebra Class

Shinto (FNF: Lullaby)

Anya (Spy X Family)

Puss In Boots, Kitty Softpaws & Three Diablos (Puss In Boots)

Jeepers, Shishi, Sleepypaws & Kissy (Moshi Monsters)

King Candy & Felix (Wreck It Ralph)

Holly & Nanny Plum (Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom)

F, P & Y (Alphabet Lore)

Korekiyo Shinguji (Danganronpa)

Mr. Scatterbrain (Mr Men Show)

Boo (Monsters Inc)

Roy (ROY Series)

Tom Kenny (Celebrity)

Jack Skellington (Nightmare Before Christmas)

Toothless (How To Train Your Dragon)

Slushi (Chikn Nuggit)

[nmzuka]

some more Primal Rage concept work... Diablo V.3 after some input from the wife (bless her for letting me info dump on her and taking even the smallest amount of interest in the series hhhh) Sinjin will probably get some work as well cause I'm not happy with his outfit... need to make it make sense and also really want to rework his mask

[the-shifty-motel]

sooo, while it's still October and I'm still in a vampirish mood, I wrote some lore about the Vampire AU I'm working on.

here's the fic/lore!

[fluff-and-such]

Thoughts on Arkaine? Hero of Light, champion of the Sin War, "the first mortal to turn [its] tide and chase the legion of darkness back to the Burning Hells"?

Asking because even though pre-trilogy canon is exceptionally loose and largely irrelevant in a post-D3 world, none of the characters from D1 or D1 manual have been explicitly retconned out of existence (except the priest of Tristram who didn't make it to the final cut).

(Of note is the fact that the blurb mentioning Inarius in the manual is mostly consistent with the trilogy's basic premise, if we take the "Inarius is an evil selfish bastard" interpretation of canon)

There are a few ideas that come to mind;

Arkaine was part of the Mage Clans, and stood in opposition of Jere Harrash, the mage responsible for the first summoning of demons. The armor was brought West when Zakarum began invading.

Arkaine is a Western interpretation of Uldyssian (yeah I know, but bear with me), and the armor found its way to Tristram by utter happenstance.

Arkaine fought against Diablo, or possibly all three Prime Evils, alongside the Horadrim. His armor was intentionally left in case future generations ever needed it.

Presumably, if Arkaine was the first one to see success against the Burning Hells, he would've had to be there in the early beginning. If he truly is the first, he would predate the Sin War (unless he was directly involved in it). Obviously Hell didn't stay away, and many a mortal has stood against them.

The most successful mortal to ever truly oust the Burning Hells was Uldyssian, who quite literally pushed entire legions out of Sanctuary. This would also line up better with the legend taking place during the Sin War, rather than prior. Considering that his story was mind-wiped from existence, with only a few accounts here and there surviving, it's possible the bare-bones of his victory made it over to Western ears, and got telephoned into a more Arthurian tale.

Uldyssian didn't wear armor though. So perhaps not.

Diablo 1 is about Diablo himself though. Arkaine's Valor is an item we find in Tristram Cathedral. There could be some far reaching lore about it, or it could be a story closer to home.

Maybe Arkaine wasn't the first mortal to push back the general Burning Hells, but instead, one of the first to successfully battle with the Lord of Terror (...even if Uldyssian also beat him to this one). Perhaps Arkaine fought Diablo so that the Horadrim could contain him, and was injured in the process. Perhaps his armor was hidden along with the Souldstone. After all, as Deckard tells us, 'When this holy armor is again needed, a hero will arise to don Valor once more. Perhaps you are that hero.' We go to face Diablo in the catacombs.

To summarize, I think Arkaine was a warrior that assisted the Horadrim in defeating and capturing the Prime Evils.

[wereh0gz]

Have a dumb scene in my head where sonic goes to the woods and rue notices he looks stressed af. So rue's like you look like you need to scream and he's like yeah. So they're like then do it. So he lets out the most ungodly loud as fuck death scream possible and it scares rue so bad it briefly makes them christian again

[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!

[swindlefingrs]

Diablo IV: Hatred vs hatred

i wrapped up a second playthru of the diablo iv story and i think there's something to the fact that there's a distinction the game makes between "Hatred", proper noun, and "hatred", common noun. i can't stop wondering why this delineation exists:

i don't think its a typo since a handful of dialogue options make a distinction between Hatred and hatred within the same conversation:

my initial thought is that Hatred isn't shorthand for Mephisto or Lilith, not a specific entity, but rather their plane of existence or domain. the game mentions a few times that demons can't be killed, hence the soulstones, that they eventually return to their domains to reform. if their domains were obliterated, would they also cease to exist? would the eternal conflict end if there weren't a Burning Hells or High Heavens?

this could also align with the idea that to be a "Lord" in the vaguely feudal sense - they're addressed as Lord of (the place name/land they steward). in this case, that land would be Hatred.

Donan talks about how a demon's essence seeps into reality from where it's held in a soulstone. maybe a demon brings parts of its dimension with it into Sanctuary?

so it seems to me, that the prophecy is talking about light piercing the heart of the realm of Hatred. what that "light" is and what/where the heart of the realm of Hatred is, i dunno!

[displacer-beasts]

Morbed the Rogue is a folk tale Lorath heard as a boy. He doesn't know if any of them are true, but he believes the man really existed.

[dweebsmcarts]

the ambassador

[west-tokyo-incidents]

So fucking many times Rathma is mentioned in the fucking game and in the side quests... AND NOT A SINGLE. FUCKING. ONE. Has anything to do with the effect his death had on Necromancers. THEY FUCKING WORSHIP THE DUDE COME ON THAT H A D TO HAVE HAD A MASSIVE EFFECT.