Blizzcon: Diablo III Lore Panel

Book of Cain

The Book of Cain was created to tighten up the Diablo lore and help the developers keep continuity through the Diablo series, and gives the basic history of the Diablo universe.

In the world of Diablo, heaven and hell are fighting an eternal battle for control of the Worldstone. This massive crystal can be used to build worlds without end and shape reality to the controller’s whim. The Archangel Tyrael ordered the Pandemonium Fortress built around the Worldstone, and it is much more massive than what we have seen in the games so far. Pandemonium is the main focus of the fight between heaven and hell and different sides have held it for different lengths of time.

Worldstone (fan art)

Tyrael’s brother, the Archangel Inarius, decided he didn’t like the eternal battle and breaks away from the angels. He brings some of the other angels with him, but strangely, he also enlists some demons to go with him as well. Inarius and his helpers “stole” the Worldstone from Pandemonium. Essentially, they veiled it in a dimensional pocket so that heaven and hell couldn’t see it and that’s where they formed Sanctuary. Over time, the Nephilim, offspring of these angels and demons, diminished and became men.

Angiris Council

The Angiris Council is the angelic counterpart to the Lords of the Burning Hells and similarly, each angel has its own sphere of influence that defines who they are.

Tyrael, Angel of Justice

• Tyrael, Angel of Justice – Tyrael is a very rigid guy, and he is all about order. When he finds out about sanctuary, and sees the selflessness, honor, and heroism that man is capable of, he breaks away from his legal world view and becomes the outlaw on the council.
  
• Auriel, Angel of Hope – She is the most upbeat person on the council. Wise and hopeful, she holds the council together.
  
• Malthael, Angel of Wisdom – He is the voice of reason on the council, and when he talks everyone listens because he is usually right. When Inarius and his followers take the Worldstone, Malthael freaks out. The core of his reality is suddenly gone and so his character darkens and becomes grim.
  
• Imperius, Angel of Valor – Imperius is a loud voice on the council, and tries to bully the council to get his way. He is the best at combat and has killed billions of demons. He clashes with Tyrael at times because of his pride, especially where mankind is concerned.
  
• Itherael, Angel of Fate – Itherael is the lorekeeper of the heavens. While he cannot see the future, he sees the ribbons of possibility that weave into the future and so the council often turns to him when faced with tough decisions. Mortals weren’t meant to exist, and so he can’t see anything about man’s destiny and that freaks him out.
  

Lords of the Burning Hells

The Lords of the Burning Hells are a combination of the three prime evils and the lesser evils. The three Prime Evils – Diablo, Mephisto, and Baal – are the eldest and strongest and rule over the lesser evils, Duriel, Andariel, Belial and Azmodan. Belial and Azmodan started a civil war in hell because the Prime Evils were interfering with Sanctuary. In time, even the armies of the Prime Evils turned on them and they were exiled to Sanctuary in the Dark Exile, where they were hunted and captured by the Horadrim. The only two left in Diablo III are Belial and Azmodan.

Azmodan, Lord of Sin

• Belial, Lord of Lies – Belial is a master of deception, but he likes to use underlings rather than get his hands dirty. He likes to manipulate his opponents and corrupt things slowly. Belial has been messing with Caldeum, his minions have driven refugees to the city, creating hunger and disease.
  
• Azmodan, Lord of Sin – Azmodan’s Lieutenants are the seven deadly sins. One of these that we will meet is the Maiden of Lust, or Mistress of Pain, who likes to torment people and get under their skin. Azmodan himself is all about power and ruled hell after the Dark Exile. He is very greedy and unlike Belial, doesn’t hide. Azmodan is behind the invasion that Deckard Cain has been warning people of, and he always seems to be two steps ahead.
  

The dark wanderer (from Diablo II; the hero of the original Diablo), is currently possessed by Diablo and has now been given an identity. The developers wanted a character with a strong emotional investment in the events, and so they chose Leoric’s oldest son for this role.

Three new zones revealed

• Caldeum, the Jewel of the East
  

Caldeum is the major trading center of the world. There is currently a big refugee crisis here that has led to malnutrition and disease. We know Belial is behind this crisis but we don’t know how or why.[/indent]

Caldeum, the Jewel of the East

The three major groups in Caldeum are the Zakarum Priesthood, the merchant families, and the Ishari Sanctum. These three groups are constantly vying for power between each other, but under Emperor Hakan they put aside their differences for awhile and the city grew into the wealthy powerful trading center it is today.[/indent]

Hakan II, a child found through a Zakarum ritual, is now emperor because of Hakan’s recent death. The Emperor’s personal guard, the Iron Wolves, were to protect him in a regency arrangement to prevent him being taken advantage of. However, they were kicked out of the palace and the new Imperial Guard won’t let anyone see the Emperor.[/indent]

• Dahlgur Oasis
  

The Dahlgur Oasis is the farming region where most of Caldeum’s water comes from, and the biggest reason the city is prosperous. According to legend, the prophet Dalgur came and took the leaders of Caldeum out to show them the oasis so they could prosper. He asked that it be named after him and then disappeared back into the wastelands. No one has seen him since.[/indent]

This is where most of the refugees are from. The area is infested with minions of Belial. There is very little farming going on, if any, and people are starting to starve.[/indent]

• Archives of Zultun Kulle
  

The archives have been sitting for hundreds of years undisturbed and still soaked in Zultun Kulle’s magic. Zultun Kulle is a new character, one of the original Horadrim founders.[/indent]

We don’t learn much about him, other than he turned bad and was considered the most dangerous man in the world. The Horadrim, wizards and some other groups got together to kill him, but somehow he had gained immortality. In an attempt to keep him from coming back, they cut him in half, burying his head in one part of the desert and putting his body in an alternate dimension.[/indent]

On the Diablo III lore panel, were Chris Metzen, Senior Vice President of Story and Franchise Development, Kevin Martens, Lead Content Designer, and Leonard Boyarsky, Senior World Designer.