Diablo

Baggrund

Since time began, the forces of Order and Chaos have fought to decide the fate of Creation. Now, after centuries of battles and defeats, the demon princes think the Mortal Realm is the key to victory.

However, to wage all-out war on humanity would dangerously weaken Hell's forces and would probably lead to direct intervention by divine forces. Thus, thedemon princes Baal, Mephisto and Diablo - a trio known as the Prime Evils - hatched a devious plot. They had themselves cast onto the Prime Plane as if exiled from the Infernal regions as the result of a demonic power struggle , and quietly began a long and subtle campaign of corruption.

Baal tricked Tal_Rasha, a supremely powerful wizard, into imprisoning him in the wizard's own body for many years. In time, Baal utterly corrupted the wizard and gained access to the magic lor of the Horadim, huminity's greatest sorcerous cabal.

Mephisto has been imprisoned for many years in a soulstone under the main temple of the Zukarum faith in the capital of the Eastern Empire, the city of Kurast. Over time, Mephisto has gained control of the stone and corrupted the priesthood, including Que-Hegan Sankekur, the highest mortal authority of the Zakarum faith.

Diablo caused a war between the two nations of Khanduras and Westmarch, resulting in the first Diablo Story.

Woe of the Hero: The Diablo Story

Diablo took control of the small western kingdoms of Khanduras, working deep in the ancient catacombs beneith the town of Tristram. He snared good King Leoric and many other persons of power. At last, a lone hero plumbed the hellish depths of the labyrinth and confronted him.

Knowing that the demon prince's spirit could not be destroyed, the hero made a noble sacrifice - casting his soul and sanity aside, he took the spirit of Diablo into himself, hoping that his own strength of will could contain the demon. Unknown to all, this selfless act not only secured Diablo's victory, but also damned the unnamed her's soul. With his tragic failure, the story begins anew....

Visionerne

Der er drømmene. Visionerne du har haft lige fra spæd. Den første du husker var en lille dreng som græd hjerteskærende fordi han var blevet væk fra sin mor.

Der var andre drømme før den, men du husker dem ikke. Du husker kun at da du drømte om den lille dreng så kendte du ham. Der var fire andre og i drømmene kendte I hinanden og alligevel ikke - for du havde aldrig mødt dem mens du var vågen og de var så fremmedartede. I var fem i alt. Tre drenge og to piger. Drømmene var en underlig blanding af hverdagssituationer og meget fremmedartet fornemmelse. Du så de andre i deres første forelskelse, gøre grøntsager rene og hente brænde. Du så dem også blive indviet til voksenlivet i uhyggelige ritualer og du så dem blive trænet i mystiske kampformer. Dine drømmesyner voksede og blev voksne sammen med dig.

Drømmene var der gennem hele barndommen men i puperteten tog de til. Så fik du lidt fred for dem selvom de aldrig forsvandt. drog du ud i verden da du blev voksen og i den sidste tid har drømmene været der konstant, de trænger sig på selv når du er vågen. Og i alle drømmene er de fire andre - ligesom du selv - på rejse. Den sidste uges tid er du begyndt at kunne genkende ting, landskaber og ansigter fra drømmene. I er alle på vej mod den samme destination. Da du ankommer til den lille lejr kendt som Rogue Camp så ser du at de fire andre også er ankommet. Måske er det hvad du forventede men det er alligevel noget specielt at møde de mennesker som gennem et helt liv har været dine indre visioner.

Amazon

Amazon: Inge

The Amazons are women warriors who hail from a group of islands in the Twin Seas, near the border of the Great Ocean. Only the permanently snow-covered peak of Mount Karcheus breaks the expanses of lush forests on the islands.

The Amazon people are a relatively isolated culture. Adapting over the centuries to their tropical milieu, they have built magnificent cities in the forest canopy. These cities are an architectural phenomenon and a source of great pride to the Amazon people. They do not follow the teachings of the Zakarum, but instead practice a polytheistic religion that adheres to the strict principles of Order. Their oracles long ago predicted the Dark Exile, and they have been preparing to combat it ever since. Amazons regard the destruction of the Three Prime Evils as their destiny, ushering in a new era when mortal men and women can at long last take their rightful place in the universe, no longer merely playthings for the beings of the Outer Realms.

The Amazons are a seafaring people, one of the first to have made trade contact with both the Kingdoms of the West and with Kejhistan in the East. Their prominence in the world's trade establishment has afforded their warriors the reputation they currently enjoy as cunning strategists and skilled combatants. They are much sought after as mercenaries, being both expert soldiers as well as extremely loyal - as long as the assignment does not conflict with their strict sense of ethics.

Their pantheon of gods consists of a well-defined hierarchy, each member upholding some segment of the balance of Order. It is this strong sense of order that drives the Amazon people to achieve greatness in even the smallest of their endeavors. Their prime deity is Athulua who, with her consort, Kethryes, rules over the seasons and the weather. Under these Goddesses are a wide assortment of lesser deities, each responsible for his or her own sphere of influence among the Amazon people's daily life. The Amazons believe this pantheon is the remnant of the original inhabitants that settled the islands centuries ago. According to ancient records, they share the same names as these gods, although aspects of their personalities seem to have evolved over the centuries.

In the Amazon culture, only the women serve as warriors, their intrinsic superior dexterity and lithe body structures are better suited to combat in the dense rainforest environs of the islands. Their society is far from stratified, however, as men are responsible for any number of positions in the community, government, and clergy, as well as merchant and agricultural occupations.

Traits and Abilities:

While more than competent in hand-to-hand combat, training in the jungles of her native islands has shaped the Amazon's skill with the bow and missile weapons into one of unparalleled excellence. With the bow, her only rivals are the Sisters of the Sightless Eye. But, unlike her sisters in arms, the Amazon is also highly adept in the use of spears and other thrown weapons. The powers they possess are a combination of Prime magic, Holy magic and ingenious weapon construction.

Barbarian: Henning

Legend says that when the world was very young the tribes of the Northern Steppes were given a sacred charge. Somewhere deep within the great mountain, Arreat, lies a source of great power, crucial to the well being of all humanity. The tribes were tasked to act as guardians of this artifact. They have shaped their way of life in observance of this power and fulfilling their sacred duty.

Steeped in mystery and tradition, these people refer to themselves as the "Children of Bul-Kathos," the great and ancient king. To better protect their lands from outside forces, they adopted a nomadic lifestyle, frequently moving within the confines of the Steppes and maintaining few permanent settlements. Isolating themselves from the world outside their territories, they eschew the use of magics and complex machinery, as they believe these things can only weaken their resolve developed over so many years.

The Children of Bul-Kathos have developed a kinship with the land and have learned to harness the primal energies within nature to enhance their own substantial physical prowess. It is because of this, together with their freedom from the trappings of the outside world, that the Western Kingdoms have historically referred to these tribes as "Barbarians," an epithet that belies the rich cultural and spiritual history these people truly possess. Although some trade with these curious bands of nomads, they do so only along the outermost borders of their lands. All intrusions into the territory surrounding Mount Arreat are forbidden, and warriors from the northern tribes are quick to thwart any incursions. Every foreign attempt at conquest has been met with fierce and decisive resistance.

An account of one skirmish recounts how hordes of Barbarian tribesmen silently appeared where none had been but moments before. Their bodies painted in mysterious designs and their faces howling as they charged like the fierce mountain winds, the tribesmen descended on the invaders. Fully half of the trespassing army immediately dropped their weapons and fled, the remainder were set upon by the Northmen with fervor that none of the battle-hardened invaders had ever witnessed. No mercy was asked and none was given, but in the end, when the outlanders sounded a full retreat, no chase was given either… at least none that could be observed.

Since news of Diablo's re-emergence has spread, a small number of Barbarian warriors have begun roving the lands outside the Steppes, prepared for war and seeking information regarding the recent activities of the Prime Evils.

Traits and Abilities
Renowned for their awesome combat prowess as well as their arrogant demeanor, the Barbarians appear to be perpetually girt for battle. Through harsh conditioning, the Barbarians excel in physical combat and tremendous feats of strength. They derive their power chiefly through intense physical training, but they also tap primal energies from the living world around them. They can manifest these or add to their already considerable catalogue of superhuman feats of strength and power.

Barbarian
Necromancer

Necromancer: Torben

As might be expected, the devotees of magic are a segregated lot. They are as leery of students of rival disciplines as a layperson is of all arcane practitioners. None, however, are so widely maligned and misunderstood as the Priests of Rathma.

As with most users of magic, the priests of the cult of Rathma hail from the far Eastern jungles. They reside in a vast underground city located deep within those jungles. Their specific geographical locale is particularly secluded, however, preventing their assimilation into a formal mage clan. But it is this same isolation that allowed them to pursue their distinct kind of arcane science. For it is through the teachings of Rathma, as well as through years of research and physical experimentation, that these men have come to understand and hold sacred the delicate balance of life and death and are able to twist the line that borders the two. For although the minions of Hell have long possessed this power, among mortals the knowledge to reanimate and control the dead belongs to these priests alone. It is this practice that has lead outsiders to refer to them as Necromancers. They truly comprehend the balance of all things, and understand and accept their place in what they refer to as the Great Cycle of Being.

Their culture has subsisted in the shadow of the great mage clans from the earliest days, and in most ways their practice reaches back to a time before magic was formalized into strict disciplines.

Although their art is considered "dark," and the people of the outside world shun the priests who practice these arts, these mysterious cultists never suffered the epidemic of corruption that plagued the ancient Mage Clans. Pragmatists in the truest sense, they are above temptation. They see death merely as a natural part of life and do not seek to deny its arrival. Their singular knowledge of the unknown allows them to face death without fear. These ideals, coupled with an understanding of the natural balance between Order and Chaos, explain why they have not fallen prey to the influences of evil.

Their desire to uphold this balance has brought the Necromancers forth from the isolation of their remote, dank homeland to destroy Diablo and his brethren. For the mere presence of these Prime Evils on the mortal realm upsets the natural symmetry of not only the mortal realm, but also the Great Cycle of Being, itself. The followers of Rathma seek to right the balance by ridding the mortal realms of non-mortal intervention altogether. They resent any force that would treat humans as pawns in a cosmic game, though they are apparently willing to ally with the forces of Order but only until such time as the balance is restored.

Traits and Abilities
Necromancers have the ability to reanimate corpses of most entities and to control the recently dead. The dead release spiritual energies that haunt the mortal realms. The Necromancer can focus these energies, giving them manifestation in the corporal world. Practitioners of necromancy can curse the very fate of a victim by manipulating the Prime energies flowing through all living things.

Paladin: Allan

During the mid-twelfth century, after the Church of Zakarum had gained prominence in the East, the Church decreed that the visions of Akarat would be spread throughout the known world in order to redeem the masses. Thus, the Church selected a group of its most charismatic and devoted priests and sent them on a mission to proselytize the people of the West.

Unfortunately, the Church had not prepared these men for the rigors of travel nor the hazards of the world. The priests who survived their missions recounted tales of harsh weather, inadequate supplies, attacks from bandits and even encounters with horrible monsters. To ensure the success of future missions, the Church set about training holy warriors, Paladins, to accompany and safeguard their missionaries. In practice, these "Protectors of the Word" proved to be more successful at converting the native peoples than the Priests that they were assigned to defend. Impressing the locals with daring deeds, powerful weapons, and martial prowess was far more convincing than the condemnations of a soft-spoken monk. However, once the Word had been spread to every major city of the West, the "Protectors of the Word" faded from public view.

Some decades later, Paladins were again called into service. During the height of the Time of Troubles, the Church commenced a second campaign of conversion. This time, however, the inconvincible were deemed evil. The Zakarum Inquisition spread through the lands like a tempest, laying waste to all suspected of demonic possession or corruption. Leading this crusade was a new generation of Paladins, known as the "Hand of Zakarum." These cavaliers of righteousness swept through the lands, expunging the taint of demonic contamination wherever they found it.

In the midst of this bloody crusade, a rebellion arose within the ranks of the Paladins of Zakarum. The rebels condemned the methods of the Inquisition, proclaiming that the new Order of Paladins should protect the innocent, and that the evil corruption was rooted in their forebear's failure. They resolved to fight the true source of corruption, the Three Prime Evils - Diablo, Baal and Mephisto. And so, these rebellious Paladins left their Zakarum brethren and ventured west.

Traits and Abilities:
Paladins use holy magic as gifted by the High Heavens. They maintain strictly ordered lives, constantly upholding the cause of Virtue and Light. They must never succumb to worldly temptations lest they risk being deceived into following "false lights" - demons masquerading as Heavenly beings.

Paladins may use their skills to increase their prowess with sword and shield, as well as cast blessing "Auras" on themselves and to any who join them. They are particularly skilled against the undead, as they know many holy incantations effective against these types of creatures.

Paladin
Sorceress

Sorceress: Richard

The female mage clan of Zann Esu is one of the oldest of the ancient clans, although little is actually known about them. Centuries ago, the fourteen powerful covens of Esu witches convened for the first time in generations. What they discussed is not known, but the witches left behind their former lives and, as a group, disappeared into the Eastern jungles.

The exact location of their community is a mystery. Until recently, their only contact with the outside world occurred during the recruitment missions. Once every seven years, the Zann Esu visit certain families across Sanctuary. These families have only one thing in common - they each have a seven-year-old daughter. Always good-natured and polite, the Zann Esu visitors meet the girls, ask a few questions and then leave. A select few of the girls are visited a second time and offered apprenticeships. The families of those chosen enjoy good fortune for many years.

The Zann Esu, or Sorceresses as they are generally known, are on a quest for the "perfect" magic in its purest form. They feel that the other disciplines of magic are haphazard, and have instead chosen to focus strictly upon elemental magic. They mold the base elements into whatever magical forms they need - threatening all other magic disciplines with obsolescence. In order to achieve perfection in these elemental transmutations, they choose only those daughters of Sanctuary with the highest level of attunement to the magical elements.

The Sorceresses believe that it is through the search for perfection that they will attain ultimate purity and ascend to their destined role as the most powerful mages in Sanctuary. For centuries they have studied in secret, perfecting their art and biding their time until the Emergence of Evil. Then, they will face their greatest challenge, either proving the purity of their magic or fading from existence.

The Zann Esu oracles have decreed that the time of the Emergence is at hand. The destruction of the Prime Evils is to be the great test of their clan. Recently, Sorceresses have appeared mysteriously throughout Sanctuary to do battle with the minions of Evil wherever they are found.

Traits and Abilities
Athletic, affable, and self-assured, Sorceresses hardly seem like scholarly bibliophiles hidden away from civilization. Sorceresses possess many of the same skills as the male members of the Eastern mage clans, but excel at the use of Elemental magic. Like most mages, they consider melee combat vulgar, and use magic almost exclusively to fight their enemies.