The tale begins with the very first Diablo game, where we are introduced to a recurring character and foe throughout the series: King Leoric.
King Leoric was the one who transformed an ancient monastery into the now-infamous Tristram Cathedral. Underneath this very cathedral, Diablo, the titular demon, was imprisoned for centuries, all the while corrupting his soul stone and concocting a sinister plan.
Yet, his scheme required a human host to come to fruition.
As Diablo’s corruption of the soul stone grew, so did his malevolent influence across the land of Tristram. Eventually, he managed to ensnare the archbishop Lazarus, manipulating him to urge King Leoric into starting a disastrous war with neighboring kingdoms.
This ill-advised course of action left Leoric deeply unpopular among his subjects. However, Diablo’s grip on King Leoric proved untenable, and in his madness, Leoric remained unconquerable.
Faced with this obstacle, Diablo set his sights on a far more vulnerable target – Leoric’s son, Prince Albrecht.
Innocently lured into the catacombs beneath the cathedral, Prince Albrecht became the vessel for Diablo upon the insertion of the soul stone into his forehead.
Now possessed by Diablo, Albrecht led unsuspecting victims into the cathedral to meet their grisly end, often at the hands of the infamous Butcher.
King Leoric, driven to madness by his son’s disappearance, accused the townspeople of being responsible, leading to the execution of many innocent souls.
Ultimately, Leoric met his end at the hands of his own knights. As a player, you are summoned to Tristram to combat the demonic horrors emerging from the cathedral and to uncover the cause behind these sinister events.
Descending into the catacombs through 16 harrowing levels and facing off against the Butcher, you eventually confront the game’s ultimate villain, Diablo himself.
Removing the soul stone from Diablo’s head reveals a shocking truth – the once-human body belongs to Prince Albrecht. In a cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers, you boldly plunge the soul stone deep into your own forehead.
The fate of the player character remains shrouded in mystery until the release of Diablo 2, where they emerge as the enigmatic “Dark Wanderer.”
But we’ll get to that in the next article in this series of Diablo Lore!
SUGGESTED READING:
- Diablo Lore Part 1: The Story Before Diablo 1
- Diablo Lore Part 2: Unveiling the Epic Saga of Diablo 1
- Diablo Lore Part 3: The Saga Continues with Diablo 2
- Diablo Lore Part 4: A Controversial Revelation in Diablo 3
