Diablo Lore Part 4 kicks off with a fallen star crashing into the cathedral near New Tristram, with the old Tristram now reduced to ruins.
You, as the player character, are called to investigate this mysterious event and meet Leah, Deckard Cain’s niece. Cain has been missing since the star’s impact, and Leah implores your assistance in rescuing him.
Together, you retrieve Cain from the cathedral, only to discover that the fallen star is, in fact, Tyrael, who has forsaken his angelic status to become mortal.
His mission? To warn humanity of a new threat – the Black Soulstone.
The Black Soulstone, a sinister counterpart to the Worldstone, was created by Zoltun Kulle, a renegade Horadrim who sought to harness the combined power of angels and demons.
He met his demise at the hands of his fellow Horadrim before completing his work, but his spirit persisted in hidden archives. The Black Soulstone possesses the ability to imprison the souls of both the Prime Evils and lesser evils.
Tyrael reveals that Azmodan, Lord of Sin, and Belial, Lord of Lies, are conspiring to employ the Black Soulstone to claim their fallen brethren’s power and wage war on Heaven and Sanctuary.
You, as the player, agree to aid Tyrael in thwarting Belial and Azmodan’s nefarious plans. Throughout your journey, you travel across various locations in Sanctuary to unearth clues about the Black Soulstone.
Along the way, you encounter allies such as Adria, Leah’s biological mother and a formidable witch; Maghda, leader of the Coven, a cult serving Belial; the spirit of Zoltun Kulle; and various other characters from previous Diablo games.
Ultimately, you locate and acquire the Black Soulstone with assistance from Zoltun Kulle, only to be betrayed by him as he attempts to claim it for himself.
You vanquish Kulle, and Leah uses her powers to help you secure the Black Soulstone. But, surprise! Adria, the supposed ally, has been working for Diablo all along. Remember the ‘Dark Wanderer’ from the earlier games?
Well, it’s revealed that he fathered a child with Adria while possessed by Diablo’s soul. Moreover, this child happens to be Leah, and to top it off, this child is also the second child of King Leoric. Diablo 3’s narrative keeps you on your toes.
Diablo, now within Leah’s body, absorbs the souls of the other Prime Evils from the Black Soulstone, becoming the Prime Evil – the ultimate embodiment of malevolence. He opens a portal to Heaven and launches an all-out assault on the High Heavens.
Your character follows Diablo into Heaven, battling hordes of demonic minions along the way. You encounter Imperius, the Archangel of Valor and leader of the Angiris Council, who places blame on Tyrael for Diablo’s invasion and refuses assistance. You also meet Auriel, the Archangel of Hope, and Itherael, the Archangel of Fate, but Malthael, the Archangel of Wisdom, is nowhere to be found.
You manage to restore hope to the beleaguered defenders of Heaven and confront Diablo at the Crystal Arch, where he plans to obliterate the remains of Anu and bring about the end of all creation. An epic final battle ensues, and you emerge victorious, seemingly defeating Diablo once and for all.
But what were the repercussions of the Worldstone’s destruction, and what lies ahead for Sanctuary? Well, the story takes a surprising turn as you plunge further into the narrative of Diablo 3.
Venturing into the Reaper of Souls Expansion!
Hold onto your hats, because the Diablo 3 expansion, Reaper of Souls, cranks the action up to eleven with a fifth Act and a brand-new baddie in town. Remember Malthael, the Angel of Wisdom who mysteriously vanished from the scene? Well, he’s back, but he’s gone through a bit of a makeover – he’s now the Angel of Death.
Malthael has his bony hands on the Black Soulstone, which conveniently houses the souls of the Prime Evils. His grand plan?
To use it to wipe out all humans, whom he has somehow deemed as demonic hybrids. During his little villainous escapade, he goes on a killing spree, making even Thanos look like an amateur.
Malthael gets his grim reaper mojo going and wipes out a whopping 90% of the population in Westmarch. Talk about overachieving in the villain department!
But fear not, our trusty hero, the Nephalem, gets wind of this calamity. Tyrael, now wearing the Aspect of Wisdom hat (or helmet, maybe?), sends a Horadrim named Lorath Nahr to seek out the Nephalem and put a stop to Malthael’s dastardly plan.
Our Nephalem heads to Westmarch, a kingdom besieged by Malthael’s Reapers. With righteous fury and a heart full of courage, our hero saves the day and joins forces with the local defenders.
But that’s not all – a familiar face from Diablo 3, the treacherous witch Adria, shows up and reveals a surprising twist: she’s become the Nephalem’s servant. Guess who didn’t see that coming?
The Nephalem gives chase, confronts Adria, and, well, let’s just say she gets her just desserts. But before her demise, Adria drops a bombshell – Malthael’s hanging out in Pandemonium, that nifty realm between Heaven and Hell.
Why is he there? To use the Black Soulstone to obliterate the Crystal Arch, the source of all creation.
With heroic determination, the Nephalem embarks on a journey to Pandemonium, tackling Malthael’s army and eventually facing the Angel of Death himself at the core of the Pandemonium Fortress.
FINAL WORDS: Diablo Lore Part 4
Epic battles ensue, and, spoiler alert, our valiant Nephalem emerges victorious, breaking the Black Soulstone in the process and releasing the souls of the Prime Evils back into the world. Phew, that’s one weighty burden off our shoulders!
Tyrael pops in to commend the Nephalem for their unwavering bravery but drops a cryptic hint that the real battle might just be within themselves. Will the Nephalem succumb to inner darkness?
Well, that’s a question only Diablo 4 can answer!
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
