The
story of Diablo II begins with a new hero which will be one of five new types.
The Amazon,the Paladin,the Sorceress,the Necromancer and the Barbarian. All the
characters will have their own set of fighting abilities or spells. Diablo II
will have four acts, which take place in four different locations. The locations
are presented in a linear progression across the distant lands to the East, each
accessible only after the final quest of the previous act is completed.
Following the completion of the act, a caravan or a ship or some such conveyance
becomes available and the hero can travel back and forth among the lands each
route reveals.
Rather
than having a single town the hero may return to, there is a different one in
each Act (for a total of four), each with a unique flavour, and populated by new
folk. Additionally, in each of these locations, there will be various dungeons,
keeps, and caverns matching the theme of the area.
Act
1 : The Sightless Eye
Locations:
The Steppes & the Frozen Lands
Not
too far distant from the ruined Tristram, in the forested foothills of the great
mountains, stands the great Monastery of the Sisters of the Sightless Eye. The
Monastery, built into the sheer rock face of the frigid mountain, is a citadel
protecting the mountain pass from the Western Empire to the mysterious east. In
this boreal kingdom, walls of gelid granite and tall coniferous forests set off
the rocky steppe. Caves might lead to the dens of whatever animals have braved
this harsh environment. The Sisters of the Sightless Eye is the order that the
rogue of Diablo was a member.
![burnt_tristram.jpg (11259 bytes)](burnt_tristram.jpg) |
Unfortunately,
the former stronghold of the Rogues has fallen under the foul
influences of a great evil, Andariel leading a demonic army. Only a
small camp of Rogues and merchants wishing to travel to the East
remains on the plain below the Monastery. Here Deckard Cain, rescued
from Tristram by the sisterhood relates the story. |
Tristram -
burnt to the ground |
By
currying favour with the Three, Andariel, one of the Lesser Evils, hopes to win
a place at their side when they achieve ascendance. To this end, Andariel has
attacked the Monastery and is using its
underground passages for her evil deeds.
In the attack on the Rogue Citadel, many of the Sisters of the Sightless Eye
were captured. Andariel plans on killing her prisoners in a foul and horrific
ritual which will turn the sisters into demonic entities. Only you can stop
Andariel’s evil plan. Only after Andariel is defeated, will a caravan leave
for the Broken Lands, allowing the hero to progress to the next act.
As
the new hero, you will then continue on an epic journey across Demon infested
deserts and jungles. Along this journey you will find out what happened to the
hero from Diablo after he or she wandered to the east. In Diablo II , the terror
that you will encounter is multiplied, as you must ultimately face Mephisto and
Baal to rid the world of their demonic evil.
What
has gone before :
Izual
and his Angelic Runeblade Azurewrath were captured during his assault on
Hellforge. Mephisto tortured Izual, and learned of the Soulstones being created
by the Angels. He gained insight into the mystical properties of the Runesword,
the Crystal Arch and the Soulstones.
The
Sin War :
The
greater lords of Heaven and Hell found that their powers were greatly reduced
while in the Mortal Realm. They are limited in the amount of power they can draw
and unleash into the mortal realm from their respective home realm (the source
of their greater powers). They learned that the soul energy of their human
allies and worshippers could be used as a source of energy, not only in the
Mortal realm but in other realms as well. Dominance of the mortal realm would
allow the controlling side to harness these energies from human souls (while
denying the opposing force from access to this vast source of power) and grant
them an edge against the enemy in the Great Conflict. Thus, the forces of Heaven
and Hell began to struggle for control of the mortal realm with human souls as
the prize.
Izual, who had by now fallen into the Darkness, suggested that the Soulstones
might be manipulated by the Three in order to channel great amounts of power
from Hell directly into the Mortal realm, allowing the forces of Hell to seize
control. In order to gain possession of the Soulstones, the Three lure the
Angels into using the Soulstones against them. Realising that a direct incursion
by the Three into the Mortal realm might lead to a great confrontation between
the forces of Heaven and Hell that had every chance of destroying the Mortal
realm, the Three secretly manipulated the events leading to the Dark Exile.
By allowing themselves to be exiled in spirit-form, therefore appearing as a
lesser threat, the Three set the perfect stage for the use of the Soulstones
against them by the forces of Heaven.
Learning
that the revolution in Hell was set into motion by aggressive Demon-Lords,
frustrated by the standstill in the Great Conflict, the Angels were certain that
a mass assault upon the realms of Heaven by the forces of Hell was imminent. In
preparation for the attack, the Angels withdrew their forces from the Mortal
realm, leaving mankind to fend for itself. The Angels of Heaven felt that the
mankind's defence of their own world would be a way to prove themselves as
worthy allies or a liability in the Great Conflict.
Although
placing their main focus on the defence of their realms, the Angels of Heaven
could not ignore the opportunity that was present to capture the Three within
the Soulstones. Thus the Arch-Angel Tyrael bestowed the three Soulstones and
their secrets upon the Horadrim, an order of mortal magi.
Events
seemed to be proceeding as the Three had planned. Yet, in their overweening
pride and overconfidence, the Three failed to consider the loss of strength
incurred by their exile in the Mortal realm. The Three had laughed at Izual's
warnings that they might become weakened enough to be at risk, sure in their
arrogance that no Angels could ever overcome them even in such a state.
Without a physical vessel to contain their spiritual-form, they found themselves
unable to hold onto the vast supply of energy from Hell. They found that the
mere act of manifesting in the Mortal realm required heavy expenditures of
energy. Steadily losing power and severed from their greatest source of energy,
the Three were forced into possessing mortals prevent the further waning of
their power.
|
The
Soulstone |
Upon
possessing a mortal they discovered that not only were they thus able
to exist on the mortal realm without expenditure of their energy, but
that the mortal vessel could be used to store energy stolen from human
souls. |
![](soulstonesml.gif) |
|
once
contained Diablo |
The
amount of energy a mortal vessel held seemed to vary depending on the strength
of the mortal's mind, body and spirit: The greater his strength, the more could
be held. The possession warped the physical form of the human vessel into a
hideous parody of each of the Three's own demonic physical appearance.
The
Three ravaged the lands of the mortal realm gorging, on human souls to rebuild
their power. When Mephisto was finally hunted down and trapped within a
Soulstone, he was not strong enough to warp it for his own use and too weak to
even break free.
Baal
during his encounter with the Horadrim managed to shatter the Soulstone before
it could be used against him. However the battle left Baal weakened and forced
to flee. Diablo and Baal surmised that though the shattered Soulstone might no
longer be strong enough for what the Three had originally intended. They decided
instead to return to hell, once there to draw upon the Energies of their realm
to rule again and lead the hordes of Hell to utterly destroy the Mortal realm.
Baal and Diablo then went their separate ways to re-gather the energy needed for
this task.
When
Baal felt he was powerful enough he confronted the party of Horadrim mages in
possession of a Soulstone fragment, and who were hunting for him. Tal Rasha, an
initiate of incredible will and magical power, led the Vizjerei, a group of
Horadrim mages. Baal allowed himself to be drawn into the fragment of the
Soulstone so he might attempt to twist it to his use. However Tal Rasha then
bound Baal with his own soul by using himself as an extension of the Soulstone.
Now a living Soulstone, Tal Rasha insisted he be buried and bound in the depths
of a tomb beneath the great desert, the location of which was to be forgotten
for all time.
Diablo
was finally captured in the West by the Horadrim and also found in his weakened
state to be unable to break free of the binding of the Soulstone. Over the years
Diablo constantly tested the bounds of his imprisonment, slowly twisting the
Soulstone to his needs. Like a slow malignant cancer he spread his evil presence
into the Stone, warping its nature.
Diablo
I
By
the time of the fall of the Horadrim, Diablo had warped the Soulstone enough to
be able to send out tendrils of his evil will. With his evil will, Diablo found
and captured the covetous mind of the Archbishop Lazarus, promising his great
magical powers. Diablo, upon his release, kept the core fragment of the now
shattered Soulstone to occupy as a physical vessel until an appropriate human
could be found.
After
possessing the young human Albrecht, Diablo retained the fragment, by impaling
it into Albrecht's head, to continue reshaping it for his needs. He had infused
the Soulstone with so much of his essence that a bond now existed between his
spirit and the Stone. The Soulstone fragment was now an extension of himself and
focus to channel his will, rather than a prison for his spirit.
As
Diablo gathered the energy to rebuild his strength, he found his new
physical vessel, the young prince Albrecht, to be woefully inadequate
for storing the amount of energy necessary for his task. |
![](manindoor.gif) |
He was in need of a new human vessel with a greater strength of will,
body and spirit. Knowing that any human strong enough to reach his
lair and confront him would surely possess the qualities he required,
he decided to wait for a worthy human vessel to come to him. |
The doomed hero steps
forward |
|
Timeline
:
ions
ago |
The
Beginning: The Great Conflict also begins. |
-990 |
IIzual
attacks Hellforge and falls to the dark hordes of chaos. |
-985 |
The
dark demonblade Shadowfang is created. |
-490 |
The
rise of Man. |
-480 |
The
Sin War begins. |
-40 |
Inarius
descends to the mortal realm and begins to construct his cathedral. |
-30 |
Inarius
lays siege to and destroys the infernal temple of Mephisto. |
-25 |
The
forces of Mephisto defeat Inarius and his followers, laying waste to
the cathedral and surrounding countryside. |
-10 |
The
mage-clans of the East begin to form. |
1 |
The
Vizjerei become the largest and most powerful of the clans. Other
major clans are the Ennead and the Ammit. |
240 |
Horazón
and Bartuc rise to the fore in the Vizjerei mage-clan. |
250 |
Bartuc
turns against the Vizjerei, becoming known as the Warlord of Blood. |
510 |
The
Dark Exile begins with the overthrow of the Three. |
515 |
The
Three cause strife and chaos in the Mortal Realm. Ravaging of the East
for centuries. |
520 |
Civil
war in Hell. |
1005 |
The
three soul-stones meant to imprison the prime Evils are given to
members of the eastern mage-clans. |
1010 |
The
Horadrim Order unites wizards from the many mage-clans. |
1145 |
Mephisto
and Baal captured in soul-stones and buried beneath the desert. |
1025 |
The
Horadrim pursue Diablo into the West. |
1050 |
Baal
is imprisoned with Tal Rasha. |
1100 |
Jered
Cain’s Horadrim troupe captures Diablo in Khanduras. |
1120 |
The
Horadrim dwindle in numbers. |
1140 |
The
Horadrim begin to fragment back into individual mage-clans. There is
feuding and bitter rivalry among the clans |
1145 |
Mephisto
relocates to the Eastern Capitol. |
1180 |
The
rise of the Western Empire of Westmarch |
1230 |
Zakarum,
the Religion of the Light takes hold in the West |
1240 |
Leoric
becomes King of Khanduras. |
1245 |
Leoric
and Lazarus use decrepit Horadrim monastery at Tristram as HQ.
Lazarus’ will is dominated by Diablo: Lazarus releases Diablo from
the Soulstone |
1246 |
Albrecht
becomes the physical focus and incarnation of Diablo’s power. War
between Westmarch and Khanduras breaks Leoric’s army. Lachdanan
revolts against Leoric. |
1250 |
Diablo
is ‘defeated’ by a great hero beneath Tristram, and the hero sets
off for the East. |
|