The backstory of the Diablo series has been growing and maturing in the form of games, books, and animated films for over twenty years. It’s not that easy for new offshoots like Diablo Immortal to apply the whole material in a few cutscenes and explain it.
The offshoot, initially only planned for mobile devices, is now also appearing for the PC and settles its action between the events of Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction and Diablo 3.
So that you can nod knowingly when you dive into the story instead of scratching your head questioningly, we have collected the most present game terms and want to tell you everything necessary about them in this article.
There is no question that the predecessors are among the milestones in gaming history. However, our test answers whether Diablo Immortal could also become such:
What are the High Heavens?
The High Heavens arose over eons from the remnants of the supposedly good Anu. Mortals rarely venture into the angelic realm, and when they do, they quickly find the environment quite hostile to them. The people’s glorified notion that if they were good in life, they would happily continue to exist there is a pipe dream dreamed up by the Church of Zakarum.
While the angels undoubtedly represent a well-disposed power towards humanity, there is not always unity, even in heaven. In addition to various hierarchies from the leading Angiris council and arch and normal angels, the winged warriors of the light are also divided into conflicting factions.
As the realm vacillates between openness and isolation, helpfulness and self-protection, Tyrael, Archangel of Justice, is the one risking most for the interests of mortals. He has faced the evils alone several times and has sided with humanity at crucial moments.
What is the Burning Hells?
Where there is light, there is also shadow. This underworld is the birthplace of all demons, divided into seven realms. When the seven-headed dragon Tethamet breathed his last, the Burning Hells arose from the concentrated evil within him.
Because from each of the seven dragon heads, one of the evils emerged, so to speak, the most powerful demon princes of hell. If, however, there are already frequent arguments in heaven, then one looks in vain for a willingness to compromise down here.
And so, one day, the four Lesser Evils rebelled against the Great Three and temporarily banished them to Sanctuary, the mortal world. In the Horadrim and the Evils sections, you can read that this did not end well for anyone.
In the underworld, lava flows, charred ruins, and devilish places of worship dominate the picture. An eternal sunset bathes the scorching plains in an ominous light that burns despair to the soul.
Parts of the Burning Hells were previously accessible in every Diablo and often formed the final act. There will also be playable areas of the underworld in Diablo Immortal and Diablo 4 . In the latter, according to current knowledge, the demonic creator of humanity, Lilith, should play a more critical role than her uncle Diablo.
What are the evils?
Their names have inspired fear and despair from time immemorial. Born from the seven heads of the corrupt dragon Testament, the seven princes of hell have always been the masterminds behind the fall of humanity.
At their head is the Lord of Terror: Diablo. Although the youngest, he is also the most prominent and supposedly most potent of the evils. His understanding of fear makes him fearless and empowers him to push people to the extreme.
Together with his two brothers Mephisto, the lord of hatred, and Baal, the lord of destruction, they form the three great evils. After being made aware of the existence of Sanctuary by the hateful deeds of the young magician Jere Harish, they hid this from the four Lesser Evils.
This eventually led to a revolt by the four lesser lords, Andariel, the Lady of Torment. Azmodan, the Lord of Sin. Belial, the Lord of Lies, and Duriel, the Master of Pain. They banished the three brothers to the mortal realm, unaware that they were playing directly into their hands.
They could now search for the lost World Stone undisturbed and unnoticed in their Dark Exile. Eventually, when the archangel Tyrael learned of the demon lords’ presence, he allied himself with some of the most powerful mages and founded the Order of the Horadrim. He presented them with three Soulstones, which he had created from fragments of the Worldstone himself, to hunt down and imprison the Three Great Evils.
Who are the Horadric?
The Order of Horadrim followed Tyrael’s command to always act in the spirit of justice and light. Their magical powers far exceeded those of their contemporaries, and they used them to create the magical waypoints that still connect Sanctuary’s most iconic locations today.
They understood that Tyrael’s solution with the Soulstones was the only chance to rid himself of the Great Evils permanently. Capture would prevent that. Too many times during the Eternal Conflict, he had witnessed fallen demons being reborn time after time in the Black Abyss of the Burning Hells.
And so they pursued the three brothers for 15 years across all continents, deserts, and oceans. The first they caught was Mephisto, although they lost many brave souls in the attack on his Bone Fortress.
When they finally defeated Baal and Diablo and banished them to their soul stones, they founded a monastery to keep the order records and the captured demon lords safe. When the Lord of Terror was able to sneak into the nightmares of Archbishop Lazarus from King Leoric’s court two centuries later, he sensed his chance for freedom and started the events of the first part of the series.
You may have noticed that the Immortals have not been mentioned to which the latest installment owes its name. They compete with the so-called shadows for patronage in Sanctuary.
What is the World Stone?
The Worldstone was the most powerful relic born of the ancient duel between Anu and Testament. The mighty obelisk was also called the heart of creation or the world’s heart because, with its immeasurable power, practically every creative or destructive act could be implemented.
The offspring conceived between demons and angels were the nephalem from which humanity would later emerge. Over this divine potential, a war raged between the High Heavens and Burning Hells as old as the realms themselves and, as recorded in history, the Eternal Conflict. When the renegade angel Inarius and Mephisto’s daughter Lilith grew tired of this eternal strife, they used the Worldstone to create a sanctuary for like-minded people: Sanctuary.
At the same time, they managed to hide the World Stone in this still secret plane of existence. However, as both parties gradually found out about her, the conflict increasingly shifted here – much to the chagrin of mortals. The story of the World Stone finally culminated in the events of the second part, when Diablo’s brother Baal tried to imbue his soul stone with the power of the World Stone and, at the same time, corrupt it forever.
Although Baal was defeated within sight of the World Stone in Diablo 2 ‘s final battle, he had already achieved his goal. Archangel Tyrael had no choice but to throw his sword El’druin (the Sword of Justice) into the Worldstone, destroying it forever.
While this saved Sanctuary, such an epochal event is not without grave consequences. Angels and demons could now manifest in Sanctuary without having to trick someone into summoning them. However, for this to also apply to the defeated Great Evils, your opponent in Diablo Immortal – Skarn – must put his sinister plan into action.
Who is Skarn?
In the Diablo Immortal storyline, a central character is Skarn, the Harbinger of Terror. As one of Diablo’s most important demon commanders and ruler of the Damned Realm, he remains loyal to his Master.
After Baal’s defeat on Mount Arreat, he recognized the resulting power vacuum and took the opportunity to raise his massive army. She now stalks Sanctuary, murdering and pillaging, searching for fragments of the corrupted Worldstone.
With them, he hopes to bring his Master back to life. Together they would reignite the Eternal Conflict and seize control of the mortal world.
The Cult of Damnation kidnaps villagers from the town of Wortham to sacrifice to their Master and summon him to Sanctuary. Using a tactic often used by angels and demons in the past, he tricked a group of people into forming a cult and committing atrocities in his name. Your adventure in Diablo Immortal begins here.
Who is Rathma?
Rathma will probably not make a personal appearance in Diablo Immortal but will save his debut for Diablo 4 . In contrast to the long-awaited sequel to the main series, you can play the Necromancer class right from the start in Immortal.
There is then standard reference to Rathma, for the son of Lilith and Inarius belongs to the first generation of nephalem, the archetype of humans, but was also the teacher of the first necromancer. Subsequently, these would also be known as Priests of Rathma.
Rathma’s real name is Lunarian, but when summoned by the mysterious off-world dragon Trag’Oul to guard the balance between heaven and hell, he took on the synonymous new name. For centuries he worked in the background to limit the influence of the two conflicting parties on Sanctuary.
Despite similar intentions, Rathma has a history of distrusting the archangel Tyrael and has always advised mortals against listening to him. He also passed on his understanding of the balance of power to them. Meanwhile, the Rathma’s priesthood ranks, and thus the Necromancers, were filling up.
Even today, those who rise to the rank of Master within their ranks receive some bones from the skeleton warriors who once served Rathma herself. These usually find their place in the gloves of the honored priests of the dead.
Thanks to our extensive story recap, we hope you now feel perfectly equipped for new adventures in Sanctuary. As always, we wish you lots of fun playing!