"You will NEVER succeed!" shouted the voice in my head. I tried to drown out the loud, scratchy tone, but more and more maddening images broke my concentration. "Destruction cannot be tamed by mere men!" The voice screamed. Frightening images of mutilated bodies bounced around my mind, startling me. My eyes watered as I closed them to block out the visions. Suddenly, Baal's screaming face made me jump, as he maniacally laughed at my fears. "If only you could've met true Terror himself, he would make quick work of you, little man!" He laughed again. This time, the searing laugh frustrated more than frightened me.
"I guess you are not as powerful as I thought," I replied.
"Ahh," Baal responded. "You only communicate out of arrogance, I see. I shall take great pleasure in humbling your feeble mind!" The beast had gotten agitated, which was a benefit to my concentration. It had been less than an hour since the sacrifice, and the demon wasted no time in trying to corrupt my soul.
"Darkness lingers in the pit of your soul, sorcerer," he continued, his voice boasting an overwhelming malicious enjoyment. "You believed not in the Light, but you feared the Destuction I cause."
"But I do not fear YOU!" I snapped back, hoping to subdue his growing confidence.
"Perhaps," he responded. I extended a deep sigh of relief in his silence, my conquest; but it took him no time to vie for the upper hand. "But you fear my presence on this plane. Your soul trembles before me, as lost little child with nowhere to turn." His response nearly shattered me. The beast probed me, hoping to find some way to destroy my sub-consciousness. If he succeeded, I would become mad, forever desiring more knowledge of the Arcane, and using any means necessary to become enlightened. Else, I would surely die, on a nonstop pathway to perdition.
"Eternal Damnation," he responded.
"How...?" I asked, startled and confused.
"I can read your mind," he muttered. "I have complete access to all that is you, and I plan to become very comfortable. One of my first acts will be to encourage you to think, not speak. Your one-sided conversations are scaring your entourage." As I looked around, I saw six guards surrounding my person; each wearing an eerily confused look. The Vizjerei accompanying the guards looked on with dark, sorrowful eyes. I was so caught up in combating the demon that I did not hear the mage muttering a spell of protection.
"Forgive me," I breathed to my captors. Usually, I would feel safe in such an entourage, but today no solace would come to me. Sadly, I no longer recognized those around me.
"Those fools want to protect you," Baal cackled. "They act as though they care for you, and yet they walk you to your death." His words seared my consciousness as I felt the guards prod me along. I fixed my gaze on the sorcerer.
"You seek to destroy me?" I asked. I realized immediately that the voice was not my own. The serpentine hiss of the Demon Lord was enough to startle the guards and make my soul shutter. The raspy words I uttered sounded far more scathing than any words I heard in my head. My stomach sank. I beg my captives' forgiveness as I lead myself further into the tomb, the guards following at a greater distance. The tomb was dim, but through the torch's illumination, I could make out freshly carved symbols decorating every corridor we entered. The guards hurried me along more firmly, realizing that I am no longer one of "them". Their polearms in my back frustrated me.
"Yes." the demon hissed. “Get angry! I told you that they are not here to comfort you, only lead you to your doom! You have sacrificed your soul to eternal damnation, the least these wretches can do is humbly honor your presence." I struggled to remove the thoughts before me, but being a scholar, I could never fully ignore a good point, and his was very logical.
"Demand they kneel before you!" He commanded. He felt his influence tighten around the goodness in my heart. As his grip tightened, I began to realize that kindness WAS in fact a weakness. The demon cackled maniacally. I tried with all of my might to drown out the thoughts the demon placed in my head, but I realized that the more I tried to fill my mind with good, the more twisted those "good" thoughts became. The demon was winning.
"Destroy them..." whispered a serene voice. The voice was such an adverse tone to what was echoing in my head that it was almost soothing. I latched on to you that serenity as a child would its mother when sensing danger. At that moment, my mind became deathly quiet. I faded from my depths of my consciousness and returned to the darkness of the tomb. The corridors began sloping downward, indicating that we were venturing deeper into the Earth. The partial silence in my head gave me the opportunity to take account of my captives. In watching them cautiously follow me, I became rather perturbed. I wanted to question them, ask them why they alienate their savior so. I failed to understand why they would make me feel so alone in my last moment amongst the very souls for which I sacrificed my own. I stopped and faced them.
"Do I make you uncomfortable?" I asked, my voice once again my own. The humility in my voice comforted some, but most continued to look at me with hardened stares. "I have sacrificed my life for the capture of this demon lord, forced to imprison myself in an eternal struggle with the damned and you will show me no honor?" I stepped towards the weary group in an effort to plead my case. As I stepped towards them, they stepped away from me. This notion enraged me. I turned away, disgusted by what I had just experienced. I peered into the Darkness, realizing that all that the torch’s Light could not touch signified my future; the Light behind me signified all that I had ever known. I stood there, between Light and Darkness. The feeling of accepting the unknown as my eternity for those without honor sickened me. At that moment, the Demon Lord spoke again, this time more calmly.
"They lead you to impending doom," he told me. As he continued to speak to me, I realized he was no longer hell bent on my destruction. Alas, I could not say the same for my human counterparts.
"You fear me," I declared as I stood in the midst of their silence. I felt their fear wash over mea like a cool summer rain. To satisfy my thirst, I substituted that fear for the honor I felt I deserved. "Be well my friends," I stated confidently as I continued my trek. "I am your friend, I will not destroy you...But there is no guarantee that I will die alone." I could not tell if that declaration was a threat or a promise, but I reveled in it nonetheless. The farther into the crypt we descended, the more I began to embrace the darkness. I drowned myself in the sounds of death, inhaling its scent. This time, the young magi's muttering broke my concentration.
"He is weak," whispered that calming voice. "Destroy him." In observing his incantations, I noticed that he was far from a match for me. It disturbed me that the Horadrim would send such an inexperienced mage on such a task, and the notion that I would be too weak to defend myself infuriated me even further.
"I demand you stop your futile chanting, young mage." At this point, my own voice had taken on a deeper, more sinister tone. "Had I wished to destroy you, your feeble magics would do you no justice." I stopped to ensure that my words hit their marks. I smiled as his chanting came to a halt. "Your cooperation is appreciated," I said as I continued my venture.
"You are a great and wise young, young mage." Baal declared mockingly. It was soothing to receive a compliment rather than constant regression. A few yards ahead of us stood a doorway, illuminated by an eerily bright light. As we ventured through the doorway, we entered a great chamber with torches littering its perimeter. In the center of the chamber stood a large column, only accessible by a wicker bridge, near the column stood the golden-plate clad Angel, Tyrael. I felt honored, to be in his presence, but simultaneously an incredible rage began to form.
"He is the reason for our imprisonment!"Baal shouted. His hatred of the Archangel began to overflow into my envy of those benefiting from my sacrifice."His cause is NOT righteous! His words are NOT true! He is far greater the Lord of Destruction as I will ever be!" His words shocked me. Although they were coming from the most evil of the Three, his feelings could easily mesh with my own. Just as my mind began to trail, I found myself channeling all that I could muster to attack the fraudulent protector. I could not understand this, but I understood that it was his bidding to capture the Three. My thoughts pondered his motives:
Did he know that the demons could escape?
Did he know that mortal men would have to sacrifice themselves to contain them?
If he did, why allow Sanctuary's strongest heroes to endure such torment if man's will can truly be broken?
Am I a sacrifice to this Demon Lord, to continue some astral game of "good .vs. evil"?
My confusion turned into hatred, and that hatred made me long for the Angel's destruction.
"Tal Rasha!" Tyrael screamed as he converted to a defensive stance. "You MUST hold on a bit longer! If he gains control now, all would have been lost in vain!" Unfortunately, I was too engulfed in analyzing the questions swimming in my consciousness. Tyrael battled back against the Dark influence subjugating my body. The soulstone lit the room a brilliant pink as the Demon Lord worked to combine our powers to overpower the Archangel.
"I will destroy you!" shouted Baal as he cast a dark incantation towards his opponent. "You have made a grave mistake, Angel! This one wants you dead all the same!" I felt the Demon Lord probing my mind for a suitable attack. As he searched, I found myself enthralled in his very own mind, probing his sorcery to find some way of saving myself. I found a shielding spell that I thought could ward him from my soul, but as I began mouthing the spell, the Demon began to conjure a spell of his own. We spoke simultaneously, making a strange twist of common and demonic dialect into a single language. He chose my favorite flame spell, and the shielding spell I chose seemed to make the fireball undispellable. I watched in sheer disbelief as Tyrael absorbed the brunt of the attack, his divine raiment damaged by mortal words. Excited by my conquest, I forced my way back into the Demon's mind, probing his knowledge into the darkened ways of the Arcane. At this point, I did not care if the angel defeated the Demon and my body destroyed. All I cared about was obtaining as much as I could before my damnation began. The Archangel continued to plead with me.
"Your words fall on deaf ears!" The Demon reveled. "The mage has become comfortable in the darkness to which you have foolishly condemned him! You were a fool to believe that you could circumvent the balance with mere Stones! You will suffer for your transgressions!" The Demon attacked, but was stopped by a force only known to mortal men.
"So help me, if what this demon says is true I'll end your life right now," Tyrael snapped as he wrapped his will around my soul. "Your vessel will be broken, and you will remain trapped in oblivion." The sound, logical thinker that I once was found myself dumbfounded by the choice Tyrael gave to the Demon. If the Demon's banishment was so simple, why not destroy its vessel? My death was imminent; therefore, I failed to understand why he would spare my life. With what energy I had left, I looked directly into the Angel's eyes, and managed a final declaration through his strangling grasp:
"Your logic is flawed." Tyrael seemed to reel in response to my words. The overly confused look on his face was so amusing; I could not help but laugh. Of course, the demon shared my enjoyment of this moment, and laughed as well. Our howls filled the chamber with maniacal echoes, mocking the silent hero. In his frustration, he slammed us against the sole column, where we were to be imprisoned for all eternity.
"May the Light embrace you," he muttered as a collection of Zakarum priests began a holy Ritual of Binding. Their words burned through my body, sending me into convulsions and the Demon into a frenzy. Before they could finish the ritual, I blacked out. The last thought through my mind was the demon, Baal.
"The Archangel will betray you. All will be lost in time..."
I guess to close it out since we're at a proverbial stalemate, I remind you guys that the statement Tal Rasha made is completely subjective and from his point of view during the Inquisition to capture the Three
why was it that when the Three reunited, the plan was for M3phisto to defend the portal, Diablo to gather his armies, and Baal to corrupt the stone & open the gateway for Diablo's armies to ravage Sanctuary? If they were equally as evil, why did they have to seperate, making it easier to pick them off, 1 by 1? Is that because it makes solo play possible? Or could there be some sort of motive behind the plan???
Ultimately I would have to vote Baal as I believe firmly that in order to have Terror or Hatred, Destruction must be present. I see Destruction as the primary basis of Terror. And Destruction being the outcome of Hatred.
this is an excerpt from Chapter One to possibly keep you guys buzzing until I get home from work and finish typing it for submission:
"He is the reason for our imprisonment!"Baal shouted. His hatred of the Archangel began to overflow into my envy of those benefitting from my sacrifice."His cause is NOT righteous! His words are NOT true! He is far greater the Lord of Destruction as I will ever be!" His words shocked me. Although they were coming from the most evil of the Three, his feelings could easily be meshed with my own. Just as my mind began to trail, I found myself channeling all that I could muster to attack the fraudulent protector. I could not understand this, but I understood that it was his bidding to capture the Three. My thoughts pondered his motives:
Did he know that the demons could escape?
Did he know that mortal men would have to sacrifice themselves to contain them?
If he did, why allow Sanctuary's strongest heroes to endure such torment if man's will can truly be broken?
Am I a sacrifice to this Demon Lord? To continue some astral game of "good .vs. evil"?
My confusion turned into hatred, and that hatred made me long for the Angel's destruction.
Well, seeing as Tal Rasha was allied with the heavens, some of the lines don't quite jell with what I would expect from him:
"What we believed to be good was far beyond evil. For our own personal salvation, we unwittingly expose others to damnation. For that salvation, I sacrified my life...and now I await my damnation."
I don't think Tal Rasha would believe he was damned for fighting the 3. I also don't feel he would think the Heavens were worse then evil. Plus, it sounds more along the lines of what a Necro would think then a Horadrim. Deckard says a LOT, and repeats a LOT, but I don't think he ever mentions the word balance.
It is a good writeup, except it doesn't seem to fit what I understand of the character.
tis just the prologue, a build up to the actual story. The mage was not "damned" for fighting, but he sacrificed himself to capture and enslave the Lord of Destruction. I could explain what he meant in those lines, but by doing so I would spoil the entire first chapter . Until I have that chapter posted, just remember that this is a personal account during a very volatile time in Sanctuary's (and especially Tal Rasha's) history
the idea was to write the story from retrospect; to build upon the dire nature of the situations at that moment. These accounts were originally scribed during the time of the Great Conquests to capture the Primes in their stones, so much of it is subjective.
In being subjective, I also took the approach that man recognized the direct characterization between good & evil being heaven & hell. Just as the Holy Trinity is comprised of The Father, The Son & The Holy Spirit I approached this situation with the brothers being somewhat of an "Unholy Trinity": Terror, Hatred & Destruction; for all of our sins will lead us down one of those paths.
Aside from those small points I'm excited that you guys enjoy the idea. As soon as I get my computer back from my previous job's audit, I'll probably post some music that correlates to the story ^+^
I'll start typing up chapter one if requested by popular demand
But if Kabraxis (< proper spelling) pretended to be Inarius, then what about the Twisted Path of Dreams and Shadow? That's what he does to gain power. How did it come to be that the worshipers somehow worhsipped Inarius and then changed to Kabraxis? If you're saying that Inarius was handed over to Mephisto in The Sin War while Inarius still had worshipers, then it doesn't make sense because the worshipers memories were wiped. Kabraxis would have had to invent Inarius up all over again. So nah, it doesn't make sense sorry. The answer has already been said so many times - its just a fault of historians and the decaying nature of time.
nothing was said about Kabraxis recreating Inarius. I was more of posing speculation on how Inarius could be subdued by Kabraxis and what reasons the demon conniver would have. For some reason, I feel that it could have been his successful corruption of the Archangel that lead to the assault on M3phisto's Temple. As for your interpreted need to "recreate" Inarius to create an idol good for man to worship is also a false pretense. In my speculation, idols such as Dien-Ap-Sten are created in the "likeness" of Inarius (champions of man whom are buit primarily to suit our sinful natures), to engorge our needs. Many have worshipped him, but very few knew who he actually was.
I just have this odd feeling that he was behind the entire Sin War, or at least played a large part in it
"Man fears God because he is the creator; the end all to everything our mortality stands for. To be in his counsel, is to lose all that we have ever known, and we as man cannot accept that loss of control.
Man fears Satan because he is the force from which the good and evil of man is measured. He embodies all of our nightmares and through them we must find our sanctity. In this, a 'balance' forms; the correlation of life and death, of good and evil, salvation and damnation.
'The Balance' is what makes man special in the overall plans of both 'Heaven' and 'Hell'. We are blessed with life, though guaranteed death. In death, we are greeted by eternal salvation, or eternal damnation. Our death is defined by our life; we are either Agents of the Light, or Minions of the Void. Once understood, it is easy to understand how man has become pawns in a game far beyond our understanding. What we believed to be good was far beyond evil. For our own personal salvation, we unwittingly expose others to damnation. For that salvation, I sacrified my life...and now I await my damnation."
-Tal Rasha
any comments on this prologue are appreciated. If desired, more has been written and will be shared.
Kubraxis is the great conniver. He used the vanity of Inarius to cojole the confidence behind a sure defeat of M3phisto. Man, still worshipping the Light through the good will of Inarius had no clue that they were hailing the demon, Kubraxis. The arrogance and vanity that caused Inarius to create the first Temple of the Light was the same arrogance and vanity that the demon conniver used to assault M3phisto's temple using both the Will of the Light and the Will of Man (The Prime's fear Kubraxis and his ability to strengthen himself through his workings; minus the need for Terror, Destruction, or Hatred). The corrupted Inarius fell but the demon conniver learned how to sway man to do his bidding.
Follow up question (since I don't wanna really make another thread):
Does either of the Sin War novels talk about the fall of the Primes in detail? Like how the battles waged or is there just small speculation based on what came with the game literature???
I've noticed in each book that I've read (I'm currently reading "Kingdom of Shadow"), every now and again someone makes some sort of reference to "The Balance". We've had a bit of a conversation about it in one of the storyline threads, and I've been looking a tad more intently since that discusstion started.
Up until this point, I've noticed that the most I've heard about "The Balance" was from the Necromancer from "Legacy of Blood". All of her insight has been worthwhile, but I've yet to reach "The Sin War" novels ("Kingdom of Shadow" is the only non-"Sin War" book I haven't read), and I'm wondering if there are any other forms of literature or lore that has more insight about "The Balance"; especially anything with "The Balance" from the PoV of Angels & Demons. If so? Thx much
He's probably still Tal Rasha. Just as Mephisto inserst a shard of his soustone into the high priest, Baal could do the same to Tal Rasha. I'd suscpect his body could no longer work as a prison after the connection between the stone and him was broken. It probably involved some heavy spells and rituals upon first impisoning him there, and those cannot be remade simply by putting the stone back into his body.
But when they first introduce Baal during the battle between Tyrael and Diablo in the Tomb, Baal was in his fully manifested form. Did he mutate the body of Tal Rasha? Or did he find another host on his way to Mount Arreat? And if that is Tal Rsha's body..where does the life force of the possessed go???
Tis almost offensive for you to tell me what goes on in my mind. I became infatuated with WoW because it was what I believed Diablo SHOULD be. The opinion that our beloved title has more of an MMO storyline than Warcraft can be discussed day in and day out, but the simple fact is that in EVERY mentioning of Diablo lore there was never a single individual that did anything. There was always a party of adventurers or a Guild. To me that's an MMO environment, my mind may be distorted though :^(
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lol, it was 3am when I wrote it, so I was kinda wavering
chapter 2 coming soon if by popular demand
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"You will NEVER succeed!" shouted the voice in my head. I tried to drown out the loud, scratchy tone, but more and more maddening images broke my concentration. "Destruction cannot be tamed by mere men!" The voice screamed. Frightening images of mutilated bodies bounced around my mind, startling me. My eyes watered as I closed them to block out the visions. Suddenly, Baal's screaming face made me jump, as he maniacally laughed at my fears. "If only you could've met true Terror himself, he would make quick work of you, little man!" He laughed again. This time, the searing laugh frustrated more than frightened me.
"I guess you are not as powerful as I thought," I replied.
"Ahh," Baal responded. "You only communicate out of arrogance, I see. I shall take great pleasure in humbling your feeble mind!" The beast had gotten agitated, which was a benefit to my concentration. It had been less than an hour since the sacrifice, and the demon wasted no time in trying to corrupt my soul.
"Darkness lingers in the pit of your soul, sorcerer," he continued, his voice boasting an overwhelming malicious enjoyment. "You believed not in the Light, but you feared the Destuction I cause."
"But I do not fear YOU!" I snapped back, hoping to subdue his growing confidence.
"Perhaps," he responded. I extended a deep sigh of relief in his silence, my conquest; but it took him no time to vie for the upper hand. "But you fear my presence on this plane. Your soul trembles before me, as lost little child with nowhere to turn." His response nearly shattered me. The beast probed me, hoping to find some way to destroy my sub-consciousness. If he succeeded, I would become mad, forever desiring more knowledge of the Arcane, and using any means necessary to become enlightened. Else, I would surely die, on a nonstop pathway to perdition.
"Eternal Damnation," he responded.
"How...?" I asked, startled and confused.
"I can read your mind," he muttered. "I have complete access to all that is you, and I plan to become very comfortable. One of my first acts will be to encourage you to think, not speak. Your one-sided conversations are scaring your entourage." As I looked around, I saw six guards surrounding my person; each wearing an eerily confused look. The Vizjerei accompanying the guards looked on with dark, sorrowful eyes. I was so caught up in combating the demon that I did not hear the mage muttering a spell of protection.
"Forgive me," I breathed to my captors. Usually, I would feel safe in such an entourage, but today no solace would come to me. Sadly, I no longer recognized those around me.
"Those fools want to protect you," Baal cackled. "They act as though they care for you, and yet they walk you to your death." His words seared my consciousness as I felt the guards prod me along. I fixed my gaze on the sorcerer.
"You seek to destroy me?" I asked. I realized immediately that the voice was not my own. The serpentine hiss of the Demon Lord was enough to startle the guards and make my soul shutter. The raspy words I uttered sounded far more scathing than any words I heard in my head. My stomach sank. I beg my captives' forgiveness as I lead myself further into the tomb, the guards following at a greater distance. The tomb was dim, but through the torch's illumination, I could make out freshly carved symbols decorating every corridor we entered. The guards hurried me along more firmly, realizing that I am no longer one of "them". Their polearms in my back frustrated me.
"Yes." the demon hissed. “Get angry! I told you that they are not here to comfort you, only lead you to your doom! You have sacrificed your soul to eternal damnation, the least these wretches can do is humbly honor your presence." I struggled to remove the thoughts before me, but being a scholar, I could never fully ignore a good point, and his was very logical.
"Demand they kneel before you!" He commanded. He felt his influence tighten around the goodness in my heart. As his grip tightened, I began to realize that kindness WAS in fact a weakness. The demon cackled maniacally. I tried with all of my might to drown out the thoughts the demon placed in my head, but I realized that the more I tried to fill my mind with good, the more twisted those "good" thoughts became. The demon was winning.
"Destroy them..." whispered a serene voice. The voice was such an adverse tone to what was echoing in my head that it was almost soothing. I latched on to you that serenity as a child would its mother when sensing danger. At that moment, my mind became deathly quiet. I faded from my depths of my consciousness and returned to the darkness of the tomb. The corridors began sloping downward, indicating that we were venturing deeper into the Earth. The partial silence in my head gave me the opportunity to take account of my captives. In watching them cautiously follow me, I became rather perturbed. I wanted to question them, ask them why they alienate their savior so. I failed to understand why they would make me feel so alone in my last moment amongst the very souls for which I sacrificed my own. I stopped and faced them.
"Do I make you uncomfortable?" I asked, my voice once again my own. The humility in my voice comforted some, but most continued to look at me with hardened stares. "I have sacrificed my life for the capture of this demon lord, forced to imprison myself in an eternal struggle with the damned and you will show me no honor?" I stepped towards the weary group in an effort to plead my case. As I stepped towards them, they stepped away from me. This notion enraged me. I turned away, disgusted by what I had just experienced. I peered into the Darkness, realizing that all that the torch’s Light could not touch signified my future; the Light behind me signified all that I had ever known. I stood there, between Light and Darkness. The feeling of accepting the unknown as my eternity for those without honor sickened me. At that moment, the Demon Lord spoke again, this time more calmly.
"They lead you to impending doom," he told me. As he continued to speak to me, I realized he was no longer hell bent on my destruction. Alas, I could not say the same for my human counterparts.
"You fear me," I declared as I stood in the midst of their silence. I felt their fear wash over mea like a cool summer rain. To satisfy my thirst, I substituted that fear for the honor I felt I deserved. "Be well my friends," I stated confidently as I continued my trek. "I am your friend, I will not destroy you...But there is no guarantee that I will die alone." I could not tell if that declaration was a threat or a promise, but I reveled in it nonetheless. The farther into the crypt we descended, the more I began to embrace the darkness. I drowned myself in the sounds of death, inhaling its scent. This time, the young magi's muttering broke my concentration.
"He is weak," whispered that calming voice. "Destroy him." In observing his incantations, I noticed that he was far from a match for me. It disturbed me that the Horadrim would send such an inexperienced mage on such a task, and the notion that I would be too weak to defend myself infuriated me even further.
"I demand you stop your futile chanting, young mage." At this point, my own voice had taken on a deeper, more sinister tone. "Had I wished to destroy you, your feeble magics would do you no justice." I stopped to ensure that my words hit their marks. I smiled as his chanting came to a halt. "Your cooperation is appreciated," I said as I continued my venture.
"You are a great and wise young, young mage." Baal declared mockingly. It was soothing to receive a compliment rather than constant regression. A few yards ahead of us stood a doorway, illuminated by an eerily bright light. As we ventured through the doorway, we entered a great chamber with torches littering its perimeter. In the center of the chamber stood a large column, only accessible by a wicker bridge, near the column stood the golden-plate clad Angel, Tyrael. I felt honored, to be in his presence, but simultaneously an incredible rage began to form.
"He is the reason for our imprisonment!"Baal shouted. His hatred of the Archangel began to overflow into my envy of those benefiting from my sacrifice."His cause is NOT righteous! His words are NOT true! He is far greater the Lord of Destruction as I will ever be!" His words shocked me. Although they were coming from the most evil of the Three, his feelings could easily mesh with my own. Just as my mind began to trail, I found myself channeling all that I could muster to attack the fraudulent protector. I could not understand this, but I understood that it was his bidding to capture the Three. My thoughts pondered his motives:
Did he know that the demons could escape?
Did he know that mortal men would have to sacrifice themselves to contain them?
If he did, why allow Sanctuary's strongest heroes to endure such torment if man's will can truly be broken?
Am I a sacrifice to this Demon Lord, to continue some astral game of "good .vs. evil"?
My confusion turned into hatred, and that hatred made me long for the Angel's destruction.
"Tal Rasha!" Tyrael screamed as he converted to a defensive stance. "You MUST hold on a bit longer! If he gains control now, all would have been lost in vain!" Unfortunately, I was too engulfed in analyzing the questions swimming in my consciousness. Tyrael battled back against the Dark influence subjugating my body. The soulstone lit the room a brilliant pink as the Demon Lord worked to combine our powers to overpower the Archangel.
"I will destroy you!" shouted Baal as he cast a dark incantation towards his opponent. "You have made a grave mistake, Angel! This one wants you dead all the same!" I felt the Demon Lord probing my mind for a suitable attack. As he searched, I found myself enthralled in his very own mind, probing his sorcery to find some way of saving myself. I found a shielding spell that I thought could ward him from my soul, but as I began mouthing the spell, the Demon began to conjure a spell of his own. We spoke simultaneously, making a strange twist of common and demonic dialect into a single language. He chose my favorite flame spell, and the shielding spell I chose seemed to make the fireball undispellable. I watched in sheer disbelief as Tyrael absorbed the brunt of the attack, his divine raiment damaged by mortal words. Excited by my conquest, I forced my way back into the Demon's mind, probing his knowledge into the darkened ways of the Arcane. At this point, I did not care if the angel defeated the Demon and my body destroyed. All I cared about was obtaining as much as I could before my damnation began. The Archangel continued to plead with me.
"Your words fall on deaf ears!" The Demon reveled. "The mage has become comfortable in the darkness to which you have foolishly condemned him! You were a fool to believe that you could circumvent the balance with mere Stones! You will suffer for your transgressions!" The Demon attacked, but was stopped by a force only known to mortal men.
"So help me, if what this demon says is true I'll end your life right now," Tyrael snapped as he wrapped his will around my soul. "Your vessel will be broken, and you will remain trapped in oblivion." The sound, logical thinker that I once was found myself dumbfounded by the choice Tyrael gave to the Demon. If the Demon's banishment was so simple, why not destroy its vessel? My death was imminent; therefore, I failed to understand why he would spare my life. With what energy I had left, I looked directly into the Angel's eyes, and managed a final declaration through his strangling grasp:
"Your logic is flawed." Tyrael seemed to reel in response to my words. The overly confused look on his face was so amusing; I could not help but laugh. Of course, the demon shared my enjoyment of this moment, and laughed as well. Our howls filled the chamber with maniacal echoes, mocking the silent hero. In his frustration, he slammed us against the sole column, where we were to be imprisoned for all eternity.
"May the Light embrace you," he muttered as a collection of Zakarum priests began a holy Ritual of Binding. Their words burned through my body, sending me into convulsions and the Demon into a frenzy. Before they could finish the ritual, I blacked out. The last thought through my mind was the demon, Baal.
"The Archangel will betray you. All will be lost in time..."
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I guess to close it out since we're at a proverbial stalemate, I remind you guys that the statement Tal Rasha made is completely subjective and from his point of view during the Inquisition to capture the Three
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why was it that when the Three reunited, the plan was for M3phisto to defend the portal, Diablo to gather his armies, and Baal to corrupt the stone & open the gateway for Diablo's armies to ravage Sanctuary? If they were equally as evil, why did they have to seperate, making it easier to pick them off, 1 by 1? Is that because it makes solo play possible? Or could there be some sort of motive behind the plan???
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"He is the reason for our imprisonment!" Baal shouted. His hatred of the Archangel began to overflow into my envy of those benefitting from my sacrifice. "His cause is NOT righteous! His words are NOT true! He is far greater the Lord of Destruction as I will ever be!" His words shocked me. Although they were coming from the most evil of the Three, his feelings could easily be meshed with my own. Just as my mind began to trail, I found myself channeling all that I could muster to attack the fraudulent protector. I could not understand this, but I understood that it was his bidding to capture the Three. My thoughts pondered his motives:
Did he know that the demons could escape?
Did he know that mortal men would have to sacrifice themselves to contain them?
If he did, why allow Sanctuary's strongest heroes to endure such torment if man's will can truly be broken?
Am I a sacrifice to this Demon Lord? To continue some astral game of "good .vs. evil"?
My confusion turned into hatred, and that hatred made me long for the Angel's destruction.
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tis just the prologue, a build up to the actual story. The mage was not "damned" for fighting, but he sacrificed himself to capture and enslave the Lord of Destruction. I could explain what he meant in those lines, but by doing so I would spoil the entire first chapter
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In being subjective, I also took the approach that man recognized the direct characterization between good & evil being heaven & hell. Just as the Holy Trinity is comprised of The Father, The Son & The Holy Spirit I approached this situation with the brothers being somewhat of an "Unholy Trinity": Terror, Hatred & Destruction; for all of our sins will lead us down one of those paths.
Aside from those small points I'm excited that you guys enjoy the idea. As soon as I get my computer back from my previous job's audit, I'll probably post some music that correlates to the story ^+^
I'll start typing up chapter one if requested by popular demand
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nothing was said about Kabraxis recreating Inarius. I was more of posing speculation on how Inarius could be subdued by Kabraxis and what reasons the demon conniver would have. For some reason, I feel that it could have been his successful corruption of the Archangel that lead to the assault on M3phisto's Temple. As for your interpreted need to "recreate" Inarius to create an idol good for man to worship is also a false pretense. In my speculation, idols such as Dien-Ap-Sten are created in the "likeness" of Inarius (champions of man whom are buit primarily to suit our sinful natures), to engorge our needs. Many have worshipped him, but very few knew who he actually was.
I just have this odd feeling that he was behind the entire Sin War, or at least played a large part in it
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"The Balance"
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- Speculation at its best
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Does either of the Sin War novels talk about the fall of the Primes in detail? Like how the battles waged or is there just small speculation based on what came with the game literature???
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Up until this point, I've noticed that the most I've heard about "The Balance" was from the Necromancer from "Legacy of Blood". All of her insight has been worthwhile, but I've yet to reach "The Sin War" novels ("Kingdom of Shadow" is the only non-"Sin War" book I haven't read), and I'm wondering if there are any other forms of literature or lore that has more insight about "The Balance"; especially anything with "The Balance" from the PoV of Angels & Demons. If so? Thx much
If not??? QQ
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But when they first introduce Baal during the battle between Tyrael and Diablo in the Tomb, Baal was in his fully manifested form. Did he mutate the body of Tal Rasha? Or did he find another host on his way to Mount Arreat? And if that is Tal Rsha's body..where does the life force of the possessed go???
Questions, questions...
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