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I just uploaded a video blog about where the Diablo 3 game can go lore wise after the current Reaper of Souls expansion and patch 2.1.

To conform to forum guidelines here are the main talking points if you do not want to watch the video:

In short it would seem like the Skovos Islands are potentially the next setting for another chapter in Diablo timeline. When playing in Adventure Mode Tyrael and Lorath discuss about a group of Horadrim potentially in trouble who were sent there. I connect that this fairly strong foreshadowing to previous foreshadowing at the end of vanilla diablo 3 when talking to tyrael and how he talks of nothing but malthael.

As far as antagonists go; i talk about using Inarius and or Lilith as the next bad guys. Inarius surely could have escaped his imprisonment with Mephisto and possibly connected with Lilith. Or is even possibly being pursued by her for recapture. There is a lot of ways this could go. However Inarius has a lot of reasons to be another bad guy especially if he is struck with the notion of wanting sanctuary back (since he made after all). I believe Inarius and or Lilith are to be involved with the strong presentation of lore books that are found just before killing maltheal in act V.

I also talk about new classes or at least why i think the most likely new class would be a druid and not an amazon or necromancer. Amazons are a bit too close to demon hunters. It is likely Demon Hunters had inspiration from the Amazon class of D2. Necromancers are touched on since Rathma was offspring of Inarius and Lilith; again Witch Doctors carry the same vibe and I don't think they could be re-introduced without a large amount of backlash. So druid offers some room to introduce new game mechanics and possible roles (healer) much how the Crusader feels very tanky; even though Diablo 3 doesn't need roles like MMOs do.

The video can be viewed on YouTube here http://youtu.be/Ijh3ZIr4I-E it's about 15 minutes long, though the last 5 minutes is just a side anecdote about Inarius and Lilith.

Again these are just my own thoughts and musings. There is no hard evidence or information I have to support anything I say here, so it could be entirely all wrong. I would be curious what others think as well.

I have to agree with you, there is certainly a reason as to why there are those books in Pandemonium Fortress. It's unfortunate that Inarius views the Nephalem as abominations but liked humanity due to being mortal(?). If not in the next expansion, they might build to it for the one afterwards.

I think the Horadrim disappearing at Skovos was a joke; they were probably too distracted by the natives.

It's implied that Inarius grew fond of humanity from the time he spent with them, coupled with the fact that they've had their Nephalem powers sapped. Who doesn't like a tiger cub over the tiger?

I can see Inarius coming back. He would be a twisted creature, a fusion of angelic and demonic essence, a living parallel to the Pandemonium Fortress. I think he would seek to undo all Creation, save for Sanctuary. He could resurface, leading a legion of demons and fallen angels from the depths. Over time, angels may defect to his cause, weakening Heaven. Finally, after releasing Lillith, he would try to harness Humanity's emerging Nephalem powers. This is the point where the Crusader's jest to Auriel in Heaven during Diablo III proves foreshadowing; representatives all across Sanctuary must decide whether to join Inarius or oppose him. A new Nephalem civil war erupts.

In the end, a new world is created, leading to the Diablo MMO!

Yeah it could very well be a joke; though I think Inarius and or Lilith are definitely something to contend with in the future. You make a good point about undoing creation though. I think it's all very interesting where it could leave. We have had multiple expansions (LoD, RoS) where Diablo isn't actually the main antagonist.

It would still be interesting idea to go on a limb where if Inarius is the bad guy yet another angel that didn't have the same clout as maltheal had on the angris council. I mean they seemingly gave him up to mephisto without much of a fight. Siding with Lilith or the like to defeat inarius would be a fairly interesting ploy that isn't really out of the realm of possibilities.

I have to wonder what the original story for Reaper of Souls was. From what I gathered from lore panels and book lore, the Worldstone was to play a role in the expansion, and Imperius had sided with Malthael. I imagine Urzael took Imperius' place in the campaign, being a fire-themed angel and all.



Now. How does one up the ante in the Diablo universe at this point? We've defeated the Lords of Hell, leaving Hell powerless. We've saved Heaven. We've saved an invasion of the planet from Malthael. Really, what else IS there? Well, saving the universe, of course! Inarius is going to be hating everyone and everything at this point. But how will he threaten reality without the Worldstone? Is there something else he can use?

Let's look at Diablo himself and his goal. He has fused the Lords of Hell within himself, but he is not yet Tathemet the Dragon reborn. The only dragon we do know of is Trag'Oul. Trag'Oul represents the Past, Present and Future of Humanity -- for all intents and purposes, its very Fate -- as well as being the Guardian of Balance itself. Now cosmic balance is upset as never been before. Maybe Diablo's actions have, all this time, been meant to lure out Trag'Oul? Would Diablo be able to possess Trag'Oul? Would Diablo have to contend with Inarius in a race against time to capture and use Trag'Oul's powers? Will perverting Trag'Oul result in the enslavement of Nephalem-kind itself?



In this final great war, I see several sides. Inarius' perverse fusion of Angels and Demons. Diablo and the dregs of Hell (although Hell has replenished itself while everyone's been busy with Malthael). Imperius leading a tattered Heaven. Isolationist refugee humans. And Nephalem, sick and tired of constant invasion, bent on conquering the other two realms. It's like this sad smorgasbord of cosmic-wide hate and revenge.

There's a surprising number of ways the story can continue.

Quote from Jinshin

Now. How does one up the ante in the Diablo universe at this point? We've defeated the Lords of Hell, leaving Hell powerless. We've saved Heaven. We've saved an invasion of the planet from Malthael. Really, what else IS there? Well, saving the universe, of course! Inarius is going to be hating everyone and everything at this point. But how will he threaten reality without the Worldstone? Is there something else he can use?

They've set it up so that the next antagonist is probably going to be a Nephalem (or a group of Nephalem). The Nephelem used to have god-like power and that power has started returning with the destruction of the Worldstone.

That said, the Prime Evil Diablo has been released as of the end of RoS, so there's also that.

But Diablo has to have a goal. I can see every side -- us, the Nephalem; Inarius; and Diablo all vying to destroy the other by means of creating a new reality in their own image.

I had heard (and read) that Skovos isle wasn't intended to be visitable in D3. However that is almost 6 years ago and lots of things have changed with the game as well as probably staff and creative direction too. So even if that was said it doesn't mean Blizzard will or should hold themselves to it.

Skovos Isles to me feels like tristram. It is an iconic place in the world of sanctuary and not integrating it in some way in the future seems like a missed opportunity.

Unless-- going with my previous theory -- we find that the entirety of Nephalem spirits are collected by Trag'Oul, and together they have power rivaling that of the Worldstone. This may open up an avenue for a sidequest to rescue Leah.

I am not sure redeeming Leah would really be worth it honestly. Not that she was a terrible character, it's just the whole mortality thing. I think it is OK to let characters die and not come back. Leah served her purpose albeit a diabolic one

The idea of Trag'Oul could work actually. Pretty much anything in sanctuary is mortal, things outside of it like demons and angels do not seem that way. They are constantly recycled or just plain immortal. So the piece of the worldstone was the Eye of Anu if I am not mistaken. It's possible that it's destruction will eventually come around as well. How that would happen is something I haven't thought much about. Though the nephalem souls could be side effect of their mortality and the recreating of the worldstone or something like it.