DiabloFans

I will be taking annual leave the day of release at the very least. Possibly two days.

Interesting theory. I am not sold yet, though. The very next frame in the cinematic trailer shows the shape that looks a bit like Tyrael in the picture you capture to be the back wall of the church (circled below):

You can see the meteor separately from that shape.

All of that said, I have no problems with the concept that the meteor is because of Tyrael, that Tyrael could become corrupted by the tainted Worldstone, or anything else. I'm just having fun speculating with you guys.

Gah! I say Delilah above. That might have been her "human" name. I think her true name is Lilith. Just don't quote me at a Diablo convention at the risk of being ridicule, and I will consult the texts and correct myself later.

Quote from "Zarx" »

I like the theory. Fighting Heaven would be cool too. If it pans out, fighting those really great looking archangels like Tyrael is going to be crazy fun We've all seen tons of the dark dungeons and firey landscapes. Give us a Gothic Heaven to fight in.

That would be fun. But then, I could be absolutely insane because of the things I saw the last time I was in Hell. Maybe I have no clue what I am talking about.

Quote from "micahmatthew" »

It could have maybe kept Heaven from being able to come to Sanctuary instead of Hell from coming to Sanctuary?

Again, going off of what we know from the Sin War trilogy, some angels and demons both tired of the eternal struggle between Heaven and the Burning Hells. They went away into the void, where Inarius eventually created Sanctuary and mated with the demoness Delilah to sire Rathma. As the common children of angels and demons grew in power, Inarius could see that either side (Heaven or the Burning Hells) would try to use the children as a weapon in the battle.

Inarius created the Worldstone to simultaneously curtail the budding magical abilities of the people of Sanctuary and to hide the world from the celestial forces. As time passed, though, he became more and more myopic, wanting the people to worship him and his perfect order. This led to his falling out with Delilah and her imprisonment. When she got free, she corrupted the Worldstone, which awakened the latent powers within the people and set off the Sin War.

I truly belive that the destruction of the Worldstone could have reset the clock (so to speak) on Sanctuary. And now, both Heaven and the Burning Hells know all about the little world. If the Worldstone is truly gone, I would expect more and varied powers from the citizens of Sanctuary and more direct influence from the celestial forces.

Building off of the end of the Sin War trilogy, which predates Diablo I, I think players could be fighting both angels and demons. The demons want to enslave Sanctuary as soldiers to assualt Heaven. And the angels...well, they might just want to obliterate the whole planet to reduce the threat and the impertinence of beings that would dare have such power but not be immortals, as they did in the novelization.

I believe it was only Tyrael's vote that swayed the Heavenly Council to allow Sanctuary continued existence. Maybe this time, even Tyrael will perceive the threat too great?

Quote from "Zarx" »

Since the Prime Evils have been destroyed, we now look to a new opponent.

I disagree that the Prime Evils have been destroyed. I would take seriously the explanation that the destruction of the Worldstone could cause Sanctuary to be reshaped. From my understanding of Knaack's Sin War trilogy, Inarius magically crafted Sanctuary with the Worldstone as the keystone of its existence.

My take is that when Tyrael destroyed the Worldstone on Arreat, he essentially unraveled all of the magic tying together the world. When Uldyssian Ul-Diomed severed Inarius' link to the Worldstone to end the Sin War, all of the warring angels and demons on Sanctuary disappeared back into the respective sources and the world was instantly remade--looking much the same before the whole mess happened. Only Mendeln Ul-Diomed, who studied the teachings of Trag'Oul with Rathma, recalled what really happened. The rest of the denizens of Sanctuary had no memory of it.

Perhaps it is the same way this time. Tyrael shattered the Worldstone, and the world was remade with only Deckard Cain having some memory of the events that took place. We'll know when we get our hands on it.