The Diablo 3 Bestiary now features a new creature from the realm of Sanctuary: the terrifying
Dune Thresher.
As I was preparing to set pen to paper to begin recording my thoughts at the beginning of my epic undertaking to gather the world's knowledge together in one tome, the hand of providence tapped me on the shoulder. The news that a rogue burrower had killed a citizen just outside the city gave me the wonderful opportunity to see firsthand one of the more disturbing creatures we share this world with – the savage dune thresher.
Check out the
new entry now!
We've also expanded the media galleries with four new pieces of
artwork and four new
screenshots.
Excerpt
As I was preparing to set pen to paper to begin recording my thoughts at the beginning of my epic undertaking to gather the world's knowledge together in one tome, the hand of providence tapped me on the shoulder. The news that a rogue burrower had killed a citizen just outside the city gave me the wonderful opportunity to see firsthand one of the more disturbing creatures we share this world with – the savage dune thresher.
Long ago driven away from settled locales to the deep desert wastes of the Borderlands, the dune thresher is rarely seen by city dwellers. Every so often, however, whether due to injury or old age, one of these unholy beasts ventures to the edge of civilization to feast on the frail human animal. When this happens, a professional like Franklin Burroughs, the famed guide and hunter, is called in to put an end to the threat.
Fortunately, Burroughs and I, both being men of travel and adventure, have naturally crossed paths before (frequent readers of my works will no doubt remember this grizzled, rough-hewn boulder of a man from my classic, Xiansai Chronicles). Thus, I contacted him so that I was able to take part in his quest to rid us of the burrowing nightmare. He acted reluctant at first, but I could tell he was happy to have me along.
-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008I'm pretty sure the Witch Doctor summons more than just mongrels: When he's first summoning them in the gameplay video the guy says "The first of [the witch doctor's] pets is the mongrel"
-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008You can't take ideas from vaporware ...
And wow, I'm getting pumped. I haven't really thought much about this game since a week after it was announced, because of the influx of noobs and morons bitching about dumb things ... but man, this game is going to be amazing.
-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008This game was amazing even before it was created
-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008Are they already going out of their way to trash the lore, or what? That sounds like a side character from an Indiana Jones movie. What's next? "Mike Smith, head of accounting for the Necromancer's Guild - nice to meetcha!"
-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008And why the hell can't there be someone by that name? And you probably thought your example of Mike Smith was horribly witty, but it wasn't.
-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008Do you really think an average name out of the London phone book like "Franklin Burroughs" fits in with the universe of "Gheed", "Wirt", "Charsi", "Ormus", "Leoric", etc?
Seriously, it is like Bilbo and friends meeting up with Alex Jones or Bill Tomlinson at the council.
I can only hope that this came from someone outside the real story team, somehow slipped through the cracks and isn't a sign of things to come.
-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008There was a wide variety of names, just like there is a wide variety of names in our world.
Besides the names seem to depend on where the person hails from. I don't see anything wrong with the name Franklin.
Fara, Lysander, Deckard, Charsi, Kashya, these are all names from somewhere in the world.
-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008Or before even that did you frown upon the common name of Sam?
-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008Almost all of the names in the Diablo universe DON'T have a specific cultural connection. That's the point. It's FANTASY. Part of a working fantasy universe is NOT having specific cultural references that ruin the escapist element. "Franklin Burroughs" is a totally normal Anglo/American name that could (and probably is) found in the real world. What makes it really disturbing is the idea that they were creating some kind of a pith-helmet wearing paleontologist "Dr. Livingston I presume" type with this character. That's horrible, it violates rule #1 of a fantasy universe that works. The vaguely Arabic names they've used in the backstory (and use again here) are bad enough, but this skates right off the edge.
It is a minor point, and will almost certainly not involve an actual game asset, but I'm a little shocked that people can't see this as an obvious gaffe and troubling sign. I know the whiners here can be pretty off-base, but it takes some serious fanboi goggles not to see the big red flag with this one.
-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008The name was actually Samwise Gamgee, a great fantasy name. The equivalent of "Franklin Burroughs" would be Samuel Gaines, a not-so-great fantasy name that breaks the escapism.
-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008And no, the Arabic sounding names are not as bad as you think. I could say that your Kel'Thuzad sounding name is bad enough. But just how silly would that be of me?
-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008A 'sign' is something that points in a direction. Hopefully this doesn't point in the direction of sloppy lore work which actually is in the game.
My name is not a piece of intellectual property in a title released by a business with billions in annual revenue and tens of millions of fans around the world. In fact, it is intended as a parody. But thanks.
-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008Now let's consider what it'd be like if we lived in the world of Sanctuary where perhaps a name like Hratli is indeed a more common name. But then you also stumble upon someone by the name of Franklin Burroughs. You might think to yourself, "Hmm, what an odd ass name?" But that doesn't mean that someone still couldn't have that name, right?
-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008Right, that's why it is a great fantasy name. I would think "That doesn't sound remotely like a name from any culture I know." Unlike Mr. Burroughs, and incredibly anglo-sounding name that would fit right in with the first 20 US presidents.
-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008And you missed mine - even if anything IS possible in the fantasy world, when you bring in things which are too familiar or mundane, you break the spell. It isn't about what is theoretically possible or not - there's no reason Gandalf CAN'T pull out a rifle and start blasting Orcs - it just lessens the entertainment value and cheapens the world in an intangible way if he does.
When you combine a first name of two different Presidents with a last name of two famous American authors, you cross a line.
-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008I'm not trying to say that because in fantasy anything is possible, that that's why he can therefor have such a name. And I suspect that's what you think I'm trying to say.
-
View User Profile
-
Send Message
Posted Sep 19, 2008But thanks for keeping it polite, sorry if we're talking at each other.