A storyline of "Diablo" is deeply buried, with angels and demons being toyed with by a witch.

Feb-23-2024

 

 

 

 

In the original "Diablo," there weren't many NPCs, and their purpose in the game was to provide side quests, identify scrolls, gamble, sell potions, magic scrolls, and combat supplies. Therefore, every NPC in the game left a lasting impression on players. To the east of the village lived a mysterious witch named Adria, who sold blue potions, magic scrolls, magical weapons, and arcane tomes at high prices. Players could always find something new to purchase from her. She kept a low profile, rarely interacting with villagers, and only Deckard Cain knew some things about her.

 

According to Deckard Cain's recollections, the witch first appeared in Tristram when King Leoric was driven mad by Diablo. At that time, Archbishop Lazarus had almost complete control over the situation in Khanduras, using secret arts to deceive King Leoric into believing that the neighboring kingdom of Westmarch was planning an invasion, thus starting a war. During this great war, King Leoric did not defeat the Westmarch Knights, leading to his forces dwindling day by day. While King Leoric was waging war, Lazarus kidnapped his young son and sacrificed him as a vessel for Diablo's descent. During this period, the witch bravely entered the cathedral alone to resist the demonic invasion, but unfortunately, she was unable to stop the hellish army. After being captured by the demons and enduring all kinds of torture, she eventually managed to escape. Following this incident, she lived in seclusion on the eastern outskirts of the village.

 

 

 

Deckard Cain's assessment of her in his book: "Adria is like an eternal enigma, sometimes mysterious and unfathomable, sometimes noble and elegant, sometimes caring and considerate, and sometimes cold as ice. I don't know what lies beneath her beautiful cheeks. But no matter what, I am certain that she is a wise woman with a broad mind and great ambition, possessing magical powers that are unmatched by humans." Here it is clear that Deckard Cain never let his guard down with Adria, knowing she was no ordinary witch.

 

So what is Adria's backstory?

 

Deckard Cain's predictions were correct; Adria was indeed a person of great significance. She was one of the leaders of the "Cult of the Three."

 

This brings us to the prequel to "Diablo 1." According to the introduction of the "Diablo Trilogy," after the sanctuary (Haven) was discovered by the Burning Hells, the three demon lords Diablo, Mephisto, and Baal began plotting to use human power to counter the High Heavens. Mephisto sent his son Lucion to create the "Cult of the Three" to bewitch humanity. Lucion had extraordinary cover-up abilities; he completely subverted the evil personas of the three demon lords, beautifying them into the doctrines of the "Cult of the Three." The Destructor became "Creation," the Lord of Hatred represented "Benevolence," and the Lord of Terror stood for "Resolution." This move won the support of local residents, quickly becoming the largest local religion with an ever-expanding influence. While the Cult of the Three preached love on the surface, they secretly sacrificed those deceived followers to the demons. Fortunately, the tricks of the Cult of the Three were soon discovered by Tyrael, who established the Cathedral of Light to counter them.

 

With the efforts of the Horadrim, the three great demon lords were eventually sealed. At this critical moment, the Cult of the Three faced a new opportunity as two powerful witches, Adria and Magda, joined. Their first act upon joining was to poison the ineffective and uninspired leader of the cult, then pledge the Cult of the Three to serve under Belial (one of the seven major demons of Hell). A new doctrine emerged, brainwashing and summoning demons to indoctrinate the followers with the idea of serving the Burning Hells. After this, the Cult of the Three gained new vitality.

 

Few people knew that Adria and Magda were a couple. Additionally, Deckard Cain was killed by Magda.

 

 

 

Years later, when the Cult of the Three was thriving, Adria chose to leave and came to a place called Tristram. And this is where the story of "Diablo 1" begins.

 

In this sparsely populated village, the villagers were wary of Adria's arrival, with only Deckard Cain occasionally going to talk to her. Deckard Cain found that Adria had extensive knowledge and experience, and during this time, she successfully obtained information about the Dark Soulstone from him through information exchange.

 

Adria's arrival in Tristram was indeed purposeful, but this secret was unknown even to her beloved Magda. It turned out that years later, Belial realized that the expulsion of the three great demons from the Burning Hells was a conspiracy. The purpose of the three great demons was to enter the sanctuary under the guise of "expulsion," which would not violate the covenant established with the High Heavens. After discovering the truth, Belial felt a sense of unease and sent Adria to Tristrum to observe whether Diablo had any movements.

 

After Lazarus kidnapped King Leoric's young son, Adria discovered that Diablo was about to descend again upon the sanctuary. So she quietly entered the cathedral to observe and, after leaving, pretended to have been violated by demons. After this incident, Adria continued to provide heroes with magical potions and scrolls on the eastern outskirts of the village. In the ending of "Diablo 1," King Leoric's eldest son Aidan, with the help of Rogue archers and sorcerers, successfully defeated the hell lord Diablo. To prevent Diablo's resurrection, the brave prince pulled out Diablo's Soulstone and embedded it between his forehead, completing the seal of that era. Aidan's actions delighted Adria because she had already conceived a perfect plan in her mind.

 

 

 

According to Adria's account in "Diablo III": During her surveillance of Diablo in Tristrum, after entering the cathedral for the first time, she discovered Diablo's overwhelming power and decided to submit and serve him completely. She was even willing to leave her body as a vessel for Diablo's regeneration. That is, after entering the cathedral, Adria had already completely betrayed Belial.

 

Sometime after "Diablo 1," Aidan's character gradually changed, and the villagers began to distance themselves from him. Only Adria was willing to stay by his side to comfort him. The two quickly developed into a "lovers" relationship and spent a happy time together until one day Aidan became the Dark Wanderer, and Adria's whereabouts were unknown.

 

 

 

The timeline moved to "Diablo III," where Deckard Cain's adopted niece Leah became the protagonist of the game, taking over Deckard Cain's work. The game's Leah is beautiful, strong, brave, kind, and sunny, a popular character created by Blizzard, running through the entire series. Her real identity is the daughter of the witch Adria and the Dark Wanderer, a vessel containing the pure bloodline of Diablo. It was also for this reason that kind-hearted Leah often dreamed of hellish armies invading.

 

When Adria reappeared, it was already midway through the plot of "Diablo III." When Leah and Nephalem found her, she was being attacked by snake people and being interrogated about the use of "Dark Soulstone." However, this scene was actually staged by Adria herself. Players would only realize that it was a setup after reaching the midgame. At this time, Adria's goal was to get close to Nephalem and Leah to obtain the Dark Soulstone she needed. After gaining Nephalem's trust, Adria guided the protagonists to revive Zoltan Kulle, because only this traitor among the Horadrim possessed the Dark Soulstone.

 

 

 

No one would have imagined that kind and beautiful Leah would become a pawn in Diablo's resurrection. After the execution of Belial, the Sin Lord Azmodan, Adria finally revealed her true intentions. Through a special ritual, she injected the souls of the seven Great Evils trapped in Dark Soulstone into Leah's body, resulting in the birth of the strongest Demon King Super Diablo. After this, Adria disappeared, and no one knew her whereabouts (the entity killed in Act V was not her).

 

Super Diablo, with the combined power of the seven Great Evils, easily defeated the strongest Angel of Valor, Inarius. If not for the awakening power of Nephalem, perhaps demonic armies would have controlled the world.

 

In "Reaper of Souls," the new boss Malthael took possession of the Dark Soulstone containing the souls of the seven Great Evils and absorbed the power of the devils, becoming the most powerful boss in history. After being defeated by Nephalem, the souls of the seven Great Evils were released again, and Leah's soul was also liberated.

 

Seeing this, everyone should understand. The birth of the strongest Demon King and the fall of the High Heavens were all orchestrated by Adria herself, and even angels and demons became her pawns in this battle.