Diablo Chronicles Episode 2: Sanctuary's First Breath, Children Feared by Their Parents

This is a fan narrative rewritten based on the events of the original work. The characters' emotions, dialogue, and scene atmospheres have been reconstructed, and it includes major spoilers.

The Meeting of Inarius and Lilith, Weary of War

The battlefield of the Eternal Conflict was a void where endless blood and brilliant light intersected. Inarius, once an advisor to the Archangel Tyrael, felt a deep skepticism toward the pointlessly repeating slaughter. Every time his spear pierced a demon's chest, an indelible fatigue, rather than the glory of victory, gnawed at his soul.

On the fringes of the battlefield, in a canyon shrouded in gray mist, Inarius encountered a demon. It was Lilith, the daughter of Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred. She, too, had grown weary of her kin's bloody, blind struggle and had deserted the front lines. As the two stood confronting each other, Inarius sensed the aura she exuded from beyond his faceless hood, and Lilith read the same deep loathing in his faded radiance.

Inarius lowered his spear, and Lilith likewise concealed her sharp claws. A silence fell between them—one that should never have been possible under the absolute laws of Heaven and Hell. Lilith approached cautiously, wearing a bitter smile that mocked the futility of the war. For the first time, Inarius felt a sense of relief in that smile.

"For what have we been breaking ourselves for so long?" At Inarius's low lament, Lilith nodded. She yearned to escape her father's oppressive hatred and find a quiet sanctuary free from anyone's rule. Crossing the boundary of light and darkness, the two heretics began to soothe each other's wounds.

Their secret meetings grew more frequent, and their conversations moved beyond mere complaints toward new possibilities. Inarius dreamed of a perfect refuge untouched by the eyes of Heaven and Hell. Lilith breathed life into that dream, whispering that they could gather other renegades who shared their vision, urging his resolve forward.

They began to secretly recruit those weary of war from their respective factions. Angels and demons who yearned for ordinary survival instead of a glorious death quietly answered their call. Inarius's radiant charisma and Lilith's captivating persuasiveness became symbols of new hope, uniting the group.

The gathered host still guarded against one another, but they maintained a precarious peace under the single purpose of ending the war. Leading this unstable alliance, Inarius recalled a massive artifact imbued with the power of creation. He realized that only this could be the key to liberating them from the chains of the Eternal Conflict.

"We need the Worldstone." At Inarius's resolute declaration, the gathered crowd held their breath. Stealing the Worldstone, the Eye of Creation enshrined deep within the Pandemonium Fortress, was nothing short of a suicidal act that would turn both Heaven and Hell into enemies. Yet, Lilith firmly grasped his hand, swearing to willingly join him in this rebellion.

Rogue Angels and Demons Stealing the Worldstone to Hide Sanctuary

The heart of the Pandemonium Fortress was filled with a majestic silence. Taking advantage of a lapse in the vigilance of Heaven and Hell, the band of renegades led by Inarius and Lilith slipped deep into the fortress. The brilliant light emanating from a massive crystal pillar illuminated their tense faces. There lay the Worldstone, the source of all things.

Feeling the majestic vibration of the Worldstone, Inarius stretched out his hands. An overwhelming sensation, as if the power of creation were piercing his soul, washed over him. Carefully tuning the frequency of the Worldstone, he began to open a portal to a new dimension beyond the perception of Heaven and Hell. Lilith stood by his side, protecting him while adding her red magical power.

With a blinding flash, space distorted, and the massive artifact vanished from its original place. The renegades, along with the Worldstone, were sucked into an endless rift between dimensions. When they opened their eyes again, they found themselves in a completely empty, unknown void, ruled neither by the light of Heaven nor the darkness of Hell.

Inarius unleashed the power of the Worldstone to shape land in the empty void. Sheer mountain ranges rose, and rivers of clear water moistened the earth. Lilith breathed green forests and the breath of life upon it. It was the moment their own sanctuary, forged from the fusion of angelic and demonic powers, was born in wondrous form.

"We shall call this place Sanctuary." Inarius declared, looking down upon the beautiful, newly fashioned world. A safe haven untouched by the fires of the Eternal Conflict, Sanctuary was perfectly hidden within the cosmic labyrinth, enveloped by the powerful veil of the Worldstone. The renegades finally laid down their terrible weapons, cheering and shedding tears of joy.

Angels and demons set aside the hostility they had harbored toward one another and began to settle on the lands of Sanctuary. Together, they built homes and tilled fields, savoring the unfamiliar sensation of peace for the first time. Inarius and Lilith watched this miraculous harmony with satisfaction, smiling in the firm conviction that their bold choice had been correct.

The Worldstone was safely enshrined deep within the heart of Mount Arreat, the tallest mountain range in Sanctuary. Inarius bound himself to the Worldstone, becoming the absolute ruler and guardian of Sanctuary. He had no doubt that this peace would last forever, and he dreamed of a new tomorrow, further strengthening his bond with Lilith.

Yet, beneath the surface of this seemingly perfect peace, subtle cracks were growing. The fundamental differences between Heaven and Hell had not been entirely erased, and a vague anxiety about their unfamiliar surroundings lurked in the corners of the renegades' minds. Nevertheless, they remained intoxicated by their current respite, completely failing to foresee the immense changes that lay ahead.

The Birth of the Pre-Human Nephalem and the Existence of Rathma

Amidst the peaceful times of Sanctuary, an unprecedented event occurred: the union of angel and demon. Inarius and Lilith shared their essences and conceived the first life. It heralded the birth of a new existence, a perfect fusion of Heaven's noble light and Hell's deep darkness, unlike anything the universe had ever experienced.

The first child born from Lilith's womb, Linarian, was the being who would later be known as Rathma. He resembled his parents in appearance, but the energy dwelling within him was entirely different. The serenity of an angel and the tempestuous power of a demon swirled violently within his small body, forming a strange and overwhelming harmony.

Beginning with Linarian's birth, new lives were born one after another among the other renegades. These children possessed characteristics distinctly different from their parents' generation. Though they had soft skin instead of wings or horns, the primordial power of the universe flashed within their eyes. These were the first Nephalem, destined to shake Sanctuary.

The Nephalem grew at a terrifying pace upon the lands of Sanctuary. They unlocked the principles of magic on their own, without their parents' instruction, and began to freely manipulate the forces of nature. Rathma explored the boundaries of life and death, establishing in his own way a philosophy of perfect balance that leaned neither toward light nor darkness.

Inarius felt a strange sense of unease as he watched the children's wondrous growth. The energy emitted by the Nephalem was so intense that even Inarius himself found it difficult to measure. They were not mere creations, but uncontrollable beings who transcended the limits of angels and demons, inheriting the raw potential of the creator, Anu.

Lilith's reaction was entirely different from Inarius's. She smiled with rapture upon seeing the children's overwhelming power. In her eyes, the Nephalem were not just offspring, but the perfect weapons capable of overturning the scales of the Eternal Conflict in a single stroke. Lilith secretly taught the children how to use deeper powers, nurturing her ambition.

Rathma did not avoid his mother's ambitious gaze but stared back coldly. He instinctively saw through the dangerous desires hidden behind Lilith's blind affection. Rather than meeting his parents' expectations, Rathma would often immerse himself in solitary meditation to forge his own path and discover the true identity of the Nephalem.

As the number of Nephalem grew and their power spread across Sanctuary, the air of the peaceful refuge began to shift subtly. The earth vibrated in response to the children's potent magic, and even the colors of the sky fluctuated according to their emotions. Sanctuary was no longer a quiet, controllable hideout belonging solely to the parent generation.

The Division of the Parent Generation, Fearing Their Powerful Offspring

As the power of the Nephalem grew stronger by the day, the suppressed anxiety among the renegades who founded Sanctuary began to erupt. One night, angels and demons gathered before Inarius's temple, murmuring. On their faces was a deep dread directed toward the children they had sired, far eclipsing the wariness they once held for their former enemies.

An angel broke the heavy silence with a trembling voice. "The power of those children is beyond our imagination. If that immense energy is detected by the surveillance of Heaven or Hell, it is only a matter of time before Sanctuary's location is discovered." At his words, even several demons nodded, expressing a deep shared concern for survival.

"Discovery is not the only problem," a scarred demon growled, adding, "If they realize their true power and turn their blades against us, we will be utterly helpless. We must make a decision before we are devoured by the monsters we created." Fear spread rapidly, consuming the group.

Inarius sat upon his throne, listening to their debate while casting a deep shadow beneath his hood. In his cold, expressionless silence, only the subtly trembling radiance of his wings spoke of the bone-deep threat and anguish he felt. He could not tolerate the perfect order he had created being shattered by uncontrollable children, yet he could not help but hesitate before the terrible decision to personally annihilate his own bloodline.

"We must destroy all the children!" someone's extreme cry echoed through the temple. At that moment, Lilith stepped out from the shadows of the corridor. Her red eyes blazed with fury, and a chilling murderous intent emanated from her every step. The clamoring crowd fell silent in an instant, crushed by her overwhelming presence.

"I will tear apart anyone who touches my children." Lilith's voice was low, but it held a resolve more brutal than that of any demon in Hell. Sweeping her contemptuous gaze over the terrified renegades, she firmly declared that the Nephalem were the true masters of Sanctuary and the ultimate shield that would protect them.

Inarius felt a deep despair as he witnessed Lilith's mad obsession. To prevent an immediate catastrophe, he proposed taking some time and dismissed the crowd. Immersing himself in solitary meditation, Inarius began to ponder how to use the power of the Worldstone to eliminate the threat without stripping the children of their lives.

However, Lilith took Inarius's weak stance as an irreversible betrayal. She was convinced that her husband would eventually yield to the majority opinion and execute the children. In Lilith's heart, her former affection grew ice-cold, leaving only a terrifying ambition to protect her offspring and use their power to conquer the universe.

Lilith Killing Her Fellow Renegades to Protect and Exploit the Children

On a night when darkness lay heavy over Sanctuary, Lilith began to move silently. Her claws grew long like sharp daggers, and massive, thorny wings unfolded behind her back. It was the horrific visage of a bloody slaughterer, where her blind protective instinct as a mother and her cruel nature as the daughter of a Hell lord had fused completely into one.

The first victim was the angel who had strongly advocated for the children's execution. Lilith slipped into his sleeping quarters and pierced his heart in a single stroke, leaving him no time to even scream. Though holy blood soaked the earth, there was not a shred of guilt in Lilith's eyes. Only a cold satisfaction at having removed an obstacle flashed within them.

The slaughter did not stop. Like a hungry predator in the dark, Lilith raided the renegades' shelters one by one. Even her fellow demons, who had once shared her vision and sworn to peace, were ruthlessly torn apart before her merciless claws. The clear rivers of Sanctuary were stained red, and the once-quiet forests were filled with piercing screams and the terror of death.

Covered in blood and panting heavily, Lilith laughed maniacally. She believed this massacre was not merely a defense to protect the children, but a grand prelude to a massive war against Heaven and Hell. Once all obstructors were removed, she was deeply intoxicated by the ecstasy of leading a Nephalem army to seize cosmic supremacy.

Sensing the thickening scent of blood from afar, Rathma rushed to the scene of the tragedy. He was struck with horror upon seeing his mother standing in the midst of the torn corpses. Instinctively realizing that Lilith's madness would eventually drive even the Nephalem to ruin, Rathma hid himself in the darkness, feeling deep sorrow and disillusionment.

The next morning, Inarius witnessed the horrific scene of slaughter and collapsed on the spot. Countless angels and demons who had trusted and followed him were brutally mutilated beyond recognition. The peaceful refuge he had dreamed of had turned into the most horrific slaughterhouse of Hell overnight.

Watching Lilith approach with her blood-stained hands hanging down, Inarius was overcome by uncontrollable anger and betrayal. "What have you done?" At his scream, Lilith replied calmly, "I only protected our children. Now there are no obstacles. We shall become the true gods of this world." Her voice was serene.

Inarius could no longer find any trace of the woman he loved in Lilith's eyes. She was merely a horrific monster driven mad by endless greed and slaughter. Inarius summoned the light of Heaven and firmly gripped his spear. The oath they had once made, turning their backs on the universe, was now facing an irreversible catastrophe.

Inarius Banishing Lilith

Behind Inarius's back, dazzling wings of light unfolded gigantically. The aura of wrath he exuded as the creator of Sanctuary violently shook the earth. Lilith did not back down even an inch before her husband's overwhelming power; summoning her blood-red magic, she howled like a beast and charged fiercely toward him.

The spear of light and claws of darkness clashed violently, producing a thunderous roar that tore through heaven and earth. Inarius parried Lilith's onslaught and pushed her back. The two hands that had once embraced each other were now straining with all their might to choke the life out of the other. In Inarius's heart, the duty to protect the world he had made loomed larger than his sorrow.

After a fierce battle, Inarius's spear pierced Lilith's defense and stabbed deep into her chest. Lilith collapsed onto the ground with a painful scream. Inarius panted heavily, pointing the tip of his spear at her throat. He could have ended her life right then and there, but his fingertips trembled slightly, betraying his hesitation.

"Kill me, Inarius," Lilith whispered in a mocking voice, spitting red blood. "But remember. No matter how much you struggle, you will never be able to stop the power flowing in our children's blood." Her venomous curse was engraved deep and clear in Inarius's chest, like an indelible brand.

In the end, Inarius could not bring himself to completely destroy his cooling former lover with his own hands. Instead, he resolved to inflict the most cruel punishment using the power of the Worldstone. Inarius tore open the endless void beyond Sanctuary, a space where neither light nor sound existed. He intended to cast her into eternal solitude.

"You no longer deserve to exist in this world." With Inarius's resolute declaration, a powerful vortex of light enveloped Lilith. She screamed horribly as she was dragged to the threshold of the void. Until her final moment, Lilith glared at Inarius with eyes of hatred before being completely swallowed by the pitch-black darkness.

The portal closed, leaving only a heavy silence in Sanctuary. Standing alone on the horrific battlefield, Inarius composed his crumbling heart. His companions were all dead, and the woman he loved was banished forever. The perfect refuge he had risked everything to protect had turned into a ruin of terrible loss.

Watching all of this from afar, Rathma turned away bitterly. The tragedy wrought by their parents' blind love and hatred left an indelible wound on the Nephalem. Returning to his throne alone, Inarius had to make a heavy and cruel decision on how to control the overwhelming power of the children, the root cause of this tragedy.

Inarius Altering the Worldstone to Weaken the Nephalem's Power Over Generations

Inarius walked alone into the heart of Mount Arreat, where the Worldstone was enshrined. The brilliant light of the massive crystal illuminated the darkness within his faceless hood and the dim wings of light enveloping him. Instead of killing all the Nephalem, he chose to slowly drain the divine power flowing through their veins. That was the only compromise that could preserve Sanctuary.

He reached out his hands and touched the surface of the Worldstone. The artifact of creation vibrated subtly in response to his will. Manipulating the frequency of the Worldstone, Inarius began to construct a massive control network to suppress the flow of life force throughout Sanctuary. It was a highly delicate and painful task that seemed to shave away his very soul.

As the resonance of the Worldstone shifted, the Nephalem scattered across Sanctuary felt an inexplicable oppression. The magic boiling within their bodies gradually dulled, and their keen senses that communed with nature began to grow blunt. Rathma, too, felt his power subtly draining away, and he looked up at the sky with eyes full of resentment.

Inarius's manipulation was not designed to strip away all power at once. Rather, it was engineered so that with each passing generation, as life was passed from parent to child, the potential of the Nephalem would be shaved away exponentially. The essences of Heaven and Hell would fade, and they would gradually dwindle into beings with finite lifespans and fragile bodies.

"This is the only way to keep you alive and preserve this world." Inarius murmured softly to the Worldstone. In his voice, the arrogance of a creator was mixed with the deep sorrow of a father who had to emasculate his own children. Accepting his steadfast will, the Worldstone pulsed heavily, glowing with a red light.

The change occurred slowly, but surely. The majesty of the first-generation Nephalem, who had split mountains and altered the flow of rivers with powerful magic, gradually faded into legend. Their children possessed less than half of their parents' strength, and their children's children were born even weaker to tread upon the earth.

Hiding behind the veil of Sanctuary, Inarius silently watched his declining descendants. The process of them dwindling into ordinary creatures was painful, but at the same time, the risk of Sanctuary catching the eyes of Heaven and Hell decreased accordingly. He tried to comfort himself, believing that his harsh decision had been correct in the end.

A few first-generation Nephalem, including Rathma, hid deep underground to escape Inarius's control. They kept a long silence in the darkness, searching for a way to save their declining kin. Upon the earth, the new generations, losing their strength, began to be bound by the yoke of harsh survival, forgetting the great legacy of their parents.

The People of Sanctuary Forgetting Their Origins

As countless ages passed, the landscape of Sanctuary changed completely. The era of the great Nephalem, who flew through the skies and commanded the elements, vanished without a trace. Their descendants, possessing short lifespans and sickly bodies, dwindled into extremely fragile beings who wandered the earth, struggling daily against wild beasts and natural disasters.

People lived in small villages, farming and raising livestock. They could no longer use magic, nor could they comprehend the primordial forces of the universe. They were merely ordinary humans who prayed for rain and feared the beasts in the dark. The control of the Worldstone had bound their bloodlines that perfectly.

The brilliant memories of the past degraded into absurd myths and fairy tales passed down by word of mouth. People completely forgot that their ancestors were angels and demons. The Eternal Conflict and the creation of Sanctuary were entirely erased from their hazy memories, burying the truth deep within the earth.

Inarius's name appeared only occasionally in forgotten ancient tongues, and no one knew that he was the very person who had created and cursed them. Lilith's brutal massacre and tragic banishment also scattered into fragments of dust-covered legends. People carried on their harsh lives, clinging only to immediate survival.

In dusty villages, elders gathered children around fires to tell old tales. 'A very long time ago, there lived giants who walked the skies and shattered mountains.' The children listened with sparkling eyes, but none realized that those giants were the suppressed selves sleeping within their own blood, laughing it off as mere stories.

Sanctuary seemed to have regained a seemingly perfect peace. The horrific war between Heaven and Hell appeared entirely unrelated to this world of fragile humans. Looking down upon this ignorant and weak crowd from the unseen, Inarius kept his silence, feeling a sense of relief at the completion of the safe haven he had built.

Yet, in the deep underworld, Rathma, who guarded the boundary between life and death, remained awake. He stared at the embers of the Nephalem that remained ever so faintly within the blood of the forgotten humans. Though buried beneath the ashes, those embers clearly held the potential to flare up once more should they ever meet a great wind.

Humans sweated as they tilled the fields, and when night fell, they gathered around campfires to share each other's warmth. They ended their days believing they were the weakest beings in the universe. Unbeknownst to them, the night of Sanctuary deepened, completely unaware of the approaching storm that would shatter this ignorant peace and awaken their hidden power.

Sources Consulted

Official Blizzard Video: Book of Lorath — Creation

Official Blizzard Chronicle: Sanctuary and the Sin War

Official Diablo I Manual: History of the Horadrim and Sanctuary

Official Blizzard Lore: Origins of Sanctuary and the Spirit Realm