Diablo Chronicles Episode 3: The Name the Farmer Uldyssian Sought to Protect

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

An Ordinary Uldyssian Amidst the Rivalry Between the Triune and the Cathedral of Light

Uldyssian ul-Diomed, an ordinary farmer in the village of Seram, wiped the sweat from his brow as he swung his scythe under the scorching sun. Dark dirt was caked beneath his fingernails, and his calloused palms bore witness to the grueling life he had spent working the soil. The grand destinies of the world or things like magic were nothing more than distant tales to him; what mattered most was sharing a peaceful evening meal with his brother, Mendeln.

When a terrible plague had swept through the village in the past, Uldyssian had been forced to watch helplessly as his beloved family died in agony. Back then, he had offered prayers to the heavens and begged the holy beings for mercy, but he was met only with a cruel silence. Since that day, instead of believing in invisible gods or saviors, he had lived believing only in the truth of his own sweat and the harvest yielded by his two hands.

Recently, a strange energy had begun to stir in the peaceful village of Seram. Priests of the Triune, preaching love, peace, and order to win over the hearts of the people, had established themselves in the village square. They healed the sick, distributed bread to the poor, and demanded blind devotion, but Uldyssian instinctively guarded against the deceptive shadow hidden behind their overly bright smiles and kept his distance.

As the influence of the Triune grew, missionaries dispatched from the Cathedral of Light also began to appear in the village, determined not to be outdone. In solemn voices, they warned that true salvation could only be achieved by following the teachings of the Prophet and preserving the purity of one's soul. On the surface, the two religions seemed to spread their doctrines peacefully, but they were engaged in an invisible, sharp rivalry to claim even one more of the villagers' souls.

Uldyssian's brother, Mendeln, would watch the rituals of both religions alternately with curious eyes. To Mendeln, who possessed a great thirst for knowledge, their philosophical sermons seemed quite appealing. Uldyssian gripped his brother's shoulder firmly and sternly warned him not to be deceived by their sweet words. This was because he instinctively knew how religious madness could destroy the daily lives of ordinary people.

As time passed, the villagers were increasingly swept into an atmosphere where they were forced to choose between the two orders. Even among neighbors, minor arguments frequently broke out, dividing those who supported the Triune from those who blindly believed in the Cathedral of Light. Instead of the peaceful scent of earth, acrid smoke rising from altars blanketed the village, and Uldyssian found this strange, alien air suffocating and deeply unpleasant.

One afternoon, a high inquisitor of the Triune clad in ornate robes approached Uldyssian as he was tilling his field and offered to bestow a blessing upon him. Adjusting his grip on his dirt-stained scythe, Uldyssian glared at the inquisitor with a cold gaze. He coldly refused, stating that what he needed was not a god's blessing, but only the seeds to sow tomorrow. A flash of displeasure crossed the inquisitor's face, but he withdrew with a forced smile.

Returning to the village square, Uldyssian felt that the look in the people's eyes had changed from before. The neighbors, seized by blind faith, were no longer the simple farmers he once knew. Sensing an impending storm, he hid Mendeln behind his back. At this time, Uldyssian had absolutely no idea that they were mere pieces placed upon a chessboard where the colossal entities of Heaven and Hell fought for dominion over Sanctuary.

The Awakening of Uldyssian and His Companions' Powers Through Lilith's Intervention

Into the unsettled village of Seram appeared a mysterious noblewoman named Lylia. Her captivating gaze and elegant demeanor instantly seized the attention of the villagers, and they stirred an inexplicable ripple in Uldyssian's heart in particular. Lylia approached and spoke to him warmly, as if she had known him for a very long time, and though Uldyssian was drawn to her strange charm, he could not shake the anxiety blooming in a corner of his chest.

Then, one night, a missionary of the Triune was brutally murdered. The villagers recoiled in horror before the blood-soaked corpse, and the inquisitors of the Triune, through clever instigation, directed the arrows of wrath toward Uldyssian. His open rejection of the order's teachings was twisted into the perfect motive for murder. Seized by madness, the neighbors gathered torches and swarmed toward Uldyssian's home.

Uldyssian was dragged to the center of the village without knowing why. Facing the threat of losing his life for a crime he did not commit, resentment and anger boiled violently within him. The inquisitor branded him a heretic and a murderer, declaring his immediate execution. As Uldyssian, bound and kneeling, spotted Mendeln's terrified face in the crowd, his heart began to pound as if it would burst.

In that moment of despair, Lylia's voice, standing in the shadows of the crowd, echoed clearly in Uldyssian's ears. She whispered for him not to fear, but to awaken the true power sleeping within his blood. At that instant, an ancient energy he had never experienced before surged hotly through Uldyssian's veins. It was not magic bestowed from the outside, but the primal life force of the nephalem, which had been suppressed by the Worldstone for thousands of years.

Just as the inquisitor raised the executioner's blade high, Uldyssian, in an instinctive struggle for survival, thrust his bound hands forward. A shockwave of pure, destructive energy erupted from his fingertips. A blinding flash and a tremendous roar shook the village square, and the inquisitor who was about to execute him, along with the surrounding zealots, were flung into the air like straw during harvest.

After the dust settled, the village square was reduced to a wretched ruin. The crowd scattered, screaming in terror, and Uldyssian looked down at his trembling hands in disbelief. He could not even fathom what he had just done or what kind of terrible power he had unleashed. It was the moment his life as an ordinary farmer was shattered forever.

Amidst the chaos, Mendeln, Uldyssian's long-time friend Serenthia, and the hunter Achilios rushed to his side. Amazingly, the powerful aura Uldyssian radiated resonated deeply with them, shaking awake the powers slumbering within them as well. A faint spark of magic flickered at Serenthia's fingertips, and Achilios's eyes shone with an unprecedented sharpness. They, too, were breaking free from the shackles of ordinary humanity.

Watching all of this from afar, a cold, satisfied smile spread across Lylia's lips. Lilith, a demon in human guise and the Mother of Sanctuary, sensed that her plan had succeeded perfectly. The long-dormant heritage of the nephalem had finally sparked its first flame. She was already envisioning a cruel future where she would use these powerful weapons to trample both Heaven and Hell.

Uldyssian's Transformation: Leading the Edyrem and Seeking Freedom

Driven from his hometown of Seram, Uldyssian and his companions became fugitives wandering the desolate wilderness. Both the Triune and the Cathedral of Light unleashed ruthless pursuers to eliminate these dangerous, uncontrollable heretics. In their ceaseless flight day and night, Uldyssian suffered far greater dread from the mysterious power constantly expanding within him than from hunger or cold.

During their arduous journey, Uldyssian realized he possessed a miraculous ability to awaken the potential of others. When refugees, weary of the orders' oppression, sought them out and willingly opened themselves, Uldyssian would place his hand upon their brows, and they too would gain superhuman strength. Ordinary blacksmiths, merchants, and farmers were reborn overnight into warriors who could wield magic and shatter boulders.

Those who gained this new power began to call themselves the Edyrem, meaning 'Those Who Have Seen the Truth.' They were no longer weak mortals trembling and relying on the mercy of gods. The Edyrem took pride in the great heritage flowing through their blood and looked to Uldyssian as their sole guide. A band that had started with mere dozens soon swelled into a powerful army of hundreds.

Yet, Uldyssian found the burden of leading this massive host incredibly heavy. He had absolutely no desire to become a hero who would save the world; he only wanted to live quietly while protecting Mendeln and his friends. Whenever he received the blind trust and reverent gazes directed at him by the Edyrem, he agonized over whether he was becoming a false idol, no different from the priests of the Triune or the Prophet of the Cathedral.

It was Lylia who exploited Uldyssian's confusion. She constantly hovered by his side, urging him to use that power to become the true ruler of Sanctuary. Her advice drifted in an increasingly violent and domineering direction, and Uldyssian felt a strange chill within her sweet whispers. Lylia did not want him to be a merciful savior, but a ruthless conqueror.

Meanwhile, Uldyssian's companions grew at an astonishing pace. Serenthia freely manipulated the elements in the air to cast destructive magic, while Achilios shot arrows of magical power that accurately pierced distant, invisible targets. Mendeln gained deep insight into the boundary between life and death, awakening to dark magic. They trained themselves day and night for the inevitable war to come.

One night, gathering the Edyrem before a campfire, Uldyssian spoke with a heavy voice. He declared that they had not gained this power to kneel before the demons of the Triune or the angels of the Cathedral of Light. He cried out that they were slaves to no one, and that they had the right to live in Sanctuary solely by their own will. His heartfelt speech ignited a hot flame of freedom in the hearts of the Edyrem.

There was no longer any fear of a fleeing farmer left in Uldyssian's voice. He was a leader of the nephalem, determined to fight willingly to reclaim their lost rights. The Edyrem raised their weapons in unison and cheered, their shouts tearing through the night sky. The curtain was rising on a great rebellion to break the chains of false salvation forged by Heaven and Hell, and to carve out humanity's destiny by their own hands.

Resistance: Shattering the Dominion of Lucion and the Triune

At last, Uldyssian and the Edyrem marched upon the massive temple that served as the headquarters of the Triune. Adorned with ornate marble and gold, the temple was a symbol of deception built by squeezing the blood and sweat of countless followers. The zealots and armed guards of the order welcomed them with mockery, calling them a rabble of farmers, but before the overwhelming nephalem aura radiated by the Edyrem, their derision quickly turned into agonizing screams.

Standing at the forefront, Uldyssian crumpled the temple's heavy iron gates like paper simply by focusing his will. As the gates shattered, the horrific truth hidden by the Triune was laid bare to the world. The illusion of merciful priests dissolved, and hideous demons with flashing blood-red eyes and the remnants of gruesome rituals unfolded before the eyes of the Edyrem. It was the bare face of Hell, hidden beneath the shell of a religion of peace.

In the deepest depths of the temple, the Primus, the high priest of the Triune, revealed himself. His human skin tore away grotesquely, revealing the true form of the demon Lucion, son of Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred. Possessing multiple bizarre arms and a scaled, serpentine lower body, the despairing aura Lucion emitted froze the very air around them. He let out a furious roar, cursing the insignificant humans who dared to ruin his plans.

At Lucion's command, countless lesser demons poured from the depths of the temple and lunged at the Edyrem. A brutal, bloody battle ensued, soaking the marble floors with red human blood and black demonic blood. Serenthia's flames reduced demons to ash, and Achilios's arrows pierced their hearts, but before the endlessly surging legions of Hell, the Edyrem gradually reached their limits and began to fall.

Seeing his companions bleeding and dying, Uldyssian's reason snapped. He reached into the abyss of dangerous power sealed deep within his own soul. It was a ruinous energy that could easily consume his very self, but he did not hesitate to draw it up and unleash it toward Lucion. An impact erupted, causing the temple's pillars to collapse and the space itself to scream.

The veil of reality tore as the pure will of the nephalem clashed with the wicked magic of the ancient demon. Lucion attempted to incinerate Uldyssian with the fires of Hell, but Uldyssian's unyielding will neutralized the demonic flames. Moving beyond merely defeating Lucion, Uldyssian began to deny the very fact of the demon's existence in Sanctuary. His overwhelming telekinetic force was dismantling the essence that composed Lucion's physical form.

In excruciating pain, Lucion screamed in disbelief, but his body was already turning translucent and dispersing. Squeezing out his last ounce of strength, Uldyssian erased Lucion's existence entirely from the world. As the demonic aura vanished without a trace, the remaining demons and zealots of the Triune lost their will to fight and began to flee. It was the moment the Triune's dominion, which had bound Sanctuary for centuries, finally shattered into pieces.

The surviving Edyrem, covered in blood, embraced one another and let out shouts of victory. Yet Uldyssian, who had actually annihilated Lucion, collapsed to his knees in exhaustion. He felt an intense terror at the fact that he had just used a godlike power to make an entity as though it had never existed at all. The fear that this uncontrollable power might one day destroy him and those he loved weighed heavily upon him.

Rejecting Inarius's Hidden Power and Lilith's Exploitation

The joy of victory from overthrowing the Triune was short-lived, as Lylia, who had been hovering near Uldyssian, finally revealed her true form. Shedding the skin of the captivating woman, Lilith, the Mother of Sanctuary with barbed wings and fierce eyes, descended. She caressed Uldyssian's chin, praising her child who had grown so splendidly, and commanded him to lead a great army to sweep away both Heaven and Hell with that power.

The plans flowing from Lilith's mouth were horrifyingly cruel. She intended to use the nephalem as tools for her vengeance and conquest, aiming to emerge as the victor of the Eternal Conflict. Human lives or peace meant nothing to her; she required only powerful weapons that would submit to her. She expected Uldyssian, as her most perfect creation, to stand at the vanguard of this bloody crusade.

Looking up at his creator, who radiated a colossal, demonic beauty, Uldyssian felt a deep revulsion. He realized that all the warmth and advice she had shown as Lylia had been a deception designed to forge him into the perfect killing weapon. He saw through Lilith's endless greed and selfishness hidden behind the name of mother, and he was certain she had never truly loved humanity even once.

Roughly brushing away Lilith's hand, he firmly declared that humanity would never become pawns to be used in her eternal war. Enraged, Lilith attacked with bared, sharp claws, but Uldyssian's power, which had already surpassed its limits, was difficult even for her to withstand. After a violent clash, Uldyssian banished Lilith into an unspeakable void, putting an end to her twisted ambitions.

From the crystal throne of the Cathedral, watching all of this unfold from behind the mask of the Prophet, the archangel Inarius trembled with rage. His true form, hidden behind the beautiful human guise he showed to mortals, was nothing more than a faceless being of light and sound. Drawing upon the power of the Worldstone, he resolved to permanently erase these insolent creations who had escaped his control from Sanctuary.

To Inarius, humans were merely imperfect, dangerous aberrations defiling his sanctuary. He summoned the blind paladins of the Cathedral and an army armed with heavenly magic, declaring all-out war against the Edyrem. The sky turned blood-red, reflecting Inarius's wrath, and the earth vibrated ominously with the thundering hooves of the approaching paladins. The merciless judgment of an angel had begun.

Uldyssian led the weary Edyrem, taking heavy steps toward the Cathedral of Light. He knew well that this was the final barrier they had to overcome to win humanity's freedom. Fear and exhaustion were plain on his companions' faces, yet none sought to flee. They were ready to willingly risk their lives to prove their own worth of existence against the oppression of their creator.

Standing at last before the colossal, dazzling gates of the Cathedral, Uldyssian felt the weight of countless lives pressing down on his shoulders. Once, he had been just an ordinary older brother who wanted to protect his sibling, but now he was the sole hope carrying the destiny of mankind. Taking a deep breath, he firmly resolved that today, he would break the arrogant chains of the angel who had created and bound them.

Heaven and Hell Clash Over the Fate of Sanctuary

The battle against Inarius in the Cathedral courtyard was a catastrophe unprecedented in the history of Sanctuary. The archangel Inarius drew upon the vast power of the Worldstone, warping the laws of reality and tearing space to crush the Edyrem. Every time the massive tendrils of light extending from his back struck the ground, countless Edyrem were reduced to ash, and the battlefield was instantly filled with despairing screams.

Yet Uldyssian did not back down, burning through his very life force to oppose Inarius's light. The deaths of his companions transformed his grief into explosive power, and the energy erupting from his fists gradually began to overwhelm even the magic of the Worldstone. When Uldyssian finally severed the connection between Inarius and the Worldstone by force, the arrogant archangel, who had boasted of invincibility, fell to his knees with broken wings.

However, Inarius's defeat brought about a terrible consequence beyond imagination. As the connection to the Worldstone was severed and the immense energy unleashed by Uldyssian went wild, the magical veil that had hidden Sanctuary from the cosmos for thousands of years shattered. A colossal cracking sound, like glass breaking, echoed across the entire world, and the hidden existence of Sanctuary was finally laid bare before the eyes of Heaven and Hell.

The moment the veil lifted, a blindingly brilliant light poured down from the rifts in the torn sky. The heavenly host led by the archangels of the Angiris Council descended upon Sanctuary in the name of justice and judgment. Their golden armor and burning swords were not meant to save humanity, but carried a ruthless intent to slaughter every last descendant of the profane nephalem who threatened the balance of the world.

At the same time, the earth split wide open, and the legions of the Burning Hells poured forth alongside boiling lava. Tens of thousands of demons, acting on the orders of the Great Evils, rushed madly to enslave this new, fertile world and the humans who possessed such powerful potential. With the hymns of angels in the sky and the roars of demons on the ground intermingling, Sanctuary was instantly transformed into a crucible of the apocalypse.

Sanctuary had now become the most horrific front line of the Eternal Conflict waged between Heaven and Hell. Every time an angel's spear clashed with a demon's claw, massive mountain ranges crumbled, and rivers evaporated into bloody steam. Before this slaughter of cosmic scale carried out by their creators, the civilization and nature built by humanity crumbled as helplessly as a sandcastle.

The Edyrem were trapped in the very center of this overwhelming catastrophe. Having fought to the death against Inarius just moments ago, they now had to fend off attacks from both angels and demons, struggling desperately for survival. Serenthia and Achilios fought while weeping tears of blood, but before the endlessly surging armies of both factions, their resistance seemed as precarious as a candle before a raging storm.

Looking up at the blood-stained earth and the tearing sky, Uldyssian fell into a wretched despair. He realized that the power he had wielded to free humanity from oppression had, paradoxically, become the greatest culprit driving this world to ruin. What he had wanted was a small world where his brother and neighbors could till their fields in peace, but what he had brought about was an apocalypse signaling the destruction of the entire cosmos.

Uldyssian Withdraws His Power and Sacrifices Himself to Protect Sanctuary

To halt this horrific destruction, Uldyssian made his decision. He began to gather all the power he had shared with the Edyrem and the nephalem energy scattered across Sanctuary into his own body. As the potential of thousands of souls surged back into a single human vessel, an unimaginable spiritual and physical overload that threatened to collapse his very existence assaulted his entire body. He fully endured this destructive energy for the sake of humanity's future.

Having absorbed the power, Uldyssian's body was no longer in human form. He transformed into a crystal of pure, transcendent energy, more dazzling than the brightest light of an angel and deeper than the darkest shadow of a demon. Overwhelmed by the towering presence he radiated, even the armies of Heaven and Hell, who had been locked in a fierce slaughter, lowered their weapons and held their breath, staring at him in shock. A bizarre silence fell over the battlefield.

Instead of coming out of his mouth, Uldyssian's voice echoed directly inside the minds of every angel, demon, and human in Sanctuary. He commanded the armies of both factions to immediately cease fighting and withdraw. It was neither a request nor a threat, but sounded like the irreversible sentence of an absolute being. At his mere will, neither the archangels of the Angiris Council nor the lords of Hell dared to make a move.

He knew he could unleash this infinite power outward to sweep away the invaders all at once. However, doing so would undoubtedly cause the world of Sanctuary itself to collapse into dust and vanish as a cosmic stray in the aftermath. The fragile earth and sky of this world could not withstand the divine energy he currently held. He stood at a crossroads.

Uldyssian turned his head, taking in the faces of Mendeln, Serenthia, and the terrified Edyrem who were looking at him, covered in blood. In that moment, the golden wheat fields of Seram and the simple laughter he had shared with his brother under the evening glow flashed through his mind. Realizing once more that what he truly wished to protect was not this immense power or victory, but that ordinary, warm daily life, he wore a sad yet gentle smile.

Instead of preserving his own existence, he chose the survival of humanity. Rather than releasing the energy out into the world, Uldyssian began to suppress and collapse that infinite destructive power deep within his own soul. It was a horrific process of self-annihilation, crushing and erasing his ego and physical form forever into the cosmic abyss. The light leaking from his body gently embraced the torn earth around him, beginning to heal its wounds.

Even amidst the absolute agony of his soul being torn to shreds, he did not let out a single scream. Only his steadfast will to restore Sanctuary to its original state and push back the invaders of Heaven and Hell sustained his fading consciousness. Before his noble sacrifice, even the hostile angels kept a reverent silence, and the demons felt dread at a human choice they could not comprehend.

At last, with a colossal flash that seemed to swallow the world, the entity known as Uldyssian ul-Diomed vanished completely from Sanctuary. His body and soul became fine dust of light, scattering in the wind and quietly seeping into the earth, the rivers, and the hearts of surviving humanity. By abandoning himself, the ordinary farmer saved his loved ones and the world, remaining as a fragment of an eternal legend.

The Outcome of the Sin War: Heaven Preserves Humanity, Memories Are Erased, and Inarius Is Handed Over to Mephisto

Immediately after Uldyssian dissolved, only a heavy, deafening silence hung over the battlefield. As the ultimate power that had shaken the cosmos just moments ago vanished like a mirage, the angels and demons could not hide their bewilderment, merely glancing at one another. The ruined earth was miraculously regaining stability due to Uldyssian's final warmth, but the fundamental question of how to deal with this dangerous world still remained.

The Angiris Council immediately convened a meeting to cast votes determining the fate of humanity, the descendants of the nephalem. Imperius, the Archangel of Valor, raged violently, arguing that humans could turn into monsters more terrible than demons at any moment, and demanded they burn Sanctuary immediately and exterminate them. He could never tolerate the demonic nature flowing in human blood.

On the other hand, Auriel, the Archangel of Hope, mentioned the noble self-sacrifice shown by Uldyssian, pleading that there were positive possibilities within humanity. Itherael, the Archangel of Fate, also argued that humans were free beings unbound by the Scroll of Fate, suggesting they watch over their potential. With the votes for and against evenly matched, the final vote to decide the survival of Sanctuary fell to Tyrael, the Archangel of Justice.

Tyrael was deeply shocked and moved by the fact that hideous creations mixed with demonic blood could perform such selfless sacrifice. Recognizing that Uldyssian's choice was a manifestation of true justice that even Heaven had failed to show, he declared that they should not destroy Sanctuary, but give humans the chance to choose between good and evil themselves. With Tyrael's decisive vote, humanity dramatically escaped the brink of extinction.

After lengthy discussions, Heaven and Hell forged a temporary truce regarding Sanctuary. Both sides agreed not to intervene directly in this world, but to watch and see which way humanity would naturally incline. This precarious peace treaty was possible because both Heaven and Hell harbored a deep, unspoken fear of the unknown power Uldyssian had displayed.

In exchange for the treaty, Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred, demanded custody of Inarius instead of intervening in Sanctuary. The Angiris Council agreed to hand over Inarius, who had violated heavenly laws to create Sanctuary, to Hell. The arrogant angel, who had once reigned as the creator and god of Sanctuary, was stripped of his brilliant light and wings as a faceless being of light. He was imprisoned deep within the Realm of Hatred, subjected to the punishment of mental torment and binding, forever reflecting on the ruin brought about by his own pride.

In accordance with the final condition of the treaty, Heaven and Hell completely erased the horrors of the Sin War, the deeds of the Edyrem, and the name of Uldyssian from the memory of humanity. Forgetting why they had gained power or what they had fought for, the people returned to their ordinary daily lives, and the awakened nephalem power fell back into a deep slumber under the attunement of the Worldstone. The world became quiet once more, as if nothing had ever happened.

Only Mendeln, chosen by the mysterious guardian dragon Trag'Oul, remained as the sole mortal to remember all of this truth. Keeping the secret records of his brother's noble death and humanity's great struggle, he became a silent watcher preparing for the future to come. Though the world forgot the name of the hero who had saved them, the wind and soil of Sanctuary, which Uldyssian had protected, breathed on, remembering his sacrifice forever.

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