"It has been said that in the end of all things, we would find a new beginning. But as the shadow once again crawls across our world and the stench of terror drifts on a bitter wind, people pray for strength and guidance. They should pray for the mercy of a swift death... for I've seen what the Darkness hides."

Two decades have passed since the demonic lords, Diablo, Mephisto, and Baal, set out across the world of Sanctuary on a vicious rampage, twisting humanity to their unholy will. Yet for those who battled the Prime Evils, the memory fades slowly.

When Deckard Cain returns to the ruins of Tristram Cathedral seeking clues to defeat new stirrings of evil, a fiery harbinger of doom falls from the heavens, striking the very ground where Diablo once entered the world. This fire from the sky reawakens ancient evils and calls the heroes of Sanctuary to defend the mortal world against the rising powers of the Burning Hells once again.

Lore

For eons, the High Heavens and the Burning Hells have waged an endless war against each other to dominate the whole of creation in what is known as the Great Conflict. Yet, neither side has ever been victorious, as each side always finds one way or another to change the tides of the war to their favor.

Inarius, who was once one of the Archangels in the Angiris Council, was tired of the endless battle so he decided to create a world where he and other similar-minded Angels and Demons can live together peacefully. This world became known as Sanctuary, and along with it the Worldstone was created in order to hide Sanctuary from both the High Heavens and the Burning Hells. The various Angels and Demons within Sanctuary partnered together and bred the first generation of humans known as the Nephalem. Inarius partnered with Lilith, and Rathma was their child. The Nephalem turned out to be powerful beings, even stronger than both Angel and Demon.

Lilith had a plan of her own for this Sanctuary however; she wanted to use its population as her own personal army. She murdered all the other Angels and Demons in Sanctuary except for her loved one, Inarius. He didn't approve of her plan at all for he wanted the Nephalem to worship him and fuel his ego. Inarius then altered the Worldstone so it not only cloaked this Sanctuary from the High Heavens and Burning Hells, but to also dampened the powers of its Nephalem population slowly over each generation. Inarius wanted control over his creation, and that no one else should surpass him.

The Prime Evils soon learned of this Sanctuary and planted within it, the Triune in an attempt to convert mortals to their side.

Inarius followed suit and created his own religion. The two opposite religions slowly grew in size and strength sending missionaries to the whole of Sanctuary.

Following the eventual capture of Inarius with the help of Uldyssian and the Edyrem, the High Heavens also became aware of the existence of Sanctuary. The Angiris Council decided upon Sanctuary's fate, which ultimately voted for its survival. Mephisto then approached the Angiris Council and a pact was made; Mephisto would leave Sanctuary alone and he would get to have Inarius as a prisoner. It was agreed that they wanted to leave Sanctuary alone to see how it would turn out. However, it was also decided that everyone's memory on Sanctuary had to be wiped so that mortals as a whole could properly start anew, unaware of the forces that had created them and, ultimately, might bring them to their Destruction.

This page uses material from the "Sanctuary" article from Diablo Wiki and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License.