Thanks to Diablo III recently releasing on the Switch, I’ve gotten the Diablo III itch again like there’s no tomorrow. The only thing better would be a Vita release. Trust me, I’d buy it all over again. But thanks to this new itch, it’s gotten me thinking of the Diablo novels once again. Why yes, there are a great number of Diablo books, and most are absolutely fabulous. The best books are those that simply take place in the world of Sanctuary, but I’m not going to discuss one of those today (this time).
I’m sure there are many PlayStation gamers who played a ton of Diablo III and never touched Diablo II. It’s certainly a hard game to return to on PC after all these years. It’s not pretty to look at, it’s rather difficult, and it’s pretty unforgiving. But the important takeaway from Diablo II that is relevant to Diablo III is the fact that Leah, his niece, is not a part of the second game. She’s a rather big part of Diablo III, so where did she come from?
Well, let Diablo III: The Order tell you…
When a Mommy and a Daddy Love Each Other Very Much…
Deckard Cain was a member of the Horadrim, an order Tyrael himself established to seek out and destroy the three Prime Evils: Diablo, Mephisto, and Baal. Before Diablo, Adria was already a witch, a member of Magdha’s coven, and servant of the Lord of Terror. She met Deckard Cain during her travels, and the two journeyed together to Tristram, just in time for Diablo to wreak havoc on the town. After the events of the first game, where Aidan plunged Diablo’s soulstone into his forehead, Aidan sought comfort from Adria. She couldn’t help but notice Diablo’s essence in him and essentially used him the same way he was using her.
When Aidan left to be the Dark Wanderer, Adria, Deckard Cain, and their friend Gillian, all traveled to Caldeum. Deckard Cain continued his travels without them. He made sure Gillian was able to start her new life on a positive note and then bade his farewells. Once he Adria gave birth to Leah there and left her with Gillian. Adria had other things to do, like prepare the way for her true Lord and Master. Deckard Cain learned of Leah from running into Adria a few times before the events of Diablo II. When he heard Adria died after Diablo II, he decided to visit Leah and Gillian.
Stay Awhile, and Listen
It ain’t easy raising a half witch/half demonic daughter. Even though Leah was a sweet little girl, she had an aura about her that made people fear her, including her adoptive mother. Being so close to Diablo’s essence was horrible for Gillian, especially after everything she went through in Tristram during the first game. When Deckard Cain met up with them in Caldeum, he saw that Gillian was a complete mess, physically, mentally, and emotionally. She no longer had her job. She talked to herself constantly and admitted she dreamed of hurting Leah.
After Gillian burned down her house, Deckard Cain offered to take Leah with him on his current travels. He’s heard rumors that the Horadrim order still exists, and he wants to know where they’ve been and why they’ve been hiding from him. Perhaps taking an eight-year-old girl with him who has some demonic sensibilities isn’t the best idea, but once Deckard Cain gets an idea in his head, it takes an act of Diablo to get him to deviate from his path.
Leah Never Had a Chance
So to recap, Leah is the daughter of the witch Adria and Aidan/Diablo. Her mother left her with a woman who became crazy over time due to raising Leah. She was then taken away by a complete stranger named Deckard Cain, who claimed to be her uncle and yet was nothing of the sort. Uncle Deckard’s first act of “parenting” included taking her on a dangerous mission to unearth hiding Horadrim.
Poor Leah was doomed from the start. She never had a chance for a normal life, as much as she dreamed about one day owning an inn.
Now you know how and when Leah joined Deckard Cain’s story. Most importantly, now you know the rest of her story.
More looks at Diablo lore will come as soon as their latest compilation, Book of Adria, comes back in stock.
