Forgive me if some of my words don’t make sense but I am still in shock after what I just went through. I need help so here’s my story. Diablo 2 Resurrected fully came out and I was hyped about the game since I pre-ordered it. Honestly? Diablo 2 will have a special place in my heart along with Warcraft 3 because they were the childhood games I grew up playing.
I installed the game and after it finished I began playing it. I still remember the old cutscene it would play before entering the game, the one about Marius being visited by Baal in disguise. I was so pleased and excited to see the remastered version of the cutscene, I was mindblown, I was reminded of my childhood. A time when everything was still bright, beautiful, and magical. I went to offline mode because I didn’t have any friends to play the game with. Well, not anymore.
Everyone simply just grows up and left childish things behind. Not me though, I hang on to them as if my life depended on them. I’m weird that way, but it makes me happy so it’s not that bad, right? Not that it matters anymore. I don’t even know if anything matters at all anymore. Too far, I’m going too far ahead.
So Anyway, I went to make my character, a Necromancer. I like the idea of a dark character fighting off evil. Plus I liked the Necromancer unit in Warcraft, it is one of my favorites, second is the Shaman, and the third is the Sorceress because she can turn her enemies into sheep she was so fun to play with. I named my Necromancer after myself, my name is Leon.
I also toggled the legacy settings to experience the classic Diablo 2 for my first playthrough, I thought. The game started fine at first with Warriv giving his usual spiel. I let him finish before I checked my gear and my skills, and I even checked my settings because my computer is not the fastest PC in the west. It can’t take all that workload. That’s where things began to get a bit weird.
I checked my chest because in the beta there was a shared stash that I wanted to check out, but in my personal stash, there was already an item inside, a shrunken head. I thought Blizzard gave out unique character items right off the bat. I thought it was cool. Well, at first that is. Upon closer inspection I noticed the head was modeled after The Paladin’s character model, his decapitated head to be exact.
There was nothing scary about it. The head looked peaceful with closed eyes and a calm expression. At the time I just thought it was a cool OP beginner’s item. The stats were nice, it gave me one point up for all my curses, and it even has an item description that says. “Abandon all hope ye who enter here.” Great I thought. I love Dante’s works and the item description? That’s new.
I went to Kashya to get her usual cold welcome but the devs seem to have added an extra line for her. “Proceed and you will die. Might as well give up now, Outsider.” Okay, Kashya. Watch me earn your trust yet. I thought at the time. I thought they just made her extra sassy. But when I talked to Akara her last extra line was. “May the great eye watch over you and keep you safe from the flames.” I talked to Gheed and his extra line was. “But then again… You know what? Forget about the gold! Just get out of here–get out now!” Charsi was the only one who didn’t have anything new to say but then again. She has always been the oblivious and naive one at camp. Maybe she didn’t notice what the others have noticed.
Okay, Dark Souls much? I said at the time. Diablo has always been a dark-fantasy game but it was not meant to be this creepy. I remember as a kid that this game scared the shit out of me but I always came back wanting more. I was glad thinking they made it extra dark and creepy. I went out of the hovel expecting my character to say his line but all my character said was. “Diablo, he comes for me…” I paid no attention to it at the time but thinking back now I should have. There was something wrong with my game, something very wrong, and I just chalked it all up as new content to a very old game. Mistake, number one.
I finished the Den of Evil mission and my character said. “The area is cleansed but evil has tainted it beyond saving.” I went to Akarra to finish the mission and to also reset my point because I needed more vitality. Akarra said her lines like the same but her last words were something out of a Dark Souls game. ”I can see that you are persistent. Perhaps you prefer to die fighting rather than accept our tragic fate. No matter, death comes for us all.” Then she began to chuckle.
That struck me as odd. Was she going mad? I proceeded to hunt down Blood Raven but all Kashya told me is. “Blood Raven… She used to be a good friend of mine until madness took her. I beg of you to put her out of her misery but by doing so I may damn you to the same fate.” She said. Nothing was just added at the end this was an entirely new line. Did they all change by now? I thought and investigated. Warriv said. “Please, I don’t want to talk about it,” Akarra said. “Oh Blood Raven. Please, the pain is too great to relieve.” Charsi said. “It was horrible! As our other sisters bleed from their eyes, Blood Raven began to twist and contort. We tried to kill her but all she did was laugh. I can still hear her laughter when I go to sleep.” Gheed said. “Please Necromancer, you may have the stomach for this sort of stuff, but not me.”
I was overjoyed at the time, completely oblivious to the horrors I have laid out for myself. I simply thought it was all part of the new content they added to the game. I still think about what I could have done.
I should have just stopped but here I am begging for your help. I went and killed Blood Raven. Everything went as it should but what my character said. “Blood Raven, rest well for you can now see the end of the war.” I raided the crypts before returning to camp. Kashya thanked me but she didn’t let me hire her rogues. All she said was. “Thank you for the small peace you have given to us. We will now begin to mourn.” Something strange began to happen. Kashya, Charsi, and all the rogues gathered around Akarra and they began to kneel and pray.
I toggled the graphics and zoomed in because this was an entirely new event in the game and I wanted to see what it looked like in the new graphics. I shouldn’t have done that. I saw Akarra crying, they were all crying as they prayed. The scene disturbed me, to say the least so I just decided to do more missions before eating dinner and going to bed.
I finished the abandoned tower mission and got a lot of gold. When I got back to camp everything was back to normal but no one talked to me. They were all silent. They offered their services but no one spoke a word. Even the soothing music didn’t play anymore. It was as if something have died or something evil was born. Even after I got the bark of Inifuss no one talked to me. Akara did her thing, and off I went to Tristram.
The place was dead like literally dead. There were no Zombies, no Griswold zombie, no nothing, all except for Wirt but instead of looting his peg leg. I got his face, and it wasn’t peaceful looking as my Paladin’s head. It had the look of anguish and… Terror.
I equipped it because it was unique and more powerful than my Paladin shrunken head but I didn’t like it. I then went to Cain’s cage but before I could get anywhere near his cage a cutscene triggered. A Doomguard from Warcraft appeared or I think it was a Doomguard? It looked like a Doomguard, a big demon with huge wings and a green flaming sword. I thought it was a reference to Warcraft like what they did in the Blood Elf campaign of Warcraft where you can find a huge red abomination named The Butcher.
At any rate, the Doomguard spoke to my character and it said. “You have been chosen, mortal. You will act as a vessel for The Lord of Terror. You will become the link between Hell and your world. Once our the Lords crosses over to your world crossing over to Heaven will be a simple task but in order to become a worthy vessel for our lord. You must be first bathe in anguish, your flesh will boil, your mind will shatter, and your soul will be corrupted. Come mortal, your fate is to know true pain.” After the Doomguard said that. I got ready for a fight. I thought nothing of it because it sounded like any other prepare-to-die spiel demons make in video games but another cutscene triggered and this time the screen turned black then suddenly strange runes and symbols appeared on the screen and began flashing before my eyes.
I couldn’t understand what they meant but they looked like the runes in DOOM. They didn’t look the same but they had the same burning orange color. The flash became faster and faster until it made my head dizzy and my eyes hurt from the intense flashing lights on my screen. My screen returned to normal and the Doomguard was now gone. I checked Cain’s cage and… He was dead. Then my character said. “I was too late. Forgive me old sage.” Okay, this was a problem. Cain identified my items for free and he is my Horadric Cube mission giver. He is really important and how will this now affect the story of Diablo 3?
I was concerned about a lot of things at that time and didn’t realize the real danger I have gotten myself in. After finishing the mission, I returned to camp and no one talked to me but still offered their services to me, but the strangest thing was Warriv was now gone. At that point, I started to grow suspicious. I saved and exited the game and went back in thinking maybe Warriv didn’t just load in properly but he was truly gone. I quit the game, ate dinner, and went to bed.
Honestly at that time? I was having fun, it was the same good ol’ Diablo 2 with a few upgrades, and a new ominous and sinister storyline. I thought it was all a new feature. As I drifted off to sleep I had a strange and terrifying nightmare. I was in a dark place and I could hear faint whispers. I couldn’t move, my body felt heavy, and I could feel my chest tightening.
The whispers got louder and louder until strange demonic voices could be heard all around me. I didn’t know what they were saying, I was too scared to pay attention. I tried to run away but I couldn’t move. A skeleton in a red robe with burning red eyes suddenly flashed before me and jumpscared me awake which sent me toppling out of bed, it was morning.
As I booted my computer I complained about having too much fried chicken for dinner they were tasty but they gave me nightmares, I rationalized. I just wanted to relax back then so I set my mind on finishing ACT 1. I got to the Rogue Citadel overrun by demons. I fought my way to the demon blacksmith and retrieved the Horadric Malus. Charsi still asked me to get her hammer but she didn’t say it in her usual cheerful manner. Anyway, I returned the hammer to Charsi but instead of giving me a free upgrade she… She… Sorry, I had to fight off tears and the urge to barf just now. Sorry, I really like Charsi because she was this nice blacksmith who was always glad to see you. A cutscene played out and Charsi, she uh, she killed everyone in camp with her hammer before bashing her head in with her hammer.
It was truly a grotesque scene but the thing that made me cringe the most are the sounds. The heavy thud of the hammer and the moist sound of flesh being pounded into the ground, and there was no screaming. Why did no one scream? And why has the background music not come back since? The game felt dead and hollow as a Dark Souls game. After the graphic animation of Charsi kneeling before my character and began beating herself with the Horadric Malus. My character said. “Diablo, you will pay for this.”
That cut me off from my trance and brought me back to reality. I thought it was still part of the game and now I have to face Andariel and take the first step toward my revenge, but who will I sell my extra stuff to and get my gear repaired? A figure in dark robes appeared and didn’t say anything. I talked to it and he didn’t talk much and only offered to trade and repair my gear. Still, I was excited and thought of it all as some sort of twisted and morbid new content. Hours later I reached Andariel’s lair. I felt confident because I picked up and bought a lot of good gear, and my skeletons and golem were now decently powerful but my confidence was misplaced.
As I entered Andariel’s throne room all five of them were waiting for me: Andariel, Duriel, Mephisto, Diablo, and Baal. The three greater evils were already in their demon form. Diablo approached my character said. “Foolish mortal! You should not have come here. Nor does it matter, your pain and suffering may be great but it will not be eternal compared to your ilk. So rejoice mortal and be grateful for our mercy. Now, come and accept our gifts. Andariel will show you true anguish, Duriel will give you unimaginable pain, Mephisto will fill your heart with pure hatred, Baal will destroy your very soul, and I will fill your dreams with unfathomable terror until you go mad.” I thought I was going to fight them but my character didn’t move no matter what buttons I push.
The demon lords approached my character then the screen faded into black again. I was greeted by a black screen with weird runes and symbols swirling around my screen. I tried looking away but as I turned around the same skeleton in a blood-red robe with burning red eyes I saw in my dreams appeared behind me. He grabbed me by the head and held my head in place in front of my monitor screen. I tried flailing around but he was too strong and I was only hurting myself. His boney fingers began to dig into my skin piercing my flesh and touching my skull. It hurt, it hurt so bad. I began to cry and scream from the pain as I was filled with dread. Why was this happening? All I wanted was to play a game I used to love as a kid. I didn’t know what was happening and I was scared and panicking.
All I could remember was passing out from the pain and the intense flashing images made my head feel dizzy. And here we are. I checked myself in the mirror and there are eight holes on the side of my head where the skeleton monster dug his fingers in. I quickly reformatted my computer and gave it away piece by piece to people I knew and I bought a new one. I thought it was over by then but if it was truly over I wouldn’t be writing my story here today.
You see, last night when I went to sleep I dreamed I was in a dark place laying on a pool of blood, and all around me were Andariel, Duriel, Mephisto, Baal, Belial, and Azmodan. They stood still with eyes closed whispering dark and sinister secrets to me. Diablo, oh he was there alright. He was watching me with a hungry and sadistic smile like he was waiting for his meal to finish cooking. When I woke up my whole body felt like it was baking under the sun but hadn’t been outside in three days. I was indoors playing Diablo 2 all day. This is my problem. I think what the Doomguard and Diablo said is true.
The evils are coming to our world, through my body. I just received a taste of Andariel’s gift and I am afraid to go to sleep and let her finish the job. Even the thought of receiving Duriel’s gift, unimaginable pain, is making me panic. I don’t even want to think about Diablo’s gift. I have reached out to our local church but they said they will need to send a professional first to confirm if I am truly possessed but I’m so-so tired and I don’t want to go to sleep. I think not sleeping slows down the process but it doesn’t stop it. I’m tired, I can feel my skin burning and it itches, and I’m very scared.
If you know anything about my cursed copy of the game, or ways about stopping demonic possession other than seeking help from the church please let me know. Even if it is just to slow them down or to buy the church some time to reach me, or maybe to just ease my pain I will appreciate it. Please, I beg of you. I can feel them clawing their way out and it hurts.