Deckard Cain is a returning NPC from previous Diablo games, who in the past have been the main source of identifying items as well as helping the player through the quests of the story line.
Contents
Cain in Diablo III
| Diablo Character [e] | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Deckard Cain Horadrim Descendant  Main Character | |
| Gender: | Male |
| Race: | Human |
| Status: | Alive |
| Occupation: | Scholar |
| Affilliation: | The Horadrim |
| Friends: | Leah |
| Foes: | Prime Evils |
| Location: | Tristram (presumed) |
Cain appears as an NPC, but it's not known if he'll pick up where he left off in Diablo II; following your character from town to town and offering item identifications and quest/plot info. He did not appear in the BlizzCon 2008 demo or the BlizzCon 2009 one. He was seen previous to that, in the gameplay video from WWI 2008. In that video the Barbarian and Witch Doctor rescue Cain from a horde of monsters in the dungeons beneath the Tristram cathedral, and return him safely to town where Leah is worried about him.
There is mention of Deckard Cain on the main page of the official page:
- 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.
More information from (but not about) Deckard Cain can be seen in the Deckard Cain's Journal. It functions as a cheat sheet to events in the Diablo series, covering all the background information from the previous games including time retcons to make the universe more streamlined.
Cain's Voice
Michael Gough, the voice actor who has played Deckard Cain in all three Diablo games, has been interviewed.[1]
Cain's Personality
Jay Wilson spoke about Cain's personality in an interview from BlizzCon 2008 [2]. According to Jay, Deckard is darker and more somber this time. It's been twenty years since the events in Diablo II, and Cain's spent that time questing for more ancient knowledge, and trying to warn his fellow citizens that the danger is not past. No one listens, people don't want to believe or think about such things, and Cain's grown increasingly desperate. He's now a tragic, reclusive figure.
Cain's Background
Cain is the last in a long line of the Horadrim brotherhood, and he was told the stories of the brave Horadrim by his mother [3]. He is not a warrior mage, but is more of an archivist and loremaster, who does what he can to fight against evil by sharing the knowledge he's accumulated over a lifetime of researching the demons that menace the lands of Sanctuary. He was inspired to study these topics as his mother inspired him with stories of his Horadrim ancestor Jered Cain.
Deckard Cain himself is well known to the forces of Heaven, and has interacted with the Archangel Tyrael on numerous occasions.
During the events of the first and second Diablo games, Cain wrote in a journal, which have been found today, many years after Diablo was (once again) defeated. The journal is aptly named Deckard Cain's Journal.
Cain originally just called himself "Cain the Elder" in Tristram some 20 years ago, known as a storyteller, and making a living by identifying items for travelling adventurers. He later admits to his Horadrim heritage to a wandering hero, and with the help of Cain, he defeats Diablo.
Cain is also the only character known to have survived when Tristram was destroyed by demons, as they decide to put him in a gibbet instead of tearing him limb from limb like the other former citizens of Tristram (possibly under orders from the three Brothers to keep him alive).
Heroes are alerted by the tragedy of Tristram by the Sisters of the Sightless Eye, and rescues Cain before he is killed, or turned over to some greater demon. The rest of the year he spends following the heroes, assisting them with knowledge of the Prime Evils and Horadric artefacts, in order to permanently abolish the demonic forces on Sanctuary.
Cain is an avid story teller, and the phrase he is most known by is asking visitors to "stay a while, and listen!"
Development
Read about Cain's character, the quests he gives, and see all of his dialogue in the earlier games in the series.
Worth noting is that he calls himself the "last of the Horadrim", something that has been retconned to flavour lore with Deckard Cain's Journal. Instead, he just imagined himself part of the Horadrim as a little boy.
Blizzard makes a little fun of themselves and Deckard Cain when the Barbarian character finds him in the Forgotten Tombs, and interrupts his famous quote "stay a while and listen."
Development
In the first act of Diablo II, the player is eventually required to travel to Tristram and free Cain. After this, he appears in the Rogue encampment and subsequently continues to follow the player character, staying in town in each area, dispensing advice and identifying items for free as a token of gratitude.
Cain has been voiced by Michael Gough in both the previous games, as well as the parts he has been seen in Diablo III. He is confirmed to appear in Diablo III.
Media
You can find pictures in the Diablo 3 screenshot and picture gallery:
Concept art of the ageing Cain.
In-game representation of Deckard.
Concept artwork for the cinematic.
Trivia
Back in Diablo II, a special rap was made by the voice actor, Michael Gough. It is actually made by Blizzard.