Since the [[Beginning]], the forces of [[Light]] and [[Darkness]] have engaged in an eternal war: [[Great Conflict|The Great Conflict]], whose victor will rise from the apocalyptic ashes to hold sway over all creation. To this end, the [[Angel]]s of the [[High Heavens]] adhere to strict militaristic disciplines. [[Seraphim]] warriors strike at the enemies of Light with swords imbued with righteous wrath and justice. The Angels believe that only absolute discipline can properly restore order to the myriad realms, while the [[demon]]ic denizens of the [[Burning Hells]] hold that absolute [[chaos]] is the true nature of all things.

The greatest of these heroes was [[Izual]], lieutenant to the [[Archangel|Arch-Angel]] [[Tyrael]] and bearer of the [[Angelic Runeblade ]] [[Azurewrath]]. He once led a fierce attack upon the Hellforge as the creation of the dark [[demonblade ]] [[Shadowfang]] was nearing completion. His quest was to destroy both wielder and weapon - a charge that he was destined never to complete. Izual was overcome by the legions of chaos and, tragically, was lost to the Darkness. His fate stands as testament to the fact that Angels and Demons alike shall fearlessly enter into any domain - so long as their hated enemies dwell within.

ascension of Man and his mortal realm, the Great Conflict ground to a mysterious halt. Both armies paused in a breathless stalemate, waiting to see to whose side [[Man ]] would eventually turn.

Mortals had the unique ability to choose between Darkness and Light, and it was held that this would be the deciding factor in the outcome of the Great Conflict. Thus, the agents of the [[nether]]-realms descended to the [[mortal realm ]] to vie for the favor of Man...

The coming of the [[Great Conflict]] to the [[mortal realm]] is known as the [[Sin War]]. [[Angel]]s and [[Demon]]s, disguising themselves while traveling amongst men, attempted to secretly lure [[mortal]]s to their respective causes. Over time, the forces of [[Darkness]] discovered that mortals responded much more to brute force than to subtle coercion, and so began to terrorize [[Man ]] into submission. The Angels fought to defend humanity against this demonic oppression, but all too often their austere methods and severe punishments succeeded only in alienating those whom they sought to protect.

Bartuc, the brother of Horazon, was eventually lured to the side of [[Darkness]]. He was granted exceptional strength and longevity, and fought alongside the legions of Hell against the cursed Vizjerei, and eventually his own brother during the Sin War. Although Bartuc was renowned amongst the warriors of many realms, his dominance in battle came with a terrible price. An insatiable lust for mortal blood pervaded his every thought and deed. Bartuc soon became as fond of bathing in the blood of his enemies as he did of shedding it, and in time he came to be known only as the Warlord of Blood.

the [[Great Evils]].”

With the ascension of [[Man ]] and the subsequent standstill of the [[Great Conflict]], the Three Brothers began to devote their energies to the perversion of mortal souls. The Three realized that Man was the key to victory in the war against Heaven, and thus altered their rigid agendum that they had propagated since the [[Beginning]]. This change caused many of the Lesser Evils to question the authority of the Three, and so brought about a great rift between the PrimeEvils and their servitors.

In their ignorance, the Lesser Evils began to believe that the Three were afraid to continue the war with Heaven. Frustrated by the cessation of the war, [[Azmodan ]] and [[Belial ]] saw the situation as their chance to overthrow the PrimeEvils and take control of Hell for themselves. The two demon lords made a pact with their minor brethren, assuring them that the wretched plague of humanity would not deter the ultimate victory of the sons of Hell. Azmodan and Belialdevised a plan to end the stalemate, achieve victory in the Sin War and ultimately ride the bloody crest of the [[Great Conflict]] straight into the very arms of [[Armageddon]]. Thus, a great revolution was set into motion as all of Hell went towar against the Three Brothers…Brothers...

The Brothers fought with all of the savagery of the [[Underworld]], and to their credit, annihilated a third of Hell’s treacherous legions. In the end, however, they were overcome by the [[Horned Death]] led by the traitors Azmodan and Belial. The [[Prime Evils]], weakened and bodiless, were banished to the mortal realm where Azmodan hoped that they would remain trapped forever. Azmodan believed that with the Three set loose upon humanity, the [[AngelsAngel]] s would be forced to turn their focus upon on the mortal plane - thus leaving the Gates of Heaven abandoned and defenseless. Those few demons who still pledged allegiance to the Three Brothers fled the wrath of Azmodan and Belial, escaping to the realm of Man to seek out their lost Masters.

As the warfires died out upon the battlefields of Hell, Azmodan and Belial began to argue over which of them held the higher authority. The pact that they had made quickly fell to ashes as the two demon lords took up arms against each other. The legions of Hell that remained were polarized behind either warlord, launching themselves into a bloody civil war that has lasted to this day…day...

In the ancient days, before the rise of the [[Western Kingdoms|Western Empires]], the dark and terrible entities known as the [[Prime Evils|Three Evils]] were exiled to the world of [[Man]]. These eternal entities wandered throughout the waking world and fed upon the lusts of men, leaving chaos and attrition in their wake. The Evils turned father against son and prompted many great nations into brutal and petty wars. Their Exile from [[Burning Hells|Hell]] left them with an insatiable hunger to bring suffering and pain to all who would not kneel before them, and so the Three Brothers ravaged the lands of the Far East for countless centuries. 

Eventually, a secretive order of mortal magi was gathered together by the enigmatic [[Archangel|Arch-Angel]] [[Tyrael]]. These [[sorcerer]]s were to hunt the Three Evils and put an end to their vicious rampage. The order, known as the [[Horadrim]], consisted of wizards from the diverse and numerous [[mage clan|mage-clans ]] of the East. Employing disparate magical practices and disciplines, this unlikely Brotherhood succeeded in capturing two of the Brothers within powerful artifacts called [[Soulstone]]s.

The Horadrim followed in the wake of terror and anarchy that spread throughout the Western lands. After a great battle which claimed the lives of many brave souls, the Lord of Terror was captured and imprisoned within the last of the Soulstones by a group of Horadrim monks led by the [[Initiate ]] [[Jered Cain]]. These monks carried the cursed stone to the land of [[Khanduras]] and buried it within a secluded cave near the river [[Talsande]]. Above this cave the Horadrim constructed a great [[Tristram Cathedral|Monastery]] from which they could continue to safeguard the Soulstone. As ages passed, the Horadrim constructed a network of catacombs beneath the Monastery to house the earthly remains of the martyrs of their Order.