diablo 3 - modern history of kehjistan

7/21/2019 Diablo 3 - Modern History of Kehjistan

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Modern istory of Kehjistan

and the Zakarum church

0 Anno Kehjistani – Akarat and the Zakarum FaithThe untold death and suffering wrought during the Mage Clan Wars pushed mankind away

from the arcane sciences. The passage of centuries saw humans once again explore faith and religion

as a source of meaning and purpose. A number of religious figures arose during this era, but there is

one in particular who merits attention: Akarat.

In the mountains of Xiansai, this wandering ascetic saw visions of what he claimed to be the

angel Yaerius. From this encounter, Akarat formulated his ideas about the inner Light within all

humans. Every man and woman, he claimed, was bound together in a spectrum of cosmic radiance

that was the foundation of existence itself.

His ideas formed the core tenets of what would become known as the Zakarum Faith. Akarat

spread his teachings and garnered the support of a small band of followers, but for the next thousand

years, his philosophies would flounder in obscurity.

964 Anno Kehjistani – The Dark Exile

Believing the Prime Evils had abandoned the Eternal Conflict in favor of corrupting humanity,the Lesser Evils waged a catastrophic war against their superiors. The uprising, led by Azmodan an

Belial, rocked the Burning Hells to the core. Following a violent series of engagements, the usurpers

banished the Prime Evils to Sanctuary.

I often wonder how Diablo and his brethren reacted upon reaching the mortal realm. It is

entirely possible that, for a time, they cursed their fates. However, I am of the belief that the Prime

Evils quickly saw their exile as an unexpected and fortuitous chance to corrupt the hearts of

mankind. So it was that they began turning brother against brother and nation against nation,

fomenting unrest throughout Kehjistan.

1004 – 1010 Anno Kehjistani – The Hunt for the ThreeHaving secretly watched the mortal world for centuries, Archangel Tyrael learned of the Prime

Evils and their machinations. Understand, dear reader, that he did not directly oppose the demons,

for he feared his actions would alert the heavens to what was transpiring on Sanctuary. Tyrael knew

that if such an event occurred, the angels might very well decide to exterminate mankind once and

for all. And so Tyrael forged the Horadrim to serve as his hand in the mortal world, a secret order

composed of members from the disparate mage clans.



Tyrael bestowed upon the Horadrim three crystalline soulstones (supposedly cleaved from the

Worldstone itself). He tasked the great mages with a perilous mission: to hunt down the Prime Evils

and imprison them within the recesses of the soulstones.

First, the mages captured Mephisto in one of Kehjistan’s sprawling urban centers. The demon’s

Sapphire Soulstone was given to the humble Zakarum order for safekeeping.

Next, the Horadrim harried Baal and Diablo across the Twin Seas and into the western lands.

In the deserts of Anaroch, they confronted the Lord of Destruction. Although the mages prevailed

against the demon, Baal’s Amber Soulstone was left shattered.

The order ’s leader, Tal Rasha, selflessly used his own body to contain the Lord of

Destruction’s raging essence. So it was that, with heavy hearts, the Horadrim sealed away their noble

leader within a subterranean tomb.

In the wake of this tragedy, Jered Cain took leadership of the bruised and battered mages.

Together, the Horadrim struck out to imprison the last of the Prime Evils: Diablo.

1017 Anno Kehjistani – The Building of TravincalThe Zakarum began constructing Travincal, a fortified temple complex in Kurast that would

house Mephisto’s wretched soulstone. The enormous undertaking brought sudden notoriety to the

order and sparked immense interest in Zakarum teachings. Indeed, in a matter of months, throngs of

Kehjistan’s downtrodden masses flocked to Travincal to lend their aid. It is rumored that the

temple’s construction was finished in just over a year.

In hindsight, it is easy to see why interest in the faith took hold so quickly. Corruption and

intolerance had eaten away the foundations of society, and the common folk found inspiration and

hope in the Zakarum’s tenets of self-empowerment and equality.

1042 – Anno Kehjistani – Rise of the Zakarum ChurchDespite the capture of the Prime Evils, Kehjistani society remained in a dire state, plagued by

famine and disease. Commoners increasingly viewed the ruling elite as the cause of their ills.

Rebellion was poised to tear the empire asunder.

It was at this critical point that a new Kehjistani emperor, Tassara, converted to the populist

(and increasingly influential) Zakarum faith. In doing so, he gained the adoration of the masses and

strengthened his hold over the region.

Zakarum become the dominant religion in Kehjistan. The empire’s capital was moved from

ancient Viz-jun to Kurast. Tassara worked to codify the faith’s beliefs and elect the first Que-Hegan



– the highest divine authority of the religion. At this date we begin to see records describing

Zakarum in terms of an organized and structured church.

Over the next three years, Tassara’s budding popularity was overshadowed by that of his

childhood friend: the famous military general and zealous Zakarum convert Rakkis. After defeating a

group of renegade nobles who sought to overthrow the church, the general became a legend among

the masses. It is said that Rakkis used his burgeoning influence to replace government officials with

Zakarum archbishops, thereby upsetting the balance of power in the region.

1045 Anno Kehjistani – The Crusaders and the Eastern CampaignAround the time Rakkis departed Kehjistan, a cleric by the name of Akkahn forged and order

known as the crusaders. He sent them on a mission to the east to seek out a means (however it

manifested) to purify the Zakarum faith. The impetus for this campaign stemmed from Akkan’s

belief that the church had strayed from the original teachings of Akarat.

1150 Anno Kehjistani – The Zakarum ReformationA bold new Que-Hegan, Zebulon I, initiated a sweeping reformation of the Zakarum Church.

Rumor has it he did so inspired by visions of Akarat himself. Zebulon urged the faith to align with its

more ascetic and humble origins. This act was well received by the people, and it sparked a surge in

independent worship secularism and mysticism.

Note, however, that the orthodox archbishops of the Zakarum High Council viewed this turn ofevents as a grievous erosion of the church’s power. Regardless, they were unable to stop the tide of

change due to Zebulon’s revered status with commoners.

1225 Anno Kehjistani – The Zakarum InquisitionWith the ascension of Que-Hegan Karamat, the Zakarum High Council fulfilled its long-sought

goal to unravel Zebulon I’s reformations. The archbishops manipulated the church’s new leader into

launching a strict system of worship that imposed harsh punishments on nonconformists. Missionary

work took on increasingly martial overtones.

This, dear reader, all culminated in the heinous Zakarum Inquisition. The church purged

various sects of the faith and brutally suppressed other religions, such as Skatsim.

1247 Anno Kehjistani – Order of PaladinsUnwilling to continue the inquisition’s terrible methods, a group of Zakarum paladins broke

away from the church. They vowed that their new Order of Paladins would protect the innocent and



fight the corruption that darkened the once-brilliant heart of their religion. These rebels ventured into

western lands to begin their noble campaign.

1265 – Anno Kehjistani – Caldeum AscendantOnce it was revealed that demons controlled the Zakarum Church, public opinions of the

organization plummeted. Indeed, Kurast and Travincal had suffered greatly with the Dark

Wanderer ’s arrival in the city and the events that followed. After a series of deft political maneuvers,

Emperor Hakan I moved the capital of Kehjistan to Caldeum and secured power there. It should be

stated that this was no easy feat. Powerful trade groups controlled much of Caldeum, and the

emperor ’s reputation had suffered in the wake of Zakarum corruption. But Hakan was a brilliant

diplomat, and he used his talents to forge alliances and gain the respect of the city ’s nobility.

In the years that followed, Caldeum also proved to be a sanctuary for the remaining members

of the Zakarum Church. These individuals flooded into the city to begin their lives anew. It was at

this time that Caldeum, which had always been an important city, became perhaps the most powerful

and influential urban center in all of Sanctuary.

diablo 3 - modern history of kehjistan

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