What did the soulstones do for the Evils?

[Alkey]

I always loved Blizzard's Lore. All the discussion here has me thinking about what direction D3 will go in. This has exposed some holes in the previous games for me.

Heaven and Hell can freely enter sanctuary. The worldstone didn't stop the prime evils from entering the world, and wreaking havoc. Nor did it stop the archangel Tyrael. So what if any benefit did the evils get from the soulstones. They didn't need them to slaughter and ravage, the hordradrim had a difficult time defeating them acroding to the lore from D1.

My guess is that Izual taught the evils how to influence men from within the soulstone. So that it wasn't a complete prison. By converting men into thier followers for a little legwork they could then physically posses a powerful human. I never read the books but other posters have said that in the books humans are said to have great potential power. This is also demonstrated in the games, as the hero is able to overcome the might of hell (or at least we are lead to think so). So a prime evil combined with a powerful human would be more than a match against anything heaven could muster alone, enough to upset the balance (stalemate between heaven and earth). Then again, Baal possesed the most power horadrim mage ever, and didn't put up much of a fight in the worldstone chamber.

So why go for the worldstone? It wasn't baring entry. It didn't stop Baal from rasing a demonic army and laying seige to Harrogath. It didn't prevent Diablo from creating several levels of hell itself under Tristram in D1. I also feel it is implied that destroying the worldstone, while saving the world from immediate threat, furthered the goals of hell.

So what are the goals of hell? Destroy what can't be corrupted? So what are the goals of heaven? Cain makes this statement in D2 act 4 that while the motives of hell seem obviously bent towards destruction, the motives of heaven are unfathomable. Tyrael is the only source of insight we have, and he is an outliner in the heavenly heiarchy.

So what does this mean for D3? Maybe now that the worldstone is gone, hell can attack heaven through sanctuary. If they can conquer sanctuary that is. I hope to see more of heaven than the pandemonium fortress in D3. Maybe even heavenly hireables. I would love to see heaven and hell battleing it out with the hero leading the charge, like D2LoD outside of Harrogath.

The gameplay video didn't show much, a tomb of undead seems common. Nothing to really indicate the barrier to hell is any weaker than it was before. Hopefully more will be revealed soon.

Until then, why did the evils need the soulstones? Were the soulstones a piece of the worldstone? Or of the same material? Maybe they were needed to corrupt it. Maybe that's the seceret Izual betrayed. What do you think?

[ThulRasha]

Diablo 1 and the story before:
When the prime evils were exiled to Sanctuary they were described as "weakened and bodiless."
They aquired bodies again, probably by possessing mortals. Those were in turn slain by the Horadrim and the souls of the three borthers were contained in the 3 soulstones (well, 2 and Tal Rasha actually).

Diablo 2 and LoD:
We learn from Izual that the soulstones are actually not a prison at all. We have been fooled.
Tyreal was weakened after the fight in the tombs, he tells the hero that the bonds that tie him to Sanctuary are weakening.

Speculation:
Does this perhaps mean that both greater angels and greater demons can't just exist in the world at will? Is something trying to push them out again (the worldstone perhaps). And maybe it is that why the three brothers actually wanted the soulstones, to avoid being pushed out again.

Anyhow, by destroying the soulstones, the three are again weakened and bodiless. Just like when they were initially exiled. Obviously that doesn't stop them from gaining new power and possessing mortals again, just like they did in the time before Diablo 1. It only slows them down a bit.
And now that the worldstone is destroyed, they do not need the soulstones as anchors to Sanctuary anymore.

[Alkey]

I still don't see an advantage for the prime evils to have soulstones. They can posses mortals and gain a physical form to wreak havoc with or without a stone. When that mortal form is slain they are weakened but not defeated, just delayed. Even with the stones destroyed they could still travel back to sanctuary in spirit form, posses another mortal, and start all over. If they can be exiled as a punishment (even if that was a ruse) then it should be easier just go willingly.

Maybe I should just hack more and think less about why we slash.

[Thirty-Thirty]

Basically, for the Prime Evils, the soulstones are such:

Pro
Focuses the spirit, making them more powerful. Possibly facilitates the eventual takeover of the host. This is probably why Izual and company had them created.

Con
The spirit of the Evil can't break loose from the stone. As such, the Horadrim used them to capture the Evils' spirits and lock them away.

I think...

[Alkey]

I seem to remember some link between the soulstones and the worldstone. Perhaps being fused with a soulstone allowed for the corruption of the worldstone.

Thinking to the ending cinematics for D2, Baal was low key talking to Marius until he give up the stone. Then hell literaly breaks loose. Did he wait for the stone in order to fool and torment Marius futher. Able to unleash his evilness at any time? Or did he need the stone for his full power. I had always assumed the ladder.

But if he didn't need to be in possesion of the stone, then he needed it for another reason. Perhaps to destroy the world stone.

[chenw]

My suspicion of the Soul Stones is that, Izual has taught them how to corrupt them, basically made the Soul Stones into safety nets, Rather than being exiled into the void. This allows them to be locked into a small piece of stone that could easily influence others to their will, and, when found a suitable host, immediately become his own full form by jamming the Soul Stone into the hosts body (much like Prince Albrecht and the Hero who slain Diablo in 1).

What was intended to be used as a prison, by the teaching of a fallen Angel, transformed it into a Sanctuary if you will.

Now with regards to Worldstone, yes, Baal had an army, but it wasn't the entire hell, it was a (rather large) pack of the denizens. If Worldstone had been said to do what Tyrael had said, being a seal from both Heaven and Hell, had it been corrupted by Baal, it could alter the seal in such a way that hell could pour forth into the Earth, but leaving Heaven helpless to aid because of the Worldstone, hence Tyrael will have to destroy it to stop hell from being extended into Earth.

Now, since we have D3, what exactly happens in between is up in the air, but to follow on from my theory, The effect of the worldstone may still be in place even after the destruction, but the effect would eventually wear off overtime, and perhaps over the past 2 decades, the effect of the worldstone has weakened enough such that the denizens of Hell is starting to pour into Earth, and perhaps even allow the revival of the big 3. It is up to the D3 adventurer to stop the 3 before they can lead a major army into Earth. But what to do with Hell, I do not know. It will be impossible to destroy hell (at least alone, without heaven intervening), but hey, that may be even what Tyrael was planning, have the Worldstone destroyed for a good reason, and then subsequently get another good reason to go on a full on invasion of hell (pretending to be on men's behalf).

[SmittySixTen]

I always figured that the Soulstones were transformed from a prison to an anchor. As long as the stones existed, then the three prime evils were able to manifest in the mortal world.

Now, without the Worldstone to create a barrier, the stones are no longer needed. Also, I'd venture that the Soulstones were fragments of the Worldstone itself. It stands to reason that, if they are in fact part of the larger whole, corruption of the fragment would eventually lead to corruption of the whole.

It's all theory, but I am looking forwards to what Blizzard does with this.

[jamesisbest]

Well if the Worldstone is a link from hell and heaven to earth and if the soulstones are fragments of the worldstone it would make sense that Tyrael would destroy the only remaining link for Hell and earth assuming all 3 soulstones did get destroyed. It would also explain his 20 year disappearance after destroying the worldstone that the devs talked about, because I would assume he found a way back in the heavens without having a way back to sanctuary. However, I have a feeling the worldstone doesn't quite fit this picture and that the theory I presented is incorrect but still a possibility. There are so many options for Blizzard to work on since we know relatively little about soulstones and the worldstone. I think Blizzard is going to give us a lot of lore and fresh Diablo material in the game. The first time around I'm definately going to take it slow and learn about the story before I try to level and gear up.

[ThulRasha]

Since the books from Knaak are considered canon, one should take his explanation of what the worldstone was created to do. And one purpose was to hide Sanctuary from the heavens and hell, not to facilitate a bridge.
So by destroying the worldstone, there is nothing (besides maybe a lingering effect for 20 years) that prohibits angels and demons from entering.

[Alkey]

If the worldstone prohibits entry, then how did the 3 prime Es and an arcangel get in?

I suppose we just have to accept that they are weaker without the soulstones. It doesn't so much prohibit entry as it severly weakens any manifestation within sanctuary without an anchor like the stones. I am not sure it adds up given the current lore, but if the books are canon then it has to be accepted.

[ThulRasha]

If the worldstone prohibits entry, then how did the 3 prime Es and an arcangel get in?


The 3 evils get in by being banished there, weakened and bodiless.
They can also stay there with a body trough the use of the soul stones, like I already theorized before, the soul stones are an anchor for them.

Tyreal gets in because... well he is not just your run of the mill arch angel, he is special... yeah! :p But seriously he also has his limits. After the fight in Tal Rashas tomb when you rescue Tyreal, he tells you that the energies that tie him to the world are weakening. Even Tyreal can not walk trough Sanctuary at will because the Worldstone continuesly tries to push him out.

I have said all this before in post #2, perhaps you missed it. Thats okay, I don't mind repeating myself once.

[Alkey]

Perhaps I misread you, I was just stating that prohibiting entry is something different from dampening the power of heaven or hell. And from the history and the games, the evils didnt seem that dampened, and niether did Tyrael. There is a lot of indication in the lore that the worldstone is a barrier but it just doesn't jive with what actually goes on in the game.

Tyrael's weakening in the tomb could of been from the fact that he was sealed in a tomb by two of the prime evils, with a binding stone created by the Horadrim, and a lesser evil Duriel. The worldstone is a possibility but not the only one or the strongest one. It also seemed like Tyrael had Diablo beat, until Marius released Tal Rashsa. My understanding was that Tyrael could of swooped down and fought the evils, but to do so would of invited punishment from the other arcangels. Diablo entering Tal Rasha's tomb was too much for him and he jumps in anyway to interfere. The Evils imprsision him because slaying him would just send him back to heaven, where he could easily come back to sactuary. Tyrael maybe even could get more support if Hell openly attacked him on sanctuary.