Do you remember Lorath Nahr? This inconspicuous character from Diablo 3 will become much more important in the next part. We explain his background.
No Diablo without Deckard Cain! This rule once applied, because since the first spin-off we could rely on the old Horadrim. He gave us his wisdom, we liked to listen to him talk thanks to his distinctive voice and, above all, he was able to identify one or two artefacts for us.
Diablo 4 will now probably be the first part of the series that has to do without old Cain. After all, he was killed by old Maghda in Diablo 3 (spoiler). But it seems that Blizzard has found a worthy replacement.
Already in the first gameplay trailer, an old man appeared who probably knows about what is going on in the world and who displays an even more distinctive voice than Cain. He also wore the symbol of the Horadrim around his neck.
Who this old man was supposed to be was unknown. But even back then, many fans of the series speculated and since we were able to play the first act of Diablo 4 ourselves, this speculation has turned out to be true.
The old man is an important ally in Diablo 4 and is called Lorath Nahr!
The name means nothing to you? But you might know him if you have played Reaper of Souls! In this article, we explain exactly who Lorath Nahr is. But you don’t have to fear any spoilers about Diablo 4.
Who is Lorath Nahr?
Lorath makes his first big appearance right at the beginning of Reaper of Souls. In the very first cinematic, the mortal archangel Tyrael encounters the corrupted angel of death Malthael while attempting to hide the black soulstone in a burial chamber. At Tyrael’s side at this time are members of the newly risen Horadrim.
However, neither Tyrael nor the Horadrim are a match for the Angel of Death. Tyrael’s companions are almost entirely stripped of their souls and killed – with one exception. Tyrael sends one of his Horadrim to warn the Nephalem (the player character) about Malthael. This last survivor is Lorath Nahr.
Players also meet Lorath Nahr himself shortly afterwards. The fugitive finds the Nephalem outside Westmark and tells him everything. Afterwards, he accompanies the hero into the city, and takes care of the injured inhabitants there.
Later, he even briefly joins the hero in his search for the witch Adria, to ensure that the Nephalem does not kill her before she can give out information about Malthael. After Adria was defeated, Lorath left the Nephalem again and could always be found in Westmark afterwards. Here, by the way, you can also talk to him in adventure mode.
What happened to Lorath after that was unknown for a long time. However, a book is planned that will cover the events between Diablo 3 and Diablo 4 and will revolve entirely around Lorath.
Who are the Horadrim?
Deckard Cain has long been considered the last of the Horadrim, a role that now arguably goes to Lorath Nahr. The Brotherhood of the Horadrim is an order founded by the Archangel Tyrael himself to protect Sanctuary from demons. Among them were primarily powerful mages of earlier times, for example Tal Rasha or Deckard Cain’s ancestor Jered Cain. Lorath’s noble ancestors also belonged to the Horadrim.
Over time, however, the order continued to dissolve until only Deckard Cain was left. After his death, the Order was considered extinct until it was renewed by Tyrael shortly before Reaper of Souls. Lorath Nahr, then still a knight of Westmark, joined this new order. It did not last long, however, and was again rapidly decimated after Malthael’s devastation.
In Diablo 4, the Horadrim are but shadows of their former selves, and Lorath Nahr is now an old man who speaks to graves.
What role does Lorath Nahr play in Diablo 4?
Story details will of course not be revealed here. But it is clear that Lorath Nahr plays a bigger role in Diablo 4. He takes Deckard Cain’s place as the narrator of the story and also accompanies us on our journeys. We meet him right at the beginning, where he lives as an old hermit in a small hut.
However, it will be exciting to see whether Lorath Nahr pursues similarly noble goals as Deckard Cain once did or whether Blizzard is even trying to lead us up the garden path. After all, in Diablo 4 the boundaries between good and evil are most likely to become more blurred than ever before. This is also evident in other important characters, such as the angel Inarius and chief villain Lilith, who themselves have an extremely exciting background.
