Welcome back to our Diablo Lore Bites series, where we cover anything interesting within the Diablo universe, especially when it matters for the current lore or where we are heading next.
The Horadric Cube is one of the most iconic items in the history of the series. With the recent confirmation that the artifact is returning in Lord of Hatred, players are now looking forward to its powerful transmutation recipes. However, the lore reveals that the Cube we know was actually a “safer” version created out of pure fear.
The Original “Dark” Cube
Before the Horadric Cube existed, there was simply The Cube. Created by the Horadrim and the rogue mage Zoltun Kulle, the original artifact was designed to be the ultimate tool for hunting the Prime Evils.
Forging the original device was a hard and grueling process. Ten Horadrim spent weeks chanting and hammering away in a deep cave. According to ancient scrolls, those who worked on it felt their sanity slipping as the work progressed. The final result was tainted by dark methods, and the Horadrim quickly realized they had created something they could not fully control.
A Legacy of Fear
The original Cube became the center of all Horadric work, but it haunted everyone who used it. Eventually, the Order decided the artifact was too dangerous for anyone to possess. They hid it away in the Ruins of Sescheron (the old capital of the Barbarians) and swore never to speak of it again.
Instead of using the true artifact, they created the Horadric Cube as a weaker, limited version for their daily tasks. Zoltun Kulle famously mocked his brothers for this decision, calling them fools for abandoning their greatest creation out of fear. If you played Diablo 3, you will probably still remember his constant mockery.
Who Was Kanai?
Talking about previous Diablo games, long-time players might remember this original artifact as Kanai’s Cube from Diablo 3. In the game lore, it was guarded by the spirit of Chief Elder Kanai, the last king of the Barbarians, who fell during the destruction of Mount Arreat. Because of this, the cube was simply called Kanai’s Cube, as it was this elder’s spirit that enabled us to get and use the artifact. By finding his hidden tomb and proving our strength through the ruins, the spirit of Kanai would acknowledge us as the new guardians of the artifact.
The Return in Lord of Hatred
In the upcoming expansion, we are likely going to see a new take on these crafting systems. Although we do not know if we will be using the “safe” version or the original “dark” artifact, the history of the Cube reminds us that Horadric secrets usually come with a heavy price.
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