One of the most prominent character in Diablo lore is Deckard Cain, the last of the Horadric mages.
He is most prominently known for his involvement in many quests in the Diablo games (in which he appeared in all of them) and for being the only person that can identify items in the series.
In Diablo 2, Cain is known to be the only survivor of Tristram's destruction, who instead of killing him the Demons decided to trap him in a cage instead.
In Diablo 3, Deckard Cain returns as an older version of his previous incarnations while still being an advisor and lore-master. It is not yet known if he will have the same function as the other Diablo games where he offered item identification, quest information, and following you from town to town. In the Beta, the player was able to rescue cain from the now infested Tristram Cathedral, where he is returned too safety to New Tristram.
There will also be a journal (aptly named Deckard Cain's Journal) which details the events of both Diablo 1 and Diablo 2 and serves as a Cheat Sheet of these events for people who are new to the series. It also changed Deckard Cain from being a Horadic mage to only dreaming he was one. Cain is described as being an elder and lorekeeper from Tristram in reality, which is a strong change from his well-versed and knowledgeable role as the "Last of the Horadric" in previous games.
Deckard Cain's origins have been a mystery until December 2011 where it was revealed that his name was picked from the winner of a contest in the Pc Gamer magazine. A father submitted his son's name "Deckard Elder Cain", which won and was immortalized in the Diablo series. Since this was way back in 1996, this kid is old enough to play his own legacy.
Blizzard has released a humorous rap song featuring Deckard Cain, which can be heard below:
Some cool things about Deckard Cain:
- A descended of Jered Cain, the guy who imprisoned Diablo.
- Also known as "Cain the Elder"
- Referred to as "Dickard" on Battle.net by players
- Voiced by Michael Gough