Deckard Cain - Lore And Character Dialogue

Deckard Cain
Lore and Character Dialogue Guide

This lore and character dialogue guide will cover Deckard Cain in Diablo 3, providing background information and a listing of his dialogue options that are available throughout the game, with information on when they can be heard for the Stay Awhile and Listen achievement.

*SPOILER WARNING*
The purpose of this guide is to cover plot event’s and other important information. If you don’t want to learn something you may not already know, go beat the game first and come back later.

Credits & Recognitions:

Anna Betliskey – Corrections/Updates to “Destruction of the Worldstone”

Deckard Cain’s History:

Deckard Cain is the last descendant of the Horadric mages, whom has appeared in all of the Diablo games thus far. His ancestor is Jared Cain, a man whom imprisoned Diablo centuries ago. Often a source of valuable information due to his vast stores of ancient knowledge, he also serves as the most frequent quest giver in the past games and the act he is present in Diablo 3 and previously served as the player’s most convenient means of identifying items. Finally in the original city of Trsitram, he was the sole survivor of the horrendous attack which was brought in the wake of the Dark Wanderer, left in a cage as opposed to slaughtered like the rest of the populace.

Present Day

Deckard is only present in Act I, where he serves as main quest giver again after being rescued from the Cathedral after Tyrael smashes into it during the opening cinematic of the game. After the player saves him at the behest of his niece Leah, he provides valuable knowledge and assistance with discovering Tyrael’s true identity and preparing for the dangers that lie ahead. Unfortunately, Cain’s surprising streak of survival in disastrous situations comes to an end when he is killed by Mahgda at the end of the quest, The Doom In Wortham.

Available Dialogues in Diablo 3

Who Are You?
Prophecy of the End Days
Your Adoptive Niece
Mad King Leoric
The Mysterious Stranger
The Archangel Tyrael
The Horadrim
Origins of the Coven
The Worldstone
Destruction of the Worldstone
Leah and Cain’s Travels

Note: Sometimes a dialogue option remains hidden until you have opened another one that is available. Also, sometimes they eventually go away later in the game.

Also, the character’s replies are done from the point of the Witch Doctor, others may be added in the future for completionism, but they will all be along the same lines, making it somewhat redundant for now. Requests are open though if this is something you are interested in, just leave a comment below and I’ll work on getting your requested character type’s put in.

🗄️ Archived 🗄️

This guide is no longer being updated and has been preserved for historical purposes.

Who Are You?

Available at the start of the quest: A Shattered Crown

Deckard Cain:
I am the last of the Horadrim. I couldn’t always claim this. In fact, if I had turned to the Horadric teachings sooner, Diablo could have been stopped before his reign of terror began.
Player:
You cannot believe this.
Deckard:
When the first signs appeared, I did nothing. I had shrugged the old tales off like they were so much fantasy, and Tristram-no, the world-has paid dearly for my arrogance.
I have tried to make up for my failings. Leah and I have spent her lifetime scouring the world, collecting pieces of the Prophecy of the End Days.
If I can decipher it, we will have the key to defeating the Lords of Hell.

Prophecy of the End Days

Available at the start of the quest: A Shattered Crown

Deckard Cain:
The Prophecy of the End Days is contained within the Horadric tomes I inherited from my ancestor Jered Cain.
It is a warning to those who could interpret it regarding Hell’s ultimate invasion of our world, written by many different people throughout history in many different lands.
All known versions of the Prophecy are incomplete. I have spent a good part of the past twenty years trying to complete it. I am certain it holds the answers to defeating the Lords of Hell.

Your Adopted Niece

Available at the start of the quest: A Shattered Crown

Player:
The bond between you and Leah is strong.
Deckard Cain:
I do not know what my life would have been like had I not raised her.
Oh, it must be difficult for Leah, following an old man on a mad search for the secrets to defeating the Lords of the Burning Hells.
Heh. But though she has seen her share of mysterious things, she is still unsure of my quest. I can understand; she has never seen anything like Diablo and his brothers.

Mad King Leoric

Available at the start of the quest: A Shattered Crown
Disappears at the start of Sword of the Stranger

Player:
Leoric’s madness was caused by Diablo?
Deckard Cain:
Leoric resisted Diablo’s attempts to possess him, but the effort left him weak and confused. When his son Albrecht was kidnapped to be a vessel for Diablo, it destroyed any sanity Leoric had left.
Player:
After Leoric was Skeleton King, what then?
DC:
He commanded an army of the dead deep within the cathedral, finally serving the Lord of Terror he had resisted while alive.
Many adventurers tried and failed to slay the Skeleton King. It was left to Leoric’s eldest son, Aidan, to finally kill the monster his father had become.

The Mysterious Stranger

Available at the start of the quest: Sword of the Stranger
Disappears at the start of the Broken Blade
*Not needed for conversation achievement.

Player:
This man was the falling star.
Deckard Cain:
No man could survive such a thing… Who are you? What are you?
The Stranger:
A warrior, I think… I came bearing grave news, but I cannot remember…
DC:
Your message might be all that can save us from impending doom.

The Archangel Tyrael

Available at the start of the quest: Sword of the Stranger

Deckard Cain:
Tyrael is the angel of Justice. He has been helping mankind for generations, though he is forbidden to do so in any direct manner.
Long ago, the High Heavens and the Burning Hells made a pact as a result of the Sin War that they would not interfere in our world.
Player:
This deal has been broken by the demons. Can Tyrael not act?
DC:
The Angiris Council, the archangels that lead Heaven, almost destroyed our world once to keep the demons from spreading their corruption upon it.
If Tyrael were to act directly, it would alert the Council to the demon’s activities and imperil us all.

The Horadrim

Available at the start of the quest: The Broken Blade

Deckard Cain:
The Horadrim were powerful mages gathered together by the archangel Tyrael to defeat the three Prime Evils: Diablo, Mephisto and Baal.
They devoted themselves fully to the destruction of the demon lords and left behind valuable tomes and teachings.
Player:
How did you become the last of the Horadrim?
DC:
My ancestor was the leader of the Horadrim, Jered Cain. When the Horadrim died out, their tomes stayed in my family.
I was thrilled by the tales of the Horadrim as a little boy, but it wasn’t until I returned to them as an adult that I realized they contained deeper truths.

Origins of the Coven

Available at the start of the quest: The Broken Blade

Deckard Cain:
Maghda’s coven is a remnant of an ancient religion, called the Triune that worshipped the Prime Evils as gods.
Player:
There will always be those who will follow evil. Who do they now worship?
DC:
The last of the two Evils, Azmodan and Belial, remain… and if either of them are behind this coven, then our troubles are only beginning.

The Worldstone

Available after the end of the quest: The Broken Blade
Inaccessible at the start of The Doom of Wortham.
*NOTE: You can use the quest choose method to start at the beginning of Doom of Wortham, just don’t talk to The Stranger, since when the quest officially starts, Deckard can’t be talked to anymore.

Deckard Cain:
The Worldstone was an ancient artifact of immense power. It was used not only to create our world, but also to control mankind.
The original humans were known as the nephalem, and their power was such that it was feared they would tip the balance in the Eternal Conflict between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells.
So the Worldstone was tuned to lessen our powers, turning mankind into what we are today. But now that it has been destroyed, it is conceivable that the powers of the nephalem will reappear.

Destruction of the Worldstone

Available after the end of the quest: The Broken Blade
Inaccessible at the start of The Doom of Wortham.

Deckard Cain:
Tyrael was forced to destroy the Worldstone when Baal, the Lord of Destruction, corrupted it in his attempt to control all of mankind.
Player:
The spirits speak of the land splitting apart.
DC:
It obliterated Mount Arreat, the mountain that housed it, leaving only a smoking crater in its place. And nothing has been heard from Tyrael since.

Leah and Cain’s Travels

Available after the end of the quest: The Broken Blade
Inaccessible at the start of The Doom of Wortham.
*NOTE: See above for details about the last 3 convos.

Player:
I heard you took Leah on your searches for ancient artifacts and tomes. Wasn’t that dangerous?
Deckard Cain:
Not as dangerous as you might think. There was a calm about the world then. Most people paid no mind to an old man and young girl, weaponless and penniless, crossing their lands.