Book of Cain

The Book of Cain is the shorter, alternate title of Diablo: the Eternal Conflict: The Illustrated Guide, an item of Diablo III Merchandise, first seen via a listing on Amazon.com in June 2011.[1] The 144 page book had a projected release date of 11/11/2011, and was said to a recounting of the events of Diablo II, stories of the Angels and Demons and their battles, and a history of the twenty years between the conclusion of events in Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, and the start of Diablo III, written from the perspective of in-game NPC Deckard Cain.

The book was initially listed on Amazon.com, as well as Amazon Canada, Germany, and UK, though only the Amazon.com listing included the full product description. Blizzard did not comment on the book even after fans spotted it and publicized it, and when the product listing was deleted[2] from Amazon.com (but not the other international Amazons) it was assumed that the book had been listed by error, and was not meant to be revealed yet.

This product will presumably be re-listed on Amazon.com, and officially announced by Blizzard, at a time closer to the game's release. It's been widely-speculated that this book might be part of the not-yet-announced Diablo III Collector's Edition, but that's entirely conjecture. Past Blizzard Collector's Editions have contained art books and other assorted merch, so it's not out of the question.

Product Description

The Book of Cain cover art.

From the initial Amazon.com product listing. The only image from the book was the cover, seen to the right.

In Blizzard Entertainment's Diablo I and Diablo II, the recurring character of Deckard Cain delivered quests, accompanied the brave adventurer, and, as the last of the Horadrim, provided a link to the greater history of the world of Sanctuary. Ever mysterious during these appearances, Cain hinted at a larger story, providing snippets of it in his notebook. Diablo III: Book of Cain is Cain is a formal record of this greater tale -- a dissertation on the lore of the Diablo universe, told by one who has witnessed and participated in some of the epic events that make up the eternal conflict between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells.

Designed as an "in-world" artifact from the Diablo universe, Diablo III: Book of Cain includes Cain's revealing meditations, as well as dozens of sketches and color artworks depicting the angelic and demonic beings who wage constant war with one another.

For players of the eagerly anticipated Diablo III, this mysterious tome will provide a deeper understanding of the franchise and its storyline.

The book can still be pre-ordered from some Amazon portals:

• Amazon.com listing (removed).
• Amazon.co.uk listing. Release date is listed as December 15, 2011.
• Amazon.ca listing. Release date is listed as November 2011.
• Amazon.de listing. Release date is listed as November 24, 2011.

Deckard Cain's Journal

Fans immediately noted the similarities between this product and Deckard Cain's Journal, a 34-page, illustration-packed diary-like creation that Blizzard posted on the Diablo 3 site shortly after the game's reveal.

That journal is a first person account, by Deckard Cain, of the plot events of Diablo I and Diablo II. There’s no new plot info in it, or anything from Diablo III or any plot/lore events that weren’t covered in D1/D2/D2X, but it’s a nice presentation. There’s plenty of artwork in it too, mostly illustrations of Diablo III things that aren’t necessarily related to what the words are describing.

It's possible that the Book of Cain is just an expanded version of Deckard Cain's Journal, but that's not yet known. The Book of Cain would almost certainly contain much additional information and game world lore, while Cain's Journal was just the familiar events of D1 and D2 retold from Cain's perspective, with artwork that seemed to have come from Diablo III rather than being related to the actual D1/D2 history.