It could be easily seen from everyone's faces just how much of an impact Neyrelle's words had on them.

[It is precisely what you're thinking. In the year -1992, an unremarkable Sorcerer named Jere Harash succeeded where his fellows had failed. Reaching out into the unknown, his heart roiling with anger and rage at the recent loss of his family, he made contact with one of these "spirits." Yet it was no such creature but rather a demon of pure hate and malice. Whether the Vizjerei knew from the outset what this creature was is unclear, but soon, if not immediately, they realized that this was not some ancestral spirit. The Vizjerei worked feverishly to mask the truth of what had happened, even going so far as to write false histories of Harash and some of his early interactions with "the dead." These were written by Dumal Lunnash, though at least one account of Lunnash's existed where he was truthful in writing what had actually occurred.](Neyrelle)

[Then... this 'spirit' they contacted...](Helen)

[Yes. The Vizjerei didn't know that Harash's actions had revealed the existence of Sanctuary to the Burning Hells, but that aside, there was much controversy among them concerning this new art. Some argued that these entities could not be controlled and posed a threat to the world. The one thing they all agreed on was that Harash's discovery had to be kept secret. Thus, they covered up the truth of Harash's findings and adopted the lie that they were merely communing with the spirits of the dead. Thus, they could claim innocence of any wrongdoing should their actions lead to disaster.](Neyrelle)

[Idiots!](Aylin)

Hearing the pretty Sorceress almost roar in anger and frustration, everyone at the table flinched.

It's not like they didn't understand her sentiments, though.

As for Michael, he was a bit more worried about the demon's description.

'A demon of pure hate and malice, huh? *Sigh* Why does that sound like a very specific Prime Evil?'

It took everyone a while to recollect themselves. Since the knowledge was incredibly important, Aylin and Helen decided to call the other Wanderer Representatives and have them understand the situation as well.

In the process, Michael was 'banished' to the kitchen realm, where he had to prepare delicious dishes for the guests.

Since he was seriously lacking in inspiration, he prepared Chicken Fajitas and Guacamole.

Fortunately, Aylin brought back avocados about a week and a half ago, allowing the Necromancer to prepare this delicious dish.

Served with tacos, it should suffice as a pleasant and tasty experience for everyone.

By the time he returned to the pavilion in the garden with the newly prepared dishes, everyone was present—including Taissa, for some reason.

Apparently, the woman got very close to the sisters and now visited often.

"Hello, girls. Is everyone up to date?"

[Hello, Michael. *Sigh* Unfortunately...](Natalia)

[I say... in the past few days, you kept bringing me only bad news. I hope the dishes are worth the trouble.](Beatrice)

Laughter ensued, though it didn't feel genuine. It was barely able to mask the worry the girls were feeling.

And it was understandable. Around 3,000 years or so ago, the demons of Burning Hells found this place.

Since then, they kept invading Sanctuary and tormenting its inhabitants endlessly. Three millennia of suffering.

Add on top of that the fact that Prava was planning to invade the Burning Hells in return, and even the tasty dishes were slowly losing their taste.

[Please, Neyrelle. Continue with your findings.](Natalia)

[Okay. Let's see... The Vizjerei didn't take long to perfect this dark art, establishing demonology and the enslavement of Hell's minions as the basis of their power. Kabraxis was a demon that the Vizjerei summoned into Sanctuary multiple times. So successful were they in their summoning of these "spirits" that the Vizjerei earned the moniker of "the Spirit Clan." They grew confident that if they could control one demon, they could control others, and their Sorcerers set about summoning more and more demons into Sanctuary for short periods. While the clan had no intention of using the demons as weapons, their Mages concluded that there was much to be learned from these creatures about the universe and new forms of Magic --](Neyrelle)

[Hold on, hold on! Kabraxis!? Are we talking about THAT Kabraxis?](Mira)

[Shit! This gets better by the second...](Celeste)

[Damn it! Now everything makes sense...](Beatrice)

[*Sigh* I'll return later and try to confirm this with the Tree. If it's true... a huge chunk of our history suddenly appears much clearer.](Natalia)

Except for the Wanderer Representatives, everyone at the table—Neyrelle included—wore blank looks on their faces.

It was obvious they weren't aware of the details.

[What a hot mess... It's not surprising that you are unaware of the details since most of them are suppressed. We found out this only after we took over the roles of Wanderer Representatives through the 'kindness' of the Horadrim. Though, it feels more of a burden than anything.](Helen)

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

[Fuck!](Aylin)

Seeing Aylin losing her temper, Mina stood up and sat beside her, patting her head to calm her down.

Fortunately, it seemed to work.

[*Exhale* Kabraxis is a mighty demon from ancient times who possessed power that made the Prime Evils themselves fearful of him. I think just that short description is sufficient to make everyone understand just how badly the Vizjerai Mage clan screwed up.](Aylin)

[Kabraxis has dwelt within the mortal realm for as long as recorded history. It appears that he was first summoned into Sanctuary by the Vizjerei Clan before the Sin War and was summoned into Sanctuary more than once. He was killed and banished numerous times. In one of his earlier incarnations, he was known as 'Iceclaw the Merciless' and united a number of Barbarian tribes under his rule before being killed by a warrior named Hauklin, who wielded an enchanted sword, Stormfury, specifically forged to slay Kabraxis, and rumored to be the only weapon that could do so. Prior to the Mage Clan Wars, a Mage clan, employing several Warriors and Wizards, banished Kabraxis from Sanctuary and eradicated the temples built in his name within Viz-jun and other locations. It appears it might've been the work of the Vizjerai.](Natalia)

[That's not all. One of his disciples, Kreghn, imparted the concept of the Three Selves. This allowed Kabraxis to return again to Sanctuary during the Mage Clan Wars. There was a rumor that one of Kreghn's disciples had managed to open a portal for him, but this was never confirmed.](Aylin)

Michael's mouth was agape, and he wasn't the only one.

A demon powerful and cunning enough for the three Primes to fear him... and the Vizjerai brought him into Sanctuary multiple times?

Aylin took out a large barrel of strong liquor and gestured for everyone to have some.

The suggestion was widely accepted, as their nerves were pulled taut.

Once some semblance of calmness returned to the table, Mina gestured for Neyrelle to continue her story.

[I knew this was a big discovery, but I wasn't expecting it to be this bad. But, yes, the Vizjerei's actions led to Hell's discovery of Sanctuary and, ultimately, the Sin War. After the war's end, many people turned to the Mage Clans for guidance.

In the decades after the Sin Wars, the Mage Clans reasserted the control they once held over the East. Taking heed of the events, the Ennead and Ammuit - two ancient clans - declared that no mage clan would ever summon another demon into Sanctuary and that Heaven and Hell had to stay out of mortal affairs. In the midst of this period, the Vizjerei rose to greatest success.

Operating under close scrutiny, the Vizjerei ranks soon included thousands of active Sorcerers. In what would become known as the Age of Magic, the Vizjerei enjoyed great popularity. At some point in this period, the Vizjerei established military outposts and possibly temples in Aranoch. However, these sites were abandoned as Kehjistan abandoned its foothold. The city of Lut Gholein was built on one such Vizjerei fortress.](Neyrelle)

'Lut Gholein, the Jewel of the Desert. *Sigh* There's so much stuff that it's impossible to make sense of it all at once. Once Teckrin brings over the book detailing the Sanctuary's timeline, I will have a better grasp of the facts.'

[Just like Ms. Natalia said, at some point prior to the Mage Clan Wars, the Vizjerei were able to banish Kabraxis again. Afterward, they tore down his temples within Viz-jun and other locations.

The truth remained hidden for a long time. From -1992 until -264, that is.

In the year -264, the truth of the Vizjerei's summoning became known to the Ennead, as one of their sources within the Vizjerei reported seeing a ritual of summoning in the depths of the Yshari Sanctum. Assassins were assigned to target key Vizjerei members, whereas the Vizjerei targeted key Ennead and Ammuit figures in retaliation.

The situation further deteriorated when a heated meeting in the Al'Raquish erupted into a battle that resulted in multiple deaths. With the violence coming out into the open, the Ennead and Ammuit stormed the main Vizjerei academy at Viz-jun. By the time the dust cleared, the academy had been leveled, and not a single Vizjerei Mage was left alive. Thus began the Mage Clan Wars.](Neyrelle)

Everything was playing in Michael's head like a movie.

From the Vizjerei's thirst for this new type of 'magic,' to their 'success,' to them finding out the truth and hiding it from the world, to the extreme results hiding the truth caused to the world, and finally, to the other Mage Clans finding out, which ultimately led to them being wiped out from the Sanctum.

Hubris eventually led to the downfall of a great clan and, Heaven knows, how many deaths across the Steppes.

[As battles raged across Kehjistan, the Vizjerei Ruling Council fled Viz-jun, went into hiding, and began consolidating its forces.

Over the next seven years, the combined Ennead and Ammuit forces won several victories against isolated Vizjerei pockets before directing the entirety of their combined might against Vizjerei's main force.

During the height of the war, the Vizjerei began feeling the stress of this long struggle. One Vizjerei faction resolved to create an army of demon-possessed victims, and the peaceful Umbaru people of Teganze seemed to be the ideal subjects.

Over the course of a few decades, as Umbaru were taken by Vizjerei and turned into Khazra, the once peaceful Umbraru-Vizjerei relations had turned into an outright war. Over the next two centuries, the khazra would continue to plague the Vizjerei; the first generations of khazra gleefully slaughtered any Vizjerei they encountered.](Neyrelle)

'The goatmen!? *Sigh* There goes another mystery... so, the existence of the Khazra first appeared when the Vizjerei were cornered and tried to create a new weapon using human experiments. That would explain how the Triune sect at Komdor Temple found out about the ritual. It should've been something they excavated from whatever remains they found of the Vizjerei.'

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Michael looked around the table, and everyone appeared thoughtful.

Unlike him, who lacked information about this world - except for the few details he remembered from Diablo I and some stuff found online about Diablo II - the girls lived in the Sanctuary all their lives.

It was understandable that they knew their history much better.

[After seven years of war, the Vizjerei were hopelessly outnumbered and on the verge of defeat. Thus, they played their trump card—the summoning of demons. In an instant, the tide turned as creatures of the Burning Hells cut their way through the Ennead and Ammuit ranks, allowing the Vizjerei to drive their foes all the way back to Viz-jun.

Although the Vizjerei were willing to utilize demons to achieve their goals, differences of opinion existed as to how this would be carried out. The siblings Horazon and Bartuc, both Vizjerei Mages, exemplified this.

Horazon believed that while demons were a great source of power, they had to be bent to one's will. The process of breaking a demon's will was a great delight to him.

In contrast, Bartuc grew to sympathize with the demons. With no small amount of influence from them, he believed that demonkind would be best understood through an outright alliance with them so their secrets could be shared freely.

Nonetheless, Bartuc continued the war, earning the title of "Warlord of Blood." Demonic corruption spread through the Vizjerei, and the hellspawn he summoned lacked any kind of control and destroyed everything in their path.

Bartuc was not dismayed, though—he viewed demons as humankind's masters and that loyalty to them would be generously rewarded. Horazon, however, realized that Bartuc's path would only lead to ruin. Even if the Vizjerei won the war, there would be nothing of civilization left, and the clan's only legacy would be death or enslavement to the Burning Hells.](Neyrelle)

[*Scoff* As if there was any way in Burning Hells things would end peacefully after they summoned droves of demons into our world.](Mira)

Seeing Neyrelle nodding, everyone except Aylin, Hella, and Natalia, who studied the history of the Mage Clan Wars, immediately understood how bad things had turned out to be.