Season 4 Theme – Iron Wolves
As we all know, the first Diablo 4 PTR ran from April 2nd through April 9th. During that week, some data was mined from the PTR Patch, which suggested that the Iron Wolves would be featured as part of the Season 4 theme.
A handful of articles followed that shared some details about what had been uncovered. These details included an updated version of the Iron Wolves emblem, as well as several more icon and decal files, which indicated a clear link to Iron Wolves content. Included among the icon files was a map marker comprised of an Iron Wolves emblem highlighted with a Seasonal green leaf symbol.
Earlier today, Blizzard published a blog post that confirmed the inclusion of the Iron Wolves in Season 4. However, most of the recent Iron Wolves news has, thus far, been focused on the Seasonal mechanics and cosmetics. Nevertheless, there’s much more to know about this famous fellowship, so let’s take an in-depth look at their remarkable story.
Honor Bound
The Iron Wolves are a storied mercenary company from Kehjistan, whose prowess in battle was matched only by their fierce loyalty. Unlike other bands of brigands, who could be bought and sold, the Iron Wolves, first and foremost, valued honor and duty. All of their members were sworn to the quest of protecting and sheltering the weak and innocent and punishing the wicked.
These combat veterans came from all walks of life, including mages, sellswords, rangers, and archers. Those who were forthright and willing to conform to the clan’s ideology were welcomed into the fold. It was also their tradition to reclaim the armor of their fallen so it may continue to serve the greater good.
Iron Maiden
Perhaps the one fact that is most commonly mentioned when discussing the history of the Iron Wolves, is that they were founded by a woman named Asheara. In his memoir, the fallen angel Tyrael briefly described her as follows:
“Asheara spent many years as a member of various unscrupulous mercenary outfits. Despising the brutal tactics employed by these groups, she eventually forged the Iron Wolves, an order of sellswords that holds honor and duty above all else. I know Asheara to be strict with her followers, but also evenhanded.”
Asheara shared an unspoken bond with her retainers and was always willing to fight side by side with them. Under her command, they rigorously adhered to their strong moral code without hesitation. Asheara’s most solemn vow was that no harm would ever come to those who were under their protection. Despite her blunt tone, she was unable to hide her genuine concern for anyone who had been entrusted to her care. She also had a low opinion of the Zakarum Church, considering it to be both lacking and inferior to Skatsim.
When First We Met
As we learned in Part 2 of the Soulstones Saga, the Hero of the Dark Exile, together with his mentor Deckard Cain, was pursuing the Dark Wanderer during the year 1264. The Dark Wanderer had been seen traveling eastward from the Kingdom of Khanduras in search of Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred, in the Temple City of Travincal.
Shortly after arriving at the docks in Kurast, the Hero spoke with Asheara about enlisting the services of her mercenaries. Asheara’s appearance was notable for the fact that she was scantily dressed, rather than armored like her followers, and her shoulders were adorned with her pet snake Misty. As such, her character suggested that she was more enchantress than fighter, a fact that was further emphasized when she described the Iron Wolves as a “mercenary band of mages.” It was, therefore, no surprise when the Hero discovered that the skills of her mercenaries mirrored those of the Sorceress class.
Asheara explained that she and her clan had already spent some months battling with the thralls of demons plaguing the area as a result of Kurast having been overtaken by the surrounding jungle. However, their valiant efforts had been essentially futile since the demon spawn continued unabated no matter how many were killed. Nevertheless, she agreed to allow the Hero to hire her mercenaries despite her initial misgivings about their chances for success.
The Trials
One of the first challenges faced by the Hero was when he was tasked by Ormus to recover a dagger called Gidbinn. This was the ancient and sacred blade of the old Skatsimi religion, which was imbued with powerful magic. Skatsim was a unique blend of faith and mysticism, whose history went back nearly as far as that of Sanctuary itself. This suggests that Skatsimi artifacts, such as Gidbinn, may have been wielded by the Ancients at some point. Upon recovering the dagger from the jungle and returning it to Ormus, the healer then used the magical artifact to reinforce the protection spell surrounding the Kurast docks.
From there, the Hero embarked on a series of trials that culminated in the reconstruction of Khalim’s Will. This was the unique flail that was required to destroy the Compelling Orb in order to gain access to the Durance of Hate. After fighting side by side in the sanguine stronghold to defeat Mephisto, the Hero and his Iron Wolf companion returned triumphantly to Kurast. In doing so, the Hero gained Asheara’s unwavering trust, as well as that of her mercenaries. That trust was the foundation of the bond between the Heroes of Sanctuary and the mages of the Iron Wolves clan; an everlasting alliance forged in blood.
Kingdom of Kehjistan
Despite the combined efforts of the Hero and the Iron Wolves, the once fair city of Kurast was unable to recover from having been consumed by the jungle. Consequently, Emperor Hakan, along with his nobles, fled to the city of Caldeum, which became the new capital of Kehjistan in place of Kurast.
Over twenty years following the fall of Kurast, the Iron Wolves were still being led by Asheara as they served the people of Kehjistan. The Jewel of the East flourished for many years under the emperor’s rule. Later, however, when Hakan became ill and his health deteriorated, so, too, did the conditions in Caldeum.
Following the emperor’s death, the leaders of the Zakarum Church were pressured into finding a spiritual successor in order to restore the conditions in the city. Through a series of elaborate rituals, the priests selected an infant whose family lived in the northern reaches of Sanctuary.
Asheara and her mercenaries were then hired by the Zakarum leaders to retrieve the young boy. Upon returning to Caldeum, the boy was crowned Hakan II and the Iron Wolves served as his personal guard. Nevertheless, conditions in Caldeum continued to decline even after the new child emperor ascended to the throne.
The End of Days
Some years later, refugees began arriving at Caldeum, fleeing from the Borderlands as the Coven wreaked havoc in that area. At this point, Hakan II ordered the gates of Caldeum sealed to weather the infernal invasion plaguing the empire. The Iron Wolves were ordered to confront and eliminate the demonic invaders at all costs. At the same time, a new Imperial Guard was created to protect the emperor and the citizens who remained inside the city walls. Asheara then led her Iron Wolves out of the city and into the desert, fearing that they may never return to her again.
Before long, news of the Fallen Star, which had crashed into the Old Tristram cathedral, began to spread far and wide across the western continent. When news of this arrived in Caldeum, it was accompanied by a Nephalem hero who was in search of Maghda, the Coven’s leader. Asheara informed the Hero that Maghda had occupied the town of Alcarnus as the Coven’s stronghold. Although the road to Alcarnus had been blocked, there was another route available through the Khasim Outpost.
As soon as the Hero arrived at the outpost, he found and released the Iron Wolves who had been taken captive there. During this rescue, the Hero learned that the Caldeum Imperial Guard was actually under the command of Belial, the Lord of Lies. It turned out that Belial had already usurped the Imperial throne and had assumed the semblance of the young monarch. The Hero then returned to Caldeum and, with the assistance of Asheara, confronted Belial at the palace. The meeting soon went awry when the “emperor” ordered the execution of both the Hero and Leah, the ward of Deckard Cain. Fortunately, Asheara covered their escape into the city’s sewers before the Imperial Guard could carry out the execution.
Soon thereafter, Belial began to rain fire down upon the city as part of his plan to conquer Sanctuary. Asheara reunited with the Hero and explained that the Iron Wolves were doing what they could to evacuate the populace. As soon as the citizens had been removed to safety, the Hero marched on the palace and defeated the demon lord. Following Belial’s defeat, the true emperor was restored, and the Hero worked diligently together with Asheara to help the city return to its former glory.
Sometime later, the cruel hand of fate struck again when Malthael’s reapers attacked Caldeum as part of his attempt to rid Sanctuary of all demonic influence. Nevertheless, Tyrael and the Hero both believed that the Iron Wolves would be able to defend the city as long as Asheara was still with them. However, the world outside the city walls fell victim to Malthael’s wrath. It would take decades after the Angel of Death’s defeat for the inhabitants of Sanctuary to recover.
Present Day
The Iron Wolves can be found today at their ramshackle encampment, which is located to the west of Caldeum at the top of the Ragged Coastline area of Kehjistan. However, the current status of the Iron Wolves is fairly dire, and the clan is now only a shadow of its former self. Needless to say, Asheara most likely passed on at some point during the many decades that followed the aftermath of Malthael’s vengeance.
Nevertheless, the Wanderer (Hero) of Diablo 4 will be engaging with the Iron Wolves once again. As part of the Season 4 theme, players will seek out the battle-hardened and stalwart Soudeh the Anvil, who is Asheara’s successor. However, members of their ranks have been dying under suspicious circumstances, and it will be Wanderer’s job to uncover the source of this slaughter in order to earn the Iron Wolves’ favor.
Players will meet Soudeh in Kehjistan to start their journey to uncover this deadly plot. Working with the Iron Wolves will reward players with several Tempering Manuals, which are key to unlocking the full potential of Seasonal items. Iron Wolf Events will also persist in Helltides beyond the end of Season 4: Loot Reborn.
See You Next Time
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Gazerrick is a staff writer for PureDiablo who focuses primarily on casual gaming interests and lore for the Diablo community. When not hacking and slashing his way through a new Season, he can be found participating in, and presenting at, various pop culture conventions in southern Arizona. You can follow him on Twitter @Gazerrick9000 for even more of his gaming indulgences. A collection of his creative media is also available at Cactus Palm Perspectives.