What the necromancers are saying (the heart of the mystery)

I remember when Diablo originally said to me, in reversed speech, "Eat your vegetables and brush after every meal." We all thought he was making some evil incantation when actually he was bestowing upon us a nugget of sage advice.

I'm studying audio, and in simple screwing around I've done a lot of things with reversed speech myself. Mostly just recording something in an Ahh-nuuuld voice or saying something in a weird accent, then reversing it for the ensuing LOL factor. The point is, I usually recognize reversed speech when I hear it.


So ... patch .9.9 comes out, and I'm running around enjoying most of the changes they made (dropping the number of ghosts in the graveyard is my one big complaint), and then, aha! Necromancers. Diabolists. Saying stuff in reversed speech as they raise the dead. This made the prisons even more awesome, though a low-level sucker trying to fly through there solo might not think it was quite so awesome at first.

So I got to wondering what they were saying.

My process is below, spoilered so that those who are not as interested can skip ahead.



It turns out those necros are quoting directly from the Templar trailer. Hell yeah, I had finally cracked it. I began assembling the quotes together, but see, there are a few that aren't actually in there. A couple of them sound like alternate takes. "Through this night," another version of "through," a saying of "he will remain" that didn't match the video, a sound I couldn't make out, something that sounds like he's saying "am not," and then the very clear "in my trailer."


"In my trailer" is not in the trailer. Is it there to get us pointed in the right direction? Is this meant to be an Easter egg? Is there maybe some story connection between the Templars and the Necros? He did say that his ancestors caused all of this to happen. The mystery is not yet solved. Or maybe this is all just for LOLs. "In my trailer," and a couple other lines, don't really match the accent either. Was it just that the same guy who made the Templar trailer made this, and he wanted to put a little arrow in there for us? Or is there something yet to be unraveled that will link the cataclysm in Wraeclast and the appearance of necromancers to something related to the Templar Order?

Hmmm...


In any case, I have uploaded 2 MP3s to my website. The first is the reversed audio from the prisons. It's quite freaky; make sure Satan isn't under the floorboards when you play this one. I left it kinda long, because the breathing sounds at the end have a frightful effect all their own. It's cool as shit, in my demented opinion.

The second is the compiled audio from the Fetid Pool, sped up by 45%, and in order to match their appearances in the video, with the non directly-quoted lines after. At the very end is a sound that I left in because I thought it was great. Probably a zombie trying to smack me, but now it just sounds hilarious, especially after all the shots fired and words called out.

The quotes are as follows: "a man of faith"; "a man of"; "purpose"; "placed me at the hear--"; "--t of the mystery"; "I will"; "my power"; "at my side"; "as I walk this"; "though"; "this"; "nightmare"; "he will remain"; "through this night"; "through"; "power" (or something else, I'm not sure); "am not"; "in my trailer"; "aagh!" :)

Necros in Prison

Necro in Fetid Pool

And edit: Does anyone know how to fix the links so that they just show the titles instead of the entire URLs? [Thanks, tpapp, for showing me how to do this]

And another edit: I realize this is a long post to read, and so I figure I'd present another gift to those of you who actually do. Here's what a necromancer looks like behind the veil.

So glad you finally made this post, VG. You told me about it in-game and I wanted to read it in a more coherent form so I could take it in.

You're a little scary. This is a brilliant find. I think I suggested it was probably corner-cutting on GGG's behalf: we have no new voice samples! Wait, if we just reverse existing ones...ohohoho yes!

...But then you came up with the idea that maybe the Necromancers are former Templars corrupted by Wraeclast's dark magicks, which resulted in them inexplicably speaking the words of a Templar backwards.

Such a COOL idea.

I may choose to believe that was GGG's intention all along. I just may.

That is pretty damn creepy.

You can set up links as [*url="address"]text[/url].
(without the asterisk.)

I am accepting as canon that the Necromancers are former Templars.

When I started reading this, I was hoping for a reversal of "Klaatu barada nikto."

Wow


What a amazing post.

I would love to think that templars turned to the dark magic and became the necros.

If it is corner cutting, i hope they leave it in the final release. The audio clips where great and ow so creepy.

Great work man

I hope GGG devs see this post and let us know the truth behind the necros.

Awesome! The "in my trailer" sounds like a different voice also.

Nice work.

I think its on purpose, we all know that a green gem was responsible for merveils misery.
If you really want to win the game, i guess you are not allowed to touch any skillgems.

Sorry, that was a bit off topic.

Awesome post and thank you vry much for adding the audio