Dreadlands

What truly happened here? Where are those majestic warriors of old?
– Abd al-Hazir after seeing the Dreadlands for the first time

The Dreadlands

The Dreadlands, otherwise known as the "Badlands" and formerly known as the "Northern Steppes" is a barren region in Sanctuary's northwest.

History

The Northern Steppes were inhabited by the Children of Bul-Kathos, known to the people of Westmarch as the "Barbarians." Theirs was primarily a nomadic and tribal culture, though they had a few permanent settlements such as Sescheron and Harrogath. The Northern Steppes were a harsh environment and its denziens adapted to it as such, dedicated in their vigil of guarding the Worldstone.

The Barbarians' vigil came to an end with Baal's invasion however. Although the Lord of Destruction was eventually defeated, he had succeeded in his goal of corrupting the Worldstone. To prevent mankind from being corrupted, Tyrael was forced to destroy the powerful artifact. He succeed, but the resulting explosion tore Mount Arreat asunder, reducing the Steppes into a smouldering wasteland. Dust and ash rained over the land and the Barbarians were left divided and scattered, robbed of the heart of their culture in an instant. Over the years, the situation worsened as demonic corruption ran rampant, threatening both Man and beast. To make matters worse, twenty years after the Worldstone's destruction, the Dreadlands suffered an outbreak of the rage plague.

Known Locations

Dreadlands geography

Landforms

• Bloody Foothills
• Crystalline Passage
• Drifter Cavern
• Frozen River
• Glacial Trail
• Infernal Pit
• Kae Huron
  • Mount Arreat (destroyed)
• Pit of Acheron
• The Ancients' Way

Regions

• Arreat Plateau
• Daken-Shar
• Eternal Woods
• Frigid Highlands
• Frozen Tundra

Settlements

• Harrogath
• Sescheron
• Staalbreak

Structures

• Bastion's Keep
• Nihlathak's Temple
• Worldstone Keep

References

Locations in the Diablo universe

Astral Realm • Burning Hells • Ether • Fractured Plane • High Heavens • Limbo • Mirrored World • Nephalem Rifts • Obliterated Realm • Pandemonium • Realm of the Banished • Realm of the Dead • Realm of Shadow • Realms of Fate • Void • Wastelands

Sanctuary — Ancients' Cradle • Aranoch • Bakuli Jungle • Bilefen (Valostre, defunct) • Cold Isles • Dreadlands • Dry Steppes • Eastern Steppes • Fractured Peaks • Greyhollow Island • Hawezar • Ivgorod (defunct) • Kehjistan (defunct) • Marshland • Nahantu • Samauren Empire (defunct) • Scosglen • Sharval Wilds • Shassar Sea (Fahiran Empire, defunct) • Skovos Isles • Stormpoint • Uie • Western Kingdoms (Entsteig • Khanduras • Westmarch) • Wojahn • Xiansai • Zeleny Lowlands
Related — Towns