Drowned

For the quest of the same name, see The Drowned.

"Be wary of the tolling bells. That's when they attack.
"And who are 'they?'"
"The drowned ones. Men between life and death, come to drag you into the sea. I've lost more than a few friends to those abominations."

- A huntsman and hero on the Drowned^(src)

The Drowned

The Drowned are undead which emerge from Sanctuary's coastlines to drag their victims to a watery grave. They currently dominate the entire coastline of Scosglen.

Lore

The Drowned emerge from the sea

The Drowned are led by the Lady, and have always been a threat to Sanctuary. They come from bodies washing ashore (such as from ships lost at sea), bloating in the midday sun. After the first moonless night, after all other omens have passed, the Drowned will appear. When they attack, they infect the shores like a disease, and with them comes a thick brackish fog that encroaches in from the shoreline. Every time they attack, there's the unyielding tolling of bells, a reminder to the living that the Drowned were rallying and coming for them. They have also been observed to carry strange idols during their attacks.

History

The Drowned appear to have existed for quite awhile. They hoard the spoils of their raids in their hoards beneath the sea. These contain the relics of long-lost cultures.

By the Great Enmity, the Drowned had not been seen in generations, and most didn't believe they existed. Nevertheless, they did remain in the cultural zeitgeist, as they were regarded as "terrors" that existed in the night that would come to kidnap people. Villagers would tell their children that if they didn't behave, the Drowned would come and take them.

Unfortunately for the people of Sanctuary, the Drowned were real, and came to dominate the entire coast of Scosglen.

In-game

Diablo Immortal

A Drowned Sailor

The Drowned appear in the Age of Falling Towers update of Diablo Immortal. Here, they are the undead remnants of Inari and Lilin that killed each other during the Mutinous Concord. They are the major enemies in the Dread Reaver dungeon.

Types

• Accursed Boatman
• Accursed Sailor
• Drowned Archer
• Drowned Sailor

Super Uniques

• Drowned Aberration
• Drowned Steward

Diablo IV

The Drowned appear as enemies in Diablo IV. They are one of the game's "monster families." Befitting their name, they are found in the game's coastal areas.

Types

• Drowned Deckhand
• Drowned Juggernaut
• Drowned Tidewalker
• Drowned Wretch

Uniques

• Merinth of the Deep

Development

Concept art

The Drowned were first showcased at BlizzCon 2019.

The Drowned are an example of the environmental storytelling used in Diablo IV, where their attacks are water and ship-themed. While players can obtain more information on the Drowned via quests and tomes, the idea is that the player should be able to understand the Drowned's relationship to the sea just by looking at them.