The Woodsman's Axe
The Woodsman's Axe is a quest item in Diablo IV.
Lore[]
The axe belonged to an individual known only as "the Woodsman"; a murderous individual who stalked and murdered individuals in the area around Nevesk.[1] It was inhabited by a demon,[2] who appears to have either been the Woodsman himself, or who possessed the Woodsman. There is evidence that the axe consumed the souls of its victims.[3]
Around 1336, the Woodsman vanished and left the axe behind. Parin, a scribe of the Cathedral of Light, charged Magdalena with finding it.[1] There was precious little information on the artifact available to Parin, but while he knew it to be dangerous, he had no idea that the axe was demon-possessed.[3] The axe was retrieved by the Wanderer, who slew the Woodsman and retrieved the axe.[1] The axe was still slick with blood, which seemed to soak through any cloth wrapping the blade.[4]
The axe in Parin's study
The Wanderer handed the axe to Magdalena who departed to Menestad to hand it to Parin.[1] However, she succumbed to the axe's baleful effects, and attacked Parin and his retinue, killing one of his knights, before hiding in a nearby cellar. The Wanderer slew Magdalena, who retrieved the axe and handed it to Parin, who told the Wanderer to meet him in the Crags of Ill Wind to purge the demon that inhabited the weapon.[2] In his study, the axe was placed in holy water, which resulted in the manifestation of Magdalena in spirit form, and the Woodsman himself, both of which attacked the Wanderer. The axe was successfully destroyed.[3]
In-game[]
The axe plays a role in the side quest "The Woodsman of Nevesk." It is obtained by defeating the Woodsman, after which it's returned to Magdalena. It likewise plays a role in "Legacy Unmade."
The axe is still slick with blood that seems to soak through any cloth wrapping the blade.