28.5.09

On Trusting Blues

Before continuing onwards there's probably a requisite disclaimer to be made about using blue posts as serious sources of lore information. This thread on the Diablo III forums pretty much illustrates why: Because they tend to just kinda make stuff up. Upon being asked why the Diablo III Fallen have different hairstyles than the Diablo II Fallen, blue poster Bashiok replies that:

Bashiok
Blue Poster
Source
# 17 - Why the Fallen's hair is gone? - May 28, 2009, 12:21 pm
After the deaths of the Fallen champions Bishibosh, Rakanishu, and Colenzo, the Fallen ceremoniously removed their top knots in their honor. Over the years the remembrance of the old heroes waned, new hair styles emerged, and the majority of the Fallen imps now sport mohawks which symbolize undivided unity and strength.



The real reason for any sort of change is purely artistic.


I think it's reasonable to assume that blues make lore posts that aren't clearly announcements of some sort, they're not exactly speaking from on high, penning official canon. This doesn't mean that there aren't useful insights to be made from their pronouncements, however - while it might not be wise to take them too seriously, it's also probably true that the blues are careful not to insinuate things which will end up contradicting subsequent lore. For example, in Bornakk's post about Tyr, he probably does not mean that Tyr is literally on some kind of journey... just that he still exists and may or may not ever be used again. Likewise, due to Bashiok's post, I would infer that the changed Fallen hairstyles will not exactly be an important plot point in Diablo III. There are probably lots of examples of blue posts like this which would be unwise to take too seriously or too literally... but also unwise to dismiss completely.

This might be obvious, it probably should be. But requisite disclaimers are requisite.

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