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Khazra

A khazra

The Khazra , otherwise called "Goatmen" or Goat Demons, and referred to as Aries Vehemens[1] are a race of mutated humans which have taken on the appearance of bipedal goats, and follow the orders of their demon masters. They wield axes, polearms, swords, and magical staves to attack the hero.

Lore

"Khazra. Pfft. Lice ridden mongrels. They steal human babies. You don't want to know what they do with them."
Khazra-TA

A khazra

Khazra are half man, half goat, and have been seen in many regions of Sanctuary. Walking upright as men, with heads of horned goats, they tread upon cloven hooves and are skilled with weapons of war. They are cunning, working together to form organized clans that accomplish the desires of their devilish commanders. Their strength is immense and some of the more powerful clans are rumored to guard the lairs of Hell's more renowned demons.[2] They are incredibly strong and agile, and their archers are known for the power and accuracy of their bows. Fleet of foot, they may try to evade an unwary foe and then attack from a different angle. It is believed that to earn their powers they once held mock wars in Hell for the entertainment of the Prime Evils. However, if true, this is not the same for the mortal realm, as they prefer to slaughter the innocent rather than each other. [1]

Clans

There are several known "clans" of khazra, each given a different gift from a demonic patron.[3] Known clans include the:

History

Origins

Goat Archer

A khazra archer

The khazra were once thought to be natural inhabitants of Sanctuary.[4] However, ancient carvings discovered by Abd al-Hazir tell the tale of the origins of the khazra. These were originally human, part of the Umbaru race found in the thick Torajan Jungles in the Teganze region of Sanctuary's eastern continent. At some point in the distant past, the five clans that would come to be known as the khazra migrated to higher elevations and began developing along different lines than the clansmen they left behind. They lived in relative peace and began the transition from a hunter-gatherer society to a farming one. This state of affairs changed dramatically when they encountered the Vizjerei during the Mage Clan Wars. At the height of the conflict, faction of the Vizjerei resolved to construct an army using demon-possessed victims, and the peaceful Umbaru clans seemed to fit the Vizjerei's needs. Within the span of a decade after making contact with the Vizjerei, some of the future khazra clans had turned from their peaceful existence to all-out warfare with the Vizjerei. al-Hazir speculated that this was the result of their brothers being transformed into goat-like creatures by the Vizjerei. As decades of savage warfare took their toll on the Umbaru's culture and minds, the clans began to search for any means to prevail over their enemies. To this end, the clans actively sought to capture a mage to do their bidding. Eventually they succeeded in violently coercing one of their captives to help them not only gain control over their transformed clan mates, but to have themselves transformed as well in order to fully drive the Vizjerei out of the Teganze.

Their strategy worked, but it was not without its price. They found themselves bound in servitude to the demon Zagraal in exchange for their cursed power. They became furious marauders, driven to raid villages and caravans to sate their bloodlust and procure sacrificial victims for their demonic master. This is also when they became known as khazra, which roughly translates as "demon" or "devil" in the Umbaru tongue.

After years of this terror, their previous brothers, the Umbaru of the lower Teganze, sent their Witch Doctors to eradicate the khazra's threat to the region. Filled with otherworldly power, the Witch Doctors cut a swath of destruction through the khazra until they confronted Zagraal himself. In a now-legendary battle, the valiant heroes fought to the last man before finally bringing Zagraal down.

The khazra continued to wage war on humanity, but without a source of demonic power to draw from, their strength diminished.[4] The Vizjerei attempted to hide their true nature through their writings, claiming they were servants of Baal.[5]

Recent History

"Some time ago, I revealed that the khazra, or goatmen, were originally humans until the Vizjerei corrupted them. For many years these creatures were simple and lethargic. These days have ended. Khazra attacks are widely reported, and the number of fatalities is higher than anything in my records..."
Impaler-cncpt

A khazra twisted by demonic forces

In the last century, the khazra have had at least two resurgances. Around the time of Diablo's awakening in Tristram, the khazra of the Western Kingdoms, once confined to only the darkest of labyrinths, ventured out to attack human encampments.[2] However, this upsurge in activity ended, and they returned to their diminished state.

In 1285, another upsurge of khazra activity occurred.[6] They ferociously attacked humans, and it appeared that much of their former ferocity had been regained.[4] Casualties were higher than anything ever recorded.[6]

In-game

Diablo I

In Diablo I, Goatmen and Goatman Archers are encountered as enemies. Classified as demons, they are encountered in the Catacombs area of the game, and are represented by the Flesh, Stone, Fire, and Night Clans.

Unique Warriors

Unique Archers

Diablo II

In Diablo II, Goatmen return. They are encountered in the first and second acts of the game, and are represented by the Moon, Night, Blood, Death, and Hell Clans.

Diablo III

Khazra

Goatman model

Goatmen return in Diablo III, this time classified as animals. Only two clans feature in the main game, the Moon and Blood Clan. Ice Clan khazra appear in Nephalem Rifts, classified as undead, but apart from a changed color scheme, are identical to Moon Clan khazra.

Unlike previous games, "Goatman" is the monster group descriptor rather than the designation for individual khazra. New sub-types are introduced in the form of spearmen (a ranged attacker) and shamans (a caster), with the classic Goatmen becoming warriors. The Moon Clan features in Act I, while the Blood Clan appears in Act III.

With the exception of Shamans, khazra are usually encountered in large numbers, being especially dangerous in mixed groups.

Lady Morthanlu is a non-combat pet available to players.

Types of Moon / Ice Clan Khazra

Goatmen D3

Goatmen models: Impaler, Brute and Shaman

Brutes are melee Moon or Ice Clan khazra. Armed with axes, they are averagely powerful and attack in close combat. If a Brute makes it to a Khazra Drum, he will make all nearby khazra more resilient and powerful, but slow them down significantly.

Impalers are armed with throwing spears. Their attack speed and Life pool is smaller than their Brute counterparts, but they deal considerable damage from afar.

Shamans attack by launching erratically moving Frozen Orbs that explode for Cold damage on impact, hitting a large area and Chilling enemies within. At point blank range, they attack with their staves. Ice Clan Shamans are identical, except they use piercing Fire attacks instead.

Types of Blood Clan Khazra

Maulers are the Blood Clan equivalent of Brutes, distinguished by their larger size and extra head. Their attacks inflict Knockback, and they can enter Berserk mode, in which they deal more damage and move faster, but the effect ends after short time.

Impalers also become two-headed, and attack much faster.

Shamans (aka Sorcerers) gain a Fireball attack and can temporarily shield allies from damage.

Uniques (Moon Clan)

Uniques (Blood Clan)

Uniques (Ice Clan)

Heroes of the Storm

Khazra-HotS

A khazra in Heroes of the Storm

Khazra appear in the Battlefield of Eternity map in Heroes of the Storm, taking the place of siege giants.[7] Their appearance is of Moon Clan Impalers.[8]

Trivia

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This section contains facts and trivia relevant to this article.
Goatman-TA

A khazra

  • The concept of goat/human hybrids bears resemblance the the satyrs and fauns of Greek and Roman mythologies respectively.
  • The nature of the khazra has changed over time with each installment of the core series, as reflected in the article's lore section. In Diablo I, the khazra were listed as creations of Baal, residing within Hell. In Diablo II, the khazra were listed as mutations (half human, half goat), and as residing within the Western Kingdoms. In Diablo III, the origins of the khazra were given as a result of the Mage Clan Wars, though retaining the demonic influence through Zagraal. It was also at this point that the term "khazra" was introduced as the proper name of the species. However, the discrepency is explained in-universe, as a case of intentional misinformation from the Vizjerei.
  • Khazra are visibly hunchbacked in the third game (as opposed to their upright posture in the first two games).

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Diablo Manual
  2. 2.0 2.1 Goatman, The Arreat Summit. Accessed on 2015-06-13
  3. To Hell and Back
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Writings of Abd al-Hazir: Khazra
  5. Writings of Abd al-Hazir: The Fallen Ones
  6. 6.0 6.1 Diablo III, Blood Clan Khazra Lore
  7. 2015-06-07, Eternal Conflict - New Diablo 3 Maps, Heroes (The Butcher), and More! PTR June 23rd. Heroes Nexus, accessed on 2015-06-18
  8. 2015-06-07, The Butcher and the Battlefield of Eternity Battleground. Heroes Nexus, accessed on 2015-06-18
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