Developer shares special meaning behind inspirational inscription on Diablo 4 item

There’s always light at the end of the tunnel, even if that tunnel is infested with scary demons. And for those fighting the digital demons of Diablo 4 while also battling inner ones themselves, one of the game’s senior quest designers included a message of hope that lots of people are thankfully seeing.

On the Diablo 4 subreddit, a user recently shared the item listing for an item titled Mark of the Conclave, a Sacred Rale Amulet that players receive for completing the side quest “A Series of Steps” in the Hawezar region. The item provides resistance to all elements, in addition to other buffs, but also provides a thoughtful inscription about the process of healing that resonated with the user who said they were going through “severe depression.”

The item’s inscription reads: “Healing is a journey. A series of steps. Some days you may stumble, but so long as you continue to put one foot in front of the other, you will reach your destination.”

The quote, which alludes to the name of the quest line, was written and programmed in by Diablo 4 senior quest designer Harrison G. Pink, who commented on the post yesterday after it got significant traction on the Diablo 4 subreddit. Pink spoke candidly about why they wrote the text and why they created the “A Series of Steps” quest.

“I wrote this flavor text for this person,” Pink said, referring to the user who submitted the post. “I wrote it for me and I wrote it for you. I wrote it hoping against hope that it might help someone remember that things will get better.

“I created this quest to be about overcoming grief and trauma, and how you cannot force healing, or always slay your demons, but by accepting who you are NOW, you can continue to heal and move forward.”

Related: How to get Forgotten Souls in Diablo 4

Since the developer linked the post, it’s been flooded with comments of support and empathy for the user and sentiments that we should all remember when dealing with grief, battling with depression, or beginning our healing journey. As one commenter wrote, “the most important step a person can take in life is the next.”