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By admin, May 22, 2012 12:50 am

Go through the door behind the wounded man. There is a waypoint here, in case you want to go back to town for anything. When you are ready to proceed, head down the stairs and enter the Halls of Agony Level one.  Here you will fight a unique enemy known as a Cultist Dark Inquisitor; a Dark Summoner Boss with more health and power than a regular Dark Summoner.

There are new types of undead monsters on this level, including Bloated Corpses and Disentombed Hulks. There are many torture tools, torture rooms, and a lot of blood on the floor, evidence of the cruel torture that takes place here.

As you delve deeper into this dungeon, you will eventually come across an Iron Maiden spawning Voracious Zombies. Destroy the Iron Maiden as quickly as possible to stop it from producing these zombies. There are also more Dark Vessels around here that transform into demons known as Unholy Thralls if you fail to eliminate them quickly enough.

Don’t neglect the opportunity to use the surrounding environment to aid you in battle. There are many traps, such as spike traps, spread throughout the Halls of Agony. If you lure monsters underneath these traps, you can activate them and take out large groups of enemies simultaneously.

As you delve deeper into the Halls of Agony, watch out for the giant cleaver traps, and plan your approach carefully so as to avoid get cut to ribbons by the huge blades. Inferno Zombies climb out of fire pits to attack you, so be careful not to wander to close to the traps when you’re battling those.

Soon you will reach a Rusty Door. Open it and enter a room that contains a Musty Lecturn. Interact with it to receive the story item Leoric’s Journal part 4. Step through another door and go towards the blinking quest marker. There will be one last group of enemies standing between you and the exit from this dungeon level. Eliminate them and enter Halls of Agony Level 2.

Be prepared for an attack by several groups of monsters at the beginning of this level. We suggest that you take the time to explore this level thoroughly before taking the exit to the Highlands Passage. Upon close examination of the torture rooms, you will find chests and torture tool racks containing loot. For those of you who are interested in the story, there is a Lectern on this level that contains Leoric’s Journal part 5. There is also a waypoint around here somewhere that you can use to return to town and resupply if you need to. Most importantly, there is an event quest that can be initiated here. As you move around, you will suddenly hear a cry for help:

Merhan: “Help me, I’m trapped! In Here! in the Iron Maiden!”

This begins the side quest: A Stranger in Need.

When you are done with the Halls of Agony Level 2, take the exit to the Highlands Passage.

Cross a stone bridge. There are enemies waiting for you on the other side of the bridge, including Dark Moon Clan Warriors, Dark Cultists, and Dark Berserkers. There is also an NPC merchant hanging around here by the name of Hadek the Fence, who could stock some good magical and rare items, so be sure to check his inventory. When you are done, go down some stairs and past another bridge to enter the Cursed Hold.

You should now speak to Queen Asylla, who can be found standing inside the hold near the entrance.

Queen Asylla: “I am Asylla – Once queen to our beloved Leoric. My servants and I were consumed by his madness. Now, I give you my blessing, champion, to release my people from their eternal torment.”

Your objective now is to free the six Prisoners’ Remains in the Cursed Hold below the Highlands Passage. The quest log will show you how many prisoner’s remains you have freed. But first, go inside a small chamber next to where Queen Asylla was standing. Search the Queen’s chest next to her bed to find a green story item: Queen Asylla’s Journal.  Now enter the main area of the Hold, where you will find many jail cells. Break open all the cell doors and search each of the cells for the prisoners’ remains.

Enemies you’ll encounter here include returned executioners, undead horrors, savage fiends, tortured summoners, jailed deserters, and jailed poachers. This prison is quiet big, and there are many cells, so it might take you a while to locate all the prisoners’ remains. Interact with each of the remains in order to free them. As you free each one, you hear the threatening voice of a furious warden who is not impressed by your actions.

After you have freed all six prisoners, Queen Asylla will appear and thank you for freeing her servants. The curse over this place remains, however. She asks you to seek out the Warden at the prison’s center and put an end to his evil forever.

Go and confront the elite boss: The Warden, Head Jailer of King Leoric. He will perform the following attacks on you: Mace Swing, Knockback Slam. Savage Fiends will join the battle and aid the Warden in attacking you. Focus your attacks exclusively on the Warden and let any followers you have deal with the fiends, who are a good source of health globes. Strike the Warden and then back off quickly to avoid his mace attack. He has a lot of health so this fight can take a while.

After killing the Warden, gather all the loot and make your way to the exit, which should be towards the back of the prison. Use the yellow blinking circle on the mini-map to guide you.

You will be fighting some more Tortured Summoners, Jailed Poachers, and Returned Executioners as you make your way off of this level of the dungeon.

In the very last parts of this prison, you will encounter a large group of Savage Fiends. Area of effect attacks or spells work very well here. Before you descend a flight of stairs leading you to the exit, open a Rusty Door at the top. You see the scene of Queen Asylla being executed, recreated by some spirits:

Lazarus’ Ghost: “My lord, the prisoner is ready, as you requested.”
King Leoric’s Ghost: “Thank you, Lazarus. Your loyalty is invaluable in the midst of all these traitors. And you, my dear, my own wife and queen, conspiring against our kingdom…”
Queen Asylla: “My love, I swear I have never betrayed you…”
Lazarus’ Ghost: “Lies until the very end.”

After the scene fades, pick up a green item that you will see lying on the ground and make your way down the stairs and enter the Halls of Agony Level 3.

You will face Dark Berserkers and Dark Cultists at the beginning of this dungeon level, and later you will run into Dark Summoners, Dark Vessels, Unholy Thralls, Dark Hellions, Vicious Hellions, and Inferno Zombies. Search Torture Barrels and Sacrificial Heads for loot. There’s also a chest or two to be found in this dungeon. You will also come across a Musty Lecturn in one of the corridors that yields a green lore item.

Make your way to the back of the Dungeon and enter the Chamber of Suffering. A cut-scene unfolds:

Maghda: “Leah must be back in Tristram, crying over the old man’s corpse. She’ll soon have another one to cry over – yours. Meet – The Butcher.”

With 5,000 hit points, The Butcher is a difficult boss to defeat. He uses the Melee, Smash, Frenzy and Grappling Hook attacks/abilities against you. Your character should be at least level 12 for this battle; ideally level 13 or above. If you are lower than level 13 and you keep getting killed trying to do this, you should head back to previous areas and kill monsters until you reach level 13 or 14. Or you can get a friend to help you.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that during this battle certain parts of the floor will erupt in flames that can damage your character.

Unlike the Skeleton King, the Butcher does not summon minions to help him. While this sounds like an advantage, it actually isn’t, because minions summoned by bosses are usually sources of red health globes, but there are none of those during this fight. There are two healing wells in the upper corner of the chamber, but they dry out after being used and take time to replenish.

You should therefore make good use of your healing potions, and possibly the health spell and regeneration ability of the Templar. The Templar is a more useful follower to have with you in this fight for that reason, so if you are having difficulties defeating the Butcher with the Scoundrel as your follower, you might want to return to town and pick up the Templar.

The first thing to do is avoid the flaming eruptions from the floor that will cause you to lose critical health; every ounce of health is important during this battle. When a section of the floor is going to erupt it will turn reddish and continue to do so for a couple of seconds until the fire bursts. When you see the section of floor you’re standing on start to glow, move to a different tile immediately.

Be sure to also avoid the Butcher’s cone attack, which is when he shoots his grappling chain across a wide area. Another move with his grappling hook is when he catches you and pulls you over next to him so he can strike you with a melee attack. When he glows orange, he is preparing to execute a special frenzy attack in which he knocks you back then sprints and charges towards you for a devastating strike.

All classes: Stay constantly on the move throughout the battle and do everything possible to evade the attacks mentioned above. Make use of the healing wells at the top of the room and your healing potions.

Barbarians: Use Bash, Hammer of the Ancients and Leap Attacks with hit and run strategies. Draw back when the Butcher is carrying out his melee attacks. Lose Pound of Flesh as it is of no use here, and instead take Nerves of Steel as your passive.

Wizards: Stay on the run, avoid the Butcher’s melee attacks and grappling hook chains, and don’t get caught by the flames beneath you. Use your basic magic missile attack, as well as the Ray of Frost, as the Butcher is vulnerable to cold damage. Have Blur in your loadout as a passive skill, as it will be of some help if you get stunned and attacked in melee. Diamond Skin should be equipped to your defensive action bar for when you are in danger.

Witch Doctors: Ditch the Corpse Spiders and the Toads, which are not helpful in this battle. Equip poison darts with the Splinter Runes instead, and use that as your primary attack, shooting them when you stop motion for a split second. You can deploy Zombie Chargers and Zombie Dogs from time to time to distract the Butcher and buy you valuable seconds. Be aware, however, that Zombie Dogs will not survive very long in this battle, so they are put to better use in conjunction with the Sacrifice Skill. Use Sacrifice as soon as the Zombie Dogs get close to the Butcher. If you do not use it immediately, the Zombie Dogs will be dead and it will be too late.

Monks: Fists of Thunder should be your primary attack, with Lashing Tail kick your secondary attack to knock the Butcher back and give you some breathing room. Fleet Footed is crucial as your passive skill, since you will be running about a lot to evade the Butcher and the erupting floor throughout the battle.

Demon Hunters: Bola Shot is a very good skill to have as your primary for this battle, accompanied with Impale, which always comes in handy during Boss Fights. Caltrops are effective at slowing the Butcher down, and Vault will help you while you are running about. Complement these with Tactical Advantage as the passive skill as that will make you even more evasive.

Stay composed and follow these instructions and the Butcher will eventually fall before you.

Head north through the corridor and take the exit into the Cells of the Condemned. Follow the trail of blood down the stairs. You see cultists and members of the coven performing some sort of ritual on the amnesiac stranger. You will be attacked by Dark Ritualists, Dark Berserkers, Dark Cultists, and Dark Wizards. Dispatch all the enemies and then speak to the stranger. He says he is dying. When you return his sword to him he regains his memory. His name is Tyrael. He was an archangel of the High Heavens; he was the embodiment of justice.

The current quest is now completed. Talk to Tyrael again. He now remembers the warning that he came to deliver: Belial and Azmodan, the last Lords of Hell, are unleashing a tide of darkness that will drown this world. Already, Belial’s shadow has crept upon Caldeum. We must move quickly. Let us return to Tristram to make ready.

Tyrael opens a portal to New Tristram. Follow him in, then talk to him again back at the town. He tells you that time grows short. Belial’s influence is spreading through Caldeum. He believes that Maghda and her coven will lead you straight to Belial. Leah does not want to go anywhere until her uncle Deckard has been laid to rest, so she will not be joining you as a follower.

Tyrael tells you that he has called for a caravan to guide you to the east. Speak to the caravan master when you are ready to depart. You should finish any exploring or other unfinished business around New Tristram before leaving. Your followers (Templar and Scoundrel), and Blacksmith travel with you. You will be asked: “Do you wish to travel to the next act?”. Once you’re sure you’re ready, speak with the Caravan Leader and choose to proceed.

This concludes Act I of Diablo 3.

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By admin, May 21, 2012 8:31 pm

As you enter Cain’s house, a cut-scene unveils. Maghda is holding Deckard Cain and Leah hostage. She tells Cain that he has a choice: either use his Horadric arts to repair the sword, or watch his niece die a horrible death. Deckard is kneeling on the ground, pinned down by magic, with the three sword fragments lying in front of him.

Maghda says she wants the sword for her master, Belial. She hurts Deckard, which causes Leah to become enraged and break free from her captors. Maghda tells Leah that her rage is overwhelming, and admits that Leah wins this round, but if the sword cannot be hers, she will claim the one it’s bound to. She then casts a spell on the amnesiac stranger and disappears with him.

Leah runs over to her uncle and tells him that he can’t die. Deckard replies that nothing can stop that now, and there is one last thing he must do: the sword must be made whole. With his dying breath, he unites the three pieces of the sword. Just as he suspected, the sword is of the High Heavens. The stranger is an angel. Heed the journal, the truth lies within. Deckard Cain dies and the cut-scene ends.

You are standing outside Deckard Cain’s home in New Tristram. Talk to Leah. She is understandably upset that her uncle is dead, and by the fact that she could do nothing to save him. If only she could control this new found power of hers… You tell her not to blame herself, that Maghda is the one who must pay for Cain’s death, together with this master of hers, Belial. The journal speaks of “an angel falling from the heavens as the shadow rises from the Abyss.” The stranger is the key to all of this. You must locate the stranger and return his sword to him.

Leah tells you that when her power erupted, she had a fleeting glance into Maghda’s mind. She’s fled to the Highlands, which you can reach through the caves above Wortham.

When you are ready, use the waypoint to teleport to the Wortham Chapel Cellar. Exit the chapel and head north and north-east. Search the bodies of dead villagers you find along the way for loot. Go across the bridge when you arrive at the Wortham Bluffs. You now come across an NPC displaying a quest giver’s exclamation mark. Speaking to him will start the event quest: The Sacrificial Hermit.

Next, go through the entrance to caverns of Araneae.

There is body wrapped in a spider’s cocoon near the entrance; an indicator of what you will face here. Search the body for gold or loot, then continue further into the caverns. Go down the stairs and past some piles of egg sacks and some cobwebs. At this point you will be attacked by all sorts of undead and beasts, including Ghouls, Spiderlings and Arachnid Horrors. You will encounter a huge spider: a Toxic Lurker. You might run into elite bosses such as Kagra the Gorgon.

There are several sources of loots in this place. At least one chest is to be found. You can shoot egg sacks and usually find some gold inside. Also keep an eye out for a dusty bag that contains a green story item called Hermit’s Ravings. There is also a Treasure Bandit/Treasure Goblin running around. Most of all be on the lookout for a Resplendent Chest, which contains higher quality loot such as uncommon and possibly rare items, not to mention a lot of gold.

These caves are extensive so it will take you a while to explore them all, but eventually you come across the entrance to Queen Araneae’s Chamber. When you go inside you will see a woman trapped in a web. Speak to her.

Karyna: “Please, help me! It’s horruble – she sucks the innards from her victims! Oh no…no! It’s too late; I hear her! The spider queen is coming!”

Queen Araneae now appears and attacks you. She has several abilities at her disposal: Spider Web, Summon Minions, Web Charge, Melee Strike, Web Spit and Spider Vomit. Be warned that her attacks transmit poisons that can weaken you and slow you down.

Depending on your class, attack her with melee or ranged attacks. Keep an eye on your health and take action when it is low. When you deplete about a third of her health, she will retreat and summon some Araneae Minions. You will have to kill all six of those before the Queen will return to the battle. This repeats when you deplete two thirds of her health. A follower, if you have one, can take some of the heat while you heal yourself with potions or red globes when your health runs low. When you’re not healing yourself or dealing with her minions, stay focused on the queen and keep striking her with all you’ve got.

Slaying Queen Araneae should provide you with some good quality loot, including a bunch of purple items (magical items), and up to two yellow items (rare). Karyna, the woman in the web, tells you that you’ll need the Queen’s venom to dissolve the web that holds her.

To harvest the venom, interact with the toxic pool of fuming green water,  which you can find in the same chamber where you killed the Spider Queen. Now use the venom to free Karyna.

Karyna thanks you, and wants to leave this place immediately. There is an exit to the Highlands Crossing just behind the spot where Karyna was held, so go out that way. When you are outside at the Crossing, talk to Karyna again and she will say that it was terrible, being trapped in there like that. She thanks the gods that you came along. When she asks you what you are doing out here, tell her you that you seek a man who has been abducted by the Coven. Karyna then recalls that she saw them dragging someone into Leoric’s Manor house; perhaps that was the man you’re looking for. You might have difficulty getting to that location, however.

Karyna is not proud of the fact, but she confesses that she stole the staff of a powerful Khazra Shaman. The shaman chased her into the caves. You can find this staff on Karyna’s Lost Wagon in the Southern Highlands. If you fetch it and take it to the Khazra Barricade, they may let you pass by unmolested.

Head down the stairs and follow the path west. Along the way, you will encounter Dark Moon Clan Warriors as well as a flying monster called the Withermoth. There is a waypoint here in case you need to return to town to restock. Otherwise, keep going westwards. Go through a gate and across a bridge. A Dark Moon Clan Shaman is waiting for you on the other side. Kill him and continue along the road. Watch out for Highland Walkers, who look like trees and will attack you as you pass by.

You are free to explore the Southern Highlands at your leisure. They consist mostly of open areas, and are unfortunately filled with monsters. It is easy to try and escape from one group only to run into another group, and so become surrounded and heavily outnumbered. So instead of running away from groups of monsters, try to eliminate them as quickly as possible, and stay in a small radius while fighting. There are also some elite bosses lurking around, such as Fade, Patron of the Mad and Felyron the Murderer.

As you head deeper into the zone, you will eventually arrive at an area marked by some totems, which indicate that you are on the right track. The yellow circle on your map signifies the location of Karyna’s lost wagon. Interact with the wagon to get the Khazra Staff you seek.

Now that you’ve got the staff, you can approach the Khazra Barricade in the northern part of the Southern Highlands. There should be a gold arrow on the mini-map pointing you in the right direction, just to the east of Karyna’s Lost Wagon. You might also be attacked by another boss at this stage, such as Nalghban the Foul (a Dark Moon Clan Elder Shaman).

When you draw close to the Khazra Barricade, the gates will open and some monsters will attack you. Area of effect attacks work well here, while your targets are grouped. Once they’re eliminated you can continue on your way; your next task is to locate Leoric’s Manor Courtyard. The path curves, and eventually you cross into the Northern Highlands.

This zone includes Vile Hellbats and Cursed Nests, as well as more Highland Walkers. Head towards the north-east. Soon you will come across a big group of Horned Chargers (Teleporter Minions), which might also include a boss amongst them, a yellow named monster such as Evil Eye the Hellion.

Soon you reach an area with a floor comprised of stone bricks and some burned buildings. Move across this area and climb up some stairs and you will enter Leoric’s Hunting Grounds. There are Dark Summoners, Dark Cultists and Dark Hellions here. Cross the stone bridge to the north-west, open the massive iron gate, and enter Leoric’s Manor Courtyard.

Move through this zone while being constantly on guard against the Dark Cultists waiting in ambush. Enter Leoric’c Manor when you reach it.

There will be more Dark Cultists at the entrance, as well as Dark Berserkers. There could also be a Dark Cultist Boss here (yellow), such as Malifant the Damned or Scathach Filthpit. Kill them, and find a green item – Orders from Maghda, which is added to your journal. There are also pieces of Leoric’s Journal spread around the manor. Head towards the stairs. A Dark Vessel is performing a Ritual that will transform it into an Unholy Thrall, which will be harder to kill, so take it out quickly before it transforms.

Climb the stairs and explore the corridors of Leoric’s Manor. Eventually you reach the big manor doors. Enter the room and watch from the balcony what is unfolding before you. Maghda is conferring with the members of her Coven. You overhear the cultists saying that the stranger is unstoppable, that no mortal could slaughter their brethren with such ease. Get down there and attack the cultists. These include Dark Summoners who summon Dark Hellions to attack you. Maghda orders the cultists to delay you while she prepares your demise in the depths bellow. Eliminate all the cultists.

Interact with the Wounded Man. He tells you that the members of the coven did horrible things to them. Tell him that you are looking for the stranger and he will tell you that he saw a man with golden eyes who Maghda took into Leoric’s old torture chambers below you.

Here ends this quest.

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By admin, May 20, 2012 8:08 pm

Talk to the amnesiac stranger and tell him about the second fragment of the sword that you just recovered from the Drowned Temple and about your encounter with Maghda in the temple, about how she seeks the third fragment of the sword even now. The stranger tells you that he remembers a glowing light streaking towards a fishing village. Leah remarks that what he’s describing sounds like the village of Wortham. Deckard suggests that you have the Ferryman take you there.

Head west, towards the waypoint, and speak with the Ferryman. Tell him you need to go across the water to Wortham. He says he’ll take you, but he also warns you to be careful, as smoke has been seen rising from the village.

When you arrive at Wortham, one of the villagers cries that the town is being destroyed and to get away while you can. You need to travel to the center of Wortham. Follow the waypoint north-west, killing the Dark Zealots and Dark Evokers you encounter on the way that are pillaging the village.

At some point a villager will beg you to save his family, who are hiding in the chapel with the rest of the villagers, and runs off to the chapel, ignoring Leah’s warnings. Go after him. Kill the cultists outside the chapel. When you kill all the enemies in this zone, Maghda will appear. She declares that you cannot keep the final piece of the sword from her, and that her servants will burn Wortham to ashes.

She then summons a boss called Urzeg Mordreg; a mage who summons dark hellions and shoots fireballs at you. He is vulnerable to attacks from melee range, so get up close and hack at him if you can. Otherwise, use your direct range attacks to eliminate him. Dark Berserkers will also appear and join the fight. These are huge creatures that attack in melee, so be prepared to deal with them simultaneously. Take out Uzreg first, then the Dark Berserkers.

When you have rid the area of enemies, the villagers thank you for saving their lives. Speak with the priest near the burning building. Tell him that you’ve come here seeking a fragment of a sword that fell from the sky and glows with powerful magic. The priest tells you they found it days ago but he now wishes they’d never brought it here, and that he and the others will be happy to be rid of the thing. He left Virgil to stand guard over it.

Leah tells you that she is going back to Tristram to check on her uncle Deckard. She is no longer one of your followers.

Follow the priest into the Wortham Chapel Cellar to retrieve the Sword Hilt. When you interact with the stand that supposedly contains the Glowing Sword Shard, you discover that it is not there. Suddenly Maghda appears. She laughs and tells you that while you were busy saving the village, she captured all three sword pieces and your allies.

You now need to hurry back to New Tristram and deal with this disturbing new development. Use your town portal spell or the waypoint nearby to return to the town. Enter Deckard Cain’s house, located to the right of the inn.

At this point the quest ends.

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By admin, May 20, 2012 4:24 pm

Speak to Leah and tell her what you heard the voice of Maghda say: that the next fragment of the sword rests “where only the ancients may tread”. Leah says that these words make her think of the Drowned Temple near the Festering Woods. Her uncle Deckard agrees with her. He asks Leah to join you in retrieving the second sword piece.

The Drowned Temple was once home to the Nephalem, who, according to Leah, were ancient humans with amazing powers. Legend has it that they waged a terrible battle near the temple, and that their ghosts still war with one another.

You now have Leah as a follower in your party. Take the New Tristram waypoint and teleport back to the fields of misery.

Head north-east towards the waypoint. In this area you will run into a wood wraith; a monster that resembles a tree. Keep traveling north-east along the path, passing through a small body of water. When you reach the old mill, someone calls out to you for help. Talk to the person.

Scoundrel: “Thieves are going to kill my friend if we don’t do something! Help me break these bonds, and see for yourself. She’s just a farmer’s daughter – Shasha, but she has a relic that the thieves are after.”

Follow the Scoundrel and he’ll open the gate. Follow him inside. Now talk to the Brigands. Order them to release the girl and say that the relic belongs to her. The Brigands will claim the Scoundrel is lying and attack you. Kill the Brigands. There is a boss fight here against a man named Nigel Cutthroat. As you slay him, he tells you that this isn’t over; that the rest of the Thieves Guild will find you. Speak with the Scoundrel again.

Sasha: “Here’s the relic, my love. I hid it like you asked. Father’s grown suspicious of us, but that won’t matter once we’re married. It won’t be long, right?”

Scoundrel: “Of course, my dear! Soon we will settle down to a quiet life of tilling the fields and raising brats… uh… children. But first I have to sell this relic! Alas, I must travel away with my friends here to do so.”

The Scoundrel comments that you look like someone who knows a lot about markets, and asks you to lead the way. Take the Scoundrel north to the waypoint. At some point the Scoundrel will introduce himself as Lyndon and offer to accompany you on your journey.

You now have the choice of replacing the Templar with the Scoundrel. The Scoundrel is a deadly archer who wields two-handed bow weapons. If you accept the Scoundrel’s offer, the Templar will return to town and you can add him to your party again at any time in the future. We would recommend you take the Scoundrel so that you can become familiar with the skills and abilities of a different type of follower.

After you arrive at the Drowned Temple, you need to speak to Alaric, a ghost standing at the base of some stairs. Leah says this must be Alaric the Guardian. Her uncle Deckard told her of Alaric’s eternal watch over this cursed place, but she had always believed it to be a myth. Alaric asks Leah if she is Nephalem. Leah replies in the negative, and says that there have been no Nephalem for a millennium. You seek entrance to this temple, but only a Nephalem can enter. Alaric says that if you retrieve the keys from the outlying tombs and use them on the gates, we will see who, and what, you truly are.

Alaric instructs your party to follow him before raising the bridge so that you may pass. Go to the Festering Woods. Head up the stairs, following Alaric. He tells you to seek two tombs in the woods beyond: the Warrior’s Rest, and the Crypt of the Ancients. Within them reside the keys to the temple. Cross the bridge towards the yellow waypoint.

You arrive at the Festering Woods. Keep following the trail to the north-east. You’ll soon encounter a fork in the road. Turn right. You will now have to fight your way through ghouls, enraged phantoms, and other types of ghosts. Turn left at the next junction, then head towards the yellow circle in the center. Climb the stairs and interact with the memorial stone near the dead soldiers. This unlocks the event quest: Last Stand Of The Ancients.

Once you’ve completed the event quest you can proceed with the main quest. Keep moving north and north-east through the Festering Woods. Soon you encounter a group of Returned, Returned Archers, Plague Carriers, and a huge Plague Nest. Dispose of them and continue northwards along the path. You will have to fight some Ghouls and Enraged Phantoms.

You should soon come across the entrance to the Warrior’s Rest tomb. Go inside. You will find chests and lootable ancient skeletons here. Explore the dungeon; it’s not very big. You might run across elite bosses here, such as the Hatemonger Wormboiler.  There are also more undead for you to fight. You should reach the edge of this dungeon and find the Beacon of Honor before too long.

Once you’ve retrieved the Beacon of Honor, go back outside and explore the rest of the Festering Woods until you find the Crypt of the Ancients. Watch for yellow (elite) monsters such as Grule the Brute as they can often leave good items when slain.

When you approach the Crypt of the Ancients, you will encounter more Plague Carriers and a Plague Nest. Eliminate them and enter the crypt. This tomb is bigger than Warrior’s Rest and contains more monsters, but it is still not very big compared to other dungeons you’ve delved through, such as the Cathedral. The yellow arrow should point you to the location of the Beacon of Light.

Now that you have both beacons in your possession, leave the tomb and follow the yellow arrow out of the Festering Woods and past the bridge, back to where you encountered Alaric. There are two pedestals in this area, one on each side of the platform.  Place one of the beacons on each of those pedestals.

Alaric now informs you that the temple is open, and instructs you to enter and defeat the guardians within. He warns you that although they are his brothers, they will attempt to kill you when you enter. The waypoint is nearby, so if you need to restock on potions or unload your inventory back in town, you should do so now. When you’re ready, enter the Drowned Temple.

Cross a frail wooden bridge. There are enemies on the other side: Returned Archers, Returned Shieldmen, and Returned Summoners. If you find yourself being surrounded, we suggest you retreat back towards the entrance.

Soon after those first enemies are defeated, you will encounter a boss named Ezek the Prophet who will be aided in this fight by three brothers named Moek, Larel and Karel. Ezek is a melee type boss who will swing at you with a big axe. Ranged characters should attack him from distance.  The Skeletal Brothers each use a sword attack against you, and one of them has an additional knockback ability.

When you’ve defeated Ezek and the three brothers, Talk to Alaric, who’s spirit should now appear in the same room where you fought Ezek. He will grant you entrance to their most sacred place. You now must take possession of the Glowing Sword Shard. Enter the secret room that opens and you will encounter Maghda again, and must fight off a group of Dark Zealots that appear and attack you. As soon as all the enemies have been dealt with, pick up the Glowing Sword Shard and teleport back to New Tristram with it.

This completes the quest.

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By admin, May 19, 2012 12:12 am

Talk to Deckard Cain. He is standing near the New Tristram Inn talking to the amnesiac stranger, prompting him to recall every detail he can about his experience. The stranger mentions falling, fire, and a sword of great power. He says it was once a part of him, but that it shattered into three pieces as he fell.

Deckard Cain believes it is vital that we find those pieces. He believes that if the sword is made whole it will restore the stranger’s memory. Leah mentions that the Goatmen are rampaging through the fields, and suspects this sword may have something to do with their behavior. Deckard agrees. He thinks that just as the dead rose around the stranger, the sword fragments have driven the Goatmen to madness.

You now need to go to the Fields of Misery. Do whatever you need to do in town before you leave. When you are ready to go, head to the New Tristram Waypoint and choose ‘Cemetery of the Forsaken’ as your destination. Upon arrival, head northeast, following the yellow arrow. Pass through a big gate and enter the Fields of Misery. Your objective now is to locate the Khazra (the Goatmen) Den somewhere within the Fields of Misery.

Enemies you encounter here include beasts such as Moon Clan Warriors, Plague Carriers, and a gigantic Savage Beast. Look for beacons such as a Fortune Shrine, which will give you a blessing that grants you +25% magic and gold find. There are also some chests to be found in this area. The exit you seek can be found to the north-west. As soon as you’re done exploring the Fields of Misery, locate the cave and enter the Khazra Den.

Inside the cave you will run into Enraged Zealots, Moon Clan Warriors, and Moon Clan Impalers. Fight your way past them all to the rear of the cave. Soon you will encounter Urik the Seer, Prophet of Torture, performing a dark ritual with some cultists.  He will say something about needing to hurry with the ritual because Maghda will be here soon. You need to get the Glowing Sword Shard lying here; it is one of the three fragments of the sword you’re trying to reassemble. Attack and kill Urik and the cultists.

Before you can claim the shard, you suddenly hear a dark, female voice. It asks, who are you to take what is hers? You tell it that you will return the object to its owner. But Maghda, for it is her voice that you’re hearing, says that she has claimed it. She leads the Coven and the Shard is hers now. You disagree with her, and a fight ensues. She summons Enraged Zealots to attack you. Eliminate them and she will tell you “well fought, but you will never possess the next piece. It has fallen where only the ancients may tread.”

Take the Glowing Sword Shard. Now take the fragment back to Deckard Cain in New Tristram. Explore the cavern completely before leaving, however, as there might be some chests lying around.  Return to New Tristram using a town portal or the Misery Fields waypoint.

When you tell Deckard about what happened, Leah says this sounds like those dark cultists Cain told her about. Deckard asks the stranger if any of these events sound at all familiar to him. The stranger has no memory of this coven, but he does say that he senses a “far darker shadow” guiding its hand.

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By admin, May 18, 2012 7:25 pm

Go and speak to Deckard Cain, who is standing near the Inn. You tell him that you have the crown in your possession, and ask if he can direct you to the lost king. Deckard tells you that with Leoric’s Crown you will be able to unlock the sealed door in the room where you previously rescued him and enter the Royal Crypts. He instructs that when you find the Skeleton King, you must place the crown atop his head, then attack and destroy him.

We advise you to sell any spare items in your inventory before you depart, so as to make room for the additional loot you will find during this quest. Tashun the Miner is the nearest merchant, so go and sell any unneeded belongings to him. Then, when you are ready, use the waypoint to return to the Cathedral Garden.

Your objective now is to enter Leoric’s Passsage. Once you’re inside, climb down the stairs and open the Ornate Door. Step through and you will be in the Cathedral Level 2. The big Ornate Door closes behind you. You must now descend through the remaining levels of the cathedral. Throughout the second level you will encounter enemies such as Undead, Unburied, Carrion Bats, Skeletons, Tomb Guardians and more.

If you run across a Scribe Lectern, interact with it and you will receive a green item such as Lachdanan’s Scroll Part 1. Green items are lore/quest items. They cannot be equipped, but do reveal more of the story. As you climb up and down some stairs and move around a blue chasm, scan the mini-map and look for either a gold arrow or a blinking circle as a direction toward the exit. Some of the wall panels you pass will explode and monsters will jump out of them, so keep yourself constantly ready for combat. Remember to check the barrels, wooden chests, and armor racks for any useful items or treasure.

As soon as you find the exit you can advance to Cathedral Level 3. The game will save a checkpoint immediately as you go in. You will eventually reach a chamber containing a group of Dark Cultists who are surrounding a warrior and apparently performing some sort of evil experiments on him. You should attempt to rescue the warrior.

Kill all of the Dark Cultists and talk to the warrior. You ask him who he is, to which he replies that you will know soon enough. He asks you to help him recover his equipment, and he says that he will reward you well. Your next priority is to find the warrior’s stolen items.

Proceed deeper into the cathedral. There are Skeletons here, as well as Servants of Jordar. The warrior will let you know when you get close to his weapons; he will also go and retrieve them himself and equip them. He eventually introduces himself as Kormac, warrior of the Templar order. He says that he has also come to this place to challenge the Skeleton King, and that to reach him you will first have to fight your way past Jondar. He says there is no reason why the two of you should hunt alone.

You now need to find and kill Jondar. Kormac becomes your follower.You will now fight another boss by the name Fausto Devilkin. When he’s defeated, continue along the corridors, fighting more Skeletons, Servants of Jondar, and Necromatic Minions. Soon you will encounter Jondar, a purple boss. Jondar summons skeletons to fight you and shoots poison projectiles at you. You should target Jondar, and let Kormac deal with the summoned skeletons.

After the two of you dispatch Jondar, the Templar thanks you for your aid and tells you that he will accompany you and aid you in your hunt for the Skeleton King on one condition: if you find the Sacred Tomes of the Templar’s order they are his to take.

You now have a choice to make; you must decide whether you want Kormac the Templar to join you. He’s a fierce melee warrior who wields one-handed weapons and a shield. If you decide not to let him join you, he will travel to the town and you can return there to get him at any time.

Unless you are grouped with other human players, we recommend you let Kormac join you, as having him around will make your upcoming battles easier. You can also choose a skill for him, and we suggest that you choose the heal skill, which will also be of help to you in your upcoming battles. You can left click on his icon to access the Follower menu or right click to talk to your follower. When you’re ready, continue moving through the Cathedral.

The exit to Cathedral Level 4 should be nearby. Go through it and down some spiral stairs into a fight with some Harvesters. There are also Skeletal Archers on this level that attack you from a distance, as well as the usual Skeletons, Tomb Guardians, Fiends, and other undead. You will at one point come across some Tomb Guardians performing a ritual; attack them to interrupt their ritual. They will be joined by Harvesters and Skeletal Shieldbearers.

The fourth level of the Cathedral is quiet a large one, so you have much to explore before reaching the exit. Check your map once in a while to get your bearings. Try to find a Scribe’s Lectern with a green story item: Lachdanan’s Scroll Part 2 on it, which gets added to your journal. Be on your guard as you may at some point encounter a harvester elite boss, such as Drekavac Filthpit. Break any wooden doors you see, because beyond many of those are rooms containing chests and treasure. Eventually you will reach the entrance to the Royal Crypts.

You now have to locate the Crypt of the Skeleton King somewhere within the Royal Crypts. Keep exploring and you will eventually come across Leoric’s Sword. Interact with it and there will be a small cut-scene in which you behold the ghost of Lachdanan executing Leoric.

Keep going forward to find a room with four pillars. There are arrow traps in this room so be careful. The ghost of Leoric will activate some pillars that summon skeletons. Destroy the activated pillars as well as the skeletons. If you still have the Templar, let him deal with the skeletons while you focus on one pillar at a time.  If you have any area of effect attacks, use them to aid Kormac a bit if he looks like he’s struggling. Soon you reach an Iron Gate, which is the entrance to the Crypt of the Skeleton King. Go inside.

You witness a short cut-scene. The Skeleton King collapses the bridge in front of you, and sends his minions to fight you. Go around, killing the Returned as you go. Enter the main chamber and place Leoric’s crown on the Skeleton King and he’ll come to life. Your task now is to do battle with and destroy the Skeleton King; the Mad King of Tristram.

The Skeleton King is easily the toughest opponent you’ve encountered so far. He has a lot of health and his attacks deal a huge amount of damage. He will mainly use the following three types of attacks against you: Mace Attack (Melee), Summon Skeletons (Magic), and Teleport Attack (Magic).

The skeletons he will summon are two Forgotten Soldiers and two Returned. He usually casts a pair of those spells to call eight undead minions to aid him. Use area of effect attacks on the minions he summons if you possess those, as they are a good source of health globes. Be sure to use the red globes only when you really need them.

Whenever you see him about to perform a whirlwind attack, move back a bit so that it misses you and hopefully kills some of his minions. Stay on the move whenever you can during this fight, both to avoid the Skeleton King’s devastating melee attacks and to evade the groups of his minions. This battle might take a long time with you possibly dying in the first few attempts, but don’t get discouraged. Keep following these tactics and you should eventually be able to defeat the Skeleton King.

When the Skeleton King has fallen, pick up any loot he drops – most likely he drops a rare (yellow) item -and move forward to where his throne used to be and go through the entrance to the Desolate Chamber. Your next objective in this quest is to talk to the stranger you’ll meet within this place. You should find him near the crater; go around and down the stairs. Speak to the person standing in the center of the crater. He tells you he remembers falling. He tells you he is not your enemy. He has come with a warning: the darkness is coming. You tell him that you will take him to Cain. You should return to New Tristram now. Use the town portal skill or go to the waypoint on your map.

There will be another cut-scene at this point. You have learned that the fallen star was not a comet, but a man who appears to have no recollection of who he is. You should bring him to Deckard Cain to see if he has the answers. Talk to Deckard Cain and introduce him to the amnesiac man. Deckard says that no man could survive such a thing, and asks the stranger who or what he is. The Stranger says he thinks he is a warrior. He came bearing grave news, but he cannot remember. Deckard thinks that the stranger’s message might be all that can save you all from impending doom.

This completes the quest.

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By admin, May 18, 2012 11:37 am

After you have spoken with Leah, speak to Cain again. He will tell you to go and find the town’s blacksmith, who might have more information about the Skeleton King’s Crown. Head off to the west and talk to this blacksmith. He’ll ask you to follow him into a cellar. Do as he requests, and slay the Ravenous Dead that await you inside. After killing the blacksmith’s wife, Mira Eamon, who had sadly transformed into an undead, question him again and he’ll tell you where to find the crown and also mention an apprentice of his that left and never came back (this begins the side quest: The Blacksmith’s Apprentice).

Go back outside and head to the gate to the north. At some point here you will be attacked by a group of enemies. Dispatch them and continue following the path until you arrive at the cemetery. Once inside the cemetery you will need to investigate three open crypts to determine which one of them holds the crown you seek. If a crypt has a second level, you’re in the right place. If a crypt contains a pillar that teleports you back to the cemetery, or if you are able to receive an event quest, you are in the wrong place.

As soon as you reach a large door, an enemy will bang on it. Manglemaw will come forth. He’s a relatively easy boss; finish him quickly and head inside the Chancellor’s Tomb. Follow the path and you will eventually reach the crown. Activate it without delay. You will now have to fight Chancellor Eamon. He can use magic from long range and slow your movement speed. He also has the ability to pick you up and toss you around.

Once he has been defeated, use your newly found Town Portal ability (default T) to return to the town and speak with Haedrig. He will be surprised that you have recovered the crown and will say that it needs to be repaired. After a moment he will return it to you almost as good as new. From now on you may use the blacksmiths’ equipment to craft new armor.

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By admin, May 18, 2012 11:17 am

Captain Rumford will ask you to try and talk some sense into Leah and earn the quest The Legacy of Cain. Talk with her, and she’ll tell you to go back to the Old Ruins and find the keys to the gate. Use the waypoint to head back to the ruins, then follow the path north to Adria’s Hut and go into the cellar. Here you’ll encounter the former Captain of the Guard. He’ll use an ice attack that can freeze you. When he does this, make sure to move out of the range of the ice bombs. Keep your distance and use hit-and-run tactics and you should be okay. When he’s dead, talk with Leah.

Head back outside and be attacked by a group of Risen. Destroy them and follow the path outside the hut to the east. Follow this path north-west until you reach the Cathedral. Go inside and you’ll be on level one of the Cathedral. Explore the first level until you locate the stairs to Leoric’s Passage.

Upon entering Leoric’s Passage, you will behold a cut scene in which you will see Deckard Cain running through a doorway and the Skeleton King trying to sop him by raising some skeletons to attack him. You will need to go down and fight and defeat the Royal Henchmen and Royal Executioner before being able to continue with this quest. When you talk to Cain, he’ll walk towards the bookshelf and reveal a secret passageway. Enter it and follow Cain through the waypoint back to New Tristram. Talk with Leah again when you return.

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By admin, May 18, 2012 11:05 am

When you begin the game you will be taken through a brief tutorial on how to move and attack enemies and how to communicate with the non-player characters (NPCs) in the game world. As you make your way down the path and attack the Risen you will eventually reach the gate into New Tristram.

In front you will meet Captain Rumford after helping him defeat some more Risen. When you speak to him you will receive your first quest: The Fallen Star. Your first task is to assist him in fending off another attack by Risen and Crawling Torso. Afterwards you should proceed into the town and speak with Leah inside the Slaughtered Calf Inn. She will tell you to go back to Captain Rumford and find a way to prevent the Risen from destroying the city. Head back to the main gate and talk to Rumford again. Shortly after the conversation you will be attacked by several Risen and a Wretched Mother. Eliminate them and then head north to the Old Ruins.

There will be a single Wretched Queen in this area to the north, as well as three Wretched Mothers. Killing the Wretched Mothers is optional, but we recommend doing so as it will get you a nice reward. Search the area for the mothers while you keep following the path. As soon as you enter the Old Ruins you’ll encounter the Wretched Queen. Dispatch her as quickly as you can – make her your main target – and then defeat any remaining enemies. A way point should now have appeared. Take it back to New Tristram. When you reach the town again, speak to Captain Rumford.