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==The Wanderer==
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<center>''So spoke the [[Wanderer]], mindful of hardships and of cruel slaughters:''
''Each dawn, I rise alone, mired in ancient sorrows. Wretched and deprived of my''
''native land, I have had my mind bound with fetter. For many years, I lay hidden in''
''the concealment of the earth, buried deep in stone. From there, I went, abject and''
''winter-grieving, over the surface of the waves. I sought the prison of my noble''
''kinsman. Sorrow is a cruel companion to one who can afford few friends, and the''
''path of exile attends this mournful spirit.''
''And so this world, every day, is crumbling and falling. The rulers lie dead,''
''deprived of revelry, bands of warriors lie fallen proud by the wall. War destroyed''
''some, carried them away; a sorrowful man hid one deep within a grave. Thus the''
''creator of men laid waste this dwelling-place, until the old works of giants stood''
''vacant, without the noise of their inhabitants.''
''So said the Wanderer, set apart in secret meditations.''
''The kingdom of the earth is full of miseries, and the decree of the fates shall''
''change the course of the [[heavens]].''</center>
<div style="float:right; text-align:center; padding:2px 4px 4px 4px; color:white;">Inspired by<br>
<div style="float:right; text-align: right; background-color: #1A0303; padding:2px 4px 4px 4px; color:white;">(Page 11)</div>'''Hirable Non-Player Characters (“Hirelings”):''' Diablo II: Lord of Destruction offers some exciting modifications to hirable NPCs. These computer-controlled hirelings who fight by your side can be hired from specific NPCs in most “towns”—the safe starting points in each Act—or are given free of charge as a reward for completing certain quests. In the original Diablo II, they followed your character around and helped you slay monsters, but you did not interact with them directly. In Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, you can increase their efficiency in combat and assist their development in a number of ways. (Note: These special new features only apply to hired NPCs and retainers acquired as quest rewards. Summoned creatures are not subject to these improvements.)
{|align="right" style="clear:right; margin: 0 0 5px 10px;"
|<center>Excerpt from the [[Journal of Elder Aust of Harrogath|journal ]] of Elder<br>Aust of Harrogath</center>
3rd day of Montaht, Lauds<br>
<br>
==The Coming of the Lord of Destruction==
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<center>''"And a child will cradle Terror in his breast as the heart of man falls under the shadow.''
''Reaches out to undo the workings of the Ancients. The tides of Hell surge—ready to smash''
''Down upon the shores of the mortal world—to drown the guilty and the innocent alike.''</center>
<p style="text-align: right;">''-Excerpt from The [[Prophecies of the Final Day]]''</p>
<br>
<br>
===The Last Testament of Ord Rekar===
I once believed.
Others looked to me for strength, for my faith was a pillar in the house of the Elders. I once believed in something greater than myself; I believed that the faithful would be rewarded and the evil would be punished.
I believed the Prophecies of the Final Day to be mere superstitions—and that even if they had any credence at all, as our ancestors believed, the events they spoke of would never come to fruition in our time.
I was a fool.
The gods have not revealed their divine plan to me, nor have they blessed me with their countenance. But I am certain of one terrible fact—At long last, the prophecies have begun to fulfill themselves.
First, there was Tristram...
Diablo, the Lord of Terror, cast his shadow over the quiet hamlet and set his demonic minions loose across the countryside. A number of valiant heroes rose up to challenge Diablo’s wrath and hunted the demonlord into the bowels of the earth itself. Only by the grace of the Light did they vanquish Diablo’s mortal host and put an end to his nefarious schemes.
It seemed that the Lord of Terror had been defeated, and my heart took solace in this affirmation of my faith…but alas, the nightmare was only just beginning.
Somehow, Diablo’s terrible spirit survived and took root within the very hero who struck him down. Wearing the guise of the mysterious Wanderer, Diablo set out to free his brothers, Baal and Mephisto, from their imprisonment in the East.
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Just as before, a new band of heroes arose to put a halt to Diablo’s dark quest. Though the Lord of Terror succeeded in freeing his brothers from bondage, their reunion would be short-lived. The mortal heroes managed to vanquish Mephisto and even hunted Diablo into the depths of hell. Only Baal, the Lord of Destruction, was left unaccounted for...
Once again, it seemed that justice had been served. Blind as I was, I clung to the path of the righteous—believing that perhaps, finally, all was well...that the nightmare had given way to a dream of peace.
But the plague of evil persists, and I...grow weary.
For now, the nightmare has started once again.
{|align="right" style="clear:right; margin: 0 0 5px 10px;"
|<center>Excerpt from the [[Journal of Elder Aust of Harrogath|journal]] of Elder<br>Aust of Harrogath</center>
4th day of Montaht, Sext<br>
<br>
This morning, as the dawn came, the other<br>
Elders and I held a vigil over Caldra’s<br>
comatose form, praying to the Ancients for<br>
guidance. Then, just as suddenly as it began,<br>
her madness broke, or so it seemed. She sat<br>
straight up in bed, thin strands of her once<br>
beautiful hair draping over her nightgown—her<br>
eyes seemed to glow with a feverish inner light.<br>
By the Ancients, she looked older than any<br>
Elder there.<br>
She gazed slowly around the room, looking at<br>
each of us in turn. With a slight, almost<br>
mocking smirk, she whispered in a ragged voice,<br>
"Baal comes…and destruction follows him like<br>
a storm." She then sank back into the bed and<br>
with a shudder, breathed her last. By the gods,<br>
Elora, as long as I draw breath, I will never<br>
forget her terrible portent.
|}Baal has resurfaced, and behind him marches the vast Army of Destruction. He has gathered a legion of demons that revel in mayhem and wanton chaos—and they are headed right towards us...right towards the holy mountain our ancestors swore to protect. It is obvious that Baal comes to assail Arreat, seeking the Heart of the World. And my faith, once unwavering, is now shaken to the very core.
The prophecies that spoke of this day have at last come true. Doom has come to our world.
As I have said, my brothers, I grow weary. I have no doubt that Evil exists. I have seen it with my own eyes; I have seen its cruelty. But is it not cruel for the gods to give hope, only to dash that hope again and again?
In my youth, I tried as best I could to prepare for such an event. It was, at one time, the very reason for my existence. But now that the moment is at hand, I feel old. I feel afraid. I feel that I have lost my strength.
I confess that my faith no longer guides my path. It is with a heavy heart that I take my leave of you, my brothers. I would say that I will pray for you, but I fear my prayers would fall on deaf ears.
May you someday find the truth, and may that truth finally give you freedom.
Yours in sorrow,<br>
''[Signature]''<br>
[[Ord Rekar]]<br>
[[Elder]] of [[Harrogath]]