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|}Accurate reports on the nature of the horrors that lie below [[Tristram Cathedral|the church ]] come to light more rarely than survivors. I have attempted to provide a base knowledge of what awaits you by searching through our vast libraries for historical and scientific tomes recounting the [[Horadrim]]'s epic war against [[the Three]].

Take the greatest of care when journeying through the cursed lands. It is well known that the creatures of [[DarkDarkness]]ness are a cowardly lot, and will attack using strength of numbers to their advantage whenever possible. I fear the knowledge contained herein is incomplete, at best, for there were no living witnesses of the most powerful horrors. If one of the Three has truly come free of his binding, he will call as many of these infernal servants to him as possible, as well as creating new and more powerful minions to command.

Even the [[Seraphim]] are not immune to the corruption of the [[Dark Lord]]s. One such angel, [[Inarius]], was proud of his beauty and boasted loudly of his purity and worth. His thoughts became so clouded that he believed himself to be above both [[Angel ]] and [[Demon]], and he left the [[High Heavens ]] to form his own dominion. He constructed a great cathedral of mirrored glass and crystal, and followers flocked to him, drawn by his numinous charm and wealth. Once Inarius had gathered a sizable army, he decided to prove his power.

Mephisto himself is said to have appeared at the cathedral of Inarius. He laid waste to the church and the surrounding countryside. The Lord of Hatred took the proud [[archangel ]] and his followers captive. He bound Inarius with tremendous chains and slowly tore the wings from the back of the angel. Great barbed hooks were then used to stretch out the once glowing skin and his features were distorted by vile powers. Many of the followers of Inarius were given as gifts to [[Baal]] and [[Diablo]], but the rest were molded to match the bloated image of the now crippled angel. To this day, Inarius is said to be trapped in [[Burning Hells|Hell ]] within a chamber of mirrors, his eyelids torn from his face as he is forced to gaze upon his misshapen form for all eternity. His misguided followers now serve as Hell’s taskmasters, taking the anguish of their lost glory out upon the bodies of others.

These grotesque demons have considerable brawn hidden beneath their layers of greasy flab. Do not underestimate their strength or their intelligence for crossing swords with them is ill advised. You will be far better served to combat them with [[ranged ]] weapons or [[magic]].

During the [[Great Conflict ]] tremendous battles were fought in both the [[High Heavens ]] and the [[Burning Hells]]. Both sides often carried the conflict deep within the realms of their enemies. During one epic battle into the very heart of Mephisto’s [[Mephisto]]'s fiery lair, a group of brave [[Seraphim ]] warriors fronted an assault against the Lord of Hatred himself. One of these angelic soldiers made a bold attack and struck a fierce blow that caused the foul blood of Mephisto to rain upon the ground. Each drop that fell seared through the crust of Hell itself and formed powerful demons [[demon]]s shaped from molten rock. These demons quickly rose to the aid of their master, and drove back the forces of Light by striking them with thrown masses of lava that seared both flesh and bone with the intensity of the Burning Hells. The losses dealt by these Magma Demons were tremendous.

<p style="text-align: right;">-[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blake William Blake]</p>

The lieutenants of [[Baal ]] are bred for strength, endurance, and cunning. These demons constantly train themselves in the art of war, for battle is their bread and the blood of innocents, their water. There are several known “clans” of [[Goat Men]], each given a different gift from their [[Baal|Dark Master]]. It is believed that to earn their powers they once held mock wars in [[Burning Hells|Hell ]] for the entertainment of the Three Brothers. Do not expect them to fight amongst themselves on the [[mortal realm]], however, for they much prefer to slaughter the innocent.

 Like most of Baal’s Baal's spawn, the bestial Aries are incredibly strong and agile. Be especially wary of their archers, for they are renowned for the accuracy and power of their great bows. Fleet of foot, they may try to evade an unwary foe and then attack from a different angle.

After an especially violent battle, [[Baal ]] enjoyed celebrating with his [[Prime Evils|Brothers ]] by holding a disgusting feast of blood, human flesh, and other Hellish delights. The Bestia Acerbus are the descendants of doglike creatures that lived by feeding upon the remains of Baal’s Baal's nightmarish feasts. The variety of vile substances that the creatures consumed, along with their close proximity to the Lord of Destruction, twisted and warped the viscera of these Hounds of Hell. This diabolic species is capable of spitting up a variety of caustic fluids and projecting them a considerable distance. Packs of these terrors are especially devastating, as their bile has been known to eat through the strongest of armor and poison the most hearty men.

 Great care must be taken when within the lair of these Bestia. Their venom retains its potency for a considerable amount of time and puddles of it may be found everywhere. When killed, the beast’s beast's inner toxins eat through the now-dead flesh, leaving a dangerous trap for those foolish enough to tread upon the corpse.

|}Used as living siege engines, there are numerous accounts of these juggernauts smashing into the lines of the [[Seraphim ]] and leaving only death and ruin in their wake. The skull and the single large horn in the snout of the demon are unnaturally durable. The Horned Demons prefer to wait until a clear path is available and then they charge towards their victims at incredible speeds. Be wary of this initial charge! It is far better to deal with these creatures in [[melee|close quarters ]] or with [[magic]].

Using illusion and fear as their greatest weapons, the attendants to [[Diablo ]] are formidable adversaries. They prefer to wait for their opponent to display a moment of weakness before they attack. Equally dangerous in the dark or in your dreams, they are the fears of man made flesh by Diablo’s Diablo's will. These nightmares lurk at the edges of mortal perception from the moment that you take your first breath - and they long to be with you when your take your last.

Some people are so hungry for power and knowledge that they are willing to sacrifice their humanity to the [[Great Evils|Lords of Hell ]] in exchange for gifts that inevitably turn against them. One such group, a dark cabal of wizards, decided to take the power of creation into their own hands and magically created a race of creatures to act as servants and messengers. Using infernal abilities granted to them through their arcane pact, they formed small bat-winged imps that they believed would prove useful in carrying out deeds that were too trivial for their own efforts. Each of the sorcerers [[sorcerer]]s created an entity that reflected his magical specialization. The creatures thus created were small, nimbleand possessed an unnatural cunning.  At first the corrupt sorcerers were overjoyed at the success of their experiment, but they soon began to notice that the Alae did not serve them as loyally as they had hoped. The creatures had taken to secretly feeding from the very essence of their masters, weakening them and eventually killing them. The sorcerers tried to destroy their creations, but the fiends banded together to combat them. The Winged Fiends had been secretly breeding outside of the sorcerer's domains, and swarms of them attacked, killing their former masters. To this day, the descendants of these creations terrorize the countryside.

Maleficus Vorax are the smallest of a related group of demonic [[demon]]ic creatures that feed upon carrion, mostly the remains of victims killed by their larger cousins. Unlike most scavengers, however, they are extremely aggressive and will not hesitate to attack anyone hapless enough to encounter them. They have powerful legs which they use for swift springing attacks, striking at vulnerable faces and throats. Their primary weakness is their voracious appetite; the smell of death may drive them into a feeding frenzy where they will stop their attacks to feast upon remains that are nearby.

The Hidden are the bogeymen that haunt our dreams and live in the nightmares of children. Although they dwell at the edge of the [[Physical realm|Physical]] and [[Ethereal realm|Ethereal Realms ]] where they remain unseen by mortal sight, they can quickly manifest and strike those that appear vulnerable. Metus Occultus and others of their ilk feed on the essence of fear. When wounded, they will seek to retreat back into the Ether to heal themselves. It is important to note that even while invisible the creature exists partially on the Physical Realm, and can be affected by spells [[spell]]s and weapons.

In ages past, it was customary to decorate buildings with stone statues of demons that were enchanted to serve as guardians and protectors of those within. The misshapen figures of the statues were designed to taunt and anger any demons that attempted to gain entrance. Diablo [[]Diabl]o worked to unlock the wards that protected these granite images, and eventually was able to gift them with a Hadean life. The Gargoyles arose from their captive sleep and swooped down to prey upon those whom they were created to protect. Naturally, the remaining statues were immediately destroyed, but there are Signum that escaped and continue to terrorize the innocent to this day.