Tal Rasha

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Tal Rasha was a powerful Horadric mage and leader of the Horadrim who sacrificed himself to forever encapsulate Baal in the dunes of Aranoch in the Tomb of Tal Rasha.

Personality

Diablo Character [e]
Tal Rasha Horadrim Leader
Gender:	Male
Race:	Human
Status:	Presumed destroyed
Affilliation:	Horadrim
Friends:	Tyrael
Foes:	Burning Hells, Baal

Points where Tal Rasha's face seems to be attached to Baal's.

It would appear that Baal acquired Tal Rasha's intelligence , since in the Sin War Trilogy, Baal is described to be brutish, but in the opening Lord of Destruction cinematic, he seems to be rather playful and sly.

We don't know much about his appearance or personality other than that many of his peers saw him as powerful, selfless, and some even foolish in his selflessness. The one clue is Baal's face.

Looking at Baal's face here to the left you can see Baal has in fact stretched Tal Rasha's face on top of his own demonic visage.

Background

Seal of the Horadrim.

Tal Rasha led the campaign for hunting down and capturing the Prime Evils, including Baal during the Sin War together with Jered Cain. When the Prime Evils were exiled from Hell into the Mortal Realm by the Lesser Evils a group of mages brought together by the Archangel Tyrael organised themselves in order to defeat them and bind them to Soulstones which were provided by Tyrael. They called themselves the Horadrim.

After finding and capturing Mephisto in Kehjistan's jungles, burying him under what later became Kurast, the Horadrim chased Baal across the ocean to the Western continent, in to the Aranoch desert. Tal Rasha presumed Baal was heading north toward Scosglen, but mysteriously the demon changed its path and took refuge within the desert city of Lut Gholein.

Tal Rasha ordered his team to hold the attack and to patiently await for Baal to continue his escape. Three days later, Baal fled Lut Gholein heading to the north, as Tal Rasha had predicted.

A few miles into the desert, the adventurers caught up with Baal and attacked him. The demon unleashed the fury of his powers upon the men. The earth exploded under them and swallowed many men. Fire erupted from the broken earth burning everything and everyone on its path.

Tal Rasha screaming in pain

In a desperate attempt, Baal hurled a spell at Tal Rasha unsuccessfully. Unharmed, but at a price, Tal Rasha rose from the earth to find the Soulstone given to him by Tyrael had shattered into small shards. The men pressed their attack and defeated Baal. Tal Rasha walked toward Baal's battered body and slashed his throat jamming the largest Soulstone shard into his open wound. Baal's spirit was sucked into the shard, trapping the demon.

The Binding Stone with Tyrael there after Baal was freed.

Archangel Tyrael appeared before the men and led them toward seven ancient tombs deep in the desert. There the men were instructed to build a binding stone etched with runes of containment. They magically crafted unbreakable chains to secure the binding stone to the chamber's walls. Tal Rasha ordered to be chained and bound to the stone. To everyone's astonishment, Tyrael jammed the shattered Soulstone into Tal Rasha's chest, allowing Baal's spirit to flood into his body as host, thus completing the prison, dooming Tal Rasha to struggle for eternity against Baal.

Tyrael & the Dark Wanderer battling.

The other six tombs became resting places for other powerful Horadrim mages, and acts to some degrees as decoys in the Canyon of the Magi.

As Baal was defeated at the Worldstone, Tal Rasha's body is presumed to be destroyed.

Tal Rasha in the Diablo Games

Tal Rasha is primarily a part of ancient history in the Diablo universe, but he does a few short appearances in Diablo II, both when he's showing Marius the sight of Baal as a human in pain and after he's freed, where we can see Baal's face covered with the skin of Tal Rasha. There are also the items belonging to the Horadric mage as well as what other NPCs think.

Related Places and Artefacts

Mural of Tal Rasha in his tomb.

Tal Rasha's Wrappings item set.

List of related game locations (and regular locations) and items:

• Tomb of Tal Rasha - Main entry
  • Tal Rasha's Tomb Diablo II level
  • Chamber of Tal Rasha - Man entry
    • Chamber of Tal Rasha Diablo II level
• Tal Rasha's Wrappings item set
  • Tal Rasha's Adjudication amulet
  • Tal Rasha's Lidless Eye orb
  • Tal Rasha's Guardianship body armor
  • Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest helm
  • Tal Rasha's Fire-Spun Cloth belt

Other NPC's opinions

The Summoner lauds Tal Rasha and calls him "the foremost" of all of the Horadrim. Similarly on the eve of the final battle with Baal-cum-Tal Rasha, Deckard Cain makes clear his respect for the sorcerer:

"Remember this: Baal once possessed Tal Rasha, one of the most powerful of the ancient Horadrim. Your battles with Diablo and Mephisto will pale in comparison to your battle with Baal. The Lord of Destruction, aided by Tal Rasha’s knowledge… Ungh, the mountain itself will tremble when you clash!"

Two other Act II NPC's are not quite so supportive of Tal Rasha's decision however. Fara tells us that "his was a selfless act, although perhaps foolhardy." and Lysander, seeing the evil which plagued Lut Gholein muses that Tal Rasha's battle against evil was lost.

Diablo II Event

More of what happened during the release is revealed in the Mephisto's Jungle cut-scene cinematic. Marius' and Tyrael's dialogue says it all:

• Tyrael dialogues

Media

• 

  Black/white portrait of Baal in Tal Rasha's body

• 

  Tal Rasha screaming in agony

• 

  Tyrael & the Dark Wanderer battling.

• 

  Likely Tal Rasha's face cut and attached to Baal's head.

• 

  The entry chamber to get to the Chamber of Tal Rasha, AKA Duriel's Lair.

• 

  The Binding Stone that held Baal.

• 

  The Horadrim sigil.

• 

  Diagram of Baal's/Tal Rasha's face.

• 

  Tal Rasha's Wrappings item set.

Trivia

Tal Rasha inspired one of the few most powerful sets of Diablo II items which have Aura displaying:

• Tal Rasha's Wrappings

The Diablo II Act II monster called Greater Mummy and related mummies can sometimes be heard saying "Tal Rasha".

References

• Nor Tiraj's Journal
• Tyrael dialogues
• Mephisto's Jungle - Diablo II Act III Cinematic
• Lut Gholein: The Binding of Destruction
• Diablo II Manual
• Diablo II: Lord of Destruction Manual