List of non-player characters in Diablo

This list is composed of non-player characters of varying importance in the computer games Diablo, Diablo II, and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, and in their histories.
Diablo
Adria the Witch
Adria is a powerful witch who, according to Cain, appeared at the edge of town soon after the church was corrupted by Diablo and his minions whilst most of Tristram's people were fleeing. Many of the townsfolk, including Odgen, Gillian, Wirt and Farnham, are wary of her, stating that she never seems to eat or sleep, and that her ability to continually gather and maintain such large stockpiles of supplies is difficult to comprehend given Tristram's predicament. Despite this, she is not truly disliked and her skills are held in high regard by Pepin, Griswold and Cain. Adria will offer advice to the player and information regarding the demons and the townsfolk and, should he/she locate certain ingredients- such as mushrooms- at her request, she can create powerful elixirs. Adria also has the ability to recharge staves and quarterstaffs with magics after they have been depleted, although the player must pay for this privilege.
In the Diablo II manual, Cain states that after Tristram is overrun and destroyed by Diablo's minions, he is the only surviving villager. This would suggest that Adria was killed during the attack, although upon returning to Tristram, her body cannot be found and the location of her residence is unreachable in order to confirm this.
Voiced by Lani Minella.
Prince Albrecht
Prince Albrecht was the young son of King Leoric. He was captured by the traitorous Archbishop Lazarus and taken down into the depths of the catacombs where Diablo's broken soulstone lay. The bodiless demon took control of the boy's mind and fed on his terror, and then reformed him to match his own form. The player character in Diablo I is sent on a quest to find the prince, but only finds another child, sacrificed by Lazarus. At the end after Diablo has been "killed", the hero removes the soulstone from Diablo's forehead, causing its body to transform back into that of Prince Albrecht's, who dies.
The Butcher
A bloated demon, appearing like an Overlord demon with an apron and a giant meat cleaver, the Butcher is one of the earliest (optional) bosses in Diablo I. He resides in a room strewn full of mutilated corpses, the remains of Tristram's townsfolk whom the Arch-Bishop Lazarus intentionally led to their doom. If the quest is generated in a game, a dying townsman outside the church will ask the player character to avenge him and the others by slaying the Butcher . When he is first encountered in his room full of impaled bodies, he utters the line "Ahh, fresh meat!". The demon leaves behind his cleaver (only in single-player mode), a two-handed unique axe with low durability, but high damage. The demon wields it with one hand.
For players possessing very low character levels, the Butcher is an extremely difficult creature to kill. He will relentlessly pursue a player and attempt to force him/her into close-quarter hand-to-hand combat, savagely hacking away with his cleaver - which usually ends in the player's rapid death. Most Diablo players resort to cunning tactics to bring the Butcher down (such as standing behind wall bars and shooting arrows at him, taking advantage of the creature's inability to open doors), or simply ignore him and come back for him when they have significantly upgraded their character levels.
The demo version for Diablo included a single level with the butcher in it. Due to its small size, it was very hard for the players trying this version to manage to best the demon.
He also makes an appearance in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne during one of the single player campaigns, and drops both of Wirt's legs.
His cleaver can also be found in World of Warcraft as a unique, blue-tinted hand axe called The Butcher's Cleaver.
Deckard Cain
Deckard Cain first appears as "Cain the Elder" in Tristram in Diablo, where he is known as a storyteller and can identify items for the player. Towards the end of the game, he presents himself as Deckard Cain, the "last of the Horadrim", and gives vital information about the final trials awaiting the hero/heroine. It is revealed in Cain's Journal that he is in fact not the "last of the Horadrim", but imagined himself as one of them in his youth when told of the Horadrim's deeds by his mother.
Cain is also the only character known to have survived when Tristram was destroyed by demons, as they decide to put him in a gibbet instead of tearing him limb from limb like the other former citizens of Tristram (possibly under orders from the three Brothers to keep him alive). In the first act of Diablo II, the player is eventually required to travel to Tristram and free Cain. After this, he appears in the Rogue encampment and subsequently continues to follow the player character, staying in town in each area, dispensing advice and identifying items for free as a token of gratitude.
It is also possible to fail to rescue Cain before the end of Act I, though the quest is presented as obligatory by the other NPCs. In this case, he will be rescued by the Rogues and only identify items for a fee.
"Stay a while, and listen!" is a typical greeting Cain gives to the player; this is made fun of in Diablo III when the player character interrupts him and demands he talk plainly.
Deckard Cain returns in Diablo III. He tells the events of Diablo and Diablo II in an abbreviated form, while telling most if not all of the important points.
Cain is voiced by Michael Gough.
Farnham the Drunk
Farnham was one of the many villagers stirred into action by Archbishop Lazarus following the disappearance of Prince Albrecht. He, alongside Griswold and many others, pursued Diablo's minions through the many levels and corridors of the corrupted cathedral. Farnham survived the ordeal and, according to Griswold, possibly saved his life at some point during the ambush, but the experience left him a shadow of his former self. By the time the player character arrives in Tristram, Farnham is a dishevelled alcoholic who initially appears as little more than a drunken, rambling fool. Later, however, the circumstances behind Farnham's character are made apparent. Through conversations with Farnham and the other villagers, the player can discover that Farnham was with the group of villagers massacred by The Butcher, and attempted to flee the demon, where he then came across The Butcher's dwelling. Seeing the mutilated and impaled corpses of his friends and colleagues caused Farnham's mind to snap and, as a result, left him broken. When Farnham finally escaped the cathedral, Pepin nursed him back to health, but tells the player that Farnham's mind could not be healed. Adria states that Farnham also held Archbishop Lazarus in the highest of esteem, and that his betrayal contributed to Farnham's downfall.
Farnham considers Ogden to be "the best man in town", although it is not revealed whether or not this was the case before Farnham began drinking heavily. Although Ogden's wife, Garda, dislikes Farnham, Ogden pities him and continues to grant him access to the Rising Sun Tavern and its stores of ale. Although Farnham's ramblings often make little sense, he sometimes reveals nuggets of truth, although no missions can be initiated by speaking with him.
Upon returning to Tristram in Diablo II, Farnham's corpse can be discovered close to the house where he was always found sitting in the first game. Although the body is not identified as that of Farnham, Deckard Cain's journal entries in the Diablo II manual strongly suggest that the former was killed following the events of Diablo.
Gillian the Barmaid
Gillian is a young woman who has lived in Tristram her entire life, but now stays only to care for her sickly grandmother while working as a barmaid for Odgen at the Rising Sun Tavern. Despite being asked to evacuate Tristram with the rest of the townspeople by Ogden, who offered to care for Gillian's grandmother in her stead, Gillian refused to leave her behind. Out of gratitude for taking her and her grandmother into their house, Gillian aspires to leave Tristram with Odgen and Garda as soon as they are able and open a hotel in the east. Gillian believes that her grandmother is a mystic and is able to predict the future based on her visions, but Pepin discounts this as illness. Gillian grew up with Wirt's mother, Canace, and was apparently friends with her, but she despises Wirt, believing that his exploitation of Tristram's people and his cruel, cynical nature are a result of his time within the cathedral.
Because of her consistently bright and friendly disposition, Gillian is well liked by the entire village, with Cain stating that any man would sooner die than see her harmed. Although it is possible to speak with Gillian regarding most of the quests available to the character, she does not offer any quests in Diablo. In the Hellfire expansion pack, upon bringing Gillian a map of Tristram, she will initiate the "Grave Matters" quest, allowing the player character to challenge Na-Krul.
Upon returning to Tristram in Diablo II, Gillian's corpse can be found outside the house where she could be found in Diablo. Although not explicitly referred to as Gillian, Cain states that all of the villagers in Tristram were killed, with himself being the only survivor.
Griswold the Blacksmith
Griswold is Tristram's last remaining blacksmith and, according to Pepin, the finest. Before King Leoric's death, Griswold served as his armourer, crafting the weapons and armour used by Leoric's knights and soldiers. Griswold also crafted Leoric's personal weaponry and battle garb, including a field crown that the player character is able to acquire from Leoric's corpse. His peers hold him in high regard for his skill and, according to Gillian, he has won numerous contests of skill within the blacksmith's guild. Griswold was one of the villagers who accompanied Archbishop Lazarus into the depths of the cathedral where the group was then ambushed. He states that he escaped The Butcher after being separated from the assembly while fighting off a number of the smaller demons, but was close enough to witness the carnage the demon wrought upon his friends. Griswold managed to escape with his life, but was severely crippled in one of his legs in the process. According to Cain, when the demons kidnapped the many children of Tristram, including Albrecht and Wirt, and carried them off into the cathedral, Leoric's knights pursued them. When the knights failed to return, Griswold entered the cathedral, fought off Wirt's attackers and then brought him back to Tristram. While Wirt respects Griswold's skill, he refused an apprenticeship offered by the blacksmith in favour of his lucrative smuggling operations, much to Griswold's chagrin.
Griswold is a key asset to the player character throughout the game, as he will repair armour and weaponry, sell basic and expensive items of interest, offer advice as to which weapons have the greatest effect on specific enemies and offer missions from time to time. One such mission involves the player retrieving the "Anvil of Fury" from Diablo's minions and returning it to Griswold. Upon doing so, he will craft a powerful and unique sword, entitled "Griswold's Edge", for the player character.
Upon returning to Tristram in Diablo II, the player finds that Griswold has been killed sometime before his/her arrival. However, unlike the other villagers, he has been brought back to life as a physically powerful undead opponent. "Griswold's Edge" can also be found, but it's a low level unique weapon, yet quite powerful. There's also a Griswold's Paladin Item Set, which is one of the most powerful sets in the game.
Inarius
Inarius is an angel introduced in the Diablo manual as a means of explaining the origins of the Overlord demon encountered by the player in the Catacombs and Caves levels of the game. The angel left Heaven because of his hubris, and built himself a temple. To prove his superiority he launched an ill-fated assault upon one of the temples of Mephisto and slew all his followers. Mephisto was greatly angered by Inarius' actions, and captured the angel and his followers. After tearing off his wings and eyelids and stretching his prided skin with hooks, the Lord of Hatred chained Inarius within a cathedral of mirrors in Hell for all eternity, so that he would be forced to look upon his ruined image forever. His followers were turned into the hideous Overlords, brutish demons who served as Hell's taskmasters.
Expanded role in books
In the Diablo: Sin War trilogy written by Richard A. Knaak, it is revealed that Inarius along with other rogue angels and demons are responsible for the creation of Sanctuary and the Nephalem (angel and demon hybrids with great power). Inarius wished a Sanctuary away from the constant battles between demons and angels as well as to create his own High Heavens which would be greater than the original. However the development of the Nephalem's powers infuriated Inarius, making him want to start anew by eradicating all the Nephalem. This brought him into conflict with Mephisto's daughter, his romantic partner Lilith. Due to the conflict between the two, Inarius banished Lilith. This is because Lilith desired to be a tyrant with an unbeatable army under her control while Inarius wanted lowly worshippers. But before Lilith's banishment, Lilith had killed all other angels and demons on Sanctuary, preventing Inarius from destroying the only sentient being left on Sanctuary, the Nephalem, because Inarius did not wish isolation. And so Inarius used the Worldstone to prevent the Nephalem from developing their powers, reducing each succeeding generation's powers until they became the mere normal humans of Sanctuary. Inarius also used the Worldstone to mask the existence of Sanctuary from his own Angelic kind in the High Heavens. He then later created the religion Cathedral of Light to make the beings of Sanctuary worship and serve him.
Lachdanan
Lachdanan was a pious knight and servant of King Leoric's, who survived a disastrous attack against Westmarch only to return to find his king had finally turned all the way into a raving madman. The king, his mind destroyed after struggling against Diablo's power, ordered his remaining warriors to attack Lachdanan and his company, but Lachdanan prevailed, finally slaying the king himself. As he died, Leoric cursed Lachdanan into eternal damnation for his "treachery".
He is encountered in the lowest levels of Hell as a benevolent Steel Lord. He imparts his tragic tale to the player, and implores him to find a Golden Elixir capable of purifying his cursed soul and putting him to rest. If this is accomplished, Lachdanan swears that if there is a way to repay him/her from beyond the grave, he will find it. In the interim, he presents you with his unique helm, the Veil of Steel, as he expires.
Archbishop Lazarus
The Archbishop Lazarus was an ambassador from the Zakarum Church and an advisor to King Leoric. According to the manual to Diablo II - in the form of a letter from the Patriarch of Zakarum - Lazarus was the Custodian of Mephisto's Soulstone in Kurast sometime prior to his arrival in Khanduras. When Leoric set up court in the abandoned Monastery, Lazarus was lured into the monastery's depths by Diablo, where Lazarus proceeded to shatter the soulstone that imprisoned the Prime Evil. After Diablo failed to fully possess Leoric himself, Lazarus brought the King's son, Albrecht, into the labyrinth to serve as the mortal host for the Lord of Terror. After Leoric's death, Lazarus emerged from the Monastery and whipped the villagers into a frenzy to find Albrecht - but the treacherous Archbishop led them right into the lair of the Butcher.
After this disastrous incursion, Lazarus vanished deep into the Monastery, where he remained. He is later defeated by the hero in Diablo.
His staff, the Spire of Lazarus and the dagger Wizardspike (sometimes dropped upon his defeat), are both unique items in Diablo II, although Lazarus's staff was not able to be wielded in the first game, serving only as a key to the cathedral's tower where Lazarus resided.
Voiced by Paul Eiding.
King Leoric
King Leoric, later known as the Black King and ultimately the Skeleton King, was the ruler of Khanduras just prior to the events of Diablo I. He was a devout follower of the Zakarum religion of the Light, and was a great lord from outside the country prior to declaring himself king. Though he was a foreign king, the people of Khanduras eventually grew to respect him for his evident purity of heart and deed. He made his court in the Church at the center of Tristram, that later is known to be the foundation of an ancient Horadrim monastery under which Diablo's soulstone secretly lay (why the monastery in the game appears as nothing but a decrepit church, and why Tristram remains a little village, is not explained).
However, Diablo's power stirred at the same time, and the Lord of Terror eventually drew the king's archbishop, Lazarus, into the labyrinth under the monastery, where he found the soulstone and was compelled to shatter it. Thus freed, Diablo sought for the most powerful mortal soul he could possess in order to regain his power, and settled for the king's. Leoric found a dark presence trying to intrude into his being, and though he fought it in secrecy, he was not strong enough to banish Diablo, and his mind became twisted and corrupted. As the change began to show in both his appearance and behavior, his own people started calling him the Black King.
The Archbishop Lazarus, also fallen under the power of Diablo, did his best to conceal the nature of the change in the king's person, but eventually suspicions among Leoric's advisors grew to the point that he needed a new plan. Thus, he convinced the now delusional king that the kingdom of Westmarch was plotting to take over and annex Khanduras, manipulating him into declaring war, diverting attention as well as sending many troublesome knights into their deaths when the armies of Westmarch inevitably crushed those of Khanduras.
Meanwhile, Diablo found that a part of the king's soul still fought against him, and that he was still not able to take full control. Thus he abandoned his attempts to take over Leoric, leaving him broken and crazed, and took control of his son Albrecht instead. When King Leoric found that his son had gone missing, he went into a rage and had many innocent people executed for kidnapping the prince. He was eventually slain by his own lieutenant, the knight Lachdanan, who returned from the quickly lost war only to find that he, too, was being accused of the kidnapping, and that the king was nothing but a raving madman who set his other warriors upon those returning.
King Leoric returns for the final time as the boss of an optional quest in Diablo I, as a Skeleton King who is raising an army of undead. He leaves behind the Undead Crown, a unique helm with life-stealing properties. The Undead Crown is also found in Diablo II.
In Diablo II the player can find a unique Necromancer wand called "The Arm of King Leoric".
In the Wizard trailer to Diablo III there is a ghostly undead saying some of the same words as King Leoric. In the end of the trailer it is shown to inhabit a huge skeleton, wielding some kind of a multi bladed axe.
In Warcraft III and Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne's custom map "Defence of the Ancients," King Leoric is a selectable hero on the scourge side. He uses a skeleton sprite.
Ogden the Tavern Owner
Ogden owns and runs the Rising Sun Tavern with his wife, Garda, and their barmaid, Gillian. According to Cain, Ogden and Garda purchased the tavern shortly before the cathedral's corruption, suggesting that he and Garda have lived in Tristram for over a decade. Although Ogden wishes to move east and open a hotel far from Tristram, Griswold states that Ogden has been unable to turn enough of a profit to do so, as few travellers or caravans pass through the region. It is suggested that many of his customers are drifters, mercenaries and brigands who often leave without paying their due, further inflaming Ogden's predicament. His introductory speech suggests that the player character had perhaps visited Tristram sometime before the events of Diablo, although this is not elaborated upon further. Adria states that Odgen provides the last vestiges of hope for Tristram's people, as the villagers feel a sense of nostalgic joy when there, reminding them of happier times. Ogden also keeps a large supply of food and water stores in the cellar below the tavern, of which Griswold states saved the lives of the villagers during the first year after the cathedral's corruption. Although the Rising Sun has very little business, Ogden continues to provide Farnham with alcohol out of pity and employs Gillian as the tavern's barmaid so that she is able to care for her grandmother, proving him to be a kind and generous individual.
Despite Ogden's friendly nature, he is quick to anger and chastise when questioned about certain subjects, including King Leoric and Wirt, the latter of whom he strongly dislikes. Ogden even states that Wirt got what he deserved when his leg was torn off by demons, telling the player character that Wirt was always looking for trouble. When Wirt later offered to help Ogden and Garda escape Tristram for a price, Ogden refused his aid, leading Wirt to the conclusion that Ogden is a fool.
Upon returning to Tristram in Diablo II, the player character can find a dismembered corpse outside the ruins of the Rising Sun Tavern where Ogden could always be found standing. Although this corpse is not identified, it is strongly suggested that Ogden was killed prior to the events of the second game.
Voiced by Bill Roper.
Pepin the healer
In Diablo, Pepin is a healer in Tristram, healing the player character for free and selling mainly potions. He also gives them one quest. By Diablo II, a burnt corpse with a stick (probably a staff) lays in front of Pepin's house, suggesting that he has likely been killed along with the others inhabitants of Tristram. A common greeting of Pepin's is "What ails you, my friend?".
Voiced by Paul Eiding.
Wirt
Wirt is a young boy living in Tristram in Diablo I. He has a peg leg in place of the one he lost in the dungeons when the Arch-Bishop Lazarus led several of the townsfolk to their doom there. Wirt was only saved at all by the actions of Griswold. He is a cynical opportunist primarily interested in making money by selling his magical wares to adventurers. He does reveal that he's actually hoarding up money in order to be able to leave Tristram with Gillian (who's probably not aware of his crush).
Prior to Diablo II, Wirt is killed along with Griswold in Tristram and his corpse can be looted for gold when the player reaches the ruins of Tristram. His wooden leg can be obtained as an item, and later used to access the secret cow level. This also starts somewhat of a running gag, where Wirt's "other" leg can be found near the end of the campaign in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, and his "third" leg is available as a rare mace-type weapon in World of Warcraft.
The running gag of Wirt's Leg is continued in the PC game Hellgate: London, in which the player can recover a boy's peg leg from demons in an early quest. Several former Blizzard employees worked on Hellgate.
Voiced by Lani Minella.
Diablo II
Akara
Akara is High Priestess of the Sisterhood of the Sightless Eye and the spiritual leader of the Rogues. In Diablo II, she is found in the Rogue encampment, waiting to gain access to the monastery again. Her role in the game is to heal and rejuvenate the player character, sell scrolls, potions, staves, wands and scepters, and to give major quests in the first chapter. She's very fond of sorceresses.
Voiced by Eve Brent.
Alkor
Alkor is a cranky old alchemist living in Kurast. He has a number of potions available for sale and will gamble with the player. Apparently, he has a number of odd potions, claiming that Asheara is a good customer as she buys a "potion of manliness" every week from him. He is also very fond of necromancers.
Voiced by Brian George.
The Ancients
They are the spirit of three Barbarian Warriors that protect the entrance to the Chamber of the World Stone in Lord of Destruction. They must be defeated to enter the chamber, so only the mightiest of the warrior shall pass. They refer to themselves as the spirits of the Nephalem, although it is unknown if this relates to the angel/demon hybrids of the Sin War novels.
In Diablo II, Anya, who gives you the quest to defeat the ancients, say that the tales of the ancients are legendary and fairy tale like. She also adds her suspicion that humans were once more than what they are now. This might be reference to the "Sin War" novels and the power of the Nephalem.
Each one focus on determined ability of the Barbarian Class. Their names are Talic, who uses a two-handed sword (in one hand) and a shield, Madawc, wielding throwing axes, and Korlic, who fights with a poleaxe. When defeated the grant the victor about 2 to 3 level ups. However this only works on the first time they are defeated (defeating them again grants no experience).
Voiced by Lani Minella, Jonathan Stark and Ed Trotta.
Andariel
Andariel, the Maiden of Anguish, is a demoness, one of the Lesser Evils, and employs powerful poison-based attacks on her enemies. She corrupted many of the Rogues known as the Sisters of the Sightless Eye and took control of the monastery guarding the mountain pass into the east, aiding the Dark Wanderer possessed by Diablo. She is the daughter of Lilith, making her Mephisto's granddaughter, and according to Deckard Cain she is vulnerable against fire.
Voiced by Lani Minella.
Anya
This young alchemist is the daughter of Aust, one of the slain members of the Elder Council of Harrogath. She is strong and crafty and has a spirit like no other. The player has to rescue her in the Prison of Ice quest (at which point Nihlathak disappears from Harrogath). Once she is found trapped in an icy block, she is thawed and freed - and becomes the one to see if the player wishes to gamble. She also personalizes an item after Nihlathak is defeated in the following quest, and sells a small stock of armor and weapons.
Voiced by Rebecca Lowman.
Asheara
Asheara leads the Iron Wolves, a band of mercenary mages, in the Kurast docks in Act III. Besides hiring them out, she sells a selection of items. She is seen wearing little to preserve her modesty, besides a snake draped over her shoulders. After completing the Gidbinn quest, she will inform you that several mercenaries have volunteered to aid you on your journey.
Voiced by Jennifer Smithee.
Atma
Atma runs a tavern in Lut Gholein in Act II. Her husband and son were killed by the greater mummy known as Radament the Fallen, and she asks the player character to exact revenge by slaying the creature. She then rewards the player by lowering the prices of the other merchants wares. She is often seen crying in the door of the tavern.
Voiced by Roz Witt.
Bartuc
Bartuc was the brother of Horazon and like him a significant figure among the Vizjerei mage clans, but eventually turned against them and to the side of Darkness in the Sin War. He allied with the forces of Hell in order to better gain understanding of demonic magics, but turned to bloodlust and madness and in the end fought against his own brother, who slew him. He was obsessed with bloodshed, and came to be known only as the Warlord of Blood. Though he is said to have died in battle against Horazon, he can be found reincarnated as a boss in Diablo, guarding the armories of Hell.
Near the end of Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, there's also a unique "Council Member" (demonic, once-human spellcaster) called Bartuc the Bloody. He is unleashed upon the player character by Baal in the Throne of Destruction. The unique assassin talon "Bartuc's Cut-Throat", found in Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, is presumably named after him.
Bishibosh
Bishibosh is a unique Fallen Shaman, with the ability to raise other Fallen Shamans. The player eventually will come across Bishibosh (who is a light yellowy orange color) while searching for Deckard Cain, but it is not necessary to fight him. Often, the player can hear lesser fallen calling his name. He is Fire Enchanted, meaning he can deal fire damage (like all Fallen Shamans, but his damage is higher) and, when killed, a Corpse Explosion will befall his body.
Blood Raven
Blood Raven is one of the fallen Rogues corrupted by Andariel. She fought against Diablo in Tristram, but subsequently turned to the side of Darkness, and was a key figure in the corruption of the Sisterhood of the Sightless Eye. During the events of Diablo II she starts raising the dead in the Rogue monastery graveyard to create an army of undead. She was Kashya's best friend before her corruption, her betrayal being the biggest reason behind Kashya's bitterness.
Upon her death, pulses of lightning will be released from Blood Raven's body, slaying all of her remaining minions without the benefit of experience points.
Voiced by Lani Minella.
Charsi
Charsi is a smith of Barbarian origin who stays in the Rogue encampment and repairs and sells equipment in Act I of Diablo II. She has a fondness for Barbarians and has an open, cheerful personality; according to Akara, Charsi's Barbarian biological parents were slain by demons when she was a little girl and the Sisters adopted and raised her. She seems to take comfort in the company of Gheed.
Voiced by Tiffany Hayes.
Colenzo the Annihilator
A unique Fallen Shaman and one of Baal's Minions, the player fights him at the end of Act V. Fallen Shamans throughout the game can be heard calling his name.
The Countess
The Countess is the boss of an optional quest in Act I, which involves seeking the riches hidden underneath the remains of her tower. She is said to have bathed in the blood of a hundred virgins in life and to have been buried alive in her tower as punishment. When encountered, she is essentially a unique Corrupt Rogue.
The character is reminiscent of the real Erzsébet Báthory, a Hungarian countess who is rumored to have bathed in the blood of virgins and was punished by being sealed and buried alive in her castle tower.
She is the place to go for runes, as she is the monster with the highest percent drop rate for runes, usually 1-3 runes are acquired per kill. The quality of runes dropped varies, harder difficulties will make her drop better runes.
Voiced by Lani Minella.
The Dark Wanderer
The figure known only as the Dark Wanderer or the Wanderer is a character in Diablo II, though he corresponds to the protagonist of the first game. According to Deckard Cain, he was a warrior, one of the adventurers that came to Tristram to battle the evil in the nearby monastery. As shown in the ending demo of the first game, after slaying Diablo, he removed the soulstone on the demon's forehead, believing that a way to contain the Lord of Terror. He stabbed it into his own forehead, becoming possessed himself. He never seemed quite the same afterwards, and seemed to sink further into depression, until he finally succumbed to Diablo's power enough to set eastward to free the Prime Evil's two brothers, Baal and Mephisto.
The Wanderer, appearing as a man in dark robes struggling under an invisible, heavy burden, passed through the Rogue monastery leading to the east. Evil followed in his wake, and soon after his passing it, the citadel was overwhelmed by demons. Later he arrived at the hostelry where a survivor from the citadel called Marius was staying. The Wanderer's "inner" demons destroyed the building, and he compelled Marius to follow him. The reasons for this are not known, unless Diablo was somehow able to foresee Marius' small but significant role in the coming events.
Marius and the Wanderer travelled to Lut Gholein and the surrounding deserts, finally reaching the desert tomb of Tal Rasha, the Horadric mage who had long ago agreed to have Baal, the Lord of Destruction, bound inside his own soul. The Wanderer, seemingly growing stronger as Diablo gained more control of him, tried to free Tal Rasha, but was attacked by the arch-angel Tyrael. Marius pulled Baal's soulstone from the Tal Rasha's mummified but still living form; now freed but controlled by Baal, the ancient mage attacked Tyrael, and the arch-angel was bound within the tomb.
The Wanderer and Tal Rasha travelled on to Kurast and the temple of the Zakarum. There they joined a third demon-possessed mortal, Sankekur, who had become an incarnation of Mephisto, the third brother and the Lord of Hatred. Together the three brothers opened a portal to Hell to enable their return from exile. The Wanderer finally ceased to exist, as Diablo let his body contort and expand into the demon lord's own monstrous form, then marched through the portal to reclaim his rule of Hell.
The only time the Wanderer is seen in game is during Act III, outside the Kurast docks. Shortly after he is sighted, he summons several flesh beasts and disappears.
Voiced by James Harper.
Drognan
Drognan is a non-player character who resides in the town of Lut Gholein in Act 2. Besides acting as a researcher searching for Tal Rasha's Tomb (the end level in Act 2), he is also a merchant of town portal scrolls as well as a variety of magical shields, staves, wands, and scepters. In the books, it was speculated that Drognan is really Horazon, one of the most powerful mages in history, and the leader of the Armies of Light, opposite his brother, Bartuc the Bloody, in the mage wars, but this was disproved in the Diablo Novel: Legacy of Blood.
Voiced by Brian George.
Duriel
Duriel, also known as the Maggot Lord or the Lord of Pain, is a large maggot-like demon with mantis-like claws, and is one of the lesser evils. He is sent by two of the The Prime Evils to prevent the archangel Tyrael from being released. He is the final boss of Act II and uses demonic cold magics and has a large amount of health. Resistance against cold damage cannot prevent the player from being chilled, due to the demonic, not elemental, nature of his powers.
In early versions of Diablo 2, Duriel was considered a difficult boss, but not because of his own abilities. When attempting to enter Duriel's lair for the first time, the player's hard drive and/or CD drive would begin to load the relevant data. During this time, however, Duriel would be free to attack the defenseless character. At the time, it was not uncommon to attempt to enter Duriel's lair, only to find that the player's character was killed while the loading process occurred.
Elzix
Elzix is an ex-bandit lord who has settled down in Lut Gholein. Now he runs the Desert Rain Inn, gambles with the player, and sells items. He is missing an eye, some of his hand and half of his left foot due to repeated assassination attempts.
Voiced by Tony Pope.
Fara
Fara is the smith in Lut Gholein. She has also been trained as a paladin by the Zakarum church, and can heal the player character. Fara seems to disapprove of the mercenaries as she is convinced that they are loyal to nothing but money. She is quite amiable to other Paladins.
Voiced by Martitia Palmer.
Geglash
Geglash is a resident of Lut Gholein, a warrior who spends a lot of time drinking in Atma's public house and seems to think of nothing but drinking and fighting, though some dialog with the player character suggests he may be interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with Atma, and that he possesses a measure of sympathy for her situation. He is, however, afraid of water, and the undead. He admires the barbarians for their ferocity, and for their dual wielding abilities. He tells barbarian characters that he never developed the latter ability, but can carry a sword and a wineskin simultaneously.
Geglash is one of two NPCs in the Diablo series who spends all of his time drinking; the other being Farnham the Drunk from Diablo I.
Voiced by Castulo Guerra.
Gheed
Gheed is a character located in Act I (Rogue Encampment). He will sell you items and allow you to gamble. He's greedy, cynical, and a coward. He also seems to dislike Necromancers. The Rogues apparently have no love for him either (in the words of Kashya: "Gheed is a pig. I was tempted to throw him out of the camp many times."), with Charsi as the only exception who Kashya claims takes comfort in Gheed, and the only reason Kashya didn't carry out her threat. In the beginning of Act 1 Gheed says he keeps Charsi's prices low by filling her head with stories of adventurers and he is secretly raking in all the cash. In Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, a unique grand charm titled "Gheed's Fortune" derives its name from the NPC. It adds to the player's percent chance of finding magical items.
Voiced by Brian George.
Greiz
Greiz is the proud captain of the mercenaries hired by Jerhyn to protect Lut Gholein while the city watch was busy fighting demons in the palace. He also has nothing against hiring his men to help the player character.
Voiced by James Harper.
Hadriel
Hadriel is an angel who guards the entrance to Diablo's sanctum. He warns the player not to enter unless they've completed the previous two quests and explains how to summon Diablo using the five seals inside the Chaos Sanctuary.
Voiced by Bill Roper.
Halbu
The smith in the Pandemonium Fortress in Act IV. He can be found wearing golden plates and offers a variety of armour and weapons. He seems to speak with a French accent.
Hephasto The Armorer
Like The Smith in Act I, Hephasto is an Overlord demon that acts as a smith. Hephasto, however, is the master armorer of Hell itself. He was a weaponsmith in service of Inarius before that angel's downfall, and continued his vocation as a demon, rising quickly through the infernal ranks. Now he guards the Hellforge, which the player character must use in conjunction with the demon's hammer to break Mephisto's soulstone. When the Hero comes near Hephasto he says lines such as "your soul will fuel the Hellforge."
The hammer is also seen in a cutscene at the end of Act IV when the heroes smash Mephisto's and Diablo's soulstones.
Hratli
The smith in Kurast, Hratli uses magic in his forge and sells almost exclusively magical items. He has placed an enchantment around the Kurast Docktown to ward off evil, but not even his powers are enough to completely keep the town safe. However, Alkor cites him as a frivolous coward, saying quote "...Hratli just sits around making his silly magic weapons. It's not like he has the stones to go out and use them on something."
Voiced by Bernie Wilkins.
Izual
A fallen angel, Izual was once a lieutenant in the armies of Heavens and the bearer of the legendary angelic runeblade, Azurewrath, forged by the Archangel Tyrael himself. He was also a good friend of the Archangel, and served as his trusted right hand. Izual fell during his assault on the underworld Hellforge as the Shadowfang blade was nearing completion, and his spirit was corrupted by the three prime evils, Diablo, Baal and Mephisto, who eventually were told by him of the way soulstones can be corrupted and turned to suit three brothers' aims in addition to all his knowledge of Heavens, becoming an important, but untrustworthy asset of Hell. According to Blizzard, Izual had been rejected by both sides; the Heavens hated him for his corruption, and Hell also distrusted him for once being an angel.
His soul was encased within a hideous, demonic body of immense strength, dwelling in the burned out plains of Hell. This form was eventually killed by the adventurer in Diablo II, revealing the extent to which he was corrupted by evil and why soulstones failed to work. By killing the body, Izual's soul was freed.
Voiced by Ed Trotta.
Jamella
A seller of magical items of all sorts in the Pandemonium Fortress in Act IV, she gambles and will also heal the player character. She is a dark-skinned young woman who is often seen writing bright letters in the air with her fingers.
Lord Jerhyn
Lord Jerhyn is the young ruler of Lut Gholein, and apparently the son of a sultan. At the beginning of Act II, he's hiding the fact that his palace is being overrun by demons from below. An unnamed Vizjerei mage (only known as the Summoner, later on) had discovered the entrance to Horazon's Arcane Sanctuary underneath the palace, and had secretly opened it and entered, leaving the demons bound within free to enter the palace through the gate. They slaughtered the town's prostitutes, who had been granted shelter within the palace, and were only barely kept in check by the full efforts of the palace guards. It was for this reason that Jerhyn had hired Greiz and his mercenaries to guard the city. He did not tell any outsiders what was going on until the player character had made sufficient impression on him that he let them enter the palace and the Sanctuary.
The Summoner bears a noticeable resemblance to the Sorcerer character from the original Diablo, implying that all three heroes were eventually corrupted by the Prime Evils.
Kashya
A leader of the surviving rogues in Diablo II along with Akara, Kashya stays in the Rogue encampment and, after the player character has completed her quest to slay her former friend Blood Raven, hires out Rogue henchwomen. She is cynical and distrusting, unless the character is an Amazon. She also dislikes Gheed (as does most of the camp.) The completion of the quest also earns her trust, but she only shows full respect after the player had killed Andariel.
Voiced by Glynnis Talken.
Larzuk
Larzuk is the blacksmith in Act V. He is always coming up with ways to help break the siege that seem to be based on modern technology like hot air balloons (he tells Malah he wishes to use sheepskins filled with hot air to spy on the demons) and cannons (he suggests to Qual-Kehk that they should use steel tubes filled with metal balls and exploding powders as weapons.) The other barbarians do not believe these ideas feasible, and Malah fears the siege has driven him mad. He also wishes that he could do his share of the fighting. He sockets one of your items after completing his quest.
Voiced by Kai Vilhelmsen.
Lilith
A demon introduced in the Diablo II patch 1.11, her role in Sanctuary's history is revealed far more in Richard A. Knaak's books the "Diablo: Sin War" trilogy. The daughter of Mephisto and the sister of Lucion, Lilith is a manipulator and seductress. Very attractive even in her demonic form, her charms earned her the affection of powerful beings such as Inarius and the Diablo: Sin War trilogy's protagonist Uldyssian, using them as pawns to further her own goals.
It is revealed that she along with other rogue demons and angels created Sanctuary. Her offspring with Inarius resulted with many of the Nephalem (angel and demon hybrids) such as Rathma and generations later Uldyssian and Mendeln. Because Lilith desired to use the Nephalem as a powerful army, strong enough to challenge the Burning Hells and the High Heavens, she came into conflict with Inarius who wanted to eradicate the Nephalem. This resulted in Lilith killing off many if not all the rogue demons and angels that were with them. Her actions prevented Inarius from eradicating the Nephalem, but not her subsequent banishment.
She later returned still wishing to fulfill her ambitions during the events of Sin War. She weakened the power of the worldstone that prevented the Nephalem from developing their powers. She then helped awaken Uldyssian's dormant power as Nephalem, tempting and manipulating him in her quest to gain a Nephalem army. She failed however, due to Uldyssian, who used the very powers that Lilith had helped awaken and the nephalem army that Lilith desired against the demon. Inarius also played a part in her downfall, though hidden from Uldyssian and his companions and even Rathma. Lilith was then banished once again by Inarius.
She reappears briefly in the final book of the Diablo: Sin War Trilogy. As Mendeln searches for his mentor, Rathma, who had been banished similarly to Lilith, he encounters Lilith. She fails to seduce Mendeln and he leaves her trapped in the void.
Lilith is the mother of Andariel and Queen of the Succubi. Charsi will tell the player about him and asks him/her to bring the Malus; if this is done, she will turn any non-magical item of the player's choice into a rare-quality item.
By default, the Smith attacks with powerful melee attack enchanted with fire damage, but he has a vulnerability to poison.
When close enough, he can be heard saying the line, "I shall make weapons from your bones!"
The Summoner
An unnamed Vizjerei mage who had fought Diablo in Tristram. After that, but before the events of Act II, he came to Lut Gholein and visited Jerhyn's palace, finding within the portal to Horazon's Arcane Sanctuary. Leaving the city, he found entrance into the Sanctuary and took Horazon's place as Summoner. Inside the Sanctuary, he was corrupted and also seemed to gain control of the demons bound within, which issued from the portal into the lower levels of the palace.
Due to the allusion of other Diablo I characters, it has been suspected that the Summoner is the sorcerer character from the first installment.
Tal Rasha
Tal Rasha was a powerful ancient Horadric mage in the Diablo mythology. Tal Rasha accepted the fate of having to place Baal's soulstone in his body, having to wrestle with the demon for all eternity. The operation was devised by the archangel Tyrael. Tal Rasha was originally part of the Horadrim who pursued Baal, and when Baal shattered his soulstone, Tal Rasha offered to contain the demon within his body. Tal Rasha was bound to a pillar in one of seven ancient tombs in the desert, and the shard of the soulstone was jammed into his chest, releasing the Lord of Destruction's spirit into his body. The tomb was then sealed and concealed. There are only two ways to find which tomb Tal Rasha is in: either search all seven, or find out what symbol the tomb is marked with. His tomb can only be opened with a Horadric Staff, all separated into two pieces after a thieving incident with a rogue mage. Simply putting the two pieces (the staff and the headpiece) would do nothing. One can only repair the only available staff with a Horadric Cube.
When Baal was freed from his imprisonment by Marius, he continued to use Tal Rasha's body to house his spirit; it is Tal Rasha's body that is destroyed at the end of Act V, just as Sankekur/Mephisto and the Dark Wanderer/Diablo.
There's also a set in the game named in honor of Tal Rasha.
Voiced by James Harper.
Archangel Tyrael
Tyrael is first spoken of in the starting video of Diablo 2 and Diablo 2: Lord Of Destruction where the wanderers(Diablo) companion mistakes Baal (or Tal Rasha) for Tyrael while he is in some sort of prison and begins telling him the story of Diablo and his companion travel across the land freeing Diablo's brothers so that they can be together to rule hell. He helps the player along with Deckard Cain in Acts 2 and more by providing the player with information about the three major evils and how defeat them. He stars in many of Diablo 2's main cinematics.
Voiced By Ed Trotta.
Warriv
Warriv is a character who first appears in Act I (Rogue Encampment). He invites you to join his caravan and travel to Lut Gholein upon killing Andariel. In addition, he will take you back from Lut Gholein to the Rogue Encampment whenever you desire. In the encampment, he sports blue and grey outfit designed for the climate, but in Lut Gholein, Warriv sports a different, heavier outfit designed for the desert. Warriv has the knack of coming up with obscure (and likely self-invented) idioms to express his views. He has a great reverence for Paladins, who had in the past aided him many times. He is amazed at Elzix's "domesticity", having run into him during the latter's bandit days.
Voiced by Michael McConnohie.
Diablo III
Thousand Pounder
Thousand Pounder is a boss who is summoned by his followers, his internal organs and skeleton forming first. He appears as a giant, obese human wielding two four-bladed axes and marked with fiery tattoos. Nothing else is known about him save his appearance in a Diablo III developer gameplay walkthrough video.
 
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