| Diablo Introduction | Hellfire Introduction |
INTRODUCTION TO HELLFIRE
Hellfire is the first official Diablo add-on. It is based on the original Diablo
code and
offers two new dungeons, a new character class, new weapons, armor, spells,
potions,
monsters, quests, and a number of improvements to the standard Diablo interface.
Hellfire
runs as an enhancement to the original Diablo, and not as a standalone "mission
pack."
You'll need the Diablo CD to run the new levels, and it enhances single-player
mode only.
There is talk of a future multiplayer patch, and although multiplayer hack
programs
exist, officially this is a single player game only.
Hellfire improves the existing Diablo levels, while also adding original areas
and
items. Players can now select the difficulty level for single-player games. In
nightmare mode, the creatures gain increased armor class and resistance, as well
as
three times their normal health plus another 100. Rewards are also increased;
you
gain 10 times the experience you would normally gain and 10 times the gold. In
Hell
mode, the creatures are further strengthened, and their health is double that in
Nightmare; but likewise, the rewards are doubled. Characters
have the choice to zip around town at double speed using the 'jog' setting, or
can keep
the slower 'walk' pace. Griswold the Blacksmith will offer different items each
time you
visit, based on your level and the stock already in your inventory. New shrines
have been
added to the church and catacombs, and new spells are available to be learned.
And, of
course, there are new monsters to face.
On first impression the town may seem unchanged, but on investigation a new
resident,
Lester the Farmer, and two new structures are present. The first structure is a
small dome
down on the south side of the town below Farnham the Drunk. The second is a new
grave
in the churchyard. These will become the entrances to the two new sets of levels,
the Festering Nest and the Demon Crypt.
Hellfire's quests revolve around a powerful demon known as Na-Krul. A creature
who once
served as Diablo's chief minion and strongest ally, Na-Krul and his cohorts were
banished to the Nether Realms when he incited rebellion among Diablo's minions.
Freed
by an evil sorceror, Na-Krul has set up command in the ancient Demon Crypts and
has once
again marshalled his plans to destroy Diablo and rule Hell for himself.
Gathering
together a small army of never-before-seen monsters, Na-Krul now poses a threat
nearly
as deadly as the mighty Diablo.
The Story of Hellfire
Not long ago, before the betrayal of Archbishop Lazarus and the freeing of
Diablo,
a Dark Mage was seen on the outskirts of Tristram. Many claimed that he often
lurked
near the cemetery at night. As this skulking figure did not appear to harm the
graves,
the townspeople left him alone. But then, one evening, a thin smoke came
drifting
from the soil, as from a smoldering fire. An orange glow from below lit up the
tombstones,
and someone thought that he saw the Dark Mage descend into the earth itself. The
smoke
dissipated, the glow faded, and the cemetery was still. Whispers of evil sorcery
and necromancy filled the tavern gossip for a while, but were soon forgotten as
King Leoric
grew madder and other troubles plagued the town.
Shortly before the Hero came and descended into the depths below the Monastery,
the ground
began smoldering again in the cemetery. A passing traveler told of spying a
cloaked
figure fleeing from the smoky site. Splattered with a thick, glowing substance,
the
Dark Mage ran to the river and crossed the bridge, where he collapsed. To the
traveler's
unbelieving eyes, the stained, glowing body of the mage seemed to dissolve and
melt into
the earth, the soil greedily soaking up the remains.
Alarmed, some of the townspeople investigated the area by the river. To their
dismay,
they found an unclean, alien growth near the spot where the Dark Mage fell. A
hard,
dome-like shell sat in the center of the large atrocity, impenetrable and
bizarre.
Since a small meteorite had fallen and exploded at this same location years
earlier,
it was now a place not only to be avoided, but also to be feared. The people
pitied
the poor Farmer whose land was affected, and many were concerned for his sanity,
as he
had taken to talking to his cattle for hours.
Disturbed and filled with dread, the people of Tristram have lately had many
tragedies
befall them. Signs of evil and chaos are everywhere, and the odd events by the
river and
in the graveyard are only a few of the many horrors that they have to
contemplate.
It is their hope that the Hero can unravel these mysteries, as well as defeat
the Lord of Terror, Diablo.
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