The Guardian

Diablo II Notation Basic Class Skill Item Ally Quest Area Monster Tale The Sightless Eye Secret of the Vizjerei The Infernal Gate The Harrowing Lord of Destruction Special The Golden Bird Blade of Old Religion Khalim's Will Lam Esen's Tome Blackened Temple The Guardian Type Mandatory Initiation Talk to Ormus after Deckard Cain after the Blackened Temple or Enter Durance of Hate Level 1 Objective(s) Kill Mephisto Area(s) Durance of Hate Level 3 Item(s) None Reward Quest drop, including Mephisto's Soulstone, and access to Act 4 Diablo and Baal have surely found the Temple City by now. They seek to free their Brother, Mephisto, who was imprisoned by the Horadrim in the Temple's Guardian Tower. You must reach him before his Brothers do and prevent them from releasing Hatred upon the world. - Ormus Navigation Khalim's Will quest, or the Blackened Temple in multiplayer, needs to have been completed to allow access to Durance of Hate Level 1 and beyond. Exit to Durance of Hate Level 2 is normally found most quickly by going left from entrance. Search second level for waypoint and exit to Durance of Hate Level 3: this will take much longer in Nightmare and Hell, since both first and second levels are significantly larger. From waypoint, exit to third and final level is normally found most quickly by going left. Objective Durance of Hate Level 3 always has same layout, with Mephisto located at head of main chamber to northeast, above the Infernal Gate portal in center. Third and final level is always populated by Blood Lords, which are Immune to Cold (140%) in Hell. Random Champion or Unique Undead Stygian Dolls may be selected in Normal, but not Nightmare or Hell. Mephisto is also guarded by three Super Unique Council Members: Maffer Dragonhand is an Extra Strong Extra Fast Super Unique Council Member guarding the left flank. Always Immune to Lightning (100%) in Hell. Bremm Sparkfist is an Aura Enchanted Lightning Enchanted Super Unique Council Member guarding center chamber above its entrance, who is always Immune to Lightning (175%) in Hell. Accompanied by two minions in Normal, three in Nightmare and four in Hell, which are Immune to Lightning (100%) in Hell. Wyand Voidbringer is a Mana Burn Teleportation Super Unique Council Member guarding the right flank. Always Immune to Lightning (100%) in Hell. Normally best to go left: since Bremm Sparkfist and his minions are normally located inside entrance to center chamber or above it to right, it is more likely they can be avoided if they spawn in the latter location. Mephisto is a boss and the first Prime Evil faced. He has 0% drain effectiveness in Nightmare and Hell. Reward Our faith in you was well deserved. But Diablo has made his way to Hell; and it is likely that Baal followed him there. Enter the Infernal Gate and kill the Lord of Terror before all is lost. Only then will our world be saved! - Deckard Cain Upon killing Mephisto for the first time he has improved chances of dropping higher quality items. In Hell he also has chance to drop Charged Essence of Hatred required to transmute Token of Absolution in Horadric Cube, used to respecialise, reassigning attribute and skill points. Always drops Mephisto's Soulstone, requiring one inventory space to pick up. However, despite its importance to the plot, this is not strictly necessary: apparently Deckard Cain will pick it up and give it to character in Act 4 after talking to him. Approaching Infernal Gate from direction of Mephisto's original location will now cause bridge of bones to rise out of the blood pool, allowing character to use portal to travel to Act 4. The Infernal Gate.