When I started this time, my Barbarian, Zeta, was level 39. She was in Act I of Nightmare Mode (and impatient to get into Act II). Here are some highlights from the adventure.
Zeta rounded up Kormac and Leah to go pick up Lyndon… sorta. I mean, at this point, he’s standing right over there, across the courtyard in town. We already picked him up in Act I of Normal mode. I mean… /sigh. This is one of those parts of the game where the storyline resembles one of the episodes of Star Trek TNG with the parallel universes and the looping timeline.
Anyway, off we go!
Nigel Cutthroat
Somewhere in that screenshot is the cowering figure of Lyndon’s “bride to be” (or, so she thought). He’d convinced this poor (extremely young) woman to leave her father, and her home, in order for the two of them to get married.
Unfortunately, he only loved her for the valuable object she was carrying (which turned out to be not nearly so valuable after all). At which point, he abandons this innocent (and soon to be heartbroken) girl in favor of traveling with the rest of us.
Gotta say, the first time I went through this part of the storyline, I couldn’t stand Lyndon at all. I would leave him in town. Eventually, I was at a part where I thought it would be helpful to have someone with a ranged weapon traveling with me, and he was my only choice. Since then, his snarky wit (and the rest of the story line) has made me change my mind about him a bit. He’s grown on me, and I did not expect that to happen.
Onward! Zeta and Kormac and Leah had a conversation with Alaric the guardian. Was he this creepy last time I played through this part of the game? Did one of the patches give him “enhanced creepiness”?
A mighty adversary is before us.
Yep, it’s Solazius, Nomad of the Wastelands.
Tyrant Brimstone says: My people defy you!
Ezek the Prophet
The Butterfly Queen – I mean, Maghda, appears!
A conversation with The Stranger reveals that he’s really Tyrael. I happen to think Tyrael is awesome, so I took screenshots of this part.
The Stranger: I am dying…
Zeta: Angel, take up your sword!
Tyrael: I remember now…
Tyrael: I was an archangel of the High Heavens! I was the embodiment of Justice!
Tyrael: I was… I am – Tyrael!
Tyrael then urges Zeta and Kormac to return to Tristram to “make ready” for a trip to Caldeum to fight Belial. That’s pretty much the end of Act I. As much as I enjoy (most of) Act I, it felt really good to finally be in Act II of Nightmare Mode!