At the time I am writing this blog, there is less than two weeks left of Season 2. My main goal this Season was to get my hard core Demon Hunter to level 70. As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, Season 2 fell right into a bad allergy season. I’m glad I didn’t set myself any other goals. I simply didn’t have the energy to do very much in this time around.
This blog picks up where the last Diablo III blog left off. In that one, I featured five Act II Bounties that I finished. Immediately after that, I completed more Bounties. The screenshots you see in this blog were taken on March 20, 2015.
The five Act II Bounties in this batch were: A Miner’s Gold – Help the Crazed Miner (Howling Plateau), Kill High Cultist Murdos – and 50 other enemies (Road to Alcarnus), Lost Treasure of Khan Dakab – Enter the Tomb of Khan Dakab and Claim the Treasure (Dahlgur Oasis), Clear the Vile Cavern – Enter the Vile Cavern and Kill all enemies in the VileCavern Level 2 (Desolate Sands), and Kill Mage Lord Caustus – Enter the Storm Halls – Kill Mage Lord Caustus and 100 other enemies (Archives of Zoltun Kulle).
Earlier in Season 2, I noticed that I don’t take as many screenshots when I play hard core as I do when playing soft core. This makes it a lot easier for me to blog about my experiences. There’s simply less screenshots to sort through when I’m ready to write. I’m hoping that this new habit “sticks” if/when I go back to playing soft core. I took way too many screenshots during Season 1, and things got tedious.
Slice of Life: Use 50 health wells.
I was working on the Lost Treasure of Khan Dakab Bounty when I found A Love Letter (in a box). It’s written like a poem. I’ll leave it up to you to interpret the full meaning.
A LOVE LETTER
From the pages of Solan, exalted poet of Kehjistan:
My love rises out
of the oasis like a willow.
Let me nourish her
like a pool of cool water.
Let me wind myself up her
curves
and hollows like fingers of ivy,
and climb her shaded branches
to taste of her fruit.
Solan
It took me a little while to find where the Lost Treasure of Khan Dakab event started. On the way, I killed monsters in the hopes of earning the last of three Seasonal Monster Slaying Bounties that can be earned in Act II. Every little bit of experience gets me that much closer to Level 70.
LEVEL 58!
Leodesh the Stalker, Harbinger of Pain
It becomes immediately clear when a player has found the starting point for the Tomb of Khan Dakab. The goal is to find his treasure. There are two books that drop here that give players the story of this place and who was there before the player found it.
The Chamber of Faces: The vault door is sealed by magic means. The stone faces upon the ground seem to have some reaction to our presence. We would investigate further, but our intrusion has woken up something in these halls. We should not linger. – Iron Wolf Jarulf.
The Last Will of Khan Dakab: My life has been long. I have gathered much wealth around me. But gold has brought me nothing but pain, and I will not let the curse of my wealth fall on my family. This room shall hold my treasure for all eternity; none shall divine its secrets… – Khan Dakab
There are two levers inside the Tomb of Kahn Dakab that a player must find and click on. Both of them look the same.
After a player has found, and clicked on, both levers, it is time to go back to the blue face in the floor. Stand on it, or walk across it, and the door to the Tomb of Kahn Dakab will automatically open.
This is the Treasure of Kahn Dakab. It sparkles! The instant a player clicks on it the spirit of Khan Dakab himself appears (and wants to fight).
Spirit of Kahn Dakab, Malevolent Ghost
Lost Treasure of Kahn Dakab: Complete the Lost Treasure of Kahn Dakab event.
Mage Lord Caustus, Guardian Lord of Poison (No kidding!)
Mage Lord Caustus dropped a Green item. It turned out to be a Blacksmith plan for Born’s Defiance.
Mage Lord Skomara, Guardian Lord of Frost
That brings me to the end of the set of five Bounties. On to the next five!
The next group of Bounties were: Kill Gart the Mad – and 100 other enemies in the Howling Plateau and Black Canyon Mines (Howling Plateau), Kill Belial – Enter the Imperial Palace and Kill Belial (City of Caldeum), Restless Sands – Help Mehtan the Necromancer (Stinging Winds), Clear the Mysterious Cave – Enter the Mysterious Cave and Kill all enemies in Mysterious Cave Level 2 (Dahlgur Oasis), and Kill Mage Lord Skomara – and 100 other enemies (Archives of Zoltun Kulle).
LEVEL 59!
Gart the Mad, Manical Fallen Master
Rakoff’s Glass of Life is a Legendary amulet. I’ve never seen this one before (nor heard of it). The special thing about it is: Enemies you kill have a 4% additional chance to drop a health globe. The flavor text says: Rakoff was a simple layman scribe who studied the ways and fighting techniques of the monks extensively before creating an item to draw out the life force of a defeated enemy.
The Ess of Johan is another Legendary amulet. It is one that I am familiar with. The special thing about this one is: Chance on hit to pull in enemies toward your target and slow them by 60%.
The flavor text says: “A variation on the retreat and ambush stratagem uses the Ess of Johan most effectively. First, send out a small group of soldiers to confront the enemy and create the appearance of being overwhelmed. When they retreat, the enemy will follow to finish them off. Just as the pursuing force realizes its been led into a trap, employ the artifact to deny its escape” – Rakkis’s Strategies of War
Promise of Glory is Legendary bracers. The special thing about this one is: 5% chance to spawn a Nephalem Glory globe when you blind an enemy. The flavor text says: Lost and found again through the ages, these bracers bear the names of all who have worn them. Each one found great glory, but not all survived to reap the rewards.
Snake Handler: Kill 500 Snakemen in Act II in the Season.
Lylirra Deathflame – This is the second time I’ve killed CM Lylirra in Season 2.
The next Bounty was to Clear the Mysterious Cave. You’ll know you found it when you see Zaven the Alchemist.
Zaven the Alchemist: I meant to explore that cave over there for trinkets, but after that – it’s all yours.
After Zaven the Alchemist moves over to the “porch”, he becomes a vendor. Sell him the junk that you don’t want to carry around anymore! Doing so is a good way to gain more bag space before you enter this small dungeon.
The above screenshot shows the outside of the Mysterious Cave. The screenshot below shows what the inside looks like (at the start of Level 2).
LEVEL 60!
Hero of Sanctuary (Hardcore): Reach level 60 in Hardcore mode.
I also earned that one as a Career Achievement:
Warriors of A Broken World: Reach level 60 with 5 characters.
Hero of Sanctuary: Reach level 60.
Disciples of the Night: Reach level 60 with 2 Demon Hunters
What a nice way to end a set of Bounties – with a bunch of Achievements popping up! I’ve hit level 60, and it feels like I’ll have time to get Dusk the Demon Hunter to Level 70 before Season 2 ends. In my next blog, I’ll show the highlights of my last set of Act II Bounties.