Changes

Blizzard did not provide additional There is a bit of lore or story in Hellfire, enough to establish the Sierra developers game's plot and give some background to work into Hellfire. As a result there are no books or tomes that tell more of the Sin Warone official character, or any other events in the Diablo canon[[D1 Monk|Monk]]. There are also some lore books to be found in the [[Diablo Levels#Crypt|Crypt levels]] that add to the game's story. These are all worth reading on their own, but they are considered non-canon, since they are exclusive to this expansion pack, which was produced by Sierra in conjuction with Blizzard. Hellfire makes no additions to the lore revealed or story told in Diablo. The Hellfire tomes relate entirely to the plot of Hellfire, which revolves around a powerful mage summoning the demon [[Na-Krul]]. The demon was too powerful for the mage to control, and as the mage felt himself losing control, he took the time to write long, grammatically correct journal entries, which he left on huge book stands spread throughout his dungeon. ===The Dark Mage=== This is the official Hellfireworld fiction, transcribed from the game manual. ::''Not long ago, before the betrayal of Arch-Bishop Lazarus and the freeing of Diablo, a Dark Made 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. One evening smoke came driving from the soil, as from a smoldering fire. An orange glow from below lit up the tombstones, and someone saw the Dark mage descent into the earth itself. The smoke dissipated, the glow faded, and the cemetery was still. Whispers of evil sorcery and necromancy filled the tavern's gossip for a while, but were soon forgotten as King Leoric grew maddened 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. The 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, 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, impenetrable and bizarre, sat in the center of the long atrocity. 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.  ===The Monk=== ::''Monks of the Brotherhood of the Bough are original a rare sight. It is said that they come from a desolate wilderness, where their people were forced to flee after being conquered by an invading horde. Because of their great defeat, these people vowed to master the arts of combat. Lacking resources such as iron, they learned to use their bare hands and simple wooden staves as deadly weapons, and do not depend on metal armor to provide protection in battle. Instead, they rely upon speed and concentration. In their harsh native clime, they have been forced to find food and other essentials in the most unlikely of places. Over time, this careful searching has honed their visual perception to an almost supernatural level.  ::''It is rumored that game a dark sickness has fallen upon the homeland of the Monks, and many of their people have died. The Brotherhood of the Bough has sought to unearth the foulness, to no avail. Desperate for answers, lone Monks have ventured to distant lands, searching for regions suffering a similar affliction. Tales of the evils besetting Tristram will have already attracted the attention of the Brotherhood.  ::''The Monk is extremely skilled in hand-to-hand combat, and is a master of the staff, which he can use to strike many opponents with a single blow. However, he is not well trained with bladed or projectile weapons, and is not part used to wearing heavy armor. Foes of weak or moderate ability tend to fail easily before him, but tougher enemies may provide him with a considerable challenge. All Monks have the overall Diablo storyability to find items easily because of their exceptional eyesight.