Belial
DIFFICULTY: TRICKY

Level
Hatred : 80
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
Act 5 Icy Cellar (Ancients' Way)

Lore
After his defeat in the civil war in Hell, the Lord of Lies and infernal King of Rats was banished to Sanctuary where he plots his return. The icy caves under Harrogath offered him both proximity to the powerful Worldstone and a dark moist breeding ground for his rodent servants.

Strategy
As the Lord of Lies, Belial prefers to cheat in battle. His main offence consists of his Henchmen who use the Punisher spell to poison heroes to death. If one gets through this line of defence, his tiny rat familiars go on the attack. Being so small and fast, they cannot be hit or even aimed at. Belial himself wields a spell that spits out punishers in random directions, as well as an area effect spell that slowly siphons the victim's life away and the ability to summon more rats from the ground to swarm the unwary hero. According to witnesses, Belial does attack recklessly from time to time, chasing his enemy around by teleportation, but demonologists believe that this is just to impress his underlings and his main intention is to get close to summon another batch of Henchmen. Defensively, Belial is protected by a warding spell that makes him invulnerable to all attacks. Occasionally he may drop this shield for a few moments to entice a foolish hero to attack him; this is usually met with a fierce counterattack, but it is the only way to kill him.

Reward
Defeat Belial on Destruction difficulty to get the Book of Lies.

Bull Prince Rodeo
DIFFICULTY: HARD

Level
Hatred : 85
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
Act 1 Cow Level

Lore
The moolicious heir to the Cow King's throne, Bull Prince Rodeo is out to exact his indiscriminate revenge for all the cattle killed by humans.

Strategy
Rodeo is very aggressive and has a stunning Hoof Stomp and the Blink spell, making it difficult to put some distance between you and him. He can also summon more cows or call upon a Stampeding Herd of exploding cows that ploughs across the screen, trampling all in their path. This ability is unblockable, unresistable and will destroy you if you don't get out of the way in time. But his most common spell, in cooperation with another victim of cruel farming practices, is a wave of chickens that will pursue their victim relentlessly, inflicting devastating hurt with their beaks if they connect. The chickens can be dodged by staying mobile. Being a sacred cow, Rodeo is invulnerable to damage. Warding shields are not an exact science, however, and the spell may occasionally fail, allowing you to hit him with one or more elements until the spell is restored.

Reward
Defeat Bull Prince Rodeo on Destruction difficulty to get the Fool's Gold.

Killing Rodeo does not prevent you from entering the Cow Level again.

Quov Tsin
DIFFICULTY: VERY HARD

Level
Hatred : 90
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
Act 2 Stony Tomb Level 1

Lore
Hungry for power and misled by Diablo, the Vizjerei mage Quov Tsin almost succeeded in sacrificing the city of Ureh to the forces of Hell. He was defeated at the last moment, but his spirit still roams the burial tombs looking for a mortal vessel to come back to life...

Strategy
As a former Vizjerei in life, Quov Tsin wields the elements. His most devastating attack is a streaming blast of fire, cold and lightning bolts powerful enough to annihilate any hero in a moment. In melee combat, he may use a fire, cold and lightning nova combo that causes massive destruction at close range. Prepare for this battle by equipping resistance items to counter his ability to pierce resistances, and try to find some absorb items to further cut the damage. His contingency spells protect him by teleporting him to safety when struck by any attack. Stay near cover in case he appears too close for comfort. Quov Tsin is protected by a mystical shield that makes him invulnerable to all damage, but thankfully for you, anger is not a good state of mind to maintain a difficult invulnerability spell. It may occasionally fail, leaving him vulnerable to one or more elements. Seize the moment.

Reward
Defeat Quov Tsin on Destruction difficulty to get the Silver Seal of Ureh.

2% chance to drop a trophy on Destruction difficulty. Cube the trophy with the charm for a small bonus.

Astrogha
DIFFICULTY: IMPOSSIBLE

Level
Hatred : 95
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
Act 1 Mausoleum

Lore
One of Hell's greatest, the scheming spider demon Astrogha has surfaced after the fall of Andariel to continue his reign of terror. He is not the most powerful demon in close combat, but the spider king is never alone.

Strategy
Astrogha does not usually fight his foes directly, but he does not need to. His summoned Spider Statues serve as gateways for his personal swarm, belching waves of crawling Darklings from the depths of the void. Deal with them quickly, but do not touch the statues! They are protected by one of Astrogha's devious tricks: when destroyed, they will both rejuvenate Astrogha and unleash a curse that cripples the assailant causing a swift death. If left alone, they will eventually collapse on their own. Astrogha also possesses a very powerful but close ranged Frozen Orb attack and has warding spells that teleport him away when damaged, courtesy of Quov Tsin's mages. Another dweomer copied from Quov Tsin during centuries of fighting side by side at the head of their respective legions is the warding spell that renders Astrogha immune to all attacks. This is cutting edge magic and therefore still fails from time to time, allowing you to get some hits in.

Reward
Defeat Astrogha on Destruction difficulty to get Astrogha's Venom Stinger.

2% chance to drop a trophy on Destruction difficulty. Cube the trophy with the charm for a small bonus.

Warning! Due to a bug with the way Diablo II handles champions, there is a chance Astrogha may spawn as a boss pack with several copies of himself as minions. When you see a mass of doom spiders, run for your life and restart the game.

1/8 Kurast 3000 BA
DIFFICULTY: EASY

Level
Hatred : 60
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
Arachnid Lair (Spider Forest)

Lore
This uberlevel is a recreation of the city of Kurast located at the Kehjistani frontier, 3000 years before the birth of the prophet Akarat and during the Mage Clan Wars between the Ennead, Annuit and Vizjerei clans. Kurast, a neutral town allied with the Taan, was seized by the Ennead and used as a necromantic military outpost. Can you destroy the magical fortifications and liberate the town?

Enemies
The town is well defended by armies of skeletons undead. Around the town square you will find the Ennead shadowgate totems, which periodically raise additional skeletons and emit a magical field that grants invulnerability to nearby units. The necromantic army is tended to by a contingent of Ennead Necromancers.

Bosses
Your targets are the Ennead Necromancers spread out around town. They summon more skeletons and cast the powerful Nightmare curse, slowing you down and disabling magical healing.

Reward
Defeat the Ennead Necromancers on Destruction difficulty to get the Hammer of the Taan Judges (1/12 chance).

On any difficulty, the Ennead Necromancers drop a random class charm in addition to their regular drop. You need your class charm for other challenges and uberquests.

Drop Bias
Increased chance to drop set items.

2/8 Island of the Sunless Sea
DIFFICULTY: MODERATE

Level
Hatred : 65
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
Drifter Cavern (Glacial Trail)

Lore
The place where angels watch, once the staging ground of the heavenly host for their crusades into the abyss, is an underground cave miraculously illuminated by sunlight. When the holy legions were defeated and forced out of the dimension by the forces of Hell, a few human worshippers remained behind to stand vigil. But heavenly magic is too powerful for mortals to tolerate for long. The mutated, wretched remains of the human defenders were found and embraced by the mighty Lucion, son of Mephisto.

Enemies
The Island is defended by the demented priests and their escorts of warrior nuns. The nuns wield holy weapons which grant them divine invulnerability if they keep attacking, while the priests conjure the holy spirit in the form of a slow moving wraith projectile which should be avoided at all costs. Near them are Lucion's overseers, the Feyrs, and their unholy Nightmare curse.

Bosses
A short distance from the entrance is Lucion's high priest, Malic, wielding fire spells and a deadly homing chaos bolt. Lucion himself has a powerful poison attack, 50% resistance to all damage and emits an unholy aura that makes nearby enemies invulnerable.

Reward
Defeat Malic on Destruction difficulty to get the Six Angel Bag.

Defeat Lucion on Destruction difficulty to get the Sunless Crystal Bird.

Drop Bias
Increased chance to drop gold.

3/8 Khalimgrad
DIFFICULTY: MODERATE

Level
Hatred : 70
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
Infernal Pit (Frozen Tundra)

Lore
Heaven. Nirvana. Celestia. Call it what you will. Home of the heavenly host, which almost destroyed the taint on creation that is the mortal plane twice and allowed it to get overrun by the forces of Hell. Far from being the beings of love they are believed to be by the common folk, the angels of the High Heavens present a clear and present danger to Sanctuary. It may be better to strike first.

Enemies
Ethereals are the physical manifestations of common angels. They attack furiously, but when you kill one of them, it shatters, reducing all resistances of other nearby enemies to -100% but inspiring them with righteous zeal. The glowing Orbitals and the Lightwell gargoyles with their deadly poison bolts are impossible for mortals to destroy and should best be avoided. Keep a close eye on the health of your minions: the death of a minion releases its soul to heaven, healing all Ethereals and Avatars. Casting Nightmare or deploying a Void Archon nearby will stop this healing.

Bosses
Zakarum's Avatars watch over the battle on wings of light. They are divine and immortal, but when an Ethereal dies nearby, the backlash temporarily makes them vulnerable, reducing all resistances to 0%. Strike while it lasts, and strike several times, because their divine grace enable them to ignore a percentage of all incoming attacks.

Reward
Defeat Zakarum's Avatars on Destruction difficulty to get the Zakarum's Ear (1/12 chance).

Drop Bias
Increased chance to drop rare items.

4/8 Tran Athulua
DIFFICULTY: TRICKY

Level
Hatred : 60 (location of a Hatred challenge)
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
Halls of the Dead Level 3 (Dry Hills)

Lore
The jungle capital of the Amazon nation, Tran Athulua, is almost impossible to take by land or sea. After a humiliating defeat, a band of pirates hired you to assassinate the high priestesses and plunder the treetop city during the confusion.

Enemies
Tran Athulua is heavily guarded by bow-wielding Amazon warriors, whose numbers and seeking arrows may overwhelm a weaker hero. Beware the jungle snakes: while seldom directly lethal, their debilitating poison will burden you for a long time, slowing you to a crawl.

Bosses
The priestesses of the three elements, Philios, Skovos and Lycander watch over the city and can be distinguished by their heavy armour. They are dangerous targets due to their Phalanx spell and the ability to call an earthquake which deals magic damage based on a percentage of your current health and is therefore nearly impossible to mitigate. Expect to spend most of the fight at a fraction of your health.

Reward
Defeat the elemental priestesses on Hatred difficulty to get the Sunstone of Fire, Sunstone of Ice and Sunstone of Thunder.

Defeat the elemental priestesses on Destruction difficulty to get the Sunstone of the Gods (1/6 chance from each priestess).

2% chance to drop a trophy on Destruction difficulty. Cube the trophy with the charm for a small bonus.

Drop Bias
Increased chance to drop unique items.

5/8 Fauztinville
DIFFICULTY: TRICKY

Level
Hatred : 80
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
Stony Tomb Level 2 (Rocky Waste)

Lore
After the destruction of the Prime Evils, a new era of peace and prosperity began, eventually evolving into what we call the modern age. Humanity has all but forgotten how to deal with demons. Until out of nowhere an evil force beneath the metropolis of Fauztinville begins to corrupt the machinery and pets, turning them against their masters. Overwhelmed by the assault, the army employs its new experimental time machine to request help from the heroes of the past. Will you answer the call?

Enemies
Fauztinville has fallen under an onslaught of demonically twisted robots and demons bursting from the city's neon signs. Each battle should be straightforward, but beware their various immunities, notably the tri-elemental immunities of Neon Fiends. Summoners should eliminate Harpylisks first to prevent their bouncing blade attack from ravaging their forces.

Bosses
The invasion is led by five warped robots, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon. Find them in the back alleys of Fauztinville and terminate them. If you have trouble finding them, look for dead-end streets and hidden passages through buildings. One of the five requires a teleport skill to access; if you do not have a teleportation spell, use an item with charges of Blink or Jitan’s Gate, like the runeword Pax Mystica or the reward charm for the Lord Aldric Jitan uberquest.

Reward
On Terror difficulty, the Robot Bosses drop their electronic Brains. These are required for the Black Road challenge.

Fauztinville on Destruction difficulty is the only place where you can find the following three Great Runes. These runes are required for the most powerful runewords.

	Taha	Level 100	Weapons : +40 to Maximum Damage Armor : +20 to Maximum Damage Shields : +20 to Maximum Damage
	Ghal	Level 100	Weapons : +15 Energy Factor to Spell Damage Armor : +5 Energy Factor to Spell Damage Shields : +5 Energy Factor to Spell Damage
	Qor	Level 100	Weapons : Requirements -12% Armor : Requirements -12% Shields : Requirements -12%

Drop Bias
Increased chance to drop runes and shrines.

6/8 Ghosts of Old Bremmtown
DIFFICULTY: HARD

Level
Hatred : 85
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
Pit of Acheron (Arreat Plateau)

Lore
You ended the demon invasion of Fauztinville... fast forward another few hundred years. Following a global demon apocalypse, the city is in ruins. Lilith, once banished to the Plane of the Dead, broke free and corrupted the sons of the cosmic dragon Trang-Oul. Weakened by his battle against the angelic and demonic legions at the end of time in the far future, the draconic death god was unable to stop Lilith from capturing and possessing his young. There is no hope for humanity’s resistance forces unless these creatures are eliminated. The old time machine was put into action once again... Will you help out Fauztinville a second time?

Enemies
The Howling Spirits materialise directly on top of you when you approach their hiding spots. You have no choice but to take some hits unless you have inhuman reflexes. Defence is very important.

Bosses
The shadowy Dark Star Dragon is one of Trang-Oul's young, twisted and bent to evil. It summons additional Howling Spirits and has a double rotating death beam that will make short work of you unless you seek cover as the beams pass by.

Reward (requires your class charm)
Bring the appropriate class charm you found in Kurast 3000 BA. Defeat the Dark Star Dragon on Destruction difficulty within 3 minutes after entering the level and without dying. If you succeed, a single use cube recipe is available to upgrade your class charm. You only have 30 seconds after killing the Dark Star Dragon to use the recipe.

This upgrade recipe adds the following bonuses:

Amazon: uses Sacred Sunstone
+500 Crafting Points
Maximum Skill Level Increased by 1
+500 to Life

Assassin: uses Shadow Vortex
+500 Crafting Points
Maximum Skill Level Increased by 1
+500 to Mana

Barbarian: uses Worldstone Orb
+500 Crafting Points
Maximum Skill Level Increased by 1
Enhanced Weapon Damage +50%

Druid: uses Caoi Dulra Fruit
+500 Crafting Points
Maximum Skill Level Increased by 1
+1000 Defense

Necromancer: uses Soulstone Shard
+500 Crafting Points
Maximum Skill Level Increased by 1
+15% Bonus to Summoned Minion Resistances

Paladin: uses Eye of Divinity
+500 Crafting Points
Maximum Skill Level Increased by 1
5% Chance to Avoid Damage

Sorceress: uses Nexus Crystal
+500 Crafting Points
Maximum Skill Level Increased by 1
+50 Energy Factor to Spell Damage

7/8 Kingdom of Shadow
DIFFICULTY: VERY HARD

Level
Hatred : 90
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
Crypt (Blood Raven's Graveyard)

Lore
The mythical city of Ureh, where Diablo took the form of an angel and deceived the city wizards, tricking them into casting a spell that doomed the city. Ureh and everyone within are now trapped between the mortal plane and the Burning Hells, appearing in this world only once every two thousand years, when the shadow of Mount Nymyr falls upon the ruins. Be there.

Enemies
The ghostly citizens are impossible to kill, but they are more than capable of killing you. Keep moving at all costs to avoid the undead hordes.

Bosses
The plazas of Ureh are huge, there is no minimap, the lighting is very dim and the mad King Juris Khan is located at the end of a precarious bridge to oblivion. Please run around like a damsel in a zombie film until you find the narrow ledge leading to the king.

Reward
Defeat Juris Khan on Destruction difficulty to get the Eternal Bone Pile.

2% chance to drop a trophy on Destruction difficulty. Cube the trophy with the charm for a small bonus.

8/8 Duncraig
DIFFICULTY: IMPOSSIBLE

Level
Hatred : 95
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
Cave Level 2 (Cold Plains)

Lore
The powerful demonlord Assur is on the move, burning a wake of destruction across the Western Kingdoms and turning the inhabitants of the towns he razes into mindless minions on his side. All efforts to stop him so far have failed thanks to Assur's powerful invulnerability rune. Find a way to kill him before he takes over the world.

Enemies
The possessed citizens and their Necromorb overseers are straightforward battles, but beware the ones that rush at you with lit powder kegs! They can throw the kegs over large distances and then light the fuse, which will burn down towards the keg and cause a devastating explosion that is almost always fatal to nearby adventurers.

Bosses
Assur wields powerful fire magic, but his main threat is the invulnerability shield. It is impossible to damage Assur directly. You will have to wrestle the secret to destroy Assur from his henchmen.

The secret
Retrieve the five demon seals from Assur's lieutenants: Skinrender, Spinecracker, Eyegouger, Fleshcutter and Bonehexer. On Destruction difficulty, each lieutenant drops his own seal. When you have the five Seals, kill Lost Souls and Necromorbs until a Ring of the Five drops. Cube it with all five seals to create Assur's Bane. Go back to Assur, then select your ring's Purify spell. This spell bypasses Assur's invulnerability and will take him out in a few hits.

Reward
Defeat Assur on Destruction difficulty to get Demonsbane.

2% chance to drop a trophy on Destruction difficulty. Cube the trophy with the charm for a small bonus.

Drop Bias
Increased chance to drop sacred items.

1/8 Creature of Flame
DIFFICULTY: EASY

Level
Hatred : 60
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
Ancient Tunnels (Lost City)

Lore
Horazon the Summoner summoned a powerful demonlord that was too strong and overwhelmed him. He managed to trap it in his arcane sanctuary, but could not defeat it and it almost killed him. To save his own life, Horazon split off the prison zone from the rest of his sanctuary and banished it to earth where it now sits in a subterranean dimension. Breaking in and defeating the demon may yield great rewards.

Strategy
Heed the familiar's holographic warning. The Creature of Flame ignores a percentage of all attacks and strikes with the force of a collapsing mountain, killing the unwary adventurer instantly. Luckily, the enemy of your enemy is nearby. The Astral Guardians protecting the area will defend it from the likes of you, but their magical attack phases you into the astral plane, weakening you to subsequent magical damage but also granting immunity to physical damage. This is exactly what you need to protect you from the Creature of Flame's physical death touch.

Reward
Defeat the Creature of Flame on Destruction difficulty to get Horazon's Focus.

In older versions of Median XL, this encounter did not have the death touch mechanic. The increased difficulty may come as a surprise.

2/8 Infernal Machine
DIFFICULTY: MODERATE

Level
Hatred : 65
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
The Pit Level 2 (Tamoe Highland)

Lore
Who knew the fallen clans were technologically adept? This rickety contraption contains wooden clockwork mechanisms and the necessary runes to open a gateway to any location in the Burning Hells. This enables it to summon hellish creatures at a rapid rate. Move quickly, because time is against you.

Strategy
The tower summons a selection of dangerous elite monsters. Try to reach it as quickly as possible, avoiding or teleporting past elites. Beware the elites with a slowing attack: Marbled Frog, Basilisk and Unseelie Dame.

Reward
Defeat the Infernal Machine on Destruction difficulty to get the Optical Detector.

3/8 Death Projector
DIFFICULTY: MODERATE

Level
Hatred : 70
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
Swampy Pit Level 3 (Flayer Jungle)

Lore
The Swampy Pit serves as testing grounds for Mephisto's latest siege weapon. The Death Projector slowly rotates, firing a devastating energy beam in a full circle, annihilating anything in its path.

Strategy
The siege tower is tended to by trained Zakarumite techpriests. Its magitech shield is impenetrable to all weapons, but when it senses a Mechanic nearby, it lowers its shield to enable maintenance. In this state, the Death Projector can be damaged, though its fortified outer shell still harmlessly deflects a percentage of all incoming attacks. The Mechanics themselves carry portable gap generators and are impossible to hit or kill. Damage the Death Projector while avoiding Mechanics until the devilish device finally falls.

Reward
Defeat the Death Projector on Destruction difficulty to get the Laser Focus Crystal.

4/8 Azmodan
DIFFICULTY: TRICKY

Level
Hatred : 75
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
Forgotten Reliquary (Upper Kurast)

Lore
The Lord of Sin walks the earth. In his weakened state, he hides in the catacombs of Kurast, feasting on the dark rituals of Mephisto's chosen. Destroy him before he becomes a threat.

Strategy
Azmodan is accompanied by a legion of elites and emits a black magic aura that grants unholy invulnerability to nearby demons and 50% all resistances to himself. The tight confines of the temple area make it hard to get past the immortal monsters blocking your way and reach Azmodan himself. He should be easy to kill in his weakened state, but beware his powerful Pentagram attack which may require maximum fire resistance to survive.

Reward
Defeat Azmodan on Destruction difficulty to get Azmodan's Heart.

2% chance to drop a trophy on Destruction difficulty. Cube the trophy with the charm for a small bonus.

5/8 Rathma Square
DIFFICULTY: TRICKY

Level
Hatred : 80
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
Ruined Fane (Kurast Causeway)

Lore
Back in the days when Kurast was the centre of civilisation and black magic was not yet frowned upon, this was where the priests of Rathma - the necromancers - practiced their art. The place was abandoned when the religion of Zakarum took over the city and banned pagan magic, making it the perfect hiding place for an ancient evil bent on taking out the Church from within. Primus, son of Mephisto, was the leader of the Cult of the Triune in ages past before its destruction. His efforts to rebuild the Triune were shut down by the crusaders of Zakarum, but he remains a formidable foe, doubly so in the home city of the Zakarum.

Strategy
Primus himself is not particularly hard, despite his powerful ranged Bladestorm attack. The blades track your position, but do less damage than his normal attack and can be avoided, blocked and dodged. His guard dogs are the real challenge. After several millennia in and around Rathma Square, his Gore Crawlers can raise themselves from the dead. Shattering the corpse does not stop this, but the resurrection takes 10 seconds, during which you can attempt to run away and ditch them.

Reward
On Destruction difficulty, Primus drops the Spirit Trance Herb (1/6 chance).

2% chance to drop a trophy on Destruction difficulty. Cube the trophy with the charm for a small bonus.

6/8 Cathedral of Vanity
DIFFICULTY: HARD

Level
Hatred : 85
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
Underground Passage Level 2

Lore
According to religious myth, the mortal plane – Sanctuary – was created by the fallen angel Inarius and the demon Lilith to serve as a refuge from the Eternal War. The two created a race of servants from the earth which were to worship them for all eternity. However, humanity broke free from its shackles when a small group of farmers rediscovered their birthright and ancient powers inherited from their supernatural parents. As the edyrem army grew, Inarius descended into megalomanic madness and was eventually destroyed along with his golden cathedral of vanity. It is whispered that the ghosts of Inarius and his closest worshippers still roam the cathedral…

Strategy
The Crystal Ball is the last of the cathedral’s magical defences. The tower exudes a holy invulnerability shield to protect nearby revelers and casts a searing beam of angelic lightning that destroys anything it touches. Destroy the Crystal Ball to dispel the immortality from the other enemies.

Reward
Defeat Inarius on Destruction difficulty to get the Idol of Vanity.

2% chance to drop a trophy on Destruction difficulty. Cube the trophy with the charm for a small bonus.

Bonus quest
Inarius' cathedral of vanity was ultimately destroyed by Mephisto, and Inarius and his followers were captured, mutilated and deformed to grotesque Overlords to serve the forces of Hell. One may be able to summon the tormented ghost of Inarius, defeat him and steal his power...

7/8 Toraja
DIFFICULTY: VERY HARD

Level
Hatred : 90
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
Abaddon (Frigid Highlands)

Lore
Now nothing more than overgrown ruins, Toraja once stood proud as a medium-sized city in ancient times, and has become legendary as the city where the nephalem Uldyssian recruited most of his edyrem to spearhead the uprising against the infernal Cult of the Triune. This battle is where the time portal leads you. Aid the edyrem in their battle against Lilith and the Triune’s minions.

Strategy
Because you are not directly allowed to interfere with the flow of time, you cannot damage the enemies at all. Bring the Crystalline Flame Medallion which you acquired during the Judgment Day uberquest and use its special ability to summon a batallion of edyrem, fighter-mages who have the ability to dispel the immortality wards off the enemies. Although they are vulnerable to the supernatural onslaught of the Triune, they have the power to cast an invulnerability shield of their own, allowing them to close in and remove the immunities. Defend them well and lead your army of edyrem to victory!

Reward
On Destruction difficulty, when you kill Lilith, you have 30 seconds to cube the Crystalline Flame Medallion with an Arcane Crystal to upgrade it.

This upgrade recipe adds the following bonuses:

Toraja on Destruction difficulty is the only place in the game where you can find the following three Great Runes. These runes are required for the most powerful runewords.

	Krys	Level 100	Weapons : Target Takes Additional Damage of 100 Armor : Target Takes Additional Damage of 25 Shields : Target Takes Additional Damage of 25
	Auhe	Level 100	Weapons : Regenerate Mana +15% Armor : Regenerate Mana +5% Shields : Regenerate Mana +5%
	Sha'ad	Level 100	Weapons : +30% Enhanced Damage Armor : +30% Enhanced Defense Shields : +30% Enhanced Defense

8/8 Vizjun
DIFFICULTY: IMPOSSIBLE

Level
Hatred : 95
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Location
Disused Fane (Kurast Bazaar)

Lore
Vizjun, the mechanised home city of the Viz-Jaq'Taar buit on the ruins of a magical war, recently ran into a major system error. The artificial intelligence, the Master Control System seems to have developed evil sentience as Diablo approached. The computer then constructed a large army of robots to take over the city, its missile silos and from there the world. Those seeking to retake the compound will have to contend with its arsenal of combat drones, minefields and electro-pulse generators.

Strategy
Vizjun features melee robots, laser robots and machine-bolter robots. You should know what to do by now. But watch your step: Vizjun's automated defences will periodically deploy additional robots, chaingun sentries, minefields and even nuclear MIRV strikes when you enter the protected zone. The computer voice warns you of any incoming attack. The level boss, MCS has plasma interference shields and is invulnerable to normal damage. To destroy it, use the handy Purify skill you acquired in Duncraig. A few shots should be enough.

Reward
Defeat the MCS on Destruction difficulty to get the Cold Fusion Schematics.

2% chance to drop a trophy on Destruction difficulty. Cube the trophy with the charm for a small bonus.

Drop Bias
Increased chance to drop jewels.

1/8 The Butcher
DIFFICULTY: EASY

Level
Hatred : 60
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Summon at
The Hole Level 2 (Black Marsh)

Lore
Slain in his hellhole beneath Tristram, the Butcher rises from the dead at the call of your summoning spell and the smell of fresh blood. It is said the Butcher cannot be summoned without an acceptable human sacrifice, and if none is provided, he will take one...

Strategy
The Butcher is the ultimate melee fighter. His tainted cleaver hits hard and if he catches you, you are dead meat. His flabs of fat negate a large percentage of your attacks, which would be a problem if he wasn't invulnerable to mortal weapons and spells in the first place. Like a Hellcat playing with a mouse, the Butcher may reveal his one weakness if you can take enough pain to convince him you are no threat....

Reward
Defeat the Butcher on Destruction difficulty to get The Butcher's Tooth.

In older versions of Median XL, this was a straightforward melee fight. The invulnerability shield may come as a surprise.

2/8 The Binding of Baal
DIFFICULTY: MODERATE

Level
Hatred : 65
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Summon at
Valley of Snakes

Lore
Reenact the capture and imprisonment of Baal by Tal Rasha and his Horadrim, with you playing the role of Baal. To protect their leader, the Horadrim weave warding spells that make Tal Rasha immortal until the last of his soldiers has died and their spirits have faded.

Strategy
During this uberquest, you morph into Baal when you are near Tal Rasha. The archmage himself is immune to all damage until you get rid of all Horadric Mages. Even then, Tal Rasha has a phasing spell that negates a percentage of incoming attacks and their elemental affinity grants all mages 50% resistance to all. Being magical in nature, the shield aura is vulnerable to resistance breaking spells, offering the hero another way to deal with Tal Rasha. Beware the Horadrim's fire and lightning spells, empowered with ancient metamagic to bypass up to 250% of your resistances.

Reward
Defeat Tal Rasha on Destruction difficulty to get the Scroll of Kings.

3/8 Assault on Mount Arreat
DIFFICULTY: MODERATE

Level
Hatred : 70
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Summon at
Arreat Summit

Lore
In ages past, Diablo himself attempted to invade Mount Arreat to destroy the Worldstone and was repelled by the Bear tribe defenders and their king, the shaman Koth. This is a reenaction of that battle on the peak of Mount Arreat, with you as Diablo.

Strategy
The powers of the Bear Shamans protect King Koth with an ancient invulnerability shield until the last of the defenders has fallen. Even when the shield is down, the King's spirits deflect a percentage of incoming attacks. Thanks to their connection to the primal forces, all shamans have an innate 50% resistance to all. In many aspects this is the physical version of the Tal Rasha fight.

Reward
Defeat Koth on Destruction difficulty to get the Sacred Worldstone Key.

4/8 Akarat
DIFFICULTY: TRICKY

Level
Hatred : 75
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Summon at
Kurast Causeway

Lore
The church of Zakarum is highly ritualistic. One of the grand Zakarumite ceremonies involves the summoning and ritual crucifixion of the living spirit of the prophet Akarat by the church fathers of Travincal, four times a year or in times of trouble. These are certainly troubled times, but there is no telling if the ritual may be affected by the corruption that has tainted the temple city...

Strategy
The corrupted spirit of Akarat is protected by heavenly invulnerability and is impossible to attack directly. Remember that a religion is nothing without followers and attack his twelve apostles first. The death of one of his apostles unleashes a wave of holy energy, reducing all resistances of other apostles to -100% and breaking the immunity shield of Akarat himself, reducing all resistances to 0% for a few precious seconds. This does however enrage them and they will attack you with renewed vigour. Killing an apostle may be difficult due to the mass healing spell they cast when low on health, as well as the storm of magical hammers with which they pummel you from a distance and their ability to heal when they slay a minion or hero. If you have access to Nightmare or a Void Archon, use it to shut down their healing. Akarat himself is blessed in another way as well: the spirits of the Light repel a percentage of all incoming attacks.

Reward
Defeat Akarat on Destruction difficulty to get the Visions of Akarat.

2% chance to drop a trophy on Destruction difficulty. Cube the trophy with the charm for a small bonus.

5/8 Lord Aldric Jitan
DIFFICULTY: TRICKY

Level
Hatred : 80
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Summon at
Nihlathak's Temple

Lore
Driven mad by nightmares, the Western aristocrat Lord Aldric Jitan hopes to summon a terrible demon and plunge the land into darkness. Stop him before he does.

Strategy
Lord Aldric Jitan linked his lifeforce to his Royal Guards, granting him unholy immortality until all of his guardsmen are dead. The demonic powers guiding his actions also imbue him and his guardsmen with 50% all resistances and the ability to harmlessly deflect a percentage of incoming attacks. The guardsmen are tougher than anything that came before and will heal themselves, inflict tri-elemental damage and summon guard towers that will pummel the living daylights out of you if you stand still for too long. Keep moving and the towers will vanish behind you. When any of the enemies dies, the dark forces reclaim his spirit, creating a vortex of magic that should be given wide berth.

Reward
Defeat Lord Aldric Jitan on Destruction difficulty to get the Moon of the Spider (1/6 chance).

2% chance to drop a trophy on Destruction difficulty. Cube the trophy with the charm for a small bonus.

6/8 Legacy of Blood
DIFFICULTY: HARD

Level
Hatred : 85
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Summon at
Tower Cellar (Black Marsh)

Lore
Bartuc, the Warlord of Blood, was once Horazon's brother in the Vizjerei mage clan. Whereas Horazon wanted to summon demons to enslave them, Bartuc chose to worship them and traded his soul for demonic power. Their conflict eventually led to a civil war that shattered the mage clan. Although Bartuc was eventually destroyed by the very powers he sought to control, his soul and power have been claimed by the forces of Hell. It may be possible to summon Bartuc's spirit in the crypt where his cursed armour was buried...

Strategy
Bartuc and his summoned Blood Golems have ranged attacks and can hurt a lot in this tiny room. Protected by the power of his cursed armour, Bartuc and his golems are invulnerable to damage. However, his Wychwind blade throw requires him to concentrate on the spell and drop his resistances for a brief time, and his dimwitted golems may briefly forget to shield themselves when they successfully hit you and are distracted by your suffering.

Reward
Defeat Bartuc on Destruction difficulty to get the Legacy of Blood.

2% chance to drop a trophy on Destruction difficulty. Cube the trophy with the charm for a small bonus.

7/8 Judgment Day
DIFFICULTY: VERY HARD

Level
Hatred : 90
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Summon at
Inner Cloister

Lore
When Uldyssian sacrificed his life at the Cathedral of Vanity in the battle between angels and demons, his soul was thought to be blown to the far reaches of the universe. But a malicious spirit in the High Heavens, watching over the battle from afar, snatched Uldyssian and his edyrem on their way to oblivion. Imperius, archangel and high warlord of the Crystal Arch, had his own opinions about Sanctuary and the human vermin inhabiting it. This taint on creation had to be eradicated. But his side of the argument, despite the support of Malthael, lost out in the Angiris Council due to the intervention of Tyrael, and the ensuing blood pact with Mephisto prevented him from intervening on the mortal plane at all. A puppet had to be found, and Uldyssian was just what he sought. After a thorough brainwashing, Imperius sent his harbinger Dark Uldyssian to Sanctuary with the mission to exact divine justice and destroy the world...

Strategy
Dark Uldyssian and his Fallen Edyrem exist only partially on the mortal plane and cannot be hit by mortals. When Dark Uldyssian hits a player or minion, an avatar of Imperius or Malthael may be summoned to interfere directly with the battle and this avatar is vulnerable to attack. The Fallen Edyrem do not have this power, but you can tell apart Dark Uldyssian by his heavy armour. Both Avatars can throw alchemical holy hand grenades packing the power of creation itself, summon homing magical bolts and summon more Fallen Edyrem at a rapid rate.

Reward
Defeat Imperius or Malthael on Destruction difficulty to get the Crystalline Flame Medallion.

2% chance to drop a trophy on Destruction difficulty. Cube the trophy with the charm for a small bonus.

Bonus quest
If you are exceptionally daring or suicidal, distract Dark Uldyssian until both the Avatar of Imperius and the Avatar of Malthael are summoned. Destroy them both within 30 seconds, then transmute the Medallion in the cube to upgrade it. Make sure you kill both Avatars, not the same one twice or the recipe will not work.

This upgrade recipe adds the following bonuses:

8/8 Brother Laz
DIFFICULTY: IMPOSSIBLE

Level
Hatred : 95
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Summon at
Swampy Pit Level 3 (Flayer Jungle)

Lore
There are many religions in Sanctuary. Although they all tell very different stories, loremasters agree that since most of them seem to be effective and enable their faithful to work miracles, there has to be a common truth between them. One particular element found in most religions is the creation of the world by a God or other deity, whether it be Anu, the Earthfather and Skymother or even Tiarna Dulra. Some even believe that the world as we know it was shaped by an individual human on another plane, one 'Brother Laz' with a calculation engine powered by lightning. According to this cult, when humanity complains too much about the difficult living conditions in Sanctuary and the scarcity of divine weaponry, he may send his avatar to the mortal plane to deal with those who annoy him in person...

Strategy
The Groupies are just your average frenzied fanbois with throwing knives and should not be too hard to dispatch despite their tri-elemental attack. The boss, Brother Laz, is at a whole different level. Do not stand still in his crosshairs or he will cast either Deathstrike or Singularity on you and annihilate you. If you keep moving, he will attempt an offensive teleport, summon more minions and may cast totems that kill you if you go near them. Do not destroy the totems: they will unleash wild magic that renders you brittle as glass and heals Brother Laz and his Groupies. Using his leet hax0r powers, Brother Laz is invulnerable to any damage and this time there is no loophole or weakness. Use the Purify skill you acquired in Duncraig and keep hitting the power tripping modmaker with it until he dies.

Reward
Defeat Brother Laz on Destruction difficulty to get the Glorious Book of Median (1/6 chance).

2% chance to drop a trophy on Destruction difficulty. Cube the trophy with the charm for a small bonus.

Secret: Inarius' Revenge
DIFFICULTY: MODERATE

Level
Hatred : 85
Terror : 115
Destruction : 120

Summon at
??? -- Find it yourself!

Lore
In his vanity, fallen angel Inarius made the fatal mistake of raiding one of Mephisto's black temples on mortal soil and killing the dark monks there. The Prime Evils had previously ignored this rebellious angel, but this was an insult they could not leave unpunished. Mephisto invaded Inarius' cathedral of vanity, burned it to the ground and captured Inarius and his followers, warping and mutating them into flabby and horrible creatures - the Overlords - instilling them with eternal hatred for the still beautiful creations of Zakarum, humans. You may be able to summon Inarius' ghost at a place of great significance for the fallen angel...

Strategy
Even in their weakened state, Inarius' ghost and his minions hit very hard and almost always hit. Even in death, Inarius' followers protect him with their own spirits, granting Inarius invulnerability until the last of the followers are dead. The tough Overlords have 50% all resistances, and Inarius' angelic heritage additionally grants him the ability to ignore a percentage of all attacks. Despite all this, the battle should be easy, a fitting end to Inarius' wretched existence.

Reward
Defeat Inarius' ghost on Destruction difficulty to get the Spirit of Damnation.