Diablo II/Guardian

The sixth and final quest of this Act can be activated if you talk to Ormus after entering :

If you talk to anyone before leaving, some responses may differ if you haven't returned ../Lam Esen's Tome/ to Alkor:

If you haven't already done so, and you can't use another player's portal to enter the Durance of Hate after killing the High Council in the ../Blackened Temple/ of, now is the time to complete ../Khalim's Will/, using it to destroy the Compelling Orb: once you've done so, and killed the three members of the High Council, even and  s will flee from you throughout Kurast. Meanwhile, after destroying the Orb, the stair opposite the Temple's entrance opens to the Durance of Hate below...

Durance of Hate Level 1
Entering the first level of the Durance of Hate activates this quest if talking to Ormus has not already done so:

If you return before killing on the third level of his Durance, some responses may differ if you haven't returned ../Lam Esen's Tome/ to Alkor:

The first level is randomly populated by three of the following four monster types: s, s, s and s (so there's 25% chance of being populated exclusively by undead). The most direct route to the second level is most likely to be found by traveling left, in an anticlockwise direction, after entry.

Durance of Hate Level 2
The second level is similarly populated to the first. The most direct route to its waypoint is most likely to be found by traveling left, in an anticlockwise direction, after entry; continue to do so for the most likely direct route from the waypoint to the third level. This is particularly important to remember in Nightmare and Hell, since the level becomes much larger.

Durance of Hate Level 3
The third and final level is randomly populated by s, with and  s in Normal as well. The approach to himself is guarded by the three remaining members of the High Council.

The layout of this level is always the same: you enter at the northeast end of a hall along the southeast end of it, with a doorway in the middle of its northwest wall, through which is the foot of the large chamber containing Mephisto at its head. Clear the hall before approaching this doorway...

Bremm Sparkfist
Council Member

Bremm Sparkfist and his minions guard the foot of Mephisto's chamber, either close to its entrance or, hopefully, to the north, where they're unlikely to become aware of you as you enter if you turn left. It can potentially get quite nasty if they're close to the door and and  monsters are also to its left: be prepared to retreat at the first sign of trouble (usually a summoned  before you even enter).

Once you've avoided or killed Bremm, you'll find that there's a lake of blood in the middle of the chamber, shaped like a human body: you're at its foot, with a walkway between the legs opposite the entrance that ends before it reaches the Infernal Gate at the heart of the lake. You won't be able to go through this portal to Hell until you've killed Mephisto.

There are also walkways around the perimeter of the lake to the left and right, but its arms extend to create a moat separating you from its northwestern shore: you can go through a room to either side to reach it, or or  across. However, each flank is guarded by one of the last remaining members of the High Council...

Maffer Dragonhand
Council Member

Maffer Dragonhand guards the left flank, to the southwest of the lake. Although he's normally more dangerous than, neither has any minions and if and his minions spawned far enough away from the doorway to allow you to sneak past, then the left flank may still be preferable.

Wyand Voidbringer
Council Member

Wyand Voidbringer guards the right flank, to the northeast of the lake, without minions.

Mephisto
🇨🇴 My brothers have escaped you! 🇨🇴 You're too late! 🇨🇴 Once you've crossed the moat to its northwestern shore, Mephisto can be found at the head of the lake. When he attacks, you shouldn't advance any further to the northwest, because although there's a chest there, there can also be other monsters present as well.

Mephisto's most potent attack is a missile which inflicts both physical and cold damage (and length), so even ranged attackers and casters may want to move into melee range to reduce its frequency, or be prepared to dodge: the moat can be used to separate you from Mephisto so that you can maintain distance. He can also emit charged bolts and a poison cloud at closer range, but these are less dangerous if properly resisted.

Once Mephisto is killed, among other things he drops Mephisto's Soulstone, requiring one inventory space. If you don't pick this up, Deckard Cain does so for you so that it can be destroyed on ../Hell's Forge/.

If you approach the Infernal Gate from this side after killing Mephisto, a bridge of bones will now rise out of the blood to allow you to go through it. If you return to the Kurast Docks, Natalya will be gone but you can still talk to anyone else: