Diablo II/Search for Cain

After killing Blood Raven in the ../Sisters' Burial Grounds/, Akara can give you your third quest. While optional, it can be worth completing for its reward (and at the very least, it can cost you gold if you don't).

If you talk to her again before leaving the camp, then she elaborates:

If you talk to anyone else before leaving:

The entrance to the Underground Passage is at the end of the path through the Stony Field, the entrance to which is at the end of one of the three forks in the path through the (you may already have found it while searching for the entrance to the  while completing the previous quest).

Stony Field
The Stony Field is randomly populated by three of the following five monster types: s,, s, (Goatmen using polearms) and s (which generate s). There can also be encampments of s, and s (which cannot be raised by Fallen Shamans).

There are no forks in the path through it. However, before entering the, it's best to explore until you find and activate the waypoint: you'll need to return to the Cairn Stones here once you've found the Tree of Inifuss in the Dark Wood and returned to Akara with its Scroll. As you explore, you may also find the Moldy Tome, and the Stones...

Rakanishu


Rakanishu and his minions guard the Cairn Stones. Due to his Unique bonuses he and his minions move quite quickly (although they'll flee just as quickly if you kill one of them) and he emits lightning bolts when hit, so melee attackers should take care. Although he doesn't need to be killed, it's probably best to do so.

Underground Passage Level 1
The Underground Passage Level 1 is randomly populated by three of the following four monster types: s, s (Corrupt Rogues using melee weapons), s and (Tainted demons who start spitting damaging lightning balls once damaged or at range). There can also be encampments of s and.

Explore until you find the entrance to the : if you bear left then you should first find the entrance to a second level.

Underground Passage Level 2
This is an optional, but much smaller, area, similarly populated to the previous level.

Dark Wood
The Dark Wood is randomly populated by three of the following five monster types: s, s, s, s and s. There can also be encampments of s and Carvers.

The path continues through it without forking until reaching the entrance to the. However, you'll most likely need to leave the path and explore to find the Tree of Inifuss.

Treehead Woodfist


The Tree of Inifuss is in the middle of a grass-less clearing, guarded by a Wendigo and its minions: their attack is likely to be the first indication that it's nearby. They don't need to be killed, and their strength and speed can make it dangerous to try, particularly for melee attackers. You can simply click on the Tree, which activates this quest if you haven't killed or talked to Akara after doing so:

The Scroll requires 2x2 inventory space, otherwise it drops on the ground. If you're daft enough to return to camp without it:

However, you really shouldn't return until you've also found and activated a waypoint on the far side of the Underground Passage: there's one in the Dark Wood, or you can follow the path into the and explore it to find another, or simply keep following the path through the Tamoe Highland to the Monastery Gate, where you can always find one in the middle of the  beyond.

If you return with the Scroll and talk to anyone but Akara:

Talk to Akara:

If you talk to anyone before completing this quest:

Return to the Stony Field and the Cairn Stones there (watching out for if you haven't already encountered him). You can right-click on the Key to the Cairn Stones in your inventory to read it and then touch the Stones in the order shown, or simply touch them at random until all five have been activated. Once you've done so, the Key is removed from your inventory, the sky darkens and lightning strikes the Stones until a red portal to Tristram opens in their midst.

Tristram
The portal transports you to the east corner of Tristram, and remains open after your arrival: its boundaries are rivers without bridges on its northwest and southeast sides, and walls on its northeast and southwest sides. Those who have played Diablo should find it similar, but different (and diminished, even if it weren't in ruins).

Tristram is randomly populated by three of the following four monster types: s and s, s, Skeletons and  Goatmen. Don't touch any dead cows, as they explode and damage you.

Deckard Cain is the only survivor...

Griswold
(../Undead/ )

Tristram's former blacksmith can be found in its south quadrant (as can a Unique monster and its minions). It may be an act of mercy to kill him (again), but you don't need to do so (and being cursed with normally reduces you to Damage Resist -100%, doubling any physical damage). You may well be able to find and rescue Cain without ever becoming aware of him.

Cain's Gibbet is always to the west of the portal, on the southeast side of the dry well in the middle of Tristram. You may be lucky enough not to encounter any monsters on your short journey to it, but there are always s between the buildings on the northwest side of the well. Click on the Gibbet to free Cain: he'll open a portal back to camp, but you cannot normally use it as well and it closes behind him unless you're standing where it's cast (to the south of his Gibbet).

You can talk to him briefly before he leaves:

Before leaving yourself, you may want to go to the west corner of Tristram to retrieve from his body by the river, where a Carver Shaman and Carvers are always nearby. It requires 3x1 inventory space, and you should keep it in your stash as it's needed to open a portal to the ../Secret Cow Level/ once you've completed the difficulty.

Alternatively, if you kill and go east to Lut Gholein before rescuing him, then when you arrive there:

If you talk to Cain after rescuing him, or not doing so and talking to him in Lut Gholein, or after returning from there:

If you rescue him yourself, he'll travel with you and identify items free of charge for the remainder of the current difficulty, and the cost of items bought in the camp is reduced by 10% (this doesn't apply to items gambled, repaired or sold by the player).

This discount doesn't sum with Reduces All Vendor Prices, but is applied separately: combined with Reduces All Vendor Prices 30%, the cost of items bought is normally reduced by 37% (10 + (100-10)*30/100).

If the Rogues rescue him, he charges 100 gold to identify each item (more convenient but also more expensive than using Scrolls and Tomes of Identify), and prices in the camp remain the same. You can still rescue him yourself by returning to the camp to save and exit before creating a new game: you can then do so as long as you don't leave the Act beforehand.

If you talk to anyone other than Cain or Akara when you return to camp:

Talk to Akara to complete this quest and receive your reward:

Your reward is a Ring: if you have no inventory space, then it drops on the ground.