Diablo II: Lord of Destruction/Siege on Harrogath


 * Objective: Kill Shenk the Overseer
 * Objective Location: Bloody Foothills
 * Quest Giver: Larzuk
 * Reward: Socket an item.

Getting the Quest
Activate the first quest in Act V by speaking with Larzuk in Harrogath. Completing this first quest not only offers a decent reward (Larzuk sockets one of your items) but also provides the gateway to the act's larger, and much tougher, quests.

"If you're here to defeat Baal...you must prove it! As we speak, Harrogath is under siege by Baal's demons. Catapults rain death just outside the town walls. Baal himself travels up the sacred mountain, having left in charge here one of his most vicious generals, Shenk the General. A ruthless taskmaster, he lashes his own minions into suicidal frenzies on the battlefield. If you wish to prove yourself to us, destroy the monster, Shenk, that commands those infernal catapults outside Harrogath. If you manage to do this, return to me."

Location
You'll find General Shenk the Overseer in the Bloody Foothills. Simply exit Harrogath through the main gate; the Bloody Foothills is the first area adjacent to Harrogath. Cross the bridges and walkways and discover General Shenk the Overseer far from Harrogath surrounded by many monsters and catapults. You'll probably find General Shenk the Overseer not far from the next land, the Frigid Highlands. There is no waypoint in the Bloody Foothills. Use town portal scrolls to return to Harrogath should you need to replenish health or mana potions, sell recovered equipment, or repair damaged weapons and armor.

Recommended Level
Most players end Act IV of Diablo II around level 26 to 28 on normal, depending on the number of side quests taken and the quantity of replay of the larger areas and dungeons. You can't reach Act V unless you possess a character that has already beaten the four acts in Diablo II. Thus you should be whatever level you were when Diablo was slain. Expect to be around level 26 to 28 as you enter the Bloody Foothills and take on General Shenk the Overseer.

Log Entry #1

 * Stop the siege by killing Shenk the Overseer in the Bloody Foothills.

Activate the quest by speaking with Larzuk at Harrogath's main gate into the Bloody Foothills. Stock up with health potions and a town portal scroll or two--you're about to face some of the new, and quite deadly, Act V monsters! According to the objective, you will locate Shenk the Overseer within the Bloody Foothills. Time to search for Baal's nefarious general.

The Bloody Foothills are overflowing with enslaved and death maulers. But you must deal with troublesome catapults as well. When you spot a burst of poison, cold, or lightning fall from the sky, there's a catapult nearby. When the poison, cold, or lightning bursts are dropping down, avoid standing toe-to-toe with enslaved or death maulers or you may fall victim to the catapult's blast. Seek out the catapult quickly and destroy it with the aid of skills or spells. Avoid walking through the poison bursts; couple the drain of poison with the power of Act V monsters, and you could find yourself low on health in a matter of seconds.

As you move through the Bloody Foothills, you will spot Harrogath barbarians attempting to hold off Baal's hordes. Assist these barbarians in their battle. While they won't officially join your party, they will help by defeating nearby monsters and taking some of the monsters' damage meant for you. Follow the barbarian and continue to pummel the monsters in your path. Expect the barbarian to eventually fall to the tough monsters. Be wary of overwhelming yourself by simply following the barbarian, who may trigger more monsters than you're able to fight. Be prepared to make a hasty retreat, either toward Harrogath away from the hordes or with a town portal scroll for a quick exit back to town.

Log Entry #2

 * Kill Shenk the Overseer.

Certainly by now you have mastered the art of demon killing--even against an extra-strong brute like General Shenk the Overseer! The toughest part of the battle isn't necessarily Shenk himself but the enslaved and death maulers surrounding him. There are also likely catapults nearby that make a standing fight even more difficult.

Use area-effect spells if you possess them to clear out some, most, or all of the enslaved and death maulers protecting General Shenk the Overseer. If you are playing with more party members, have a barbarian or druid pound any nearby catapults to protect the party as you near Shenk. Avoid approaching Shenk if he's still surrounded by many minions. Since the Bloody Foothills don't offer much maneuvering room to begin with (many narrow bridges, many trenches), it's possible to become trapped by a group of monsters. Instead, use the bridges and trenches as choke points against the monsters protecting General Shenk the Overseer. And, by the way, Shenk the Overseer is extra strong.

Log Entry #3

 * Return to Larzuk for your reward.

Killing General Shenk the Overseer triggers a new entry in your quest log. It's time to return to Larzuk, who offered the quest in the first place, to notify him of Shenk's death and your apparent worthiness to combat Baal and his dark forces. Before you town-portal back to Harrogath, continue beyond Shenk the Overseer's corpse and locate the entrance into the Frigid Highlands.

The Bloody Foothills don't contain a convenient waypoint marker, but the adjacent land--the Frigid Highlands--does contain a waypoint. You will find the entrance to the Frigid Highlands not far from where you killed General Shenk the Overseer. Enter the Frigid Highlands and seek out the waypoint. Use the waypoint to return to Harrogath. That way, when you activate the next quest (which will take you into the Frigid Highlands), you won't have to traverse the long, windy (and potentially dangerous, if the monsters and catapults have been reset) Bloody Foothills, and you can simply use the waypoint.

Reward
When you return to Larzuk with news of your accomplishment, he offers his thanks and agreement that you may be the one to combat Baal. For a reward, Larzuk offers to add sockets to one of your items. Choose wisely and consider your current inventory of runes, gems, and jewels. You don't have to complete his reward on the spot. If you would rather wait until you have gained more or new runes, gems, or jewels, cancel the socket procedure and return to Larzuk later in Act V when you are prepared. Just talk to Larzuk and select "Add Sockets" when you are ready to complete the reward.