Diablo II/Blackened Temple

The fifth quest can be activated if you talk to Ormus after entering the :

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

Travincal
The Temple City is randomly populated by s (2) with s, and. There are also two s in each of the pools to either side of the path leading to the entrance of the Blackened Temple, one each by the edge on either side of this path, and one each by the northeast edges.

The layout of Travincal is always the same, though: the only entrance is the, crossing the moat that surrounds it on its southwest side (to the northeast of ). There's a raised walkway around its perimeter which can only be accessed on its southwest and northeast sides, and it's divided into quarters by walkways, with a raised platform at their junction in the center of the City: a waypoint can be found in the building at the end of the northwest walkway, and activating it should be your first priority.

The Blackened Temple itself is in the middle of the northeast side, directly opposite the entrance from the Kurast Causeway. Approaching it with activate this quest if talking to Ormus has not already done so.

If you return before killing the High Council, some responses may differ if you haven't returned ../Lam Esen's Tome/ to Alkor:

This quest is mandatory in multiplayer if you aren't completing ../Khalim's Will/ to access the Durance of Hate, but instead relying on another player to create a portal for you inside (usually on the second level, by the waypoint): you cannot use such a portal unless you kill the High Council, although you only need to kill the three Council Members, not their minions.

Otherwise, only one Super Unique Council Member needs to be killed, since this drops (a second only needs to be killed if you don't have a  for some reason). However, it's safest to kill all of them (including their minions) so they don't get in your way.

The three members of the High Council are usually inside the Blackened Temple itself, through the only entrance in its southwest side. However, sometimes a few of them are outside, to the left of the entrance on the columned walkway around its perimeter. It's best to clear the north quarter of Travincal beforehand, to provide room for maneuver.

The first sign that any Council Member is aware of you is likely to be the appearance of, whose cumulative fire damage can make short work of any mercenary or pets... but shouldn't be that dangerous for your character, since Hydra are pets which only inflict 17% (~1/6) damage on players: reasonable fire resistance should significantly reduce the danger, and it's even possible to equip enough Magic Damage Reduction to negate their damage entirely.

However, aside from massed Hydra, and the ability of the Council Members to heal each other, the main reason to try to draw them out of the Temple and fight them in isolation, rather than charge in and take them on all at once, is the potential for their bonuses to magnify each other, particularly in Nightmare and Hell:  is always  and  and minions are always, which is bad enough, but if any of the three also become  with  or  (or both, from separate Council Members) in later difficulties, things can get very, very ugly...

Geleb Flamefinger
Council Member

Geleb Flamefinger and his minions become significantly more dangerous if you're cursed with by, as does Geleb's explosion upon death.

Ismail Vilehand
Council Member

Ismail Vilehand should be the priority target, and the fact that he and his minions are normally faster should make it easier to separate them from the rest of the High Council by retreating. Once he's been killed, if you've been cursed then drink from a or return to Ormus on the Kurast Docks to cure yourself, particularly if you haven't killed  and his minions yet.

Toorc Icefist
Council Member

Toorc Icefist has no minions, and is normally the least threatening of the High Council. However, the cold length added to his attacks and inflicted by the cold nova upon death can significantly slow down attacks and movement if you don't have.

Once the three members of the High Council have been killed, those in a multiplayer game can now use a portal created by another player to enter the Durance of Hate. Otherwise:

If you talk to anyone but Deckard Cain upon your return to the Kurast Docks:

Ask Cain for help: