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The fourth quest can be activated by talking to Alkor after entering Lower Kurast:

Alkor
It pains me to waste time with you, so I'll get right to the point.

There is a very special book which you must find for me. It was written long ago by a sage known as Lam Esen, who studied Skatsimi magic and the effects of the Prime Evils on the mortal world. The Black Book was lost when the Children of Zakarum took over this land.

Now, you must reclaim it without delay! Its knowledge may aid us in this dark time ahead.
DII Icon Lam Esen's Tome.png Lam Esen's Tome
Search the six temples in the Bazaar, Upper Kurast, and the Causeway for Lam Esen's Tome.

This quest is actually much simpler than you'd expect: Lam Esen's Tome can always be found in the Ruined Temple, beneath Kurast Bazaar. If you talk to anyone before leaving:

Alkor Ormus Deckard Cain Hratli
The Black Book contains powerful secrets of Skatsim, the Old Religion, long eclipsed by Zakarum.

I should warn you. The Black Book is much sought after by both good and evil. Be wary.
The Children of Zakarum believe that the Black Book is filled with blasphemous heresy. In truth, the book may contain the secrets to our ultimate redemption. The Black Book is a powerful source of information. The Zakarum will do everything in their power to stop you from obtaining it. We have long sought the Black Book of Lam Esen. Rumors of its whereabouts spread as fast as jungle plagues. If you find it, take it to Alkor.
Asheara Natalya Meshif
Many things can be found in the city of Kurast. The book may be there. I've heard of the Black Book. My Order's code is based on many of its passages. If you find it, I will be greatly impressed. Oh. No one really believes that the Black Book exists. It's just a symbol of Zakarum's anti-Skatsim propaganda.

If you return without Lam Esen's Tome:

Alkor Ormus Deckard Cain Natalya
Did I neglect to mention that the book contains useful information about the Prime Evils? Even if you find the sacred Book, you must still traverse the jungle of meaning within it. That journey could prove to be far more perilous. I heard that there are ruined temples in Kurast. Perhaps you will find the Black Book in one of them. I hope you find the Black Book soon. I could use something to read while I wait for my orders.
Hratli Asheara Meshif
Not getting much help?

You know, people are like rugs. Hang them out a window and shake 'em a couple times. You'll be surprised how much dirt comes out.
I believe I can trust you now.

When you first arrived, I suspected you a spy for the Zakarum, the false religion whose faithful are now under the sway of a mysterious power. They've made a mockery of the Old Religion of Skatsim.
Kurast was once the greatest city in the world. Now it is hard to tell where the jungle stops and the city begins. The jungle grows rampant on the soil enriched by the blood of my fellow citizens.

Lower Kurast[edit]

This area is randomly populated by three of the following four monster types: Doom Apes, Hell Buzzards, Tree Lurkers and Zakarumites.

The entrance from the Flayer Jungle, guarded by Stormtree, is always in the middle of its southwest side. its northwest boundary is the jungle, while its southeast boundary is water. The entrance to Kurast Bazaar is always in its northeast side, in either the north or east corner. You can find a waypoint if you explore, or you can simply pass through.

Kurast Bazaar[edit]

This area is randomly populated by three of the following four monster types, all animal: Faithful, Hell Swarms, Sextons with Zakarumites, and Thrashers.

Like Lower Kurast before it, the Bazaar is bound by the jungle to the northwest and water to the southeast, while the entrance to Upper Kurast is always a bridge across a canal on its northeast side, in the opposite corner to the entrance from Lower Kurast. You can find a waypoint if you explore, and you should probably do so.

There are also two entrances to the Sewers, where Khalim's Heart can be found, as well as entrances to the Disused Fane and the Ruined Temple, where Lam Esen's Tome can be found: the stair to it is always through a doorway at the top of a broad flight of stairs in the temple's southwest wall.

Ruined Temple[edit]

The Temple is randomly populated by three of the following four monster types: Flesh Hunters, Night Lords, Spider Maguses and Wailing Beasts.

It's a small area with three possible layouts. In two of those, Lam Esen's Tome can be found on a lectern in a large chamber through the doorway opposite the stair down from the Kurast Bazaar, although it's advisable to clear the wings to either side of the stair before entering; in the third, the lectern is in a large chamber in the south corner, accessible via doorways in its northwest and northeast walls. In every case, be prepared to retreat back to the door to use it as a choke point...

Battlemaid Sarina[edit]

Super Unique Flesh Hunter (Extra Fast Spectral Hit)

Battlemaid Sarina guards Lam Esen's Tome, and she and her minions are fast, aggressive melee attackers who can easily swarm you, surrounding you and cutting off your retreat to the door if you don't react quickly enough to do so beforehand. Although she doesn't need to be killed, you'd be hard-pressed not to do so.

Lam Esen's Tome requires 2x2 inventory space, and picking it up from its lectern activates this quest if talking to Alkor has not already done so.

DII Icon Lam Esen's Tome.png Lam Esen's Tome
Talk to Alkor.

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

Ormus Deckard Cain Meshif
Why is the Black Book of Lam Esen like a coffin? Simple. Each holds the shape of our future. You have found a source of information powerful enough to turn the tide against the Zakarum. Thank all that's holy. You've returned with the Black Book! Maybe now you can put an end to the Evil that has destroyed my homeland.
Hratli Asheara Natalya
We have the Book. Now we must see if we can bear its revelations. The Iron Wolves are very impressed by your skills. So, you've returned with the Book. You surprise me. You must be very resourceful.

Talk to Alkor:

Alkor
You have found the Book! It should give all of us here some insight into the nature of the Prime Evils...

Ah, but as for you...

He gives you five attribute points!

DII Icon Lam Esen's Tome.png Lam Esen's Tome
Quest completed.
DII Icon Lam Esen's Tome.png Lam Esen's Tome
You completed this quest in a previous game.

Disused Fane[edit]

This small optional area is similarly populated to the Ruined Temple.

Sewers Level 1[edit]

This large, labyrinthine area is accessible via two entrances each in the midst of the Kurast Bazaar and Upper Kurast: you need to enter it to find the sewer lever opening the sewer stairs to its second level, where Khalim's Heart can be found.

It's randomly populated by three of the following five monster types: Feeders, Gloombats, Horadrim Ancients with Horrors, Preserved Dead and Undead Soul Killers (so there's 10% chance of being populated exclusively by undead, all of which the Horadric Ancients can raise again, except for each other). There can also be Stygian Watchers lurking in ambush beneath the surface at the edge of pools.

The entrance to the second level is normally somewhere around the perimeter of the first: the sewer stairs are on a large square platform surrounded by a narrow channel crossed by bridges on its northeast side, with the sewer lever, opening the sewer stairs in the middle, on its southeast side. However, it isn't unguarded...

Icehawk Riftwing[edit]

Super Unique Gloombat (Cold Enchanted Teleportation)

Icehawk Riftwing and its minions hang from the ceiling somewhere around the perimeter of the sewer stairs. It's entirely possible to enter the second level without them becoming aware of you.

Sewers Level 2[edit]

The second level is similarly populated to the first, except Blood Wings and Slime Princes replace Feeders and Gloombats. However, it's so small that you might not see all (or any) of them.

The layout is always the same: you enter on the northwest side of a rectangular pool in the middle with a Stygian Watcher lurking in ambush beneath the surface at each of its southwest, southeast and northeast edges. There are chests in alcoves on the three other sides of this pool, but only that to the northeast contains Khalim's Heart.

Upper Kurast[edit]

This area is randomly populated by three of the following four monster types, all animal: Cantors with Faithful, Thrashers, Winged Nightmares and Zealots.

It's bound by the jungle to the northwest and water to the southeast, while the entrance to the Kurast Causeway is always in the middle of its northeast side. You can find a waypoint if you explore, and there are also two more entrances to the Sewers, where Khalim's Heart can be found, as well as entrances to the Forgotten Reliquary and the Forgotten Temple.

Forgotten Reliquary[edit]

This small optional area is similarly populated to the Ruined Temple and Disused Fane in the Kurast Bazaar.

Forgotten Temple[edit]

This small optional area is randomly populated by three of the following four monster types: Blood Divers, Bone Scarabs, Flesh Archers and Serpent Maguses.

Kurast Causeway[edit]

The Kurast Causeway in the middle of the northeast side of Upper Kurast connects to the Temple City of Travincal straight across its moat. It's randomly populated by Hierophants with Zealots, Infidels and Temple Guards, but it's so small that you might not see all (or any) of them.

Midway across it's bisected, with the stair to the Disused Reliquary to the northwest, and that to the Ruined Fane to the southeast.

Disused Reliquary[edit]

This small optional area is similarly populated to the Forgotten Temple in Upper Kurast.

Ruined Fane[edit]

This small optional area is similarly populated to the Forgotten Temple in Upper Kurast, and the Disused Reliquary on the northwest side of the Kurast Causeway.