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After completing the Search for Cain, you can talk to Charsi to activate the fifth, optional quest.

Charsi
When I fled the Monastery, I left behind the Horadric Malus, my enchanted smithing hammer. If you can retrieve it for me, I'll use its magic to strengthen your equipment.
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Look for the Horadric Malus in the Monastery Barracks. Beware of the Smith that guards it.

If you talk to anyone before leaving the camp:

Akara Kashya Charsi
The retrieval of the Horadric Malus is not without risk. Our Monastery is filled with voracious hellspawn. You'd best be careful, my friend. Charsi is wasting her time and talents using an inferior hammer! Had she the Horadric Malus, she could make the steel sing and craft you a suit of armor as impenetrable as the Great Eye. The Monastery can confuse even those who know it well. Stay alert in there.
Deckard Cain Warriv Gheed
The Malus was forged and enchanted by the ancient Horadric Mages during the Sin Wars. When their union dissolved, the Malus was entrusted to the Sisterhood guarding the pass into the East. Just as an archer needs bow and arrow, or a draughtsman pen and paper, so Charsi needs the Horadric Malus with which to ply her trade. Charsi talks of nothing anymore, but this Horadric Malus. Between you and her my ears need a rest.

Just find it and bring it back quickly.

If you return without the Malus:

Akara Kashya Charsi
If you can't carry out this quest, how will you face the greater evils ahead? To do battle with Andariel requires more than thick skin and a strong will. You'll want armor and weaponry forged with the hammer's enchantments. The Malus is a Horadric artifact of great power. Please bring it back.
Deckard Cain Warriv Gheed
The Malus has eluded you so far. Well, search thoroughly in the Barracks... That is where the Rogues kept their forge. What better opportunity to show your mettle? I have heard that you bear us no Malus.

The search for Cain required you to follow the path through the wilderness and the Underground Passage at least as far as the Dark Wood; you'll need to continue following it, through the Black Marsh to the Tamoe Highland beyond.

Tamoe Highland[edit]

The Tamoe Highland is randomly populated by three of the following five monster types: Dark Lancers, Dark Stalkers, Returned Archers, fiery Returned Mages and Thorn Beasts. There can also be encampments of Carver Shamans, Carvers and Devilkin.

The Monastery Gate is always in the middle on the northeast side of the Highland, and one fork of the path leads there; the other leads to the Pit.

Pit Level 1[edit]

This is an optional area, randomly populated by three of the following four monster types: Bone Warriors, Dark Archers, Dark Stalkers and Devilkin. There can also be encampments of Devilkin Shamans and Devilkin.

Pit Level 2[edit]

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

Monastery Gate[edit]

The Monastery Gate along the northeast side of the Tamoe Highland is randomly populated by three of the following four monster types: Dark Stalkers, Disfigured, electric Returned Mages and Returned Archers. Open the double doors in the middle and go through the entry hall and the next set of double doors into the Outer Cloister.

Outer Cloister[edit]

The Outer Cloister is randomly populated by three of the following four monster types: Black Rogues, Devilkin Shamans and Devilkin, Razor Spines and Yetis. It's an open square with a covered and columned walkway around the perimeter of the garden, and doors in the middle of each outer wall leading to smaller rectangular cloisters, one of which leads to the entrance of the Barracks. The position of the waypoint and the layout of the garden in the middle will indicate which way to go:

  • If the waypoint is to the southwest of a central fountain, go southeast.
  • If the waypoint is to the southeast of a central fountain, go northwest.
  • If the waypoint is to the east and there is no fountain, go northeast.

Barracks[edit]

The Barracks is randomly populated by three of the following five monster types: Black Rogues, Bone Archers, fiery Bone Mages, Death Clan Goatmen and Devilkin Shamans and Devilkin. There's always a pair of Devilkin Shamans with Devilkin in the first room, and you may encounter non-random Champion and Unique monsters, in addition to those that are randomly generated.

You'll need to explore to find the Horadric Malus, and the stairs down to the Jail Level 1.

Smith[edit]

Super Unique Demon (Extra Strong)

I shall make weapons from your bones!

The Smith guards the Horadric Malus, and there's always at least one Devilkin Shaman with Devilkin nearby. Although you don't need to kill him, he's quite fast and strong, which can still make it potentially dangerous to simply grab the Malus and run (you also need to be at least level 8 to pick it up in the first place). If talking to Charsi did not activate this quest, picking up the Malus (which requires 1x2 inventory space) does so:

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Return the Horadric Malus to Charsi.

If you talk to anyone but Charsi before giving her the Malus:

Akara Kashya Deckard Cain Warriv Gheed
Well done, my friend. But remember, the return of the Horadric Malus is but one step in reclaiming the Monastery. Now that the Horadric Malus is back in our possession, we shall use it to deliver a great blow against the Evil which torments this land. The magic effects imbued by the Malus are impossible to predict, but always to the good. I am glad the hammer has returned and you with it. I guess it's too late to take back some of the names I called you.

Talk to Charsi to give her the Malus:

Charsi
Oh! Thanks so much for returning the Horadric Malus! I will now imbue one of your items with magical powers.
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Charsi will imbue an item with magical power.

No magic, socketed, rare, unique or set items. No jewelry.

So Charsi will only give rare properties to any non-magical item with no sockets. Since Item Level (ILvl) = Character Level (CLvl) + 4, you may not want to imbue an item until you're (much) higher level, or until you have a (much) higher quality item: you can even return after playing higher difficulties to do so. You may want to imbue items which cannot be gambled (like scepters, staves or wands), or which can be expensive to do so (like armors), particularly if a rare quality item is likely to be best in slot. Once an item has been imbued:

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Quest completed.
DII Icon Tools of the Trade.png Tools of the Trade
You completed this quest in a previous game.