Hiawatha felt strong with the Savage Long War bow of Alacrity she had purchased from Jamella,but the thought of the Forgotten Tower and the monsters lurking there put fear in her heart.Jamella told her of the terrible Demons that can kill with one blow or make your legs feel like lead with their magic attacks.
"Yes,but I have trained to dodge and avoid attacks and my decoy has never let me down before."
"You will need far more than an image of yourself to defeat the likes of these monsters. Cunning and ruthless precision will be your best allies. The dark wanderer was seen hereabouts, you must hurry. May the heavens watch over you."
There was a storm brewing over the hills that led to the small town of Tristram.
Mission:Full clear Nightmare,no multishot,no strafe,no Valkeryie.
Hiawatha still hadn't found Fastest run boots,and would love to find a mana steal ring so that her amulet slot would be freed up.A plated belt with fastest hit recovery would be nice so that she could use Tarnhelm for the +1 to all skills.The +1 one would make her stronger in every way.She was hoping to make Ice Arrow her default attack and was hoping to find Frostburns for the mana increase and the added freezing length.Some rare gloves with SIAS and good resists would also be nice.Maybe I should have called her Hiawanta instead.
Hiawatha left the safety of the Rogue Encapment and stood on the bridge reflecting on the journey ahead of her.Looking down into the fast flowing river beneath her,she noticed that something was wrong.The river was flowing in a very unatural maner and had an unusual pinkish glow. Must be the early morning light she thought.
Blood Raven was dispatched without incident.
Hiawatha knew she must find the Tree of Iniffus before she could enter Tristram so she proceeded into the uderground passage.
Gut Fester the Howler,a multiple shot mana burn skeleton archer boss and his cronies were waiting near the entrance.One hit and her mana was gone.He seemed to turn bluer and stronger,feeding off Hiawatha's energy.She drank a blue potion and fired a volley of imolation arrows.One of her arrrows hit him in the midsection.He spilled his guts.
The Underground passage-level 2
Hiawatha took a deep breath and plunged into the dark hole, her companion following closely behind.At the far end of the cave she saw the faint purplish glow of a Shamen.Her ice arrow was extra fast and sure, one Shamen shattering to a thousand pieces.
Her companion moved to intercept the attacking fallen.
Hiawatha placed a town portal not too far from the cave entrance.A second Shamen fell as a group of corrupted rogues, followed by a group of vanquished, flooded up the stairs.
What's this?Minions,all of them minions.Yikes!Two boss groups were advancing quickly.Hiawatha threw up a decoy,the decoy was hit and Hiawatha was cursed.They were getting completely surrounded,she bailed into the town portal.
The vanquished boss was cold enchanted and had a blessed aim aura.Hiawatha didn't get a look at the other boss but knew it was cursed.Boss groups were lurking around the entrance of the cave and her town portal.She didn't relish the idea of walking into a cave with 2 waiting boss packs.
Hiawatha's heart was pounding as she entered the cave.She managed to find a narrow pathway between the milling crowd.The foul stench coming from the snapping jaws of the Tainted made her feel ill.Aliza must have been hit as Hiawatha was cursed.
She got some breathing room,placed a decoy and then ran down the stairs,hoping she wasn't running into the arms of death.She fired a volley of imolation arrows followed by ice arrows into the crowd that was beating on her decoy.Aliza lay dead.Death screams reverberated through the cave.She recast her decoy and fired.
The tail end of a frost nova took a bite out of her health,but she seemed to be ok.The room went quiet.
Hiawatha's was well rewarded.A rare cap-Fastest Hit Recovery,Lightning resist 26%,+34 life,+3 mana.Yahooo!And if that wasn't enough,an amulet:Lightning resist 47%,-3 magic damage.
"Diablo,I'm coming for you."
The night sky over the Stoney Field lit up as arcs of blue light shot from one pillar to the next,feeding off each other,building into a crescendo that finally subsided to reveal a portal.
This must be the way to Tristram,she thought.
The smell of burning flesh filled the air.The heat from the flames was almost unbearable.She was too late.Then she heard the cries of Deckard Cain.
"He's still alive,there is hope yet."
Suddenly Griswald came around the corner not looking his normal self.He was sluggish and moaning in pain.He lifted his huge muscular arm and tried to take her head off.
Hiawatha knew what she had to do.She picked up Wirt's leg,but on second thought, used her trusty bow to put him out of his misery.
Piles of gold were left on the ground,having emptied from Wirt's pants that were still wrapped around his wooden leg.Hiawatha had no guilt as she picked up the mounds of cash.Wirt had been a scoundrel and a cheat, even though he did have some redeeming qualities.Hiawatha looked for other survivors but all she found was an empty whiskey bottle.The town of Tristram lay in ruins as she went to see Akara.
Cain quest ring,Raven Touch: +1 mana after each kill,+19 AR,+3 replenish life,+21 mana,+8 dex."Thank you Akara,much appreciated."
In the Dark Wood Hiawatha came across an Extra fast lightning enchanted Quill rat named Foul Rend.He may have been foul but he sure wasn't fast,even for a porcupine.
Hiawatha made some extra fast arrows from his quills,and later that night roasted his carcass for diner.Tasted kind of foul though.
Hiawatha made her way through the Black Marsh and was happy to have the forbidding Black Tower sparsley populated,with no stair traps.Only a Rogue archer boss pack presented any real danger.
On to the Outer Cloister,and after dealing with a teleporting Smith she had no trouble going through the Jail levels.Jail level 2 was so empty of monsters she was getting paranoid that she would suddenly be swamped whenever she opened a door,but this never happened.She dealt with Pitspawn Fouldog and another boss group but no threat was presented.After reaching the Inner Cloister she bedded down for the night, not liking the idea of starting the next day with a bunch of quill rats in her sleeping bag.
Hiawatha was getting all her mana from the items she was wearing,having put no points into energy.This caused some problems when she wanted to exchange equipment to get higher resists etc.,as she needed all the mana she had for her offensive abilities.This level up and maybe the next, she was going to put all her points into energy.It was a tough decision as she would have prefered to pump her life,to make her and her decoy stronger,but she wanted the freedom to switch items without losing too much mana.
Hiawatha ran into a number of teleportation Bosses through ACT 1.The catacombs was no exception with a teleporting Tainted and Vampire Boss.
Locking onto teleporting monsters with guided arrow can help to finish them off,but can be dangerous if they are enchanted.The boss teleported and died not to far from her,but luckily she was unaffected by his corpse explosion.
My first harcore character,a lightning sorceress died in Travincal to Flamefingers corpse explosion when Thunderstorm dealt the death blow at a very inopportune time.
Andariel was easier in Nightmare than in Normal.Ice arrow did the job nicely,and wearing Death's Hand didn't hurt.A few Tainted who came late to the party caused some interference but were dispatched quickly.On to Lut Gholein.
Act 2
Hiawatha did not turn up any imbueable bows in act 1.A rare Arbalest was dropped in the Inner Cloister and it was pretty good but the normal attack speed ruled it out.The unique Witherstring dropped in the Black Marsh from a skeleton kill,also unuesable.Hiawatha would have imbued a Double bow if she had found one,because of the low strength requirement and very fast speed. She still needed a better belt,better boots,and a mana steal ring.
Equipment:
Long War Bow---Alacrity,6-42 damage
Rare cap-------Fastest Hit recovery,LR 26%,+34 life,+3 mana
Greyform-------5% life steal,-3 magic damage,CR 20%,FR 20%,+10 dex
Heavy boots----Fastest run
Gloves---------FR 16%,+29 life
Belt-----------+19 mana,+21 life
Ring-----------+28 mana
Ring-Cain quest+1 mana per kill,+19AR,+21 mana,+8 dex,+3 replenish life
Spares:
Tarnhelm-------+1 all skills,45% better chance for magic,75% more gold
Death's Hand---75% poison length reduction,PR 50%
Leather gloves-PR 13%,LR 6%,+5 light radius,SIAS
Cap------------+46 life,LR 48%
Gauntlets------+25 life,LR 18%
Plated belt----+54 life
Plated belt----PR 15%,FR 15%,+19 life,Attacker damage 1,Poison red 25%
Heavy boots----Faster,Fast hit recovery,PR 8%,CR 42%
Light p boots--Faster,FR 28%
Ring-----------CR 42%
" -----------FR 36%
" -----------LR 18%,12% better magic
" -----------CR 18%.+22 life
"-------------6% lfie steal
Amulet---------LR 47%,-3 MD
" ---------PR 28%.-3 MD
" ----------PR 47%,+5 strength
"------------FR 21%,-1 MD
" ----------+38 mana,+5 strength
" ----------+16 strength
Hiawatha went to see Elzix,and he showed her a beautiful ring.
"Nice to see you again,Elzix.Do you have any mana steal rings for sale?"
"Welcome back Hiawatha.I didn't think I'd see you again.Well,some of my rings have mana steal and some don't."
"Ok,I'll take that nice shiny one in the corner and throw in that belt while you're at it."
Hiawatha looked at the ring and noticed a light yellow hue. It turned out to be tarnished.Ochre ring of nothing.But wait,the belt. Nightsmoke.
Radamant didn't like Hiawatha's new belt.He dropped dead at the sight of it.Here is picture of Radamant right at moment of death.Items coming out of radamants head are the Skill book,book of town portal,greater healing potion,and a magic mace.
Hiawatha hired one of Griez's men before entering the desert.
The sun was hot and bright.She had to squint to see a small group of vultures circling in the distance.The sand felt good on her feet as she made her way into the desert.The sifting sands quickly covered her footsteps as made her way over the dunes.The cries of Azrael startled her out of her reverie.
A group of Scarabs were eating Azrael alive,sucking out his life juice,even as he bravely fought on.Two spears came out of nowhere and he crumpled to the ground.
Hiawatha jumped into action,too late for Azrael,but he was avenged.
She was mourning his loss when the vultures swooped down,wanting their share of the spoils.The death of MoonSpell, a lightning enchanted,cold enchanted Boss, gave her a scare as his frost nova and some stray lighnting bolts knocked her life down below 1/4.
This is happening all too often she thought.I've got to remember to keep more distance from these bosses.Their death explosions seem to reach a lot further in Nightmare."It's going to kill me one of these days.But not today."
Hiawatha cleared the Stoney tomb and made her way into the Dry Hills.She had just killed a skeleton and there at her feet lay a magic Double bow.Her first one.Eagerly she picked it up and identified it.Wowww!She did a little war dance.
She had expected a +2 light radius, but no,this was a King's double bow with increased damage,23-51 +122 AR.A fabulous bow for this level,better than a gothic bow of alacrity,especially with the much lower strength requirement.
Kills were coming much faster,she was stunning more,mana and life steal were much better allowing her to increase her immolation and Ice arrow skill levels.Life was good.
On reaching level 30 Hiawatha put one point into pierce and one into freezing arrow.Freezing arrow would be used for defensive purposes.
When Hiawatha reached the Valley of the snakes,she hired Gulzar,one of Griez's suicide squad to help her get the Viper amulet.They entered level 2 of the snake pit.
"Gulzar,I need you to go attack that group on snakes over there while I outflank them and take on those really tough Unravelers and their skeletons over there."
Gulzar looked at Hiawatha,frowning slightly,but off he sped to uphold the honor of Griez's men.
Hiawatha made her way north-east,slowed only momentarily by a snake that charged and hit her.She took out the hollow ones and made a move for the pedastal,Fangskin and crew close behind.Gulzar had started his journey to the afterlife.
Two snakes waiting on the pedastal tried to protect the amulet but fell quickly.As Hiawatha climbed onto the pedastal a bright shaft of light shot toward the ceiling,adding to the light show that Fangskin had started as he bathed in Hiawatha's firewalls.Hiawatha cleared the room,said a prayer for Gulzar,and left,Viper amulet in hand.
The palace went very smoothly,Hiawatha having to change some rings to take the bite out of the Horror archer's arrows,but that was about it.
The Arcane Sanctuary was a real pleasure.Piercing Ice Arrow and immolation made short work of any threat.Hiawatha came across an Extra strong,extra fast Nightclan boss and his minions,but they had trapped themselves across a divide,so it was target practice all the way.
She found the Summoner all alone,not a henchman to aid him.A few guided arrows and he was done.
Hiawatha was having an easy time of things,the new bow with piercing was awesome,allowing all her level up points to go to vitality.Her life was about 330 now,with her normal setup.
She was very confident and easily cleared the first two tombs.She was working on the third,a greater tomb,having put down one Boss group of ghosts,and merrily moving through the halls when she came around a corner,running smack into another group of ghosts.Extra strong,extra fast and pissed.They were on her like a pack of wolves on an injured lamb.She took 3 hits in succession,taking her life to a sliver.She drank a big purple and just managed to get out of their clutches and RAN.
Hiawatha was the fastest runner of all the Zon's in her training class but even she was amazed at how fast she was running now.Casper and his friends were unbelievably fast as well.Was she just imagining it,or were these guys supercharged?She threw up a decoy and kept running,into her portal and back to town.
She hired one of Griez's men.With the situation now under control the threat was much diminished.The ghost pack went through her decoy and Griez's man like a hot ghosts through butter,but succumbed to her immolation and ice arrows.
It's easy to get lulled into a false sense of security when things are going well,but it only takes one wrong move to find yourself face down on the floor.
A couple of rooms futher along,Ancient Kaa and his rag-tag,mummies were waiting.With Hiawatha's ranged attack and lots of room,Kaa quickly joined Casper and his friends.
Duriel was next,and Hiawatha was apprehensive.She really wanted to try to take him with Ice and Immolation arrow but the risk was very high.His holy freeze would make the bow very slow and if she kept her distance,she was vulnerable to his charge attack.Duriel is 100% cold resistant,so is very hard to slow,and 50% fire resistant.If she stayed close to him and stacked immolation arrows,it could work,but would she run out of potions?Thinking it over,Hiawatha finally came to the realization that the pike would be the way to go.
The mission was to get through Nightmare.
Hiawatha was able to buy a Lords spetum,28-38 damage,9% life steal,+102AR.The 9% life steal,combined with the 6% from a ring and 5% from Greyform,gave her 20% life steal.She had 418 life going in and had a very easy time of it.She was doing an average of 33 damage per hit and leaching back about 6.5 life with each jab, which filled her life bowl quite quickly.Her life never went below half,standing toe to toe with Duriel.
Act 3
Welcome to the jungle
We take it day by day
If you want it you're gonna bleed
But it's the price you pay
And you're a very sexy girl
That's very hard to please
You can taste the bright lights
But you won't get them for free
In the jungle
Welcome to the jungle
Feel my, my, my serpentine
I, I wanna hear you scream
.....Guns N' Roses
SSZARK!!SSZARK!!
Hiawatha woke with a start.She was covered in sweat, her heart pounding madly.The drone of mosquitoes filled the air.It wasn't the first time she had had this nightmare.
Sszark and his minions chasing her,faster,faster, through the labrynth of tunnels.She was getting away but stumbled,falling into a corner.Instantly Szark was on her.His hairy legs ravaging her body.A stabbing pain,the venom coursing through her veins.
"Get away from me.No.Noooo."
Hiawatha left the safety of the Kurast docks and stepped into the jungle.She had expected to hear the sound of small footsteps,but all she heard was the rustling of leaves.
Jungle Hunters,Bramble Hulks,and Cloud stalkers with the occasional flayer,a very easy draw.
She cleared the Arachnid Lair and then found the Spider Cavern.
Hiawatha retired her cold mage and hired the best man Asheara had,Phaet,a fast cast cold mage.
Sszark was in his usual spot and gave away his position with his might aura,giving the maggots in the area a sense of false confidence.It was the perfect spot with a nice choke point.Sszark was at the back of the pack,and almost all his minions had fallen by the time he broke through to make a feast of Phaet.Phaet had done his job well,and Hiawatha mourned his loss but was very glad to get out unscathed.
The Great Marsh was cleared without incident,another easy draw.
Hiawatha found 2 exceptional Rune bows but decided not to imbue them as putting 13 more points into strength just didn't seem worth it.The speed of the double bow is a life saver and makes up for any damage loss.She is looking for double bows to imbue.
The Flayer jungle was much more dangerous,filled with Flayers,Fetishes,and Soul killers.Hordes and hordes of them.
Hiawatha stopped hiring mages as Asheara was getting very annoyed with the body bags lining the docks.
The flayer dungeons went smoothly,only the Undead Flayers and Undead stygian dolls of any concern.
Gidbinn ring--CR 5%,FR 28%,+24 mana
A superior gothic bow was found in the swampy pit.
Lower Kurast and Kurast Bazaar were easily cleared.
Ice arrow and Immolation arrow are around level 7 and a very powerful combination.Hiawatha has to be more careful with her targeting now as a few misses in a row,quickly deplete her mana.
Hiawatha was on high alert when she entered the Ruined Temple and was very pleased to find no one near the stairs.Sarina was no problem this time.
The Disused Fane had a semi stair trap.Lots of action but luckily not all coming at once.Wailers,spiders,Vampires,and a boss pack of corrupted rogues.
Hiawatha entered Upper Kurast knowing there was a multiple shot Heirophant boss there, as he had been taking pot shots at her when she was clearing Kurast Bazaar.Foul Wing-mana burn,multiple shots.Once his minions were seperated and taken out he was easier but still very dangerous.
There was a bad stair trap in the Forgotten Reliquary.A cold enchanted mana burn boss group in a very small room.With a different boss group it could easily have been deadly.
The other temples were easy with mainly Scarabs,Scarab Champions and bats.
Cubed a prismatic amulet.
Gambled a rare belt--LR 22%,+9 mana,+58 life,+12 strength. A very nice belt.Replaces nightsmoke.The +12 strength makes Rune bows feasible.
Hiawatha's Tarnhelm has been collecting dust in her storage,not having seen the light of day as yet.
On the causeway to Travincal,Hiawatha had to deal with Vile Hawk,a lightning enchanted cursed infidel,which usually isn't a problem,but those sparks really hurt when you're cursed.
Hiawatha totally cleared Travincal before taking on the council members.Ismail was Extra fast Cursed Multiple shots and Toorc was Cold Enchanted Stone skin Spectral hit. None of the council members ever made it out of the council chambers,one of the benefits of playing a bowzon.Two of Hiawatha's merc's didn't want any action,and just disappeared off her radar,one in town,the other bailed somewhere in Travincal.
Level 2 of the Durance was dangerous with warped ones,undead(stygian dolls?),and blood lords.
Hiawatha wanted to have a fast cast cold merc for Mephisto's durance but none were available so she hired Jarulf,a fast cast fire merc.After eliminating Bremm's minions and about 5 Blood Lords,Hiawatha went one on one with him and after an extended battle,she was hit with his frost nova,taking 350 damage.Ouch.
Wyand Voidbringer was Mana burn Teleportation Extra strong but his teleporter must have been brocken as he never got to heal or teleport once.Maffer was Fire enchanted and dispatched across the lava pool with no threat.
Hiawatha manuevered Mephisto into a pretty safe spot,where he floated back and forth,with only a few shots getting through to her.Guided arrow did the job.
Gambled some very nice rare gauntlets that will come in handy if I make it to Hell difficulty.LR 5%,FR 12%,+1 life,+16 dex,SIAS.
Act 4
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.... and just to prove it Hiawatha beat the crap out of a Lurker boss group that greeted her on entering the Outer Steppes.It sorta helped that the boss got stuck in a corner.
Cliff lurkers,Corpulents,Doom casters.
Plains of Despair-Pit Lords,Doom Knights,Doom casters.A Pit lord boss pack.
City of the Damned-Abyss Kights,Doom Knights,Damned,Dark faimiliars and a Stygian Hag boss pack.The boss dropped a Gothic Bow,+2 amazon skills.
Hiawatha also found 3 Superior Gothic bows and 2 Superior Chu-Ko-Nu's.
The River of Flame had a welcoming party of Urdar Champs,Grotesques,Pit Lords and Maw fiends,which caused her some problems gaining the entrance but once in it was easy.Hephatso was not a problem as he wasn't extra fast or teleportation.
Hiawatha finally found a 6% mana steal ring,right before entering the Chaos Sanctuary.Yahoo!She can now use the amulet she was saving for Diablo,(LR 47%,-3 MDR).
The Abyss knights were the usual PITA.
Lord The Sissy was done first and he dropped a rare ring-CR 7%,+18 mana,+32 life,+1 max damage.
The Grand Brazier of Chaos was next and then came the Infector.
The Infector had a Holy freeze aura.This was not good,an extra fast boss group and Hiawatha slowed to a crawl.She dragged herself back to the portal as fast as she could and ducked in.When Hiawatha returned,the Infector's aura had changed to Conviction :)Very strange.Someone is looking out for Hiawatha.
Diablo
There was a portal shrine placed right beside the pentagram,something Hiawatha had never seen before.She wondered if Diablo would use his bone prison on it.It was nice to have a second portal in any case.
The battle took a long time and Hiawatha was surprised that his lightning still did a lot of damage,even with Max light resist and -6md.She even had some evade type lock(no points in evade skill),trying to get out of his fire and lightning breath.Maybe the -MD was too high.The boots she used were faster,not fastest,because she wanted the extra 28% fire resist,that might have made a difference.In any case,after about 3 trips back to town to restock potions he finally fell to Hiawatha's ice arrows.Diablo never did use his bone prison on the portal.His drop was the unique war scythe Grim Reaper.
Hiawatha completed Nightmare at character level 37,and killed all monsters on the first engagement,no rerolling of maps was needed.
I was surprised at how strong Hiawatha was in Nightmare.A bowzon is probably the safest character to play Hardcore,especially with a strong Ice arrow.Her Ice arrow had a 4 second freezing duration when she met Diablo,which is equivalent to 2 seconds.Most dangers can be negated with planning and caution,except in some of the tight spots and when entering temples and the like.
Hell will be much more difficult as freezing duration takes another hit and monster immunities increase,so ice arrow will be pumped, Frostburns and the holy grail(Eye of Etlich) will be gambled for.Decoy will become a lot weaker with the monster damage increasing.Should be fun.
- Maaloch
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