Xul

"The enigmatic Necromancers hold a belief that all Creation exists in a delicate balance between Light and Darkness. Should either side gain control, the world of Sanctuary would fall into ruin. As a member of their ancient order, Xul fights to preserve that balance — no matter where his travels may take him, or what foes stand against him."

^(src)

Xul
Title	Cryptic Necromancer
Gender	Male
Race	Human
Affiliation	Priests of Rathma
Class	Necromancer
Status	Active
Appearances	Diablo II (player determinant) Diablo II: Lord of Destruction (player determinant) Diablo Immortal Diablo III (mentioned only) Diablerie The Awakening To Hell and Back Book of Tyrael (mentioned only) The Story of Diablo

Xul is a Necromancer and one of the heroes who fought the Prime Evils in Diablo II.

Biography

"We, the Priests of Rathma, have been charged to maintain the Balance. But it seems many do not understand what it is. Think of the Balance as a net. An unknowable safety net that keeps your soft, pink insignificance from being consumed by oblivion. My charge is to maintain that net."

- Xul^(src)

Xul at the start of his journey

Hailing from the southern swamps, long hours of study in dank mausoleums made Xul's skin pale and corpselike, his figure, skeletal, and most people shunned him for his particular looks and ways. Though his goals were often aligned with the forces of Light, some did not think that these ends could justify his foul means.

The Prime Evils

"I briefly traveled with a necromancer in the past. Through that experience I have come to believe that the priests of Rathma can be powerful and trustworthy allies to have at one's side in these uncertain times."

- Deckard Cain^(src)

Xul allied with a group of fellow heroes, and pursued the Dark Wanderer — a vessel for the Lord of Terror. It culminated with the defeat of the Prime Evils, but also much loss, including the destruction of the Worldstone, which Xul beheld with his own eyes before its end.

Despite the warnings of the Horadric scholar Deckard Cain as to what the event might portend for Sanctuary, the heroes disbanded and returned to their homes and families, though Xul, at least, was aware of the Worldstone's significance, and the sacrifices that had been required to end the threat Baal's corruption had posed. Despite this, Cain would look favorably upon Xul in later years.

Apprentices

A now older Xul

Now a master necromancer, Xul returned to the Priests of Rathma cloaked in foreign garb. He chose to mentor an apprentice, a promising student named Mehtan. Mehtan looked favorably upon his master and continued to seek to preserve the Balance.

At some point, Xul took Lethes as an apprentice. However, their relationship was strained, and Lethes believed that Xul was jealous of her, seeking to suppress her potential. Xul, in return, noted that Lethes had a disregard for life, and taught her at least one "painful lesson." Eventually, Lethes abandoned the Priests of Rathma. She would later claim that Xul had attempted to kill her, but could not (or would not) do it.

Immortal

Xul

Wortham

"Be not alarmed, my old friend. For these frail bones come to you with an urgent request. My apprentice, Lethes, through foul means acquired a shard of the Worldstone. In her pursuit of power, she has brought ruin upon Ashwold. The dead rise from their graves, and the Balance teeters on the brink of destruction. Much like I, you cannot have forgotten the significance of that stone, or the sacrifice it took to end its threat. So, I beg of you to lend your aid, however you can."

- Xul's message to Cain^(src)

Xul delivers his message

Lethes was able to gain a shard of the Worldstone in Ashwold Cemetery, which she used to raise the dead en masse. He sent one of his skeletons to Wortham Chapel, where, speaking through the skeleton, he talked to Deckard Cain, informing him of the situation.

Ashwold Cemetery

"Lethes, stop this! Your wanton disregard for life ends here. You will be brought to justice..."
"Xul...how I tire of your jealous attempts to suppress my potential. No. Now, with the power of the Worldstone at my command, I will obtain true dominion over the dead. Your entire lethargic order will be swept away and replaced by one with the ambition to reshape this corrupt world. You are a relic, old man, and you are no longer needed."

- Xul confronts Lethes^(src)

Xul confronts his former apprentice

Xul caught up to Lethes in Ashwold Cemetery, where he found her torturing a member of the Wortham Guard. She revealed that she was seeking the power of the Worldstone, and wanted to know the location of Queen Asylla's tomb. She summoned undead minions to cover her escape, as the creature attacked Xul. He was aided by a group of heroes, whom he thanked for their aid. He headed after Lethes, while leaving them to tend to the wounded guard.

Xul summons the handmaiden's spirit

Xul found the body of Asylla's handmaiden, killed by Lethes. He was joined by the heroes he had encountered earlier, before summoning the woman's spirit. The handmaiden revealed that she had been tortured into revealing the tomb's location, before Lethes had killed her. She in turn revealed its location to Xul and the heroes. Xul told the heroes to pursue Lethes, while he remained to ensure that the handmaiden's body was properly interred.

Xul caught up with the heroes at Ashwold Manor, having traced a surge of energy to the structure. There, he and the heroes discovered necrotic barriers errected by Lethes, along with a trio of Golems. He ordered the heroes to destroy the Golems in order to lower the barriers.

Xul interrupts Lethes's ritual

Xul confronted Lethes outside the manor, where she was summoning Asylla's spirit. They engaged in a battle of wills, with Xul trying to disrupt Lethes's summoning (Lethes herself was inside the summoning circle, and apparently immune to harm). She intended to use Asylla's spirit as a conduit to gain ownership of Leoric's soul, and through it, the power Diablo had left behind. Xul's allies arrived, and while they were able to defeat the simulacrum Lethes summoned, they couldn't harm her. Xul ordered them to enter the manor and slay Leoric, which in doing so would break the tether.

The hero(es) were successful in breaking the tether, but outside, history repeated itself, as Xul found himself unable (or unwilling) to kill Lethes. She, however, was perfectly willing to wound him and flee. The hero(es) returned, and Xul told them what happened. He refused to be tended to and sent them off in pursuit of his former apprentice. Xul followed after them, arriving in time to see Lethes explode in a torrent of blood. However, he was skeptical that she was dead, stating "no body, not dead." He knew that the Lethes the hero(es) fought was a simulacrum, able to appear more lifelike than normal due to its posession of a Worldstone shard. He resolved to follow after her, and thanked the hero(es) for their trouble.

In-game

Diablo II

Xul as the Diablo II Necromancer

Xul is the canonical representative of the Necromancer in Diablo II.

Diablo Immortal

Xul appears in Diablo Immortal as an NPC in the Ashwold Cemetery questline. He briefly appears in Wortham at the end of its questline. In the beta, his role was taken by Lyra, Marion, and Kalin, though they are replaced by Xul in the game's final version.

Xul's lines will sometimes differ if the player is a Necromancer.

Heroes of the Storm

For detailed information, see the respective article on the Heroes of the Storm Wikia.

"From the recesses of the eastern jungles comes a man cloaked in mystery. As a member of the secretive Priests of Rathma, or the Necromancers, Xul fights to preserve the delicate balance between order and chaos. Using powerful death magic, Xul will sap the strength of his enemies, block their escape, and direct his spectral scythe with lethal accuracy. Those who fall before the Necromancer find no peace even in death, rising again as skeletal servants bound to do their master’s bidding."

- Game Guide^(src)

Xul appears as a male representative of the 'Necromancer' class in Heroes of the Storm.

While some his abilities are original (namely Cursed Strikes and Spectral Scythe), his kit is inspired by the Diablo II Necromancer. His Trait, Raise Skeleton, named after the ability of same name, automatically summons an skeleton whenever a minion near Xul dies; Corpse Explosion is referenced, in a way, as whenever one of his summoned skeletons die, they explode. Other abilities include Poison Nova and Skeletal Mages (both being Heroic Abilities), as well being able to cast Bone Armor and Bone Prison. Xul is also able to apply Curses on hit (namely Amplify Damage, Decrepify, and/or Weaken) through a variety of talents that affect his Basic Abilities. Among his talents, he can learn Bone Spear, and also has a upgrade to Poison Nova called Andariel's Visage, referencing the helm of the same name.

He carries a kris and a scythe. His outfit is based on his armorless design in Diablo II. His appearance is slightly different from that in Diablo II, possibly result of his age. One of his skins, Bone Visage, has Xul clad in full bone armor and bone helm.

Xul's basic appearance

Xul's Necromaster skin

Xul home screen

Trivia

This section contains facts and trivia relevant to this article.

• According to Heroes of the Storm, Mehtan was Xul's only apprentice. However, Diablo Immortal depicts Lethes as also being his apprentice.

References

Class Identities

Diablo I — Aidan (Warrior) • Jazreth (Sorcerer) • Moreina (Rogue)
Diablo II — Carthas (Paladin) • Cassia (Amazon) • Isendra (Sorceress) • Xul (Necromancer)
Diablo Immortal — The Shard-seeker
Diablo III — The Nephalem: Johanna* (Crusader) • Kharazim* (Monk) • Li-Ming* (Wizard) • Nazeebo* (Witch Doctor) • Sonya* (Barbarian) • "The Chosen" * (Necromancer) • Valla (Demon Hunter)
Diablo IV — The Wanderer
* denotes possible but unconfirmed canonical identity.