Kurast was the capital city of Kehjistan and lies in the East beyond the Twin Seas.
Lore
A large city, the sailor [1] Meshif described Kurast as beautiful before it fell to Mephisto's corruption, and called it "the greatest city in the world," a "paradise." Deckard Cain likewise described it as "glorious."[2] The people of Kurast regarded their city as the center of the world.[1] After its fall, however, its reputation plummeted—Leah regarded it as "a boil on the face of Sanctuary."
Within Kurast proper, its houses were constructed of stone. Narrow alleys ran through it.[3]
It was linked to Travincal via a causeway.[4]
History
An ancient city,[2] Kurast became the capital of Kehjistan during the rise of the Zakarum faith, taking the role once held by Viz-jun. While the capital of Kehjistan,[5] Kurast came to be under Zakarum control.[6] Old tales spoke of a demon named Harsus once threatening the city.[7]
Mephisto's Jungle
After his corruption of the Zakarum, Mephisto was able to control the church, and through it, the surrounding lands. Kurast thus suffered two-fold. The populace of Kurast was decimated, and demons roamed the surrounding land. Additionally, jungle growth, spurred on by Mephisto's power, began to consume the city.[2] As the jungle engulfed Kurast, it became harder to tell where the jungle stopped and the city began.[6] Soon, the only refuge left in Kurast were its docks, where a warding spell had been enacted to hold the jungle at bay.[2] Few people remained, and their despair was evident. When a group of heroes arrived in the city, in pursuit of the Dark Wanderer, they noticed how disinterested the people appeared. As if they feared no harm, after the horrors they had already seen.[4]
The heroes waged bloody combat throughout the streets of Kurast as they made their way to Travincal.[5] But thanks to their efforts, Mephisto was defeated.[8] The jungle began to die back, and retreat from Kurast.[9]
In Hatred's Shadow
- Cyrus(src)
Kurast never recovered from Mephisto's actions. During its fall, Kurast nobles fled to Caldeum, where they remained,[1] and Emperor Hakan I soon joined them. He made Caldeum the new capital of the Eastern Empire, where he remained until his last days.[10] The truth of what had transpired in Kurast never made it to Caldeum, though rumors abounded.[1] Paranoia existed for a time, that whatever darkness the nobles had fled had been carried along with them. The jungles around Kurast began to succumb to blight, so that years later, the once lush jungles were gray and stunted, where they had once been a verdant green.
In Kurast itself, the rule of law collapsed, and it became a den of thieves, murderers, rapists, and a haven for those who sought escape from Hakan's rule, for whatever reason. This also included pirates, as Kurast was a good port of call for them to make landfall. They might sail along the coast, and then head for Caldeum, allowing them to bypass the land route that was patrolled by the Imperial Guard. Its temples remained abandoned.[3]
In-game
Diablo II
Kurast is visited in Act III of Diablo II.
Zones
- Kurast Docks (Main 'town' for the hero(es))
- Lower Kurast
- Kurast Bazaar
- Upper Kurast
- Kurast Causeway
NPCs
Diablo III
This page contains obsolete content This article contains information that is no longer relevant to gameplay, but is kept here for informational purposes. |
Diablo III concept art for Kurast exists.[11] However, Kurast makes no appearance in the game.
Known Residents
- Kulloom describing the people of Kurast(src)
The following is a list of all known residents of Kurast, NPC or otherwise:
Trivia
- The architecture of the stone buildings resemble a Meso-American theme of the Mayans and other Central American civilizations. Also resembles the Indochinese, Burmese and Hindu jungle architectures.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Writings of Abd al-Hazir: Caldeum
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Diablo II, The Infernal Gate
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Order
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 To Hell and Back
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Book of Cain
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Diablo II, The Infernal Gate, Lam Esen's Tome
- ↑ The Black Road
- ↑ Diablo II, The Infernal Gate, The Guardian
- ↑ Diablo II, The Infernal Gate, The Blackened Temple
- ↑ Diablo III, An Abridged History of Caldeum
- ↑ 2013, Rich gallery with old Diablo 3 concepts. Gosu Gamers, accessed on 2015-07-05
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