Pale Hand

"Suffering. Desolation. Horror. This is the road we know in Sanctuary. However, some of us have taken a different path. Bound by secrecy, ready to fight for those who seek us out. There was a time we fought the vilest of Sanctuary. Until we were left with only our inner demons. But the return of hatred has pulled us back into the light. And though we now wait, watching from the shadows, we cannot escape who we are, why we fight...or the fury that burns within us. We are the Pale Hand, and we are the reason you need never fight alone."

- Raheir^(src)

Pale Hand
Race	Humans
Leader	Raheir (de facto)
Affiliation	Various
Headquarters	The Den
Type	Mercenary company
Membership	5
Standing	Active
Appearances	Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred

The Pale Hand is a mercenary company.

Lore

The Pale Hand consists of ordinary people offering their extraordinary skill sets to adventurers, for a price. The group is bound by secrecy, but is ready to fight for those who seek them out.

History

The members of the Pale Hand were active during the Great Enmity. They fought against the vilest creatures of Sanctuary (demons, khazra, etc.), but they were left only with their inner demons. In 1336, with the imminent return of Mephisto, the group was reformed.

In-game

"Is it not better to wander with a friend by your side? Never fight alone as Mercenaries can join you on your quest to battle side by side with you in the dense undergrowth of Nahantu and beyond. These powerful allies grow in power as they progress, and each are equipped with unique abilities to help you in combat."

- Gameplay blurb^(src)

The Pale Hand appears in Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred as part of the game's mercenary system. Each mercenary the player hires comes from this company.

The mercenaries are unlocked during the expansion's main questline. Each Pale Hand mercenary carries their own past, inclinations, and unique skills. Players are able to enter the Pale Hand's hideout, and complete further quests to bring more Pale Hand members to their side.

Raheir is the first Pale Hand mercenary players unlock—this is achieved through completing the expansion's campaign. The other three (Aldkin, Varyana, and Subo) are unlocked through separate, unique questlines. The player can customize their mercenary's ability to an extent, with a broad mix of utility and damage-based skills to customize how these allies complement their playstyle. Each Pale Hand member has their own skill tree, which starts with a single perk, each of which is designed to make the player feel different in-game. The skill tree is divided into six skills and twelve upgrades.

Broadly speaking, each mercenary's skill tree allows the character to be tailored to be combat or support focused. Skill points for the trees are earned through a rapport system—rapport is increased through using the mercenary in the field. The first five levels of rapport give the mercenary abilities/talents, while subsequent levels go towards bartering with Fayira. Rapport has ten levels. After the tenth level is maxed out, players can 're-level' at the tenth tier, receiving 100 pale marks each time level 10 is recompleted. Each mercenary has a correspondent item category (or categories) that, as they are levelled up, gives the player access to more items through Fayira in their respective category. For instance, levelling up Aldkin grants access to purchasable resources.

Correspondent to the mercenaries is a "Reinforcement" mechanic. This can be mapped to a character's skills to a specific mercenary and mercenary attack. When the skill is used, the assigned mercenary appears, attacks, then despawns. A player can have one mercenary with them at a time, and can have a second mercenary assigned as a reinforcement.

Pale Hand members who aren't hired by the player may still appear in events at times. The characters can appear even before being unlocked.

Members

The Pale Hand's primary members

• Aldkin
• Fayira
• Raheir
• Subo
• Varyana