Wirt

Wirt peg-legged boy

History

Wirt the Peg-Legged Boy was a salesboy found at the top-left corner of Tristram, away from the main town in Diablo I. He offered a single expensive item, but the item in question was only revealed if the player would pay 50 gold just to have a look at it. It was a rudimentary form of Gambling in the early days.

Wirt was not always like that. He was once a sweet and charming boy until one day, some Fallen Ones raided Tristram and abducted him and some other children. The children were brutally tortured by the sadistic Fallen, causing Wirt to have his left leg paralyzed. All of the children succumbed to the torture, save Wirt, who bravely and cunningly escaped from the clutches of his demonic captors. At least, that is one side of the story; it is also said Wirt only survived at all because of the actions of Griswold.

When he arrived in town he fell unconscious in the town square. The townspeople took him to Pepin who, despite all his knowledge of the human anatomy was only able to amputate his festering leg and replace it with a wooded peg in order to save the boy's life. When he regained consciousness, Wirt was shocked and angered to see his leg gone and replaced by a wooden appendage. His anger was further reinforced when he received word that his mother had died of grief after his disappearance and the townspeople had done nothing to save him or the other children. This grief embittered Wirt and made him a kind of outcast among his peers. He slowly got himself a name by peddling (read: smuggling), unique and powerful items to warriors who had come to cleanse the evil in the Cathedral.

He is a cynical opportunist primarily interested in making money by selling his magical wares to adventurers. He does reveal that he is actually saving up money in order to leave Tristram with Gillian (who's probably not aware of his crush).

Diablo

Wirt is a peg-legged boy who sells rare items in the north side of Tristram. He was taken by demons and was tortured, but luckily Griswold saved him before he was killed. As a result of his injuries, he now has a peg-leg. After his ordeal he was offered a job as an apprentice to Griswold, but refused because he had "plans that require a large amount of money," and being an apprentice did not pay well enough. He only sells one item at a time and charges a fee of 50 gold to even look at an item. Wirt is not associated with any quest.

Relatives

Canace is the mother of Wirt, who died of grief when her only child was abducted by demons. None of Wirt's other relatives are known.

Diablo II

Wirt's body in Diablo II.

In Diablo II Wirt is dead and his corpse lies among the ruins of Tristram. His body contains a lot of gold and his leg, one of the objects required to open the Secret Cow Level.

When Wirt's corpse is clicked his gold doesn't drop to the ground all at once as normal, but individual piles "rain down" around his corpse. This 'shower of gold' is probably a reference to Wirt's vendor function in Diablo I, as he used to ask for a lot of money just so players could 'take a peek' at items. His body seems to be hewn in two, as if he was attacked by a huge cleaver or halberd...

Quotes

• Pssst... over here...

Gossip

• Not everyone in Tristram has a use - or a market - for everything you will find in the labyrinth. Not even me, as hard as that is to believe. Sometimes, only you will be able to find a purpose for some things.
• Don't trust everything the drunk says. Too many ales have fogged his vision and his good sense.
• In case you haven't noticed, I don't buy anything from Tristram. I am an importer of quality goods. If you want to peddle junk, you'll have to see Griswold, Pepin or that witch, Adria. I'm sure that they will snap up whatever you can bring them...
• I guess I owe the blacksmith my life - what there is of it. Sure, Griswold offered me an apprenticeship at the smithy, and he is a nice enough guy, but I'll never get enough money to... well, let's just say that I have definite plans that require a large amount of gold.
• If I were a few years older, I would shower her with whatever riches I could muster, and let me assure you I can get my hands on some very nice stuff. Gillian is a beautiful girl who should get out of Tristram as soon as it is safe. Hmmm... maybe I'll take her with me when I go...
• Cain knows too much. He scares the life out of me - even more than that woman across the river. He keeps telling me about how lucky I am to be alive, and how my story is foretold in legend. I think he's off his crock.
• Farnham - now there is a man with serious problems, and I know all about how serious problems can be. He trusted too much in the integrity of one man, and Lazarus led him into the very jaws of death. Oh, I know what it's like down there, so don't even start telling me about your plans to destroy the evil that dwells in that Labyrinth. Just watch your legs...
• As long as you don't need anything reattached, old Pepin is as good as they come. If I'd have had some of those potions he brews, I might still have my leg...
• Adria truly bothers me. Sure, Cain is creepy in what he can tell you about the past, but that witch can see into your past. She always has some way to get whatever she needs, too. Adria gets her hands on more merchandise than I've seen pass through the gates of the King's Bazaar during High Festival.
• Ogden is a fool for staying here. I could get him out of town for a very reasonable price, but he insists on trying to make a go of it with that stupid tavern. I guess at the least he gives Gillian a place to work, and his wife Garda does make a superb Shepherd's pie...

Trivia

This section contains facts and trivia relevant to this article.

• The official lore of the Hell Bovines in the Arreat Summit indicates that Wirt was, in fact, the first to be slain by them before they made their way to the Secret Cow Level. This is probably why Wirt's Leg is the key ingredient in opening the portal to the level.
• In Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, there is an item called Wirt's Other Leg that can be found in a level in the Blood Elf campaign. The item is, quite coincidentally, found behind an Abomination called the Butcher. The item has no properties in the game, except for this flavor text: "Perhaps the overzealous adventurer pried this off before his journey here thinking it might give him one last opportunity at bovine slaughter. Little did he know where it would lead him.".
• In World of Warcraft, there is another item called Wirt's Third Leg.
• The appearance of Wirt's second and third legs in both games brings up the question (mainly because it's in the other leg's description): Are the Demons of Sanctuary (Diablo) and the Demons of the Burning Legion (Warcraft) one and the same? Another popular theory is that all three of Blizzard's major franchises (StarCraft, Warcraft, and Diablo) are related to one another.
• In the game "Hellgate: London" (which was developed by ex-Blizzard North veterans) exists a quest reward named "Wart's Peg Leg", which seems to be a parody of "Wirt's Leg".

Diablo I NPCs

Diablo — Adria • Deckard Cain • Farnham • Gillian • Griswold • Kael Rills • Ogden • Pepin • Tremain (cut) • Wirt
Hellfire — Celia (cut) • Complete Nut (cut) • Lester • Wandering Trader (cut)