Lut Gholein, often called the Jewel of the Desert, is the main trading port in Aranoch and the midpoint between the Western Kingdoms and Kehjistan beyond the Twin Seas in the East.
Lore
Lut Gholein is very large, with good defenses, including well-built structures and a well-trained army. It is located on a fertile strip of land, which, along with its bordering of the Twin Seas, has contributed to its prosperity.[1] Its people wear colorful clothing, at least compared to the more dour styles of Kehjistan.[2]
History
Early History
Several conquerors had tried to conquer the city. All of them met with failure.[1]
Recent History
With the arrival of the Dark Wanderer, many guards were slain and the rest were ordered back into the Palace to defend it. Jerhyn hired Greiz and his mercenaries to protect the city instead.[3]
In-game
| Lut Gholein | |
|---|---|
| Act | Act II |
| Quests | Radament's Lair, The Horadric Staff, Tainted Sun, The Arcane Sanctuary, The Summoner, The Seven Tombs |
| NPCs | Jerhyn, Deckard Cain, Atma, Lysander, Greiz, Fara, Elzix, Meshif, Geglash, Kaelan |
| Adjacent Zones | Rocky Waste, Harem |
| Waypoint | Yes |
Lut Gholein is visited by the player in Act II in Diablo II. It acts as the town hub of the act.
The city is tormented by Radament: a mummified Horadric mage possessed by a demon, who is hiding in the sewers below. The player is also required to find the key pieces (Horadric Cube and the two pieces of the Horadric Staff) to unlock Tal Rasha's tomb where Baal is imprisoned. The Summoner takes control of the Arcane Sanctuary, releasing demons into the Palace and threatening the city.
NPCs
The townsfolk of Lut Gholein offer various services, these being:
- Atma - the Tavern keeper (Healing)
- Deckard Cain - Horadrim sage (Identify Items)
- Drognan - the Vizjerei mage (Trade services for spellcasters)
- Elzix - Innkeeper of the Desert Rain Inn (Trade and Gambling services)
- Fara - Blacksmith and Paladin of Zakarum (Healing and Repairing, Trade services)
- Geglash - Drunkard
- Greiz - Mercenary captain (Hires/Resurrects Mercenaries)
- Jerhyn - The Sultan and Lord of Lut Gholein
- Kaelan - Palace guard
- Lysander - the deaf Alchemist (Potion vendor)
- Meshif - Trade captain (Sail East - provides passage to the Kurast Docks in Act III)
- Warriv - Caravan trader (Go West - returns the player to the Rogue Encampment in Act I)
Quests
There are six quests in Lut Gholein:
Waypoints
The following waypoints can be found and used (after activation) in Act II:
- Lut Gholein
- Sewers (level 2)
- Dry Hills
- Halls of the Dead (level 2)
- Far Oasis
- Lost City
- The Palace Cellar (level 1)
- Arcane Sanctuary
- Canyon of the Magi
Points of Interest
There are various buildings throughout the city, yet none of them can be entered.
If you explore Atma's tavern, you can find your way into the kitchen, though there is nothing to interact with in there.
Jerhyn's Palace has a small balcony - to the left of the stairs leading down into the Harem.
Trivia
- Lut Gholein has distinctive features of Arabian culture. This is in contrast to the rest of Aranoch, which appears to use Ancient Egypt as its real-world inspiration.
- "Lut" is a Persian word which translates as "emptiness." The real world desert, Dasht-e Lut, uses this word. "Gholein" could possibly mean "two ghouls" in Arabic.
- One of the first cinematics for Diablo II showed cocktails being served to patrons in a desert bazzar.[4] This bears resemblance to Lut Gholein. However, the cinematic made no appearance in the game's final release.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Legacy of Blood
- ↑ The Kingdom of Shadow
- ↑ Diablo II, The Secret of the Vizjerei
- ↑ 2015-09-13, Page 3: In Their Own Words: An Oral History of Diablo II With David Brevik, Max Schaefer, and Erich Schaefer. US Gamer, accessed on 2015-09-15
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