"Here at last is a fitting testament in stone to Tal Rasha's sacrifice."
(upon entering the true Tal Rasha's Tomb): "Surely the evil here has driven you mad." "This surely is the product of a twisted mind." "The Light can never be extinguished by evil." "Light, guide my way in this accursed place." "Light willing, this treasure will help put an end to this stifling evil." (upon opening the final chest in the Maggot Lair): "This will help the Sisters turn the tide against evil." "Even the Light cannot pierce this gloom." "I've earned the right to this abandoned trove." "Maybe Akara could dispel the mystery of these stones." And so, these rebellious Paladins left their Zakarum brethren and ventured west. They resolved to fight the true source of corruption, the Three Prime Evils - Diablo, Baal and Mephisto.
The rebels condemned the methods of the Inquisition, proclaiming that the new Order of Paladins should protect the innocent, and that the evil corruption was rooted in their forebear's failure. In the midst of this bloody crusade, a rebellion arose within the ranks of the Paladins of Zakarum. Leading this crusade was a new generation of Paladins, known as the "Hand of Zakarum." These cavaliers of righteousness swept through the lands, expunging the taint of demonic contamination wherever they found it. The Zakarum Inquisition spread through the lands like a tempest, laying waste to all suspected of demonic possession or corruption. This time, however, the inconvincible were deemed evil. During the height of the Time of Troubles, the Church commenced a second campaign of conversion. Some decades later, Paladins were again called into service. However, once the Word had been spread to every major city of the West, the "Protectors of the Word" faded from public view. Impressing the locals with daring deeds, powerful weapons, and martial prowess was far more convincing than the condemnations of a soft-spoken monk. In practice, these "Protectors of the Word" proved to be more successful at converting the native peoples than the Priests that they were assigned to defend. To ensure the success of future missions, the Church set about training holy warriors, Paladins, to accompany and safeguard their missionaries. The priests who survived their missions recounted tales of harsh weather, inadequate supplies, attacks from bandits and even encounters with horrible monsters. Unfortunately, the Church had not prepared these men for the rigors of travel nor the hazards of the world. Thus, the Church selected a group of its most charismatic and devoted priests and sent them on a mission to proselytize the people of the West. During the mid-twelfth century, after the Church of Zakarum had gained prominence in the East, the Church decreed that the visions of Akarat would be spread throughout the known world in order to redeem the masses.
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