"Richard A. Knaak - Diablo 02 - Scales of the Serpent" - читать интересную книгу автора (Knaak Richard A)

additional support.

If calamity imminently threatened the tower of Mefis, it had already claimed that of Dialon, to the right.
The proud ramтАЩs headтАФsymbol of determinationтАФstill hung high, but above it the structure was a
collapsed ruin. Oddly, little of the upper level had actually fallen to the streets below; most of the stone
and wood rubble lay piled atop, as if the tower had somehow imploded.

Hundreds of figures swarmed the area around the steps, those nearest the entrance clad in the azure,
gold, or black robes of the three orders. With them stood scores of hooded, breast-plated figuresтАФthe
templeтАЩs Peace WardersтАФarmed with swords and lances. The faithful of the Triune fought against a
crush of bodies whose foremost ranks were dressed in simple peasant and farmer clothing of the upper
lands far to the northwest of the great jungles. The pale skin and tighter garments of these first figures was
in sharp contrast not only to the mainly swarthy servants of the temple, but also those making up most of
the successive waves behind the lead attackers. Indeed, the bulk of the movement against the Triune
consisted of natives of Toraja itself, marked by their loose-fitting, flowing, red and purple garments and
long, black hair bound to the back.

Although it was the attackers who wielded the majority of the torches, the flames consuming much of the
nearby sections of the city were not, for the most part, their doing. In fact, no one could for certain say
how the first fires had begun, only that they seemed to initially work in favor of the priesthoodтАжand that
had been enough to turn what sympathies there had been for the Triune into anger.

That anger was all the impetus needed to urge Uldyssian to take down the temple without further delay.
When he had initially arrived in TorajaтАФand once he had gotten over his astonishment at so many people
packed into one placeтАФUldyssian had thought to gradually influence the citizenry into simply ousting the
priests and their underlings from the city. But for such a heinous actтАФin which dozens of locals and even
some of his original followers had perishedтАФno remorse or sympathy remained in the former farmerтАЩs
heart.

I came to this city hoping to teach, to convert people, Uldyssian bitterly thought as he strode toward the
steps. But they forced this upon all of us instead.

Without seeing him, the crowd parted. Any of those touched by the power within UldyssianтАФthe power
of the nephalemтАФcould sense his nearness. The momentum of the crowd paused as they realized that
Uldyssian had something in mind.

He had not been the cause of the devastation so far embracing the temple. That had been the results of
the more primitive efforts by some of his enthusiastic followers, such as Romus, one of the lead Parthans.
Romus was one of a handful of the most advanced among UldyssianтАЩs acolytes. Partha had been the
second place to witness the miracle of UldyssianтАЩs gift, after his own village of Seram. However, unlike
Seram, where the son of Diomedes had been cast as a murderer and monster, the Parthans had
welcomed his abilities and embraced his simple but honest beliefs.

Uldyssian was not the image of a crusading prophet as fables usually went. He was no angelic, ageless
youth like he who led the Cathedral of LightтАФthe rival sect to the templeтАФnor a silver-haired,
benevolent elder such as the Primus, whose servants now awaited UldyssianтАЩs wrath. Uldyssian
ul-Diomed had been born to be a tiller of soil. Square jawed and with rough-hewn features half-draped
by a short beard, he was strong of build due to his hard life but otherwise unremarkable. His
sandy-colored hair hung unkempt down to his neck, any attempt at neatness lost in tonightтАЩs chaos.
Uldyssian wore a plain brown shirt and pants and weathered boots. He carried no weapon save a knife