Kurast

"Well, I gave you my word, and brought you here as promised. But by all that's still holy, I wish I'd never returned to this accursed place. This fetid jungle can't be the fair Kurast I left behind. I don't know what all this evil is, my friend, but it's obvious that you must stop it. I only pray that you can before the jungle consumes the last vestiges of my beloved homeland."

- Meshif

Kurast was the capital city of Kehjistan and lies in the East beyond the Twin Seas.

Lore
A large city, the sailor Meshif described Kurast as beautiful before it fell to Mephisto's corruption, and called it "the greatest city in the world," a "paradise" where the air had a perfumed scent. Deckard Cain likewise described it as "glorious." The people of Kurast regarded their city as the center of the world. After its fall, however, its reputation plummeted&mdash;Leah regarded it as "a boil on the face of Sanctuary."

Within Kurast proper, its houses were constructed of stone. Narrow alleys ran through it. The city was broadly divided into two parts&mdash;Upper and Lower Kurast. The former was home to large buildings, with a temple and reliquary looming over the city. Lower Kurast was the poorest section of the city, meant for laborers, and was a good place to hide. The city was linked to Travincal via a causeway.

Prior to its fall, disciples of the Light carried out a pilgrimage to the city.

History
An ancient city, Kurast became the capital of Kehjistan during the rise of the Zakarum faith, taking the role once held by Viz-jun. While the capital of Kehjistan, Kurast came to be under Zakarum control. Old tales spoke of a demon named Harsus once threatening the city.

Mephisto's Jungle
"Welcome to Kurast, traveler. Few come willingly to this ancient city anymore. I hope you brought your wits with you, for sanity is in short supply here."

- Hratli After his corruption of the Zakarum, Mephisto was able to control the church, and through it, the surrounding lands. Kurast thus suffered two-fold. The populace of Kurast was decimated, and demons roamed the surrounding land. Additionally, jungle growth, spurred on by Mephisto's power, began to consume the city. As the jungle engulfed Kurast, it became harder to tell where the jungle stopped and the city began. Soon, the only refuge left in Kurast were its docks, where a warding spell had been enacted to hold the jungle at bay. The people at the docks were choked with those trying to escape. Few people remained in the city proper, and their despair was evident. When a group of heroes arrived in the city, in pursuit of the Dark Wanderer, they noticed how disinterested the people appeared. As if they feared no harm, after the horrors they had already seen.

The heroes waged bloody combat throughout the streets of Kurast as they made their way to Travincal. But thanks to their efforts, Mephisto was defeated. The jungle began to die back, and retreat from Kurast.

In Hatred's Shadow
"Welcome to the gates of Hell. Or, as some of us like to call it, Kurast."

- Cyrus

Kurast never recovered from Mephisto's actions. During its fall, Kurast nobles fled to Caldeum, where they remained, and Emperor Hakan I soon joined them. He made Caldeum the new capital of the Eastern Empire, where he remained until his last days. The truth of what had transpired in Kurast never made it to Caldeum, though rumors abounded. Paranoia existed for a time, that whatever darkness the nobles had fled had been carried along with them. The jungles around Kurast began to succumb to blight, so that years later, the once lush jungles were gray and stunted, where they had once been a verdant green.

In Kurast itself, the rule of law collapsed, and it became a den of thieves, murderers, rapists, and a haven for those who sought escape from Hakan I's rule, for whatever reason. This also included pirates, as Kurast was a good port of call for them to make landfall. They might sail along the coast, and then head for Caldeum, allowing them to bypass the land route that was patrolled by the Imperial Guard. Its temples remained abandoned.

Diablo II
Kurast is visited in of Diablo II.

Zones

 * Kurast Docks (Main 'town' for the hero(es))
 * Lower Kurast
 * Kurast Bazaar
 * Upper Kurast
 * Kurast Causeway

NPCs

 * Alkor
 * Asheara
 * Dark Wanderer
 * Deckard Cain
 * Hratli
 * Meshif
 * Natalya
 * Ormus

Diablo III
Diablo III concept art for Kurast exists. However, Kurast makes no appearance in the game.

Known Locations

 * Kurast Docks
 * Reliquary
 * Temple
 * The Red Circle

Known Residents
"The people there make the people of this fine establishment look like angels."

- Kulloom describing the people of Kurast

The following is a list of all known residents of Kurast, NPC or otherwise:


 * Brand
 * Cyrus
 * Gareth Rau
 * Hakan I
 * Hratli
 * Hyland
 * Meshif
 * Ormus

Trivia

 * The buildings and religious insignias of Kurast are based on Mayan, Cambodian, and Inca architecture.