The Fallen Star

The Fallen Star is the very first quest in Diablo III. The quest is given upon first starting the game, and has the player's character investigating a fallen star that has landed near the old town of New Tristram, with the dead rising in its wake.

The Dead at the Gates
You start out at the outskirts of New Tristram. As you approach, you will encounter Risen Dead feasting upon dead villagers. Kill them and make your way toward the gates. There, you will meet Captain Rumford, who is fighting with his men against more Risen Dead. After fighting them off, speak to him. He will tell you that the star fell on the old Tristram Cathedral, and that there was only one survivor, a girl named Leah. After that, you must help Rumford fight off an onslaught of more Risen Dead that rise from the ground to attack the gates. Once both waves of the Risen Dead have been re-killed, Rumford will direct you to the Slaughtered Calf Inn, where you will find Leah.

The Slaughtered Calf Inn
Enter New Tristram and head for the Slaughtered Calf Inn. Leah will be there tending to a group of wounded survivors. Talk to her, and she will tell you that she survived the fallen star, but that it blasted her uncle Deckard Cain into the depths of the old cathedral, and that she wanted to search for him but the dead were already rising. You will then have to kill the survivors, who turn into more Risen Dead. After killing the Risen, speak to her again, and she will direct you back to Captain Rumford at the gate.

The Wretched Mothers
Head back to the gate and talk to Captain Rumford. He will tell you to strike at the Wretched Mothers and their queen, who are vomiting out the Risen Dead that are attacking the town. You will have to help Rumford fight off another assault upon the barricade to the north, until one of the Wretched Mothers falls. He will then direct you to kill more of them in the ruins down the road. Head down the road and kill every Risen Dead, Quill Fiend and Wretched Mother you find until you reach the ruins of Old Tristram.

Old Tristram
Upon reaching Old Tristram, continue killing Risen Dead and Quill Fiends until you find the Wretched Queen, the first elite monster you are likely to face in the game. She behaves quite similarly to the Wretched Mothers, and should go down with ease no matter what kind of character you are using. Once the Wretched Queen is dead, activate your first Waypoint located to the upper right of the map near the gates in order to return to New Tristram.

Once you make it back to town, speak with Captain Rumford. He will tell you to talk some sense into Leah, who won't give up the idea of rescuing her uncle. Your character will tell him that she shouldn't and that they will help her find him. This will end the quest. Speak to Leah to begin the next quest, The Legacy of Cain.

Core

 * Class
 * "I am near the fallen star… and the dead it raised.
 * This place reeks of the dead. The fallen star must be near.


 * Follower
 * Templar: "And the tomes. Onward!"


 * Class
 * Necromancer: "I have come to aid these lands. Where is the fallen star?"


 * Captain Rumford: "It fell on the old cathedral. There was only one survivor — Leah. You should speak with her."


 * Guard: "Captain Rumford, more dead are coming!"


 * Captain Rumford: "We can’t open the gates until we drive them back!"


 * Captain Rumford: "I've never seen anyone fight like that before! Guards, open the gates! You’ll find Leah at the Slaughtered Calf Inn."


 * Captain Rumford: "Burn those corpses before they rise again!"


 * Brother Malachi the Healer: "Zakarum has fallen to disgrace...What faith can save us now? It is the end of the world, can't you see that?"


 * Class
 * Necromancer: "Are you Leah? Did you survive the fallen star?"


 * Leah: "I did. But it blasted my uncle, Deckard Cain, into the depths of the old cathedral. I tried to search for him, but the dead were already rising. I came back here to rally the militia, but th– watch out, the wounded are turning!"


 * Bartender: "This is killing business."


 * Leah: "This will overwhelm us."


 * Class
 * Necromancer: "Yes. That is why I am here."


 * Leah: "Thank you. You should speak with Captain Rumford at the gate. He can tell you what to do."


 * Guard: "I promised Marko I'd protect him, and now he’s dead."


 * Class
 * Necromancer: "I will bring peace to the risen dead."


 * Captain Rumford: "I admire your courage, but Captain Daltyn and the militia were slaughtered by those things. Only I survived."


 * Class
 * Necromancer: "I have experience in these matters."


 * Captain Rumford: "Well, I have seen you fight...Strike at the wretched mothers and their queen. They’re the ones vomiting out these horrors."


 * Captain Rumford: "There, that’s one of the wretched mothers! There are more of them in the ruins down the road."


 * Follower
 * Templar: "I do not understand how evil walks in the day. Should it not fear the light?"


 * Follower
 * Templar: "Well, this is a dismal sight..."


 * Class
 * Necromancer: "Old Tristram...Diablo once walked these lands."


 * Follower
 * Templar: "This village surrendered to evil and paid the price. These creatures won’t go down easily!"


 * Captain Rumford: "Thank you for your help. But, could you talk some sense into Leah? She won't give up on the idea of rescuing her uncle."


 * Class
 * Necromancer: "Interesting. If he lives, his knowledge could prove useful."

Townsfolk Dialogue

 * Townsfolk 1: "Sixteen militiamen went out. Only Rumford came back. Akarat help us."


 * Townsfolk 2: "We never should have built on this cursed ground. Maybe Cain was right — even in death, Diablo torments us."


 * Tristram Militia: "The dead have been a bane on our existence since that cursed fire fell. We have to burn them just to make sure they don’t rise from the grave."


 * Tristram Militia: "Not too much, I'm afraid. They came here almost a year ago. She split her time between looking after him and helping out the town. He spent his days in the old cathedral, looking for old texts, from what I hear. They were inside when that thing hit. She’s lucky to be alive." (when asked about Leah and Cain)


 * Traveling Scholar: "I came here to study the fall of Old Tristram. This is closer to the town’s history than I want to be!"


 * Tashun the Miner: "I worked my hands to the bone to bring you these fine goods."


 * Townsfolk 3: "Don't you dare lift a finger to help our mayor fix his wagon. My brother died defending this town while that bloated coward tried to run away!"


 * Townsfolk 3: "The dead rising from their graves! This must be the end of the world!"


 * Villager 1: "Tristram used to be such a wonderful place to live. My family has been here since the town grew out of the ruins of Old Tristram. But now...it’s horrible. The loved ones we’ve buried and grieved over now threaten our lives."


 * Villager 2: "Have you come to help us? The other adventurers who came through here didn’t look so deadly."


 * Villager 3: "I don't care what anyone says — that thing that fell from the sky was no rock. A rock doesn't cause the dead to leave their graves!"


 * Bron the Barkeep: "Welcome to the Slaughtered Calf Inn."


 * Bron the Barkeep: "Bring me whatever treasures you have no use for. I’ll give you a bit of coin to save up for your casket."


 * Bron the Barkeep: "As you can see, business is atrocious. It must be the end times if people won’t even drown their sorrows in drink."


 * Leah: "For a long time, Uncle Deckard avoided coming back to this place. There were a lot of ghosts here for him. This is where Diablo drove old King Leoric mad and terrorized the people. I don’t know what really happened here, but whatever it was, it was horrible. Nearly everyone who survived went mad."


 * Townsfolk 4: "I heard you helped out at the gate. Pretty brave. Or foolish."


 * Townsfolk 4: ''"After King Leoric went mad, no one lived in these parts for a long time. Then adventurers were lured here by tales of riches to be found inside the old cathedral. New Tristram started when some traveling merchants decided to set down here to sell to the adventurers. It grew quickly...Lot of good farming in these parts. Well, before all of this started.""'


 * Villager 4: "So I turned around, and there she was — my wife! Back from the dead! Old Rumford put an axe in her head before she could eat me, but still, it was a touching moment."


 * Villager 5: "It's a shame that bard got himself eaten. I could do with some music right now."


 * Villager 6: "The gates might fall at any second, and you want a pretty song?"


 * Villager 5: "Can you think of a better time?"


 * Captain Rumford: "When Leah told us the dead were pouring out of the cathedral, we quickly went to put an end to it. At first it seemed we were succeeding, but th-but they just kept coming. We– well, we were overcome. Captain Daltyn and the men fought valiantly. They protected me. I am no soldier. I am– I was a farmer. I should not have been out there with them. I do not know how I made it back here. None of the others did. And now, somehow I’m supposed to lead the militia."


 * Captain Rumford: "I volunteered to help because it seemed the right thing to do. But I’m no leader of men."


 * Captain Rumford: "That's a simple thing for you to say. You were born to fight monsters like the risen dead. Me, I’m just a farmer."


 * Haedrig Eamon: Nothing ever changes, does it?


 * Class
 * Witch Doctor: What do you mean?


 * Haedrig Eamon: There's always some threat of the risen dead or foul evil descending on the town, isn't there?

Quest Log

 * Part 1
 * Barbarian: New Tristram. I have journeyed far to reach this place. The foul stench in the air speaks of the dead that have risen to plague this town since the star fell on the old cathedral. I was right to come here. Tristram needs a protector.
 * Crusader: The falling star crashed into an old Zakarum cathedral, which seems a likely place to unearth ancient secrets. No wonder the Crusade led me to this place. The nearby town, New Tristram, seems unremarkable, except for the fact that it is besieged by legions of the risen dead. I will see what I can do to help, so long as it brings me to the cathedral. To work of the Crusade continues.
 * Demon Hunter: New Tristram...An ill name for a town if ever there was one. My childhood home wasn't too far from here, buried in the forests of the kingdom of Westmarch. But now there's nothing left of it except for the ashes. I will not let New Tristram fall to the same fate. The town's gates must hold.
 * Monk: The gates of New Tristram would be more suited to a battlefield than to a sleepy village. I walk into grave danger. Greatly has the fallen star shifted the balance of this land. I was right to come.
 * Wizard: And so, I have arrived in New Tristram. Barely two decades old, it was originally created as a resting point for adventurers seeking to pillage the ruins of Old Tristram and the cathedral beyond. If the town ever knew safety, those days ended when the falling star struck the cathedral. Necromantic magic now tinges the air, pulling the dead from their graves. It is good that I am here, or New Tristram might have shared the fate of its predecessor.


 * Part 2
 * Barbarian: A women named Leah has asked that I deliver New Tristram from the horror that has befallen it. I will speak with Captain Rumford, the leader of the militia, to see what I can do.
 * Crusader: I've met a young woman named Leah, who wishes my help to save New Tristram. There is something special about her, some quality I cannot define. Perhaps she is tied to the Crusade?
 * Demon Hunter: These people are desperate for aid, especially Leah. The remnants of the militia cannot hold the town alone. I will do all I can for them. Captain Rumford must know where I can best direct my efforts.
 * Monk: Many in this town have surrendered to the inevitability of fate, but not Leah. The dead walk once again, raised by the power of the fallen star. This is an abomination to the gods, and I cannot allow it to be. I will speak with Captain Rumford, who leads the makeshift village militia, and make my plans with him.
 * Wizard: A woman named Leah has asked me to save this town. I like her. She has sent me to speak with the captain of the militia and see what I can do to help.


 * Part 3
 * Barbarian: Between New Tristram and the ruins to the north, creatures known as wretched mothers and their queen call forth the dead that attack this town. I will head to these ruins, killing the mothers and their foul children.
 * Crusader: The Wretched mothers and their queen are the source of these zombies. If I return them to the grave, New Tristram will stand a chance of survival. That is the most one can hope for in these times.
 * Demon Hunter: It isn’t surprising that the risen dead are coming from the old ruins. The original Tristram was befouled by demons, and their work is not easily undone. Still, I will venture there and do what I can to stop these wretched mothers and their queen.
 * Monk: The wretched mothers and their queen raise the dead to foul life. The militia is too weak to perform this task, so I must find the creatures and send them back to their graves. When I am finished, New Tristram will know safety.
 * Wizard: The so-called wretched mothers are the source of the dead attacking New Tristram. I shall search the old ruins and the surrounding countryside, destroying any of these mothers I can find...especially their queen.


 * Part 4
 * Barbarian: I have slaughtered the dead that were attacking New Tristram.
 * Crusader: It is done. The area is a little safer, but until I find a way to cleanse my faith, nothing is truly finished. Zakarum will be restored
 * Demon Hunter: I have slaughtered the wretched queen.
 * Monk: The old ruins were infested by the mindless abominations raised from death. I have slain the wretched queen, but in the darkness I still see more moving shadows. I do not believe my work is near done.
 * Wizard: I have vanquished the dead who have plagued the town.