Warlord of Blood

Diablo - Warlord of Blood (Diablo 1)

“	The armories of Hell are home to the Warlord of Blood. In his wake lay the mutilated bodies of thousands. Angels and Man alike have been cut down to fulfill his endless sacrifices to the Dark Ones who scream for one thing - blood.	„
	~ Steel Tome

“	My blade sings for your blood, mortal. And, by my Dark Masters, it shall NOT be denied!	„
	~ Warlord of Blood

The Warlord of Blood is a boss from Diablo, being fought in the first hell level.

The Warlord of Blood was once Bartuc, a sorcerer from the Vizjerei order, much like his brother Horazon. Bartuc showed a interest in studying the dark arts, eventually allying himself with the forces of Hell, which ended corrupting his soul and giving him an insatiable bloodlust. The Warlord of Blood fought against the order, leaving a pile of corpses on his wake, until the day he was slain, and his head was separated from his body so he would never cause anymore destruction.

He was apparently revived by Diablo, who left him guarding the armories of Hell. Once you trigger his quest (by reading the Steel Tome), he will appear guarding the entrance to the second hell level. The Warlord of Blood appears as a super unique Steel Lord, being also surrounded by various regular Steel Lords, which can make the battle quite difficult.

Trivia

• In the Lord of Destruction expansion of Diablo II, near the end of the game Baal summons various Council Members to fight the player, one of which is named Bartuc the Bloody. It is unknown if he and the Warlord of Blood are the same.