I think there are ways to explain the story that would potentially even be quite plausible or logical and are in fact sometimes the way I thought of it when I first saw it. That of course doesn't change the fact that the storytelling could have been done much better than it was. The fact that you don't encounter Marius during the game at all makes it hard to have a notion of what happen when in the cinematics. As I see it this is the story from Marius' perspective:
Marius was living quite peacefully in the Rogue Monastery. Then the Dark Wanderer came and ransacked the place with swarms of demons behind him forcing the rogues to flee. While most of the rogues fled to the west to try and take back their home, Marius managed to flee to the east before the Monastery gates were closed and Andariel was put in place to guard the passage to the east. Marius fled to a pub where we see him in the first intro. The Dark Wanderer finds him there and the two journey towards Lut Gholein. (Meanwhile the D2 hero starts his quest to clear the Monastery, free Cain, kill Andariel yada yada)
Marius and the Wanderer make their way to Lut Gholein. They journey through the desert and search for one of the Horadric staves. (Meanwhile Jehryn orders Meshif to stay docked as monsters follow in Diablo's wake, the hero arrives and starts searching for one of the staves as well.) Diablo finds Tal Rasha's tomb after searching through all of them and uses the staff to open the path to Baal. (Meanwhile the hero is running around the Palace and the Arcane Sanctuary searching for the Journal). Since I doubt the only barrier standing between the orifice and Tal Rasha's chamber was a normal wall (you could break through that with a hammer) the entrance is magical and reseals itself after Diablo leaves with Baal. Marius however leaves before them after freeing Baal since IMO the talk between Marius and Tyrael happens mentally rather than in reality. That's why we see the conversation while things happen rather than after Baal disarms Tyrael and the two Evils leave...also that part of the cutscene looks more like a vision to me rather than what really happens afterwards. After Marius runs away following Tyrael's orders, Baal and Diablo summon Duriel to their side to guard the Tomb. After Diablo and Baal leave, the entrance reseals itself because all the people who entered have left again (both Marius and Diablo). This would explain why the entrance doesn't reseal itself in the game. You are unable to climb back up from there, because Duriel has made his lair in there and probably destroyed whatever path lead to the exit in the process.
Diablo and Baal leave the desert and find another boat (Lut Gholein is surely not the only city on the shores of the sea). Meanwhile the hero kills Duriel and frees Tyrael. Marius travels across the Twin Seas either aboard another boat as well or is hidden on Meshif's ship and travels with you as a stoveaway. Diablo and Baal journey through the jungle and are close to reaching Kurast. The moment you enter the jungle, you encounter Baal (not Diablo) who is standing there to see if they are being followed (or, if he knew they are, how much time they have before you catch up with them). He summons demons (as he does in the Worldstone Keep) to kill you/slow you down and teleports back to Diablo to report about your progress (since Baal is the only one with teleportation abilities it must either be him or his clone). While you run through the jungle (which is corrupted by Mephisto's powers) Marius secretly leaves the ship and follows the path you have cleared. Diablo and Baal reach Travincal and with the help of the High Council enter the Durance. The Horadrim meant Mephisto to be kept inside. Therefore, they blocked the entrance down to Mephisto only so that humans with the know-how could enter. Sankekur and others from the council had to get to Mephisto somehow to be corrupted by his soulstone, right? They were left in charge of Mephisto and must have known the way down there. You clear the jungle, Marius still secretly in your wake and destroy the compelling orb, opening the entrance. While you are clearing the Durance of Hate, Marius rushes through quickly, past the enemies, to the deepest level and witnesses the opening of the portal. Since he can't make himself enter the portal, he runs away, while you make your way down to kill off Mephisto and enter the portal. You kill Diablo while Marius reaches the asylum, Baal (after sending his armies from Hell to Harrogath) is in his wake, searching for his Soulstone.
Marius hides in the asylum and hears about you killing Diablo. After some time, Baal finds him, kills him, takes the stone and travels to Arreat (again using his teleportation abilities and the powers of the soulstone in his possession to get from the asylum to Arreat where his armies are already laying siege to Harrogath.) The hero reaches Harrogath some time afterwars as Tyrael's portal doesn't actually send him all the way to Harrogath, and the hero must journey some more before reaching the city. Don't forget that for example after entering the gate to hell you start off in Pandemonium Fortress - however I seriously doubt that's where Diablo and Baal appeared after entering the portal, thus the portal must take you to somewhere in hell and from there you have to reach the Fortress on foot (with Tyrael probably guiding your way with his powers).
At least, that's my take on all this. It's not the most elegant explanation I guess but it makes sense. Hopefully.
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I think there are ways to explain the story that would potentially even be quite plausible or logical and are in fact sometimes the way I thought of it when I first saw it. That of course doesn't change the fact that the storytelling could have been done much better than it was. The fact that you don't encounter Marius during the game at all makes it hard to have a notion of what happen when in the cinematics. As I see it this is the story from Marius' perspective:
Marius was living quite peacefully in the Rogue Monastery. Then the Dark Wanderer came and ransacked the place with swarms of demons behind him forcing the rogues to flee. While most of the rogues fled to the west to try and take back their home, Marius managed to flee to the east before the Monastery gates were closed and Andariel was put in place to guard the passage to the east. Marius fled to a pub where we see him in the first intro. The Dark Wanderer finds him there and the two journey towards Lut Gholein. (Meanwhile the D2 hero starts his quest to clear the Monastery, free Cain, kill Andariel yada yada)
Marius and the Wanderer make their way to Lut Gholein. They journey through the desert and search for one of the Horadric staves. (Meanwhile Jehryn orders Meshif to stay docked as monsters follow in Diablo's wake, the hero arrives and starts searching for one of the staves as well.) Diablo finds Tal Rasha's tomb after searching through all of them and uses the staff to open the path to Baal. (Meanwhile the hero is running around the Palace and the Arcane Sanctuary searching for the Journal). Since I doubt the only barrier standing between the orifice and Tal Rasha's chamber was a normal wall (you could break through that with a hammer) the entrance is magical and reseals itself after Diablo leaves with Baal. Marius however leaves before them after freeing Baal since IMO the talk between Marius and Tyrael happens mentally rather than in reality. That's why we see the conversation while things happen rather than after Baal disarms Tyrael and the two Evils leave...also that part of the cutscene looks more like a vision to me rather than what really happens afterwards. After Marius runs away following Tyrael's orders, Baal and Diablo summon Duriel to their side to guard the Tomb. After Diablo and Baal leave, the entrance reseals itself because all the people who entered have left again (both Marius and Diablo). This would explain why the entrance doesn't reseal itself in the game. You are unable to climb back up from there, because Duriel has made his lair in there and probably destroyed whatever path lead to the exit in the process.
Diablo and Baal leave the desert and find another boat (Lut Gholein is surely not the only city on the shores of the sea). Meanwhile the hero kills Duriel and frees Tyrael. Marius travels across the Twin Seas either aboard another boat as well or is hidden on Meshif's ship and travels with you as a stoveaway. Diablo and Baal journey through the jungle and are close to reaching Kurast. The moment you enter the jungle, you encounter Baal (not Diablo) who is standing there to see if they are being followed (or, if he knew they are, how much time they have before you catch up with them). He summons demons (as he does in the Worldstone Keep) to kill you/slow you down and teleports back to Diablo to report about your progress (since Baal is the only one with teleportation abilities it must either be him or his clone). While you run through the jungle (which is corrupted by Mephisto's powers) Marius secretly leaves the ship and follows the path you have cleared. Diablo and Baal reach Travincal and with the help of the High Council enter the Durance. The Horadrim meant Mephisto to be kept inside. Therefore, they blocked the entrance down to Mephisto only so that humans with the know-how could enter. Sankekur and others from the council had to get to Mephisto somehow to be corrupted by his soulstone, right? They were left in charge of Mephisto and must have known the way down there. You clear the jungle, Marius still secretly in your wake and destroy the compelling orb, opening the entrance. While you are clearing the Durance of Hate, Marius rushes through quickly, past the enemies, to the deepest level and witnesses the opening of the portal. Since he can't make himself enter the portal, he runs away, while you make your way down to kill off Mephisto and enter the portal. You kill Diablo while Marius reaches the asylum, Baal (after sending his armies from Hell to Harrogath) is in his wake, searching for his Soulstone.
Marius hides in the asylum and hears about you killing Diablo. After some time, Baal finds him, kills him, takes the stone and travels to Arreat (again using his teleportation abilities and the powers of the soulstone in his possession to get from the asylum to Arreat where his armies are already laying siege to Harrogath.) The hero reaches Harrogath some time afterwars as Tyrael's portal doesn't actually send him all the way to Harrogath, and the hero must journey some more before reaching the city. Don't forget that for example after entering the gate to hell you start off in Pandemonium Fortress - however I seriously doubt that's where Diablo and Baal appeared after entering the portal, thus the portal must take you to somewhere in hell and from there you have to reach the Fortress on foot (with Tyrael probably guiding your way with his powers).
At least, that's my take on all this. It's not the most elegant explanation I guess but it makes sense. Hopefully.