While exploring the Stony Field you may find and read the Moldy Tome, activating the fourth quest.
| The Moldy Tome |
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| ...And so it came to pass that the Countess, who once bathed in the rejuvenating blood of a hundred virgins, was buried alive... And her castle in which so many cruel deeds took place fell rapidly into ruin. Rising over the buried dungeons in that god-forsaken wilderness, a solitary tower, like some monument to Evil, is all that remains. The Countess' fortune was believed to be divided among the clergy, although some say that more remains unfound, still buried alongside the rotting skulls that bear mute witness to the inhumanity of the human creature. |
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The Forgotten Tower |
| Look for the Tower in the Black Marsh beyond the Dark Wood. |
Once again this is entirely optional: if you haven't already done so, you'll need to follow the path through the Stony Field, navigate the Underground Passage Level 1 to the Dark Wood, and then continue following the path to the entrance to the Black Marsh.
The Countess in Hell can drop the Keys of Terror needed for the Pandemonium Event; she also has a significantly higher chance of dropping Runes in all difficulties (up to Ist in Hell).
Black Marsh[edit]
The Black Marsh is randomly populated by three of the following six monster types: Blood Hawk Nests, Brutes, Carver Shamans and Carvers, Night Clan Goatmen and Vile Archers. There can also be encampments of Carver Shamans and Carvers.
You'll most likely need to leave the path and explore to find the Forgotten Tower, and a waypoint: if you find the tower first, you may want to cast a Town Portal there before resuming the search for the waypoint, which would allow you to return to camp to take the portal back to the tower. You may also want to return to the path and follow it through the Tamoe Highlands to the Monastery Gate, where you'll always find a waypoint in the middle of the Outer Cloister beyond. However, the path through the Black Marsh forks, and you may need to retrace your steps from the Hole if you choose incorrectly.
Hole Level 1[edit]
This is an optional area, randomly populated by three of the following four monster types: Brutes, Carvers, Misshapen and Vile Archers. There can also be encampments of Carver Shamans and Carvers.
Hole Level 2[edit]
This is an optional, but much smaller, area, similarly populated to the previous level.
Forgotten Tower[edit]
The Forgotten Tower has collapsed into ruin, but you can enter it by going through a doorway in its southwest wall and down the ladder in its north corner.
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The Forgotten Tower |
| Explore the cellar dungeons beneath the Tower ruins. |
It's empty, except for the entrance to its cellars in its northwest wall. If you haven't read the Moldy Tome in the Stony Field, this quest is now activated. If you return to camp to talk to anyone:
| Akara | Kashya | Charsi |
|---|---|---|
| The dangers there are not solely architectural. Once inside that wretched place, many succumb to a vile miasma. | The tome speaks of treasure. Yet, all we have found are death, delirium, and disappointment. | That old tower is as rotten on the inside as it appears on the outside. I heard that several Sisters came to a gruesome end when a stairwell collapsed on them. |
| Deckard Cain | Warriv | Gheed |
| That tower marks a place of danger. There is an epic poem about it... How much sorrow one can stand was tested there. | Rumors of treasure are no different from rumors of any other kind. They hold false promise to those who should know better. | The only wealth you're likely to find there is a wealth of vermin. |
If you return again before completing this quest:
| Akara | Kashya | Charsi |
|---|---|---|
| There is no more I can tell you about that ancient tower. | Have you suddenly lost your taste for wealth? | You're not ready to give up, are you? |
| Deckard Cain | Warriv | Gheed |
| Quickly in and quickly out is all the advice I can give you. | Better an empty pocket than a full grave. | Guess what! I've named a boil on my ass after you. It, too, bothers me every time I sit down. |
Tower Cellar Level 1[edit]
Each Tower Cellar level is randomly populated by three of the following four monster types: Blood Clan, Dark Archers, Devilkin and Ghosts. The most direct route to the next level down is normally to the left: this is particularly important to remember in Nightmare and Hell, since the levels become much larger.
Tower Cellar Level 2[edit]
This level is similarly populated to the previous one, only the monsters are higher level.
Tower Cellar Level 3[edit]
This level is similarly populated to the previous one, only the monsters are higher level.
Tower Cellar Level 4[edit]
This level is similarly populated to the previous one, only the monsters are higher level.
Tower Cellar Level 5[edit]
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The Forgotten Tower |
| Dispose of the evil Countess. |
The fifth and final level is similarly populated to all previous ones, but it's always quite compact. The entrance is at one end, with a central chamber with two doorways in the walls to either side: the pair closest to the entrance lead to rooms whose floors are covered with gold, while the pair furthest away lead to passages to either side of the room containing the Countess herself.
Countess[edit]
Super Unique Dark Stalker (Fire Enchanted)
Care for a bloodbath?
Your blood will boil!
Once she's aware of you, she casts walls of fire at both entrances to her chamber. While it may be tempting to run through into the room beyond, it's better to wait outside and try to lure out her Dark Stalker minions (and any other monsters within): since they're aggressive melee attackers they're happy to oblige.
By herself the Countess normally isn't particularly dangerous, although due to her Unique bonus she always explodes upon death, so take care when you kill her. The first time you do so, the chest in her room opens in a fountain of gold: you may need to pick it up simply to see what other items may have dropped.
In Hell, she can drop the Keys of Terror needed for the Pandemonium Event; she also has a significantly higher chance of dropping Runes in all difficulties (up to Ist in Hell).
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If you talk to anyone upon your return to camp:
| Akara | Kashya | Charsi |
|---|---|---|
| I thought the stories of treasure in the tower were nothing but lies. I am glad you found something of value in that death-trap. Would that our Sisters had been so fortunate. | Your rewards are well-earned. To us, the tower was nothing more than a headstone looming over a long forgotten grave. | Those riches will serve you well on the long road ahead. |
| Deckard Cain | Warriv | Gheed |
| Well done, my friend. Courage and opportunity together have created in you a kind of alchemy. | Remember. Wealth is as insubstantial as a cloud and passes as quickly. Ignore Gheed. All that twitters is not bold. | Warriv's advice is like corpse gas; it befouls the air for a moment and then it disappears. |