

The quest is not explicitly unconnected to the other events in the The Sightless Eye chapter. Her rune drops were improved further in v1.10, and as a result she’s now one of the most popular “item run” monsters in the game, especially for players who are Rune Hunting. Since v1.09 the Countess has begun dropping a rune almost every time she is killed. She no longer stays inside, but rushes out as soon as you are in the area, making this quest harder. Prior to v1.08, the Countess would stay in the last room until you entered it, but her minions would wander around and come outside the room, and you could pick them off one by one. Often when you come down to the next level you’ll find monsters very near the stairs, so be ready. Tipsīeware the tower, the tiny rooms and small levels leave you no room to retreat, other than up the stairs, and there are tons of boss packs, mostly of Goatmen and Specters. There are seldom any valuable items, just magical stuff and a Rune of varying value, but it’s nice gold for a new character. It’s fun to try and pick up the goodies as quickly as they fall. When she dies she expires in a cloud of smoke, and then the golden chest opens and erupts showers of gold, potions, and items, literally dozens of them spouting out one at a time. The end of the fifth level has a room with a glowing golden chest guarded by The Countess, a melee-fighting Corrupt Rogue. The levels are very small though, and on the fifth and lowest level there are two rooms with dozens of stacks of gold in each, and several chests. It’s a very nasty area, one of the hardest in Act I, with small rooms and numerous boss and champion monster packs. You can just find the ruins of the tower in the Black Marsh, and descend into it. The trigger, reading the Moldy Tome, is not required for this quest. The Countess’s fortune was said to be divided among the clergy, although some say that more remains unfound, still buried in the tower. Rising over the buried dungeons, a solitary tower is all that remains.

The castle in which so many cruel deeds took place fell rapidly to ruin. The Moldy Tome recounts a story of a Countess who was buried alive.
