They head back and check the rooms where the magi were. Two are empty. The final one was the room of the ogre they killed on the first assault. There is nothing else of interest in here.
The dining room is completely free of people, and the kitchens next to it. The chef believes they are mercenaries and early for their meals and to come back later. Alzar decides to do just that.
They enter the chambers of a female hobgoblin witchdoctor. They have not met her, but they search the room. They find
3 pieces of jade 60 gp
Necklace of garnet and electrum 1300 gp
As they finish, the witchdoctor arrives back, by herself, and sees 5 adventurers, and decides to run. A Mist Ball flies at her and she fails the save and falls down. Alzar ties her up and takes her back into her chamber. She is a priestess of Mahte, goddess of pain and pleasure. He waits until she can see again, tells her who he is, and that Markessa is already dead. He intends to take out this place, and free the slaves here, and there is no one who will stop him. She will remain tied up here and they will come back for her if they aren’t killed. Alzar shuts the door behind him and exits.
They move down the corridor and find a door with two bugbears flanking it. Thinking Alzar and crew are mercenaries, they have not attacked. He attacks with his axe and gains surprise. He crits, so that is 2x damage from the surprise and x2 from the crit. He rolled jus t a3, but that’s still 23 damage and a dead bugbear. Est attacks the other for 11 and Carum adds another crit for 15 and she dies. They search the bodies and find nothing.
The door opens and reveals a bed chamber where a female human looks exactly like Markessa. Alzar asks if she is the real Markessa or a doppelganger or illusion or something. This can’t be the real Markessa, the first one had more powerful magic, knowledge and weapons, This one has just a dagger. He casts Charm Person as she casts Shield. She fails the save and becomes Alzar’s good friend.
She is another person who was magically altered b experiments to look like Markessa and then brainwashed to believe she was, but a part of her has always known otherwise. She shows them the valuables in this room:
2 polar bear rugs – 180 gp each
4 pairs of fancy slippers 150 gp each
There are two secret doors they open and the charmed mage will accompany them, in the back. Alzar opens a secret door and they enter the exercise room of a burly fighter. He is tall, slender, muscular, and n padded armor and shield and working out on the quintain.
The fighter was magically altered to be very strong, and brainwashed to fall in love with Markessa, but instead has fallen in love with the double. She tells him they are leaving, and he goes to his room, gathers his weapons and armor, and comes with them.
Bodyguard – platemail armor + shield, 18/59 str so +2, +3 in battle. Fights with battle axe. 21 hp, AC 0,
They move to a room that is dirty and foul smelling. There is a angry Taurian in here. This is the special guard of Markessa’s. The double commands him to stay silent and move back, and he does. They open a secret door and enter Markessa’s Spell Room. The room have bins and shelves filled with materials necessary for spell research and experimentation. There are white candles that lit when they entered, and do not appear to be burning the wick. There is a pentagram with an amulet in the middle. Alzar uses the Ring of Telekinesis to pick it up and brings it to him.
They find a spellbook, and Alzar does not open it anymore, as per his previous rules.
The stuff in here is worth 1300 gold, but is quite heavy.
They move into her quarters with a luxurious bed chamber, costly furniture, expensive tapestries. And such. They find a wall safe and Alzar can’t unlock it. He damages it with acid – his last dose. Inside the damaged lock are valuables, and a poison dart trap but the needle was in the lock and damaged from the acid. They find another spellbook in it too.
There is a Wand on her dresser.
3000 gp value of furnishings
Gold and ruby necklace worth 1400
600 gp gold earrings
50 pp
3 Sapphire – 150