1. Entrance

Some bats are flying about, but they won't bother you. A marker warns you: enter with respect.

This dungeon is actually full of surprises as you really can play it several ways, and not all of them have an influence on your PC's alignment (except if you behave like a looter, though you even can arrange it). A good thing too is the pain taken for the decoration. I confess I had enough with hideous crypts in NWN!

2. Hall of Rememberance

Get rid of the rats which infest the place, and take time to read the Scribed Pilar if you can. You'll find a poetic confession: the elves of Ascalthorn sought greater power in the Shadow's Heart and their civilisation got burned from this. After they called for this evil power, they had to fight it back and so did they die.

3. Shrine

This shrine will be very helpful is you are faithful. It can heal you, and even give you a good shift toward good if you start from evil. But if you dishonor it, it will cast a curse on you.

4. Elven Hall of Trials

You cannot enter this place without the proper key. When you have it, you can gaze in awe upon this beautiful realization!

An old sign warns you that "Safe becomes death and death becomes safe when one has what he desires."
You'll pretty soon discover that most squares of this chessboard are unsafe! If you want to retrieve the cloak Nilmaldor mentionned to you, you'd better find the right way to get to it .
Clicking on the pedestal will give you the cloak, and bloodstain on the floor warns you again "Damnable elves! Death awaits you on a path. Should have walked on the oth..." When you have returned safely through the chessboard , you'll get 50XP.

5. Lower Level Entrance

Don't forget to pick up a light crossbow and its bolts near the corpse if you need one before you head to the lower level.

In this lower level, you'll find many bones in the catacomb-like parts of it, and even sarcophagus. Each time you'll try to collect any small treasure from them, you'll get one point toward evil and a skeleton or a spirit will rise to fight you. Nevertheless, you can have a look at those small treasures in case one would be worth it to you and nothing will happen as far as you don't pick anything.

6. Main Corridor

Many dead kobolds and skeletons lie down in front of a barricade which a few kobolds are holding. Try to use long range weapons. (You'll find many scattered on the floor if you need any.)

Then you can bang one the crates to get through this barricade. A bit further down the corridor, you may find a skeleton which is running after a kobold! Get rid of them both.

7. Tomb of Nilmaldor

The astonishing visual effects you cannot have missed come from this place. They actually are harmless and you can take your time if you want to watch them.

Poor old Nilmaldor! He had trouble defeating a big threat ages ago, and he now will have no peace until vermin (spiders) will be utterly destroyed in the Elven crypt.
When you have done so, he praises your courage and he gives you the key to the Elven Hall of Trials (plus 100XP) as he believes that you will be able to retrieve the cloak which used to be the young elves' reward after this trial.
He also can give you a help concerning the kobolds you are looking for. They are barricaded in a room that was once a trap. To reactivate it, go to the control room; don't forget to use one of the magical helmets to protect you from the poisonous effect of the trap, then step on the plate in the trapped room and the trap will work again.

8. Spiders Lair

When you head forward inside the place, a first bunch of spiders drop themselves from the ceiling. Beware of their poison which can also decrease your strength! The last door is open and another bunch of them is waiting inside. Get rid of them too.
Now you can explore the room (be careful with the trapped sarcophagus, its owner shows up if you take anything from it, and this gives you 1 point toward evil). Thus the cocoons are really good places to search!
Now at the back of the room, you can notice spiders egg sacs. Crush them to give Nilmaldor peace.

9. Haunted Crypt

The corridor leading to these small crypts is home to rats. Destroy them. The two last doors are locked, but it is not hard to unlock them. The small crypts are empty - until you loot the sarcophagus.

In the first crypt thus, a lone spirit has been disturbed by the theft of his sword by a human looter a long time ago. If you want to help him rest back in peace, you can bring him the sword back.
When you give him his sword, you get 50XP and he let you choose one item from his chest.

10. East Corridor

Before entering this corridor where about two skeletons are awaiting you, you'll have to eliminate a few kobolds in the north room.

At the end of the corridor, you should discover a secret door which leads to the Control Room.

11. Remains

Destroy the rats living in this place and go to the end of the "room". A corpse is lying there, probably since hundreds years ago. Be careful with the trap which probably killed this man (though it is only a small one). Remove the ancient sword from the corpse.
As it has nothing special, you'll probably be glad to give it back to the disturbed spirit of the haunted crypt.

12. Control Room

After you have discovered the secret door, you can enter this room. There are two small treasure chests (which you can empty with no penalty) and a lever.

If you have heard Nilmaldor well, you can move the lever so the trap in the kobolds room will be back on. If you choose to do so, don't forget to take two the magical helmets to protect you and your henchman from the trap.

13. Barricaded Kobolds

You have several ways to fulfill this quest (I remind you that you are supposed to retrieve the Mummified Hand from those kobolds.) One of them is to follow Nilmaldor's counsels and to reactivate the trap. After you used the lever in the Control Room, step on the pressure plate behind the entrance door. You'll have all the kobolds against you, but after some time, they will all get stunned by the gases. It should be easy by then to kill them all, though Urko is a bit harder to touch. After this, you can take his hammer and a few things on Yazka remains, plus the Mommified Hand of course. Compared to the other solution hereunder, you'll get all the killing points at low cost (about 260XP).

A more elegant and funnier way to retrieve the Mummified Hand (with a little persuasion, one point in this skill should be far enough) is to knock at the door, persuading the guard that you want to speak to their chief. You'll have to be unarmed to get in safely - and not to step on the pressure plate, unless you did not activate the lever. (Never mind if your henchman is still armed.)
Then go to the three headmen: Urko the chief, Yark the suspicious and Kipper the chief's friend. Urko agrees to speak with you. Unless you miss a persuasion throw - and you only need two to get through, you'll really have fun, particularily when it comes to Drogan's attack and/or their thefts. Those little kobolds are lively characters!
I give you a thread to end this dialog without spilling blood . After this, the kobolds should give you the Mummified Hand and leave.

You can now search the three crates behind the headmen. Don't forget to show the Mummified Hand to Ayala!