Morrowind:Arkngthand

You are sent to Arkngthand early on in the Main Quest as part of the Antabolis Informant quest to retrieve the infamous Dwemer puzzle box and, as a result, it is likely the first Dwemer ruin you will encounter in the game.

The easiest route to the ruins is the southeast road from Balmora and up the hill on the north side of Fort Moonmoth. A bridge spans the Foyada Mamaea with the hostile Snowy Granius on the other side. The entrance to Arkngthand can be found by turning slightly to the right on the east side of this bridge. In order to enter the ruins, there is a crank on a Dwemer pipe in front of the door which needs to be activated. Once done, you must be quick to enter the ruins before the revolving door closes.

Arkngthand is divided into six different areas: Cells of Hollow Hand, Deep Ore Passage, Hall of Centrifuge, ''Heaven's Gallery, Land's Blood Gallery, and Weepingbell Hall''. Bandits have made their hide-out in the outer chambers, and various Dwemer creatures prowl the inner regions.

 
Hall of Centrifuge
thumb|left|Hall of Centrifuge
This is the main entry hall of Arkngthand. It is a large open cavern with Dwemer architecture embedded throughout and three bandits, including Frink Ruuz and Surus Velvus, on patrol. The entry from the outside is atop this cavern with a corridor leading to one of the two Cells of Hollow Hand and one of the entrances to Weepingbell Hall to the right, near the bottom of the rocky staircase. One of the crates in this hallway has a bottle of flin sitting on top for the taking.

At the bottom of the rock stairs is a two-level structure: the bottom level contains three doors to Weepingbell Hall—the two on the left lead directly to a corridor with another door to Heaven's Gallery, the one on the right leads to the main corridor system—and the top has a door leading to the other area of the Cells of Hollow Hand. Also on the top level a Dwarven spear can be found leaning against a cabinet. Various Dwemer artifacts and other junk can be found in steel kegs and crates, along with a motley assortment of ingredients and gold.

 
Cells of Hollow Hand
thumb|Cells of Hollow Hand
thumb|left|The room in the Cells of Hollow Hand that contains the Dwemer puzzle box
The Cells of Hollow Hand are two small chambers each accessible only through the Hall of Centrifuge. One cell, accessed from a hallway near the bottom of the rocky spiral staircase in the Hall of Centrifuge, contains the acrobatics skill book A Dance in Fire, Chapter 4. The other, accessible from the upper-level of the structure in the same area, contains Boss Crito and the Dwemer puzzle box needed for a quest. Additional Dwemer artifacts are scattered throughout the Cells, and steel kegs and crates contain ingredients such as diamonds among others, gold, and more Dwemer junk.

 

Weepingbell Hall
thumb|left|Weepingbell Hall
Weepingbell Hall is mainly a system of corridors connecting The Hall of Centrifuge with Heaven's Gallery. There is also one small room, and two caved-in passages which suggest the presence of more chambers that are closed off. In the small room with Red Livia are a lockpick and repair hammer on top of some crates and shelves. Dwemer artifacts and two crates holding random items, Dwemer coins, and gold comprise the available loot. Be wary of the many trapped doors and bandits that are within this area.

 
Heaven's Gallery
thumb|Heaven's Gallery
Heaven's Gallery is a large segment with three rooms and an underground causeway leading to a telescope dome. There are corridors that lead back to Weepingbell Hall and forward to Land's Blood Gallery. Crates and steel kegs (most of which are empty) hide gold and ingredients, and a   Ornate Dwemer Chest contains 25 Dwemer coins and a few miscellaneous items. The key to the lower levels of Arkngthand is given to you if you choose to return to Hasphat Antabolis after delivering the Sixth House notes to Caius Cosades. This key simply opens the   door into Land's Blood Gallery.

When entering the area from Weepingbell Hall, you will be almost immediately attacked by a bandit in a room with Dwemer desks holding meager loot. A corridor to the right leads to another bandit and the door to Land's Blood Gallery. Going straight from the entrance will lead to a lava pool with a broken bridge over it leading to the telescope room and another enemy. It is possible to jump across the gap, or it can simply be levitated across.

 
Land's Blood Gallery
thumb|left|Land's Blood Gallery
These corridors connect the Heaven's Gallery to the Deep Ore Passage. Several Dwarven constructs and a pair of Dwarven spectres patrol the area. Going right from the entrance will lead to several constructs, a lava pool with a   chest amongst some kegs with random loot and ingredients, as well as the door to the Deep Ore Passage. The path left will take you on a loop through the rest of the area. A large room on this loop has some random Dwemer items scattered about, as well as a chest containing a key to unlock doors in the Nchurdamz ruins.

 
Deep Ore Passage
thumb|Deep Ore Passage
This is the deepest part of Arkngthand. The rocky passage on your left near the entrance can be reached by running and jumping up the incline just inside the doorway or, more easily, by levitation, and has a construct guarding the top. The passage is relatively straightforward with several Dwemer constructs and spectres lurking about, and ends in a large chamber with a pool of water, a tall, multi-level structure, and another construct. Using levitation, you can float to the upper levels, where you will find a spectre and a trapped chest at the top containing random Dwarven loot.

People
 


Related Quests
Main Quest
 

Maps
thumb|left|Arkngthand, interior map