Gelidite Libary

Difficulty:  20+ to survive, 30+ to solo
Level Restriction:  None
Timer:  Once Per Character
Can be Solo'd?  Yes
Rewards:  Either Nuhmudira's Bestowment or the Callous Heart

Many months ago, Nuhmudira was captured by the mad Empyrean Gaerlan and imprisoned deep inside an ancient Gelidite Library.  Gaerlan set up the prison so that we Isparians could either condemn or pardon her for practicing forbidden Blood Magic.  Both choices offer useful rewards, and even though Nuhmudira was set free by our actions, her empty cell still remains.

The Gelidite Library is located at 69.2N 17.2W, which is close to Stonehold.  Enter the portal and you will arrive in a frosty cavern.  Head down and you will reach two library rooms, each teeming with Flammas.  On the floor are two Empyrean books about Mana and the Elementals.  Pick them up only if you would like to read more.  Once you are ready to move on, explore the far wall of the north library room and you will discover a false wall!  Head down and you will encounter some Shivvers - the first frost elementals to be discovered.  Kill them, pass through a large frosty room, and you will reach a portal into the Labyrinth.

The Labyrinth is a truly scary maze!  It's very windy and you can get lost very easily.  There are no monsters in this dungeon, but you will need to locate 8 pages to a magical book to pass.  As you enter the Labyrinth, pick up the Binder right by your feet.  The pages of the book will go in here.  I am not going to bother trying to direct you through the maze - your best hope is to carefully follow the map.  I can tell you that there are 2 pages to the west of the drop, one to the south, one to the north, and 4 to the east.  Once you have all 8, add them to your binder in the correct order and find the Oubliette Gatekeeper, a golem.  Give him your book and he will allow you to enter the portal to Nuhmudira's prison.  Before you go in, pick up the Gelidite Dais right in front of the portal.  This item is used in the Arcane Pedestal quest.

Inside the prison, you can find six notes on the floor, again only for telling you the story of Nuhmudira's imprisonment.  The real reason for coming inside is for the two levers.  Use the skull lever if you choose to pardon Nuhmudira.  You will suffer 5% vitae and be teleported to the lifestone just outside Zaikhal, but you will not leave a corpse or lose items.  Choosing this lever will make you a friend of the Arcanum and allow you to get a potent necklace called Nuhmudira's Bestowment.  The other lever is plain and using it condemns Nuhmudira.  If you choose this one, you will not suffer any vitae and will make you a friend to Martine's followers.

If you chose to save Nuhmudira, head for Lin.  Right by the drop point is Balthazar the Royal Guard (54.8S, 74.4E).  Greet him and he will thank you for saving Nuhmudira and tell you how nasty creatures raided the storehouse he is now guarding.  Inside are three dungeons - 15+, 30+, and 45+.  Each is filled with Sclavi and inside each you can find a Pyreal Gorget.  The 45+ gorget will cast Major Magic Defense on you once you have completed it.  To do so, read Balthazar's list of Raiding Creatures and go massacre some of them until you find Ruined Amulets.  Return these to Balthazar and he will give you special elixers that can be added to your Gorget.  Each gorget may be imbued with one creature and one life spell.  The real reason for wearing the gorget is the Major Magic Defense spell though, so I wouldn't worry too much about what you choose.  Note that the example above is just one of dozens of possible combinations.

If you chose to condemn Nuhmudira, return to the Gelidite Library.  Beside the portal is Kai Mallan - greet him after voting against Nuhmudira and he will thank you and give you a Portal gem.  You can get 3 portal gems a week and you might as well get all three while you're already there.  Use the gem and you will arrive in a foyer with three other portals inside it, again 15+, 30+, and 45+.  There are also a load of keys on the floor - be sure to pick one up!  The two lower dungeons have low level elementals inside and at the end you can find a chest with a necklace inside.  The high level dungeon is filled (quite literally) with Crystal and Coral Golems, so be careful!  You can get warred to death easily if you aren't careful.  Also at the end is another chest.  The reward for this dungeon is a necklace that adds 20, 25, or 30 health.