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God of War Ragnarok is packed full of puzzles -- some are simple, while others can be devious. Nornir Chests are a common type of puzzle you'll come across adventuring through the nine realms. After traveling to Svartalfheim, you will arrive in the temperate Aurvangar Wetlands, offering a sharp contrast from the bitter cold of Midgard -- Svartalfheim is home to bright colors and a harsh stench due to an abundance of bogs and geysers.
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As Kratos, Atreus, and Mimir make their way by boat toward Nidavellir seeking Durlin, they can stop at a few beaches for some quick combat, light exploration, and to discover two Nornir Chests just waiting to be opened.
What Are Nornir Chests?
Nornir Chests are magically sealed chests easily identified by three glowing runes imprinted on their face. These chests require you to solve environmental puzzles in order to open them. These puzzles come in several forms throughout the game. Nornir Chests will contain one of two rewards: Idunn Apples and Horns of Blood Mead.
- Idunn Apples increase your maximum Health, allowing you to take more damage before becoming incapacitated. The more Idunn Apples you discover, the larger your Health bar will become.
- Horns of Blood Mead increase your maximum Rage, allowing your Rage to last slightly longer. The more Horns of Blood Mead you find, the longer lasting your Rages will be.
Aurvangar Wetlands: Southern Nornir Chest
The first Nornir Chest you will come across can be found at the first boat dock after boating for a short time. This boat dock is a required stop along your journey.
Once you disembark, you will find two geysers ahead. Freeze the first one in order to leap across. You’ll spot the Nornir Chest off to the right from here, though it is currently sealed.
To solve this chest, you will need to break three small totems with the corresponding glowing runes on them. This type of puzzle is not timed, but some will be in the future. Two of the totems can be spotted easily -- one on the island just behind the Nornir Chest, and the second on a stone outcropping just beside the chest to the right. The trick with this puzzle is finding the third.
Remember the two geysers when you first arrived? You froze the leftmost one to leap across. You’ll want to freeze the other geyser now. Doing so will reveal a platform higher up that you can grapple to with your Blades of Chaos.
On top of this rocky outcropping, you will find the third runic totem beside the lone tree.
From up here, you should have no trouble breaking all three runic totems with some well-places throws of your Leviathan Axe.
After breaking all three totems, leap down to the Nornir Chest—you will find the runes have disappeared, and the chest is now glowing, eager for your arrival.
Upon opening the chest, you will receive one Idunn Apple which will increase your maximum Health.
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Aurvangar Wetlands: Northern Nornir Chest
While the previous chest could be found at a required stop, this second one is easily missable. After passing under the bridge, keep and eye out along the left-hand side of the river as you go. You’ll eventually spot a glowing chest up on a wooden platform. Just to the right of that, hidden beneath some stalactites, you’ll find another small wooden passage through which you can take your boat. Beach on the other side, and prepare to battle with some Grim.
Once the Grim are fully dealt with, you can relax. You might have spotted the Nornir Chest already, along with some of the puzzle elements around the battlefield. For this Nornir Chest, you’ll find three rotating devices. Throwing the Leviathan Axe into them will change the glowing blue rune they’re displaying. You want to match each rotating device’s rune with one of the runes emblazoned on the Nornir Chest.
- You can spot the first from atop the platform to the left from the Nornir Chest. Rotate the device so that the rune in the above image matches your rune in game.
- The second, you’ll spot on the opposite side of where the Nornir Chest is located. Use your axe throws to make sure the rune on the rotating device matches the rune on the image above.
- The third device is hidden, though eagle-eyed players might have spotted part of it during their exploration. When facing the Nornir Chest, turn to your right and face the geyser up on a stone ledge. You can just barely see the side of the third rotating device. Use your Leviathan Axe to freeze the geyser, allowing you to see the rune displayed on the device. Recall the axe and throw it, rotating the device. Continue to freeze and rotate until the rune matches the image above.
With all three devices matching the runes on the Nornir Chest, you can return to the chest and open it.
Upon opening the chest, you will receive a Horn of Blood Mead, which will increase your maximum Rage.
This completes all Nornir Chests found in Svartalfheim’s Arvangar Wetlands. You can continue your journey toward Nidavellir a little more powerful than you were before.
