Vanaheim is the largest realm in God of War Ragnarok, filled with secrets and collectibles to uncover. Scattered across the realm are 11 mystical Nornir chests that require puzzle solving skills to unlock. These special chests containIdunn Apples and Horns of Blood Mead which are key for maxing out Kratos‘s health and rage meters.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover the locations of every Nornir chest in Vanaheim and detail the exact solutions for opening them.
Overview of Nornir Chests in Vanaheim
As a quick overview, here are the key things to know about Nornir chests:
- Vanaheim contains the most Nornir chests of any realm in God of War Ragnarok with 11 total.
- Unlocking these chests involves lighting rune torches, ringing bells, spinning paddles to match letters, or destroying rune totems.
- The rewards inside the chests are either Idunn Apples or Horns of Blood Mead which upgrade your health/rage.
- Some chests are only accessible after completing certain favors that allow you to manipulate the environment.
Now let‘s dive into each location within Vanaheim and how to solve the Nornir puzzles there.
The Abandoned Village
Our first stop in Vanaheim is the abandoned village located in the Northeast region. The village contains buildings and bridges suspended over a canyon with a large rotating crane in the center.
Under one of these bridges lies the first Nornir chest, which requires lighting 3 torches with specific runes on them.
Solution
First light the ‘N‘ rune torch underneath the bridge using your Blades of Chaos. Next, rotate the central crane so the hanging fire bucket swings over and lights the ‘R‘ rune torch atop a nearby platform. Finally swing the fire bucket again to ignite the ‘C‘ rune torch across the canyon.
With all 3 torches lit, the Nornir chest will unlock.
The Southern Wilds
Venturing southeast of the village into The Southern Wilds, you‘ll discover some deadly wildlife and our second Nornir chest. Situated near the threshold of Freyr‘s Camp, the distinctive puzzle paddles surrounding the chest signify that spinning them into the correct orientation is key.
Solution
Rotate the 3 paddle switches to display ‘C‘, ‘R‘, and ‘N‘ respectively. The ‘R‘ switch lies behind some Hel‘s bramble vines so use your Blades of Chaos to burn them away before spinning the paddle. Align all 3 letters to unlock the Nornir chest.
Cliffside Ruins
The next area known as the Cliffside Ruins contains the Mystic Gateway leading to other realms, along with our third Nornir chest positioned behind a small waterfall. Three more paddle switches are connected to unlocking this chest.
Solution
Behind the ‘R‘ rune switch is more Hel‘s bramble, so clear it with your blades and rotate the paddle. Move closer towards the chest and look up to spot the ‘F‘ switch on a column, spinning it as well. Lastly from your boat, venture north and spin the ‘D‘ switch paddle to complete the puzzle.
The Veiled Passage
Accessible by boat from the Cliffside beach, The Veiled Passage hosts a set of 3 bells as part of its Nornir chest puzzle. Located deep within the rocky tunnels, the chest itself sits on a small beach area.
Solution
The key here is to launch Sigil arrows at the cave walls to connect explosions to all 3 bells at once. Shoot one arrow to the right bell behind bramble, two arrows at the left bell, and three arrows at the center bell. Then throw a fire bomb at the center explosions to trigger all 3 bells simultaneously, unlocking the chest.
Goddess Falls
Situated along Vanaheim‘s river passage lies the visually stunning Goddess Falls. At the very top of the waterfall, our fifth Nornir chest awaits with another torch lighting challenge.
Solution
There are 3 torches here that must be lit to unlock the chest. Use Sigil arrows and your blades in tandem to safely ignite the ‘R‘ rune torch far to the right. Next shoot arrows to connect a path to the distant ‘N‘ rune torch, setting it ablaze. Finally, look left to spot the closer ‘C‘ rune torch to ignite.
Eastern Barri Woods
After unlocking the Goddess Falls chest, sailing east down the river into the Eastern Barri Woods hides another mystical chest. Sitting atop a small hill surrounded by vines, three more paddle switches lie in wait.
Solution
Spin the ‘D‘ and ‘F‘ paddles located on the hill to align their runes until only the ‘C‘ switch remains. Look towards the nearby celestial altar to find this final paddle and complete the triplet to unlock the Nornir chest.
The Plains
A sprawling region known as The Plains features not one but two tricky Nornir chests. The first rests atop a cliff near the ‘Hailstorm‘ Mystic Gateway, and opens by ringing bells in the area.
Solution
Drop down and burn away the Hel‘s bramble covering one of the bells using your blades. Quickly ring the newly revealed bell along with the two adjacent ones atop the cliff to unlock the chest.
The second chest lies behind a sealed gate deeper northwest of the plains.
Solution
The involved solution here is to lower the river water levels after completing the "Return of the River" favor. This allows accessing the enclosed chest by boat. Then destroy the three distant rune totems labeled ‘F‘, ‘R‘, and ‘N‘ to unlock the chest.
The Sinkholes
Along Vanaheim‘s northern volcanic zone known as The Sinkholes, a set of enemy caves and tunnels contain another two elusive Nornir chests.
The first is tucked away behind the initial entry area down a side tunnel.
Solution
Use your Blades of Chaos to ignite the three ‘N‘, ‘C‘, and ‘R‘ rune torches scattered throughout the tunnels. With all 3 lit, the puzzle completes and the chest becomes accessible.
The second chest lies deep in an underground river area only reachable after completing the "Return of the River" favor.
Solution
Sail through the rivers in your boat until you can dock and locate the three destructible ‘B‘, ‘E‘, and ‘T‘ rune totems. Launch your spear at all three then detonate them to complete this explosive puzzle and unlock the submerged chest.
The Jungle
Another favor completion is required to access Vanaheim‘s lush jungle biome and its chest by lowering the river. Sailing south down the new water channels guides you to one final set of spinning paddles.
Solution
Upon landing your boat near the chest, spin the three paddles on the surrounding engraved structures to display the ‘E‘, ‘N‘, and ‘B‘ runes respectively. Align all three letters properly to secure the final Nornir chest available in the realm of Vanaheim.
Acquiring All 11 Chests in Vanaheim
While traversing the massive world of Vanaheim in God of War Ragnarok, be sure to refer to this guide often to pinpoint every Nornir chest location and solve their signature puzzles.
Unlocking each available chest grants Kratos either a Health Idunn Apple or Rage Horn, which are extremely valuable late game upgrades not to be missed on your quest. Plus completing all 11 chests contributes majorly to reaching 100% total completion on the realm!
