God of War (2018) - Entry 7: A New Destination
With Mimir in hand, we begin our descent down the mountain, finding a mystic gateway that takes us back to Týr’s temple. From there, we take a boat toward the Witch’s Cove. Along the way, we notice that the water level in the lake has dropped—the World Serpent has moved.
Our journey to spread Faye's ashes was only beginning, but each step revealed more about the world—as well as both Atreus and I.
Upon returning to the witch's cove, we climb up a well shaft into the forest surrounding the witch’s house, only to be ambushed by Draugr. After clearing the area, we take note of the lore markings scattered around—many referencing the Aesir. A troubling sign.
With the surrounding threats gone, we enter the witch’s house.
Atreus rushes in, excited to see the witch again. Without hesitation, he asks if she can bring a head back to life. She looks confused, about to ask for clarification, but her attention quickly shifts to Atreus’s arrows. Her expression darkens.
"These are wicked," she exclaims, snatching them from his quiver and casting them into the fire. She then warns us to destroy any more we come across before handing Atreus a new set of arrows in their place.
Only then does she return to our original request. I hold up Mimir’s head. Her eyes widen in shock.
“Do you even know who this is?” she asks.
“This was his idea,” I explain. “His request.”
Still processing, she gathers the necessary items to perform the ritual. As she works, I can sense her unease.
Once Mimir’s head is successfully reanimated, her reaction is swift—she spits in his face.
“Hello to you too, Freya,” Mimir says dryly. Then, turning to me, he adds, “Had I known the witch you spoke of was Freya, I wouldn’t have suggested this plan.”
Atreus’s eyes widen. “Wait… you’re Freya? A god?”
She hesitates, then nods. “I was a Vanir god.”
I feel my anger rise. “You should have told us.”
She meets my gaze without flinching. “And you, of all people, think you have the right to say that?”
I say nothing. Instead, I turn and storm out of the house.
Outside, Mimir quickly shifts the focus to our next step. He explains his plan—to seek out the last known giant in Midgard, the World Serpent, and ask about the key to opening the realm bridge. He assures us that he can speak its language and that they share a friendly relationship.
With that, we set a course back to Týr’s temple.
As we paddle back to the temple, Mimir shares stories about Baldur’s invulnerability to both physical and magical threats. He also recounts how he orchestrated the marriage between Freya and Odin to end the war between the Aesir and Vanir. Unfortunately, the union deteriorated when Odin, consumed by his hunger for power after gaining access to Vanir magic, began exploiting her magic for his own gain.
When Freya tried to prevent Odin from abusing her magic, he turned on her, stripping her of many powers and binding her to Midgard to prevent her from leaving. His most spiteful act was cursing her to be unable to harm him or defend herself against certain dangers.
It was this reason that she spit in his face.
Upon arriving at the temple, Mimir guides us to a lift that ascends to a massive horn. He instructs me to press his lips to it, and with a powerful blow, the horn’s deep blast echoes across the lake. The sound immediately draws the attention of the World Serpent. Before speaking to us, the colossal creature casually destroys the statue of Thor by biting off its upper half.
Turning its gaze toward us, the World Serpent engages in a conversation with Mimir, who speaks fluently in its ancient tongue. After their exchange, Mimir relays that the serpent wishes to aid us. To open the gate to Jötunheim, we’ll need both the travel rune and a special chisel to carve it into the gateway. Fortunately, Mimir knows exactly where we can find this chisel.
Given everything that has happened—and knowing the Aesir gods are after Atreus and me—I decide that Atreus needs more training. We also require resources for the dwarves to upgrade our equipment before seeking the chisel. With that in mind, we set out to explore the Lake of Nine.
While navigating the Forgotten Caverns, we encounter another wayward spirit. He recounts how his decisions led his crew to their deaths through the wrath of the gods. Now, with his crew turned into Hel-walkers, he pleads for our help to lay their spirits to rest. To Atreus’s surprise, I agree.
As we approach the wrecked ships, Atreus asks why I chose to help the spirit. I explain that I wanted him to learn about leadership and reflect on what makes a good or bad leader. Leading men to their deaths doesn’t necessarily make someone a poor leader; there are deeper lessons to consider.
After defeating the last of the Hel-walkers, we return to the spirit. Atreus expresses hope that this act brings the man peace. I correct him, explaining that it will likely make the spirit feel like an even greater failure. Puzzled, Atreus asks why we helped at all. I tell him—it was for the lesson.
We encounter another spirit in Mason's Channel who asks for our help in retrieving the scattered bones of his former lover, Gullveig, from across the lake so she can find peace. In return, he promises to share her knowledge of magic that connects with spirits in the afterlife. Eager to speak to Faye, Atreus immediately agrees to help. I caution him, noting that something about the request seems suspicious. Still, seeing a potential lesson for Atreus, I decide to go along with it.
As we search for the bones, Atreus talks about what he would say to Faye, but I remind him not to get his hopes up. When we find the first few bones, I notice they are laced with magic, deepening my suspicions that the spirit is deceiving us. Atreus, however, lets his emotions override his better judgment and insists we press on.
After collecting all the bones and returning them, the spirit claims he will now honor his promise—and send us to the afterlife. He revives Gullveig as a powerful Revenant, forcing us into battle. We manage to defeat her.
In the aftermath, Atreus apologizes. I tell him I am not angry—but he must take the lesson from this experience.
After helping the spirits, I decide to assist Brok with his request to find his alchemist friend in the Volunder Mines, especially since he claims it will aid him in crafting something for us.
