God of War (2018) - Entry 8: Andvari’s Soul
Upon reaching the mines, we find Brok set up outside. He explains that he wants us to locate his dwarf friend, Andvari, who wears a green ring on his finger.
As we enter, Atreus eagerly begins checking bodies for the ring. I tell him I don't care about that—I don’t run errands for dwarves. We're here only to find resources that can help us.
Not long after entering the mine, we encounter a Soul Eater, similar to an Ancient that we faced in Alfheim. Atreus warns that if it kills us, there will be no afterlife, but the creature doesn't seem hostile as it calmly moves to another area beneath a gate.
We press on, dealing with various enemies along the way, but find no sign of the green ring. Just as we prepare to leave, we spot the Soul Eater near the exit, a skeletal hand with the green ring resting on its head. Atreus suggests we leave and inform Brok, but I refuse. Instead, I say we attack it. He’s surprised—he thought I didn’t care about helping the dwarf—but I tell him we fight because he’s afraid of it.
I initiate the battle, carefully dodging the Soul Eater's fiery attacks and targeting its vulnerable heart with my axe. Working together, we bring the creature down. I notice Atreus growing more confident through the fight. We collect the ring and other valuable materials before exiting the mine.
As we exit, we give Brok the ring and inform him of his friend’s fate. Unfazed, he examines the ring and then mentions he might know another place where Andvari could be found, asking us to meet him at the Landsuther Mines for another favor—one he claims will be worth our while. Confused, since we had just found Andvari’s remains, I question him, but Brok simply replies, “Just do it,” promising it’ll be worth it.
We return to the Lake of Nine and set course for the Landsuther Mines. As we make our way up the path from the beach, we’re ambushed by dark elves—presumably seeking revenge for what happened in Alfheim. They prove no match for Atreus’s improving skill with the bow.
Outside the mine entrance, we find Brok set up and waiting. As we approach, he asks Atreus what the ring is saying. Confused, Atreus replies that he can’t talk to rings. Brok tosses the ring to him, and the moment Atreus catches it, his expression shifts—he hears it speaking. Brok grunts, saying he figured as much, given Andvari’s expertise with soul magic. Inside the ring, Andvari’s soul is trapped.
Andvari begins explaining to Atreus how and why his soul ended up in the ring, but Brok cuts him off, stating he’s only interested in the location of Andvari’s gear. Annoyed, Andvari protests and warns us not to enter the mines. Ignoring the warning, Brok hands me the entrance stone. I turn to Atreus and remind him that we do as we please—we don’t take orders from rings.
We enter the mine, immediately encountering tatzelwurms and dark elves. As we delve deeper into the mine and workshop, Andvari’s protests echo from the ring, his constant chatter quickly becoming an irritation.
In the depths of the mine, we come across the corpse of a Soul Eater—a curious and unsettling discovery. Not long after, a powerful armored knight, a Traveler, ambushes us. But we manage to fend it off.
Deeper within the workshop, we find plans revealing that the dwarves had been experimenting with extracting the souls of Ancients. In doing so, they inadvertently created Soul Eaters—beasts initially believed to have the potential to be controlled and weaponized. Realizing we wouldn’t be dissuaded, Andvari begins to speak more openly about his work. Shame laces his words; he hadn’t wanted anyone to know of these experiments.
What started as an ambitious project quickly turned disastrous. The Soul Eaters, unpredictable by nature, rebelled against their creators, attacking and consuming the souls of the dwarves—leading to the downfall of everyone involved.
Andvari’s concern deepens as he recounts how similar experiments were being conducted in the Volunder Mines. Alarmed by the dangers, he traveled there to warn the others, but arrived too late. In a desperate bid to save himself from a Soul Eater’s attack, he transferred his soul into the ring—the very one Atreus now holds.
We eventually reach the main workshop, where we’re ambushed by a Dark Elf Lord and a group of dark elves. Staying composed, we deal with them efficiently, aided by enchantments we acquired in Alfheim.
With the elves defeated, we search the workshop, gathering any equipment that could be useful. Among the items, we find the hammer that Brok was particularly interested in.
Exiting the mine, we return to Brok and hand him the hammer. Without hesitation, he remarks that he’ll melt down the ring containing Andvari’s soul to craft something special for us. Atreus and Andvari immediately protest, and after a brief pause, I decide to let Atreus keep the ring.
