You're rowing across the Lake of Nine, the mist is clinging to the hull of your boat, and you decide to pull into that massive, jagged cove to the northeast. Welcome to Veithurgard. It’s one of the best optional areas in the 2018 God of War reboot because it feels like a mini-adventure tucked away from the main path. But let’s be real: you’re probably here because you’re staring at that God of War Veithurgard rune chest and wondering why on earth you can only find two of the three seals.
It happens to everyone. You’ve cleared the Raiders. You’ve probably looked at the massive dragon, Otr, and thought about turning back. But that Nornir chest is sitting right there near the dragon’s altar, teasing you with an Idunn Apple or a Horn of Blood Mead.
The thing about Veithurgard is that it’s designed to distract you. Between the dragon breathing lightning at your face and the lore markers scattered around, your brain isn't exactly tuned into hunt-and-peck puzzle solving. This specific chest is a "break the seal" type, meaning you don't have to worry about those annoying spinning poles or timed bells. You just need to find three glowing rocks and smash them with the Leviathan Axe.
Sounds easy. It isn't.
Locating the God of War Veithurgard Rune Chest
First, you have to actually get to the chest. It’s located on a grassy plateau right in the middle of the main Veithurgard area. If you’re looking at the giant sealed doors of the mountain fortress, the chest is to your right, tucked behind some stone ruins. It’s sitting in plain sight, but the seals are anything but obvious.
Most players find the first one instantly. If you stand in front of the chest and turn slightly to the left, there’s a rocky cliffside. The seal is just sitting there, glowing blue against the grey stone. One quick throw of the axe and you're 33% of the way there. Simple.
Then things get a bit more annoying.
The second seal requires you to do a bit of walking. Don’t just run around the chest in circles; you need to head toward the massive, locked stone doors (the ones that require the four-rune combination to open). If you stand with your back to those doors and look toward the wooden bridge area, the seal is tucked away in a hollowed-out section of the ruins. Honestly, the lighting in Veithurgard is a bit moody, so if you’re playing on a screen with high contrast, that blue glow might blend into the shadows more than you’d expect.
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The Infamous Third Seal
Now, this is where the God of War Veithurgard rune chest earns its reputation for being a pain. You’ve searched the ruins. You’ve circled the dragon. You’ve checked behind every breakable barrel.
Where is it?
It’s behind the chest. But not right behind it. You have to navigate around the rocky outcrop that the chest is leaning against. There’s a narrow path that leads behind the main stone structure. If you walk back there and look up toward the cliffs, the third seal is perched on a ledge, almost mocking you. It’s far enough away that it doesn't immediately register as part of the "chest area."
I’ve seen people spend twenty minutes on this. It’s a classic Sony Santa Monica move—putting the last piece of the puzzle just outside the natural field of vision you established while finding the first two.
Why Veithurgard Actually Matters for Your Build
You might be thinking, "Is one Idunn Apple really worth dodging a dragon for?"
Yes.
In God of War, your stats are tied directly to these collectibles. Unlike traditional RPGs where you grind XP to get more health, Kratos only gets tougher by eating those apples. If you’re playing on "Give Me God of War" difficulty, skipping the God of War Veithurgard rune chest is basically a death sentence for later boss fights. You need every pixel of that health bar when you start facing the Valkyries.
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Also, Veithurgard is a goldmine for Hacksilver and Solid Svartalfheim Steel. While you’re hunting for those runes, make sure you’re smashing the wooden crates and looking for the buried treasure if you have the map. The area is dense.
There's a specific flow to this zone.
- Land the boat and clear the initial beach.
- Open the shortcut gate back to the lake.
- Deal with the dragon's shrines (or don't, but it makes life easier).
- Solve the Nornir chest.
- Hit the fortress.
If you do it in that order, you aren't backtracking constantly. Backtracking in this game is fine because the world is beautiful, but when you're trying to get to the end of Atreus and Kratos' journey, efficiency is nice.
Common Mistakes and Glitches
Believe it or not, some people think their game is glitched because the seals don't "respawn." They aren't supposed to. Once a seal is broken, it stays broken. If you’ve hit all three and the chest isn’t opening, you missed one. Period.
Another common point of confusion is the dragon. Otr will actively try to kill you while you're searching for the seals for the God of War Veithurgard rune chest. His lightning breath has a surprisingly wide area of effect. My advice? Don't try to solve the puzzle while the dragon is focused on you. Hide behind the large stone pillars, wait for the breath attack to finish, then move.
Actually, if you’re feeling bold, you can destroy the three dragon shrines first. This frees the dragon and clears the "threat" from the area, making your search for the rune seals much more peaceful. It’s a bit of a catch-22 because the shrines are guarded by waves of enemies, but it beats getting fried while you’re aiming your axe at a glowing rock.
The Bigger Picture: Nornir Chests in 2018 vs Ragnarok
If you’ve played the sequel, God of War Ragnarok, you might notice the Nornir chests there are a bit more complex. They introduced the "torch" puzzles where you have to light them with the Blades of Chaos. Looking back at the God of War Veithurgard rune chest, it’s a bit of a throwback to a simpler time in the game’s mechanics. It’s purely about observation.
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No fancy gear required. No late-game abilities. Just your eyes and a well-timed axe throw.
That’s the beauty of Veithurgard. It’s an early-to-mid-game area that rewards exploration without gating it behind "come back later when you have the X tool."
Final Checklist for the Veithurgard Nornir Chest
Before you leave this misty corner of the Realms, make sure you’ve actually checked these spots for the seals:
- The Cliffside Seal: Facing the chest, look left and up on the rock face.
- The Ruin Seal: Head toward the big fortress doors, turn around, and look into the stone arches of the collapsed building.
- The Hidden Seal: Go around the back of the rock formation the chest is sitting on and look up toward the higher cliffs.
Once that chest pops open, you're one step closer to maxing out Kratos. It’s a small victory, but in a world where gods and monsters are trying to rip your head off, you take what you can get.
Stop running in circles. Go behind the rock. Smash the seal. Get your reward. Then, maybe go do something about that dragon—it’s been through enough.
Next Steps for Your Playthrough
After you’ve successfully looted the God of War Veithurgard rune chest, your next priority should be the fortress itself. Inside, you’ll find a favor (side quest) called "Free Fafnir," which eventually leads to some of the best mid-game enchantments. Also, don't forget to grab the Jotnar Shrine inside the fortress for a massive boost to your lore completion and some extra XP. If you haven't freed the dragon yet, that should be your absolute next move; the rewards for doing so are far more valuable than the contents of the rune chest alone.