You've spent hours in the Alfheim desert. Your eyes are itchy from the digital sand, and you’re honestly just trying to hit 100% completion so you can finally put the controller down. Then you hit it. The God of War Ragnarok Forbidden Sands Nornir chest located in the bottom-right corner of the map, tucked behind a breakable rock wall. It isn't just another "hit three bells" puzzle. This one is a genuine pain because it requires a specific sequence of sonic arrows, sigil arrows, and a very precise understanding of how Kratos’s Leviathan Axe interacts with Twilight Stone.
It's frustrating.
The Forbidden Sands is the second major open-area sub-region in Alfheim, unlocked only after completing the "Survival Scent" favor. Most players stumble upon the Nornir chest near the Elven Sanctum or the one buried under the library, but the one we’re talking about—the one people search for most—is the one hidden behind the debris in the southwest. It’s a puzzle of geometry more than a puzzle of reflexes.
Finding the Forbidden Sands Nornir Chest Without Losing Your Mind
First, you need to actually get inside. Look for a small crawlspace or a breakable wooden barricade near the cliffside. Once you’re in, you’ll see the chest. It’s mocking you. It’s sitting there with those three glowing runes—naturally—and you have to figure out how to light the torches. This isn't a "throw the axe at a pot" situation. This is a "set things on fire using magic bubbles" situation.
There are two Nornir chests in the Forbidden Sands, but the one that feels like a developer prank is the one under the Elven Sanctum. You have to clear out the Hive Matter first. This involves throwing the Leviathan Axe at a purple Twilight Stone so it bounces and clears multiple nodes at once. If you miss by an inch, the Hive Matter regrows instantly. It sucks. Honestly, the timing is tight, and if you aren't standing in the exact right spot, you’ll be there for twenty minutes.
🔗 Read more: Why Miranda the Blighted Bloom Is the Weirdest Boss You Missed
The Torch Puzzle: It’s All About Chain Reactions
The mechanics of the God of War Ragnarok Forbidden Sands Nornir chest rely heavily on Sigil Arrows. Specifically, you have to chain them. If you haven't mastered the art of making the purple bubbles overlap to create a larger explosion, this chest will be your teacher.
The First Torch
The first torch is usually right there, visible, but out of reach of your Blades of Chaos. You have to place a Sigil Arrow on the torch and then another one closer to you, then hit the closest one with the Blades. The explosion travels. Boom. One down.
The Second Torch
The second one is trickier. It’s often hidden behind more Hive Matter or elevated on a ridge. For the Sanctum chest specifically, the torch is outside the main chamber. You have to open a gate or find an angle through a gap in the rocks. This is where the game tests your patience with the camera.
The Third Torch
The third torch is the kicker. In the Forbidden Sands, the developers loved putting things behind moving parts. For one of these chests, the torch is inside a rotating pillar or requires you to hit a sound stone (those greenish-white glowing bits) to reveal it. You use a Sonic Arrow to break the cover, quickly swap to Sigil Arrows, chain them together, and light it before the Hive Matter regrows or the obstacle moves back. It’s a lot of button swapping. Your fingers might cramp.
💡 You might also like: Why Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is the Best Game You Probably Skipped
Why This Specific Puzzle Matters for Your Build
Why bother? Because of the Horn of Blood Mead and Idunn Apples. By the time you reach the Forbidden Sands, Kratos is likely already a powerhouse, but these late-game chests are what push your Rage and Health meters to their absolute maximum. If you’re playing on "Give Me God of War" difficulty, that extra sliver of health is the difference between surviving a stray hit from a Light Elf Slayer and staring at a loading screen.
The loot in God of War Ragnarok is tiered. Early game chests are easy. Mid-game chests require one new mechanic. The God of War Ragnarok Forbidden Sands Nornir chest is "end-game" logic. It assumes you know how to use Freya’s arrows effectively. It assumes you understand that Sigil bubbles can be stacked (up to three times on one spot) to increase their radius.
Common Mistakes Everyone Makes
Most people try to light the torches individually without planning the chain. They light one, then run to the next, but the timer (if there is one, though these are mostly torch-lighting puzzles) or the environment resets them. Or, more commonly, they don't see the Twilight Stone angle.
- Mistake 1: Not clearing the Hive Matter fully. If one node remains, the path to the torch stays blocked.
- Mistake 2: Using the wrong arrows. Sonic (Green) opens paths; Sigil (Purple) carries fire.
- Mistake 3: Standing too far away. The Sigil chain has a maximum distance. If the bubbles don't touch, the fire won't jump.
Actually, there’s a specific spot in the Forbidden Sands where the Nornir chest is buried under a pile of rocks you have to pull down with the Blades of Chaos. People walk past it constantly because the prompt only appears when you're looking at a very specific angle of the rubble.
📖 Related: Why Mario Odyssey for the Nintendo Switch Still Beats Every Other Platformer
Technical Nuance: The Bounce Physics
When dealing with the Twilight Stone for these puzzles, remember that the line of sight for the axe is shown by a blue trajectory line. If that line isn't turning gold/bright, you aren't hitting the Hive Matter. Sometimes you have to stand on a specific elevated platform to get the angle right. It’s less about "action" and more about "geometry homework."
The developers at Santa Monica Studio clearly wanted to vary the pace here. After the high-octane fights with Frost Phantoms or the Maven, these puzzles are meant to slow you down. They want you to soak in the atmosphere of Alfheim. Even if that atmosphere is mostly "annoying sand and elves that won't stop screaming."
How to Wrap This Up Fast
If you're stuck right now:
- Clear all the red Hive nodes first using the Twilight Stone.
- Look up. One torch is almost always higher than you think.
- Use the "triple stack" Sigil method. Shoot the same spot three times to make the bubble huge. It makes the timing for the fire chain much more forgiving.
Once you hear that heavy thunk of the chest unlocking, you’re done. That's one more step toward the "Collector" trophy and a much more durable Kratos.
Actionable Next Steps
Check your map for the "Favors" in this area. If you haven't finished "The Desert Door" or "Gift of the Sands," you might find some areas of the Forbidden Sands are still locked or obscured by the sandstorm. Clearing the storm (by freeing the Hafgufa) makes visibility 100% better, which makes finding the torch runes for the Nornir chest significantly less of a headache. Go free the giant jellyfish first; your eyes will thank you.