Look. Arlathan Forest is a nightmare to navigate. If you’ve spent more than ten minutes wandering around the Ancient Aqueduct or the Shadowed Halls in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, you know exactly what I mean. It’s vertical. It’s overgrown. There are magical barriers that make zero sense until you find a specific crystal tucked behind a rock three miles away. Finding Dragon Age Veilguard Arlathan Forest chests isn't just about loot; it's about survival and making sure Rook actually has the gear to take on those blighted gods.
Most players miss the best stuff because they rely on the mini-map. Don't do that. The map in The Veilguard is notorious for showing a chest icon that looks like it's right in front of you, when it's actually thirty feet below you in a cave or hidden behind a destructible wall of Fade-touched vines.
The Arlathan Forest Layout Is a Vertical Puzzle
You have to think in layers. Arlathan isn't a flat field. It's a series of floating islands, crumbled elven ruins, and dense canopy walks. When you're hunting for Dragon Age Veilguard Arlathan Forest chests, the first thing you need to check is your verticality.
Is there a ladder? A zipline? A weird glowing orb that Solas would probably have an opinion on?
Take the Ancient Aqueduct area. There’s a chest tucked away near the water-wheel puzzle that everyone misses because they’re too busy trying to figure out how to stop the flow of water. To get it, you actually have to drop down onto a wooden platform that looks like it’ll break. It won't. Inside, you usually find high-tier upgrade materials or a specific piece of Veilguard armor that scales with your level.
The game uses environmental cues. If you see a trail of glowing blue butterflies or a bunch of breakable pots, follow them. BioWare basically left breadcrumbs for the observant. Honestly, the sheer amount of elven artifacts lying around is staggering, but the chests are where the real power spikes happen.
Specific Chest Locations You’ve Probably Walked Past
Let's talk specifics. In the Shadowed Halls, there’s a chest behind a gated door that requires two power crystals to open. One crystal is obvious. It’s sitting on a pedestal right in the middle of the room. The second one? It’s hidden above you. You have to use your companion’s ability—specifically Bellara’s tinker skill—to activate a hidden mechanism that drops the second crystal.
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- The Waterfall Chest: Located near the Veil Jumper camp. If you jump behind the curtain of water near the fast-travel point, there’s a small alcove. It’s a classic RPG trope, but it works.
- The Ruined Archive: This one requires you to solve the statue puzzle. Rotate the statues so they face the central mural. A floor plate will click, and a chest containing a unique ring will pop up.
- The Shaded Grotto: Look for the "corrupted" red crystals. You’ll need to clear the blight boil first. Once the area is cleansed, look behind the large fallen pillar.
Finding these Dragon Age Veilguard Arlathan Forest chests is also about timing. Some areas are locked behind story progression. If you see a chest icon but can't find a way in, stop stressing. You probably need to come back after a specific main quest involving the Veil Jumpers.
Why Common Loot Matters More Than You Think
You might think "oh, it's just a common chest," but in The Veilguard, the economy is tight. You need those basic materials to upgrade your Rare and Epic gear at the Blacksmith in the Lighthouse. Every chest in Arlathan has a chance to drop Gold, Flawless Crystals, or even those annoying-to-find Valuables that you can sell to the factions to increase your reputation.
Reputation is king. If you aren't looting everything in the forest, you aren't leveling up your standing with the Veil Jumpers. Higher standing means better shop inventory. It’s a cycle. Loot the forest, sell the junk, buy the legendary dagger. Simple.
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Glitches and "Ghost" Chests
Sometimes, the game bugs out. You’ll see a chest icon on your compass, but there is absolutely nothing there. This usually happens in the Treetop Path. If this happens, try reloading your save or fast-traveling out and back in. The "ghost chest" is usually a rendering error where the chest spawns inside the geometry of the tree.
Also, watch out for mimics. Just kidding—there aren't any mimics in Arlathan. Or are there? No, there actually aren't, but the environmental traps near the chests in the Deep Woods can be just as deadly. Watch your step for pressure plates that trigger dart traps.
Leveraging Your Companions
Don't go solo. Some Dragon Age Veilguard Arlathan Forest chests are literally unreachable without specific companion actions.
Lucanis can help you reach higher platforms with certain traversal prompts, and Davrin’s combat utility might be needed to clear out the high-level Sentinels guarding the "Master" level chests. If you’re playing on a higher difficulty like Nightmare, you can’t just run in and grab the loot. You have to clear the area first. The enemies in Arlathan Forest have a nasty habit of leashing—meaning if you run away, they’ll just reset their health and follow you back to the chest.
The Secret "Hidden" Mechanics of Elven Caches
There’s a specific type of chest in Arlathan that doesn't look like a chest. They look like small, ornate elven bowls or stone coffers. These often contain the best lore entries and "memento" items. Mementos are crucial because they increase your Caretaker level. If you're ignoring these because they don't look like a standard wooden crate, you're missing out on permanent buffs for your base of operations.
In the Converging Paths section of the forest, there are three of these coffers hidden in the high grass. Most players sprint right past them on their way to the next objective. Slow down. Use the "ping" function frequently. Your controller should vibrate or you’ll hear a specific chime when you're near a hidden object.
Essential Steps for Arlathan Forest Completionists
- Clear the Blight First: You can't reach half the chests if the area is covered in red goo. Focus on the main objective of a sub-zone before doing a loot sweep.
- Look Up: BioWare designers love putting chests on scaffolding. If a path looks like it leads nowhere, it probably leads to a chest.
- Check the Map Layers: Use the D-pad to toggle between map levels. This is the only way to tell if a chest is in a basement or on a roof.
- Listen to Your Party: Your companions will literally say things like "Hey, look over there!" or "That looks interesting." They aren't just making small talk; they are flagging loot locations.
- Revisit After Act 2: Some areas of Arlathan Forest undergo changes after major story beats. New paths open up, and previously submerged chests might become accessible.
Getting every single one of the Dragon Age Veilguard Arlathan Forest chests takes patience. It's not a race. The forest is beautiful, albeit dangerous, and the rewards for thorough exploration far outweigh the frustration of getting turned around in the woods.
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Actionable Next Step: Start your hunt at the Veil Jumper Camp and head north toward the Ancient Aqueduct. Focus on the vertical platforms first, using Bellara to interact with any glowing artifacts you find along the way. This path has the highest density of Master-level chests and mementos in the early game.