Details about how to return to previously-explored areas in Vanaheim, including The Southern Wilds, Noatun’s Garden, the Eastern Barri Woods, The Abandoned Village and the Western Barri Woods.
(1 of 2) After your first visit during The Reckoning, the way back into northern and eastern Vanaheim will be blocked by barriers.
After your first visit during The Reckoning, the way back into northern and eastern Vanaheim will be blocked by barriers. (left), To return to areas explored during The Reckoning, you’ll need to return with the Draupnir Spear. (right)
What Collectibles Can You Find During The Reckoning?¶
You’ll first visit Vanaheim fairly early in the game, during the main quest The Reckoning, where you’ll travel through many of the realm’s eastern areas, including The Southern Wilds, Noatun’s Garden, Freyr’s Camp, the Eastern Barri Woods, The Abandoned Village and the Western Barri Woods. You can acquire most of the collectibles in these areas on your first visit (save for the East Barri Woods - you won’t get any of the collectibles here), but once the main quest The Reckoning is over you’ll be locked out of all these areas save for The Southern Wilds and Freyr’s Camp (the former of which you can only reach via Mystic Gateways). None of the collectibles in this realm (or game, for that matter) are ultimately missable, but anything you don’t collect during The Reckoning will be unavailable for a while, as you won’t return until the main quest Creatures of Prophecy, and you won’t have total freedom to explore these areas at your leisure until after the aforementioned quest (technically after the favor Scent of Survival, which can be started immediately following Creatures of Prophecy).
Suffice to say, anything you miss on your first visit will be out of reach for a long while.
Below you’ll find a list of all the areas you can visit on your first trip through Vanaheim and the collectibles you can not obtain at this time:
| Region | Unobtainable Collectibles |
|---|---|
| The Southern Wilds | Hel Tears |
| Freyr’s Camp | Legendary Chests x2, Remnants of Asgard |
| Eastern Barri Woods | All |
| The Abandoned Village | Odin’s Raven |
| Western Barri Woods | Scent of Survival |
After completing The Reckoning you’ll be able to explore most of western Vanaheim at will.
Exploring Vanaheim After The Reckoning¶
After finishing The Reckoning you’ll have the opportunity to explore Vanaheim further… albeit new areas to the west of Freyr’s Camp. Unlike the areas you travel through during The Reckoning, you’re unencumbered by the restraints of a main questline, so you’re free to explore as you wish. These areas include Freyr’s Camp, Pilgrim’s Landing, the River Delta, Noatun’s Garden, the Cliffside Ruins, The Veiled Passage, the Goddess Falls, and the Vanir Shrine.
Like with the areas you explore during The Reckoning, you’ll be able to acquire most of the collectibles in these areas; in fact, you can scratch off every collectible on your map in all these areas save for the Berserker Gravestone at Pilgrim’s Landing. Your access to them will be restricted during Creatures of Prophecy, but you’ll be able to explore freely following said main quest, after you complete Scent of Survival. You’ll also be able to return to Vanaheim and explore these areas further at regular breaks during the main questline (one of your companions will usually prompt you to explore), so you don’t need to fret over these areas quite as much.
How to Return to Old Areas in Vanaheim¶
Below you’ll find details about how to return to old areas in Vanaheim following The Reckoning. Most of these can only be revisited during and after the main quest Creatures of Prophecy.
How to Return to The Southern Wilds¶
One of the few areas you can return to after finishing The Reckoning but before Creatures of Prophecy. Just use a Mystic Gateway to return here. Note that despite the fact you can return to Freyr’s Camp and The Southern Wilds after The Reckoning, there will be a barrier preventing you from traveling between the two aforementioned areas directly.
How to Return to Freyr’s Camp¶
Freyr’s Camp is one of the few areas in Vanaheim that you can return to at pretty much any point in the game… after you visit it the first time during The Reckoning, of course.
You’ll need to Draupnir Spear to fully explore the Eastern Barri Woods.
How to Return to the Eastern Barri Woods¶
Your first visit to Vanaheim, during the quest The Reckoning takes you through the Eastern Barri Woods, albeit along a route that bypasses all the collectibles. While there are a few fights here, you’re mostly just working your way towards The Abandoned Village. Later, after completing the main quest Forging Destiny, you’ll have the tool you need to open new routes in the Eastern Barri Woods… but alas, the way will be sealed by some barriers.
You’ll return later during the main quest Creatures of Prophecy, where you’ll need to use the Draupnir Spear to destroy a boulder leading back to the Eastern Barri Forest. The exact route you took during The Reckoning will be blocked by a barrier, but the Draupnir Spear can be used to open another path, along which all this area’s collectibles can be found. After you complete Creatures of Prophecy and the following favor Scent of Survival you’ll be able to return to the Eastern Barri Woods at your leisure just by going through the gates at Freyr’s Camp.
(1 of 4) Climb some cliffs and take a right to return to The Abandoned Village.
How to Return to the Abandoned Village¶
You’ll visit The Abandoned Village during the main quest The Reckoning, where you can obtain every collectible sans Odin’s Raven. Once you leave, however, you won’t be able to return until the main quest Creatures of Prophecy, which is quite a ways into the main questline.
During Creatures of Prophecy you’ll return to The Abandoned Village via an alternate route through the Eastern Barri Woods
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From Freyr’s Camp, exit through the gate, cross a bridge, then go through the opening you created with the Draupnir Spear during Creatures of Prophecy.
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Follow the linear path ahead to the ruins where you fought the Ancient during The Reckoning.
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Crawl through a cave to reach the Eastern Barrie Woods.
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At a fork turn right (southeast) and go through a cave created by the Draupnir Spear during Creatures of Prophecy.
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After the cave, take a left at a fork and continue following the path ahead. Climb some ledges and go through a cave to reach the den of Skoll and Hati.
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Sidle across a narrow ledge and follow the linear path ahead until you pass by two Scorn Totems and reach some more ruins.
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Drop down a ledge and use the Blades of Chaos to swing into a house.
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Exit the house to the west, then turn right (north) to find a ledge, atop which is a rope you can slide down.
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Enter some ruins (north) and immediately turn left twice (west and south), then turn southwest and go through an arched structure, beyond which is a Draupnir Spear placement you can swing across.
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Once across the water, head west and southwest to find a cliff you can climb. Climb up and when you reach a fork, head right (continuing up will set you back on the path to Freyr’s Camp).
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Climb until you use the Blades of Chaos to swing into a cave, then continue through the cave until you find the bridge to The Abandoned Village to the right (northeast).
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Head into a house and, if necessary, throw the Leviathan Axe at the panels on the crane to the left to move it so you can use the Blades of Chaos to swing over to the village.
You can now pick up any collectibles you missed on your first visit. You can also destroy a barricade leading back to the chamber where you fought the Einherjar for the stolen moon, which will make getting between areas… well, a tiny bit easier, at best. To return to Freyr’s Camp, just head to the cliffs you climbed to reach The Abandoned Village and climb up at the fork instead of right.
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