God of War: Daughter of War

"So, what do we do first? Do we explore more of the lake, or do we go after the chisel first?" Atreus asked, because after seeing how more of the lake was revealed after Jormungandr shifted his weight again, even though he went back to where he had been resting previously and was still watching over them, he wanted to know what his father had planned this time around, before he considered something else, "Mimir, what did you say to the World Serpent that made him so angry?"

"Oh, he thought I said you were friends of Odin's, which I had to correct before we got into trouble. You'll forgive me, as I've never spoken the Ancient Tongue while sober." Mimir admitted, which was a good thing to see, that he was willing to admit when he made a mistake, meaning he had plenty of experience and was drawing from a number of events that had likely shaped his life, all while the lift returned to the main bridge, "As for what you should do, that is up to the four of you. I'm just along for the ride, offering wisdom and commentary whenever the need arises... and, by the looks of it, a familiar blue dwarf is waiting for you."

Kratos, Flurry, and Pandora weren't surprised by that comment, because if Mimir had worked for Odin for a long time, and it sure sounded like that was true, it stood to reason he knew the dwarf brothers, nor were they surprised that Brok wanted to see them again, since that meant he likely had new information for them.

"Ho there. I've got another favor to ask of you four... and my brother might as well, now that I think about it." Brok said, a fact that was followed by him producing the ring that they had recovered for him not too long ago, allowing them to look at it for a time as they waited for the dwarf to tell them what was going on, "I've got another lead on my old pal Andvari... yeah, I know you found his arm on a Soul Eater, but that's not what I'm interested in right now. Meet me outside the Landsuther Mines, I'll tell you more when we get there... and there's sum fancy-dancy loot in it for you as well, since I know your father does nothing for free."

"We... will consider it." Kratos replied, because the dwarf was right, there was no reason for them to help him without getting new resources or even gear in the process, so Brok mentioning that fact meant that they should head over there at some point, since there was no telling what they might find in the Landsuther Mines, which Brok marked on the map that he and Sindri had given them.

As they departed from Tyr's Temple again, since they had followed Brok inside to see what he wanted, Kratos decided to walk across the bridge for a time and found that the lift near the Realm Tower took them down to another level, where they found a couple of nightmares to deal with. Of course the flying eyeballs were weak and they crushed them with ease, even if Mimir called them pests, allowing the family to explore the rocky area that the lift had brought them to, though Flurry did spot a statue that looked like a troll that was currently in slumber, while they were missing the key to awaken it. What was interesting was that there was an area for the boat to dock up ahead and, like magic, it was there waiting for them, likely due to whatever magic Freya had put on it, which was just further confirmation of what they had seen in the past. At the same time Kratos spotted a wall further along the path that they could climb up and that was what he did, as he wanted to be sure they didn't leave any resources behind, and found that it brought them to a short passage that had a side wall for them to make their way across.

When they reached the other side of the small gap they discovered another small workshop, this one belonging to Sindri, confirming that both dwarves were keeping an eye on where they went and were setting up areas for them to work in so they could chat for a moment, and when he noticed them he stopped what he was doing.

"Ah, there you are. I've got a favor to ask of you, a small one at that. You remember the dagger you recovered from the depths of Fafnir's storeroom?" Sindri asked, where Atreus confirmed that they did, since it was hard to forget about that since the weapon in question had been in the back of a reaver who had been slain by his son, something that caused the dwarf to shudder for a moment before focusing on them and nothing else, "Well, I traced it to a group of reavers that are operating out of the Northri Stronghold, which is where I'd wager they took the loot they acquired from the storeroom... both resources for you to claim, and the whetstone... which I can use to, um, help you?"

"Very well. Show us where it is and we will check it out." Kratos replied, where he held out the map for a moment and they watched as Sindri pointed out an area that was marked with his icon in no time, just like how Brok had left his earlier, a fact that he noticed as the map was rolled up, before he rested a hand on Atreus' shoulder, "You have something to say, right boy?"

"Yes, father. I'm sorry I wasn't happier when you gave me those arrows earlier, Sindri." Atreus said, though he hated being called 'boy', as it made him seem like he didn't know anything and was still a novice in many aspects of life, and while part of that was true, because there were things he didn't know about, he thought that he didn't deserve to be called such a thing, not after everything they had done so far.

"Apology accepted. And don't worry, you didn't hurt my feelings... can't very well be a blacksmith if your feelings get hurt easily." Sindri stated, though at the same time he noticed that the mistletoe arrows were gone and had been replaced, to which he inquired if he could see one and Atreus handed one over without delay, allowing him to study it for a couple of seconds before returning it, "These arrows are good and will serve you well, in whatever you guys do next. And here, you'll need the Entry Stone as well, for when you decide to check the stronghold out."

Kratos said nothing to that as he and his family returned to the boat, allowing Flurry to take to the air once more, though as she did so she noticed something interesting, there was what appeared to be a council chamber with eight thrones just beyond where they found Sindri, which she kept in mind for later. While the others traveled by boat Flurry found that her family and Mimir talked about things, such as sharing stories about why Freya had spat on Mimir's face or the Giants that they had found the shrines of since starting this adventure, all of which interested Atreus and Pandora, while their father listened for any valuable information. At the same time she noted that Pandora was also jotting down notes in her own journal, one that she kept when she had ideas for weapons, as she took after Hephaestus in that regard, which made her happy as she focused on keeping an eye out for potential enemies. Of course, since her father decided to help out both dwarves next, which might confuse Baldur and their pursuers, she didn't have to worry too much, though she was sure that she spotted a red armored dragon off in the far distance and assumed it was Baldur's, but it never came back in their direction and allowed her to relax for the time being.

Eventually they found the dock that was near where Brok was stationed, waiting for them to arrive so he could give them the rest of the information he deemed necessary for his favor, and, sure enough, Flurry and her family found him there, where he stopped what he was doing and tossed Andvari's ring to Atreus.

"Here, I need you to talk to this ring." Brok stated, where Atreus caught it for a moment and stared at it, while the rest of his family focused on the dwarf, because they were curious as to what was going on, what it meant for his favor, and if he had information on what might be in the mines they would be entering soon.

"Um, Brok, I can't..." Atreus started to say, though in that instant he heard something that only he could hear and Flurry knew that her earlier thoughts were correct, there was something, or someone, inside the ring, where he listened to it for a few seconds before speaking again, "Wait, I hear a voice... it's Andvari! He says that he went to the Volunder Mines to, um, 'observe his mistake'... but then the Soul Eater attacked and started ripping him apart, causing him to use a spell that removed his soul and transferred it into this ring."

"What about all of his stuff? Andvari had a workshop, in this very mine, that was full of posh doo-dads and ornatery tool, plus one beaut of a hammer." Brok said, showing them that he really wasn't interested in the story and that he was more interested in the tool that had once been in Andvari's hands, something that might be used in combination with Sindri's whetstone, if the two bothered to work together again, "Is it still in the mine?"

Atreus told Brok that he was upsetting Andvari, showing them that the fallen dwarf was upset that another dwarf was far more interested in robbing him than showing some compassion for his death, but Brok didn't care that much as he got the information he was after, the hammer should, in fact, be in the mine. The dwarf promised the family that if they found Andvari's hammer, and delivered it to them, he would make Kratos something special that would help them out, since he knew the figure didn't work for free, which was why he handed over the Entry Stone without delay. With that in hand they used it to open the door and entered the mine without delay, though as they did so Kratos told Atreus to focus, since his son was focusing too much on Andvari right now, but suspected that it would be some time before his son regained his focus. On the other side of the passage they found an area that had a couple of tatzelwurms wandering around, though as the creatures attacked them, annoyed by their presence, the family wasted no time in cutting them down while Atreus put an arrow in one, showing his family that he was capable of focusing, even with Andvari chatting with him.

Mimir, however, realized just how skilled Kratos and his daughters were, even though he knew they were gods and were keeping that information from Atreus, all while they found some dead dwarves that paid for Andvari's mistake, something he regretted deeply but refused to speak on what that 'mistake' was, even though Flurry knew it had to be the existence of the Soul Eaters.

Following the death of the tatzelwurms Kratos found a device that he turned, lowering a platform of stone for them to use to reach some sap, and when Atreus used a shock arrow on it the secondary set of stone fell on the center of the chamber within seconds, breaking through the weakened wood and opening a path for them. Andvari warmed them not to go into the depths, where Flurry told him that if there was a Soul Eater down there she was going to destroy it, that was the truth of the matter, before the family descended into the depths without wasting time, though the odd part was that there were a few dark elves in the area as well. Flurry slashed through them as her family moved down the passage, allowing her to drop their unexpected foes after slashing through them with her sickles, though when she rejoined the others she found that it was a short distance and that there were more dark elf stuff below the main chamber, including some growth cores for her father to cut through. Such a thing allowed them to loot both a stone chest and a wooden one before climbing up a few wooden posts to reach another point, an area with large crystals that happened to have a dead Ancient in front of them,all but confirming that something dangerous was down here with them.

The area didn't have any enemies for them to worry about, even though it had a stone chest that Andvari lied about, as he claimed that it had traps in it and Kratos found nothing but loot inside it, before they found another opening to use in an effort to find the hammer and the Soul Eater. Flurry, on the other hand, simply added the enchantment rune to the still growing collection that was in her bag, granting them more power in the process, before reaching the next chamber, only to find more dark elves waiting for enemies to show up, causing her to fall back and join Atreus in using arrows while both their father and sister focused on their foes. After dealing with them the family found an area to climb around, allowing all of them to reach another device that raised a lift of stones higher, to the ceiling level, before Flurry spotted a wall that had been hidden by the lift, allowing her family to climb it naturally while she just flapped her wings a little to reach the peak of the wall. A stronger looking dark elf was up there waiting for them, though his skills were just like the others the family had fought so far, so while Kratos focused on commanding his attention the others dealt damage to their target, and the four of them brought him down in no time, adding more Hacksilver and a talisman to their collection.

On the other side of the gate that was in front of them they found the workshop, Andvari's area anyway, and the golden chest that was there happened to have a rather fine hammer inside it, a magical one at that, which had to be what Brok was after, and when Kratos confirmed that it was as they were told Andvari actually thanked them, allowing them to focus on blasting their way through a nearby wall, return to the main chamber, and return to Brok.

"We have recovered the hammer." Kratos stated, where he placed the item on the table that the dwarf had set up earlier, who smiled as he stared down at the tool in front of him, a malachite hammer with golden inlay that was brimming with magical power.

"Well I'll be, you did find it!" Brok remarked, as he had been worried that it would be somewhere else, lost to time, but he was glad that the family had been able to recover the tool, because he had great plans for the tool in the future, before he focused on the four figures that were in front of him, "Well, what are you waiting for? Hand Andvari over to me... a trapped soul is just what I need to give your reward some extra oomph."

Atreus, naturally, wanted no part in this and even Andvari wanted to remain alive, even in his trapped state, which seemed to settle everything without anyone else being given an option to say anything on this matter, causing Brok to grumble as Pandora took the ring, as they would figure out what to do with it later. It was clear that the dwarf thought that Atreus was too nice for his own good and that eventually that would bring all of them down, hence why he was sure Kratos would talk some sense into his son at some point, but other than that he didn't have anything else to say to them. With that in mind the family returned to the boat as Flurry took to the air, allowing them to follow the map as Kratos tracked down Sindri's icon, even though it appeared that the path brought them by a ruined city of some kind that was lost to time, or at least that was what it looked like to her. Fortunately they found an opening in the rock wall that was beyond the ruined city, leading into a gorge or altered cavern system, which appeared to be what they were looking for since Pandora reported that the icon they were following was just ahead of them.

Such a thing was confirmed when they spotted what appeared to be large gates in an underground area, where the family found and area to dock and did so without delay, though it did allow them to discover some Hel-Walkers resting around the area, the reaver clan to be exact, which meant all of them were likely dead at this point.

With that in mind the family wasted no time in dispatching the undead that were in front of them, Atreus and Flurry just focusing on those that were further away from them, only for Kratos to note that these ones were weak, far more than the foes they had fought in Fafnir's storeroom awhile ago. The same was true for the revenant that happened to be nearby, as Pandora split that foe in half with her halberd, allowing them to access a bridge that they discovered a metallic lock on, the one keeping a waterwheel locked up, and as Kratos destroyed if they found that the main gates were opening. As such he quickly tracked down another wooden chest, looted it after freezing the skorn pole near it, and then returned to the dock that his children were waiting at before they used the boat to head deeper into the stronghold, all while keeping their eyes open for danger. Such a thing allowed them to dock at an area that had a lit fire in the center of it, complete with more of the undead and even an ogre, where Kratos focused on distracting the ogre as his children dealt with the undead, and as soon as the area was clear they joined their father in bringing down his opponent.

Flurry collected the treasure that the ogre dropped before Kratos hurled the axe at a lift filled with stones, hitting a lock that allowed it to fall onto the ground and opened the way for them to climb up to another level, since the gate in front of them seemed to be sealed from this side. There was a loop to their right that required breaking two sap walls and quickly freezing one of the skorn poles to loot a stone chest, though the main path happened to be to their left, which involved taking down two more nightmares and a tatzelwurm that happened to be guarding the way. After those enemies Kratos and Flurry found a curved path that lead down to where a reaver ship was located, one with a number of still bodies here and there, showing them that the crew must have either fought something and perished or they had turned on each other once they got back from Fafnir's storeroom. Interestingly enough it didn't look like there were any Hel-Walkers for them to worry about, allowing the family to lower a walkway so they could reach the other side of the chamber and drop down into the dock that was around the ship.

That allowed them to see that there was one more body they hadn't seen previously, someone who was stuck to a post by a number of weapons in his chest, while at the same time his head had been smashed with a blunt object, where Flurry found a whetstone resting off to the right that was covered in blood.

"Oh... I see. Killing the former captain didn't sit well with some of the crew, so they tore each other apart." Flurry stated, all while her brother collected the whetstone before everyone stared at the scene that was around them, allowing Atreus to realize something he had missed before, even though Flurry was saddened by this loss of life, "His son stood his ground, and was joined by those who sided with him, but even that wasn't enough to survive... there were no survivors."

As Mimir agreed with her, he came to the same conclusion after Kratos let him see the scene, and Atreus handed over the black whetstone that had silver runes on it, an armored figure that Mimir identified as a Traveler tore through a plank wall before rushing at them like they were his mortal enemies. The family dodged to the sides as his greatsword collided with the floor, lightly cutting into the floorboards in the process, though they also found that his weapon seemed to have a frost enchantment on it, similar to the Leviathan Axe, especially when he lifted it and stabbed it into the ground to create a light vortex of ice around him. As Kratos attacked the Traveler's armor they found that it was very durable, more than the majority of the armors they have seen since starting this quest, but he already had the answer to that as Flurry struck with Earthshaker, swinging the weapon into their foe's chest as she crushed the armor and bruised his bones. Such a thing let Atreus put a few arrows into the Traveler's chest before he could react, opening the way for Pandora to lash out with her chakrams for a few seconds before Kratos took their foe's weapon and split him in half with it, much to Mimir's continued amazement.

With the Traveler dead Flurry salvaged his fragmented armor, since they might be able to repurpose it, a bag of currency, a few trophies that she stashed away, and a bag with a fractured golden gauntlet inside it, one that seemed to have some sort of power inside it, and when Atreus wasn't looking she retrieved the time amulets for a moment and restored the gauntlet to it's former glory. Pandora took the item and found that it fit perfectly over her left hand, though she was very interested in the six slots that were on it, five at the knuckles and one on the back of the hand, before she retrieved the ring that housed Andvari's soul and glanced at both items. She and Flurry watched as it took on an orange coloration as it socked itself into the pinky slot, almost like the gauntlet knew what to do or something, though since Atreus didn't react to anything that meant the dwarf inside either went quiet or this allowed his soul to move on while leaving the power inside the stone. Neither of them were sure what to make of the situation, but for the time being they decided to catch up to the rest of their family so they could return to Sindri and give him the good news, before focusing on the chisel they needed to open the gateway that was near Mimir's old prison.

Sure enough they found that Sindri was back where they saw him earlier, near the entrance of the area, and the moment he noticed them coming he gently set his tools down, totally opposite of how his brother did things, before focusing on the family as Kratos pulled out the whetstone.

"Your whetstone, as promised." Kratos stated, setting it down on the table that was in front of him while Sindri noted the staining that was on the item, where Atreus mentioned that it was blood after it had been used to bash a reaver's face in, causing the dwarf to gag as he promised to leave it before using it.

Sindri, true to his word, handed over an item that could be added to the pommel of the Leviathan Axe, which Kratos did as soon as it was in his hands, though as the dwarf took the whetstone the family departed from the stronghold, as it was time for them to track down the chisel and whatever was guarding it.