Starfield | Securing The Scientist
Valheim | Exploring A Frost Cave
While exploring a mountain I came across a Frost Cave. This is not a dungeon I recall ever finding in the past and since then I’ve only seen this one. With how mountains are I felt rather lucky finding this at all. Thankfully it has quite the entrance that makes it stand out.
As someone who can’t pass up a dungeon the moment I set my eyes on one, I could not say no to whatever mysteries and treasure this place might hold. It ended up not being one of my favorite dungeons in Valheim and I even found it to be a little more confusing than it needed to be with an interesting feature they tossed in.
Right as you walk into the dungeon the pathway is blocked by a sheet of ice. I suppose this is some kind of indicator to you the player that there are blocked pathways you need to break open. The good news at least a single hit with a sword busted the ice away. The bad news many other tunnels are concealed with ice and they do a decent job of blending in with the wall that you could overlook them if not paying enough attention.
As soon as the ice broke I got a glimpse of the first creatures I’d be battling on occasion-- bats. They were quite annoying to kill with how much they moved around. Rather hard to shoot and if you did not have a melee hit ready and lined up right you missed them fully.
Outside of being rather annoying to deal with. I’m somewhat puzzled as to why they are even here in the first place. It’s not like they provide much of a challenge unless you can’t hit them. They deal almost no damage to me with the gear I have on and I more or less one-shot them.
The only good thing I suppose was the scrap leather they dropped. I however already have way too much at my base. It is at least good to see some early resources having alternative ways of farming them on much later creatures.
This I felt in a few ways was a big point of this dungeon. You had quite a few different things dropped inside that you can get elsewhere like bones, coal, entrails, bronze, and treasures like rubies. Along with things you would expect to find in an ice cave like Crystals.
Then you had things that seemed to be rather specific to this dungeon or rather rare finds elsewhere. These ice-filled caves are quite filled with Ulv (wolf) that you rarely see out in the wild mostly at night around the mountains. I ended up looting some claws and finding hair around alters to loot.
As far as the layout of this dungeon it was quite odd. I descended a steep spiraling stairwell into what looked like a small frozen body of water below. After a lot of exploring I’d find another stairwell taking me up near where I could exit.
This place made me feel chilled to the bone most of the time. With just how icy and snow-filled every single camber I came across. The only thing I don’t know for certain is if I even fully explored the place or not. It would been quite easy for me to overlook a passageway that needed some ice broken down.
As such, I would sometimes just swing my sword at random things double checking it was not a doorway I could break open. On one such instance not having any luck I was almost taken back by the fact there was a path forward.
Ulv were not the only creatures beyond the bats I found down here. I was walking up a set of stairs hoping it was the way out. I quickly got blasted by fire from some Cultists standing at the top. The drop alone nearly killed me. They also dished out some nasty damage.
After I took them out and a few passageways later I felt like I found the end to this place. I ended up looting a new material called red jute after destroying a set of curtains. I was not expecting anything to drop when I swung my sword I was just hoping to destroy the curtains to see if there was any treasure lying behind it.
Later after this adventure I’d return home and turn the Red Jute into a carpet that I’d set next to a fireplace and my bed. I’m tempted to go back to the dungeon at some point if I don’t find any more of these dungeons to see if I missed Red Jute anywhere else. While they are not the most amazing-looking thing it helps add some color to my base.
I looted a couple of things off the altar that were placed on it like Fenris claws and some hair. I was kind of expecting there to be a bit more. In some areas of this dungeon, I’d at least find a chest or something. None of this I felt was amazing as I did not care much about crafting claw weapons.
I then turned around and found a path I had yet to take. I will say it was refreshing not having to go back through what I already had cleared. I ended up finding a section that I missed that took me back almost to where I could leave the dungeon.
Before that point, however, I did find myself getting lost in a loop that had two exists. I could not quite recall where I had entered and thus ruled where I should exit the loop of rooms I hit. I just knew I wanted to go see parts of the dungeon I had yet to be in. So I did a little backtracking before working out what path I should take.
Final Thoughts
While I did have a fair bit of fun in this dungeon I don’t see myself wanting to run one of these again unless I just want more Red Jute. For the most part, I either got a lot of stuff I have way too many stacks of bones, or stuff like claws that as far as I’m aware I have no real need for the item that can be crafted from it.
At least if I do need more of the common items I got here I’d know to look out for another Frost Cave. It is always fun when you can find an alternative way to gather a needed resource.
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Screenshots were taken and content was written by @Enjar about Valheim.
