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God of War Ragnarok's Garden of the Dead favor is one of the many diversions one can engage with in Vanaheim. This is, for all intents and purposes, a series of three perspective-based puzzles. But that isn't the only thing this area has to offer.
There are a number of collectibles to get ahold of in Noatun's Garden. While the primary emphasis of this guide is how to locate the garden, as well as taking you through the process of ridding the garden of the noxious gas clouds, we will also assist you in lining your pockets with treasures.
Locating The Garden Of The Dead
The Garden of the Dead quest is located in the Noatun's Garden section of Vanaheim. In order to get here, you will need to paddle your boat down the River Delta. You will eventually pass under a broken bridge. After you pass the bridge, there will be a beach on your left. This is Noatun's Garden. Dock your boat and prepare for an inhospitable welcome.
Clearing Out The Gradungrs
Before you can start the Garden of the Dead favor, you are going to need to fight two Gradungrs. One of them will be a Flame Gradungr. Initially, you will fight the first Gradungr alongside a few Gulons. However, partway through this encounter—once you have dealt enough damage to the standard Gradungr—their fiery brethren will join the battle. You are going to need to tackle that one with your Leviathan Axe in order to deplete their first health bar.
At this point in the game you will have tangled with this beast already, but just as a refresher... When the Gradungr lunges forward and thrusts its head upward, it will perform this attack twice. Beyond that, it will swipe at you with its paws. You can parry these attacks, but you can also just keep your distance if you like. As for the Flame Gradungr, it has a projectile attack and can cause fire to surround it (it shakes it off like a wet dog trying to dry itself). Neither of these attacks are particularly deadly. Just evade the projectile to the side, and if you see the Flame Gradungr starting to shake, get some distance.
Garden Of The Dead Favor
Once you have cleared out the Gradungers, talk to the spirit hanging out in front of the giant tree in the center of this area. She will tell you that she won't be able to move on until her garden has been restored to its previous state. This entails burning three poison plants.
First Poisonous Plant
With your back facing the water, this plant is going to be on the left. All you need to do to clear it, is to get to the left of it and hit the explosive pot hiding behind the stone wall. Once you break the pot, it will explode and burn the plant.
Second Poisonous Plant
The second poison-emitting plant is to the right of the first one. What you need to do here is to climb the building to the right of it. From the roof, you will be able to get a view of the chain holding the explosive pot. Sever it with your axe, and it will crash into the ground and burn the ghastly plant. Just one more to go!
Third Poisonous Plant
The final plant is located behind the spirit. The explosive jar is inside the structure behind her. While facing the spirit, there will be a hole in the stonework on the left. Once you locate the hole, just hit the jar, and it will explode consuming the final plant with fire. All that is left now is to talk to the spirit. You will be rewarded with 500 XP for Kratos, and 125 XP for your partner. You will also retrieve an enchantment for your amulet.
Noatun's Garden Treasures
With your back facing the water, there is a treasure map in the left corner of Noatun's Garden. There is also a locked gate with a Legendary Chest behind it. If you want to get to the chest, you will have to paddle your boat under the nearby bridge (the one you passed under while coming to Noatun's Garden in the first place). Stick to the left until you eventually encounter a tunnel made of tree roots. Take a left here and beach your boat, and travel along the path. You will be on that broken bridge in no time.
Jump across the gap and open the chest. Now, have your partner fire a line of sigil arrows along the stone wall to your left (leading from the bridge to the strange vines) and burn the nearest hex to create a chain reaction, setting said vines ablaze. Once you have done that, throw your axe at the chain across the way. After you have severed it, jump to the other end of the bridge; there's a rope that you can slide down here.
The rope will, conveniently, take you right back to Noatuns' Garden. The gate to the Legendary chest will be open. Once you clear out the Nightmares, the treasure will be all yours. Now, to the right of where you cleared out the first poison plant, you will find a sealed gate. Use you chisel to break it open and claim another chest.
To the right of that, there is a Lore Tablet. For that matter, on the roof of the building where you severed the chain for the second poison plant, there is another Lore Tablet. You can also jump down into the hole here, and you will find another chest. Lastly, in the right corner, you will find a Family Crest, one of the artifacts for this realm.