Turn Fader’s reward into Bloodgold and an Intricate Key

Before you start

• Fader defeated and the Fader Relic preserved from the Ashlands route. The official notes say its functionality changed; the researched route uses it in the Eternal Pyre.
• A Mould: Intricate Key, Frigid Kiln, Frost Foundry and Liquid Frost from the Winding Tunnels journey.
• Access to a Black Forge and Blast Furnace, plus Deep North Seal Pelt and a safe plan for fighting a Gammeltroll.

Verify the Fader reward in the current Hammer menu

Postmode calls the released building Eternal Pyre, matching Iron Gate’s official list; PC Gamer calls the same step Ember Monument. Treat that name as an editorial conflict, not a second station. Both agree that the Fader reward enables Ember collection for the charge chain.

1. Carry the Fader Relic and inspect the current Hammer menu for Eternal Pyre. Confirm the displayed inputs and placement requirement before building; this edition does not publish its exact cost from one walkthrough alone.
2. Place the structure at a defended base and collect a small Ember batch. Keep the relic or any unexpected by-product until the current interface makes its consumption clear.
3. Use the current crafting menu to make Ember Charges from Embers and Seal Pelt. Exact charge quantities are intentionally left to the menu because the inspected sources do not provide a sufficiently corroborated complete recipe.

Mechanics sources: SteamDB: Valheim 1.0 patch notes (build 25185596)PC Gamer: how to get the Intricate KeyPostmode: completed Deep North walkthrough

Defeat the Gammeltroll, then harvest the remains

1. Scout an open escape route before engaging the Gammeltroll. Keep other large creatures out of the fight and retain at least one charge for a failed harvest attempt.
2. Defeat the Gammeltroll and wait for the remains to petrify. Ordinary mining is not the researched extraction method.
3. Use Ember Charges on the petrified remains, collect the dropped Petrified Tissue and leave before an overloaded second fight begins.
4. Process Petrified Tissue in the Blast Furnace and confirm Bloodgold output. Current guides agree on this transformation; this edition does not estimate processing time or fuel beyond the in-game interface.

Mechanics sources: PC Gamer: developer-guided Deep North previewPC Gamer: how to get the Intricate KeyPostmode: completed Deep North walkthroughredfreshet: Winding Tunnels and Intricate Key guide

Keep mould, cast and finished key separate

1. At the Black Forge, verify 5 Bloodgold and 1 Mould: Intricate Key, then craft one Cast: Intricate Key. The mould is reported as single-use; do not spend additional moulds until the first full cycle works.
2. Place the cast in the Frost Foundry and add Liquid Frost from the Frigid Kiln. The available sources do not publish a reliable complete input ratio, so follow the current station prompts.
3. Collect the finished Intricate Key and store it separately from spare moulds and casts. Mark the Mörkhalla destination before carrying it out.

Mechanics sources: PC Gamer: how to get the Intricate KeyPostmode: completed Deep North walkthroughredfreshet: Winding Tunnels and Intricate Key guide

You are ready when…

When something goes wrong

Sources & checks

Default survival rules · 1.0 release context checked 9 September 2026. Each source carries its own check date below; those dates do not certify every mechanic on this page for the current build. Shopping targets, route choices, and combat tactics are editorial recommendations. No firsthand gameplay test is claimed. How to read the evidence.

1. SteamDB: Valheim 1.0 patch notes (build 25185596)

   Deep North, Kall Fimbulbringer, Winding Tunnels, Mörkhalla, environmental hazards, production pieces, new materials, events and updated Fader Relic functionality shipped in 1.0.

   Community reference · Checked 2026-09-10. Build-indexed record of Iron Gate’s official 1.0 notes. It confirms released names and broad mechanics, but does not establish the walkthrough order or exact recipes by itself.

2. PC Gamer: developer-guided Deep North preview

   Deep snow, slippery ice, escalating danger, Winding Tunnels and explosive harvesting from defeated Gammeltroll remains were directly observed.

   Community reference · Checked 2026-09-10. First-hand prelaunch tour conducted with Iron Gate. Useful for qualitative terrain, Winding Tunnels and Gammeltroll preparation; not an independent released-build test or an exact-value source.

3. PC Gamer: how to get the Intricate Key

   Village-floor tunnel search, Frostcores, key moulds, Frigid Kiln and Frost Foundry costs, Bloodgold cast production and the completed-key sequence.

   Community reference · Checked 2026-09-10. Launch-day researched walkthrough with screenshots. Its route and production costs are corroborated by Postmode and redfreshet, but no installed build or retained raw test record is provided.

4. Postmode: completed Deep North walkthrough

   Winding Tunnels, Frostcore production, Fader-reward Ember production, Bloodgold, Intricate Key, Mörkhalla, the Jotun invasion, Malicious Blood and Aesir Passage are described as one route.

   Community reference · Checked 2026-09-10. Independent launch-day walkthrough based on a completed PS5 playthrough. It conflicts with other sources on some display names, so this edition uses Iron Gate’s official names and avoids treating aliases as separate items.

5. redfreshet: Winding Tunnels and Intricate Key guide

   Abandoned-village entrance search, Frostcore and mould collection, Bloodgold cast, Liquid Frost production and the key-to-Mörkhalla relationship.

   Community reference · Checked 2026-09-10. Japanese launch-day specialist guide labeled for Valheim 1.0. Its underlying observation record is not public, so it is corroboration rather than build verification.