Each of Valheim's many, diverse biomes holds enticing secrets, adding further motivation to explore. Though a lot of these areas are shrouded in mystery, some are required for progression.
The Sunken Crypts are no exception to this, as they hold riches and items that players will absolutely need as they fight their way out of purgatory. But until The Elder, the second of many bosses in Valheim, is defeated, players are barred from entering the Sunken Crypts.
RELATED: Valheim Fermenter Guide
Here's where to find the Sunken Crypts, how to gain access, and the items that can be plundered.
Once a player defeats The Elder, they'll be directed by Hugin, Odin's advice-giving raven, to head to the Swamps. There, players will encounter considerably powerful enemies and, if they're lucky, stumble upon a Sunken Crypt. Since the worlds are procedurally generated, there are no guaranteed spawn areas.
Fortunately enough, Sunken Crypts are quite easy to spot, with large, green torches surrounding the barred iron gate. It basically looks like a mausoleum, shrouded in green, glowing light. Players can use the Swamp Key that drops from The Elder to gain entry.
Players can expect to fight Blobs, Draugr, and Draugr Elite in the crypt's winding tunnels. These are all very difficult enemies if players are not equipped with at least Bronze armor and weapons.
Each of the Sunken Crypt's rooms will likely be blocked off by Muddy Scrap Piles, which seem pretty useless on the surface. This is certainly not the case – breaking these piles down with at least an Antler Pickaxe will reward the player with Leather Scrap and Scrap Iron. Leather Scrap is not a new item at this point, as it can be gathered by killing Boars.
Scrap Iron, however, is the next step in the line of smeltable metals. Collecting Scrap Iron will then allow players to convert it into Iron bars at the Smelter, which will obviously open up the door to forging Iron tools and armor. Muddy Scrap Piles can also drop Withered Bones, which are necessary for spawning Bonemass, the next boss players must fight.
Certain rooms in the Sunken Crypt also have a random chance to contain chests, which contain valuable items like Ruby, Amber, and gold Coins. If all that wasn't enough, players can also find Body Piles or a Rune Stone that will show the exact location of Bonemass' spawn.
Valheim is available in Steam Early Access now on PC.