Granny's Travel Guides: West Bjora Marches

BY: GMAFOG

West Bjora Marches has a lot of features that East Bjora Marches had, but it seems better laid out and is centered around Spirits’ Refuge to make directions easier. That being said, the description to each place will be from Spirits’ Refuge, which is located at Still Waters Speaking Waypoint. I will be adding a little tidbit of information to this guide, to leave you with a challenge. There are multiple Idols of Jormag, norn and essence chests that have been seen in my travels, but directions to them will be the adventure. The larger essence chest will need raven lock mastery.  Keep your eyes open!

Note: **Both events follow each other.

Spirits' Refuge

Spirits’ Refuge has a warm campfire and seems to be the main safe place to take a breath, unless riding a skyscale above all the fighting. Soon as you leave the safety of the camp, there are multiple foes to battle.

Waypoint:

• Still Waters Speaking Waypoint is in the center of the Spirits’ Refuge camp and is the only waypoint in West Bjora Marches. 

Point of interest:

• Still Waters Speaking POI is received once you enter the camp.

Vista:

Spirits' Refuge vista is just above the armor repair station. There is an easy way and a more challenging way to get to this vista. 

• Easy way: Go out the south gate turn left and there is a bouncing mushroom. Take it and the view site is within running distance to the north. 
• Challenging way: Move north past the waypoint to the wooden deck and look north to find a ledge, next to a large boulder. At this point jump up to the east side on the ridges until you reach the vista.

Farming:

• Winter root vegetables
• Cypress saplings
• Verdant herbs
• Mithril ore

Foes:

• Arctodus
• Aberrant: Warg, murellow, skelk
• Fallen: Furfly

Merchants:

• Karma-Merchant: Miscellaneous items, Illuminated Boreal Weapons, Curious Stones from afar, Spare Restored Boreal Weapons,  and Discarded Boneskinner Artifacts.
• Regular merchant: Basic farming tools and salvage kits.

Miscellaneous other:

• Armor repair station

Frostborn Cascades

Frostborn Cascades is in the northeast corner of West Bjora Marches with a wonderful view of the icefall and mountains. There are a few hiding places in the rock where you are fairly safe to catch your breath.

Point of interest:

• To get to the Shrine of the Resilient Ox, traveling from Spirits’ Refuge, take the bouncing mushroom out the south gate and move to the path between two mountains, before you reach the vista. Make an immediate left turning between the trees to find the road leading up to the POI.

Vista:

• Frostborn Cascades Vista is up on the snowy cliffs northeast of the shrine. Glancing in that direction there are ledges and boulders to bounce or fly up. Enjoy this beautiful view!

Bjora Marches Insight:

• Frozen Waterfall Insight has a path from the vista going northwest. On the way to the insight, there is a medium chest of resilience to farm. At the point where the chest is found, fly or jump up the icicles to the mastery insight location, which is  southwest of the chest, on top of the frozen waterfall.

Farming:

• Winter root vegetables
• Cypress saplings
• Verdant herbs
• Eternal ice shard
• Mithril ore

Chests:

• Essence chests of Resilience will be found in this area.

Foes:

• Fallen: pinipal, furfly, Kodan infantry, bear shaman

Events:

• Prove your strength to the Ox Spirit

Forest of a Thousand Voices

Moving out the north gate at Spirits’ Refuge, following the road to the Forest of a Thousand Voices, is an interesting run to say the least. This cold snowy forest will take you to the breathtaking north entrance of Ice Spire Peaks.

Farming:

• Winter root vegetables
• Cypress saplings
• Verdant herbs
• Eternal ice shard
• Mithril ore

Foes:

• Aberrant:  imps, warg, murellow, and skelk.

Event:

• Fell trees and clear brush to help the kodan

Ice Spire Peaks

Ice Spire Peaks is a wonderful area to visit for farming, light puzzle/raven’s gate and boss fights. During the day it is so bright it can be hard to see.

Point of interest:

• Shrine of the Valorous Wolverine is in the darkest, twisted tree forested area and you can easily die. Coming from the Ice Spire area north of the POI, move to the center of the Forested area toward the shrine. If the Corrupted Wolverine Spirit event is in progress, stay away from the red and hide from the spirit, making your way to the shrine.

Vista:

• Ice Spire Peaks is best entered to the northeast where you will see a set of ledges to jump up to the top. Watch out at the top, there might be an aberrant wisp to fight before you view.

Farming:

• Winter root vegetables
• Cypress saplings
• Verdant herbs
• Eternal ice shard
• Mithril ore

Chests:

• Essence chests of valor will be found in the area around the shrine.

Foes:

• Undying Boneskinner
• Aberrant: imps, warg, murellow, wisp and skelk.

Events:

• Defeat the Wolverine Champion - Close the energy vortex**
• Cleanse the corrupted Wolverine Spirit Shrine

Raven Ruins

Raven Ruins is through a raven gate just north of Ice Spire Peaks vista. This structure of scaffolds, foes, mirrors and raven gates is a light puzzle, but wings will deploy. 

Point of interest:

Mystery of the Raven Gate Ruins is through a raven gate just north of Ice Spire Peaks vista. Once you enter the gate, move forward to get the POI. 

Farming:

• None that I saw.

Chests:

• Norn chests and extra chest at the end when you finish the light puzzle.

Foes:

• Icebrood : Elementals, trolls
• Corrupted: spiders griffons
• Ice imps

Boreal Pass

Moving out the south gate of Spirits’ Refuge there is a beautiful ice fall that is available to view through the Spirits' Refuge Vista.

Points of interest:

• Koda's Tears is directly out the south gate from Spirits’ Refuge. Move south and you will see a canyon with an awesome ice spire fall that has a signal brazier to light down at the lower level.
• Kodan Shipwreck is just north of the Koda’s Tears POI. Head north and park by the signal brazier under the shipwreck to get the point of interest.

Bjora Marches Insight:

• The Lost Kodan Ship is in a small cavern on the shipwreck. Moving west from the Spirits' Refuge camp, you will find a ramp onto the ship. Once across the ramp, turn left and follow the planks around to the south. Just before the archway, on your right, there is a small opening where the insight sits. 

Farming:

• Verdant herbs
• Winter root vegetables
• Eternal ice
• Mithril ore
• Ancient saplings

Chests:

• A norn chest on shipwreck

Foes:

• Ice wurms

Events:

• Defeat the Ox champion - Close the energy vortex**

Fractured Lake

There is an icy passageway just below the Kodan Shipwreck that will lead you into Cerulean Hallows.

Farming:

• Mithril ore.

Foes:

• Icebrood: troll, elemental, wolf
• Ice wurms
• Corrupted: Griffon

Cerulean Hollows

Cerulean Hollows has an astonishing view when entering the cavern, with the broken structures and glowing ice walls. 

Point of interest:

• Arrive at Sifhalla Ruins through the Fractured Lake passageway to receive the POI.

Farming:

• Eternal ice
• Mithril ore
• Ancient saplings.

Chests:

• A norn chest and a medium chest of Valor is behind a Raven Lock.

Foes:

• Icebrood: troll, elemental

Whispering Depths

Following down the ice crystal passageways there is a massive ice cave that is Whispering Depths. In that cave there are two Raven gates, one to strike missions and the other to the Mystery of Drakkar's Lair light puzzle. You will need Raven Flight mastery to enter the gate to the illuminating puzzle.

Point of interest:

• Den of Whispers you will receive the POI as soon as you enter the area.

Bjora Marches Insight:

• Drakkar's Lair is located at the end of the light puzzle and can’t be accessed during the Meta events. Move out the south gate toward the Koda’s Tears POI. Stay up above and fly over or jump to the southeast side of the canyon and move southwest through Frigid Dunes. There is a tunnel to the west that can be entered and end in a cavern. Once there, go through the raven gate on the west side and the mastery point is directly across from the entrance. The hard part is doing the light puzzle to get across to it. My suggestion is to do the parts of the jumping by gliding from one beam to the next, don’t worry about the lights, just go and interact with the mastery first. If you fall into the water there is a raven’s gate to take you back to the beginning.

Strike Mission:

• Whisper of Jormag

Meta events:

• Champion of the Ice Dragon
• Follow Jhavi into Drakkar's lair
• Defeat Drakkar
• Defeat the champion of Eagle
• Defeat the champion of Ox
• Defeat the champion of Wolverine

Frigid Dunes 

Frigid Dunes is southwest of Spirits’ Refuge. It includes a tunnel and ice cave that is hidden inside next to Whispering Depths. Take your time and look around for shinies and lots of things to do.

Points of interest:

• Kodan's Leap: Move out the south gate toward the Koda’s Tears POI. Stay on the south road until you come to an arched mesa and at the archway jump or fly up to the top and you will receive your POI.
• Cavern of Lost Sons: Move out the south gate toward the Koda’s Tears POI. Glide across the canyon to move southwest through Frigid Dunes. Just west of Frigid Dunes enter the tunnel and battle your way into the cave to receive your POI.

Farming:

• Mithril ore
• Orichalcum ore

Chests:

• A norn chest, medium chest of vigilance

Foes:

• Svanir: Veteran Son of Svanir, hunter, brute, Champion Sons of Svanir Bowman.

Event:

• Defeat the Eagle Champion - Close the energy vortex**

Eaglewatch Rise

Going out the south gate at Spirits’ Refuge, move through Boreal Pass to the southeast. While trying to find the entrances to the POIs and vista, this area can be cold, snowy and hard to see during a blizzard.

Points of interest:

• Mystery of the Hidden Tower - Moving south from the shrine, there will be a raven gate up the mountain on a ledge. Enter the gate to receive the POI. This is also another light puzzle. There are multiple norn chests with a large chest at the finish.
• The Shrine of the Vigilant Eagle is in the southeast corner of the map. The Event takes place here.

Vista:

• Eaglewatch Rise is to the northwest of the exit of the light puzzle. Springer is a hop, skip and jump up the ledges to view the wonderful area. Halfway to the viewpoint there is a Chest of Vigilance above on a ledge. Keep your eyes open. When you get to the cliff, turn right and you will see where to interact with the vista.

Farming:

• Eternal ice
• Mithril ore
• Cypress saplings
• Verdant herbs

Chests:

• Norn chests and chests of vigilance are found around Eagle shrine.

Foes:

• Icebrood: troll, elemental
• Corrupted: Griffon

Event:

• Cleanse the corrupted Eagle shrine

Rime Glen

Rime Glen is in the most southern part of the map with lots of foes to fight and shinies to farm. There is a beautiful waterfall among all the snow-laden mountains and forests. 

Point of interest: 

• Whisperwind Grotto is under the waterfall in the pond.

Farming:

• Eternal ice
• Cypress saplings
• Verdant herbs.
• Chests: A norn chest

Foes:

• Icebrood: Colossus, troll, elemental, goliath, kodan, wolf
• Svanir: brute, Son of Svanir
• Corrupted: griffon

Event: 

• Entrance to Strike Mission: Whisper of Jormag

Other events throughout Bjora Marches:

• Defend the kodan priestess
• Fell trees and clear brush to help the kodan
• Help the kodan gather fish for the village - Trial of Koda: Defeat the enemies emerging from the depths**
• Stop the Svanir ceremony - Defeat the invading enemy forces**
• Destroy the corrupted shard - Trial of Koda: Escort the wounded kodan to safety**

There are many places and landscapes to see in West Bjora Marches. Between the events, POIs, vistas, mastery insights, farming, chests, Idols of Jormag and light puzzles, you will find plenty of stuff to experience here. Take your time and keep your eyes open or there will be plenty of shinies you will miss!

Next Travel Guide: I haven’t decided yet. Please leave a comment with where you want me to go next! Thank you, in advance, for your responses.

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