The Deep North added two new dungeons to Valheim: the Winding Tunnels and Mörkhalla. Neither is optional. The tunnels hold the Frostcore and moulds you need for the new crafting stations and gear, and the Mörkhallas are the only road to the final boss. This guide covers where the entrances are, what you bring back out and how the two dungeons feed into each other.
The two Deep North dungeons
The Valheim 1.0 patch notes from 9 September 2026 list two dungeons for the last biome: Winding Tunnels and Mörkhalla. If you come across guides talking about “Hidden Tunnels”, that is the same place. Winding Tunnels is the official name and the one the game uses.
The two dungeons form a chain. The Winding Tunnels give you crafting materials and the mould for the Intricate Key. The key opens a Mörkhalla, and at its bottom you trigger a Jotun invasion that rewards the item you need to summon the boss. You run that loop three times. For where the biome sits and what waits outside the dungeons, see our Deep North guide.
| Dungeon | Where | What you get | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winding Tunnels | Under the largest house of an abandoned village | Frostcore, moulds, Luminous Larva, enemy materials | Frigid Kiln, Frost Foundry, Intricate Key |
| Mörkhalla | Tall, dark tower-like structure in the Deep North | Access to the Malice Ice | Jotun invasions and Malicious Blood |
Where to find the Winding Tunnels
The entrance hides in abandoned villages, one of the new Deep North locations. Look for the biggest house in the village, the one with several floors. Inside, a hole in the ground leads down into the tunnels.
Abandoned villages are haunted by the ghosts of their former residents, so don’t expect to search in peace. Clear some inventory space before you go down. You will haul out Frostcore, moulds and enemy drops, and trekking back through the snow for a single forgotten mould is time you won’t get back.
What the Winding Tunnels give you
Frostcore for the new stations
Frostcore is the reason the tunnels come first. This is where you find it, and without it you can’t build the two key Deep North stations. The Frigid Kiln and the Frost Foundry each need 10 Frostcore. The Frigid Kiln turns ice into Liquid Frost, and Liquid Frost powers the Frost Foundry, where the new gear is made. That means at least 20 Frostcore for both.
Moulds for weapons, armour and the key
The second big haul is moulds. The Winding Tunnels contain moulds for weapons, armour and the Intricate Key. Some sit under rubble piles you have to smash, so don’t just sprint along the main path. Moulds for the medium and heavy Deep North armour also drop from both Jotun Warrior types, and patch 1.0.15 raised that drop rate.
Enemies and their drops
Down in the tunnels you’ll meet Elakings and Eyeless Ones. Both are worth killing: Elakings drop Elaking Hair Bundle, Eyeless Ones drop Long Claws, two new 1.0 materials.
Luminous Larva and the lantern
Luminous Larva grows on the tunnel walls. Combine the larvae with Timberwood and you can build the Hooded Lantern, another 1.0 addition. Grab a stack while you’re down there.
How crafting with moulds and casts works
New Deep North gear isn’t made at a single workbench. The process has three steps:
- Mould. Found in the Winding Tunnels; armour moulds also drop from Jotuns.
- Cast. Turn the mould into a cast at the Black Forge or the Galdr Table.
- Frost Foundry. Use the cast in the Frost Foundry to get the finished item.
The Frost Foundry won’t run without Liquid Frost, which you make from Ice in the Frigid Kiln. Build both stations side by side and keep a supply of ice nearby. For everything else version 1.0 added, check the 1.0 update overview.
Intricate Key: your way into Mörkhalla
The Intricate Key follows the same recipe path as other gear. Make a cast from the mould and Bloodgold at the Black Forge, then finish it in the Frost Foundry with Liquid Frost.
You can’t mine Bloodgold. It comes from the Gammeltroll: once defeated, it turns to stone, and you break the petrified body with an Ember Charge, the new 1.0 bomb. That gives you Petrified Tissue, which you smelt into Bloodgold in the Blast Furnace.
Each key is used up when it opens a gate. You need three Intricate Keys in total, because three Mörkhallas stand between you and the boss. Keep the key mould and plan on more than one Gammeltroll for the Bloodgold.
Mörkhalla: the tower, the hook and the Jotuns
A Mörkhalla is a tall, dark structure that looks like a tower. You get in through the Gates of Mörkhalla, and only an Intricate Key opens them. Reaching the gate is often the harder part. The entrance is frequently out of reach, and without the Grappling Hook you practically can’t get there. The hook is a 1.0 tool made for climbing to high places, so craft it before you set out.
Inside, you fight Jotuns, the giants who, according to the patch notes, have launched an invasion of Valheim. They are the main threat of the whole biome, so don’t head into a Mörkhalla with half your stamina and no food buffs.
Malice Ice and the Jotun invasions
At the bottom of each Mörkhalla sits the Malice Ice. Destroy it and a Jotun invasion begins. The invasion site shows up on your map, so you know where to go. Beat back the invasion and you receive Malicious Blood.
Repeat the whole cycle three times: key, Mörkhalla, Malice Ice, invasion. Offer the three Malicious Blood at the Strange Bowl to open the way to the final boss, Kall Fimbulbringer. Our final boss guide walks you through the summoning and the fight.
The invasions are easier with friends. Valheim supports up to ten players in one world, and you’ll find more guides on playing together in the Valheim hub.
What the post-launch patches fixed
Patch 1.0.14 from 17 September 2026 added the correct music to Mörkhalla and adjusted the music in the Winding Tunnels. Patch 1.0.15 increased the chance of Jotun Warriors dropping medium and heavy armour moulds. If moulds refused to drop for you right after launch, try again on the current version.
FAQ
In an abandoned village in the Deep North. Find the largest house with several floors; inside, a hole in the ground leads down into the tunnels.
The Gates of Mörkhalla open with an Intricate Key, which is consumed when you use it. To reach the entrance itself, you usually need the Grappling Hook.
Three. Each opens one Mörkhalla, and summoning the boss takes three Malicious Blood from the invasions you trigger at the bottom of three Mörkhallas.
In practice, yes. The entrance tends to be high up or out of reach, and the Grappling Hook is the tool version 1.0 added for exactly that kind of climb.
Among other things, 10 Frostcore from the Winding Tunnels. The Frigid Kiln needs the same amount, and it makes the Liquid Frost the Frost Foundry runs on.
Information verified on 26 September 2026.