As a battle-hardened veteran of the God of War series, I‘ve slain mythical beasts from the Greek underworld to the Norselands many times over. But nothing quite prepared my reflexes for Muspelheim‘s dreaded Crucible arena in God of War Ragnarok…
I still have flashbacks charging headfirst into the Weapon Mastery trial, axe swinging wildly, only to get flattened into a pulp 10 kills in by a rampaging Utgard brute three times my size. Not my finest moment!
Yet, after repeated scorching defeats, I‘ve finally compiled the epic gamer‘s guide to collecting endless Smoldering Embers by mastering The Crucible challenges.
In this extensive walkthrough, you‘ll discover:
- Complete background on Muspelheim and the fiery ember lore
- Statistical analysis of upgrade costs, materials, and stat boosts
- Play-by-play Crucible arena strategies for guaranteed dominance
- Maps and locations revealing ALL hidden chests and realm tears
- In-depth crafting guides upgrading legendary weapons and armor
- New Game+ and post-game exploits to scale up ember farming
So brace yourself for the epic all-in-one compendium to unlimited Smoldering Embers – and sleeping soundly at night again!
Origins of Muspelheim & Smoldering Embers
Before charging axe-first into potential death against endgame enemies, it helps knowing precisely why we‘re collecting piles of fiery crafting materials in the first place!
In Norse mythology, Muspelheim represents the realm of primordial fire guarded by the giant Surtr and his allies – the source of all thermal power across the realms. It is prophesied that at Ragnarok, Surtr will lead Muspel‘s forces wielding his mighty sword to scorch the World Tree Yggdrasil and burn down Asgard itself.
God of War Ragnarok draws heavily from these apocalyptic legends in crafting Muspelheim as an embattled kingdom under endless siege from Asgardian attackers.
Odin seeks to control the rich deposits of Smoldering Embers vital in forging Asgardian steel for weapons and armor. Mining Skap Slag debris in the Lake of Fire also generates Embers as a byproduct.
Yet harvesting Embers proves nearly impossible against unrelenting waves of Muspel zealots flooding the mines and forges. Scorched undead known as Burning Shadows overwhelm any Sentinel soldiers not roasted instantly by spewing lava flows.
Even traveling to Muspelheim poses immense challenges given intense heat levels lethal to most outsider races. Hence why the rare Muspelheim seed grants essential access to visitors…like our power-hungry pal Odin.
Now the Mad God grows desperate as Ragnarok dawns, redoubling chaotic efforts to stockpile Embers critical in defending Asgard from Surtr‘s imminent attack.
Among the civilian corpses from Odin‘s pillaging raids: the innocent wife and daughter of Kratos‘ brilliant blacksmith friend Sindri. And they may not represent the warmonger‘s final victims if this endless cycle continues.
The Crucible Awaits
Against this backdrop of legendary lore, Kratos now prepares to journey into Muspelheim‘s heart – the dreaded Crucible challenge arena. Succeeding here offers precious hope of finally ending Odin‘s blood-soaked ambitions.
Each punishing Crucible trial completed earns access to rare Chiseled Chests brimming with Smoldering Embers so coveted throughout the realms. Even mighty Thor struggled conquering this gauntlet with his famed goat chariot reduced to cinders!
So if Kratos and Atreus hope to craft the ultimate legendary armor and weapons equipping them to defeat Odin‘s army for good, this perilous passage proves non-negotiable…
