Barrows of Haugsnes

Raven Moor: the carrion birds swoop on the living.

Past the fjord lies the moor. Haugsnes is an autumn plain of heather and dozens of open barrows — and the gold of the dead wakes the dead. At the end of the trail, atop a ship of stone, Kárr the Old still rules from his throne, surrounded by his own hoard.

Region	Útangarðr — map 2 of 10
Act	I — The Dead
Biome	Barrow moor
Lieutenant	Þórólfr Crookfoot
Boss	Kárr the Old
Relic	Kársnautr

The map opens once you defeat Hrafnkell, the Draugr Jarl, at the end of the Fjords of Hrafnvik.

Sky and weather

The light on the moor shifts as the hero pushes on. The first stages are fought by day, among ravens and heather; dusk falls over the Stone Ship and Crookfoot’s barrow; by night a thick mist blankets the moor and hides whatever comes until it is close. Kárr waits in his barrow hall, lit by braziers.

Mist over the Moor: at night, the dead only show themselves once they’re close.

Levels by difficulty

Each stage has a fixed level within the map’s range; the boss is 2 levels higher.

Difficulty	Enemy levels
Normal	3–4
Heroic	17–19
Mythic	32–34
Ragnarök	47–49

See also Difficulties and Expeditions. beta

Stages

Each stage you win unlocks the next; the tenth is the boss fight. Every stage has three stars to earn: win, win without falling, and win under the target time. After your first victory in a stage you can switch on Repeat on loop — the hero replays the stage on his own and only stops after three falls in a row.

#	Stage	Type	What awaits the hero
1	Raven Moor	Advance	Ravens circle over the heather; the first dead wander among the mounds.
2	Graveyard Gate	Advance	Thralls, wanderers and crossbowmen guard the stone gate.
3	The Barrows Open	Ambush	The slabs grind open and the mounds spit out their dead.
4	The Stone Ship	Advance	Sorcerers chant galdr among the stones of the ship.
5	Crookfoot’s Barrow	Lieutenant	Þórólfr Crookfoot, the haugbúi who hurls the slabs of his own barrow.
6	Mist over the Moor	Night Advance	A long march by night: the mist hides whatever comes until it is close.
7	Galdr at the Stone Ship	Ritual	The stones of the ship, kindled by galdr, raise the dead again.
8	Vigil at the Hof	Defense	Guard the altar of the ruined temple until the night is over.
9	Crypt Guard	Gates	Elites only: the guard of the jarls before Kárr’s barrow.
10	Kárr the Old	Boss	The ancient draugr waits on his throne atop the stone ship, ringed with gold.

Crossing

With all ten stages won, the Crossing opens: the whole moor in one go, from the camp to Kárr’s barrow, through the Raven Moor, the Graveyard Gate, the barrow field, the Stone Ship, the ruined temple and the Crypt of the Jarls.

The Barrows Open: an ambush in the barrow field.

Enemies

The draugr of the fjords are here too — the Draugr Thrall, the Wandering Draugr and the Draugr Crossbowman (see Draugr). But the moor has dead of its own.

Haugbúi

The barrow-dweller: slow to fall, heavy-fisted and more dangerous by the minute. He raises both fists before the Barrow Hammer and, at half life, swells up and hits harder, no longer flinching from blows. He resists physical damage and fears fire.

Species	Behavior	Life	Damage	Weak to	Resists
Haugbúi	Melee · takes −10% damage	×2.6	×1.35	Fire -20%	Physical +20%

Carrion Raven Flock

A flock that circles high above, out of reach. The ravens caw and climb before they dive and leave you bleeding; then they land to peck — and only then can they be hit.

Species	Behavior	Life	Damage	Weak to	Resists
Carrion Raven Flock	Aerial	×0.55	×0.5	Lightning -20%	—

Nár-Völva

The dead völva chants the Barrier Galdr: a violet thread binds her to an ally while runes spin around it, soaking up part of the damage. She also casts the cursing Grave Breath. Silence her first; she resists seiðr, but not steel.

Species	Behavior	Life	Damage	Weak to	Resists
Nár-Völva	Support	×0.95	×0.9	Physical -20%	Seiðr +20%

Barrow Standard-Bearer and Raven Banner

The Standard-Bearer plants the Raven Banner in the earth: while the cloth still flutters, the dead within 8 m feel no pain and strike harder. Bring the banner down and its bearer staggers.

Species	Behavior	Life	Damage	Weak to	Resists
Barrow Standard-Bearer	Melee · takes −8% damage	×1.8	×1.15	Fire -20%	—

Species	Behavior	Life	Damage	Weak to	Resists
Raven Banner	Stationary object	×0.9	×0	Fire -20%	—

Lieutenant: Þórólfr Crookfoot

Þórólfr Crookfoot advances, a Nár-Völva at his side.

Þórólfr died in a rage and would not stay in his grave: he tears the slabs from his own mound and lifts them overhead before he throws — the shadow on the ground shows where the stone will land. His Crooked Stomp sets the pebbles around him trembling. At half life he swells up and the barrow spits out more thralls. He appears in stage 5, Crookfoot’s Barrow.

Species	Behavior	Life	Damage	Weak to	Resists
Þórólfr Crookfoot	Melee · takes −10% damage	×1.6	×1.2	Fire -20%	Physical +20%

Boss: Kárr the Old

Kárr’s throne, atop the stone ship.

Kárr ruled Haugsnes in life and rules it still in death. The fight has three phases:

1. On the throne. Kárr flings handfuls of Cursed Gold — and the coins become thralls. Linger too long near the throne and you’ll take the Throne Sweep.
2. On his feet. Below 60% life, he rises. He spreads his arms and lunges into a Grapple that pins the hero (the Opening Strike breaks free), and lifts his knee for the Barrow Stomp, which sends the coins jumping.
3. Swollen. Below 30%, Kárr swells to a giant: slower and stronger, and every heavy blow cracks the ground for a few seconds.

Kárr resists physical and ice damage, and fears fire.

Species	Behavior	Life	Damage	Weak to	Resists
Kárr the Old	Boss	×13	×1.55	Fire -20%	Physical +20% Ice +20%

The relic: Kársnautr

Your first victory over Kárr guarantees the relic Kársnautr, the sword he kept in his barrow; after that it can still drop with each win, with better odds on higher difficulties. Its aspect makes the Opening Strike also cut every enemy within 4 m and steal life for each enemy hit. See Aspects and Sets.

The map’s enemies drop Barrow Gold — cold coins and rings taken from the mounds — used for the Haugbúi’s Greed tempering at Brokkr and to imprint the Kársnautr aspect in the Völva’s Codex of Power. The boss drops three at once.

In the myths

In Grettir’s Saga, the hero Grettir the Strong hears of a barrow in Norway where Kárr the Old lies — once lord of those lands, a dead man who found no rest and haunted the island. Grettir digs into the mound, climbs down into the dark and finds the dead man seated among his treasure. They wrestle; Grettir wins, strikes off Kárr’s head and comes out with the gold and an ancient sword — Kársnautr, “Kárr’s gift”.

Kárr is a haugbúi, “the mound-dweller”: a dead man who goes on living inside his own barrow, guarding what he took to the grave. Þórólfr Crookfoot comes from another saga, the Eyrbyggja Saga: a foul-tempered old man who came back after death to haunt the valley — cattle and herdsmen died wherever he walked, until his body was dug up and, in the end, burned.