One of God of War’s many side-quests, the “Hammer Fall” Favor can be undertaken relatively early in the game. However, like many Favors, completing the quest is quite an undertaking. Like the Unfinished Business Favor, Hammer Fall starts in the Lake of Nine region. Although you cannot take down Thor himself in God of War, this Favor will at least allow you to destroy his effigy.
You can begin this Favor by speaking to a certain wayward spirit. However, getting to the spirit requires completing a few steps along the way. To start with, you should first travel to Stone Falls. This region is located in the north-eastern bay of the Lake of Nine. If you haven’t been to Stone Falls before, then you may need to open the gates before you can enter Veithurgard.
Opening the Gates to Veithurgard
Once you arrive at the shores of Stone Falls, past the Alfheim Tower, you should spot some planks to your left. Smash them and you’ll find a Mystic Gateway. Pass through, and head past a chain hanging on your left before defeating the enemies you find inside. Turn to your right and you should see a system holding up a bridge; simply throw Kratos’ axe at the disk to bring it down. Once the bridge has been lowered, return to the gate and pull the chain you passed by earlier. Doing so will close one gate and open up another.
Now that the bridge is down, you can jump across and find a wheel on the right; this allows you to open the gates of Veithurgard. Ignore the spirit you will encounter here for now and open the gate which leads back to where you fought enemies before. The gate to your right should now be open, and inside you’ll find a legendary chest containing a Golden Talisman of Protection.
Having claimed the loot, return to the spirit you bypassed before. To the left of the gate in that area you should spot a place you can climb. Although you may not be able to open the tomb here yet, there is a head from the Abandon Ship collectible set as well. Now, at last, you can speak to the wayward spirit, who will give you the “Hammer Fall” Favor. Once you have, you can return to your boat and enter Veithurgard.
Veithurgard
The first region through the gates is Veithurgard Pass. It’s worth exploring the Pass a little to find a few hidden loot items and lore entries, but otherwise you should look for a fallen pillar. Crawl under it and then use your axe to free the boat, allowing you to progress to Veithurgard lake. As soon as you arrive, you should see your target; a huge, emerald-coated statue of Thor. The statue stands atop an island, which is where you should disembark.
First, climb a ledge to your right, then look towards the statue and you should see several glowing icons upon it. Hurl Kratos’ axe at each one. Keep an eye out for one of Odin’s Ravens which is flying around the statue. Keep following the path that winds around Thor’s effigy, using the axe to hit each of the icons that you see. Once you break them all, the statue will collapse. Before you leave, go to where the statue stood to find the grave of the spirit’s father. You can dig up a legendary axe pommel here.
To complete the Favor, return to the spirit in Stone Falls. He will reward you with an Offering to Tyr and several thousand XP.