Valdeholm

Quick Facts


HOT ZONE
Type:
Outdoor

Expansion:
The Serpent's Spine

Instanced:
No

Keyed:
No

Level Range:
70 - 75

Send a correction
Located within the highest icy peaks of the Serpent's Spine Mountains is the home of the Krithgor, a species of giants which, unlike other giants in Norrath, are intelligent; some even masters of magic.

Long ago and much to the chagrin of the other gods, Rallos Zek's creations -- the giants, orcs, ogres, and goblins -- invaded the Plane of Earth. Among the giants who did not partake in the war was Beltron, the Krithgor king, who died a short time after the war's end. The most noble of giants marched into Frostcrypt, the giant burial grounds, to lay their king to rest while the remaining giants stayed in their city, Valdeholm.

That day in Frostcrypt, Rallos Zek committed an atrocity upon his own creations, setting a curse upon them, an event which marked the origin of the Shades of Zek. Now, the mission of the Shades is to end their creator's curse. In order to accomplish this, they believe, every living Krithgor giant must be slain. To this day, the curse lives on as the Shades of Frostcrypt do battle with the living and fully functioning Wraithguards and citizens of Valdeholm.
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Welcome to ValdeholmBridge to IcefallThe SpringsNearing the Palace
City CenterArena ArchwayA Captive AudienceIcy Canyon
Arena SpectatorsThe PitValdeholm SmithsFrostcrypt
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Critical, Need to Know Information
# Nov 16 2019 at 12:25 PM Rating: Good
Avatar
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177 posts
The giants all hit hard and even the freaking butchers will summon you, even worse so will the dire wolves and war wolves. Once for the heck of it I moved across the zone from the gates to the palace without taking a single step by casting on giants to get summoned to them, and then slaying them. Invisibility is very unreliable in and I've been struck by spells cast by giants that conned as indifferent when I had perfect invisibility active. So some of the attack spells must have an AE target and not be single-target spells; which of course dispel your invisibility.

The giants all drop cash loot, high value gems, defiant gear of Elaborate and Elegant class, two different augs usable by all players of the appropriate levels. All of the named drop prestige augs in addition to loot items that are generally inferior to defiant gear and worthless for Tribute.

There are a lot of wandering giants and you can easily end up with multiple adds even if you manage a single-pull from the wanderers. The "Shrine" before the "Arena" has more wanderers than static mobs and a badly timed pull can end up with five adds from wanderers. The wolf pen has at least two score direwolves and warwolves inside and they will summon you all over the place. The twin barracks outside the palace have upper floors with bunk beds, in some of the top bunks are sleeping giants, that are very hard to target, that will wake up when you walk past or pull past them.

You generally get 1 to 3 giants with each pull. I've only explored it with my mage so I don't know about calm and mez spells. Note: the wolves following Hunters and Trackers can be picked off without gaining aggro from the giant they are following, so they are not "pets" but simply tethered to the giants they follow. For the Teek Daily Tasks the Loremasters and Royal Guards are only found in the Palace at the top of the zone map and the inside is pretty much impossible to single pull due to the outrageously bad pathing. Seriously, just opening the door to the royal crypt chamber, while not invisible, will aggro the entire chamber, the giants by the entrance will run around in circles, aggroing all of the others and then they'll gang up on you at the entrance.

Conversely, the rift valley containing Frostcrypt and several rare creatures, is much easier to single-pull. Oddly the Flateye oozes are non-aggro, unlike every other ooze my characters have encountered in the Serpent's Spine zones. The spiders and bears are KOS as are the cats. The named ooze, Void, was much easier to kill than Oblivion in Sunderock Springs. There are two Wraithguard stationed at the entrance to Frostcrypt which are there mostly for quest turn-ins from within Frostcrypt itself. Unlike most other dungeon entrances the zone the zonewall is halfway down the entrance ramp, not partway around a turn. Also oddly enough, there have been times that I've run into Flateye oozes inside the city itself, the first time was on a barracks balcony, which really surprised me.

Have fun and try not to die.
____________________________
Artulyn Starsummoner 120 Grand Summoner of Omani Winter on Bertoxxulous

For the Light of a Candle to be Seen, It must be taken to a Dark Place -- UKLG
No Hotzone bonus
# Mar 08 2017 at 11:03 PM Rating: Good
Scholar
21 posts
level 82 mage.

read this was a hotzone once long ago.

ok. came in. killed some wraithguard. no bonus

guess not anymore.

still go xp. but no bonus.

oh well.
No Hotzone bonus
# Mar 10 2017 at 6:46 PM Rating: Excellent
zetagod wrote:
level 82 mage.

read this was a hotzone once long ago.

ok. came in. killed some wraithguard. no bonus

guess not anymore.

still go xp. but no bonus.

oh well.


It is on the list for hotzones but the hotzones are random from day to day. You'll have to visit Franklin Teek in PoK to see the daily hotzones.
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exp
# Jun 30 2016 at 5:03 PM Rating: Decent
2 posts
mob give exp up til lvl 90 and the spiders can be head shot with bow from rangers , mobs only have around 95k hp's .
XP in 2016
# May 26 2016 at 7:03 PM Rating: Decent
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92 posts
XP here is very poor at 85. Not a good place to solo-grind.
HOT ZONE EXP
# Jun 02 2013 at 9:01 PM Rating: Decent
10 posts
Yes it still gives bonus exp as if it was a hot zone still , some mob con light blue up til lvl 90
Not A hot zone but still has HZ exp boost?
# Aug 21 2012 at 8:23 AM Rating: Decent
8 posts
I heard that Vald still has the HZ exp boost even though it's not a HZ anymore. Can anyone confirm this?
Summon
# Aug 10 2012 at 12:53 AM Rating: Decent
2 posts
Do the mobs in here Summon or can they be Headshotted?
Hot Zone
# Jan 07 2009 at 9:31 AM Rating: Decent
This is now the 70-75 level hot zone as of January 2009.
levels
# Dec 26 2008 at 2:31 AM Rating: Good
Zothsoulfury please provide a link. I can find nothing on this and confirm both augs being 70 for Vald and 75 for DSK. It does not make sense for the motd/alla's and the aug levels to be wrong btw.
Tagged wrong
# Dec 20 2008 at 4:06 PM Rating: Default
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62 posts
Per the SOE forums, the patch notes were in error: this should be the level 75 HZ, not the level 70. DSK is the level 70 HZ.
NEW HOTZONE
# Dec 19 2008 at 10:58 AM Rating: Decent
Hs anybody found decent camping spots since it became a HOTZONE for experience?
faction
# Dec 19 2006 at 8:59 AM Rating: Decent
Scholar
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97 posts
what do you do to raise the faction with the giants outside
the wall ... i was foolish enough to group there early on
and dropped faction to threatening.
____________________________
Petts 120 Beastlord of Torvonnilous (now on Bertox)
Slapau 120 Monk of Torvonnilous (now on Bertox)
Cirena 120 Druid of Torvonnilous (now on Bertox)
Dohbee 120 Ranger of Bertox
faction
# Dec 23 2008 at 12:05 PM Rating: Decent
28 posts
You can also do the quest "Warning Signs" given form Wraithguard Warden Hrosigar. The quest is easy and repeatable. You should be able to get ally in about 30-40min.
faction
# Jan 06 2007 at 3:21 AM Rating: Decent
You can Raise faction by killing mob in Frostcrypt. They are a ______ of Zek in deeper Frostcrypt or the nameds.
New Named Mob
# Oct 24 2006 at 3:42 PM Rating: Decent
45 posts
Named popped : Royal Guard Captain Helgar far north east corner with loads of lorekeepers.
zone lore/description
# Oct 12 2006 at 5:27 PM Rating: Decent
Sage
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90 posts
just my two copper. King Beltron didn't die in the war, he died of old age. and from the in game lore, I would surmise the Krithgor giants didnt even engage in the war on Earth.

from the books carried by Librarian Hemfar in Crescent Reach:

The First Shades of Zek Vol. I

As the war on the Plane of Earth ended,King Beltron Wulfnor began to lose his grip on life, foregoing the comforts of his palatial fineries in Valdeholm, he spent his last hours in Krithgor. He wanted to spend his last moments near his giants and all the Rallosians who served in the war. He had lived a full life and seen much and was ready to give his flesh and spirit to Rallos Zek and pass the throne down to his sone, Odeen.

After spending many hours behind closed doors with his son, the loreseekers were brought to prepare Beltron for his final breath and to secure safe passage into the afterlife. The giants believed that upon death, they would live once again as warriors at their maker's side. They never feared death because of the honor it would bring them -- to stand next to their warlord, Rallos Zek, was something many giants looked forward to.

Finally, Beltron's last breath escaped. Odeen removed the crown and placed it on his head as the loreseekers blessed him with all the strength and courage of his father. Then the body was prepared for the progression into the House WUlfnor chamber of the Frostcrypt.

Thousands of giants made the march from Krithgor to Valdeholm, the great giant city to the north. Their heads held highh, proud that their king would be standing with his god, they marched for hours chanting a war prayer created by the first king of the giants, King Harfange the Black, who was said to have been given it by Rallos Zek himself.

Svard dar istadd-
Alska kerdu vargadrum
Ayx! Ayx!

And so the giants marched, shaking the hillsides with their booming voices until they reached the frozen Flateye Lake. From here, only the loreseekers and nobles were allowed to continue into the barrow chiseled beneath the icy lake. From the walls of Valdeholm above, the giants all watched as the loreseekers flawlessly rearranged themselves in a formation to march single file ito the crypt. [See Volume II for more]

The First Shades of Zek Vol. II

The procession carried the body of King Beltron into the crypt and disappeared from view.

The burial rites were well progressing as they normally did when a king died. Many wods and blessings, incantations and prayers. Then it happened.

Only one survivor, Loreseeker Yrgar (it was his quill that was found in the Serpent Spine Mountains that this reading was taken from) was able to tell the tale of what he saw in that chamber. His memory remained bewildered and confused by what exactly happened, even though his eyes did not betray him.

As the loreseekers wafted purify smoke over the body of the king, his skin began to darken. The loreseekers continued, but began to look to one another with trepidation. When runes began to burn and curl across the king's skin, the loreseekers stopped. Something was not right. All around them, the ice bagan to shed a blue-green vapor. The room seemed to be heating up with no explanation.

Then the voice of a god shook the mountains from the sky to the crypt's icy core.

"BETRAYERS OF YOUR MAKER! RETISCENT FOOLS! A time of war falls upon you and your cower like rats? A lesson will be learned this day and for all your days. You will know and love the endless struggle of war. Unto you shall fall a darkness eternal. You have forsaken your lineage, and so it shall destroy you."

And with the words of the Warlord, Rallos Zek, still echoing off the icy halls, the body of King Beltron rose from the srcophagus. Thought the war on Earth was so long ago, the god had not forgotten or forgiven Beltron Wulfnor and his family who remained in Valdeholm while the Rallosian Army shed blood. And for that cowardice, Rallos Zek would have his vengeance in Beltron himself.

Beltron's body was awash in a sickly aqua glow. The runes on his body began to glow and as he opened his eyes and eerie blue shone from them. He picked up the axes he was buried with and brandished them, holding still for one small moment, sureying the room.

THen it started and didn't stop. In the wildest blood frenzy ever known, the king cut down every living creature near to him. And for each one that died, they too rose to be like Beltron with aqua skin branded by runes. They became beholden to their god. They became Shades of Zek. It would be their duty to hunt down and kill all of the Krithgor giants, to bring them into their fold. They believe that if they win the war -- to kill all the living Krithgor -- the curse will at last be lifted.

Still, that day has not come. And still, they continue the hunt.
Mammoth Tender Granik
# Oct 08 2006 at 7:54 PM Rating: Decent
This dropped off him twice: Warbound Belt
Effect improved Dodge 1 (worn)
Str:+15, Dex: +15, Cha:+15, Wis:+15, Int: +15, HP:+ 235, Mana:+235, Endurance:+235, SV fire, dis, mag, poison:+ 16 each
Class: WAR RNG MNK BRD ROG BST BER
Race: ALL
Slot type: 7

Tryed to look it up on here, found nothing so I thought I would post it.

Loc of where we killed him...48.91, 1874.85, -195.28

Good idea to have a heavy duty tank and good healer)>

Dilaya
sealed letter
# Oct 03 2006 at 12:53 PM Rating: Decent
*
101 posts
Got

Sealed letter of the giants, which is no trade, and quest item. no clue what quest though. weight 0.1 size : small class none race none. and the icon of a letter
lorekeeper magnus
# Sep 30 2006 at 12:32 PM Rating: Decent
lorekeeper magnus

dropped....

ancestral hoop
ear
dex12 sta12 cha12 wis12 int12 agi12 hp195 mana195
fire/dis/pos/mag 14
rec 72 / rec 65
clr/dru/shm/nec/wiz/mag/enc
all

pic inc.
lorekeeper magnus
# Oct 01 2006 at 4:51 PM Rating: Excellent
****
6,998 posts
jokerjoker wrote:
lorekeeper magnus

dropped....

ancestral hoop
ear
dex12 sta12 cha12 wis12 int12 agi12 hp195 mana195
fire/dis/pos/mag 14
rec 72 / rec 65
clr/dru/shm/nec/wiz/mag/enc
all

pic inc.


Added, thanks.
lorekeeper magnus
# Sep 30 2006 at 12:50 PM Rating: Decent
should be rec 72 = req 72

my bad. i appologize.

so...

required 72 reccomended 65

once again. sorry for bad info on that.
Faction
# Sep 28 2006 at 9:30 AM Rating: Decent
**
360 posts
I was/am Dubious (i.e. non-KOS) to the giants in the outer areas, which offer some quests. There are probably other factions inside (like in Kael).

Woodelf Tunare Ranger.
Ouch!
# Sep 20 2006 at 3:21 AM Rating: Decent
I was running around and found a named mob that saw through my invis.

Belgar, Captain of the Wall

Hit me for 4204 max few 1500ish also cast a spell, when it hit me it said....You are struck by a powerful blow. Damage on the spell was 2640 with a knockback component. Not sure if he cast any other spells or if he hits harder than 4204. My Cleric died only got one heal off before he put a big boot print in my forehead.
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