Of Blood and Bonds - Assassin's Creed Valhalla Guide - IGN (2024)

Welcome to the Of Blood and Bonds page of the official IGN Wiki Guide and Walkthrough for Assassin's Creed Valhalla on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. Here, we'll break down everything you need to know about Of Blood and Bonds, includingwhere to find Halfdan and how to decide between Halfdan and Faravid.

This quest can be found in the Royal Hall of Jorvik. It's the teal objective marker on your map.

When you arrive, speak to the woman inside with a text box over her head. She'll tell you Halfdan's coronation cannot begin until Halfdan arrives. He can be found on a nearby fortress wall speaking with Faravid. Use your raven to spot them.

Speak to them and tell them it's time for the coronation. They'll head back to the Royal Hall. Follow.

A cutscene will begin and you'll learn the Halfdan's cup is made of lead -- and the reason why he has been ill and getting worse. The big question is: did Faravid knowingly poison Halfdan. There is, unfortunately, no easy answer.

The game now asks you to choose to side with Halfdan or Faravid. You can follow your conscience here. The outcome of your choice does not impact the end game of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, so it's more about what your feel is the morally right choice.

Spoilers ahead, obviously.

Is Faravid a Traitor? Did Faravid Poison Halfdan?

Faravid gifted Halfdan the lead cup, so he is culpable for Halfdan's poisoning. However, the story does not provide any proof for or against Halfdan having caused purposeful harm.

There are three indicators that Faravid might have conspired against Halfdan and that he may have known the cup was poisonous (and an additional hint after making your decision; see below):

• Early in this quest line, Faravid kills the Pict warrior before Eivor can question him. It seemed out of character and immediately cast suspicion.
• Faravid's men fatally injured Halfdan's scout. The reasoning that they thought he was a thief seems odd.
• When Eivor offers Faravid the goblet Halfdar threw before the coronation, Faravid refuses and says Eivor should keep it. Additionally, all of the cups Faravid and his men use aren't made from lead.

On the flipside, the reactions from Faravid's men when Halfdan confronts them come across as genuine. They seem to at least believe Halfdan is losing his mind and unfair in his accusations. There is no question that Halfdan is paranoid, but some of his paranoia is also proven right.

Whom to Side With: Halfdan or Faravid?

Upon discovery that the goblet is made from lead, you have to make a choice. Eivor can say:

"You are insane, Halfdan." and side with Faravid. Or:

"Stand down or fight me, Faravid" and side with Halfdan.

There is no neat answer or right or wrong option here. You'll have to live with your choice either believing Faravid is innocent or guilty. Given the evidence, we suggest confronting Faravid, but you have to make that choice on your own. Here's the outcome for each option:

Choose to Back Faravid

By telling Halfdan that he's insane, you are choosing for Faravid to survive. However, there is no happy ending. Halfdar is angered by Eivor defending Faravid's honor, and Faravid is exiled. After Eivor accompanies him out of Jorvik, Faravid disappears from the story. He does not move to Ravensthorpe, nor does this option lead to an alliance with Halfdan.

Now, this choice does lead to another dialog sequence in which Eivor asks Faravid if he knew the cup was made from lead. He doesn't answer it, which does leave additional lingering doubt that this was the right choice. Why wouldn't he say that he didn't know the cup was harmful?

Choose to Back Halfdan

By challenging Faravid, Eivor becomes Halfdan's champion in a battle with Faravid. Defeat Faravid, and you will witness a final dialog scene between the two men. Faravid does not admit to going against Halfdan, but he shares that he used to let his king win in the horse races of his youth -- and that he wouldn't fight him and just let him win again.

Halfdan is angered by this and smashes his head in with his warhammer, killing him.

Halfdan honors his alliance with Eivor. However, while he and his soldiers remain at peace with Eivor, there is no additional benefit here for the endgame. Halfdan's involvement in the main story ends here, regardless of the choice you make.

Since Faravid is dead, you don't get any additional hints as to whether he willfully went against Halfdan.

Faravid Boss Fight

• Faravid uses a sword in large sweeping motions: parry these or dodge at the last second for a quick time slowdown.
• His weak points are his head and his right foot. Shoot these as soon as you can to quickly deplete his stun bar, opening him up for a stun move that does some serious damage.
• Attack in between his attack and he'll go down — there's really not much to this fight.

Whether you fight Faravid or not, the quest line ends. Head to the next page of this guide, Reporting on Eurvicscire, to continue this walkthrough.