If you have been wandering through the northern wilds wondering about War in the North how to solve riddles, the answer almost always leads back to one character: Tedder Hedgegrow. This eccentric hermit plants himself at several key locations and challenges you with cryptic questions that reward sharp observation rather than raw combat skill. Getting his answers right unlocks hidden loot that most players miss entirely, including some of the best early-game gear in the Legacy Edition.
The riddle system is deceptively simple once you understand the pattern behind it. Tedder does not ask random trivia; every question ties directly to the environment, the lore you have collected, or the enemies you have already fought. This guide walks through every riddle location, the correct answers, and the class-specific secrets that Eradan, Farin, and Andriel can each uncover. By the end, you will know exactly how to solve every puzzle the game throws at you and where to find the elven glyphs that mark hidden passages.
Understanding the Riddle System and Tedder Hedgegrow's Role
Tedder Hedgegrow appears as a non-hostile NPC who offers a short dialogue exchange rather than a combat encounter. According to community reports from the Steam Community 100% guide, he presents a series of riddles at specific locations, and the answers unlock secret stashes that contain upgrade materials, gold, and occasionally unique weapons. The trick is that Tedder does not mark himself on the map, so you need to explore thoroughly to find him.
The riddle mechanics work differently from the environmental puzzles you encounter in the main story. When you interact with Tedder, the game pauses and presents a question with two or three answer choices. Selecting the wrong answer does not fail the puzzle permanently; you can simply retry the dialogue until you pick the correct one. However, the reward only appears after you answer correctly, so there is no penalty for guessing except wasted time.
What makes this system interesting is that each riddle answer is contextually grounded in the area where you find Tedder. For example, a riddle about the Fornost ruins will reference the specific enemies or landmarks you just fought through. This design choice means that players who pay attention to their surroundings will naturally deduce the answers without needing an external guide.
The Legacy Edition adds a quality-of-life feature that changes how you approach these riddles. The new Triggering Secrets mechanic, detailed in the RPG Site announcement, lets you see other characters' hidden secrets such as supply caches regardless of who you are currently playing. This removes the need to replay with each hero just to find everything, which is a massive time saver for completionists.
Where to Find Tedder Hedgegrow
Tedder appears in three main locations across the campaign, and each encounter offers a different riddle with a different reward tier. The first meeting happens in Sarn Ford during Act 1, where he stands near the riverbank behind a cluster of rocks. The second is in Fornost during Act 2, tucked into a ruined building on the eastern edge of the map. The third appears in Mount Gundabad during Act 3, hidden in a small cave that is easy to miss if you rush through the area.
| Location | Act | Reward Type | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarn Ford | Act 1 | Upgrade materials + gold | Easy |
| Fornost | Act 2 | Unique weapon or armor piece | Moderate |
| Mount Gundabad | Act 3 | Legendary-tier loot | Hard |
Each location requires a different approach to reach Tedder. At Sarn Ford, you simply follow the river south from the main path until you spot his campfire. At Fornost, you need to climb a collapsed staircase and jump across a broken bridge to reach his hideout. At Mount Gundabad, the cave entrance is concealed behind a breakable wall that only Farin can smash, so you must switch characters if you are playing solo as Eradan or Andriel.
Decoding the Elven Glyphs and Hidden Passages
Beyond Tedder's riddles, the game hides a separate layer of secrets tied to War in the North elven glyphs. These glowing symbols appear on certain walls and doorways throughout the campaign, marking passages that only Andriel can open. According to the Wikipedia character breakdown, Andriel finds hidden passages marked with elven glyphs, while Eradan tracks Ranger trails and Farin detects fissures. This class-based secret system means each character unlocks different loot.
The elven glyphs are not always obvious at first glance. Some appear as faint blue runes etched into stone, while others glow brightly only when you stand within a few meters. The key is to look for walls that seem out of place or have a slightly different texture than the surrounding rock. When Andriel approaches a glyph-marked wall, a prompt appears telling you to interact with it, which triggers a short animation of the wall dissolving into light.
| Glyph Type | Character Requirement | What It Unlocks | Example Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Rune | Andriel | Hidden passage to loot room | Fornost western tower |
| Red Mark | Farin | Breakable wall to cache | Mount Gundabad lower caves |
| Green Trail | Eradan | Secret stash along Ranger path | Sarn Ford riverbank |
The hidden glyph passages often lead to rooms that contain multiple chests rather than a single reward. In Fornost, for example, the western tower glyph opens a passage that spirals upward to a balcony with three chests and a lore tome. These rooms are entirely optional, but they contain some of the best hidden chests in the game, including pieces of the Ranger of the North armor set that boosts melee damage significantly.
How to Spot Glyphs Faster
Experienced players recommend a simple scanning pattern when entering any new area. First, check the walls at eye level for any glowing symbols, then look at the floor for runes that might be partially hidden under debris. The Legacy Edition improves glyph visibility with a subtle shimmer effect that makes them easier to spot from a distance, but you still need to be observant.
Another useful trick is to listen for ambient audio cues. When you are near a glyph-marked wall, the game plays a faint humming sound that gets louder as you approach. This audio cue is subtle but consistent, and it helps you locate glyphs that might be tucked into shadowy corners. According to player reports, the humming sound was added in the Legacy Edition update to improve accessibility for players who struggle with visual scanning.
Breaking Walls and Finding Fissures with Farin
While Andriel handles the elven glyphs, Farin brings a completely different set of tools to the treasure-hunting game. The War in the North fissures and breakable walls are Farin's specialty, and they hide some of the most valuable loot in the entire campaign. These environmental secrets require you to switch to Farin and use his heavy attacks to smash through weak points that other characters cannot damage.
The fissures appear as glowing cracks in the ground or walls, and they are always destructible when Farin is in your party. Some fissures lead to underground tunnels with chests, while others reveal hidden alcoves that contain upgrade shrines. The breakable walls are similar but appear as sections of masonry that look slightly different from the surrounding structure, often with visible mortar lines or a distinct color shift.
| Secret Type | Visual Cue | Farin Ability | Typical Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Fissure | Glowing crack in floor | Heavy ground slam | Gold + crafting materials |
| Wall Crack | Thin glowing line on wall | Charged hammer strike | Weapon or armor upgrade |
| Collapsed Rubble | Pile of loose stones | Repeated heavy attacks | Lore tome + hidden chest |
The breakable walls are particularly important for completionists because several of them hide Cult of the Lidless Eye scrolls, which are required for the 100% achievement. According to the Steam Community scroll guide, all seven scrolls are needed for full completion, and at least three of them sit behind breakable walls that only Farin can access. Missing these means you cannot achieve 100% completion on that playthrough.
Prioritizing Which Walls to Break
Not every breakable wall leads to something valuable, so you need to prioritize your time. The most rewarding walls are typically found in the later acts, particularly in Mount Gundabad and the Ettenmoors region. These walls hide legendary-tier equipment that can carry you through the final boss fights, so they are worth the extra exploration time.
A good rule of thumb is to break every wall you find in Act 3 and beyond, but only break walls in earlier acts if you are close to a fast travel point. The early-game walls mostly contain gold and basic materials, which become less valuable as you progress. However, if you are playing on higher difficulties, the extra gold from these caches can make a meaningful difference in your ability to afford potions and upgrades.
Class-Specific Secrets and How to Unlock Everything
The Legacy Edition introduces the Triggering Secrets feature, which fundamentally changes how you approach class-specific secrets. Previously, you had to replay the entire campaign with each character to find everything, which was tedious and time-consuming. Now, according to the RPG Site coverage, you can see other characters' hidden secrets regardless of who you are currently playing.
This means you can play through the campaign once as your preferred character and still discover all the glyph passages, fissures, and breakable walls that would normally require the other heroes. The feature works by showing a ghostly outline of the secret location on your map, even if you cannot interact with it directly. You can then switch characters at a campfire or checkpoint to access the secret.
| Character | Unique Secret Type | Legacy Edition Change |
|---|---|---|
| Eradan | Ranger trails to secret stashes | Trails now visible on map |
| Farin | Fissures and breakable walls | Cracks highlighted with glow |
| Andriel | Elven glyph passages | Glyphs marked on minimap |
This change makes the game significantly more accessible for players who prefer one character over the others. If you want to focus on a specific build, check out the Ranger build guide to understand how Eradan's skill tree interacts with the loot you will find. The guide breaks down which stats benefit most from the gear hidden behind these secrets.
Maximizing Your Loot Haul
To get the most out of the secret system, you should develop a consistent exploration routine. Start each new area by scanning for glyphs and fissures before engaging in combat, since enemies can distract you and cause you to miss environmental cues. If you are playing co-op, assign one player to handle exploration while the others clear enemies, which speeds up the process significantly.
The hidden loot in this game is not just about chests and gold; some secrets unlock permanent stat boosts or new abilities. For example, certain glyph passages contain Elven shrines that grant a permanent +5% resistance to a specific damage type. These bonuses stack across multiple shrines, so finding them all can make a noticeable difference in your survivability during the later acts.
Puzzle-Hunting Tricks and a Quick Answer Reference
While Tedder's riddles are contextually grounded, some answers are tricky enough that even attentive players get stuck. The community has compiled a reliable answer list based on extensive testing, and the Spanish community riddle guide provides a thorough walkthrough of every question. Below is a condensed version of the most common riddles and their correct answers.
The first riddle at Sarn Ford asks about the creature that guards the ford, and the correct answer references the River Wight you fought earlier in the act. The second riddle at Fornost asks about the symbol on the ancient banner, which you can find in the lore tome near the main gate. The third riddle at Mount Gundabad asks about the number of Orc chieftains you defeated in the preceding battle, which requires you to count during combat.
| Riddle Location | Question Topic | Correct Answer | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarn Ford | River guardian creature | River Wight | Smithing materials |
| Fornost | Ancient banner symbol | Eagle emblem | Unique dagger |
| Mount Gundabad | Orc chieftain count | Three | Legendary chest |
If you answer incorrectly, Tedder simply shakes his head and gives you another chance. There is no penalty for guessing, so feel free to experiment if you are unsure. However, the rewards are tied to correct answers, so you want to get them right the first time to save yourself the dialogue repetition.
Tips for Solving Riddles Without a Guide
If you prefer to solve the riddles yourself, focus on environmental storytelling. The game places clues in the environment deliberately, so look for lore tomes, inspect banners, and pay attention to the enemies you fight. The answer is almost always something you have already encountered, not obscure trivia about Middle-earth that you would need external knowledge to answer.
Another useful approach is to talk to NPCs in the area before approaching Tedder. Some NPCs drop hints about the riddle answers in their dialogue, especially if you exhaust all their conversation options. This is a subtle design choice that rewards thorough exploration and social interaction, which fits the game's emphasis on party-based gameplay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the first Tedder Hedgegrow riddle located?
The first riddle appears at Sarn Ford during Act 1, near the riverbank behind a cluster of rocks. Look for a campfire and a seated figure who is not hostile. Interact with him to trigger the riddle dialogue, and answer correctly to receive smithing materials and gold.
Can I solve riddles with any character?
Yes, Tedder's riddles are not class-specific, so Eradan, Farin, and Andriel can all answer them. However, reaching Tedder at Mount Gundabad requires breaking a wall that only Farin can smash, so you need him in your party for that encounter.
What do elven glyphs unlock in the Legacy Edition?
Elven glyphs mark hidden passages that only Andriel can open, leading to rooms with multiple chests, lore tomes, and occasionally permanent stat boosts from Elven shrines. The Triggering Secrets feature lets you see these locations even when playing as other characters.
Are breakable walls worth exploring?
Yes, especially in Act 3, where breakable walls hide legendary gear and Cult of the Lidless Eye scrolls required for 100% completion. Early-game walls mostly yield gold and basic materials, so only smash them if you are nearby. Farin detects fissures and weak walls others cannot.
How many riddles does Tedder Hedgegrow have?
Tedder Hedgegrow presents exactly three riddles, one at each of his locations: Sarn Ford, Fornost, and Mount Gundabad. Each correct answer unlocks a secret stash, with the final riddle rewarding legendary-tier loot. Solving all three also counts toward the 100% achievement guide's missable conversation tracking.