I froze when the plaque lit and the shrine hummed—inventory empty, options slim. You can feel the trap: one bad pick and the puzzle spits you across the map as a frog. I kept my cool, and you will too; these two short tests are tightly scripted and worth the trouble.
Short version: two puzzles, clear goals, a few minor fights, and story progression that drops you straight into the next beat with Arator and Zul’jan. I’ll walk you through each step so you don’t waste time guessing in a room that behaves like unpaid bills.
On a damp stone ledge outside the shrine: how the offering puzzle actually works
First, the set piece. After the cutscene a plaque shows names tied to the Troll gods—read it. That plaque is your cue; the shrine wants specific offerings.
What you need to do: go south and kill the Spawn of Shadra. Loot the Bonecarapace Fangs. Then head east, take the stairs down and defeat the Child of Hir’eek for the Bloodvein Clot. Return to the plaque and place the Bonecarapace Fangs in the Left Vase, then put the Bloodvein Clot in the Right Vase.
How do I solve the offering puzzle?
Defeat the two named mobs, loot the two items, and place each in the vase that matches the plaque’s clue. No ritual timing, no items consumed outside the act—just straight kills and two clicks.
Tip: if you want a visual guide, check Wowhead or a short clip on YouTube or Twitch; Blizzard’s scene is simple and commonly clipped by streamers, so a 30-second video saves you time.
On a small stone table with nine discs: the memory puzzle decoded
The second room looks like a kid’s matching game, but one disc in the center is dangerous—treat the middle as a landmine and avoid it entirely.
There are nine discs: eight form four matching pairs, and one sits in the middle with a special effect that turns you into a frog if selected. The board’s order is randomized, so this is a short memory test rather than a pattern you can pre-learn.
How do I match the discs?
Ignore the center disc. Pick any outer disc, then find its twin. Each successful match locks those two in place. Repeat until all four pairs are matched. The order doesn’t matter: if you pick the red symbol first, your next pick should be the other red symbol.
What happens if I pick the middle disc?
It turns you into a frog. It’s a temporary nuisance—no permanent consequence—but it wastes time and breaks your rhythm. If that happens, reset your focus, and methodically clear one pair at a time; the puzzle gets easier as matched discs disappear.
Practical notes: if you want to speedrun this, record the board with a screenshot (F12 on many setups), or watch a short clip on Twitch to see the typical pacing. Community guides on Icy Veins and Wowhead list the exact mob names and spawn points if you prefer text references. I use quick clips and a notepad to mark matched pairs when I’m playing on a noisy stream.
After the disc puzzle, speak with Arator to complete Gods Before Us. You’ll meet Zul’jan and pick up the next story thread immediately—no extra gates, no required currency.
I’ve shown you the clean route; will you take the patient path or try to brute-force the puzzle and risk a costly mistake?