(Note: The information contained in this is taken from Testlive and is subject to change before the live release.)

Ymir's Pass is one of the new areas for Age of Conan Hyborian Adventures soon to be making its way to the live servers. You can find the entrance to this new area within the Field of the Dead. The Frost Father giant has been captured and is being held within the area. This is one of the mysteries you must solve as you adventure though this new content. Ymir's Pass is home to Frost Giants, Atzel attackers, Black Ring Defenders, and other sorts of mean nasty creatures. The area is ripe with the scent of war as Atzel's forces push against the Cimmerian settlements burning many to ash and slaying or enslaving those that oppose them. This will provide the willing mercenary with a chance to turn a profit. After all, war is good for business.

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Fans of Conan lore will remember the famed "Wheel of Pain."

Upon entering Ymir's Pass the earth will shake and you will hear a loud and disturbing scream. A word of advice here, don't do as I did and forget your speakers are wide open. I made this mistake and nearly gave myself a heart attack when that ear shattering scream came booming through my speakers. After all the noise has passed a message will appear explaining what just happened and prompt you to speak with the locals about it.

As you make your way down the path you will encounter a Clan Maugh Guard. This not quite ready for prime time fighter is oblivious to the obvious and refuses to believe anything is wrong. Despite the shaking earth and ear shattering scream all is well according to this fellow. Eventually he will point you to the local madman named Gavin. He claims to have seen the gods walking in the form of a giant. Gavin is in the camp on the hillside near the guard so you don't have far to go. Speaking with him will set you on your way to unraveling the mystery of Ymir's Pass and introduce you to the areas first quest hub.

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Guardian Fiends block the way to the Frost Father.

Ymir's Pass shows signs of war all over. As you travel the open area you will see the scars of battle everywhere. Atzel's men have burned and pillaged many of the small settlements, but pockets of Cimmerian warriors can still be found around the land. To the northeast of the entrance you will find a misty swamp shadowed by a great tower in the distance towering over a series of ruins. In the northern region the Frost Giant's keep guard over the Temple of Ymir. To the east lies the Amphitheater and deep within it you will find the Frost Father bound in chains and guarded by an army of Black Ring casters.

Atzel's forces have moved through Ymir's Pass killing and burning anything in the area. You will be able to find several quests with the people of this area to extract revenge and even reclaim some of their lost items. Through the region you can find burnt settlements where Atzel's men still patrol and towers overlooking the mountainside with manned lookouts. Some of these contain quests, but if you're just looking for a scenic view these provide a nice looking point. Lore junkies will also have a nice treat when they discover the Wheel of Pain. There is a lot to see from an explorer's standpoint as the graphics for this area look excellent.

In the northern region you can find a huge Frost Giant camp at the base the Temple of Ymir and home to several landmarks, but on a nearby resurrection point you will find the daughter of the Frost Father, Atali. I won't go to deep into her story point, but if you carry out a task for her she will be very grateful...Very! (Bow Chicka Bow Wow) You can use your imagination where that small blackout of a moment went. It wasn't graphic, but you get the just. I would post a screenshot of the nice lady, but then I would have to add an age restriction to the page, so use your imagination.

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The Frost Father is bound within the Amphitheater.

One of the key points of interest and center story points in Ymir's Pass is the Amphitheater that resides in the east. This area is somewhat symbolic of the ancient Roman Coliseum. Deep within the inner Amphitheater you will find the Frost Father bound in chains and guarded by an army of Black Ring assassins and casters. To make matters worse, there are Guardian Fiends watching over the area. Approaching the Frost Father is no easy task. When you make it past all the initial guards you still have two obstacles between you and Big Frosty. The first is a river of molten lava which if you make the mistake of stepping into it will turn you into a smoking pile of orange vapor. For those not keeping up, that means it will kill you instantly. The other is a large boss by the name of The Devourer who patrols the lava river. If you are quick and skilled at jumping you should be able to make it by without incident. Otherwise you are likely to end up a smoldering pile of bleeding vapor ash.

Ymir's Pass is still getting polished on the Testlive server, but this area is shaping up nicely. When it goes live it will provide some excellent content for levels 55 through about 65 and offer some new exploration points for higher levels. Until the finished product is ready, you can preview the area and aid the developers by helping out on the Testlive servers by providing feedback and bug reports for any bugs you can find.