Valor Mortis hands you The Oathbound side quest early, but you can’t finish it until late in the campaign. The quest asks you to track down seven Eternal Guards, silent elite fencers spread across seven regions, and take an emblem from each one. Three of them sit behind abilities you unlock much later. The last guard is already dead when you find him.
Quick answer: Loot all seven Eternal Guards for their emblems and stone pyramids, then use the resulting Mysterious Stone Slab on the wall symbol in the Fortress Courtyard hall to finish The Oathbound.
All seven Eternal Guard locations in Valor Mortis
Each guard leaves behind a named emblem along with a Mysterious Stone Pyramid. A chalked triangle sits above an infinity symbol to mark each hideout; check the walls when exploring away from the main path.
| Eternal Guard | Region (chapter) | Nearest lantern | Needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valen Duroc |  The Battlefield (1) | Onslaught Arch | Pistol |
| Lucien Lafontaine |  Valley of Ashes (2) | The Climb / Demolished Path | Nothing extra |
| Étienne Vauclair |  Fallen Village (3) | Fields / Marketplace | Nephtoglobin Formations |
| Jean Pierre Polnaire |  Caverns (4) | Old Mine | Stasis Transmutation |
| Severin Susse |  Cursed Hollow (6) | Village Church / Deep Water | Nothing extra |
| Adrien Casell |  City of Orphans (8) | Shamble Street | Shield Transmutation |
| Bastien Beaufort |  Fortress (9) | Courtyard | Nothing extra |
The quest starts the moment you loot an emblem from any guard, no matter which one you hit first. None of the seven are missable, and every one of them can still be fought after the main story ends. The Oathbound tab in the side quest menu shows which emblems you already have.
Eternal Guards you can reach on a first visit
Four of the guards need nothing beyond the pistol you get at the very start of the game. You can grab them on your first pass through each region or come back later with better gear.
Valen Duroc (The Battlefield)
Once you have the pistol, warp to the Onslaught Arch lantern and head back toward the start of the game. Cross the broken bridge using the ledges and branches, then take the right-hand path around the camp at the first fork. At the second fork, where two enemies stand, go left and shoot the glowing red growth on the wall. Valen Duroc waits behind it, and a nearby chest holds the Duellist’s Focus amber.
Valen Duroc is the earliest guard you can reach, but a fight this early can be rough. Coming back with upgraded weapons is the safer option.
Lucien Lafontaine (Valley of Ashes)
This one sits between The Climb and Demolished Path lanterns. Ride the lift beside The Climb to the top, then follow the broken scaffolding along the cliff and clear out the Musketeers firing at you beneath the large bridge. After the gap, a path climbs up and to the right. Don’t take it. Drop down to the green ledge below and follow it right along the cliff to reach Lucien Lafontaine, who also guards the Perfectionism amber.
Continuing up the upper path instead lets you kick down a ladder that links back to Demolished Path, which makes a retry much shorter.
Severin Susse (Cursed Hollow)
From the Village Church lantern, use the shortcut beside it to drop into the open fields you crossed on the way to the church. If you haven’t opened it yet, just follow the main route to the church. Head straight across the swamp, drifting slightly left around the hay. Severin Susse is tucked behind a house ringed by hay bales, and the chest there holds the Life Diverted amber.
You can also come from the Deep Water lantern. Go through the building with the blue and gold pillars, climb the ladder across the courtyard, then wall-run and follow the path right around the poisoned water until you reach the hay.
Bastien Beaufort (Fortress)
Bastien Beaufort isn’t a fight. From the Courtyard lantern, go through the arch on the left that the main story uses, then follow the long corridor with the red and white banner to a big hall. On the left end stands a red-eyed, enhanced Eternal Guard. Beat it, then loot the corpse on the floor next to it. That body is the real Bastien Beaufort, and it holds his emblem and the final pyramid.
Eternal Guards that need a later ability
The other three are in areas you pass through before you can actually reach them. Note each spot and come back once you’ve unlocked the ability.
Étienne Vauclair (Fallen Village): Nephtoglobin Formations
This route needs the Nephtoglobin Formations ability, which unlocks at the Ship Graveyard lantern in the Vale of Wrath. You also need the grapple. You activate a formation by pressing Interaction while looking at it, which pulls out a platform.
Warp to the Fallen Village, using either the Fields or the Marketplace lantern. From the Marketplace, turn back through the collapsed cart, deal with the Volunteer, and go left before the central gate. Pull out the platforms and wall-run along the blue walls until the path enters a cave. Shoot the glowing red orb from the lower platform, swing across, and climb up to the chamber where Étienne Vauclair guards a chest with Pure Transmutation Material.
Jean Pierre Polnaire (Caverns): Stasis Transmutation
You pick up the Stasis Transmutation later in the Caverns. It can freeze moving gears as well as enemies, and that’s what this puzzle relies on.
Warp to the Old Mine lantern and follow the main path to the room with the two scaffolding towers. Climb the stairs and pull the lever to raise the crate. When it lines up with the lower ledge, freeze the cogs with Stasis. Step onto the crate, release the Stasis, and ride it up. Jump off to the right, kick down the ladder for a shortcut, and follow the corridor to Jean Pierre Polnaire. His chest gives another copy of Perfectionism, which raises the amber’s rank if you already have it.
Adrien Casell (City of Orphans): Shield Transmutation
The Shield Transmutation, which you pick up in the University, blocks environmental hazards as well as attacks. Keeping it raised is how you get through the poison gas on this route.
From the Shamble Street lantern, go through the gate shortcut and head down to the waterfront road. Turn left past the two tall Volunteers, and instead of climbing the ramp, walk straight into the green poison mist with the Shield up. Follow the alley, climb the crates, and go in through the broken wall of the house. Shoot the red growth from the inside to open the shortcut, then drop down to fight Adrien Casell. His chest holds Superior Firearm Parts.
Read A Letter from Bastien Beaufort next to Adrien Casell. It updates the quest and points the Oathbound to a secret room in the castle.
Eternal Guardsman stats and resistances
Every living guard on the list is an Eternal Guardsman, a precise duelist who never speaks. Some crush a vial of plague mid-fight and turn into an enraged form.
| Level | Health | Catalysts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 500 | 1,200 |
| 2 | 700 | 1,500 |
| 3 | 850 | 1,800 |
| 4 | 1,000 | 2,100 |
| 5 | 1,100 | 2,400 |
| 6 | 1,200 | 2,700 |
The enraged form has 3,200 health. Eternal Guardsmen resist 50% of ranged, explosive and ignite damage, take 50% less ignite buildup, and resist infection by 30%. They have four Stasis segments. Melee is the most reliable way to bring them down.
How to open the Oathbound secret chamber
Once you loot the seventh pyramid, all seven combine automatically into the Mysterious Stone Slab. The door it opens is in the same Fortress hall where Bastien Beaufort’s body lies.
You’ll know it worked when The Oathbound is marked complete and the gold We Wear the Same Colors achievement unlocks. The final journal entry explains that the Oathbound were Napoleon’s elite fencers who refused the plague’s power. The room and quest completion give you the following:
- 10,000 Catalysts
- Empty Ferrofluid Flask
- Quintessential Blade Material
- 3x Sands of Time
- 3x Remnant’s Return
If the symbol does nothing, check the Oathbound tab. It lists every guard you’re still missing, and the slab only forms once all seven emblems are collected.
