Where to Get the Rapier in Valor Mortis (Abandoned Church Churchyard)

The Rapier is one of the melee weapons in Valor Mortis, and you do not have to finish a quest or trade anything to get it. It is a pickup in the world at the Abandoned Church, the game’s hub; it is there to take at the start of Chapter III, RENDEZVOUS, right after you meet James.

Quick answer: Go to the garden in the churchyard, south of the Abandoned Church. At the far end, approach the dead officer trapped by dark-red plague tendrils and press E when “[E] TAKE” appears.

Where the Rapier is in the Abandoned Church

Behind the church lies a churchyard garden: a cobbled path running between iron fences, stone crypts, and autumn birches. The Rapier is at the end of it, about 85 m south-south-west of the Lantern that hangs just inside the church’s main door. To get there from the church:

1. Cross the church to its back (south) wall and go out through the iron-grille door there. It opens with E; no key is needed.

2. Outside, in the churchyard garden, turn right (west) along the cobbled path to a hooded stone statue with candles at its foot.

A hooded stone statue with candles at its foot in the churchyard garden behind the Abandoned Church in Valor Mortis — The hooded statue with candles: turn left here, down the lane between the crypts.

3. Turn left (south) down the straight cobbled lane between the crypts. The tendril cage with the dead officer is at the end of the lane. No climbing or jumping is needed on the way.

At the walkway’s end, dark-red plague tendrils form a cage. A dead officer lies inside, wearing a green coat bearing gold embroidery. A purple-blue growth covers his head, and he still holds a rapier. A small circular marker makes him easy to spot from the path.

A cage of dark-red plague tendrils at the end of a cobbled churchyard path at the Abandoned Church in Valor Mortis — The tendril cage at the end of the churchyard path, with the dead officer inside.

How to take the Rapier

Approach the tendril cage and aim your view at the dead officer; “[E] TAKE” will appear above him. If no prompt shows, look about 16 m to the west-south-west for a glowing Nephtoglobin weak spot and shoot it with the Pistol: it clears the growth in the way.

The E TAKE prompt showing over the corpse tangled in red tendrils — The “[E] TAKE” prompt appears once you face the dead officer in the tendril cage.

Press E to start a cutscene. William takes the rapier from the corpse’s grasp. The cage erupts in red-orange spores, then dissolves and opens the way.

The tendril cage and corpse breaking apart into glowing red spores — The cage of plague tendrils bursts into red-orange spores and vanishes.

A one-page tutorial follows. It reads “Rapier”, then “The Rapier is a fast and precise weapon that can destroy Nephtoglobin Weak Spots and Points.” and “Parrying with the Rapier is more powerful, but the downside is that it can’t block enemy attacks properly.” Close it with CONTINUE.

The Rapier equips in your right hand immediately. No separate item banner confirms the pickup; seeing the blade in your hand shows that you have it. Be ready for a fight: taking the Rapier brings enemies in after the cutscene, and a Risen soldier with a sabre waits further down the lane.

First-person view of the Rapier held in the right hand along the cleared churchyard path — The Rapier equipped in the right hand as you move back along the churchyard path.

Open the menu with Tab. The ARSENAL list now shows “Lvl 1 Rapier”, described as “A light and precise blade with superior parrying capabilities that can also shatter Nephtoglobin Weak Points. Its blocking capabilities are lacking.” It lists 25 Damage, with the traits Fast / Can destroy Nephtoglobin Weak Points. / Focused on Parrying.

The Arsenal screen with the Lvl 1 Rapier selected, showing its stats and description — The ARSENAL screen listing the Lvl 1 Rapier with its stats and description.

Rapier stats and upgrades

Damage rises as you level the weapon, starting at 25 for level 1 and reaching 45 at level 10. Posture damage remains 3 at every level; a perfect parry inflicts 150 Posture damage. Heavy attacks take 2 seconds to charge.

Level	Damage
1	25
2	28
3	31
4	33
5	35
6	37
7	39
8	41
9	43
10	45

You raise the level at James’s Iron Bench, paying in materials only. The cost rises through four material tiers as you climb.

Level	Material cost
2	Crude Blade Material x1
3	Crude Blade Material x2
4	Crude Blade Material x3
5	Pure Blade Material x1
6	Pure Blade Material x2
7	Pure Blade Material x3
8	Distilled Blade Material x1
9	Distilled Blade Material x2
10	Quintessential Blade Material x1

Certain levels also unlock upgrade nodes that change how the Rapier plays:

Remise (level 2): “Consecutive Parries increase the damage of the next Heavy Attack. The duration of this effect can be prolonged by Attacking enemies.”
Lunge (level 5): “Decreases the Endurance cost of Dodging when performing Heavy Attacks.”
Level 8 choice — Astute Quarta: “Restores Nephtoglobin on a successful Parry.” or Invigorating Seconda: “Restores Endurance on a successful Parry.”
Vigorous Terza (level 10): “Restores Health on a successful Parry.”

Unlike the Saber, the Rapier can break Nephtoglobin Weak Points, and so can the Pistol, which makes the Rapier the early melee option against these Weak Points.

Where the Rapier is in the Abandoned Church

How to take the Rapier

Rapier stats and upgrades

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