You're riding through the fog of East Anglia, minding your own business, when a horn blasts. It's a low, guttural sound that makes your stomach drop. Suddenly, a massive gold helmet icon pops up on your compass. That’s a Zealot. And if you’re early in the game, you’re probably about to get flattened into the English mud.
Most players treat zealot locations AC Valhalla like static boss arenas, but that’s the first mistake. These guys aren't sitting around waiting for you in a temple. They are active patrols. They have lives—well, lives dedicated to killing you—and they move. If you go to a "spot" you saw on a map and nobody is there, it’s not a bug. They’re just a mile down the road harassing a local farmer.
The "Hunted" decision: To burn or not to burn?
Before you even start the hunt, you have to deal with the scroll. During the "Heavy is the Head" quest in Ledecestrescire, you fight Leofrith. If you spare him, he tells you about a kill order at Venonis.
Honestly, the choice here changes the entire "vibe" of your playthrough.
- If you burn the scroll: Zealots will leave you alone unless you provoke them. You become the hunter.
- If you don't burn it (or kill Leofrith): They will hunt you.
I’ve seen people get really annoyed because they can't even finish a world event without some level 220 beast with a Greatsword crashing the party. If you want peace, go to Venonis and burn that parchment before the timer runs out. If you want a chaotic, high-stakes experience where you're constantly looking over your shoulder? Let it burn. Or rather, don't.
Where they actually hang out: The Left Branch
The Order of the Ancients menu splits these fanatics into two groups. The left branch is generally found in the southern and western parts of England.
Kendall is usually the first one people run into. She patrols the roads around the Black Peak synchronization point in Grantebridgescire. She’s only Power Level 90, so she’s a good "test" of your parry skills.
Then you have Horsa. He’s weird because he’s on foot. You’ll find him in Oxenefordscire, usually north of the Alne River. Because he isn't on a horse, he’s actually harder to spot through the trees than the ones kicking up dust on the main paths.
Woden is a real pain. He's in Cent, roaming the roads near Canterbury. He’s Power Level 220, so don't even think about it until you've cleared a good chunk of the story. He loves flash bombs. If the screen goes white, just dodge. Don't try to be a hero; just move.
High-level threats on the Left
- Heike (250): Roams Essexe near Agnitum Tower. Fast, mean, uses poison.
- Hrothgar (280): South Suthsexe. He’s a "Rat Lord" for a reason. He hits like a truck and has a massive health pool.
- Bercthun (340): The final boss of the left side. He's in Hamtunscire. You can often find him near the gates of Wincestre. If you aren't at the level cap, he will one-shot you. No joke.
Finding the Right Branch: The Shield Users
The right side of the menu features some of the most annoying shield-heavy combatants in the game.
Redwalda is basically the mascot for "Wait, why am I dead?" She patrols near Venonis in Ledecestrescire. Since she's only Level 90, she’s tempting. But she uses a greatshield. If you just spam light attacks, you’ll do zero damage and she’ll just poke you to death with her spear.
Cola is an interesting one. He (yes, Cola is a guy here) patrols the border between Ledecestrescire and Lincolnscire. Look near the Sudwella Monastery. He’s level 90 and uses a Greatsword, but no shield. This makes him significantly easier to parry than Redwalda.
Eorforwine (Level 90) hangs out in Grantebridgescire, specifically the forested areas northwest of Utbech. She’s another shield user.
The Mid-to-Late Game Right Branch
- Wuffa (160): Found in East Anglia. Usually roaming the roads north of Theotford. She uses a spear and loves to set things on fire.
- Wealdmaer (160): Roams Sciropescire. Look for him on the road southwest of Quatford.
- Osgar (220): Lincolnscire. He’s usually northwest of Medeshamstede Abbey.
- Beorhtsige (280): Glowecestrescire. He’s a rider, usually passing through the crossroads southeast of Thieves’ Warren.
- Callin (280): Eurvicscire. He’s way up north, east of Jorvik.
Pro-tips for the "Unfindable" Zealots
Sometimes you know exactly which zealot locations AC Valhalla you're looking for, but the map is empty. This usually happens with Cudberct in Oxenefordscire or Beorhtsige in Glowecestrescire.
If they aren't appearing, here is the trick: Fast travel to a high point and send up your raven (Synin). Look for a white helmet icon. It won't show up on your main map until you've "discovered" them by being close, but Synin can see them from a distance. If you still don't see them, ride the main Roman roads. These Zealots never go "off-road" through the woods unless they are actively chasing you or a wolf. They stay on the gravel.
Another thing? Use the "Mark Target" feature in the Order menu. Once you've encountered them once (even if you ran away like a coward), you can track them. This places a permanent marker on them so you can see exactly where they are moving in real-time.
Combat: How not to die
You’ve found them. Now what?
Most Zealots have a gimmick. Some throw mines. Some use smoke bombs. Almost all of them have a "Red" unblockable attack that will ruin your day.
The "Brush with Death" skill is mandatory. It's in the Raven (yellow) tree. It slows down time when you dodge at the last second. Without this, fighting high-level Zealots is a nightmare. You dodge, time slows, you get two hits in, and you back off.
Also, use your bow to hit their weak points (the glowing orange bits). If you drain their stamina bar, you can perform a stun attack that does massive damage. For the shield users, try the "Harpoon Impalement" ability. You can yank them toward you and bypass that annoying shield entirely.
What do you actually get for this?
Aside from the satisfaction of cleaning up the streets of England, killing Zealots is the only way to get the Ancient Medallions for Hytham. You need these to progress the Hidden Ones' questline and eventually find "The Father."
Each one also drops a specific rune or piece of gear, but the real prize is the Mysterious Tablets. Some Zealots carry these tablets, which are required to unlock the legendary sword Excalibur. If you want that glowing sword, you have no choice—you have to hunt them down.
Quick reference for tablet holders:
- Woden (Cent)
- Heike (Essexe)
- Hrothgar (Suthsexe)
If you're missing a tablet and you've done all the caves (Treasures of Britain), check your Order menu. You probably missed one of these three.
Moving forward with your hunt
Start by checking your Order menu to see who is already "revealed." If you have someone revealed but not dead, mark them and head out. If you're looking for someone new, pick a region from the list above, find a main road, and start riding.
Keep your ears open for that horn. Once you hear it, pull over and get ready. And seriously, if they have a red skull over their head, just keep riding. There's no shame in living to fight another day when you're actually at the right power level.
Clean up the Level 90s first to get the hang of the parry windows. Once you can take down Redwalda without breaking a sweat, the Level 160s won't seem so scary. Just remember: stay off the main road if you can during the fight, otherwise, a random patrol of Saxon soldiers might join in and turn a 1v1 into a 1v10.
Good hunting.
