This is the complete walkthrough for Valor Mortis: The Deserter.

Spoiler warning: This walkthrough reveals The Deserter's outcome: an Eternal Guardsman fled his post after taking a valuable item that provided safe passage home. Collecting three Anubis Figurine Parts completes the quest.

Background: A Wanted Notice opens the quest in the Vale of Wrath

The Deserter begins at the Under the Bridge Lantern in the Vale of Wrath. Cross the bridge and enter the small shack; the Wanted Notice on the floor starts the side quest. The notice concerns an Eternal Guardsman who abandoned his post after stealing something valuable. William questions what could drive such a guard to risk everything and what the stolen item might be.

First development: the Beekeeper's Hut note and key

Near the shack, continue past it and follow the gravel path to the right, passing the horse carcass. Use the grapple hooks to reach the Beekeeper's Hut. Before entering, defeat the Eternal Guardsman there to obtain the Beekeeper's Hut Key.

Inside the hut, take the note from the desk and loot the chest for the Perfectionism Amber. The note says the deserter did not want the same fate as the other Eternal Guards, and the stolen object gave him safe passage home. The remaining questions are the item's location and the bees' connection to it.

First Anubis Figurine Part: one unmarked hive outside the hut

Outside the Beekeeper's Hut, several beehives are marked with red crosses. Interact only with the unmarked hive; disturbing a marked hive brings damage and bees. The unmarked hive yields the first Anubis Figurine Part. William then notes that two more parts remain, still in the same general area, though the route requires continued progress through the Vale of Wrath.

Second Anubis Figurine Part: the military encampment hive

Return from the Beekeeper's Hut into the nearby village, then follow the straight path toward the military encampment. Watch for wooden planks; they can collapse into an underground passage populated by enemies. The passage still leads forward, but it adds combat.

Near the military encampment, look to the right of the camp walls for more beehives. As before, only the unmarked hive works; the rightmost hive gives the second Anubis Figurine Part.

Third Anubis Figurine Part: Stasis, the locked gate, and the house behind it

The final part is easiest to reach after exploring the Poisoned Camp in the Vale of Wrath, arriving at the bridge guarded by a Remnant of the Iron Regiment, and opening the shortcut back to the Under the Bridge Lantern. A ladder on the opposite side can be kicked down to return to the Lantern.

Past the bridge stands a locked gate. Climb the rocks ahead, wall-ride into the building interior, and use the lever to open the gate. The gate will close quickly unless Stasis is applied to the cog that powers it.

Enter through the gate and go into the first house on the right. Through the back door, four beehives wait. The third and final Anubis Figurine Part is in the leftmost hive, the only one without a red cross.

Latest progress: quest completion and rewards

With all three Anubis Figurine Parts collected, The Deserter side quest is complete. The reward is the completed Anubis Figurine and the Bountiful Harvest Amber. The quest's timeline therefore moves from a wanted notice to three bee-based clues, then to the assembled figurine and its reward.

For further coverage of William's journey, related Valor Mortis guides list all Amber locations, all Ferrofluid Flask Power Upgrades, and all Empty Ferrofluid Flasks. The walkthrough material credits images to One More Level/Eurogamer.