This page details a guide for the Settling Down main quest in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, part of the Battle for the Northern Way story arc in England.

This quest begins immediately after Unwelcome. Now that you’ve established a settlement in England, it’s time to start thinking about how you’re going to fund its growth. Take some time to explore the longhouse as you wish, then speak with Gunnar to the southwest of it. He’ll provide you with a map which he found from the remnants of the bandits, detailing the location of two nearby “monk huts”, as he refers to them; Alcestre Monastery to the west, and Meldeburne to the southeast.

Raid: Alcestre Monastery¶

When you’re ready, take command of the longship and prepare for a raid. The main purpose of these raids is to acquire raw materials and supplies, both of which are needed to construct new buildings and improve your settlement. You can raid either target on your map, but for the sake of this guide we’re going to raid Alcestre Monastery first, it being the nearest and most lucrative target. Head west along the river until you come to a branching, then take the northwest route. As you turn northwest, the monastery will come into full view. When you’re close enough, initiate the raid to sail swiftly to the shore.

Upon entering the monastery grounds you’ll be met by a number of guards. These are no match for you and your crew. Help your crew until all the guards are dead, looting them as you go, or head straight for wealth, materials, and supplies inside. You’ll need to break the wooden barriers with a basic attack to enter the monastery. You’ll need at least one crew member with you to help open some doors and the main treasure chests which contain the raw materials and supplies, but everything else you can open on your own.

Completing the raid unlocks the Rampage trophy.

Raid: Meldeburne¶

To reach Meldeburne from your settlement, Ravensthorpe, head south-southeast along the river until you come to the first branch. From here, continue southeast until the second branch in the river, at which point you can turn southwest, following the river until you reach the shore of Meldeburne. Once there, the raid will play out in much the same way as the raid of Alcestre Monastery. Charge the inner settlement with your crew, but be sure to wait for them to avoid being overwhelmed by too many guards at once.

When you reach the inner grounds of Meldeburne, you’ll see that a number of warriors are locked in cages. These are imprisoned Danes, who will fight for you if you release them. Take the time to do so to bolster your numbers, then continue to the church in the southwest. You’ll need at least one crew member there to help you open the treasure chest. All you need do is begin to open it and help should be on its way. Once you’ve looted the treasure chest, a powerful enemy named simply Pikeman will enter the church.

As might be expected, the Pikeman is armed with a pike, which provides a great advantage to its wielder. If you have a longspear of your own, now would be the time to use it. Otherwise, you’ll need to be cautious when approaching the Pikeman, and time your attacks well. Be ready to parry at any moment, as the Pikeman can strike swiftly and without much warning in terms of any visual cue. The Pikeman can hit for a great deal of damage with one strike, so take note of the shrubs outside for healing if you need them.

Once you’ve killed the Pikeman, head southeast to the tower. You’ll notice a large group of enemies on the wooden structure to the right of the tower, many of which are archers. You should get close to these as soon as possible to avoid their arrows, but be sure that you have a few crew members alongside you to deal with any melee resistance. Take them out in any way that you see fit, then enter the tower to find the Mark of Death ability from a Book of Knowledge. If you already acquired this ability during Birthrights, finding this book will upgrade the ability, allowing you to target more enemies with it.

With the tower looted, turn northeast toward the church, which contains the final piece of major treasure in Meldeburne. Inside you’ll be met by two Skirmishers. These are elite enemies similar to the Pikeman, the difference being that these two rely on swift strikes with their daggers. They are agile opponents, so you’ll need to be on your guard. Pay close attention to their movements and time your parries / blocks well enough to stun them, then capitalize on the stun to deal a large amount of damage. If your timing isn’t well refined yet, make use of dodge and roll to avoid the swift strikes of the Skirmishers. Once they’re dead, loot the nearby treasure chest to complete the raid.

Return to Ravensthorpe and Build Gunnar’s Blacksmith¶

When you’ve looted everything that you can, head back to the longship and sail to your settlement, Ravensthorpe. Once there, interact with the signpost next to Gunnar’s tent and build him a forge from your newly acquired materials. You probably don’t have enough materials to build the Barracks yet, but this should be high on your list of things to construct. You’ll be able to create a custom Jomsviking from the barracks and unlock the It's Alive! trophy.

After you’ve built the blacksmith, you can return to the longhouse and speak with Sigurd. He’ll introduce you to your new room, at which point you’ll be able to acquaint yourself with some of its features. These include a letter box which you should regularly inspect for important correspondence, and a report which details the capacity for constructing new buildings in Ravensthorpe. Once you’ve explored your room and its features, meet Sigurd by the stables to complete the quest.