Take the pistol from the blue padded display in the red room. The room is the inside of a carriage past the Demolished Path lantern in the Valley of Ashes, at the end of the wooden bridge platforms. You don't start with the Valor Mortis pistol; one player got there about an hour into the game.

Where is the pistol in Valor Mortis?
The pistol is inside the red decorated room reached after the outdoor platforming section, resting on a blue padded display. The padding and red patterned walls are your landmarks once you're indoors.
- Cross the outdoor wooden platforms among the corrupted growths.
- Continue into the decorated room and approach the pistol on the blue padding.
- Activate TAKE to pick it up.
If you haven't reached the platforms yet, the walkthrough covers the route up to here.
How do you cross the platforms before the pistol?
Cross the wooden platforms carefully; a missed jump on this section teleports you back but costs some HP. Each miss costs a bit of HP, so take the jumps slowly.

How do you use the Valor Mortis pistol after picking it up?
You can hold the pistol after taking it, then tap Y on a controller to swap between the gun and your fire skill.

The pistol has aim assist. For the enemy you encounter after acquiring it, aim at its weak point rather than defaulting to headshots. You can also return to earlier spots where you needed the pistol.
The pistol has its own upgrade branch at the workbench, covered in how to upgrade weapons. For the other guns and swords, see the full weapon list.