The Lawyer’s Pen is a Grim tier relic on Ashes of the Damned, and it is one of the easiest relics on the map to unlock. You light three candles with any fire source after round 20, then clear a short 4-wave mimic trial at the barn on Van Dorn Farm. That is the whole quest. No round 60 grind, no obscure step order, just three candles and a fight.
- Cursed Mode on Ashes of the Damned, round 20 or later, main Easter egg completed
- Light three candles with a fire source: Farmhouse, Lost Cabins, and the Ruby Rabbit
- A green portal opens on the barn at Van Dorn Farm once all three are lit
- Clear a 4-wave Shock Mimic trial (waves 2 and 4 are HVT waves, all relics disabled)
- Relic effect: mimics disguise as loot pickups (grab it for the points, not to keep on)
We unlocked this one ourselves and grabbed screenshots of every stage, from all three candle spots to the trial waves and the final unlock. That co-op run is where our tips below come from. Creators like ZoneX and his community also cover Ashes relics, and MrDalekJD has a full walkthrough if you want to watch it live.
What the Relic Does
The Lawyer’s Pen effect card reads “Mimic props have infiltrated the map.” Equip it in a Cursed run and mimics start disguising themselves as loot on the floor, so what looks like a drop can lunge at you the moment you go to grab it. It is a Grim relic, which is the entry tier, worth 1 point toward your Cursed score. Here is where it sits in the relic menu.
New to all of this? Our What Is Cursed Mode guide explains the three tiers, how relic points work, and why you would want to stack relics in the first place. It is worth a read before you start chasing candles.
Requirements
Lawyer’s Pen is a Grim relic, so the requirements are light. There is no tier-stacking prerequisite like the higher relics have.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Map | Ashes of the Damned |
| Relic Tier | Grim (entry tier, 1 point) |
| Cursed Access | Cursed Tier 1 or higher |
| Main Easter Egg | Must have completed the Ashes of the Damned main Easter egg. |
| Round | Round 20 or later before the candles can be lit. |
| Fire source | Napalm Burst ammo mod or a Molotov. Any fire damage lights the candles. |
Step 1: Light the Three Candles
Once you are past round 20, equip a fire source and go light three candles. The Napalm Burst ammo mod on any gun is the simplest option, but a Molotov or any other fire damage works just as well. You do not have to light them in a set order, and you do not have to do it all in the same round. Here are the three spots, each showing the small pink marker you see when you are close. Click any shot to enlarge it.
Click to enlarge Farmhouse (Van Dorn Farm, 2nd floor) 
Click to enlarge Lost Cabins (attic, by the wardrobe) 
Click to enlarge Ruby Rabbit (Ashwood, near Juggernog) 
Each candle lights with a small flame once it catches, like the Farmhouse one above. That flame is your confirmation the candle counted.
The Ruby Rabbit candle is the awkward one. It is the hardest of the three to spot, and the area swarms you while you are hunting for it, so clear some space before you start looking. The Farmhouse and Lost Cabins candles are far easier to grab in the open.
Any fire source lights the candles, so you do not need a specific ammo mod. Light them as soon as you hit round 20 rather than waiting, because the later you leave it the more you have to fight through to reach each spot. In our run we never had a candle refuse to light, so if one is not catching, you are just missing the flame.
When all three candles are lit, you hear the Mr Peeks laugh. That laugh is your confirmation that the portal has opened over at Van Dorn Farm.
The Mr Peeks laugh (your confirmation sound)
Hear this after the third candle and the trial portal has spawned on the barn at Van Dorn Farm.
Step 2: Enter the Trial Portal
Head to Van Dorn Farm and look at the side of the barn. A green portal will be glowing on the wall near the door. Walk up to it to bring up the relic trial prompt.
Interact with the portal and the prompt appears. Read it before you hit start, because there is one detail that matters.
The prompt spells it out: “All relics will be disabled in the trial.” Whatever relics you have equipped, they switch off the moment the fight starts, so you go in leaning entirely on your weapons, perks, and equipment. Plan your loadout around that, not around your relic bonuses.
Step 3: Survive the Trial (4 Waves)
Start the trial and the “Grim Trial Activated” banner drops. Every enemy in the fight is a Shock Mimic, and there are a lot of them. The trial is four waves, and the objective alternates between clearing the whole wave and killing marked HVT mimics.
| Wave | Objective | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kill all Shock Mimics | Warmup, get a feel for how they move and stun |
| 2 | Kill all HVTs | Focus fire the marked mimics |
| 3 | Kill all Shock Mimics | Bigger crowd, keep training them in a circle |
| 4 | Kill all HVTs | Final push, drop the last marked targets |
The community tends to call this an easy trial, and it can be, but do not sleep on it. Only mimics spawn, they come in numbers, and they hit with a lightning stun. If a mimic entangles you, a second one zaps you, and the rest of the group piles on, a comfortable run can go downhill fast. Keep your distance, keep training, and do not stand still. In our testing the fight ran about 5 to 10 minutes.
For the HVT waves, the War Machine was our standout pick. It one-shots the mimics, and there is a workbench right there in the barn, so you can rebuild it if you run dry mid-trial. The trick is to bank the salvage for it before you ever start. We farmed it fast by spraying spores with the Toxic Growth augment, which stacks up salvage quickly.
Do not bother with Kazimir grenades in here. The mimics destroy them with their lightning stun attack before they do anything useful, so you are wasting the throw. Stick to direct damage and the War Machine for the marked targets.
Clear all four waves and the “Trial Complete” banner appears. Lawyer’s Pen is permanently unlocked for Ashes of the Damned.
Relic Effect
Equip Lawyer’s Pen in a future Cursed run and mimics start hiding as loot props all over the map. They love to copy the rare, tempting drops, the kind you actually want to run over and grab, like a Pack-a-Punch tier 3 crystal or a legendary tool. Go to pick it up and it turns on you. They also destroy any tactical or lethal you throw near them, so your equipment gets eaten if you are not paying attention.
In practice the mimics spawn constantly with this relic active, and it gets old fast. It is not a run-ender, but it does make every loot pickup a small gamble, which is more annoying than dangerous once you know to expect it.
Is Lawyer’s Pen Worth It?
To unlock, yes. It is one of the most accessible relics on Ashes: no tier stacking, no round 60 marathon, just three candles and a short trial. If you are starting your Cursed score on this map, Lawyer’s Pen is a great first Grim relic to knock out.
To keep equipped, it is a harder sell. The mimic-loot effect leans more toward nuisance than challenge, so once you have the point most players slot in something they would rather run. There is no shame in that. Unlock it for the completion and the Grim point, then move on to a relic that fits your run better.
Lawyer’s Pen is an easy unlock and a solid first relic for your Cursed score. The effect itself is mild and a bit annoying, so grab it for the point, then swap to something you actually want equipped.
All Ashes of the Damned Relics
Ashes of the Damned has 9 relics total, the most of any map, split across the three tiers. Here is the full set, with the relics we have written guides for linked in the table. For free perks while you work through them, our Mr Peeks guide covers the egg drops that hand them out.
| Tier | Relic | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Grim | Dragon Wings | Power-ups do not spawn |
| Grim | Lawyer’s Pen | Mimic props infiltrate the map |
| Grim | Teddy Bear | 75% round delay reduction |
| Sinister | Vril Sphere | Limits you to 4 perks |
| Sinister | Samantha’s Drawing | Weapon swaps each round (gun game) |
| Sinister | Focusing Stone | Self-revives disabled |
| Wicked | Bus | Enemy health regenerates |
| Wicked | Dragon | Ammo caches disabled |
| Wicked | Blood Vials | All augments disabled |
Tips
- Any fire damage lights the candles, so you do not need a specific ammo mod. Napalm Burst or a Molotov both work.
- Light the candles as soon as you hit round 20. The longer you wait, the harder each spot is to reach through the horde.
- The Ruby Rabbit candle near Juggernog is the tough one to find, and the area swarms you. Clear space before you search.
- Bank your salvage before the trial. A War Machine one-shots the HVT mimics, and the barn has a workbench to rebuild it.
- Spray spores with the Toxic Growth augment to farm salvage quickly ahead of the fight.
- Skip Kazimir grenades in the trial. The mimics destroy them with their stun before they land.
- Remember your relics are disabled inside the trial, so bring a strong Pack-a-Punch tier and rely on your guns.
- Need a setup that survives the late game? Our best BO7 Zombies loadout guide has you covered.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Lawyer's Pen relic do in BO7 Zombies?
The in-game description reads "Mimic props have infiltrated the map." With Lawyer's Pen equipped in Cursed Mode, mimics disguise themselves as loot pickups and lie in wait, so a shiny drop on the floor can turn out to be an enemy. It is a Grim tier relic on Ashes of the Damned, the lowest of the three tiers.
How do you unlock the Lawyer's Pen relic on Ashes of the Damned?
Get to round 20 or later in a Cursed run, then light three candles across the map with a fire source: one at the Farmhouse on Van Dorn Farm, one at Lost Cabins, and one at the Ruby Rabbit in Ashwood. A green portal opens on the side of the barn at Van Dorn Farm. Enter it and clear the 4-wave mimic trial.
Where are the three candles for the Lawyer's Pen relic in BO7?
Candle one is on the bedside table in the second-floor bedroom of the Farmhouse at Van Dorn Farm. Candle two sits by the wardrobe in the attic at Lost Cabins. Candle three is near the Juggernog machine inside the Ruby Rabbit in Ashwood. The Ruby Rabbit one is the hardest to spot and the area swarms you while you look.
What fire source lights the candles for the Lawyer's Pen relic?
Any fire damage works. The easiest options are the Napalm Burst ammo mod on any weapon or a thrown Molotov. Aim the fire at each candle until the flame catches. When all three are lit you hear the Mr Peeks laugh, which confirms the portal has opened.
What is the Lawyer's Pen relic trial in BO7?
It is a 4-wave fight where every enemy is a Shock Mimic. Waves 1 and 3 ask you to clear all mimics, waves 2 and 4 mark HVT mimics you have to kill. All your equipped relics are disabled for the duration, so you rely purely on your weapons and equipment. It runs about 5 to 10 minutes.
Is the Lawyer's Pen relic worth using in BO7?
It is one of the simplest relics to unlock, so it is a fine first Grim relic for the points. As something to keep equipped, the mimic-loot effect is more of a nuisance than a benefit, so most players run it low on their priority list. Grab it for completion, then swap to a relic that actually helps.
What tier is the Lawyer's Pen relic in BO7 Zombies?
Lawyer's Pen is a Grim relic, the first of the three tiers on Ashes of the Damned. Grim relics only need round 20, a fire source, and the map's main Easter egg completed, which makes Lawyer's Pen one of the easier relics to add to your Cursed score.
Can you unlock the Lawyer's Pen relic solo in BO7?
Yes, the candles and the trial can all be done solo. A second player just makes the HVT waves faster. Our own run was a two-player co-op that cleared the trial without any trouble, and nothing about the setup requires more than one person.
Stuck on the candles or the mimic trial? Join 50,000+ players in the COD Central Discord. Our Zombies channels are full of people running Cursed relics daily, and someone is usually up for a co-op run through Ashes.
