The Vault of Shadows

This article is about the quest. For the mystery, see The Vault of Shadows (Archaeology achievement). For other uses, see Vos (disambiguation).

This article has a quick guide. Quick guides provide a brief summary of the steps needed for completion.

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The Vault of Shadows
Release date								25 January 2021 (Update)
Members								Yes
Voice Over								No
Official series								The Elder God Wars #7
Age								Sixth Age
Timeline								World Guardian
Start area								Al Kharid
Combat								None
Advanced data
Quest ID								470
Quest create ID								306
Official difficulty								Experienced
Links								Quests

The Vault of Shadows is a quest that is a version of the The Vault of Shadows mystery, but with different and lower requirements.

For those who completed the mystery The Vault of Shadows before this quest was released, simply talk to Dr Nabanik and accept the quest. The quest will then be immediately completed.

Official description

“

Dr Nabanik has a newfound urgency for uncovering one of Kharid-et's biggest secrets.

”

Overview

Start point	Talk to Dr Nabanik outside the Kharid-et Dig Site. Show on map	2021
Membership requirement	Members only
Official length[?]	Medium
Requirements	Quests: The Vault of Shadows Ability to see the Shadow Realm inside Kharid-et Dig Site 58 Archaeology 60 Divination Time Served (can be completed at the same time with an ancient timepiece) Have powered all eight shadow anchors or the pylon active (only for one of the steps)
Items required	Items from the tool belt are not listed unless they do not work or are not automatically added. Ancient timepiece (if Time Served is not completed) Pontifex signet ring (can be on the tool belt) 500 Divination memories, vibrant or better
Recommended	'Animate Dead' spell scroll (alternatively players can use an 'Animate Dead' spell scroll (loaned) given by Dr Nabanik) 'Exsanguinate' spell scroll (alternatively players can use an 'Exsanguinate' spell scroll (loaned) given by Dr Nabanik) 'Incite Fear' spell scroll (alternatively players can use an 'Incite Fear' spell scroll (loaned) given by Dr Nabanik) 'Smoke Cloud' spell scroll (alternatively players can use a 'Smoke Cloud' spell scroll (loaned) given by Dr Nabanik)
Enemies to defeat	None

Shadow Anchors or Pylon

A portion of the quest requires access to the Praetorium, which can be achieved by either waiting for the Kharid-et pylon to be active or by powering all shadow anchors across Kharid-et Dig Site. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. While the pylon requires no actual input from the player (but instead relies on being charged by the entire player base), it could take hours (usually around 20 hours as of June 2022) for the pylon to be fully charged and only grants access to the war table for 30 minutes until it needs to be charged again. Note that the pylon activates at the same time across all worlds. Alternatively, powering the shadow anchors requires the player to collect 80 pylon batteries (10 per anchor) themselves, but grants permanent access to the Praetorium once done, this is usually the best option for quest progression and collecting rewards. Fast batteries can be obtained by repeating Zarosian I collection for Soran, who can be found just south of Varrock west bank (20 batteries each by repeating the collection). This method should take around an hour or so for each repetition of the collection (depending on luck with which artefacts are excavated).

Button activation

Information gathered in previous Kharid-et mysteries and research has alluded to the presence of a vault at the Kharid-et Dig Site hidden within the shadow realm, possibly several layers into the shadow realm. In order to access this vault, four buttons (found as inactive dials before they are powered) located around the site must be activated with the use of spell scroll artefacts.

The buttons may be activated and pressed in any order – the order of the subsequent puzzles is fixed in sequence, even if the buttons are activated or solved in a different order to below. Upon activation of buttons, you can use the buttons alternative to the shadow anchors, or activated pylons to enter praetorium and the vault.

If the player does not have the Archaeology level required to restore one of the spell scrolls specified, a loaned version of that spell scroll may be received from Dr Nabanik to use in place of the restored artefact, which will suffice for completing the quest. If doing this, a restored spell scroll will need to be given to Dr Nabanik to later receive the Archaeology experience reward from the Archaeology mystery.

• 'Incite Fear' spell scroll – excavated from the carcerem debris and restored with 58 Archaeology
• 'Exsanguinate' spell scroll – excavated from the Orcus altar and restored with 86 Archaeology
• 'Smoke Cloud' spell scroll – excavated from the culinarum debris and restored with 100 Archaeology
• 'Animate Dead' spell scroll – excavated from the ancient magick munitions and restored with 107 Archaeology

Ice button

Enter the prison block of Kharid-et Dig Site either via the western door in the main fortress, or by using the fort entrance shortcut. Once in the prison block, enter the eastern door. The Time Served mystery must be completed to unlock the eastern door. Once inside, the inactive dial is located on the middle of the western wall; south of the corridor, just outside the southernmost room.

Cast an 'Incite Fear' spell scroll, or loaned 'Incite Fear' spell scroll, while standing next to the dial.

Press the ice button to teleport to the western puzzle room of the vault.

Blood button

Pass the pontifex barrier to enter the chapel at the south-east of the main fortress. The inactive dial is located on the northern wall in the chapel.

Cast an 'Exsanguinate' spell scroll, or loaned 'Exsanguinate' spell scroll, while standing next to the dial.

Press the blood button to teleport to the southern puzzle room of the vault.

Smoke button

Go to the culinarum excavation site in the north-east part of the main fortress. The inactive dial is located on the western wall next to the oven.

Cast the 'Smoke Cloud' spell scroll, or loaned 'Smoke Cloud' spell scroll, while standing next to the dial.

Press the smoke button to teleport to the eastern puzzle room of the vault.

Shadow button

After activating all the shadow anchors, or the pylons is activated, enter praetorium war table to the praetorium. The inactive dial is in the small room furthest west, on the western wall.

Cast the 'Animate Dead' spell scroll, or loaned 'Animate Dead' spell scroll, while standing next to the dial.

Press the shadow button to teleport to the northern puzzle room of the vault.

First puzzle room

The dial commands

Head back to the Ice Button's location (or whichever button you activated first). Press the button and enter the vault.

Pick up the praetor's log page 1 from the floor. It will note that the code for the vault is the same sequence as with the prison door in the Prison Break mystery: shadow dials first (top row), then blood dials (second row), then smoke dials (third row), and finally ice dials (bottom row).

There are some controls on the floor that will move the coloured dials on the door. The controls each correspond to a different cluster of 4 dials (in a 2x2 square) on the door, and rotating the controls will rotate these dials (clockwise or anticlockwise). The controls are orientated roughly in correspondence with the dials they control when facing the door - the controls nearest the door will affect dials on the top 2 rows (with the left-most control affecting the left-most 2x2 dials in these two rows, the centre control the most-central 2x2 dials on these rows, and the right-most control the right-most 2x2 dials on these rows), the controls farthest from the door affecting the bottom 2 rows (in the same fashion) and the middle controls affecting the 2 most central rows (in the same fashion again).

Follow the steps detailed below to adjust the dials in the correct configuration. Should you make an error, leaving and returning will reset the puzzle.

• Position the camera with the vault door on the right side. Your camera orientation should be facing north, so that the top dials correspond to the north dials.
• Move North-East dial forward once
• Move East dial forward once
• Move North-East dial back once
• Move South-West dial back once
• Move South dial forward twice
• Move South-East dial forward twice
• Move Centre dial forward once
• Move North dial back once
• Move South dial back once
• Move West dial forward once
• Move North-West dial forward once

When you solve the puzzle, the door will open and you will find praetor's log page 2. Leave the vault from the button where you entered the vault.

Second puzzle room

The second puzzle, labelled.

The second puzzle located past the blood dial, and is a similar puzzle to the first, but this time the player has five buttons in an X formation instead of nine. The controls each rotate the dials in 2x2 square as before. Again the final order of dials from top to bottom is 'Shadow', 'Blood', 'Smoke', 'Ice'.

To solve the puzzle do the following. Should you make an error, leaving and returning will reset the puzzle. However, if you know where you went wrong, it may be helpful to reverse your steps. Changing worlds or going to lobby will put you back in the chapel.

• Position your camera facing the door
• Move South-West back once
• Move Centre forward once
• Move North-West forward twice
• Move South-West back once
• Move Center back twice
• Move North-East forward once
• Move South-East forward once
• Move Centre back once
• Move North-East back twice
• Move Centre back twice
• Move North-East back once
• Move Centre back once
• Move South-West back once
• Move South-East forward once
• Move Centre forward once
• Move South-East forward once
• Move Centre forward once
• Move South-East forward once
• Move South-West forward once
• Move Centre forward once
• Move South-West back once
• Move Centre forward twice

When you solve the puzzle, the door will open and praetor's log page 3 will appear in your backpack. Leave the vault from the button where you entered the vault.

Third puzzle room

Go to the area north of the chapel and cast the "smoke cloud" spell to the button on the west wall.

The third puzzle, labelled

In this puzzle, the buttons are in a line horizontally (when facing the door). When moving columns of dials, the buttons in a vertical row will move. The solution is the same.

Should you make an error, leaving and returning will reset the puzzle. Changing worlds or going to lobby will put you back in the chapel. Using the boat will take you out by the river and put you on the bank of the river, opposite the dominion tower.

The sequence to open the door is as follows. See the image to the right for the button numbering used. Backward movements are denoted with a B after the number, eg. 5B is 5 dial back.

• 5B, 2, 7B, 3, 3, 4B - Top row complete
• 2, 7B, 2B
• 1, 1, 8B, 1B, 1B
• 3, 3, 8, 3, 3 - Second row complete
• 7B, 4, 8, 4B - Puzzle complete

When you solve the puzzle, the door will open and praetor's log page 4 is placed in your backpack. Leave the vault from the button where you entered the vault.

Final puzzle room

The fourth puzzle, labelled.

The final puzzle is accessed from the shadow dial in the Praetorium (refer to the first part of this guide, "Shadow Anchors or Pylon", for details on how to gain access). The solution for the puzzle is, once again, the same. There are five buttons corresponding with three different shapes of dials (each moving four dials at a time):

• The buttons nearest the door move the 4 dials in a diagonal line from one corner on the top row to the opposite corner on the bottom row (the left-most dial when facing the door moves the dials in diagonal line from top-left to bottom-right and vice versa for the right-most button).
• The two buttons at a middle distance from the door move 4 dials up and down in a curved c-shape on the corresponding side of the door (the left-most button when facing the door only affects the left half of the door and vice versa) - the two outer-most dials on the middle two rows and the the two inner-most dials on the top and bottom rows are moved.
• The button furthest from the door rotates the 4 dials in a 2x2 shape in the middle 2 columns of the bottom two rows on the door, as with the controls on the first two puzzles.

The puzzle may be solved with the actions as follows. See the image to the right for the button numbering used.

• 3 forward twice
• 1 back once
• 3 back twice
• 1 back once
• 5 back once
• 2 forward twice
• 4 forward once
• 1 back once
• 3 back once
• 1 forward once
• 5 back once
• 3 forward twice
• 5 forward once
• 2 back once
• 3 back once
• 2 back once
• 3 forward twice
• 4 forward twice
• 3 forward twice

Solving the mystery

Floating crystal in the centre of the vault.

• After completing all four puzzles, the player can pick up the shadow engrammeter (depleted) from the centre of the vault.
• The shadow engrammeter must be charged by collecting equivalent to 500 vibrant tier or higher Divination memories to fill the shadow engrammeter (Enriched memories count for double). Divination energies cannot be used; thus, this step cannot be skipped by purchasing divine energies.
• Return to the centre of the Vault, and operate the charged engrammeter to get Trindine's memory.
• Bring the memory to Nabanik outside of Kharid-et Dig Site to get Trindine's memory as a book.
  • If asking Dr. Nabanik about the mystery does not trigger the exchange, try destroying the shadow engrammeter (which can be reclaimed for free) after obtaining the memory.
• Bring the book back to the vault.
  • If the book is destroyed, there is no need to reclaim it from the player-owned bookcase. Trindine will still be waiting at the vault.
  • Wearing a ring of visibility or having the ability to permanently see the Shadow Realm is not necessary after transcribing the memory.
• Talk to Praetor Trindine who is now in the centre. Azzanadra will appear when you start talking to her, and will ask the player to leave so that two of them may speak privately. The mystery will be completed at this point, but not the quest.
• Return outside and talk to Nabanik. A cutscene will play. Talk to Nabanik again and after his usual intro dialog, he will then say he wants to discuss Trindine, after which the quest will complete.

Note that the quest will not complete until you "Talk to" Dr. Nabanik. Selecting "Mysteries" will complete the mystery, but not the quest.

Congratulations, quest complete!

Rewards

Additional rewards/activities

• Two ghost praetorians may now be found by the smoke and shadow buttons. The ring of visibility must be equipped or Sliske's gift must be unlocked, and each of the shadow anchors must be activated. Speak to each of them to receive:
  • 80 Ancient vis
  • 80 Blood of Orcus
  • 80 Samite silk
  • 80 Zarosian insignias
  • 80 Third Age iron
  • 80 Vellum

Achievements

• The Vault of Shadows ( 0) – Complete this quest.

Required for completing

The Vault of Shadows is directly required for the following quests/miniquests:

• Azzanadra's Quest

It is therefore an indirect requirement for the following quests and miniquests:

• Aftermath
• Battle of the Monolith
• City of Senntisten
• Extinction
• Eye of Het I
• Eye of Het II
• Twilight of the Gods

Transcript

This article on a quest has an associated dialogue page. Click here for a transcript of possible conversations and other messaging encountered throughout the quest. Click here for a transcript of the quest's journal entry.

Credits

The Vault of Shadows
Developers
Developer				Mod Rowley

Update history

This information has been compiled as part of the update history project. Some updates may not be included – see here for how to help out!

• patch 13 February 2023 (Update):
  • The Vault of Shadows miniquest has been converted to a short quest with journals it will not award quest points or Treasure Hunter keys.
  • The Vault of Shadows is now a prerequisite for Azzanadra's Quest.

• patch 23 January 2023 (Update):
  • Completion of The Vault of Shadows quest is now required to start Azzanadra's Quest.
  • Map markers for the following quests have been updated to match the current quest state:
    • Violet is Blue Too
    • Elemental Workshop 4
    • Deadliest Catch
    • Call of Ancestors
    • City of Senntisten
    • The Vault of Shadows (miniquest)
    • Once upon a time in Gielinor
    • Finale
    • Daughter of Chaos

• patch 8 February 2021 (Update):
  • The Vault of Shadows miniquest difficulty has changed from novice to experienced.

• patch 25 January 2021 (Update):
  • A new miniquest called 'The Vault of Shadows' has been added, which takes you through The Vault of Shadows Archaeology mystery.
    • The requirement to do so is now 58 Archaeology, although you will still need 107 Archaeology to restore your own Spell Scrolls and receive XP.
    • If you have previously completed the mystery, speak to Dr Nabanik to complete the new miniquest.

• update 25 January 2021 (Update):
  • Added to game.

Trivia

• Upon completion of the quest, the Adventurer's Log simply states: Quest Complete!
• When finishing the quest, Trindine first mistakes you for Sliske, which, if you've completed Sliske's Endgame, is a little ironic.