The Vault of Shadows

This article is about the mystery and its achievement. For the miniquest, see The Vault of Shadows (miniquest), and for the achievement for the miniquest, see The Vault of Shadows (miniquest) (achievement).

The Vault of Shadows
Solve this mystery.
Release date	30 March 2020 (Update)
Members	Yes
Category	Skills
Subcategory	Archaeology
Subsubcategory	Zarosian
RuneScore	25
Requirements	107 Archaeology [B] Time Served
Advanced data
ID	None
Infobox • Infobox talk page

The Vault of Shadows is a mystery as well as an achievement that requires the player to complete four puzzles. Each puzzle must be completed to solve the mystery and can be started from any wall location with the corresponding spell. The order of the puzzles is fixed and can be progressed through the remaining spell locations in any order.

Not to be confused with the miniquest with the same name: The Vault of Shadows (miniquest) which requires level 58 Archaeology and level 60 Divination. Both the miniquest and mystery are effectively the same piece of content, however they differ in regards to the requirements.

Alignment	Zarosian
Dig site	Kharid-et
Requirements	107 Archaeology [B] Time Served All shadow anchors powered or pylon active
Required items	These items can be obtained before and/or during the mystery. Legatus pendant (may be stored in the tool belt) Pontifex signet ring (may be stored in the tool belt) 'Incite Fear' spell scroll 'Exsanguinate' spell scroll 'Smoke Cloud' spell scroll 'Animate Dead' spell scroll Ring of visibility or the ability to access the shadow world after Fate of the Gods
Rewards	2,500 experience (ice button puzzle with 58 Archaeology)[B] 5,000 experience (blood button puzzle with 86 Archaeology)[B] 7,500 experience (smoke button puzzle with 100 Archaeology)[B] 10,000 experience (shadow button puzzle with 107 Archaeology)[B] 25,000 experience 30,000 experience Ability to teleport between the five buttons.

Steps

Button locations

The locations of all four buttons.

• Ice button
  • Enter the eastern door of the prison block of Kharid-et Dig Site, to enter the lowest level of the fortress, in the same room where the strange device is.
  • Cast the 'Incite Fear' spell scroll (which requires level 58 Archaeology and is consumed on use) while standing next to the dial on the west wall on the middle-south of the corridor, just outside the southernmost room.
  • Alternatively, players can borrow an 'Incite Fear' spell scroll from Dr Nabanik which will suffice for the miniquest, but the mystery requires returning a repaired one to Dr Nabanik if the loaned one was used.
  • Press the ice button to teleport to the western puzzle room of the vault.
• Blood button
  • Pass the pontifex barrier to enter the chapel on the south-east of the Main Fortress [topmost floor]
  • Cast the 'Exsanguinate' spell scroll (from the level 86 Orcus altar excavation hotspots) while standing next to the dial on the northern wall in the chapel. This will open the southern way into the blood vault.
  • Alternatively, players can borrow an 'Exsanguinate' spell scroll from Dr Nabanik which will suffice for the miniquest, but the mystery requires returning a repaired one to Dr Nabanik if the loaned one was used.
  • Press the blood button to teleport to the southern puzzle room of the vault.
• Smoke button
  • Cast the 'Smoke Cloud' spell scroll (from the level 100 culinarum debris excavation hotspot) while standing next to the dial on the western wall next to the oven in the kitchen.
  • Alternatively, players can borrow a 'Smoke Cloud' spell scroll from Dr Nabanik which will suffice for the miniquest, but the mystery requires returning a repaired one to Dr Nabanik if the loaned one was used.
  • Press the smoke button to teleport to the eastern puzzle room of the vault.
• Shadow button
  • Click the praetorian war table to enter the war room (while the pylons are active (or anytime if you've activated all the shadow anchors)).
  • Cast the 'Animate Dead' spell scroll (from the level 107 ancient magick munitions excavation hotspot) while standing next to the dial in the praetorium. The dial is in the furthest west room, on the western wall.
  • Alternatively, players can borrow an 'Animate Dead' spell scroll from Dr Nabanik which will suffice for the miniquest, but the mystery requires returning a repaired one to Dr Nabanik if the loaned one was used.
  • Press the shadow button to teleport to the northern puzzle room of the vault.
• The order of the puzzles is fixed, even if the buttons are activated in a different order.

Western puzzle room (ice button)

The dial commands

• Head back to the Ice Button's location on the western side of the Vault area. Press the Ice Button and enter the vault.
• Pick up the praetor's log page 1 and follow the steps detailed below to adjust the dials in the correct configuration (the solution is the same as with the prison door in Prison Break; shadow dials first (top row), then blood dials (second row), then smoke dials (third row), and finally ice dials (bottom row)):
  • Position the camera with the vault door on the right side (camera facing north if you entered via the ice button as in the image on the right)
  • Move top-right dial forward once
  • Move right dial forward once
  • Move top-right dial back once
  • Move bottom-left dial back once
  • Move bottom dial forward twice
  • Move bottom-right dial forward twice
  • Move centre dial forward once
  • Move top dial back once
  • Move bottom dial back once
  • Move left dial forward once
  • Move top-left dial forward once
• The controls on the floor correspond to clusters of 4 dials, and rotating the controls will rotate the dials. The controls on the north side rotate the dials of the north side (NE controlling the top 4, N the centre 4, and NW the bottom 4). The southern controls effect the southern dials in the same fashion, and the central controls (N, C and S) correspond to clusters of 4 with 2 dials on each side of the door.
• Should you make an error, leaving and returning will reset the puzzle.
• When you solve the puzzle, you will find the praetor's log page 2.
• Leave from the vault exit to return to the button you entered through.

Southern puzzle room (blood button)

The second puzzle, labelled.

• There is a similar puzzle to the western side, but this time the player has five buttons in an X formation instead of nine. The western puzzle needs to be done first, otherwise 9 buttons will show up. Again the final order of dials is 'Shadow', 'Blood', 'Smoke', 'Ice'. To solve the puzzle do the following:
  • Position your camera facing the door (north if you entered via the blood button as in the image on the right)
  • Move bottom-left back once
  • Move middle forward once
  • Move top-left forward twice
  • Move bottom-left back once
  • Move middle back twice
  • Move top-right forward once
  • Move bottom-right forward once
  • Move middle back once
  • Move top-right back twice
  • Move middle back twice
  • Move top-right back once
  • Move middle back once
  • Move bottom-left back once
  • Move bottom-right forward once
  • Move middle forward once
  • Move bottom-right forward once
  • Move middle forward once
  • Move bottom-right forward once
  • Move bottom-left forward once
  • Move middle forward once
  • Move bottom-left back once
  • Move middle forward twice
• 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.
• When you solve the puzzle, the praetor's log page 3 will appear in your backpack.
• Leave from the vault exit to return to the button you entered through.

Eastern puzzle room (smoke button)

The third puzzle, labelled

• In this puzzle, the horizontal buttons will move columns and the vertical buttons will move rows. The solution is the same.
• Click the buttons (all forward, no backs) in the following order, according to the image on the right:
  • 7, 8, 1, 1, 3
  • 4, 4, 4, 8, 7
  • 8, 8, 1, 1, 8
  • 8, 8, 1, 1, 3
  • 3, 8, 3, 3, 2
  • 4, 7, 7, 7, 8
  • 4, 8, 8, 8, 2
  • 2, 2, 4, 4, 4
  • 8, 8, 8, 4, 4
  • 4, 4, 4, 4, 8
  • 8, 8, 4, 4, 4
  • 4
• Alternative solution with backs (denoted with an ' after)
  • 5', 2, 7', 3, 3, 4' - Top row complete
  • 2, 7', 2'
  • 1, 1, 8', 1, 1
  • 3, 3, 8, 3, 3 - Second row complete
  • 7', 4, 8, 4' - Puzzle complete
• When you solve the puzzle, the praetor's log page 4 is placed in your backpack.
• Leave from the vault exit to return to the button you entered through.

Northern puzzle room (shadow button)

The fourth puzzle, labelled.

• The solution for the puzzle is, once again, the same:
  • 3rd button 2 times forward
  • 1st button 1 time back
  • 3rd button 2 times back
  • 1st button 1 time back
  • 5th button 1 time back
  • 2nd button 2 times forward
  • 4th button 1 time forward
  • 1st button 1 time back
  • 3rd button 1 time back
  • 1st button 1 time forward
  • 5th button 1 time back
  • 3rd button 2 times forward
  • 5th button 1 time forward
  • 2nd button 1 time back
  • 3rd button 1 time back
  • 2nd button 1 time back
  • 3rd button 2 times forward
  • 4th button 2 times forward
  • 3rd button 2 times forward

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.
• You must then train Divination, collecting equivalent to 500 vibrant tier or higher memories to fill the shadow engrammeter (Enriched memories count as 2). 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 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.
• Bring the book back to the vault, either wearing a ring of visibility or having the ability to permanently see the Shadow Realm, and having activated all 8 shadow anchors or whilst the pylons are active.
• Talk to Praetor Trindine who is now in the centre. The pylon needs to be active or all the shadow anchors powered for Trindine to appear.
• Talk to Nabanik. After his usual intro dialog, he will then say he wants to discuss Trinidine, after which the miniquest will complete.
• Note: If the player is attempting to return any restored spell scrolls to Nabanik to receive experience, they must boost to the level required to restore the scrolls before talking to Nabanik or he will not present the player with the option to return the artefacts.

Mystery solved!

Transcript

This article on an Archaeology mystery has an associated transcript page. Click here for the transcript.

Update history

The update history project is a work-in-progress – not all updates to this topic may be covered below. See here for how to help out!

• 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.

• patch 26 May 2020 (Update):
  • Fixed an issue where an NPC was repeating the wrong dialogue after completing the Vault of Shadows mystery.

• update 30 March 2020 (Update):
  • Added to game.

Trivia

• The player L33 was the first player who completed this mystery on 5 April 2020 which was shown in-game with the announcement: News: L33 is the first to solve the 'The Vault of Shadows' mystery!