The Vernworth Castle Vault is beneath the castle’s first floor, down the stairs near the Dining Hall and Kitchens. The clearest way to open its locked door is to retrieve the one-use Makeshift Vault Key from the Ancient Battleground and bring it back. A guard may block the approach; if you do not have the key, a timing-dependent route follows Queen Regent Disa into the vault.
Where is the Vernworth Castle Vault?
Enter Vernworth Castle and find the stairs on the northeast side of the first floor, beside the Dining Hall and Kitchens. Follow the passage down to the locked vault door. The castle and its grounds are restricted, so a guide recommends entering through the Kitchens’ exterior door and keeping your time around guards to a minimum. Marcher’s Armor Set may make castle exploration easier; the guide reports it can be found in chests on the castle grounds or bought from Philbert’s Sundries in the Merchant Quarter. These are walkthrough suggestions, not guaranteed stealth protections. Windows Central’s walkthrough covers the route.
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How to get the Makeshift Vault Key
The key is reported in a chest in the final room of the Ancient Battleground fortress, west of Vernworth and northeast of Checkpoint Rest Town. This is the cenotaph room where Oskar asks for help during the “Tolled to Rest” side quest. Look in a corner for the chest; the ladder beyond the room is not needed to get the key. Game8’s key and vault guide also identifies this location.
- Travel from Vernworth to the Ancient Battleground fortress, west of the city and northeast of Checkpoint Rest Town.
- Reach the cenotaph room associated with Oskar’s “Tolled to Rest” quest and search the corner chest for the Makeshift Vault Key.
- Return to the vault beneath Vernworth Castle and use the key on the locked door.
The guides describe skeletons, harpies, and possibly goblins along the approach, so be ready for combat. The key is reported to break after opening this door, making it a one-use item.
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What if a guard is blocking the vault door?
A guard may or may not be present, and the reason one appears is unclear. If you have the key but a guard is in the way, Windows Central describes a barrel distraction. Save before attempting it: the walkthrough presents this as a workaround, not a guaranteed or official mechanic.
- Pick up a barrel in the nearby Kitchens and carry it down to the guard.
- Throw the barrel at the guard to make them run.
- Grab the guard and carry them up toward the Kitchens, then drop or throw them.
- Run back to the vault, unlock the door, and loot the chests.
Can you enter without the key?
A reported stealth workaround depends on Disa’s evening visit and can go wrong if she sees you. Wait near the top of the vault stairs until just before evening, then follow Queen Regent Disa as she approaches and unlocks the vault. Once the guard stands down, follow her inside and stay out of her line of sight while she remains there. If she spots you, the guide warns that she may alert guards and cause an arrest. The Thief vocation’s Shadow Cloak/Veil skill may help, but this route is timing-sensitive rather than assured. Getting the key is the more straightforward option.
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- A Grand Adventure – Dragon’s Dogma 2 begins in a subterranean jail, where the Dragon’s voice echoes in the fog of lost memories.
- Single-Player Cooperation – Up to three mysterious otherworldly beings, known as Pawns, accompany the Arisen throughout their journey.
- Made with RE ENGINE – Capcom’s advanced RE ENGINE produces vividly detailed, high fidelity graphics combined with immersive physics and complex and reactive character AI to create a setting where decisions, and their consequences, come to life.
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Which vault-opening method should you choose?
| Method | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Retrieve the Makeshift Vault Key | Players who want the clearest route to opening the door | Requires a trip to the Ancient Battleground and back. |
| Distract a guard with a barrel, then use the key | Players who have the key but find a guard at the entrance | Relies on manipulating the guard; save first, as the walkthrough advises. |
| Follow Disa in the evening without a key | Players who want to avoid the key trip | Timing-sensitive, with a reported risk of being spotted and arrested. |
What loot is in the vault?
Windows Central’s 2024 walkthrough reports these contents and item descriptions; they are guide-reported, not presented here as independently tested:
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- Relic Expedition Cycle – Throughout their journey in the kingdom of Norgan, the Arisen must unearth and appraise forgotten relics to unlock powerful new weapons and skills.
- New Dungeon Challenges – The 12 freshly uncovered Lost Rites dungeons house trials designed by the Pathfinder to sharpen the Arisen’s skills and recover rare equipment once held by past Arisen that now lay dormant.
- Deeper Character Customization – New tattoo and hair options have been added to the already robust character creation tool in Dragon’s Dogma 2 so Arisen and Pawns can have even deeper personalization.
- Now on Nintendo Switch 2 – Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen brings the classic fantasy world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 and the Dark Arisen Expansion to the Nintendo Switch 2 for the first time.
- Pre-order Bonuses – The Norgan Fashion Set - Northern Attire will be available as a pre-order bonus, which can be accessed via in-game storage at launch.
Rank #3
- A Grand Adventure – Dragon’s Dogma 2 begins in a subterranean jail, where the Dragon’s voice echoes in the fog of lost memories.
- Single-Player Cooperation – Up to three mysterious otherworldly beings, known as Pawns, accompany the Arisen throughout their journey.
- Made with RE ENGINE – Capcom’s advanced RE ENGINE produces vividly detailed, high fidelity graphics combined with immersive physics and complex and reactive character AI to create a setting where decisions, and their consequences, come to life.
- Pre-order Bonus: Superior Weapons Quartet
- 20,000 Gold, according to Windows Central’s 2024 guide.
- Daughter of the Evening, a shield the guide describes as especially strong before reaching Battahl and useful against a petrifying enemy.
- Wyrmhunter’s Cloak, described as cosmetic.
- Ring of Reassurance, which temporarily increases a Pawn’s Defense after you help them up.
- Decayed Medusa Head, a one-use item reported to petrify a target when activated while it is looking at you.
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