Part 108: The Dragon Vault
Chapter 82 – The Dragon Vault
Beatdown Rush
Round Two with Bellegar
Music: Maxos’ Vault
Video: Beatdown Rush
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The runes guard a vault
that no one’d dare assault. But if entry is your plight, then pray the sequence do recite – from left to right!
(Yara) Kitten, Totem, Totem, Maxos, Kitten. Indeed? But did you succeed? Did I pass the test? Your answers were precise and access is your price! Still, do not delight: for what’s in there will likely bite!
“Rune Handles” complete! Quest Reward: 6211 XP, 1300 Gold, Skill Book. Bonus Chosen: 3105 XP, 2 Malachite Gems.
Certain quests have a chance to give Malachite gems as a reward. This was one of them.
Summon Demon
Increased from Rank 3 to Rank 7 (Rank 13)
Mana Cost: 114 -> 134 (166)
Cooldown: 30 seconds
Duration: 220 -> 320 seconds (420 seconds)
Demon Level: 24 -> 29 (37)
Music: Maxos’ Vault
(Behrlihn) I wonder what we shall find here. There is something in this dim dungeon… a vague, yet powerful presence.
(Maxos Book) You are here for the challenge, at the end of which lies one of five. Alight the signs ‘bove three iron rings and slay all that oppose thee. Be quick, be quick or fail. Thus commands Maxos.
Music: Countdown to Death
The gimmick of this dungeon is that we have a time limit which starts as soon as you pull one of the handles. However, you can pull the handles after killing all the enemies, which makes it a lot less challenging. But that’s no fun to watch, so I didn’t. I now have 2 minutes to kill every enemy here. The fact that the upper end of my critical hit damage is close to 2400 should make that a little easier.
There’s 18 seconds on the clock, but this is the last enemy. There’s a Malachite vein in the background – the only lone vein in the game. 
Music: Nasty Creatures (And Restless Guard)
Hitting all three switches darkens the lights, respawns a bunch of enemies, and gives you a 300 second timer. That’s a pretty silly choice to me – I did fine in 120 seconds, so why give me MORE time for enemies who aren’t any more challenging?
Life Leech is overpowered. My next warrior won’t be using it – or using Strength. Look at this: 1115 health (82%) INSTANTLY restored.
Damned be Maxos and his childish trials! But at least you were victorious.
You have made it, daring one who seeks to find the shackled wizard. The riddle is yours, as is one ancient treasure. Make a choice: left or right. Right. As you would have it! But beware of what you stir. So says Maxos.
So they entrusted a fifth of my damnation to Maxos. Now there was a wizard, I must admit. He nearly killed me twice during the wars even though he never truly took sides. Chaos or the Council, it mattered not to him: only knowledge and Dragons.
This clearly ancient bracelet bears carved letters that read: “The dark mountains are covered in White Snow.” “Clue V” complete! Quest Reward: 7920 XP, 1600 Gold, 2 Skill Books. Bonus Chosen: 3960 XP, 1600 Gold.Summon Demon
Increased from Rank 7 to Rank 9
Mana Cost: 134 -> 146
Cooldown: 30 seconds
Duration: 320 -> 340 seconds
Demon Level: 29 -> 32
Video: Round Two with Bellegar
Oh darn.
(Bellegar) You wriggle and thrash like a fish on the hook as I pluck thee from Aleroth like a trout from a brook! Never before a Dragon I took! Your soul I shall banish, your body I’ll cook!
He didn’t catch a trout, but a shark. Come, to battle!
The time limit for round two in the arena has been reduced to 140 seconds. But with a creature and a Demon, it’s even easier than it was before.
I now officially put Fatality into my hotskill bar. It’s still not very useful, it only saves me one or two punches at most.
Ha! To kill again… so exhilarating! Let him do his worst!
Fie! The serpent slithers away! The time shall yet come that thee I shall slay! Wherever thou runneth, be it near or afar, I will find thee still, I, Bellegar!
That rambling rhymer does not even acknowledge me, but focuses only on you. He will try to thwart you again, I know it!
Beatdown Rush
Round Two with Bellegar
Music: Maxos’ Vault
Maps
Order of the Viper Set Bonuses
Order of the Viper Helmet: +20 Ranged Armour Rating
Order of the Viper Cuirass: +15 Vitality
Order of the Viper Bracers: +15 Strength
Order of the Viper Belt: +20 Magic Armour Rating
Despite this being a perfect place to do so, Larian didn’t bother making randomly generated combinations for the vault – it’s the same every time. That means you can enter it without ever pulling a single handle!
So they entrusted a fifth of my damnation to Maxos. Now there was a wizard, I must admit. He nearly killed me twice during the wars even though he never truly took sides. Chaos or the Council, it mattered not to him: only knowledge and Dragons.There’s an additional line after this that ONLY plays if you haven’t talked to Thaddeus in the Prancing Seahorse yet.
But don’t look so stupefied. Soon you will understand.