Every adventure book from Dungeons & Dragons will have NPCs to help get you into the world and what your party will be up to while exploring it. With Keys from the Golden Vault, there are several memorable NPCs that truly showcase how unique the characters you'll encounter while sneaking around truly are.
If you're looking to run Keys from the Golden Vault, you'll want to familiarize yourself with these individuals, as they're actually able to shift the adventure one way or another based on your interactions with them.
10 Meera Raheer
Meera and the Raheer family will be your introduction to the Golden Vault, as she can be used as your Golden Vault handler. A storied background involving operatives from the organization and an understanding of a corrupt government, Meera is the perfect NPC to introduce your players to the Golden Vault concept.
She is yours to mold for the most part. Meera understands the importance and value of following the law but also that doing what's right doesn't always mean following the law. She's a great NPC to introduce the morally grey aspect of some of the adventures in this module, with her own past influencing those opinions.
9 Zala Morhpus
Probably one of the most interesting NPCs you'll meet, Zala Morphus isn't quite the human mage you're expecting to see. With a single great green eye and talons that can shred you to bits, Zala is clearly no longer human.
Transformed into a nothic, she's one of the NPCs that can either help or hurt you. She's desperate to return to her human form and looks to the stars for an answer. Will you be the help she needs or another distraction on her quest to become human again?
8 Dr. Cassee Dannell
You'll meet this normally cheerful woman with a distraught disposition upon introduction to this adventure. She's tenacious, smart, and willing to put everything she loves on the line to protect people.
Another character coded as a do-gooder who still understands what's more important, she's willing to get her hands dirty – she already has – and is willing to help the party infiltrate the museum and do the same. She may be a disgraced character now in the eyes of others, but can you and your party bring her back into the good graces of her namesake?
7 Joster Mareet
Who knew you'd be conspiring with a servant of the demon lord Graz'zt? An incubus who takes the form of a beautiful red tiefling, Joster may not have the best intentions for his friends. While you'll see the other NPCs caught unaware by the true intentions of Joster, it shouldn't be a surprise for anyone based on who he serves.
He can telepathically get into your head and make requests, and it'll be hard to deny this beautiful incubus anything. While Sythian Skalderang is the more prominent NPC from this adventure, he's far more annoying and far less suave. Besides, he's getting played by Joster anyway, meaning Joster's the better NPC. What kind of trouble will he get you and your party in?
6 Prisoner 13
What's more fun than playing or interacting with a no-hold-barred ruthless villain? Nothing. Prisoner 13 is proof of that. She is a schemer who keeps her ear to the ground and has lots of secrets up her sleeves. It takes a lot to have an entire adventure named after you, and this dwarf proves just how resourceful she is.
She's got a unique way of keeping her minions on the outside in line while being in one of the most well-guarded prisons in D&D history. You may see a more cautious side of her at times, but for the most part, she's a confident criminal you want to keep on your good side.
5 Jarazoun The Efreeti
Brooding and powerful NPCs seem to crop up quite often in Keys from the Goldne Vault, and Jarazoun the Efreeti is another one of those characters. Intimidating and imposing, he's such a fun character to come up against, especially when trying to appease him.
He is, however, a bit of a fraud. An intimidating presence reduced to an imitation of the real thing; he's got a lot of bravado for someone who is afraid to get in trouble himself. That doesn't mean he won't give you a hard time, though. Be careful you don't upset him to the point of hostility.
4 Zorhanna Adulare
Once a sweet and kind woman, Zorhanna has become intentionally cruel and possessive. Of course, the change in attitude isn't without reason, and it's up to you to figure out what's wrong and help her return to her senses. Of course, nothing is as easy as it seems, and Zorhanna's plight will be much more than you originally expected.
Were her original intentions true, or did she deserve the fate that befell her? Meeting the true Zorhanna compounds the adventure into the next phase, and you'll enjoy learning everything you can from this archmage trying to get to grips with reality.
3 Constantori
While not technically an NPC, Constantori's Portrait is a magic item with such a huge and distinct personality that it's easy to see how the most beautiful man in the world made his way onto this list.
A nosey little painting that's always eavesdropping on conversations to get secrets to abuse later, Constantor's Portrait will surely annoy you as it demands only the best treatment and proves how vanity and a condescending attitude make for a hilarious addition with the most interesting interactions during your game.
2 Nixylanna Vidorant
Just when you think you know how things are going, Keys from the Golden Vault can throw you a curveball, making you decide the next best course of action. A beautiful, sleek elf with dark hair, a slender frame, and an air of mystery and superiority, Vidorant may find you attempting to steal from her in her adventure, but instead of outright attacking you, she'll give you an offer you may not want to refuse.
She's a fair woman when it comes down to it, offering ways for both you and her to settle things amicably, with neither party at a loss. Whether her intrigue will persuade you to betray your current mission or her plan makes more sense to you remains to be seen. She's a famous thief you may want to learn from.
1 Ignatius Inkblot
Of course, the best NPC in the adventure had to be the great mind flayer detective himself Ignatius Inkblot. From the tongue-in-cheek name to the fact that he's a detective, Ignatius is the best NPC in the entire adventure module. He uses quintessential detective phrases such as "The devil is in the details!" and smokes from his pipe while preferring to speak only telepathically.
The best part, he invites you to become a junior detective on his quest to solve the mystery aboard the Concord Express. You'll not soon forget becoming an apprentice detective helping Ignatius Inkbolt solve a murder on a magical train. If only we were all as cool as he is.