Dungeon Keys

The Cove's tougher dungeons are locked. The only way in is with the right key. Keys are consumed on entry: the system checks for yours when you step through the dungeon door, and it's gone once you're inside. Every party member needs their own.

Astrid, the Beast Handler. Found down in the sewers.

Getting Keys

There are three main ways to get dungeon keys:

Source	How
The Merchant NPC	Sells a dungeon key for around 20,000 gold per rotation. Stocks rotate every 24 hours, so check back if the key you need isn't up.
Crates	Keys drop from crates at various rarities. Rare keys in particular can contain higher-tier dungeon keys.
Quests and story	Some story dungeons hand you their key directly as part of the quest. You don't have to buy your way into the Abandoned Mine.

Merchant is the reliable source

The Merchant is your consistent supply. 20,000 gold per key is steep early on, but once you're earning gold through jobs, AFK pool payouts, and badging, it becomes routine. Check /merchant daily.

How Keys Work

The JartonDungeonKeys system handles all key gating on the server. When you attempt to enter a locked dungeon:

1. The system checks your inventory for the correct key.
2. If the key is present, you're let through and the key is removed from your inventory.
3. If the key is absent, entry is denied.

The same check runs when you leave the dungeon. Hold the key to get in. Once it's been consumed, it's gone regardless of how the run goes.

Keys are consumed on entry

Dying and leaving a dungeon does not return your key. The key is spent when you enter. Run with extra keys if you plan to re-attempt a dungeon in the same session.

The Four Keys

Four of the Cove's dungeons require a specific key for entry:

Key	Opens
Rare Key	Locks the standard key-gated dungeons
Legendary Key	Locks the higher-tier dungeons

Beast Handler NPC context

Astrid the Beast Handler is an NPC in the sewers connected to the key boss trials. The sewer beast fights are their own separate solo challenges. See Bosses for what the beast trials actually involve.

The Beasts

Each key boss dungeon is a solo trial gated by Astrid in the sewers. These are one-on-one fights, not standard party dungeons. No backup, no team.

The Beast Handler menu shows which beast guards which key:

Astrid's menu: choose your beast and see the key it guards.

Finding Astrid

Astrid opens her doors after you've cleared your first real dungeon, the Abandoned Mine. Head into the sewers once that's done.

The sewer entrance. Astrid's lair lies below.

Why Bother With Keys?

Keys are your ticket into the Cove's harder instanced dungeons, where the real loot lives. Boss loot from locked dungeons includes accessories, netherite, enchanted golden apples, and nectar vouchers that you can't reliably get elsewhere. The 20,000-gold cost per key is the entry fee to the best loot in the game.

Every party member needs their own

Locked dungeons check for a key on every player entering. If you're running with a party, everyone needs their own key before you queue. Farm a few at once and store them before scheduling a group run.

Related Guides

• Dungeons: what each key unlocks and how dungeon rules work
• Bosses: the beasts and the dungeon bosses, pictured
• Combat: sharpen up before you face a beast
• Currency & Banking: earning the gold for keys