Map (Courtesy of www.acmaps.com):  Valley of Death (VoD)

Step 0: Preparation

• In all cases you will want to have every protection possible on to keep from getting taken down by the magic-wielding monsters you will encounter

• You want the highest BASE AL armor possible, as the baddies in VoD hit HARD and some of them ignore protections.

• An Intricate Carving Tool - I got mine from the barkeep in Shoushi (12k pyreals)

Step 1: Getting a Key

  Ok, to get one of these keys, you must be able to hang in one of the nastiest place on Dereth, the Valley of Death (VoD).  The monsters in this place typically have several thousand hitpoints, and are difficult to impossible for one person to solo.  The Twisted Dark Keys drop quite often, with Mangled Dark keys being much more rare (1 in 20 or so.)  As such, the mangled keys are highly prized and quite valuable in marketplace.

  Ok, so the next question is how to get to VoD.  Several Buff-bots in marketplace or at the Tou-Tou lifestone have portals that will drop you off a bit south of the entrance, which is located at 42s, 71e.

Step 2: Carving the Key

  Once you get free and clear of the dungeon, have a mage buff your lockpick skill as high as possible, and then use the Intricate Carving Tool on the key.  If successful, you will now have a carved version of the key.

Step 3: Where's the Treasure?

  After you have keys, you get to take another trip back to VoD.  Those same monsters that drop the keys are guarding the chests.  Take a group of people with you who also want to use these chests, take turns killing off all the baddies and opening the chests, and you are set to go.