Behind a heavy iron door, the Vault holds the dungeon’s most powerful secrets — not gold and jewels, but the invisible variables that shape every shell. Set them correctly, or the ghost devours you.

🎯 Quest Objectives

Set and read shell variables with = and $VAR
Export a variable with export so child processes see it
Use env and printenv to inspect the shell environment
Solve the goblet puzzle in the stronghold
Survive the ghost encounter in the lab
Collect the vault key fragment

�️ Quest Prerequisites

Cellar side-quest complete
Emerald amulet in inventory

⚡ Command Cheatsheet

Command	What It Does
`VAR=value`	Set a shell variable (local to current shell)
`export VAR=value`	Set and export to child processes
`echo $VAR`	Print a variable’s value
`env`	Show all exported environment variables
`printenv VAR`	Print a specific env variable
`unset VAR`	Remove a variable
`export -p`	List all exports in a reusable format

Local vs Exported Variables

# Local — child scripts cannot see this:
SECRET=password

# Exported — child scripts and subshells inherit it:
export SECRET=password

# Verify inheritance:
export GREETING="Hello Dungeon"
bash -c 'echo $GREETING'   # prints: Hello Dungeon

🗺️ Walkthrough

Step 1 — Enter the vault and read the stronghold scroll

cd .VAULT          # The vault may be hidden — use ls -a
ls -F
# stronghold/  nursery/  lab/  vault_scroll

cat vault_scroll

The scroll explains that each sub-area requires a specific environment variable to be set correctly.

Step 2 — Stronghold: solve the goblet puzzle

cd stronghold
ls -F
# goblet*  inscription

cat inscription
# "The goblet demands the colour of magic. Set MAGIC_COLOR before running ./goblet."

export MAGIC_COLOR="purple"
./goblet
# The goblet glows purple. Correct!
# Vault door unlocked.

Different game sessions may demand different values. Read the inscription carefully.

Step 3 — Nursery: learn about local variables

cd ../nursery
ls
# seeds  growth_chart  care_notes

cat care_notes
# "PLANT_NAME must be set to continue growing."

export PLANT_NAME="moonflower"
cat growth_chart

The nursery teaches that variables can store any string — command output, paths, names.

Step 4 — Lab: the ghost encounter

cd ../lab
ls -a
# ghost*  .formula  beakers/

cat .formula
# "To banish the ghost: set GHOST_BANISH to the name found in the beakers."

ls beakers/
cat beakers/vial_7
# Value: "iron_salt"

export GHOST_BANISH="iron_salt"
./ghost
# Ghost banished! The lab is safe.

If GHOST_BANISH is not set or wrong, ./ghost reduces your HP substantially.

Step 5 — Verify your environment

env | grep -E "MAGIC_COLOR|GHOST_BANISH|PLANT_NAME"
# MAGIC_COLOR=purple
# GHOST_BANISH=iron_salt
# PLANT_NAME=moonflower

Step 6 — Collect the vault key fragment

cd ..
ls -F
# vault_key_fragment

cat vault_key_fragment
inventory
# vault key fragment ✓

💡 Common Pitfalls

Problem	Cause	Fix
`$VAR` prints empty	Variable not exported	Use `export VAR=value`
Ghost still attacks	Wrong value in `GHOST_BANISH`	Re-read `.formula` and beaker vial
`env` shows nothing	Non-exported variable	Use `export` or check with `set \| grep VAR`
`./goblet` says “wrong”	Case mismatch	Variable values are case-sensitive

✅ Validation

You understand the difference between local and exported variables
You ran env and found your variables in the output
The goblet puzzle is solved
The ghost is banished
The vault key fragment is in your inventory

➡️ Next Steps

Complete other branches → Hidden Chapel · Scrap
Enter the final gauntlet → The Rift
Back to hub → Bashcrawl Hub

📚 External Resources

Continue your terminal adventure with these resources:

Bashcrawl Web Demo — Play in your browser, no installation required
Bashcrawl on GitHub — Source code, setup, and open contributions
GNU Bash Manual — Environment — Variables and the shell realm
IT-Journey Bashcrawl Hub — Full quest series and walkthroughs
Linux Environment Variables — Master the realm of variables

The ghost dissolves. Variables mastered. The vault yields its secrets. 🔒