The Vault (The Pilot)

A secret vault containing (TV: Extremis) was hidden beneath the campus of St Luke's University in Bristol which the Twelfth Doctor made a promise to protect.

The reason for this was due to Missy's execution. The Doctor failed to kill her after being sent as her executioner. After letting her live, the Doctor had to take care of her for a thousand years, after declaring an oath. (TV: Extremis)

By the 2010s, the Doctor and Nardole had spent almost seventy years guarding the vault, while also working at the university.

The Doctor and Bill Potts were chased to the location of the vault by a puddle of sentient oil which had taken on the image of a former student. At this time, both the Doctor and Nardole only left their posts when they realised that the threat was after them and showed no interest in the contents of the vault. (TV: The Pilot)

After being told by the Doctor to "leave [him] alone", a frustrated Nardole voiced his frustrations to himself while standing guard at the Vault before being interrupted as Missy started heavily knocking the door. Though acknowledging that the Doctor had been "distracted" by Bill, Nardole, hiding his fear, asserted to Missy that he would still stand guard and would not let it escape. (TV: Thin Ice)

After saving Bill and her friends from a creaking house filled with Dryads controlled by a mysterious landlord, the Doctor returned to the vault with food to take his shift. He found Nardole checking the security of the vault doors. Missy started playing Für Elise on a piano, gifted by the Doctor against the wishes of Nardole. Nardole was dismissed by the Doctor, who went on to tell Missy about his day. Hearing about people being eaten, the tune changed to Pop Goes The Weasel and the Doctor entered the vault. (TV: Knock Knock)

After he became blind, the Doctor confided in Missy, talking about how he feared his enemies would know about his weakness. (TV: Extremis)