Archaeology

Archaeology

Archaeology is a new system for Chapter 6. It lets you uncover the history of the setting, and acquire equipment that may be useful to rogues, scouts and explorers. The key skills for an Archaeologist are Archaeology, Mining (to dig things up), Search (To dig things up, find secret doors, and look in Scavenge... piles), and Lore (to translate ancient texts). The key bit of equipment for Digs is a Shovel, which you can buy at NPC merchants. All of those skills except Mining are Intelligence based, so good Intelligence may be helpful.

How to be an Archaeologist

Get a licence (or go rogue)	Doing Archaeology without a licence is a crime in Ephia's Well, so be aware so you don't commit IC crimes by OC mistake. There are legal places to turn in your finds to scholastic factions, and an illegal store for Crime Archaeologists.
Locate some finds	Archaeology sites and items are marked by Beige text in the item title. They have names like "Buried Cache", "Old Siege Engine" etc. Sites can be picked through for Finds with a moderate Archaeology check (no shovel required).
Assemble your finds at an Archaeology Table or turn them in	You can put together finds from the same time period at an Archaeology Table, to uncover the location of a larger dig site with more chance of lore to uncover. This is another Archaeology Check. Or you can turn Finds in for Archaeology Favour at the Archaeology Stores and spend that Favour on Equipment.
Do a dig	You can then go to the site you've discovered and dig it up with a shovel. It will take some time for an entrance to be found once you start digging.
Dig things up!	You can then enter the explorable area, and start picking through it and digging for treasure and translating ancient lore! Be aware that not all dig sites will be safe! Dig checks are based on Search and Mining, so be sure to invest in these skills if you want to play a competent Archaeologist. Not all areas are flagged as diggable, and some areas will just dig out holes. The most likely places to find treasure are around dusty areas, rubble piles, and other signs of disturbed earth. Some quests will also have diggable areas for the aspiring treasure hunter.