Treasure Hunter

Treasure hunters, as the name suggests, are experienced adventurers or explorers who search for treasure in a professional capacity, either for their own direct benefit or employed by a rich patron. The land around Sunscald is rich in ancient treasures and artifacts, from the warped crevasses of the Great Fissure, to the perilous cliffs and caverns of the Chacolian Mountains, to centuries of sunken treasure in the cold, dark sea. Sunscald is not a new frontier - any treasure in a relatively safe or accessible location has undoubtedly been looted centuries ago. Consequently, modern treasure hunters risk life and limb in the most hostile corners of the known world for the mere hope of fortune and glory.
While many, through promises of fame and fortune, wanderlust, or sheer desperation, may try their hand at treasure hunting in Sunscald's reaches, few survive. Fewer still return with anything worthwhile, and fewer still are inclined to return to the field after their first attempt. Still, for those elite few with the skill, luck, and tenacity to survive, succeed, and persist, treasure hunting can be a lucrative and rewarding endeavour. In addition to the easily sellable 'raw treasure' such as jewels and precious metals one might stumble upon, artifacts from the long-dead 'arcanist empires' may often be sold at a high price to collectors. Magical artifacts, though often unstable and potentially dangerous, are especially valuable even in poor conditions. Especially avid collectors, such as Marina-Euthemia Alethe (proprietor of Argyria's Chamber of Curiosities) may even patronise successful treasure hunters, guaranteeing the hunters funding even if they fail to actually locate anything. Alethe in particular is also an avid researcher and active investigator of rumours regarding the location of rare artifacts, and her coterie of patronised treasure hunters are often aided by this research.
While treasure hunters face harsh conditions in their work, they may receive additional comforts when in civilised areas owing to their reputation. There is a significant amount of prestige involved in a treasure hunt and curiosity about the strange frontiers, and even those who return from an expedition with no treasure to speak of can often secure free food and lodgings just by telling the tales of their exploits. Many nobles and rich merchants are equally fascinated by the stories of treasure hunters, and some particularly successful examples have used their charisma to ingratiate themselves into a city-state's high society or even its government. Treasure hunters are not universally well-liked, however, with some dismissing them as little more than grave robbers or even charlatans.

Type

Freelance

Alternative Names

Adventurer, Excavator, Explorer, Grave Robber (derogatory), Thief (derogatory)

Demand

Luxury, predominantly self-serving