Ruin Poaching

Poaching the ruins of our ancestors is easily a fool's endeavor.

— Artur Neha, Traveler

Overview

As civilization recovers from the calamities and subsequent quiet period of the The Great Collapse, more and more people are tempted to brave the dangers of the ruins of the The Ancient Order in the hopes of securing riches. Sometimes people raid ruins out of necessity, securing valuable artifacts to pay off outstanding debts. Whatever the reason to motivate one to undertake such dangerous ventures, the act falls under the umbrella term "Ruin Poaching." Professionals in this activity naturally emerged. These professionals developed a codified list of techniques and a standardized list of equipment and often formed guilds. It is now illegal to be a Ruin Poacher.

Sovereign Decrees

At the same time as ruin poaching increased in frequency, sovereigns (Kings, Queens, Princes, Chiefs, etc.) have emerged to control lands and the resources therein. These sovereigns have seen the increasing activity surrounding the ancient ruins and have noted how this has disturbed and awakened all manner of horrors. These horrors would then venture forth from their ruins and terrorize towns and villages. In an attempt to curtail an increasingly dangerous problem, as well as to keep more of their people from finding a foolish death, the sovereigns have enacted various laws that made ventures into ancient ruins without specific exemptions an illegal act. Punishment ranges from several years in prison to death, depending on the region.
These laws were enacted by various sovereigns between 835AGC - 910AGC. The laws also made the Ruin Poacher profession illegal to ensure the message was sent. The guild's associated with the now illegal profession have since been disbanded.

A Secondary Agenda

While making the lands safer (further secures resources like farmland) is considered the primary reason for the illegality of ruin poaching, it is not the only reason. With less people now motivated to travel to the ruins it gives the ruling parties more time to search the ruins themselves. It may be worth considering what kinds of treasures the various Royalties have uncovered while no one was looking. Of course, plenty of theories on what was recovered are exaggerations given current knowledge of the Ancients.

Note(s) from the Archivists:

So.... what is it we do exactly? - Archivist Edward
We always get an official exemption from a governmental authority before beginning any ventures into a ruin. - Archivist Taenya
Is that why field trips are so rare? - Archivist Edward
Yes. It's also why we tend to take an official along with us. - Archivist Taenya
It is also why our findings are always taxed. - Arch Archivist Grau Quillblade