Yethisi Ruins

The Yethis Desert was once the home of the ancient Maniqi civilization, the creator of some of the most powerful artefacts the world has ever seen. Even after the Desolation, the Desert became the home of the Sufi-Nazadi Kingdoms, whose artwork and sculptures are famed across the known world. As a result, the desert has become the focus of many large-scale archaeological operations, which began soon after the founding of the eastern city of Harinia, in the third century BIF.
The most common sites are proto-, prime-, and beta-suferian - the remnants of ancient Yethisi villages, towns and even cities that have since been abandoned among the eastern dunes. Archaeologists and historians place great value on these ruins, as they offer clues at how the ancient Yethisi peoples lived, that have not survived in the stories of the Isada. They represent the remnants of a civilization that survived the passing of multiple millennia, likely over four thousand years in total.
Yet, these are not the ultimate prize for treasure hunters. Some ruins have been discovered which are even older - believed to be the last remnants of the ancient Maniqi civilisation. These ruins are always either formed from metal, or protected by powerful magical seals which allowed them to survive the Desolation of Maniq. Many explorers and treasure hunters have devoted their entire lives to hunting for the sites of ancient Maniqi ruins, as the rewards they offer are beyond imagining. While few have been discovered, each has inevitably contained a large cache of powerful magical artefacts - objects enchanted with celestial magic, from the Age of Radiance itself. The Dangers of the Yethis Desert, and the protection of the Lakani has made thorough exploration of the desert a difficult task: instead treasure hunters peruse fragments of ancient texts, or Yethisi stories, seeking to divine the location of these hidden hoards.
Discovery itself is no mean feat - only a handful of sites have been discovered since archaeological interest first began. Even once discovered, the ruins defy exploration - they are often protected by layers of magical enchantments, as well as more mundane traps. The origin of these traps is hotly debated - some believe them to have been created by the Lakani, who see it as their duty to guard the ancient hoards. Others suggest that the gods themselves laid these traps, seeking to keep the secrets of Maniq out of the hands of mortals. Some common examples of these security measures include: runic enchantments that scare away intruders; magical/mechanical constructs; and warded doors, that forbid entrance unless the correct password is offered (often the solution to a cryptic riddle). The ruins are often the haunting-grounds of roving bands of Desert Ghouls - the undead husks of the Maniqi who once lived there. Mechanical and magical traps are also common, punishing careless interlopers. Yet, these precautions have done little to deter would-be adventurers from delving Maniqi ruins, for their is no true limit on the prices offered for Maniqi artefacts, among certain circles.
One of the largest and well respected groups of ruin-hunters are the Imperial Guild of Yethisian Archaeology, more commonly known as the Diggers. The group's headquarters are in the town of New Maniq, which is located along the south-eastern coast of Yethisia. The town's largest structure is the Museum of Suferian and Maniqi Archaeology, which is filled with sculptures and carvings from the proto-, prime- and beta- suferian eras; as well as a small selection of less valuable Maniqi artefacts. The Diggers are notable for their commitment to non-profit digs: they rarely sell their pieces, except to fund further digs, and provide a more complete history of the Yethisi and the Maniqi. They are known to have ties to the Gnossian Order, providing most of their more dangerous artefacts to the Order for study and safe-keeping. The Diggers have established a fair amount of influence in the region around New Maniq, but they are far from the only ruin-hunters in the desert. Competition between independent treasure hunters is known to be fierce, and many have earned reputations for being cutthroat.
The greatest prize for any treasure hunter is the site of Ad-Maniq. The ancient capital's exact location has been lost for many centuries, yet the works of Danaerid make it clear that it once contained the greatest marvels of the Maniqi civilization - a hoard to rival all others. Many daring archaeologists have devoted their entire lives to its pursuit, but their labours have yet to yield this ultimate fruit. Yet, their failure has done little to discourage waves of fresh young treasure-hunters.
The stereotype of the rich young nobleman looking for fame and fortune in the great Yethis Desert is a holdover from the Empire's Golden Age, when treasure-hunting reached its peak. Since then, 'searching for Ad-Maniq' has become common parlance across the Heartlands and Yethisia, describing someone who is on a fool's quest. Treasure hunters are renowned for their cutthroat practices across the region, producing another common Yethisian phrase - a person with 'glinting eyes' is a person who cannot be trusted, for even an instant.