Antiquities are a new addition to Elder Scrolls Online, part of the Greymoor DLC. This new system allows you to become an archaeologist and look for forgotten relics around the world, unlock a new skill tree and become a renowned antiquarian. If you’re wondering how it all works, you’ve come to the right place – this guide will explain how the entire hunt for antiquities and relics works, from scrying for their location, to using the Antiquarian’s Eye to pinpoint the dig site and using your tools to excavate the artefact.
Before you begin, you’ll have to talk to Verita Numida at the Antiquarian Circle – it’s the building next to the Bards College in Solitude. She’ll tell you all about the time honored traditions and offer to let you join them. The tutorial starts off rough, and you might get stuck at this point.
How to select relic to scry for?
Once you’ve talked to Gabrielle, she’ll tell you to focus on a relic you want to scry for, to picture it in your mind. To do this, you’ll have to open up your journal and switch to the antiquities tab – it’s the one next to the quest log. There you’ll see a list of all the antiquities you can scry for. Select one and press E. You’ll then have to complete the scrying mini-game.
Your goal is to connect the shining hex at the bottom with all the vortices you have on the board. You do this by claiming tiles – whenever you claim a tile, every adjacent tile with the same symbol will be claimed as well. A helpful outline will show you exactly how far your territory will spread with each action. You have to reach all the vortices in the alloted number of turns. Each vortex you claim will cross off a fake dig site from your map.
Once you’re down to one, the game will mark the general area on your map. Go there, and use the Antiquarian’s Eye again. A glowing orb will appear to lead your way to the dig site. When you reach it, you’ll have to use the Eye once more, to discover where exactly the relic is buried. A red square means you’re far, a yellow means you’re near, and a green one means you’ve stumbled upon a part of the artefact. Once you’ve pinpointed the location, you’ll use a brush to unearth it.
You’ll have to work against the clock here, and any remaining time once you’ve found the relic can be used to look for additional loot.