Spend enough time in the darkened taverns along the outskirts of the charted galaxies, and you are sure to hear at least one extremely colorful character regale his or her drinking companions with a tale of intrigue and adventure found in pursuit of some ancient and incalculably valuable alien artifact on a distant, unknown world. Such is the life of the Treasure Hunter.
Unlike most Pirates, who prey on vulnerable deep-space transports and isolated human outposts, the Treasure Hunter is essentially a glorified tomb raider. Scattered throughout the cosmos are innumerable, antediluvian alien ruins littered with extraterrestrial antiquities, many of which command a high price on the thriving intergalactic black market. Of particular interest to those who collect such artifacts are the nonpareil relics left behind by the Azsendi.
From a human perspective, the Azsendi are, in many ways, the most alien of all the alien races in the Novus Æterno universe, due to their unique, somewhat plant-like, crystalline physiology and their immense telekinetic abilities. And among the Azsendi, none are more bizarre or exotic than those who call themselves “The Enlightened,” a sect so incredibly rare that even most other Azsendi have never actually encountered one. Thus, the scarce pieces of art and technology produced by these strange beings are extremely valuable to human collectors, and the possession of such an object is a sign of wealth and status among those in the upper echelons of human society.
Despite the fact that the trade of Enlightened Azsendi artifacts can yield a substantial financial reward, the greatest thrill for the Treasure Hunter lies in the act of pursuing such objects. Many Pirates have the tendency to overly romanticize their criminal lifestyle, and the Treasure Hunter is no exception. The fiscal compensation one might receive in exchange for a peculiar alien relic is fleeting, but the legendary tale of its acquisition, propagated among inebriated rogues and rapscallions lurking in shadowy, clandestine drinking establishments throughout the many inhabited solar systems of the Novus Æterno universe, can live on long after the Treasure Hunter is gone.
