Salvager

Salvagers, the custodians of Solaris' discarded treasures, breathe new life into forgotten items by acquiring, restoring, and reselling them. Their expertise lies in discerning the value of these relics, ensuring fair deals for both buyers and sellers. Salvagers' role in the economy extends beyond mere trade; they contribute to the efficient circulation of resources, ensuring that valuable items continue to serve useful purposes rather than being abandoned or destroyed. Their keen eyes for hidden potential transform what others discard into valuable assets, preserving both resources and knowledge that might otherwise be lost.

Origins

The salvager tradition began on the shores of Xhan Tarn, where Captain Tillen's sailors developed techniques for recovering cargo from shipwrecks, establishing the first systematic approach to reclamation. The profession evolved significantly when Human Rift Jumpers introduced concepts of recycling and repurposing from their original timelines, transforming salvaging from simple recovery to creative reuse. The tradition gained particular prominence following the discovery of Builder ruins throughout Solaris, with specialized salvagers developing techniques for safely extracting and repurposing ancient technology. The most significant revolution came when Reformed Demons established salvaging operations in the Afterplane, developing methods for reclaiming objects and even souls that had fallen into demonic territories, adding a spiritual dimension to the material practice.

Notable Locations

The Reclamation Market in Harbor City represents the largest salvage trading center on Solaris, where items recovered from shipwrecks and coastal ruins change hands daily under the watchful eye of Captain Tillen's inspectors. In Elyndaar City, the Repurpose Collective operates workshops where salvagers transform recovered materials into new items, combining traditional techniques with innovative approaches. The Redemption Halls in Evermore Village in the Afterplane specialize in reclaiming corrupted artifacts and purifying them for safe use, a service particularly valued by travelers who venture near the Infernal Chasm. Deep within the Kazarial Desert, nomadic Vegonian salvagers maintain hidden caches of recovered items from the ancient ruins that dot the landscape, trading only with those who demonstrate respect for these historical artifacts.

Techniques and Specializations

Artifact recovery focuses on safely extracting valuable items from dangerous or degraded environments, requiring knowledge of structural integrity, hazard assessment, and preservation techniques to prevent damage during extraction. Restoration specializes in returning damaged items to functional condition, combining traditional repair methods with creative solutions for replacing missing components or adapting around irreparable damage. Appraisal involves accurately assessing the value of recovered items, considering factors including historical significance, material rarity, craftsmanship quality, and potential utility in current markets. Purification, a specialty that emerged in the Afterplane, focuses on cleansing items of corrupt influences or dangerous enchantments, making them safe for conventional use without destroying their beneficial properties.

Race Affinities

Human salvagers excel at identifying valuable items from cultures and time periods unfamiliar to native Solarians, their diverse backgrounds providing unique perspectives on potential uses for recovered objects. Reformed Demons, particularly those in the Death Guard, possess innate sensitivity to corrupting influences, allowing them to identify and safely handle items tainted by demonic energy. Mechanoid salvagers utilize their precise sensors and analytical capabilities to identify salvageable components in seemingly destroyed technology, particularly valuable when working with ancient Builder artifacts. Revenant salvagers, straddling the boundary between life and death, specialize in recovering items lost between realms, a unique service particularly valued by those who have lost possessions in the Afterplane.

Class Synergies

Techknights naturally gravitate toward salvaging, their technological focus allowing them to identify and repurpose components that others might overlook or misunderstand. Warriors who develop salvaging skills excel at operating in dangerous recovery environments, combining combat prowess with careful extraction techniques in locations too hazardous for less martially capable salvagers. Mages with salvaging expertise specialize in identifying and safely handling enchanted or cursed items, neutralizing harmful effects while preserving beneficial properties. Hunters who pursue salvaging often focus on wilderness recovery operations, locating and extracting valuable items from remote ruins or natural hazards inaccessible to less wilderness-savvy practitioners.

Magical Affinities

Shadow magic enhances a salvager's ability to identify corrupted or cursed items, perceiving dark influences that might remain hidden to conventional examination. Divine magic aids in purification processes, cleansing recovered items of harmful influences while preserving their original function and beneficial properties. Earth magic grants deeper insight into the composition and stability of materials, particularly valuable when extracting items from precarious ruins or degraded structures. Ciedium magic, though rare among salvagers, represents the cutting edge of technological recovery, allowing practitioners to interface with and reactivate Builder technology that would otherwise remain inert and mysterious.

Tools of the Trade

Extraction equipment ranges from simple pry bars and pulley systems to sophisticated apparatus designed for safely removing delicate items from unstable environments without causing further damage. Assessment tools help salvagers identify the composition, age, and condition of recovered items, from simple magnifying glasses to magical devices that reveal hidden properties or enchantments. Preservation supplies prevent further degradation of salvaged materials during transport and storage, including specialized containers, stabilizing compounds, and protective wrappings tailored to different material types. Restoration workbenches provide specialized environments for repairing and rebuilding recovered items, equipped with tools specific to different materials and construction techniques. Purification chambers, most common in the Afterplane, create controlled spaces for cleansing items of negative influences, combining physical isolation with magical countermeasures to prevent contamination spreading during the process.