Treasure maps are likely to be currently hogging your storage space. Knowing whether to sell, trash, or follow them to their rewards can be challenging. Fortunately, here’s a handy guide to figure that out.
What Are Treasure Maps Anyway?
Treasure maps are handy items that you can follow to a location. The map will hint at a dirt mound in the area. However, you must have the map in your inventory, or the treasure won’t spawn. When you dig up the prize, the map will be consumed.
Before that, however, the map is 100% tradeable. The treasure also respawns, so you can find the same map of the location and dig the loot up again later. You cannot have two that lead to the same place and collect the same cache twice consecutively. Collect it once, and then you can repeat the process later.
You can get these maps as drops from bosses, though those only have a higher drop rate. The items can also be obtained through valuable loot stashes. Each base game area generally has six maps, except for Cyrodiil. The latter location has 18 (six treasure maps across three regions).
DLC locations have more varied numbers. Some have two, and others have the regular six. The Collector’s Editon compounds it more, adding one more map to the base game locations (except Cyrodiil). It also adds up to three maps to specific DLC areas.
Maps to Keep
The Deadlands maps are a definite ‘keep and follow.’ They have the chance to provide you with Ancient Daedric Motifs, which can fetch high prices in Guild Stores. Unfortunately, there are only two maps in the area.
Maps from Blackwood provide Ancestral Akaviri motifs and have six versions you can follow. Then some give the Ancestral Reach from Blackreach (Arkthzand Cavern and Greymoor Caverns) and Western Skyrim.
In the Aldmeri Dominion, you can get Ancestral High Elf pieces. Specifically from these places:
- Khenarthi’s Roost
- Grathwood
- Auridon
- Greenshade
- Malabal Tor
- Reaper’s March
In Daggerfall Covenant, pieces of Ancestral Orc motifs are scattered across the locations.
- Stros M’Kai
- Betnikh
- Stormhaven
- Glenumbra
- Rivenspire
- Alik’r Desert
- Bangkorai
In Ebonheart Pact areas, you’ll find the Ancestral Nord set.
- Bleakrock Isle
- Bal Foyen
- Deshaan
- Stonefalls
- Shadowfen
- The Rift
- Eastmarch
What to Sell
In the end, the choice is up to you. You only have the chance to get the motifs from the above maps, but it’s never 100% guaranteed. The treasures you get could be more expensive, but even the parchments that lead to them can also fetch a reasonable price.
If you need to offload some of these from your storage, keep the DLC ones and sell the rest.
What To Trash
Considering the above, everything in Cyrodiil can be trashed. Some DLC maps can also be ignored for the above. However, those are the better sources of leads for Scrying, which can lead to more expensive items.
All of them can be worth it. Using them can take time, but the loot you can get (whether from the treasure you get or leads you follow) is worth the trouble. Still, it’s up to you whether to trash, sell, or follow the map.
Scrying and Antiquities
Following the Greymoor expansion, players can find lost artifacts scattered across Tamriel. This can be done through Scrying (the location) and Excavating (the relic).
You must go to Solitude and the Antiquarian Circle to unlock the feature. Have Verita Numida brief you through the process, and then you can find the relics independently. Otherwise, you can learn more about the Antiquarian’s Eye and the system by staying in the Circle.
The first step in finding one is to find a Lead. One can come from nearly any activity. However, it might have some prerequisites that require trial and error. It could be zone exploration, a quest, or finding another Antiquity first.
If you want to find a specific lead, search for it in a related area. You won’t find historical Glenumbra artifacts in Stormhaven, for example. You can also find them by talking to people. The last method is generally to explore and investigate everything. You never know what you can find!
After finding a lead, you can now scry for it. You have to be in the correct area to do so, and you’ll be able to excavate the relic. You can get the following through the procedure:
- Mythic Items
- Emotes
- Personalities
- Outfits and Costumes
- Housing Items
As mentioned, the DLC maps have a higher chance of providing scrying leads. However, that doesn’t mean the others don’t give you those. As mentioned, most any activity can provide you with one, so it’s not like the DLCs have a monopoly on them.
Still, doing the maps is an incentive because they can lead you to more incredible treasures. Take some time to chip away through your collection!
Have Fun Treasure Hunting!
Don’t waste your maps and leave them sitting in your storage. Though they can have mediocre loot, the chance of getting a Lead is still there, and that can give you more valuable treasure. Depending on the piles of maps you have, it can take about a month to get through them, and that’s by playing the game consistently. Otherwise, take your time. Clearing your maps can become tedious, so do a few every time you log in.
