Do you know how many sandy hills and ponds there are across Shatterscarp? A lot. That's why the Robe of the Arcane Cheater treasure map in Avowed is so infuriating. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack. Thankfully, it's actually really easy to reach once you know where it's buried, and you'll be rewarded with a great set of mage armour for your trouble.
If you want the treasure map to solve for yourself, you can buy it from Ihaka of The Thrifty Pig for 1680 coins in a cave just west of Tago's Tower in Shark's Teeth, Shatterscarp. Remember though, you don't need the map to claim the rewards.
Robe of the Arcane Cheater treasure map solution
The Robe of the Arcane Cheater is hidden in a cave above a small oasis at the centre of the Ancient Lakebed, found in the southwest of Shatterscarp. This is just down the hill from Eagle's Reach camp where you'll first enter this zone.
Coincidentally, there's also a bounty target holed up in this oasis, so you'll have to clear them out before it's safe to claim the treasure chest. I did this long before piecing together that there was hidden treasure in the rocks above, so at least you can be more efficient.
To reach this location:
- Travel to the Eagle's Reach camp and head down the path to the southeast
- Once you reach the Ancient Lakebed at the bottom of the hill, continue straight on to find a small body of water surrounded by a wall of rocks (you can just about see the cave opening from the base of the hill)
- Climb the short hill up to the left of the water and turn right to walk on the rocks overlooking the water
- Drop off the ledge and enter the nook to find the treasure chest
Collecting the Robe of the Arcane Cheater treasure gives you the Robes of Surpassing Brilliance, which increase area of effect damage by 15% and maximum essence by 10. While these won't help you pass any exams (not that it was successful for the previous owner), they are perfect for mages. I've been using these robes with Missile Salvo and Meteor Shower to drop nukes on my enemies.
