Difficulty: Intermediate
Length: Long
Members only: Yes
Reward:
- 2 quest points
- 15,300 Mining XP
- 2,000 Herblore XP
- 2 Gold bars
- Access to the Mining camp.
Start:
Talk to an Examiner, south-east of Varrock in the Dig Site Exam Centre.
Needed skills:
- 25 Thieving
- 10 Agility
- 10 Herblore
Needed items:
- A Cup of yea (can be stolen from the tea stall southeast of the East Bank in Varrock)
- Pestle and mortar (can be bought at any Herblore shop)
- A Vial (can be bought at any Herblore shop)
- A charcoal lump (use Coal with fire or dig around after passing the exams)
- A Cut opal or an Uncut opal (can be mined after doing the Shilo Village quest, or bought from a fellow player. You can also pan for the Opal during the quest, but it may take a while)
- A Tinderbox
- 2 Ropes
Walkthrough
Quest map
Black dot- Bush with last sample
White- Chest
Blue- Panning Site
Red- Underground digs
Orange- Quest start/examiners
Starting the quest
1. Talk to an Examiner in the Exam Centre south of the Dig Site, south-east of Varrock (map). Ask her if you can be examined. She will give you a letter than you need to get stamped by the Curator of Varrock Museum.
2. Go to the Varrock Museum (map) and recommendation with the Curator, and he will stamp it.
3. Head back to the Examiner and give her the letter. Then, go out of the building and follow the path to the north. Talk to each of the 3 students, and ask for help with the exam. They’ve each lost their rock sample, and asks you to get it back:
First Rock Sample – Pickpocket the workmen until you find it. You will get lots of junk that you can just drop. If you get a Specimen Brush, don’t drop it since you will need it later. But be careful – the workmen can hit up to 80 if you fail!
Second Rock Sample – Go to the southeast corner of the Dig Site, and pick up a Panning tray inside the tent. Then, use it on one of the Panning Spots in the river. A workman will stop you. Ask him how you can be invited. He tells you that he wants some tea. So, use (don’t drink) the Cup of tea on him.
The exams
4. Head back to the Examiner to take the test. The answers are:
– The study of Earth, its contents, and its history.
– Anyone who has passed the appropriate exams.
– Gloves and boots to be worn at all times; and proper tools must be used.
When you pass the exam, you’ll get a Level 1 Certificate.
5. Head back to the students and talk to each of them again. Then, go to the Examiner for the next exam.
– Samples taken in rough form, kept only in sealed containers.
– Finds must be carefully handled, and gloves worn.
– Always handle with care; strike the rock cleanly on its cleaving point.
6. Go back once more to each student. One of the students asks you for an Opal. Give her the opal. If you don’t have it, go to the stream and pan for it. It may take a while.
When you have asked all of the students, head back to the Examiner for the last exam.
– Cleaned and carried only in specimen jars.
– Brush carefully and slowly, using short strokes.
– Handle very carefully, and keep away from other samples.
7. Go to the Curator of the Varrock Museum (map), and use all of the certificates with him. He will get you a reward of either a Chocolate Cake or a Fruit Blast.
Making the explosive mixture
8. Now, you have passed all exams and are a level 3 graduate. You need 4 items to make the explosive mixture: Ammonium Nitrate, Nitroglycerin, Arcthia Root and Ground Charcoal.
Ammonium Nitrate:
9. You must have a Specimen jar and Specimen brush. If you don’t have the brush, pickpocket the workmen until you get it. To get the Jar, search the sacks in the north-eastern corner of the digging area. Search around in the level 3 areas for a while, until you find a Talisman.
11. Go to the north-west winch with the skeletons, look at the rocks and then talk to Doug the workman. It may take a few tries. Once you have the key, go back to the large tent and use it on the chest. Search the chest when it is open and get the unidentified object. Take this to the Archeological Expert and use it on him. Then he will identify it.
Nitroglycerin
12. To get the nitroglycerin, have a vial and use your trowel on the barrels with white skulls on them. Then use your vial on the barrel and you will receive unidentified object. Take it to the Archeological Expert and use it on him to have him identify it.
Arcthia Root
13. The root, or ? mark in the Book found in the bookshelf in the south-eastern corner of the education center, is found in the only room accessible from the winch found north-west of the large tent.
Ground Charcoal:
14. Simply use the Lump of charcoal with the Pestle and mortar.
The mixture
15. Once all of the above items are acquired,use the nitrate, and then the Charcoal and finally the Arcthia root on the Vial to get explosive mixture. DO NOT DROP THE MIXTURE, it can hit over 300 HP! Use the explosive mixture on the blocks at the bottom of the winch where you got the roots from. Then use the Tinderbox on the blocks and it will blow up. Once blown up walk past the level 25 Skeletons and grab the stone tablet in the middle of the figure on the ground. Take it back to the Archeological Expert and he will reward you.