Danger in Dig Sites - the Know-How and the Notorious
(Champions spoilers follow by the bucketload.)
As attractive as fossil fighting may be, it’s not without its dangers. One cannot enter a dig site without a fighter’s licence, which requires 100 hours of practice to obtain, lest one injure oneself - but even then, accidents do occur. Any newspaper’s births and deaths section is likely to add a fossil fighter’s name to the ranks each week. This isn’t typically linked to battling accidents - rather, it’s down to the dangers of dig sites themselves, which require minimal infrastructure in order to function ideally. (Construction typically destroys fossil rocks in the area, infuriating fighters.) Sites such as Rivet Ravine, which use fencing and such, are very rare. One’s fighter rank dictates the dig sites they may visit - a low-rank fighter, for example, would be barred from Bottomsup Bay and Mt Lavaflow by virtue of their inherent danger. (Sneaking Duna in gave the Dinaurians an utter field day.) Joe caused a huge scandal by opening the Caliosteo Dig Sites without restrictions during the cup - each dig site had its inherent dangers. Even Treasure Lake, which appears relatively safe at first glance, has housed floods, mudslides, and sinkhole. Jungle Labyrinth is widely considered unnavigable; Rainbow Canyon’s cliffs are worryingly sheer and unsupervised; Icegrip Plateau has been the death of many an underdressed fighter. Todd’s so-called cold turned out to be a nasty case of hypothermia that left him incapacitated for days - Scatterly’s guilt over occupying him long enough to prompt illness inspired him to let the young boy stay chez lui to recover over a few days.
It’s not unusual to find human remains in dig sites. There’s a stereotype that fighters are ambivalent to life and death - in part, it’s derived from the public’s interpretation of fossil revival. But it also owes itself to the dead body protocols - don’t touch the corpse/bones, tell the nearest warden/staff member, and go about one’s day as normal. There are few fighters who haven’t found human parts at some point. Greenhorn Plains and Knotwood Forest are considered good introductory sites because of their lack of danger, and Rivet Ravine is fairly safe (in part thanks to McJunker’s hypervigilant supervision). Bottomsup Bay and Mt Lavaflow, however, house far too many fatalities.
By far the most notorious dig site for deaths is Petrified Woods. It’s observed 128 deaths and disappearances since its opening in 1993 - more than any other dig site in that period of time. Unfortunately, its structure makes it incredibly difficult to install infrastructure such as fencing and railing, which would have prevented nearly half of the deaths recorded there. Only the most experienced staff members may work there - but even so, public outcry prior to the cup forced ZZ-as-Joe to close it. (Joe himself would have closed it immediately had he been in control.) Reopening it for the sake of finding the sardinisaurus fossil, however essential, was viewed with trepidation and outrage. ZZ was reluctant to do so, as he was fully aware Dina could have died whilst there. He did not feel comfortable in the least with the possibility of sacrificing a potential Majestic Vessel. But if he’d stalled, he’d have indicated that something was very, very wrong with him - for it would be horrifyingly out of character if Joe was that ambivalent towards his islands.
Whilst Petrified Woods are agreed to be the most ignominious site, Mt Krakanak comes close, having the combination of open lava and zero fencing. However, maintenance would have taken years to complete. Joe’s seeming refusal to postpone the Cup in spite of the danger involved invited widespread censure - most agreed that his Cup behaviour was erratic as could be. Online, sympathy for the BB Brigade was widespread, as the ‘stop the Cup’ modality was endorsed by many, many activists.
Outside of ‘Fossil Edens’ (as the public refer to them) such as Caliosteo and Vivosaur Island, dig sites are barred to the public, being the domain of none but the wardens. Trespassing regulations vary with state governments, but range from hefty fines to short jail sentences. Most countries have a Fossil Eden or two, however, and whilst regulations vary from nation to nation, they typically resemble those stated above. Those rules were promulgated by the Fossil Park authorities - one thing on Stryker’s agenda is to get the dead body protocol changed to something somewhat more empathic to the deceased.