Curse

Konig Des Todes · Sep 30, 2008, 02:02 AM // 02:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Factions Manuscripts

On the northern continent of Tyria, the mole-people known as the Dredge are a pitiable race, enslaved by the wicked Stone Summit dwarves and ready to fight alongside any who will help free them from their masters’ whips. In the Echovald Forest of Cantha, a few small colonies of escaped Dredge jealously defend their prized freedom. The offspring of a few desperate escapees from the Shiverpeaks who tunneled for hundreds of miles to reach their strange new home, these Dredge have no reason to feel any friendship toward humans or anyone else—they escaped slavery on their own, and plan to establish their race anew in the petrified woodlands.

Dredge villages are marked by large dirt mounds. The mole-people live primarily in the tunnel networks linking the mounds together. Those who underestimate the ferocity and aggressiveness of the Canthan Dredge do so at their peril.

The Dredge’s Society

The Dredge’s Original Homeland

There seems to be nothing to indicate where the Dredge originally came from, prior to their enslavement. All we know for certain is that they lived underground, and most likely near Sorrow’s Furnace, as that is the first place we actually see them.

Because there are so many Dredge (it is literally cramped) in the southwestern corner of Sorrow’s Furnace, I believe that that corner is at the edge of the Dredge’s home. Farther south, west, or southwest, would lead to the Dredge “village” where the young dredge are kept until they are old enough to work.

The area is filled with vegetation, heat and light from above (although very little) and the furnaces, and melting snow, which provides needed water. Everything needed for a living space is provided in that corner alone, extending further, there is probably a continuation of the vegetation (although probably not as much, as there would be less heat from the fires from mines). This corner, with having vegetation, is also much different then the other areas of Sorrow’s Furnace, which is filled with snow and dirt, with little to no vegetation, despite the heat, light, and water provided in the area.

It is known, thanks to Alkar's quest, that this area is an excavation site. The Stone Summit could have been digging, and ended up breaking into one of the Dredge's tunnels, and from there reached the Dredge village and started enslaving them.

There are also two passages to off the map from this area, one heading west, the other heading southwest (at the actual corner).

The Moletariates

Note: Dredge groupings are called “moletariates,” as said by Molenin in Umbral Grotto

The Enslaved Moletariate

This is the original moletariate, the one that the Stone Summit enslaved in Sorrow’s Furnace. The Dredge here seems to be close to their original home, as explained above. These Dredge can be separated into two groups, those who subject to fear and their captors, and those who wish to revolt. The rebellion is led by two Dredge, Molachev and Molenin. Molechev is killed off by the Stone Summit, but Molenin escapes in between the time of Prophecies and Eye of the North.

Then there are the slaves in Eye of the North. These Dredge are much fewer in number because most escaped prior to the Stone Summit moving north, and now the Stone Summit are no longer near the Dredge homeland, making “resupply” of slaves harder.

The low amount of slaves in the Eye of the North further supports the theory of the Dredge homeland being southwest of Sorrow’s Furnace.

The Free Moletariate

Also known as the Canthan Dredge, these Dredge tunneled from Sorrow’s Furnace all the way to the Echovald Forest. These Dredge, as said in the manual, now live in underground tunnels and the above ground. With the southwest corner being the beginning of the Dredge’s original home, there is an explanation why the Dredge take a liking to the Echovald Forest.

The Echovald Forest, being a forest, has plenty of vegetation (albeit stone) like their old home, has a water supply, and is dark due to the tree’s heights. Only one thing that is different is a breeze and all the vegetation being mostly stone.

These Dredge also live underground though it seems, but are trying to start living on the surface. As evident by Moleneaux’s dialogue:

Of course, there are Dredge who are hostile, not wanting to risk being taken as slaves again, such as Maximole.

The Dredge’s Architecture

There is no architecture that I know that is confirmed to be Dredge architecture, as the Dredge mostly live in areas we cannot get to (southwest of Sorrow’s Furnace and underground in the Echovald Forest).

However, from deducing that the southwest corner of Sorrow’s Furnace is part of the Dredge’s home area, we can surmise that the architecture there - which is by far not Stone Summit - is in fact Dredge architecture.

In parts of that corner, specifically west of the Stone Basilica, there are ruined structures of the same design. If these are Dredge structures, then the explanation of these being ruined could be collateral damage when the Stone Summit were digging around and first found the Dredge.

However, there is a problem with calling this Dredge architecture. The same structures can be found all over the Depths of Tyria. In areas that very well might never have been visited by the Dredge, such as Bloodstone Caves and Cathedral of Flames. With the creators of these dungeons unknown, and most likely not by Dredge, this puts a major push back on

The Dredge’s Diet

From the likings of their areas, and little to no known animals in the Dredge corner of Sorrow’s Furnace, it can be deduced that the Dredge are herbivores and eat the vegetation in that area (and in Cantha, eat some of the plants that are not stone).

In fact, in Cantha, the highest Dredge populated areas (the big field and south of the Dredge Temple, both in Ferndale) have high amounts of living vegetation as well as the Dredge corner of Sorrow’s Furnace.

The Dredge’s Future

Quote:

Originally Posted by Movement of the World

Over the past one hundred years, more and more Norn have been seen in Kryta and lands beyond. An elder dragon of ice and snow arose in the farthest northern peaks, driving even the most stalwart hunters south into Dwarven lands. There they found abandoned Dwarven forts and a new challenge in the form of the Dredge, the old nemeses of the Dwarves, now almost unrecognizable from the primitive, frightened creatures of the past.
The Dredge, reveling in their new-found freedom after the Dwarves fell to the Destroyers, seized that opportunity to become a real threat in the Shiverpeaks, while the Norn revel in the hunt of new enemies. The Norn and the Dredge fight over control of these lands in a continual war that rages along the highest mountains.

Easter Egg

The Dredges are mostly based off of the Soviet Union, as evident by the names Molenin (Vladimir Lenin), Molachev (Mikhail Gorbachev), and the Moletariate (Proletariate).

Hanging Man · Sep 30, 2008, 02:30 AM // 02:30

nice little background info here
never would have figured that out by myself
i like the easter eggs, very cleaver

Capua · Sep 30, 2008, 06:17 AM // 06:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanging Man

nice little background info here
never would have figured that out by myself
i like the easter eggs, very cleaver

I agree, interesting about the Soviet Union.

Shasgaliel · Oct 01, 2008, 11:55 AM // 11:55

The Dredge seem to be too primitive to be able to build this kind of structures.

On the side note I would say Moleneaux is in fact Molenin (both names have the same pronunciation in some of the languages) - I do not have any arguments to back that up. However their dialogs with the player seem to be related. I have the impression it is one and the same person talking.

Konig Des Todes · Oct 01, 2008, 01:53 PM // 13:53

While I cannot discredit if they sounds the same/similar in some languages, they are not the same.

Molenin can be found in Umbral Grotto, which is in Eye of the North, and Eye of the North takes place about 4 years after Prophecies/Factions, which is when the Sorrow's Furnace questchain takes place.

He also never mentions Cantha in Umbral Grotto, nor ever being part of the group that dug to escape.

All of this suggests, if not prove, that Molenin and Moleneaux are in fact two different Dredges.

Sir Franz · Oct 02, 2008, 01:32 AM // 01:32

Quote:

Easter Egg

The Dredges are mostly based off of the Soviet Union, as evident by the names Molenin (Vladimir Lenin), Molachev (Mikhail Gorbachev), and the Moletariate (Proletariate).

You mean Russian (or more generically Slavic) as the Soviet Union was a political state not an ethnic culture but otherwise well done profile of the Dredge.

The architecture problem can be explained as either the Dredge have just come to settle near these ruins or the ruins could be from a time when they were a much more populous and powerful people and they are just going through a dark age like Europe (after the fall of Rome) or the Maya.

Konig Des Todes · Oct 02, 2008, 02:20 AM // 02:20

No, I meant Soviet Union, because Vladimir Lenin was the founder of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev was a later leader, and the Proletariate is what Lenin called the working class (which he got from Karl Marx and Engel). Also, Lenin started a revolt (at the time Russia pulled out of WWI) of the working class (or proletariate) against the bourgeoisie (or the leaders).

The Dredge, led by Molenin, revolt against the Stone Summit (representing to bourgeoisie).

If I meant Russian or Slavic, I would have said so, and the links are only to the Soviet Union, not Russia/Slavic as a whole.

So I did not make a mistake there.

Sir Franz · Oct 02, 2008, 07:40 AM // 07:40

Yes the Dredge leadership is named after the Soviet Leadership but I looked at the names of the Dredge bosses and some of them look like Slavic names to me(I don't know a lot about Slavic names I confess) and not just from the Soviet Union, like Mugra (Swiftspell) a town in Serbia. At least one name is German, Tarnen (the Bully) means camouflage, so what this means for the overall naming convention of the Dredge is currently unknown.

Konig Des Todes · Oct 02, 2008, 03:06 PM // 15:06

I think their future also follows that of the Soviet Union. So it isn't technically just their leadership.

Like I said in the last post, the Dredge (as two factions) revolt against the Stone Summit, which seems to parallel the Russian Revolution, as there were, in both cases, people who revolted and people who fought with the "oppressors."

Also, as I mentioned before in this post, their future looks to parallel the Soviet Union. The cause starts noble (free the people of Russia from oppression, free the Dredge from oppression) but turns out different (Soviet Union, under Stalin, becomes oppressive to the people and show no mercy to those who oppose them, the Dredge become very hostile and shows no mercy to other races *as it seems to me from the Movement of the World mention on them*.

So while their names are based off of slavic and russian names (which makes sense seeing how that is what the Soviet Union was made out of) their choices, behavior, leaders, and major events seem to parallel the Soviet Union. In other words, they are a direct reference to the Soviet Union, but things from Slavic/Russian origin are put into the mix as well to put a background that would fit with the Soviet Union.

Pesi · Oct 05, 2008, 09:35 AM // 09:35

Very interesting, as u know I've been waiting for you to do this research for a long time!
And thanks alot for making it very very interesting!

draxynnic · Oct 07, 2008, 03:45 AM // 03:45

Interesting observation regarding the future of the Dredge...

One catch in the theory is that the heroes have been helping the Dredge, while the Soviet Union was put on the defensive by the rest of the world trying to put it down pretty much from the get-go, which couldn't have helped it in becoming a relatively healthy revolutionary state like the US. One wonders, with the background, what the excuse will be for the Dredge. Possibly Kisu's heir driving the Echovald Dredge back through the tunnels to the Dredge nation forming on the ruins of Deldrimnor and instilling anti-human sentiment?

Of course, it could just be that Molesefstellin needs no such excuse to pull off a coup... and one of the quest lines will involve working with Moleon to bring Molesefstellin down.

Konig Des Todes · Oct 07, 2008, 04:07 AM // 04:07

I would have to say that they don't consider our "help" at all due to the overall hate.

The Echovald Moletariate have their reason via Usoku. The others, only those in Vlox's Falls can say so (as in Sorrow's Furnace, we both help and kill dredge).

I am sure there will be some Dredge pulling a Maximole (although I know where you got Molesefstellin... why the sef for stalin, or am I wrong, been a while since I looked into the names past Stalin, and who would moleon be after? I assume you didn't just pull names out of a hat here).

Oh, and welcome back from your time of no responses.

draxynnic · Oct 07, 2008, 04:15 AM // 04:15

Danke. Been a busy couple of weeks.

Stalin's full name is Josef Stalin (or Iosef Stalin, depending on who you ask about the spelling). Since I couldn't get a 'mole' pun out of Stalin, I figured I could substitute the 'o' from 'mole' for the 'o' in 'Josef' to get Molesef.

'Moleon' is a reference to Leon Trotsky

Konig Des Todes · Oct 07, 2008, 04:22 AM // 04:22

Ah, I was thinking Trotsky, but the eon didn't make sense because I forgot his first name and I couldn't remember the guy after stalin, who was like Lenin and Trotsky (the Soviet Union had the biggest degree of leader policy changes there could have been). And I didn't think of putting in the first name for stalin, as I too tried to make a "Molestalin" pun that isn't too obvious and not too generic for last name (aka molin).