Dredge



The Dredge are a race of intelligent subterranean creatures that dwell deep below the ground in the Shiverpeak Mountains. They are humanoid in shape, but their heads are those of moles with tiny eyes and two large front teeth. They have a rather primitive civilization compared to their dwarven neighbors, although this may be a result of their enslavement.

Like many other species of the Shiverpeaks, the Dredge have been enslaved by the Stone Summit. They work in the mines of Sorrow's Furnace where their digging talents and comfort in the dark makes them superior to humans as work grunts. Some among the Dredge have surrendered to this, while others have resisted. The leader of the rebel movement trying to free the Dredge from slavery is Molachev.

Several of the Dredge managed to escape from Sorrow's Furnace, and flee to Cantha. They can mainly be found in the Echovald Forest. The initial dialog for the quest Envoy of the Dredge proves that the Dredge fled from Tyria to Cantha, and not by going across The Clashing Seas, but by digging a massive tunnel through the center of the world. It is currently unknown where the entrances to the tunnel may be (if it still exists) or how anything is inside the tunnel. The Dredge built it because they wanted to escape from the Stone Summit the only way they knew how to, by digging, in hopes that something better awaited them on the other side.

Trivia

 * The Dredge bear a strong resemblance to naked mole rats, particularly their snouts, teeth and tiny eyes, and the names of several dredge NPCs are mole-related puns.
 * It is unclear if they call themselves the Dredge (as in: the diggers) or are called the Dredge (as in: "found in the dredges") by the xenophobic and arrogant Stone Summit.