their cries of “for the moletariat!”, molechev kittentails, one place is called “leaning grade” which sounds a lot like Leningrad. i’m prety sure i’ve heard them call each other comrade, and some of them have Russian names or russian names with “mole” tacked onto them.
Bristleback can’t hit anything? Let’s fix the HP bug instead.
Yes, they are. Back when they were slaves of the Stone Summit, there was a revolutionary leader named “Molenin”, and it kept going from there. They work for the collective and have a city named Molengrad, always go on about their military power and how they rose up in a glorious revolution, and hold public rallies about how awesome their communist society is.
I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a Dredge’s Republic of Cantha.
Their strategic position resembles more Yugoslavia. It would make more sense to use Balkan references than Russian ones given where they live but whatever. The Charr lands, Old Ascalon and beyond resemble far more Russia strategic position than the caricatures of the Drege could ever hope. It is a pity because they are the most industrialized race after the Charr (The Dredge has shown to be more advanced in some fields) and yet they are a treated just as mooks to kill for the Norn heroes and a joke.
It’s interesting how the only truly industrialized nations are also the ones least likely to engage in trade, considering their relative isolation from the other civilized nations on the continent (Kryta and Rata Sum). It seems that the Industrial Revolution in Gw has followed a very different path, even backwards in the case of the Dredge, compared to our world.
Wow. I thought the dredge were actually unique and interesting and it turns out that they’re simply another case of the game ripping off reality. Great.
The dredge are the worst offender in that regard, but I haven’t really noticed many other pop culture influences (I’m sure they’re there, though). The thing with the dredge is that they’re just a giant communist mole pun. Molenin, molachev kittentails, Moledavia, etc.
Kittentails?! Really?! Censorship is going too far.
The first time I heard one exclaim “For the Moletariat!” I almost spewed beer all over my monitor. Come on, having a race parody communist Russia is way cooler than naming quests after Bob Dylan songs, and I really like Bob Dylan.
The possibility of physical and mental collapse is now very real.
No sympathy for the Devil, keep that in mind.
Buy the ticket, take the ride.
Yeah, the Dredge are based on Communist Russia. Not surprising, as the Hylek appear to be Aztecs and the Centaurs represent the Native American tribes of old. Games will do this kind of thing.
For battle, glory, and legend! -Pauriak, 80 Norn Warrior, Jade Quarry Server.
I agree with Klawlyt.
The Dredge are easily one of the most entertaining parts of this game.
Like him, I couldn’t stop laughing when I first heard them cry “For the Moletariat!”
And I love the military checkpoints in their mines.
I would LOVE to see a Dredge’s Republic of Cantha. That would make the game for me.
They are, a big telling sign is that there are NPCs called “Dredge Ratnik”. Ratnik means warrior in many slavic languages, there was also another type of NPCs called “Dredge Strazar”, stražar means guard.
My question about the Dredge is why the Norn are at war with them. While the Durmand Priory is under attack for preserving dwarf culture and even housing a stone dwarf in their ranks, there isn’t any reason why the Norn governmental bodies couldn’t have purposed a treaty. It’s not like the Dredge are forcing their communist beliefs on other races.
Now given that some Norn are using dwarf ruins as living spaces, perhaps the conflict begins there, Otherwise I’m not really seeing a good reason for the player to go in and slay a buch of molerat men.
My question about the Dredge is why the Norn are at war with them. While the Durmand Priory is under attack for preserving dwarf culture and even housing a stone dwarf in their ranks, there isn’t any reason why the Norn governmental bodies couldn’t have purposed a treaty. It’s not like the Dredge are forcing their communist beliefs on other races.
Now given that some Norn are using dwarf ruins as living spaces, perhaps the conflict begins there, Otherwise I’m not really seeing a good reason for the player to go in and slay a buch of molerat men.
there is no such thing as “norn governmental bodies”.
and the dredge just kind of decided on their own that everyone other than dredges are evil and against the “dredge revolution”.
By norn governmental bodies I’m thinking of Knut Whitebear. Lodgemaster seems to be a very high status of power in Norn society, I would also assume Shamans and havruns have diplomatic say.
I just don’t think that “Everyone is a Dwarf sympathizer!” excuse would cut it for such an intelligent race. They aren’t like kraite who are born sadistic and cruel and aren’t manipulated by insane prophets. The Dredge just seem like they want everyone to take them seriously, as their main goal seems to be completely eradicating dwarves from history and re-establishing themselves as their successor. The territory dispute thing doesn’t make sense as most of shiverpeak was never Norn land in the first place. Sometimes I feel that I’m the bad guy when I go in and slaughter a bunch of Dredgi who probobally had justification for being in said tunnel system.
I agree that the Norn-Dredge animosity seems to be poorly thought out. Aside from a few instances (and I can’t think of any reason why the dredge would be kidnapping snow leopard cubs), it seems the dredge just want to be left alone and it’s the norn who are constantly harassing them. Apparently dredge mining activities undermine the foundations of surface buildings, but that doesn’t make sense either, since it would be in the best interests of any subterranean race to AVOID cave-ins and collapses.
I agree that the Norn-Dredge animosity seems to be poorly thought out. Aside from a few instances (and I can’t think of any reason why the dredge would be kidnapping snow leopard cubs), it seems the dredge just want to be left alone and it’s the norn who are constantly harassing them. Apparently dredge mining activities undermine the foundations of surface buildings, but that doesn’t make sense either, since it would be in the best interests of any subterranean race to AVOID cave-ins and collapses.
And their structures look very solid and industrial.
My question about the Dredge is why the Norn are at war with them. While the Durmand Priory is under attack for preserving dwarf culture and even housing a stone dwarf in their ranks, there isn’t any reason why the Norn governmental bodies couldn’t have purposed a treaty. It’s not like the Dredge are forcing their communist beliefs on other races.
Now given that some Norn are using dwarf ruins as living spaces, perhaps the conflict begins there, Otherwise I’m not really seeing a good reason for the player to go in and slay a buch of molerat men.
The Dredge simply believe that they are the true heirs of everything that the Dwarves ever possessed, including the place where Norn have settled now.
My question about the Dredge is why the Norn are at war with them.
Please be carefull with spoilers, remember this game is fairly new and you don’t want to ruin someone elses experience, just like you ruined mine, because i just started playing Durmand Priory and i didn’t know they were housing such creature.
On topic:
Norn live in the Far Shiverpeaks, this was prime territory for the Stone Summit and Deldrimor Dwarves. This is also the location of Sorrow’s Furnace ruins, aka, Sorrow’s Embrace.
The dredge as you probably know were enslaved by the Dwarves, now that they are free they have claimed the Shiverpeaks to be their territory and they see the Norn and other races as invaders.
This means the supply roads to and from LA that pass trough Shiverpeaks are under constant danger of being attacked by the Dredge, same goes for explorers fearing to be killed trying to learn the Dwarves Lore.
My question about the Dredge is why the Norn are at war with them.
Please be carefull with spoilers, remember this game is fairly new and you don’t want to ruin someone elses experience, just like you ruined mine, because i just started playing Durmand Priory and i didn’t know they were housing such creature.
you’re on the lore forum. spoilers is literally all we discuss here.
if you want to avoid spoilers, avoid this forum until you beat the game.
Most of the Dredge we encounter, particularly battling & competing with the Priory & the Norn, are the Dredge military— and playing Sorrow’s Embrace (both story and explorable) sheds some light on the current thinking in the Dredge military leadership.
The Dredge military leadership, notably opposed by the Dredge rebels who we support (both in SE & in Frostgorge Sound) is bent on a war of domination with the surface races.
That said, Norn player characters are also encouraged in early game to kill harmless Excavators, clear out Dredge mines that don’t seem to be doing any harm, destroy Dredge industrial machines for little purpose. The ‘righteous war’ angle seems to make a lot more sense in Dredgehaunt, Sorrow’s Embrace, and Frostgorge Sound than it does in the Norn starting areas, for example.
That said, Norn player characters are also encouraged in early game to kill harmless Excavators, clear out Dredge mines that don’t seem to be doing any harm, destroy Dredge industrial machines for little purpose.
That’s exactly why I avoid attacking any Dredge Excavators I run across. They’re not bothering why, so why attack them? That said, sometimes after I kill a Ratnik or Disaggregator, the Excavators will run over to his corpse, pick up his weapon and start attacking me.
Blast it, Dredge! I’m like the Predator! If you’re unarmed, I won’t attack you!
It’s probably because they’re so invasive. Like the Soviet Union, it’s creeping into more and more territory, so the Norn are just defending their lands
That said, Norn player characters are also encouraged in early game to kill harmless Excavators, clear out Dredge mines that don’t seem to be doing any harm, destroy Dredge industrial machines for little purpose. The ‘righteous war’ angle seems to make a lot more sense in Dredgehaunt, Sorrow’s Embrace, and Frostgorge Sound than it does in the Norn starting areas, for example.
they’re feeding the dredge war machine, that’s why.
have you played WvW? do you feel bad about murdering the quartermaster of a supply camp? i don’t.
have you played WvW? do you feel bad about murdering the quartermaster of a supply camp? i don’t.
WvW takes place on a dedicated battlefield in the Mists, and lore is far less of an issue in PvP, for me at least. The Dredge mines are never established as purely feeding a war effort, and to be honest, I never got that impression playing early Norn areas.
have you played WvW? do you feel bad about murdering the quartermaster of a supply camp? i don’t.
WvW takes place on a dedicated battlefield in the Mists, and lore is far less of an issue in PvP, for me at least. The Dredge mines are never established as purely feeding a war effort, and to be honest, I never got that impression playing early Norn areas.
have you played WvW? do you feel bad about murdering the quartermaster of a supply camp? i don’t.
WvW takes place on a dedicated battlefield in the Mists, and lore is far less of an issue in PvP, for me at least. The Dredge mines are never established as purely feeding a war effort, and to be honest, I never got that impression playing early Norn areas.
what do you think they’re mining for? trade?
Housing maybe?
“Enjoy the brand new apartments near Hoelbrak”
have you played WvW? do you feel bad about murdering the quartermaster of a supply camp? i don’t.
WvW takes place on a dedicated battlefield in the Mists, and lore is far less of an issue in PvP, for me at least. The Dredge mines are never established as purely feeding a war effort, and to be honest, I never got that impression playing early Norn areas.
what do you think they’re mining for? trade?
Housing maybe?
“Enjoy the brand new apartments near Hoelbrak”
if that was the case, they wouldn’t have hostile guards attacking everyone on sight, and they definitely wouldn’t have stayed there after the initial attacks.
have you played WvW? do you feel bad about murdering the quartermaster of a supply camp? i don’t.
WvW takes place on a dedicated battlefield in the Mists, and lore is far less of an issue in PvP, for me at least. The Dredge mines are never established as purely feeding a war effort, and to be honest, I never got that impression playing early Norn areas.
what do you think they’re mining for? trade?
Housing maybe?
“Enjoy the brand new apartments near Hoelbrak”
if that was the case, they wouldn’t have hostile guards attacking everyone on sight, and they definitely wouldn’t have stayed there after the initial attacks.
If they got attacked, they would’ve put some hostile guards. Don’t you think?
If a country is at war, that doesn’t mean everybody involved in industry is supplying the war effort.
no, but it means that taking down their economy is weakening their war effort.
you can try to do that, but you’ll only create an animosity against you. You cannot wipe the dredge, that’s a fact. You should be choosing who to attack then.
If a country is at war, that doesn’t mean everybody involved in industry is supplying the war effort.
no, but it means that taking down their economy is weakening their war effort.
you can try to do that, but you’ll only create an animosity against you. You cannot wipe the dredge, that’s a fact. You should be choosing who to attack then.
i think the norn are more worried about the dredge creeping closer to their homestead than making friends with them.
If a country is at war, that doesn’t mean everybody involved in industry is supplying the war effort.
no, but it means that taking down their economy is weakening their war effort.
you can try to do that, but you’ll only create an animosity against you. You cannot wipe the dredge, that’s a fact. You should be choosing who to attack then.
i think the norn are more worried about the dredge creeping closer to their homestead than making friends with them.
And that’s the problem, since the Dredge became expansionists.
My $.02 from back when I worked on Wayfarer Foothills (the norn starter map)
Norn are kind of jerks. Yes, dredge are xenophobic and hostile to outsiders (at least the military ranks are openly hostile, dredge miners just want to work), but the norn delight in provoking other species (dredge, grawl, jotun, et al) and displaying their superiority.
My $.02 from back when I worked on Wayfarer Foothills (the norn starter map)
Norn are kind of jerks. Yes, dredge are xenophobic and hostile to outsiders (at least the military ranks are openly hostile, dredge miners just want to work), but the norn delight in provoking other species (dredge, grawl, jotun, et al) and displaying their superiority.
but what about the lovely sylvaris that were visiting the area?
WAIT.
…
…
…ARE YOU IMPLYING ALL PLAYER CHARACTERS ARE JERKS? :O
Norn are kind of jerks. Yes, dredge are xenophobic and hostile to outsiders (at least the military ranks are openly hostile, dredge miners just want to work), but the norn delight in provoking other species (dredge, grawl, jotun, et al) and displaying their superiority.
You know I kind of did notice this. I noticed even more when most Reknown Hearts that require you to attack Dredge don’t go up when you kill the miners, only the Military.
“I have begun my journey in a paper boat without a bottom.”
Wow. I thought the dredge were actually unique and interesting and it turns out that they’re simply another case of the game ripping off reality. Great.
Everything you think is unique and interesting is simply another case of something ripping of something else. Ever.
Norn don’t exactly list “diplomacy” among their traditional qualities. Norn beat up dredge BECAUSE THEY ARE THERE AND THEY CAN.
There’s an event in one of the caves in the starter area i just discovered where:
A lone Norn is just standing in one of the dredge caves, the dredge tell him to leave, and the norn decides in stead to enlist the help of players to build a toxic fire from special plants to chemically attack the entire dredge mining operation.
ONLY when this is over do the dredge attempt to put out the fire (despite the fact that they were plainly in earshot while the fire was being built) and are summarily murdered.
Then the fire kills all the dredge in the cave with a chemical attack. They are replaced with slimes.
Most of the Dredge we encounter, particularly battling & competing with the Priory & the Norn, are the Dredge military— and playing Sorrow’s Embrace (both story and explorable) sheds some light on the current thinking in the Dredge military leadership.
The Dredge military leadership, notably opposed by the Dredge rebels who we support (both in SE & in Frostgorge Sound) is bent on a war of domination with the surface races.
There are dredge not hostile to everybody else? That’s nice to know. I haven’t met any yet, except the one my norn ranger terorized into betraying his leader.
I seriously doubt there will be dredge in Cantha. Cantha after factions is heavily based on the Tokugawa Shogunate. Emprorer Uso unites 2 factions, next game is set 250 years in the future and they are xenophobic/isolationists that screams fall of the samurai to me.
Those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear, For I am the Law and the Law is not mocked.
They’re not bothering why, so why attack them? That said, sometimes after I kill a Ratnik or Disaggregator, the Excavators will run over to his corpse, pick up his weapon and start attacking me.