Aerbax's Prodigal Drudge

Quest Summary
Quest type	Group
XP Reward	Main Reward: 20% Item Reward: (2x) 10%
XP Cap	Main Reward: 132,000,000 (lvl 182) Item Reward: (2x) 66,000,000 (lvl 182) Total: 264,000,000
Item Reward	Burnja's Board with Nails (1 per spawn) Protective Drudge Charm Plus one of the following: Bonecrunch's Hammer Drudge Scrying Orb Scroll of Chain Flame
Title Reward	Cragstone Knight Cragstone Firefighter Hoogan's Hero Guardian of Cragstone
Starting Location	Cragstone
Map	Drudge Cave
Timer	7 days
Level Restrictions	none
Level Suggestions	75+
Introduced In	Prodigal Sons, fixed in Evolution

Walk Through

File:DrudgeCaveBonecrunch.gif

Drudge Cave

Speak with Jarvis Hammerstone of Cragstone who will inform you of a drudge fort west of Cragstone (note: it is not required to speak to Jarvis to begin this quest).
Head to the fort, destroy the walls, and work your way to the inner ring of the fortress. You will find two NPCs: Sergeant Shanks the drudge and Hoogan the Banderling. There is also a cave with a locked door.
Give Sergeant Shanks food items until he slips and tells you about the blueprints. This flags you to pick up the Drudge Fort Blueprints dropped by the Drudge Biters surrounding the cave entrance. You only need to get flagged once per character and then they can pick up blueprints forever. Bring the Blueprints to Hoogan the Banderling, barricaded inside the small hut. He will tell you that he requires a shovel to escape.
There is a rumor sitting in a pile of trash and stolen loot which will lead you to Farmer Kao, the owner of the only shovel in Dereth. It saves time to get this shovel before the quest.
Use the Cave Door Key to access the cave. You will enter in a tunnel which connects to a large chamber. Opposite of you will be a portal to the next area. In order to enter it, you must first kill Kernel Klank. This will release the restrictions on the portal which takes you to the main and final dungeon. This dungeon is a large maze, but experienced players will know the way through. If no one knows the way, study the map carefully.
When you reach the final room, there is one important thing to remember: Do not kill Captain Burnja. Killing Burnja puts out the fire wall and lets Bonecrunch into the main room where he can and will lay waste to the entire group with his high hollow damage. The general strategy for the final room is this:
- Have one person, usually a higher level melee, enter the room first to get Burnja's attention. This player will then lead Burnja off to a side room and hold him there until Bonecrunch dies.
- Have an archer open the door behind the fire wall and lure Bonecrunch with an arrow. Then all archers stand in front of (but back away from) the fire wall/door and open fire on Bonecrunch. Slashing ammo with a rending bow is said to be best.
- Melees and mages keep the spawns of drudges clear so the archers can stay alive and concentrate on Bonecrunch.
- lower levels with life magic (and if possible, a Healer's Heart) stay back in one of the safer side rooms and heal the fellowship, especially the archers.
When Bonecrunch dies, have everyone in the fellowship loot the key from his corpse.
Be sure to exit the dungeon using the portal that appears behind Bonecrunch's throne. Using this portal is what flags you to get a reward from Jarvis.
Loot the chest using your key then hit the surface portal to run back to Cragstone and speak with Jarvis. Unwanted items can be traded or turned in for bonus experience.
New titles can be earned when repeating (some were only during the first month).

Items

Lore & Dialog

Sergeant Shanks tells you, "I no talk to you. You are not Drudge and I told not to talk to not Drudge!"

You give Hoogan Drudge Fort Blueprints.
Hoogan looks the blueprints over.
Hoogan tells you, "Alright, we know we need to dig to avoid these tunnels the Drudges dug here and here, but we don't have anything to dig with. If we had a shovel we could really get out of here."
Hoogan tells you, "Can you find us a shovel? I don't know what the drudges used to dig their tunnels, but maybe you can find a clue around. If you bring me back a shovel I'll give you this key we slipped off of Shanks when he was sleeping today. I think it leads into their tunnels below."
Hoogan tells you, "Remember, if you find a shovel be sure not to give it to anyone else. Bring it to me."

You allow Hoogan to examine your Farmer Kao's Shovel.
You hand over 1 of your Farmer Kao's Shovels.
Hoogan bestows the title "Hoogan's Hero" on you.
Hoogan tells you, "Perfect! With this we can finish the tunnel we've been clawing and scrapping out under the bed in here. You've saved my skin friend. Take this key and bring the fight to the Drudges in their tunnels and caves below."
Hoogan gives you Cave Door Key.
Hoogan tells you, "The tunneling is going much faster now that we have the shovel you brought us. You should use that key I gave you to get into the Drudges under ground caves. I'm pretty sure their leader is down there. At least that's what Shanks let slip the other day. Thanks again human and good luck."

Kernel Klank shuts down the portal.

The portal glows brightly released of it's restriction.

Bonecrunch says, "You have defeated my child. Your kind shows just as much promise as the Martine creature did. Soon you will embrace the simple truth. Clarity and purpose will be paid for with free will."

Bonecrunch says, "Stay away from my apples!"
Bonecrunch says, "You! How did you get into my fortress? Never mind, now it's time for you to go crunch!"
Bonecrunch says, "This is my throne room. I am BoneCrunch and that's my throne. There, tours over, now you die."

Captain Burnja tells you, "Leave now humans or I burn you so bad you be dead!"

Jarvis Hammerstone tells you, "Ah, I see you bested the Drudge leader, Bonecrunch, again. Well done! His sudden rise to power still worries me though."
Jarvis Hammerstone tells you, "The Royal Council is investigating the various creature uprisings in Dereth. It seems that the Mosswarts and Banderling have also been acting a bit odd lately. These are troubling times. I am glad that we have brave souls like you to protect our people."
Jarvis Hammerstone tells you, "For your continued bravery and service to Cragstone I grant you the wisdom of the Town Elders of Cragstone and the title "Cragstone Knight.""
You've earned (20%) experience.
You give Jarvis Hammerstone Burnja Token.
Jarvis Hammerstone tells you, "Ah, this is from that pyro-maniacal Drudge. I never did buy him as the leader of the raids."
Jarvis Hammerstone tells you, "Still, I'm glad you were able to defeat him. I'm so tired of trying to put out all the fires he keeps starting."
Jarvis Hammerstone tells you, "I hereby name you a "Cragstone Firefighter.""

You allow Jarvis Hammerstone to examine your Protective Drudge Charm.
You hand over 1 of your Protective Drudge Charms.
Jarvis Hammerstone tells you, "This is one of BoneCrunch's treasures? It looks like some of the other Drudge Charms I've seen, but it's obviously more powerful. I'll have Suya the Jeweler take a look at it. Thank you, here is a small reward for your help."
You've earned 66,000,000 experience. (Level 200)

You've earned 132,000,000 experience.
Jarvis Hammerstone tells you, "Ah, I see you bested the Drudge leader, Bonecrunch, again. Well done! His sudden rise to power still worries me though."
Jarvis Hammerstone tells you, "The Royal Council is investigating the various creature uprisings in Dereth. It seems that the Mosswarts and Banderling have also been acting a bit odd lately. These are troubling times. I am glad that we have brave souls like you to protect our people."
Jarvis Hammerstone tells you, "For your continued bravery and service to Cragstone I grant you the wisdom of the Town Elders of Cragstone and the title "Cragstone Knight.""

You give Jarvis Hammerstone Burnja Token.
Jarvis Hammerstone tells you, "Ah, this is from that pyro-maniacal Drudge. I never did buy him as the leader of the raids."
Jarvis Hammerstone tells you, "Still, I'm glad you were able to defeat him. I'm so tired of trying to put out all the fires he keeps starting."
Jarvis Hammerstone tells you, "I hereby name you a "Cragstone Firefighter.""
You give Jarvis Hammerstone Burnja's Board with Nails.
Jarvis Hammerstone tells you, "This is the weapon that Drudge you called Burnja was wielding? Not very sophisticated is it?"
Jarvis Hammerstone tells you, "I'm sure I can find someone who will buy this. Here have some of my writings on economics in a Post-Magical Revolutionary society."
You've earned 1,839,776 experience.