Dredger

Dredgers are large, quadrupedal armored herbivores that live in large familial groups and herds. They appear somewhat ceratopsian or similar to a rhinoceros. Dredgers have a staggering array of intraspecies dimorphism, with different groups of individuals morphing to fit whichever role they may need to fill. The majority of Dredgers are what give them their name, and are large, stocky animals with downward facing horns growing out of their armored head. These "worker caste" Dredgers use their horns to dredge the forest floor, exposing a plethora of nutritious fungoral growths and roots, providing the main food source for the entire dredger herd. Dredgers operate under a seemingly monarchal society. The Dredger King and Queen rule the herd, and can be distinguished by their larger size, bright colors, and imposing, ornate frills.

While most of the Dredgers fall into the worker caste, providing food for the herd, there are also the warriors, matriarchs, and scouts. During mating season after the pilgrimage to the Bloomdeserts, sexually mature male workers will engage in dominance rituals, locking horns against one another. The victors of said dominance displays will morph into Dredger Bulls, which form the warrior caste. The Bulls are larger, more muscular, and have more forward-facing horn growths to use as powerful weapons against any would be attackers.

During the mating season, Bulls choose a female Dredger to court, which they do so by gathering rare fungora to impress the female. The female, if she accepts, will then consume the males offering, beginning their own transformation into a Matriarch. The Matriarchs are smaller and possess less armor and offensive capability than the warriors or the workers, and have the main goal of looking after and raising the young, even if they are not their own. They are fiercely protected by the rest of the herd.

Dredger Scouts were originally thought to be an entirely different species, but are in fact a morph of Dredger. They are small, fast, and nimble, considerably more streamlined than any others in the herd. They are the rarest morph of Dredger, only being produced in anticipation of a migration. During migrations, they operate on the outskirts of the herd, patrolling and keeping an eye out for any danger. Instead of horns, Scouts grow a large vocal chamber capable of producing incredibly loud calls, which they use to communicate amongst the herd and sound the alarm if necessary. Scouts are seen as extremely important amongst the herd, even by other species. Despite being much smaller than any other Dredger morphs, they are seen as a type of royalty just below the King and Queen, and are deeply respected by workers, warriors, and matriarchs alike.

Kings are decided by brutal rituals which occur towards the end of the mating season. The most powerful and imposing of the bulls fight against each other in tournament-style battles, culminating in a singular victor who is then crowned King. If the previous King is still alive by the time mating season comes around, then he has to defend his position against the younger Bulls. If the previous Queen remains, then the new King falls under their rule. If their is no ruling Queen, then the newly crowned King must choose a matriarch to become the new Queen.

If either a King or Queen dies during the off-season, then a temporary King or Queen morphs to take their place, to later contend their position at the next mating season.

## Known Individuals

* Paladin
* Stoneprides