abstract
| - They are the most intelligent living inhabitants of Ōban and tend to act like the planet's caretakers. Their main job seems to be constructing temples. They do this by singing, which causes the stones around them to come to life and form themselves into the proper shape. This ritual is usually done after a new planet seed is birthed from Ōban's womb, so the temples are most likely dedicated to the newborn planets. The Drudgers first appear in Fierce Like Lord Furter, watching Molly and Jordan as they explore some old ruins in the lake region. One of them rescues them from a collapsing building when an earthquake occurs. When the quake stops, the Drudger begins to sing and is joined by its comrades. While Jordan is suspicious of them, Molly senses that they are not dangerous. Another group of Drudgers appears in Nervous Like Ning & Skun. Molly hears them singing in the jungle at night and goes to investigate with Jordan and Prince Aikka. They find the Drudgers gathering in a clearing, where they begin to sing. The singing brings the stones around them to life and shape themselves into a new temple. When it is finished, the Drudgers stop their singing and appear to fall asleep. A third group of Drudgers is shown performing the same ritual later in The Origin of the World. A fourth group of Drudgers saves Molly and Jordan in Ominous Like O, after the Arrow III crashes at the bottom of a canyon. They scoop the unconscious humans out of the destroyed star-racer and lay them flat on the ground. After the Drudgers sing, Molly and Jordan begin to recover.
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