The Digger was a vast, sprawling mechanical excavation vehicle created by the Dwarf race. There were only two in existence; they were capable of excavating hundreds of metric tons of earth in a second. The steam-powered devices were an estimated several miles in length, and manned by hundreds of Dwarves at any given time. Indeed, it was possible for Dwarves to become forever lost within its bowels, as many of them had. The Digger was equipped with diamondite-tipped pile driver heads capable of smashing through granite, orthoclase, or corundum. They could even surpass the supposedly-indestructible bloodrock mantle, which had previously blocked other attempts at excavation, though it took a long time to do so. The Digger was also capable of traveling through bodies of water, but the machine was not completely airtight. Likewise, the vehicle could theoretically travel through molten rock, though prolonged exposure fused the external components. Typically, at least one hundred of the driller's personnel were dedicated exclusively to the machine's maintenance and upkeep.
The machine was cylindrical-shaped with multiple cars all connected together, allowing it to flex through the ground like a huge mechanical snake. It was made up of millions of mechanical components, build from raw elements like tungsten, iridium, and osmium. The vehicle required hundreds of Dwarves to operate. It was divided into different sub-sections run by multiple administrative heads; the engine room was at the very front. When in operation, it smelled faintly of burning wood.
The Digger was chiefly used by the Dwarves to burrow to new locations for them to mine, granting them access to jewels and riches previously unavailable to them. The sounds of Dwarf drillers could be heard for miles away, and the steady rumbling of their operation was a familiar sound in the Torlynn countryside, particularly within close proximity to Stonekeep.
In unctual year 3889, a dwarf driller machine, with Gerrick of Gonderick, acting as its Chief Engineer, inadvertantly uncovered a buried piece of the enchanted World-Breaker weapon.
After learning of the Digger's existence, Mirabel Miller hatched a plan to attempt to gain control of it. It was her intention to excavate soil from the center of the Earth and magically levitate it into space, thus changing the mass of the planet in the hopes of allowing it to avoid an imminent collision with the Moon.
Alternate Reality (Various)[]
In at least one possible outcome of reality, Mirabel gained control of the Digger but lacked the ability to operate it proficiently. The machine went wildly out of control, puncturing the surface of the planet. She emerged topside in the human village of Frontwater, right next to the Callithumpian Interrobang?!, and back down into the ground. By a stroke of luck, this action prevented an angry mob from accosting Mariposa and Talla Unica, who were patrons at the tavern. As a result of Four tampering with reality using the fate-shifter, this fragment of some other reality was incorporated into his own.
In another unfolding of events, the Dwarf digger was used to transport personnel to the site of a battle near the Elvenwood. Hundreds of Dwarf warriors poured out of the machine to advance upon the Elf army that had assembled there, responding to the advance of the Giant.
Embarrassment of Riches[]
After traveling to the Old Age, Mirabel Miller observed that the piles of spare parts, collected by the autonomous drones as raw materials to bolster their own ranks, looked like they would be at home on board the Digger.
The Veil of Souls[]
Wazzipaloo suffered a hangover in 3894 as a result of drinking too much Hakk Strokk that she described as feeling like several thousand Diggers trying to jackhammer her brain all at once.
Trivia[]
According to a statement made by Mariposa in The Curse of the Fate Shifter in unctual year 3891, machines like the digger did not exist a thousand years prior to that time.
Behind the Scenes[]
The Digger's presence was felt in both A Butterfly's Tale and The Quest for the World-Breaker, as its steady sounds of excavation could be heard for many miles and were a routine part of life in Novapangaea. It did not feature into the books in any meaningful capacity until The Curse of the Fate Shifter, however.