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Merdegraw is the setting of Quest for Booty. It is a tropical planet in the Drogol Sector of the Polaris Galaxy, and one of the homes of the space pirates. Merdegraw was the headquarters, and final resting place, of the pirate captain Angstrom Darkwater. Aside from the space pirates, the island is inhabited by the friendly hoolefoids, who reside in Hoolefar Island.

Ratchet and Talwyn Apogee came to Merdegraw in search of Darkwater, and a way to contact Clank after he was taken by the Zoni.

History[]

Find the Mayor cutscene 5

Darkwater's curse

Merdegraw was the headquarters of the pirate captain Angstrom Darkwater, who kept his hidden loot in Darkwater Cove. After the Zoni gifted Darkwater the Fulcrum Star, Darkwater constructed the Obsidian Eye telescope that was powered by the star to communicate with them,[2] with the goal of eventually plundering their world.[3] Darkwater put a curse on his body to protect the Fulcrum Star, so that anyone who disturbed him would awaken his entire crew.[4] Instead, Romulus Slag led a mutiny against him, killing him and anyone who refused to call Slag their captain in Morrow Caverns.[4]

Some pirates under Sprocket remained behind on Merdegraw thereafter, though Slag's pirate headquarters were instead located on Ardolis. These pirates would frequently work with the Smuggler to sabotage Hoolefar Island.[4]

Repair the Wind Turbines conversation

Ratchet helping on Hoolefar Island

Years after Slag's mutiny, Ratchet and Talwyn came to Merdegraw after learning of the planet and Darkwater from the IRIS Supercomputer,[5] only to find Darkwater had died long ago. The hoolefoids showed Ratchet and Talwyn the Obsidian Eye[2] and Rusty Pete guided them to Morrow Caverns to find a map leading to the Fulcrum Star, though Pete instead betrayed them by installing Slag's decapitated head on Darkwater's body, both bringing Slag back but also bringing back Darkwater and his crew as undead pirates due to the curse.[6]

Ending from QFB cutscene 1

Darkwater and Slag defeated

After defending the hoolefoids from the undead pirate attack, Ratchet and Talwyn followed the map to Darkwater Cove to find the star, only for Darkwater to leave Ratchet trapped there and Talwyn captured. Ratchet escaped and followed Darkwater to the Azorean Sea, as Darkwater and Slag planned to plunder the Zoni world.[3] Ratchet reunited with Talwyn and severed the union between Slag and Darkwater. The two then used the Fulcrum Star and located Clank in the Breegus Nebula.[7]

Geography[]

Merdegraw is a tropical planet, with vast seas and small islands. The planet is prone to cyclones and thunderstorms due to its humid tropical climate. The planet is located on the other side of the galaxy from Ardolis.[8]

Merdegraw seems sparsely populated as the planet is largely covered in water. The notable exception is Hoolefar Island, an island in the Azorean Sea inhabited by the hoolefoids, a friendly sentient race who live on the remote Hoolefar Island. The planet is also home to a variety of wildlife. Of these, the most notable are the heliogrubs, small docile creatures that glow in the dark and inhabit caves; the gore thwogs, a dangerous species of thwog that inhabit caves but fear light; and the pythors, large, fire-spitting monsters. Anthropods are also found dotted around the islands.

A number of critters are known as native to the planet: Ruby Skurtch, Common Rock Skurtch, and Poisonous Skurtch.[citation needed]

Azorean Sea[]

Azorean Sea

Azorean Sea

The Azorean Sea covers a large portion of the planet. Hoolefar Island and the Morrow Caverns are located within the sea, with the Isle of Despair was located in-between them. The sea also has many offshore wind turbines, likely built by hoolefoids. A large creature bearing resemblance to the swamp monster I of Oozla appeared as part of Rusty Pete's narrations of Ratchet journeying across the Azorean Sea in a pirate skiff.[9]

Hoolefar Island[]

Hoolefar Island 2

Hoolefar Island

Hoolefar Island is a small island that is home to a village of hoolefoids. The island's bedrock is filled with trillium ore, which creates too much electromagnetic interference for ships, and thus the island depends on the supply beacon to hail ships and connect to the outside world. The island is also a tourist destination.[4]

Morrow Caverns[]

Morrow Caverns 1

Morrow Caverns

A dark cavern system controlled by space pirates. The caverns became the resting place for Angstrom Darkwater after Slag killed Darkwater and his crew here.[4] The caverns were also known for the pythors that inhabit them.[10]

Darkwater Cove[]

Darkwater Cove 1

Darkwater Cove

The headquarters of Angstrom Darkwater, Darkwater Cove is an island not on any ordinary maps where the pirate captain hid his treasures. The island's existence was long rumored, but thought to be a myth. The island is filled with booby traps and puzzles designed to let only Darkwater pass.[11]

Beneath Darkwater Cove are the Lythoin Caves, which are home to gore thwogs, heliogrubs, pythors, and a kind of large worm creature.

Behind the scenes[]

In the French version the planet was renamed Verdegraw because the word merde is a slang word for feces in French.

Citations[]

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