DREDGE Main Pursuits Route: Relics, Regions, and the Collector

Spoilers: the Collector’s relic trail

The main Pursuit begins after you bring an aberrant fish to the Fishmonger, take the recovered handkerchief to Blackstone Isle, and accept the Collector’s offer of dredging equipment. From there, the job is to return five relics. The first, the Ornate Key, is in The Marrows. Bring it back before treating the wider map as a checklist; the Collector points the story toward the next destination.

The regional relics are tied to Gale Cliffs, Stellar Basin, Twisted Strand, and Devil’s Spine. A practical route is shown below, but it is a preparation order rather than a rule. If you find yourself near a region with the needed gear and daylight, taking a side job there is fine.

Stop	Main target	What to settle first
The Marrows	Ornate Key	Dredging equipment and a few free cargo spaces
Gale Cliffs	Music Box	The Hermitage’s local problem and a safe way through the cliffs
Stellar Basin	Ring	The Researcher’s work before heading into the basin’s centre
Twisted Strand	Necklace	The Airman’s Pursuit, rather than a random wreck search
Devil’s Spine	Pocket Watch	The Flames of the Deep Pursuit and volcanic fishing access

Keep one return trip in the plan

Each relic belongs back at Blackstone Isle. Do not fill every cargo square with fish before a relic recovery: leave room for the item, repair if a regional hazard has damaged a slot, and use a nearby dock to reset the day if the weather turns ugly. The regional Pursuits give more than story direction; they also point toward equipment and abilities that make later crossings easier.

The Collector’s task is the main line. Hooded Figures, shrines, dog tags, and other named Pursuits can wait until you want their rewards. If an optional job needs a fish type you cannot catch yet, mark it and come back after Research Parts unlock the right gear. For safer evening travel on each return, read Night fishing and Panic.

Keep the relic loop readable

The practical base-game order is Key in The Marrows, Music Box in Gale Cliffs, Ring in Stellar Basin, Necklace in Twisted Strand, then Pocket Watch in Devil’s Spine. Each return gives the next direction and an ability, so return the relic before trying to optimise every optional job in the same region.

That order is a route, not a ban on exploration. A shrine, dog, or merchant request can fit between stages when it uses the same gear and dock line. Stop combining objectives when the hold contains a relic plus a passenger or several large fish. Relic cargo has priority because it moves the story and keeps the journal clear.

The fifth relic leads into an ending choice. DREDGE Endings has full spoilers; use it only once you want that decision explained.