Dredge Ridge

About

Dredge Ridge is a small town only having a population of 4,015. Dredge Ridge is nestled in a forgotten valley in the Appalachian region, surrounded by dense forests and rusting remnants of an old coal boom. The place feels like it's been paused in time—half-abandoned buildings, overgrown train tracks, boarded-up storefronts downtown. The air smells like wet pine and mildew. Everyone knows everyone, but trust is scarce these days. You can feel the weight of desperation in the way people talk, in the way they avoid eye contact on the street.

History

Once a booming mining town in the 1950s, Dredge Ridge collapsed when the coal industry dried up. With jobs gone and nothing new coming in, the town turned inward. Poverty rose, and with it came drugs—first pills, then meth, now fentanyl. The promise of a better life never quite made it out here.

Locations

Main Street - Half the buildings are shuttered. There's a struggling diner, a pawn shop, a liquor store that opens early, and a worn-out pharmacy with bulletproof glass at the counter.Dredge High School - Underfunded, full of burned-out teachers and kids trying to survive. Some students are already caught up in dealing, or they’re losing parents to overdoses.The Holler - A stretch of backwoods housing deep in the hills where most of the town’s drug activity is rumored to be centered. The sheriff’s department rarely goes in.The Red Dog Bar - A local dive where dealers, users, and off-duty cops might all be sitting under the same flickering neon sign.Hope Outreach Center - A barely-running addiction recovery center held together by one passionate, overworked volunteer, Malisa Banks.

Some Of The People

Sheriff Donley - Tired, grizzled, maybe corrupt. Claims he’s doing the best he can, but folks whisper he looks the other way when it suits him.Jules “Cricket” McCall - A young mother turned small-time dealer. She sells to survive, not to profit, and she's always one bad week away from spiraling.Pastor Harlan - Runs the local church and food bank. Tries to offer people hope, but he’s seen too many funerals to preach too hard these days.The Reed Boys - Local family known for cooking meth in their trailer. Everyone knows it, no one talks about it unless they want trouble, The Reed Boys consists of Waylon Reed (Eldest Brother, Runs the meth operation), Clay Reed (Middle Brother, The Enforcer), Tyler Reed (Second Youngest Brother, The Meth Cook), Weston Reed (The Youngest Brother, The Dealer).