Ironwake

House Ironwake: Masters of River and Steel   From their fortress-docks carved into the cliffs above the River Vo, House Ironwake rules through industrial might and arcane innovation. Their smoke-wreathed stronghold rings with the endless hammering of forges, where teams of goblin artificers craft wondrous engines that merge magic with machinery. The house's banner - an iron anvil struck by purple lightning - flies proudly over a fleet of heavily-armed merchant barges, each hull inscribed with protective runes that glow with eldritch power.   Unlike their rivals who deal in secrets or supernatural cargo, House Ironwake's power flows from practical dominance of river trade. Their vessels, led by the legendary Rustleech, transport essential goods that keep Grizburg's mighty forges burning - rare ores, enchanted coal, and components for arcane machinery. Yet beneath this facade of legitimate commerce lies a web of carefully cultivated relationships with every major power along the Vo, from tribal shamans to underground resistance movements.   At the head of House Ironwake stands Matriarch Zorva, a scarred goblin veteran whose mechanical limbs and crystalline eyes mark her mastery of both combat and commerce. Her counsel chamber doubles as a war room, its walls lined with maps showing trade routes, rival territories, and the ever-shifting politics of the nine houses. Under her leadership, House Ironwake has expanded beyond simple shipping to become an industrial empire, with interests in mining, metallurgy, and the creation of magical artifacts.   The house maintains its supremacy through technological advantage and superior logistics. Their vessels incorporate innovations unknown to rivals - steam engines that run on dreams, hulls that heal like living flesh, and weapons that can pierce magical barriers. Their crews are among the best-trained on the river, combining traditional sailing skills with expertise in both engineering and combat. Each major vessel carries a shrine to the River Lords, maintaining ancient traditions even as the house pushes the boundaries of progress.   Deep within House Ironwake's cliff-fortress lies their greatest secret - massive workshops where captured Dead God essence is used to forge weapons and tools of unprecedented power. These artifacts command astronomical prices in Grizburg's markets, though the house carefully controls their distribution to maintain both profit and political leverage. The toxic runoff from these operations flows back into the Vo, adding new layers of corruption to waters already thick with ancient magic.   Most feared among House Ironwake's assets are their Ironclad Enforcers - elite warriors augmented with mechanical enhancements and armed with experimental weapons. These chrome-and-steel titans serve as both bodyguards and shock troops, deployed whenever the house needs to make a show of force without violating the River Lords' complex codes of conduct. Their very presence often suffices to ensure compliance, though tales spread of entire crews vanishing after defying House Ironwake's will.