Rust Barons
The Rust Barons
“Every Rust Baron starts as a scrapper, climbing up from the filth to claim a piece of the Rustwater. Watch ‘em close, though; they’re sharper than any blade they forge.” — Anonymous Alchemist
The Rust Barons are a powerful guild of goblin industrialists who hold sway over Grizburg’s Rustwater District. Known for their ruthless business practices and unyielding control over the city’s metalworks and alchemical industries, the Rust Barons rule Grizburg’s economy with an iron fist. While they lack the nobility of traditional lords, they wield just as much power, having transformed Grizburg into a hub of industry and profit through sheer cunning and hard work.
“They ain't like the rest of us. They don’t just survive Rustwater—they own it. Each one of ‘em built their empire on the grime and smoke of Grizburg.” — Rustwater Enforcer
Each Rust Baron is a master of a specific trade within the district, from weapon forging to alchemical production and metal refinement. They oversee vast networks of workshops and factories, employing legions of workers, many of whom are goblins or other locals drawn to the dangerous but lucrative employment opportunities within Rustwater. The Barons’ power is rooted in their control over the Sko River's industrial potential, using its water to drive their mills, cool their forges, and dispose of waste.
“The Rust Barons don't just make weapons and potions—they make Grizburg run. Without ‘em, the whole city would grind to a halt.” — Mara Duskbane
The Barons’ hierarchy is based on influence and economic power. At the top are the wealthiest Barons, those who control the most profitable industries and have the largest workforce under their command. Beneath them are lesser industrialists who strive to expand their reach, often by cutting deals, outmaneuvering rivals, or, in some cases, outright sabotage. Competition among the Barons is fierce, and business feuds often escalate into conflicts that spill out into the streets of Rustwater.
The Rust Barons' headquarters are imposing structures that serve as both administrative centers and personal fortresses. Each Baron’s headquarters reflects their industry, with some buildings covered in soot and smog from metalworks, while others are surrounded by the smell of strange chemicals from alchemical plants. These buildings are heavily guarded, not only to protect the Barons but also to safeguard the secrets of their production methods, which are fiercely guarded trade secrets in Grizburg.
“The most dangerous thing about the Rust Barons isn’t the weapons they make—it’s the deals they’re willing to strike to get ahead.” — Kurgan Weinrich
The Barons employ a range of enforcers and specialists to maintain order in their ranks and enforce their rule over Rustwater. Known as “Rustwater Enforcers,” these loyal goblins and mercenaries are tasked with keeping workers in line, defending company assets, and handling any disputes that arise between the Barons themselves. Skilled in negotiation, intimidation, and, when necessary, outright violence, the Enforcers are essential to the Barons' control over the district.
“You think you’re tough ‘til you cross a Rust Baron. Then you’re just another debtor, another cog in their machine.” — A Rustwater Physician
Business and Influence
The Rust Barons’ influence extends far beyond their individual enterprises. They supply Grizburg’s black market with weapons, trade alchemical reagents with Slazgar's weapon smiths, and occasionally cooperate with Kurgan's network of informants. Their factories produce much of the weaponry, armor, and equipment that powers Grizburg's economy, making them indispensable to the city’s continued prosperity.
Despite their wealth, the Rust Barons are constantly on guard against threats to their dominance. They monitor the Reclaimers closely, as the Reclaimers’ efforts to clean the Sko River could cripple the Barons’ industries. While some Barons have attempted to cooperate with the Reclaimers, others see them as existential threats, responding with bribes, intimidation, or outright sabotage to protect their interests.
“Rustwater ain’t just a district; it’s the beating heart of Grizburg’s power. The Barons know it, and they’ll do anything to keep it that way.” — Fouk Shadim, Rogue Artificer Arsonist
The Code of Rustwater
Although they are rivals, the Rust Barons follow an unspoken code of conduct that maintains stability within Rustwater. They respect each other's territories, avoid disrupting profitable industries, and recognize a “right of salvage” for anyone who manages to hold onto a gain amidst their cutthroat politics. Violating this code risks provoking the wrath of other Barons, a punishment severe enough to keep most disputes contained to economic competition and discreet sabotage rather than open violence.
Occasionally, the Barons gather to discuss matters affecting Rustwater as a whole. These rare meetings, held in secretive venues, allow the Barons to settle disputes, negotiate trade agreements, and share intelligence on common threats. Though temporary alliances are sometimes formed, the competitive nature of Rustwater means that any cooperation is tenuous at best, with each Baron watching for any sign of betrayal.
Ambitions and the Future
The Rust Barons see themselves as the lifeblood of Grizburg. Many believe that their industrial enterprises are essential to the city’s survival and view their influence as a mark of their success. Some Barons have ambitions of expanding their control beyond Rustwater, imagining a future where they influence Grizburg’s politics and economy directly. For now, however, they are content to consolidate their power, ever watchful for threats both within and beyond their ranks.
As tensions rise across Nolavor and the influence of forces like Azural threaten to destabilize established powers, the Rust Barons are preparing for what they see as a new age of opportunity. Some have begun investing in experimental technologies and forging alliances, hoping to capitalize on any shifts in power. For these goblin lords of Rustwater, the future is not just a chance to profit—it’s a chance to redefine Grizburg’s legacy.
“We built this city, one piece of rusted iron at a time. When it all comes crashing down, we’ll be the last ones left standing.” — A Rust Baron
References
* Locations/Rustwater District * Locations/Grizburg * Characters/Kurgan Weinrich * Organization/Brinkburn FamilyMaps
-
Grizburg
Grizburg - City of Shadows and Steel
On the banks of the River Sko, where the toxic mists of the Kalnith Jungle meet the industrial smog of countless forges, stands Grizburg—a city both cursed and exalted by its roots in divine history. Built atop the ancient Whispering Depths, a network of catacombs imbued with the lingering power of the fallen god Zothra-Khaar, Grizburg is as infamous for its arms trade and alchemical brilliance as it is for its criminal enterprises.
Grizburg ain't no city; it's a bloody chessboard. Only the ruthless walk away whole. Ye play by the rules of steel and shadow, or ye end up in the gutters, feedin' the rats.
The Founding
Grizburg was born in the aftermath of the First Black Fire War, when displaced goblin clans stumbled upon the Whispering Depths. Drawn by whispers of forbidden knowledge and the promise of untold power from the essence of Zothra-Khaar, the goblins built their settlement around the catacombs. The ancient caves, already rich in iron and rare minerals, provided not only a defensive stronghold but also a wellspring of industry.
The city's early days were marked by brutal infighting among the goblin clans, but the unifying threat of jungle predators and rival humanoid tribes forced cooperation. Under the shadow of the Obsidian Fang, a relic imbued with the fallen god's essence, the goblins forged the foundation of what would become their greatest city.
The Rise of the Forges and the Rust Barons
The endless hammering of forges soon became Grizburg's heartbeat. The city's location atop the Whispering Depths allowed its smiths to experiment with alchemical techniques drawn from Zothra-Khaar's corruptive legacy. From this industrial crucible emerged the Rust Barons, a powerful guild of goblin industrialists whose mastery of forge-craft and alchemy transformed Grizburg into the region's weapons manufacturing capital.
These Barons rule their territories like feudal lords, each specializing in different aspects of production - from experimental weaponry to alchemical innovations. Their fortified headquarters dot the cityscape, serving as both administrative centers and carefully guarded repositories of trade secrets. Through a complex network of alliances and rivalries, they maintain a delicate balance of power that keeps Grizburg's industrial machine running.
Rust Barons don't build weapons; they build empires. And they don't care how many lives they burn to do it.
Major Districts
Rustwater District (The Chemical Quarter)
Rustwater, known locally as "The Chemical Quarter," sprawls across Grizburg's northern expanse as a vertical city of impossible architecture where toxic mists from the Kalnith Jungle merge with industrial pollution to create a marketplace that never sleeps. This district operates around the chemically-tainted river that gives it its name, with rickety towers and bridges constructed from salvaged materials leaning at impossible angles, held together by questionable science and desperate magic influenced by reality-warping energies from nearby Blackspire.
The district houses five distinct commercial zones:
• The Upper Markets for legitimate trade
• The Twilight Bazaar for questionable merchandise
• The underground Night Market dealing in forbidden items
• Alchemists' Row where practitioners transmute river poison into profit
• The Submerged Quarter hosting underwater deals in caustic-flooded chambers
The district serves as the nexus of Grizburg's arms trade and criminal enterprises, dominated by the Brinkburn family from their Iron Hold fortress-factory and Slazgar Two-Eyes operating from his soul-processing facility Dreadmil. The infamous Dark Market trades in forbidden artifacts enhanced with Dead God energies.
Shadowspire District (The Reality Gardens)
Shadowspire houses Grizburg's power brokers and the mysterious Council of Thirteen. Its architecture emphasizes both verticality and defensibility, with towers designed to remind visitors of their place in the hierarchy. The district's upper levels offer commanding views of the city, while its lower depths hold secrets known only to the most influential residents.
The Reality Gardens occupy spaces where dimensional instability has created pockets where normal physical laws don't apply consistently. These areas serve as gathering places for the district's elite, who use reality distortions as entertainment by observing impossible architectural features and experiencing temporary alterations to their perception of time and space.
The Echo Chambers serve as Grizburg's primary information processing centers, where the Council of Thirteen's reality-warping abilities allow them to access knowledge from parallel timelines and alternative versions of current events.
Blackspire (Seat of Power)
Blackspire serves as the seat of political power in Grizburg, housing the mysterious Council of Thirteen whose reality-warping abilities influence both governance and architecture. The district's buildings lean at physically impossible angles while bridges connect different moments in time, creating navigation challenges that serve as additional security measures.
Each of the thirteen primary towers represents one Council member, their heights determined by ever-shifting political hierarchies. The district's architecture defies conventional engineering through centuries of exposure to reality-warping energies that leak from the Whispering Depths below.
Greendocks (The Harbor District)
The sprawling dock district along the northwestern bank where Grizburg connects to the outside world. Massive cranes and warehouses line the waterfront, while ships brave the Sko's toxic waters for profit. The district earned its name from the mutant algae that gives the waters an eerie green phosphorescence at night.
Maritime guilds maintain a precarious independence here, understanding that trade requires at least a veneer of legitimacy. The Guild of Current Keepers operates sophisticated filtration systems that process the most dangerous river water before it enters the main canal network.
Iron Gate (The Western Fortress)
Grizburg's fortified western entrance stands as a monument to goblin paranoia and engineering skill. Multiple checkpoints, murder holes, and embedded weapon platforms make any assault suicidal, while sophisticated mechanisms allow the entire structure to be sealed at a moment's notice. All major land trade passes through this carefully controlled bottleneck.
The Merchant Quarter operates under special trade agreements that allow foreign visitors to conduct business without fully entering Grizburg proper, creating a buffer zone where international commerce can occur with reduced exposure to the city's environmental hazards.
Skobridge (The Central Nexus)
The city's central nexus, where the main bridge spans the Sko River's poisoned waters. This architectural marvel demonstrates goblin engineering at its finest, with multiple levels accommodating different types of traffic. Beneath the main thoroughfare lies The Paddocks, a relatively legitimate marketplace where merchants can conduct business without the obvious criminality of the Dark Market.
Cable Exchange Quarter
The heart of Grizburg's financial district, where blood markers and exotic currencies change hands in deals that bind souls as collateral. The district's name derives from the massive cable network that connects its towers, allowing rapid communication across the city through a system of pulleys and message tubes.
Mercy District
Ironically named, this district houses Grizburg's medical facilities and charitable institutions. The Mercy Canal carries the cleanest water available in the city, though "clean" remains a relative term. Healers here specialize in treating industrial accidents and toxin exposure.
East and West Warrens
Vast residential districts where the majority of Grizburg's population dwells in vertical mazes of interconnected structures. Status is determined by elevation, with higher levels being more prestigious and offering cleaner air. The Warrens represent goblin architectural adaptation to limited space and harsh environmental conditions.
The Grand Canal System
Through the smog-choked expanse of Grizburg flows a network of waterways that pulse like the arteries of some vast, poisoned giant. These canals carry more than mere cargo—they bear the lifeblood of commerce, the essence of corruption, and the very soul of goblin industrial might through every quarter of the city.
The Ring Current forms the primary transportation artery, separating the inner districts from the outer territories while providing both defensive moat and commercial highway. The Guild of Current Keepers maintains this complex system through a combination of mechanical engineering and mystical manipulation.
The canals don't just carry water—they carry the will of the city. Every lock, every current, every drop of poison serves the great machine of Grizburg.
The Whispering Depths
Beneath Grizburg lies the Whispering Depths, a network of ancient catacombs imbued with Zothra-Khaar's lingering power where reality shifts and intruders find themselves lost in ever-changing geometry. These ancient passages serve as both resource and threat, offering unparalleled power to those brave enough to plumb their secrets while risking madness or worse.
Eight known access points provide entry to the Depths:
• Council of Thirteen entrance beneath Shadowspire Citadel
• Brinkburn family access beneath their Ironhold
• Eyes of Tezra hidden surveillance point
• Rust Mothers' Cult temple complex
• Guild of Current Keepers canal system connection
• Greendocks harbor foundation breach
• Two locations remain unknown to general factions
The Depths' influence permeates every aspect of Grizburg life, from the reality-warping architecture of Blackspire to the soul-enhanced weapons that emerge from industrial forges.
Economy and Governance
Grizburg's economy thrives on its arms trade and the illicit dealings of the Dark Market. Blood markers, magical contracts binding a debtor's life force to their debt, serve as the city's unofficial currency among the elite. The Rust Barons, led by influential families like the Brinkburns, control not only the means of production but also the flow of goods and information throughout the city.
Local governance falls to a loose coalition of guild bosses and crime lords who maintain order through a delicate dance of mutual threats and shared interests. The Eyes of Tezra maintain a significant presence, their otherworldly gazes ensuring that certain boundaries remain inviolate and properly sanctioned corruption flows as smoothly as the tainted river.
The Brinkburn Dynasty
Among the Rust Barons, none wield influence quite like the Brinkburn Family. From their fortress-factory known as the Ironhold in the Rustwater District, matriarch Kregan Brinkburn oversees an empire built on ruthless business practices and unparalleled industrial innovation.
The Dark Market
The infamous Dark Market operates in the shadow zones of Rustwater, where merchants trade in artifacts recovered from the Whispering Depths. These bizarre remnants of forgotten technologies command astronomical prices among collectors and researchers desperate to unlock their secrets.
Notable Landmarks
• Dreadmil - Slazgar Two-Eyes' fortress-factory with thirteen smokestacks and soul-processing equipment
• The Obsidian Fang - Crystallized essence of Zothra-Khaar deep within the Whispering Depths
• The Ring Current - Defensive waterway separating inner and outer districts
• Reality Gardens - Dimensional anomalies in Shadowspire used for entertainment and governance
• The Corroded Crown tavern - Where drinks dissolve their own containers
• Echo Chambers - Information processing centers accessing parallel timelines
Population and Culture
Grizburg's population swells from twelve thousand to twenty thousand souls during peak trading seasons. Goblin merchants form the majority, but the city attracts representatives of every race - from jungle tribes seeking weapons to sophisticated buyers from distant realms. Many show signs of mutation from prolonged exposure to the district's toxic environment.
The city's relationship with the Bloodclaw Warband pulses with complexity. While their leadership publicly denounces Grizburg's activities, their elite warriors prowl the Night Market, seeking enhanced weapons and exotic stimulants derived from flora that should not exist.
In Grizburg, every drop of water holds a story. Every breath carries a price. And every deal might be your last.
Threats and Opportunities
The city faces constant threats from mutated jungle predators, toxic spore clouds, and the reality-warping effects of proximity to the Whispering Depths. Yet these same dangers create opportunities for those brave enough to harvest exotic materials, rare minerals, and artifacts of immense power.
The Eyes of Tezra monitor supernatural developments while the Twin-Headed Empire's Vanguard operatives infiltrate under merchant cover, gathering intelligence for eventual eastern expansion. Every transaction carries the potential for great profit or catastrophic consequence.
Where gods have fallen, mortals rise to claim their throne,
In smoke and shadow, steel and stone,
Through poison rivers, power flows,
And every deal the darkness knows.
Comments