BUBBLEWORT FUMIGATOR
GnomesAlchemical Engineer
"Chemistry is just cooking with more explosions. And better safety equipment. Always wear your goggles, dears—eyes don't grow back!""
Identity
- Residence
- The Fume District, Gearhaven
- Civilization
- Gnomes
Appearance
• Physical: Bubblewort's skin has a permanent greenish tint from decades of alchemical exposure, and her hair changes color unpredictably based on her latest experiments (currently bright purple). Her eyes are protected by custom-fitted goggles that filter harmful vapors while enhancing color differentiation of chemical reactions. • Clothing: She wears a rubberized leather coat with built-in ventilation systems, heavy gauntlets that extend to her elbows, and boots with chemical-resistant soles. Her belt holds dozens of small vials in padded compartments. • Distinguishing Marks: A chemical burn scar in the shape of a molecular structure on her left cheek, permanently stained fingernails, and a pendant containing her first successful compound.
Relationships
- Family - Three apprentices she considers her children, a sister who runs an herbal shop (they disagree about "natural" vs "synthesized" remedies)
- Allies - The Miners' Guild (major client), the City Watch (who use her non-lethal crowd control compounds), the Alchemical Society
- Rivals - The Black Fume Cartel (illegal alchemists), traditional healers who see her work as dangerous
Personality
- Traits: Eccentric even by gnomish standards, speaks in chemical metaphors, genuinely cares about safety despite her dangerous profession, surprisingly maternal toward her apprentices
- Mannerisms: Sniffs the air constantly to analyze chemical composition, absent-mindedly mixes compounds while talking, cackles when experiments produce unexpected results
- Voice: Raspy from years of inhaling various fumes, with sudden shifts to high excitement when discussing reactions
Backstory
Bubblewort was originally trained as a healer but became fascinated by the destructive potential of alchemy during a plague outbreak. She developed the Fumigation Protocols that saved Gearhaven from a vermin infestation twenty years ago and has been the city's premier alchemical engineer ever since. Her current research focuses on creating "clean" explosives for mining operations.
Daily Life
Her laboratory operates around the clock with different shifts for various projects. Bubblewort personally oversees the most dangerous experiments, often working through the night. She takes brief breaks to check on her apprentices and tends to a small garden of alchemical herbs on her laboratory roof.
Secret
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Story Hooks
- 1 Someone has stolen her research on the lifespan compound, and she needs help recovering it before it falls into the wrong hands.
- 2 An experiment has gone wrong, creating an unstable compound that threatens the Fume District; she needs adventurers to help contain it.