CLICKWRENCH MAINTENANCE
GnomesInfrastructure Maintenance Chief
"Everyone wants to build the new tower, design the new machine, create the new wonder. But someone has to maintain what already exists. Someone has to keep the water flowing and the waste moving. That's real engineering—making sure things keep working when no one's watching.""
Identity
- Residence
- The Undercity, Gearhaven
- Civilization
- Gnomes
Appearance
• Physical: Clickwrench has the weathered look of someone who works in harsh underground conditions. His brown hair is prematurely gray, and his hazel eyes have adapted to low-light environments. He has a wiry strength from climbing through maintenance tunnels and an encyclopedic knowledge of Gearhaven's underground systems. • Clothing: He wears reinforced leather coveralls with multiple pockets for tools, heavy boots with steel toes and slip-resistant soles, and a helmet with an integrated light source. His belt holds an impressive array of specialized maintenance tools. • Distinguishing Marks: A scar across his forehead from a tunnel collapse, permanently grease-stained hands, and a tattoo of the city's sewer system on his back (accurate to his last survey).
Relationships
- Family - A wife who worries about his dangerous work, children who think their father "fixes toilets," parents who don't understand his success
- Allies - His maintenance crew (he considers them family), engineers who respect his practical knowledge, the few surface officials who understand his importance
- Rivals - Budget officials who want to cut maintenance funding, contractors who do shoddy work
Personality
- Traits: Obsessively thorough, genuinely proud of his invisible work, frustrated by those who take infrastructure for granted, surprisingly philosophical
- Mannerisms: Checks his tools compulsively, speaks in terms of flow and pressure, knows the city's systems better than its streets
- Voice: Rough and direct, with occasional poetic turns when discussing his underground world
Daily Life
His days are spent in the Undercity, inspecting systems, directing repair crews, and solving problems that surface-dwellers never know existed. He frequently works irregular hours when emergencies arise. His evenings are dedicated to maintaining his own equipment and updating his extensive maps of the underground.
Secret
Clickwrench has discovered a section of the Undercity that doesn't match any official records—an ancient system that predates Gearhaven itself. He's been quietly exploring it and has found evidence that suggests the city's founders built over something much older and potentially dangerous.
Story Hooks
- 1 Clickwrench needs help exploring the ancient system he's discovered, offering his unique knowledge of the Undercity in exchange.
- 2 Something has begun activating in the ancient system, threatening the modern city above; he needs help understanding and stopping it.
Narrative Value
Keeper of hidden knowledge and unsung hero. Provides access to underground systems, practical engineering knowledge, and connections to working-class networks. His discovery adds mystery and potential danger. ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════