WHISTLETHORN Geargrinder
GnomesSteam Carriage Engineer
"A well-tuned engine tells you everything if you just learn to listen. The hiss, the rhythm, the heat—it's a language more honest than any spoken word.""
Identity
- Residence
- Steamworks Transport Hub, Gearhaven
- Civilization
- Gnomes
Appearance
• Physical: Whistlethorn has a compact, muscular build unusual for gnomes, developed from years of wrestling with heavy machinery. Her auburn hair is cropped short for safety around moving parts, and she has a perpetual smudge of grease across her nose. Her hands are calloused but surprisingly delicate when working on precision components. • Clothing: She wears reinforced canvas overalls with flame-resistant lining, steel-toed boots with magnetic soles for working on vertical surfaces, and a bandana featuring her personal logo—a gear with wings. • Distinguishing Marks: A tattoo of a steam gauge on her forearm, a missing pinky finger (sacrificed to a timing belt), and a brass nose ring that supposedly improves her sense of smell for detecting overheating metal.
Backstory
Whistlethorn grew up in a family of traditional clockmakers but fell in love with steam power during a childhood visit to the Transport Hub. She apprenticed under the legendary engineer Boilerback, who taught her that machines have souls if you listen properly. She now maintains the prestigious Royal Steam Carriage and dreams of building her own line of luxury vehicles.
Daily Life
Her day begins at the Transport Hub before sunrise, conducting inspections of all active steam carriages. She spends afternoons performing maintenance and modifications, often working directly with drivers to understand their needs. Evenings are spent in her personal workshop, tinkering with experimental engine designs.
Secret
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Story Hooks
- 1 The Royal Steam Carriage has been sabotaged before an important diplomatic mission, and Whistlethorn needs help identifying the culprit while keeping the scandal quiet.
- 2 She wants to enter the prestigious Transcontinental Steam Race but needs a team to protect her experimental vehicle from corporate saboteurs.