Captain Malista Tinmaw

Iron Queen of the Sko-Vo

"That one? She ain't just some river rat with a fancy title. Malista's got the Sko-Vo's toxic waters runnin' through her veins, an' more secrets than the Whispering Depths packed in that steel trap she calls a mind."

Slazgar Two-Eyes

A goblin born in the shadows of Grizburg's East Forges, Malista Tinmaw learned early that survival meant mastering both steam and steel. Her mother, a metallurgist for House Brinkburn, disappeared into the foundry fires when Malista was just six, leaving her to navigate the industrial warren's cruel hierarchies alone. By twelve, she was running messages between the forge-masters, learning the secret paths through steam and smoke that would later serve her as a smuggler.

The Rustleech came into her possession through a bloody game of chance in her twentieth year - a high-stakes round of Dead Man's Draw with three senior captains of the River Guild. When accusations of cheating erupted, only Malista walked away from the ensuing carnage, the barge's deed clutched in her crimson-stained fingers.

"Watch how she handles that monster of a vessel - like a lover and a weapon both. The Rustleech ain't just a barge, it's an extension of her will. I've seen her navigate channels that would gut any other ship, laughing as the toxic waters splash against the hull."

Kurgan Weinrich

Under her command, the Rustleech transformed from a simple cargo hauler into a legend of the poisoned waterways. The vessel's distinctive silhouette - bristling with hidden weapon ports and experimental Brinkburn engines - became both feared and sought after by those with dangerous cargo to move between Grizburg and the southern coasts.
Malista's first encounter with Slazgar came during the infamous Crimson Spring, when a Reclaimer attack nearly destroyed both their operations. Their unlikely alliance in that blood-soaked season forged a partnership that would reshape river trade for decades to come.

Iron Queen of toxic tides,
Through poison waters her vessel glides,
Where others fear to sail or row,
The Rustleech leaves green fire below

River Chant of the Vo

Her reputation grew with each impossible delivery - forbidden artifacts from the Whispering Depths, experimental weapons for the Rust Barons, and stranger cargo that her crew learned never to question. The scars that curve across her throat and jaw speak to dozens of attempted mutinies, each one ending with new bones beneath the river's surface.
The alliance with Kurgan developed more gradually, built on a foundation of shared secrets and mutual profit. The Rustleech became a key link in his intelligence network, its regular routes between Grizburg and The Jungle's Claw Tavern providing cover for the movement of information more valuable than gold.

"The river takes what the river wants - that's what most captains say. But Malista? She takes what she wants from the river, and it seems grateful for the attention."

Old Muckfingers, Retired Dockhand

Those who serve aboard the Rustleech whisper of their captain's stranger habits - her collection of preserved river monsters in the cargo hold, the ritual scars she carves into the ship's hull during the new moon, and the way she sometimes speaks to the toxic waters in languages that make mortal tongues bleed.
Now in her forty-fifth year, Malista's power extends far beyond her vessel's ironclad hull. Her network of informants spans from Grizburg's highest spires to the meanest river shanties, while her knowledge of the waterways' secret paths has made her indispensable to powers both mortal and darker.

"There's regular river witches, sure - every port's got 'em. But Malista? She's somethin' else entirely. I seen her bargain with things that live in the deep parts of the Sko-Vo, where the water glows with more than just toxic runoff."

Vezra Blackbilge, Cargo Mistress

Some say she's struck bargains with entities from the Whispering Depths, trading pieces of her goblinhood for power over the poisoned waters. Others claim she's secretly amassing a fleet of similarly modified vessels, preparing for some grand design known only to her and her closest allies. Whatever the truth, Captain Malista Tinmaw and her dreaded Rustleech remain a force that even the Rust Barons think twice about crossing.

STATS

Related Reports

• The Jungle's Claw #029
• The Jungle's Claw #030/031
• The Jungle's Claw #032
• The Jungle's Claw #033
• The Jungle's Claw #034
• The Jungle's Claw #035