Rustwater

Rustwater District

"They say every secret in Grizburg eventually flows through Rustwater. Most of them leave stains that never wash out." — Kurgan Weinrich

Where the Sko River meets Grizburg's northern quarters, the Rustwater District rises like a fever dream of industrial excess. The Brinkburns' Ironhold looms over the waterfront, its corroded spires leaning at impossible angles, their foundations perpetually eroded by the toxic waters that give the district its name. Steam vents release multicolored clouds into the perpetual haze, while the constant hammering of forges creates a rhythm like some great mechanical heartbeat.

"The water changes them. Not just their bodies—though gods know that happens too—but their minds. Spend enough time in Rustwater, and you start thinking the way it thinks." — Anonymous Alchemist

"You want to know what makes the Brinkburns different? Every Rust Baron claims territory, but they claim the corruption itself. They don't fight the river's poison—they bottle it, brew it, weaponize it. That's real power in Rustwater." — Veteran Enforcer

The district's geography defies conventional mapping. Streets shift with the settling of waterlogged foundations, while newer structures are built atop the half-sunken remnants of the old. Bridges span not just the river but the spaces between buildings, creating a three-dimensional maze of walkways, pipelines, and precarious scaffolding. The most valuable real estate lies not at ground level but in the middle layers, where toxic fumes from below meet acid rain from above to create a relatively habitable zone.

"Rustwater? Aye, I was born here, and I've spilled enough blood in her streets to fill that filthy river ten times over. She's a harsh mother, Rustwater, gnawin' at yer bones one day and givin' ye scraps of fortune the next. But there's somethin' to be said for a place where the strong rise, and the weak get ground to dust. I've seen folks call her cursed, sayin' no life grows here that ain't twisted or broken, but I say those folks never knew her like I do. Rustwater's got a pulse, a heartbeat in her muck and metal, and when ye come up from the filth with somethin' in yer hand, that's power." — Slazgar Two-Eyes

Rustwater's economy revolves around transformation—of materials, of flesh, and of fortune. Within the shadow of the Ironhold, alchemical workshops operate alongside gambling dens, while brothels housing mutated courtesans compete with fighting pits where chemically-enhanced gladiators battle for the amusement of jaded crowds. The district's most lucrative enterprises combine all these elements, offering experiences that blur the line between pleasure and transmutation.

"The undead here don't rise from graves—they emerge from vats, forges, and failed experiments. Each one is unique, a testament to some ambitious fool's last mistake." — Mara Duskbane

"The Ironhold isn't just a fortress-factory. It's the Brinkburns' vision of progress—where industrial might meets forbidden alchemy. Every floor tells a different story of corruption, and every story ends in profit." — Kregan Brinkburn

The district's ruling power structure resembles the layers of sediment in the river—constantly shifting yet somehow maintaining a toxic equilibrium. The Brinkburn Dynasty maintains their dominance through a hierarchy of lesser Rust Barons, each controlling their own territories but ultimately answering to the Ironhold. Their authority is backed by crews of "water-touched" enforcers, their bodies and minds altered by prolonged exposure to Rustwater's unique properties. These enforcers are as much products of the district as they are its protectors, their mutations often reflecting the specific toxins of their patrol routes.
Strangers to Rustwater quickly learn to recognize its unwritten rules. Never drink anything that isn't still burning. Don't make deals with anyone whose shadows move independently. Avoid the "philosophers"—addicts who claim to have achieved enlightenment through controlled toxic exposure. Most importantly, never trust the river's whispers, no matter how profitable their promises sound.

"You want to know Rustwater's secret? It's alive. Not like you and me—more like a disease is alive. And we're all its carriers." — Anonymous Rust Baron

The district's relationship with the Sko River goes beyond mere proximity. From the Ironhold's shadow, the water flows like liquid corruption, carrying industrial waste and alchemical byproducts. Locals speak of the water as a sentient entity, one that has achieved a crude form of consciousness through centuries of absorbing industrial waste, failed experiments, and the essence of those who died in its depths. The Brinkburns, it's said, have learned to "speak" with these waters, using their toxicity in rituals that blur the line between industry and sorcery.

"Each layer of the Ironhold holds its own horrors. The deeper you go, the more you understand why the Brinkburns rule. They didn't just master the corruption—they became it." — Ghostslayer Captain

Rustwater's workshops practice arts found nowhere else in Nolavor. Acid-etched tattoos that move beneath the skin. Alchemically-treated weapons that remember their kills. Stimulants that allow users to perceive multiple possible futures—though few survive the experience with their sanity intact. The district's innovations are as likely to create new forms of addiction as they are to advance the industrial arts.

"The worst part isn't the things that die here—it's the things that learn to live here." — Veteran Ghostslayer

The district's population defies easy categorization. Alongside goblins, humans, and other conventional races exist communities of the "changed"—people so altered by Rustwater's influence that they can no longer be classified as their original species. Some transformations are subtle, manifesting as an extra organ or an unusual metabolism. Others are more profound, producing beings that challenge conventional definitions of life. Religious expression in Rustwater takes strange forms. Temples double as experimental laboratories, while street preachers inject themselves with mysterious compounds to achieve "chemical enlightenment." The district's most popular faith is the Cult of Blessed Corruption, which teaches that pollution is a path to transcendence. Their ceremonies involve ritualistic exposure to various toxins, creating experiences they claim reveal underlying truths about reality.

"In the Ironhold's shadow, even faith gets corrupted. But there's truth in that corruption—if you survive long enough to understand it." — High Priest of Blessed Corruption

Recent events have intensified Rustwater's already volatile nature. The release of Azural has caused previously stable compounds to transmute unpredictably, while ancient powers stirring beneath Nolavor have found eager vessels in the district's chemically-altered population. Even the Brinkburns have begun taking extraordinary precautions, hiring Ghostslayers to deal with new forms of undead emerging from their failed experiments. Yet for all its dangers, Rustwater remains a place of opportunity—for those willing to pay its price in flesh and sanity. As one local saying goes: "In Rustwater, everything flows downstream eventually. Wealth, secrets, souls—just make sure you're upstream when they pass by."

"There's good money in Rustwater, if you don't mind that it sometimes tries to spend itself." — Fouk Shadim

"The Brinkburns didn't conquer Rustwater—they embraced it. That's why they rule. That's why they'll always rule. Because when the river whispers its secrets, they listen." — Kurgan Weinrich

References

Organizations/Rust Barons Characters/Kurgan Weinrich Locations/Grizburg

Type

Neighbourhood