The Greasehands

Tier: III, Weak Hold

The Greasehands are a shadowy network of factory foremen, overseers, and industrial enforcers who ensure Awarth's factories, refineries, and workshops run without disruption. They profit not from honest work, but from exploiting laborers, skimming wages, and enforcing the will of industrial magnates and factions like The Gnet. Known for their unyielding grip on the workers, the Greasehands maintain their power through bribes, intimidation, and brutal efficiency. Despite their corruption, they view themselves as indispensable to Awarth’s industrial machine, keeping it oiled even as they line their pockets with its spoils.

Turf

Ashrow and The Rustway, as they muscle in on scavenging rights and labor disputes.

Notable Assets

Industrial Enforcers: Toughs armed with cudgels and repurposed factory tools, used for beating, threatening, or "motivating" reluctant laborers.
Control of Small Foundries: Particularly those producing Ashrow Standard rifles, allowing occasional black-market arms deals.

Quirks

Silent Strike Policy: When labor unrest bubbles up, the Greasehands respond with sudden, overwhelming violence, then an eerie return to normalcy the next day.
The Black Bind: Every Greasehand carries a strip of oil-soaked cloth tied around their wrist or boot. It’s a secret signal of membership—and supposedly, a charm against betrayal. To break the cloth (or lose it) is seen as inviting misfortune or death.
The Second Pay: Greasehands expect "second pay" from workers: a portion of their legitimate wages, paid secretly and regularly under threat of harassment or sabotage. It's an open secret that this "second pay" matters more than the real payroll.