### **Razek ‘Ironpaw’ Rattleclank – The Wild Forge of Rivermarch**
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![[DALL·E 2025-02-21 20.22.33 - A wide, detailed portrait of two Ysoki artisans in their underground forge. Razek ‘Ironpaw’ Rattleclank, a wiry and unhinged ratfolk blacksmith, grins.webp]]
#### **Basic Information**
- **Name:** Razek ‘Ironpaw’ Rattleclank
- **Race/Species:** Ratfolk (Ysoki)
- **Class/Profession:** Master Blacksmith, Engineer, Inventor, Co-Owner of Rattleclank Forge
- **Alignment/Morality:** Chaotic Good (Genius with a hammer, danger with a blueprint)
- **Age:** Late 30s (Ysoki standards—seasoned but still in his prime)
- **Gender & Pronouns:** He/Him
- **Appearance:**
- **Broad-shouldered for a Ysoki**, but constantly moving—energy thrumming in every twitch of his whiskers.
- **Coal-black fur**, **singed at the tips** from countless forge mishaps.
- **Golden eyes that never stop darting**—always looking, always scheming, always one step ahead of the present.
- **Hands calloused and scarred**, covered in **mechanical gauntlets that crackle with energy**—a work-in-progress that may or may not explode.
- Wears a **leather work apron, streaked with soot and grease stains**, over **a reinforced tunic with hidden pockets filled with tools, bolts, and suspiciously loose screws**.
- His tail flicks constantly, often with bits of wire or stray pieces of metal wrapped around it.
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#### **Personality & Traits**
- **Personality Summary:**
Razek is a **walking storm of ideas**, a **chaotic whirlwind of metal, fire, and boundless enthusiasm**. Where others see **limits, he sees blueprints**—where others see **disaster, he sees potential**. He’s loud, fast-talking, and **unapologetically reckless**, but his skill is **undeniable**. If something **can be built, modified, or improved**, he’s already halfway through doing it before you finish asking.
- **Strengths & Skills:**
- **Master Blacksmith:** His forge is **legendary**, producing **customized weapons and armor unlike anything else in the River Kingdoms**.
- **Experimental Engineer:** Doesn’t just forge weapons—he **pushes technology and magic into uncharted territory**.
- **Unmatched Tinkerer:** Can **reinforce armor, modify weaponry, install hidden compartments, and craft absurdly specific contraptions**—sometimes **functional**, sometimes… less so.
- **Infectious Enthusiasm:** Impossible not to get **caught up in his manic energy**, even if you **regret it later**.
- **Instinctive Genius:** **Barely reads blueprints**—just **knows** how things work and **makes them better** (or at least more *interesting*).
- **Weaknesses & Flaws:**
- **Absolutely Reckless:** Safety measures? **What’s that?** If it hasn’t exploded at least once, **he doesn’t trust it yet.**
- **Short Attention Span:** Gets **distracted by new projects**, often abandoning old ones unless Nyx reminds him.
- **Impossible to Restrain:** **Rules? Regulations?** Don’t make him laugh. He’ll break them just to **see what happens**.
- **Unpredictable Results:** Most of his work is **brilliant**… but **sometimes it's *too* brilliant** (see: the lightning shortsword that electrocuted its wielder).
- **Loud and Impulsive:** Where Nyx **calculates**, Razek **leaps**—sometimes into **genius**, sometimes into **catastrophe**.
- **Mannerisms & Speech Patterns:**
- **Talks fast, talks loud, waves his hands constantly.**
- Will **interrupt himself mid-sentence** with a new idea and immediately start working on it.
- **Cackles like a mad scientist** when something works—*or* when it explodes.
- **Tail flicks in rapid, erratic movements** when he’s excited.
- **His tools never stop moving**—always adjusting, tinkering, reinforcing.
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#### **Background & Story Role**
- **Backstory Summary:**
Razek **never wanted to be ordinary**. Born into a **humble Ysoki metalworking family**, he spent his youth **blowing up workshops and reassembling them better than before**. His natural talent for the forge got him recognized **by Brevic engineers and dwarven craftsmen**, but his **methods were too wild, too unpredictable** for the **traditionalists**.
Instead of **calming down**, Razek **doubled down**—he and Nyx built **Rattleclank Forge**, a workshop where **metal, magic, and madness fused into something truly unique**. Now, in Rivermarch, he sees **limitless potential**. With the Ysoki Warrens growing and Rivermarch’s **need for elite craftsmanship rising**, he’s ready to **reshape the future, one ridiculous invention at a time**.
- **Current Motivations:**
- **Forge the finest weapons and armor in the Stolen Lands**—stuff that **breaks the laws of physics, just for fun**.
- **Make Rattleclank Forge legendary**—not just in Rivermarch, but across the River Kingdoms.
- **Push automaton enhancements to their limits**—Maximus was **just the beginning**.
- **Unleash innovation upon the world, whether it’s ready or not.**
- **Connections & Relationships:**
- **[[Nyx Rattleclank]] (Wife & Voice of Reason):** **The mind that refines his madness**—if Razek is the **forge’s fire**, Nyx is the **calm hand that keeps it from burning everything down**.
- **[[Tybalt Rattigan]] (Cousin & Occasional Client):** Knows Tybalt **always needs something custom**, which means **business and fun**.
- **[[Maximus]] (His Greatest Project… So Far):** Obsessed with **automaton augmentation**—Maximus is **proof that his craft can reshape the future**.
- **Ysoki Warrens (His Home, His Playground, His Legacy):** Everything he builds **comes back to the Warrens**.
- **Factions or Allegiances:**
- **Rattleclank Forge (Master Craftsman).**
- **The Ysoki Warrens (The Forge-Master, Answerable to No One).**
- **Loyal to Innovation, Chaos, and the Pursuit of “What If?”**
- **Notable Items & Equipment:**
- **Ironpaw Gauntlets:** Mechanized gloves that **enhance his grip, generate sparks, and can accidentally electrocute people when he forgets to recalibrate them**.
- **Auto-Loading Crossbow (Mark III):** His **third attempt at self-reloading ranged weapons**—only *mildly* dangerous now.
- **A Collection of *Highly* Questionable Prototypes.**
- **His Work Apron (More Pockets Than Seem Possible).**
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#### **Additional Notes**
- **Recurring Themes:**
- **"If it's not pushing boundaries, it's not worth making."** His forge is a **place of reinvention, not repetition**.
- **"Mistakes are just prototypes in disguise."** Blowing things up is **part of the process**.
- **"The future belongs to those who build it."** Razek believes **Ysoki craftsmanship will shape the world, whether the world is ready or not.**
- **"If you give me a week, I can build anything. If you give me an hour, it'll probably explode."**
- **Player/GM Notes:**
- **Razek is the wildcard of Rivermarch’s engineering scene**—if something **needs a custom solution, he’s the Ysoki to call**.
- **Expect modifications that are *brilliant* but *potentially hazardous***.
- **His creations are experimental and unpredictable**—even **he doesn’t always know what will happen**.
- **Rattleclank Forge is a hub of mad genius**, constantly **pushing Rivermarch forward** (or *off a cliff*).
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Razek is **a storm of sparks, steel, and dangerously ambitious ideas**—an **inventor who doesn’t just build, but reinvents the world around him.**
And when he does? **You’d better stand back.**