Rustwater

In the smog-choked expanse of Grizburg, where the toxic mists of the Kalnith Jungle meet industrial pollution, the Rustwater District stands as a testament to goblin ingenuity and corruption. Named for the chemically-tainted river that winds through its heart, this sprawling bazaar never sleeps, its countless stalls and shops offering everything from mundane weapons to forbidden artifacts harvested from the jungle's darkest corners.
The district's foundations are a maze of half-submerged chambers and hidden vaults, riddled with secret meeting places where the real business of Grizburg transpires. The tainted waters that flow through these underground spaces have corroded the metal and stone over generations, creating naturally defensible spaces that the various criminal factions have claimed as territory.
Above ground, the architecture defies conventional engineering - rickety towers and bridges constructed from salvaged materials lean at impossible angles, held together by questionable engineering and desperate magic. Merchants string their wares between buildings on cables that crisscross the sky, creating a chaotic canopy of goods and contraband swaying in the acidic breeze.
The Rustwater's infamous bazaars operate continuously, with different markets catering to specific clientele. The Day Market deals in legitimate goods, while the Twilight Market specializes in questionable merchandise. The Night Market, operating in the district's deepest recesses, trades exclusively in items and services that would be forbidden even in Grizburg's loose legal framework.
Chemistry defines the district's character - the river's polluted waters have been incorporated into local industry and culture. Alchemists harvest unique compounds from its depths, while local taverns serve drinks laced with trace amounts of the water, claiming they grant visions or enhance negotiation skills. The long-term effects of such practices remain unstudied.
The criminal ecosystem here is as complex as any natural environment. The Forge-Clans maintain workshops where "unauthorized modifications" are made to weapons, while various smuggling operations use the extensive network of corroded tunnels to move goods between the jungle and the city proper.
Local governance falls to a loose coalition of guild bosses and crime lords who maintain order through a delicate balance of mutual threats and shared interests. The Eyes of Tezra maintain a significant presence, their agents ensuring that certain boundaries aren't crossed and that properly sanctioned corruption flows smoothly.
The district's relationship with the Bloodclaw Warband is particularly complex. While the warband's leadership officially denounces the Rustwater's activities, many of their elite warriors are regular customers, especially in the market for enhanced weapons and exotic stimulants derived from jungle flora.
The air itself carries value in the Rustwater - merchants collect and bottle the unique combinations of industrial fumes and jungle toxins, selling them to alchemists and spellcasters who claim these vapors enhance certain magical practices. The district's most successful traders have developed complex filtration systems to harvest specific compounds from the atmosphere.
Deep beneath the marketplace lies the Drowned Exchange, where underwater deals are conducted in chambers partially filled with the caustic river water. Specialized breathing apparatus, developed by goblin artificers, allows traders to stay submerged for hours, though prolonged exposure to the water often leaves permanent marks on both flesh and psyche.
The district hosts a thriving black market in artifacts recovered from the Whispering Depths beneath the city. These relics, often bearing traces of Dead God essence, command astronomical prices despite (or perhaps because of) their dangerous and unpredictable nature.
Local legends speak of the "Rust Mothers" - entities that supposedly emerged from generations of exposure to the district's unique chemical and magical environment. These beings, if they exist, are said to dwell in the most corroded sections of the underground tunnels, trading forbidden knowledge for biological sacrifices.
The Rustwater's population reflects its nature as a crossroads of commerce and corruption. Goblins form the majority, but one finds representatives of every race here - from jungle tribes seeking weapons to sophisticated buyers from distant realms. Many show signs of mutation from prolonged exposure to the district's toxic environment.
Several notorious establishments have become institutions in their own right. The Corroded Crown tavern serves drinks in metallically-enhanced glasses that slowly dissolve as you drink, allegedly improving the flavor. The Acid Bath brothel offers "transformative experiences" that customers are physically unable to describe afterward.
The district's proximity to both the Kalnith Jungle and the industrial heart of Grizburg creates unique hazards. Predators mutated by industrial runoff occasionally emerge from the river, while toxic spores from the jungle interact unpredictably with the city's pollutants, creating zones of spontaneous alchemical reactions.
Independent researchers, drawn by the unique properties of the Rustwater's environment, maintain secret laboratories throughout the district. Their experiments, combining industrial pollution with jungle botanicals and magical energies, occasionally produce results that even Grizburg's hardened population finds disturbing.
Weather patterns in the district take on supernatural qualities as jungle mists mix with industrial smoke. Rain falls in impossible colors, sometimes flowing upward or freezing in mid-air, while lightning displays exhibit properties that defy natural law. The locals have developed an elaborate system of predictions based on these phenomena.
The true power of the Rustwater District lies not in any single faction or location, but in its role as a nexus of interconnected interests. Here, the ambitions of the Bloodclaw Warband meet the machinations of the Eyes of Tezra, while jungle tribes trade with urban crime lords and goblin artificers experiment with forces they barely understand. In this crucible of corruption and commerce, possibilities that would be unthinkable elsewhere become merely expensive.
The district continues to evolve as new pollutants enter its ecosystem and fresh opportunities for profit arise. Recent disturbances in the Whispering Depths have introduced new elements to the river, while increasing tensions between various factions promise to create fresh markets for those bold or desperate enough to exploit them.

Demographics

Population: Approximately 12,000 permanent residents, with a fluctuating population of up to 20,000 during peak trading periods.
Demographics: 60% goblin, 15% orc, 10% human, with the remaining 15% comprising various races including tieflings, half-orcs, and mutated beings. Many show signs of chemical exposure and magical modification.
Government: Ruled by a loose coalition of guild bosses and crime lords, with Slazgar Two-Eyes wielding significant influence through his arms dealing network. The Eyes of Tezra maintain oversight of certain restricted transactions.
Infrastructure: Multi-level construction built around and over the polluted Rustwater River. Extensive network of corroded tunnels, secret passages, and underwater trading halls. Rickety bridges and cable systems connect buildings at various levels.
Districts:
Upper Markets (legitimate trade)
Twilight Bazaar (questionable goods)
Submerged Quarter (underwater deals)
Alchemists' Row (chemical processing)
The Drowned Vaults (secure storage)


Assets:
The river itself (source of unique chemical compounds)
Extensive stockpiles of weapons and contraband
Collection of Dead God artifacts
Network of information brokers
Specialized breathing apparatus for underwater commerce


Defenses:


Natural chemical barriers from river toxins
Complex system of collapsible bridges
Trapped passages in underground networks
Guild-maintained security forces
Mystical wards maintained by the Eyes of Tezra


Industry and Trade:
Primary Exports:


Modified weapons
Alchemical compounds
Exotic toxins
Smuggled jungle artifacts
Information


Imports:


Raw materials for weapon modification
Jungle flora and fauna
Magical components
Industrial chemicals


Guilds and Factions:


Slazgar's Arms Network
The Forge-Clans
Alchemists' Collective
Tunnel Lords (underground territory controllers)
Eyes of Tezra Agents
The Rust Mothers' Cult


Architecture: Chaotic mixture of goblin engineering and salvaged materials. Buildings show heavy chemical weathering and often incorporate living chemical growths. Structures lean at impossible angles, supported by a combination of questionable engineering and desperate magic.
Geography: Built along both sides of the polluted Rustwater River where it flows through Grizburg. The district slopes downward toward the river, with many structures partially submerged in the caustic waters.
Climate: Perpetually humid and acidic atmosphere from combination of river chemicals and industrial pollution. Frequent colored rains and strange atmospheric phenomena from interaction between jungle mists and industrial waste.
Natural Resources:


Chemically-tainted river water
Unique atmospheric compounds
Mutated flora and fauna
Crystal formations from chemical reactions
Naturally occurring alchemical compounds

Type

Slum

Location under

Grizburg