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Iro

Human (?) • Craftsman • Steve Squad Legacy

Overview​

Iro is the youngest son of Fluke, one of the legendary Steve Squad who saved the world approximately 200 years ago. He runs Fluke's Workshop, a beloved crafting space in the old dock district of Greyport—maintaining his father's legacy as a free workspace for artisans, thinkers, and creative people of all backgrounds. He is a towering man with a thundercloud beard and eyes the blue of a lightning bolt, and something about his nature goes considerably beyond "the youngest son of a famous hero."

Background​

The Steve Squad Legacy​

  • Father: Fluke—member of the legendary Steve Squad, heroes of 200 years past
  • Brothers: Shield (founded a fight institute) and Gary (professional wrestler)
  • Aunt: Caspian—still alive, runs a community center in Greyport
  • The Iron Maiden: Fluke's old steamboat, still docked inside the workshop; polished wherever it can be polished
  • Memorial Wall: Maintains a living memorial in the workshop corner—Steve Squad portraits, newspaper clippings of Shield's institute, Gary's wrestling career, Caspian sightings, and Dane's gnomish capital founding

Fluke's Workshop​

A rundown shop in the older, less gentrified part of Greyport's waterfront—maintained with stubborn love rather than fresh capital. Everything inside is jerry-rigged and all of it works. Craftspeople of every stripe—dwarves, halflings, humans—work side by side with the easy camaraderie of people who share a common obsession. Iro has kept the doors open to anyone with a creative spark, free of charge.

  • Fidget: A small mechanical bird at the front desk who announces visitors loudly and has strong opinions about unwelcome guests
  • The Iron Maiden: Ancient steamboat docked inside the workshop; responds to those defending the space with what feels like supernatural ease

Appearance​

  • Height: Well over six feet
  • Build: Physically immense; wet shirts are described as "fairly informative about the musculature underneath"
  • Beard: The color of a thundercloud
  • Eyes: A startling, piercing blue—"the blue of a lightning bolt"
  • Age: Probably in his forties

Abilities​

Something More Than Human​

Iro's full nature has never been directly addressed, but the evidence is hard to ignore:

  • Flew to the Caspian Center during a crisis—the roof groaned under enormous weight before he departed, and the beating of immense wings followed
  • Created a full thunderstorm over the Caspian Center to extinguish a fire
  • Breathes lightning, not fire—his private forge runs on it
  • Can infuse weapons with lightning damage through his breath

Craftsmanship​

  • Master artificer/craftsman; can identify skill and quality at a glance
  • Operates a personal forge using contained lightning energy
  • Weapon Infusion: Infused Elspeth's axe and gun with lightning breath, adding 2d6 lightning damage to each hit

The Iron Maiden​

The old steamboat responds to those who defend the workshop. When Liliana piloted it against the Molotov attackers, a 27 Insight roll was enough to understand it almost instinctually—as though it wanted to help.

Role in the Story​

Session 44: First Meeting​

Bru brings the party to Fluke's Workshop for Scarlet's experiments. Iro is initially displeased with Bru over a prior incident involving the machinery ("It took a week to clean all the brown out of the machinery"), but allows the visit on the grounds that the workshop is open to craftspeople.

When he recognizes Elspeth Cooper from the racing scene, he makes his own judgment:

Iro: "I was sad to hear about all those accusations they made against you. Well—I learned long ago to make my own opinions about things." (bending down to meet her eyes) "You have honest eyes. You're no cheater."

A real estate developer named Dunbar arrives mid-session to pressure Iro into selling. The property is waterfront, and Dunbar wants it. Iro's response fills the room:

Iro: "You come into my home—my father's home—and you speak to me of rejuvenation. Of beautification. You would take the very soul from it, digest it, and s*** it out like you have everywhere else in this waterfront. I will be damned before I sell it to a parasite like you."

Dunbar leaves. Iro informs Olivia the harassment has escalated beyond words: power outages, a brick through the window, and at least one suspected arson. He holds the deed—vetted by Governor Pike himself, 200 years ago—and cannot be removed legally.

The Attack​

That evening, a coordinated three-pronged assault hits the workshop simultaneously:

  • Ground: Thugs targeting the power lines and front entrance
  • Water: Three boats launching Molotov cocktails from the harbor
  • Interior: Two Barlura (massive gorilla-like creatures in trench coats) from the upper floor
  • Underwater: A Saojun directing twelve sharks at the shop's support pillars

Iro flew immediately to save the Caspian Center (also hit), trusting the party to hold the workshop.

Aftermath and Rewards​

Iro returned—soaking wet, white shirt very informative—to find the attack repelled. He disposed of a Barlura corpse with one hand and a single throw into the harbor.

Iro: "I'm eternally grateful I managed to save Aunt Caspian's community center. And I see that you all managed to save my home while I was out. Thank you."

He then took Elspeth's weapons to the lightning forge and rewarded the party:

  • Elspeth: Axe and gun infused with lightning breath (+2d6 lightning damage per hit)
  • Silas and party: Grappling hooks from the old Sisyphus Circle heist days (bonus action, close up to 30 feet once per reload)
  • Bru: Shield's prank kit—a hand buzzer, whoopie cushions, spring-snake cans, and a set of knives labeled for stabbing someone named Joel

Session 45: Safe Harbor​

The party returns to Fluke's Workshop to use the facilities for the pocket village calibration. Iro's welcome is easy and warm. The workshop serves as the staging ground for opening the pocket dimension.

Relationships​

The Party​

  • Elspeth Cooper: Recognizes her from racing, believes her innocent of the cheating scandal on instinct. The romance novel in progress is entirely about him.
  • Bru: Significant prior irritation over a machinery incident, but does not hold permanent grudges
  • Olivia: Mutual appreciation; she spotted the Saojun underwater assault and dove in without hesitation. She is cataloguing material for at least three book covers.
  • Liliana: Piloted the Iron Maiden; the boat responded to her

Family​

  • Fluke (father, deceased): Legacy maintained through the workshop, the Iron Maiden, and the memorial wall
  • Shield (brother): Still alive, runs a fight institute
  • Gary (brother): Still alive, still wrestling
  • Caspian (aunt): Still active, runs the Caspian Community Center in Greyport

Dunbar​

A real estate developer who has been systematically targeting Fluke's Workshop for weeks, escalating from purchase offers to deliberate sabotage. The coordinated attack in Session 44—involving Barlura and a Saojun—almost certainly required funding well beyond Dunbar's personal resources. Whoever is behind him has reach.

Character Traits​

Personality​

  • Legacy-Minded: The workshop is not just property—it is his father's legacy, a community space, and a place where the creative spark is protected for everyone
  • Independent Judge: Forms his own opinions rather than following prevailing narratives (Elspeth's reputation)
  • Calm Under Pressure: Does not raise his voice; simply becomes denser, weightier, more present
  • Grateful: Not one to let debts go unpaid; rewards those who stand with him
  • Dry Humor: Minimal words, significant timing

Values​

  • Craft and Community: The workshop exists for people who want to make things and add to the world
  • Earned Trust: Takes time to form opinions, but holds them
  • Legacy: His father built something worth protecting; he will protect it

Unresolved Questions​

  • What exactly is Iro? He presents as human, but the thunderstorms, lightning breath, wings, and scale of his physical presence suggest something older or stranger
  • Who is funding Dunbar, and why is a craftsman's workshop worth a coordinated assault involving Saojun and Barlura?
  • The Caspian Center: how badly was it damaged, and what does it mean to the broader community?

Appearances​

"You have honest eyes. You're no cheater."