The Grease Monkeys

The Grease Monkeys are the essential, if often overlooked, combat engineers and mechanics who maintain the complex machinery and weaponry of the Gear Grinders mercenary company. While the Ironclad pilots receive the glory on the battlefield, the Grease Monkeys are the ones who ensure the "Clankers" remain operational, the artillery is calibrated, and the Aether-Engines don't detonate in the middle of an engagement. They are a collection of brilliant, often eccentric individuals—disgraced dwarven engineers, human tinkerers, and even the occasional self-taught scavenger—who share a profound love for gears, steam, and the raw power of mechanical innovation.

A Grease Monkey's toolkit is their most prized possession, often containing custom-built wrenches, Aether-meters, and portable welding torches that they have spent years perfecting. During a battle, they are found in the thick of the fighting, often dodging incoming fire to make emergency repairs on a damaged suit or to clear a jammed artillery piece. They are also responsible for the deployment of "Null-Anchors" and other anti-magic munitions, utilizing their technical knowledge to sabotage enemy magical defenses. Despite their lack of heavy armor, Grease Monkeys are formidable combatants in their own right, often utilizing experimental "Hand-Cannons" and clockwork traps to defend themselves.

Within the company, the Grease Monkeys maintain a unique sub-culture, characterized by a deep-seated suspicion of "clean" magic and a fierce pride in their ability to fix anything with enough spit and scrap metal. They have their own internal hierarchy, led by the "Chief Grease," who serves as the primary technical advisor to Commander-General Elara Vance. Without the tireless efforts of the Grease Monkeys, the Gear Grinders' mechanized warfare would grind to a halt within days. They are the backbone of the company, the "silent engineers" who ensure that Steamfort's iron and lead continue to dominate the arcane powers of the East.