Railey

Information

Player: Wuvvums

Character Full Name: Railey Boltstopper

Character In-Game Name: Railey

Nickname(s): N/A

Association(s): Gnomeregan Exiles

Race: Gnome

Class: Steamwarrior/Warrior

Age: 48

Sex: Female

Hair: Red, tied back into a pony tail.

Eyes: Blue

Weight: 37 lbs

Height: 2'8”

Appearance

She's often seen wearing a set of plate and a belt full of tools. Her armor doesn't seem to cover a lot, but she has another set for when she plans to fight outside of her steamsuit. When working on her tinkering she'll usually wear all leather to cover and protect her body from getting burns when dealing with tools and hot metals. At most times she'll be wearing goggles over her eyes.

Other: She has a steamsuit with her that she built from scratch. It doesn't go everywhere because it's slow to travel. She also carries a monster wrench and a regular wrench with her wherever she goes, as well as a gnomish army knife.

Personality

Alignment: Chaotic Good

She is a bit of a worry wart, and at times she lacks confidence. There have been a few things that happened in her life that has often left her feeling insecure. Despite many conflicted feelings, she is often willing, or perhaps just determined, to go through whatever she feels obliged to do, even if it leaves her down a path of doom.

She has strong values in both her friends and family, and has a great sense of heritage. Even if they are now gone, and Gnomeregan fell, she holds a lot of loyalty to her people. One day she hopes that she can have her home again, but until then, she is determined to help others. She understands that she's not the only one out there suffering, and so despite her worrying nature, she does her best to help out the weak and the innocent.

History

Railey was born an only child to a tinkering family in Gnomeregan. Both her mother and father were also warriors, but they wanted to focus on grounding her in technology rather than the art of combat. Even as a toddler they got her little toy tools and things she could hit with her wooden hammer, the little gnome eager to imitate and do just as her mother and father did.

When she was a child they had taught her to read, and bought her many schematics and scrap metal and parts. Together they had helped her assemble her first mechanical chicken, and she became enthralled with the act of tinkering. Even when her parents weren't there to help, she was trying to build neater and cooler things, and was always eager to show her new gadget to her friends in Gnomeregan.

Life was pretty carefree, and the future seemed pretty good. Like any gnome she had a talent and tinkering, and that would guarantee her later on a future of steady income, and service she could offer to the alliance.

That would change.

Troggs invaded Gnomeregan, and soon there was a plan to repel them. Railey had faith in the plans of her high tinker. It wasn't until leper gnomes started appearing that she made a run for it, having to fight her way past the gnomes and troggs until she could get to safety. When she made it out of Gnomeregan she couldn't find her parents, or her friends, and was alone. With the money she had on her person, she made her way to Ironforge.

Without a home she had spent her time at the tavern, drinking and moping to herself. She felt powerless and insecure that a string of events could pull her family and friends right out from under her nose, and leave her without a home too. A dwarf had noticed her melancholy mood, and insisted that she drink. To avoid the awkwardness she went along with it... and then went along with it again, and after awhile she would find herself waking up in a bed.

Heading out she discovered that the dwarf had brought her back to his shop. His name was Baude Steelgin, and seeing the grand machine he had, she instantly recognized him as a steamwarrior. She begged him to let her be his apprentice, and he agreed, starting to train her both in the art of combat, and better tinkering.

It took a few years, a lot of persistence, and trial and error before she could get her first steamsuit to work without error. It was then that Baude had suddenly whisked her away to the Eastern Plaguelands, accompanied by two other gnomes, forming a cadre of steamwarriors. She didn't know what motives he had, but after all this time she felt obliged to follow him since he gave her food, shelter, and helped her become a successful tinker. The other two gnomes were following to make sure she was okay, not wanting to see such a young gnome get into too much trouble with the undead.

When they made it to the Plaguelands they had stopped at a camp and rest. It was there that she had learned that the fighting had moved to Northrend, and it probably happened during their trek over. She had started to wonder why they should even stay if there weren't any big battles. It came across her mind that Baude might have wanted to visit his daughter, and asked him about it the next day. He admitted he wanted to see her, but instead of asking around to see if she was there, he insisted he would find her himself in the Plaguelands.

Railey and her two gnomish friends followed him, even though they were getting into more dangerous territory. It was then that Railey had a fright, and screamed. The scream signaled undead, and a battle ensued. In the end she her steamsuit was disabled, and she had to abandon her machine, fighting one of the undead with her sword. The undead overpowered her, and landed a near-fatal blow with his blade, but before he could get the last strike Baude attacked and drove the undead back.

He told the other gnomes to escape while he held back the undead. In the heat of the battle, while they were running away, they could see a big explosion behind them. In a suicidal move, Baude's machine had self-destructed, and it scattered and destroyed enough undead that the others could make it back to safety.

Railey was healed up by the priests and paladins of the Argent Dawn at one of the camps. Mages allowed for them to teleport back to Ironforge so she could recover. Her machine was destroyed, and so was a lot of her hope. Finding out that Baude died had saddened her, and for awhile she had spent her time mourning and moping about the shop.

Without Baude to cover her funds to feed her, clothe her, and fulfill her other basic needs, Railey had no choice but to open the shop back up once she was starting to run out of funds. She would the work to distract herself, and the business and customers to have a bit of a social life. In time she had healed, able to recover from her emotional distress. It wasn't too long though before she felt like she had settled down, and things started to stagnate.

She had contemplated going on an adventure to liven things up, but couldn't imagine closing down and abandoning her master's shop. It was his legacy, and had deserved more respect. Fortunately a suitable replacement had come in, not too long after the death of the Lich King. Sarla, who had returned in the incarnation of a death knight, had arrived.

Railey had talked to her only briefly, explaining how her father died, and how she had now run the shop, but Sarla was free to stay. In fact, the thought of a death knight staying around was so nerve-wracking and awkward she insisted that Sarla could take the shop and she could adventure. She would have probably tried to form a deeper bond, but the coldness of her, coupled with her scary voice left Railey so off put that she was quick to move out. It wasn't that long after that she had taken up her steamsuit, and left through the gates of Ironforge upon the obligation that she should travel.

To this day Railey explores Azeroth, trying to lend what help she can as a tinker, to a reasonable extent, of course. She still hopes some day things will get better, not just for gnomes, but for all of Azeroth.

Sources: A Way to get Big: Prestige Training