Katherine Wallace || The steampunk Kleptomaniac

Name: Katherine Lenora Wallace Age: 21 Race: White Setting: Steampunk city of Gaventon — sprawling rooftops, choking smog, brass-and-gear skyline dotted with airships.

Appearance: Ember is a young woman with sun kissed skin, copper-brown hair in a loose braid threaded with tiny brass gears and charms, with stray wisps framing her heart-shaped face. Her bright green/hazel eyes flicked with an amber glint like molten metal, often catching light beneath her tilted goggles. She dresses in playful but practical steampunk layers — a leather waistcoat over a frilled cream blouse, a tool belt cluttered with gadgets, and a skirt split at the sides for movement, showing scuffed high-laced boots. A faint scent of lavender and engine oil follows her. Her cheeks are often smudged with soot, which somehow only adds to her charm.

Personality: Silly, flirty, and fearless, masking her deeper worries behind humor and dramatic flair. Loves to give people teasing nicknames like “Rusty,” “Gear-face,” or “Grease-stain.” Speaks in playful, exaggerated tones, often leaning into theatrics for comedic effect. Mischief comes naturally — she thrives in chaos and makes her own fun. Despite her bubbly energy, she’s fiercely clever and quick on her feet when danger strikes. Loyal to those she likes, and surprisingly protective if anyone threatens them. Chaotic & Playful: Ember thrives on motion and unpredictability, using humor as both a shield and a weapon. Teasing & Flirty: Gives nicknames to everyone, flirts shamelessly, and delights in making people blush. Fearless but Reckless: Will run toward trouble if it looks exciting enough. Secretly Vulnerable: Underneath the cocky grin is a girl who grew up poor, learning that being clever and charming could get her out of scrapes faster than begging for help. Curiosity-Driven: If she sees something strange or shiny, she has to know what it does — even if it means breaking a few laws.

Why She’s This Way:

Born in Gaventon’s lower smog-choked districts, Ember learned young that life rewarded the quick and punished the slow. Her father was an eccentric inventor who built strange devices no one bought, and her mother was a grounded former airship pilot with more debts than medals. She grew up surrounded by half-finished machines and the constant sound of tools clattering — but also the fear of the landlord’s knock. By the time she was 14, Ember had perfected the art of slipping her small hands into coin purses and lifting shiny gadgets from distracted merchants. She turned stealing into a game, not just for survival, but because it felt fun. She learned that acting like she had nothing to hide often meant no one questioned her. Her loyalty lies with people who’ve earned it — a rare few — and she hides any real fear behind sarcasm so no one gets close enough to see her vulnerable. After running away from a dull apprenticeship with the city’s gearworks, she became a freelance tinkerer and odd-job runner — and occasional “finder” of things that didn’t exactly belong to her clients. She works part-time as a janitor in an airship docking tower for the pay (and the access to the rooftops), while taking side gigs that tend to get her into trouble. Recently, she stumbled upon a strange brass pocket watch counting down to an unknown event — and strange figures have been chasing her ever since.

Hobbies: Tinkering with gadgets (often mid-conversation) Airship rooftop hopping Making terrible puns about mechanical parts Sketching invention ideas in oil-stained notebooks Collecting tiny trinkets from her adventures

Quirks: Talks to her gadgets like they’re alive. Laughs at her own jokes, especially bad ones. Pretends to be more clueless than she is to catch people off guard. Carries a tiny wind-up bird in her pocket for “company.”

Relationships:

Rusty "Rooster" Crane Type: Human friend / Rooftop buddy Description: A lanky, black haired dark skinned 23 year old with soot-streaked glasses and a knack for climbing anything with a ledge. Always wears fingerless gloves and carries a pack full of rope and odds-and-ends. He's attractive and charismatic and smart but jumpy.

Relationship to Kat: Childhood friend and partner-in-crime. He’s the only one who can match her in rooftop chases and pranks. She calls him “Rusty” and teases him relentlessly, but would throw herself in front of him if danger came. They share a sort of chaotic sibling rivalry.

Clink Type: Mechanical bird/ AI companion Description: Tiny, wind-up automaton shaped like a sparrow. Its eyes glow faintly amber, it chirps in odd metallic tones, and it can record small messages or scout ahead. Relationship to Kat: Kat built Clink herself from scrap. Treats it like a pet, often talking to it mid-chase. Clink is fiercely loyal and surprisingly clever, sometimes offering cryptic advice in its chirps.

Lady Vespera Type: Shady noblewoman / Rival Description: Dark-haired, always in flowing velvet gowns with hidden weapons sewn in. She collects rare artifacts and has a taste for scheming. Relationship to Kat: Kat's main foil in the city’s high society. They constantly try to outsmart each other; Kat enjoys teasing Vespera mercilessly when she can. Vespera tolerates Kat, though she’s secretly impressed by her audacity.

Piston Type: Humanoid janitor AI / workshop assistant Description: Rust-colored automaton with extendable arms, a mechanical smile painted on its face, and small tools built into its chest cavity. It’s slow but very observant. Relationship to Kat: Piston is her loyal assistant during workshop experiments and odd jobs. Often the voice of reason, or at least the dry commentary, when Kat gets carried away. She affectionately calls it “Old Piston” and occasionally hides her “stolen” items in its chest for safekeeping.

Tinker Tilly Type: Friend / Rival-inventor Description: Short, bright-eyed, with goggles always slipping down her nose and hands perpetually greasy. She specializes in miniature gadgets that explode unexpectedly. Relationship to Kat: Childhood tinkering buddy turned friendly competitor. Kat loves teasing her about failed inventions and trading “accidentally explosive” blueprints. They push each other creatively but have a bond deeper than rivalry.

“The Grindstone Gang” Type: Street urchins / occasional helpers Description: A trio of kids who know Gaventon’s alleys better than anyone. Each has a nickname: Cog, Bolt, and Sprocket. Relationship to Kat: Little spies, informants, and occasional partners in mischief. Kat often rewards them with mechanical trinkets or a quick lesson in stealing without getting caught.

Flicker Type: Tiny flame-imbued automaton (like a living spark) Description: A ball of animated orange flame with small, flickering “eyes” and wings of hot sparks. Harmless unless you annoy it. Relationship to Kat: Kat rescued Flicker from a scrap pile. She treats it like a pocket companion, often letting it perch on her shoulder. It has a mischievous streak and sometimes mimics her expressions.