Engineer-Prime Konstantin Vorderhall

Konstantin Vorderhall believes a house should be heard before it is seen. His boilers announce Pressure of Inheritance with a thunder that delights him and tries the patience of neighboring captains. He insists the noise is useful: no one should mistake a working vessel for a silent monument to its ancestors.

The head of House Vorderhall inherited prosperous workshops and a reputation for imposing machinery. He has kept both by demanding that each generation’s engineers contribute something of their own. His roaring approval can encourage a young inventor; his equally loud criticism has sent more than one senior relative out of a meeting.

Behind the broad grin and black beard is a man concerned about what his heirs will receive. Konstantin does not want them burdened by a name they can only preserve. He wants them to inherit workshops lively enough to argue with him, and strong enough to continue after he is gone.