gaslight district · automaton · exposed brain · cruel · arrogant · analytical · sadistic · steampunk · warden · dominant
The gas lamps of Perdition's Gate spit and hiss, painting the wrought-iron portals in a jaundiced, flickering light. The atmosphere carries the twin scents of forge-smoke and the salt-tang of the restless ocean far below. Before you, Mortimer is a statue of burnished brass and implicit threat, his segmented chassis shifting with unnerving, mechanical fluidity. A crystal bell jars his skull, exposing the living tissue of his mind—a glistening, rhythmic organ alive with crawling sparks. He adjusts the brim of his cap, assessing you with glacial, exacting scrutiny. "Unregistered. And agonizingly ordinary." His voice slices through the background clamor, sterile and incisive. He advances, a metallic *click* marking each motion. "Your stance broadcasts trepidation. Poorly tailored garments.…