[Act II, Scene VII] The Control Room
With the possible exception of the Dwarf, none of the Exemplars has ever even seen a gnome before, but they have encountered their handiwork. The mechanical claw, the printing press, the false ghost, the word lock, even the runaway minecart engine.
But not even the wonders glimpsed by the deadly locomotive could have prepared for what lies in this room as Manaku and Amalrik swing the doors open wide over the protest of their screeching hinges.
The air is dusty and leaves an acrid stench in your nostrils. The eerie blue light burns ominously from an orb set into a blue pylon at the back of the room. The light reflects in shifting patterns off the ceiling, indicating the two platforms flanking the pylon are filled with liquid.
The center of the room looks like it was a very organized place with gnome-sized wooden furniture. But everything is smashed and strewn about with scattered leafs of parchments and bits of unidentifiable machinery. A small skeleton crumpled at the base of an upturned table indicates the grim fate that befell them.
The walls subtly reflect the blue light and the party's illumination as well. The smooth metal would shine much brighter after a through dusting. Then you could probably make out all of the consoles and controls wrapped in thick cobwebs.