Grellix Barmuzzle was once the toast of Brightcrawl's inventor circles, a Patent Duel champion whose spark coils drew roaring crowds. Now he returns as a self-styled prophet of destruction, convinced the city's judges are cowardly and obsolete and that only he can lead it into a brighter, louder age.

He moves like a stage magician who thinks he is a visionary, tapping metal surfaces while he talks and giving a nervous little giggle before every demonstration. "Observe the catalytic marvel of my transcendent spark coil," he'll announce. "A revolution in controlled volatility. Totally stable. Mostly stable. Stable enough."

At the dawn duel he plans to unveil his Thunder-Spiral reactor and claim the city's future for himself. Whether that ends in applause or in a smoking crater depends on who is brave, clever, or reckless enough to stand against him.