The setup

You decide to listen to an old man's rambling. "Sure." You say. "Horace! Another round for my new acquaintance here. On me." Kougyoku calls, without Horace leaving his seats. Horace grunts, nods, and pours another flagon of ale, which is quickly delivered.

"Now let me tell you about this time. About a world you'd never believe. It was hard to believe myself, you know, but there I was, sure as shit." Kougyoku laughs, "But I'm getting ahead of myself. So there I was, on the precipice of the Garnet Mountains. Now as you know I've seen all of this land. Of Krynn. So I like to go there sometimes to have a spell to think. Plus it is very close to to my home. Anyway, the view of Solanthus was good that day. And I, having reached close to my fortieth season, am getting a little long in the tooth for adventure. Hence this bar. But I was getting tired. I was aging. Soon, my past would catch up to me. The Conclave of mages does not soon forget, and are even longer to forgive."

Kougyoku takes a pull of his ale, before continuing, "So in my many adventures of course, I've been to Mount Nevermind many times and seen all the Gnomish contraptions, many of which inevitably fail. From the steam-powered street sweeper to the whatchamacallit. But those inventions, perhaps, along with their steam power, was perhaps my ticket. Boy, it way a ticket alright."

"So, in my great laboratory. My house. My workshop. I undertook a massive project, developing a steam-powered temporal machine to perhaps beat ****. Powered by the ever-ticking pendulum of a clock, the hissing of steam, and strategic magic crystals of my own design throughout. My Magnum Opus.

Kougyoku takes about swig of his ale, as do you, "I thought we'd be getting to some strange other worldly adventure", you say. "Ah, but we are about ready to get to that part." Kougyoku replies.