Animatron couplings

Developed by the greatest Gnomish and Dwarven inventors, animatronic couplings are deeply complicated machines. While some have been developed to harness the energy of lightning cells to enhance arcane contraptions, most rely on strictly mechanical systems. Through the uses of various complex wiring and gear systems animatron couplings can make use of lightning cells in a variety of mechanical devices.

They are most notably used in the development of large animatronic assemblies to open or lock massive doors, to run engines on lighting rails, to power mobile defense turrets on various castle and town defense systems, and to power robotic devices like massive cranes and drawbridges. In most of their uses these machines are extremely large, heavy and difficult or impossible to transport and so they are usually built on location for a single function.

Recent experimental work has begun in developing smaller machines that could be powered by lightning cells, but in most cases the sheer amount of power coming out of the cells has hampered any progress to reduce the size of machinery needed to control the flow of energy. Some of the advancements towards weaponizing these systems has also led to disastrous results and currently there is little interest in pursuing this technology towards weaponized systems.