From the introduction:
55 AD: Welcome to the Pipedream. It is a massive set of green and dull red pipes, all connected together in a roughly cube shape, floating in the void of space after the destruction of the world of Solaris. The pipes range in size from only a few feet to almost a hundred feet across. Using a combination of magic and steam technology it is filled with breathable air, heat, light and populated by goblins, gnomes and glomes.
This manual continues the story of Broken started with Broken: The Memory of Solaris, Broken: The Multicorp and Broken: The Lost Moon. The Pipedream is as much a philosophy as a place name. The residents are struggling to create a better future. One of their man goals is to improve and enlarge Pipedream through the science to steam technology using materials they collect from outside of the Pipedream. Our story begins with what may be the most important invention created in the Pipedream.