Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura is a computer role-playing game developed in 2001 by Troika Games, and published by Sierra Entertainment. The world of Arcanum is a mix of classic Tolkienesque fantasy and Victorian steampunk.

Warning: Spoilers Below.

The game begins in a remote fantasy continent known as Arcanum. Within this continent there is a huge clash between the ancient arcane arts of magic, and the powerful technological and scientific advances brought on by an Industrial Revolution. Thusly, the game environment can range from beautiful Elvish treetop canopies to smog-enshrouded cities. As well as Elves, other fantasy races such as Dwarves, Gnomes, Ogres, Orcs and Halflings are prominent within the game. Thusly, our character may travel from Dwarven mines to Orcish camps, and from Gnome-run cities to Halfling villages.

The politics of Arcanum are complicated, but easy enough to understand once explained. There is a great emnity between Elves and Dwarves, seeing as the former are naturally inclined towards a Magickal path, whilst the latters are the fore-runners in the Technological race. Scientists are not really welcome in Magickal society, whilst no Mage would ever be allowed on a steam train. Both Orcs and Ogres are looked down upon as savage, feral peoples by the civilised folk of Arcanum, and most of the industry is run or owned by business-minded Gnomes. Humans are inter-breeding with anything they can, creating a range of hybrid races such as Half-Orcs, Half-Elves and Half-Ogres.

The Industrial Revolution in Arcanum began when a gifted young boy named Gilbert Bates, in a bid to be accepted by a Dwarven clan, made modifications to a steam-engine which the Dwarves used to drain their mines of water. However, the boy's plans were laughed off by his Dwarven audience, and in a fit of youthful ignorance, he sold the plans to a mining company and made a huge fortune. Upon returning to tell the Dwarves of his success, Bates discovered that they had all vanished. However, he had little time to brood over his loss, seeing as the steam engine he had supposedly "invented" was making such a huge impact on the world.

One of the more prominent aspects of the game is that it makes clear the distinction between technology and magick by having them interfere with each other. Within the game, the character is able to deviate towards magic or technology. Attempting to utilize a device of opposite alignment from what the character is skilled with, results in anything from reduced functionality, to complete inactivity, to an outright explosion, depending on the character's aptitude and power of the device.