In the distant past, around 1000 years ago, an alien
spaceship attempted to make a jump through hyperspace near an earth-like
planet. A catastrophic failure caused
the ship's engine to explode. This
particular type of hyper-drive relied on altering space and time, so when the
ship exploded it wreaked havoc on the nearby planet's timeline.
Robots and high technology can be found alongside elven
wizards and hobgoblin barbarians. Ever
since the great Time Catastrophe the planet has attempted to rebuild. Advanced computer and robotic technologies
were not able to restore themselves after the catastrophe because too much
technology was lost. Instead technology
based on magic infused steam has become dominant.
Robots and high technology can be found alongside elven wizards and goblin sorcerers. Incongruous timelines occur on occasion. Ever since the great Time Catastrophe the planet has attempted to rebuild. The most dominant culture is similar to that of steam age Europe but other cultures have established foot -holds throughout the world.
1000 years ago an alien interstellar time ship was passing by the planet when it had a terrible accident causing the ship to be destroyed and opening time portals on the nearby planet. After the accident the planet's time stream became fixed again with cultures from different time eras merged into this new time stream. So elves, dwarves, goblins, and trolls found themselves interacting with scientists, technicians, robots, etc.
Over the centuries they became merged into a new more complex culture. Many of the more futuristic technologies devolved and some of the primitive races adopted more advanced technology.
Fragments of the time ship may still be found occasionally as artifacts.
The original time ship was of alien design that used time shifting to travel interstellar distances. The explosion resulted in the time catastrophe and the destruction of the alien vessel.
Of course after the time disaster many of the scientists and technologists from the more advanced regions tried to reactivate the portals to return to their own time stream but without success (or if they succeeded they did not return). Over the years those that remain have formed something of a cult that blindly follows the doctrine to undo the time disaster not really understanding what the consequences might be.
Other scientists and engineers accepted their fate in the new time stream and recognized magic as a potent energy source that had died out in their future time stream. They become interested in adopting the magic energy sources to their technology.
The elves mostly shunned the technology, isolating themselves in their sheltered realms. Most gnomes, with their fascination for complex apparatus, readily adopted the advanced technology.
The alien home world may have sent out scouts to find out what happened to the destroyed ship.
