Time...
Men always tried to control it, to prevent it to beat them and they still try. In Steampunk, Time is your ally. An old pocket watch will bear witness to the eternity you are reaching. Because, Steampunk is definitely a search for life, knowledge and immortality.
There is no gore in this art form, no blood, no gloom; only light and immortal people. Steampunk is meant to heal any wound, to prolong life; so if you see someone with a strange mechanical something growing out of his skull please don't be afraid! It is just a mechanically super powered way to heal a fatal wound. When the machine becomes alive Man becomes immortal - thanks to the machine.
There are mechanical animals, as alive as real ones, precious living little jewels of mechanics, with a heart, a mind and its own free will. There is no Death in a Steampunk world, only perfect mechanics helping you to improve yourself or repair your body forever.