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The basic technology available to the general population is TL4 (Late middle ages/renaissance). Some more sophisticated, possibly magical items of are available to the wealthy few at a high price from the secretive guild known as the Karazthan, who jealously guard the secret of making these things. It is rumoured that even they don't understand the principles by which many of their devices work. Characters may also encounter strange and powerful ancient artefacts dating from the First Empire.
Swords and knives are the most common weapons. Cheap and average weapons tend to be made of steel, while fine and very fine weapons are usually made of vyrn.
Vyrn is not quite stone, not quite glass, not quite metal, and not quite plastic. It is quite rare (and expensive), and can be used for many things in place of metal, particularly for weapons and armour. It normally has a dull, greyish appearance, and does not rust or tarnish. Vyrn items can last indefinitely.
It is made from a mixture of resin from the vyr plant, and a rare mineral called mulinium. This mixture is heated to a very high temperature to produce a material which can be worked like steel, but can be made tougher and more durable. The higher the temperature, the harder the resulting vyrn. Various grades of vyrn can be made, depending on the ratio of mineral to resin, and the temperature, A high proportion of resin gives a softer, more flexible material, whereas a high proportion of mineral makes it harder but more brittle.
The supply of vyrn is limited by the growth of the vyr plants, which only grow in the warmer climes around Vohrleyn, and by supplies of mulinium, which is mostly found in the far north around Kelbers. In addition, the few furnaces which can produce high enough temperatures for the chemical reactions for making vyrn are owned the Karazthan (Them again!). It is possible, however, to melt down scrap vyrn to make new things, although this is not as good as fresh vyrn.
Vyrn is about the same density as steel, so hand weapons made from vyrn weigh the same as equivalent steel weapons. All vyrn weapons are fine quality or above. Since vyrn is much tougher than steel, vyrn plate mail can be made a third the weight of equivalent steel armour of the same strength, or three times the strength for the same weight. Nobody makes vyrn chainmail. Some ancient suits of armour were made with vyrn foam, which is even better. The art of making this has long since been lost. The ancient kandar used vyrn for just about everything, and most ancient kandar items are made from it.
Flamelances are the main firearms available to kandar and humans. They are chemically powered weapons, consisting of vyrn tubes 4-6' long which project a gout of flame when a trigger is squeezed. They are roughly equivalent in technology and effectiveness as TL4 black powder weapons
It is an indication of the conservatism of the kandar that these weapons are crude copies of the magical weapons of ancient times, and they have never tried to make projectile weapons. Production of flamelances is restricted to the Karazthan and the imperial Guild of Armourers in Vohrleyn. The number produced is restricted, and most weapons produced are in the hands of the military.
There are two basic types of flamelance. One-use weapons are made with the chemical charge built in. They cannot be reloaded. The charge is good for (usually) six shots of full damage, and an additional two shots at half damage (as the charge runs out). When empty, they must be returned to the Karazthan for reloading. They are very reliable, malfunctioning only on a critical failure. Rechargeable weapons can be opened up half way along, and a replacement cartridge can be loaded. These cartridges are only good for four shots plus one more at half strength.
Both basic types are made in several variants. "Arrows" are long, thin weapons projecting a narrow bolt of fire, They have good range, but are not very accurate. "Spears" are shorter weapons which project a cone-shaped bolt. They do great damage at short range, but are less effective at longer range. "Lances" are the heavy military version. The term "flamelance" strictly only applies to this weapon, although it tends to be used be a generic term for all of them.
Over the centuries, the Karazthan have built a number of powered waggons. Less than one hundred such vehicles exist in the world. A number of different types have been built, but by far the most common is an eight wheeled design, which is supplied simply as a chassis on which any superstructure can be built. They are powered by magical motors, themselves powered by a mysterious device called a "source". All have bodywork built by local craftsmen, and vary considerably. Since they cost typically ten thousand Glerin or more to buy, they are all owned by city rulers, rich merchants, or the military. They are normally only used in areas where good roads exist.
Most power waggons have a maximum speed of 6 Thexir/day (about 15mph) and can carry up to 50 lanir (about 5 tons) of cargo. A typical waggon has a range of two thegzir (about 120 miles) per day, but can travel up to three thegzir on a single day by completely draining the source. The waggon will then need a day to recover. Caravans containing a mix of power waggons and animal-drawn vehicles can only move at the speed of the slowest vehicle. While a single power waggon may be able to travel from Calbeyn to Filgeth in three or four days, one waggon on it's own will be too tempting a target for vordral and other bandits. There are too few waggons around for entire caravans of them to be formed.
Power waggons are fairly reliable if well maintained by the Karazthan. The Karazthan will service the vehicles for around 100 Glerin every two years or so. If they are not serviced, the chance of breakdown begins to increases month by month.
The most common type of power waggon consists of enclosed cabin at the front seating several people, with an cargo area behind. There is a raised lookout platform on top of the driving cabin. The cargo area is usually covered with a removable canvas roof. Such vehicles are owned the merchant's guild, or occasionally by an individual very rich merchant. Others are owned by the military, and are used to transport soldiers and military equipment. Somewhat less common are passenger carrying waggons. In these vehicles, the interior is divided into a number of compartments of varying size, with a cargo area on the roof. Some have a single large passenger saloon, and others have two passenger levels. They typically carry fare paying passengers between major cities such as Calbeyn and Filgeth, or Calbeyn and Zenatan.
A few vehicles carry ancient weapons, powered by the source. Each shot with these weapons uses a charge equivalent to about half a myr of travel. Others have power sockets to which portable weapons and other items can be charged. Others have been fitted with panels on the roof which absorb power from the sun, increasing their range.
In the ancient magical times of the first empire, typical buildings were domes, slender cylindrical towers and delicate arches. Public and residential buildings were widely spaced on the surface, and almost everything else was underground. The internal layout of most buildings consisted of curved corridors and walls, with few if any walls meeting at 90 degrees. Construction was of a concrete-like substance, often reinforced by vyrn. Also used was guvyr, a transparent vyrn-like substance, which allowed "glass towers" to be built.
Very few first empire buildings remain, and most of the surviving buildings are either abandoned ruins, or so extensively rebuilt that little of the original remains. Underground labyrinths survive beneath several cities, usually flooded. Among the best-preserved surviving buildings are the great tower of Ravenah, several domes in Morkan, and a number of buildings in Vohrleyn and Kelbers.
The second empire, in complete contrast to the first, built square blocky buildings. They tended to build on a massive scale, such as the fortifications which now surround the vast majority of cities. Construction was now of stone and wood, since the art of making concrete had been forgotten. There were few windows, as glassmaking was also an almost forgotten skill. As in the first empire, buildings were very plain and austere, with little of no external decoration. Second empire cities tended to occupy a much smaller area than their first empire counterparts on the same site, and are therefore surrounded by the ruins of the earlier city. Good examples of second empire architecture are the citadels of Ravenah and Karmork, with their massive walls and warren-like interiors.
Present day architecture has progressed from that of the second empire. The kandar rediscovered the art of glassmaking, allowing buildings with decent-sized windows to be built. Some exteriors are much more ornate, with decorations such as gargoyles, a marked change from earlier eras. This is possibly a result of human influence.
Lightning wands are the name given to the weapons used by security staff and operatives of the Karazthan. They are small, concealable hand weapons firing a bolt of electricity that can either stun or paralyse the target depending on the setting. The construction of these weapons is a closely-guarded secret, but they have a plain appearance, made of black wood with brass fittings. There is no visible means of loading or charging these weapons, so when they run out of charge, ammunition or whatever it is that they use, they must be returned to wherever they are made for recharge.
True flamelances are the energy weapons on which the far more common chemical flamelances were originally based. All are fired with the Beam Weapons (laser rifle) skill. There are two basic types in existence.
The more common types are TL9 laser weapons which are made by the Karazthan. These are based on much older designs, but appear to incorporate some Kalishu technology. Only "civilian" types appear to exist. The Karazthan are believed to have a vast stockpile of parts, from which these weapons are made.
Much rarer are TL12 laser and X-ray laser rifles, which mostly date from before the doomwar. It is not known whether the Karazthan are capable of repairing these ancient weapons
Both types are powered by capacitors, which were originally recharged by building or vehicle power. Today, they can be recharged from the power plants of power waggons, or from the large solar panels on the roofs of some buildings. On a typical weapon, a row of red lights indicate how many shots remain. A few weapons have a built in microfusion generator, which can recharge the weapon at the rate of one shot per hour.
Some of the ancient weapons can do variable damage, expending more shots to do extra damage. Some can even fire all the remaining charge in one shot, like a dinosaur laser.
A few ancient weapons have a neural interface which gives anyone holding the lance a "vision" of looking along the barrel, These weapons have no physical trigger. To fire one, you think "fire" and it does. You also instinctively know how many shots are left. They also (usually) have laser sights, so they have a much lower snap-shot number.
Finally, some of the above weapons were made containing an AI computer. They literally have a mind of their own. They may do things like refusing to fire at particular opponents, or deciding to fire on their own initiative. when the wielder happens to point it a target they don't like. Many were programmed with a Code of Honour, and most have developed many quirks and mental disadvantages over the thousands of years they have existed.
Not all are in perfect condition. Many weapons have defects such as a reduced number of shots, reduced damage or reduced accuracy.
The Karazthan, which means "Academy of Knowledge" is the guild which makes mechanisms. They are the only people who can make or repair their strange magical machinery. To be member of the Karazthan one has to first have served an apprenticeship in the guild, and nearly all apprentices are children of members. The Karazthan jealously guard their monopoly, and employ "operatives", who are not afraid to use force to shut down anyone who challenges it.
As far as it's organisation goes, the Karazthan is divided into three departments, and four regions.
The departments are Technical, by far the largest, Administration, and Security, the smallest. The regions are West (Ravenah), North (Karmork), South (Keylin), and East (Vohrleyn). There is a director for each department in each region. These twelve directors are the highest visible leaders, known simply as The Twelve.
But behind these Twelve sit the enigmatic Council of Five, who are the generally though to be the real master of the Karazthan. While all members of the karazthan know of the existence of The Five, only a select few know their identities. It is generally believed that, while some of the five are also members of The Twelve, others of them are not.