Technology varies significantly across the known lands of Astragona and Argonia.  In the West, the lands near Orichalcum, the upper end of TL3 is current, with a few excursions into TL4 in limited situations.

Generally TL3 includes the following: Most ships are propelled by sail rather than primarily by oars, though sweeps are still common, especially on smaller ships.  Sternpost rudders have largely replaced oar or gunwale mounted steering, and lateen sails allow ships to tack upwind (technically using a technique called wearing) -- inefficiently, but well enough to replace rowing in most situations.  The largest of these ships, up to fifty feet of waterline and near 100 tons displacement, can carry enough supplies for voyages of several weeks, and can cross oceans if the crew will stand for it.

As noted elsewhere, horses heavy enough to carry armored warriors and their own armor and still gallop are bred and trained for battle; as well, lighter horses, as well as heavy ones bred and trained for agriculture are common.  Other draft and riding animals are known, as well; asses and their hybrids with light horses known as mules, goats and oxen (for plowing and drawing wagons, or carrying packs, not for riding), and a large species of deer are known, though the latter especially are very uncommon in the West proper.  Goods are commonly transported in either two-wheeled carts drawn by either a single ox or a draft horse, or in four-wheeled wagons drawn by a pair.  These are quite rough to ride in, as they lack suspension.  Wealthy folk may also travel by litter, either carried by two or four bearers or suspended between two matched horses; these are generally smoother riding than a cart or wagon, but (especially with bearers) can turn over pretty easily in difficult conditions.

Draft animals are also used as power sources for stationary applications like hoists, pumps, and mills, though these will tend to prefer wind or water power if it's practical (and especially will relocate to some extent to take advantage of falling water).  The orichalcum mines near the city of Orichalcum, however, use relatively new machines that run on fire and water for the critical pumps that keep the mines dry enough to work.  These machines have advantages over horses or oxen, in that they don't get tired through the course of a work shift and in fact can work continuously without rest for as long as their supplies of fuel (wood) and water hold out.  Their disadvantages are cost, mechanical failure, skilled operators needed, and the noise and heat those operators are subject to.

Swords and knives are mostly made of fold-welded steel (what we'd call Damascus), though most other metal tools are iron, possibly faced with steel if a hard face is required.  Bronze is used where casting is required to produce an intricate shape (such as a sculpture) or where corrosion is a major concern (for ship fittings, for instance).  Copper and brass serve as a less costly alternative to bronze where strength is less important.  Common sword types range from broadswords to greatswords and bastard swords, most types of pole arms can be found with a little looking (city guards typically use common spears), and nearly any kind of bow can be had, as well as crossbows, knives, flail weapons, maces, hammers, and so on.  Muscle powered weapons haven't yet crossed into TL4 in the West, but a traveler is occasionally seen with a weapon that doesn't look well suited to the well known fighting styles.

Mechanical siege artillery is well known, though not in common use because war has been a rarity for centuries (the cities large enough to wage true wars are relatively far apart).  Bombards and mortars are a relatively recent addition, derived from what dwarves call "firepowder" and use for blasting rock to speed up mining and tunneling.  Along with them have come cannon lock handgonnes and matchlocks as well as the newly introduced (and very expensive) wheellocks (the biggest selling point of which is that they can be fired in the rain).

Medical technology is firmly TL3 -- leeches, bleeding, purging, careful and precise poisoning, but very little in the way of surgery, no anesthesia (barring magic), no knowledge of sterile technique, no antibiotics, and only limited knowledge of anatomy below the skin.  Minor surgery and dentistry is more the domain of barbers than of highly educated professionals.  Herbals are usually a safer bet than apothecaries, as their preparations are less toxic than those of the most up-to-date apothecaries.

Long distance communication is commonly by way of letter, carried either by city-sponsored "packets" (ships that run on a regular schedule and route) or by horse relay (akin to the short-lived Pony Express of the American West).  This method is relatively expensive, with postage cost set by distance and item weight, and it's slow -- from Orichalcum to Kensma (the nearest other Free City) by the Imperial road is three days by horse relay (seven days for ordinary travel), or about the same for a packet ship.  The horse relay serves many stations along its route, while the packet bypasses smaller towns along the coast between major cities.  Another option, for certain destinations, is the semaphore network.  This consists of stations that use mirrors, flags, or torches to transmit text with a numeric code and a relay speed many times faster than any land or sea transport.  Discounting message queuing, a message can travel from Orichalcum to Kensma in just over an hour in good weather and daylight or during a clear night.  As one might expect, despite costing several times as much to send a message (and being completely unable to carry a physical object), the speed of semaphore means the system normally operates at capacity with a message queue of up to several hours (though there is an unofficial system -- of bribes -- that can let a sender cut the line to a greater or lesser extent).

Although the official semaphores use four signal lights or flags to quickly send numbers from 1 to 4, in groups of three numbers (i.e. 4-3-1 would be a single character), a single torch, flag, mirror, or sound device like a whistle, drum, or bell can do so by sending a sequential number of pulses.  This method can be used to signal from one person to another, between ships (even over the horizon, in calm conditions), or from shore to ship.  Knowledge of the semaphore code is relatively common, though it's similarly common for critical messages to be encrypted with a cypher, presumably known only to the sender and intended recipient.

Aside from signaling, lighting has more or less the options you'd expect: Simple lamps (something absorbent lying in the edge of a pool of oil in a heat-resistant dish), adjustable lamps (a wick that can be moved up or down), Candles, made from either tallow or beeswax, lanterns consisting of either a candle or a lamp inside a horn or (expensive) glass enclosure to protect from wind, torches, and rushlights.  Lanterns also have a variation: a signaling lantern is made like a common lantern, but with three of the four windows replaced with opaque sides and a trigger-operated shutter in the fourth.  This can be used to quickly send semaphore code in dim or dark conditions.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:32, Sun 17 Sept 2023.