We all say stupid things now and then. The only certain way to avoid it is never to speak.

[—is spoken with wry humour. His voice is gentle, overall, his accent the consonant-plucking kind—Slavic, perhaps, to her ear.]

But a primer—that we can do. To summarize: no electricity, no internal combustion. No steam power on the surface, generally. Wind and water mills, yes. The only engine you're likely to see from day to day is of the siege variety... and the most advanced technology you'll encounter is invariably powered by magic.