Building an Empire

I cannot think of a logical arrangement of technologies then, which would not allow for motorized transport, but would also allow for Golems

Really?

Perhaps there's limits on the size of the golems before they collapse. Perhaps the machines that make them work are cumbersome and expensive to run. Perhaps the limited quantities of Shadow mean that such draining industries have never arisen.

Maybe magic or animal-powered transport is so much more effective as a means of transport right now that it's not even of interest to most people?


The Greeks discovered the power of steam in the 1st Century but the Newcomen engine didn't exist until ~1712 and early rail locomotives didn't appear for another century after that.