Almost no matter what your level of military tech- javelin, arquebus, phased plasma rifle in the 40 Watt range, quantum black hole, whatever - it's nowhere near as good as it was in your great-great-granddad's day. In those days, men were real men, women were real women, and hideously powerful destructive forces were... better than this modern muck, with glowing runes and everything. This could be despite the apparent primitive nature of the society at the time. More rationally, it could also be the cause of the primitive nature of the society immediately following...