>It's really more of an Iron Age world, which just happens to use
>bronze. (We certainly used Iron Age cultures as visual inspiration
Both Sartar and the Lunar Empire *are* Iron Age cultures, not Bronze Age. Granted, they're Early Iron Age, not Late - iron is rare and expensive, and its use is restricted to the wealthy and powerful (in more ways than one): but they evidently understand it, can forge it and work it, and have a continent-spanning trade route set up to obtain the raw materials for it.
The main difference is that in the real world, iron ore is plentiful while tin for bronze is only found in a handful of places, so once iron-working became possible it quickly displaced bronze; whereas in Glorantha it's the other way round - bronze has a major availability and cost benefit over iron, so continues in use.
Incidentally, assuming the iron used in central Genertela comes from the Mostali of the Iron Mountains, Sartar can obtain it fairly easily via the Holy Country and then either sea travel or the Old Trade Road through Wenelia and Ralios. How do the Lunars get their iron? Moonboats flying over the Syndics' Ban? The caravan through Dorastor and over the Kartolin Pass? No wonder they are so keen to conquer Dragon Pass...
Stephen
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