In real life, lawyers will often advise their clients to not say anything that could potentially incriminate them by, whenever possible, not saying anything at all. Invoke your right to remain silent (if in America) or use the nearest equivalent unless you've got a lawyer. No wonder it pisses Tunon off so much — the less people say around him, the less likely they are to give Tunon an excuse to lob them in prison or a Bottomless Pit.
The game will not allow you to name your character "Bane" or "Oldwalls". This makes no sense, until you remember that Kyros' law forbids all citizens from interacting with those entities on pain of death, and that Tunon upholds this law by its exact lettering. Having to execute everyone who says hello to you would make your job as a Fatebinder very difficult.
In ancient times, metallurgy was something quite akin to magic - these strange, powerful people were being trained from a very young age to turn useless, if strange, rocks into this shiny, hard, smooth substance that can hold an edge by wielding a hammer and some very hot fire. The Caananites had a god, Kothar-wa-Khasis, who embodied this, being both a smith and a magician. It only makes sense that the only smiths of real skill in a time where bronze is still considered not only viable but an almost preferable alternative to impure iron that mages would be some of the few capable of forging it with any speed or skill.
It's also clear that Kyros and several of the archons consider iron-smithing to be the key to Kyros' final victories. In the real world, bronze weapons are more durable than iron ones, but more expensive to make due to copper being a precious metal and tin being even lower in abundance in the Earth's crust than copper. In contrast, iron is common but brittle — Kyros is arming their troops with lower grade gear, but can arm more of them in iron than anyone else in bronze, making for an army of Elite Mooks.
Kyros has laws regulating trade and mercantile affairs. Without licenses, no trade can be done. However, loyal merchants will see their licenses renewed for different wares every year - someone may deal in copper one year only to be assigned to be a wool trader the next. A number of characters are puzzled at this, presuming that it has something to do with Kyros' principles of Sharing and Quotas (In times of hunger, you will be fed; in times of plenty, you will feed others). While this may well be part of the reason, Kyros always has an ulterior motive. It may well be that the Overlord is aware merchants would eventually grow wealthy and powerful and pose a threat to the current social order, but with the constant shuffling around, they are kept below a certain wealth level and forced to trade vigorously, instead of sitting back and amassing wealth.
Kyros is eventually implied to be a woman by Tunon, who would presumably know, but Tunon is angered at the questioning of this seemingly insignificant detail. Tunon's not being anal-retentive about the Fatebinder asking unimportant questions; he's worried that the Fatebinder's realizing that Kyros is a mere human and subject to human limits. Kyros' reign relies on them being considered untouchable and unfathomable, and both Sirin and the Fatebinder learn better.
, who embodied this, being both a smith and a magician. It only makes sense that the only smiths of real skill in a time where bronze is still considered not only viable but an almost preferable alternative to impure iron that mages would be some of the few capable of forging it with any speed or skill.