Excellent questions!
1. The general public knows very little of the Makers. They know that many of the artifacts in the deserts are Maker made, the cities some live in were once home to the Makers, and they know they were very powerful. Past that, they know nothing and revere them as gods. As for their influence, they have none that can be seen or measured but who's to say what the Makers influence and what they don't, for no one has truly seen the Makers since the Exodus some 10,000 years ago.
2. The Exodus occurred roughly 10,000 years ago. Mages and druids did bring animals and food native to the homelands but many simply couldn't survive the desert conditions. Horses for instance aren't practical transportation due to the fact it's too damn not and too damn hard to keep them alive so they died out. However, through clever magic and some ingenuity many crops from the old world can still grow and many livestock can survive as well
3. The Conduit has been lost to the sands of time. Many mages and engineers hunt for it in hopes they can study it and perhaps send expeditions back to the homelands but alas no one is alive that can remember where it is
4. Yes, oh god yes. There are 2 big ones: Gleekon and Skavvers. Gleekon are a reptilian race of tribal raiders. Gleekon can range in size and shape from one another similarly to humans but gleekon are always reptilian humanoids and always ill-tempered. Many aren’t very intelligent and those that are intelligent often become tribal chiefs, though usually through brute strength rather then intelligence. These tribes can range in size from a few hundred gleekon to tens of thousands. These tribes often wander the deserts and wage war with the dwarves more often than not. The dwarves and humans particularly hate the gleekon as they often disrupt established trade routes and can cripple cities for weeks if not months. It isn’t known roughly how long gleekon live due in large part to the gleekon often dying from killing one another or from the constant wars they wage.
Skavvers are an insectoid race of scavengers that have an obsession with Maker artifacts. While not as hostile as gleekon, they aren't exactly friendly either. If they think you have something they want, they'll kill you. However, they are willing to barter so long as you have something of worth. Skavvers mostly keep to their hives. Imagine termite mounds but big enough for flying humanoids. When they go out, it's to scavage for whatever they can find.
5. Without magic, it depends on who you go to. Dwarves have made many achievements using steam and coal. They have developed mining equipment that allows for better material faster, developed steam powered battle wagons to fight the gleekon, and with magic have even developed steam powered automatons. Black powder weapons exist but like muskets, they aren't very effective or accurate. Powerful at close range and as an explosive however, not to mention as cannons for the sprawling cities. As far as vehicles though, nothing that can conquer the sands effectively. Transportation still generally consists of the native Boga: basically overgrown quadrepedal lizards with feathers, beaks, sharp talons, and an ability to scale canyon walls.
6. There is a standard currency. It ranges from highest to lowest: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Copper. 50 coppers = 1 silver, 50 silver = 1 gold, etc. Think of it like this: 100s, 50s, 10s, 1s
@Skull
