Fwd: [Mkguild] Messages and Letters delivery on MK setting

[JL Badgley]

On Sun, Oct 5, 2008 at 9:46 AM, Pontos <daemonpontos at gmail.com> wrote:
> I don't see overseas locations as a priority, or even within the
> possibilities of a normal bird.
> To limit the system only for official matters or for wealthy people seems
> like a good idea; an open-to-the-public service is not exactly going to
> happen in such time.
> For longer travels I think domesticated birds bigger than homing pigeons
> will be better (Hawks and the like).

I wouldn't use hawks.  I'm not aware of raptors generally being the
best for something like this, and for distance I would look at
seabirds and birds used to long times in the air--maybe vultures and
condors?  Raptors have a 'cool' factor, but I see them built a lot
more for going out on a foray and coming back to the nest with a meal.
 An albatross, tern (perhaps too small), or vulture strike me as birds
that stay on the wing for long periods of time, meaning they can cover
long distances.  Any migratory bird is probably a good bet, as they
have both the distance and the ability to 'remember' where they need
to go.  In fact, there's a thought:  Birds that 'migrate' between
various locales.  That would allow for lots of birds to travel at
once, meaning you could have more 'mail' delivered (would it be called
'mail'?  I believe 'post' comes from the various 'post stations' that
were set up in different cultures... not sure what this would be
called...).

> So as you say, this could be implemented in a smaller scale basically only
> to improve the communication between different rulers around the continent.
> Whales (or the southlands for that matter) still have their dragons for such
> task.
> Certainly that seems more likely to happen before a full fledged open
> service. After all, normal letters are being sent in the best (or only) way
> available to people at the time, and none of them being anywhere as
> organized as a mail service.

Not necessarily.  In the East, I'm modeling some systems off of
traditional China, who had a fairly developed system for sending
communication (and officials) long distances.  I'm pretty sure the
Romans had something, too.

Here's a good start:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mail

Plus, with the current hostilities erupting in the south, I don't
think that a new mail service will spread too far, too fast.  I'd say
start local:  Develop a 'better' system for the Valley.  Then expand
it to the rest of the Midlands.  As it proves itself, show it
expanding farther--probably Metamor Keep as the initial head (so
something from Yesulam to Pyralis would theoretically go to Metamor
and then back to Pyralis), and then eventually finding more
efficiencies.

Each kingdom will have its own rules, and how are you going to pay the
postmasters?  Are they doing it out of the goodness of their hearts?
I would assume a carte blanche style system would be set up already,
as was utilized by travelers in the middle ages.

Just some more thoughts.

-Tatsushu