The Traveling Word
The Traveling Word is a guild of newsmen, founded in 783 LC in Kikokomary, Zhai. Initially a group that collected and shared rumors and news picked up from sailors who set foot in the port city, the guild quickly grew to a distributed network of active news hunters. Members of The Traveling Word work independently, but pay a fee to the guild houses that bring them into contact with other members. Members of the Traveling Word wear a blue uniform that is recognized by many across the Northern Arm and is seen as a sign of trustworthiness.
Structure
The organization is structured along guildhouses, which are private clubs that form meeting places for members of the Traveling Word. The clubs take many forms, from luxurious and spacious restaurants to small bars, but all are only accessible by members of the Traveling Word who can pay the required fee and show an official badge.
Among the clubs, a few are known as Dockhouses, named after the first meeting place in Kikokomary. These Dockhouses are where new members can sign up for a temporary membership of the organization, where existing members can renew their official badges, where uniforms are sold and where organization memberships are administered. In addition, they are places where information from many corners of the world meet. The Dockhouses provide a backbone to the guildhouse structure of The Traveling Word.
In terms of titles, The Traveling Word is divided into newsmen and administrators. The newsmen have no formal organizational structure, although some of them have more renown and status than others. The administrators form a complex hierarchy of titles, ranging from lowly bureaucrats who list names and badge numbers to Dockhouse leaders who join in an administrative council that is overseen by the leader of the organization, the enigmatic Purudu the Small.
Culture
The culture within The Traveling Word is a mixture of trust and opportunism. Members of the organization are expected to not knowingly spread lies and to appraise the value of information properly -- in other words, not to sell worthless information for good money. That being said, organization members amongst themselves will often laud each other for getting valuable news cheaply via smooth talking or even magical tricks.
The members of The Traveling Word often communicate with each other in guildhouses, but in the end they are individuals who ply their trade in their own way. Some may be easily duped in spreading rumors and have a poor reputation, while others are known to be accurate and up to speed. There are penalties and even dismissals for those who do not do their work well, as The Traveling Word seeks to maintain a trustworthy aura. However, there is a lot of tolerance for individual styles.q
In religious terms, the most important gods for The Traveling Word are Dorgoth and Zodan.
Public Agenda
The mission of The Traveling Word is to spread information across the continent. The mission of the newsmen themselves is to make a buck. While the organization is respected by most, the more wordly inhabitants of the Northern Arm also know that newsmen buy news cheaply and sell it with a high mark-up.
Assets
The different guildhouses are run by individuals, who may or may not own the respective property and have capital at their disposal. Those running the Dockhouses do have a lot of assets, ranging from real estate to security forces. It is not uncommon for elites to get access to the Dockhouses for a large fee in order to hear the latest news -- or spread the latest gossip. For similar reasons, many Dockhouses and even large guildhouses throw regular fundraisers.
To be ready, one must know
Founding Date
783
Type
Information Network
Alternative Names
Blue Boys
Notable Members
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