Circulum Viatorem (CHēr-kyo͞o-lo͞om ˈvē-ä-tôr-ē-əm)

For over a thousand years, people dressed in comfortable green robes carrying bronze clasped red leather satchels with a wide circle emblem stamped on the closing flap have roamed the world. These people carry very little of value. Most have reasonable quality walking boots, a cloth travel pack, a simple brown wool bedroll, and a small multipurpose utility knife. The most valuable item they have is the multipurpose knife, these red knives have a variety of utility steel tools such as a saw, compass, assorted blades, awl, small scissors, and a number of odd tools similar to a carpenter's tools. These unique tools are not magical yet they do not rust and come clean with a simple rinse in water.
Many merchants have tried, unsuccessfully, to convince the Circulum Viatorem messengers to sell their tools. Their red leather satchels are waterproof and large enough to carry many small parcels. Each messenger has a set of quills, ink, and a leather-bound journal which they use to record their journeys. Each day they accurately record distances, sites seen, people met, and counts of various flora and fauna.
The messengers are non-violent and avoid conflicts. If caught in a conflict or attacked they will defend themselves with an unusual but effective hand-to-hand combat style unknown anywhere else in the world. They freely answer questions about who they are, where they've been, and what they have. Occasionally a messenger will take a willing child to train for the order. Such children often are not seen for many years and return home for a visit to assure people they are well. When they return they are dressed and act as messengers themselves.
Messengers are welcomed by nobles and farmers alike. Almost every door is open to them to provide a good meal, freshwater, and a warm place to sleep.

Services

Messengers perform two vital roles for people.
1. They will freely carry a small parcel to any recipient if they have space in their satchel. Messengers seem to meet each other and exchange parcels for often the messenger delivering a parcel is not the one who accepted it.
2. Messengers sell accurate maps of any area of Niya-Yur. Their maps are accurate and to scale. They will not sell maps that show more than three hundred square miles. If asked for a map the messenger will tell if they can provide it or if it must be delivered later. If the messenger can provide it they do so by drawing it themselves. It takes messengers on average one to eight days to reproduce a map depending on the level of detail and size requested.

Structure

The Circulum Viatorem has three levels of rank:

1. Messenger
2. Deputy
3. Envoy

However, aside from authority, it is nearly impossible to tell one rank from another. All three ranks travel about the world on their quests to simply see the world and map it.

Public Agenda

1. Carry parcels for people to their friends.
2. Create accurate maps and records of the world.

Assets

Messengers travel very lightly. How they make their unusual multipurpose tools is a complete mystery.

History

Messengers first appeared in central Karakia just over one thousand years ago. Initially, there were only a handful of messengers. They befriended the tribes of Karakia with their simple ways and unthreatening approach. The original messengers created a central temple complex in an isolated valley on the southern edge of Karakia.
At first, messengers were seen with suspicion and some were attacked and killed. Interestingly, stories claim that anyone that robbed or killed a messenger met with horrible bad luck. In stories levels of bad luck, accidents, and troubles are proportional to twice the offense. If a thief steals ten rings from a messenger they will soon be mugged themselves or forced into a game of chance always losing twenty rings. Anyone that has killed a messenger has met horribly painful deaths within a few days.
Conversely, someone helping a messenger in any way has similar levels of good fortune within a week. Share a camp meal with a messenger and luckily find something of value or have good hunting for your meals for a week. Help a messenger find someone that they are seeking to deliver a parcel or map to and something great will find you.
No one, no matter where they are can keep a messenger's satchel or multipurpose tool. Pick the pocket of a messenger, or knock them out and steal everything, or kill them outright and hide the body. Within two months the satchel, journal, parcels promised for delivery, and multitool will vanish. Sometime later the parcels will be delivered.
Stories say that anyone who finds a messenger's satchel and seeks another messenger to return it unopened will be triply blessed.
It didn't take long for people to learn to treat messengers well. Enough people don't believe the stories that they refuse to help, steal, mug, or ignore at their own risk. The stories are persistent. In any town, there is someone nearby to claim they helped a messenger and received something lucky or know of someone who hindered a messenger and met with bad fortune.
Now messengers of the Circulum Viatorem are known throughout the world and travel unhindered almost everywhere.

Military

Messengers are extremely capable fighters using a unique martial art style that causes serious pain but does not threaten lives.

Education

New members are people who express the desire and willingness to become messengers at any age. If the messenger agrees either they will leave immediately with that messenger or another will come within three months to collect the individual. What happens next is unknown other than the training is assumed to take four years.

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