Imperial Post
"So, you want to send a letter to Nalkeli from here? Of course, not a problem. We've got a courier coming in three days to do delivery and pick-up, assuming you have the coin.... thank you, it'll get to where you want it to go. How long? Well, that depends on things like the weather and state of the roads. I reckon about one and half weeks, give or take a day or two, that good enough for you? A miracle, that's what it is. All praise to Emperor Methurl, that's what I say."Thanks to the wonders of the Imperial Post, one can now get a message across The Empire of Belyos in just a few weeks, compared to the many months it would take otherwise. A network of couriers, on horseback, in wagons, and via ships, ensure that all points of the Empire are considered.
Structure
The head of the Imperial Post is the Imperial Postmaster, a position based in Belyos and generally given to a member of the Emperor's closest companions. Whilst not having happened since imperial reunification, it is not unheard of for Imperial Postmasters to become Emperors themselves, as the role requires good literacy and numeracy, and gives a good awareness of the Empire and its geography.
Underneath the Imperial Postmaster are the ten State Postmasters, who manage the Head Post Office in each Elector State capital. All State Postmasters are expected to meet in Belyos every five years, to map out the strategic future for the Post. State Postmasters oversee a network of Regional post offices, the number of which is highly dependent on the population of the state, and its density. Regional post offices are headed by a Regional Postmaster, and are found in most large towns and cities of the Empire. They oversee the local post offices found in almost every town or village of a reasonable size which are ran by a Sub-postmaster.
History
When Methurl III took the Imperial throne in 441 IY, it was widely considered impossible to get a message from one side of the empire to the other, unless you employed a courier for that specific purpose. Even then, the state of the roads away from the major trade routes made the time taken for that message to be taken varied considerably. The Emperor's wife came from held lands in a very rural part of the Empire, and she found it increasingly frustrating not to be able to communicate with her family members. When Methurl III was coronated, one of his first acts was to create a system of couriers that linked provincial capitals, with the intention that additions to the network would follow, linking other towns and cities.
Originally just for official imperial usage, the network soon allowed use by members of any Imperial House with sufficient means to pay, and then to anyone willing to pay the large sums demanded. Methurl III died after only four years on the throne, but his successors continued to build on the idea, with the name 'Imperial Post' coming into formal use in 502 IY, along with its coat of arms and the motto 'To All Corners Of The Empire' as by this point most towns of a reasonable size could be contacted using this network.
With the The Great Schism, the network was effectively broken into two as conflict erupted between the remains of the Empire and the breakaway Confederation. When the Confederation collapsed, there were a number of attempts to sign treaties to allow the Imperial Post to move between states without being subject to border controls, but after the state of Hoat attempted to use couriers to spy on Imperial holdings in 969 IY, mistrust soured any further negotiations and the Imperial Post was confined to imperial held lands.
Central funding for the Imperial Post diminished over the next couple of hundred years, until its reach was barely between major cities, and almost entirely funded by private customers. When the Empire finally collapsed in 1218 IY, the Imperial Post effectively ceased to exist, although some of the routes that still ran a profit were kept up by enterprising individuals. These routes continued to run courier services until the deterioration of the roads, and the upsurge in piracy made long-distance transport of sensitive and valuable contents unprofitable for a private organisation. By the time of the Sakamohr invasion, the Imperial Post was little more than yet another institution barely remembered.
The reunification of the Empire by Til-Yaltur saw a reinvigoration of Imperial infrastructure, and the Post was no less included. Instead of a gradual growth as had been seen prior, Til-Yaltur decreed the establishment of post offices in all but the very smallest of villages. Isolation was no longer a factor in access to the post, as Til-Yaltur wished to bring the ability to communicate across the whole Empire as reality. Prices for simple letters were capped, with a premium paid for users from the nobility instead. Use of the service surged, especially as the Imperial Post now guaranteed the transfer of money from members of the Imperial army to their homes.
Infrastructure
Couriers arrive at State Post Office on an almost hourly basis during the day, as post is collected from the region and is categorised according to its urgency. Whilst the 'normal' post may depart only twice a day, express deliveries leave every hour, travelling to other State Post Offices. From there, post is directed to Regional, and then Local post offices. Deliveries and pickups from Regional Post Offices are daily, sometimes more frequently if the city or town is large or important, but for local post offices, it can be up to a week before a courier arrives to deliver or pick up the post.
Relay Houses are stationed along all the major routes within the Empire, and allow for couriers to feed and change horses, repair damage from the road, and receive updates on the state of the road ahead. They are often fortified, particularly in remote and rural areas, as bandit attacks on couriers are not unknown. Relay Houses are often sited along with Imperial Army Garrison Forts on particularly important routes. As the Imperial Post carries a great deal of money, a lot of it from serving soldiers, this extra security is considered welcome.
The Imperial Post also has its own fleet of particularly fast ships, identified by their purple and white striped sails. Whilst service on any ship in the Empire as a rower is considered a hard, but lucrative form of employment, rowers on postal ships are especially so, receiving a bonus based on the time taken to travel between destinations as well as free access to the postal system.
This map shows approximate travel times from Belyos, in colour coded stages of 5 days each. All parts of the Inner Sea should be accessible within 5 days travel of Belyos, assuming favourable winds and a well trained oar crew. Typical times are often a few days more than this ideal. Travel times away from the water depend highly on the state of the roads used, and the method of travel; most postal couriers use horses, but in isolated rural areas, a local cart going the right way might be used instead.
To All Corners Of The Empire
Founding Date
441 IY
Type
Governmental, Department
Parent Organization
Related Ethnicities
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