Couriers, The Brave and Thankless Messengers

Sometimes, you need to keep in touch with someone far away. However, sometimes ya don't have the guts to actually walk over there yourself, with how dangerous the roads are all over the world. Monsters, bandits, magical anomalies, rushing rivers, civil unrest, all manner of things could happen. Now, for a long time, people stuck with simply giving merchants that were heading there the letters or items. However, sometimes merchants get busy and distracted, or worse robbed and killed, so surely there must be some better way to solve this right? An old but relatively new guild emerged to answer this call, that of the Couriers Guild, and the humble Courier.
To be a courier is to live a life of danger, and little thanks besides a pat on the back and some coins in the purse. However, despite the little given in return, the courier is perhaps one of the most vital workers in the civilized nations of mortals. It is the courier who helps loved ones stay in touch, who help connect the world together, to brave the dangerous to deliver gifts that might be as simple as a silver spoon. Those that do join the ranks of the guild must be sturdy, swift, and above all, ballsy enough to even do this as a job. 
Most large cities have a small guild house, as thanks to their excellent service the Couriers Guild now operates in all of Nilush (save for Aldinnheimr, though it's not unheard of for mail to be sent there). These guilds are simple and spartan, with simple beds for people resting between runs, an even more byzantine storage room, and a dispatch office. While courier services are a luxury service, they are still somewhat available to the public if someone has the coin. For reference, a commoner can make around 4gp a month in profit (this is assuming a 10% tax, and can vary wildly on location and social standing). Costs vary on several factors, but are as follows:

• The base cost for sending a letter is around 40cp a day, though rough estimates are about 5-6sp a day (this all includes handling and cost of labor)
• +10cp if above a certain weight (this being referred to as the weight tax)
• +10gp if needing to travel overseas by boat (It's hard to send mail to Ardita and Diosia)
• Commonly an extra 2 silver is charged based on the danger and risk of the route
• additional costs vary on specific requests or needs of the client

Though walking or riding from one place to another sounds easy, couriers take pride in their work for they know that this career is anything but easy. They take their jobs seriously, many willing to guard their packages with their very lives. Bandits, monsters, local warfare, weather, plague, starvation, dehydration, magical anomalies, and more harry the humble courier every step of the way. Couriers wear only light protective equipment and keep a weapon handy, to dedicate all their carrying ability to the large backpacks filled with packages and letters (it is common to send mail in bulk if it's going the same route. For additional fees, clients may pay for mail being sent out immediately).  Common practice for couriers that can afford it is to carry a hand blunderbuss (commonly referred to as a "Handerbuss"), being a small-sized scatter gun that makes a lot of noise and can take out grouped up threats or animals. The guild provides a simple hand weapon free of charge, but couriers are allowed (and often encouraged) to invest in more weaponry for their protection.
The pay may be small for what the risks are, but you will not find any other profession of more passionate people working the trade. Couriers are by far some of the bravest men and women one can find, and many have quite wild stories to tell.

Career

Qualifications

Sturdy, able to maintain a good pace for long periods of time, and the nerves of steel to brave the dangerous frontier.

Alternative Names

Nuncii, Messenger, Cursores, Runners

Type

Public Services

Demand

Moderate, for those that can afford

Legality

Couriers can easily be picked out by the small shield like badge displaying the official seal of the Couriers Guild, being a pegasus with a scroll in its mouth. Since its inception, the Couriers' guild has grown in size and professionalism, starting from just farmers with a passion and turning into an organized guild of professional travelers. At this point, every major nation has accepted and fully utilized the services of the Couriers Guild, and most cities and towns have at least a small office for the Couriers Guild.

Those Damned Mages!

Obviously, there are many competitors to the couriers' guild. Most nobles use their own servants for important messages and packages, and carrier pigeons are also a popular (if expensive and uncertain) alternative. However, the biggest competitor for the guild is mages and their many tricks and spells they can do. Sending stones, scrolls of messaging, and teleportation circles are all options wizards can use, and some even provide it for a fee to others. However, for the moment, most of these magics are exceedingly expensive, require set up, and above all are magic and thus rife with uncertainty. However, some in the courier business fear that they may someday soon see the death of the guild they love working in, leaving couriers with an uncertain future.