Featherpoint Post
The one and only business on Zheng-Kitar for postal, mailing, and/or letter sending services
Prices
As a company that prides itself on being the go-to option for commoners, nobles, adventures, and all alike to send letters and packages, the Featherpoint Post has prices listed at the doors of each of their offices, better known as 'Mailing Houses'(Located in most major cities and even moderate to small population centers) - these are prices that, at least for letters, are things that most all commoners, even unskilled laborers, can afford. Letter Prices are based off the distance in miles to the destination, and the prices are given in copper pieces. For ease of reference, 10 copper pieces equates to a silver piece. Meaning 25 Copper Pieces equates to 2 and a half silver pieces. Copper, Silver, and Gold Pieces can also be exchanged for equivalent monetary value of other currency systems such as The Narixian Empire's Credit or The Gāngtao Migrant Fleet's Saltsheets. Package prices are based primarily on the diameter of the package being sent as well as the total weight of the package itself - distance it is being shipped is not a factor in the price, as the prices are instead a flat rate. Finally, each Mailing House is well-known to be staffed with members and workers who can read and write - and are more than willing to transcribe things to letters if one wishes to send a letter to someone but cannot themselves write in a language, or cannot write at all. Also, they are also known to have a fun system that pairs up prospective letter-writers with pen-pals from far-off - setting up people no matter their societal rank with prospective friends from far away, thus giving many excuses to go to their Mailing Houses to find a letter written by a propspective pen-pal and write back, thus hopefully making a friend.Letter Prices:
30 miles or less: 2 Copper Pieces 30-80 miles: 5 Copper Pieces 80-150 miles: 10 Copper Pieces 150-400 miles: 15 Copper Pieces 400+ Miles: 25 Copper Pieces
Package Prices:
2ft Diameter or Less, 50lbs or Less: 5 Gold Pieces 4ft Diameter or Less, 250lbs or Less: 10 Gold Pieces 4ft Diameter or Less, 500lbs or Less: 15 Gold Pieces 4ft Diameter or Less, 1000lbs or Less: 25 Gold Pieces 4ft Diameter or Less, 1500lbs or Less: 30 Gold Pieces 6ft Diameter or Less, Weight Irrelevant: 50 Gold Pieces Bigger than 6ft Diameter, Weight Irrelevant: Special. Prices will vary based on destination.
Structure
The structure of the Featherpoint Post has changed little in the centuries since its' founding, and consist primarily of two central pillars to which all who work for the Post fall into - firstly, the ranks of the "Trainers", who serve as the first pillar of the Featherpoint Post. They are mostly made up of the faithful of Zunairah the Hundred Mind, and serve as those who train, raise, manage, and maintain the legendary PEREGRINE system that serves as the central bedrock on which the entire Featherpoint Post operates - the vast network of falcons and other birds such as seagulls, pidgeons, and the like which carry letters and ferry packages to and from the mailing houses of the Featherpoint Post to one of their two gigantic, sea-faring Distribution Centers from which all letters both inbound and outbound are sorted and dispatched to their destinations accordingly. It is on the backs of the "Trainers" that the Peregrine Post operates, but without their fellow co-workers in the ranks of the other pillar the post could not hope to function...
Filling out the ranks of the other pillar, better known as the ranks of the "Landsailors", are those who carry out the all-important role of ferrying the letters and packages from the nearest mailing house which inbound letters and packages arrive at to their intended recipients. These people, who almost invariably belong to the faithful of Maccio the Humble, are much less organized than their fellows in the ranks of the Trainers - whenever a new member of the church of Maccio the Humble arrives in a city with a Mailing House of the Peregrine Post, it is customary for them to swing in and check for any packages that need delivering along the path they are traveling - then, they will be notified and given any packages along the routes they are traveling, recieve payment for their services, and act as postmen and postwomen in their journies. This appeals greatly to the faithful of Maccio the Humble, who get to help out others, travel and see the world, and see the happy faces on those who they deliver letters and packages too - and in exchange, the packages of the Post have an entire cadre of consistent and capable deliverymen and women ready and willing to brave conditions, rain or shine, to deliver the packages of the Post to their destinations.
Ranks and Titles
The ranks and titles held by those who work at the Peregine Post are noted below, along with a brief description of them and the duties or roles they entail.- Postmaster General - The leader of the entirety of the Featherpoint Post. They typically travel between the Two Distribution Centers located off the east and west coasts of the continent, and otherwise travel around inspecting the Post's operations across the continent. They also stay on the move to avoid being targeted by those people or group(s) who would seek to infiltrate, capture, or learn the secrets of the Post. For their protection, their identity and much information about them is hidden.
- Hub Overseer - The overseers of the two oceanic distribution centers for the Featherpoint Post, located off the west and east coasts of Zheng-Kitar respectively. They handle the operations for the Post on the west and east halves of the continent, and handle all manner of high-level administrative tasks such as finances, budgeting, marketing, logistics, and more. There are only ever two - one for each distribution center.
- Master Falconeer - The ones who manage the Falcons of the Distribution Centers, and who train the ranks of Falconeers beneath them. They act as senior instructors and overseers, handling the training programs for Falcons, paperwork for lost, new, missing, or dead falcons, and all kinds of other administrative tasks for the Post. There is typically only one in a Mailing House. Like the Falconeers below them, they are almost universally drawn from the ranks of Zunairah the Hundred Mind's church, though skilled tamers, rangers, or beastmasters are sometimes hired and brought on into these positions and then later inducted into the church of Zunairah the Hundred Mind if they show an interest.
- Falconeer - The lowest of the ranks of the "Trainers", who handle the movement, training, and flights of the Falcons that carry the letters and packages the Post ferries from place to place. There is at least one and possibly several stationed in each Mailing House to oversee the falcons who roost there, typically training beneath a Master Falconeer. Like the Master Falconeers above them, they are almost universally drawn from the ranks of Zunairah the Hundred Mind's church, though skilled tamers, rangers, or beastmasters are sometimes hired and brought on into these positions and then later inducted into the church of Zunairah the Hundred Mind if they show an interest.
- Sorter - The rank and file workers who work at the Mailing Houses and Distribution Centers of the Featherpoint Post. Can be either part time or full time workers who handle a variety of jobs for the post, from sorting inbound letters, outbound letters, handling arriving ships docking at the seaborne distribution centers, cleaning the falcon cages, etc. Can be filled by almost any walk of life or anyone who is in need of a simple job.
- Landsailor - The footmen of the Featherpoint Post. Those who carry letters or packages from place to place on foot, and who handle all overland travel for the Post - there are several ranks of Landsailors that mark what type of work they do specificall(Package Delivery, Letter Delivery, Transport of letters between Mailing Houses, etc). Most come from the ranks of the church of Maccio the Humble, though adventurers and those in need of labor are also commonly hired to do the same.
Culture
The Featherpoint Post is well-known as a workplace that has a friendly and fair working culture, and is a place where many know they can go to get at least some degree of work if they are destitute, if one does not mind excessively manual labor and plenty of papercuts.
They can be somewhat secretive of an organization, but are only believed to be such because of the stiff opposition they face that constantly seeks to undermine, destroy, and steal their secrets of operation so that others might profit off of what they do.
Public Agenda
The public agenda of the post is simple - to promote the expansion of civilization, to bring the innovation of cutting-edge civil services and information systems to the masses, and to connect the world one letter at a time. One half of the Post, made up of the followers of Zunairah the Hundred Mind, simply wishes to fix the ailing reputation of their saint and push the boundaries of modern technology and forge a masterpiece of technology that connects the entire world...that one day, messages might be sent and recieved in an instant with mundane means that the likes of wizards can achieve with magic.
To the other half of the post, made up of the followers of Maccio the Humble, they have little goal beyong traveling and bringing joy to others - they enjoy bringing packages and letters to others, and being of use and help to others.
Assets
The assets of the Featherpoint Post is tremendous - not only do they have a Mailing House in almost every moderate to large Population Center(And even some small ones), they have the legendary PEREGRINE system formed and established by the followers of Zunairah the Hundred Mind that connects their vast network of Mailing Houses and Distribution Centers with countless Falcons, Birds, Seagulls, and the like - allowing for fairly rapid communication across massive distances without the aid of magic.
History
The history of the Featherpoint Post has its roots in the ending days of the Age of Conquest, where the aging saint Maccio the Humble was said to have been contacted by the followers of Zunairah the Hundred Mind, who had come up with an idea for a system that, if brought to completion, would allow for the construction of a communication network that would cut times between sending a letter on foot and recieving a response by as much as a quarter of what such a thing would previously take timewise. All they asked was for her assistance in finding the funds and manpower to complete what would, in time, become the legendary PEREGRINE system - and so, though Maccio the Humble herself did not live to see its completion, her followers continued her work funding and allying with the normally shunned and hated followers of Zunairah the Hundred Mind and, in the end, completed and formed the Featherpoint Post, forming an alliance to create the legendary business that has stood the test of time through the centuries.
The two follower groups have gotten on surprisingly well, as the followers of Zunairah the Hundred Mind are more than content to stay in the Mailing Houses inventing new gadgets and gizmos to increase the efficiency of the PEREGRINE system while they leave the footwork and delivery to the followers of Maccio the Humble, who see it as not only an easy way to make coin and earn a tidy profit when passing through cities and population centers, but also as a simple and fun way to travel to new places and meet new people, and to see the happy smiles on their faces as they recieve packages.
There's just no point if it's not Featherpoint!
Founding Date
4158 ASK
Type
Information Network
Alternative Names
Featherpoint, The Post, The Feathermen
Demonym
Feathermen
Leader Title
Related Reading
Friendly and Supportive
As the core of the Featherpoint Post's operations, the legendary Distribution Centers, were built and constructed out on the ocean's waters off the east and west coasts of Zheng-Kitar, they are naturally hotspots and prime targets for all who would seek to uncover the secrets of the post and steal its secrets for themselves.
To this end, to protect their investments, the Featherpoint Post has had long-standing deals with the Migrant Fleet's Western and Eastern Armadas to keep their distribution centers safe in exchange for payments to the fleet and discounts on letters sent by those in those respective Armadas.
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