Okay so I was doing some looking around while taking a break from writing on my manuscript and I noticed two things. 1) we have quite a few large cities in our world (Reajh, Uthlyn, Arca, Selevea, Ketra to name a few) and 2) We have a distinct lack of a continental Courier system (Used for international mail and transportation of important documents between governments) Enter...
The Runner's SocietyThe Runner's Society is a organization of couriers that are trusted in nearly all governments that was formed about 60 years ago when the nations realized that they needed an effective form of communication between one another. In the beginning, each individual nation owned it's own portion of TRS which led to a rather ineffective system. Ten years after it's formation, each branch of TRS signed a petition against their host nation and ceased all productivity until they earned their right to be it's own independent organization, what followed was a series of non-violent protests that eventually led to TRS being named an independent group in all nations. After which the effectiveness of TRS as a whole more than tripled and grew into the well know and used system it is today. Marked by Black pants and and a white long sleeved shirt with one red or blue sleeve. Flag one down if you have am important document and a destination. The Runner's Society has no official leader and consists of two ranks, neither which has more leverage than the other.
The Runner's Society does have a hierarchy and it is based around experience as a runner, there are the new and promising Red Sleeves, they are the lowest level in the TRS Caste and are often seen with a Blue Sleeve. As a Red Sleeve there are two ways to become a Blue Sleeve, one being seven years in service as a runner, and the other is to win the Red Cloak Games
C.B.LOW.
The Blue Sleeves have the most impact on day to day life in TRS as they are the highest active runners in TRS. Blue Sleeves share the upper half of the TRS caste with the House Keepers. Blue Sleeves that have served as a runner for fourteen years have the opportunity to retire whenever they wish, those who have served for twenty years are more-or-less forced to retire.
Runners that have retired are given the opportunity to further work for TRS by becoming House Keepers, House Keepers are in charge of one of the twenty-four TRS offices that are scattered across the continent. There can be several House Keepers to an office as the Office is also home to the runners, House Keepers handle everything from actual housekeeping, to money management, to dispatching runners.
There are two ranks in TRS but they are more of a class of runner than anything, they call them ranks as a reminiscent of the early days of TRS where they were actually ranks.
One of the two Ranks in TRS is the Sirch (Pronounced Sir-Sh). They wield swords and they carry anything from Mail that has been paid for in full and then some, to legal documents, to treaties between nations. They carry one or two swords across their back and are well versed in swordplay. Sirch are also used as security for Soar carrying precious cargo, they tend to be taller and stronger than Soar. The Sirch Rank is often revered because they have to be selfless and serve as a decoy for a Soar when ambushed.
The other Rank is Soar, they have high endurance and carry knives. They mainly carry special deliveries and mail that needs to go over a long distance quickly. They carry two daggers and often a throwing knife or three.
Among the runners there is a reverence term, SUAR, for talented Soar runners which was coined some forty years ago, A Sirch and a Soar were en route to deliver a peace treaty between two warring families when they were ambushed. According to the record of the event, the Sirch turned to engage the assailants and the Soar refused to run, unwilling to abandon his comrade. The Sirch then shouted "Shut up and run!" which somehow got the Soar to run the forty or so miles to the destination office. The Sirch was never seen or heard from again and everyone believed that his last words had indeed been "shut up and run". Eventually someone made the connection that letter S-U-A-R sounded Ironically similar to the name of the rank Soar. Thus the runner term SUAR came into being.
Best part of the jobThe Runner's Society is well known for taking the route less traveled, that includes over buildings, market stalls and pretty much anything they can climb over. They are basically Free Runners (Parkourists). Every six months or so, all of TRS gathers in outside a large city and has a race to a find the red cloaked runner (Who is chosen from the blue sleeves) and it becomes a game of tag/capture the flag the goal being to get the cloak. This Game is called the Red Cloak Games. If a Red Sleeve wins, they become a Blue Sleeve. If a blue sleeve wins there is a small cash prize and the game is redone the following month in another city. If the cloaked runner is not caught before dawn the next day (He/she cannot hide away and must remain moving or resting somewhere on the streets) then they win a major cash prize. the House Keepers proctor the game.
Have a letter?If you a looking to hire The Runner's Society, remember that TRS is by no means a free service. It does have to support itself. Some may find the rate to be affordable, if not a great deal. Just know that these rates have been in place for fifty years.
Same town mailing: 1 copper piece per letter
Same Province mailing: 5-10 copper pieces per letter (at the discretion of the house keeper)
Cross Province mailing: 1-5 silver pieces per letter (at the discretion of the house keeper)
International mailing: 1 gold piece per letter per border crossed
Thanatos mailing: 2 gold pieces per letter + 1 gold piece per border crossed
Now TRS understands that not everyone can write. So for an additional copper the house keeper will write your letter for you. Or for a copper piece per paragraph you can have the runner memorize your message.
Not sure where to find us? TRS has offices all across the continent and Thanatos. Our major offices are in Hyoite village, Reajh, Utherlyn, all proviences, Arca, Selevea, Cerenis, Ketra, Kunata, La'marri, Zantaric, and Essyrn. We also have several outposts in smaller towns that dot the land. All our offices are marked by our
seal, which you will find on the wax seal of our letters and on our currency.
Sirch Runners:
Scipio Prosper, Blue Sleeve [Played by Zane]
Margot Lemaire, Blue Sleeve [Played by GoblinFae]
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OPEN!Soar Runners:
Jypsei Danzer, Red Sleeve [Played by GoblinFae]
Wind, Red Sleeve [Played by Dreamwolf]
Ms. Fluffykins/ Radustan, Red Sleeve [Played by Winters-Feather]
Asuhok Snowborn. Red Sleeve [Played by Winters-Feather]
OPEN!House KeepersOPEN!
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