Long-Distance Communication

[DeepShadow of FoS]

How do people communicate across long distances in Ravenloft? I've stalled at several points in planning my games, because I want to have messages arrive from their homeland with new instructions, but how do they arrive? Private courier? Carrier pidgeon? Vistani express? Magical communication?

Obviously this is not an unusual situation, and I think it desperately needs to be remedied. The type of communication determines the possibility of interference, missendings and/or forgery, which can play a huge role in the game. So how is it done?

[Nathan of the FoS]

Someone posted a pretty cool idea for a postal service secret society a while back, and there's always the writ of communication from VRS:Doppelgangers.

[High Priest Mikhal]

For long distances you have runners, postal services not unlike the Pony Express in advanced domains, carrier pigeons and other animals, or even magic if they have the resources. The Vistani are not reliable couriers unless very well paid, and sometimes not even then. If it asbolutely has to be there overnight (:D) then folks would risk the gypsies.

[Lanus]

some thoughts on the matter:

-> Cute, fuzzy animals: I'm not sure if animal messenger works properly through domain borders. Either way, you can also use flying, stronger than regular, animals (dire pidgeons maybe =P). Awakened animals migth be an option too, in RL doesn't screw up that spell (i'm at work and away from books). The advantages are obvious: Nobody suspects the butterfly. The disadvantage is that the animal might be dumb, too frail, too slow or subject to darklord manioulation.

-> Good ol' mail: In the more civilized parts of the core, mail between domains migth be available: This imply a lot of tampering with the mail contents by unscrupulous persons. The upside is that the flow of comunication is rather constant and that some enemies might no be so sofisticated or rude enough to read another gentleman mail.

-> The messenger: A natural or supernautural being delivers the message in person: A regular human messenger, a friendly smart creature, a unrelentless warforged. The infiltration posibility depends on the messenger: doppelgangers, charms et al cand mess it up. On the brigth side, it the most flexible method

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Someone posted a pretty cool idea for a postal service secret society a while back, and there's always the writ of communication from VRS:Doppelgangers.

Wow, I missed those writs! Those are perfect!

So when it comes to human couriers, what is their authority? Do local law enforcement have a role, one way or the other? Presumably there's a lot of communication going on between Falkovnia and its merchant enclaves in Invidia, and I doubt that's taking place by magic. So are these couriers each trusted as an individual to figure out their own way to Karina, or is there a planned route? Do they wear the Drakov insignia openly in Borca, or are they incognito?

[High Priest Mikhal]

Unless two countries are involved in open war there's a "gentlemen's agreement" not to interfere with communications, especially since that itself could spark a war. Thus couriers are usually not hassled as long as they obey the local laws. Some couriers even mark themselves or wear specific garb to show their job and thus folks know not to get in their way. Other couriers, especially military ones, do the exact opposite.

As for Falkovnia merchant enclaves, they probably use specified routes for maximum speed and minimal hassle from the locals. Deviance is okay but could result in punishment (especially if a seal is required from each stop to ensure no deviation has occurred, and to ensure a schedule is maintained). And wearing a hawk seal in Borca? That's just plain suicidal if Ivan's men find them.

[Nikolas of the Mists]

The Vistani are not reliable couriers unless very well paid, and sometimes not even then.

Not necessarily true.
What they are is good at getting where they need to, when they need to.
What they are not is errand boys or messengers.

"Can you deliver this to Bob of Oak River in the ass end of the core", will result in a scoff at best.

As always the key to dealing with a Vistana is to minimize their inconvenience. The surest and safest way to handle it would be to have them drop it off to the local internal domain postal carriers when they pass through the domain.

"Excuse me, if you were happening to travel through Borca, would you be so kind as to mail this from a courier while you're there? I will pay you for your effort, along with the cost of postage."

[HuManBing]

What [The Vistani] are not is errand boys or messengers.

"Can you deliver this to Bob of Oak River in the ass end of the core", will result in a scoff at best.

Strahd seems to do all right.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

"Excuse me, if you were happening to travel through Borca, would you be so kind as to mail this from a courier while you're there? I will pay you for your effort, along with the cost of postage."

Be careful. Space isn`t linear to the Vistani. Vistani couriers might honestly hold up their end, but given the potential for mist-hopping in between, it might be years before they actually get to Barovia. In fact, gievn malleable time, your couriers could just as easily arrive a decade before you gave them the letter.

[Nikolas of the Mists]

Be careful. Space isn`t linear to the Vistani. Vistani couriers might honestly hold up their end, but given the potential for mist-hopping in between, it might be years before they actually get to Barovia. In fact, gievn malleable time, your couriers could just as easily arrive a decade before you gave them the letter.

Given that most interaction between Vistani and giorgios will come through the Boem and Kaldresh Tasques this shouldn't be *too* much of a problem. (The Canjar and Zarovan tribes are really limited in number).

Of course an individual could always intentionally try and use this to their advantage.

Manusa Express: When it absolutely, positively had to be there yesterday.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Okay, let's kick things up a notch:

In the Van Richten's Legacy series in Dragon Magazine, we learn that the Good Doctor was carrying on a chess game with Tristen Hiregaard, playing by mail. So this isn't individual paid couriers; the expense would be prohibitive. This is a semi-regular postal system of at least moderate reliability, that stretches from Nova Vaasa to Mordent. How does it work?

[Lanus]

Okay, so far it seems we have at least two postal services in the core or two "lines" if we may say so:

The Vaasi - Mordenheim Express that travels through Lamordia (the last post is Mordenheim Station, near that awful place Schloss Mordenheim, you don't wanna be sent to work there), Dementlieu, Mordent, Richemulot, Borca, Barovia (The Old Svalich Pass is regulary traveled so its seems safe, at day, on summer), and Nova Vassa. There are several small "branches" and Darkon and Hazlan are making arrangement to be officially part of the "line" (in wich case it will become the Darkon - Darkon line). They dispatch messengers in fine Vaasi horses in groups of two and have several outposts along the road. They're regarded as the fastest mail service. Military experience is not a requirement but is desirable.

The Lekar - Karina line works "officially" between Falkovnia and Invidia but is regulary used by Darkonese folk because is considered "safer". They travels in Falkswagens: Heavily defended carts that contain a month worth of mail. The travel trough Borca quickly and a special treaty lets them alone as long as they dont cause any trouble. So far everything seems to be allrigth. The Falkswagen ends its trip in Invidia but individual messengers carry letters as far as Valachan and Kartakass. No single Falkswagen has been lost to the night (unlike some unlucky messengers of the Vaasi line) and that fact has caught the attention of wealthy noblemen in the enlightened realms.

Watcha Think?

[Nathan of the FoS]

I found that secret society/mail-carrier thread; here it is.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

I found that secret society/mail-carrier thread; here it is.

It's an interesting idea, but I would expect there would have already been attempts at a mail service long before this. Plus the dread possibility to me is a little too perfect--an alliance of all the worst fiends in the VRG?

After some thought, I think the hawkmasters of Falkovnia would be a good resource for regular deliveries.

[Nathan of the FoS]

After some thought, I think the hawkmasters of Falkovnia would be a good resource for regular deliveries.

Or, perhaps, for preventing regular deliveries. Hawks generally don't have a strong "homing" instinct, so they'd have to have a sideline in pigeons (or ravens, a la A Song of Ice and Fire).