The Couriers | [u/cish] | Clan-build with us <3

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CURRENTLY: At a satisfactory level of content 8D - Open for Apps and plots and everything!

 

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INTRODUCTION

Need something delivered? A message? A trinket? Well, you've come to the right place. The Couriers are the Swamp's biggest delivery service, manning a network of outposts with runners between them and trackers to find your recipient, aimed to deliver your goods as fast as possible. The cost? Modest. The benefits? Without bound.

OVERVIEW
An RP-casual clan, more for world-building and service providing than intensive character development (though this may change depending on clan members opinions). Aside from basic message and package delivery, the couriers serve as a conduit for information- they may spread word of a natural disaster, be paid to advertise an event, etc.  

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CLAN STRUCTURE

MEMBER POSITIONS
MANAGERS | oversee each major outpost, their primary responsibilities being bureaucratic. They coordinate runners, keeping track of who is where, who has taken leave, and how fast kin travel from post to post. They track the flow of packages and messages and help determine where further expansion of outposts or staff is required, and where less service needs to be provided. Occasionally they visit the outposts directly branching off their own, and often serve as Runners in the process. They are the only kin allowed to accept new kin into the clan, either as Runners or Trackers. New Managers are selected by popular vote of the Runners, but may be any species of kin.

RUNNERS | carry deliveries from outpost to outpost as fast as they can. Due to the necessity for speed, most Runners are Kiokote, though other exceptionally talented kin may also serve for less urgent deliveries. Most Runners stick to a particular assigned path between a few outposts, in fact a certain elite few are reserved for running solely between the major outpost. Only very rarely does a single Runner make a long distance journey, usually as a bribed favor for a content-sensitive message. Runners can double as Trackers if they are skilled enough.

TRACKERS | ensure that the recipient receives the delivery. As their title suggests, they track down the appropriate kin and deliver the message or package. They usually maintain extensive knowledge of the territory around the outpost they serve, including its landmarks and the kin that live there or are visiting. Trackers can be any species of kin.

PETS & FAMILIARS | All pets and familiars are accepted and sheltered at outposts, however they are not allowed to slow down the delivery of packages (i.e. if a Runner has a tortoise, they will be expected to leave it behind when making a Run). Favored familiars are cheetah and eaglehounds for their speed and tracking ability, respectively, though cranes and wasps are also common. Favored pets are mongeese and foxbuns, for their ability to pack objects for delivery, and songbirds, which fly between outposts to indicate when Runners have arrived or are needed.

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OUTPOSTS
Scattered throughout the swamp, outposts are marked clan areas that have been made hospitable, usually with some form of shelter and food source. Here, Runners can rest, stay the night, or even pass their delivery onto a fresh Runner at the busiest of outposts. Kin can also send messages and drop off packages at these points. To qualify as an official outpost, at least one Tracker and bird pair must live in the near vicinity and be easily reachable, but the larger outposts are run by several Trackers and Runners and even Managers.

HEADQUARTERS | A clearing slightly north of the center of the swamp, a central location but close proximity to the most populated northern reaches. Most long distance deliveries pass through here, and there is shelter enough for several Runners and residents. Due to its proximity to Ghost Thistle's mound, it has also become a common meeting place for kin.
Managed by: Skyrender

NORTHERN |

SOUTHERN |

WESTERN |

EASTERN |

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LIFESTYLE
WORK ETHIC | Couriers take their job very seriously, and do not dilly-dawdle when charged with a delivery. Clan members take great pride in their work and the service they provide. They enjoy being part of something larger than themselves and do their jobs with enthusiasm and pride, not for personal profit. Of course, the perks of being a Courier are also very much appreciated and enjoyed.

PERKS | Couriers are usually treated with great respect in the Swamp. They generally can travel wherever they please unmolested (with a few exceptions) and find most all clans and kin very hospitable should they ever need aid. Of course, Couriers who abuse or disrespect these privileges are punished accordingly.

RESIDENCE | All active clan members are expected to live near an outpost and be on call should duty ever arise. Trackers and Managers are usually confined to specific outposts, with transfers being unusual and requiring organizational adjustments. Runners usually hang out at a few particular outposts along a certain route and can be reliably found there, but if they wish to change routes they need only arrange it with a Manager.

TAKING LEAVE | Leave may be granted for personal reasons such as childrearing, and short vacations to say explore a new area are also allowable, however kin are always expected to return to duty within an adequate timeframe. Before taking leave, a Courier must ensure that his or her deliveries are accounted for. Abuse of this privilege is highly frowned upon, and may even result in expulsion - laziness is not tolerated in the Couriers.

DISCHARGE & LEAVING | If a Courier repeatedly exhibits signs of carelessness or laziness or refuses to take their work seriously, they may be discharged from the clan. They are forbidden to take up deliveries or reap the benefits of being a Courier, though they may find shelter at an outpost if need be. They are not excommunicated nor disrespected, since discharges most commonly happen with kin who realize they are not cut out for the job. Only Managers can discharge kin, usually at the recommendation of other members. In contrast, all kin are free to leave the clan should they decide to, though they must account for all their outstanding deliveries beforehand. The Couriers are not possessive, but usually a kin who leaves leaves for good.

AUTHORITY | Managers hold authority over all other members, settling disputes and assigning Runners and Trackers to routes and territories, however they are usually very accommodating to a Courier's preferences and most assignments are made based on where a Courier is most familiar. Amongst Managers, everyone is treated equally but obvious deference is given to the most experienced kin. For the largest decisions, or disputes where the first Manager's decision has been appealed, all Managers will convene as a council to make an official ruling.  

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SERVICES

Given that the Swamp is the Swamp, there is some inherent unreliability in the services provided by the Couriers. The Couriers can pretty much guarantee that a message or package can be delivered to a certain location in the swamp, but there is no guarantee that one's recipient will be there, or can be found to receive it and this is usually well understood by clients. Trackers will do the best that they can, within the territory they have been assigned, but no Courier is expected to undergo undue difficulty to make a delivery.

MESSAGE DELIVERY
Messages are delivered orally, repeated between Couriers along the chain and eventually spoken to the recipient. All Couriers have sufficient memory for short messages, though longer messages may also be delivered by a succession of skilled Couriers, but this is rare and sometimes costly. Messages are usually fairly innocuous, such as "Skyrender, meet me at Ghost Thistle's mound this full moon", or "Mother I'm doing well." It is possible to bribe a trusted Courier to carry a message containing sensitive information the entire distance, even Tracking, but this is very costly, and when it does happen, is usually done as a personal favor.

KNOWN RECIPIENT LOCATION | i.e., if the recipient is a Tidewalker and most likely at the beach, the message will be sent directly to the nearest outpost, and a Tracker will bring it to the beach. These types of messages are usually carried at no outstanding cost. It is understood that Trackers will do their best to find the recipient, but if they are unable to, will merely forget the message over time.

ADVERTISING | the desired message will be spread by all available Couriers to all outposts, and all Trackers will spread the word to whichever kin they might encounter (though they are not required to go out of their way to find kin to do so) for a certain period of time. The number of days which a Courier is required to advertise after first hearing the message depends on how much the client is able to pay. Payment is usually in the form of a promised favor, such as promised hospitality for all Couriers from then on out in a certain region, or a discount on one's wares for Couriers. Couriers may discount, or even advertise for free, when they themselves want to spread word of an event, but this is more like Courier gossip.

UNKNOWN RECIPIENT LOCATION | when the sender only has a vague idea of where the recipient is, or no idea at all. In the most extreme case, this is almost like advertising, where all Couriers take up the message and search for the recipient, but the cost of this is even more expensive than advertising. In less extreme cases, the message will be passed to several outposts around the desired location, and several Trackers will take up the message actively for a week or so, then let it fade from memory.

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PACKAGE DELIVERY
Sometimes kin wish to send crafted accessories or preserved goods to others. In this case, the Couriers only deal with known locations and will ensure the package arrives at the promised outpost. The package is then held at the outpost for as long as feasible until a Tracker can find the recipient, or the recipient comes to pick it up.

LIGHT PACKAGE | such as a small accessory, or a small parcel of food (e.g. a mouthful of nuts), anything that is not heavy enough to really tire a kin when running. Pets with opposable thumbs usually wrap the parcel in hide and slip it into a woven sling of vines that can be carried by mouth or slung around a Courier's neck. These packages are usually carried at no cost.

HEAVY PACKAGE | e.g. painted turtle shell, or a large animal skull, anything large and cumbersome. Couriers may refuse to take such packages outright, or only do so as a favor or for a bribe. Delivery is much slower, as Couriers often need to have a pet accompany them to ensure the package remains bound to a kin's back, or does not dislodge from a turtle shell "sled".


SOMETHING SOMEWHERE ABOUT URGENCY WAAAH VESP WENT TO BED TOO LATE LAST NIGHT AND IS TIRED  

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CURRENT MEMBERS

CHIEF MANAGER - SKYRENDER

RUNNER - UNTOLD WISHES

I WILL MAKE SOME BUTTONZ. PROBABLY SWIPE THE COALITION'S WITH A NEW BG cool  

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CURRENT CONTRACTS

Outstanding contracts that Couriers should keep in mind, i.e. Advertising jobs or privileges granted by clans in exchange for Courier services. ICly, contracts can be suggested to or by any Courier, but only a Manager can finalize the bargaining and decision. Clans with contracts are usually regular stops for assigned Couriers to check if any deliveries need be made.

THE COALITION | Hospitality at the Cavern, food from the Killstone, and a place at Ashmoot should a Courier's visit coincide with the meeting.  

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SOME ARPEE TRACKER  

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BECOME A COURIER

The Courier's are not an RP intensive tribe, nor are they exclusive. ICly, there is a bit of a selection and training process for new recruits (see below) but OOCly we'll accept most anykin so long as they fit with the tribe's mindset <3

TRAINING PROCESS
Potential Couriers must seek out (or are sought out by) a Manager for an interview/initial evaluation of skill. They will then be taken on as an Apprentice and paired with an experienced Runner, then a Tracker for a month's time each, usually in their future area of service. Usually any kin unfit to be a Courier drops out after these two months of training, but after this period their mentors' recommendations are brought to a Manager, who will make the final call about clan admission.
Except for the very first members of the clan, all Couriers will have gone through this training. It is not RP-mandatory, but if you'd like to plot out who was whose mentor/apprentice or even join as an apprentice, feel free!

For now, applicants do not have to have, ICly, completed the training

TO APPLY
Just post this here form in the thread! Don't worry about length, just some solid ideas/reasons will suffice c:

[size=14][b]I WANT TO BE A COURIER![/b][/size]
[b]Kin Name:[/b] [url=LINKTOCERT]KIN NAME[/url]
[b]Position(s) Interested in:[/b] [i]Manager, Runner, or Tracker[/i]
[b]Why does he/she want to be a Courier?:[/b]
[b]How is she/he suited to being a Courier?:[/b]
[b]About where (geographically in the Swamp) would he/she serve?:[/b] [i]e.g. North, South, East, West, wherever necessary / no preference[/i]

 

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CREDEETS

- Content written by Vesperiie
- Thread structure inspiration is listed here  

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