"Are you Herr Schmidt of Hochplatz, Kemperbad? Erm, do you know a Herr Schmidt of Hochplatz, Kemperbad? Erm, do you know a Hochplatz? Kemperbad?"
- —Willi Winkle, Messenger on his first day.[2a]
A Halfling Messenger.
With great distances separating the important cities and castles of the Empire, Messengers are an indispensable means of communication. Nobles, merchants, criminal gangs, and military commanders all make extensive use of Messengers, mounted if possible.
Overview[]
These brave riders dare to ride the roads of the Empire alone, trusting in their speed to avoid danger. Roadwardens assist official Messengers as much as possible, but there are long, lonely stretches where no help is available. While they are supposed to be immune from harassment, many a Messenger has met a bloody end after delivering a particularly unpleasant missive.[1a] In addition, enemies of their employers may also waylay messengers and steal their deliveries.[2a]
In the Empire's large cities, similar individuals called runners are used to transport messages and packages within the urban area. In some, annual competitions are held to determine the fastest runners. The reputation of the winner is greatly enhanced, and their business highly sought after.[2a]