Communicating on Cidri

Shadekeep · 11-27-2018, 09:48 AM

I'm working on an adventure which is set in a very primitive area of Cidri and in which news and communiques are relayed between communities using runners, as in ancient Greece. That got me thinking about what various ways messages and news might be disseminated across Cidri. I came up with five basic methods, see if you can think of any others.

Courier - A runner, rider, or in some cases flier, could carry a verbal or written message across a distance. A carrier pigeon or other kind of animal messenger could do the same with a written message. The message itself may be encoded in some way, too.

Crier - A town crier, herald, or annunciator may declaim the news in a public space. This news may be filtered or controlled by powerful interests in larger cities, or the news gathering body may be a powerful organisation in its own right.

Grapevine - News travels quickly within a community, especially between individuals with a lot of social connections. So too does gossip and hearsay. This is popular rumour mechanism of TFT adventures.

Print - I presume that most of Cidri exists in a pre-printing-press phase, so things like printed broadsides and newsheets would not be common. But written handbills and posters are certainly feasible methods of public communication, at least in areas where literacy is common enough.

Magic - There may be spells that one could use to send a message over a distance. An expensive and dangerous method would be to employ a demon to do so. Possibly one could also use an image/illusion to carry a verbal message. In dire circumstances one might also use astral projection. Simpler magic means no doubt exist, and possibly organisations like the Wizards Guild use palantirs or such to stay in touch over distances. In fact, I just now had the idea for a new magic item, which I'll post separately in this thread.

11-27-2018, 09:48 AM	#1
Shadekeep Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Aerlith	Communicating on Cidri I'm working on an adventure which is set in a very primitive area of Cidri and in which news and communiques are relayed between communities using runners, as in ancient Greece. That got me thinking about what various ways messages and news might be disseminated across Cidri. I came up with five basic methods, see if you can think of any others. Courier - A runner, rider, or in some cases flier, could carry a verbal or written message across a distance. A carrier pigeon or other kind of animal messenger could do the same with a written message. The message itself may be encoded in some way, too. Crier - A town crier, herald, or annunciator may declaim the news in a public space. This news may be filtered or controlled by powerful interests in larger cities, or the news gathering body may be a powerful organisation in its own right. Grapevine - News travels quickly within a community, especially between individuals with a lot of social connections. So too does gossip and hearsay. This is popular rumour mechanism of TFT adventures. Print - I presume that most of Cidri exists in a pre-printing-press phase, so things like printed broadsides and newsheets would not be common. But written handbills and posters are certainly feasible methods of public communication, at least in areas where literacy is common enough. Magic - There may be spells that one could use to send a message over a distance. An expensive and dangerous method would be to employ a demon to do so. Possibly one could also use an image/illusion to carry a verbal message. In dire circumstances one might also use astral projection. Simpler magic means no doubt exist, and possibly organisations like the Wizards Guild use palantirs or such to stay in touch over distances. In fact, I just now had the idea for a new magic item, which I'll post separately in this thread.