Fumayan Flying Messengers Guild
-Zajac of the Fumayan Lanternsby Eron12 with Heroforge"I have worked with a lot of guilds for one reason or another, and to say I find dealing with guild representatives unpleasant is putting it mildly. But the kalazotz Flying Messenger Guild is the most benevolent and gentle guild I've ever seen. It's like a guild in name only. It is a joy to deal with this guild. I bet the local Masks are really unhappy with this, and that's just gravy. It's clear that the bats are more interested in maximizing the common good than in maximizing profit."
by Eron12 with Hero Forge"Only those who are willfully ignorant fail to grasp that maximizing profit ultimately maximizes the common good. It's a universal overseen by Lord Phidas." -Danuta, matriarch of the Fumayan Masks
Public Agenda
To provide training and support for kalazotz messengers in Fumaya.
This is not just for training, but also to provide a social network for moon bats, so they can feel more at home in a foreign land.
Assets
The guild has a lot of social connections and good will, but they don't have many tangible assets, at least not yet.
The king gifted them a couple warehouses which were and are converted into housing for kalazotz to have a quiet and dark place to sleep during the day.
When out in the field between running messages, they tend to borrow improvised shelter to sleep during the day, often napping in the rafters of barns or even sleeping in castle dungeons (dark underground places are cozy for them).
A wooden tower was constructed as guild waypoint in Duchy of Wiern and new towers are currently under construction in Duchy of Nerozik and Duchy of Palbuc.
History
The guild was only created about a year ago, so they don't have much history yet. But given that the moon bats are cultural derivatives of dwarf influenced kalazotz, creating a guild seemed natural to them, even though they run their guild far differently than humans or dwarves would.
Demography and Population
There about 150 kalazotz in land of Fumaya and about 80 to 90 of them are working as messengers, at least part time. Those who aren't working as messengers are all close friends or family with those who are. So the guild pretty much encompasses all moon bats in Fumaya.
The guild does not discriminate by sex, but of the kalazotz currently in Fumaya, more than two thirds of them male. Most of the early wave of immigrants are young adult males hoping to make enough of a name and fortune for themselves in order to attract a mate.
Military
Preylot is a fairly accomplished warrior and considers himself the unofficial protector of the Fumayan moon bats
While a few of them know how to use a spear or crossbow, the moon bats are not a military force, and they rely on the King Henryk and his soldiers for their protection. The Proclamation of Welcoming to the Kalazotz guarantees the king's personal protection to all kalazotz in his realm.
The Proclamation is not just a piece of parchment. The royal rangers led by Kormatin and Sir Gerwin (and Preylot) have brutally and efficiently thwarted an attempt made by foreign mercenaries to murder the initial thirty kalazotz immigrants.
Religion
"Officially, the Fumayan Flying Messengers Guild is a secular organization. Unofficially, most of Fumaya's Nonagon are trying hard to get their fingers into the pie. Winning over the guild now essentially shaping the moon bats' future. If Fumaya loses the current war against Swynfaredia, or even if Fumaya's survives the war but emerges horribly scarred, all the kalazotz probaby will fly away from our great land, never to return. Or they might die. The Swynfaredians tried to kill the first cloud of bats to come over. The Swynfaredian assasination attempt failed miserably (partially thanks to me providing poison to use against their attackers), but the Swynfaredians are not the sort to give up easily, and will probably try again. But if our great nation survives the war, both the kalazotz settlers and King Henryk would like to make the kalazotz presence permanent. Kalazotz breed faster than humans and the flow of immigrants does not look like it's stopping anytime soon. We have less than 200 batfolk now, but easily grow to ten or twenty times this number in the next few decades. If a priesthood manages to win over the hearts and minds of the majority of the kalazotz of this group, their ideology wlll become entrenched and influence many generations to come. It looks like the Fumayan Lanterns and Fumayan Keepers are the current front runners in this contest. It's enough for me that the Fumayan Tenders are not winning. Given how brainwashed most kalazotz have been by Tender propaganda, if we can steer these bats to a more balanced worship, that's enough of a victory for me. I'd like to get them to love Greymoria as all mortals should, but for now, it's enough if we can teach them not to hate Greymoria. If we push too hard and too fast, we'll lose them forever. I'm patient."-Carcelli the Arcane PriestessCarcelli, Parchment Background by Zeta Gardner
Foreign Relations
King Henryk wants to encourage kalazotz to settle in his land because he wants fast moving, virtually undetectable night-time messengers connecting the corners of his realm in peacetime and wartime. And unfortunately, it looks like Fumaya will be in a time of war for the foreseeable future.
Due to the Proclamation of Welcoming to the Kalazotz, any Fumayans that complain too loudly about the kalazotz immigrants are effectively defying their king.
Most Fumayans agree with the king's policy, but there are some whispered grumbling from those who disagree.
"Most Fumayan humans are used to seeing gnomes, satyrs, dwarves and elves, but these people look mostly humans. Tengku don't look very human, but we dress like humans and we talk like humans...at least in front of humans. Kalazotz do not look like humans and they do not act like humans. Humans think they look gross when they eat. Many don't speak the local language well and they make a lot of unintentional social faux passes.Most Fumayans understand the difference between camazotz and kalazotz, but some humans get the two races confused. Most Fumayans have never seen a camazotz, but they have heard the campfire stories, which get embellished with each retelling. Camazotz are terrifying boogeyman that sometimes literally eat children and adults, at least according to the stories. Given the state of upheaval in Fumaya right now, there has never been more demand for messenger services so there is plenty of work for land and sky messengers. But that state of affairs might not hold. The old Fumayan Messengers Guild is now being nicknamed the "horse messengers guild", and they are not happy that they have more competition now. The guild didn't have very sharp talons before, but now with the king's proclamation, they are basically powerless but they might try something desperate and stupid. There are about 80 kalazotz messengers right now. If this swelled to say....four hundred kalazotz messengers, demand for horse riding messengers would evaporate to next to nothing. While the land messengers guild frets for their survival, other guildsmen are rubbing their hands together with glee, especially the merchants guilds. While many merchants have a side hustle running messages, the more forward thinking among us understand that more efficient communications will only lead to greater profits in the future." -Reeyak the Tengku, tavern owner and shopkeeper selling MOSTLY legal wares.Comissioned art of Camazotz/Kalazotz comparison by Diana Rahfoth
Laws
The guild has some legal requirements for their messengers, but they are more gentle suggestions than binding laws.
Education
One of the stated purposes of any professional guild is to make sure that all guild members all meet a minimum professional standard.
Some guilds apply a bit of coercive control in this this. By denying credentials to some professionals, they keep the supply of professionals low, so the payment the guild workers can demand remains high.
Also, by setting a long minimum period apprenticeship, masters can enjoy cheap labor. If a guild requires a seven year apprenticeship for a trade that takes three years to learn, the master gets practically free labor from a journeyman level "apprentice" for four years.
The Fumayan Flying Messengers Guild does neither of these things. Their training really is intended solely to help their members thrive.
The kalazotz are used to flying in underground caverns not in the open sky. Variable winds aside, flying above ground is generally safer and easier than flying below groound since they don't have to worry about bumping into a stalactite and there are fewer kalazotz eating monsters above ground than below ground. But kalazotz are not used to navigating above ground. Unlike a cavern ceiling, the sky has no noticeable variation or land marks. Even with their sonar, kalazotz can easily get lost and fly over their intended destination without realizing it. This is especially a problem in more forested areas as all trees tend to all look the same from above.
The guild's solution is to fly the same Point A to Point B to Point C routes over and over again, creating a aerial version of more common navigational itineraries. Fly to this recognizable landmark, then fly to that landmark. The itineraries are usually committed to memory rather than put to paper lest an enemy find a copy of the itinerary and set up an ambush.
If there is already a kalazotz there, they can make a high frequency pinging noise to let other kalazotz home in on their location (this will also alert camazotz nearby, if there are any).
Communication training is mostly linguistic training. Most moon bats don't speak Common very fluently, and the guild is working to fix this, with the help of some linguistically minded humans who are themselves learning Zocatec.
Kalazotz are generally kind-hearted people, but they don't put culturally put a lot of value in formal etiquette. Most of the kalazotz messengers' clients are highborn nobles and their high officials, so the guild is also providing basic etiquette training. Due to Proclamation of Welcoming and the king's informal wishes, Fumayan nobles are expected to be lenient with minor and accidental violations of decorum but it is better to be safe than sorry.
The guild also makes sure that kalazotz have basic survival training in case they have to find food and shelter outside an officially sanctioned stop, assuming they didn't have this training already.
Commissioned kalazotz flying, grey background by Diana Rahfoth
Kalazotz do not need training on how to fly. They have been getting trained in that by their families since they were tiny pups. Kalazotz messengers have to engage in long distance flying that is above and beyond what most kalazotz are used to doing. The guild charter officially requires that members pass a test showing they have the requisite stamina for long flights, but this requirement is merely a formality since all the kalazotz in Fumaya working as messengers are young adults in their physical prime.
Kalazotz messengers need training in two crucial aspects: navigation and communication.
Type
Guild, Professional
Capital
Government System
Tribalism
Economic System
Market economy
Gazetteer
Eventually, they want to establish safe messenger flight paths between the "boot" of Fumaya and the Border Baronies Region, at least as far as Barony of Bats.
They do as of yet have the bat power or the logistics to accomplish this grand feat. For now they are limited to six ducal castles, and some of the southern county castles in Fumaya.
Location
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
Entry for Worldbuilding Summer Camp 2025
Answering: "A charity dedicated to helping those in need"
Cover image:
quill and inkwell
by
Chris Chow
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