Knights Postaller

The Knights Postaller are an order of messengers whose oath prohibits lying, and whose members are revered for their ability to detect any falsehood. Their symbol is a Pigeon (a sacred, extinct animal of the old world), and their towers can be seen all over the Skyreach mountains.

Origins

The first records of tamed flydragons came from a group of nomads externally referred to as Wandrels. The Wandrels were relied on to deliver news to the villagers and towns they visited, often using knowledge of the outside world for the purpose of trade and bartering.

One particular group of Wandrels began to grow enamored with the flydragons, who began to train them for use of flying. These nomads became known as Flying Wandrels.

The ease and utility of using flydragons became well known among other nomads, especially since newborn flydragons would imprint on the first face they saw. They made terrible pets on account of it never leaving its "parent" alone and needing lots of food and water, but they suited the Wandrel lifestyle well.

Within a few generations, taverns catering to Flying Wandrels and their flydragons began to pop up, primarily along the Skyreach mountain ranges. With the reputation of the Wandrels as bringers of far off news, settlements began to pop up near and around these taverns.

In time, the Wandrels became official messengers hired out by the taverns to deliver their news to the surrounding areas. To combat any misinformation, a Messengers Guild was established. A mythos began to grow surrounding this guild given its closed off nature to further secure the information that they monitored.

Following this, the Dark Sun Federation began to encroach on the Skyreach mountains, leading to war. As a reaction, the Knights Postaller were established as a faction within the network of Flying Wandrel taverns. Their services were used as front-line messengers and aerial forces in the fight to repel the invaders. During the war, the Knights Postaller and Flying Wandrel network took orders from the High Grove, and remained under its authority afterward.

Structure of the Order

The Order follows a hierarchical structure, with the High Grove of Woodkenners at its head. Under the command of the High Grove, Knights fill the following roles:

Institutional Practices

The Knights Postaller, like the Woodkenners, are forbidden to use any form of written language. The training of a new Knight involves the memorization of hundreds of symbols, legends, dances and songs, dubbed the mnemonic canon, which they use for memorization. Even Overseers maintain the tabu against writing.

The memorization of the mnemonic canon comprises the main requirements of aspiring knights, and mainly consists of the building of a mental construct called the Temple of Memory, which the Order believes exists outside of time and space. Knights use the Temple to store memories in their imagination, allowing for reliably near-perfect recall of messages. The temple is passed down through mental exploration exercises between squire and liege, and when the Aspirant is ready to become a Knight, his knowledge of the Temple is tested by a Steward.

The oath of truth forms the core of the Knights' power. Knights Postaller have the trust and favor of most of the common-folk simply by virtue of this one rule. Although the order is subordinate to the High Grove, the Knights actually keep the Grove in check by preventing the spread of misinformation.