News & Information

Word of mouth is still the preferred method of passing along information. Larger cities have access to printing presses and thanks to the efforts of Temple scholars, educational services are offered for free (in places where they are welcome) to teach basic skills in reading, writing and athematic to those who desire to learn. Books covering all manner of basic subjects are readily available although they can be somewhat expensive. Books dealing with advanced study, particularly arcane magic are much harder to come by - in some cases the only copies that exist are held in the Temple Observatory and cannot leave the island.   'Herald Sheets' are the equivalent of newspapers as we might know them, however depending on where they are printed and how they are obtained the scope of coverage and the level of propaganda differs greatly. These sheets are typically printed twice a month and cost a few copper coins although the print frequency and cost differs from area to area. If there are important events taking place, prints are released with increased frequency as news becomes available. Equally popular, are publications commonly called 'Screamers' and are the equivalent of tabloids and gossip reporting.   When sending messages over long distances, there are many mundane and magical methods available with prices scaled accordingly. Letters, packages, freight and bulk cargo can be posted and shipped to nearly anywhere in the known world over land, sea and if need be by air. The Guild of Heralds was created by decree of the Hierophant, during a meeting of the College of Saints in a rare moment of international cooperation. They and their post are protected by international treaty and rarely come under attack, even if the destination is within the dominion of the Republic of Pirates who consider attacking such ships honorless and is a serious violation of their own   Specially enchanted crystals can send holographic images between two points, as well as record messages for playback later. Even sound can be captured and played back. For simple things like letters, most towns and cities have Arcane Messengers who can use simple spells to transport letters and small packages to whomever the sender wishes. These services are generally very expensive and not many, save the wealthy, use the service.