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=== Races | Economy | Buildings & Organizations ===

====== REFILL & MAINTENANCE COURIERS (FRONTIER SUPPLY COMPANY) ======

===== Overview =====

The Refill & Maintenance Couriers were the field spine of the [[frontier_supply_company|Frontier Supply Company]] during the [[beta_age|Beta Age]]. Riding sturdy [[hoos|Hoos]] across the [[free_state_of_settlers|Free State of Settlers]], they restocked the [[frontier_quickdraw_network|Frontier Quickdraw Network]]’s purely mechanical vending machines, fine‑tuned springs and chutes on-site, logged sales and jams in grease-stained ledgers, and hauled back empty refill crates. 

When [[communardism|Communardist]] nationalisation followed the 2631 [[peace_treaty|Peace Treaty]], most were folded (grudgingly or pragmatically) into the [[federal_allotment_agency|Federal Allotment Agency]]’s distribution corps or reassigned as riders in the [[federal_courier_service|Federal Courier Service]].


===== Key Features of the Refill & Maintenance Couriers =====

  * **Company Riders, Not Freelancers:** Unlike the [[free_state_courier_riders|Free State Courier Riders]], these couriers were on FSC payroll—scheduled routes, company tools, company ledgers.
  * **On‑Site Refills:** Couriers brought sealed refill crates and sachet bundles, swapped them in the field, and adjusted trigger tension with pocket torque keys.
  * **Mechanics On the Move:** Each rider carried a roll of springs, ratchets, chute flaps, seal stamps, and a mini hand-crank tester. Minor jams and misalignments were fixed on the spot.
  * **Hoos-Mounted Logistics:** Hoos handled rough terrain and heavy panniers. Refill crates dangled in balanced saddlebags; damaged parts rode lashed under the tail rack.
  * **Arms and Equipment:** All riders carried weapons for protection, including [[ironstrike_slingshot|Ironstrike Slingshots]] from the [[forge_of_atrana|Forge of Atrana]], Knives for close combat and utility. This ensured their safety on hazardous routes often threatened by wildlife or hostile forces.
  * **Field Ledgers & Seal Tags:** Every dispense counter reading, jam incident, and crate swap was inked into field ledgers. Seal stamps matched HQ stencils to prevent swap fraud.
  * **Security Keys & Notch Pins:** Riders carried master lock keys and rotating notch pins to re‑pin coin/token escapements if a counterfeit surge was reported.




===== Clothing & Kit by Region =====

==== Asari Region (perpetual twilight, damp chill): ====

Riders wear charcoal oilskin dusters with hand‑stitched reflective bead stripes along the seams so stewards can spot them at a distance. A canvas hood with a narrow slit visor (lined in felt) pulls over greased‑glass goggles — plain glass plates rubbed with soap/fat to keep fog at bay. Fingerless torque-gloves (flip‑down mitten caps when it gets cold) let them tweak springs without freezing their fingers. Knee‑high hoos‑hide boots, waxed against mud, and a cross‑chest tool bandolier complete the look.

==== Ralar Region (perpetual darkness, ice-cold Dark Side): ====

Layered wool and <Hoos‑fur parkas bulk them out — cream or rust colored, bound with bone toggles. A fur‑rimmed hood carries a slit mask and a hood lamp clipped above the brow. Tool rolls are wrapped in felt and tucked inside the parka to keep metal from snapping brittle. Thick mitts with cut-away finger tips (buttoned back when working) and spiked crampon straps over the boots handle ice. Strips of tritium paint or glow‑resin beads are sewn into hems so a partner can see them in the dark.

(Every rider had a “swap bundle” at HQ to re-kit before heading into another region.)

===== Role in the Supply Chain =====

  * **Weekly (or Sooner) Refill Loops:** High-traffic markets got mid-week top-ups; remote outposts saw a weekly sweep.
  * **Jam Triage & Field Fixes:** Minor repair? Fix it. Major damage? Tag it, log it, and schedule a haul-out.
  * **Token/Notch Management:** Swapped notch patterns to cancel stolen “infinite-use” tokens; pulled suspect coins for audit.
  * **Ledger Return:** Daily handoff of ledgers and empty crates at Dispatch; anomalies triggered internal checks.

===== Life on the Route =====

  * **Saddle & Steel:** Most hours were spent riding through dim or black landscapes, panniers clanking. Nights (whenever the shift clock said so) were in 3B hostels, machine alcoves, or under tarps beside a steaming Hoos.
  * **Routine Surprises:** Every lever could hide a surprise — sand-jammed chutes, pried lockplates, or a note from a grateful settler. Some riders stashed emergency mini-crates under kiosk steps for storm weeks.
  * **Pride over Pay:** The credits were okay; the satisfaction of “keeping the levers alive” was better.
===== Camaraderie and Challenges =====

  * **Tight Crew, Tight Lips:** The eight core riders at HQ were a small, tight clique — sharing route tips, spare springs, and the occasional contraband schnapps.
  * **Rivalry with Freelancers:** Friendly (and sometimes not-so-friendly) rivalry simmered with Free State Courier Riders — who called them “company mules,” while FSC riders shot back with “tender-chasers.”
  * **Black-Market Temptation:** Access to stock and keys attracted shady offers. Most said no; a few didn’t. Internal sting ops weren’t unheard of.
  * **War & Weather:** Storms, raiders, and the looming [[great_war|Great War]] lines made remote refills dicey. Riders learned to move fast and quiet.

===== Tactical Advice for Dungeon Masters =====

Refill & Maintenance Couriers are perfect for hands-on logistics drama and sabotage mysteries:

==== Adventure Hook Example: ====
 
  * **Poisoned Bottle Blackmail:** [[talia_quickshot_maren|Talia "Quickshot" Maren]], founder of the [[frontier_supply_company|Frontier Supply Company]], is in full panic mode. She just got a ransom note demanding 10.000 [[Kourou|Kourou]] by next Friday — or more [[frontier_quickdraw_network|Quickdraw]] goods will turn lethal. One water bottle’s already been tainted, and every vending‑machine staple could be next: the [[starshine_schnapps|Starshine Schnaps]], [[chew_meat_strips|Chew Meat Strips]], even the [[emergency_space_nutrition-pack|Emergency Space Nutrition Packs]] and [[dry_shampoo_and_soap_kit|Dry Shampoo & Soap Kits]].Talia hires the PC to Intercept the poisoned bottle before it reaches a customer, trace the breach in her supply chain and to unmask the saboteur …
===== Related Pages and Further Information =====

  * [[beta_age|Beta Age]]
  * [[the_gamma_age|Gamma Age]]
  * [[free_state_of_settlers|Free State of Settlers]]
  * [[federal_confederation| Federal Confederation]]
  * [[New Kourou|New Kourou]]
  * [[free_state_courier_riders|Free State Courier Riders]]
  * [[frontier_supply_company|Frontier Supply Company]] (Beta Age)
  * [[frontier_quickdraw_network|Frontier Quickdraw Network]] (Beta Age)
  * [[federal_courier_service|Federal Courier Service]] (Gamma Age)