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--- arla_town_courier_station [2025/08/26 07:24] – [Building Structure] admin
+++ arla_town_courier_station [2025/08/27 06:14] (current) – [Services and Prices] admin
@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
   * **Surroundings:** Next to the [[arla_town_market|Arla Town Market]], within sight of the [[poseidon_inn|Poseidon Inn]] ruins
-Established in September 2626, the Arla Town Courier Station served as the primary hub for postal, parcel, and message dispatch in the lakeside settlement. Operated under the authority of the [[free_state_of_settlers|Free State of Settlers]], it linked Arla’s fishing families and businesses to [[new_kourou|New Kourou]] and other towns of the [[asari|Asari Region]]. Before the [[great_war|Great War]], the station’s red-painted shutters and steady beat of messengers embodied the rhythm of community life.
+Established in September 2626, the Arla Town Courier Station served as the settlement’s logistical lifeline. Operated under the [[free_state_of_settlers|Free State of Settlers]] and linked with the [[new_kourou_courier_service|New Kourou Courier Service]], it connected Arla’s fishing economy to [[new_kourou|New Kourou]].
-The Courier Station was destroyed along with all other buildings of [[arla_town|Arla Town]] during the Native raid by the [[the_trando|Trando Tribe]] during the War, leaving only scattered beams and rusting courier insignia as reminders of its role.
+Unlike all other courier stations of the Free State, Arla’s hub was never connected to the paved [[trade_route|ExoHuman Trade Route]]. It relied solely on a rough and unpaved track to New Kourou, making every journey back and forth arduous and dangerous. Despite its isolation, the station was vital for Arla’s supply of goods, mail, and necessities.
+The Courier Station was destroyed along with all other buildings of [[arla_town|Arla Town]] during the Great War, when the [[alliance_of_native_tribes|Alliance of Native Tribes]] razed the town. Today, only overgrown ruins and rusting insignia remain — a cautionary tale of frontier ambition.
 ===== Architectural Significance =====
-  * **Construction Materials:** Built from salvaged shuttle panels with timber framing
+  * **Construction Material:** Timber frame reinforced with local stone
-  * **Floors:** Single-storey office with loft storage
+  * **Floors:** 2 (+ small basement)
-  * **Design:** Compact, red-shuttered façade with a raised delivery counter and side loading dock
+  * **Roof & Roofline:** Short-Wave Antenna (for the [[shortwave_radio_network_of_the_exohumans|ExoHuman Shortwave Network]]); wooden signage “Arla Courier Station” above entrance
+  * **Design Purpose:** Simpler and smaller than other hubs; designed to handle fish crates and supply carts, not large-scale trade caravans
 ===== Building Structure =====
-===== Building Structure =====
+**Basement (rear access ramp):**
-**Basement (accessed via rear ramp):**
+  * **Maintenance Workshop:** Tools for wagon wheels and [[hoos|Hoo]] harness repair
+  * **Storage Vault:** Damp-resistant lockers for smoked fish, herbs, and perishable supplies
-  * **Maintenance Workshop:** Basic tool bays for wagon wheel and [[hoos|Hoo]] harness repairs
+**Ground Floor – Arrival & Postal Hall:**
-  * **Storage Vault:** Climate-controlled lockers for high-value cargo awaiting transfer
-**Ground Floor – Arrival & Departure Hall: **
+  * **Delivery Bay:** Sliding doors for carts; fish crates offloaded to Sorting Bay
+  * **Postal Office:** Counter for letters and parcels; pigeonhole racks; small strongbox; hatch to drone alcove
+  * **Passenger Waiting Area:** Rough benches, water trough, small notice board
+  * **Public Restrooms:** Two gender-neutral stalls with [[aurorasan_system|AuroraSan System]]
+  * **External Hoo Stable:** Simple corral for mounts used on the rough track
+  * **Yard:** Small forecourt where carts queued for the trip to New Kourou
-  * **Delivery Bay:** Wide bay doors for incoming wagons; conveyor rollers to move cargo to sorting tables
+**Second Floor – Administration & Offices:**
-  * **Passenger Waiting Area:** Wooden benches, hydration trough, and basic timetable board
-  * **Public Restrooms:** Two gender-neutral stalls featuring the [[aurorasan_system|AuroraSan System]]
-  * **External Hoo Stable:** Covered corral with feeding stations for courier mounts
-  * **Arrival & Departure Yard:** A roofed, open-sided forecourt where incoming convoys were unloaded and outbound carts were packed and queued.
-    - **Unloading Bays:** Clerks and porters inventoried goods as soon as carts rolled in, then moved cargo by hand-truck or grav-sled to the basement lift.
-    - **Loading Lanes:** Fresh carts were lined up, tagged, and loaded for their next leg — whether a short hop to a nearby reservation or the multi-day haul to Firetown.
-    - **Passenger Platform:** A raised wooden deck with a step-stool ramp where travelers boarded passenger carts once the animals were watered and harnesses checked.
-**Second Floor – Administration & Offices: **
+  * **Station Manager’s Office:** Desk, route map of the unpaved track, shortwave desk unit
+  * **Clerks’ Office (1–2):** Manifests, fee ledgers, postal records
+  * **Meeting Room:** Briefing space for Cart Guides and Free State officials
+  * **Staff Restroom:** One AuroraSan stall
-  * **Station Manager’s Office:** Desk, route maps, Desktop Shortwave Transceiver ( A stationary “Desktop Edition” console with extended power reserves for group communication with other Courier Stations across the ExoHuman [[shortwave_radio_network_of_the_exohumans|Shortwave Radio Network]].
+===== Postal Services =====
-  * **Clerks’ Offices (2):** Manifest processing, payment counters, reservation ledgers
-  * **Meeting Room:** Briefing space for Cart Guides and visiting Trade Guild or Agency officials
-  * **Staff Restrooms:** Two gender-neutral stalls with [[aurorasan_system|AuroraSan]] fixtures
+Run through the small Postal Office:
-===== Roles and Responsibilities =====
+  * **Letter Dispatch:** Bundled for caravan runs to New Kourou (2–3 days).
+  * **Parcel Post:** Small crates of goods weighed, tagged, and stored in basement vault until departure.
+  * **Courier Drones:** Short-range dispatches (≤ 2 kg) to nearby hamlets and fishing huts (≤ 10 km radius).
+  * **Public Notice Board:** Pinned in waiting area; free for personal notes, 1 K for trade postings.
-**Human Oversight**
+===== Look and Feel =====
-  * **Regional Courier Officer (ExoHuman, off-site):** Audited transaction logs, set tariffs, and ensured compliance with Free State courier regulations
+The station was rustic and always smelled of fish smoke and damp timber. Floors creaked under boots, crates of herbs and fish stacked high against the walls. Settlers queued with parcels and letters at the cramped postal counter, while Cart Guides shouted over the noise of Hoos stamping in the muddy yard.
-**Automated Staff**
+The notice board bore tattered notes — missing nets, lost family, or barter offers for dried herbs. Lantern light flickered against warped wooden beams, and the rumble of departing carts echoed down the rough track toward New Kourou.
-  * **[[butler_bots|Butler Bot]] – Front Desk (1):** Registered letters and parcels, issued receipts, collected payments
+===== Roles and Responsibilities =====
-  * **[[maintenance_bots|Maintenance Bot]] – Sorting (1):** Categorised and packed items for outbound delivery
-  * **[[cleaning_bots|Cleaning Bot]] (1):** Kept the counter, sorting room, and dockside steps clean
+  * **Station Manager (1):** Coordinated trips to New Kourou, managed staff
+  * **Administrative Clerks (1–2):** Logged consignments, processed payments, scheduled carts
+  * **Postal Officer (1):** Logged letters/parcels, supervised drones, maintained notice board
+  * **Cart Guides (Variable):** Escorted carts on the rough track
+  * **Stable Hand (1):** Fed Hoos, repaired tack and harness
+**Non-Human Staff**
+  * **Maintenance Bot (1):** [[maintenance_bots|Maintenance Bot]] repaired carts and fittings
+  * **Cleaning Bot (1):** [[cleaning_bots|Cleaning Bot]] swept and sanitized rooms
+  * **Guarding Bot (1):** [[guarding_bots|Guarding Bot]] stationed at entrance
+  * **Courier Drones (2–3):** [[courier_drones|Courier Drones]] for local dispatches
 ===== Public Access & Operations =====
-  * **Hours of Operation:** 07:00–18:00 daily
+  * **Public Access:** Open to settlers in waiting area, postal counter, and yard
-  * **Delivery Schedule:** Outgoing parcels dispatched twice daily, at noon and late afternoon
+  * **Operating Hours:** Mon–Sat: 06:00–20:00
-  * **Express Handling:** Urgent dispatches logged immediately, prioritised over standard parcels
+  * **Operational Rhythm:** Morning — departures to New Kourou; evening — arrivals with supplies; postal drone runs twice daily
 ===== Security Measures =====
-  * **[[guarding_troopers|Guarding Troopers]] Patrol:** Perimeter foot beat every two hours
+  * **Guarding Bot Patrol:** Armed with [[guarding_troopers_stun_gun|Stun Gun]]
-  * **Lockbox Safe:** Reinforced chest for high-value parcels stored behind the counter
+  * **Manual Logs:** All arrivals recorded in handwritten manifests
-  * **Dispute Bell:** Mounted beside the front door, summoning nearby troopers in case of theft or fraud
+  * **Cargo Checks:** Clerks verified loads before dispatch
+===== Services and Prices =====
+Set locally by Free State clerks; less formal than Trade Guild rates.
+| **Category**            | **Service**                          | **Description**                                                   | **Price (in [[kourou|Kourou]])** | **Notes** |
+|-------------------------|--------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|-----------|
+| Passenger Transport     | Passenger Fare – [[new_kourou_courier_station|New Kourou]] | Seat on a Hoos-drawn cart between Arla and New Kourou              | 12 K                             | 1 to 1,5 days, dangerous track |
+| Cargo Transport         | Consignment (small)                  | ≤ 25 kg of goods (fish, herbs)                                    | 15 K                             | Higher risk of loss |
+| Cargo Transport         | Consignment (large)                  | ≤ 100 kg crate                                                    | 30 K                             | Prone to raid/road hazards |
+| Postal / Communication  | Letter Dispatch                      | Folded fiber-paper letter                                         | 2 K                              | Sent with cart run |
+| Postal / Communication  | Parcel Post (small)                  | Package or small crate (≤ 5 kg)                                   | 5 K                              | Stored in basement |
+| Postal / Communication  | Parcel Post (medium)                 | Wooden crate (≤ 25 kg)                                            | 12 K                             | Tagged and locked |
+| Postal / Communication  | Courier Drone Delivery               | ≤ 2 kg to hamlets/huts (≤ 10 km radius)                           | 6 K                              | Weather-dependent |
+| Postal / Communication  | Public Notice Board (free)           | Personal/community postings                                       | Free                             | Waiting area |
+| Postal / Communication  | Public Notice Board (paid)           | Trade offers, commercial postings                                 | 1 K                              | Weekly refresh |
 ===== Player Interaction Possibilities =====
-**Legal**
+==== Legal Interactions ====
-  * Send or receive letters, parcels, and express slips using [[kourou|Kourou]]
+  * Book passage on cart to New Kourou
-  * Commission special courier runs for the market or private business
+  * Check in fish/herb consignments for shipment
-  * Scan the public notice board for jobs, missing persons, or rumors
+  * Submit letter or parcel at Postal Office
+  * Escort wagon convoy as Cart Guide
+  * Read or post notices in waiting hall
-**Illegal**
+==== Illegal Interactions ====
-  * Tamper with sealed parcels while unattended
+  * Smuggle contraband within fish crates
-  * Forge dispatch slips to reroute deliveries
+  * Bribe clerks for false records
-  * Bribe staff to “lose” a parcel in transit
+  * Sabotage rival shipments before departure
+  * Steal from unattended consignments in vault
 ===== Tactical Advice for Dungeon Masters =====
-The Arla Town Courier Station is a hub of intrigue, where every package might conceal more than dried fish or market orders. A misplaced letter could spark a feud, or an intercepted parcel might contain evidence of smuggling. Use its sorting room and dockside yard as staging grounds for tense encounters.
+The Arla Courier Station provides a rustic but tense stage:
-==== Adventure Hooks – Beta Age ====
+  * **The Silver Crate** — A crate of fish bound for New Kourou rattles oddly. The Postal Officer insists it’s just poorly packed, but the Guarding Bot disagrees. As clerks argue, the shortwave console sparks: “SECURITY BREACH — DEVICE DETECTED.” A blast shakes the timber walls. PCs must investigate: was it sabotage by rivals, or the first move of the [[the_trando|Trando Tribe]] raid?
-  * **“The Missing Shipment” –** A registered parcel bound for New Kourou vanishes from the station’s storage loft. Players are asked to track it down, uncovering whether it was stolen, tampered with, or simply misrouted in Arla Town’s chaotic dockside bustle.
 ===== Related Pages and Further Information =====
-  * [[arla_town|Arla Town]]
-  * [[arla_town_market|Arla Town Market]]
-  * [[poseidon_inn|Poseidon Inn]]
-  * [[funkenberg_fish_factory|Funkenberg Fish Factory]]
-  * [[weber_communication_company|Weber Communication Company]]
-  * [[service_bots|Service Bots]]
-  * [[great_war|Great War]]
   * [[beta_age|Beta Age]]
+  * [[free_state_of_settlers|Free State of Settlers]]
+  * [[arla_town|Arla Town]]
+  * [[new_kourou_courier_service|New Kourou Courier Service]]
+  * [[hoos|Hoos]]
+  * [[courier_drones|Courier Drones]]
+  * [[free_state_courier_riders|Free State Courier Riders]]
+**Courier Stations within the Free State of Settlers:**
+  * [[new_kourou_courier_station|New Kourou Courier Station]]
+  * [[Firetown Courier Station|Firetown Courier Station]]
+  * [[Hope Region Courier Station|Hope Region Courier Station]]
+  * [[Morningstar Courier Station|Morningstar Courier Station]]
+  * [[arla_town_courier_station|Arla Town Courier Station]] (not connected to the [[trade_route|Trade Route]])