Swiftwell Courier Service

The Swiftwell Courier Service was founded by Coriander Swiftwell and is based out of the town of Thornvale.

Corainder Swiftwell is the current head of the Courier Service and the first Captain of the Yellow Audron.

## The Audrons

There are four Audrons employed by the Swiftwell Courier Service. Each Audron gives their apprentices a jacket in the respective colour of the Audron to be customized as they please. Each of the Audrons has a classroom where the basics are taught; reading, writing, knots, etc.

### The Yellow Audron

The Yellow Audron was the first Audron to be built. The Yellow Audron is the only ship that is outfitted with cannons and is referred to as the battle Audron. The ship has crossed paths with the Red Feather Syndicate, the Tempest Armada, and corsairs.

The Captain of the Yellow Audron looks for apprentices who can or are willing to fight but know that a fight won't solve every problem and use force as a last resort. The Yellow Audron apprentices are described as brave and competitive.

First Captain: Coriander Swiftwell (he/him)

Current Captain: Allegria Cantacle (sp?) (she/her)

### The Red Audron

The Red Audron set to the skies just one year after the Yellow Audron and focuses on more remote locations. The first route the ship undertook employed thirteen griffin birds - this inspired the use of griffins on other Audrons as they give you more maneuverability than a ship. The Red Audron is known for it's expertise in training and keeping birds. The apprentices are given a well rounded education aboard the ship and Captain Jagermond said the crew would be "not a single chord but a harmony."

The Captain looks for apprentices that are hungry for the thrill of adventure and who have hearts as big as the sky.

First Captain: Adrien Jagermond (sp?)

Current Captain: Silas Dennison (sp?) (he/him)

### The Black Audron

The Black Audron was completed nearly 3 years to the day of the Red Audrons completion. The Black Audron fulfills requests of arcane natures and transports magical items and concoctions. It has a balanced focus on both magical locations with no people and regular towns.

The Captain looks for apprentices that are conscientious around magic as well as having an innate kindness to them.

First Captain: Shantila Segal (sp?)

Current Captain: Molden Foxskull (he/they)

### The Grey Audron

A year into the construction of the Black Audron, the Swiftwell Courier Service was hired to carry out an intelligence mission; a mission that cost one person their life. This made Coriander Swiftwell nervous about the Grey Audron project, but it was deemed necessary in the end. The Grey Audron gathers information for more than just the Courier Service, like the service desk at Burza Nyth. Most of this information is acquired through trickery. The ship is full of games of chance and skill that you might not even know you are a part of until it's already over.

The Captain was the first outsider hired to captain a ship and was not the first choice of Coriander Swiftwell due to their age of 27.

The apprentices tend to be unassuming, blend into crowds, and not recognize their own potential.

The Captain: Wilthem Nott (sp?) (they/them)

## The Ranks of the Swiftwell Courier Service

Within the Swiftwell Courier Service there are several different ranks you have to ascend to become an All Courier.

### Novice

The first rank. The usual age range for novices is 5-14. You can identify a novice by their blue caps and silver pins; as well as the white feathers that are used to mark achievements. Novices run tasks around the town of Thornvale.

### Apprentice

Apprentices are the students of the Courier Service. They're assigned to an Audron during a ceremony as part of Thornvale's Novice Faire, and are meant to do anything and everything aboard their ship.

### Adept

An Audron Captain might suggest this rank for an apprentice after a few weeks aboard. To become an adept, an apprentice has to compete in the Apprentice Trial Games held 6 months after the apprentices have boarded the ship. If you fail the games, you can be sent to a different Audron to continue your training and try again.

Adepts are given two choices for their career track: The first is to remain in Thornvale or be sent off to a post office in a major city to become a local or solo courier. The second track is to remain on the Audron and become an Audron Adept.

Audron Adepts are tasked with wrangling the apprentices as well as other tasks.

### Initiate All Courier

If you pass your second Trial Games you can become an Initiate All Courier. They have all the tasks of an All Courier and are always paired with an All Courier. The time spent in this rank varies from 1 to 2 years and is completed with an Initiate Trial placed on them by their Mentor. If they pass the trial they are interviewed to guarantee that they're prepared for the job. If they aren't they are reassigned to a different All Courier and have to repeat the process over. If they do pass they are made All Couriers.

### All Courier

An All Courier is free to do as they please within the established rules of the Swiftwell Courier Service. They can become a Captian of a ship, a Starwatcher, a Quartermaster, or they could travel far and wide on the back of a bird.

## References

1. ↑ Tales from Thornvale: The Yellow Audron
2. ↑ Tales from Thornvale: The Red Audron
3. ↑ Tales from Thornvale: The Black Audron
4. ↑ Tales from Thornvale: The Grey Audron
5. ↑ Tales from Thornvale: The Ranks of the Swiftwell Courier Service!