Windracer

Windracers serve as the Serora herd’s transport system, and act as messengers between settlements and people.

**Please note that what makes a Windracer a Windracer is their board; a messenger without a board is not a Windracer.**

## Overview

Windracer is the most mobile job in Serora - and one of the loneliest. They are the network that connects the various Seroran settlements and small wandering bands to one another, bringing merchandise crafted by Serorans into major cities to be traded or delivered out of the country; as well as delivering vital supplies to those in need of them. They are constantly traveling, moving from place to place collecting and delivering messages and merchandise. Their mobility is made possible by their specialized, magically enhanced boards.

The duties of Windracers cover many different types of tasks, from something as basic as delivering messages between distant family members or taking a nomadic band their food rations, to far more exotic and potentially dangerous missions. Windracers may transport dignitaries - both domestic and foreign - between settlements, act as transport for soldiers on their way to combat, or as transporters of exotic goods, such as foreign familiars. Sometimes Windracers even find themselves in the role of an emergency vehicle, taking someone severely ill from a nomadic band to a major settlement for treatment. Windracers may seek to specialize to some extent, but any Windracer is expected to be available for any type of work that needs them. The Council has a roster of particularly trusted Windracers who will be called upon to deliver particularly important people or messages,  but other than that, any Windracer could essentially end up with any job that happens to come along. During elections, Windracers work in tandem with Furies to collect votes from various nomadic bands.

Windracers are generally not literate, and instead rely on a good memory and a specialized shorthand to remember messages and other important information. These shorthands may include personal substitutions, but generally follow the same set patterns used by most other Windracers and Traders. This is not a true writing system, but more a series of symbols that come together to form broad templates of a message that is dictated to them. This naturally causes some nuance to be lost in translation from sender to receiver, but many Serorans still prefer Windracer messages over written letters. Windracers also keep track of inventory given to them with this shorthand, but only on the basest of terms - generally the type of cargo, and how many boxes or sacks of each item they were given.

During times of conflict, Windracers often find themselves delivering vital intelligence from one section of the front to another, as well as orders, medical supplies and rations.

### Training

Windracer is a profession a youth may declare for at their Ceremony of the Rising Wind. A youth will then become an apprentice, traveling on their mentor’s board and learning the basics of the job, such as the shorthand, board maintenance, routes and how to treat various types of cargo. When the mentor thinks the youth is ready, generally after about a year of learning, they will be granted their own board, and travel together with their mentor. At this stage the apprentice will put their skills to the test, improve their handling of the board, and learn to face Traders and other ‘customers’ on their own. Once the mentor thinks they’ve learned enough, the youth officially becomes a Windracer, and may set off on their own. A typical apprenticeship lasts about two years. Windracers will almost never take more than one apprentice at a time.

### Routes and Assignment

Windracers fall broadly into two categories - roamers and those that patrol along predetermined routes. Most Windracers change things up at least occasionally, but typically the roaming Windracers tend to be younger, while patrol circuits are held by more experienced Windracers who might have families or other responsibilities besides their job, and benefit from a more predictable way of living.

They don’t have any formal assignments, and may choose to switch up their routes (or lack thereof) at any time, although they are expected to always be either working, or traveling from job to job. Settlements and nomadic bands will use word of mouth to advertise their need of a Windracer, and some have trusted Windracers who return to them on a more or less set schedule. The government may commandeer Windracers as needed to do official government business, such as distributing food rations or collecting votes.

The basic routes run from the ports to Osulas and Alhaj, Alhaj to Osulas, as well as along the Niurros river where many nomadic farmers make their livelihoods. The routes are not marked, and each Windracer will have their own slight variations of any given route. Still, they are somewhat predictable. The oldest and most major routes between Osulas and the ports have established resting spots to mark a day’s travel - these vary from small settlements to tiny taverns, each with a depot to leave deliveries at. Windracers who act as couriers on routes might do all the different routes, or specialize in a few - or even just one. They essentially deliver from location to location, and mostly deal in government messages and large basic cargo, such as crafts and food items.

The nomadic nature of the herd poses challenges for the Windracers - after all, it’s pretty hard to deliver things if you don’t know where the recipient is. The roaming Windracers will often pick up deliveries that the Windracers on routes leave at the various depos, or they will be sent from a settlement to find a specific person or band. They will often take up several deliveries that are expected to go to the same general area, and swap cargoes with other Windracers as necessary. It is not uncommon for a single parcel to pass through many hooves before reaching its ultimate destination.

Roaming Windracers will also pick up goods and messages from the more scattered bands, and deliver them back to ‘civilization’ as needed.

## Windracer Boards

Windracer boards vary in size and shape depending on intended purpose as well as personal preference of the owner. In general shape, windboards resemble sailing ships, as they have sails, are always much longer than they are wide, and are controlled with a rudder-type contraption. Some are nearly flat outside their sails, while others more literally resemble a boat, having clear borders and more of a rounded bottom. Windracing boards are usually constructed of wood with either linen or cotton sails. Some boards are made of metal, and most heavy-duty boards have metal reinforcements, even if otherwise made of wood.

Some boards are sleek and small, intended to maximize speed to allow for one rider to quickly deliver messages or small cargo across vast distances. Most boards are somewhat larger and broader, with several sails, and can transport either a few passengers or a good amount of basic cargo. The largest windboards are fairly unwieldy and slow, and generally only brought out for particularly large deliveries, or for transporting a large amount of people at once. No windboard has been built wider than 17 feet.

The boards themselves are imbued with density control, allowing them to skim across the ground with little friction. The boards do not fly high above the ground, although the lighter models can perform jumps and hoops. The boards need winds to move, but their imbuements allow them to be flown even in the lightest winds. Some experimental boards utilize air manipulation together with density control, but current prototypes are still somewhat unsafe to handle.

Every Windracer will own their own personal board that reflects their preferred way of working. A board is often almost like an extension of its owner, and usually comes heavily customized with decorations, charms, good-luck-talismans and the like. In addition to the personally owned boards, larger settlements will have boards available for Windracers to use as needed.

Windracer apprentices will often utilize loan-boards before their own personal board is finished, but they may also choose to keep the board they were lent, should they take a liking to it.

## Rank Rewards

* **At 25 AP |** While you don't surf the waves, a storm can be just as devastating on the sands as on the ocean. You may receive **a Tier 1 Talent** early (first talent only).
* **At 50 AP |** There are many tools out there that can make your journeys easier. Receive a **Lantern** and a **Small Contraption** to help you on your way.
* **At 75 AP |** Often it's a split second movement that can mean the difference in a wild wind. Receive **15 SP** to your **Speed** so your reflexes can keep up with the whims of nature.
* **At 100 AP |** It can be lonely out there on the sands. Take a friend that can keep up with you! If your familiar slot is open, receive a **Level 1 Seroran familiar** for free.