Sending Stone Network
The Sending Stone Network is an ancient multi-national guild which operates across all of Perradin. Sending stones, a Didacy invention during the War of the Starfall, were a proprietary magical object of the organization for millenia. The concept of a stationary network was initially conceived by Didacy inventor Klaus Bennet in 4752. Breaking away from The Didacy, he began sharing the secrets of their creation with independent artificers, as well as his plans to establish a network, after which several independent offices sprung up, all operating their own small networks. The concept's adoption was widely accepted across southern Sinderlan by Bennet's death in 4790. The Didacian Consulate, seeing the opportunity in the project, heavily invested in its centralization.
After several decades, a small but consistent network was established across the Consulate. Eventually, after treaties with The Final Kingdom and several communities established by the Hrim Expedition, Sinderlan was united by a rough sending stone network that only grew. In 6437, Warforged 2 negotiated the Treaty of Bigton with the largest economic alliance in the Free Cities, the Bigton League. With the treaty's adoption, the network was officially decentralized from all governments and began establishing offices in the Free Cities of Pillarin. Today, the network is a complex and expanding web of two-way connections, meeting in great sending stone hubs that allows quick and effective communication across vast distances at a premium price.
Origins
Sending stones, having been created by the Didacy during the War of the Starfall, were considered proprietary by The Didacy after the war. Their refusal to share the magical technology with the rest of Sinderlan, and even the burgeoning Consulate that formed in the 35th century, was viewed as a tremendous waste of potential. In the 48th century, a Didacy professor and inventor named Klaus Bennet proposed the Didacy establish a regional, and perhaps global, communications network with the power of the stones. He proposed that the stones could open up trade and official relations with the Free Cities of Pillarin which residents of Sinderlan rarely participated in at that time. His proposal was rejected by Didact Vedori II and Bennet left the Didacy.The Sinderlan Connection
Unbeknownst to the Didacy, Bennet brought with him records of the technique to create sending stones. He began spreading the information to artificers he encountered throughout the Consulate, which they used to create their own stones for personal use. Some artificers listened to Bennet's ideas for a network and began establishing small networks across the isles charging exorbitant rates. While the small networks were incredibly limited in scope, the convenience brought customers in droves. In 4790, Bennet passed away, which many speculated as an assassination by the Didacy, only further worsening relations between the Consulate and Didacy. After the assassination, the Consulate invested in the Rockbuster Stone Network out of Obsidian, making them the official network of the Consulate. This act put most coopetitor networks out of business. In the 4800s, the Consulate signed several treaties with the Kingdom, all its Duchies, and settlements in the Greysky Peninsula to expand the Rockbuster Stone Network, renaming it the Sinderlan Connection. Their services became centered around sending pre-written messages verbally rather than live connection. This established offices in each Duchy's capital, as well as three central hubs to coordinate complex and extremely expensive long range live connections. The network expanded to many more cities and towns over the next two millennia, becoming more complex and politically contentious as the three regions vied for power over the Sinderland Connection.Modern Sending Stone Network
As the years continued, various Free Cities in Pillarin expressed interest in connecting to the Sinderlan Connection, as well as the burgeoning teleportation circle network. Several pilot programs were attempted by the Consulate government to establish offices in Cord Ea Turin, but rates were extremely high due to their isolated nature and lack of priority. In 6837, Senior Consul Warforged 2 deduced the easiest way to make a network viable was to establish dozens of offices simultaneously, but due to the Free Cities' lack of centralized governments on Pillarin's western coast, such a venture would likely bankrupt the Sinderlan Connection. Warforged 2 then traveled to the inland city of Bigton, seat of the Bigton League, where he negotiated and signed the Treaty of Bigton. The treaty officially severed the Sinderlan Connection from all government bodies to act as an international public service organization. While funding would come from all areas with a network office, the organization would swear to uphold secrecy and discretion when communicating messages between parties. A governing body was created, with a representative from each nation or region of service, known as The Stone Circle. Even in times of war, the Stone Circle was sworn to keep the network running free of bias. The treaty also created a sister organization was also created for the Teleportation Circle Network. After the treaty went into effect, the Bigton League footed the bill of establishing offices in every member city. After the successful implementation, the network quadrupled in size by expanding to non-Bigton League cities, connecting most Free Cities together within a century. Massive hub offices opened, each continent containing no less than a dozen. Offices were later negotiated to be established in Lorthr'ten by the Stone Circle in the late 7700s after centuries of disinterest from the Tribes. Presently, the Network is present on all continents and unifies all major cities. Internal policy dictates that all written messages be retained by the Network for 10 years, counting as official legal documents used to prove communication. Landlords and corporations from the Consulate and Free Cities are known to avoid using the Network to circumvent court ruling out of their favor in legal disputes with poorer citizens. The Harwick Trade Company eventually established its own network of sending stones between its corporate offices in the Free Cities and its company towns in Plentius. By law, the Harwick network was required to be connected to the main network. However, Harwick charges exorbitant rates for out of network calls, but guarantees faster letter services and more readily available live-voice calls.
"Strive for connection."
Founding Date
4800s (origins)
6437 (current form)
6437 (current form)
Type
Corporation, Telecommunication
Ruling Organization
Founders
Comments