Ilpatzid Simmuntz Pikkun

General introduction

The Sanad Kankunz Takori use a most unusual way of communication. They have domesticated and trained Ilpatzi, a small fur reptile native to parts of the Eastern Erana Cave-tinent (EECT) to carry boxes or sheaths to transport very small goods or writings. The Ilpatzi are well known for their great orientation skills and their abilities to find small viable tunnels also far away from main passageways, so they can travel and transport most effectively.

History and Organisation

Kubolen all across Samthô have a need to find good ways to communicate, as they mostly live underground in more or less complex cave systems. The Sanad Kankunz Takori have found the Ilpatzi to be an easy to tame animal with a variety of useful qualities. Much like carrier pigeons they have a superb sense of orientation and can be sent to specific places or indviduals, given they have been trained well. The Ilpatzi are in use for over 3000 years now, since the time the Sanad Kankunz Takori first discovered the species.

At first the Ilpatzi were kept by private individuals to carry around smaller goods and objects. But their general usefulness and efficiency was soon discovered. The royal family started to monopolise the breeding and employment of Ilpatzi and only hand the rights to train them for communication to a select few. Special breeds of Ilpatzi were developped, some to serve as a food source, some for transport, some for communication and even some as pets.

The term Ilpatzid Simmun Pikkun translated roughly to 'herd of the news-bearing two-teeth'. It is a collective term for all Ilpatzi that come out of training of the aforementioned breeder and trainer families. Fully trained Simmuntz Ilpatzi (news-bearing Ilpatzi) are transferred to Simmunad Eki (post-houses or news stations), where customers could give up their letters or small items and have an Ilpatzi running them for them.

Use

Use of the Simunad Eki is public, but costs a fee. The special feature of this method of transport is, that beings with the Gift of Reason are hardly involved in transport and delivery. Thus the Ilpatzi must be especially prepared for their rspective trips. In fact they have a very keen sense of smell and that is, what the Sanad Kankunz Takori take advantage of: Someone who wants to send letter to another person, has to carry something with that persons smell. The object is then used to prime the Ilpatzi on that persons smell. When that is done, a small box or sheath is fixed to the Ilpatzis belly and it is let loose. The Ilpatzi will try to find the person as soon as possible and thus the object is delivered.

Everyone who is sent something by the Ilpatzid Simmuntz Pikkun knows, that after delivery, the Ilpatzi is to be given a treat, either pickled ranya turnips or smoked koksan mushrooms. They have been trained to return to their Simunad Eki after receiving the treat. Should the adressee not feed the Ilpatzi, they get somewhat annoying. Not feeding the Ilpatzi is seen as despicable, so people receiving a shipment tend to get treats right away to release the Ilpatzi again.