Messenger Aviary

The keystone locations that link together the Bird Messenger Network Messenger Aviaries house the various messenger animals that link together the communication networks of The Thirteen Kingdoms.

Purpose / Function

Aviaries hold the various types of birds and airborne reptiles/mammals that are used to carry messages across Altwaus. A cluster of scattered networks that span from one corner of the continent to the next, a single aviary can carry hundreds of birds - each of which is tied to a different location and purpose. 
In the event a message needs to be sent or forwarded, the message is given to the corresponding bird (usually inserted into a small pouch on the animals underside or leg) before releasing the bird.

Architecture

Aviaries are nearly always at the highest location reasonably available for them, often-times with entire towers dedicated to their housing and support. In rural and wilderness locations the aviaries are instead located on the sides of cliffs of mountains or atop great hills. 
The elevation offers a safe location for the birds to easily locate in their flights, and any difficulty in accessing the aviary by sapient species is offset by the protection the elevation offers the structure's inhabitants.

Defenses

Predator fauna is of particular concern to the caretakers of the aviary, as the abundance of roosting animals can attract airborne predators looking for an easy meal. 
To combat this, aviarys relay on light crossbows and keen-eyed marksmen to protect the tower itself, while larger trained predator birds are often retained by the aviary and used to chase off would be predators that lurk outside the range of a crossbow bolt.

History

The aviary network has existed at some level since the early days of Alvain society, and was expanded into other species with the introduction of Kinderstärke and Satyr communities into the network.
The network began expanding rapidly following the expansion of humans into [The Thirteen Kingdoms leading to the present state of the network; a continent-spanning collection of towering aviaries that link millions of people.

Type

Aviary