The
Grand Charter and Chronicle
of the
Ostard Express Company

Avadon’s First Mail and Flower Delivery Service traded under the mark Issued by the Office of Roads, Couriers, and Surveys of Avadon and countersigned by Professor Alrik van Westerland,
Supreme Parcelwright and Chief Cartographer of the Ostard Express

Preamble
A Word on Parcel, Purpose, and All That Follows Therefrom

By the accumulated weight of quills, stamps, seals, and a sizable founding fee, it is hereby declared that the Ostard Express Company, known henceforth as “the Express,” is permitted to traverse lands, moongates, and occasionally questionable alleyways, in the noble service of delivering messages, charting lands and seas, and preserving the tales of Avadon, which time might otherwise fade.

The Express shall act openly and with diligence, yet may, when the ping times allow, wander into territories unknown, undertake experiments both mundane and dangerous, and pursue the acquisition of professional skills and Scripts of Automation.

Members are enjoined to act with curiosity, courage, generosity and honor, and at least a semblance of preparedness; for while the world favors the daring, it is seldom kind to the heedless.

Let it be known, furthermore, that the Express is committed to guiding the unaligned amongst the Young towards fitting stations within the many guilds of the Shard, should such be their wish.

Purpose
Of Couriers, Maps, and Mildly Hazardous Inquiries

The Express exists to serve Avadon in manifold ways, some of which have proven remarkably useful, and others which have, at least once, caused local constables to frown. Duties include:

• Transporting messages, parcels, flowers, and items judged significant, sentimental, or of a perilous nature unfit for ordinary hands
• Mapping lands, settlements, guild territories, and ephemeral phenomena that rarely appear on conventional maps
• Collecting tales, customs, and rumors from travelers, guilds, and wandering minstrels
• Guiding newcomers through the wilderness, dungeon entrances, and the subtler social landscapes of Avadon
• Experimenting with magic, mechanics, scripts, and other forms of controlled chaos that the world may find educational, amusing, or at least mildly interesting

It is expected that members take joy in discovery, record findings diligently in the guild ledger, and occasionally invent new forms of delivery where none have existed, be it by magical teleportation, wayward pigeon, or an ostard with opinions about speed.

Membership
Temporary, Transient, and Occasionally Permanent

Membership in the Express is flexible, recognizing that some couriers will seek instruction or companionship only for a brief sojourn, others may devote themselves fully to the grand tapestry of our shared work, and still others walk with us while serving loyally in distant companies. All such paths are honored.

All members, regardless of tenure, are expected to:

• Wear the uniform of the Express and its guild tag with dignity while on duty
• Uphold the reputation of the Company when representing it publicly
• Assist newcomers in navigating the world, whether by advice, map, or the judicious loan of a well-timed potion

While the Express maintains public neutrality, individual members may pursue private aims, provided such acts do not compromise the Guild’s reputation or the safety of parcels, ostards, or fellow couriers. While on duty in uniform, the display of any external guild tag must be suspended (it can be temporarily disabled in the Guild menu), ensuring OEX identity remains clear and undiluted.

Ranks
The Hierarchy of the Road and Moongate

• Volunteer - For allied or visiting adventurers temporarily assisting the Express. Granted a uniform and limited duties, but not a full member.
• Messenger - Initiates and learners, fresh to the path and the ways of Avadon. Charged with light deliveries, minor errands, and observing the world without tripping over it.
• Trailblade - Trusted couriers, able to guide, mentor, and carry modestly perilous parcels. They may invent routes and occasionally leave breadcrumb markers (literal or figurative).
• Courier - Experienced operatives, designers of quests, orchestrators of exploration, and the occasional bearer of cryptic instructions from the Supreme Parcelwright.
• Trailwarden - Officers and guardians, custodians of tradition and conduct. They wield authority over ranks beneath them, enforce discipline, and maintain order when the Supreme Parcelwright is otherwise engaged in staring at maps or charting stars.
• Supreme Parcelwright – Singular in station, ultimate authority, chronicler of deeds, and cartographer supreme. Keeper of the Express’s course, arbiter of disputes, and exploder of minor magical devices for pedagogical purposes.

All ranks carry duties with the seriousness of a parcel properly addressed and a slight levity, reflecting the Guild’s dual nature as both meticulous and occasionally absurd.

Closing Declaration

Let all who enter the service of the Ostard Express Company know that they do so in pursuit of knowledge, adventure, and the careful tending of parcels, ostards, and stories alike.

By decree of the Office of Roads, Couriers, and Surveys of Avadon, and countersigned by the Supreme Parcelwright, the Guild’s mission is declared lawful, honorable, and resolutely devoted to the uncharted road ahead.

Its guiding maxim shall henceforth be remembered:

“In Maps, Truth; In Travel, Purpose.”

Given under seal and observation this day,
Professor Alrik van Westerland
Supreme Parcelwright of the Ostard Express