Post-Office

[Alchuilas]

Sucks tryin' to get in contact with folks who are not online.

Perhaps introduce a post-office NPC?

Characters can only have one message in 'transit' at once. Meaning you can only send one letter at a time, with the intent of making it easier on the server to handle as opposed to being allowed to send unlimited letters to unlimited people. It could be saved with their token somehow?

One talks to a post-master NPC; like in the Speedy Hin building in Cordor, or in the opposite nook from the goblin runners in Andunor.

The NPC asks who you would like to send to, and charges a cost. The recipient will see your letter perhaps 6 ticks later? Still leaving speedy's as the most direct form of communication.

If you want to send someone else a letter, the post-master informs you they will stop carrying your prior notice, in place of this new one. You say okay, and bam. Now you're sending out this new letter to perhaps a different recipient.

Also meaning that one can check if they have any letters awaiting them. One might have four different people who've sent them messages, but can still only send out one letter at a time, them self.

Seeing as a medieval post-office would likely have to be a government funded utility, as well, the only requirement for using the letter service could be citizenship with a settlement. For 'tax purposes'. Meaning you have to meet the level and fee requirement associated with becoming a citizen some place, before you could use the mailing system. On top of that, it would mean no anonymous letters. Government funded utilities pull your name straight from the registry.