Desert travel and weather watchers

[Incognito]

Desert travel, as we (and all Zalanthans probably) know, is dangerous. A lot depends on the weather conditions.

I was thinking it might be realistic to have a set of "weather-watcher" NPCs whose job would be to keep an eye out for the weather condition outside their post/station (read: any settlement habited by and frequented by Zalanthans), especially considering the fact that Zalanthans can use the Way with such ease, to communicate over distances instantaneously.

In other words, it'd be a foolish and careless traveller, who would venture out to a far-off destination, without first finding out if the weather was inclement, en-route. Unless of course s/he did not care about the weather - which is another story altogether!

Just like bartenders speak about rumors, these "weather-watcher" NPCs would relay the weather condition in their location, when contacted by someone and asked about the weather.

I'm sure over time, people will figure out the descs and names of these PCs, and pass them around as IC knowledge, just like people have gotten to know the names of bartenders and other NPCs of importance around the Known World.

An example:
Contact XYZ
ok.
You contact the sun-pattern-cloaked Tuluki weather-watcher.

Psi weather
You send a telepathic message to the sun-pattern-cloaked Tuluk weather-watcher:
   "weather"

The sun-pattern-cloaked Tuluki weather-watcher telepathically conveys to you that the weather is fair.


(It doesnt have to be that the "weather-watcher" NPCs convey the "exact" weather - they could very well just give out a generalized reply - ranging from good - fair - rough - stormy - just enough to give travellers a rough idea of what they're heading into).

[Forest Junkie]

Quirky, but I like it. Would go along nicely with being able to see storms forming, or see them a few squares away before they hit you. (much like a lightning storm)

[Seeker]

Why would this be a free service?  Yes, it could be done, but why would anyone set this up like a free dial-in weather channel?  

Clans or villages might do this, but then I am sure only approved individuals would be permitted to utilize it so that only they would receive the benefit of their expenses.  Perhaps they might charge a monthly fee to other individuals or organizations to use their resource.

The first thing I thought of, would be that it could be set by the templarate (or other Powers That Be), and have the weather-watchers working as spies to inform them who is travelling, but that kind of runs us up against the grey-area of conclusively identifying individuals via the Way.

Not opposed to the idea at all, but it seems a bit conceptually problematic.


Seeker

[Coat of Arms]

Sounds like a neat idea for a character concept.

[Twilight]

If it existed, I would say it was because someone went and hired a person in Tuluk, Allanak, Storm and Luirs.  So thats four people.  Then every few hours they contact one another and let each other know what the weather is like.  And then the guy in Tuluk charges anyone who comes and "talks" to him about the weather a few sid for the current weather in all the other locations.

Why would they want all sorts of random people contacting them anyways, when they could have just four or five, on regular intervals, and make some sid out of it.  Heck, wouldn't even have to be a single unifying person to hire them, they could all just get together and keep the profit of those who come to them.

[rishenko]

How about another watcher (perhaps one of the guards) to let you know if those damned Tuluki city gates are closed?

[Wolfsong]

I can see it getting interesting when it came to misdirects...

Contact weather
You contact the weathered, one-eyed young man.

Psi weather
You send a telepathic message to the weathered, one-eyed young man:
   "weather"

The weathered, one-eyed young man sends you a telepathic message:
    "Stop contacting me, I don't know what the damn weather's like outside."

[V1agraKank]

I like it.