Thomas Pynchon sent two mail systems thru time; I plan to send a cult. The children’s game of gossip accurately shows what happens—distortion. Symbols tend to survive, though. The muted post horn was the symbol of the original postal service, Trystero, stays intact. If you research history, you need independent sources to take a guess at the near truth.
For my fictional cult to remain somewhat intact over a large period of time, I needed a secret communication system and managers of the system. My last post indicates a bardic type communication system. Scribes and librarians of the Church are another means. Changing the origins of my cult has made me realize that I need to note these communication systems.
I’ve read Crying of Lot 49, but I’m still somewhat surprised when my ideas cross into Pynchon territory.
Dissection of a Misanthrope 