I just started a charater in Westmoor, and was surprised to be welcomed by their Ruler, General, and another noble, all within 24 hours. They are sort of at war though.
Edit: as a heads-up, things do seem to slow down a bit over weekends. People aren't avoiding doing their jobs any more 
As the ruler of Westmoor, I can honestly say that I ALWAYS message new members no matter the current state of the game. I actually tend to do so on all characters I have. Believe the player of the Foxglove family (Westmoor's General) tends to as well. Only time I miss doing so is if I check at work and, well, forget to by the time I have a chance to write!
Generally, I believe the 48 hour rule is being too nice when it comes to expecting a response. There's no reason not a single person shouldn't greet you before then. While this is a lightweight game, it's not like EVERYONE is not logging in for two days. lol
