Apparently email is a topic that is so simple that I'm not understanding how it works.  Are there elgg files that I need to edit?  Do I need to use a mail server on my webserver machine?  I want to make this email thing go but I don't know where to start.

I'm running elgg 4.1.2 on WAMP 3.2.6.  Before answering, role play with me, Imagine that you're talking to a rather dull seven-year-old.