The Coin Game

Something should be said on the Ss’tars money system.  They generally have expected the local trade currency as money that they spend on supplies and such.  This currency comes from the Sarfune. The Sarfune have and distribute much-desired monis stones. More on that another time.

The Ss’tars have three sets of their own coins.  The gold one, the brown one, and the black one. Each color coin bears the mark of the Ss’tar or ring giving it on the front.  The design on the back of it is the symbol of the Ss’tars. The color is on both sides of the coin and the coins can be made out of different material.  Cindy likes to carve hers and so they are often made from some kind of hard plant (wood-like) material.   

The gold one is given when a Ss’tar does something and expects no payment for it.  They tell the person that someone else will be in need, and they should help that person in repayment.  They are to pass the gold coin on to the person that they help. Sort of pay it forward thought. The Ss’tars are interested to see how their deeds spread across their corner of the universe.  

The brown coins are given if payment for something done is expected.  The payment may not be at the time but in the future. The person giving the brown coin can ask for anything, BUT the person that has received it has the right to deny the request for several reasons.  One example would be that what is being asked for is immoral to the person. Another reason might be it is beyond the persons ability to give. 

The black coins are given when someone has deeply wronged another.  The black coins can be broken and are if the recipient asks for a favor from the giver.  The recipient cannot ask for more than one favor (usually). The giver is under a stricter obligation to do what is asked.  They could refuse, but it is frowned upon. So you had better really mean it when giving these out. 

All these coins make up the coin game. The Ss’tars say, “Life isn’t all about the money, but IS all about the gold.”  The gold coins are what this statement refers to.  

Once a year the Ss’tars call for anyone with coins to come to Home (their home station) if they can or want to.  There the coins are counted. The gold coins are counted as one point, the brown coins give no points. The black coins are minus 1,000 each.  

Cindy’s gold coins started to clog up the system.  Therefore the Ss’tars decided that at 10,000 or more coins they would stop counting that particular Ss’tars coins.  They also decided to award that person and ring the right to wear deep purple with gold trim clothes. Cindy is not the only Ss’tar to achieve this but was the first.  In addition, much to the annoyance of other Ss’tars, Cindy continues to hand out gold coins.