The economy of the Starfall Galaxy is a relentless calculation against the cosmic clock, where time itself is the most fundamental currency. At its heart lies the Yom, a Standard Cycle of survival, dictating how long a Dei (survival pack) can sustain a humanoid, making consistent timekeeping the absolute bedrock of interstellar commerce. Every Cinder and every Yom spent represents a tangible measure against resource depletion and the unforgiving vacuum of space. While vast trade networks hum with activity and colossal Riftgates serve as vital arteries for commerce, the volatile nature of Rift-Space constantly threatens to unravel meticulously planned logistics through unpredictable temporal distortions. This inherent instability elevates the precision work of Chronologists and the function of Metronomes from mere technical details to indispensable pillars of galactic prosperity, binding empires and desperate factions alike to a shared, fragile pursuit of order amidst chaos.
Understanding the Units: Dei, Yoms, and Cinders
Dei
In the cold, unforgiving vacuum of space, the most fundamental need is simply to survive another day. This raw necessity forms the bedrock of your interstellar economy. The Dei Survival Pack is a standardized unit of life support designed to sustain one humanoid for a single standard cycle (27 hours and 46 minutes) in an otherwise hostile environment. Its critical importance makes it the universal basic income and the base unit of currency.
What's in a Dei?
A Survival Pack isn't just food and water; it's a meticulously engineered capsule of immediate necessities. It's often sealed and easily carried, designed for rapid deployment.
Ration Block (1 day): Nutrient-dense, calorie-rich, and engineered for maximum sustenance with minimal waste.
Recycled Water (1 liter): Processed for purity and optimal hydration.
Atmosphere Recycler Filter (1 day): A compact, disposable filter designed to scrub CO2 and replenish oxygen in a sealed environment (like a suit or small hab-unit).
5 Kilograms of Compressed Atmos: A mix of vital gases based on what the species needs to breathe, designed to replenish lost gases or provide initial atmosphere in a sealed environment.
Emergency Repair Patch Kit: Minor sealants, plas-welders, and pressure bandages for immediate suit or hab-unit breaches.
Basic Medical Stim-Tab: A single, potent tablet to counteract radiation sickness, minor decompression, or extreme fatigue for a limited time.
Power Cell (1 day): A low-output, universal power cell sufficient for basic suit functions or small personal devices.
This pack represents the bare minimum to sustain life when all else fails. Its tangible nature and absolute necessity make it universally understood and valued, from the most advanced trade hub to the most desperate derelict.
The Yom: Currency of Survival
The Survival Pack, or the value equivalent of its contents, becomes the fundamental unit of currency, often simply referred to as a Yom (e.g., "That scavenged engine will cost you 500 Yoms").
Basic Universal Income: Many of the more stable (or at least less overtly cruel) factions and enclaves attempt to provide their citizens with a daily BUI of one Yom. This isn't charity; it's a social contract. A population that can survive is a population that can work, fight, or at least not destabilize. Failure to provide Yoms often leads to unrest, starvation, and desperation.
Intrinsic Value: Unlike abstract credits, a Yom always has inherent value because it represents life itself. This makes it a stable currency that is less susceptible to inflation or collapse, as the demand for survival remains constant.
Tiered Transactions: Most transactions occur in Cinders. Sub-units of Yom, 100 Cinders equate to 1 Yom. For larger transactions, Yom are aggregated. A small starship might be worth 100,000 Yom, just over 277 Annum (360 Yom), or almost 3 Centuries (100 Annum), while a valuable piece of ancient Rift tech could be worth millions. Barter and trade of physical goods still occur, but the Yom provides a universal baseline for valuing those goods.
The Starfinder Conversion:
1 Cinder = 1 Credit
Production and Scarcity
Producing Survival Packs isn't trivial. It requires advanced fabrication, energy, and raw materials (often scavenged from resource-poor systems or purified from toxic environments). Empires might dedicate entire orbital factories to producing Dei, while smaller enclaves might struggle to synthesize enough, making each Yom they possess incredibly valuable.
The Black Market
Counterfeit Deis, diluted packs, or stolen caches are major black market commodities. Desperate individuals might try to stretch a single Dei over several days, leading to gradual starvation or exposure.
Economic Implications in the Starfall Galaxy
The Poorest: For the truly destitute, a day's survival is literally their entire wealth. They might take on incredibly dangerous jobs for just a few Yoms, or resort to piracy, scavenging, or desperate gambles in the Rift.
Resource Wars: Conflicts aren't just about territory or ideology; they're fundamentally about access to the resources and infrastructure required to produce Deis. Destroying an enemy's Dei factories is a devastating blow.
The Value of Labor: Labor is often paid in Yoms. A highly skilled mechanic might earn 10 Yoms a day, allowing them to accumulate a surplus, while a grunt laborer might only earn 1-2 Yoms, barely enough to survive.
The "Tax" of Existence: Even for the wealthy, the daily "cost" of survival, paid out in Yoms for their own needs and those of their dependents, is a constant, unavoidable drain.
Factions and the Economy
Some of the established factions in Starfall might have vast hoards of ancient, highly efficient factories, or their production might be in decline, forcing them to ruthlessly conserve or conquer to maintain their BUI. Their citizens might be provided Dei but with strict controls and expectations of loyalty. Among upstart factions, production is a communal effort. They might pool resources, develop innovative and sustainable (if less efficient) ways to synthesize Dei and see the collective provision of Yom as a core tenet of their society's survival and growth. This is a point of pride and a mark of their hope. Anarchic Factions likely despise or ignore the Yom. Their "economy" might be based on psychic power, arcane sacrifice, or the assimilation of life, viewing physical survival as irrelevant or a means to a monstrous end. They might raid for Units simply to fuel their monstrous biological processes or as a perverse form of tribute. Every scavenged component or successful salvage run for Survivalist factions is mentally converted into its Yom Payout. Their entire existence revolves around acquiring enough Dei (or the raw materials to produce them) to keep their crew alive for another day, often through risky exploration of the Rift-Burgs and forgotten derelicts.
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