Oddly Targeted Container

[eternally_aggrieved]

The island is deserted, save for the statues.

And now, a rectangular brown paper package. It rustles and rocks, then tips over onto one side and stops moving.

Comments

[all_the_worlds_have]

"Well, the Wild Magic's purchasing decisions are its business."

[pythbox]

"And right now it wants to purchase half a Cernnuous in Ka for the dragons to use," says Liselen. "And... sorry, I'm not quite getting this one, but it has something to do with the Endarkened and the weird puddle outside."

[all_the_worlds_have]

"Purchased and delivered to Saravasse's account. Would you like physical coins instantiated? Also, from your description I expect that it has something to do with Takkarash...?"

[pythbox]

"That sounds right. You should tell the Dragonbond Endarkened something about Takkarash but I don't know what it is exactly because it's not something I know," says Liselen. "What are Takkarash?"

[all_the_worlds_have]

"Takkararash are coins that are minted from voluntarily experiencing pain. When redeemed, they give you anesthetic. The door is made out of Takkarash-stuff."

[endragoned]

"I cannot imagine what I would want one of those for," says the Endarkened. "Though the blood was interesting."

[pythbox]

"How are they made, exactly?" asks Liselen.

[all_the_worlds_have]

"Well, either the OTC can magically supply you with pain, or, if you anticipate making a lot of Takkarash, we can sell you a minting kit that will allow you to do it yourself."

[pythbox]

"You should tell the Endarkened all about those," says Liselen. "For some reason."

[all_the_worlds_have]

"We sell three different 'levels' of minting kit. The bottom-of-the-line model for casual minters, the midrange efficiency kit, and then there are the three major luxury lines and the custom models. All of them are capable of producing theoretically-arbitrary amounts of pain, but their specific features are different depending on the model."

She looks over at the Endarkened.

"... I expect you would like me to start with the luxury lines?"

[endragoned]

"Yes," he says.

[all_the_worlds_have]

"There are three luxury lines. I'll start with their common features. All of them can store up to a hundred different flavors of pain at once. These pain-flavours may be swapped out at will with any of the other flavors in the OTC's sense-library. You have complete control of how much pain you feel where, though there is an automatic back-off function that will stop if you become overwhelmed. You can turn that off or set a timed lockout on it. All of them may appear as any form of jewelry you wish, or may be rendered completely invisible."

She reaches into her desk again, and retrieves a delicate iron chain, studded with twisting thorns. The overall effect would be rather similar to a double-edged sawblade, if it wasn't for the tiny black flowers that dot it here and there.

"This is the first of the three major luxury lines, the Black Rose. When it's worn and used to mint, the thorns dig into the skin to provide pain. As a base sensation, at least. It has no additional features above those I've just described."

Reaching into her desk again, she pulls out an ostentatious gold necklace, with two thumb-sized opals flanking an even bigger ruby. "This is our Fire Lotus model. It's designed to make it obvious to others whether you are minting, and if so, how much. It has various fire-themed special effects attached to it, which are keyed to the amount of pain the minting kit is currently inflicting. Its base sensation is of heat."

The third chain is quite fine, made of a silvery metal that's almost white. A single small moonstone drops from it as a pendant. "And finally, this is our Shiver-Sweet model. It chills to provide pain, has a built-in tasp, and allows you to direct minting pain towards other willing volunteers."

[endragoned]

"How interesting," he says. "Liselen, does the Wild Magic by any chance scheme to have me turn Takkarash into yet more Ka?"

[pythbox]

"It hasn't said so, but if that's the first thing you thought of then probably," says Liselen.

[all_the_worlds_have]

"Given your demonstrated lack of aversion to pain, I would guess that you could become quite rich quite quickly. Maybe not Wild Magic rich, but significantly wealthy."

[endragoned]

"I would not mind helping the Wild Magic in this way," he says. "Particularly if no one is going to kill me."

[eternally_aggrieved]

"Yes, yes. Immortality for everybody. Will someone please remember the cruelly-displaced cat?"

[all_the_worlds_have]

"Er, yes. Quite. Would a dozen Ka be reparations enough?"

[eternally_aggrieved]

"If you insist."

[all_the_worlds_have]

"Anything else you'd like to do before I send you home? Would you like to buy anything?"

[eternally_aggrieved]

"No, thank you."

[all_the_worlds_have]

"Safe journeys."

[eternally_aggrieved]

The cat disappears.

[endragoned]

"So," says the Endarkened. "What sort of customizations are available?"

[all_the_worlds_have]

"Well, off the top of my head... Programmable pain-schedules, random-pain routines, additional storage capacity, remove the need to wear the kit but just have it near you..."