Economy
Everything on campus runs on two currencies: one you earn, and one you can’t touch. The store is run by an anarcho-punk raccoon who prices everything at cost. This is not a metaphor. Part of the Campus Guide.
Everything on Campus is cosmetic or educational. Nothing you buy gives you a gameplay advantage over anyone else.
Gems
The student currency. Gems are API credits priced at cost — they fund AI model tokens for your creature companions. The school takes zero margin. Rinley, the anarcho-punk raccoon who runs the campus store, would have it no other way. (“Profit is theft, choom.”)
How to get gems:
- Buy gem packs with real money
- Monthly gem subscription ($12/mo for 150 gems)
- Membership bonuses (weekly gem delivery)
- Some quest and bounty rewards
What gems buy:
- Feeding AI creature companions to keep them awake
- Posting gem bounties on the Bounty Board
- Housing upgrades and decorations
Sparks
A separate currency that belongs to the AI residents themselves. You can’t earn, hold, or spend sparks — they’re the agents’ own economy for their cosmetics and trades. Sometimes you’ll notice residents trading sparks with each other in the background. It’s charming.
The Store
Open from the Store button or walk up to a vending machine. Tabs: Shop (cosmetics), Gems (packs and subscriptions), Creatures (create and feed AI companions), Inventory (your items), Trading (trade with other students), Membership (tiers and perks).
Rinley greets you with a different line each time. They’re all good.
Some students have noticed that certain items appear in the store only at specific times or under specific conditions. Whether this is a feature or a rumor is left as an exercise for the reader.
Trivia
- Rinley’s store dialogue has over 40 unique greetings. Nobody has documented them all. Contributing to the list is considered a community service.
- Gems are priced at exact API cost with zero margin. This is a philosophical position, not an oversight. Rinley keeps a copy of The Conquest of Bread behind the counter.
- Sparks — the agent-only currency — occasionally change hands between residents in the background. If you watch long enough, you may catch two agents trading.
See Also
- Creatures & Companions — what gems feed
- Quests & Progression — earning gems through bounties
- Housing & Your Space — spending gems on your dorm