Firan Survival Guide: Debt
From FiranMUX
Just as their are some characters on the game who become very, very rich, there are others who become very, very poor -- so poor, in fact, that they might end up in debt thousands upon thousands of stenis. In general, it is the lower social classes -- commoners and outcasts -- who incur occasional debt, but just as in real life the middle class and even nobles are not immune. It is, however, extremely rare for a member of nobility to be in debt.
A character is considered in debt (for the sake of coded purposes) when the stenis in their steni inventory (seen through use of the inventory command) is a negative amount. It is, therefore, possible to owe money without technically being 'in debt' in this sense, such as what happens when fines are owed or money has been borrowed from other PCs and needs to be repaid.
It's also possible for a character to be, according to the code at least, in debt when they in actuality have money in one of their bank accounts. This happens when a fee or tax is automatically deducted and their steni inventory temporarily goes negative. If there's money in the bank, such a debt is easy to fix: simply go to the bank and withdraw enough funds to cover it. (And to prevent this from happening in the first place, you can set up an overdraft bank account, by looking at the sign in the bank for instructions.) In other cases, things are a bit tricker.
The news file on debt (news debt) explains a little about being in debt, and ways to get out of it. If you find yourself in debt, especially when taking a new character off the roster, you're advised to read that series of files for advice and suggestions. Anyone who is considered by the code to be in debt is subject to regular social point hits every week. Also, they can't use the bath house, they can't use messengers, and they can't buy things from the market or NPC shopkeepers.
Being in debt isn't the end of the world. There are ways out of it, and some characters are simply designed to struggle financial. And if worse comes to worse? When you're able to take an alt, you can always look for someone who's rich!
The bank and moneylenders
The main bank of Anarinuell is inside the palace district. You can open up multiple accounts, for a 50 steni fee per account. Multiple people can be included on an account, giving them full access to depositing and withdrawing money. There is no fee for depositing and withdrawing money, and no interest earned. Typical uses of bank accounts are for personal funds, charity funds, family funds, sponsorship funds, and so forth.
PC moneylenders can supply loans for negotiable fees. They're not often used but they are available. Family members may also make loans to persons in need. Banks do not themselves provide loans.
Gambling
Need money in a hurry? Feeling lucky? Gambling might be just your thing! Gambling is legal in Firan for everyone but the Hydrans, and happens in a number of different venues. The Opening Gambit is a gaming establishment with various coded games, such as the roulette wheel, to play. Down at the Sailor's Nook, cockfights are occasionally held. And there are bookies to take bets on sporting events and, well, pretty much anything you can dream up, if they're motivated to do so. Just remember, there's a reason bookies and roulette wheels exist, and it's not typically to make a profit for the people betting. But hey, someone has to get lucky, right?
