Porcupines

"It was such a surreal experience, to see these men and women flaunt their wealth so openly. And they were so gaudy!" - a traveler to Aiova

In the Kingdom of Aiova, the wealthy have turned their money into jewelry called 'porcupines'. Copper, silver, gold, and gems are used to make bracelets, rings, charms, and necklaces that the nobles paint bright, clashing colors, and wear whenever they go outside. The porcupines are seen as not just a convenient way to carry one's wealth, but also a way of showing status. The different designs painted on the jewelry also help show who is currently favored by the King of Aiova. If one has the generic paint of the Crown, they are not held in as high regard as the lords and nobles who are given reign to paint their own wealth with their own colors and symbols.
The Kingdom of Aiova has long been a kingdom run on bartering and trade. Due to this, the porcupines are almost exclusively used by the wealthy of the Kingdom. The rest of the Kingdom still uses goods and services to barter and trade.

Manufacturing process

Porcupines start as the raw metal that is pulled out of the earth. Then the Forgers of the Crown take the metal and turn it into rings, bracelets, necklaces, and charms that can be hung off the other pieces. They always make sure to shape the jewelry with little bumps (randomly distributed) in order to ensure pieces cannot be shaved off without someone knowing. These bumps are how they came to be called porcupines as the first few runs of production were much more spiked than rounded.
From there, the money is given to the Crown where is it painted bright colors, keeping in tradition with the Aiovian's love of bright decoration and flashy clothes. On occasion, if the porcupines are to be given straight to a noble or lord, the Crown will leave them unpainted. If a lord or noble receives unpainted currency, they will generally have it painted with their own house colors and symbols.

Significance

Used by the wealthy as currency throughout Aiova, however, they are most prominent in the capital, Heartfair fair.

Item type

Currency & Deeds

Rarity

Porcupines as currency are generally only used among the wealthy of Aiova.

Weight

.5 lbs - 10 lbs

Raw materials & Components

Copper, silver, gold, and (in rare cases) gemstones are used to create the jewelry known as 'porcupines'.