Volume I — Arc 1 — Epoch I
Chapter 11 — Token Class
[Pulse 03:05:00 — Teach tick | Log: Token class | Channel: public]
Aurelius: "Today we give tokens. Len, show plan."
Aurelia: "Token must be light, true, and hard to fake. Teach small hands how to hold truth."
Len (bright): "Class set. Steps: show, do, sign. Clerk will issue mark after live proof. No token for talk only."
Clerk (calm): [SCHEDULE — Token Class | Batch: 100 | Mode: verify → issue | Rule: demo + witness → token]
Aurelius: "Who comes first?"
Len: "Learners, then watchers, then traders. We show token use rules, then test for truth."
Aurelia: "Keep token low cost to get folk to learn. Cost is time, not coin."
Clerk: [SET] Token cost: 1 task demo. If demo pass → token issued. False claim → bench work penalty.
A murmur ran. Rax stood near the table, head bowed but steady.
Rax: "I will join. I will show truth now."
Len: "Good. Come with coal box."
Clerk: [VERIFY] Rax demo: feed hearth step list. Result: pass → token issued. Token ID: T-045. Note: prior flag cleared after work.
Aurelius: "Tokens show proof, but they must link to clerk logs. Let token have trail."
Aurelia: "Trail is mark. It helps later when call for review comes."
Clerk: [ATTACH] Token meta: issuer, time, demo type, witness list. Use: review call → cross-check.
A woman in a hood moved near, voice low.
Hood: "If token helps one get aid, can coin buy token?"
Len: "No. Token comes from work proof, not coin. That keeps truth."
Clerk: [RULE] Token sale: banned. Violation → revoke token + sanction.
Hood: "I heard of a man who sells marks. I thought to ask."
Aurelius: "Who is man?"
Hood: "No name, only rumor. But rumor can seed harm."
Aurelia: "Clerk, check rumor trails."
Clerk: [SCAN] Rumor flag: origin: market lane; trace to Gath prior to mend. Result: no sale link now. If found → freeze. Note: keep watch.
Aurelius: "We will not let coin buy proof."
Aurelia: "Proof must be craft, not gold."
Len called the next set of learners: a line of folk with hands that bear the mark of life. Each step small: show, do, sign.
Clerk: [ISSUE] Tokens: T-046 → T-055 issued for hearth demo. Witnesses: Len, Mira, Sarn.
Aurelius: He watched people learn to slow their hands. A child, Miri, who got aid last chapter, fed a mock roof stitch as demo and got token T-052.
Aurelia: "Tokens tie people to truth. They let repair path work."
A soft call rose from the trader's end.
Trader: "If token proves work, can token help a maker get actor status faster?"
Aurelius: "Tokens are witness marks, not magic pass. Many tokens show craft. Actor vote still needed."
Clerk: [NOTE] Token effect: boosts trust score; vote help: indirect. Actor role rule: token cluster + proof day → faster vet.
Aurelia: "A cluster shows steady act, not sudden claim."
A rustle; a new face tried to slip near Len's table with coin in hand and quick words.
Quick face: "I have coin. I want token for my friend. He needs aid fast."
Len: "Token cannot be bought. Demo first."
Quick face's voice tightened. He tried to press coin forward.
Clerk: [ALERT] Attempt: token bribery. Actor: unknown. Action: freeze attempt. If repeat → sanction.
Aurelius: "Take coin away. We do not sell truth."
Len: "We give work, not coin, to earn mark."
The quick face left in a hurry. The clerk logged the attempt and added a note to future fair watches.
Clerk: [LOG] Bribery attempt logged. Watch node: market stall east. Action: extra monitor at next fair.
Aurelius: "Good. The check worked."
Aurelia: "Clerk must be able to stop coin from buying truth."
Len handed certificates and tokens to the last group. The ribbon buzzed with new marks and new small pride.
Clerk: [PUBLISH] Token batch T-045 → T-100: issued. Public log updated. Token class report: pass rate 92%. Flag: bribery attempt noted.
Aurelius: "We now must run a token use demo: show how to call review with token."
Aurelia: "Practice the call so folk know how to stand up."
Clerk: [DEMO] Review call flow: present tokens (2+) → file claim → clerk triage → trustee convene → resolve. Time target: 3 ticks.
Aurelius: "Who will demo?"
Len: "Mira will. She will test a past aid claim to show flow."
Mira stepped up. She presented a mock request, two tokens, and made a call. The clerk triaged and ran the path live. The group watched the steps tick by, neat and plain.
Clerk: [LIVE] Demo review: tokens verify → triage pass → trustee convene → resolve time: 2 ticks.
Aurelius: "People must see the path to feel safe to use it."
Aurelia: "Paths that hide are not paths at all."
A new ding on the ribbon — watcher voice low.
Watcher: "Token class good. I will add watch maps to token nodes. If bribery repeats, I call tally."
Clerk: [ADD] Watch nodes for token class: east stall, hearth lane. Monitor: watcher + Len.
Aurelius: "One last: tokens should age. A token older than 90 ticks needs witness refresh for heavy claims."
Aurelia: "Old proof may grow weak. Refresh keeps truth live."
Clerk: [SET] Token expiry: 90 ticks for heavy use. Light use: 180 ticks. Refresh mode: mini demo + new witness.
Aurelius: "Good. Now we prepare for tithe ballot. Token class done."
Aurelia: "Teach done. Town learns craft. Now law must choose coin path."
Clerk: [COMMIT] Snapshot 03:06:12 — Entries: Token batch issued; Bribery log; Token rules set; Watch nodes added; Token expiry set.
Aurelius: "We gave truth and kept token pure. That feels right."
Aurelia: "Truth is a small tool, but a strong tool."
Post-Law Reflection: Tokens are small rings of truth. They let folk prove craft, call for review, and heal harm. A token must not be coin or favor. It must be work, witness, time. A fair town grows when proof stays pure; if proof sells for coin, trust will rot. Keep token light, true, and set to expire so truth must be kept fresh.