WiKirby:April Fools/2024/History of Economics in the Dream Kingdom

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An image of the Gem Apple, the single biggest change in the Dream Kingdom’s history.

This is an informative analysis written for the express purpose of demonstrating the economic changes from the known founding to the present day of the Dream Kingdom. All sources and citations are listed at the bottom of the article but are also listed in the article at the appropriate places. This analysis is broken into a discussion of the two primary eras: the Pre-Magolor (PM) era and the After-Magolor (AM) era. The PM era covers all major economic events before the arrival of Magolor, who changed the economy enough to distinguish the economic events that occurred before and after his coming.

PM (Pre-Magolor)

A graph representing the economic variance within the Dream Kingdom PM era.

This section discusses all major recorded PM events that affected the economy and other key characteristics of the Dream Kingdom. While trade was the only form of economic balance before Magolor arrived, this section is still important as it shows the contrast between the two eras and ensures a complete understanding of the historical events. Many important events and developments also occurred during this era, most notably the Great Dededepession and the adventurer groups.

Early Eras, Founding of the Dream Kingdom (1200 PM through 990 PM)

The first official economy was created with the founding of the Dream Kingdom under King De. Through the use of Stickers, an economic base was formed to organize the distribution of food. The creation of the Dream Kingdom cascaded into the founding of many smaller villages, most notably Castle Village and Port Village, which still are around today. Villages traded food with one another, creating a barter economy. For example, generic foods such as cherries, curry rice, and french fries were not as highly valued since they could be sourced locally. More exotic foods, particularly the Dream Kingdom signature, Maxim Tomato, were considered to be of high value. As a result, the Dream Kingdom gained an absolute advantage with its natural monopoly on food. In the future, technology would be introduced that helped ease the processes of trading and obtaining food.

Hunting

Although hunting existed before the Dream Kingdom's founding, hunting continued to play a key role in the economic structure. Sustaining crops during this time was difficult given the frequent meteor impacts in the Dream Kingdom, which frequently destroyed local crops. This meant hunting was a major source of energy for citizens, and this led to the extinction of many enemies, such as the Water Galboros, Bugzzy, Fire Lion, Phan Phan, and Rolling Turtle. It should be noted that the existence of the Rolling Turtle is still under debate. There is no physical evidence to suggest it once existed; however, the myths surrounding the Rolling Turtle provide details and historical references that lend credibility to its possible existence. The introduction of the sword and hammer trivialized hunting. Whereas most hunters knew how to use a sword, the hammer was reserved for only the most skilled of hunters. Some enemies were Tough foes, however, and many areas were prohibited because of the danger they posed. The implication of this was that the gain of EXP from hunting was minimal, and many hunters never exceeded level 20 throughout the course of their lives due to weak foes available for hunting.

EXP was the primary reason enemies were massacred since it provided a good substitute for food and allowed those who gained it to grow stronger and become more valuable laborers. In this way, hunting became a requirement for most citizens, since it was more challenging for those of a lower level to stay functional during working hours.

Hammer Lords

Those who could wield the hammer were considered very powerful within the society. The original ruler, King De, was a Hammer Lord himself and proved to be a powerful and stout king. This elevated Hammer Lords to the level of nobility among the citizens. Those who could prove their power with the hammer were highly revered. They also tended to be of a higher level than most ordinary civilians. Hammer Lords sometimes traveled in groups to hunt more powerful enemies. King De was the most powerful of these Hammer Lords. He was the first hero to attain the great level of 100 sought by many. This undeniable prowess is what gained him the throne.

Nruff Domestication

Artwork of a Nruff.

Nruffs (originally called Nrooffs) are common creatures found throughout the Dream Kingdom. King De was the first to discover that this species could be tamed when he noticed they ate leftover meal scraps. Originally, King De theorized Nrooffs could be made to obey by feeding them. After time, it became apparent that Nrooffs were the perfect height for riding, and while difficult at first, the use of Nrooffs became an effective way to transport resources and commute quickly. Nrooffs were considered difficult to master for first time users and could be especially severe on those they didn’t like, thus garnering the name “Nruffs”. Given their ubiquitousness, Nruffs became a popular way to travel, and nearly everyone used them.

Age of Agriculture, Discovery of Those Things and Wheelies (989 PM through 730 PM)

The death of King De was a sad event, but it was also the catalyst for a new era. King De’s son and successor, King Dede, was considered a genius by his kind. King Dede helped discover and create some of the most important technology of his time. The first of his discoveries was Those Things Stuck in the Ground in the Dream Kingdom,. This was a monumental discovery and allowed for the creation of many tools and helpful items. Additional weapons were made for hunting, allowing for larger parties and the opening of higher levels. This led to stronger civilians and, therefore, an increased production of food and founding of houses.

This development instigated the age of agriculture. Tools were created to help with farming. New crops and seeds were discovered as new areas were explored by hunters. Many of the crops we know today were first planted during this era, most notably the Pep Brew (currently referred to as Energy Drink) which gained substantially popularity given its impressive nutritional value and easily sourced ingredients. The level of the average citizen increased, and the meteors that had terrorized fields and destroyed crops and soil in the past could now be decimated midair and then farmed, themselves, for resources. Not surprisingly, meteor destroyers became a popular role among the Hammer Lords. Overall, crops could now survive and thrive, and the population of the Dream Kingdom grew exponentially.

Discovery of the Wheelie

Artwork of a Wheelie.

While extracting Those Things from the ground, the first Wheelie was discovered. Being an underground race, they had previously remained undiscovered. Wheelies initiated automation for the Dream Kingdom and, consequently, became royalty of a sort for a period of time. They provided easy transportation for Hammer Lords in their quests. One benefit they provided was that Nruffs required food and time to train while Wheelies required very little. As more Wheelies were discovered, they became widely used by the population. They allowed for easy transportation of goods to neighboring kingdoms, and they were effective tilling soil and planting given the appropriate preparation. Over time, more civilians began riding Wheelies even for local commutes instead of Nruffs. Ultimately, Wheelies had a significant impact on the society of the Dream Kingdom.

The Great Dededepression (730 PM through 650 PM)

The Great Dededepression was a catastrophic event in the history of the Dream Kingdom. It began with the sudden death of King Dede. Since King Dede did not have any children, there were no heirs to assume the throne. This posed a political and social dilemma for the Dream Kingdom, and the kingdom was thrown into chaos. Hammer Lords from each fief disappeared. No one had the ability to keep the Hammer Lords, who sought adventure in foreign lands, at their fiefs and maintain their communities. Consequently, no one was available to gather materials or gain EXP for the others in the kingdom. Although Sword Heroes existed and weathered the turmoil rather than escaping it, they were not as powerful as the Hammer Lords. The average EXP of the citizens of the kingdom dropped dramatically. As a result, farmers and other gatherers (particularly of Those Things) were unable to perform their tasks efficiently, and productivity dropped significantly. Less food meant that workers had to conserve energy, and food had to be rationed. Without the protection of the Hammer Lords or the levels that the Sword Heroes previously had, enemies from outside the kingdom began raiding and attacking the kingdom and their fiefs. Eventually, civilians went into their previously dug tunnels to reside underground. With enemy attacks, a lack of strong leadership, and no food, it was a dark time for the Dream Kingdom.

Underground Life

Light underground was scarce, and growing food and harvesting resources was difficult. However, plenty of ore could be found underground, and there were so many areas to explore. Previously undiscovered resources and structures were uncovered, many of which became essential for the eventual return to aboveground. In addition, King Dede left a lasting legacy. He had been developing multiple ideas and technologies before his untimely passing, a few of which relied on the undiscovered materials for creation. In particular, King Dede had a vision for a new type of warrior–one who may not be the best fighter but who could support their team effectively. The discovery of potions was exactly what King Dede had been searching for. As part of King Dede’s legacy, the Doctor Healmore class of fighter was created. Mushrooms, crystals, and stones found underground were melted and mixed to create potions having all sorts of effects. Some of these potions provided nutrients sufficient enough to replace food, although they seemed to lack substance. This gave those of the underground a new hope, and they began considering the possibility of reclaiming their homes.

Taking it Back

The residents of the Dream Kingdom developed a plan. Plenty of Sword Heroes still existed. Using the support and healing of the Doctor Healmores, Sword Heroes gained the ability to assume the damage inflicted on others and to stand as a defensive wall against enemies. Strategically positioned in the backlines, Doctor Healmores provided healing to injured Sword Heroes. Gradually, they gained enough EXP to reclaim their kingdom. In response to constant defeats, however, the enemies grew Tough and became more difficult to defeat. Still, the newfound power proved substantial enough to provide victory. The enemies soon became few and far between, most having been defeated and cast out of the kingdom. On occasion, a few Hammer Lords were spotted, but they generally fled on sight. Overall, the Sword Heroes and Doctor Healmores obtained more EXP and resources than they’d ever had. Unfortunately, citizens returned to their homes only to find them destroyed by meteors or rampaging enemies. This led to a great effort of the reconstruction of the kingdom. With new strength came the ability to grow food. It took many years, but they were finally able to rebuild the kingdom, which had previously been a significant source of pride.

The Next King

Some artwork of the current king, King Dedede.

As the kingdom surged to life again, rumors began to spread about the Hammer Lords and the new technology they were building. It was rumored to be unlike any previously invented, and many claimed it would prevent the Great Dededepression (as it is now called) from ever happening again. It could save the kingdom in war and battle. Hammer Lord sightings increased, and some reintegrated themselves into the kingdom, attempting to combat the chaos caused by the absence of a king. However, without a strong central authority, enforcing rules, keeping the economy in check, and destroying meteors was a near impossibility. The influence of the occasional nomadic Hammer Lord was insufficient to provide a stable and orderly kingdom. Trade with foreign kingdoms halted entirely given the absence of the Dream Kingdom and no herald to announce its return.

The solution to the political and societal disorder appeared as quickly as it hadvanished. The Hammer Lords returned. All of them, and they brought with them the rumored technology–the one that could bring them a new king and save the kingdom. The name of this new technology was called the Ability Pedestal. It was a secret project created by King Dede to ensure the eternal survival of the kingdom, but its development had been cut short by his passing. The Hammer Lords finished his work, which allowed fallen warriors to revive by storing their essence inside the Ability Pedestal. The roles of Sword Hero, Hammer Lord, and Doctor Healmore became less dangerous. Moreover, the Hammer Lords proposed the idea of employing the new technology to use the essences of King De and King Dede to create a new king. This idea was met with universal approval, and King Dedede was born and, with him, a new era.

Beginning of Exploitation (649 PM through 1 PM)

With the new king, and the ending of the worst economic downfall in the history of the Dream Kingdom, a new era began. This era was less about invention and technology, but more about discovery and adventure. That’s what the new king, King Dedede was all about. King Dedede organized scouting parties that went all over the Dream Kingdom, trying to find and discover whatever they could. The ideal party of adventurers would include a single Sword Hero, Hammer Lord, and Doctor Healmore. These parties had more uses than just adventures. No more were the parties of five or six Hammer Lords that would go out and farm EXP from everything. King Dedede wanted some balance in the way parties were structured. Since civilians were usually skilled in one of the three classes, nearly everyone could be part of a party if they wanted to. Parties usually could choose what they wanted to do as well. Whether it be farming EXP or exploring never seen before areas. Of course, not everyone could be an explorer. Hammer Lords still had assigned jobs of meteor destroyers; Sword Heroes usually were the weapon creators, and Doctor Healmores tended to crops. Nearly every civilian now fits into one of these roles. Of course, with a new era comes new discoveries, and the few there were would certainly shake up the economy and the way the current system worked.

The Invention of the Beam Mages

A Kirby Beam Mage in action

While the new system of parties with diverse adventures worked well, there was still just one issue with it: there were usually not enough adventurers in one party. A party of three is smaller than one might think. Previously, groups went out with five or six different adventurers. Of course, it was less necessary to have that many adventures with the addition of Doctor Healmore so less wounds piled up, but just one more crew might help. At first it was attempted to add just another Sword Hero, Hammer Lord, or Doctor Healmore on with the other three, but things grew clunky. It was felt that things become unbalanced, and there wasn’t enough healing, or things would progress too slowly, or one adventurer would be getting all the EXP. It just ended up creating a mess. There were some ideas to solve this problem, however. Certain pieces of meteors contained special materials which had extremely high energy. King Dede had originally theorized that the material could be weaponized. King Dedede had been looking into these theories and thought he could build off them. Eventually, by harnessing the mass energy of the fragment using a staff as an anchor, the Beam Mage was created. The Beam Mage was perfect support for the other three types of adventurers. It wasn’t hands on, and it tended to stay back in the battle, avoiding most damage, but still was able to get good hits in from the back. One property of the meteor fragments is that they could create gravitational fields that could warp party members to a pocket dimension, in which they would be able to stop the enemy from moving and attack them for a short period of time. This member was exactly the addition the parties needed, and was able to boost party efficiency by about 26%. The usefulness of Beam Mages didn’t end there though.

Controlling Meteors

Meteors had been, for a long time, a problem in the Dream Kingdom. They continuously fell from the sky each day and could destroy homes or farms. Of course, there had been for a while a solution: to get Hammer Lords to destroy the meteors. This wasn’t a perfect solution though. Often it was hard to predict a meteor, so it was required to have a Hammer Lord near areas at all times. Sometimes the meteors came so quickly that they couldn’t be stopped in time. The Beam Mages were able to discover something that could solve this problem. Large creatures or enemies tend to be drawers of meteors. Their presence and hatred seems to attract them. When attacking these large creatures, occasionally some essence would come out. This essence could be compiled through meteor tablets, which are essence magnets that can draw the essence near. Each member of a party would need to hold a piece of the tablet to collect all the necessary essence. With the pieces of the tablet, the party could put together their collected essence and draw the meteor to the enemy’s exact location using it. Dubbed the “Team Meteor”, this allowed for a new option to destroy enemies. For weaker enemies, the essence could also be used to draw any meteors away from the kingdom. It was an incredible new development. Civilians no longer had to worry about the small chance they come home each day with their house destroyed. Farmers could afford to plant more crops in one area without fear a meteor would come and destroy it all. And importantly, Hammer Lords would be more available to help with other tasks or going on missions.

What was next?

Things were looking up for the Dream Kingdom. New technology was being created, and civilians were able to live and prosper effectively. A new age was coming though. One that would be all because of one little creature. A mischievous little egg if you will. This would change the course of the Dream Kingdom likely forever. Many, many new technologies would be developed and adapted in less than a century, and to this day they would continue. Coming through a little portal in a quiet town, Magolor would change everything.

AM (After Magolor)

A graph representing the economic variance within the Dream Kingdom PM era.

This section of the analysis covers all major economical AM, After Magolor, events to present day. This half is not divided into multiple eras of various technological developments, but is instead condensed into one fifty or so year span which includes all events, as this period of time is too short to split into multiple parts. Because of this, some developments may overlap with each other or seem farther ahead than they should. Magolor introduced many new advancements and economic developments which significantly altered the economy to warrant its own section.

Introduction of Currency and Employment

After Magolor’s arrival, he very quickly introduced many new concepts into the economy. Magolor was the first to “hire” a worker. Paying in a bunch of jewels he titled “Gem Apples” he got a citizen to grow and harvest Gem Apple trees for him; the citizen was also awarded with a blue bandana to symbolize their rank. The citizen saw the Gem Apples were good for eating, and he found they energized him very well. Trading with them in exchange for valuable resources was common, as the food, even being the energizer it was, could get more food by just trading it. Magolor started hiring more caretakers and other adventurers to get more Gem Apples and other resources. Gem Apples were traded around very commonly. They were good food and also seemed to have the power to revive adventurers in perilous situations, making them popular among the group.

Soon, there were so many Gem Apples in the market that traders could not turn them down. They started accepting them under the assumption that trading for Gem Apples would be a very good deal because of their mass inflation which caused too much chaos to actually figure out the real value of them. Using this, they could charge higher amounts of Gem Apples for resources and then argue for lower prices at other locations trying to make it seem as though there are less Gem Apples in the market as there actually are. This strategy worked for a time. Gem Apples spread all over the kingdom. Nearly everyone seemed to have some. Of course, soon the tactic of selling high and buying low diminished. Too many knew of the practice now, and prices started to regulate.

Gem Apples very quickly became the mainstay of the economy though, even after the regulation. Bartering was considered inefficient and faded out. And so, Gem Apples became the currency of the Dream Kingdom. There was still insane chaos from the incredible inflation, but traders learned to adapt to the growing rates. The GDP of the kingdom went up dramatically during this time, often doubling or tripling in just a few weeks.

Others caught on to the craze though. Many started growing their own Gem Apple trees, hoping to get some easy cash. Magolor couldn’t have a full monopoly and control over the only currency in the economy. It seemed as though the trees others grew never seemed to be as big or produce as much as Magolor though. Magolor always had massive, unbelievably large Gem Apple trees. Most everyone else would have much smaller trees. The reasoning behind this is unknown, although it has been suspected that there is some sort of magical witchery going on, as on a few circumstances Magolor has been sighted seemingly praying to the trees and offering some sort of paper-like substance as an offering. It seemed like even when others tried the same, they could not stop Magolor’s grasp on the economy.

Employment Boom

Many others had seen what Magolor had done to grow the rate of Gem Apples so rapidly and they wanted to try it too. Employment was the idea. It allowed for more use of the Gem Apples. Goods and services could be a great way to rebalance the system so none of Magolor’s workers could have their own massive pools of wealth like they currently had. The economy relied too much on them spending their apples on things, even with the growing of Gem Apple trees. Many citizens started hiring others to go harvest Gem Apples, or farm food, or excavate Those Things. It helped balance out the economy more, and allowed for more opportunities.

Wages were a complicated topic though. Paying workers a specific amount of apples when inflation is growing at such a rate was not feasible. The wages would need to change each payment for a sustainable system. Numerous employers created a percentage system which would increase wages by a percentage each payment. This worked for a while, although it often got off track and didn’t exactly line up with inflation rates, causing workers to be paid too little and leave, or too much and make the employer go out of business. Unemployment rate surged during this time because of these factors. It wasn’t terrible to be unemployed though, there were still figures being made through the growing of Gem Apple trees, although with such massive inflation just a few Gem Apples trees was starting to be too little to be sustainable. Manual work in farming or mining was always an option to sell and get some apples for your efforts. It was much more efficient to be employed though.

Overall, the system was still extremely flawed. The inflation was too high for systems to work, and not everyone could afford the space or time to harvest and grow Gem Apple trees. Something would need to change to steady the economy.

Technological Revolution of Magolor (TROM)

Magolor wasn’t so well known for only his complete reorganization of the economy. He also discovered and created some of the most important technologies in all the Kingdom’s history. Soon after Magolor appeared in the Dream Kingdom, he hired a group of Beam Mages. These Beam Mages were to be discoverers and blacksmiths of new technology Magolor was developing.

The first and possibly most important discovery was fragments. Magolor had yet one group of citizens under his hand: the adventurers. Adventurers always went out on their own and got their own EXP and food. The EXP they gave back to the community was always free, and they wanted it to stay that way. They were the only group of civilians not buying or selling anything. Fragments were the way to solve this “problem”. As so claimed by Magolor, fragments were bits of essence that came from defeated enemies that could be formed into solid material and used to forge more powerful equipment. He claims that his Beam Mages “discovered” them when testing the magical properties of defeating an enemy. Magolor told adventurers that if they collected the essence then they could use it to create special gear. This was a very important development, as adventurers had been using the same gear for many years. Only the adventurers themselves got stronger, not what they used. According to Magolor, there were three types of fragments, fire, water, and light. They each could be obtained from any creature, but certain creatures would drop more of a certain type based on the region they were located in. Certain fragments were more useful in crafting certain gear than others, so one may have to go to a variety of locations or buy the other types.

This is where things get skeptical from an economic standpoint. It seems as though fragments were the perfect introduction to a way to get adventurers to use the economy. It could get them to sell enemy EXP generations to buy certain fragment types. There isn’t much doubt from the point that more powerful gear could be made, as the gear created was real and was in fact more powerful than any other weapons or armor used in the past. Fragment essence, according once again to Magolor, can’t be seen until converted into a physical material using magic. No Beam Mages outside of Magolor’s small circle of cronies have been able to create a physical material out of this “essence”. It seems ridiculous and circumstantial that this would be introduced like this at a perfect time. It gets even more ridiculous when considered, yes, according to Magolor, some fragments are more common on Tuesdays (like, come on. How does that even make sense??). However, there currently isn’t any proof that Magolor is lying about this matter.

Kirby?

Artwork of a Kirby.

One day, the Kirbys rolled in. Kirbys were a previously undiscovered race that seemed to just suddenly appear one day. At first, civilians thought to treat them as enemies, but they seemed too small and friendly for that. The Kirbys caused many mischievous problems. Some days homeowners would come home to find all their food was gone, and a little pink puffball sleeping in their bed. Sometimes traders would go to set up shop for the day when a Kirby comes by and takes their entire stock… usually for free.

Evidently, the Kirbys needed something they could do or control so that they wouldn’t tear up everything. Magolor had an idea for this. Magolor thought the Kirbys might make for good adventurers. One day, he went out and gave the Kirbys the most basic gear he had, all for free, and he pointed them in the direction of a fearsome foe that had been roaming the outskirts of the Dream Kingdom for some weeks. It didn’t take long for the Kirbys to completely destroy the enemy. The Kirbys seemed like powerful warriors, ones unlike ever seen before, like what the very old Hammer Lords used to be. The Kirbys worked perfectly in unison with each other. They could use the Team Meteor without even any practice. They could create perfect potions able to heal their stamina extremely efficiently. They absorb the power of Gem Apples very well, and seem to unusually get more power and do new things with them than they could previously. They could guard their allies with the Sword Hero’s shield with vigor. “The perfect adventurers” as stated by Magolor. With the Kirbys on their side, EXP gain and resource collection of enemy goods by over 60%. XP was already in high demand with the growing population and inflation rates, and the Kirbys could help settle it.

The Kirbys, although tricky to handle at times, were a significant contributor to the settling of EXP demand in the economy due to mass increase of population. However, they did tend to widely raise the skill ceiling needed to be an adventurer, causing a high layoff and unemployment rate for the time immediately after the Kirbys’ arrival. The dedicated adventurers still stayed, keeping high diversity within the community of hunters. Other unemployed adventurers were usually picked up by Magolor or joined in other services such as farming.

The King Responds

Magolor couldn’t just get away with completely revolutionizing the economy without the king’s knowledge. The king obviously knew of Magolor’s exploits, but there wasn’t too terribly much he could do about it. Banning the buying and selling and growing of Gem Apples now would cause mass panic and completely collapse the very structure of the way the civilization and the economy worked. There was no getting rid of the Gem Apples.

King Dedede thought he might be able to get rid of the cause of the problem though. Magolor was still heavily affecting the economy, and he could change it at any time at will with his complete overflowing wealth. This much power is too much, thought the king. The king was worried about Magolor’s ability and influence over so much. It was possible Magolor could gain control over the government if he tried hard enough, and the king was skeptical that he might. King Dedede figured the only way he could prevent this possible scenario was to send Magolor away.

And so, on the claim of Magolor’s monopoly, King Dedede sent Magolor away. Magolor didn’t seem too bothered by this and agreed to pack up and leave. He picked up all his weapons and armor, all the stock of Gem Apples and trees, told his Beam Mages and other workers to “perhaps wait a bit before looking for a new job”, and left.

The change was immediate. Adventurers were devastated to find the next day they couldn’t use their hard earned Gem Apples for new gear. The Kirbys were found causing mischief once again with their motivational friend gone. Mass layoffs and employment occurred from percentage wage calculations not taking into account the biggest inflation contributor in the kingdom disappearing overnight. Magolor’s leave affected everyone. All of a sudden everyone seemed poor again, and the economy took such a massive leap away from inflation that, for the first time, things actually got a little cheaper.

This was not something that was just going to “blow over” though. Citizens were completely outraged at this. Riots were held in the streets outside of the king’s castle, shops were pilfered and destroyed for their now ridiculous prices. Posters and propaganda about the king were put up. Some even left the city to go look for Magolor and follow where he went next. King Dedede was stuck. He knew that if he didn’t do something a revolution was likely to happen, but he didn’t want Magolor to have such an unfathomable amount of control like this. King Dedede came up with an idea, one that he thought would reduce the control Magolor had, not entirely, but by enough that he couldn’t destroy the economy all on his own. It would also give a good amount of power to the government to spend on public services.

The idea of taxes wasn’t popular among the population, but if it got Magolor back it would be accepted. The King announced the idea on the balcony of his castle one day when citizens were rioting. The public services he mentioned sounded like a good idea. Bounties would be placed towards certain enemies to give adventurers more to work towards was a well liked idea among the Kirbys and other citizens alike. Paid public janitors could help keep things tidy and nice. Trees could be planted in the plaza to add a little more nature to things. King Dedede said he would work with Magolor for some projects too, creating an alliance.

The day after, Magolor was back and ready. Instantly citizens got their jobs back, wages aligned with inflation rates again, and things were mostly back to normal. The inflation rate was a little lower due to taxes, but nobody seemed to mind. Magolor and King Dedede worked together as promised, and Magolor reportedly came up with an idea to place some of the government funding. Income tax rates went from around 10% to 30% depending on income, creating income brackets. The income the government made from taxes during this period was reportedly around 27,000 Gem Apples..

The use of the public services seemed to go smoothly. Part of the deal added the Adventurer Bell. The Adventurer Bell was a device used for more lonely adventurers who may not have enough members to go on an expedition. Citizens could donate some to the adventurer bell as well, leaving goods for better gear. Magolor even donated some fragments for those who went and rang the bell. While not mentioning it, Magolor had started creating strange looking structures using some of the tax fund. When the eventual report came out of public spending of collected tax, it claimed 10% of funds were being used for public services and 90% was for “other services”.

Villages and Population Boom

With the economic boom of the Dream Kingdom, there were bound to be travelers, investors, and immigrants that would move in. More citizens require more housing and jobs. The Dream Kingdom was already pretty big, having around 4.5 million citizens, just before Magolor’s arrival. This value would increase by about 30% just a few years after the start of PM. Home buildings increased rapidly, and as a part of the new taxation system, housing was built by the government for those who had used Gem Apples in the past.

The biggest and most notable villages seen were Port Village and Castle Village. Castle Village was the heart of the kingdom; a massive circle of buildings and markets all swirling around King Dedede’s castle, the centerpiece. It had a high population of Kirbys and adventurers, so it had a focus on hunting. Port Village, near an ocean, was a massive trading hub for the Kingdom. Bringing in a massive 60% of all trading profits. This meant the area was widely populated, with many fishermen and farmers. Magolor also visited and sold in these two places the most, widely increasing the profit margins of the areas.

Banks and Credit

It was very difficult and inefficient to store Gem Apples. Oftentimes there would be a dedicated room in houses for just Gem Apple storage. It was a giant mess, with the big round objects cluttering and rolling together making it hard to stack neatly or create nice rows. There would need to be a way to store Gem Apples in a way that wouldn’t require such an extreme amount of room. Banks were the way to solve this problem. Of course, who else would it be to invent this if not Magolor. Magolor proposed one day the idea of Gem Apple banking to King Dedede, and having a large building constructed and needed for just storing taxpples, approved of the idea. Magolor, always planning ahead, didn’t take too long to open the first few banks. He created a remote system that allowed citizens that stored Gem Apples in banks to access them at any time and transfer them to another citizen at any time. Citizens could go to the bank and hand over their Gem Apples to Magolor who would store most of them for withdrawals, and the rest would be smelted into a material that could help build his amusement parks, or given to Kirbys who could use them for eating on adventures. This system was a great solution to the storage aspect of Gem Apples.

Later, Magolor would also introduce a credit system, which would allow civilians to “borrow” Gem Apples and pay them back with interest later. Paying back in a timely manner gave the civilian credit, which would then let them increase the amount they borrowed and how frequently they could.

King Dedede didn’t want Magolor to have yet another monopoly on another aspect of the economy, so he was sure to hire some servants to run a few banking services in places Magolor didn't often travel to. He also set up some rival banking areas in larger areas where Magolor did go, usually with better prices and rates then Magolor could afford to go for to try and stop him from completely controlling any one area.

Magolor’s Influence Spreads Across the World

Magolor didn’t want economic power over just the Dream Kingdom’s economy. If he could spread his ideas and Gem Apples across the globe, he could manipulate nearly everything economically. A month before, Magolor announced his departure to go across the world. He said his Beam Mages and a few servants he hired would continue his Dream Kingdom services until he got back. Magolor first went to some neighboring kingdoms to try his hand at trade. It was difficult to get them to accept the concept at first, but he had instructed traders back at the Dream Kingdom to start sending over Gem Apples in exchange for goods. Soon, with the help of some of Magolor’s manipulation, the Gem Apples became so much the neighboring kingdoms had to use them, and so they did.

Magolor continued this strategy until his influence with Gem Apples spread so far that it was inevitable that it would spread everywhere. This meant an even high increase in inflation rates because of Gem Apples now available in trade. Wages were quickly able to adapt to this, however, increasing their percentages by about 14%. Tariffs were also placed on foreign trade quickly after this advance, allowing more government spending.

Rise of Technologies and Consumer Culture

Magolor couldn’t stop with his incredible technologies. There was always more from him. The first thing Magolor produced on the list was the EXP Orb. For only a few Gem Apples, one could absorb the orb and gain a large increase in EXP gain from destroying enemies. Apparently Magolor’s Beam Mages discovered them while testing gravitational manipulation of EXP. They found that XP tended to explode out after a battle and float away. This EXP Orb could gravitate the EXP toward the consumer and keep it from running off. This once again was targeted toward the hunting and adventurer groups of the kingdom, and would be a good way to increase their profits since adventurers tended to not grow Gem Apple trees or food. Of course, more Gem Apples for adventurers means more Gem Apples to spend on Magolor’s gear… nothing could stop his insatiable thirst for wealth. Strength and stamina potions were next on the market. Made from underripe Gem Apple juice, could increase the drinker’s durability and energy. Power potions, made from overripe Gem Apple juice, could increase the strength of the drinker This wasn't only useful for adventurers, it was also useful for new farmers or construction workers. The stamina potions were good for long days of farming or building too, so even after being mass produced they tended to sell out quickly. The most interesting thing Magolor came up with during this time was a series of codices. These codices, by reading them, would be able to make certain tasks more efficient or produce more just by having read the specified codex, through knowledge. Some of these could increase the raw power of certain tasks, and others could allow for easier recovery of strength or the ability to harvest more material such as fragments. While Magolor won’t reveal the way they work, these codices proved to be very effective (especially for adventurers), and many were bought out. Later, multiple editions of each of these codices came out, which could increase effectiveness further. Demand was high for these in each of the first months they came out, even though they could be quite expensive for an average salary; further showing how the introduction of credit has amplified consumer culture and spending. In addition to the release of these new products, some were bought and shipped by foreign powers. Beforehand, the Dream Kingdom had a massive advantage over other nations because of Magolor’s technology that could single handedly increase the power of the users. It is worth noting that with these technologies and ideas being mass distributed, other nations would have similar mass inflation and rises of consumer culture, putting them on equal footing with the Dream Kingdom. The Dream Kingdom still had Magolor, however.

DX and SDX Gear; Discovery of Rare Fragments

Magolor’s group of Beam Mages pulled through once again. While experimenting with the relations between meteors and enemies, they discovered a material called Rare Fragments. This new material was more tangible than the previous fragments. These aptly named “Rare Fragments” came from and out of enemies who had interacted with the magic ore of the meteors. Enemies naturally attracted meteors, but they almost never went near them due to their natural sense of danger identifying them as a threat. Rare Fragments seemed to be a strange side effect of the enemies interacting with the meteor’s magical properties. Rare Fragments just seemed to “pop” out of enemies when attacked enough. Collecting them was simple enough after this, but finding an enemy that had interacted with meteors was difficult. These fragments, Magolor determined, would be perfect for making upgrades to gear unlike any seen before. Magolor wanted a way that was much easier to obtain Rare Fragments. He eventually came up with the idea to bury the magic ore underneath areas where enemies usually appeared. If the meteors were buried underground, enemies would be unable to notice them but still be absorbed by the magical ore’s essence enough to produce Rare Fragments. Using this idea, Magolor hired a few adventurers and excavators to go bury them in places where enemies commonly roamed. Using the magical properties of the Rare Fragments, Magolor developed an upgrade system to gear like he claimed he would be able to. These upgrades were far more expensive than the previous normal building of gear. Even with the mass increase of consumer culture and use of credit, not every adventurer could afford this powerful equipment, and they always required Rare Fragments. Magolor titled this equipment, “DX Gear”, referencing how they were upgrades of previous gear. Later down the line, Magolor would create “SDX Gear” which was ludicrously powerful equipment which was even more expensive. The average adventurer would never buy these types of gear, as they only were meant to be for the most dedicated of adventurers. Even Magolor himself claims they barely break even selling them and they take months or years to produce and prepare for the eventual day one may buy them. Even though the demand clearly wasn’t high, Magolor still sold them out of ambition to create the most powerful technology and warriors he could.

The Magolor Stock Market (MSM) and Mysterious Wealth

The MSM, Magolor Stock Market, official logo.

Magolor didn’t yet have enough money for some of his future projects. He figured there was only one way to continue to fund his projects and strange buildings on his property; selling his profits. Magolor figured he could sell a small portion of the profits he made to richer customers, allowing him to raise immediate funds for projects he wanted to complete more quickly. He called this project “MSM”, or the Magolor Stock Market. Investors could buy MSM when Magolor’s profits were lower,  and they could sell his profits back or to others when he was making a lot. Overall, the idea was successful. King Dedede especially was interested in Magolor’s stocks. He was one of the biggest investors in the idea, and with the king involved, many citizens followed. Magolor was able to use the profits of the MSM to start production of SDX gear and some extra codices, promising for more inventions down the line if more stocks were bought out. Even while being the richest Gem Apple user in the world, Magolor seemingly didn’t have enough wealth to produce some items he did, or pay workers the amount they said he did. All of Magolor’s Beam Mages and other workers have stated in various interviews that they are well compensated for their work with him, and they earn far more than enough to live comfortably. According to calculations, this should not be possible, even with his absolute unfathomable wealth. Gear, workers, Beam Mages, codices, potions, and weird structures all are major money sinks, and the king was not paying for more than a few of these things. Magolor had even established a major quarry (for unknown reasons), demolished an entire forest to create a region called the Grasslands, placed thousands of bounties with unique requirements of enemy defeat, hired a few hundred extra Beam Mages, commissioned a major housing district for Kirbys, and bought out an entire towns worth of property just to make more strange structures all in a few months. The amount of taxes needed to be paid and raw Gem Apples required for these projects was nearly enough to match the net worth of the kingdom itself. King Dedede noticed this too, and went to speak with Magolor himself to ask about this spending. According to him, Magolor stated he had his “sources”, and that selling products and growing Gem Apples wasn’t the only way to obtain them. The king, still skeptical, sent out some “investigators” to have a look at what Magolor was doing. And while they were unable to find any conclusive evidence of anything illegal, on a single occasion they found a mysterious portal that seemed to spit out an endless stream of Gem Apples before suddenly disappearing. It was concluded that Magolor may be receiving wealth from some sort of higher power. Too speculative and infeasible; remember to remove before publishing. — S. P. H. It was concluded Magolor’s wealth simply must have come from his incredible investing and marketability skills.

The Ultra Rich

Among those in the Dream Kingdom, there are a group of citizens. This group of citizens have enough Gem Apples to possibly collapse the entire economy if they so wish. They have such an unbelievable amount of wealth that they could buy out all of a single resource and cause a massive crash, possibly creating another economic depression if they so wished. Even so, Magolor among these Ultra Rich, has the ability to buy out more than one resource. He has demonstrated his capability to do and affect what he wishes with the economy. Magolor has been known to buy out entire stocks and companies of competitors that attempt to sell similar items than him. The Kirbys are another key factor in this. These seemingly innocent creatures are also a major part of this group of the Ultra Rich. While they may not realize it, the only way they have gotten this far is because of Magolor. He essentially controls the Kirbys, using their incredible combat capabilities to also control the job market of adventuring. He’s always the one now putting out so many bounties, bounties that seem to always be just out of reach for any normal adventurer, but are cake for a Kirby. King Dedede knows of the Ultra Rich, and he is in fact one of them himself. Recently, using tax money, he has put in place many government programs to attempt to stop an economic collapse if the Ultra Rich, especially Magolor, decides to try anything. These programs include emergency stock of all types of resources, as to stop destroying balance through purchase of all of one resource. He has also implored an emergency ration fund that could be used to prevent a second Dededepression in case of sudden passing or another catastrophic event. He even pledged to use his own Gem Apples to stop an EXP collapse (if it happened) to fight off enemies and has allied with other nations in case of need for support. Clearly the king knows that one day Magolor may try something, but would all this effort be enough?

Magolor’s Monopoly (Present Day)

Current day Magolor.

As it stands today, the economy is on a slippery slope. Magolor controls an unbelievable amount of the economy. He has shown that he will do whatever it takes to get what exactly he wants. He’s known for manipulative tactics such as buying out entire companies of competitors at times, or using the Kirbys to control entire markets he normally wouldn’t be able to on his own. Even with all of the king’s efforts, it may not be possible to stop Magolor in an economic downfall. Magolor brought Gem Apples into this world, and he can choose to take them all away if he wishes. No one truly knows the extent of what Magolor has done or planted to keep things the way he wants them to be. With each new invention he controls another section of the market. What will he take over next? It’s also been recently rumored that a new group of Kirbys has come to town, and Magolor is planning for them to hunt down some special enemies he’s been meaning to go after for a while. Recently there has been a resurgence of powerful enemies, and Magolor is blaming some sort of “evil wizard” of some kind. Perhaps this is something he is planning to use to create fear for future plans, but this is all speculation currently. It’s up to Magolor what he does next, and the Dream Kingdom seems to be at his mercy. He would be such a good recruitment… if he could pass the mandatory background check.