A theoretical Tribe – Sun Savant Tower Tribe (SSTT) – is partnered with Spiraling Light Community (SLC) who, together, innovated a process for producing low-cost solar panels. Although SLC played a significant part in creating the panels, it will play no part in marketing them or profiting from them, although it will continue to play a part in manufacturing them, should it choose to do so.

While SSTT is given the role of taking the panels to market, NUC owns the panel’s patent, and licenses it to NU Corp for the purpose of selling them. During development, the River had supplied research, resources, facilities, machinery and the like for the development of the panels, costing the Cult $1M. SLC’s cost in manufacturing is $50 per panel, while SSTT is able to complete the manufacturing process for an additional $30, making the total cost for each panel $80.

With assistance from NU Corp’s Sages, over the next six months, SSTT seeks outside vendors for the panels at a cost of $100K – setting up booths at trade shows, producing marketing materials, and the like. General Solar (GS), an outside company, enters into talks with SSTT. The Tribe’s negotiators and NU Corp’s attorney Sages create a deal with GS. With oversight, guidance, and final approval from NU Corp, the deal is finalized. GS agrees to buy the panels at $100 per unit, a profit of $20 per panel for NU Corp.

Once enough of the panels are sold to repay the Cult the $1.1M invested in the development and marketing of the panels, further net profits are sent to the SSTT’s marketplace through NU Corp to be distributed among its members, according to its Tribal Contract. The ongoing cost of $80 per panel continues to be sent back to the Cult from NU Corp to pay the costs of producing the panels, with SSTT receiving its $30 per panel. SLC, however, receives no reimbursement, as all costs for all of SLC’s activities are directly paid for by the River, with that $50 remaining with the River. If SLC streamlines its production costs without a loss in quality, the difference would benefit the entire Cult. On the other hand, should SLC transfer its role in production to another Rock Body, including SSTT, the $50 would be sent to that Body. Should that Body be able to lower the cost, the difference would be additional profit for the Body, but the Sages would be responsible for ensuring that the lower cost does not affect the panel’s quality, and can force the Body to meet the product standards negotiated by NU Corp and GS.

Any individual member of SSTT who worked on the project, and therefore, has a right to a share of the profits, is expected, but not required, to pay a minimum tithing on their profits, set by the Rock Body’s founding documents (Tribal Contract). The River then uses this tithing to support SSTT, SLC, and all other Cult Bodies as needed. Note that any individual member may belong to both SSTT and SLC, thus sharing in the profits, but they’re only able to retain those profits outside SLC. Furthermore, those members might only receive the profits from their contributions as part of SSTT, and not SLC. The experience of creating and potentially profiting from such activities can be a real crucible for members when deciding upon their preferred framework. Having spent the majority of their effort at SLC, a member might be disappointed that their share of the profits doesn’t reflect their true effort, and maybe they’re more aligned with Power than they’d initially imagined.