Collar of Still Water

Common references

• Stillwater Collar
• the Izaäk Collar
• the Cydonia Collar

Origin
Cydonia Agricultural Dome
Ganoid Exchange commission piece

Physical Description

The Collar of Still Water is a wide ceremonial neck piece composed of forty-two polished Ivory Gar teeth, each suspended vertically so the points rest just above the collarbone when worn.

The artisans removed the teeth from a single mature ivory gar that measured just over five meters in length. Each tooth retains its natural curvature, tapering to a blunt but unmistakably predatory point.

The artisans polished the enamel to a soft satin sheen rather than a mirror gloss, preserving faint growth striations.

Between each tooth is a narrow spacer of brushed titanium alloy etched with subtle wave motifs. These spacers prevent contact wear and allow the collar to flex naturally with the wearer’s movement.

The inner band is layered leather over cryspoly mesh, distributing weight evenly across the shoulders rather than the throat. Despite its size, the collar is surprisingly comfortable.

Total weight is just under three kilograms.

Materials

• ivory gar teeth, matched for size and curvature
• brushed titanium spacers
• cryspoly structural mesh
• vegetable-tanned leather lining
• concealed magnetic clasp keyed to the original owner’s biometrics

No synthetic ornamentation is added. The materials speak for themselves.

Craftsmanship

The collar was fabricated by Tarek al-Mensae, one of the most respected ganoid artisans operating under the Cydonia Exchange.

The artist cut, cured, and polished each tooth by hand. The spacing tolerances are tight enough that the collar moves as a single articulated piece while remaining silent when worn.

The clasp is invisible once fastened. There are no visible logos or maker’s marks, only a small serial glyph on the interior that corresponds to the gar’s harvest record.

Cultural Meaning

Wearing the Collar of Still Water signifies long-term prosperity rather than sudden wealth.

It traditionally indicates that the wearer has either:
• overseen agricultural production for multiple cycles
• funded infrastructure critical to dome stability
• survived a political or economic crisis without retreat

It is not worn casually. Doing so would be considered vulgar.

Among Martian elites, the collar implies patience, restraint, and the ability to wait decades for returns.

Economic Value

They did not sell the collar openly.

Estimated value at time of creation:
• equivalent to a mid-rise luxury habitat unit in First City

Secondary market value:
• effectively incalculable
• trades occur only between private collectors or political families

Breaking the collar apart for materials would destroy most of its value. Its worth lies in provenance and cohesion.

Notable History

The Collar of Still Water was commissioned by Dominika Izaäk, née Chiemeka, shortly after the final cryspoly window replacement in Cydonia following the Mars City State War Period.

She wore it publicly only once, during a closed diplomatic dinner following a contentious agricultural treaty negotiation.

Pictures and videos of that event are tightly controlled.

Since then, the collar has appeared only in private Izaäk family settings.

Narrative Hooks

• the collar could be used as collateral in a quiet power play
• a forged tooth substituted into the collar would cause scandal
• the collar’s harvest record could expose tampering in the aquaponics system
• an OG labor leader might recognize the gar from which it was taken
• Adi would immediately understand the collar’s weight and meaning, even if she disliked it