Worldbuilding: Multiversal Thaumics Unlimited.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

*****THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN TRANSLATED. INACCURACIES OR AMBIGUITIES MAY OCCUR. THE CONTENTS OF THIS MESSAGE DO NOT REPRESENT A BINDING STATEMENT FROM MTU.*****

Multiversal Thaumics Unlimited is a subscription-and-service based multiversal magical corporation.

We draw magic from many of the worlds we service to provide invaluable services, products, and support accross thousands of worlds. We will find a system that fits your needs, from standard weather divinations to fundamentally altering your magic system of choice through custom thaumaturgic architecture.

Some examples of common services MTU can provide:
- Teleportation, from emergency to commuter to bulk freight
- Weather divination and/or alteration subscription
- Emergency Response Healer plans
- Convenience-focused luck blessing subscription
- Protection, monitoring, and enforcement solutions of all kinds, ranging from spirit guardians to various wards to Private Mage Contractors (PMCs).
- Ethernet connection (Sign up for a 24-month plan and receive a free enchanted mirror!)
- Magical appliances (service availability may depend on the ley network in your area)

The typical new universe contact procedure is as follows:
1. Correlate divination results to determine overall risk level and sales potential of attempted contact.
2. Teleport a Contact Agent there uinder heavy protections and make an initial assessment of the state of the world.
3. Begin divinatory and mundane research to identify influential entities and/or potential customer organizations.
4. Several possible courses of action, depending on the general character of the world. The two most common courses of action are to send a verifiably extrauniversal contact letter to important entities, or to perform a large, public feat of magic that is difficult or impossible with local systems (such as disaster relief, demon banishing, mass healing, etc.) and establish contacts in the aftermath.

As a multiversal corporation, MTU frequently encounters worlds with wildly varying levels of material and magical abundance. While this creates excellent trade opportunities, it also means that MTU cannot accept material goods or local fiat currency a priori. To solve this problem we have developed a series of standardized magical energies, as well as our own internal currency, the Multiverse Trade Unit. Payment can be made in any of the standard currencies, and we are frequently interested in purchasing local goods or services.

MTU - 'Multiverse Trade Unit'. The only currency universally accepted by our corporation, subsidaries, and contractors. Backed by guaranteed ability to trade for other currencies at current market rates.

VIT - 'Vitality' or 'Life Force'. A representation of physical stamina and well being. Minting VIT causes you to be weaker, more prone to injury, and to feel physically drained, typically for several days. Redeeming VIT has the opposite effect.

MNA - 'Mana'. A generalized magical fuel designed for easy conversion and generation in as many disparate magical traditions as possible. If your magic runs on a finite resource, you can mint and consume MNA.

CLA - 'Clarity' or 'Mind Force'. A representation of mental acuity, intelligence, and wit. Minting CLA impairs concentration, memory, and general mental ability. Redeeming CLA has the opposite effect. Remember that the effects are temporary!

EMO - 'Emote'. Emotional force. Minting EMO will dull your emotions for for a duration and magnitude that depend on the amount minted. EMO is unusual in our currencies in that it cannot be redeemed for a reversed version of the minting effect. Instead, redeeming EMO grants a magical anesthetic. Positive emotions generate significantly more EMO than negative emotions. Consult a representative for more details.

LUK - 'Luck'. Magical representation of good fortune. Minting LUK will make you more prone to unfortunate events or unpleasant coincidences, ranging from bumping your head on a cabinet door, accidentally spilling beverages, etc. Redeeming LUK makes you more likely to find lost objects, less likely to encounter traffic, etc. Note: Due to liability concerns LUK is limited to minor-to-moderate effects.

TAP - 'Thaumic Amplitude Potential'. Frequently referred to as simply 'AP'. Magical representation of permanent magical power. Minting AP is only possible if you have a persistent, controllable magical trait or ability. The minting process will permanently weaken said magic. Consuming AP will permanently increase any compatible magical power. Please consult an expert healer and thaumaturge before minting or consuming AP, to predict and mitigate unexpected consequences.

DIV - 'Divine Attention'. DIV is a high-value currency typically only used when negotiating with large organizations or dieties. DIV can be redeemed for divine intervention, and is minted on a per-client basis. Divinely unpopular tasks (I.E, smiting, desecration) cost significantly more DIV.

NOTICE: MTU is not responsible for damages caused indirectly due to currency minting. After minting please make reasonable changes to your behavior, such as avoiding mentally difficult magics after minting CLA, or not performing strenuous labor after minting VIT.

NOTICE: Despite continuing efforts to reduce the potential for dependence, side-effects, or permanent damage, some magical traditions and nonhuman species interact in unusual ways with our currencies. MTU will take reasonable precautions where applicable and make reasonable efforts to reconcile for accidental damages. Please mint and redeem currencies responsibly.

[Kappa]

Nice.

[DanielH]

That sounds interesting. I have two questions at the moment:

1. Many of us have had prior dealings with a similar organization, the OTC. Is there a way to convert OTC currencies to MTU currencies, or the other way around?
2. It may be possible for some beings to create effectively unlimited amounts of some of your currencies (the example that comes to mind is an entire species with the ability to effectively give certain individuals unlimited MNA); how do you handle this when it comes up?

[rockeye_stonetoe]

**We will be negotiating with OTC.

**Standard MNA minting devices automatically detect such individuals and do not respond to them. We would evaluate and negotiate with such individuals, and offer contracted payments of DIV in exchange for large quantities of MNA.

**A chart of current conversion rates and typical prices will be made available when it is complete.

**Employment as a contractor with MTU may be available depending on your magical abilities/traits.

[DanielH]

Cool, thanks for the quick reply. Your company looks interesting.

[DanielH]

What are the various conversion rates between MTU and the other currencies? Obviously they can vary, especially if the MTU goes somewhere particularly unusual compared to the other worlds they know, but what are they by default?

[rockeye_stonetoe]

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... edit#gid=0

[DanielH]

So that's 12.65 MNA = 1 MTU, not 1 MNA = 12.65 MTU?

EDIT: Either the economics of MTU-connected worlds are different than I am used to, tech support agent Terence Mills is not good at finance, those exchange rates are extremely volatile, or the MTU quoted prices are not very close to fair. If a kilo of lyrium generates almost 3 MNA per hour, buying it for 5,000 MTU yields abour 40% ROI, which is incredibly high for a low-risk investment in this world.

Either that is not a fair price (because the MTU in general makes huge margins or Terence hugely lowballed the price), there is more risk than I see (probably currency risk, though I suppose they might be unsure of Lyrium’s properties), there is less return (if MNA prices would change a lot from just a few more per hour being minted), or that is a reasonable ROI in the setting.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

Terence does not know the exchange rates off the top of his head, he is unsure of Lyrium's properties and potential dangerousness, THAT WAS A GUESSTIMATE Of BOTH LYRIUM'S PROPERTIES AND HALF REMEMBERED MONEY THINGS MADE IN FIVE SECONDS.

Edit: Actually Lyrium would be priced compared to AP, but it also counts as a hazmat, and MTU is going to be as unfair as possible while buying it, and Terence's first estimate of its power output was high, and it might not last forever, and using it in an industrial setting requires more effort and infrastructure and research so MTU is going to include that cost in their willingness-to-pay, and I am still not finalized on those exchange rates. So nyeh.

[DanielH]

Yeah, that’s what I thought most probable.

Followed by a possibility I forgot to mention, where one or the other number he said was off by an order of magnitude from what was written but Dreamwidth doesn’t allow editing.