A Study in Cosmology
Discord
I don't even know what I'm doing, writing in this book. I just found it in my stuff the other day, tucked right next to the grimoire Gil gave me. Did Cowell shove it in there when I wasn't looking? That seems like something he would do. But I asked him about it earlier and he didn't even gloat. So maybe not.
I don't know.
Maybe I just need someone to talk to who's not a daemon.
I miss Lucius.
So 'dear diary' + such, I guess. I was never the type for journaling, not even when it briefly became a fad back in freshman year. It's probably good to keep some kind of record though, of where I've been.
It's been about a week since I left Ede Valley. So far it's been... Surprisingly uneventful. I figured it'd be best to start my search for this ‘mysterious magus’ in a familiar place, so imagine Flora's surprise when little miss Cindy Miller shows up on her doorstep again.
It hasn't been bad, all things considered. Cowell's been an ass, but what's new? I think Flora's a little. annoyed that he's back regularly, though they have an... odd sort of friendship. Kuro's been teaching me bartending—apparently it's one of the most universal skills in the cosmos—and I've been making some bones helping them out while I figure out my next step.
Clearly, Mr. Cephias Griffin—I'm sorry but that name just sounds made up—is no longer here, but maybe there's someone in Discord who knows where he
There is no better place to start one’s journey than in the City of Daemons, unfortunately.
I didn't write that.
"The Crossroads of the Cosmos" is a very fitting, slightly on the nose, moniker. As it's been explained to me, it is a plane of "causality." Though it is with amusement I note that no one has ever been able to explain to me exactly what that means.
Hello?
Is someone... writing this? Okay, hold on. Let's think about this. Text is appearing in this book, and clearly something must have triggered it. Was it something I wrote? And is this getting written now, or is it some sort of... pre-recording, I guess?
This is really weird. Why would someone put this in my stuff? Why make a book like this in the first place?
I don't really know what my purpose in writing this study is. Mostly I'm imagining some young person needing the guidance that most of us never received.
Well, you know what? That is me. I guess. Great. Can't believe I am reading a talking book. Okay, I don't really know that it's 'talking" per say. Never mind.
As someone with great experience in these matters, I feel I am in a somewhat unique position to offer advice. I myself have been on a journey as of late. and have seen many varied realities. It is high time someone did a survey of existence, at least to the best of human capability.
Which leads me to Discord. It seems the logical place to begin such a study, as a "place of causality." lt appears that most mortals who escape their realities eventually find their way there, and most likely sooner rather than later. I would like to posit that this may have something to do with Discord’s status as the only artificial reality in existence. The actual origins of the city are shrouded in hearsay, a problem perpetuated by the daemons themselves, as they are more then prone to bouts of exaggeration, or even worse, pure fabrication.
As it has been told to me, the City of Daemons was either built or created—the telling varies—by the former Lord of Discord, himself, Bacchae. Curiously, very little record of Bacchae exist before this event. He was involved in the war, though to what extent its hard to determine.
Best beyond that, there is almost no mention of him, and then he suddenly has the power to create an entire reality and claim himself to be its lord. On top of that, no one knows what he is.
Hell he explained it to me and I’m still not even sure.
Apologies for the tangent. His existence irks me.
Discord itself very much follows the creed of its former ruler; it is utterly chaotic and, in any other circumstances, entirely untenable. It is a city built out of the pieces of other cities, but it is only that: a city. It has utterly no arable land surrounding it, which means that the city relies entirely on importation for its food sources. An entire infrastructure has been built around the transportation of foodstuffs from other realities, especially larger ones such as Akuma or Loeilham.
However, this system wasn't planned, no government interference occurred. They simply sprung into place due to individuals seeing a need—and an opportunity to earn some bones—and filling it on their own.
Discord is the only anarchist-libertarian society I have ever run across, and despite all commonsense suggesting otherwise it thrives. Because it's not just the food acquisition. Nearly everything in Discord functions like this, barely holding itself together. And yet, despite everything, it does. It's infuriating, frankly.
I imagine this is due in part to the natures of daemons themselves, which no doubt imbues every individual with a drive not always found in mortals, but also with a false impression that they are far more important than they actually are.
Even if they are not the only inhabitants of the city, this.... philosophy. fills its every pore, and even I have to admit that despite its many flaws, it is this very drive that enables the city to function.
But do not let this praise fool you. Though it has a certain "nobility” to it, Discord is still a hive of scum and villainy. There are very few laws, and those that do exist are often arbitrary and ever-changing. It appears that the current lord, a daemon by the name of Malachi Desault, may be trying to change that, but the going is slow. I doubt he’ll succeed even if Bacchae never returned at all.
Every major organization has its hand in crime to some extent, or at the very least what the average person would consider to be as such. The Merchants Guild of the Soul Market engages in willfully abusive business practices. The owners of various establishments throughout the Distillery District provide nearly unlimited access to illicit substances. The Brigadier's Club regularly pedals priceless historical artifacts on the black market, though admittedly there is little difference from the normal market in Discord. And that's not even mentioning the Yokai Clans of Akuma Cho.
They manage to be scum even compared to the rest of Discord, human trafficking primary among their exploits, and it is a rare Discordian brothel that hasn't acquired at least one of its... employees by way of "Monster Town”.
Several clubs and lounges find their performing talent, in much the same way.
In order to not give a false impression, I must state that the slavery of humans, sexual or otherwise, is one of the few laws that does exist, but it is barely enforced and even less rarely followed.
To the average resident of the city I am probably coming off as a "Tightass", but there are some thing that I find to be utterly abhorrent.
Perhaps that makes me a hypocrite. Yes, I think it definitely does.
If I simply concluded my findings there, I believe I would be lynched however. It would be carried out—somewhat disappointingly—by a wild mob, considering that the position of "hangman" in the Tea Party has apparently been retired.
(Laugh) Not anymore!
So allow me to mention some of the city's finer qualities, such as they may be.
Due to the general longevity of a majority of its residents. Discord has a thriving, if somewhat hedonistic, culture. Its “music scene" is primary among them, as with its abundance of clubs, dance- halls, and other venues, there is always a desperate demand for talent. I’ve heard horror stories of individuals being chewed up and spat out by the pseudo-industry that has grown around it, especially considering the several up-and-coming “idol” groups that have begun springing up in recent years. But because of Discord’s general loathing of anything seen as "selling out", there will always be space for an artist to achieve success entirely on their own.
This goes for most other disciplines. Physical artists may one day be graffiti-ing the streets, only to attend an art gala later that evening. Several magazines print stories and articles for everything from pulp horror to travel blogs. There are even a few theaters operating in the various districts, the genres ranging from experimental to Kabuki.
One can see how all of this combined with the shear amount of venues for entertainment, would make Discord a "tourist destination” for daemons and other travelers throughout the cosmos, and most "Cosmical Nomads” such as myself often final ourselves back in Discord for one reason or another. The city is of particular use for magi, as there are various tomes and reagents that may not be easy to acquire anywhere else. This constant influx of new faces is what primarily keeps its economy functioning.
Ultimately, this good may outweigh the bad for many people, and the bottom line is that many simply find the city exciting. My advice to any traveler is this: there are many opportunities in Discord, and many ways to enrich ones knowledge of the cosmos. But exercise caution, there are many areas of the city where one simply should not tread. Be careful, and keep your eyes open.
And somehow I've ended up sounding like someone's mother.
My apologies for this verbose and wildly tangenting introduction. I would like to claim that it will improve from here, but I highly doubt I will follow through with this statement, were I to make it. I am not a writer by trade, nor have I ever claimed to be as such. My prose may come across as clinical, and perhaps even cynical. I'm afraid that if I attempted to temper these traits l would make a mess of this journal.
Oops!
I hope that, to anyone who may someday come across this Study in Cosmology, that it may prove to be at least slightly useful. It is my wish that it may act as a guide of sorts, although it is also my fear that it may someday be used to track me down.
Though I must confess perhaps that is ultimately what I’m after.
Perhaps you and I will meet someday, reader. Perhaps we won’t. Regardless, I hope that in my own humble way, I may able to provide some guidance, or perhaps even some comfort. The cosmos is a very large place, after all.
Sincerely yours,
Cephias Griffin
Of fucking course it is.
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