Cacophony

Cacophony is a dangerous substance that corrupts nearby creatures via urging them to cause disharmony and clangor. It may also result in the creation of a Cacophony Demon. It should not be touched under any circumstances.

## Overview

Cacophony is a grey, sludge like substance that corrupts organisms upon contact, although it may have other minor effects if encountered but not touched. Cacophony works by infecting a creature's thoughts first, convincing them into spreading disharmony and chaos. Instruments who try to resist Cacophony's effects may physically transform into a Cacophony Demon, while instruments with stronger minds that also try to embrace it, such as King Tuba II, are able to resist the transformation while also gaining the strength that Cacophony provides to its host.

While it's not known exactly what Cacophony IS, it's theorized that Cacophony originates from deep underground, as no traces of physical Cacophony is ever found on the surface, except for instruments corrupted by it. Cacophony itself also exudes undetectable fumes that may affect those near it, even if they don't directly touch it. These effects usually consist of voices in the creature's head urging them to touch Cacophony in exchange for power. These effects can be resolved with some minor rituals, but instruments who go too long without touching Cacophony OR seeking aid from a priest after inhaling the fumes may end up going mad.

Physical Cacophony can only be expelled through an extensive ritual known as a Harmonious Cleansing, which requires multiple powerful mages and priests to actively erase the Cacophony altogether. Afterwards, they must be immediately decontaminated of discordant fumes due to being in close proximity of the Cacophony. This ritual is especially difficult because of the Cacophony fumes urging the mages/priests to touch it, which would instantly cancel the ritual. Those touched by corrupted instruments are also able to be healed before they turn into a Cacophony Demon, provided that a healer is able to perform the necessary rituals on them before the Cacophony fully takes control of the instrument's mind.

## Regional Effects

Cacophony, despite being located underground, still has effects on the regions above. While it's unclear how it works, Cacophony can create lasting effects on an area that may consist of chaotic weather patterns, anti-musical magic, or subtle discordant corruption of the local flora and fauna. A famous example is that of Cacophony Strait, which is known for its dangerous thunderstorms due to the large amounts of Cacophony that lie deep below the strait. The area and severity of these effects are most likely tied to how concentrated and how far spread the Cacophony amounts are underground. Thankfully, these regional effects are very hard to miss, so kingdoms can easily restrict people from going to these areas, although that doesn't stop some from trying. The rare adventurer that manages to find and touch the Cacophony source under these regions will be usually transformed into a Cacophony Demon.

It wasn't until the Third Stanza that Cacophony was actually discovered, analyzed, and named, as the kingdoms before were unable to find the cause of these effects until the Brass Kingdom discovered it in the Royal Valve Mines, leading to the events of *Tuba Warriors*. While it's unclear why the area above the Royal Valve Mines is unaffected by Cacophony, it's theorized that the Cacophony itself was located so far deep into the mines that it was unable to reach the surface. When going into the mines themselves, evidence and effects of Cacophony are readily apparent, although that didn't stop the Brass Kingdom from mining deeper.

## Origin

Cacophony was originally created by Tuba Gigamorph, a primordial monster that disguises as ordinary instruments. While very few people in the game even know about the monster's history, it is believed that they exist and thrive only via spreading disharmony among other instruments, which they primarily use Cacophony to accomplish. Tuba Gigamorph is able to create Cacophony through unknown means, often leaving said Cacophony deep underground in order to taint the regions above, although it is unknown if they do this on purpose. The gigamorph and the Cacophony that it produced was sealed away during the Prehistoric Stanza by the first leaders of Orchestria. However, the Tuba Gigamorph was able to escape its prison sometime after and would begin to travel around Orchestria via underground tunnels, starting with the Royal Valve Mines, whilst spreading Cacophony to different regions and turning unwary instruments into Cacophony Demons. The gigamorph would eventually return to the caverns under the Royal Valve Mines and can be encountered there in the post game, acting as the "true" final boss.

## In-Game Importance

Cacophony is incredibly important in the events of *Tuba Warriors*, as it is the driving force that corrupts King Tuba II and causes the Tuba Wars. Cacophony also plays a large part in Cacophony Catastrophe, downloadable content that focuses more on the physical and mental effects of Cacophony, as well as how to dispel it.

Other important characters are also corrupted by Cacophony fumes or the Cacophony itself through the course of the game, forcing Maestro to inevitably get involved. Even deities such as The Stringed King are able to be affected by Cacophony, meaning that nobody is safe from the stuff. In battle, Cacophony is an effect inflicted upon players when they make physical contact with a Cacophony Demon or other creature corrupted by Cacophony. This effect will result in a game over for the inflicted member unless cured with certain healing spells.