Zen City

"Can't stand it."

—Headmaster Ethan Anton

**Zen City**, also called **Zen** by residents and **the City** by Cosmic Academy members, is the closest population center to the university. Due to its proximity to an internationally renowned postsecondary kinetic institution, Zen is one of America's most diverse cities in culture, ethnicities and sapient species. It faced a period of cultural and economic decline under Imperial occupation, and has largely been concerned with building and infrastructural repairs since the military intervention that returned it to proper county governance.

As CA RPers, Zen City is your playground. Feel free to include your own locations, avenues and city events as suits your scenes.

## History

From humble beginnings as a small Kentucky town of zero significance, Zen was quietly removed from American maps in the aftermath of the Second World War. By Army decree, it was to serve as a connection point for the classified Zen University project. A secret airport was built to accommodate incoming shipments of people and cargo, while foreclosed residential apartments were reopened to house personnel recruited from the military-academic-occultist complex. The few locals who noticed raised no objection; these developments were the only interesting things to happen in Zen in the last half-century.

By the 2010s, Zen City had been removed from its forced secrecy, but remained obscure by sheer public disinterest. You've very likely seen its name referenced every now and then in dating profiles, photo credits, travel blogs and especially in memes that are only vaguely funny to people who've spent time in the area. Yet it would have failed to leave a meaningful impression—not even the city's successful attraction of corporate investment and development of a corporate-cyberpunk aesthetic could make random-ass Kentucky towns stand out in the media landscape. If by tomorrow you don't remember seeing anything when you look up Zen, Kentucky, it's because there was so little of interest that your brain deemed none of it worth the space in your short-term memory.

Zen became a city of renown alongside other major American towns when the truth about kinetics, and other supernatural beings, came to light in the 2030s. Many such beings had already resided here, and more flocked to the area from across the globe as they were accepted as students or staff at the now-declassified Zen University. But even when Headmaster Ethan Anton assumed leadership after Mode II's untimely demise and finished the bureaucratic chore of renaming the school to Cosmic Academy, Zen City would not budge. Zen's notoriety had been forever tied to the university, and while city leadership understood the value of close ongoing ties to Cosmic Academy and "the supernatural community," they also sought to solidify Zen's own identity.

## Imperial Occupation

Despite the many supernatural disasters to befall Zen in recent decades, none left as deep of a scar as the city's occupation at the hands of the Imperial Knights, a religious paramilitary organization in strong opposition to "heretical" kinetic activities. While Zen has been besieged in the past by demon-pigs, horrific babies and crusaders plundering the convenience store for marshmallows, any remaining damage surely comes from damage at the hands of Imperial arson and military siege weaponry. Despite Cosmic Academy's very destruction at the hands of the Imperial Knights, their secret rebuilding and subsequent contribution to intelligence-gathering and violent resistance were significant contributions to the city's recovery. Following this liberation, a culture of rebellion and self-expression has emerged, and Zen now hosts a vibrant nightlife that intensifies on the weekends, when Cosmic Academy students have the time to escape their studies. Cyberpunk aesthetics are on the rise, moving past their original use as corporate attention-grabbers into a visual expression all their own, standing for fierce independence and their welcoming embrace toward sweeping change.

On the opposite aesthetic side, expressions of the traditions the Knights tried to stomp out have found increasing prevalence. Churches for religions like Christianity, Islam, the Flame Followers and countless niche witchy or demonological traditions have been mounting new stained glass windows, depicting stories from their faiths that gleam in the neon light. While it is hard to call the "religious industry" a driving force of Zen's economy, an incredible display of beliefs is on display here. While mathematics and sociology are known to be two of the most popular non-kinetic subjects offered at Cosmic Academy, religious studies and theology constitute another major department, thanks to Zen City's eager offering of obscure, intermingling faiths and an observatory for their interactions.

## Economy

Most of the skyscrapers in Zen are occupied by offices for sectors such as finance, tech and green energy production logistics, though even some of these are covers for military research facilities tied to Cosmic Academy—it's an open secret. Characters taking a drive or stroll will pass innumerable restaurants, bars, strip clubs, dentistry offices and countless other spots serving the needs of Zen's diverse population, frequently with a lean toward kinetics and non-human sapients. You may find that masseuses are not merely run by kinetics who apply their power to their craft, but use mystic wooey nonsense in their language that promises to loosen up leylines of kinetic power in the body, making your special techniques less strenuous. Meanwhile, major fast food chains stand alongside ethnic cuisine and unique restaurants committed to recreating the delight of the meals from back in the Heaven or Hell an angel or demon calls home. However, municipal zoning regulations forbid vampire-centric services from operating within a certain walking distance of the blood banks.

Zen City faces rapid fluctuations in prosperity. Recessions are common, driven chiefly to its frequent supernatural disasters, but supernatural aid from helpful Cosmic Academy associates often ensures quick recovery. Housing prices are famously low compared to other major American cities, though this is in part a result of realtors being unable to charge massive prices in light of high ongoing costs for house insurance.

Income inequality is high, and post-Imperial repair initiatives have prioritized the urban core and richer areas over poorer developments. This has lead to stratification between the vibrant downtown, with its fully flourishing nightlife, and poorer residential slums lit only by the occasional neon sign from those houses repurposed into small businesses.

## Sample Locations

These are just some locations you could visit during your nights in the city!

### Based Counselling

If you need an excuse to mono your character's angst, this is the spot! If you arrived before your session, enjoy a complimentary juice box. :)

### Fight Club

Directly inspired by Cosmic Academy's spectacular public spars with a dash of angry white boy kino, one of the Demontown apartments is rumored to host a weekly brawling night on the basement floor. Kinetic powers are forbidden, but the strength differential between species is accepted, so it's likely no one would blame a little human or elf using some kinesis-enhanced muscle against a burly orc or werebear.

### Lucky Sparkle Convenience 247

This unassuming shop hangs along the edge of town, tactically positioned as the closest convenience store to Cosmic Academy. An older harenkinetic mans the counter, but has remained antsy about kinetics in his store even years after Reynauld lead an expedition to smash through his front window and loot the place for marshmallows. Good selection of cigs. Overpriced crystals offered for occultists who need some last-minute raw materials for tonight's full moon. The pizza's greasy but the crust is weirdly good.

### VRcade Club

Zen City's premier VR playpen features the expected toys, as well as more traditional arcade machines, mediocre food, and virtual reality NSFW entertainment for patrons with valid ID. No, your school ID card doesn't count, but it will get you a 10% discount on appetizers.

### WildBurger

The best burgers in town come out of this little bar's in-house meatgrinder, which has earned them a permit from the city to cook their patties medium rare. A relatively quiet atmosphere suits the patrons, including a botanokinetic nerd who always brings her chess board. While it makes good money on drinks, WildBurger's most popular items are also its least profitable, putting it perpetually on the edge of shutting down for good.

### Zen Church of Human Vitality

A former Imperial Knight cathedral was purchased from the city with wealthy donor money, and now houses a minor faith that accepts only human members and preaches sorrow for non-kinetic humans' alienation in an increasingly multi-species world. Frequently accused of reactionary rhetoric, they have never directly supported violent or discriminatory action, though concerns float around that by refusing to outright support a given solution, they leave their congregation to form twisted conclusions.