Euphoria

Mandatory Happiness - Euphoria

Euphoria is a drug that has become prevalent in New Orisian lately thanks to the work of the cartel known as the Optimists. Formerly used to treat soldiers suffering from PTSD, Euphoria is an extremely potent antidepressant that makes patients incapable of experiencing any of their negative emotions, including anger and sadness. Instead, those who take Euphoria are transported to what seems like a dream-state as they relive the happiest moment in their life repeatedly. While the drug was very successful in helping soldiers to recover from the horrors of war, it also robbed them of their inhibitions, and soon even the most heinous of acts (including stealing and violence towards others) caused users of the drug to feel no guilt or hesitation. The drug has since been outlawed.

## Initial Trials

The drug was initially used to help soldiers recover from the horrors of intergalactic warfare. Along with new technology came all sort of new ways to torture and eliminate human beings. The average soldier has never felt more insignificant or more vulnerable. At any moment, they can be blown to smithereens by a ship flying overhead raining lasers down on a planet, be sucked out into the dark void of space by a small hole in the hull of their vessel, or be ripped by apart by an undiscovered alien race. Soldiers are expendable, to a degree, but so many soldiers were becoming unable to return to active duty that new and radical solutions were sought for how to help them return to the front-lines.

Euphoria was a drug invented by G-Corp, a small pharmaceutical company on New Orisian. Their creation was extremely successful, as soldiers soon found that the horrors they had experienced at war were easy to forget. Unfortunately, that was not all they lost. They lost all shreds of inhibition that used to stop most people from committing heinous acts. Regardless of what they were doing, be it harming someone or jumping in front of traffic, the average user of Euphoria always did so with a smile on their face. It made the victims of the drug easy to spot, and soon, the Knights of Hikari became involved and outlawed the drug.

However, through unknown means, a large batch of Euphoria was stolen from G-Corp. The corporation itself has long since vanished, having gone bankrupt after the drug they had invested most of their credits into became discontinued. Euphoria would live on though, becoming an extremely addictive and expensive drug on the black market. It was used less on soldiers and more on anyone seeking an escape from the horrors of reality.

## The Optimists

Euphoria became popular on the black markets of New Orisian, thanks primarily to the mysterious group known as the Optimists. Thanks to how addictive and desirable Euphoria had become, the Optimists who were selling the drug began to make huge profits. As such, the Optimists are incredibly well equipped as far as drug cartels go. They have better armor and guns than almost anyone else on the streets, and they are well armed enough to rival the average Knight of Hikari.

The Optimists have also begun to use Euphoria for other means. In particular, they have begun to employ the drug for chemical warfare, using canisters to spread the effects of Euphoria through the air. Anyone who breathes in the drug (without aid of a gas mask of course) becomes intoxicated by its effects. In the past, the Optimists have used this to prevent civilians from interfering in their operations. They have also begun to coat their bullets with the drug which, while lacking the same potency, can induce similar effects.

The Optimists have also begun to modify the drug. In a high enough dose, its victims become hostile, almost zombie-like figures who will attack the closest person to draw them out of their dream-state. Anyone who is foolish enough to set off an explosion or fire a gun in their presence can expect to be attacked by those under the effects of Euphoria.

It is currently unknown where the drug is being manufactured by the Optimists or what their end goal is with the drug. They typically prefer to remain hidden, but recent developments have seen them take a more offensive stance against the Knights of Hikari.