Grit (Drug)

The Formulation of Grit
Joseph (Joe) Hobbitson, a well-educated Horticulturist, emigrated to Qadakh during its initial foundation, when the 'city' was just a small town in an isolated nation. Joe, along with various other keen, entrepreneurial citizens, decided to establish a business in the (at the time, long-abandoned and derelict) underground railway tunnels. At first, he had very little success. The hidden location of his horticultural store, coupled with the desert's notoriously dry landscape, made plant growth (and sales) virtually non-existent. Joe, becoming poorer and more desperate by the day, began to raid the rubbish bins of his neighbours - searching for food scraps or discarded valuables to sell and survive.

One day, Joe found a large quantity of hard, grotesque cheese amongst the rubbish. The pungent smell of the white, crunchy cheese was repulsive, but Joe couldn't pass up the opportunity of such a large quantity of food (even if it did seem entirely inedible). He smuggled it into his hideout below his store and mustered the courage to attempt a taste test... He doesn't remember much about the following few days, but has vague memories of excessive vomiting and violent convulsing. When he finally felt well enough to move, he decided to throw all of the horrible (likely poisonous) cheese into his meat grinder - thinking that it would be easier to dispose of it secretly if it was in a non-solid state. Once ground, he emptied all of the powdered 'cheese' into a potato sack and labelled it ' Plant Fertiliser' (because who would be suspicious about that?). He assumed that no one would question it, as the ground cheese did look incredibly similar to sand and was as thick and crunchy as gravel.

He waited a few days to dispose of the evidence, because Evelyn (Eve) Rochefort (owner of Edam & Eve's) would be annoyingly disappointed in him if she knew he had stolen from her and (with his luck) would never shut up about it. While he waited, he spent time researching this strange cheese. Why had he gotten so sick? Why was it so... crunchy? Soon enough, he found the answer: Amobea. The 'crunchy cheese' that he had stolen was, in fact, a by-product of amobea bacterial cheese production that is unsuitable for human consumption. Researchers in the past had found that the cheese has deadly properties, and had advised all cheesemongers to cease production of it immediately. Joe, however, was not a cheesemonger. He was a horticulturist; an experimental one at that. If this cheese contained amobea bacteria, found in the earth's own soil, then what if it could be used to cultivate new growth?

For months, he studied the bacteria and its properties. He even enlisted the help of Norman (Norm) Cabbage, the Academy's Professor of Advanced Horticulture, who only cryptically stated that "to know the outcome of an experiment, you must first perform it." His vague sentiment encouraged Joe to put his theories to the test and mix some of the powder (that he had begun referring to as 'Grit ') into soil, before planting various saplings and flowers in it. Over time, he recorded the differences in growth of his 'Grit' fertilised plants to unfertilised versions. The results astounded him. Not only had his theory proven true, as the plants had grown much faster than the others, but Grit had actually enhanced the quality of them too. Saplings were stronger and taller, flowers were brighter and even grass was greener!

In that moment, he knew that his discovery could change the world entirely. Providing the Qadakhi Homestead with Grit would make the farmland immeasurably fertile and prosperous - able to feed their country's citizens for years to come. National leaders would notice that Qadakh's produce was higher quality and could be grown in a fraction of the time it usually takes, then they'd demand to know why and Grit would suddenly become a global necessity. He'd be rich! But... What if he kept it a secret? If no one knew, he could continue his research in peace. He could properly test every aspect of plant growth, to make sure that any poisonous properties didn't affect fertilised plants or foods grown. He could secretly provide for his own nation without placing a target on their backs and enduring conflicts from jealous or desperate nations across Eldham. Joe considered his options for a long while, growing stressed. When stressed, he turned to his old friend: cocaine. Snorting some 'dust' (as he called it) did not improve the situation at all. Instead, he accidentally became so high that all coherent thought left his mind. In his delusional state, he scooped up a fistful of the wrong powder and swiftly snorted a large quantity of Grit by mistake. What ensued was an entire day of pure bliss. Joe felt like he was 'flying' rather than dying, and experienced intensely vivid hallucinations and mania. It was deeply intoxicating and, just like that, an addiction to Grit began to develop.

Joe forgot all about his grand plans to sell Grit as plant fertiliser, instead becoming determined to produce as much as possible for his own personal consumption. He had made the perfect drug; a potent psychedelic much cheaper and easier to produce than many others. He tested it on himself for months, never revealing this discovery to a single soul in case they took it from him, and gradually became more and more unhinged. He was often even caught climbing fully into Eve's bins and submerging himself entirely in rotten cheese and debris in the hunt for his main ingredient. Eve assumed Joe had lost his mind, choosing to stay out of his way and ignore the 'bin maniac' as much as she could. Grit was, obviously, an incredibly potent and addictive drug, but at least only one person knew about it... right?

Wrong. Joe may have become a reclusive addict, skittish around others and often abrasive, but he did have one contact who knew of his research; Norman Cabbage. Professor Cabbage interrogated Joe in his office, demanding to know why Joe hadn't released any results of his research or implemented his fertiliser experimentation in the Qadakhi Homestead. Joe was, predictably, high at the time. With lowered inhibitions, he revealed the entire truth to a very shocked and appalled, yet intrugued, Norm.

The Professor, longing for farmland success in their barren desert, decided to arrange the use of Grit as plant fertiliser on the Homestead (without Joe's permission), claiming to government officials that it was a 'homegrown, vegan-friendly fertiliser that would encourage plant growth'. This, coming from one of the grand Academy's most valued professors, was approved and a Grit production factory was ordered to be built beside the Homestead for easy access. Norman didn't feel too guilty that he had just begun mass production of a fertiliser/drug, but Joe was furious. He decided that if Norman got to utilise Grit's fertilisation properties, he should get to utilise its psychedelic abilities too. Without another word to Professor Cabbage (and a silent swear to never share his experiments or operations with another soul again), Joe headed to his hideout and began constructing a plan.

Since then, Joseph Hobbitson has never revealed the intricacies of his operations. All that we know is that Grit got out. All over Eldham, people steal, smuggle and consume it. Grit became incredibly well-known, with the origins of its creation shared through hushed rumours and exaggerated tales. Joe Hobbitson, the creator, became notorious - gossip of an elusive developing smuggling ring, drug production, and other crimes spread like wildfire and made him a target for police. To our knowledge, he has gone 'off-grid', though he is very likely 'on-grit' to this day.

"Just one try and life will fly by." - Joe Hobbitson, on 'Grit'.