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M.E.G. Files Loaded! (5) files found linked to keywords "Frost Boars" and "Project Erymanthian"
Flagged as: "Frost Boars"
Entity 456 - "Frost Boars"
CONCORD ENTITY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
HABITAT(S): Cold
3DXX
The entrance to a Frost Boar burrow in Level 129.
Description
Frost Boars1 are small, pig-like creatures that inhabit a great number of levels with below-freezing climates, most notably levels 56, 70, 129, 159, and 813. Easily recognisable by their long, shaggy fur, large tusks, and prominent red eyes, Frost Boars have been a popular entity among the residents of various cold levels for many hundreds of years, even becoming the national animal of the Froidetownites.
Despite their highly-regarded status, it is worth stating that Frost Boars are both wild and deeply territorial animals: they can — and indeed have — caused wanderers to lose both life and limb in encounters with them. Remember the golden rule: don't interact with what you don't have to.
Anatomy
Standing at about 60 cm2 tall and weighing an unusually large 59 kg3, the Frost Boar is an unmistakable relative of Frontrooms wild boars, though with several notable adaptations for the climates it lives in, detailed below.
Annotated sketch of a Frost Boar.
Notable features include:
1. Fur. A Frost Boar's small stature is compensated with a thick hide, which is in turn covered with a dense tangle of white fur, keeping it both warm and camouflaged. The skin below the fur is pale blue, and is extremely sensitive. In fact, a Frost Boar's skin is so sensitive it can detect the breath of a human against its fur from over 5 metres4 away. Whilst it is postulated that this may help it survive Blizzard Events in Level 129, no fully satisfactory explanation exists for this unusual trait.
2. Eyes. Frost Boar eyes are red due to a thin — but sturdy — membrane that covers them, known to help protect the sclera when gazing into strong winds, snow, or rain.
3. Snout. Frost Boars have an excellent sense of smell, which they use to identify other Frost Boars, potential predators, and food sources.
4. Circulatory System. Frost Boars have disproportionately large hearts and lungs, which allows them to transport oxygen extremely efficiently to their extremities. This serves to both keep body temperature high, by allowing respiration to occur more rapidly, and to allow Frost Boars to run very long distances without tiring.
5. Tusks. All Frost Boars — regardless of sex — feature large tusks, which protrude from the mouth in a way more similar to an elephant tusk than that of a boar. These are the Frost Boar's primary weapons, and they can be observed sharpening them on the trees and stones in their habitats. Frost Boar tusks are extremely durable, even moreso than most of their bones.
Behavior
Frost Boars live in groups of about 10 to 20 members, known as squalls5, and almost all activities they undertake is done in these squalls, with the exception of hunting.6 Squalls are entirely female-dominated, with the highest-ranked boar being an old matriarch.
Frost Boars hunt via persistence predation, their powerful hearts and lungs allowing them to pursue prey for long distances. When the prey is either cornered or collapses due to exhaustion, the Frost Boar will impale them using its tusks, and then drag the body back to the squall to be carved up and eaten.
Frost Boars can consume an extremely broad variety of organic matter. Known food sources include, but are not limited to:
- Leaves
- Ferns
- Roots
- Berries
- Tree bark
- Cashew Water
- Glapreseed on Level 813
- Greasy Marshmallows, even in raw form.
- Entity flesh and organs, including that of humans.7
- Crawler Fungus8
- Bone marrow9
Frost Boars dwell in large burrows with their squall, and the area surrounding said burrows is considered Frost Boar territory. Frost Boars are extremely protective of their territory and especially their burrows, so very little is known about the activities partaken inside. What is known is that Frost Boars rear their young in their burrows, as Frost Piglets are an extremely rare sight, and only ever seen near tunnel entrances.
A single squall may have many burrows, with the males being the primary diggers of new tunnels. If a squall's number of burrows exceeds its capacity to defend them, the squall will fracture into several smaller squalls, each of which will claim a portion of the burrows of the original. Territory between the burrows is abandoned. All new squalls are created from this process.
Similar to wild boars on Earth, male Frost Boars leave their squall when reaching sexual maturity, departing on a long journey to find a new squall. This social structure serves the dual purpose of both increasing genetic diversity among Frost Boars, and avoiding inbreeding.
In a deviation from Frontrooms counterparts, mating seasons are entirely absent in Frost Boars. The static nature of most Backrooms levels is almost certainly the cause of this.
Both squalls and wandering males not only dig their own burrows, but occupy pre-existing burrows. Indeed, it is very rare for a Frost Boar burrow to be left abandoned for more than a few days, as squalls will identify the scent of an unoccupied den from a substantial distance away, and move in almost immediately.
Frost Boars typically live for about 8 years, quite long for a boar. The females, especially the matriarchs, live longer than males, due to the social hierarchy of squalls given them better access to nutrition.
Ecological Role
Serving as an almost prototypical example of a mesopredator, Frost Boars both consume, and are consumed by, a wide variety of Backrooms entities. They fill a crucial niche in the ecosystems they reside in, by both being a food source to otherwise helpless entities, such as Deathmoths, and by being a predator to otherwise uncontested entities, most notably Hounds.
Food web of Level 129, which features Frost Boars as a key player.
The behaviours Frost Boars display towards entities can be broadly lumped into 3 categories.
The first category is composed of entities that Frost Boars actively hunt at all times. These include:
The second category is composed of entities that Frost Boars do not actively hunt, but will still attack if food is scarce, or the entity in question is intruding on Frost Boar territory11. These include:
The third category is composed of entities that Frost Boars are either predated by, or frequently attacked by. Frost Boars, particularly lone boars, tend to display fear when exposed to these entities. This category includes:
Cultural Significance
A young boy with a Frost Boar coat. Photo taken by the New Traders Group, 1931.
Frost Boars have been known about since the habitation of cold levels began, and as such knowledge surrounding them predates most written records. Throughout the millenia, groups such as the Venosha, the Lost, and innumerable minor settlements have had beliefs and practices centred on Frost Boars, many of which still exist today.
The most common of these practices is the hunting of Frost Boars, which is still a minor industry among a few independent groups. Frost Boars are not only hunted for their meat, but for many of their other features. The pelt of a Frost Boar can be converted into a highly insulating coat for both individuals and buildings alike, the bones can been used to make a plethora of rudimentary tools, and the tusks can be filed down into sharp points for use in spearheads or knives.
Even outside of hunting, though, Frost Boars have captured the imagination of many a wanderer. Their somewhat familiar-looking structure, their ability to keep hostile entities in check, and their lack of direct malevolence towards humanity is somewhat rare in their habitats. The symbol of the Frost Boar as a hardy and opportunistic hunter is a common one in Level 70, and Frost Boars were frequently a topic of art by the Lost, most often depicted in a somewhat reverent manner.
Keep squalls as middle neighbours. For as near neighbours they will kill you, and as far neighbours they will abandon you.
— Venoshan proverb
Dos and Don'ts
Do
- If attacked by a Frost Boar, get to higher ground. Frost Boars are incapable of climbing. Getting to a large rock or into the branches of a tree will provide temporary protection.
- Try to lure the Frost Boar to warmer territory. Frost Boars are adapted specifically for the cold, perishing quickly via heatstroke in warmer climates.
- Separate the squall. Frost Boars are infinitely more dangerous when they are in a group.
- Leave if you see a Frost Boar burrow. To be able to see a burrow is indicative of being within Frost Boar territory.
Don't
- Engage in close quarters with a Frost Boar. Frost Boars are much faster and stronger than the average human.
- Enter the burrow of a squall. No wanderer has been known to exit these alive.
« Entity 455 | Entity 456 | Entity 457 »
Flagged as: "Frost Boars"
The Daily Rooms
Copies distributed to Base Alpha 05/28/2035
Frost Boars Sighted on the Summit!
It has come to public attention that Frost Boars are now be residing in Level 93, having appeared in the level through unknown means. A healthy population has established itself in the foothills, gaining nutrition mostly from the tree bark and berries abundant there.
Level 93 has always been a fiercely cold and unreasonably harsh level, even in the modern Backrooms. The ice-cold peaks of the Bovetan stronghold harbour only minor plant and fungal life; animals are almost nonexistent outside of the Scream Eaters, and the humans that hunt them. It seems, however, that this is changing.
"It was the strangest thing." says Ivo Denekin, a construction worker from the Polden Point colony. "The foundations of the watchtower we were building were completely overturned. Dents and tusk marks were everywhere. Some of the metal seemed to have even been chewed up. We thought we might be under attack!".
The colony was, in fact, not under attack. Instead, security camera footage revealed the truth: a curious squall of Frost Boars had approached the half-built satellite outpost, and began knocking it about. They found the metal far from an appetising meal, but they did find it an excellent place to sharpen their tusks. "When we saw the footage, we all just stood back, mouths agape" says Ivo. "None of us expected Frost Boars to have made it to the Summit. They'd die from heatstroke if they even began to use any standard routes."
Indeed, the mystery of the origins of the Frost Boars in 93 is a most puzzling one. Since the acceptance of the spawner-spreader dichotomy earlier last year, Frost Boars seem to have become the exception that proves the rule. In all ways they seem to be spreaders, but appearing spontaneously on a level like this is very much indicative of being a spawner. More information is needed, as the rearing of new Frost Boars is currently an almost unknown process.
According to Bovetan liaisons, the boars are still proving troublesome for the residents of the Polden Point, as tusk sharpening on Bovetan steel seems to be more than just a one-off thing. Their population is small — just 1 squall so far — but growing rapidly, as the trees of the summit provide more than enough food for the boars.
Due to being firm Boveta territory, the M.E.G. has no plans to investigate this anomaly. "If Boveta wants to look into this, then that's their prerogative." says Overseer Michael. "But for us? We have many more pressing matters to attend to."
Flagged as: "Project Erymanthian"
Interlevel Transmission Log #1380479
Sent By: Isaiah Kemps, Field Agent of outpost Hollow Nest, Level 8
Sent From: Paradigm Outpost, Level 993
Received By: Base Alpha Wi-Fi receiver.
Time Received: 2041-11-27T14:28:53+BKR
Sending this from Level 993 due to the better Wi-Fi. This information concerns the results of the joint attack conducted by the M.E.G., B.N.T.G., and Eyes of Argos on the U.E.C.'s Cerberus Research Facility 4 days ago.
The joint attack is a victory, though a Pyrrhic one. Our forces primarily infiltrated into the areas most recently annexed, under the assumption their defences would be limited. Not only was this true, but the number of U.E.C. members startled even us in how few they numbered. It seems as if they planned to lose this area. Within hours we had repelled the U.E.C.'s front line by multiple miles, essentially undoing their territorial gains of the last month. Military resistance was nonexistent; U.E.C. members primarily resorted to retreating into the more fortified areas of the facility, whilst taking or destroying as many incriminating documents as possible.
Attempting to push the line any further would require an assault on the very core of the U.E.C.'s claims in Level 8, i.e. both impossible and likely to trigger an all-out war. Consequently, the military brigade has been disbanded, save for a small battalion, which remains on-site. This battalion serves to ensure the U.E.C. does not reclaim the land they have just lost, even if it is only a temporary solution.
No Church of the Veiled artifacts were recovered. Every single glyph, trinket, and creature has been taken by the U.E.C., presumably back to their main facility.
I don't like this one bit. Arcane glyph magic was already a huge problem before the ban, and seeing the U.E.C. so blatantly using it nowadays does nothing to ease my concerns for the future. We don't know what exactly they're planning, but it can't be any good.
Flagged as: "Frost Boars"
The Daily Rooms
Copies distributed to Base Alpha 05/03/2043
Frost Boars: A Thing of the Past?
The Frost Boar populations of many key levels appear to be entering a state of decline not seen in centuries, worrying both residents and biologists alike. Experts fear the much-loved entity may disappear completely, wreaking havoc on local ecosystems.
Of all the misery and threats of war that the past few months have brought, a pessimist may have expected the Backrooms to throw humanity another right hook. Yet few could have predicted the specifics of this, the newest catastrophe plaguing the average wanderer. Frost Boars — a both common and critical entity in many cold levels — are dying.
"The whole squall near my camp vanished overnight" says Angela Holt, a resident of Level 70. "We're noticing more and more Hounds prowling the caves" reports Simon Turner, from the M.E.G. outpost on 56. "Squalls are being spread out to cover more burrows than they would normally occupy" warns M.E.G. zoologist Naomi Sinclair. "It puts their young at risk because there's fewer adults to defend them."
Of course, the damage done by the removal of Frost Boars needs no explanation. Aside from their cultural relevance, their keystone role in liminal-arctic food webs means a trophic cascade is a serious concern. Hounds and Crawlers may soon be commonplace in badly-hit levels, threatening human inhabitants. Moreover, the fact that level evolution occurs much faster than biological evolution means that many ecosystems were already on shaky ground to begin with: a strike of even minimal magnitude may be completely destabilising.
Despite the sheer number of Frost Boars perishing over the past few weeks, a root cause still eludes scientists. "We know a few things" explains Sinclair. "It isn't something affecting all Frost Boars equally: Level 70 has been hit the worst, but Level 129 hasn't been affected at all, for instance. It likely isn't a disease, because almost no Frost Boar bodies are recovered, infected or otherwise. Our best guess, for now, is foul play. Someone — or something — is targeting these boars."
But if Frost Boars are being overhunted by a specific group, then who? It isn't clear, as nobody seems to have sufficient motivation. The B.N.T.G. has little economical incentive, nor does the U.E.C. stand to gain more territory in their expansion. Indeed, the only organization to come under scrutiny from this decline is the Carnifices of Gelu, in Level 70.13 In an impassioned speech on the 1st of this month, the Prime Minister of the Froidetownites, Daniel Kaylen Dexter, stated the following:
The Carnifices have long been a bane to the residents of our fair democracy, but recent behaviours warrant increased action on our part. Attacks on habitable pockets have decreased, this is undeniable true, but it comes at the cost of further covert operations. Subterranean bunkers, grand shrines, and concerning technological growth have all been noted.
I cannot — for now — state what our response to this will be. But know this: every Froidetownite in every neighbourhood will be more than glad to put their lives on the line for our boars. We have the population, and the willpower, and the force necessary to find out what's going on here.
Despite the urgency of the situation, the M.E.G. is hesitant to make any public statements. Given the precarious nature of current politics, any accusation may spiral beyond anyone's ability to handle; preventing a total war is still considered a priority.
Outside of official reports, however, the M.E.G. has made contact with many allied settlements, including Froidetown, in order to come up with a response to the rapid dwindling of squall populations. The future of the species remains uncertain, but the M.E.G. — as ever — remains optimistic.
Flagged as: "Frost Boars"
WARNING: The contents of this file are strictly confidential. Any unauthorised distribution will be met with appropriate disciplinary measures.
M.E.G. Internal Memo
Sent From: Base Alpha Central Transmissions Database
Sent To: Base Beta Exploration Division
The Frost Boar Repopulation Project has been approved by Oversight Council vote. It is due to begin on 2043-07-03.
The Frost Boar Repopulation Project has 3 main goals:
I. To reintroduce Frost Boars into Levels 70 and 159, to alleviate their dwindling populations.
II. To improve the strength and vitality of Frost Boar populations in Levels 70 and 159, so that such a decline does not occur again.
III. To identify the cause of declining Frost Boar populations in Levels 70 and 159.
Levels 70 and 159 have been selected as the target, due to having the most severe loss of Frost Boars among all known levels.
The method by which these goals will be achieved is as follows:
1. Base Omicron will capture wandering male Frost Boars in Level 813, and hold them in specially designed pens until further notice.14
2. Hidden cameras will be implanted into each male, in the hopes that the source of the Frost Boar population decline can be seen firsthand.15
3. A compound of various salts and oils will be rubbed into the coat of each male. This compound has been supplied by the Froidetownites, who have been working tirelessly to produce it since the start of the population decline. It is absorbed through the skin of the Frost Boar, and provides both heat and parasite resistance. This is beneficial because many Frost Boar hunting methods rely on fire, which the compound works against.
4. The wandering males will be taken from Level 813 to Levels 70 and 159 through Level 11. This is doable because the Froidetownite compound provides enough heat protection to allow Frost Boars to pass through warm levels for short times.
5. The wandering males will be introduced to preexisting squalls that lack males,16 whereupon they will intermingle with the squall, and pass the compound to other Frost Boars via direct contact.
6. The squalls will be left to their own devices, with the M.E.G. primarily taking an observational role, via the hidden cameras.
In the event that this procedure fails, the M.E.G. has a contingency plan: an entire squall from Level 129, selected for ease of access, will be captured, coated with the compound, an introduced directly to Level 70. This is only to be used if absolutely necessary, due to the danger in capturing a squall.
More information will be provided as developments ensue.
M.E.G. — Bettering Humanity
ARCHIVIST'S NOTE: Roughly 3 months following this, the U.E.C. attacked the Lost City, and Absolute War I began.
End of archived M.E.G. files.