If one could see in the lightless depths of Tunnel K's Hole, one might notice cracks snaking their way across the marble chrysalis. The boar inside was stirring, reaching out to the vociferous whispers of chaos. They helped to pull him from his sleep. Now fully grown, he tumbled to the side of the Altar as his chrysalis finally shattered. His leg was kissed with threads of shimmering black, like the Oil that all things returned to.

Edric had served well, and been rewarded. The mark on his stone was one of the shadow entity's blessing, he was sure, and there would be more to come if he gave it more gifts of Oil. The black goop was what all things were meant to be. He would help them return to their true form, unbound by the imperfections of flesh.

But not himself, not yet. The Altar had blessed him. He was its acolyte, its servant, its hand. The proof was in his stone, and in the black tears that wept from his eyes. The Oil was already a part of him. But not a part of others--that was a problem. Edric would fix that. Edric would not slack; his work ethic would be unparalleled.

With a snort and an awkward, limping gait, the boar dragged himself back out of the Hole. Few wandered this tunnel, but Orion was a populated place. He would find them so that he could give the gift of Oil once more.

Points left until conversion: 15-3=12

Edric waited patiently at the tunnel entrance, watching and listening for signs of life. The tunnel seemed totally forsaken, but life had to get from Orion to Canis somehow. He knew that if he was patient, he would catch something eventually. Good things came to those who waited; Edric would not prove himself to be a foolish servant by falling into the trap of impatience.

A thought occurred to him. Why hunt the animals here? The tunnel was already under the Altar's influence. No. What he had to do was spread the Oil elsewhere. The caves were big, and certainly not Oily enough. The chaos must become pervasive, not trapped within a single hole in an abandoned tunnel. Chaos deserved better.

But if Edric had been trapped within his chrysalis all this time, then he hadn't been able to feed the Altar. That was unacceptable. He would leave the whispers and the Shadowy Being with a parting gift before he went on any more journeys.

Edric did not know how long he sat there waiting, utterly still. He knew he must not frighten the lessers with sudden movements, not until he was totally ready to kill them and return them to Oil. Perhaps a day had passed. Edric neither knew nor care. He did notice that his own hunger was growing, but Edric was only selfish when he was dealing with lesser beings. If he pleased the one within the Altar, that would outweigh any desires of his own. So it was: Oil, then dinner.

In any case, Edric was not a picky boar. He could consume flesh, too, once he had caught the necessary sacrifice. Half for himself, half for the Altar. Sharing was caring, after all. So there he remained, shifting only when a hind leg fell asleep. That would not do. He had to keep himself ready to hunt down whatever animal came his way.

Still more time passed without any signs of life. A lesser creature might have left by now, but Edric was not some weak fool who would give up that easily. Like the boar that he was, he remained stubbornly guarding the Orion entrance to the very end.

On the dawn of the third day--not that Edric would know how many days had passed; he couldn't see the orb-light changes from here--his stomach began to gurgle constantly. Maybe, Edric thought dimly, that's what's scaring them away. He frowned down at his belly. Flesh weakness could not stop him from doing his Altar-given duty.

(It could.)

Hey, was that movement beyond the entrance? Edric narrowed his eyes and stood up abruptly, readying his tusks for the charge... then tipped sideways, the blood rushing away from his head. Unconsciousness overtook him, and the rat that had caught his attention scurried safely away.

Edric awakened with a groan. ...What was that? The tunnel? Still completely empty. The lessers were afraid of this place, it seemed. They did not want to face their fates, but all avoidance was useless in the end. They would all turn to Oil, no matter where they were. It was only a matter of time.

And Edric would prove that to them. If they did not want to be found, then that was too bad. No one could hide from the all-consuming Oil. It was the natural, primordial state of all things, and he was but the catalyst. This tunnel, Orion, any other room in these caves--it did not matter.

The boar lumbered through the stone doors, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the orb-light reflecting off glittering quartz crystals. His stomach rumbled loudly. First things first; he could not fulfill his purpose without food to fuel him.

--exit. I GIVE UP.