The Global Hog

The Global Hog is the name given to a class α3 supernatural Phenomena that manifests suidae and suidae-centric attributes in afflicted areas. Like many concept-based phenomena (including The Ice) it is often likened to a pervasive energy that operates through unknown mechanisms to enforce its particular rules on physical matter. Until recently, the extent of The Global Hog and its effects on discernible reality were not given adequate study. Despite its relatively low ranking on the 0-5 scale (and therefore lower danger level) researchers have noted it to be a shockingly vast anomaly composed of multiple facets that extend far beyond the realm of earth. It is very possible that The Global Hog - once thought a peculiar but not particularly noteworthy paranormal entity - is in fact a leviathan force that simply exerts a fraction of itself at any given time.

## Overview

As previously stated, The Global Hog can be likened to a large field of energy. this energy is unbound by the constraints of physics and can exist equally in all states of matter. As this energy swirls and flows according to its own internal rules, it can collect in large quantities in given spaces. These condensed areas of Global Hog energy (most often taking place on the earth's surface) change the resulting environment in a variety of subtle ways. More obvious changes are simply be the addition of pigs, boars, and other forms of swine, or changes that rapidly encourage their reproduction to fill the environment. Less obvious changes may occur in the general flora and fauna to bring about a more suitable locale for these foraging omnivores. Still other inanimate objects may take on patterns or angles that suggest a pig likeness. These effects are hard to study due to their conceptual nature: it can truly be described as "pig-ifying reality".

These processes are unpredictable and often frightening, but are rarely harmful to other sentient life. Transformations of people - or the warping of their flesh - have not been recorded, nor have other permanent physical mutilations as a result of The Global Hog's influence. The Global Hog has been known to steer the mentality of those within its effects towards pig-centric discussion and appraisal, but this is temporary and not all-encompassing. The dangers presented by The Global hog are strictly limited to how its burgeoning new denizens may react to non-pig life, and many of these reactions are entirely normal pig-based reactions of indifference, curiosity, or territorial aggression.

In some instances, the Global Hog's warping of reality come with secondary phenomena that may not be wholly related. These entities are potentially symbiotic or parasitic attachments to the Global Hog, and appear and disappear as its influence grows and fades. They are "The Hog Matrix" "The Hog Heart" "The Boar Basin" and "The Judgement Hog". While the main phenomena is not particularly dangerous, some of these lesser entities are class α4 and caution should be taken around them.

## History

The Global Hog has manifested itself various times on post-1992 earth, though the nature of the time period and lack of proper archiving techniques make it difficult to know exactly how many pig-related events were the cause of The Global Hog, some other anomaly, or the sporadic behavior of normal unaffected pigs. Since the addition of new observational technology, The Global Hog has been studied more extensively and found to have reaches far beyond Earth, though this planet seems to be its epicenter. That The Global Hog's presence extends beyond the scope of earth is proven by pig-incursions on other interplanetary settlements and ossified suidae remains on uninhabitable worlds. This makes its name a bit of a misnomer, but people have not cared to change it.

The Global Hog was referenced in PT many times throughout its history, but took direct hold on April 23rd 2022 and lasted until nearly the Tenth of May. During this time, users frequently chanted about boars, posted pig-centric media, and the server icon was changed to the likeness of a boar. The Judgement Hog also made an appearance, but was not a hostile force.

## The "Hog Matrix"

The Hog Matrix is a debatable part of The Global Hog. Some believe it is the underlying visual approximation of The Global Hog's unique brand of energy, while others believe it is a completely different and unexplained accompanying force. Both parties acknowledge that the Hog Matrix appears and disappears with Global Hog events, but has no pig, mammalian, or even organic elements. The Hog Matrix is most often glimpsed in the form of intrusive thoughts, but can also be witnessed in sudden violent bouts of daydreaming that blur the line between real and imaginary. Witnesses of these episodes often describe vivid experiences that can be readily described but make no physical sense, such as:

*I was walking down a flight of stairs. Suddenly it felt like I was falling, or more like some of the building was falling. Part of the world was rushing up at me and some of it was rushing down like I was. The floor went up over my head. I was on a floor beneath that I don't think had ever been there before and the walls looked strangely patterned, like [The Hog Matrix]...*

*I was walking through a service door but suddenly it felt like there were several entrances at once and they were all very small and led to different places. I tried to slow down but it all felt sluggish and dreamlike and my head went into one of the entrances and went up and down and left and right and who knows where else until finally it was surrounded by a bunch of blue and black shapes like [The Hog Matrix]...*

*I was lying in bed and a little piece of me felt like it slipped into the corner where my bed met the wall, but the crevice was a cave into a maze of shapes and lines like [The Hog Matrix] and I don't know how I knew that except I guess I could see out of that piece of me...*

Invariably all of these witnesses snap back into a more normal reality without lasting effects. Most report feeling shocked by the suddenness of the event, but not surprised by what they saw, as if they'd "expected it" or "figured it was something like that" though are at a loss to explain why it is familiar and not particularly alarming.

## The "Hog Heart"

Another curious anomaly that can manifest in afflicted areas. The Hog Heart does at least share some of the animal's characteristics, resembling - true to its name - a pig's cardiac organ. It is however, unique in all other ways. The Hog Heart exists outside of any body and is entirely its own organism. It fluctuates rapidly in size and is characterized by "waxing" periods of increasing biomass and "waning" periods of decreasing biomass. The lower limit of these episodes appears to be the size of a coconut, while the upper limit is roughly the size of a small house. During waxing periods, The Hog Heart grows predatory. It is capable of limited movement and can undulate to change position. It is also able to grow veiny protrusions that serve as primitive limbs, and uses these to assist in locomotion, manipulate objects, or restrain potential prey. Eating occurs via surface assimilation and appears to expedite waxing sessions, but is not necessary for their completion. The Hog Heart does not hunt pigs or consume pig-flesh.

The Hog Heart shows evidence of alien intelligence and adaptive planning, as well as the ability to remember events between manifestations (even if those manifestations are years apart). It does not seem evil, but acts on hazardous passions unknown to the beings around it. The Hog Heart appears killable, but will re-emerge in a future Global Hog incursion and remember its killer.

Due to its innate danger, the Hog Heart is class α4, though not much more deadly than, say, a bear of similar intent.

## The "Boar Basin"

Perhaps the largest of the subsidiary phenomena. The Boar Basin manifests itself as a deepening of any large flat surface and a gradual filling of that surface with a pink juice. The result is a huge circular pit filled with the pink liquid in question. Usually this depression occurs in natural locations, but in rare instances it appears in civilized areas and causes severe foundational damage. The Boar Basin is completely harmless to humans, but nearby pigs will feel compelled to gather by its edge and dive below its surface. These pigs do not re-emerge.

Analysis of the pink juice reveals it is a nearly homogeneous mixture of liquid pig, impossible to trace back to a source save for remains of mangled DNA. When the Global Hog's energies fade from a place that has a Boar Basin, the basin and liquid do not disappear, but remain and become rotten.

## The "Judgement Hog"

The Judgement Hog is the most personable entity within the Global Hog Phenomenon. This entity resembles a pig, but has a calm, affable demeanor and frequently holds discussions with other sapient creatures. Like The Hog Heart, The Judgement Hog is a seemingly immortal being, but has a mentality comparable to humans and can associate with them on their level. The Judgement Hog possesses wisdom borne of an inordinate amount of experience (far more than should be possible, considering his "birth" in 1992) which suggests that he has lived multiple lives simultaneously and that he - along with the other lesser phenomena - can be in more than one place at once. He is adept at reading the intentions of those around him, and can make decisive judgements of a person's character based on only a few of their actions, hence his name. His attitude towards an entity encourages how other pigs will see that entity, so he is often seen as a leader figure.

The Judgement Hog considers itself to be part of the Global Hog, but not its topmost element. Furthermore, he admits to having very little knowledge of its workings save that he is part of them. He considers The Hog Matrix, Heart, and Basin to be independent parasitic phenomena and especially loathes the basin, which he sees as the most damaging freeloader. This lend credence to the idea that The Global Hog an example of several anomalous entities co-opting a larger one.

## Trivia

* Swine cannot be generated in spaces currently watched by a sapient entity. Like certain other anomalous events, sporadic animal spawning seems to be metered by whether or not the global hog can "get away" with creating something out of nothing and avoid contradictions made by the processing and reflection of such acts by the cognizant. Swine can only spawn in "Dark Spaces" - areas isolated from view, sound, and smell where the impossible can happen without anything around to bear witness.
* The Global Hog was tossed around as jokes for nearly a year before it coalesced into a specific entity.
	+ The Hog Heart was next, followed by the Hog Matrix, Boar Basin, and finally Judgement Hog.