Turmoil

**Turmoil** is both a secondary protagonist and the final antagonist of Louse. They are a rejected growth of Rot, and seek to help Null end it.

## History

Turmoil was originally a growth of Rot; however, when they were created, they were shunned by Rot for an unknown reason. Rather than tell them their intended function, they were simply called Turmoil. Rot quickly shut off communication with them, forcing them to wander the tunnels of Rot alone.

While wandering the tunnels, they occasionally found Pilgrims that wished to join Rot. One of these pilgrims gave them something that allowed their left eye to emanate a dim glow; although it is not confirmed, it appears to be a Blot.

After Null nullified the Eye of Rot, all that remained was a pile of dust and their old eye. They prepared to squish it; however, before they could, Turmoil approached them from the darkness, asking if they could have it. When Null saw them, they did not immediately know their name, despite them immediately knowing the Love of Rot's name. They asked who Turmoil was, and they revealed their name as Turmoil, before asking if Null was lost. Despite the Blot telling Null to end Turmoil, they told them they were here to end Rot. Turmoil was taken aback by this, before saying that Null was not like the other pilgrims, and saying that they could help end Rot if they were given the eye. The Blot furiously told Null not to do so, but they did anyways, giving it to Turmoil. A blinding light appeared for a brief moment, at which point Turmoil got the eye under control.

Turning around, they illuminated two passages. They explained that one led down to the Bones of Rot and the Heart of Rot, while the other led up to the Face of Rot and the Brain of Rot. Null chose to go up, so the two began to journey up to the Face.

As the two of them traveled, Turmoil asked Null what their name was. Attempting to answer with Null resulted in the game breaking, causing it to load alternate paths that were not taken. One of these alternate paths showed Turmoil being instantly crushed by Null as soon as they revealed themself; this resulted in the Blot saying that they understand that Null is truly the one to end Rot. After the game returned to normal, Turmoil thanked Null for telling them their name as the two continued up the path.

Soon after, the path leveled off in a cavernous room. Turmoil shined their light around, seeing nothing, and said they might be able to sneak through; however, Null heard humming behind them, and turned around to see the Sound of Rot. When they got Turmoil's attention, Turmoil turned around and shined its light directly on it, causing it to stop humming. They warned Null to back away slowly; however, the Sound then rushed Turmoil, wrapping itself around them as the Face descended from the ceiling.

The Face claimed that Turmoil had led Null to it. Turmoil, in defiance, shouted for Null to do what they came to do; however, in doing so, they used Null's name, which the Face took note of. The Blot appeared to Null and told them it was a betrayal, and demanded they end all around them; instead, they chose to focus on the Face, throwing a vial at it. When they did so, they grabbed Null and turned them around, revealing that Turmoil was being absorbed by the Sound. The Blot then left Null to restrain the Face, letting them go free; however, it started to be nullified by the same vial that nullified the Face. Faced with the choice between either saving Turmoil or helping the Blot, Null chose to save Turmoil.

They stabbed the Sound through its mask, forcing it to fall to the ground as its mask shattered, although it left its tendrils behind. Faced with the choice of either finishing off the Sound or helping Turmoil, Null chose to help Turmoil, tearing the tendrils the Sound left off of them. When all was said and done, Turmoil was scarred, but otherwise unharmed.

After Null grabbed the nearly dead Blot from the remains of the Face, Turmoil asked Null if they wanted to rest a moment or keep going, to which they replied keep going. They then picked up a shard of the Sound's mitestone mask; they said they didn't know what the material was, and asked if they should have it, which Null affirmed. Now that both of them were armed with shards, the two of them turned towards a tunnel in the back of the room. Turmoil said that it led to the Brain, and that they never visited it, before the two continued down the tunnel.

As the two walked down the passage, the way behind them sealed shut, with a voice saying that it would like to talk to them. They emerged in a room that held the Brain, who said that it was not interested in hurting either of them, and instead wished to talk. Null consulted Turmoil, who said that they were scared but would follow Null; the Brain then revealed that it knew both of them had the means to end it, while reiterating its desire to talk before they made a decision on whether to nullify it or not. Null stayed silent as it revealed it knew that they killed their fellow Pilgrims; they knew that Null's Old Friend didn't tell them to do it, but that they did it to reach the Brain. They then warned that there would be unexpected consequences if it died, while looking at Turmoil.

Instead of letting the Brain continue, Null decided to nullify it, much to the Brain's disappointment. After it began to dissolve from the vial Null threw at it, it asked them how many bad decisions they could continue to make, while turning to Turmoil to tell them that "Turmoil ends." It also spoke to them in a way that Null could not understand, telling them that their true name was the Seed of Rot, along with something else that is currently unknown. It then fully dissolved.

After it dissolved, the room around them began to pulsate as Turmoil looked on in shock. They told Null that killing the Brain didn't end Rot, but instead just left it without a presence to maintain it, allowing it to grow uncontrollably. They then apologized for not knowing this would happen. As Rot began to grow more and nearly take Null, Turmoil climbed into the shell the Brain left behind, causing a blinding white light to appear, before leaving Null to float through an endless white void.

A giant eye then appeared in the void as the voice of Turmoil spoke. They told Null that they slowed Rot's spread, but that the Brain's influence still surrounds them, so they should end the Heart as soon as they could. Null asked what the white void was; Turmoil looked around and explained that it was a vast network of connections to the rest of Rot that the Brain maintained, but that they were all destroyed with its death. It then said that it could reopen any connections that would be helpful if Null would allow it to, which Null agreed to; after this, the light faded, revealing Turmoil in the shell of the Brain.

After the light faded, Turmoil said that the way out of the room is open again, and explained that they would stay there to keep control of the Rot's spread. As Null began to leave, the partially recovered Blot revealed it heard that the Brain told something to Turmoil in a way Null could not understand, but that its senses were too damaged to hear what. Null asked Turmoil what was said, and they calmly revealed that the Brain told them their intended function, which was the Seed of Rot. However, they rejected this title, saying that they are Turmoil. They then asked Null to hurry to end the Heart. As Null left, the Blot revealed that more was said; however, when they turned back around, the way back to Turmoil was closed.

Later, after Null ran from an unnamed wet mass in the tunnels, they fell down into the pit of bones, where they saw the glowing eyes of the Bones of Rot in the otherwise dark room. They chose to call to Turmoil, and heard their voice in their mind; Turmoil offered to build another connection to the pit of bones, which would allow Null to see. They accepted, and the pit of bones was illuminated.

After this, Null attacked the Bones with the shard; this failed, and it cut their arm off, resulting in the blot disintegrating to reform as their new arm, which allowed them to disembowel the Bones. They then saw The Skull of the Old Friend in the pit of bones, whispering to them that it could help; they reached out in desperation, but had their hand bit by it, resulting in rot shooting up their arm. They chose to remove their arm to stop the spread of rot; however, before they could, Turmoil informed them that they could instead make a new connection, allowing them to control their arm. As they said this, it became clear that Turmoil made an unknown third connection without Null's approval. Null accepted.

Once the connection was formed, Turmoil informed Null that they felt the desire to keep spreading, and that they would continue to do so. Rather than immediately nullify their arm, Null chose to allow Turmoil to spread. In doing so, Turmoil spread from their arm to The Skull, and took over it, using it as a remote body to use. They then informed Null that the Heart of Rot was nearby, and that it was the last of the old flesh that needed to be stripped away to allow for new growth.

Growing large arms out of the floor, they sifted through the corpse of the Bones until they found the Heart of Rot. The Heart weakly explained to Null that despite their actions, the Seed of Rot had been planted and would continue the cycle of life, meaning they changed nothing. Turmoil then instructed them to use their last vial to melt away all of the old flesh. Rather than do this, Null chose to instead use their shard, skewering the Heart to kill rot. Turmoil was dismayed by Null's lack of trust in them, but said that they were still a friend, and that they would clear out the old flesh.

They then revealed that the connection they made into Null's arm made them a part of the new growth as the new Seed of Rot. As they melted off of The Skull, they thanked Null for letting them reach their full potential, and collapsed a wall of the cavern to let Null escape to plant themself elsewhere to continue the new growth as the lice of the world nourished them. Rather than do so, however, Null chose to turn around to face the dark; Turmoil said that they were sorry, but that they must spread separately. Rather than choose to spread, they instead climbed out of the pit of bones to nullify Turmoil.

After running back to the entrance of Turmoil's chamber, Null found it sealed shut. Turmoil begged them not to leave, saying that they had there to continue the new growth, and that they didn't want Null to get hurt anymore. They also said that this was the best outcome. Rather than listen, however, Null chose to slash through the sealed wall of the chamber, revealing Turmoil fully connected to rot. Turmoil then said that they somehow knew Null would come back, and noted that they immediately nullified the Brain, before asking if they would nullify them. Null confirmed they would, simply saying yes.

Turmoil's expression softened after this. They explained that they understand, as they are a part of rot, which is what Null came to end. They then explained that for as long as they remembered, they aimlessly wandered the tunnels of rot, surviving off of whatever remained of the pilgrims that Rot had engulfed, but that they always had a desire to escape. They then explained that this desire was born out of their function of spreading new growth, and that they did by turning Null into the new Seed of Rot. They continued to explain, saying that even after they were gone, Null would remain the Seed of Rot; no matter how hard they resisted, they would eventually succumb to the eternal call of Rot. They then expressed sorrow at the fact that they forced this upon Null, but that it was what they were made to do.

Following this, Null chose to nullify Turmoil with the blot arm. They grabbed their head without hesitation, and the blot arm detached itself from Null as it engulfed all of the new growth. Turmoil was smothered by the blot as it grew, feeding on the rot to find a new form, having finally ended the Rot in the mountain.

Turmoil is deceased.

## Theories

As Turmoil is the Seed of Rot and made Null the new Seed of Rot, it is possible that the cycle of rot ending and then being reborn with "new flesh" may have happened countless times in the past. This is supported by what the Heart of Rot said, as it claimed that there was a cycle of life that Turmoil fit into, and that Null's actions ultimately changed nothing, indicating this has happened before.