An egotistical researcher wakes up amid a filthy swineyard, and the last memory he retains is devouring raw hog liver before collapsing in a subway tunnel in the cold, echoing darkness of the underground. He swiftly concludes that he has morphed into a boar and now inhabits an unfamiliar magical realm in its bewildering, shifting landscapes. While struggling to comprehend his situation with calm determination and gentle confidence, a young woman named Jess offers assistance. Jess is a Yesma—a marginalized caste of attendants noted for their telepathic gifts and the silver collars that encircle their throats. Despite harboring improper thoughts toward her, Jess sacrifices for his benefit, and the boar vows to repay her as best he can within his new form.
Yet Jess's kindness does not shield her from the daily bias that Yesmas endure, and the boar suspects she faces greater peril than he realizes. Though he wishes to journey to the royal capital and plead with the monarch to restore him, the boar recognizes he cannot abandon his compassionate savior forever.
