#&§^=~.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.~=^§&#
##&§^=~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~=^§&##
###&§^=~.¨                                          ¨.~=^§&###
##&§^=~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~=^§&##
#&§^=~.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.~=^§&#
&§^=~.¨¨¨¨     ¨¨ FERRETS                           ¨¨¨¨.~=^§&
§^=~.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.~=^§
^=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨...~===^§§§&###@##@###&§§§^===~...¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=^
=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ YOU SEE SOMETHING MOVE IN THE CORNER OF  ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨    YOUR EYE - PROBABLY ONE OF THESE.     ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨            BACKBONE ANIMALS.             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         CAT-SNAKES, OR SO CALLED.        ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~
=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨       COMES IN DIFFERENT FLAVOURS.       ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=
^=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=^
§^=~.¨¨¨¨¨ ............... THE MINK ............... ¨¨¨¨¨.~=^§
&§^=~.¨¨¨¨ .                                      . ¨¨¨¨.~=^§&
#&§^=~.¨¨¨ . MINKS, ALSO CALLED THE SNOW FERRETS, . ¨¨¨.~=^§&#
##&§^=~.¨¨ ¨ MAKE UP THE "WANDERING FOOD SUPPLY"  ¨ ¨¨.~=^§&##
###&§^=~.¨ ¨ USED BY THE SHAMANS AND UNDERLINGS   ¨ ¨.~=^§&###
##&§^=~.¨¨   OF KIRUGU VARGIR. WHEN CALLED UPON,    ¨¨.~=^§&##
#&§^=~.¨¨¨   THEY PRESENT THEMSELVES, AND CAN BE    ¨¨¨.~=^§&#
&§^=~.¨¨¨¨   CAUGHT.                                ¨¨¨¨.~=^§&
§^=~.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.~=^§
^=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨ .............. THE MARTEN .............. ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=^
=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ .                                      . ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ . THE MARTEN IS THE SNEAKIER ONE HERE, . ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ OFTEN USED FOR SPYING, OR STEALING.  ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ IN THE OLDER TALES ABOUT VIDMI,      ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨   THESE ARE PROBS THE FERRETS THAT SHE   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨   WAS SAID TO CONTROL. THIS CONNECTION   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~
=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨   MIGHT EXPLAIN WHY MANY DENIZENS HAVE   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=
^=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨   THIS AS THEIR MAIN "PET" GOD.          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=^
§^=~.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.~=^§
&§^=~.¨¨¨¨ .............. THE ERMINE .............. ¨¨¨¨.~=^§&
#&§^=~.¨¨¨ .                                      . ¨¨¨.~=^§&#
##&§^=~.¨¨ . THE LUSHER ONE IN THE FAMILY IS THE  . ¨¨.~=^§&##
###&§^=~.¨ ¨ ERMINE. USED AS BEDWARMERS, OR       ¨ ¨.~=^§&###
##&§^=~.¨¨ ¨ HARVESTED FOR THEIR BEAUTIFUL FUR,   ¨ ¨¨.~=^§&##
#&§^=~.¨¨¨   THE WHITE COAT, VERY PRETTY,           ¨¨¨.~=^§&#
&§^=~.¨¨¨¨   ALTHOUGH RARE.                         ¨¨¨¨.~=^§&
§^=~.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.~=^§
^=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ............... THE MEWN ............... ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=^
=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ .                                      . ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ONE OF THE MOST NOTABLE IN KIRUGU    ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ LORE, THE OTTER FERRET? IT GOES IN   ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨   RIVERS. THERE ARE A LOT OF FERRETS,    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨   BUT FOR SOME REASON, THIS OTTER ONE    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨   IS HARDLY EVER SEEN. IT MIGHT BE       ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~
=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨   THAT IT IS UNBOUND...?                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=
^=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨   LOCALS USE IT FOR SPORT FISHING.       ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=^
§^=~.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.~=^§
&§^=~.¨¨¨¨ ............... THE HUSKY .............. ¨¨¨¨.~=^§&
#&§^=~.¨¨¨ .                                      . ¨¨¨.~=^§&#
##&§^=~.¨¨ ¨ THE HUSKY MAY SEEM LIKE A DOG, BUT   ¨ ¨¨.~=^§&##
###&§^=~.¨ ¨ IT IS ACTUALLY A KIND OF FERRET.     ¨ ¨.~=^§&###
##&§^=~.¨¨   THIS MAKES IT THE LARGEST OF THE       ¨¨.~=^§&##
#&§^=~.¨¨¨   PHYLUM, AND IT'S THE MOST RECENTLY     ¨¨¨.~=^§&#
&§^=~.¨¨¨¨   EVOLVED AS WELL, BRED FOR USE AS A     ¨¨¨¨.~=^§&
§^=~.¨¨¨¨¨   PREDATOR. IT'S MADE MORE DANGEROUS     ¨¨¨¨¨.~=^§
^=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨   BY THE FACT THAT IT'S ALMOST           ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=^
=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨   COMPLETELY UNKNOWN TO BIOLOGISTS.      ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~