#@##@%:~-. .-~:%@##@#
@@##@%:~-. .-~:%@##@@
@#%~...... ......~%#@
##@@:~.... ....~:@@##
#@@@%~.... ....~%@@@#
#%:~~~--.. .. 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. ...-~~~~%#
#@##@%:~-. .-~:%@##@#
##@:--.... ....--:@##
@#%:~---.. ..---~:%#@
#@%~...... ......~%@#
#@##@%:~-. .-~:%@##@#