..~-=*$@##                                          ##@$*=-~..
.~-=*$@###                                          ###@$*=-~.
..~-=*$@##                                          ##@$*=-~..
...~-=*$@#                                          #@$*=-~...
....~-=*$@                                          @$*=-~....
.....~-=*$     .. 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.      ##@$*=-~..
...~-=*$@#                                          #@$*=-~...
....~-=*$@                                          @$*=-~....
.....~-=*$                                          $*=-~.....
......~-=*                                          *=-~......
.......~-=                                          =-~.......