...~~«\$@# #@$\«~~...
.....«^$$@ @$$^«.....
...«««\^@# #@^\«««...
....«^$@@@ @@@$^«....
.~«\^$$$@@ @@$$$^\«~.
.~«\^$@@## .. ferrets ##@@$^\«~.
.~«\^$@@@@ @@@@$^\«~.
.~«\^$@@## ...~~~«\\\^$$$@@@@####@@@@$$$^\\\«~~~... ##@@$^\«~.
.~«\^$@@## ##@@$^\«~.
...««\$@@# you see something move in the corner of #@@$\««...
.~«\$@@### 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. ##@@$^\«~.
.~«««\$@@# #@@$\«««~.
.....~\$@@ @@$\~.....
.~\^$@@### ###@@$^\~.
.~«\^$@@## ##@@$^\«~.
.~«\^$@@## ##@@$^\«~.