..:~**%§##                                          ##§%**~:..
...:~**%§#                                          #§%**~:...
..:~**%§##                                          ##§%**~:..
.:~**%§###                                          ###§%**~:.
..:~**%§##                                          ##§%**~:..
...:~**%§#     .. 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.      ##§%**~:..
.:~**%§###                                          ###§%**~:.
..:~**%§##                                          ##§%**~:..
...:~**%§#                                          #§%**~:...
..:~**%§##                                          ##§%**~:..
.:~**%§###                                          ###§%**~:.