.:«^%$§@##                                          ##@§$%^«:.
.::««^$§§#                                          #§§$^««::.
.:«^%$§###                                          ###§$%^«:.
.:«^%$§§§§                                          §§§§$%^«:.
.:«^%§@###                                          ###@§%^«:.
.:«^%$§§@@     .. ferrets                           @@§§$%^«:.
.....:^$@#                                          #@$^:.....
.:«^%$§@## ...:::«^^^%$$$§@@@####@@@§$$$%^^^«:::... ##@§$%^«:.
...:^%%$§§                                          §§$%%^:...
.....:^^$§ 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     §%^^^:....
.:«^$§@###   by the fact that it's almost           ###@§$^«:.
.:«^%$§@@@   completely unknown to biologists.      @@@§$%^«:.
.:«^%$§@##                                          ##@§$%^«:.
.:«^%$§@##                                          ##@§$%^«:.
.:«^%$§@##                                          ##@§$%^«:.
.:«^%$§@##                                          ##@§$%^«:.
..::^^^%§#                                          #§%^^^::..