....,^&&&&                                          &&&&^,....
....,^^&&#                                          #&&^^,....
.,~^†&&###                                          ###&&†^~,.
.,~^†&&&&@                                          @&&&&†^~,.
.,~^†&&@##                                          ##@&&†^~,.
....,^&&&&     .. 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.      &&&†^^^~,.
.,~^††&&#@                                          @#&&††^~,.
..,~^^&&&#                                          #&&&^^~,..
...~~^^†&&                                          &&†^^~~...
.,~^†&&###                                          ###&&†^~,.
...~^^&&&#                                          #&&&^^~...