&&&@**;~^. .^~;**@&&&
#@#&@*;~^. .^~;*@@#
#@#&@*;~^. .^~;*@@#
#@#&@*;~^. .^~;*@@#
#@#&@*;~^. .^~;*@@#
#@#&@*;~^. .. 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. ...^;;@@##
&&@*;;;~^. .^~;;;*@&&
#&&&@*;~^. .^~;*@&&
#@#&@*;~^. .^~;*@@#
##@&@*;~^. .^~;*@&@##
@@#&@*;~^. .^~;*@@@