....~«^^%#                                          #%^^«~....
.~«^^%&###                                          ###&%^^«~.
.~«^^%&###                                          ###&%^^«~.
.~«^^%&###                                          ###&%^^«~.
.~«^^%&###                                          ###&%^^«~.
.~«^^%&###     .. 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.      ####&%^«~.
....~^^^%#                                          #%^^^~....
.....«^^%#                                          #%^^«.....
.~~«^^%%##                                          ##%%^^«~~.
....~^^%##                                          ##%^^~....
.~~~^^%&&#                                          #&&%^^~~~.