=*=~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=*=
*=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=*
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨     ¨¨ 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.      ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=*=
%=*=~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~=*=%
£%=*=~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~=*=%£
¶£%=*=~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~=*=%£¶
#¶£%=*=~¨¨                                          ¨¨~=*=%£¶#
##¶£%=*=~¨                                          ¨~=*=%£¶##