#$~-...... ......-~$#
@%$~~..... .....~~$%@
####%$:~-. .-~:$%####
##@#%$:~-. .-~:$%#@##
##@#%$:~-. .-~:$%#@##
##@#%$:~-. .. ferrets .-~:$%#@##
#%$:~..... .....~:$%#
###@%$:~-. ...---~:::$%%%#@@@####@@@#%%%$:::~---... .-~:$%@###
##@#%$:~-. .-~:$%#@##
##@#%$:~-. you see something move in the corner of .-~:$%#@##
@##%$~~... your eye - probably one of these. ...~~$%##@
##@#%$:~-. .-~:$%#@##
##@#%$:~-. backbone animals. .-~:$%#@##
##%::-.... 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 .--~~:%#@@
##@#%$:~-. phylum, and it's the most recently .-~:$%#@##
##@#%$:~-. evolved as well, bred for use as a .-~:$%#@##
##@#%$:~-. predator. it's made more dangerous .-~:$%#@##
@@@#%$:~-. by the fact that it's almost .-~:$%#@@@
##@#%$:~-. completely unknown to biologists. .-~:$%#@##
##@#%$:~-. .-~:$%#@##
#%::-..... .....-::%#
##@#%$:~-. .-~:$%#@##
###@%$:~-. .-~:$%@###
##@#%$:~-. .-~:$%#@##