@@#&*%^~-. .-~^%*@@
#@#&*%^~-. .-~^%*@#
&%^~~..... .....~~^%&
@##&*%^~-. .-~^%*#@
#@#&*%^~-. .-~^%*@#
#&%%%%^~-. .. 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. .-~^%%**&@
#@#&*%^~-. .-~^%*@#
###&*%^~-. .-~^%*##
#&%~----.. ..----~%
&&%%^~.... ....~^%%&&
@@#&*%^~-. .-~^%*@@