Stealing the Spotlight from a Baby Norn

Since the last baby Norn in my world arrived exactly four months ago, it was obviously time for a new Norn to join the group! There was already a slightly longer gap between the newest arrival and Losthrayte, though all of the ages were pretty well staggered… For once. Mayth, the son of Junco and Towhee, was very quick to explore the world. He popped out of his shell and barely gave me a couple of seconds to catch him in the lift! I had to slow the little guy down for a short time so that his genetics could be given a proper examination.

Emitters

Chemical emitters define specific conditions within a Creature in order to affect chemicals. Some examples include experiencing stress from excessive drives, becoming cold due to environmental conditions, and more.

Mutation: 136 Emb B MutDupCut Creature, Sensorimotor, I’m Asleep, chem=NONE, thresh=0, samp=64, gain=10, features=Inverted Digital
Default: 136 Emb B MutDupCut Creature, Sensorimotor, I’m Asleep, chem=NFP, thresh=0, samp=64, gain=10, features=Inverted Digital

There have been several discussions about chemical emitter genes associated with a chemical while a Norn is asleep. Mayth’s genetic recipe just couldn’t resist joining in on the fun! This gene usually defines how Need For Pleasure (NFP) slowly decreases when a Norn goes to sleep. Even though there is a defined value for “gain,” the fact that this is inverted means that it does just the opposite. For Mayth, rest will not do anything for his NFP. This is a fairly subtle mutation, although he may be more likely to seek out a few extra tickles.

Instincts

Instincts define the expectations for certain behaviors. These genes do not state exactly what happens when the parameters are met, but rather provide the basis for Norns to base their decisions on.

Mutation: 293 Chi B MutDupCut Verb i/ps Stop + Drive i/ps Pain and I Stop => 255*Reward
Default: 293 Chi B MutDupCut Verb i/ps Stop and I Stop => 255*Reward

In its non-mutated state, this instinct gene rewards a Norn whenever he or she hears the word “stop” and actually follows the command. In practice, using this verb is one of the most difficult things to accomplish, at least from my experiences! Keep in mind, however, that instincts define what Norns expect to happen. These guide them towards certain behaviors before they learn anything. For Mayth, this instinct gives him an expectation of reward only if an additional requirement is met: That he is in at least some sort of pain. There are scenarios where this could be beneficial, though I doubt this mutation will affect him. I only expect that he will be even less inclined to stop when asked to do so!

With a new life to celebrate, I expected to find all of my Norns and Grendels ecstatic to meet the new baby! Most recently, Nildeleer grew into a lovely adult Grendel. She pestered Dahloi while he was napping. From his past experiences with her, I figured he would be running away as soon as he awoke to her incessant conversation topics. Instead, I was greeted with a real surprise: A Grendel egg! Dahloi grinned at me, quite proud of himself for making me believe that he disliked Nildeleer. All that time, and he was simply falling in love with her! She hid behind Athahain, exhausted from her ordeal. For once, Nildeleer was at a loss for words.

I was just about to rush back to Mayth to teach him all about the world, when I noticed Hybralvao tip-toeing around in a funny way. Apparently, she and Hleengar got it into their heads that the baby excitement involved them! They were the first parents of this generation, and their devotion to one another brought them a second impending egg. Hybralvao wanted to keep that news a surprise so as not to overshadow Mayth’s arrival. My nosy inquiries with the Observation Kit ruined that plan! At least the expectant Norn was smart enough to stalk about the garden, where the carrots grew like weeds. At this rate, the next generation would inherit Santa Norn appearance genes and look like a real holiday affair!

Although Mayth was left alone far longer than I intended, he was one very happy baby! He learned his vocabulary quite well, and it looked like he wanted to become the professor for all of Albia. A little treat from the honey pot set his mind back to a more age appropriate line of thinking. That learning computer was something that everyone had a different experience with, and it was always fun to remember how a personality started to take form during those early lessons. Mayth’s tiny personality still needed a little time to finish developing, but he was well on his way to infamy!