A Tragedy of the Worst Kind

Just as a forewarning, I recommend setting aside a little time to read this post, which plays out as more of a saga than a normal update. I also recommend keeping a tissue handy if you’ve developed any attachment to my Norns in Creatures 1. I was in a panic of hopelessness and despair, and my heart is still heavy after the events that transpired. Albia still stands, but with much less than once was. However, I’m jumping ahead.

It all began as another wonderful day on the island. Adria, Avira, Jedim, Onessa, Rafin, and Timren had staked out a nice little area to enjoy the sunshine. With a constant supply of carrots being brought in by myself, everyone was enjoying themselves immensely. Onessa was thrilled to be exploring the world that she simply loves! Look at that smile and those happy ears! There was nothing that could diminish this sort of happiness.

Nearby, in the submarine bay, Avira was showing off her coconut. It wasn’t tasty enough to eat, apparently, since she had just wolfed down numerous carrots. It was at this moment that I should have examined her health to see if that smile was masking something dark and terrible: Something that even Avira wouldn’t have known of. Suffice to say that this was, sadly, the last happy time of her life. Something terrible was brewing beneath her exterior, and there was nothing anyone could do to slow it down, much less stop it.

Albia appeared to be peaceful, though. There was no indication that a darkness was about to settle across the land. Adria found a comfortable spot to nap in beneath an umbrella. Avira and Onessa were also resting: One in her cozy spot in the submarine bay, and the other on the jungle docks. Maybe I should have seen that as a warning, but I was going about my usual duties of spreading food and encouraging good behavior.

Before I could move quickly enough, this is what I was faced with. I’m not positive if the sickness began with Avira or Diren, for they both fell ill around the same time. At this point, five Norns were ill: Avira, Diren, Onessa, Timren, and Jedim. The first four became ill in the jungle and on the jungle docks. Poor Jedim ferried himself across, and before I knew it, he was suffering from the same sickness.

Diren passed away peacefully enough as he was looking to the sky. Part of the reason why he had no time to regain any energy was because he refused to eat. In a way, I think he believed that his time in Albia had come to an end: He had traveled to nearly every region, made friends with most of the Norns he encountered, and passed along his genes for future generations. He didn’t spend his last moments alone, since his son, Jedim, stayed with him to the very end. It was, however, small comfort in the grand scheme of things.

I was determined to try and save at least one Norn from this horrific plague. Without much thought, I sent Avira and Timren across on the ferry, thinking they would travel back and forth a few times. This gave me enough time to nurse Onessa back to health, since her life force continued to hover at a dangerously low level. She laid down gently to rest from all of the coughing and sneezing that had sent her body into massive tremors.

Little did I know what I had actually done by sending Avira and Timren to the island. Adria had been secluded from everyone when the sickness first fell, so she had not been infected. Despite the danger and almost guaranteed infection, she went to them. This picture tears at my heart every time: Adria watched over her daughter, Avira, in her final moments, refusing to leave her side. It was almost like looking at herself in the past, since the two always looked so similar.

If she had the chance, I think Adria would have gone to Timren before he took his last breath. He succumbed to the sickness a moment after Avira. He would have seen his mother and sister sharing a last tender memory together, and I hope that was comfort enough for him. I tickled him and stayed by him as a reminder that he had always been loved and would, like all the others, always be remembered. Farwell, poor Timren.

Jedim passed on more quickly than I had expected. I took a moment to try and figure out what was the cause of this terrible illness, since it appeared to cause mortality 100% of the time. I found a mixture of Antigen 0, Antigen 1, Histamine A, and Histamine B. However, there were no named toxins present: With the rate at which life forces were falling, I was almost sure glycotoxin would have played a role. Unfortunately, I had very little time to analyze, because I needed to act.

More determined than ever, I set out to save Onessa. Even with multiple pieces of cheese and several carrots, her life force hovered at about 30%. This was an improvement from her dangerously low level of 10%, but still a far cry from the normal healthy number of about 75%. Here, it’s still clear that she’s sick with a cough. She and Jedim were the two youngest Norns in Albia, and after hearing Jedim’s painful last cry, I couldn’t bear to see Onessa pass on without fighting for her life. This was a fight I was determined to win, because I had already paid the highest cost.

In all this time, I hadn’t even noticed that Xodin had left his sanctuary near the hootch to travel into the worst crisis Albia had ever seen. I thought he had taken a nap on the ferry, but I quickly realized that his eyes would never open again. I neglected him on many different levels and regret not spending more time with him. Xodin was a prime example of how gentle Grendels can be, and also how mortal they are. Although he was more of a hidden part of the world, he had a personality that will never be forgotten. Goodbye, dear Grendel.

The next death was, and still is, a painful one. Adria was the first Norn in Albia, and the one who convinced me how wonderful Creatures 1 is. She was a character from her very first moments as a baby, and all throughout her life. Her caring nature was evident in the way she taught her children about the world, and through her love for Noric. Sadly, all four of their children passed on, leaving no indication of their love. They live on, though, and she left behind one unhatched egg, fathered by Timren. Adria was a strong and loving Norn. Her death will always weigh heavy upon my heart.

In its final stages, the illness actually passed from an already deceased Avira to both Evria and Izria. During the tragedy, the two were traveling back and forth in the submarine. I couldn’t risk leaving them on either side, where they might be exposed to the infection. My strategy didn’t quite work, but I was much more prepared. I kept a close eye on the both of them, constantly feeding them cheese and carrots. Eating was a lot more forceful, simply because I knew that if they didn’t keep up their strength, they would surely perish. The only survivor of the plague was Onessa, who required three extensive feeding sessions in order to regain her strength. It was a triumph to see her recover, to say the very least! Although this photo shows that Evria is still sick, she returned to a healthy state shortly thereafter. All in all, eight Norns were infected with this horrific plague, and only three survived with constant care. The only ones who were never exposed were Evrietta, Noric, and Rafin. The latter was on the island, but a lucky twist of fate drew him back into the safety of the garden.

During all of the grief and sadness in one part of Albia, something wonderful happened in another place: Evrietta laid another egg. Rafin is most likely the father, although Noric might be a contender. Although this particular egg will be placed in our stronghold, new life will be entering Albia very shortly in the form of Izria’s first egg. The excitement and happiness of a baby Norn will wait a bit, however, since I think everyone needs a little time to grieve. This is the nightmare that no one could have predicted: A tragedy of the worst kind.