The Early Life of Adria

Adria has been doing very well in Albia, where she has already grown into the next life stage. I’m hoping she doesn’t age too quickly, since I am quite fond of her. She is very photogenic and has become somewhat independent in eating food and herbs on her own. Thankfully, she also understands the benefits of laying down to rest every now and then! She rarely looks sad, and loves any kind of attention!

There was quite an incident involving a can of hootch. Being as young as she is, I figured she wasn’t ready to indulge in a grown-up drink. I stated “drop drink” and repeated over and over again. Adria just looked at me in a funny way, refused to listen, and ultimately took a few sips. I spanked her once, which she seemed to think was great fun: She went into a spinning dance that lasted for a decent amount of time! Well, this whole idea of hand-raising a Norn looked like it was about to get a little more difficult with this sassy lady!

All I could do was hover nearby and have a little laugh. Fortunately, she had enough restraint to only enjoy a little before heading back to the garden for a carrot or two. I also have to say that she enjoys her music, especially the trumpet! But even with a toy and a tasty piece of cheese nearby, Adria was focused enough to relax for a few moments. So smart! At least she wasn’t running around all the time. I could just imagine what it would be like chasing her into every corner of Albia.

Of course, her independence has led to a great deal of happiness for the both of us. It also begs the question of whether she was born with these instincts, if I taught them to her, or if a combination of nature and nurture occurred. All I know is that Adria thoroughly enjoys expressing her joy! I always believed that a Norn’s personality comes from genetics and the random chance of luck, though a player can have a very influential role. Kind players often have well-behaved Norns who listen a little better than average. The trouble comes in when it comes time to discipline a Norn: Too much discipline can lead to negative consequences, yet Norns must learn some hard lessons! My methods are far from perfect, though I hoped that I was able to raise Adria into a fine adult Norn one day.

A possible issue is the fact that she has no problem eating some weeds between meals. The two nearest the garden, Baobab and Pyrethium, are relatively harmless. Unfortunately, Adria doesn’t seem to grasp this concept, and I expect I will have to keep a very close eye on her around some of the more toxic weeds. Conversely, perhaps she will build up a tolerance to some weeds and be able to gain nutrition from them. A point to ponder, and maybe it is what Adria was thinking as she gazed off into the distance like a work of art… She may very well have been contemplating why such a scary looking figure watches over the garden… Would this really deter a Grendel?