Strange Events in Albia
The mysterious starch infusion was caught red-handed when I took a close look at Kleppstad’s biochemistry. When this occurred, he was not in the vicinity of any food sources. Moreover, he was in the music room, distracted with instruments and a couple of Norns. I tested a theory out, and found that this happened to about half of the Norns I selected. It was almost as if the action of being selected injected starch into the chosen Norn. This did not happen to everyone, though, which was even more perplexing. Just another glitch? I spent some time trying to unravel this latest mystery, but an event would soon end the starch glitch. An event, of course, that I was quite unhappy to witness. Fix yourself, Albia! It was one of the oddest occurrences in all my years of playing Creatures 1. Hopefully it would be the only glitch!
Poor Innhavet passed away at the early age of 7 hours and 42 minutes. He chose a warm and inviting spot to take his last breath, which was ironically the spot where he took his first breath. Innhavet was the only son of Truett, and it was heartbreaking to see that he had not fathered any children of his own. He had been fertile for a good portion of his life, yet he was never in the right place at the right time. His Purple Mountain Norn body blended in perfectly with his Horse Norn features, and I thought that he was one of the cutest mixed breeds. Farewell, little Innhavet.
The death of Innhavet somehow ended the starch glitch, which was mostly a relief. It did mean that Norns would need to start taking care of themselves, and I knew that it could spell the end of Arnes. Amazingly, even with his disability, he had already lived well into his tenth hour. I decided to give him something to enjoy for a little while, and we started up a game of him watching me bounce the ball for him. A cruel existence? Perhaps it has been for Arnes, yet I would have missed out on a lot if he had not been given the chance to live. He surprised many of us with his resilience and zest for life.
My wishful thinking turned into reality when Arnes settled down for his first nap since he had been a child! My happiness turned into a panic when the minutes ticked on and he did not reawaken. I noticed him begin to move about in his sleep, which meant that he was not receiving any of its benefits. I tickled him and slapped him a couple of times, but in vain. Arnes would not wake up. His life force was already at about 40%, and I thought that this could be the end. However, a return visit found him wide awake again. Maybe we will never fully understand this special Norn!
On the other side of Albia, a very unusual visitor decided to make her way to the learning computer. Such a smart Grendel! Idonea whipped through the verbs with ease, only needing to spend a little time on three or four. That’s one of the benefits of educated Norns: They tend to teach others around them! Idonea was very excited after graduating at the top of her class… I didn’t mention that she was the only one. Minor detail!
The starch glitch is really weird. I’m pretty sure I’ve had the same problem with a Norn or two. Creatures that magically have spikes in starch without the need for food. Unfortunately I was never able to track it down either.
Very strange, ArchDragon. I thought it might have something to do with the population, since it seemed to stop after Innhavet passed away. I’m holding off on hatching another Norn just yet, since I could do without this glitch! I know it keeps my Norns alive and happy, but I prefer a more realistic approach. Is it odd that I enjoy the challenge of feeding obstinate Norns? Ha ha! I’ll keep an eye out for it and see if I can figure it out. Thanks for letting me know that it wasn’t just me who experienced it!
Oh my… Innhavet sacrificed himself for the good of Nornkind, it seems. Yay? *Is conflicted*
While we’re on the subject, he died where he was born… So, his life was more or less symmetrical. How poetic.