Albia’s First Tragic Death
I have kept my visits to Albia relatively short lately, simply because I know that the inevitable passing of the first generation was just around the corner. Fortunately, the youngest members were far from finished! I captured a wonderful image that brought together many elements of the Norn population. Eydis cuddled up near the fire like a little old lady seeking warmth. Folkvar wandered towards her, watching over the eldest female with a watchful eye. They had shared a short romance at one point, and it was fitting to see them together. Nordis, Ranulf, and Kari found their way to the area near the learning machine with a little help from me! All of the other males had limited fertility, and I was determined to ensure that a few more eggs were produced. It took several tries, but Nordis and Ranulf finally created an egg! I was ecstatic to see that the gene pool would remain diverse with the continuation of the Santa Norn. And, of course, that these Norns would be able to have some children of their own.
A second group of Norns made their home on the desert island. Keir seemed alarmed by the disturbance, and he took to traveling back and forth across the ocean time and time again! It was actually a good thing: Ingelill came down with another illness, and I struggled to keep her quarantined. Although she came in contact with several others, thankfully the bacteria never left her side. Bera, Dagny, and Truett seemed to be enjoying life to the fullest. They shared one honeypot amongst themselves, and also synchronized their sleeping schedules! Truett was a bit left out, though: Perhaps he thought that sharing a honeypot was unsanitary, for he stopped eating. His life force was still hovering around 60%, but I expected that I would need to separate him and bring him a meal.
What happened next was desperately sad. I checked in on some of the other Norns, and noticed that Kari had become pregnant by Ranulf! I was mainly checking in on Signe, who had just enjoyed a carrot. Suddenly, I heard a whimpering cry and all of kits closed. Beside a happy Norn who had become her friend, Signe passed away. I was truly saddened by her death: It was coincidental that I was checking in on her when she died. It was nice to be there with her when the final moment came after 9 hours and 54 minutes of life. Although it was peaceful, in no way did that lessen the melancholy feeling.
Kari was distressed when she awoke: She refused to take her eyes off of Signe, and it looked like she was just waiting for her to wake up from a nap. The look on Kari’s face mirrored the sadness that I felt. Signe was born with multiple mutations, including one which left her completely infertile. She never received the gift of an egg, nor would she live on through a child. When I learned of her unusual conditions, I made it a priority to keep her an important and loved creature in Albia. Signe was quite independent, and traveled to many regions with the Norns she came to know as her family. It was an easy decision to dedicate the egg Kari was carrying to Signe: She touched the lives of many, and I knew that she would be remembered. Farewell Signe, and rest peacefully.
Aww, that is sad that it happened that way.. I always hate it when a norn notices the passing of another. It only happened to me a couple of times but it wasn’t fun each time.
One time I had a couple of docking station norns that were nearly inseperable. If they were seperated they immediately found their way back to each other. When one died the other refused to leave it’s side until it disappeared in the puff of sparkly smoke and it wore a sad face (much like in your last image) for a very long time. It was so sad. I never thought norns could comprehend what happened but scenes like this make me wonder.
Life goes on though, and there will be many happy moments to come!
That is so very sad. At least she had a good life, and she’ll be remembered. I always felt so bad for her, even though she shouldn’t have been able to “understand” not having a baby, but I always think norns understand more than the handbooks let on.
Wow, I actually had watery eyes reading that. It’s not always easy to keep up with all the different Norns in both my world, yours and those over at The Crazy Shee Labs, but Signe was one of the Norns that stuck in my mind.
Losing Signe is a particularly strong blow. Losing the other Norns will be hard, but at least at some point we’ll get to see their children running about the world and there will be the bitter-sweet sensation. With Signe there is only the feeling of loss…
My Norns are starting to get on in age. Most are around the 6 hour mark, but several should be pushing 7 hours by now. It won’t be long before my first generation start to pass too :(
Kittie: Creatures usually don’t seem to take note of deaths very often, but Kari definitely did. Your story sounds so sad! It’s always interesting to see how Norns can affect us by their deaths: We often get so attached to these adorable little creatures. You’re right about the life going on, though! Happiness will return shortly, and Signe will never be forgotten.
Socksnbacon: Norns do seem to comprehend more than they should, according to their genetics. For relatively simple beings, I would imagine that they would have no idea about death. They’re quite complex, of course, but compared to other life, Norns have a relatively straightforward brain. Still, nothing explains why Kari looked completely overwhelmed by sadness.
Arch: My eyes weren’t completely dry when Signe died, either. There are a lot of Norns to keep up with, and I admit that I’ve lost track of a couple from time to time. You’re completely right about Signe’s death being particularly sad: Never will we be able to see a baby Norn and remember how much he or she reminds us of her. The egg that Kari is carrying will be a special one: I plan on naming the baby a variation of Signe, so that she can live on throughout the next generation in an unconventional way.
I hate the feeling of knowing that Norns are reaching the ends of their lives. The seven hour mark was about the same for me: I’ve seen Norns die of natural causes at about eight hours, although others can live up to about twelve hours. My oldest Norns are around eleven hours old… I imagine we’ll be saying goodbye to several more soon. But the second generation will usher in some hope and happiness: All is not lost when it comes to death!
I find it interesting that Signe died before the two older norns. I’ve always been a little confused by how some norns seem to age faster than others, without there being anything in their genetics that I think would cause it. Not just aging to elders – they age to childhood and then to adulthood faster too. Was this also the case with Signe? Stress might be a factor, but at least in my game, it’s always been so consistent. Most norns age at the normal pace, but some age faster, and those faster aging norns seem to age at the same pace as each other, becoming children at somewhere around 15 minutes, and adults somewhere around 40 minutes.