Expected and Unexpected Deaths in C1

Dalselv was the next Norn to succumb to old age. She passed away quite peacefully at 11 hours and 43 minutes. Although Mevik never found her again, their little romance would forever be remembered. She herself would be difficult to forget, with seven eggs of her own. Although Dalselv was alone at the moment she died, she had a little bird who kept her company. Norns can not actually interact with the birds, aside from possibly looking at them from time to time. Still, I imagined that she was not quite filled with the sheer loneliness that can envelope a single creature. Albia can be a very frightening place for a lone Norn, and their social abilities often make them seek out company. That little bird did her part to brighten the last few minutes of one Norn’s life. Farewell, Dalselv, and may you forever rest in peaceful solitude.

The next death was so unexpected that I actually missed out on capturing it. Jetvika and Idonea, the Grendel, had been riding up and down the lift on a continuous loop. No amount of coaxing could get them to travel elsewhere! Since they had passed the Deathcap Mushroom on numerous occasions without a second glance, I assumed that they would continue to do so. Unfortunately, Idonea must have ingested the deadly weed a few times, for I soon realized that she was nowhere to be found. Poor Idonea: She was only a few hours old.

In all my time playing Creatures 1, I actually never witnessed the Grendel Mother laying an egg! Sure enough, a tiger striped one soon emerged. This process lasts about a minute or less, so the timing has to be perfect to actually see it. I would have been more surprised had I not seen the sprites while going through the files one day! Grendels really are forced to fend for themselves from birth, since the jungle area is not exactly known for being a safe haven. Perhaps our C1 Norns would do well to follow their example in survival! It would only be a matter of time before the newest Grendel found himself or herself in Albia, where I would be watching like a hawk. There would be no more early deaths on my watch, if I could help it.

My excitement quickly turned to despair when I discovered that Arnes had died. He also struck the odd death pose that Erikstad had adopted. Arnes lived an impressive 12 hours and 19 minutes, despite his serious genetic mutations. Leira kept him company towards the end, as did Husby. I was glad that Arnes was able to spend his last hour actually moving around and exploring. It was a pleasant ending after a life spent locked away in his own mind. Rest well, old friend.

A lively female Grendel soon fought her way out of her egg! This is Skuld, whose Norse name means debt or future. This was also the name of one of the Norns of Norse mythology: I sometimes feel like Grendels are Norns in green costumes, so it seemed fitting! I vowed to watch over her more than I did for poor Idonea. Those little Grendel pigtails were endearing, although her detached foot was a little odd. Silly sprites and body data files! Maybe those will be fixed one day.

Leira refused to leave Arnes, even after he passed away. It was a touching moment, especially since it looked like she was trying to hold his hand. An overly dramatized scene, as always, yet creatures still have the capacity to form friendships. They may be shadows of the real friendships we know, yet they exist. Arnes had just one egg to call his own, but I hoped that this child would live a full life in the same was that he did. Time to let go, Leira.