Soap Opera Drama in Creatures 1

It seemed like just yesterday when Iridollae was incubating an egg, and suddenly Hansonii had something very important to share! That jumbled up mass of two Norns was actually a jumbled up mass of three Norns, for there was another little one on the way. To understand why I always find Norn pregnancies rather fascinating is the fact that I typically go through fairly decent stretches of time where absolutely nothing happens… Only to have everything happen all at once! Somehow I knew that this impending egg was just the tip of the iceberg. The only unknown factor was what would pop up right away.

Remember when Nanum hatched? It seemed like yesterday, but she sprouted right into adulthood. And trouble. On her birthday, she received the gift that could never stop giving: An illness. What fun! This nasty bit of nonsense at least had the grace to include antigen 6, whose corresponding antibody rises quickly. I tried to make light of situation while Nanum coughed and tried to eat. This chemical chart looked like a lot of brightly colored streamers, so she had that going for her! I brought her some carrots and honey to celebrate her entrance into adulthood, although all she had was a frown. I was pretty certain that the song It’s My Party by Lesley Gore never had a more appropriate stage! Luckily, I could have some fun because this illness wasn’t dangerous, and there was no one else for it to infect.

After all that slobbery and snotty nonsense, Nanum settled down to rest her tired body. Adulthood was turning out to be really difficult for her. At almost the same time, Martagon settled in for a nap on the other side of the wall. The two looked like they were napping together, even though they had no easy way to reach one another! They had only crossed paths when they were very young, although a part of me hoped that they would meet up again at some point. Martagon was really unlucky and still had no eggs.

I last left Jucunda and Pentlandii in a state of lovelessness. They pretty much ignored one another, and any kisspopping was actually between Grendels and Norns. Fun fact: Interspecies kisspopping is possible in Creatures 1, although it is impossible to have an interspecies egg. There are pros and cons to the way this works, and I keep meaning to look into it in more detail to see if it’s possible to give players the option to disallow it. As it happened, I was watching Jucunda in the garden… And then there was an egg. Somehow I missed that very important pregnancy! The Grendels will definitely live on!

In another part of the garden, a rivalry was brewing. Bolanderi, the Santa Norn pictured here, had a lock on the next generation early on. He was the father of the first three eggs. He was ready to expand his legacy, and Candidum seemed like just the right lady. Yet Bolanderi hadn’t expected a busy body to be present: Hansonii. Despite traveling with Iridollae, he managed to sneak into the garden and spoil Bolanderi’s plans! However, it seemed like they were both reasonably happy to yell at one another.

Elsewhere, Nanum had some much better news to share. That illness hadn’t taken much out of her, but she was getting quite lonely in the music room. Ledebourii must have sensed her cries for companionship and he answered with a smile. Needless to say, they quickly decided that having an egg was a great idea! I was used to the challenge of watching concurrent pregnancies, although I shook my finger at this new couple. It’s all a conspiracy to tire me out! In all honesty, after having a great discussion about the ill-fated life of Candidum’s previous egg, I was thrilled to see that all of the new eggs only had minor mutations, if any. Call me silly, but I like my Norns and Grendels to live into old age and pass away peacefully. I still get attached, even to the eggs.

In all this time, Auratum kisspopped with practically everyone. I’ve mentioned before how Creatures 1 pregnancies are often challenging and require perfect timing plus a little luck. However, she seemed to be completely unlucky! I was worried, until she finally had that tell-tale glow about her. Bolanderi stood by, finally triumphant after his failure with Candidum. The youngest of the bunch, Rubellum, sidled close to Auratum to listen to a little secret. Bolanderi overheard, and was just amazed. This little egg actually belonged to Hansonii, who had gone and upset Bolanderi’s plans again! But where was he?

Rubellum tracked down the crafty Norn. Although it was Bolanderi who was angry, this little guy decided to tell Hansonii off! Perhaps he was getting ready to become an adult, and wanted to be sure that this rather successful fellow would head off to the desert island alone. Rivalries were definitely making their way across Albia! I only hoped they would behave in time for the 20th anniversary of Creatures 1 this Friday. Get ready!