Sparks of Wanderlust and Lost Grendel Love
With a whole lot of sudden activity going on in Albia, several Norns decided to race off into the sunset! Candidum led the charge, with Ledebourii and Auratum following behind in a more relaxed, synchronized walk. Perhaps it was all that time spent frozen in time, but I realized that many of my Norns were suddenly traveling far and wide. Candidum deserved some happiness after her most recent egg, which can never hatch into a living Norn. I took solace in the fact that everyone in this generation was healthy and happy, and we still had a long way to go. Indeed, Norns were using those little legs to go the distance and explore every corner of Albia!
A pair of Grendels had been kept apart for a long time, and by a literal ocean. When Jucunda spotted Pentlandii coming back from the island, she couldn’t help but share one of her toothy Grendel smiles! Pentlandii was a little more reserved and took to staring at the lovely lady before him… And continued to stare. Nothing happened between them, and it was almost like the spark was gone. Had it ever been there? The two parted company after several minutes. There was no Grendel egg on the way, and I noticed that there was not a single Grendel to ensure the next generation. A mysterious bit of bad luck hovered over my world. I had to wonder: Would things suddenly take a turn for the worse?
Hmmm.
So does the child in Candidum’s egg possess absolutely no glycogen at birth (and would be a stillbirth?) or is it just the metabolism of glucose to glycogen that’s affected?
Because there are glycogen-laced third party made foods in Creatures 1, though I wouldn’t support using those as it feels like artificial life support (something I actually did once in Creatures 2 until a creature finally activated the appropriate genes at a later age).
Great question! The hatching process is an interesting one: The initial concentrations of glycogen and glucose will be present, but chemical reactions start immediately within the incubator. There is a very small chance that this Norn might survive, although there is absolutely no way to increase the level of glycogen, barring the method you mentioned. I’m also in agreement with you about not using glycogen-laced food items. I can see their use and merit, yet they also completely bypass the digestive system and take away the challenge of finding food on a regular basis.
What I might do is attempt to hatch this egg in the next generation, on the off chance that this little one can survive. I should clarify that although I labeled Toften a stillborn, he was actually alive in his egg for less a minute. Is that life? Ah, the great philosophical questions that Creatures stirs! Yet curiosity might get the better of me, since in the worst case, the Norn would actually be alive for a short time in the egg. A short life, yet still life after all. I suppose we’ll see what I decide when the time is right!
When I started my Creatures 1 Career (I downloaded another world because I was worried I might be too familiar with regular Albia after reading your blog and not have any drive to play) I was surprised at how high my Norns’ life force was until I discovered all my non-alcoholic drinks were glycogen – laced…
I got rid of them except for milk which is strictly regulated now! (Pregnant mothers and ill children get to have a drink, but no one else.) I only kept the milk because I was using the cob for cows anyway, though…
That makes sense! I had a single Norn who had a mutation that allowed his life force to naturally rise above 90%. Otherwise, I’m happy when everyone is at 70% or higher! I rather enjoy the challenge of taking care of pregnant mothers in Creatures 1… They do need some extra care, even after they lay their eggs, and it feels a lot more like I’m connected with them. That’s still one of my biggest problems with C3/DS: Mothers spit out eggs without a care, and never actually go through a dangerous time when they need extra food and need to be kept safe from illness.
Baby norns dream in the final states of hatching, (when their entry can be seen greyed-out in the list of norns) so maybe it is life, after all?
Very true! I have a note to put this egg in the incubator for the next generation to see what happens. He or she might actually live beyond the egg, although that’s a rather slim chance. Still, a few seconds of life are better than none and should happen for this Norn. He or she deserves that chance!