The End of Another Generation of C3/DS Norns

The alpha couple had a pair of eggs ready to hatch just as I opened up Creatures Docking Station. Out of the first came a male named Redforn, who made up the fifth and, ultimately, final son. He had the Zebra Norn tail, which I was abnormally excited about! It’s still amazing to see how the Bengal and Zebra Norn traits from the first generation have remained prominent all the way through the seventh generation. This is one benefit of keeping watch over a population: Appearances are never set in stone, and can vary immensely. Then again, they can also take on a pattern!

A female named Sheyrial was born next, though she was quickly exported. Oddly enough, though her appearance was identical to the one that dominated the population, I was rather fond of it! This is exactly what happened with the Zebra Norn head, which quickly was bred out of the population over a generation or two. Maybe this was a sign that the next batch of youngsters would be very different in appearance. Could a first generation female pass along many of her genes and change the appearance of the next generation?

As I pondered these questions about the next generation, I was suddenly aware of a very unique Norn in the Biodome! I was even more surprised when I found out that it was Ginda, the alpha female. She was now an elder, yet I couldn’t believe that I had kept this generation around for so long. With a bit of detective work, I discovered that she was just about three hours old, which was rather young to be an elder. I opened my trusty Gene Compare, and found what I suspected: A genetic mutation. It was minor, but Ginda’s half life for the life chemical was 97, compared with the usual 99.

This mutation was minor in the grand scheme of things, but it meant that Ginda, and possibly many of her children, would age slightly more quickly. I honestly had not noticed any accelerated aging on her part until she stood out with her faded colors. What a beautiful coat color she had, though! In all my years of playing C3/DS, I have never encountered many elders before. Ginda was still full of life, though!

The next exciting event was the hatching of Onlaga’s two eggs. She represented the last hope of having the Fallow Norn body passed on to the next generation. Taffen, a male, wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for. Though he resembled his father down to the tip of his tail, he was not to stay in the world for long. There was one final chance, and it all rested in Onlaga’s second and final egg. I tensed nervously as it began to crackle… Would it hold the Norn I so hoped for?

If confetti could accompany the birth of a Norn, it would have been everywhere! I welcomed Usela with a smile and a lot of tickles. I was thrilled to have more diversity, though this also strengthened the direct link back to Leyfin and Levia. After I whisked Usela off to the Norn Meso, I decided that it was time to close the chapter on this generation. There were five young males and seven young females to move onto the next generation, which would make for plenty of interesting lives. All they needed to do at this point was to grow up!

The only sad part of the sixth generation was how Ysha had never passed along her genes: She and Keersho had kisspopped many times, but with no success. The saddest part was what they always said to one another. “Keersho love Ysha” was followed up with “Ysha love Keersho.” I thought Keersho would be brokenhearted over the matter, but I discovered that he was merely a bored Norn! I wondered if the export folder would be any more exciting… Soon, the Biodome lay in stillness, aside from the young males in its lowest level. The next alpha couple succession test would soon be on its way! Excitement was brewing in the C3/DS air.