From the Highest of Highs to the Lowest of Lows

It was a time for celebration! I struggled to get a new world working properly, but I was finally successful! Though we ended up losing a few unhatched eggs, there were plenty of new Norns to make up for that fact. Wyelth managed to lay a pair of eggs, and I anxiously waited to see who would pop out. The first opened to reveal little Forthil! She only inherited her body from Wyelth, but I was happy to start reducing the Hardman Norn influence. Any change was a welcome one at this point!

Luck was on Wyelth’s side! Out of her second egg emerged Gazirea, who possessed many traits from her mother. She quickly joined her sister in the Norn Meso, and they became the best of friends! They were adorable together, and I was convinced that the Hardman aggressiveness was greatly decreased in their genetics. These two never laid a finger on one another, and they stuck together every moment. When one took a nap, the other waited patiently until she awoke so they could explore together. They looked nothing alike, yet they were virtually identical!

Nature decided to make a cruel entrance at this very happy time. I noticed that Gazirea often shivered for no apparent reason, and it was simply an indication of a genetic mutation that claimed her life. I was truly heartbroken when I found out she had passed away. Even worse, her best friend and sister, Forthil, was shocked and beyond scared when she couldn’t awake Gazirea. A few gentle prods yielded no results, and she acted like she was all alone in the world. Forthil stayed with her sister until she disappeared, and I felt like she had gone through the saddest moment that could ever befall a Norn. Farewell Gazirea. We hardly got to know you, but we will miss you.

I delayed the birth of the next Norn, simply because the loss of Gazirea was pretty terrible. Creatures is just a game, but I still get attached to these little ones in a unique way! I’m sure many players feel the same way. Harpis was born into a world still mourning the loss of one Norn, yet her little smile and spots brought some cheer back into the population! I hoped that she would eventually help diversify the population and bring in some non-Hardman genes. Harpis hadn’t a care, though: She was after food and toys, like a typical baby Norn! And a typical adult Norn, come to think of it!