Double Trouble in the Land of Creatures 1

The second generation of Norns was quickly fading into old age: Hopen was the next to succumb to it! Being a mix between a Forest Norn and a Purple Mountain Norn, she found herself just a tad bit shorter than she remembered. Reaching out to pluck a lemon took a little more effort on her toes! I had no worries about leaving Hopen on her own, though, for she was still excellent at hunting down food and eating the nearby herbs. Her little gardening plot was getting lots of attention from her! All she needed was a little watering can and she would have been a perfect green thumb.

One thing that had not been given much attention lately was bacteria. Accordingly, it decided to rise from its temporary hibernation and attack Junkerdal. She was hanging out with Inndyr and Korgen, which made the presence of a cough all the more dangerous. Luckily, I managed to separate her from the two males before the bacteria could take an airborne journey. It was difficult to nurse her back to health, since Junkerdal had decided that eating was not something she wanted to do. Ever. It took constant coaxing, repetition, and the occasional punishment to get something in her stomach. Notice how the unknown toxin took on the pattern of histamine B this time around: Normally, I’ve seen unknown toxins look more like antigens. Interesting… Seems like they can take on different forms.

This part of the story could not be more dramatically depressing. I left Junkerdal to reunite with Inndyr and Korgen on the island while I made a quick trip around the rest of Albia. Suddenly, I caught a death icon in the observation kit: Korgen, the youngest Norn, had passed away. I raced to him, and found that he had died in his favorite spot. Korgen had been a bit obsessed with the underwater realm, and often enjoyed watching the seahorse float nearby. It was there with him at the very end, and he died peacefully at the very young age of 7 hours and 55 minutes. Junkerdal herself stayed with him, too, so hopefully my absence went unnoticed. Korgen led a very stressful life, and he was only lucky enough to become a father twice. Alfhild, the Grendel, abused him for far too long, and the sting of guilt made his early passing all the more difficult. He might not have been the most interesting Norn, nor the most adorable, yet Korgen will be missed. Hopefully he can finally live out his aquatic dream.

Grief was quickly kicked to the back burner when Inndyr suddenly became ill. He had just eaten a bit of deathcap mushroom, and I was convinced that his body was just reacting to it. Clearly, not so! Even though he had some similar toxins as Junkerdal did, the chemical patterns of their illnesses were very different. The level of sleep toxin intrigued me, for it looked like it completely left his system, only to return with a vengeance. Luckily, Inndyr was much better at taking care of himself: The sleep toxin even helped him get a much more restful nap! It was not long before he returned to his normal, healthy self. His life force did not suffer too terribly, despite the slow buildup of antibody 2. It was the cheese and carrots which kept him on his feet, with a smile through it all. He earned high grades from his nurse!

To celebrate their respective recoveries, Inndyr and Junkerdal met up on the island. In no time, another egg was ready to make its way into Albia! I was surprised to learn that this was Inndyr’s tenth child: He certainly seemed to have his sights on his father’s record of fourteen children! Junkerdal preferred to conserve her energy, while her close friend smiled over the impending egg. He looked absolutely adorable with Junkerdal, who had yet to reach old age. What a smile to brighten the day!

To my absolute horror, that was to be Inndyr’s last happy moment. He tried to take a solo journey on the boat, but I quickly brought it back so Junkerdal could join him. Before it reached the dock, he laid down his tiny Norn body and died. With him went all hopes for any more third generation eggs: Hopen and Junkerdal were on their own. Little Inndyr never would be able to beat his father’s record, nor come as close as others had. What he had done during his life was to bring joy and happiness to Creatures 1. I would sorely miss such a special Norn. Rest in peace, Inndyr.

The second generation is finally almost at an end! This has brought about mixed feelings of excitement and sadness: It will be wonderful to move on to the next generation, yet I truly loved spending time with these Norns. Their passing pushes the memories of their parents, the first generation Norns, further into the recesses of our minds. Yet, Creatures is all about moving forward, learning, and evolving. Hopen and Junkerdal still have their lives to finish out, although they may only have an hour or two left.

Any guesses as to how many third generation genomes I have stored away? I’m absolutely shocked! I’ll reveal the total in my next update about Creatures 1. Expect a whole lot of adoptable Norns in the near future!