Just Another Day in Albia

Arik found the desert island quite a comfortable location, despite its relatively desolate condition. He chose a cozy spot under the umbrella to take in the sea air and salty breeze. Although I found him to generally enjoy the company of others, Arik distanced himself from the other Norns much more frequently than any other creature. After the way he ran away from Eydis, his solitude was very understandable! These moments of solitude can be very beneficial to Norns, so I was not too concerned. Normally this helps a Norn regain some strength, stock up on food, and feel much less crowded. I figured I would only need to worry if Arik stayed alone for hours at a time, or disliked being around anyone else.

Dagny continued her exploration of Albia: She found Arik on the deserted island for a brief period of time, and even sat a spell with Keir. Once I herded her back to the other side of the ocean, she took an extreme interest in the ugly tomato. Although it is technically classified as a weed, or bad plant, it has no real negative side effects: It offers a little nutrition while it lowers the sex drive. Seeing how Dagny was still a child, I was happy to let her munch on the spotty vegetable (or fruit?) for a little while. Whatever it was, she chomped away!

The area around the incubator had been abandoned for some time. Signe made her way back to the learning computer. She seemed to sit down and reminisce about the events of her life. In all actuality, she was simply exhausted and slightly bored: I still imagined that she looked deep in thought! This was a familiar place for her, as with many Norns, and those who like to return often do so very often. It was actually a good thing that she decided to travel towards the submarine bay: There were only a few more minutes before a nasty surprise was to greet Signe. Maybe she had some psychic Norn abilities?

Back from his vacation to the beach, Arik suddenly noticed that he was not the only male Norn in the world! He cast a sharp glance at Truett, and the two could only manage to stare at one another. Perhaps it was some type of mysterious Norn dominance challenge. It probably would have bruised Arik’s ego if he had realized that his worthy adversary was actually slightly taller than him. Bera rested off to the side: She was probably the cause of the contest!

I managed to make it through several hours before getting hit with a serious illness. The Creatures 1 observation kit can be misleading, since Norns who ingest a weed are labeled as sick for a few moments. I noticed that Signe was not in the vicinity of any dangerous plants, and I realized that she would be the one to experience the very first infection. This one was wrought with antigen 3, sleep toxin, histamine A, and histamine B. Her life force even dipped to about 45% before antibody 3 kicked in. Creatures do not actually have a functioning immune system, but that’s a topic for another conversation. Signe made a full recovery with lots of rest and a bunch of delicious carrots! I was very relieved to see her returning to her usual healthy self.

Once Bera became an adult, I intervened a little more than usual. Bera was isolated from Arik and Truett until she was fertile. Although I gave the two males an equal opportunity, I eventually nudged Truett and Bera together. Another egg was on its way! This baby has a combination of Forest and Purple Mountain Norn genes. One genetic mutation existed, which could have an impact on learning. I will save the details for a later date, though! Otherwise, this could get rather long!