Lifts are Really Toys

Kratos has grown into an adult while parked on his island! He did take brief trips on both the dinghy and the submarine, but returned to the island both times. He spends a great deal of time playing with the lifts. He's so fascinated by them that he often neglects his needs, requiring me to remind him to eat and play! Unfortunately, he still sleeps only reluctantly.

Regal was significantly more adventurous, but he too has found a place he likes! He has set up shop in the lighthouse, where he likes to shoot the cannon over the ocean. Is this cannon the reason there's no boat that travels between the lighthouse and island? Was the underwater cart invented to work around the pyromania of some rogue Shee? Judging by Albia's structure, it is the kind of solution they would come up with.

As promised, the next Norn introduced to Albia was a little girl! This is Presea. The white-haired breed has always been my favorite -- just look at that little tail! Presea has altered chemical emitters that cause her to be come crowded more quickly than a normal Norn. However, she also becomes lonely more slowly. She should also have a slight magenta tint, but, like Regal, she doesn't look especially different from any other Norn of her breed to me.

I left Presea alone very briefly, as it was Kratos's turn to come down with a cold, and when I returned, I discovered that she has wandered all the way to the cave of the deathcap mushroom! This weed contains a large dose of glycotoxin, a poison that quickly breaks down glycogen. Glycogen is the chemical reflected by a Norn's life meter, so clearly it's quite important! Luckily, Presea was more interested in the lift than the weed, and with some coaxing I was able to lead her away.

Presea wasn't to remain the only baby Norn for long. This is Raine, a forest Norn. Forest Norns were originally sold with the Life Kit addon for C1, which is now available for free from Gameware. I never had the Life Kit as a child, so I chose to hatch a plain forest Norn this time. Forest Norns have an expanded concept lobe and additional instincts that should make them smarter as well as better eaters and sleepers. We'll see.
 
Forest Norns may not be as fuzzy as white-haired norns, but they have their own charm! Look at those little freckles. Raine is a little less smiley than the last two Norns hatched. Maybe her thoughts are constantly shifting and taking her mood with them? She hasn't shown any exceptional aptitude for learning words, but she has a natural aversion to weeds and seems a bit less inclined than the others to grab at bees.

What's this? What's happened to the still? Here you can see Presea fleeing the scene of the crime, but I happen to know she was an innocent bystander. The perpetrator of this raid was none other than Mithos, the grendel! He was last seen haunting the beehives, and now seems to have moved on. Hopefully he's smart enough to sleep off all that alcohol before trying to operate the lifts!