The Story of The Treehugger Norns

Our Shee friend was growing tired of watching his Hardman Norns fight amongst themselves. His eldest Bondi Norn was getting too weak to play the didgeridoo, and even the compelling Mecha-Grendel didn't seem to amuse him anymore. He needed something new, and he knew exactly what he needed to do - he dusted off his portal device and punched in some random numbers. Clenching his teeth and closing his eyes, he activated the portal. In what seemed only an instant he was in a different place.

A rich, earthy smell permeated the air around him. Opening his eyes he could see he was in a forest, lying on his back in a small clearing. He was just about to get up when suddenly he heard a loud pop. And in only a moment he was surrounded by a whole load of fluffy white seeds that floated around him like soft powder snow, slowly making their way to the floor of the clearing where they seemed to grow like a weed. He grabbed a few of them and put them in his travel bag. His first souvenir from this strange forest world. With his eyes wide open he headed into the deep forest.

It didn't take him very long until he found a large tree that was surrounded by the greenest Norns he had ever seen. They blended so well with the forest it had taken him a while to notice them. He could tell these Norns were in very good health - their eyes were clear and sharp, their chameleonic leaf-patterned fur was sleek and well-oiled. But the strangest thing about them was what it seemed they were doing. They were hugging the tree. He blinked. Twice. Yes, they were indeed hugging the tree. How very strange!

Their bizarre behaviour had distracted him from something even more interesting - high up in that big tree was a rather large treehouse. No wonder they were hugging it - this tree was their home. He located a neatly carved set of stairs and made his way up the tree. Once inside he watched with amazement as the occupants hurried to activate a small pyramid-shaped teleporter device. Apparently, even just his presence was enough to make them feel too crowded. But once most of them had gone it gave him a good opportunity to look around the room.

In the middle of the room was a small, mostly inconspicuous machine of obviously Shee origin. He watched in wonder as an elderly Treehugger placed one of the popping plants into the device, and then activated it. An instant later a small cookie emerged from the bottom of the gadget. Not just any old cookie, this one actually looked a bit like the plant it was made from. He fumbled in his travel bag and brought out a few bramboo berries and placed them in the device. Upon activation he was presented with a delicious looking Bramboo Berry Cookie, which was quickly grabbed by a tiny baby Treehugger Norn. What a miraculous device - who needs Ettin cookie chefs when you've got a device like this?

Using his increasingly useful scanner he analysed the device so he could replicate it when he got back home to the Capillata. He also managed to coerce a broody female Norn into letting him have a few of her eggs. He surmised that with a few less Norns around the place, perhaps they wouldn’t complain of being crowded all the time. Placing his scanner, the Treehugger Norn eggs and one of the teleporters into his travel bag, he pulled out his portal device and vanished back into the Warp.