CCSF 2012 Day 11: A Familiar Piece of the Past

Written by Jessica as Part of the Shee Journey Series

None of us could believe what was staring back at us from one of the spacecraft's windows. The history books had made several mentions of this ancient Shee world, but most of the details were shrouded in mystery. Our biggest embarrassment still brought dangerously red blushes to our cheeks, and made even the best scholar lose his or her mind for a moment. Albia. Just the name sent shudders down my back, and made me drop a second cup of tea. My assistants paid no attention to the shattered glass, though I felt a pang of guilt for wasting even more tea. This was an amazing discovery. The coordinates of Albia were supposedly known, but had been locked away for centuries. For us to stumble across this old world was a one in a million chance. I hardly could contain myself: Scans showed lifeforms.

Although this was the unmistakable planet of my past, Albia had morphed a bit. It was still rather disc-shaped, though the damage to the surface indicated possible meteors and a definite volcanic pattern. I nearly jumped into the exploratory vessel. Another uncharacteristic Shee thing to do, yet this surpassed any sort of research we could do. This was where everything had begun: The beginning of Norns, Grendels, and Ettins. Even the beginning of the Shee, to a certain degree. Without Albia, our ancestors may never have created the same beings, nor evolved in the way they did. The vessel blasted forth, ready to explore every inch of the planet.

I was in awe at the amazing structure of Albia. It was still mostly intact, and even from the clouds I could see groups of Norns across the land. They had survived, against all odds. I was careful to keep a low profile, since my species had virtually abandoned them. The few who approached the vessel had nothing but joy, and a good bit of curiosity. I spotted a most peculiar Creature among them, which made me nearly jump. It was so strange, so dangerous looking, yet the Norns treated it as an equal. I hardly wanted to return to the ship, so thrilling was my newest discovery. The vessel opened to take back some samples for further study...

When I was back in orbit again, my assistants raced to find out what the vessel had brought back. The portal opened and they found... Nothing. I expected them to chastise me and tell me all about the importance of Shee research, and how these Creatures were the most important. These were the originals: The beginning of it all. I slowly raised my eyes to theirs, ready to defend my position. They met my gaze, and suddenly, that gaze was all that was needed. We were in complete agreement, without needing to speak a word. To see Albia overrun with the Shee would destroy it, and all of its mysteries. It would remain as it was, forever a piece of our past.

From Jessuca: "Today marks the 16th anniversary of the release of Creatures 1, so it is most fitting that our journey takes us back to Albia, where it all began! Don't miss out on some of the releases today! Although there is a decidedly Creatures 1 feel to today's theme, there is one very long post that may intrigue many fans of the Creatures series. Enjoy celebrating C1, the very first Creatures game!"