Evolution of Norns

 The evolution of norns has been a mildly debated topic through the years. Statues in creatures 1 suggested Norns once looked very different.

It is a timeline of design, and digital biology plays a far smaller role. It all begins with a simple model, and several sketches. These were taken from the gameware website archive.¹

A note on the club-tailed norn: the hoppity from c3 is claimed by the catalogue description to be related to norns, the family resemblance is fairly clear here.

The following three pictures were from development versions, each build seemingly having a vastly different design for the Norns.²

Interestingly, the creatures from the development versions seem to be a continuation of the cardboard model, preceding the kangeroo/dog mammals from the other sketches up until the goatlike norn.

Imagine if these sketches and screenshots were not simply the fancy of the designers, but steps and branches in the evolution of Norns. In a way it is speculative biology. 

In a way, the final ancestor to "modern" c1 Norns would be the Ron norn, whose design starred in both the last development build and in the finished product. The resemblance to one of the design sketches can be seen clearly.

In the end though, there is one design, one style that remains relevant.

Perhaps we have learned little in working out this trail of development, in this evolutionary tree for Norns. Yet here it is, nicely together, and plain to see. If nothing else, I did enjoy placing them all together!

Sources: 

1: https://web.archive.org/web/20071031100456/http://www.gamewaredevelopment.co.uk:80/creatures_more.php?id=465_0_6_0_M8

2: https://talonbrave.info/2021/12/04/small-furry-creatures.html

3: https://creatures.wiki/Ron_Norn