Hello Tail-blazers,

Let's head into the weekend with another preview from our upcoming setting chapter, peeking at some of the paths, locatons, and characters that will lead you to the Underneath!

The roads to the Underneath are countless. Intrepid explorers can reach the Underneath through natural fissures in the earth, or rivers that dip underground through narrow cracks. Pugmire has increased its presence in the Underneath during the reign of King Puckington, documenting and sometimes regulating the more stable routes — meaning those that aren’t cut off or upended whenever seismic activity strikes. This new access creates both opportunities and restrictions for explorers. It’s easier now to find a road into the Underneath than ever before, but traveling it might require membership in the Royal Pioneers or a carefully placed bribe.

There are different ways for explorers to enter the Underneath: as representatives of the crown or church, as independent couriers, through ship’s passage from Riverwall, or as smugglers.

In the reign of King Puckington, Pugmire has turned a steady eye to the Underneath. Not for expansion or colonization, but to guarantee the city’s own safety. No one wants to risk a cell of Labo Tor cultists overflowing into the city, or one of the Underneath’s cities launching a coordinated attack. King Puckington initially tried sending ambassadors to select locations, but quickly realized the futility of that endeavor. The Underneath is too fractured and ever-shifting to maintain official diplomatic relations — nor, frankly, are its people interested in talks with the topside. Trade, however, proved another matter, and Pugmire now bankrolls merchants in various parts of the Underneath. Two of them openly fly the royal banner, two move discretely, and the fifth barely considers herself on Pugmire’s payroll at all, but all can be useful contacts for dogs who explore the Underneath.

Renn Collie is a retired Royal Pioneer who fell in love with the Underneath during her adventuring days. She jumped at the chance to open a trade post in Anchor, but now struggles to stay put. Explorers seeking the trade post — a modest market stand recognizable by the Royal Pioneers’ banner flying proudly overhead — are likely to find Renn’s wife Isa holding down the fort while Renn is out on another run (or as Renn calls them, “an in-person visit to further trade relations.”) Anchor’s central position on the Underground River means the trading post could actually run a profit — albeit barely — if not for Renn’s habit of giving goods away at a steep discount (or free) to any explorer who looks like they need it. 

Renn might not have a nose for business, but the people of Anchor have taken a liking to her personally as she matches their outgoing and adventurous spirit. That said though, they’re not as keen on this whole “Royal Pugmire Pioneers” thing. Anchor is a city with a large standing and outreach in the Underneath, and it fears that Pugmire — bigger and richer by far — could outclass it if it ever gained a pawhold.

Renn, or Isa if she’s out, makes a welcoming if erratic contact point for adventurers. She understands risk and reward, and is never afraid to back a gamble. She supports the adventurers’ endeavors even if they’re a long shot. Renn is a terrible judge of danger, though, and sees absolutely no problem in explorers going up against ridiculous odds. It’s not unthinkable that Lisa might hire the explorers if Renn doesn’t come back from her exploits one morning.

Ben Rabbit is proud to be one of Pugmire’s first lagomorph pioneers, and — now that he’s older — is eager to continue his career as an off-the-books diplomat to Azuresky. Born and raised in Pugmire (hence his unusual surname), this is Ben’s first time in a predominantly lagomorph society, and he’s thriving. He’s also increasingly torn between his loyalty to Pugmire and growing commitment to Azuresky. He hopes to strike a balance that is beneficial to both cities. Benn’s idealistic and earnest nature has drawn approval from senior court diplomats who recognize that Ben is perfectly placed to — one day, hopefully — further an alliance that makes Pugmire and Azuresky greater than just the sum of their whole. Ben would certainly make the short list if Puckington ever considers instating an official diplomat again.

The lagomorphs of Azuresky have adopted Ben with open arms. They know he’s from Pugmire and was once a “Royal Pioneer,” though that title holds little significance to them. They don’t know that he’s still working on Pugmire’s behalf, and think he left Pugmire to come “home” to Azuresky. They go out of their way to support his shop, even if it doesn’t offer anything special as far as they’re concerned.

Ben makes a timid but intelligent contact for adventurers. He is happy to help in any way he can, so long as it harms neither Pugmire or Azuresky. He has put out a reward, backed by his own private funds, for any explorers who deal with the predator that haunts Azuresky every full moon.

Noah Hound was a pirate harrowing the waterways until he was pressed into service as a privateer for the crown. That could have been the extent of Noah’s service to Pugmire, if it weren’t for an audience with King Puckington years later. The meeting, which should have been a simple ribbon ceremony, grew into a conversation between Noah and the king. Noah was impressed by Puckington’s honesty and idealism, and shifted his commitment from begrudging convenience to passionate loyalty. He now serves as the crown’s embedded contact in the pirate town known as Blackfur’s Wreck.

The dogs and cats of the Wreck treat Noah as one of their own, a sometimes-pirate sometimes-merchant. Tiernan Spaniel has, however, realized that something is amiss with Noah’s business staying afloat when there’s no realistic way for the Hound to run a profit. Tiernan suspects an outside backer, though his primary suspects are Renn Collie or Hilda Mutt (below). He would consider either of those usual Underneath politics, but Tiernan would be upset to discover Noah’s backer is actually Pugmire.

Still a pirate at heart, Noah has acquired a partial journal by Blackfur himself, which makes mention of treasure, and seeks a group of daring (and foolhardy) explorers to accompany him.

Missionaries from the Chapel of St. Anna followed shortly behind Pugmire’s merchants. They used the maps and roads cleared by the Royal Pioneers, though such guardrails remain unpredictable in the Underneath. The Church founded chapels in Chewpost and Anchor, although the number of acolytes between them can be counted on the digits of one paw. Both architects focus on lending spiritual counsel to explorers who’ve encountered the strange faiths of the Underneath, while another pawful of disciples wanders the Underneath to guide wayward dogs back to the church.

The Church finds its beliefs challenged as it spreads — albeit slowly — through the Underneath. The architects of the Underneath chapels have taken up a letter correspondence to discuss the place of rodents, so prolific in the Underneath, in the church’s theology. Gertie Boxer, architect of Anchor, was a friend of rodents long before she ventured to the Underneath. She has become more convinced of her beliefs since witnessing the rodents’ culture and cities. Gertie is working on an epistle proclaiming rodents as uplifted by Man, different but equal to dogs. She realizes this view is extreme — bordering on heretical — and hopes to gain the support of her fellow architect of Chewpost before presenting her letter to St. Anna’s. Architect Kyle Pug of Chewpost has proven more conservative than Gertie, but he has accepted her invitation to discuss the matter through letter correspondence. Either seeks to question dogs about their experiences in the Underneath, and with rodent culture specifically, to bolster their side of the argument.

Phoebe Cavalier is the only acolyte of the chapel in Chewpost since her mentor, architect Kyle Pug, accepted his position. Poe maintains her faith, but becomes increasingly eager to explore the Underneath for herself. She hopes to go through the Ritual of Transubstantiation soon so she can travel the Underneath as a disciple. If that fails though, she might throw faith to the wind and follow the next adventuring group to depart from Chewport.

Meanwhile in the far reaches of the Underneath, Disciple Karl Mutt finds himself under the sway of a young theosophical rat known only as Dire Rat. Unknown to Karl, Dare Rat is actually an Illuminated of Re-Ser-Char. She has been feeding Karl snippets of the 100 Theories, combining both their religions in a monstrosity the pair calls the 100 Laws of Man. Karl believes that following the 100 Laws will reveal the wisdom of Man and uplift Mutts to become the purest and best of all dogs. Explorers who encounter the pair find themselves at risk, as Karl moves from academic theology to scientific experimentation.

The Underground River touches the surface in several locations, allowing explorers to sail into the Underneath on a river barge. The difficulty lies in finding a route that remains entirely above water, and doesn’t turn into a maelstrom halfway. Luckily for explorers, the Riverwall Docks has trustworthy (if intermittent) ships leaving for the Underneath. These river barges navigate the waterways from the surface into the underground, with Anchor as their final and only stop. Explorers can bargain with Milo Spitz (Realms of Pugmire, p.138) for passage. He might accept payment in plastic, but usually prefers an exchange of services. He might ask explorers to guard a ship against pirate activity, or carry sensitive goods to one of his contacts in Anchor. Milo is intrigued by Anchor’s chain system, and is always looking for maps on which leads where — information that Anchor’s own navigators prefer to keep to themselves.

Kunia Snauzer runs the “Pugmire dock” in Anchor. The small dog is outgoing, friendly, and never forgets a face. Milo chose her for her uncanny ability to make friends in new places, but unfortunately Anchor seems wholly resistant to Kunia’s charms. The royal trade post, Church of Man chapel, and Amber’s courier service might count three dogs and one rodent between them, but that’s still a lot of new topside arrivals. Anchor’s captains are determined not to let the dogs gain any more of a pawhold in Anchor. Explorers arriving by topside river barge must disembark and find a new vessel to sail further down the Underground River. Any dog asking too many questions about the chains, or otherwise too obviously on a mission from Milo, is treated with suspicion or even fed wrong information.

A taste to get us through until Monday. Next week is a double drop for the draft manuscript, with chapters comign on Monday and Friday. We'll get some more sneak peeks at enemies on Tuesday and Thursday. This would normally be the quietest week in the crowdfunding schedule, but I think we'll have plenty to talk about with those two chapters coming our way.

Have a great weekend, and please continue to spread the word!

#LairOfTheRatKings