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Lair of the Rat Kings

Created by Onyx Path

Adventure in the underground world with the uplifted mice and rats who live there and those who rule those domains - the Rat Kings! Help us create this latest book for the Realms of Pugmire TTRPG in PDF and PoD versions!

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Sneak Peek: Drodo, Phooph, Shroops
about 2 months ago – Thu, Jul 30, 2026 at 07:08:25 AM

Hello Tail-blazers,

Another preview today ahead of our complete Enemies chapter coming tomorrow. This time, all of the fun names!

Drodo

(OL 1; Enemy)

Drodo are strange, flightless, metamorphic birds with crystalline bodies whose conical, metal heads perch atop segmented metallic necks. Their unique physiology allows them to merge with other drodos, increasing their mass, number of heads, and ability to wield horrifying elemental powers.

The smallest drodo has a single head, is the size of a large turkey, and has a body formed of a monocolored crystal. When two drodos merge, to form a drododo, they become the size of a pony, the two heads of the new drododo perched atop a crystal made of the blended colors of the original bodies.

Drodotos are horse-sized and their three heads rest atop a body covered in a tiger-stripe pattern reflecting the coloration of the drododos that formed it. On rare occasions, two drodotos merge into a building-sized drodoquo, whose body ripples iridescently with the colors and patterns of its constituent parts. This is also the only type of drodo whose wings are said to be capable of flight, although few believe such accounts as a four-headed, eight-winged creature the size of a small house must be a flight of fancy.

Tactics: Fueled by rage, drodos live to cause chaos and hunt the target of their ire. This is seemingly random, but once a drodo has set its sights on its prey, nothing can prevent them hunting it down. They don’t need to rest and think little of destroying anything in their way.

Defense: 12 (crystal skin)
Stamina Points: 15
Speed: 30 ft., 10 ft. flying (four heads only)
Experience Bonus: +1
Attributes: Agility +2, Might +2, Vitality +0, Cunning -1, Intellect -1, Presence +1
Skills: Traverse
Attack: Peck (+3 melee, 1d6 + 2 stabbing), elemental gaze (+3 ranged, 1d6 + 2 electric)
Morale: +1; at 3 or fewer stamina points.

Tricks: Low-light Vision; resistant to electric damage
  • Combination Form: A drodo’s stats are different based on the number of heads it possesses. For every head after the first: its OL and Defense increase by 2; its maximum stamina points increase by 20; its experience bonus increases by 1; it gains the Notice (two or more heads) and Intimidate (three or more heads) skills; it can deal heat (two or more heads) or cold (three or more heads) damage with its elemental gaze attack; it can make a number of attacks equal to the number of its heads; its attack dice increase by one stage (e.g. 1d6 becomes 1d8); and it becomes resistant to the new damage types of its elemental gaze. 
  • Disintegration: A drodo reduced to 0 stamina points crumbles into crystalline dust.
  • Reintegration: When two drodo are within 5 feet of each other, they may reintegrate as a supplemental action. If a smaller drodo merges with a drodo with more heads, the larger drodo regains stamina points equal to half the smaller drodo’s maximum total. If the drodo have the same number of heads, they merge into the next largest drodo with its stamina points at half its maximum.

Phooph

(OL 1; Minion)

Few things in the Underneath are benign, but phoophs are the closest to it that anyone can remember encountering. Their sponge-like, star-shaped bodies drift slowly, and absently, through the empty tunnels and caverns of their home, and they form small shoals for mutual protection and socialization. 

Natural telepaths, they passively read the minds of any they encounter and share their pain when attacked. Rodents who travel the further reaches of the Underneath know to run when these largely harmless creatures turn hostile, as it’s a good indicator that something much larger and hungrier is nearby; likely something that has forced the phoophs from their home cavern and is now looking for more prey.

When not chased from their homes, phoophs are content to let travelers pass peacefully through their territory.

Tactics: Phoophs flee danger automatically. They instinctively use their Think About What You’ve Done trick when provoked and use the resulting mental agony to distract their attackers.

Defense: 12 (squishy hide)
Stamina Points: 1
Speed: 20 ft. / 5 ft. flying
Experience Bonus: +1
Attributes: Agility +3, Might -2, Vitality +0, Cunning +1, Intellect +1, Presence +0
Attack: Slam (-1 melee, 1d6 - 2 blunt, plus Think About What You’ve Done)
Morale: N/A 

Tricks: Immunity to Blind, Deaf, and Prone; resistance to blunt damage; weak to mental damage
  • Think About What You’ve Done: On a successful slam attack, the target takes 1d4 mental damage at the start of each of their turns and can’t apply their experience bonus to attack or damage rolls. Making a Cunning test (difficulty 13) prevents this damage and the effect. Targets who fail may attempt the test again at the end of each of their turns until they succeed, ending the effects of this trick.
  • Hurlenflee: Once per battle, the phooph may vomit the contents of its stomach in a 15 feet cone to escape an opponent. Every character within the cone is covered in a brightly colored, sickly-sweet spray and Immobile until they make a Might test (difficulty 13) as an action or another creature uses their action to make a Might (Traverse) check at difficulty 13 to break them out. Making an Agility test (difficulty 13) prevents this effect. The stubborn, cotton-candy smell remains for 1d4 hours, imposing a hindrance on Hide checks, unless the target takes the time to clean themself and their equipment in fresh water.
  • Psychic Sensitivity: The spongy makeup of the phooph makes them extremely sensitive to psychic abilities. The phooph hears any telepathic communication that occurs within 60 feet of it. It has immunity to any effects that allow a creature to sense emotions or read thoughts. 

Shroops

(OL 3; Enemy; Amphibious)

Shroops are psychic crustaceans that share some similarities with fungi and can sometimes be found living alongside rollust colonies, but are more often encountered in the largest underground lakes and waters, dwelling amongst the brightly-colored corals that thrive within the Underneath. They form a symbiotic relationship with the corals they live amongst, becoming host to part of the reef in exchange for a portion of the energy generated by the polyps that take “root” upon their shell.

They are pacifists by nature, and their colonies spend most of their waking hours engaged in telepathic conversations concerning water temperature, the health of the reef, and other simple matters. They can converse mentally with explorers, but few choose to do so and fewer still have the opportunity. When threatened, or startled, a shroop can send the stillness found at the bottom of their lake into the mind of an explorer, causing them to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When this occurs above the surface of the water, the shroop will flee slowly towards the sanctuary of the deeps. When explorers stumble upon a shroop colony in its territory, however, they often drown as the shroops are unaware that most creatures need air more often than they do.

Many stories abound concerning the origin of shroops, but the most popular is that they are the dreams of Men who drowned in the time before time. Some rodents believe that if they could connect with a shroop colony on a deep, psychic level, and survive the experience of being far below the surface of the water, they might learn secrets that have been forgotten since Man disappeared.

Shroops regularly shed their shells as they grow, seeking larger and larger replacements, and these cast-offs are valued by a handful of collectors throughout the Underneath for the plastic content that can be processed from them with enough time and effort.

Tactics: Shroops aren’t inherently aggressive and will use their Sleep of the Deep trick at the start of their first turn. Should this prove ineffective, they attempt to flee their aggressors, hiding amongst the coral reef or retreating to the nearest body of water.

Defense: 15 (coral shell)
Stamina Points: 32
Speed: 30 ft. swimming
Experience Bonus: +2
Attributes: Agility +0, Might +1, Vitality +1, Cunning +0, Intellect +2, Presence +0
Skills: Know Culture, Persuade
Attack: Tail slap (+3 melee, 2d6 + 1 blunt + 2d4 poison)
Morale: +0; when at 4 or fewer stamina points

Tricks: 
  • Hivemind: Any shroop within 240 feet of another can sense when one takes damage.
  • Sleep of the Deep: Once per combat, the shroop can use an action to overwhelm a character with calming vibes, causing them to fall Unconscious. Making a successful Cunning test (difficulty 15) prevents this. The target may attempt the test at the start of each of their turns and remains Unconscious until succeed, take any amount of damage, or can finish either a rest or a nap.


Who doesn't want to encounter some Phoophs and Shroops now?

We're halfway throught he campaign now, with two weeks behind us and our final two weeks ahead. Still lots of cool stuff to come! Remember to spread the word and get ready for the dangers of the Underneath tomorrow!

Sneak Peek: Bodak, Canoptic, Geocatcher
about 2 months ago – Tue, Jul 28, 2026 at 08:02:27 AM

Hello Tail-blazers,

On Friday, we'll get our complete enemies chapter. Until then, a small preview of some nasties...

Bodok

(OL 3; Enemy)

When at rest, bodoks are indistinguishable from the large, ancient microchips found in the ruins left behind by Man. Flat, covered in a faded, green, chitin-like material, and decorated with delicate golden traceries, the tines of the “chip” extend into tiny, scuttling legs when the bodok awakens and hunts its prey. It feeds by latching onto its prey’s neck and inserting a metallic proboscis into the unfortunate creature’s brain.

Due to their strange anatomy and incomprehensible nature, rodents who have studied them are unable to say for certain what they truly feed on — mental energy, brain matter, or blood — but as they are most commonly found within those places Man carved out for experiments of a highly technical nature, bodoks are believed to be able to subsist on the lightning Man trapped within copper wires.

Left to their own devices, it’s hypothesized that bodoks will hibernate indefinitely — awakening only to defend the territory they’ve claimed — and few willingly travel from the Underneath. Even when possessing their prey, bodoks instinctively remain below ground, venturing out only when necessary, or when threatened, to secure more food.

Due to their size, a single adult can sustain a bodok for months, during which time the bodok will remain attached to the back of its prey’s neck, using its mental connection to control the creature’s actions.

Tactics: Bodoks are ambush predators. Their low Speed and small pool of stamina points make them easy to kill, so they typically ambush their prey in large numbers, prioritizing any characters dealing electric or mental damage.

Once a bodok has possessed a character, they will use that character’s abilities to protect the other bodok’s nearby, ensuring their fellows can also use the Possession trick.

Defense: 15 (bug-like armor)
Stamina Points: 21
Speed: 10 ft.
Experience Bonus: +2
Attributes: Agility +3, Might -2, Vitality +3, Cunning +0, Intellect +0, Presence +0
Skills: Sneak
Attack: Pincers (+0 melee, 1d4 - 2 stabbing)
Morale: +0; at 5 or fewer stamina points

Tricks: Resistance to all damage except electric, weak to mental damage
  • Hostile Takeover: A bodok within 5 feet of a living target can attempt to take over the target against their will. It latches onto the target, crawls up to the back of their head, and inflicts 4d6 mental damage as an action. Making a successful Cunning test (difficulty 15) halves this damage. If the target is reduced to 0 stamina points, they are automatically subject to the Possession trick, or, if they have any remaining stamina points, they may attempt a Might test (difficulty 15) to remove the bodok.
  • Possession: The bodok may take over any character at 0 stamina points. When the bodok takes over, the character regains half their maximum stamina points, is Possessed by the bodok, has access to all their skills and abilities, and can’t remember anything. The target makes a Cunning test (difficulty 15) every 24 hours and returns to normal — removing the bodok — when it succeeds.



Canoptic

(OL 4; Enemy)

Covered in black, leathery skin, this bat-like creature hangs from the ceilings of the caverns it calls home, almost indistinguishable from the shadows around it. The only warning its prey has of the canoptic’s approach is the sound of air rushing over wings as it dives, or the slight hum that the barbed horns adorning its head make as it falls upon its target.

These horns are both a sensory organ — amplifying its ability to navigate the Underneath through echolocation — and a gruesome weapon. Not only can they draw blood with the slightest touch, the canoptic also uses them to grapple its prey and carry it to great heights, before releasing it to fatally fall onto the rocky floor of the Underneath. The canoptic will then eat the internal organs, leaving only a broken, hollowed-out corpse.
Those who have fought these canoptics shudder whenever they’re mentioned, calling them “barbed shrouds”, “shrieking darkness”, or “biting shadows”, and many stories told by rodent parents use them as figures of punishment for misbehaving youngsters.

While all canoptics are highly territorial, some, most often those who live near ruins left behind by Man, have learned to hunt packs, coordinating through a complex system of wing gestures, horn movements, and echolocation clicks. Such swarms will work together to bring down large prey and feast upon the corpse together. Lone hunters will target single individuals, attacking groups only when no other option presents itself or when driven to desperation by hunger.

Tactics: Canoptics ambush their prey, observing from the safety of their hidden perch before striking without warning, often when their target is deep within the canoptic’s territory.
Canoptics use their ability to fly to great effect, staying beyond the range of most attacks and dropping their prey from as great a heigh as possible. Their ability to hide in almost any shadow allows them to swoop upon their foe, drop them from a height, and then reposition without being seen, striking from another quarter with their next action.

They target spellcasters and characters with ranged weapons first, dealing with the most immediate threats before harrying those who can’t attack back.

Defense: 16 (leathery skin)
Stamina Points: 45
Speed: 20 ft. / 40 ft. flying
Experience Bonus: +3
Attributes: Agility +2, Might +3, Vitality -1, Cunning +2, Intellect -1, Presence -1
Skills: Notice, Sneak
Attack: Horns (+6 melee, 4d6 + 3 stabbing)
Morale: -1; when Deafened
Tricks: Darkvision
  • Echolocation: The canoptic has a boon on Notice checks to detect hidden creatures.
  • It’s the Stop at the End: After a successful horns attack, the target of the attack is grappled by the canoptic’s horns and the canoptic immediately uses its remaining movement to fly straight up and drop the target, which takes 1d8 damage per 10 feet fallen, modified by spells and special abilities. Making a successful Might test (difficulty 16) prevents this.
  • Nimble Escape: The canoptic can take the Disengage or Hide action as a supplemental action on each of its turns.



Geocatcher

(OL 6; Enemy)

The Underneath is full of strange creatures, and geocatchers aren’t an exception. It’s believed that Man created these chameleonic animals as a lesson in greed, a warning to those who would exploit the natural world, or just as a joke.

They are indistinguishable from massive geodes when resting. Their craggy grey “skin” is enveloped by veins of mineral and crystal, and they’re found clinging to the walls and ceilings of caverns, or clustering together in large craters, where they seem content to rest indefinitely. When disturbed, either accidentally or through the actions of a foolhardy miner, the crystalline veins that adorn their exterior become a writhing mass of razor-sharp tendrils.
They use these tendrils as harpoons, impaling their prey and using their strange biology to drain their opponents of their very life force, reducing them to nothing more than statues. Many rodents know stories of caves full of stone figures contorted by agony and, whenever one such place is found, it’s quickly shunned by all right-thinking folk.

For the greedy or desperate, however, it’s said that the heart of a geocatcher is a geode of incredible purity that has been infused with the life essence of all its victims and can be used as a masterwork of great power.

Tactics: Geocatchers are largely unthinking creatures. They lash out when disturbed, deal with the threat, and then return to their rest. Some have developed the habit of dragging their opponents up walls and dropping them from a height, but others remain immobile, refusing to leave the ground they have chosen to rest on.

Defense: 19 (rock-like skin)
Stamina Points: 35
Speed: 30 ft.
Experience Bonus: +4
Attributes: Agility +2, Might +4, Vitality +2, Cunning -1, Intellect -2, Presence +0
Attack: Tendril slam (+8 melee, 1d6 + 4 stabbing)
Morale: +0; at 15 or fewer stamina points.

Tricks: Darkvision; multiple attacks (4 tendril slams, Drains, or Leashes in any combination)
  • Spider Climb: The geocatcher can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
  • Drain: The geocatcher makes a character that they are grappling Sickly and deals 3d10 deathly damage. Making a successful Vitality test (difficulty 15) prevents the condition and halves the damage taken. The geocatcher regains stamina points equal to half the damage dealt and characters who die because of this damage petrify instantly.
  • Grasp: After a successful tendril slam attack, as part of the same action, the target is grappled by the geocatcher. Making a successful Might test (difficulty 18) prevents this. Until the grapple ends, the target is Restrained and has a hindrance on Might checks and tests. The test can be attempted as an action on the character’s subsequent turns. The geocatcher can grapple up to four characters and can’t target grappled characters with their tendril slam attack.
  • Leash: The geocatcher can use an action to move every character it’s grappling up to 20 feet in any direction. Making a successful Agility test (difficulty 15) prevents this.

I've got some recovery to do tomorrow, but I'll be back on Thursday with another sneak peek and then our full enemies chapter on Friday!

Bones of the World [Backer Draft Manuscript Part 3]
about 2 months ago – Mon, Jul 27, 2026 at 07:22:04 AM

Hello Tail-blazers,

We're in the middle week of our crowdfunding campaign. Normally, this period is a little quieter when compared to the first and final 48 hours, but we're going to see if we can make it a little bit more exciting with two manusript previews this week!

Today, we're looking at Chapter Three: Bones of the World. This is full of advice for the Guide on how to run the Underneath as a giant underground adventure, along with suggestions and expanded advice on exploration and survival, as well as rules for exciting encounters in which a group of heroes battles a single foe. It also contains great information about various villages and other interesting locations within the Underneath.


Digital and Print-on-Demand Rewards

We know times are hard these days, particularly with rising costs and economic uncertainty, so we’ve designed this crowdfunder to be as painless as possible. We offer a wide variety of digital options for backing, as well as leveraging print-on-demand technology to have physical products printed as close to you as possible to cut down shipping and reduce tariff concerns.


Creating and fulfilling physical versions this way gets you the best price, fastest delivery, and excellent customer support!

DriveThruRPG's printing partners are located both within in the USA and the UK (and expanding), making shipping cheaper and avoiding the tariffs incurred by international manufacturing and shipping!


Draft Manuscript Previews

Over the course of these 4 weeks, backers will receive the entire current draft manuscript for Lair of the Rat Kings, but it's not going to come to you all in one go. The previews will come out in squeak-sized treats throughout the campaign. This helps me seem interesting over the next 28 days, but it's more about guiding the conversation and helping steer feedback for the developers.

Because they want your feedback! These manuscript previews are of the current draft manuscript – the document in its latest, approved form. This may not be the final form after editing and any additional development, but you can consider it about 95% finished, so keep that in mind.

In fact, you can help guide the team through the next stages of development by providing feedback on these manuscript previews! The Onyx Path team has set up a special Feedback Form just for campaign backers for this very purpose: <Lair of the Rat Kings Feedback Form>


You can use this Feedback Form to share your thoughts directly with the Pugmire developers and help guide them through the next rounds of development and editing.


DRAFT MANUSCRIPT PREVIEWS - BACKERS ONLY

Remember, thanks to BackerKit magic, these download links are visible to Backers only - you must be logged in and reading this on the website to have access to the manuscript preview links. So, if you're reading this via e-mail, click that "Reply to this Update" or "Learn More" button on the bottom and I'll see you below this title treatment.

Preview: Roads to the Underneath
about 2 months ago – Fri, Jul 24, 2026 at 04:42:03 AM

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!

Roads 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.

Pioneers for the Crown

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.

Anchor: Renn Collie

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.

Azuresky: Ben Rabbit

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.

Blackfur’s Wreck: Noah Hound

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.

Emissaries of the Church

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.

Booking a Ship

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

Letters from the Underneath
about 2 months ago – Thu, Jul 23, 2026 at 06:33:22 AM

Letters from the Underneath

She told me. She told me one should never answer when they first hear their name called out in the lonely dark. Never answer until you’ve heard your name spoke once and twice and thrice. I didn’t listen.

I’m getting ahead of myself.

I was born a mutt and a stray, and though the orphanage raised me tenderly, I longed to strike out and find my own community, my own family, my own space. There was a call for good and hardy dogs to apprentice under the tutelage of a tunneller. I answered.

Acclimating out of the sight of the sun and the breath of the wind, it was no easy thing. But I had the fortune to learn under a most able and wise mouse, my mentor in the craft of tunnelling. She taught me many things. She told me tales of the Hungry Earth. I admit I scoffed at that as so much fireside embellishment. Then, the Hungry Earth came for me.

I know. I know. There’s nothing so mundane as gravity doing what gravity does, making earth fall unto earth. But it’s different when you’re there. I heard it growl. I heard the rumble of its hunger. I saw the glee of its rocky jaws closing in on me with terrible agency. The tunnel collapsed. Cut off from my fellows and my mentor, I had naught but the glow of a dying handful of fungus to hold back the pitch blackness.

Then, the light went out. That’s when I heard my name.

“Copper?”

It was the voice of my mentor.

“Copper?”

But my mentor had instructed me to never answer my name in the dark, not until I heard it a fourth time. She said the things that might call your name with wicked intent usually don’t bother calling out more than three times. Usually.

It might’ve been on account of my terror. It might’ve been on account that nothing occasions a dog to perk up so much as hearing their name. I answered on the second call.

“I’m here! I’m here!”

Then I saw it. So pale that I could somehow see it dimly in the tar-dipped darkness. Smelled sickly sweet, like fruit that’d give if you but touched it. It had strangely shaped hands that were not hands, bent and folded over like a shepherd in prayer. So many sets of hands! And eyes and eyes and eyes!

“Copper?” it said in the voice of my mentor.

I ran from that pale shepherd. I ran and I whined and I yelped. Mandamnit, you would too! Eventually, I was found. Now, I don’t answer to my name no more. I don’t answer it to no one, no matter how many times they call it.



 
My Liege,

I pray this letter reaches you directly, rather than be caged indefinitely in the paws of an overzealous go-between. As you may know, I am a scholar — of no inconsiderable repute — specialized in the lore of the Underneath. I am concerned with our kingdom’s recent mass exploration and migration into the realms below.

I know my reputation is one of rantings and ravings regarding the dangers and horrors that lurk below, particularly in light of a positively manic display I made at a recent social gathering. I’m afraid I let my passions get the better of me after reading the recent journal entries of the dog formerly known as Copper, and I acted most inappropriately… but I digress. No, my more urgent concerns are for the life of the Underneath. 

Regarding stepping into a new frontier, when we lead with industry rather than with learning, we have a tendency to trample our fellow creatures. There are entire civilizations down there, of lagomorphs, rodents, and more — entire, delicate ecosystems whose rules we simply do not yet understand. Seeing these strange wonders and only seeing new land to claim comes to the detriment of those who already have lives down there. I implore you to consider slowing down our deluge of delving into the Hungry Earth. Instead, send small expeditions led by learned scholars. Let us learn before we hew.

I realize my measured voice may be drowned out by the din of many. Yes, we could send in every treasure hunter, explorer, and merchant with a glint of greed in their eyes. We could fetch and fetch and fetch until our coffers hemorrhage with new treasures. We have the power to do all these things, with no regard for anyone who is not of our kind, but after all of that is done, if we looked in a mirror… would we see a good dog?

Ever your servant,

Aloysius Poodle