Excerpts from

the journal of
Princess Yosha Pug
My father asked me to write down
everything I know about our kingdom and
the lands around us. King Puckington,
my father, continues to try and
build diplomatic ties to the cat
monarchies of Mau, and he feels
that having a detailed account of
our lands will help in the exchange
of knowledge with our neighbors.
I suppose I should introduce
myself! The dogs in our kingdom call
me an “artisan,” someone who studies
the ancient magic and masterwork
objects of Man. I’ve loved
reading since I was a
puppy, but I’ve always
wanted to see the
world I’ve read about.
My friends and I have
travelled and had a
number of adventures:
some were scary
and some were
wonderful, but all of
them increased my

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 The City of Pugmire

knowledge of the world! I’ve learned so much, even though my father

worries about me.

Bah! He only worries because he’s a soft nobledog.

You’ve proven your mettle time and again to all of us.
I’m Pan Dachshund, by the way, and I’ll say the things
that Yosha is too nice to write to all you stuck-up dogs.

The Kingdom of Pugmire

Vinsen Pug the First founded the kingdom of Pugmire a very long
time ago. He was one of the first dogs to recover our ancient ability
to sense the Unseen, the invisible demons that plague many of the
peoples of the world. With a good heart and a firm paw, he helped to
build a community of trust and respect where all dogs could live. The
area he chose was ignored by the cats and the badgers because it was
too boggy, but he and his fellow dogs worked to drain it and slowly
build a kingdom. Vinsen never lived to see his dream realized, but the
city was named after his family, and the Pugs were the first nobles
of the kingdom. Over the years, other families have come to claim the
throne of Pugmire, but my family has held it more often then most.

Just because the Pugs are in power now doesn’t mean that
other breeds aren’t on the sidelines, waiting for a chance to be
in charge. Not every family wants to rule Pugmire, though –
the Hounds left to form their own cluster of kingdoms out
west, for example, and many of the Bulldogs serve in the
military instead of striving for courtly graces. And some of us,
like me, care more about life outside the walls.
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 City of Good Dogs
Pugmire is often called the “City of Good Dogs,” but that’s not
entirely true. The city welcomes any who are willing to work for
the kingdom’s interests, no matter their breed or species. The Cat
Quarter, for example, has a number of cats that have chosen not
to live in the monarchies of Mau. I once met about a dog from
the Afghan family who has a cat valet that works for him! Even
those dogs that are not claimed by or adopted into a family have a
place inside Pugmire.

First off, never trust a cat. Ever.

Their language has seven different words for “betrayal.”
Secondly, it’s true that cats and dogs down on their luck have a
place in Pugmire, but that place is usually at the bottom of the
ladder. While it’s possible for any family to end up as a noble
breed, it’s not easy, and some of the other families will do
what they can to stay on top. There are plenty of good dogs,
like Yosha, but I’ve seen enough bad dogs that I’d rather sleep
under the stars than behind solid walls most nights.

The World
With mentions of other kingdoms and monarchies and peoples,
it can be comfortable to think that the entire world is civilized
and peaceful. I wish that were true! But in reality, there is
still so much we don’t know. What we DO know is that all
of the peoples inherited this world from Man (or “humanity”
as some texts refer to it, although I prefer the Church’s
terminology in this case). Much of the world is covered with
inhospitable landscapes, chaotic creatures, terrifying ruins, or
simply inscrutable structures. Only those who are courageous,
intelligent, and pure of heart can work to uncover the secrets of
Man and make the world our own. Even the area around Pugmire
still contains secret dangers and mysterious threats that we
must work together to uncover and overcome.

I’m not a religious dog, so I don’t buy into the whole idea that “Man
created this world to teach us” or anything, but Yosha’s correct
that there are a lot of strange and dangerous things out there.
Once, I was exploring a cave that some ancient texts claimed
held a treasure that could move the earth, but when I got there
all I found were a half-dozen massive creatures that looked like
hairless rats with no eyes and tongues that acted like whips! I
still have one of their tongues in my bag as a souvenir.

Ruins and Tombs

We see Man’s hand most clearly in the ruins They have left
behind. I’ve travelled to a number of sites that contain writing in
the Word of Man, locked from prying eyes by ancient incantations
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 Jack Rat-Terrier, a Ratter and Scoundrel.
or mystical artifacts. Some have become overrun by badgers or
other, less intelligent scavengers. Even some cats have claimed
ancient tombs in the name of their own necromantic studies.
Dogs and other people try to enter these protected places in
search of powerful relics or new magic, but I only go to
increase my own knowledge of Man and the world before. Once I
even found an ancient tablet engraved with the Word of Man, but
the engravings moved whenever I touched the surface!
Some dogs, such as my friend Jack, help in opening these ruins
and deactivating the traps that can be found within – both the
traps that Man have left behind to test us, and those of the
other species that try to claim the bounty within as their own.
Jack’s a funny dog, and I like him.

Jack Rat-Terrier’s insults and abuse always makes me laugh,

but I make sure my purse of plastic coins is secure when I talk
with him. He’s not a BAD dog, and I’ve never actually caught him
stealing from me, but he spends more time in the ghettos and
slums with the cats and badgers than I would be comfortable
with. When breaking into a ruin, he’s a handy dog to have around.
His heart’s in the right place, I guess, but I can’t ever feel
too comfortable around a dog that would rather explore an
underground labyrinth than run in the warm summer sunlight.
5
 Death of Man
Man has given us everything. It is by Their hands we have
been uplifted from our canine cousins to be the dogs we are
today. The various and ancient Ages of Man give us much of our
education and knowledge, although many intelligent dogs have made
their own discoveries. Man has even left behind the wondrous
items and magical talents we use in our exploration of the world.
Unfortunately, They are gone, and we mourn and worship Them in
equal measure with our words and deeds every day. That is why
there are so many tombs left behind. Perhaps if we are good dogs,
we too will be able to run and play with them for eternity.

Hardly. Certainly SOMETHING existed previously,

but there’s nothing I’ve seen that makes me think that those
who were here before us were anything more than another race
of people. I certainly don’t think there’s a bunch of dead gods
guiding us from beyond the grave that arbitrary decide which
dogs are rewarded in the afterlife.
ONCE YOU’RE DEAD, YOU’RE DEAD, AND THAT’S THAT.
Even the cats buy into this religion, although they think
that “humanity” served THEM, not the other way around!

The Code of Man

The Church has carefully studied the Word of Man as passed
down to us, and from that scripture they have compiled the Code
of Man that all dogs of Pugmire should follow. It’s very short,
so I’ve included it here:
1. Be a good dog
2. Obey the master
3. Bite only those who endanger you
4. Defend your home
5. Stay loyal to those that are true
6. Protect all from the Unseen
7. Fetch what has been left behind

I don’t understand why you have to take good advice

and dress it up with some kind of religious imperative,
but that’s Pugmire for you. There are some parts of the Code
I take issue with – “obey the master” being a big one –
but I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t try to be a good dog,
protect their home, or stay loyal.
It’s just how some dogs choose
to interpret the Code that causes problems.

6
Magic
Man has
given us many
different kinds of
magic. My friend Sister
Picassa Collie, for example,
is a devout shepherd of Man.

Sister Picassa Collie, a Shepherd of Man.

Through her study and faith,
she is able to do amazing
things simply by praying to
Man for help. My magic is a
little more academic: I have
a masterwork focus that I
have studied for a few years
now, and I’m able to unlock
various spells within it
during my research. It
looks like a small metal
ball, but it can do so many
wonderful things! And as
I learn more from ruins
and exploration, I apply
that knowledge to master
the spirits inside my
focus and grow even more
as an artisan.

Now magic is something I

can believe in, because I’ve
seen it happen. Yosha once
shot a demon-possessed
dog with a beam of light, and
Sister Collie has healed all of
us more than once with just
a touch and a prayer. Even
my friend Rex Pyrenees
has a magical sword, and I’ve
met a few cats that dabble
in forbidden arts. Faith isn’t
for me, but I can’t deny
that it has a very real
effect for some dogs.
Spike Mutt, a Pariah and Free Dog.
Pariahs
Not all dogs are good dogs. Some are very bad dogs that need to
be removed from civilized society. These are the pariahs, dogs that
have been excommunicated from Pugmire to live outside its walls.
I understand that it is important for bad dogs to live outside,
but sometimes pariahs can come back to live within the kingdom,
although in diminished circumstances. Many dogs who have not
been accepted by their family – or even cast out from it! – end up
as pariahs by default, with no home to call their own except for
that which they make for themselves outside the kingdom.
I have travelled to many places, and I have met a number of
pariahs. I think that any bad dog can become a good dog again, if they
want to be. There are even a few of my friends that I believe with
all my heart are good dogs, but they choose to live in the wilderness.
I don’t know if I would have the courage to live like that.

“Pariah” is what the ignorant dogs that live behind stone walls
say. For those dogs that choose to live without the leash of
civilization, however, they are called “free dogs.”
Some strays, like Spike, actually prefer to live outside of
society. I can’t say I could live forever in the wild,
but every time I stay more than a few days inside Pugmire
or one of the other cities of the world, I feel my paws itch
with the need to have grass and dirt under them again.

The Rise of the Mutts

Some of the dogs that live outside Pugmire – those dogs that
no longer have families, by their choice or someone else’s – have
started to give themselves a new name: “Mutt.” Instead of a
family by breed and lineage, they’ve created a family of choice. Any
dog can decide to be a Mutt, and some of them travel together for
protection and company as they live in the wilderness.
Some of the dogs I talk to worry that the Mutts will try to
overrun Pugmire, demanding to be made a noble family. But I don’t
think so. Many of the Mutts I’ve met seem to be happy where
they are. But I think it would be great if some of them came to
live with us!

THIS IS WHY I LIKE YOSHA.

She uses her large eyes to actually SEE what’s going on, instead
of assuming that Pugmire is the best thing that ever happened
in the history of ever. The Mutts don’t need a city to live in, or
to conquer. Once in a while some Mutts will come to the city in
order to buy and trade for goods, before leaving again as quickly
as they can.

9
 Our Neighbors
The monarchies of Mau are what some dogs call “the cat
kingdoms,” although a few of my moggie friends tell me that cats
don’t have “kings” the way we do. Oh, I should explain that “moggies”
are the cats that don’t have families – something like strays or Mutts
for us. A few of the moggies act as bandits, attacking dogs for
supplies or (for the bad cats) out of spite. Other moggies come to
live in Pugmire, though, and find jobs to help them survive.
The badgers don’t really have monarchies or kingdoms, though. They
invade other places and take them over. Whether it’s a dog outpost, a
cat settlement, or even an old ruin of Man, they show up, use all the
supplies they can, and move on to the next place. My heart tells me
that there may be some good badgers, just like there are some good
cats, but I’ve never got a chance to meet one. Maybe someday!

I don’t trust cats. I HATE badgers. I once shot the Badger

King when his band tried to overrun a Mutt settlement I
happened to be staying at. I made a necklace out of his teeth,
which I wear to this day. Some dogs don’t believe me, but I bet
if you ask any badger, they’ll act like they’ve never heard of
me. That’s how you know they’re scared.

Monsters and the Unseen

There are some things that can’t be good. Not ever. They are
insane creatures that roam the wilderness, or twisted animals that
cause too much damage to be allowed to roam free. Some can
actually be quite intelligent, but for some reason they don’t have
any interest in being our friends. We generally label these kinds of
creatures “monsters,” and many of them are very scary indeed.
The worst, though, are the demons – invisible spirits and
manipulative monsters that want nothing but destruction and chaos.
We call them “the Unseen,” and they are the most frightening of
all. Demons can take on many forms, even those of your friends and
loved ones, making them very insidious and dangerous.
The Church tells us that dogs used to protect Man from
the Unseen, barking to warn Them when a demon comes to pass.
Maybe that’s why They are no longer with us, because we failed
to protect Them from the Unseen.

This is what I do: I hunt monsters. I don’t need to dress

up every horrible thing as a “demon” in order to know that
it’s dangerous and needs to be stopped. Monsters are bad
for everyone, civilized and free dogs alike, and if I go to my
eternal rest putting an arrow into a rampaging monstere, then
I’ve lived a good life.

AND THAT’S WHY YOU’RE A GOOD DOG, PAN.

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Pan Dachshund, Hunter and Monster Slayer.
Pugmire is one of the first of Onyx Path Publishing’s creator-owned games,
produced in a partnership with veteran game designer Eddy Webb and his
company, Pugsteady.

Some highlights of Pugmire include:

Family-friendly world inspired by comics, novels, films, and games such
as Mouse Guard, Redwall, and early Dungeons & Dragons releases like the
Expedition to the Barrier Peaks.
Traditional fantasy rules system redesigned for quick creation of heroic
characters and streamlined game play, with an emphasis on cooperation
and action over competition and violence.
A variety of callings and breeds that give focus to a character’s role in
society and in the adventuring party.
Rival species, like cats and badgers, along with terrifying and dangerous
monsters that roam the landscape.
Iconic characters, like Princess Yosha Pug, and setting hooks to frame the
mystery of this world.
For more information, check out the Pugmire page at
http://theonyxpath.com/category/worlds/pugmire/

Will YOU be a good dog?