Pugmire
Imagine our planet, but far in the future. Countless centuries have gone by, and
everything looks very different than it does now. Most building have crumbled to
dust, and broken roads are buried deep beneath dense forests and plentiful flora. Here
and there, the occasional ancient ruin or incomprehensible object surfaces, giving tantalizing
glimpses of a world that once was. The work of mankind is slowly reclaimed
by nature, but there are no humans. Mankind is gone, living on only in its collective
works. And those that have been left behind decide to reclaim the world.
Pugmire is a fantasy world with evolved dogs as the main characters. These dogs can
use tools and language, living in the ruins of the world of Man. The world has been
left to them, and they (along with other races of animals) have rebuilt it in their image.
The kingdom of Pugmire, named after the family of one of the greatest dog heroes, is
a center of their civilization.
Dogs in Pugmire strive to learn about Man (also called the Old Ones), deifying
humanity as examples all the peoples in the world should strive to emulate. Other
nations, such as the cats, have different perspectives on Man, but all of them recognize
that there was a world before this one, and it is now populated with mysteries and dangers.
Some people have learned how to use the magic and relics left by the Old Ones.
These are the rare and unusual magic items, spells, and enchantments of genre fantasy,
as well as a very literal exploration of Arthur C. Clarke’s Third Law: “Any sufficiently
advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
Pugmire juxtaposes the tropes of high fantasy with our relationship with domestic
dogs. Dogs adventure to explore lost ruins in search of relics, knowledge, and danger.
Dogs have access to magic that they control through faith or academic study. They have
enemies who can either be monstrous, or simply misunderstood people. They are part
of established families (some by breeding, and some by choice), and they fall into callings
that determine their role in society and in their adventuring parties.
These are the characters you portray as you explore the world left behind. These
are good dogs, or at least dogs that try their best to be good.
