Most fun project: Pugmire, by a wide margin. While I’ve been working on it for a couple of years now, it’s really been great to build from a massively successful Kickstarter and finally make this crazy idea into a real thing. Plus, learning that there’s such a large and enthusiastic community for Pugmire makes it really worthwhile!

Most interesting research: I’ve been researching a lot of things, but I’d have to say that it’s a tie between learning about how dog breeds are grouped (turns out it’s by various stages of canine cognition) and learning how cats build social groups. Suffice it to say, I know a lot more about animals than I did a year ago.

Favorite Passage: I’ve been pretty pleased by this small piece from Pugmire, which shows the blend of domestic behavior and religious overtones that lie at the core of the world.

Westwall is the quarter furthest from the Fearful Forest and from the traffic of the north and south gates to the kingdom. The locals often call this the Religious Quarter, as it contains the spiritual center of the Church of Man, the Chapel of St. Anna. This area is home to many artisans and shepherds, acolytes and sages, and it’s not uncommon to see strange lights or hear rhythmic chanting at all hours from a variety of magical experiments and religious observances. Some specialized merchants also set up shop here, such as booksellers and peddlers of potions and fixes.

Several times a day, the great gong of St. Anna sounds, and all faithful dogs within earshot are expected to go outside and walk the streets in contemplation. This is in observance of Man’s desire for all dogs to walk outside by their side, but these days only the most devout and conservative dogs observe the call to walk.