 | Bruiser He's a bit of a mystery, that dog, with his pomp and swagger. It's tempting to dismiss him--judging by his tough exterior, the large teeth and spiky collar, Bruiser must be well acquainted with cruelty and have a bad streak a mile wide. But even on cursory inspection, these generalizations break down. Why would a proud English bulldog wear a Scottish tartan? What is he doing always hanging around with that little purple snack of a cat? A tough dog like that doesn't need friends. Or perhaps there is more to him than his appearance after all. |  | Scratch Scratch is a kitten, and finds joy in the most marvelous of predicaments. Beneath her shining innocence is a heart of gold that expects and reflects the best qualities in others. Her naive charm is a delight, worthy of protection, as it is far too quickly lost in the rough and tumble advance of time. She also likes catnip, picnics in the woods, and long walks on the beach. |  | OdusIf there's one thing dogs don't like, it's a showoff. Odus can't help himself--he's gifted. In some small recess of Odus' rather expansive mind, he recognizes the limitations of others and does not fault them for it. No, that's what makes the poor creatures such ideal helpers, to grunt and sweat while Odus does all the thinking. Dr. Von Whatsit, who retains Odus in his employ, is so brilliant that Odus can only hope to peep out of his shadow long enough to gain a smidge of recognition before being sent to do the grunt and sweat labor himself. One day, the world will know... the world will know... |  | Harry Lepus
An inhabitant of the puzzling world, Mr. Lepus has seen horrible things over the years. He is not old enough to know the history of the struggle between the Ynnuf and Biggish, but his rabbit nature is enough to make him cautious yet concerned for the travelers caught in the strange land. |  | BatsworthThis poor, young bat has it rough. Although he lives in search of his parents who have gone missing, Batsworth is courageous and clever and quickly befriends Bruiser and Scratch on their journey. |  | The Old Blind VultureA menace, but a bit past his prime, the old blind vulture has seen it all. Before he went blind, of course. Or maybe not. He doesn't really like to get specific. While his eyesight may have failed him, and some of his memory too, there's a lot to his stories when he's in the mood for talking rather than eating. |
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