A young capybara with a kind heart and an unwavering will. He awakens in a mysterious land with only a tattered blue blanket and the name of a boy he refuses to forget. From that moment, Stratum is changed forever.He does not yet know what he carries within, or what he is destined for.

Lupine carries a gnawed applewood staff, wears a hooded robe, and travels alone. Village leaders know her name, but she reveals little else, not even what species she is.Common folk call her the Hooded Guardian. Some say she is a savior, others, a terrible sorceress.She carries a great burden, a secret so old that Stratum itself has forgotten what it means.

An ancient and extraordinarily large arachnid, Kariguu has served the village of Pawville as a seamstress to its residents and armorer to its guard for as long as anyone can remember.Her residency as a predator among a primarily herbivore community is a testament, presumably, to both her talents and her conduct.She has taken a particular interest in Capy and the blue blanket he carries.

Where's Penda? Why is that kit always missing?~ Penda's Mother

Elder Dusty is a chinchilla and has been the established leader of Pawville for many seasons. She speaks softly, but her voice and wisdom carry. Her community trusts her completely.There is a rumor, passed quietly among the Pawfolk, that she intends to step back from her duties. If true, Pawville will surely feel her absence.

Grigor is a black and white tegu who has long served as Pawville's second-in-command. Scars marking his speckled scales tell of his long history battling the Strays.He leads with a matter-of-fact, militaristic directness. Elder Dusty named him as Second Elder specifically for his experience.Those who know him describe a quiet, unhurried, but intense presence. When he does speak, his community listens.

Captain Pram is a hamster and the commanding officer of Pawville's Charred Guard. She wears a suit of armor made of carved oaken bands, connected by corded rivets. Her armor does not resemble the woven craftwork of Pawville's Master Weaver.When she was a young warrior, Pram saved many of Pawville's residents during the destruction wrought by the Ao. Through that event, she inspired the youth and formed what is now known as the Charred Guard.

Tyler (T. L. Chow) works as a civil engineer, but the creative itch was always present. It first came in the form of art, when Tyler painted fantasy scenes and characters as a freelance artist. The most well-known included concept artworks for Netflix's The Dragon Prince.Alongside, there was always some personal project: a board game, a computer game, or simply a fantasy world taking shape in the margins.

In 2016, Tyler visited a zoo in Japan where he met capybaras for the first time. On that day with light rain, he sat with them around a little outdoor furnace. Their calm, unhurried presence was an inspiration. Within two years, Capyhero was born, first as an action-adventure game. The story took shape, but the demands of a full-time engineering career kept Capyhero on the sidelines.Capyhero sat untouched for 7 years, during which Tyler became a father. When he came back to the story, he found it meant something more. He decided to turn it into a middle grade fantasy series with one particular hope: that by the time his kids are old enough, a few books in the series will already be on the shelf waiting for them.

Many of the characters in Capyhero are drawn from beloved pets of Tyler's family and friends. Kariguu, the ancient spider, is inspired by a tarantula that still lives in his home office after nearly twenty years. And Capy remains his son's favorite stuffed animal, since before he could walk.Tyler has lived in NY, GA, VA and is now settled in Fresno, CA. There, he lives with his wife and children, a tarantula, their guinea pig, and the inhabitants of two small aquariums. They enjoy regular trips to Yosemite and Sequoia National Park, where there is no shortage of space to think up new stories and heroes.

By day, Nick Loizos works in the field of environmental remediation. But his passion is and has always been art. Starting at a young age, he spent hours copying drawings from his favorite comics and books about dinosaurs.Through a combination of private art classes and self-teaching, Nick continues to hone his artistic talents. He learned to use colored pencils early on, which remained his medium of choice until 2020 when he was gifted a fountain pen by a close friend.

That small gift, a Lamy Safari and a bottle of Parker ink, sparked an interest that grew to near-obsession. Nick now works primarily in pen and ink, exploring other mediums when inspiration strikes.When not creating art, Nick enjoys reading sci-fi and fantasy, spending time outdoors, wood working, and writing for his long-running Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

Nick lives with his wife, two sons, and their two cats in Plainsboro, NJ, a quiet suburb near Princeton, nestled between large swaths of farmland.