3.) Fate features pets who not only fight with you, but can also haul treasure up and sell it for you. Can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration for pets? Any particular thing about the pets that you feel makes them interesting?

Pets are really inspired by the classic roguelikes. I couldn't quite get in teaching your dog to steal for you, so instead, I really focused on polymorphing and features to remove tedium. Being able to transform your pet into other creatures with fish is pretty rewarding and fun, and adds some strategy to a lot of the battles.