Anchorages act as heavy support and mobile bases for Serfs. They carry specialized buildings on their back, facilitating mobile operations where they might not otherwise be possible. A group of Anchorages is called a city.

Anchorages are an extremely large type of superheavy puppet, standing at 7' 6" (229cm). Their size is further augmented by the fact that they are built quite a bit wider than other puppet types, with a skeletal structure accommodating a broader stance (this is assumed to be for aiding balance). In addition to their seven legs, they also have three large moose-like antlers sprawling from their sides, unevenly. Notably, the side with two antlers is always the side with three legs, suggesting the uneven limbs are for counterbalance, rather than support. Internally, the Anchorage's skeletal structure is very robust, and each antler is underpinned with a material similar to Tricksters' and Totems' unicorn horns.

In combat, Anchorages, despite their durability, tend not to be on the front lines unless they are needed. Their clumsy movement and bulky physiques are poorly suited to fighting. Instead, they act as fallback lines of defense for smaller, frailer puppets, and of course are constantly operating bases for Serfs. If forced into melee combat, an Anchorage will often strike with two of its hooves at once, typically from the four-legged side. They take every opportunity to avoid putting their antlers (and anything built atop them) in danger.

Anchorages are placid creatures during peacetime, and generally way down for optimal support. It is not uncommon for Anchorages to gather in loosely-knit "cities" so their Serfs might collaborate on building or crafting projects. Peacetime is when Serfs construct buildings on the Anchorages as well, with their resting state providing a more stable platform. Notably, Anchorages are always spawned as a "twin" with their first Serf.

Anchorages also display a strong sense of communal parentage, particularly towards new Anchorages. A young Anchorage with minimal Serfs and buildings will often be surrounded by older, more developed Anchorages, so their buildings and Serfs can assist in construction of all the things the new Anchorage needs. Elaborating on this, Anchorages respond to the needs of the collective, rather than acting as independent units; if more Haetin is needed, an Anchorage will focus on more Phylacteries, for example. The first Anchorage in a city will, however, almost always start with a Housing block, then a Phylactery, then a Foundry, with more flexibility afforded to subsequent Anchorages as the core resources and workforce are accommodated for.

Anchorages not only boast some of the most complex and robust epigenetic trigger systems of any puppet, but also receive additional triggers as buildings are built upon their antlers. For example, an Anchorage without a Phylactery has a higher rate of blood production than one with, or an Anchorage without Housing will display a greater enthusiasm and vigor when collaborating with others. This active-time complexity is considered quite radical, even in the world of Equid Abominations.

An Anchorage is very little without its Serfs and buildings. Serfs will have their own page, but buildings will be discussed here: Every building type has a different physical appearance, but also ties into a different spell, augmenting its effectiveness. The spells involved generally create small-scale pocket dimensions within, giving more room than is physically available. If the Anchorage is moved into an anti-magic field, the dimension is not destroyed; only rendered inaccessible until the anti-magic effect is removed. The material houses are built out of is colloquially known as Haetin, and is either made by Serfs by mixing the blood of an Anchorage with their own phlegm-laden spit, or produced directly by Phylacteries. The latter is preferred, as overtapping an Anchorage for Haetin can kill it.

There are four main types of buildings known to be used on Anchorages:

• Housing structures are round structures, designed to house Serfs when they are not working or needed in battle. Housing structures, while simple on the surface, play host to small strands of brain matter that are believed to lighten the psionic load of operating multiple Serfs. A single housing structure can house up to four Serfs both physically and psionically, though an Anchorage's "twin" Serf will be offloaded to the first house built (if it ever is).
• Phylacteries take the form of lumpy, oozing mounds. They are constantly suffused with Haetin, which Serfs can harvest by slicing open individual mounds. A properly-tended Phylactery can produce nearly six times the Haetin as its host Anchorage can produce in blood, with no detriment to the Anchorage's health.
• Foundries share similar orbular structures to Housing, but have a single elongated smokestack that vents smoke produced by the internal crafting facilities. Despite the smoke being released, minimal heat is tangible through the structure walls, and even the exhaust is rarely warmer than the Anchorage's body temperature. Serfs work in Foundries to produce various things from Haetin, and the produced works can range from simple tools or ammunition to artifacts of minor magical power.
• Emplacements are defensive structures that run off of Haetin directly, needing to be fed by Serfs during operation. Emplacements burn Haetin to produce powerful beams of dark, arcane energy, seemingly fueled by the degeneration of the material they consume. One Emplacement consumes a lot of Haetin; about 75% of the amount that a Phylactery can produce. As such, Emplacements are only common in situations where there are many Anchorages with the Phylacteries and Serfpower to provide the required fuel.
• Lastly, Hullyards are specialized structures used for the operation, supply, and maintenance of Sovereignties, which at as independent heavy units designed for medium-range combat support. Hullyards are by far the rarest constructed buildings on Anchorages, as they require a lot of support; Serfs for operation, Foundries to supply ammunition, and Phylacteries for mass Haetin acquisition. In a group of Anchorages, however, one or two will be dedicated to these broad structures, which in turn allows an Anchorage to operate a powerful subpuppet in combat. They can be seen as a more advanced version of Hullyards.

Anchorages (and Serfs by extention) were an unintentional completion of superheavy puppets effectively recreating the Manipulator-Trickster-Reconcilant trio in evolved and reimagined forms, inspired by my love of RTS games (particularly Stellaris, which is where the name was inspired from). There's a world in which I go even harder into the RTS theme and give them different unit types or something, but at least for now, their defining trait is their building suite.

Anchorages, despite being one of the newer puppet designs, have undergone some development from theoretical to a fully-fledged concept. Namely, they originally had only two antlers for buildings, until I decided that asymmetry kicked ass. Additionally, Emplacements were added after the first three buildings; originally, Anchorages were entirely support units with Housing, Phylacteries, and Foundries, though Emplacements were added as a way to add some variety (now there's a reason for every Anchorage to not just be one House, one Phylactery, and one Foundry) and give Anchorages a way to defend themselves and their Serfs.