Thinking Redwall
Bi-Monthly
Summerized History of Salamandastron and Its Badger Lords
June-July 2002
Salamandastron is known as the home to hares always led by a badger lord. Their solemn duty is to protect the western shores and all of Mossflower from vermin. The mountain has under seen some very drastic changes, ever since the beginning of its history…
Salamandastron spouted flames ever since the creation of the Earth. This continued for uncounted years, and then the volcano became extinct. The flames died back down into the mountain's depths. At that time a fire lizard, or dragon, took control of the mountain for unnumbered seasons. Either the fire lizard died or moved away; the books don't say. After that hares took up residence there, under ruling badger lords such as Bluestripe the Wild, Certerlur the Just, Uthrun the Gripper, and Spearlady Gorse. The mountain then came into the rule of Lord Stonepaw.
Lord Stonepaw ruled the mountain for countless seasons. Toward the end of his life, the wildcat Ungatt Trunn and his blue hordes marched against Salamandastron. The mountain fell, and Ungatt Trunn took up residence there. Yet the badger and his faithful few were not done. They hid down in the cellars, and the hares escaped while Lord Stonepaw made his last stand against Ungatt Trunn's blue vermin. He slew many, and died by grabbing as many vermin as he could, and leaping into a bottomless lake. Only then did Ungatt Trunn fully possess the mountain. While this was happening a male badger in his prime was rallying forces to him to march against Salamandastron. His name: Lord Brocktree. Lord Brocktree gathered as many hares and creatures as he could, and then moved toward Salamandastron. When he reached the mountain, Ungatt Trunn and his hordes were starving due to a group of woodlanders using guerilla tactics under the name of the "Bark Crew".
The Bark Crew had been ambushed, but Lord Brocktree came just in time with his army to save the doomed Bark Crew.
The surviving vermin reported to Ungatt about the badger threat, and he was on his guard. Lord Brocktree used his brains; he used a fearless squirrel to get inside the mountain, while otters burned Trunn's ships. Brocktree and his forces snuck into the mountain through the tunnel the hares had escaped from before Stonepaw's demise, and slew all of Trunn's army. Trunn escaped, and led his horde against Salamandastron. In the end Lord Brocktree slew the wildcat and his hordes retreated. Thus the mountain came to be ruled by Lord Brocktree. Brocktree then founded the Long Patrol, the leveret school, and all the other things the mountain has today. A common mistake made is that Lord Brocktree put in the terraces, but he did not. That would come later with Sunflash the Mace.
When Lord Brocktree passed on, his son Boar the Fighter came to the mountain. Boar died fighting Ripfang and the searats after forging Martin the Warrior a new sword. The next badger lord is not often included, for it is unknown if he ever ruled Salamandastron, Sunflash the Mace's father: Barkstripe. Barkstripe dies, and then Sunflash the Mace feels drawn to the mountain. Sunflash arrives, and fights off the horde of Swartt Sixclaw, his life-long enemy. When he has fought off the horde Sunflash founds Salamandastron's terraces. He loved to see things grow, and the orchards and farms were founded. Sunflash the Mace died, and left the mountain for another badger lord.
We don't know how many seasons later it was when a descendant of Sunflash, was Lord Rawnblade came to rule the mountain. Lord Rawnblade ruled Salamandastron well, until a bell of his was stolen and he went to seek it. On his own, he set off from Salamandastron, and returned victorious. After this he went back to ruling Salamandastron. After he died, an unknown badger lord ruled the mountain. Then Urthstripe the Strong came into power.
Urthstripe the Strong ruled well. He cared for a young badger-maiden named Mara. When Mara ran away, Feragho the Assassin led his horde against the mountain. Urthstripe retaliated, but when he was hauled back inside injured, the hares could not reblock the entrance. Feragho and his horde were inside. The mountain would have fallen if it had not been for Mara returning with an army. They fought off Feragho's horde, and the badger Urthwyte was slaying more vermin then anyone. As Feragho went to kill the badger, Urthstripe appeared. Urthsrtipe crushed the weasel to him and then jumped from the mountaintop. Thus died Urthstripe the Strong.
The ruling of the mountain then passed into the hands of Urthwyte, who ruled with guidance from his grandmother, Loambudd. When Urthwyte passed on, unknown seasons passed before the ruling of the mountain passed into the hands of Cregga Rose Eyes. Cregga ruled the mountain against vermin for many years, until she went out questing for Damug Warfang and his army of Rapscallions. In the battle with Damug Warfang Cregga became blind. Yet she still nursed the babe that would become ruler of Salamandastron one day. His name was Russano.
The mountain stayed unruled until Russano the Wise came to it. There he rules wisely, and guards the western shores, and all of Mossflower. The history of Salamandastron is based on fighting hares, the badger lord that leads them, and the mountains own mythical fate.
Written by: Judsa