User:SaynaSLuke/The Making of FWC

Well .. I'm going to give you all an overview of how I wrote 'Four Warriors Cometh'. How I envisioned it, the stages it went through, the many, many ideas and scenes I deleted, and everything else. After all .. one of the best things is the process it takes to dream up a story .. (sometimes just as interesting as the story itself) So here you are. I hope you enjoy this, and may it give you some of your own ideas, and help in writing your own stories! ;)

The Beginning

Four Warriors Cometh had humble beginnings .. in fact, so did the entire 'Unsung Heroes' trilogy. I honestly promised myself I would never show any one what I was attempting (shows us how much things can change, no?)

In all honesty, it all began when I read 'Mossflower' the first time. I loved the story .. I just loved it, and it was the first Redwall book I ever read. However, when I read 'Martin the Warrior' and 'The Legend of Luke', I started expanding on them. (I do this with every book I enjoy, create a character for myself and find a way to weave them into the original plot)

So therefore, I made Sayna, the daughter of Luke, and twin sister of Martin. Then, because I love horses, I created my dream horse, Ghostdancer. So that's what it started with. Just one mouse maid, a horse, and a family tree. (Not to mention an epic sword just like Martins) ;P

Expansions

Obviously, my wild imagination wouldn't let me stop there. I soon got it in my head Martin's grandfather was the king of Kotir, killed by Verdauga, therefore making Martin the rightful prince (and me the princess).

It didn't stop there. Pretty soon I developed a liking for the character Timballisto, and of course, Martin had to marry Rose (there was no way I was going to actually kill her .. for real) So if both Martin and Sayna married somebeast, that made four kings and queens.

I had to expand on it more, and the marks really came from me designing the regalia (I will talk more on this subject later)

I went through many different stages of planning and ideas, all of the major characters will be talked about in this, (even the ones that were meant to be major yet got pushed on the back-burner) and deleted characters and scenes.

Perhaps I put too much effort into this .. but I found it satisfying. Hope you all did too! :D

Finding the Marks

Like everything else, the marks went through long stages of development .. in fact, at first, they weren't even marks. (testified by the fact there was no mentioning of their paw marks in 'The Warrior's Beginning' or the first ten or so chapters of 'Four Warriors Cometh')

However I got the idea that having them have marks would help identify them, so that's what started it ;)

I even entertained the thought that each mark would have power over one type of wind, East, South, West, and North. (given to them by Lord Ignasa) However, I decided this was a bit much.

Still, they are sometimes personified by their respective wind in prophecies, and in their titles.

(Oh yea, note. All the winds are based off Kansas weather) ;P

Martin

Martin went through a lot of stages, more than all the others in fact. Being a cannon character, I had to envision him on my own (which the TV series did not help with) I always saw him as gold, ever since the first time I read Mossflower. So that wasn't the hard part, but finding a real, unique look for him was harder than I'd imagined ..

The first outfit he ever had was like in the TV series. I had to change that, and somehow got the idea he should wear red.

The first regalia Martin had consisted of ash leaf designs .. the crown really made him look like some Roman Olympics person .. so that was the end of that.

The next regalia design was based on water, and by that time I'd got the idea for the marks, so his mark was temporarily a wave.

I didn't like that all to well, so I tried the exact opposite of water, fire. Yep, Martin's mark was once that of fire. However, I made Lord Aedus fire instead .. so Martin had to be something else.

Finally, I settled on the mark of a star, trying to insinuate Martin's destiny was great and mysterious, sort of like the far off stars. It also held the connotation that it would seem very far away, and his path would be hard, but joy would come in the end. So Martin became the mark of the Star.

He also would have controlled the western winds, because wind from the west is somewhat unpredictable, and brings some of the fiercest storms with very little warning. (reflecting Martin's somewhat short temper and deadliness in battle)

Sayna

Sayna too, went through several different stages. She's had more outfits than I can even remember, ranging from her plain blue dress in 'TWB', to her armor, her ninja tunic, and her regalia.

At first, her regalia was a purple gown with golden swirls. It turned into stars for a while, and Sayna was once, the mark of the star.

I didn't dig it, not really .. I wanted something more dramatic. For a while Sayna was the mark of water, and had the blue dress she wore to the party in Brockhall. I liked the dress, but I didn't like the mark very well .. it didn't match Sayna's personality properly.

One day, I did a random sketch of a dress for Sayna that had wing designs on it .. and loved it. So I made Sayna's mark the feather, and prophesied her as the hawk. It fit, so .. viola! There you have it ;)

Sayna would have controlled the northern gales, due to the fact north wind is cold, fierce, and merciless, attacking with almost no warning at all. This reflected pretty well on Sayna; her short temper, cold outer personality, and deadly fighting.

Timbal

Timbal was a favorite character of mine from the first time I read Mossflower, and I always wished he had a greater roll. Well, if I wish something about a book, it's often I make it reality it seems .. ;P

When I read the Legend of Luke, I was very disappointed on what Brain Jaques did with him. (Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of what BJ did, and love to read his books) But what he did with Timballisto was just ... kind of anti-climatic, just not what I'd grown to expect. It was a big downer, so .. I started making Timbal more and more prominent.

Then, when I read the Outcast of Redwall, I was just shocked. Really? First the poor guy died for no reason and then he somehow didn't die, outlived Martin, and had grandchildren? Umm ... honestly? Well I wasn't going to let that happen in my rewrite.

The grandchildren, really, was what started the ship of TimbalXSayna. I mean .. obviously, if he has grandkids, I really hope he married somebody ..

So he naturally became a king, then a mark. His symbol has always been maple leaves, signifying his strength of character and nobility, just like the firm-rooted maples. Also, hawks sometimes build their nests in trees, reflecting on the bond between he and Sayna.

As for his weapons and design, that was a bit of a process. He was never known to have much of any weapons besides a ballista .. (which by default seemed to find a very miniscule place in the story .. not my intention) but I imagine Timbal and his family as builders of weapons, both large and hand held. I gave him an axe as it was unique among the marks and just seemed to fit him :)

About his tail >:) well now, that is a history. I loved Cluny's tail barb, really, and wanted to use the idea on someone good. It fell upon Timbal, and slowly his tail just kind of .. grew. I made him dark brown because that was always how I saw him, and there along the way I gave him blue eyes to make him different from Martin.

As it seems with everything, the contrast got more and more shocking, therefore his eyes got bluer and bluer ;P

Timbal would have controlled the southern winds, known for their calmness until they are provoked, when they will raise a storm of legendary proportions. They reflect well upon him, with his longsuffering, but dark fury when finally aroused.

Rose

Rose was always going to be the most gentle of the kings and queens, and her mark was always pretty obvious. The rose, a thing of gentle beauty, but a hidden fierceness.

As she was, in my story, supposedly born with it, it is what I say gave her the name Laterose.

Once, long ago, (say 2012) she was ordinary brown with brown eyes. But .. I changed that. Kind of taking what Martin looked like in the cartoon, I made her fur reddish. It wasn't long before she was a green-eyed redhead, and her family were the color of carrots as well.

Well, then when 'Frozen' came out, I was greatly inspired by it. I felt the relations between Elsa and Anna was a bit like those of Sayna and Rose. Sort of sisters, one outgoing and friendly, the other cold and embittered; who successfully manages to hurt her more optimistic sibling.

So it came about that Rose's hair was done into two braids.

Her regalia has gone through several changes, for example, the pink underskirt was added, and I made her cape from plain green to translucent green with rose tendrils growing up it.

Her weapons weren't very difficult, the bow fit her, and while I thought of fletching her arrows in pink, I decided that was just .. erm .. not right somehow. So they ended up green, although once, Rose's color was strangely violet .. I'm not sure why ;P

Rose would have controlled the eastern breezes, which (in Kansas at least) rarely bring a storm and seem to sometimes buffer the fury of the other winds. This reflected on Rose's kinder personality and quickness to defend and help others.

Finding the Corim Leaders

Lady Bella of Brockhall

Ever since I read Mossflower the first time, I have seen Bella as a figure of renowned wisdom; so it turned out she became a Prophetess. She was the glue that held the Corim together, without her, they would have fallen to war and been destroyed.

I saw Bella as being a faithful servant of Lord Ignasa, and trusting in his promises. She may not be the greatest fighter, but she is the sticky stuff that keeps the woodlanders going in their times of trouble .. and keeps them together.

She is also portrayed as regal in 'FWC', her attire being echoes of her former wealth and grandeur. Her normal outfit is a cream gown with a royal blue piece over it that is best described as a jacket or fitted cloak; it's hem makes a cape that flows out behind her.

Bella's armor is lightweight compared to most badgers, but it has far more plate metal then say .. Sayna's or Rose's. Her primary weapons are a massive bow that no other beast can wield, and a long spear that doubles as a lance.

Once, Bella had a long sword, but I found it kind of generic after all the sword-like weapons so many of my characters have. ;P

Lord Warthorn, Skipper of Otters

Warthorn did not turn up as important of a character as I would have liked, but his design was intricate. As all the otters, his armor consisted of a breastplate and chainmail that forms a fish fin around the waist, colored in shades of silver and indigo.

However Warthorn's was a little more grand, with a fish fin indigo cape connected with silver shells, and a jeweled harpoon. Oh, and a silver shell coronate, and heavy war paint.

I made him short tempered and rash, but willing to listen to sense if he sees it as such. While he is not without excuse for his sometimes hasty judgments, Verdauga did kill his wife and son, so he has reason to hate the Greeneyes' rule.

Lady Amber, Squirrel Queen

Lady Amber was actually one of my favorite characters in the books, don't get me wrong, and I actually kind of like how Brian Jaques portrayed her better than how I did. I showed her as being a very debatable character, so it was hard to know exactly what she would do, and you could almost call her gray.

This was really due to some points in my own life, because I based her off a person in my extended family .. a person who is sadly confused about many things, and does not wish to listen to the truth. I showed Amber as a beast who followed all the rules, met the expectations of the mold 'woodlander', and even added more. Some might call her very, very good .. she looked nearly perfect. But she was a legalist, and therefore would not except the converted vermin as being truly good, she was also very proud in her own way.

In the end, she finds the truth and the answer to being good, but she has to put aside her pride of all the things she has done that are right .. but do not have the right motivation.

Her character did lend itself to this, which is why I used her to vent some of my feelings .. something I do a lot in my stories. After all .. isn't their writing the way an author expresses what they feel?

I found Amber a very interesting character to write, and it was an experience to see the world through her eyes. She was one of my favorite character developments as well.

I decided to kill her off to make the odds of the final battle more realistic, although it was hard to do, after I had put as much development into her character as I did. However I made her see the truth and turn from her pride, because I couldn't bear to kill her before that. I can only pray the real person may someday understand what their character did .. I doubt they'd appreciate my representation of them right now .. :/

Lord Argulor, King of the Skies

In the original 'Mossflower', I loved Argulor. I just did. Part of what made me love the character was in truth, his seemingly 'feral' nature, but I couldn't help but wish he had taken part in the woodlander's defenses.

So when I rewrote the story .. well it was pretty obvious that was what was going to happen. I portrayed this new Argulor as being very military-like, a 'stiff-upper-lip-and-forward-to-the-bluffs' sort of chap. He once ruled a small clan of eagles (the species considered king of all other birds) and they took part in the battle against Verdauga Greeneyes. However sadly, they were almost all slain, and Rigvar (who was, as a young bird, involved in the conquest) supposedly killed Argulor's two fledgling sons.

Because of this, Argulor has it out for Rigvar, a dream of revenge that is left unturned in FWC. In truth, he was supposed to blind Rigvar in the final battle to keep canon, but .. I couldn't keep track of everything. Still .. all manner of things may happen in 'TPF'.

Another thing about Argulor is his longing for a little pine marten, something that is also unfulfilled in FWC. He actually likes the 'good' vermin very much, and doesn't view them as vermin any longer, which is why he will so freely talk of eating those of their kind in front of them. After he realizes what he said may have been offensive he quickly apologizes, often making the situation worse instead of better.

All in all he's my favorite bird in FWC, and I enjoyed writing about him very much ;)

Foremole, Mole Leader

Foremole was sadly the least developed leader, and I wish I had done better with him. (A case of too-many-characters-syndrome) He was supposed to be the logic of the five leaders, and he headed up digging the flooding tunnels, as well as running Timballisto's ballista in the final battle.

I never saw him as a great warrior, but a skilled craftsbeast, and a very logical thinker. I wish I had shown more of him .. but what's done is done. He did have a few scenes at least, and was an invaluable part of designing and building Redwall. :)

Finding the Prophets, as a Group and Individually

Finding the Prophets as a group was tricky, and it originated from Star Wars. (and Knights of Arethrae, by Chuck Black. Very good books, I command you to read them XD You won't be sorry, not if you liked FWC) Ok, so anyways. I'd not watched Star Wars before 2013, and when I finally did I loved it .. and used it. ;P

The Jedi Knights were obviously my inspiration, and their powers of observation, mind reading, throwing stuff and sensing the Sith .. so yea. The Prophets (as I chose to call them for lack of a better name) turned into an elite force of fighters and were the closest mortals to Lord Ignasa.

Their powers of observation come from Ignasa, so the closer they are to him, the more he lets them see. In truth, I once got the idea to have them wield glowing blue fire as their archenemies, the Shadow Fighters, wield green lighting (TPF, I expand on that subject) but ... I actually cut that. There's a very good reason, and it is this:

The power wielded by the Shadow Fighters is demonic, as it comes from Malimore, so basically, bottom line, you've got witchcraft.

Now I could have given the Prophets the same sort of thing, only as a gift from Ignasa, but it starts to give the impression they can wield the power on their own and then .. yea, once again, it really borders witchcraft. Not the intention. It's ok on the Shadow Fighters, because they are evil and are portrayed as evil, but on creatures that are supposedly 'good', it doesn't make for a good example .. if you're trying to delve into themes as deeply as I do. Superman .. one thing (just a fun fantasy). Harry Potter .. another (glorifying witchcraft).

However! That does not mean epic glowing blue stuff is never used! If a Prophet is in dire peril and calls out to Ignasa for help ... But that's more like 'Accused' stuff :P

Groddil

Ever since I first met him in 'Lord Brocktree' Groddil was a favorite of mine. So it wasn't long before I threw off the boundaries of time, and incorporated him in the 'Unsung Heroes'. By making him captured by Trunn when he was very young, lower teens, and having him escape in his late twenties, he was only seventy-five seasons or so by FWC, instead of canonically .. dead.

Groddil truly went through a great transformation, from the cowering fake-magician of Trunn's to the bold an daring Prophet of Ignasa. It took time too, at first I just said, 'Well, Sayna needs a mentor, so Groddil will be her mentor!'

Haha. Yea. It occurred to me later that in order for a beast to teach another remarkable weaponry skills, they must first be skilled with weapons.

So basically, Groddil turned into a strategist of a fighter who had overcome a great disability in order to be what he was. Of course I felt bad for him and .. *ahem* .. discreetly gave him the Flowers of Icetor. Or perhaps not so discreetly.

I could have easily killed him off there, and honestly, perhaps I should have. But I do make mistakes, and I hadn't thought of my 'epic' plan for Destiny in over a year, and a lot of perspective can change in a year. Oh well, what's done is done, and you can thank my fourteen year old logic and lack of reviewing my 'Destiny' plot for the livelihood of what seems to be a favorite character. XP

Luna

Luna was probably my most developed horse character, she had long been planned out .. since before the 'Warrior's Beginning' became reality. Since before I found Redwall Wiki, even.

I'll delve more into her lost history in 'deleted scenes' but for now, I'll say she has quite a history. Luna has always been blind, she was dreamt up as being blind. Her simplified history is that she was born to Clogg's horse on the Seascarab, was born a twin and born blind, and thrown overboard because she was 'useless'. She was later found and raised by Polleekin the mole.

Luna has a strong connection with the spiritual world, and she never let's her disability defeat her.

Why would you make a blind horse? You might ask. Well, I'll tell you. I have some friends .. the people who first introduced me to Redwall .. and they have a farm. Now they have horses, and one horse I was especially close to .. his name was Roy. Sadly, he went blind and passed away .. oh .. years ago. But it occurred to me how interesting it would be to have a blind horse character that prevailed .. and so Luna was created. She was created even before Sayna .. so before my Redwall Fanfictions themselves .. she just found a home there. :)

Her full name is Lunaglow, and her twin's is Midnightshadow. The twins of the night. *hehe* >:) I hoped you liked her.

Abbes Germaine

I have always seen Germaine as having curly shoulder-length hair, glasses like my grandmother has, and a cross necklace. Why the cross necklace? Cause. Call it artistic license. ;P

In truth Germaine is very like my grandmother. She is a little legalistic, and a little bossy too. She's very much her own beast and doesn't just take orders. She's in her own little way, rebellious. She is devoted to the cause of Ignasa .. although sometimes she needs to think more about Ignasa himself.

She is flawed, but she is loyal. She cares about those on her side .. and just like my grandmother, knows exactly how to make injuries feel better. ^^ She's basically just your nice little old grandmother who can be overprotective and get exasperated when things don't go the way she planned. ;)

Perhaps I overplayed my Grandma's character by making her a Prophetess. That just goes with the abbes thing XP Grandma isn't a Prophetess, but she knows how to bake some beautiful pie .. cookies .. bread .. cupcakes .. ect. And she's always been a sort of healer .. at least with my knack of somehow hurting myself while at her house XP (hence that scene where Sayna almost dies. No. It has never been that dramatic) I think she'd fit very well as Abbes of Redwall .. and her character was :) I think I portrayed her fairly well .. and Abbes Germaine got a slightly different flair. lol. The things I come up with :P

Polleekin

Polleekin leant herself to the life of a Prophetess, even in the original books. After all, she heard 'voices' and knew things of the future. A perfect fit, if I do say so myself. :D

So she became one, and her influence opened Luna to the spirit world. Being a TWB character, she didn't as much development as I would have liked. But only had so much time .. :/

Polleekin did, however, give the marks the riddle that would later guide their pawsteps in 'TPF'.

Finding the Shadow Fighters, as a Group and Individually

As with the Prophets, finding the Shadow Fighters was difficult. As you can imagine, the two groups developed side by side, for they share many attributes. Their power is different however, very different. While a Prophet's power flows from Ignasa and strengthens the one who uses it, a Shadow Fighters power is from Malimore, and it takes a small piece of their life every time they use it.

If a Shadow Fighter uses to much power, it will consume and kill them .. although it is a torturous, gradual death. If a Shadow Fighter uses a lot of power at one time, but then doesn't use any for a long while, they will regain some strength. However once they have embarked into the realm of true Shadow Fighting, they cannot turn back. The power twists their soul as it destroys them, making them think the pain strengthens them .. even as it murders them. So basically, they are hardened past the point of ever turning good.

A Shadow Fighter apprentice can turn however, depending. Once they are knighted on the other paw, they are too far gone.

At first they could simply use their power endlessly. But I decided to add a price they would have to pay. Some discover the power is killing them, but they believe the problem is they do not know how to master it. They also believe it is theirs.

But it is never theirs .. it is their master's, and always will be.

As for the name Shadow Fighters .. well it's very like their inspiration, The Shadow Warrior's of 'Knights of Arethrae'. However they are a cross between these and the Sith, because Chuck Black did not include a lot of magic in his books.

Magic is indeed a tricky subject for writers who make Biblical allegories. It is very easy to portray it wrong. The key is to portray witchcraft as evil. My grandparents would freak out if I told them that .. because I said I portrayed it at all. (XP) I'm not saying I did it perfectly at all, but the thing is .. it's out there. It's everywhere .. even if it can't be seen. So when you don't portray it, the story .. lacks.

And so the Shadow Fighters and the Prophets were created. They went through many stages. From simple paw readers to magic wielding warriors. They'll never quite fit in the original books .. I never made them to. They simply fit in my ... rewritings :P

Ferran

Ahh Ferran. My oldest (original?) villain. Well .. honestly ... he's not quite original. I can't call him an OC. Cause he's not. XP

His story? It's worth telling if you want a laugh. ;D Basically, little 12 year old me said: "Ooh, I like that character, Farran the Poisoner from 'Salamandastron'. I think I'll make him a villain in my story, 'The Unsung Heroes'! It's brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!" (I'm quoting my thoughts so you can see how preposterous this was)

Ok, pretty soon he was Groddil's evil brother. Bingo. Weeeelll .... then it occurred to me how old he was going to be by his native story. (Yes, finally) Like .. what? 900 and some seasons? Well the answer was simple. The Flowers of Icetor! (they like .. hold my world together don't they?) So he was going to get the Flowers. I never worked out quite how until the chapter before he fell of the balcony of St. Ninian's Church and all that.. But that's another story.

So if he's Farran, why do you call him Ferran? lol. That's what it is. XP I couldn't spell, the simple answer. Somehow I'd convinced myself his name was Ferran, so that's how I spelled it. I didn't bother with verifying, cause I didn't think of those things back then ... :/ Well by and by I wanted to link his name, and discovered his name was Farran! Whoops! Well .. I didn't really want to mosey through TWB and what I had of FWC changing numerous Ferrans to Farrans. And everyone would notice the sudden change in his name and it would look weird and be confusing .. so his name has been forever messed up. Unless he changes it someday. But one letter different .. hmm. IDK.

Ferran is always trying to thwart Groddil, because they are both assigned to the marks. Groddil to protect .. and Ferran to destroy. So they always clash in the middle XP

Roderick

Roderick. Probably one of my most hated and popular villains. I'm so happy he was so successful .. >:)

He was born out of anger and the need for vengeance against a bully that never seemed to get what he deserved. No one ever saw him for how hateful and nasty he was, they instead believed I was the hateful one for fighting back. And honestly .. his show for the adults looked really good. He was a marvelous liar .. indeed, indeed. For a lot of people, outer looks really are the deciding factor. I'll never regret fighting that kid .. makes me bitter I suppose. Meh. XP

So Roderick was created. And also the hatred between he and Sayna. The reason everyone blamed her and not him in Noonvale .. the reason she ran away. And yet, if she had not, she might have never reached Mossflower or discovered her calling. So I guess he was useful, in a twisted way.

It just shows you can get character ideas from anywhere. ;P I'm actually glad I put up with the real Roderick .. cause hey, I really needed that character! :D I should thank the kid sometime ... XP I don't think he'd be very honored, somehow .. lol. Oh well. (actually, I'm finding more and more that I've forgiven him, at least for the past. The future .. *shrug* that depends on him.)

Once, Roderick's name was 'Pipkim' or something. Ouchies. Can you believe that? Imagine a Shadow Fighter named Pipkim ... :| I may be wrong, but I think the name Roderick means 'Royalty' and 'Wolf's lair'. (at least that was what my old dictionary said) So the king of a wolf-den. Fitting ... XP

He developed from a cowardly bully to a Shadow Fighter .. probably one of my greatest villain developments (to date). I'm rather proud of the character .. his development, his demise .. and even his echoes .. that may never truly fade.

Fragorl

In Lord Brocktree, I never found Fragorl as a character I really didn't like. In fact I sort of did like her mysterious demeanor. However, it was this the lead me to make her a Shadow Fighter in FWC. That and the fact I wanted a female .. and decided not to bother with creating yet another OC. ;P

I revamped her design, after all, I imagine her fur would grow out brown again after all these seasons. However, I let her dye the tips of her hair blue, sort of as a cast off from her time in Trunn's horde.

She was very sly and conniving, he only physical weapon being a small crossbow concealed under her dark navy blue cloak. She should have been throwing green fire around, but FWC was before that era .. ;P Still, she was a hypnotist.

In the end, she was destroyed by the weakest of creatures, one might think. Luna killed her .. because she was the only one unable to be hypnotized. Because she couldn't see.

So a proud beast came to a sorry end. >;)

Finding the Tribes

The tribes of creatures are very diverse in FWC. They each have their own dress, ways, and way of life. So I'll tell you how I created such a menagerie of groups, from the horses to the soldiers of a thousand eyes.

Badgers

Let's start from the top. While there aren't a lot of badgers in FWC, I imagined the species as a wise people. A people who love learning and value wisdom highly, those who might read the stellar signs and study the heavens, beasts who are one with nature and speak its language.

While they are ferocious in war, and some indeed are warlike at all times, I found them a surprisingly peaceful group in my mind's eye. Their dress and weapons reflect this, as do their homes (like Brockhall) I imagine them not putting a lot of frills and layers on their clothing, favoring simple and elegant over glitzy and frilly. Their weapons are simple and elegant too, with etchings that fall upon the natural world.

Otters

The otters are almost like mer-people. Their lives revolve around water, and they love the river. They wear tunics which hems mimic a fish's tail, and a normal weapon is a harpoon .. slings and bows are also common.

The individual holts are proud of their individuality. They each have their own colors and symbols, and it is rare for an otter to shed his or her colors for those of another holt.

Like holt Willow of the Moss always wears indigo and sky blue. Kaylar's holt, Willowglen, always wears silver and black costumes. An intermarriage like that of Kaylar and Spring is frowned upon, but begrudgingly allowed, in some cases. Especially when the otter from the different holt is in line to become Skipper .. :/

If an otter is outcast for one reason or another, all holts reject them. The mark of the outcast is welcome nowhere.

However despite their somewhat rigid customs, otters are playful. They love hotroot, love roughhousing, and they love the water. They don't leave allies in danger and are fiercely loyal.

Squirrels

Squirrels are a tribe of the trees. Their weapons are light, usually bows and arrows, javelins, or sabers. Their armor is chainmail and leather, unconstricting, and often bearing leaf inspired patterns. When not in war, their dress is inspired by trees and plants.

(A bit like woodland fairies. Really dangerous ones XP)

They spend most of their lives in the trees, so they are agile acrobats. Sometimes unruly and willing to disobey orders if they feel another way is better. However as a group, they are loyal and have a strong sense of nobility.

Mice

Mice have no set dress, they are diverse and take on the dress of the people they live among. They have no true tribe. They are spread out in body and in heart, from the gentle abbey dweller to the noble warrior.

They wield all manner of weapons and live wherever they may .. they really have no set design.

Moles

Moles are a simple people. They rarely dress up or carry a weapon beyond a sling, a knife, or their digging claws. They are industrious, yet they enjoy, as a group, working behind the scenes. As a rule, fame and glory do to tempt them.

Without them, there would be no Redwall. They are the construction workers of the world .. and they always have wonderful logic.

Horses

Yes. My horses. They sprang from the ways of real-life Mustang herds, because my favorite breeds are the Mustang and the Arabian, Friesians and the Peruvian Paso coming in close second. (if you don't know all of those, google them ;) All very interesting breeds)

Redwall horses have the same breed names as irl because I was too lazy to come up with new breeds XP Some horses and ponies talk. Some do not and are feral animals .. there's a reason for this, but that's 'Accused' material.

All in all they are a wild species, they always walk on four feet. I thought of anthromorphing them once, but horses do not lend themselves to this. They are to noble and beautiful as they are to walk on two feet .. furry woodland creatures are nice anthro .. horses .. nope. So they remained natural, the transportation of my world.

They gravitate to their own kind, and enjoy staying with a group of woodlanders if they can't do that. The only clothing they wear is armor in wartime, and small trinkets in times of peace .. necklaces, earrings, or leg wrappings. Mares may have their manes and tails braided and weave beads or feathers in them. In colder kingdoms, horses may wear blanket-like coats.

Horses hold strong traditions. A stallion's first born son always (unless an oddity occurs) holds the name suffix his father does. If there was a horse named Mistwalker, his oldest son might be Windwalker. (but we hope it wouldn't be Skywalker) Anyways. They can be flighty and nervous, but are deadly fighters nonetheless .. get under their hooves and you'll find out .. (or don't ..)

Hares and Rabbits ==

The members of the lupine family are famous for their running and leaping abilities, so their armor, if any, is mostly unrestricting chainmail and leather. Their clothing is often very simple, although the scattered rabbits pretty much take on the dress of wherever they live.

Tunics, boots, belts, and light weapons such as rapiers, javelins, bows and arrows, and daggers are common. The motifs and designs of hares at least, are usually in tune with a lupine's natural environment .. grass, leaves, and for the Long Patrollers, pictures with significance to the mountain, sea, and dunes.

Hares and rabbits are usually good riders and enjoy jousting. They share many similarities, although hares are normally more boisterous trencher beasts; they love food, adventure, weapons, and war.

Rabbits are normally more subdued, although they share their cousins' love of food .. just in a little quieter fashion. They are lent to deep thinking and sensitivity, and some can be very timid. However when forced to pick up the sword of war, they are determined warriors, even if they prefer peace.

Hedgehogs, Voles, Shrews, and all those other missing species ...

Well .. yea. I kinda missed these guys, didn't I? They kind of fit into the category 'random walk-on woodlander' ... I didn't intend for this, I liked these creatures in the books, really. I guess I must not have seen them as grand as the others, for they sort of .. dropped out.

Hedgehogs would have been carpenters, farriers, masons, cooks, and cellar keepers (which Ben ends up as in the end) Voles the same.

Shrews .. well I've got this thing planned out for the 'missing' Guosim .. but it won't come into play until 'Destiny', I'm afraid ...

So we'll see.

The Army of a Thousand Eyes

In 'Mossflower' the Kotir soldiery was uniform .. but they wore constricting, heavy armor, and weren't really all that dangerous .. I mean .. really. So how did you get to the bumbling yet somehow almost frightening force of a thousand you had?

Well .. they .. evolved in my mind. I had to raise the stakes .. I had too. So there were more of them then canonically.

Also .. I never liked how .. foolish they seemed. I saw Verdauga as being a greater lord and Tsarmina as being cunning and shrewd, not mad. So the soldiers took on a new look.

Plate armor was traded in for uniform green kilts in peace times, and chainmail tunics with a few plates in war. (spalders, breastplates) Weapons were usually spears and bows, but sabers and swords came into play too.

Generals and captains had high-necked black capes, with an eye adornment at the throat (because they are the army of a thousand eyes ...)

Finding Tsarmina and her Henchbeasts

Tsarmina, Lady of a Thousand Eyes

Tsarmina has always been I think probably my favorite canonical villain, and probably always will be, though Ferahgo, Vilaya, Zwilt, and Vilu Daskar are close behind her. I liked how conniving Tsarmina was at first, how sly and beautiful yet so black hearted. Normally I like more deceptive villains over brute strength.

Now I'll admit, she got lost in the first part of FWC. It wasn't supposed to happen, but it did, like a lot of things. However I tried to bring her in full force at the halfway point.

I didn't turn her insane like canonically, because honestly, I didn't like that very much. Also, her death made little sense to me .. it didn't seem completely realistic, I'm sorry. Sometimes even heroes need help.

I also firmly felt Tsarmina needed more weapons then a bow and arrows I think she used five times ... just .. yea. So I made her a scepter that doubled as a deadly spear or javelin .. and, as you know, it was poisoned. Not dipped in poison, but a channel through it's center was filled with poison, which ultimately led to Tsarmina's undoing.

This scepter was said to be made with Malimore's spells, so it could never be broken. However, when brought against Martin's sword, made of moonstone and blessed by Ignasa, the scepter shattered and it's poison destroyed its owner, ending her reign of tyranny with the help of a peaceful mouse maid.

I put probably more effort into designing Tsarmina's look than her personality .. I'd do that different now. But it is what it is at this point .. ;P

Cludd

TBC~ User:SaynaSLuke 23:49, August 30, 2015 (UTC)