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Literature / Redwall (1986)

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Redwall is the first book in the series of the same name.

Matthias is a young novice at Redwall Abbey; he swears that the tapestry featuring Martin the Warrior, a Greater-Scope Paragon that founded the abbey, has started talking to him while he goes about his chores. Father Abbott Mortimer dissuades Martin from thoughts of warrior life, being a mouse of peace. He may have to change his mind, however, when a rat named Cluny storms to the abbey and demands their surrender, as well as the enslavement of every resident in the area.

Tropes for this book include:

  • Arc Villain: Sela and Chickenhound take on this role in Part 2 of the book, while Cluny is recuperating from his injuries. King Bull Sparra also plays this role during the Sparra subplot.
  • Badass Boast: When Cluny is negotiating entry to Redwall, Matthias tells him that since his tail counts as a weapon, he must bind it around himself so that it cannot be used. Cluny responds, "Young mouse, you do right to ask this thing, for truly you are looking at Cluny the Scourge."
  • Both Sides Have a Point: Discussed between Mortimer and Matthias about what to do with Cluny. Mortimer says that violence never leads to good events happening. Matthias has to retort that Cluny if he has his way, will enslave anyone unless they resort to violence. In the end, Matthias recognizes the cost of war, while Mortimer is forced to cave throughout the book and let Redwall defend itself.
  • Determinator: Both Matthias and Cluny will stop at nothing to achieve their goals, and give each other the fight of their lives at the climax.
  • Early Instalment Weirdness: Several elements in Redwall imply that the book is set in a medieval European Mouse World — such as Cluny being mentioned as possibly having been from Portugal, he and his horde arriving outside Redwall in a human-sized cart pulled by a normal-sized horse. Future instalments in the series lack horses altogether and instead establish that the series is set in a fictional Civilized Animal setting, leaving the reference to Portugal unexplained.
    • Redwall itself is huge and ancient. Clearly not built for the mice that inhabit it. Nor is the old church that Cornflower's family lives in.
  • Fantastic Racism: Cheesethief considers rats to be the elite of Cluny's horde and can't stand the thought of Cluny promoting a weasel over him.
  • Fire-Forged Friends: Warbeak and Matthias start their relationship with her being on the offensive as part of a flock of sparrows attacking Jess and Matthias capturing her after shooting her in the leg, putting her on a leash tied to a brick once she's healed up because she can't be trusted. She has to be bribed with candied chestnuts to agree to talk about the whereabouts of Martin's sword. They eventually come to a truce where Matthias promises to return Warbeak to her family if she can lead him to Martin the Warrior's "sword case" (the scabbard). She in turn protects him when the birds, including her uncle King Bull Sparra, want to tear him apart, and they take him prisoner in turn, saying that she owes him her life. Thanks to Matthias accidentally killing Bull Sparra during the heist for the scabbard, Warbeak is elected queen, and she becomes a beloved ruler owing to her being the Only Sane Woman among the birds. She and the sparrows come to warn him that Cluny took Redwall, and used her army to help save the abbey as well as the residents.
  • Horrifying the Horror: Everyone who hears about Asmodeus wants nothing to do with him, even Cluny.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: When Warbeak's father was killed, King Bull Sparra promised to look after her and her mother, only to immediately forget his promises and treat them coldly, and they have to step carefully around him to avoid being killed.
  • Noodle Incident: Both Constance and Methuselah indicate that they have some bad history with Sela, but no details are given.
  • Stereo Fibbing: Sela and Fangburn attempt to come up with a phony story to tell Cluny to cover Redtooth's death at the hands of Constance. The only problem? They never planned out the details ahead of time.
    Cluny: Where was the noise coming from?
    Sela/Fangburn: North/West.
    Sela: Er, er, it was sort of north-west.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Father Abbott Mortimer is this. He allows Cluny and the rats to come in under truce, but demands they leave their weapons behind because he's not stupid. When they smuggle in weapons anyway and try to kill Matthias for defying them, the Abbott doesn't protest when Badger Mother Constance goes Mama Bear and demonstrates her punching abilities. His first concern is welcoming as many refugees as possible to protect them and stock up on food. He eventually agrees to at least let Redwall mount a defense and stop the invaders while minimizing the casualties as much as he can.
  • Take a Third Option: Redwall can either hold out for an indefinite siege and compromise its nonviolence values or surrender to Cluny. Father Abbott Mortimer and Matthias agree on one thing: neither of these options is good. Redwall has a lot of food and space, but both can run out in a matter of weeks without proper management. Matthias and Cornflower talk with Methuselah, who say that if they find Martin the Warrior's sword, scabbard, and belt, then maybe they can inspire hope in Redwall and fend off Cluny.
  • Tempting Fate: When Matthias wishes he could be a warrior like Martin, Abbott Mortimer tells him that his ambitions are pointless, as such days are long gone. Cue Cluny's arrival.
  • Ungrateful Bastard: Chickenhound repays the Redwallers for saving his life by robbing them blind and kills Methuselah when he tries to stop him.
  • Villain Respect: When Matthias demands that Cluny bind his tail around him so he cannot use it, Cluny seems flattered and tells him that he's right to make such a request.


 
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The Assassination of Cluny

The woodlanders' attempt to assassinate Cluny the Scourge - and thus put an end his siege on their abbey - is derailed when one of his adjutants wanders into his tent.

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