redwall villains mostly

Upon stumbling on the idea that Martin can’t read I became enamored with the concept.

And it got me thinking… When would he have had the time to learn anything much - I would believe he was good at memorizing instructions and probably connect some sounds with some words at most.

I’m certain as soon as he’d put it together, Gonff would do everything he could to get Martin to learn. (And get Columbine to help)

(sweating nervously as i look at my character notes)

This is as good a place as any to organize my thoughts, since this fella's been on my mind lately and I've been studying his part in the book to figure out where he might go from there.

Groddil is a victim who didn't deserve Any Of That but I think neutral is an extremely charitable read of his character. It's easy to see him as less malevolent than the rest of Trunn's forces when he's physically disabled and a noncombatant, and the context of his situation makes us sympathetic, but don't get me wrong. He's still a cog in the Blue Horde murder machine- carrying out his master's gruesome orders, cast aside when he is no longer useful, stepping over his allies' corpses to save his own skin, and fantasizing about coming back one day for revenge instead of, yknow, getting away and seeking a better life.

Ultimately I think Groddil would have benefited from one or two more scenes to flesh him out, more chances to interact with characters besides his torturer. Hell, more chances to interact with his torturer- as it is, Trunn only needed a magician until he conquered Salamandastron and that happens almost immediately in the book, after which Groddil swiftly falls from favor and becomes just another disposable mook.

We're told Groddil secretly hates Ungatt Trunn for killing his family and crippling him but it's not really explained why he serves the warlord for as long as he does, knowing all that. Other than flashing a couple of nasty looks behind his master's back Groddil seems perfectly compliant, unfazed by Trunn's threats and insults. Has he resigned himself to the situation after unsuccessful escape attempts before? Is he biding his time to attempt an assassination? Is there some weird servile stockholm syndrome thing going on, at least for as long as Trunn still values him? It's not entirely clear.

What is clear is that Groddil's chance finally comes when he's demoted and out of Trunn's sight, and when that happens... he is every bit the conniving fox archetype. It's his best scene, the clearest read of his character when he's not compelled to suck up to a warlord. He allows himself to be tied up with way more rope than necessary so that he can use the excess to climb out of the cave later. He convinces Fraul to gnaw them both free of their bindings and then strategically lets the stoat run in front of him so that if anyone gets killed first, it's not gonna be him!

After a harrowing escape, Groddil makes it out alone. Clinging to life, he's exhausted and bleeding and at the mercy of the sea... but now that he's free of Trunn's iron grip on Salamandastron, he's already thinking about getting right back in there to take revenge someday! Easy there, Wet Slagar, you know you don't really need to do any of that, right? You can just leave! I know another guy who worked for a wildcat tyrant who would tell you to just leave!!

Had the rest of the book played out differently, had Ungatt Trunn not eventually washed up broken and helpless on those very same currents to land at Groddil's feet, who knows if the fox ever would or could have made good on that vow. But again Groddil is given a chance. He can walk away knowing that poetic justice has already been served. Trunn can never hurt him or anyone else ever again, and karma's a real bitch. He doesn't even need to lift a finger to finish the job. On the other hand... he can choose to dirty his paws and get in one last hit out of spite.

Groddil chooses spite.

Sketch commission for Foxjump.

Andrea got the best of Dash during this sparring match.

Art © me.

Characters © Foxjump.

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Commission guidelines and prices

FINALLY think I've got a design for Ashleg. He was a tough one - mostly because of his big red cloak. I wanted it to have SOME details, but not be TOO much to draw, so he got a little capelet layer too.

Feathers based on the Wood Pigeon (as per description), and me trying to estimate how big animals are to each other in the book. (It always feel vague to me, and that's honestly beautiful because then everyone can have their own interpretation)

For those curious : here's his outfit underneath the cape. I designed scars up and down his arm and body on his right side buuuuuuut, no one will ever see em, I just know they're there.

I was asked about my design of Ashleg (and details about his scarring) so here’s a better updated look at what I was thinking! And his original introduction in Mossflower.

I arbitrarily chose his right side as the maimed one because most people are right handed (pawed?) and it would just make life difficult if that was the side he could not use. (Also very likely that he tried to guard with that side when he was originally injured)

The right paw is permanently clenched up due to poor healing of broken tendons. (Also lead to his hunched back)

Leg prosthetic is based on what I could quickly find on medieval prosthetics.

Ferahgo the Assassin

Propaganda (if any) under the cut! Please be civil, and please reblog!

Now that art fight is over, I'm going to post my latest li'l guy here!

I had seen inklings of other people making their own Redwall OCs, and upon searching here and in art fight, I WAS RIGHT. THEY DO EXIST!

So of course I had to make one of my own!

So here's Fitz!

He's a small chubby dormouse, and was supposed to be an apprentice Recorder (with hopes of becoming the official one). However, he was found nodding off and doodling way too much in the margins and kinda got fired, so he's trying to figure out what he wants to do.

When he was slightly younger, he took a dare and climbed a bit too high on a dormitory tower, got attacked by birds, got scratched and fell. While he survived, he now has a great dislike for heights and birds.