Russano the Wise, Lord

Gender: male

Species: badger

Appears In: Lord Brocktree, The Long Patrol, and The Taggerung

Mentioned In: Triss




Russan is the Lord of Salamandastron and originates from Mossflower, though exactly where is unknown. He is the adopted son of Cregga, husband of Rosalaun, father of Melanius and Snowstripe, fifth great-grandfather of Merola, and sixth great-grandfather of Sagax. As an infant he and his old female guardian are brutally attacked by some Rapscallions soldiers who kill the latter, but he is rescued by Perigord's group and Russa. As the squirrel sacrifices her life to ensure his safety, he is named Russano by the Long Patrol (they take Russa's first name and add on the first two letters of her surname). He is brought to Redwall where Cregga cares for him, and he is visited by the spirits of deceased warriors including Rockjaw who calls him "Russano the Wise" and asks him to remember them. As he grows up he serves as Cregga's eyes, and in young adulthood he travels to Salamandastron where he succeeds her as ruler. He dislikes fighting, preferring to read about ancient badgers, and is one of the few known Badger Rulers to not suffer from the Bloodwrath. He wears a brown cloak and tabard with a woven belt, wields Russa's hardwood stick, and writes Brocktree's story that he later reads to the mountain's hares as well as his family. At one point during his time as Lord he travels back to Redwall where he arrives just in time to stop the Juskabor tribe from attacking, sparing Bor's life but ordering the clan to surrender their weapons and crawl back home along with the warning that if he finds them even remotely close to the Abbey he will not be so merciful. While here he places a likeness of Cregga - a steel badger with ruby eyes - at her grave. While it is not specifically mentioned, his son and/or daughter presumably succeed him as ruler.