Triss

infobox Book |
name = Triss
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = UK 1st Edition Cover
author = Brian Jacques
illustrator = David Elliot
cover_artist = David Wyatt
country = United Kingdom
language = English
series = Redwall
genre = Fantasy novel
publisher = Viking (UK) & Philomel (US)
release_date = 2002
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 416 (UK Hardback) & 400 (US Hardback)
isbn = ISBN 0-670-91067-8 (UK Hardback) & ISBN 0-399-23723-2 (US Hardback)
preceded_by = The Taggerung
followed_by = Loamhedge

"Triss" is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 2002. It is the fifteenth book in the Redwall series.

Plot introduction

Three slaves, Triss, a squirrelmaid, Shogg, an otter, and Welfo, a hogmaid, escape from Riftgard, the stronghold of a white ferret brood. Pursued by the evil ferrets, Triss and her friends join forces with warriors from Redwall and Salamandastron, and together, the woodland creatures fight rats, ferrets, snakes, and more in their quest for freedom.

Plot summary

At Riftgard, an isle in the far north, the ferret king King Agarnu and his cruel offspring, Princess Kurda and Prince Bladd hold sway over a Ratguard army and enslaved creatures. One of the slaves, Trisscar Swordmaid escapes with her friends Shogg and Welfo, southward to Mossflower. In the attempt, her friend Drufo is killed. Meanwhile, Kurda hires a pirate ship, the "Seascab", captained by Plugg Firetail, to take her to Mossflower, where she must find the royal artifacts of Riftgard in order to seal her queenship.

In Redwall Abbey, rebellious Dibbuns Ruggum and Bikkle run away into Mossflower Woods. They discover Brockhall, the ancestral home of badgers, but are chased away by serpents. Fortunately, they are rescued by the Skipper of Otters and Log-a-Log Groo. they bring with them a golden pawring with strange markings.

Sagaxus, heir to Salamandastron, and his friend Bescarum Lepuswold Whippscut (who go by Sagax and Scarum respectively), leave the mountain for adventure with Kroova Wavedog, in his ketch the "Stopdog". Scarum's father, Colonel Whippscut of the Long Patrol, searches for them in the name of Lord Hightor, the Badger Lord. Sagax finds a bow on the ketch (the property of its previous owners) with similar markings to the pawring. They disregard it and decide to journey to Redwall, and on their way, they wind up in possession of a dagger with the same pattern.

Triss and her friends, in their ship, see the same markings. Triss is able to interpret them as an R, H, O, and R, standing for "Royal House of Riftgard". On the journey, they become dehydrated, but are rescued by the hedgehogs of Peace Island. Welfo remains with her newfound love, Urtica, while Triss and Shogg continue south. They cross paths with Kurda on the "Seascab" in the middle of a lightning storm, but the contraband vessel escapes.

Meanwhile, the Redwall denizens try to explore Brockhall, but it is inhabited by three serpents, one of which wears a crown with the Riftgard pattern. The adders, Zassaliss, Harssacss, and Sesstra, are the children of Berussca, an adder slain by and who in turn slayed King Sarengo, Agarnu's father; they remain bound by Sarengo's mace and chain. Ovus, a tawny owl, brings Bluddbeak, an ancient red kite from afar to defeat the adders, but in their attempt, both birds die. Mokug, a golden hamster who had been Sarengo's slave, is rescued and brings with him a message in Riftgard script. Martin the Warrior visits Skipper's niece, Churk, in her dreams, giving the Redwallers the hint they need to decode the message, but it is a riddle that's difficult to interpret.

Elsewhere, Sagax, Scarum, and Kroova are captured by the crew of the "Seascab", and the "Stopdog" is destroyed. Triss and Shogg meet up with them, and together they are able to escape. Kroova and Shogg set up a hidden stake that injures Plugg, and his firetail falls off, though he reattaches it with pine resin.

Kurda and her vermin then cross paths with the Redwallers, who fend them off, while Triss, Shogg, Sagax, Scarum, and Kroova enter the safety of the abbey. Triss sees the Sword of Martin and is immediately drawn to it, wielding it as the Redwallers continue to battle the Ratguard army. Bladd is killed by a falling pot of oatmeal, and Plugg is killed by the snakes, while Kurda concentrates her efforts on destroying the denizens of Redwall.

Eventually, Skipper's niece helps solve the riddle, which leads the Redwallers to Brockhall. There they encounter both the Ratguards and the snakes. During the ensuing battle, Shogg, Sagax, and Triss kill Sesstra, Harssacss, and Zassaliss, but Shogg is poisoned and dies by Triss's side. Later, Triss and Kurda face off, but Kurda falls on her own sword and dies.

Triss, Kroova, Sagax, Scarum, Groo, Skipper, Mokug, and others sail to Riftguard and free the slaves. There, King Agarnu drowns. Kroova stays on Riftguard with the sea otter Sleeve, and the others return to Redwall Abbey.

Characters in "Triss"

*The Pure Ferrets:
**Sarengo
**Agarnu
**Kurda
**Bladd
*Trisscar Swordmaid
*Shogg
*Welfo
*Urtica
*Plugg Firetail
*Skipper of Otters
*Log-a-Log Groo
*Sagaxus (Sagax)
*Bescarum Lepuswold Whippscut (Scarum)
*Kroova Wavedog
*Lord Hightor
*The Adders:
**Berussca
**Zassaliss
**Harssacss
**Sesstra
*Ovus and Bluddbeak
*Mokug the Hamster

Trivia

*The events of "Triss" appear to take place several generations after the previous book, as characters alive in "The Taggerung" are mentioned as ancient or legendary. For example, the Skipper of Otters in "Triss" and the Badger Lords of Salamandastron are mentioned as being distant descendants of the Taggerung and Lord Russano, respectively. This gap appears to be bigger than the gap between any of the other Redwall novels, with the exception of the gap between "Salamandastron" and "Redwall", which is an indefinite period of time in which all bloodline links to the earlier past and most physical links, with the exception of Martin's tapestry and sword, are lost.
*Brockhall is rediscovered in "Triss", first by raiders from Riftguard who knew of it from a searat map. Since it appears to have been abandoned between "Mossflower" and "The Legend of Luke", knowledge of its location must have been in vermin hands for dozens of generations. How this is possible remains a mystery, as the forces of Kotir never found Brockhall.

Translations

*(French) "Rougemuraille : L'Odyssée de Triss"

Book Divisions (English)

* Book One: A Season of Runaways
* Book Two: Serpents and Paradoxes
* Book Three: The Swordmaid

External links

* [http://www.redwall.org/dave/triss.html Plot summary]