High Rhulain
Encyclopedia
High Rhulain is a children's fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 novel by Brian Jacques
Brian Jacques
James Brian Jacques was an English author best known for his Redwall series of novels and Castaways of the Flying Dutchman series. He also completed two collections of short stories entitled The Ribbajack & Other Curious Yarns and Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales.-Biography:Brian Jacques was born...

, published in 2005. It is the eighteenth book in the Redwall
Redwall
Redwall, by Brian Jacques, is a series of fantasy novels. It is the title of the first book of the series, published in 1986, the name of the Abbey featured in the book, and the name of an animated TV series based on three of the novels , which first aired in 1999...

 series.

Plot introduction

When young Tiria Wildlough receives a vision and riddle from the legendary Martin the Warrior, she sets out with Cuthbert Blanedale Frunk in search of the Green Isle on a journey to fight Riggu Felis the wildcat and lead her otterfolk to freedom.

Plot summary

The novel begins with Riggu Felis, wildcat warlord of Green Isle, and his two sons, Jeefra and Pitru, attempting to kill an osprey, later known to be Pandion Piketalon. Riggu scorns his sons' attempts to kill the osprey and jumps into the fray himself, attempting to scare it into submission. The osprey is not intimidated and sinks his talons into the cat's face, flying into the air with him. The wildcat drops to the ground with half of his face torn off. Because of this incident, the wildcat orders all birds on Green Isle to be slain.

Tiria Wildlough is daughter of Banjon Wildlough, the Skipper of Otters at Redwall Abbey. One afternoon, she and a few friends go out into Mossflower Woods to gather some wood, and along the way they run into some trouble in the form of a small but ferocious vermin band terrorizing Pandion. Tiria and her friends manage to fight them off, but the vermin swear revenge.

When Tiria returns to Redwall, she and her father have a discussion, where Tiria learns that otter law allows only male otters to be Skippers. This upsets Tiria greatly, and she is quick to listen when Martin the Warrior and High Queen Rhulain Wildlough appear to her in a dream, telling her the otters of Green Isle need her assistance and leadership. After deciphering and scouring the Abbey for many clues with Old Quelt, Sister Snowdrop, Abbess Lycian, Brinty, Tribsy, and Girry, Tiria learns through another dream that she has to leave on her own, so she heads to Log-a-Log Urfa's encampment along with her father and Brink Greyspoke. Soon after, however, Brinty is killed when the vermin band attacks Redwall, seeking vengeance.

At the same time, a rogue otter named Leatho Shellhound leads the free otter clans in various attacks against the ruling wildcats in an attempt to free their enslaved friends. Many famous otter clans take part, including Galedeep (descended from Finnbarr Galedeep of The Bellmaker
The Bellmaker
The Bellmaker is a fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, published in 1994. It is the seventh book in the Redwall series.-Plot introduction:When the land is threatened by the evil Foxwolf Urgan Nagru, his mate Silvamord and their horde of savage grey rats, Mariel Gullwhacker, Joseph the Bellmaker, and...

), Streambattle (descended from Rab of The Bellmaker), and Wavedog (descended from Kroova of Triss
Triss
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...

). However, Finnbarr and Kroova were sea otters, and Finnbarr had no known living kin.

Log-a-Log Urfa takes Tiria to Cuthbert Blanedale Frunk, a Long Patrol hare in the service of Lord Mandoral Highpeak at Salamandastron, where she receives a sling from the Badger Lord made of shark skin and the breastplate of the High Rhulain. Along with the a number of hares of the Long Patrol, Tiria sails to Green Isle in Frunk's ship, the Purloined Petunia, and they meet up with Shellhound and his otter clans.

At the abbey, the Redwallers continue to solve riddles from Sister Geminya, finding Corriam Wildlough's lance and the High Rhulain's coronet. Brantalis Skyfurrow, a visiting goose, flies the crown to Tiria at Green Isle.

When Tiria reaches Green Isle, she finds the otter clans in a stand-off with Riggu. Leatho Shellhound is trapped in a burning tower, set afire by Riggu's mate, Lady Kaltag, who lost her mind after the loss of her son, Jeefra. The birds Pandion and Brantalis save Leatho, but Riggu shortly after slays Pandion, who had previously ripped off part of his face, forcing him to wear a mask. Tiria, seeing Pandion killed, hurls the barbed star that first injured Pandion at Riggu, and with amazing accuracy, she strikes and kills Riggu Felis.

Meanwhile, Riggu’s other son Pitru had taken some forces and led them out of the burning fortress. Pitru establishes himself as the new warlord among the wildcats. Knowing the otters will now return back to where their families are hiding, Pitru builds a barricade square in the route that the otter clans have to take in order to rejoin their families. With the help of newly freed Leatho Shellhound, Lorgo Galedeep, Kolun Galedeep, and Banya Streamdog, Tiria routes the remaining vermin forces. Sadly, however, Cuthbert dies bringing down Nessie-type monster Slothunog, and Pitru with him. Recovering from this loss, Tiria is later proclaimed by all as the new High Rhulain of Green Isle.

Characters in High Rhulain

  • Tiria Wildlough
  • Banjon Wildlough
  • Old Quelt
  • Sister Snowdrop
  • Abbess Lycian
  • Brinty
  • Tribsy
  • Girry
  • Log-a-Log Urfa
  • Brink Greyspoke
  • Weilmark Scaut
  • Riggu Felis
    • His sons: Jeefra and Pitru
    • His wife: Lady Kaltag
  • Atunra
  • Pandion Piketalon
  • Brantalis Skyfurrow
  • Scorecat Yund
  • Otter Warriors:
    • Leatho Shellhound
    • Lorgo Galedeep
    • Kolun Galedeep
    • Banya Streamdog
    • Runka Streamdog
    • Whulky Wildlough
    • Chab Wildlough
    • Roggan Streamdiver
  • Other Otters on Green Isle
    • Memsy
    • Deedero Galedeep
    • Birl Gully
    • Ould Zillo the Bard
  • Cuthbert Blanedale Frunk
  • Lord Mandoral Highpeak

Reviews

Anita Burkham of Horn Book said that Jacques' "trademark blend of folksy good humor and high-spirited action," and High Rhulain character's exhibits a "joie de vivre
Joie de vivre
Joie de vivre is a French phrase often used in English to express a cheerful enjoyment of life; an exultation of spirit. Joie de vivre"can be a joy of conversation, joy of eating, joy of anything one might do… And joie de vivre may be seen as a joy of everything, a comprehensive joy, a philosophy...

 that earns them the loyalty of their many fans."

Book divisions (English)

  • Book 1: The Forgotten Tome
  • Book 2: The Fool of the Sea
  • Book 3: Across the Western Sea

Translations

  • (French
    French language
    French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

    ) Rougemuraille
  • (Russian
    Russian language
    Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...

    ) Остров королевы
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