Brocktree was known as the Badger Lord who initiated the modern traditions of Salamandastron. He was the son of Stonepaw, descendant of Lady Sable Brock, the father of Boar the Fighter, the grandfather of Bella of Brockhall, the great-grandfather of Sunflash, and distant ancestor of Rawnblade Widestripe. He founded the Long Patrol by organizing the mountain's hares into a military-like regimental structure. Brocktree was also responsible for organizing the leveret school, the mountain's general laws, and for creating the outer gardens, terraces, orchards and crop-growing areas. It is for these reasons (but primarily for organizing the Long Patrol) that Brocktree is often cited as the first true Badger Lord of Salamandastron.
Before questing to Salamandastron, Lord Brocktree ruled Mossflower Woods. When he left, Boar succeeded him.
Brocktree's primary weapon was an enormous double-pawed broadsword, and physically he was a large, powerful male badger. Throughout the events of the book in which he made his debut (aptly named Lord Brocktree), the badger traveled to Salamandastron with the help and company of Dotti, a young hare from the mideastern hills (who, much to the badger's annoyance, called him by the nickname 'Brockers'), to defeat the pestilence of the wildcat Ungatt Trunn and his Blue Hordes. Along the way they collected an army of woodlanders from the court of the hare king Bucko Bigbones, many of which were strong, young fighting hares, to help against the wildcat's horde. Brocktree eventually killed Ungatt Trunn and rid Salamandastron of his menace; he then took up residence as Lord of the mountain.
At the end of his long lifespan, Brocktree shared the leadership of Salamandastron with his son, Boar. When he died, he was entombed in a secret upper chamber in the mountain in full armor. There he rested, among mysterious prescient carvings, to one day be discovered by his descendants. Brocktree later appears in a vision to Sunflash telling him to live on and become the ruler of Salamandastron.
Trivia
- In Sunflash's vision in Outcast of Redwall, Brocktree is described as wielding a battle-axe, however his weapon in life was a broadsword.
- "Brock" is a Middle English term for badger.
- There is a mix up in where Lord Brocktree is entombed because in Salamandastron, Brocktree's tomb is described as being a cavern in the base of the mountain. This is contradictory to where Boar says he is entombed in Mossflower.
- Brocktree seemed to have a slight control over his Bloodwrath, being able to come out of it with a fair amount of ease