Trisscar Swordmaid, more commonly referred to as Triss, was the daughter of Rocc Arrem and a female squirrel Abbey Warrior of Redwall Abbey.
As a youth, Triss was enslaved at Riftgard, a vermin fortress ruled by a monarchy of Pure Ferrets led by King Agarnu on the northern shores. Arrem's old friend, Drufo, told Triss of her father, and warned her against trying anything foolish. However, she conspired with two of her friends, Shogg and Welfo, to escape by stealing wood for a boat. They were discovered and imprisoned in a punishment cage, but the three friends eventually escaped and fled Riftgard by stealing a newly made ship originally intended for a voyage by Princess Kurda and her brother. Drufo and several other slaves held off Kurda and the guards long enough for the escape to be successful, but the old squirrel was mercilessly cut down by the Princess, and Triss swore to avenge him.
Triss
She learned about her full name, Trisscar, in a dream from her father and Martin the Warrior during her the escape. Martin told Triss that it was a name for a great swordmaid.
On the verge of death from starvation, the crew was saved by the kind hedgehogs of Peace Island where they were treated and supplied, but their companion, Welfo, decided to stay there. Shogg and Triss continued on to Mossflower Woods, where they were assisted by both the Coneslingers and the vole tribe of Arvicola in losing Riggan, Kurda's slavecatcher. With Riggan off their trail, Triss and Shogg headed back to the coast, and found the Freebooter crew of Plugg Firetail, who had captured their boat and had taken three young beasts, Kroova , Sagaxus , and Bescarum , captive. Triss and Shogg recaptured their boat, freed their new friends, and fled into Mossflower again via the River Moss.
Triss and her four companions met up with some Guosim shrews, and were shown the way to Redwall Abbey, where, thanks to a vision vouchsafed to Skipper by Martin the Warrior, she was asked to take up the sword of Martin against Kurda and the other vermin.
At Redwall, Triss helped in the battle against the Freebooters and Kurda's army, who had teamed up to capture her and Shogg but later set their sights on the Abbey. After the vermin retreated, she and several others decided to go to Brockhall to check for things to add to the Abbey archives, and also to finish off the three large serpents that lived there and were terrorizing the area. She was shown the secret rear entrance in a vision by Martin. At Brockhall, they encountered not only the snakes Zassaliss, Harssacss, and Sesstra, but also the vermin, who had discovered Zassaliss was in possession of the crown of Kurda's grandfather. In the ensuing battle, Triss slew Zassaliss, but not before the big snake had killed Shogg. Triss mourned his death greatly, as he had never had a chance at true freedom after years of slavery, and was even more determined to slay Kurda and free the slaves of Riftgard.
Triss tracked Kurda and defeated the Pure Ferret in a duel. However, she was unable to deliver the final blow as Kurda fatally injured herself with her own blade during her attempted escape. Triss then went back to Riftgard, with help from Redwallers, woodlanders and members of the Long Patrol, to free the slaves. The attempt was successful and the remaining Ratguards were defeated - Triss wanted to slay Agarnu as well, but was held back by Sagaxus so the King's palanquin bearers could have their revenge on him instead. Afterwards, she and her friends returned to Redwall Abbey, where she became the official Abbey Warrior.
Trivia[]
- "It just sounded good. The name sounded good. Trisscar. Trisscar. It rolls of the tongue. There's a music about it, a sort of edge to it. I mean, if it had been Trisstess, that's much softer, isn't it? But Trisscar... Trisscar... it's an action name." - Brian Jacques, Terrouge, November 2002
- Triss was the first character who didn't reside at Redwall to have been chosen by Martin to wield the sword.
- Triss is the first and only female to become the Abbey Warrior.
- Along with Shogg and Welfo, Triss was one of the first slaves to escape from Riftgard and one of the first creatures to visit Peace Island.