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Redwall Wiki | Brian Jacques and Redwall Information


Russano the Wise was a male badger, the husband of Lady Rosalaun and the father of Melanius and Snowstripe. Russano was the fifth great-grandsire of Lady Merola and the sixth great-grandsire of Sagaxus.

As an orphaned infant, Russano was discovered by the hares of the Long Patrol in Mossflower Woods. The squirrel Russa Nodrey lost her life defending the baby badger from the vermin that killed his guardian, an old unnamed badger who was presumably Russano's grandmother, or nanny. The infant was named Russano in honor of Russa and her sacrifice.

While still a babe, Russano was visited by the spirit of deceased Redwall Abbey warriors, including Martin the Warrior and Matthias, and by great Badger Lords of Salamandastron, including Lord Brocktree, Boar the Fighter, and others. The dead heroes asked the babe to remember the fallen warriors of the Battle of the Ridge of a Thousand and were the first to call him by his full name, Russano the Wise.

When the hares brought the young badger to Redwall Abbey, he was guarded and cared for by Cregga Rose Eyes, Badger Mother of Redwall, who had become blind. As he grew up, Russano acted as Cregga's eyes, and she taught and trained him. When he reached adulthood, he left Redwall to succeed Cregga as Badger Lord of Salamandastron.

Little russano

Russano as a Dibbun

Russano was one of the few Badger Lords to have a family while ruling the mountain. He loved young creatures and disliked fighting, and was one of the few Badger Lords in Salamandastron history not known to be afflicted with the Bloodwrath. He was kind, wise, and laid-back, and his primary weapon was the polished hardwood stick that had once belonged to Russa Nodrey. As a humble badger, Russano tended to dress simply, often in a plain brown cloak and tabard with a wide woven belt. He also enjoyed writing and learning badger lore. He compiled the story of Lord Brocktree and read it to all the hares in the mountain.

In his later years as ruler of the mountain, he traveled to Redwall just in time to rescue the Abbey from the attack of the fox Ruggan Bor. Rather than killing the leader and his tribe, he stripped them of their weapons and forced them to crawl on their bellies southward until sunset. While this was a testament to his mercy and dislike for battle, he coupled it with a warning that should they ever come within a season's journey of Redwall again, they would not find him as understanding.

Russano placed a likeness of Cregga upon her grave, a badger made of steel with ruby eyes.

It is assumed that either his son or daughter became the next ruler of Salamandastron after his death.

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