Salamandastron (Redwall)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Salamandastron is the fictional fortress of the Badger Lords in Brian Jacques's Redwall series. Many of the novels take place at or involve this fortress, which is situated in the hollowed-out remains of an extinct volcano. Many vermin armies have tried to conquer the mountain, but due to its position and the brave hares of the Long Patrol defending it, the fortress has only been fully occupied once, by the wildcat Ungatt Trunn in Lord Brocktree. Salamandastron can only be ruled by a badger lord or lady, but there is not always one in residence there.

Inside the mountain are caverns with such loud acoustics as to deafen those who are spoken to in a voice higher than a whisper. There are also carvings that tell the stories of the heroes of Salamandastron. The battle cry of Salamandastron is "Eulalia", the ancient war cry of badgers and hare. Incidentally, "Eulalia" (pronounced yoo-lah-lee-ah) means victory in ancient Norse.

Salamandastron contains many chambers, most of which are armories, larders, or residential areas. However, there are several more prominent rooms. Among these are the forge room, where the Badger Lord/Lady and their assistants craft weapons and other tools. There's also the Badger ruler's bed chamber, which also contains a private study.

The most mysterious room in the mountain is the mausoleum of past Badger rulers. Except for a few exceptions, every past ruler of Salamandastron is entombed in the mausoleum. It also contains the prophecies of Salamandastron, carved by Badgers under the influence of special herbs. The mausoleum also contains the entrance to the Salamandastron treasure chamber, which contains wondrous treasures collected and created over the ages. This chamber is also the final resting place of Lord Urthstripe the Strong.