Antigra is the overarching antagonist of The Taggerung, the fourteenth book in the Redwall novel series. She is the wife of Gruven and mother of Gruven Zann, whom she raised with the hopes of slaying Sawney Rath, the leader of the Juska clan, to avenge the death of her husband whom he killed years ago. After doing so, she frames the Taggerung for his death and has Gruven set out to slay the Taggerung to become the next Taggerung and leader of the clan.
Biography[]
Antigra is the wife of Gruven and mother of a babe that she had been nursing while living in the Juska clan, a group of thieves and murderers. She would often persist foolishly and arrogantly in proclaiming that her son is the Taggerung with Sawney Rath and his seer Grissoul constantly having to explain to her that he isn't. She does this again by insulting the two, calling them fools, while proclaiming this with Sawney declaring that he would have killed her had she not been a mother nursing a babe. She only got more angry and demanded that her son be recognized as the Taggerung, leading to Sawney frustratingly telling Grissoul to tell her why her son cannot be called Taggerung with her doing so. Antigra then has her husband challenge Sawney, who initially gives him a chance to back down out of respect for him. When Gruven refuses and continues challenging him, Sawney kills him by throwing his blade into his throat, leading Antigra to wail over his death while Sawney goes into his tent to discuss the omens with Grissoul.
After having found the Taggerung in the form of a baby otter being tended to by his father Rillflag nearby Redwall Abbey, Sawney would have Vallug Bowbeast slay the father before kidnapping Deyna and taking him back to the camp where he would rename him Tagg with the help of Grissoul, raising him with hopes of making him a killer and that he'll bring good fortune to the clan. He would do this by means of having some of the vermin, including a vengeful Antigra, to go fetch things for him, be it food or other types of materials, with Antigra ranting about this to a weasel named Milkeye, especially since she had to leave her babe Gruven lying alone out in the sun while she forages for the next meal of the Taggerung. She brags about how her son will prove to be the real Taggerung when he grows while noting how Sawney had changed ever since he brought him over to their clan by treading roughshod over them, killing and injuring his own tribe. Simultaneously, she schemes about getting her revenge on him when the time is right as Sawney is growing older. Since late spring, Sawne would harass Antigra and her companions as if expecting some sort of mutiny within the clan while treating others harshly, Felch in particular.
As she raised Gruven, she would have him hunt whichever creatures escape the camp that are deemed traitors in Sawney's eyes while competing against Tagg to prove he is the Taggerung, though Tagg always winds up bringing the creature back albeit without killing them unlike what Gruven had in mind, with Sawney mocking her about his abilities as he does this. One such instance, while Antigra was plucking the feathers from a dead dove with a hate-laden glance at the Taggerung and his prisoner, Gruven challenged Tagg out of anger for tricking him into following a false trail, though Tagg winds up beating him with Sawney trying to pressure him into killing him by putting his foot on his face to ensure he does not escape to no avail. As such, as she watched her son eat, she was angry but scared and relieved that he had not been killed, scolding him for shouting out like how he did as he nearly got killed by the same blade that slew his father, though Gruven complains about it with Antigra telling him that they must bide their time until the right moment, frustrating Gruven as she's been saying that for a long time and he declares that the right moment is now.
Just then, Grissoul came in on an outwardly guilt-laden Antigra and her son to ask what the moment would be. Gruven angrily replied that it's none of her business and asked what she is doing there, though after Grissoul asks on him being taught any sense, Antigra asks for advice and brings four dove eggs of the dove Gruven was eating in a clay bowl as she had instructed this for her son to become the next Taggerung. Grissoul explains how she saw ants this morning fighting among themselves on their own anthill and how the omens are not good for the Juskarath, warning Gruven not to anger Sawney and to make peace with him and be one in his favor to save their lives. Gruven was reluctant to do this, but was forced to take heed by his mother who asked what they should do. Grissoul instructs Gruven to take a sling and stones, go out into the woodlands, and slay a pair of doves to be given to Sawney as a peace offering and get him praise as a good hunter and loyal clanbeast. Gruven then snorts, asking why she cares as she only came around to see what she could get and disregards her advice, much to the seer's disappointment as she calls him a bigger fool than she thought as she cared for the clan as a whole instead of just them and warning him even further to heed her words. After she left, Antigra gave Gruven a sling and pouch of stones and tried to have him follow her advice, though Gruven stubbornly refuses, leading to Antigra losing her temper and lashing the empty sling across his back, calling him as lazy and his father, and going off to kill two doves herself with Gruven being indifferent to this.
While she was hunting north in Mossflower Wood for some dove with her having slain a fat dove and climbing the tree to get it, Sawney Rath was in the woods himself on the start of pursuing Tagg, who had defied his order to skin Felch alive and set the fox free while abandoning the clan himself. Noticing him, she slew him with a stone she slung at him before climbing down, forgetting about the dove she killed. Felch himself comes stumbling along to notice the dead body and is satisfied by this as he hated Sawney for his mistreatment of him, beating the body and stabbing it with a spear. After explaining what had happened that led to Sawney pursuing Tagg, Felch offers that they rule the clan together, though Antigra, tricking him into giving her the spear under the guise of wanting to stab Sawney too, coldly kills him by stabbing him with the spear, declaring that her son will rule the clan and that there's no room for him anymore. Arriving back to the tent, Antigra informs Grissoul of Sawney Rath's death with her explaining the omens have told her this. Antigra then explains that she had a vision that her son is Taggerung now and asks if she agrees to which Grissoul responds by explaining that only he who slays a Taggerung can be called Taggerung in his place, though she offers to help her have her son named Gruven Zann Juskazann and make him leader of the clan, much to Antigra's satisfaction as she asks for instructions.
A short time later, Antigra roused the clan vermin, alerting them of Sawney's death. When Gruven sneaked up to his mother's side, Antigra pinched his side between her claws sharply and commanded him to stay out of this and keep quiet until she tells him. She then fibs up a story about how Sawney died, stating that he had killed Felch and she had tried to defend Sawney only for Tagg to take the spear he impaled Felch with and kill him with it, essentially framing him for the death of Sawney and declaring vengeance upon the Taggerung. Grissoul herself puts on a ritual, declaring that Gruven is the one to do Sawney Rath's will and rule the clan, gaining a roar of approval from the tribe. She then instructs him as to what to say while making a declaration to avenge Sawney's death that is given to him by Grissoul's words. Grissoul herself further puts on a show by claiming that Sawney Rath calls to her from beyond the Hellgates and that Gruven must slay him and take his title while telling Gruzen to go do so to bring honor to their new-named clan, much to Antigra's satisfaction. Once dawn broke clear and quiet, Antigra awakens Gruven from his sleep, telling him there's big things for him to do as a clan Chieftain with him getting up eventually. Gruven dons the cloak he had been given the previous evening and tugs the sword free with anger and hatred building inside him while Antigra straightens his cloak and encourages him by reminding him that as long as Tagg lives, he cannot really be leader of the Juskazann before she has him go. Outside the tent, Antigra joins Grissoul and watches as she gives him a band of eight to go with him, consisting of Eefera, Dagrab, Ribrow, Grobait, Milkeye, Rabbad, Rawback, and Vallug Bowbeast to command them well and bring back Tagg's head. Antigra and Gruven then lead the hunting party out of the clearing before Antigra leaves for Gruven to lead them and start the hunt officially.
However, days later, a fox bandit leader named Ruggan Bor, Lord of the South Coasts, came along and overthrew her, taking the clan, the Juskazann, and adding it to his own as the Juskabor. Antigra would plot against him, though Ruggan Bor discovered this and slew her. Gruven would arrive later and discover this, though he would be apathetic about his mother's death as he deemed her to be too pushy, constantly berating and nagging at him, being glad she was out of the way even.
