| “ | Being the virtuous fools they are they'll expect us to return the babe in exchange for a few trinkets. Oafs! They'll learn that trying to outsmart Marlfoxes is like trying to catch a pawful of smoke! | „ |
| ~ -Mokkan |
Mokkan is an anthropomorphic fox and the main villain on the Redwall series book, Marlfox.
Mokkan the Marlfox and his six brothers and sisters were born of the royal Marlfox family on the island of Castle Marl, along with their army of water rats. Mokkan, like all Marlfoxes, had grey fur and cold amber eyes, and wielded a small double-headed battle-axe under a dark cloak. Marlfoxes are legendary masters of stealth, and can use their natural camouflage to blend in with their surroundings and become virtually invisible. He was also very intelligent and unpredictable.
Mokkan was the smartest and most wicked of his siblings, and was the self-proclaimed leader as well. When they came to Mossflower Woods, searching for valuable items to steal for their mother, Queen Silth, they stumbled upon Redwall Abbey. Eventually two of Mokkan's siblings, Ascrod and Vannan, stole the Abbey's prized Tapestry of their hero, Martin the Warrior. The Marlfoxes planned to return to their island with it, but in a battle one of them was slain, and they all demanded vengeance. Except Mokkan; he had plans of his own. He tricked his siblings into letting him 'guard' the Tapestry, then stole it, and betrayed them by travelling back to Castle Marl alone, much to the fury of the abandoned Marlfoxes.
As the abandoned Marlfoxes became obsessed with conquering Redwall Abbey, one by one they all slowly fell in battle or due to their own recklessness. Mokkan, meanwhile, risked an attempted mutiny by Fenno, a treacherous Gousim shrew who he had forced into servitude. Fenno was abducted by reptiles and seemingly killed; dismaying Mokkan who had planned on killing Fenno himself. However, Fenno survived the reptile ambush and was later killed by fellow shrew Dippler in vengeance for Fenno killing the Gousim leader.
When Mokkan arrived back at the island, he found that Queen Silth had been murdered by his sister, Lantur, who had stayed behind to protect Queen Silth. Mokkan then subtly murdered Lantur, pretending it to be an accident and blaming it on the "Spirit of the lake." Mokkan claimed the throne for himself and became High King Mokkan, but the power went to his head, and he slowly became insane.
When a band of Redwall warriors stormed at the Island to both retrieve the Tapestry and free the many slaves that the Marlfoxes kept, Mokkan tried to escape on a boat across the lake, but one of his former slaves saw him and hurled a chain out at him. The chain caught around the Marlfox's neck and pulled him into the water, where he was quickly eaten by the many vicious pike fish that lived in the lake.
Personality[]
| “ | When this is over, I'll be back! You mark my words, rat, you'll be screaming for death by the time I've done with you! | „ |
| ~ -Mokkan shows his true colours to his manservant Durrlow |
Not for nothing was Mokkan the most notorious of his family; even his brothers and sisters were alarmed by his sudden mood swings. He was ironically the one to lecture his wrathful sister Ziral into remembering her manners; when he was in fact the most hot-headed out of them all. Even Gelltor, the most warlike of his family, paled in comparison to Mokkan's insanity. Mokkan would bide his time in the shadows, and then strike at the most opportune moment; all the while feigning hospitality, such as he displayed in his first conflict with Redwall. According to Gelltor, Mokkan wanted to stand around chatting; but this was merely a ruse so that his siblings could steal the Tapestry of Martin, not so the Marlfoxes could be foolish, like Gelltor believed.
Mokkan was very like his sister Lantur. Both showed no concern for their family, both murdered their own family members in quests for power, both achieved their coronation goals and became tyrants, but both had very short reigns. Even the slaves were scared of Mokkan's return, because in one's words ''I wonder how Mokkan murdered the murderer?'' He was a horrible leader to his underlings, not showing any respect to them or caring at all for their wellbeing; promoting and dismissing guards on the spot as his madness grew. In short, his subjects came to fear him.
Mokkan was like a poisonous snake. No one knew when he would strike and no one could ever trust him. He would strike when one least expected it; as his sister Lantur found to her cost. Such was his evils that he could convince an entire army that he was innocent of Lantur's murder; as the ''Spirit of the Lake'' had taken her and he was guiltless. However, if there really was a Spirit of the Lake, it, too, judged him unfit - as he slowly succumbed to maddening insanity, as his lust for power grew, and then he met a fitting end when a slave knocked him into the pike-infested lake. He would be remembered as the most insane of the Marlfoxes and even his former allies, the water rats, were glad to see their evil King go as it finally meant their years of abuse at his hands were over.
External Links[]
- Mokkan on the Magnificent Baddie Wiki
