| “ | You carry the bloodline of Vulpuz, Ruler of Hellgates! | „ |
| ~ Ermath the Seer |
Vulpuz is a character in the Redwall series, being seen as some sort of Dark Lord or demon who presides over the evil part of the Afterlife. He is supposedly seen as the god of all vermin, as vermin always go to Hellgates upon death, (good creatures go to the Dark Forest) and apparently all are descended from him.
His name is a pun on "Vulpes" which actually is Latin for "fox" and implies that he may take on the form of a fox to those deceased. Foxes consider themselves superior to other vermin because of this and see themselves as practically royal.
Theories
Although Vulpuz has not been physically seen in the Redwall series; he has possibly made cameo appearances in several books. He is possibly the source of Cluny the Scourge's insanity, and he could well be the voice that whispered to Cluny outside Redwall, the voice that said that Cluny would soon be free of his nightmares. That voice could very well be that of Vulpuz. However, like all prophets, his words are twisted: Cluny believed he was saying that soon all the Redwallers would be dead or enslaved, but what Vulpuz really meant was that soon he would take Cluny's soul.
Vulpuz could also be the one who shows vermin rulers the source of their impending downfalls, by sending them visions of their demise. Such is the case with Mokkan, Gabool the Wild and Urgan Nagru. Vulpuz can be seen as a being that despite being in the Afterlife, has much influence over the world of the living.