I had a bit of a thought regarding this pivotal part of Pearls of Lutra, and figured I'd start a topic about everyone's favorite gray ferret, the corsair Romsca.
Most people agree that Romsca is gray: She started out as a competent, villainous corsair, but during the kidnapping of the Abbot (and Viola Bankvole), something came out inside her -- maybe it was her maternal instincts or something, who knows. Regardless of how it happened, she ended up defending her victims, and this served as the catalyst in exacerbating the ongoing feud Waveworm's corsair crew had with their Monitor passengers.
Finally, at some point mid-way through the trip -- probably a few days after Waveworm cleared out of the protagonists' sight -- this escalated into an all-out melee onboard. We don't know who started it; in any case, it doesn't really matter. After some exchange of words, the swords are drawn and all hands on deck are fighting it out with the flesh-eating lizards from the sunny shores of Sampetra.
At the end of the battle, the final surviving combatants are Romsca and Lask Frildur. Though torn apart by the giant Monitor's claws, the veteran seadog still had enough in her to finish the lizard off. It can probably be assumed that it was she that thrust the General's carcass through the door. Shortly afterwards, the Abbot comes out, talks to Romsca, and near the end of her life, her hard-boiled exterior fades away with her and she dies a goodbeast.
Everyone who's read the story should already know this. What I have to wonder, though, is where Romsca's corsair followers fit into this. They fought and died opposing the Monitors, just like she did, presumably out of loyalty to her as much as fear of the Monitors. With that in consideration, do you think it could be argued that these largely-unnamed corsairs rate as being some shade of gray?
Maternal instincts...hmm. Anyway, I think that romsca might have been good, had she had the right upbringing. ;)
Wasn't it implied that the monitors would have enjoyed eating the whole corsair crew? I don't think they were fighting for the abbot as much as for their own survival, should the monitors have gained the upper claw and taken over the ship they probably would have eaten everyone.
Quote from: Gerbilkit on July 08, 2011, 03:01:38 PM
Wasn't it implied that the monitors would have enjoyed eating the whole corsair crew? I don't think they were fighting for the abbot as much as for their own survival, should the monitors have gained the upper claw and taken over the ship they probably would have eaten everyone.
Yeah, I agree with this. The corsairs and monitors were bound to have at it at some point, they probably knew it from the beginning. I don't think any of them were thinking about the abbot, other than Romsca perhaps.
Quote from: Osu on July 08, 2011, 05:02:49 PM
Quote from: Gerbilkit on July 08, 2011, 03:01:38 PM
Wasn't it implied that the monitors would have enjoyed eating the whole corsair crew? I don't think they were fighting for the abbot as much as for their own survival, should the monitors have gained the upper claw and taken over the ship they probably would have eaten everyone.
Yeah, I agree with this. The corsairs and monitors were bound to have at it at some point, they probably knew it from the beginning. I don't think any of them were thinking about the abbot, other than Romsca perhaps.
Yeah, they all hated the Monitors anyway, because they were Ublaz's beasts.
Quote from: James Gryphon on July 08, 2011, 05:08:47 AM
I had a bit of a thought regarding this pivotal part of Pearls of Lutra, and figured I'd start a topic about everyone's favorite gray ferret, the corsair Romsca.
Most people agree that Romsca is gray: She started out as a competent, villainous corsair, but during the kidnapping of the Abbot (and Viola Bankvole), something came out inside her -- maybe it was her maternal instincts or something, who knows. Regardless of how it happened, she ended up defending her victims, and this served as the catalyst in exacerbating the ongoing feud Waveworm's corsair crew had with their Monitor passengers.
Finally, at some point mid-way through the trip -- probably a few days after Waveworm cleared out of the protagonists' sight -- this escalated into an all-out melee onboard. We don't know who started it; in any case, it doesn't really matter. After some exchange of words, the swords are drawn and all hands on deck are fighting it out with the flesh-eating lizards from the sunny shores of Sampetra.
At the end of the battle, the final surviving combatants are Romsca and Lask Frildur. Though torn apart by the giant Monitor's claws, the veteran seadog still had enough in her to finish the lizard off. It can probably be assumed that it was she that thrust the General's carcass through the door. Shortly afterwards, the Abbot comes out, talks to Romsca, and near the end of her life, her hard-boiled exterior fades away with her and she dies a goodbeast.
Everyone who's read the story should already know this. What I have to wonder, though, is where Romsca's corsair followers fit into this. They fought and died opposing the Monitors, just like she did, presumably out of loyalty to her as much as fear of the Monitors. With that in consideration, do you think it could be argued that these largely-unnamed corsairs rate as being some shade of gray?
Gosh, JG, you're very good at essays.;D I couldn't write something like that sto save my life.
I do get youre point, though. Romsca is quite an interesting character. She might be my favourite vermin ;D
she was my favourite corsair and i like the bit before she dies where she says "father, i like that" i belive it went something like that when she was talking to the abbot and he was trying to heal her, or atleast look after her
Very well put, as always, James.
Romsca is certainly an interesting character. I'm not sure what it was that made her turn against her once comrades and protect the abbeybeasts. Perhaps it was maternal instincts, James, or maybe something completely different. Maybe she always had it in her, or maybe it was simply her complete hatred of Lask that made her act the way she did. I think this is another thing Brian Jacques wanted the reader to draw their own conclusions on.
There were other gray vermin in the series, for example, Crumdun from The Rogue Crew and Veil Sixclaw from Outcast of Redwall, but Romsca was probably the most interesting of them. There were also many gray woodlanders, such as Log-a-Log Tugga Brusta from Doomwyte and numerous voles. It is interesting how Brian Jacques always insisted that his "goodies were good and his baddies were bad", and yet he still sneaks in a gray character or two, such as Romsca.
*please delete post*
So far as her crew I think it was what you said quote "out of loyalty to her as much as fear of the Monitors". They didn't really have much choice, if they didn't fight they would have died any way, But it never says (to what I remember) that all the crew were fighting with/for Romsca.
Quote from: Romsca on December 05, 2012, 09:06:16 PM
Quote from: James Gryphon on July 08, 2011, 05:08:47 AM
...maybe it was her maternal instincts or something...
WHAT THE HECK IS YOUR PROBLEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ROMSCA? MATERNAL INSTINCTS? HOW ABOUT MAYBE SAYING UBLAZ SURVIVED!!!!! THAT IS FAR MORE BELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!! Are you saying she was a mother?
Calm down, There's nothing wrong with voicing your own opinion. I think what he means is it just felt natural for Romsca to act like that, I don't think there was any point where she was really bad. It could have been something to do with her past who knows but maybe she felt guilty and I think it was also out of hate for Lask.
*please delete post*
I think Romsca was awesome. She was my favorite character in that book. She was one cool vermin.
She's my favorite character EVER
One of mine too!!
Revive! :D
Who thinks they know how the battle even started?
Ooo! Ooo! Maybe one of the lizards tried to eat someone so that someone killed him and then everyone started fighting.
Quote from: James Gryphon on July 08, 2011, 05:08:47 AM
I had a bit of a thought regarding this pivotal part of Pearls of Lutra, and figured I'd start a topic about everyone's favorite gray ferret, the corsair Romsca.
Thank you! Even though this was a while ago...
QuoteMost people agree that Romsca is gray: She started out as a competent, villainous corsair, but during the kidnapping of the Abbot (and Viola Bankvole), something came out inside her -- maybe it was her maternal instincts or something, who knows.
I highly doubt she would have "maternal instincts" for an old mouse and an annoying vole that probably wasn't much younger than her.
QuoteRegardless of how it happened, she ended up defending her victims, and this served as the catalyst in exacerbating the ongoing feud Waveworm's corsair crew had with their Monitor passengers.
Maybe the Monitors wanted food, and they wanted to eat the abbot, but Romsca wouldn't let them. I don't think it's JUST because she protected him when he first came aboard.
QuoteFinally, at some point mid-way through the trip -- probably a few days after Waveworm cleared out of the protagonists' sight
I got the sense that this occurred about a week away from the island, long after the
Waveworm cleared out of the protagonists' sight.
Quote-- this escalated into an all-out melee onboard. We don't know who started it;
It was almost definitely Lask.
Quotein any case, it doesn't really matter.
Actually, it does. I don't believe at this point, after being at least somewhat changed by the abbot, she would've outright attacked even Lask.
QuoteAfter some exchange of words, the swords are drawn and all hands on deck are fighting it out with the flesh-eating lizards from the sunny shores of Sampetra.
At the end of the battle, the final surviving combatants are Romsca and Lask Frildur. Though torn apart by the giant Monitor's claws, the veteran seadog still had enough in her to finish the lizard off. It can probably be assumed that it was she that thrust the General's carcass through the door.
True, I agree with you there.
QuoteShortly afterwards, the Abbot comes out, talks to Romsca, and near the end of her life, her hard-boiled exterior fades away with her and she dies a goodbeast.
I got the impression that she had changed before she even fought Lask.
QuoteEveryone who's read the story should already know this. What I have to wonder, though, is where Romsca's corsair followers fit into this. They fought and died opposing the Monitors, just like she did, presumably out of loyalty to her as much as fear of the Monitors.
There were roughly 30 corsairs including Romsca (I could explain why I know this in another post), and they could have easily taken nine lizards. Seriously. The lizards were tough, but not THAT tough. I think some could have mutinied and fought against her because they thought the lizard side was going to win.
QuoteWith that in consideration, do you think it could be argued that these largely-unnamed corsairs rate as being some shade of gray?
Possibly. Romsca had been changed by the abbot, and the other largely-unnamed corsairs would have mostly followed her out of loyalty. I think the fact that they were loyal is evidence that they were more gray than black
Aye, zae vot actionz zat zey did might 'ave been more becauze ze captain or leader beazt vanted it done, razer zen zem vantin' tae dae it.
I think the corsairs disliked the monitors, so when the fight started they were happy to fight them.