Romsca, Waveworm's corsairs, and the battle onboard

[James Gryphon]

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?

[Tiria Wildlough]

Maternal instincts...hmm. Anyway, I think that romsca might have been good, had she had the right upbringing.

[Gerbilkit]

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.

[Osu]

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.

[Janglur Swifteye]

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.

[Tiria Wildlough]

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. 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

[Skipper]

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

[DanielofRedwall]

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.

[Romsca]

*please delete post*

[Leatho Shellhound]

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.

[Skipper]

...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.

[Romsca]

*please delete post*

[MatthiasMan]

I think Romsca was awesome. She was my favorite character in that book. She was one cool vermin.

[Romsca]

She's my favorite character EVER

[Tam and Martin]

One of mine too!!