Mandrake

Mandrake, a leader of Duncton Wood and is the antagonist of the story for the time he is leader. He is also Rebecca's father and known tyrant by many moles of his time; also too, likely as a folk tale for moles to come. As he comes from Siabod, he speaks the rough tongue of his birthplace (which is Welsh in human language). He is depicted as a figure of darkness and oppression, whose actions and influence fundamentally alter the fabric of mole society in Duncton Wood, setting the stage for the struggles that Bracken and Rebecca must face.
==History==
(click here for a detailed story)
===Pre-story===
His mother, who has no recorded name, birthed him in the coldest time of May in a place known as Snowdon, along with three or four other mole pups (the exact total is unknown).
From the very start, Mandrake was a fighter and shoved his siblings away to get milk from his mother.
For days, she fought the bitter cold, trying to keep Mandrake and the rest alive. Eventually, some of the pups had begun to die in the cold and without food, Mandrake's mother would have starved; she had no option but to eat the bodies of her pups. All pups aside from Mandrake had succumbed to the cold, including his mother.
Hours from then, the sun shone and warmth began to thaw the ice. As instinct would have told him, he cried out for help in hopes some mole would save him. As luck would have it, a mole did hear him: a female. Since then he roamed the Siabod earth until eventually coming in contact with Duncton.
Years later, Mandrake's arrival in Duncton heralded a new era of dominance and fear. He arrived unchallenged at sunset during spring, and his mere presence and subsequent violent actions instilled terror among the Westside moles, quickly establishing his dominance through a display of raw power and aggression. His roar echoed through the system, reinforcing his position and leaving a palpable sense of dread. As the new mating season unfolded, Mandrake asserted his rule by forcefully eliminating rivals and seizing control, casting a shadow of terror across the community.
Ascending to an elder's role through sheer force, Mandrake's influence grew as he decisively ended the debate on the Midsummer trek, signaling a shift from old traditions. His strategic patience with Hulver, combined with his ability to command loyalty or submission from others, including Bracken's father, Burrhead, solidified his authoritarian rule. By the time of Bracken's birth, Mandrake's control was undisputed, his reign characterized by intimidation and absolute power, reshaping the fabric of mole society in Duncton Wood.
===Duncton Wood===
====Part One: Duncton Wood====
====Part Two: Rebecca====
==Appearance==
He is a huge-- Duncton Wood, pg. 32 mole with a massive head-- Duncton Wood, pg. 20, body-- Duncton Wood, pg. 28 and form; huge shoulders, limbs "seeming as big as a mole"- Duncton Wood, ch. 24, a rough- Duncton Wood, ch. 23, scarred face, black eyes like the night sky, twisted talons and a talon-like snout-- Duncton Wood, pg. 19. He also has a deep voice-- Duncton Wood, pg. 33.
==Personality==
*Cruel-- Duncton Wood, pg. 27
*Evil-- Duncton Wood, pg. 18
Mandrake is at heart an extremely lonely, brave and passionate mole, but thanks to his traumatic birth and unloving upbringing he is too angry and confused to be able to recognise it. Typical of a lot of people from traumatic backgrounds he is obsessed with being in control and abuses his own offspring by acting like a tyrant and demanding absolute obedience. A very few moles, most notably Rebecca, are able to sense his need to be loved but are unable to get through to him. The rest simply see him as a cruel, violent monster.
==Quotes==
==Relationships==
=== Rebecca ===
Mandrake loved his daughter Rebecca deeply from the moment he first saw her. Like all his pups, he expected complete obedience, though Rebecca always found a way to rebel or get into trouble without meaning to and earn her father's wrath. As she grew older, Rebecca grew more fearful of him, but nothing could quell her lively spirit, which somehow flourished despite Mandrake's cruel and abusive nature. This only incensed his anger further, however.
=== Rune ===
After seeing Mandrake's display of power at an elder meeting, Rune left Hulver's side in favor of Mandrake's, sensing that the former's power was coming to an end in Duncton Wood.
=== Sarah ===
==Trivia==
*He has had many mates and given them pups, but of them all he is particularly protective of Sarah.
*He is named after the mandrake plant, which is said to condemn anyone who uproots it to hell.
==Gallery==
Mandrake.png|An old concept of Mandrake, by SilentXSpectre
Mandrake2.png|A concept of Mandrake, by Hallowed-Talon
0BF03D8E-71FA-4986-9B5A-C27FE05BFFC4.jpeg|Mandrake’s birthday by mollythemole
==References and Citations==
Category:Males
Category:Elders
Category:Deceased
Category:Characters from Duncton Wood
Category:Duncton Wood moles
Category:Siabod moles
Category:Leaders
Category:Quoted