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).

Spoiler warningThis article contains detailed information about the *Duncton* series. Please read with caution if you do not want the story spoiled for you!

## History

### 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.

On a spring evening at mating time, upon his arrival in Duncton, Mandrake easily killed the three bravest moles of the system and headed for Barrow Vale, challenging anymole to come forth and fight him. He travelled throughout the system, killing male moles and stealing their mates from them, whether they tried to oppose him or flee.

He gained position as the seventh elder in Duncton after killing one in a mating fight and taking his place. At his third elder meeting, he spoke against the Midsummer trek to the Stone in opposition to Hulver, who wanted the ritual to continue, threatening to crush those who dared against the Stone itself and let their blood serve as a warning to others. The other elders, persuaded by their own weakness and Mandrake's will, agreed with him, and by the time Bracken was born the following spring, Mandrake's power in the system was absolute.

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### Duncton Wood

#### Part One: Duncton Wood

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#### Part Two: Rebecca

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## Appearance

He is a huge mole with a massive head, body and form; huge shoulders, limbs "seeming as big as a mole", a rough, scarred face, black eyes like the night sky, twisted talons and a talon-like snout. He also has a deep voice.

## Personality

* Cruel
* Evil

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

> My name is Mandrake. Mandrake! Let anymole that opposes me come forward now.
>
> — Mandrake, *Duncton Wood*

> Like it, do you, girl? Think it's fun? Think it's pretty, don't you? You think this snow's just here for your special pleasure? Well, come with me... Still think it's pretty, still think it's something to dance to?
>
> — Mandrake, with Rebecca, harshly teaching her about the snow and blizzards., *Duncton Wood*

## 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.

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### 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.

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### Sarah

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## 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

An old concept of Mandrake, by SilentXSpectreA concept of Mandrake, by Hallowed-TalonMandrake’s birthday by mollythemole
## References and Citations

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 -- Duncton Wood, pg. 32
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 -- Duncton Wood, pg. 20
3. ↑ -- Duncton Wood, pg. 28
4. ↑ - Duncton Wood, ch. 24
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 - Duncton Wood, ch. 23
6. ↑ -- Duncton Wood, pg. 19
7. ↑ -- Duncton Wood, pg. 33
8. ↑ -- Duncton Wood, pg. 27
9. ↑ -- Duncton Wood, pg. 18