Character Sheet for Serney Blanders
Species
Eurasian Harvest Mouse(Micromys minutus)
Character Description
Father Serney is the 56th abbot to preside over Redwall Abbey. He was Father Abbot from February 21, 5640 to November 18, 5660. He sought progressive changes in Mossflorian society and views. Particularly those involving species tribalism and the concept of 'goodbeasts' versus 'vermin'. Serney was so loved by many, but equally despised by many for seeking to upend norms that had existed for millennia.
Abbot Serney was open and vocal about his views. He always stood firm on his beliefs. Tactful as he was, he'd never back down from a debate. He always listened, but he always countered someone's views if he deemed them based off of fear. He believed everyone had a better angel inside of them, and always tried to appeal to that.
There are many abbeymice and Mossflower woodlanders who believe in a certain divinity surrounding Abbot Serney. His ascension to Father Abbot could not have been timed better. The eruption of Mt. Salamandastron three years earlier had displaced over a thousand Long Patrol hares and their families, along with the present Badgerlord and his kin. Most of whom relocated to Mossflower in and around Redwall Abbey. Serney's predecessor, Father Abbot Josiah, welcomed them as they'd always been allies of the abbey. But Serney was critical of Josiah's coziness with the constant presence of warlords and soldiers in and around the tranquil abbey. He was horrified at the 'Mossflower/Salamandastron Contract of Transference', which gave the sitting father abbot of Redwall direct control of the Long Patrol. He was joined in opposition by the majority of abbey dwellers. He decried the 'peacekeeping' missions of law and order that Father Josiah sent the Long Patrol on. When the aging Abbot Josiah died of pneumonia in winter of 5640, Abbot Serney was almost unanimously named successor by the members of Redwall.
Peace, love, recreational drug use, homosexuality, love thy neighbor, love the earth, love all species. Abbot Serney preached, and most of surrounding Mossflower listened. He was a perfect balance to the Long Patrol's militaristic presence. The peacekeeping missions ceased, with the exception of maintaining the various forts throughout Mossflower Country. Redwall Abbey's reputation as a welcoming place rebounded.
After four years as father abbot, Serney's agent of change arrived in the form of a rat queen.
Abbot Serney welcomed Queen Guivderin and her soldiers with open arms. She brought news of her kingdom lost to Siberian invaders intent on building an empire into Mossflower Country. The new father abbot was a pacifist by nature and pushed diplomacy. He eventually relented and sent the Long Patrol to confront the Siberians.
Everything Abbot Serney feared about war came true. Only half the Long Patrol hares survived the battle, wounded and demoralized. The abbot was crushed in despair as all carpenters quickly constructed 216 coffins. But this is where his duty as father abbot called, he needed to be the pillar of strength in a dark time.
Panic took Mossflower at the news of impending invasion and the defeat of the Long Patrol. Blame was thrown in all directions, particularly at the rat queen. Father Serney demanded solutions, not scapegoats. One night, Queen Guivderin claimed the spirit of Martin the Warrior told her to wield his sword and raise an army of all creatures of Mossflower. She was what Abbot Serney was looking for. He gave her mission his blessing, an act seen as heroic by some, blasphemous by others. Redwall's new hero was a female rat.
To show this was a quest for unity, Abbot Serney ordered Long Patrol Colonel Cornelius Longstride to join her, as well as recorder apprentice, Timius Frent. They returned six months later, successful. Abbot Serney beamed with thanks as six armies arrived. Some were long time allies, some former enemies. All came with the intent to help.
With all going on around him. Serney never stopped being the jovial Father Abbot of Redwall he'd become known as.
Personality
Abbot Serney is a happy extrovert. He exerts a positive presence wherever he is. He has a loud boisterous voice and an even louder laugh. Great, fun loving and surprisingly witty sense of humor. Confident in crowds, good host and public speaker. He is loving, encouraging, and a problem solver. He wants to spread happiness and peace to all round him. Accepting and comforting, can play the roll of caretaker when needed. Despite his extroverted personality, he knows when to be quiet and listen.
Serney fears hate, anger, and greed, as he's seen it spread among others too easily. He is fearless in standing up for what he believes in, even if it puts him in harm's way. As father abbot, he believes it his divine duty to make the world better. He is passionate and emotional. He does a good job of hiding his moments of weakness for the sake of others.
Likes/Dislikes
Abbot Serney likes good laughs, good fun, and good cheer. He loves a good drink too and his not afraid to indulge in abbey's wines and ales. He is happiest being an inspiration to others and seeing them make the right choices with themselves. He loves Redwall Abbey and everything it stands for.
Serney dislikes seeing others in pain or succumbing to the sins of greed and fear, as they lead to all the other sins that corrupt one's soul. He also doesn't like regiment, which sometimes puts him at odds with the newly ever present Long Patrol and Badgerlord. He doesn't shy away from giving them shit for it either.
Background/History
Serney Blanders was born April 4, 5593 in the Kingdom of Noonvale. He is the middle child of Ulrich and Quirrel Blanders. His father, Ulrich, was a carpenter in general construction. His mother, Quirrel, taught nursing at the Church of St. Rose. Serney was close in age to his siblings, so they grew up doing everything together. Although his mother stayed home to raise them as youngsters, she quickly returned to work as soon as his older sister could take care of him and his younger brother. The Blanders Family didn't need the money, his parents were just devoted to the Noonvale work ethic.
Young Serney was a happy mouse cub. He loved to laugh and play games, he was very social and introduced himself to anyone he met. He was terrible at responsibility and often messy, but polite and courteous to all. He developed a large circle of friends. School subjects bored him and he was a poor student. He was more interested in the social aspect and organization of schooling. He was quick to ask questions, sometimes unwanted ones. His teachers voted him most likely to enter either politics or religion.
Woe to any bully that crossed Serney's path. When he was 8, he witnessed a jocky otter-boy pushing around another young mouse. It was playful physical teasing, but obviously unwanted. Serney put himself between the two. When the otter shoved him, he yelled and shoved back, sending the young mustelide tripping over his own tail onto his back. The other cubs cheered Serney as their hero, but he was fixated on the young bully, now vulnerable with a look of shock and fear on his face. His conscience clashed, assert power and dominance, or show forgiveness? He extended a paw and helped the defeated otter to his feet. His show of mercy and forgiveness was not forgotten, but he was a force to be reckoned with. Serney never forgot this event because he remembers the momentary intoxication of power he felt. "This is how temptation to sin works." he reasoned. A simple, but defining moment in his life. He would always choose a path of friendship and forgiveness.
All Noonvalers are raised on the story of Laterose of Noonvale and her quest to free her brother, Brome, from enslavement at Fort Marshank. Her meeting with Martin the Warrior, their love, and her death at the hands of Badrang the Tyrant over a thousand years ago. Serney was 10 when the Blanders Family went on pilgrimage. They followed the path of Rose to the site of Fort Marshank, then the path of Martin to Redwall Abbey. Young Serney was so taken with the story of Redwall and what it stands for. The week he spent at the abbey awakened his calling. He talked at length with Father Abbot Josiah, spent hours reading the scrolls of the abbey's history. His persistence during the visit led to an inquiry among all the abbeymice, and he returned as Brother Serney two years later after turning 12.
Serney relished the abbey life. Like minded friends who wanted to save the world from itself. He impressed his elders with his devotion and fearlessness. But puberty would sent him on an unexpected path. Serney is homosexual. He began a loving relationship with another young mouse when he was 14. They kept it secret, but remained devoted to each other. His partner died in his arms 3 years later of a fever. Serney felt part of his soul die with him. He remained celibate since.
Serney covered his pain with his work. He traveled throughout Mossflower Country in times of need. The pain, the tears, the blood, the vomit, he was not afraid. He was confirmed as Abbot Serney at age 30. He pledged his heart to the world, rather than any individual. He became very critical of the system that labeled certain creatures as 'Goodbeasts' and others as 'Vermin', as he found this often not the case with those he met. He uncovered a centuries old conspiracy between past Redwall Abbots, Salamandastron, and many other kingdoms to maintain this system. If he could become Father Abbot, he would tear this system apart.
Relatives/Family
Father: Ulrich Blanders, age 79.
Mother: Quirrel Blanders, age 77.
Sister: Cinquefoil Stenpine, age 55.
Brother: Jantin Blanders, age 49.
Extended family of cousins, nieces, and nephews throughout Noonvale.
World/Setting
Set on planet Earth approximately 50,000 years in the future. All of my Redwall OCs are depicted as they were in the year 5645(Year Zero was when time measurements switched from seasons to years.), the year of the Rendezvous of the Six Armies. Most of Chucky's world is stone aged to medieval at this time, with some increasing industrialization. The most modern cities have technology equivalent to that of Ancient Rome. Worldwide ocean travel exists with celestial navigation, although it is a risky undertaking.
Serney Blanders is from Noonvale, made famous in the Redwall book, Martin the Warrior. Although its location was mostly unknown to the outside in Martin's time, Noonvale is quite well known now. The city sits in a beautiful Scandinavian Fjord, near what we know as Tonstad, Norway. The Kingdom of Noonvale itself is much larger than it used to be, stretching as far east as the location of what was Fort Marshank, which is now Port Marshank. To the west, Noonvale borders Riftgard. Noonvalers speak a dialect of Mossflorian.
Noonvale has become a harsher place to live since the time of Laterose due to a cooling climate. The citizenry have become experts at preserved foods, efficient wood and stonework for warmth, and a rich culture of theater, writing, and entertainment. Noonvale opened up to trade in the late 50th century. Opening itself to the world also created the need for a military. Although small, the Crusaders for the Holy Rose have become essential to Noonvale's security.
Serney Blanders moved to Mossflower when he was 12 as a permanent member of Redwall Abbey. Most Redwall stories take place in Mossflower Country. For the purpose of crossover with Chucky's world, Mossflower is what most of Western Europe is known as. Mossflower Proper, covers the Iberian Peninsula. Redwall Abbey sits near what we know as Valladolid, Spain.(yes, I know there are some holes in my geography, but just go with it.) And although this area experiences a semiarid Mediterranean Climate in our time, in Serney's time, the climate has cooled and Mossflower experiences a climate similar to the rest of Western Europe.
Mossflower Country has no centralized government, just a common language of Mossflorian. It is a collections of kingdoms, species based tribal communities, communal settlements like Redwall Abbey and Mt. Salamandastron, and a few true cities like Southsward and Marl. Its history is that of survival and tribal warfare. Small kingdoms under a feudal system run by a lord or chieftain would trade or fight with each other for better land and resources. Larger communities grew in places where farming was done on a large scale. Redwall Abbey was built between early 4109 and 4129. It became known throughout the regions as a place of sanctuary, and a place of riches. The Redwall book series does a good job of explaining life in Mossflower over the next thousand years or so.
Mossflower began seeing changes in past centuries. Free markets began forming allowing creatures to make a living with their own skills. The quickest change was the sudden lack of 'vermin hordes'. Rats, weasels, stoats, foxes, and other 'vermin' no longer needed to join hordes for survival. The rat city of Blaggot, fox city of Marl, and northern coast trade port of Coltswart where such places. Relations between creatures and kingdoms softened. Internal trade and travel grew, and Mossflower felt smaller.
Most agree that the 5637 eruption of Mt. Salamandastron ended the era of 'Old Mossflower' for good. The displaced Long Patrol became the new horde for a short time. Then a new enemy approached from the east, not set on riches, but on empire building. 'Goodbeast' and 'vermin' alike cowered as the Long Patrol's first attack was efficiently cut down. Was this new invader unstoppable? Can Mossflower put their past permanently behind them and become a nation that fights together. Father Abbot Serney believes it can be done.
Body
At 5 feet 8 inches tall and 230 pounds, Abbot Serney is rather large for a Harvest Mouse. He has big feet and big paws. Absent is the white fur around his mouth, which instead starts at the top of his chest. He has a large rusty beard and the common big reddish brown eyes of his species.
He's always been a bit large and gained significant weight living the abbey life. He moves quick and is very expressive his body language making his fat jiggle around to the amusement of youngsters. Serney exaggerates these movements even more to send them rolling in fits of laughter.
Clothing
Serney has always kept it simple and comfortable. He loves his green abbot's habit and sandals. He abhors dressing in anything formal. He was in trouble often for dressing sloppy as a youngster.
Accessories
A rose is embroidered onto his habit to honor Laterose of Noonvale. This is nonstandard for Redwall attire, but Serney encourages self expression through clothing as long as it's not too outrageous.
