Conrad

"Killin' mice is what you filthy weasel-kin love to do, as sure as yer heart beats. Just as we mice can't help but want to slay every last one of you for it."— Conrad to King Luthebon, 1115.^[1]

Conrad was a male mouse, a sailor, and a member of the Mouse Guard. Conrad joined the Guard late in his life, and, as a natural-born loner, was stationed at the isolated, northern outpost of Calogero.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Conrad was likely born sometime before 1100. His father, Strom, was a merchant sailor in the North Sea trade, whose success led to his appointment as Captain's Captain of Port Sumac.^[2] Conrad learned his ship-faring and bartering skills from Strom.^[1]

In around c. 1115, Strom passed away from unknown causes — although Conrad suspected Strom had been poisoned by his successor to the title of Captain's Captain, Roarke. Conrad inherited Strom's ship, the Red Snapper, upon his death.^[2]

Quest to Ildur[]

Conrad Roarke — Conrad confronts Roarke during the spring of 1115.

One day during the spring of 1115, Conrad confronted Roarke in the Mariner's Bell tavern in Lower Port Sumac. Conrad challenged Roarke to the Captain's Captain title. Conrad drew his harpoon and pointed it at Roarke menacingly. Before the argument could escalate into a bloodbath, the Guardmouse Celanawe and oldfur Em of Appleloft arrived on the scene and interrupted the argument. Celanawe proposed that Conrad would earn the title by travelling with him on a voyage across the Northern Sea, and returning with proof. Roarke agreed this would be sufficient to prove Conrad's mettle, and the pair made a blood agreement.^[2]

The next morning, Conrad helped Celanawe and Em stock the Red Snapper for the voyage. Conrad suggested the group sail to Lillygrove, and then return to Port Sumac and simply lie to Roarke and tell him they had completed the journey north; however, Celanawe put his foot down and told Conrad to honour his bargain. Conrad, who had no skill in map-reading, relied on his instincts and experience and guided the voyage north from the coast of the Mouse Territories.^[2]

Conrad had no idea of the true purpose of Celanawe and Em's journey: a quest for the legendary Black Axe. Conrad spent much of his time aboard the vessel drinking and sleeping-off his hangover, and it was during these sleeping hours that Celanawe and Em discussed the object of their quest.^[2]

Aboard Red Snapper — Em, Celanawe and Conrad cooking fish aboard the Red Snapper during the spring of 1115.

In total, the trio spent 56 days at sea, surviving on the rations Conrad and Celanawe had packed and collected rainwater. When food ran out late in the voyage, Conrad resorted to fishing to keep the group sustained. The sailor caught one fish so large it towed the ship a day's journey behind course.^[2]

On the night of the fifty-sixth day at sea, the trio sailed into a terrible storm. Despite Conrad's best efforts, the ship capsised, and the sailor-mouse clung on to the wrecked hull, while his two companions were separated by the waves.^[2] Conrad awoke on the shores of Ildur, alone, and sought shelter in a maze of briars near the shoreline.^[3]

Conrad spent a freezing night in the briar. In the morning, he set about exploring his surroundings. Eventually Conrad came across Celenawe, who, to his surprise was now carrying the fabled Black Axe. Celanawe told Conrad he was the wielder of the legendary weapon, and explained that during the time they had been separated, the ruler of Ildur, the ferret King Luthebon, had tasked him to slay a fox which preyed voraciously upon the King's subjects. Em had remained as Luthebon's hostage while Celanawe undertook this task.^[3]

Conrad Leg — Conrad loses his leg to the Black Axe, summer 1115.

Conrad was honoured to join Celanawe in his hunt for the fox. They tracked the fox's prints, but it was the beast which found them first. The mice were initially at a disadvantage due to their size. Conrad struggled to climb the briars, while Celanawe struck the fox's nose. As Conrad fell, the fox caught his right hind paw with its teeth. The mouse retaliated, snagging his harpoon through the fox's lower muzzle.^[3]

Whilst the fox was occupied with Conrad, Celanawe swung a mighty blow, but missed and accidentally cut off the sailor's right leg. Conrad lay in agony, while Celanawe did his best to ease the bleeding with a makeshift bandage and tourniquet. He rested, while Celanawe slaughtered the fox. Conrad was able to use a stick of bramble as a crutch. The pair was alerted to the sounds and presence of two fox kits. Conrad suggested they slay the kits also, but Celanawe, who had seen enough bloodshed for one day, refused to kill these two — especially as they were not a part of his bargain with King Luthebon.^[3]

The pair of mice journeyed back to Ildur Hall, with the fox's eye as proof of their successful kill. However, upon their arrival they were faced with a distraught King Luthebon towering over the corpse of Em.^[3] Celanawe and Conrad accused the King of treachery. Luthebon denied this, and explained that against his express orders, the royal healer Eberochre had snatched Em up as a live specimen for study, and in so doing broken her frail frame. Luthebon had run Eberochre through with his sword in retaliation, but this action was too late: for Em was already mortally wounded.^[1]

Conrad, who was prejudiced towards weasels and ferrets, did not accept King Luthebon's explanation and insisted that killing mice was simply in a ferret's nature. Luthebon explained that he had no desire to kill other beings except when meat was required. The King had Eberochre's pelt cured and gifted this to Celanawe and Conrad, who fashioned the skin into cloaks, and helped the mice prepare a fitting funeral for Em in the waters of Bellisflod. At Em's funeral, Conrad expressed that had it not been for Eberochre, he suspected Em would have outlived both himself and Celanawe.^[1]

Luthebon also granted the mice full rights and protection on Ildur. In the days following Em's funeral, Celanawe and Conrad kept clear of the ferrets — Celanawe poring over Em's book, and Conrad fashioning himself a peg-leg for his missing limb from scavenged wood, and lounging about in the sun. But the pair grew tired of this existence and longed to return to the Mouse Territories. Celanawe suggested they do just that, and the pair resolved to sail back.^[1]

Return to the Mouse Territories[]

Over a period of 20 days in the summer of 1115, Celanawe, Conrad and King Luthebon's subjects built a ship of shell and timber scrap. Using maps provided by King Luthebon, and following the patterns of migrating birds, the mice sailed south from island to island, replenishing their supplies at each stop.^[1]

The return journey took over a year, and while they discussed many things — their fathers, ambitions, the Guard, and the Black Axe — Celanawe never divulged the truth of the weapon or his own origins to Conrad. Conrad adjusted well to life with a peg-leg, and never abandoned his ambition to become Captain's Captain of Port Sumac, despite Celanawe's suggestions he begin life anew elsewhere.^[1]

After over four seasons of sailing, camping, surviving and composing songs, the duo reached the north shoreline of the Mouse Territories in the summer of 1116. Celanawe disembarked just east of Dawnrock, intending to travel straight to Lockhaven, whereas Conrad continued his voyage to Port Sumac. Conrad was wary about returning without Celanawe, whose memory and axe could attest to the journey they had undertaken. But Celanawe asked Conrad to keep the journey secret, not wishing others to know of his identity or legendary weapon, and promised Conrad he would visit Port Sumac later and give testament to his tales. The pair shook hands and parted ways.^[1]

Conrad's arrival at Port Sumac was unpleasant. As predicted, Roarke did not believe his tale about his quest north. The Captain's Captain banished Conrad from the harbour, and put a price on the mouse's head if he ever tried to sail out. Conrad made a poor living on simple labour, took up lodgings in The Drupe in Upper Port Sumac, and earned just enough for food and alcohol. He drowned his sorrows in drink and exchanged bad words with the locals.^[4]

Later that season, Celanawe journeyed back to Port Sumac as promised. Wishing not to draw attention to himself, he stowed the Black Axe away before entering the settlement. Celanawe found Conrad drunk outside The Drupe tavern, arguing with the publican. Conrad slurred as he demanded that Celanawe clear his name. Celanawe was shocked to see Conrad like this. Conrad then went on to blame his former friend for the destruction of his ship, the loss of his leg and the death of Em. He went mad as he tormented Celanawe, and shouted loudly about the absence of the Black Axe, suggesting Celanawe had lost this too. Conrad's shouts drew the attention of the mice inside the tavern.^[4]

Conrad Celanawe — Conrad strikes Celanawe on the clifftops of Upper Port Sumac, summer 1115.

Conrad's shouts turned to violence. He swung a punch at Celanawe at the edge of the cliffs, which Celanawe ducked. As Celanawe backed towards the cliff's edge, he told Conrad he would not raise blade or paw against Conrad. Conrad then swung again, striking Celanawe in the jaw. The force of the blow knocked Celanawe backwards off the cliff. From Conrad's perspective, it looked as if Celanawe had then fallen all the way down to the rocks below and perished; however, unknown to Conrad, Celanawe really survived by grasping a hidden crevice just below the cliff's edge.^[4]

It is unknown what Conrad did immediately following Celanawe's apparent fall. Sometime between 1116 and 1152, Conrad joined the Mouse Guard, at what was an unconventionally old age and befriended Sadie. He was stationed at the northern outpost of Calogero.^[5]

Midnight's Rebellion[]

During the fall of 1152, Conrad began to suspect that somemouse was using Calogero as a meeting place while he was out. One day, he hid himself in the outpost's rafters, and waited. Soon two mice entered Calogero, one a grain peddler, the other an unknown blackfur. He listened to their conversation, and realized they were hatching a plan to attack Lockhaven. The two mice departed, but before Conrad could follow, he saw another lone figure approach Calogero from the other entrance, and remained in his hiding place.^[6]

When the lone figure, a young Guardmouse named Sadie, entered the outpost, a drunken Conrad jumped out from the shadows and held her captive with his harpoon. He ordered her to tell him who she was. Sadie managed to convince the intoxicated mouse that she was a fellow Guardmouse, and he released her before falling to the ground, having passed-out from the alcohol.^[6]

Conrad Crab — Conrad strikes attacks a crab outside Calogero during the fall of 1152.

The following morning, Conrad awoke to find Sadie had cooked him soup for breakfast. The younger mouse informed him that he had slept through the entire night, and told him that she had been sent by Gwendolyn to investigate why there had been no ongoing communication from the outpost in months. She then asked why Conrad had threatened her, and he told her about the meeting of the traitorous mice.^[6]

The two mice agreed to travel to Lockhaven and inform Gwendolyn of the mutiny, but before they could leave they discovered that Calogero had been surrounded by crabs. The pair tried to escape, but were spotted and a battle ensued. Outnumbered, Conrad realised that they were both going to be killed, meaning Gwendolyn would not get word of the traitorous mice. Therefore, he launched himself onto a nearby crab, and grabbed its eyes, making an effective diversion. He told Sadie to flee to Lockhaven and protect the greater good, and after she left, he was killed by the crabs. His sacrifice enabled Sadie to escape and bring news of the plot to Lockhaven.^[6]