Joseph the Bellmaker was the father of Mariel Gullwhacker, and as his name indicated, a skilled bellmaker. During a voyage to deliver a bell to Lord Rawnblade Widestripe at Salamandastron, his ship the Periwinkle was captured by searats under the command of Gabool the Wild. Joseph became a slave under the corsair, but was thrown out of the window at his Terramort Isle fortress by the insane beast. However, he survived the fall and founded the Terramort Resistance Against Gabool, or Trag, which eventually defeated Gabool. During his time as the leader of Trag, he led a boarding party of some 20 mice who commandeered the Seatalon; and he personally slew its captain Catseyes, thus freeing Dandin and Durry Quill, not to mention the rest of the slaves on board.