Much of Gerard uth Mondar's (393 AC - ? AC) life can be said to follow as a direct consequence of a disfiguring illness he suffered at the age of fourteen. It left his already unremarkable face looking downright ugly, causing him to be mocked and ridiculed by his peers, especially girls. One girl took to calling him "pock face," causing shame and embarrassment that continue to haunt him as an adult. When he turned eighteen, he snubbed the girl in return, for she had since discovered that his family's money went a long way toward alleviating his appearance. Nevertheless, the incident resulted in a lasting mistrust of women, for he suspects any woman who looks at him to be only interested in his wealth.

Not that Gerard would have been much to look at in any case. His nose grew askew after he broke it in a childhood fight. His straw yellow hair stuck up at all angles, refusing to be combed. His beard, when it grew in, was patchy and splotchy (though it did help to hide the scarring on his face). His astonishingly blue eyes were his one good feature, although even these sometimes repelled people because of the unsettling intensity with which he focused them on anything or anyone that caught his attention.

Perhaps his appearance contributed to his ascetic nature, for as an adult he shunned almost any pleasure. For many years, he ate his regular breakfast of congealed porridge without benefit of sweetening, cinnamon or even milk, washing the mass down with tarbean tea, which he detested. A life of physical rigor and discipline did, however, serve to make him extremely strong, belying the appearance of his medium height and build.

Knighthood

The son of Sir Mondar uth Alfric, a wealthy shipping magnate, Gerard was expected to continue a long family tradition of serving in the Knights of Solamnia. He did so, despite having realized on the night of his vigil before entering the knighthood that he felt no particular aptitude for this calling. Nevertheless, he hated to disappoint his family, and so went on to serve without noticeable distinction until the War of Souls. Much to Gerard's dismay, Sir Mondar's influence within the knighthood proved sufficient to keep him stationed during the early part of the war in safe posts -- first near the family home on Southern Ergoth, where he brewed tarbean tea and wrote letters for his commanding officers; later as part of the honor guard at the Tomb of the Last Heroes in Solace. Here he chafed at being kept away from the action and ignored the disrespect of his fellow knights who looked down on him for (as they saw it) shunning the fighting.

And here he might have remained until the end of the war was it not for the sudden appearance of Tasslehoff Burrfoot (the Tasslehoff Burrfoot, not one of the legions of kender subsequently named in his honor). When Tasslehoff left Solace in search of Palin Majere, Gerard was assigned to accompany him, leading him eventually into the very thick of the fighting where Gerard distinguished himself and proved instrumental in winning the war. Following the war he said he would assist in forming an alliance between the Knights and the Elves, but this would never come to be.

Sheriff of Solace

After the war, Gerard became disenchanted with the Knights of Solamnia for failing to come to the aid of the displaced elves of Qualinesti. He resigned his commission (an act for which his father disowned him) and, at Palin's urging, took over the job of Sheriff of Solace. He did so with deep misgivings, intending to stay only long enough to clear up a couple of mysterious deaths (including that of the previous sheriff). He solved the murders, and decided that he would stay on as the sheriff in the quickly growing town.

By the summer of 422 AC, a new menace came upon Gerard and Solace. A kender named Nightshade Pricklypear and a former monk of Majere named Rhys Mason proved to Gerard that a new type of undead called the Beloved were in Solace. Gerard called the Highmage Jenna and a Holy Warrior of Kiri-Jolith named Dominique Helmsman and attempted to destroy a Beloved named Cam. This was hard for Gerard, since he knew Cam and his family. Cam though tried to kill Gerard, but luckily Atta saved his life just as the life was being choked out of him. Luckily to be alive, Gerard returned to his duties in Solace as Nightshade and Rhys continued on their mission.

However Gerard was not to have peace just yet, when the clerics of the temples in Solace soon waged war on one another. Gerard was forced to call the guard to separate the followers of the gods, unaware that the riot had been staged by the followers of Chemosh, at the behest of Ausric Krell. However when Krell and his Bone Warriors led a second assault, Gerard and his town guard when put to the test, with several of the guardsmen being killed, and Gerard himself suffering several minor injuries. Rhys Mason found the injured Gerard and led him back to the Inn of the Last Home to recover, where the monk told Gerard about Mina actually being a god. The Sheriff then received news about a large group of rioters that had chosen to lay siege to the temple of Chemosh, to drive the troublesome followers of the God of Death out of town...

Gerard still remains in Solace today, having become an accepted and much-respected member of the community he had loathed during his forced tenure during the war.

References

• Amber and Ashes, p. 172-176
• Dragons of a Vanished Moon (HC), p. 61
• Amber and Iron, p. 21-24, 30, 85, 90, 96, 105
• Amber and Blood, p. 156-159, 210-217
• Dragons of a Fallen Sun (HC), p. 51-58, 109, 254, 421, 498
• Dragons of a Lost Star, p. 36-38, 206, 210, 213, 290, 389
• Dragons of a Vanished Moon (HC), p. 92-98, 117, 121, 137, 236, 270, 281, 310-311, 397-400, 405, 409, 419, 422, 429, 444-445, 451, 498, 513
• Saving Solace, p. 12-22, 28, 31, 35, 36, 63, 68, 70-71, 88-89, 103, 109, 131, 179, 184, 192, 196-199, 210, 216, 221, 227, 234, 239, 247-248, 256, 266, 275-276, 294, 298, 300