Gear

Gear was one of the Hounds of ShadowGardens of the Moon, Dramatis Personae, UK MMPB p.xvi and the offspring of Blind and Baran.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 12, US HC p.279 He was Seventh among Shadowthrone's servants.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.161
He was described as being the size of a mule and had mottled grey and black fur and his muzzle was speckled with grey, the eyes at times glowing amber. Gear's eyes were described as yellow flames on another occasion and his lips as black. He had canines the length of a man's thumb which glowed luminescent. When the eye lids snapped back, a white strip flashed.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.165 He had a massive, wideGardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.166 head.
A stiffening of his hackles would tell Gear that magic was used nearby. Gear's appearance and leaving were marked by icy winds and a rippling of cold air respectively.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.165/167
==In Gardens of the Moon==
In 1161 BS, Gear and the other Hounds were summoned by Shadowthrone to eliminate a regiment of the Itko Kanese 8th Cavalry to disguise his and Cotillion's abduction of Sorry.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 1, UK MMPB p.17 The Hounds killed 175 soldiers and 210 horses in the Itko Kan Massacre while suffering no casualties of their own.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 1, US HC p.38
Gear followed the puppet Hairlock, who had trespassed into the Shadow Realm, through Warrens to the location of Tattersail and Ganoes Paran (at the time a tool of Oponn) in Pale. The Hound moved silently through the city. He killed four marines who were just changing shifts, in front of the estate where Tattersail resided. In the ensuing fight, Tattersail and Hairlock used their Warrens to keep the Hound at bay. When Hairlock began to reach for the Gear's soul, Tattersail entreated the Hound to flee. Paran then appeared unnoticed from another room and managed to cut the Hound across the chest with his sword, Chance, causing the Hound to flee.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 4, UK MMPB p.166/167 According to stories making the rounds, the Hound killed fourteen marines.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 9, UK MMPB p.268 The injury sustained from the sword cut left Gear with a scar.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 15, UK MMPB p.471
With Quick Ben's aid, all seven Hounds finally ran the trespassing puppet Hairlock to ground on the Rhivi Plain and tore him to pieces before confronting Ganoes Paran. Gear wished to slay Paran in revenge for their previous encounter but the Captain was saved by the intervention of the Tiste Andii, Anomander Rake. Rake slew Doan and Ganrod with his soul stealing sword Dragnipur and drove off the others.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 15, US HC p.330-332
==In Deadhouse Gates==
The five remaining Hounds (Gear, Baran, Blind, Rood, and Shan) accompanied Fiddler, Apsalar, Crokus Younghand, Icarium, Mappo, and Iskaral Pust through the maze surrounding Tremorlor.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 16, US HC p.442 The Hounds served as protection from the hordes of Soletaken and D'ivers following Shadowthrone's false Path of Hands to the Azath House. They also proved as a deterrent against the rage of Icarium. During the journey, Gear led the group's retreat from Gryllen and his masses of rats. Later he killed a D'ivers Dhenrabi by jumping into its mouth, but cringed in the presence of Moby, the Bhok'arala familiar.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 18, US HC p.481-482Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 19, US HC p.498/500
==In The Bonehunters==
After his experience on Drift Avalii, Cotillion felt he could no longer completely trust the Hounds given the mastery the Tiste Edur seemed to hold over them.The Bonehunters, Chapter 2, US SFBC p.80 But one or more of the Hounds still tended to accompany Cotillion on his travels inside and out of Shadow. Gear and the other Hounds followed Cotillion to Seven Cities when the god visited the recuperating Mappo Runt.The Bonehunters, Chapter 12, US SFBC p.50
Ganoes Paran used the Deck of Dragons to call upon Shadowthrone to enlist his help against Dejim Nebrahl. He warned that he planned to release the Deragoth against the T'rolbarahl. He asked Shadowthrone to send his Hounds to Seven Cities because the Hounds of Darkness would surely seek out their counterparts and it would be better if this did not occur in Shadow. Shadowthrone reluctantly agreed.The Bonehunters, Chapter 11, US SFBC p.466-467
The Hounds found Dejim Nabrahl west of Y'Ghatan as it hunted Masan Gilani and herded it into the path of the Deragoth. After the Deragoth killed four of Dejim's forms the Hounds of Shadow swept in and Baran snatched up its last remaining body in its mouth. Then the Hounds ran southward into the wastes.The Bonehunters, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.536-546The Bonehunters, Chapter 14, US SFBC p.586-587The Bonehunters, Chapter 15, US SFBC p.624
The Deragoth pursued the Hounds all the way to G'danisban where Shadowthrone saw a way to eliminate multiple problems. The Hounds burst into the camp of Onearm's Host outside the city sending Sweetcreek and Futhgar tumbling. Hurlochel saw pure terror in one Hound's eyes as the Deragoth followed.The Bonehunters, Chapter 15, US SFBC p.620-621 Inside the city, they entered Poliel's Grand Temple where Gear loosed a howl of savage glee, "as of some long-awaited vengeance moments from consummation." At the temple's altar, Ganoes Paran had pinned the goddess with an Otataral shard. Also present was Quick Ben, who Shadowthrone had lured to the temple knowing the otataral would prevent his escape. The mage was there to save his sister, Torahaval Delat, who had been marked for death by the god of Shadow. Baran dropped Dejim Nabrahl while Gear and the other Hounds went for Quick Ben. The mage and his sister were saved only by the sudden appearance of Apsalar, who fought the Hounds using a Shadow Dance, and the skeletal Telorast and Curdle.The Bonehunters, Chapter 15, US SFBC p.624-628
The Hounds were forced to depart empty handed as the Deragoth arrived to tear Dejim Nebrahl and Poliel apart. Returning to Shadow to lick their wounds, they were suspicious of Cotillion whose magic they sensed in the dancing figure that had repelled them.The Bonehunters, Chapter 15, US SFBC p.627-628/630/632
==In Toll the Hounds==
Shadowthrone brought Gear and the other Hounds of Shadow with him to a timeless necropolis to meet with Hood and an unidentified third party with Edgewalker as mitigator.Toll the Hounds, Prologue, US SFBC p.19-22
The Hounds accompanied Shadowthrone and Cotillion to Morn where the two gods met with Traveller after his shipwreck. They were also joined by two new Hounds, the bone-white coloured Pallid and Lock. Shadowthrone insisted he had summoned them as seven was the desired number of Hounds, but Cotillion admitted they had "just sort've...showed up." The older Hounds recognised Traveller and gathered around him, and Baran and Shan allowed him to stroke them. Shadowthrone sent the Hounds to guide Traveller in his initial journey across the Lamatath Plain. After Traveller departed the gods noted that the Hounds would not have protected them if Traveller had chosen to attack.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 6, US SFBC p.196-199 The Hounds of Shadow seemed to have accepted the newcomersToll the Hounds, Chapter 6, US SFBC p.200 and the mixed group mostly ran peacefully together. 
The Hounds continued to follow Traveller at a distance as he crossed paths with Karsa Orlong and Samar Dev and the three decided to make their way to Darujhistan together. When Karsa learned the Hounds were following, he rode out alone to challenge them, quickly spotting Shan hiding in the tall grass. Shadowthrone and Cotillion warned the Teblor not to impede Traveller or submit to the Crippled God as the Hounds maintained their distance, readied to charge. Satisfied with Karsa's answers, the two gods let him depart without setting the Hounds upon him.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 14, US SFBC p.565/576-579
Flying over the Lamatath Plain, Tulas Shorn, the undead Tiste Edur Soletaken Eleint, caught the scent of the Hounds of Shadow and mused about having been their first master. He wondered if his Hounds would remember "the one who had taken them when they were raw and half-wild and taught them the vast power of a faith that would never know betrayal?"Toll the Hounds, Chapter 16, US SFBC p.658 When he found the Hounds with Shadowthrone and Cotillion, he was not impressed, mocking the two gods as his Hounds' new pets. Even though the Hounds refused his attempts to beckon them closer, Tulas Shorn was pleased to see them. Learning that Doan and Ganrod had perished at Anomander Rake's hands, he was surprised that his Hounds would remain with masters too feeble to avenge their kin. Then Pallid and Lock appeared snarling amongst the Hounds and the Tiste Edur was horrified by their bone-white presence. He warned Shadowthrone and Cotillion they did not know what they were dealing with before veering to escape as all seven Hounds surged to attack.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.719-721
On the last night of the Gedderone Fête, when powerful forces converged on Darujhistan, the Hounds trampled the shack of Grisp Falaunt before destroying the Cutter Road Gate on their way into the city.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 21, US SFBC p.851-853 Pallid set off on its own, killing a dozen members of the City Watch before it was tackled by Baran. The pair's battle--which wrecked the Warden Barracks, freeing Barathol Mekhar and Antsy and nearly killing Chaur--seemed to signal the peace between the two groups of Hounds was over.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.916-918
When Traveller entered the city, Cotillion met with him flanked by the Hounds.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.903-904 Then the Hounds of Shadow accompanied Traveller (now revealed to be Dassem Ultor) to his fateful confrontation with Anomander Rake. Pallid and Lock were revealed to be Hounds of Light when they were joined by eight more of their kind to seize Dragnipur for their unnamed "master". The Hounds of Shadow moved to protect the sword, battling Envy and Spite, while Karsa, the Seguleh Second, De nek okral, Tulas Shorn, and Barathol Mekhar fought the Hounds of Light. By night's end, the sword was safely in Caladan Brood's hands so it could be destroyed.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 23Toll the Hounds, Chapter 24
==Notes and references==
Category:High House Shadow
Category:Hounds
Category:Males
de:Giar