Gerhard Falmar

Sir Gerhard Falmar is a knight of House Falmar. He is the current appointed leader of the Blackthorne Military, taking the title "Captain-of-the-Guard." A veteran of the Brecilidian Rebellion, he is known for his staunch loyalty to Baroness Valoria Blackthorne after serving under her son the Dark Prince. He is a decorated soldier, holding the official rank of General within the House's private army("household guard"), and is famed for his accomplishments in battle as well as his distinctive appearance--heavily scarred by the war, he chooses to publicly present in a suit of sinister knight's armor that masks his disfigured looks. His martial skill and ferocious reputation stand in stark contrast to House Falmar's reputation as soft and unwarlike "sheeplords." 
== Appearance and Personality ==
Gerhard was described during his squiredom as a plain-looking lad, with flaxen brown hair, a thin face, and green eyes--typical features for a Falmar. He contracted severe frostbite during his time in the Brecilidian White Desert; he lost three fingers and four toes to hoarfrost, and his nose was so severely blackened that physicians were forced to cut most of it off. Severe scarring to the skin on his face has worsened with age, giving him a craggy appearance, and a botched surgery on the right side has torn away most of the eyelid, leaving a staring exposed eyeball that is partially blind. He keeps as clean-shaven as he can, and his hair has turned an iron-grey with age. He always wears a distinctive suit of armor that is designed to be medium-weight, versatile and quiet for use in Marsh terrain and so as not to stand out too much from the Blackthorne militia's uniforms; its body consists of boiled leather, fur, and iron plating. The helm is a slitted green-grey barbuta with distinctive coiling ram's horns implants on either side of the head. He always carries a bayonet slung over one shoulder.
Gerhard is a humorless and stern disciplinarian, with an extremely gruff manner and an unflinching loyalty to his Blackthorne superiors--even their more brutal demands. He commands his troops with merciless efficiency and tolerates no dissent or signs of weakness. However, his loyalty and obedience also extends to a kind of affection. He was known to idolize his sister, "Little" Talia Falmar, and adopted her infant son Sam as his own when she died during the Red Death, as well as looking after his own baseborn daughter "Raggedy" Talia. He employs both children as squires, showing a measure of paternal affection amidst his usual harsh manner.
== Skills & Abilities ==
While no longer able to wield melee weaponry due to his injuries, Gerhard is still a highly skilled sniper and marksman, adept with both rifles and pistols. Trained as a knight and a militiamen, he has all the martial abilities that would imply, including horseriding and surviving in the wild. He is a talented military organizer, leading the Blackthorne military effectively even in its reduced post-revolution state.
== History ==
In The Brecilidian Rebellion, Gerhard squired for his sister, "Little" Talia Falmar. On the orders of the Dark Prince, the duo ventured north along with their platoon to search for enemy encampments in the great White Desert, an endless frozen arctic expanse. The group were lured into a trap by Hrow guerilla fighters who killed most of the squadron, with Gerhard and Talia the only survivors--and Talia badly wounded. This was in the middle of a blizzard. Most soldiers would have given in to despair and let themselves freeze to death; but whether through valor or through madness, Gerhard refused. He fashioned a makeshift sled from camp equipment and began dragging his sister on it, back through the snowy wastes. it was an endless trek that went on for miles, and frostbite began to set in along with the exhaustion and starvation. Eventually, after days of dragging without rest, a High Elven scout came upon them. Now badly frozen to the point his hands no longer functioned, Gerhard used the only weapon he still had left and fell upon the scout, tearing his throat out with his teeth.
He eventually returned with his sister, badly wounded but kept warm safe & fed, to the Blackthorne camp. Talia was sent home, but Gerhard insisted he be allowed to fight on, insisting that he'd learned on his long arduous march that if he stopped now he'd be lost--the only solution was to keep going. His amazed comrades began to call him "Black Sheep"--both because of his blackened frostbitten appearance, and also for having a valour thought to be uncommon in the house of Falmar. At war's end, Gerhard was granted multiple decorations and promotions along with his knighthood. He began to be trained as an Officer, and was quickly snapped up for service by Valoria Blackthorne who was enthused by his exploits and viewed him as an ideal henchman. He was eventually named as the Captain of her Guard, and therefore head of the Blackthorne military, in 1077AE.
In 1075AE, Gerhard's beloved sister Talia died of the plague. She had a young son at the time, Sam, that he adopted as his own in her memory. He also had a relationship with a Marcher widow who gave birth to his bastard child but died in the process; showing more care than many a noble, he adopted that girl as his child too and named her Talia Woods, or as his grandmother would nickname her, "Raggedy" Talia. He is as stern with his issue as he is with his soldiers; Talia, cut from her father's cloth, responds well to this, but it makes the "softer" Sam quite anxious.
== Events of 1086AE ==
Gerhard is on an expedition in the Silkwood, where he comes to Shatterlight Coven to meet Theodor Blackthorne. He is accompanied by his children, Talia Woods and Sam Falmar. It is here that he meets Damon West.
== Ancestry ==
family tree is available here