Gerald Leonsmane

Lt. General Gerald Leonsmane as seen before he drank his potion of youth while still in service to Astrid. (by Eininfar)

Sir Gerald Leonsmane is a former member of the Cormyran Knights of the Purple Dragon. He came to the valley with the hopes of finding a quiet place to retire in, but only found a land with more perils than his previous home. He found himself taking up the sword once again, and has thus far been granted the knight Order of the Beldin Rose. Sir Leonsmane has sinse left the Order of the Astrid Knights and has started a new order on his new land outside Beldin in which he holds the founding position of Grand-Marshal of the Lion Legionnaires .

Gerald is played by generalrykof.

History

Gerald Leonsmane was born to a farming family on the outskirts of Cormyr. Himself, his mother, and his father ran the farm but did not prosper nearly as well as would be considered living comfortably. Mostly interested in farming, he met at the market a woman named Heather who he soon after fell in love with at the age of 15. Two years later he and Heather were married in a small family ceremony on their farm by a priest of Torm. Heather however fell ill only weeks after the wedding day and did not seem to be getting better. They tried to bring her to a temple however did not have enough money to pay for her healing. In order to try and make more money to help save his love, Gerald enlisted in the Cormyr military desperate to get the gold together in time. Some time later, her condition worsening, she gave birth to a baby girl, taking on the blonde hair of Gerald and her mothers deep blue eyes. The birthing took its toll on Heather and to Geralds despair she passed away simply one week away from when Gerald would recieve the final payment he needed for the cure. He would never forgive himself for loosing her, and still loves her greatly to this day.

After Heathers death, Gerald found coped the only way he could, distracting himself. He began to train with the longsword but after her death he took on the training with the much more unweildy yet deadly bastard sword. Gerald worked very hard in the military for 10 years until he was officially admited into the Purple Dragon Knights of Cormyr where he learned a new way to cope with his pain of loss. The spread of good will.

When Heather had passed away he was untrusting of the gods and had saught to use the military to simply distract himself, yet when he joined the Purple Dragon Knights he realized that his true passion was in helping those less fortunate. While he still has little trust in the gods, and much prefers to do things himself rather than pray for things to happen, he believes whole heartedly in the the ideal goodness of the world. With this valor and exaulted attitude Gerald soon rose to the rank of Sword Captain of the Purple Dragon Knights.

In 1370 the great Goblin War began. While called the Goblin Wars it was actually an army composed only a fraction of goblins, while mostly consisting of Orcs. This war rampaged through the land of Cormyr and did much damage. During this time Sword Captain Gerald Leonsmane served with the rest of the Purple Dragon Knights in securing and saving lives during this time. When the great trade town of Arabel located in Cormyr was under seige King Azoun the IVth ordered the a force of Purple Dragon Knights called the Fangs of the Purple Dragons to cover the evacuation, a force that Gerald was a member of. They defended the city and organized the evacuation of thousands, saving many before surrendering the city in the month of Kythorn. By the time Flamerule had come about the war was nearing its end as Myrmeen Lhal, the Lady Lord of Arabel organized a militia force lead by the Purple Dragon knights to take back the town. By 1371 the war was over with and all the members of the Fangs of the Purple Dragon were knighted by King Azoun Obarskyr the Vth the young boy, since King Azoun the IVth perished. This is where Gerald Leonsmane was first knighted to become Sir Gerald Leonsmane.

After serving in so many battles and skirmishes against those foes, Gerald retired for his first time at a young age, having plenty of gold and success. However, his love of serving and helping others soon had him back working for the Purple Dragon Knights yet again as a trainer for new recruits. He would teach a great many young aspiring Dragon Knights how to fight, use tactics, and have strength in honor. Many of his students were Paladins and all loved Gerald for his warm heart, stern hand, unmatched skill with a blade, and his unyielding devotion to all that is good and pure.

During this time, he and his daughter had grown increasingly distant. He was rarely around for his daughters upraising most of which was done by Geralds own parents, and while he loved his daughter very much, he had a sense of duty and a need to keep his mind and body busy. His daughter couldnt understand however, and grew to have a resenting dislike of her father despite the tales of valor and the fame that he had aquired during his service to all of Cormyr. He and her to this day have not spoken.

Beldin Years

After training students for years the now 58 year old man finally decided to retire for good yet knew that he would not be able to resist helping out again if he stayed in his beloved city. Leaving the Cormyr Military yet forever a Purple Dragon Knight Sir Gerald Leonsmane set out to find a place where he could settle far away from Cormyr and its troubles. He spoke with and became friends with a Fearthegn Recruiter and was convinced to go and settle down in a place with that could offer amusement, diversity, and beautiful sights. He now resides in the city of Beldin where he could not help but come out of retirement to help out during the Death King Wars alongside many of Beldins older heroes. After this he was knighted once again, this time by the city of Beldin. He would then come to meet and fall in love with a young woman named Miri who was a waitress at the Fearthegn Bar where the adventurers and knights alike would always gather. In 1392 they would mary but not before first fighting in yet another war against the Tyrant King Malark, where he was knighted by Beldin for a second time. Following the civil war, he joined the Order of Astrid Knights , where he served as its Lt. General (a rank now identified as "Colonel").

In 1394 when Gerald was nearing the point where his body would not allow him to fight any longer. Gerald and some others underwent a quest to replicate a potion that would allow for him to reduce his age. Soon after he drank it he went back to being in the body of his younger self and is now back in his prime ready to take on the evil of the world as if reborn.

Grand Marshal Gerald Leonsmane in his ornate full plate.

No more than a few months after growing younger however the Demon Gate Crisis began and with its beggining so too did the life of Geralds beloved second wife end. As the Mythals exploded in a violent display of magical energy the bar was destroyed and with it everybody inside, only thanks to Jergals will did Gerald and the others survive it, however he did not see it fit to bring Miri back. Destrought Gerald had no choice but to continue anyways to ensure the protection of the Valley. He fought through the Demon Gate Crisis staying behind to defend the Valley and close the gates while many others left for Black Sun in persuit of the Death Queen . Following the Demongate Crisis, Gerald served as Astrids Lt. General during the Reclemation War, the last campaign he would fight in before leaving to form his own order; the Lion Legionaires.

After the valley was secured and things settled down in 1409, Sir Gerald Leonsmane left Astrid with his current girlfriend Anezka. Gerald and his allies in Astrid and from elsewhere banded together in order to cleanse the old Red Knights Temple of the taint that was put there many years ago. After it had been cleasned Gerald asked Queen Iris for the land and it was granted him, in addition to the land being granted to him, he was told that the land would pass down to his eldest son after his passing making him a landed knight as the queen told him. Now with his own land Sir Gerald Leonsmane is establishing a new order in the valley in the name of all that is good and pure, to solidify his true goals which is to see Beldin return to a city of virtue and good faith.