When he was first recruited, Gerard was living in Göttkirchen as Michel du Paix. Michel drew the attention of the Order after a series of actions that involved hunting down and killing a group of young noblemen who were torturing and killing peasants of the region for sport and then hiding behind their titles to escape punishment. Young Michel leapt at the offer to join a group interested in bringing the miscreants to justice. He smiled coldly at the offer from his contact to help arranged his own “death” and said, “It is not a difficult thing to kill a man everyone wishes to be rid of anyway.” Upon being reborn as “Gerard Dubert,” he asked to be granted duties that alternated between serving as a protector in cities with tours of isolation in the wild areas of Théah.

Gerard has created a small niche in the Order for himself by proving himself to be most adept at helping recruits “end” their previous lives convincingly. To assist his brothers and sisters “pass over” to their new lives, he has burned several to death in their homes, hanged a few, stabbed some others, drowned two more, shot one in front of 30 witnesses, and even managed to execute one on “Le Coiffeur.” The creative and convincing manner he uses to complete these deaths has allowed the recruits to join the Order with minimal investigation or suspicion. When a high-profile recruit is approached, Gerard is usually consulted on how to best remove them from their past.

Two years ago Gerard was offered the Black Glove for his services but he refused because he felt that the honor would cause him to turn away from the activities by which he could best serve the Order. With the Hierophant dead, the Hochmeister asked Gerard if the Order could honor his service in some other way and the quiet man replied that he wished to be assigned to his home town.

In Nonus 1668, Gerard was stationed as the Vigilant guarding the Room of Stars in Petit Charouse. The unobtrusive position gave him a chance to observe the actions of those he had known in his early days. His duty in the sewers of the Montaigne capital gave him a front row seat for the Revolution. Twice, Gerard risked exposure to rescue peasant revolutionaries from the guns of the Lightning Guard and then braved the revolutionary militia to save a family of nobles from execution in the street. As the new government gained power, Gerard found himself busy fending off refugees who were hiding in the sewers. Protecting the secret of the room from those looking for a weapon to regain their power has kept Gerard very busy.

Three months ago, Gerard encountered another problem. While running off a group of citizens exploring the sewers, Gerard was interrupted by two young nobles who had taken refuge there and leapt to his aid unbidden. After the battle, they recognized Gerard from his youth and overcome with joy, insisted on joining him in the sewers while waiting for a counter-revolution to restore them to favor. Overworked with all the activity in the sewers, Gerard uneasily accepted their assistance. On the one hand, it is convenient to have able-bodied help, but every day that goes by makes the possibility of having to silence them more and more difficult.

Gerard is a short man with long unkempt mouse-brown hair. His eyes are a steely gray pair of slits that squint at the world around him. He seems to always carry a frown on his face and rarely shows joy or any emotion beyond frustration. His choice of life with die Kreuzritter has transformed him into a thin, wiry man who tends to stoop despite his lack of height. However, Gerard is not a man who enjoys being idle; even at rest, he tends to pace and flex his hands as if agitated at the world - or ready for battle.

Gerard Dubert is a name assumed since joining die Kreuzritter. However, Michel du Paix was another alias. The clever Montaigne has lived a life of lies and false identities. When he was a young boy, his parents fled to Charouse under false names to hide their relations to the du Martise family and their past dishonor to that family name. Gerard changed his name at least once more in Charouse and twice before he ended up in Göttkirchen. There has always been a reason of honor tied to his identity changes. The switch to Michel du Paix, for example, stemmed from his failure to meet the rigorous requirements to become a member of the Rose + Cross. Other names have come as he has been forced to leave a region for standing up for the rights of those who could not defend their own interests from corrupt officials and nobility.

Gerard’s current duty as vigilant under Charouse presents additional problems. The recent Revolution has forced many to hide from the new government in the sewers he is guarding. To date, he has been very creative in driving away potential squatters from the Room of Stars. Additionally, the new government has begun sending groups into the sewer system to create a definitive map of the entire system. Gerard realizes that he cannot simply kill these men, because it will draw attention. He is currently relying on other pro-royalist factions to keep them away from his area through sheer coincidence.

Finally, Gerard has a problem with his two friends who are nobles and honest men. Both of the men did heroic things to protect Gerard’s family after he disappeared. They are sincere in trying to rally others to restore traditional rule in Montaigne. Gerard knows that if he asked, both would swear and live by an oath never to reveal his presence in Charouse, but doing that would reveal his existence and endanger Die Kreuzritter as well. Unfortunately, neither man is a mindset to recruit into the society. Gerard fears he will be forced to kill two good friends for the crime of saving his life and having been his friends in the past. He is tying hard to delay the decision as long as he can in the hopes that a solution will present itself. He still has two months before his replacement is due and he is forced to take action.

Gerard Dubert, Die Kreuzritter Vigilant ( d20™ )

Montaigne Wanderer 4 / Spy 3 / Saboteur 2: CR 9; SZ M (humanoid); HD 4d8+8+5d6+10; hp 58; Init +3 (Dex); Spd 30 ft; AC 13 (+3 Dex); Atks: +7 melee (rapier 1d8+2), +8 ranged (pistol 1d10); SA Alias, Brilliant Getaway, Contacts, Demolitions Expert, Duck and Cover, Evasion, Sneak Attack +3d6, Tradesman, Traps, Uncanny Dodge, Ward of the Albatross; SV Fort +2, Ref +10, Will +2; Str 14, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 11; AL CN; Skills: Alchemy +4, Balance +4, Bluff +6, Craft (demolition) +8, Craft (traps) +6, Decipher Script +2, Disable Device +8, Disguise +6, Escape Artist +4, Forgery +4, Gather Information +6, Hide +4, Innuendo +4, Jump +4, Knowledge (Charouse) +6, Knowledge (Syrneth) +4, Move Silently +2, Open Lock +4, Search +4, Spot +2, Use Rope +2; Feats: Criminal, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearms), Forger, Membership (die Kreuzritter), Road Scholar.

Gerard Dubert – Hero ( 7th Sea™ )

Brawn: 3, Finesse: 3, Wits: 3, Resolve: 4, Panache: 2

Reputation: 7

Backgrounds: Secret Identity 2, Obligation 1

Advantages: Montaigne (R/W), Castillian, Eisen (R/W), Vodacce, Membership (Die Kreuzritter), Small

Bombmaking: Blacksmith 1, Cooper 2, Mathematics 1, Fuse 3, Natural Philosophy 4, Poison 4

Criminal: Gambling 1, Shadowing 3, Stealth 4, Ambush 4, Lock-picking 1, Scrounge 3

Doctor: Diagnosis 2, First Aid 2, Examiner 3, Surgery 1

Guide: Climbing 2, Stealth 4, Street Navigation 3, Survival 3, Tracking 2, Ambush 4, Direction Sense 3, Swimming 2

Riverboat Sailor: Balance 2, Knot-work 3, Rigging 3, River Navigation 1, Ambush 4, Diplomacy 1, Pilot 1, Swimming 2, Weather 2

Servant: Etiquette 2, Fashion 1, Menial Task 4, Unobtrusive 5, Gossip 1, Haggling 2

Waylay: Lie In Wait 4, Set Trap 5, Shadowing 3, Ambush 4, Camouflage 3, Land on Target 2

Athlete: Climbing 2, Footwork 4, Sprint 1, Throw 2, Leaping 3, swimming 2

Archer: Attack (Bow) 3, Fletcher 4, Snapshot 2

Fencing: Attack (Fencing) 4, Parry 4

Firearms: Attack (Firearms) 4

Knife: Attack (Knife) 3, Parry 4, Throw (Knife) 3

Wrestling: Grapple 3, Break 2, Escape 3, Head Butt 2

Sample Plot Hook
The situation in the Charouse sewers is becoming almost untenable and after much internal debate, Gerard has decided to seek outside help. Unless someone in the party is a members of the Order, he will not reveal the true task of guarding the Room of Stars, but rather will give them the job of “maintaining order” in various less dangerous parts of the sewers.

With an important member who needs to disappear, the party of Knights is sent to replace Gerard. Two members are tasked with remaining on guard, while the others will escort Gerard back to Eisen. Gerard hoped for more time because he still has not resolved the situation with his two guests. Whether he comes down on the side of the Order or his friends may depend on how the party deals with the situation.

Original character concept by Martin Hall