Simon Gharding's Background

Simon was born into abject poverty. His mother, Gilly Lightfoot, was a soiled dove and worked at the
House of Joy. He had five siblings, and they all ran wild. Simon and his fellow street-urchins were
always in trouble, and petty theft became a way of life. Simon was picked up in a sweep of the
neighborhood, and he spilled his guts to the Law in order to win his freedom. Terrified that the people
he named would seek revenge against him, as soon as he was released he fled into hiding. However, no
one ever found out he squealed, as the information he'd given to the constables was insignificant and so
never acted upon. Eventually he returned to the neighborhood and told his friends that his daring prison
escape was a result of his own wits, and he became greatly admired. He gained quite a bit of status, and
became the leader of the street gang.

With his newfound fame came additional wealth, and he was able to move his mother and siblings to a
better part of town. His mother took up mending clothes, and met a man named Olo Garmwich. He was
a Forester by trade, and they met during one of his infrequent trips to town. It wasn't long before they
were married. He had always hoped for children of his own. Alas, after birthing six children Gilly
would bear no more, and Olo needs must be content with his adopted family.

But things didn't remain quite so sunny. The country was involved in war, and the people experienced
terrible shortages as a result. Simon's gang became folk heroes to the neglected poor, as they captured
food and traded it for whatever the hungry folk could spare (or for nothing, if it were obvious that
nothing was to be had). Their own rulers became hated at least as much as any nebulous 'enemy,' and
there were bloody riots in the streets whenever the constables dared to try and impose their will on the
populace. Simon was involved in a particularly bad riot, and a mage was called in to quell the
disturbance. Most of the leaders of his gang were killed, the rest scattered. And ever after, Simon has
been susceptible to a mild allergy when in the presence of spell-casting.

Not long after the war had ended, Simon had come upon his mother hastily putting some papers away.
He was illiterate, but when the opportunity presented itself he went and examined those papers. The
letters literally swam on the page, and he began to sneeze, so he returned them to their pouch. He never
asked his mother about them.

Olo, a good man at heart, offered to teach Simon his trade. For his part, now that the war was over
Simon thought it would do him good to get a wider view of the world. He wanted to understand why
events in some far-away place had impacted his family and neighbors. His time spent roaming the land
was enjoyable, and brought him peace and calm. He became a man of few words, and spent his time
watching and listening.

One morning, he heard the voice of the Sun God speaking in his head. As the golden light warmed the
world, and the plants reached their green limbs to the sky, Simon heard the voice commanding him to
seek out the forces of the Sun and join them. He told Olo that he was called and must go, and off he
went. It seemed to take no effort before he came upon a recruiting party, and he joined them on the
spot. He knew the wilderness, he was quick and level-headed, and he took to sword-training like a duck
to water. He and his squad trained and scouted, and were blooded in skirmishes against the enemy. As
mere soldiers, they weren't privy to the details, but Simon knew that he liked singing along with the
others at the ceremonies to the Sun God. Finally, it was time for their first big battle. They felt very fine
indeed as they headed out, but when they saw the orderly rows of well-armored soldiers set against
them, their will begin to falter. They began to realize that they were simple peasants against a standing
army. Too late. The battle was not a brave thing, but rather a sea of blood and guts as young boys cried
out and moaned for their mothers, trying to hold their guts inside. Simon's corporal was one of these,
and with no great ceremony the halfling found himself elevated to the man's place. Simon did his best
to give his side useful intelligence, but the day became a painful rout, and the forces of the Sun God
were scattered to the four winds.

Simon returned home, and didn't talk much about his experiences. He'd meet with a few of the
survivors of the Sun God's chosen, and they'd have a few ales in silence. Interestingly, he found that the
years he'd spent running with his gang had provided him with a helpful set of skills. Buying supplies
for his stepfather, he couldn't help but notice vulnerabilities in the merchants' security. His words of
advice were accepted with heartfelt thanks, and a monetary reward. Wheels began turning in the young
man's mind, word got around, and Bob's your uncle; the young halfling had a new trade.

Simon settled into his new life as a security consultant, and he seemed to be doing fine. But he felt
something missing in his life, and he started attending services at the temple of Tanis, the Healing God.
But he was surprised when he realized that he was getting some hostile stares. One night, after leaving
the temple, he was accosted by a group of toughs who called him a blasphemer and an unbeliever. The
irony of being beaten up by followers of the God of Healing was not lost on him, but he realized that
they were referring to his time as a Soldier of the Sun. They even referred to him disparagingly as
"Corporal." The rejection was hard, but he shouldered it along with everything else in his life,
straightened his shoulders, and soldiered on.

Ironically, he contracted typhoid fever and the priests of the God of Healing refused to help. Simon
almost died, but hung on, mumbling prayers to the Healing God in his fevered state. Amazingly, he
completely recovered, practically overnight, and has never suffered from disease of any kind since.
Simon is grateful to the God of Healing, and realizes that the deeds of mortals are not always in accord
with the wishes of their gods.

He became known as "Simon Gharding," the halfling who knew well the ways of thieves, but who
chose to work for the gods of good. He began to go on adventures, often called upon by people of
importance to work on their behalf. Developing a healthy sense of pride, Simon was determined to be
the best, the most accomplished, at what he termed "The Arts of the Hand."