A Gar is a large, aggressive predator that can be found throughout the New World, originating from D'Hara. Gars stand on two feet, like a man, and come in two varieties - long-tailed and short-tailed. Long-tailed gars are about a head taller than a tall man and weigh about 3 times as much (short-tailed gars are considerably larger). Short-tailed gars are more fierce, larger, and much more intelligent than their long-tailed cousins.
Description[]
Fur covers their great bodies everywhere except their chest and stomach, which are covered with a smooth, glossy, pinkish and taut skin that ripples with corded muscles underneath. They have large wings with thin membranes which they keep folded behind their back when not flying. They have glowing, green eyes and short, rounded ears. They have astonishing speed and often move in a shuffling, side-ways motion. The speech of a gar is a series of grunts, sounding similar to a wild boar. They often throw back their head and hiss into the air in order to frighten and draw out their prey. Their breath is hot and their teeth are as big as human fingers.
Gars were originally created by Alric Rahl during the Wizard War 3000 years prior to the series' start. It is unknown whether the gars were created by modifying people, or was it some other type of creature. Soul of the Fire hints that a soul is needed to change or control a creature, which implies that the Gar come from humans. The gars were created as a way to combat the Mriswith being made by the Old World. The gars are able to sense the presence of mriswith, even when they are invisible.
Gars use Blood Flies to hunt, along with their keen senses. The flies flush out the quarry so the gar can grab it. The gars then smear part of the animal on their pink-skinned chest and stomach for the flies to feast. Short-tailed gars are considered more intelligent than long-tailed gars, as they keep track of and count their flies.
Blood fly[]
Blood flies are native to the land of D'Hara and are always found near gars. They are tiny flying insects that gars use to flush out their prey. The tiny bite of a blood fly is merely an annoyance, but an intelligent short-tailed gar counts its flies, and knows if it is killed. The flies spread out from the gar and inadvertently do the gar's hunting for them. They have a mutualistic relationship with the gars, who smear a portion of their prey on themselves, allowing the blood flies to feast.
Known gars[]
Gratch is the only named Gar.
Appearances[]
Books[]
- Wizard's First Rule (First appearance)
- Stone of Tears
- Blood of the Fold
- Confessor