Daerid Ondin
From A Wheel of Time Wiki
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[edit] Appearance
He has a scarred face and a nose that has been broken more than once.
[edit] History
He was born roughly in the year 960 NE in Cairhien. He is a 'good fifteen years' older than Talmanes who was born around the year 975 NE.
He has been a soldier all his life. As a commoner he has risen to his position solely on merit - infantry is the one arm generally neglected by the nobility of the Westlands who generally prefer the dash and pageantry of armored cavalry.
Due to his social rank, he would have normally been condemned to remain a relatively minor military commander who merely carries out the orders passed down from his superiors
[edit] Activities
When Mat first meets him he is a Cairhienin soldier who is in charge of an infantry unit. He is saved by Mat who warns him that an Aiel ambush party lies upahead during the battle outside Cairhein.
He helps fight the Aiel that try to assissinate Mat.
He later rises to command the infantry forces of the Band of the Red Hand.
He later gains the rank of Lieutenant-General, third in line to command after Mat Cauthon and Talmanes Delovinde - this rank, in effect, gives him the social rank of a noble, both in the Band and in the eyes of those that deal with the Band. While other nobles may not respect him as their social equal, still considering him a commoner, they are generally shrewd enough to respect the power he represents - power backed up by cold steel.
In addition, his high rank in the Band is quite likely to be a motivator to the mass of commoners that make up the Band, for his rank makes it clear that ability is rewarded in the Band, regardless of a man's origins.
