The 3rd Age Asha’man-King of Arad Doman
Daryen was the sort of king bards dream about. His white-gold hair glittered in the sun, flowing around a chiseled face that denied the half century of wisdom with which he had earned his throne. His eyes, sparkling sapphires above a flashing white smile that charmed the coldest of hearts. He was Arad Doman’s darling- the dashing golden prince who saved them in their darkest hour. The epics written in his honor described a very romantic story indeed.
From a prominent noble family, Daryen is the oldest of three siblings. His younger sister is a powerful Aes Sedai and Sitter in the Hall of the Tower. His youngest sister, who has not yet come of adult age, is growing into a renown musician. The family is one of the wealthiest in Arad Doman featuring extensive holdings, grounds, and properties. The House is new to the monarchy, with Daryen the first of the line to sit on the throne.
Personality
The story was not long, but Daryen was a gifted speaker. He had an infectious sort of energy, a way of drawing people in so that his emotions reflected in them. He could make people want what he wanted, and it was what made him so effective as a leader.
The Hunt
He is a larger than life personality, positioning himself as always positive and always optimistic. His smile is flashy and grand. His very presence is confidence and heroic. Like their female Domani counterparts, Daryen is capable of charming and seducing almost anyone to his cause. Yet beneath the veneer of affability and playfulness is a strength and commanding king. It is easy to forget that he came into his reign through blood and terror. Yet when needed, he transforms so smoothly, even the smallest infarction is corrected. As a politician, Daryen is unrivaled in the country. He plays the Great Game with such finesse and perfection, even those closest to him are part of his plans.
A throne reclaimed in blood
For a time following the invasion of the Seanchan, Bandar Eban was under their control. Without a standing army, the nation fell quickly to the professional forces of the Seanchan. With orders from the Dragon Reborn, a group of Asha’man infiltrated the capitol, led by Daryen himself.
The facade of a gallant prince suited him, flashy and light-hearted as he was. But freeing Arad Doman, becoming her King… The reality of it was gore and hatred and discipline. An order from the Dragon Reborn to tear the Seanchan free and chase them back into the sea with such brutality that they dare not return. When Daryen reached the palace he had killed the governing Blood himself, in front of the man’s adolescent son. The child at least he had sent back to what remained of their fleeing ships, the messenger of his father’s cruel death. The violence of saidin did not lend itself to honor. There were no valiant heroes chasing villains through the streets with swords of fire.The truth of it was that on a moonless night an elite group of Asha’man stepped through a gateway and turned the sleeping city of Bandar Eban into a dying ground. And heady with their returned freedom, the people of Arad Doman rejoiced in the handsome noble who stepped from the palace to proclaim victory, never mind the blood flowing in the streets. But Daryen had bathed in it, and he remembered long after they forgot.
The Hunt
The Asha’man King
The next day, the capitol was freed of Seanchan control. The Council of Merchants elected Daryen of House Daimon their next king, and he has remained in Arad Doman ever since. The surrounding countryside was thick with Seanchan forces, however, dispersed widely and tightly controlling the industries from which the country derived its wealth. Domani politics historically prevented a a central military from forming. Forces were derived from individual levies of the noble houses or the different guilds. While the monarch was elected for life, and often passed down their crown to through their family, the Council of Merchants can remove a monarch with a three-quarters vote. Should this ever occur, the lack of a central military would prevent retaliation and Civil War. Daryen’s election changed this landscape because he himself is an Asha’man, and in one man embodied the power of many regiments. Other Houses quickly lay fealty to him and turned over their forces to the crown. As a result, a Domani military coalesced. While smaller in comparison to places like Andor, their ranks include several legions overseen by a commanding General. It was with these forces and a small presence of Asha’man provided by the Black Tower, years of ongoing conflict eventually swept most of the Seanchan forces out of the countryside proper.
Personal life
During the Hunt, Daryen first relayed a tale that completely astounded those in his inner circle. In his 50 years, he had never married yet at one point, he had a child.
At some point during the war with the Seanchan, Daryen came to bond a fellow Asha’man named Jai Asad Kojima. The nature of that bond is unknown, but it has seemed to help buffer the effects of Jai’s madness from the taint. Neither is it known if the two were bondmates or lovers first. Daryen is himself old have to have also experienced the effects of the taint, and it is unknown how that manifested in the darling King. Perhaps that is part of his abundant joy and optimism that seems to defy serious circumstances, or perhaps it is part of his cold ability to play the Great Game, even using those he holds closest to his ends, including Jai. Either way, Daryen’s literal and political power seems unending.
Since then, Daryen has confounded the public, rumor, and nobility alike with his apparent lack of personal attachments. Which was why there was such power when he wielded a new player to the game, a mysterious woman named Trista, who becomes the object of international controversy.
Notable relationships
- Fate Sedai – Daryen’s twin sister
- Jai Kojima – Bond-brother
- Yui – Head Housekeeper
- Trista Gaidar – friend and confidant
Rebirths
The First Age – Seven.
The Sixth Age – Freyr
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