Daric Dondarrion

Ser Daric Dondarrion was born in 231 AC, the eldest son of Lord Gawen Dondarrion and Lady Jena Dondarrion.

## Biography

### Early Life

Daric Dondarrion was beyond all doubt his father's favored child. Lord Gawen showered his heir with all praise and spared no expense in his education and training. While he excelled at swordsmanship, he chafed under his father. Lord Gawen would be unrelentingly cruel to his younger sons, Daric's brothers Manfred and Daven.

Daric saw the unfairness of this, though. He would share whatever reward he got from his father with his brothers, and tried to train them with whatever lessons he received. The brothers grew very close as the years progressed.

He became a squire to Ser Byron Tarth, a young knight who had already grown quite renowned for his skill, at least in the Stormlands. He spent the majority of his youth at Evenfall Hall, honing his skills as a swordsman. On his eighteenth name day, in 249 AC, Ser Byron knighted him. The new Ser Daric Dondarrion returned to Blackhaven shortly thereafter, worried about how his brothers had fared under their oppressive father's rule.

Ser Daric took no squires, however, and upon seeing his brother Manfred married and no longer cowed by Lord Gawen he felt confident enough to leave again. Taking what coin he could, he traveled to Sunspear and took a ship to Lys.

### Essos

Ser Daric yearned to see the world, and started in Lys. He traveled throughout the free cities (with the exception of Tyrosh, which he avoided in order to stay clear of the Targaryens) for several years, taking up employment with a sellsword company.

Rumblings of war sounded in his native Westeros, though, and Ser Daric relinquished his position in the sellsword company and returned to Blackhaven in 269 AC.

### Durran's Defiance

In 270 AC he found Blackhaven ruled by his younger brother, Ser Manfred. Though he was the rightful lord he forfeited that right, aware he had been away too long to rule in such a time and far happier not tied down to any one city. Ser Manfred became Lord Manfred, and he applauded.

Precious few moons remained for celebration before Lord Baratheon raised his banners in revolt. Lord Manfred and Ser Daric rode to war, fighting under the walls of King's Landing and in the Kingswood in Lord Baratheon's rearguard. They returned to Haystack Hall in advance of Lord Tyrell and fought in the desperate battle.

Much to his dismay, Lord Manfred took a grievous wound in the fighting. He would not know it, but their parting at Haystack Hall would be the last time they saw each other. It would be in the siege camps around King's Landing that he would learn of his beloved brother's death, and for the first time in his life he wept openly.

### Post-War

Ser Daric came to the attention of his liege, the new Hand of the King, when it came time to replace Ser Ottyn Massey in the Kingsguard. He gained the position and donned his white cloak late in 270 AC, still devastated by the loss of his brother. He sought to salve that pain by throwing himself fully into duty with his new brothers and reconnecting with his brother Daven, who lived in the city as a sworn sword to House Baratheon. Guilt wracked at him, though, as he thought about his young nephew being governed by a regent that he felt ought to be him.

### Duel of the Dragons

War sounded its cry again, however. In 276 the Targaryens sought to expand into Lys, and House Blackfyre answered. Ser Daric fought alongside Aemond Blackfyre, distinguishing himself at Scarwood. Blood flowed freely on the island, but the forces of House Blackfyre emerged victorious in the field.

The King, the Hand, and the Crown Prince agreed to a Trial by Seven to end the war and determine for once and for all the fate of Lys. As a Kingsguard, Ser Daric was honor-bound to fight for his King. He and his brothers took the field against the champions of House Targaryen.

As the melee began, Ser Daric stuck close to Prince Aemond. He'd seen his brother, Ser Lormier Farring, stabbed in the back by Colyn Costayne, and the cravenness of such a strike enraged him. Ser Daric left his Prince's side to engage Costayne, but despite all his skill he could not account for luck. Costayne struck him down, leaving him to die in the dirt as the melee continued. As fate would have it, he died beside none other than Ser Byron Tarth, the man who'd knighted him decades prior in Evenfall Hall.

## Quotes about Daric

*He fought with Prince Aemond, and was my friend for the duration of the war. A good man, a loyal soldier. You should be proud to have his blood in your veins.* - Lysaro Rogare