Jerad di'Saland Alwhin was born in the city of Cairhien to a somewhat important Cairhienin House. House Alwhin has not sought the throne for over three hundred years. But no man or woman could hope to sit on the Sun Throne without House Alwhin's support. Unlike most Cairhienin, he is not short and pale. He has a fairer skin color, and is tall. So tall is he that only among the Aiel would he be considered of average height. Also conflicting with the stereotype of a Cairhienin man, he has fiery red hair. His eyes are like polished moonstones, difficult to tell the color. They tend to shift along the lines of blue and gray, tending on how the light catches it.
On Jerad's twentieth fourth name-day, he decided to leave his noble family's easy life. He vowed to return only after he had knowledge of what it was like to be a common man. He set off, pursuing a childhood dream to become an herbal healer. He journeyed to Far Madding, home of the famous healer Lera. For two years he was apprenticed to Lera, who taught Jerad all his knowledge of herbs. After his apprentice term was completed he opened his own healer's shop, earning a good reputation. He was said to be able to bring people back from the brink, when all other conventional healers had failed. It was a hard-earned reputation, and Jerad wears it like a badge of honor. After a year of good business, Jerad closed his shop, and began the journey back home.
Yet before he even reached Aringill, he began to have terrible headaches. And strange things often coincided with the headaches. one night, staying in a small inn he had the worst headache since they had started. The agony of it was incomprehensible. It was pain incarnate, threatening to rip Jerad apart. It had to go somewhere, and unfortunately for the inn, it went into fire. The inn burned down, earning him accusations from dirty old hermit to Darkfriend to even false-Dragon in hiding.
Fleeing mobs, Jerad sought his old teacher, to try and cure him. He found Lera, and asked him to make the headaches stop. Lera forced Jerad to tell him all the strange events that had happened during or after the headaches. These occurrences only confirmed Lera's suspicions. It was then, shortly after his twenty-seventh name-day, when Lera revealed himself.
Lera could channel, he was a former Dedicated who had failed the test to be Asha'man. Acting on his suspicion, he tested Jerad for channeling ability, using the common flame test. The result revealed Jerad's enormous potential, as well as earning Lera a week nursing singed fingers. However, when Lera insisted that Jerad go to Camelyn, the Cairhienin man refused. Left with no other choice Lera began to teach Jerad.
He taught Jerad for a whole two months, and everything had been going fine. The headaches had ceased, and Jerad was able to not only touch the Power, but tell apart the Five Powers. He could even manage some channeling, but mostly with his strong elements of Fire, Spirit, and Air. Then disaster struck. A mob of Darkfriends, convinced that the Last Battle was at hand, stormed through Far Madding. They happened upon Lera, and killed him. Jerad was lucky to escape with his life. Faced with either death or going to Camelyn, he chose the latter.
Jerad is a feisty character, somewhat arrogant. He is cool and calm most of the time, but possesses a terrible temper. He is cool and calculating; a devious and efficient opponent in battle. He is one of the best players of Daes Dae'mar. He has always, and will always remain a horrible swordsman, though he is fair with a staff. He prefers the stealth of knives. Rarely is he ever without a knife. Be wary around him; for every knife he wears openly, he has two concealed.