Character from The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss
The sympathy master who teaches with calm precision — likeable, practical, and the closest thing the masters' table has to a fair referee.
Dal teaches sympathy the way it should be taught — with patience, clarity, and a genuine delight in watching students grasp difficult principles. He runs dueling exercises in sympathy with the enthusiasm of a man who never lost his love for the craft. He is fair-minded in admissions, judges Kvothe on his demonstrated skill rather than his reputation, and provides one of the few reliable allies on the masters' table. He speaks plainly, without Hemme's condescension or Elodin's riddles, and his classes are among the most popular at the University. Under pressure, he maintains the steady calm of a man who understands that panic is the enemy of precise bindings.
Weathered and lean, with the easy bearing of a man comfortable in his own competence. His face is open and approachable, with laugh lines that suggest a man who finds genuine pleasure in teaching. Dresses practically, without the affectations of rank.
Also known as: Dal, Master Dal