There’s posters of the Commander around towns. Books of the adventures they’ve had, people boasting about being saved by them, or being there when they killed a dragon.
People always keep an eye out for the Commander when they see other members of Dragon’s Watch in town. Everyone wants to meet the amazing hero who’s saved the world so many times, who’s charismatic and handsome/beautiful and a natural leader.
No one thinks to turn an eye towards the mercenary passing through town. At least, most people assume they’re a mercenary. Covered in scars, a weary and haunted look to their eyes, fancy clothing or not they still look like they just came from battle.
No one thinks of a commander who’s collectively gone through everything, only the glory and victories. “They killed Zhaitan!” “They came back from the dead and destroyed a god!” but never the pain and losses, the close calls and the medical emergencies.
Seeing the commander in person for the first time is always a shock.
I want to add to this…
There are posters of the Commander around town, but they’re a more romanticized image of them, so much so that they aren’t recognized in casual clothes or looking their best.
The Commander prefers not to be recognized on their ‘time off’ to save from both good and bad attention. It’s stressful, exhausting, and sometimes they have no time for it. They want to have time for themselves; to visit a new pub, to visit their family, to do grocery shopping, to just take a stroll and admire their hard work. That’s why the Commander doesn’t correct anyone broadcasting their likeness improperly.
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