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Rijalvas' Story:

Born in Crom, about four turns before Lord Malkan left, Rijalvas is the third son of two Minecrafters, with a younger brother besides.  When he was two turns of age, his parents relocated their family to Igen Hold, not wishing their children to grow up without a Harper's teaching, the Harpercraft having removed their members from Crom after some trouble with the volatile Lord Holder.

As Rijalvas approached the age where most youths apprentice themselves to a Craft, he was faced with a slight dilemma, not having an intuitive feeling about where to go, he finally decided that Harpering seemed like something he'd be good at, not being the right build for the minecraft, and not liking the mess involved in Herding or Healing. The Igen hold Harper informed him that he had a good sense of rhythm, and he possessed perfect pitch, then suggested the Harpers, as it'd be a shame to waste such gifts. The idea stuck with Rijalvas, and he was soon handed off to an aunt who lived at Ista.

And so Rijalvas made his way to the Harper Hall; initially awed and a little intimidated with his first glimpse of Harper life; the large and ornately mosaic'd main ballroom. After stopping an unnamed apprentice, and inquiring about where to go, he was pointed towards the Harper Office, where he had the misfortune of running into the lemon-faced and corpulent Journeyman Jeranium, who informed him sourly that he ought to go read the rulebook if he wanted information. Then, the hapless would-be apprentice ran into the recently promoted and highly mercurial Journeyman Kurt, who's short temper got the better of him once again as he yelled at poor Rijalvas for reasons many, varied, and utterly confusing to the lad, who almost abandoned his Harper-ish hopes then and there!

But fortunately for young Rijalvas, Senior Apprentice Kierna, down from her posting at Tillek, took pity on him, and promptly interviewed him. He can't remember much of what went on, being more worried that he'd swear, slur, or otherwise jeopardize his chances, but apparently it went well, as Kierna recommended that he be accepted, and her idea was heeded, leaving the Harpercraft with one more member. 

To gather Rijalvas' impressions about his new home, the interviewer asked, and received an answer in typically Rijalvic form, recorded below for posterity: 

"My impressions? I guess -- my impression it that it's a good place for people with -- with strong personalities. And quirks and stuff. It's -- there's a lot of -- different people here. Different types of people. And -- and well, I guess it's -- it's kinda like the politics thing. You know? How the Holds and the Weyrs and 
the Crafts are all balanced, and because of that, no one can get too powerful or nasty? Well, it's like that. There are all different kinds of people, and so somehow, despite the fact that everyone's so -- so extreme -- the Hall... it's almost normal. But not. An energetic... bipolar normal!"  

And with an 'energetic' delivery like that, it becomes easy to see why Rijalvas has fit in so well with most of the members of the Craft.

Rijalvas' experiences with the craft have been more mixed than most of the other apprentices, due to the sheer magnetic attraction the lad seems to have for misfortune. A talented songsmith, he crafted a series of ballads, most with teasing overtones, written about the various denizens of the HarperCraft. Most of which were received well, and one of the finer moments he recalls is hearing a song of his own composition being sung by someone other than himself.

Unfortunately, and unwisely, the hapless App decided to write songs for Journeymen Jeranium and Kurt. Already bearing somewhat of a grudge towards the lad (or in Jeranium's case, the world.), these two worthies were not at all amused by the appearance of two catchy, teasing ballads that were suddenly on everyone's lips. Jeranium's wrath was swift, and quickly passed, but Kurt's took on a more poisonous simmering.

Another memory of Rijalvas', fond or otherwise, is his attendance of a dance class taught by Senior Apprentice Fennara. Originally extremely unwilling to attend, he was convinced (though some might call it 'coerced') by Senior Apprentice Liesana to join in the fun. After shuffling around the room at the mercy of several female partners, 
including one Apprentice Melidere, who immediately made tormenting him one of her life's goals, Rijalvas firmly swore off further dancing of any sort, at least until he reached his full growth.

Unfortunately, this declaration was affirmed in the hearing of Journeyman Kurt, more than a little on the short side, both in temper and stature. And already bearing a hearty grudge against our boy 'Jalvas. Tempers flared on both sides, and continued to do so every time the pair laid eyes on each other, until Rijalvas delivered the ultimatum that he was quitting the Craft. A well-timed intervention by Master Caramak at least partially defused the situation, and Rijalvas remains with the Harpers yet, although it's doubtful that he and Kurt will ever progress beyond an uneasy truce.

But Rij's relationships with Journeymen are not all so strained. His mentor, Journeywoman Tolia, is one of the more relaxed types, and is as much a friend to him as she is a teacher. One of the best memories he has of his time at the Harper Hall is the day that Oli asked him to be her mentee. Another pleasant memory is the first performance he saw, featuring a flute ensemble, which dazzled him with the beauty of sound.

His future plans for life with the Harpers are hazy, for how many young teenaged males truly think about their future? But, as always, it seems, his half-formed dreams turn again to song writing, more specifically the satirical ballads for which he shows such talent. Well aware of the powerful change that satire can bring about, he'd like to
use his gift to make a beneficial difference in the lives of the people of the Harper Hall, and of Pern at large.

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