Wingrider Sh'nar of Bronze Cymrioth

---Turns 478-484---
0-6 Turns of age

[A world without power]

The cold wind whipped past the windows of the Hold, howling its rage at the stony walls. Baby Shalanar was born howling back at the wind's fury. Sometime after he was settled the wind too died down and the Hall was able to sleep peacefully. The baby was the son of a Harper and his wife whom already had one child and were hoping for more. The family would remain at the Harper Hall because of the father's connections.

Insisting that Shalanar begin learning some historical ballads at a young age, he drilled the boy all the time, often bullying him to keep him from giving up.He was told he was worthless, called a dimglow, beaten when he didn't learn things as quickly as his father wanted him to. He became a coward and was often bullied by other children too. His father was less than supportive of his problems with other children, thinking his son ought to know how to defend himself. However the boy was not much of a fighter and tried to avoid confrontation with the other children.

His father's drilling and abuse continued through his early childhood but you can bet Shalanar knew every ballad by heart before most kids even knew one. Once he had them down, word for word, his father began his musical training although the boy was not officially apprenticed. As a child he had a clear, high voice. One perfect for a boy choir which his father placed him in at the age of four and where he progressed. By the age of six he was already a soloist.

--Turn 485 - 494--
Ages: 7-16
["There is only Power and those too weak to seek it."]

After one particularly bad beating from some other boys older than himself, he decided he would learn to fight because he was no longer going to allow himself to be bullied by them. He was learning quickly that the only way people lose power is in thinking that they don't have any. He could have power. He should have power. No one was going to treat him like this ever again. He could be different if he wanted to be and he would be.

He approached the Guards at the Hall and requested training. He was too young still to apprentice so he had enough free time to learn.They were agreeable since he was having trouble defending himself and they felt they could help him. He spent the rest of his time at the Healer Hall, learning to fight with the guard as a secondary skill. His father seemed to find some respect for him after that and stopped being physically abusive. However the verbal abuse would continue.

At the age of twelve he began his official apprenticeship with one of the Master Harper's who resided at the Harper Hall. So he never had to leave home. The youth was already skilled in music theory, history and vocals, now he was learning instruments which required more work on his part to learn. He was not a natural when it came to music so everything he had to work twice as hard as other apprentices to get things right.  

He didn't enjoy his apprenticeship much but he did enjoy learning to fight. This was something he had control over. He began to grow taller, and gain muscle mass and soon he would be able to show them all that he was not going to get pushed around any longer. He was going to take his power and he was going to keep it and then he would be free.

He progressed much more quickly as he got older and his self confidence went from non-existent to almost arrogant. He might not be the best instrumentalist but the man could sure hit a note vocally. In fact Shalanar liked to write music more than perform but it was part of being a Harper to perform. so he became more used to performing as he grew older. Being in front of people was not as scary once he was more confident in himself and his abilities.

---Turns 495 to 500---
Ages 17 to 22
["Power is not a means, it is an end."]

The Turns seemed to fly by more quickly as the teen became more mature. He had grown to over six feet tall before he was sixteen. He had no trouble with people anymore, even his father was practically out of his life. To say he resented the man would be an understatement. If he never had to see him again, he would be pretty damn happy.

Just a couple months before his eighteenth birthingday, he walked the Tables to Journeyman. Somehow events come quickly when they are life changing because not two days letter he was Searched. Once there he didn't have long to wait.  He was a Candidate for all of two sevendays which was barely enough time for him to know anyone. Not that he intended to be friends with anyone. He was far too interested in Impressing to care.  

He had wanted the prestige and power that came with being a Bronzerider so when he did Impress to the only Bronze in his clutch he was ecstatic. The Bronzerider, now Sh'nar was going to have no trouble with the work required of dragonriders.

Weyrling training went by much more quickly than he expected. It was a lot of hard work and kind of intense with the amount of learning they had to do. He was quite lucky he had been raised a harper and knew quite about about dragons already. He was pretty quick with everything and so earned respect from some people although he was not the easiest person to get along with.

As his Bronze grew older, he was increasingly aware of the dragon's urge to fly greens and Golds. So when one of the greens from their class flew, they gave chase. Winning the flight of course wasn't enough for Sh'nar. He manipulated the young woman into loving him and wanting to please him.

She bore his first child, Shayla. Shortly thereafter they were getting into verbal altercations all the time so finally, Sh'nar was quite honest with her and told her he had no feelings for her whatsoever.

He has a been a wingrider for almost two Turns.