Parents: Varil and Shoni
Known Relatives: Velnar (Younger Brother), Sharil (Younger Sister)
Orig. Home: Southern Boll cothold
Position: Retired Harper Master // Theory // Fort Harper Hall
Game: PernMUSH Http: N
Created: 4 October, 1992
VR Age: c. 50 turns
Height: c. 6'
Weight: c. 130
Hair: Flame-red
Eyes: Blue
ICSO: Maarlyn, Journeywoman Harper, Masterseahold, Tillek
FLs: Bl Limbaugh, Bl Sorrow, Bl Starflyer, Gr Smiley, Gr Elegance, Br Nermal, Bz Halfnote
Pets: Orange tiger-striped feline Hobbes
Varoni, son of Varil and Shoni, was born over 30 turns ago in a small cothold on Southern Boll property. He had unusual flame-red hair and blue eyes. He grew up as all Boll children did, playing on the beaches and in the jungle. A shipwreck off the Boll coast changed his life. A gitar washed ashore near where he was playing one day, and the young lad snuck away with it before anyone could claim it. At first, he was going to sell it, but eventually, he started tinkering with it, enchanted by the instrument's tone and construction. Secretly, he listened to the Hold harper and emulated him with his new treasure. In this way, he learned how to play some songs and a little bit of how to pick out others. Eventually, he was caught, as all kids are when doing something they really shouldn't, but instead of punishment for 'stealing' the gitar, Varoni was shipped off to Fort to be apprenticed at the Harper Hall. During the voyage, his party were set upon by some holdless people, who stole his gitar, amongst the party's valuables. Obviously, Varoni was not terribly amused about this turn of events. However, the party reached its destination, and Varoni applied to apprentice. Unfortunately, it took him two tries to be accepted.
Apprentice Varoni spent his time perfecting his craft, filling in the theory behind his playing, and reconstructing a new instrument to replace the stolen one. He also made the acquaintance of the pretty Moriana, a herder and healer crosscrafting apprentice, and soon they were engaged to be married. For a turn or so, the couple was happy, and Varoni wound up Impressing most of his firelizards: blue Limbaugh, green Smiley, green Elegance, blue Starflyer, blue Sorrow, and brown Nermal. Turns later, he would Impress bronze Halfnote. During this time, he bought a kitten from Ileara, then herder apprentice. The feline was called Hobbes, and Ileara later became Junior Weyrwoman to gold Shalith at Fort Weyr.
Misfortune struck (as it always must) a turn later. Moriana was lost to Varoni, and the harper threw himself into his craft. He specialized in instrument-crafting, making the acquaintance of Kirana, a journeywoman in the same specialty. A surprising meeting (surprising for Varoni, that is) found the oblivious senior apprentice with the journeywoman on his lap, and the others present snickering. It took a few months for him to realize Kirana's love for him, and surprised himself with his love for her. Another meeting at the Hall later found the new couple engaged, and posted to Ruatha Hold. However, then-Masterharper Mykal was not about to have rank be a problem between the two, so Varoni was promoted to Junior Journeyman.
For many months, the couple lived happily at Ruatha, teaching the Hold's children and producing instruments for commission. Varoni officiated the wedding ceremony of Holder Zebadiah and Callina of Rocky Hold. He also met some of Kirana's relatives, especially her uncle Randel, a sailor of some note.
Unfortunately, the Hall would come before the couple's love, as then-Masterharper Caoilfionn promoted Kirana to Master, recalling her to Harper Hall and making Varoni Harper Ruatha. The couple lost contact with each other and relations were decidedly cool, despite Varoni's love for Kirana. The lovely master eventually found herself as Masterharper of Pern. A series of upheavals forced her to retire quickly, and she left for the Southern Continent on holiday with her Uncle Randel. Master Jalassa was with Varoni at Ruatha when N'ren, brown Kheveth's rider at Ista, came to divulge the news of Kirana's death, drowned at sea in a squall off Ista Island. Once more, Varoni withdrew, forsaking the instrument-craft, having no heart to use his love's shop at Ruatha. He turned to theory and choral work instead, writing complex songs and orchestra pieces that no one could ever sing or play at the Hold.
Varoni finally began to socialize about a turn later, spending an inordinate amount of time at the Rusted Hulk. He kept quiet, watching the pranks the seacrafters pulled on one another, not encouraging (or not noticing, knowing him) the attentions of then-apprentice Maarlyn as she helped the seacrafters do their yarning. A few months later, his loneliness was too unbearable, and he succumbed to the apprentice, forming a relationship with her. However, he is taking this one slowly, and it has now lasted for two turns.
Varoni returned to Ruatha, serving Masterharper Jalassa as best he can. He has made friends with his mentor, former Masterharper Mykal, a man who has also lost his love to an accident, helping him (and himself) keep going. He has also met Shirana, the sister of Kirana and a journeyrank harper from the Southern Continent, and after a time formed an amicable friendship with her (after a dazed screaming match between the two about Kirana). Rumor has it that Varoni and Mykal collaborated on a song about a searched apprentice, and one about another bit of choral/orchestral work that the journeyman is working on, but only Varoni knows the truth.
The choral work has paid off for this harper, because Jalassa decided to promote him to the rank of master recently, scaring the dickens out of him. He is now in charge of making sure those apprentices and journeyfolk learn to sing in chorus properly, once more stationed back at Harper Hall.
The next phase of Varoni's life has been recently taken, as he and Master Natalia took on the joint Mastery of the Hall as co-Masterharper of Pern. However, Var missed his teaching, so after awhile of helping to administer the Hall, he resigned his Masterharper's knot and returned to just being a Theory Master.
Varoni has written several songs in the course of his time as a Harper. Click to read logs of:
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