Born to an innkeeper and his wife in the sleepy town of Derren, Rhal soon showed a proclivity for the arcane arts and was offered a position in the legendary Helioscopic Academy at Rhondisfarne. Preferring the wonder of magic to sweeping floors and waiting tables, Rhal jumped at the chance, leaving the Four Ravens Inn in the care of his brother and sister. During his first year in the Academy, the Duchy of Irien declared independence from the Kingdom of Agraine, jumpstarting the War of the Halfpenny King, and all mages were pressed into royal service. Rhal soon distinguished himself in the war, rising to command a full legion of war mages, bringing fire and lightning down from the heavens onto the rebels. For three years, Rhal campaigned in the Darkwood, taking part in the Burning of Dunleith, the final battle of that tragic war. The memory of the fire and flames remains with him to this day, everytime he brings fire to bear on his enemies.
Older than the rest of the party, Rhal drinks too much, talks too much, and takes nothing seriously. He maintains contacts with most of the higher ranking military officers and keeps tabs on the events near Rhondisfarne, traveling all over the continent. But he has never returned to Derren, not once.