Quinten's Character Page
HerderCraft Jockey

 

Growing up among the masses of Ruatha Hold, Quinn led a rather anonymous life as the son of a cook and a stable-hand. Being the fifth child of seven, he was often overlooked by both parents and siblings. For the most part, the young Quinten stayed out of trouble, only sneaking into the kitchens occasionally to steal a bubbly or two (only to be discovered by his mother, the cook, who let him get away with it). Making it to his fifteenth turn without being noticed much, Quinn's father (the stable-hand) became aware that his son was not growing as much as his peers, and recommended him as a jockey to the Hold's runner-trainer. Getting tested, it turned out that the boy had a natural talent for riding, and riding /fast/!
After only a few months Quinn was bringing runners to victory; one after another, and was suddenly the center of attention among the runner-interested population of Ruatha. For three turns, he enjoyed the friendship of most boys in the Hold, while the girls found his good-natured personality quite attractive. All this attention was new to Quinn, but he did not dislike it, rather he encouraged it by being friendly and generous to all who approached him for friendship.
But then, as he entered his eighteenth turn, he also entered a losing-streak, winning nothing at all for half a season, while another took his place as 'most popular'. Slipping back into anonymity, Quinn found that he could not stay at Ruatha, seeing all his previous 'friends' finding company in his replacement, and took passage with the first trader caravan out of the Hold, getting him to Tillek. With little marks to his name - having spent most of his winnings - he took work as a grape-picker in the Tillek Vineyards for a few seasons, until that became tedious and unchallenging to him. Setting out to sea with a ship, only to find that seasickness made him incapable of doing his job, and was offloaded on the Southern Continent, where he eventually ended up at Xanadu Hold.
His stay at the Hold was of limited time as he was whisked away by a dragon to Stand for the clutch of Mizuth and Kizokuth at Xanadu Weyr. Alas, Quinn was left Standing and he made his way back to the Hold and then on to the Herder Hall to take up his old trade and become a jockey there.
And so, the story continues...