Quarter family
- "Who knows, you might even be distantly related to the great Rook Barkwater himself, Nate Quarter!"
- —Ambris Hentadile[1]
Quarter was the surname of a prominent fourthling family who lived in Great Glade during the Third Age of Flight. They were directly descended from the Barkwater Family, but the surname had been shortened to Quarter over five centuries.[1]
Family History
Early History
The Quarters were descended from the Barkwaters, a prominent Free Glades family. At some point between 102 ᴇ.ʏ. and c. 586 ᴇ.ʏ. the name Barkwater was shortened to Quarter.
Late Third Age of Flight
Abe Quarter was a phrax engineer who lived in Great Glade for most of his life, marrying twice. He met his first wife, Phasia Hexatine in Ambristown, marrying her soon after they met. However they were only happily together for the summer of c. 580 ᴇ.ʏ.. During the autumn, they fell out and their relationship struggled. In 581 ᴇ.ʏ., she became pregnant with a son, but the couple split up later that year and she moved out of Ambristown. Abe only learned of his son Thadeus in 596 ᴇ.ʏ..[2]. Abe then married Hermia at the opposition of her brother and they had a son, Nate, who was born in c. 586 ᴇ.ʏ.[3] Hermia died when Nate was still an infant, and Abe decided to leave his life behind and moved to the Eastern Woods to seek his fortune mining for stormphrax, bringing Nate with him.[4] He eventually rose to the position of mine sergeant, but was killed in a mining "accident" in c. 597 ᴇ.ʏ.,[5] probably orchestrated by Grint Grayle.
Nate Quarter grew up in the Prade Phraxmine in the Eastern Woods, where his father trained him to be a lamplighter. Three years after his father's death, he was forced to flee the mine due to rising tensions with Grint Grayle. He moved to Great Glade, and then to Hive, where he was pressed into the Hive Militia. After the Battle of the Midwood Marshes in c. 600 ᴇ.ʏ., he travelled to Riverrise to heal his injured friend Eudoxia. He climbed up to the Garden of Life, where he met with the Immortals and opened the sluice gate. He then journeyed to the Edge, discovering that Sanctaphrax had returned and was infested with Gloamglozers. After the destruction of the Gloamglozers, he decided to become a descender, and ventured down beneath the cliff. He went on several preliminary descents, before eventually deciding to go on a far longer one, not surfacing until 14 years later.[6]
Thadeus Quarter was the first son of Abe[2]. He was a celebrated academic in the Cloud Quarter of Great Glade, where he met his wife, Sensa, who was an intellectual of note. They had a son, Cade, together, but Sensa died when he was only three years old.[7] She caught 'wasters' fever whilst distributing alms to the poor of the city, and died within weeks.[8] Thadeus worked hard to raise Cade on his own, but was eventually assassinated by Quove Lentis, who saw Nate's descending as a threat. Shortly before his death, he sent Cade to live with a friend, Lembit Flodd.[9]
After his father's death, Cade fled Great Glade by leaping aboard the Xanth Filatine from 'The Forlorn Hope'. He became caught up in Drax Adereth's criminal scheme. He resorted to jumping from the ship, along with his prowlgrin, Rumblix. He landed safely in the Farrow Ridges and set up home, befriending the locals. After living there for a year and a half, mire-pearlers arrived at the Farrow Ridges, planning to destroy the area. Cade went on a short trip to Hive to get help, and eventually managed to repel the mire-pearlers. After the Battle of the Farrow Ridges, Eudoxia Quarter appeared at the Farrow Ridges, warning Cade that his life was anew in danger. With some friends, Cade left for the Midwood Decks where the New Hoverworm was refitted to make the trip to Gorge Town. From there, they took Scuttlebrigs to get to New Sanctaphrax. There, Cade met his uncle Nate and helped develop a nightship based on Thadeus's plans, with which they eventually descended down the Edge cliff and discovered Groundrise. Upon arrival in New Sanctaphrax, they were taken captive by Danton Clore. An uprising lead by Brocktinius Rolnix eventually freed them, and Nate and Cade were present at their archenemy's death. After restoring peace, Cade and Celestia return to the Farrow Ridges, where their child is born.
Known Family Members
| Person | Notes |
|---|---|
| Abe Quarter | Descendant of Rook Barkwater's eldest son. Father of Nate with Hermia, father of Thadeus with another woman; a phraxmine sergeant. |
| Hermia Quarter (née Lentis) | One of Abe's wives, probably the second. Mother of Nate. |
| Nate Quarter | Son of Hermia and Abe; a famous descender. |
| Phasia Hexatine | First wife of Abe. Mother of Thadeus. |
| Thadeus Quarter | Son of Abe and Phasia, husband of Sensa and father of Cade; a notable Cloud Quarter academic. |
| Sensa Quarter | Wife of Thadeus and mother of Cade; celebrated academic. |
| Cade Quarter | Son of Thadeus and Sensa. Wife of Celestia and father of Twig. |
| Celestia Quarter (née Helmstoft) | Partner of Cade Quarter, mother of Twig Quarter. |
| Twig Quarter | Son of Celestia and Cade Quarter. |
Family Tree
Heirlooms
Quint's Sword Miniature
- "Always remember, that you come from one of the oldest families in Great Glade. This portrait proves it."
- —Abe Quarter[10]
The Quarters were descended from Quintinius Verginix, whose portrait miniature was handed down through their family for centuries, eventually reaching Abe Quarter, who saw it as proof that he was descended from one of the oldest families in Great Glade, not knowing that his noble ancestry went further back than that. He gave it to his wife Hermia on their wedding day, and then gave it to their son, Nate, after her death.[4] Before beginning his 14-year descent, Nate gave the miniature to Eudoxia Prade, as insurance that he would return.[11]
Nate Quarter's skyglass
A copper spyglass initialed N.Q. was given to Cade by his father Thadeus.
Sensa Quarter's Perfume
Cade kept a vial of his mother's perfume and took it with him to the Farrow Ridges.
Race
Although the Quarter family was fourthling, there were some recent non-fourthling individuals in the family.[12]
- Long-haired goblin — There was a notable amount of long-hair blood in the family, probably from Thadeus's side.[10] Cade is known to be partly long-hair.[12]
- Slaughterer — There was a notable amount of slaughterer blood in the family, probably from Thadeus's side.[10] Cade is known to be partly slaughterer.[12]
- Grey goblin — Sensa had a notable amount of grey goblin blood in her, which she passed on to her son, Cade.[12]
References
- 1 2 The Immortals, Chapter 28
- 1 2 The Descenders, Chapter 9
- ↑ Nate was 14 at the beginning of The Immortals, which takes place in c. 600 ᴇ.ʏ.
- 1 2 The Immortals, Chapter 2
- ↑ The Immortals, Chapter 1
- ↑ Doombringer, Chapter 6
- ↑ The Nameless One, Chapter 6
- ↑ The Nameless One, Chapter 17
- ↑ The Nameless One, Chapter 13
- 1 2 3 Cade specifically mentions which side the grey goblin blood is on, so it can be assumed that the others come from his father.
- ↑ The Immortals, Chapter 101
- 1 2 3 4 The Nameless One, Chapter 4