| Relatives | The Willowblossom family in Ravel |
|---|---|
| Affiliations | Gale |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Date of Death | Uncertain |
| Species | Aarakocra |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | 4'0" |
Quince Willowblossom is a talented young alchemist, the former assistant to Gale at her medical practice in Ravel. He has not been seen since the onset of the Fantasial Freeze, and is presumed dead by many.
Physical Appearance[edit | edit source]
Quince is an aarakocra resembling a robin. He is short and stout in stature, with dark blue-grey feathers along his head, back, and wings, and a red, speckled underbelly. He puffs up his feathers when flustered, becoming almost spherical. Quince is usually scruffy in appearance, and often festooned with evidence of his alchemical work, clothes and feathers stained, singed, or actively smoking.
Personality[edit | edit source]
Quince is an excitable young bird, and seems to always be in motion. He is full of eagerness to learn, invent, and help others, and in his attempts to go the extra mile he often bites off more than he can chew. His optimism and good nature quickly endear him to those he meets, though some find his endless chatter and intense desire for approval tiring.
History[edit | edit source]
Quince's family moved to Ravel when he was very young, leaving their forest home in search of new opportunity. His parents kept the family traditions alive by passing along their knowledge of herbalism, which quickly ignited a passion in Quince for brewing potions and herbal remedies. Soon he moved beyond his parents' teachings, experimenting with the treasure trove of alchemical knowledge and ingredients available in the urban center of Ravel.
Quince found an unexpected opportunity for further learning when many of the birdfolk of Ravel fell ill. A mysterious disease that caused dizziness, exhaustion, and molting feathers was spreading through aarakocra neighborhoods, and none of the usual remedies seemed to help. When Quince's younger sister started showing symptoms, his parents searched across the city, looking for a doctor who could find a treatment. They eventually came upon Gale, a stoic elf, who was intrigued at the story and agreed to take a look. She studied the young aarakocra's symptoms and was able to pinpoint the culprit as a rare disease from another continent, likely brought over by a traveller, that the locals had no immunity for. The elf sent them home with a medicine that brought relief within hours, telling them to send any other affected birdfolk to her office. Quince was starstruck by the encounter, and ran back the next day to breathlessly ask Gale if she could teach him all she knows. Despite herself, Gale was charmed by the eager young bird and agreed to an apprenticeship. The two were opposites in nearly every way, and yet found that they worked naturally together. Gale's regular patients soon learned to expect Quince greeting them brightly at the door, scratching out appointment notes, and rattling around in the ingredient storage cupboard. This arrangement continued for three years, until the onslaught of the Arctic Autumn. Amidst the chaos of frigid storms and Blowt attacks, Quince vanished, never returning home after a foray out to find food. Gale and his family looked all over the city to no avail, and eventually had to abandon their search; Quince's family to protect their remaining children and Gale to join the fight to protect Ravel from the Blowt. Some still hold out hope that Quince survives as no evidence of his death has been found, but most have accepted that the bright young lad is likely just one of the many casualties of a very hard winter.