Oliver Quince

**Oliver Quince**(b. 12 July 95) was born in Tierra Lejana to farmers Maria Delacruz and Louis Quince along with his twin sister Jane. He lived with his parents until 10 May 102, when his parents were killed by invading Regian troops. He and his sister were taken hostage onto a Regian ship where they were rescued by Tomo Yumi and taken to safety on the Sky's Vagabond. He and his sister lived and worked on the ship, under the captainship of Zoe Bellamy until 1 November 107, when Tomo was killed in battle. Oliver and his sister began working in Gilli Bergmann's redsmithery. She and her brother left work in the redsmithery in April 111, when he became first mate of the Grand Halcon, under his sister's captainship. He worked as an independent merchant up until the Battle of Isla Tiburon in 115.

## Biography

### Early Life (95-102)

Oliver was born Louisa Elena Quince on 12 July 95 in Stewart's Roost, Tierra Lejana. His mother, Maria Delacruz, was a Tellian of Altamiran descent. His father, Louis Quince, was a Tobernechlian immigrant. His early childhood was generally peaceful and relaxed. He was an easygoing and intelligent child. His mother was a native speaker of Micholean, and her father was a native speaker of Tobernechlian, though the language spoken in the household was exclusively Regia Novio. The family lived a short ways from town on a small but prosperous sharaba farm. In 102, when he was 7 years old, his hometown was invaded by the Regian army. They broke into the Quince household, and after stealing the few valuables they had, shot Maria and Louis dead. After a brief struggle, the soldiers managed to subdue the twins by knocking them unconscious and taking them aboard the ship they arrived in, bound for Regia to be assimilated into Regian society.

### Zoe Bellamy's Crew (102-107)

Upon their arrival on the Regian ship, Oliver and his sister were locked in a holding cell in the brig, where they regained consciousness in time to hear the assault on the ship begin. As Bellamy and her crew fought against the Regian troops, including a young Decima Altair, Tomo Yumi discovered the twins in the brig and released them, bringing them up to safety, along with a number of other Tellian prisoners. Upon arriving back on the shores of Tierra Lejana following the rescue mission, the other prisoners began to find their ways home. It was then that Jane informed the crew that they had no home to go back to. Though some, like Tomo, Jack Rafferty, Waipuna, and Mary Pollux wanted to take the twins into their care, the others, including Sneaky Bill Trent, Vye Yanga, Emmett Coburne, and Annie Donoghue did not initially approve of this idea. However, Bellamy decided that the twins should stay on as cabin boys. Oliver and his sister began to work on the Sky's Vagabond, doing menial tasks and assisting with running Bellamy's smuggling business. Tomo assumed the large majority of their care and education at this time. In 105, when Oliver was 10, he cut his hair short and requested to be called Oliver instead of Elena, to which the crew readily agreed. On 31 March 107, the Sky's Vagabond was making a smuggling trip to Rio Claro when she was intercepted by Regian forces looking for smugglers. In the skirmish that ensued, Tomo was killed when he was struck by a Regian bullet in the stomach. He died of blood loss shortly after. Jane was disconsolate and, believing that she had lost her only reason to stay with the Sky's Vagabond, convinced Oliver to leave the ship's crew with her without Bellamy's knowledge the next time they docked in Kellington.

### Work at the Redsmithery (107-111)

Oliver and his sister, not quite 12 years old, arrived in Kellington penniless and homeless. After several days of sleeping on the streets and begging for scraps of food, a kindly Stutzian redsmith, Gilli Bergmann, took pity on the twins and offered them housing and payment in return for work at the redsmith's shop. Oliver and his sister agreed, moving into the tiny, cramped attic room above the shop. They worked for five years in the shop as apprentices, assisting Bergmann in the forging of swords and other tools. On 12 April 111, Oliver and his sister left their apprenticeship in the redsmithery, having saved up enough money between them to buy a small but sturdy ship, the Grand Halcon.

### First Mate of the Grand Halcon (111-115)

In 111, when she was 16, Jane purchased the Grand Halcon and instated Oliver as First Mate.