Riders Quadrant

Riders Quadrant
General Information
Located in	Basgiath War College
Series Information
Appearances	Fourth Wing

“	The Quadrant is a mix of 'we-might-die hedonism' and brutal efficiency in the name of the same reason.	”
–Violet Sorrengail, Fourth Wing, Chapter 4

The Riders Quadrant is one of the four Quadrants of Basgiath War College.

General Information

Those in the Riders Quadrant are trained to fight on dragon-back. Though it is the most deadly of the quadrants, with only a quarter of the cadets reaching graduation. Statistically most riders don't make it to retirement age. According to Violet there's been an increased rate at which Rider Alumni have been dying in the two years prior to the events of Fourth Wing.

On average 15% of candidates die while attempting to cross the parapet on conscription day before they even enter the Riders Quadrant. Even with the high death rate, there is no shortage of rider candidates each year because of the glory of being a rider. Riders are at the top of the social and military hierarchy, and it is well known that it is easier to climb the ranks as riders. According to Violet the only rules that apply to Riders are from the Codex. Riders are also permitted to marry earlier, shortly after gradation, most likely because riders often die early too, and because most successful riders are legacies so they want to continue the bloodlines. They also receive better pay .

The Riders Quadrant is divided into four wings, each wing has three sections (either flame, claw, or tail), and each section has three squads. Highest ranks are Wingleader and Section Leader, both positions held by third years. Everyone is considered a cadet until after bonding a dragon during Threshing at which point they become a rider.

First year cadets are placed in the back two rows of the little square that makes up each squad. If a first year survives threshing unbonded they have the opportunity to repeat their year. The only weapons that cadets and riders are allowed to have are weapons that they earn or bring with them across parapet. Weapons can either be earned by passing a weapons qualification for a specific weapon, or they can beat an opponent during a challenge and take one of their weapons.

The Dragon Riders' Codex

• Article One, Section One; "A dragon without its rider is a tragedy, a rider without their dragon is dead."
• Article Two, Section Three; "Barring invasion, only riders and designated scribes are permitted in the Riders Quadrant. To enter uninvited as infantry or even healer is to welcome a swift death." ... "Impersonating a commissioned officer is a punishable offense."
• Article Three, Section Unknown; "It is unlawful for a rider to cause another harm while in a quadrant formation or in the supervisory presence of a superior-ranking cadet as it will diminish the efficacy of the wing."
• Article Three, Section Two; "It's an executable offense to attack any cadet while sleeping."
• Article Three, Section Six, Addendum B; “A rider may only bring to the quadrant the items they can carry and they shall not be separated from those items no matter what they may be, for once carried across the parapet, they are considered part of their person.”
• Article Four, Section One; "All cadet belongings are subject to search at the discretion of command."
• Article Four, Section Two; "A cadet's discipline falls their chain of command before being brought to cadre."
• Article Four, Section Three; "Without cause and calling a quorum of wingleaders, other Rider Quadrant leaders cannot be harmed."
• Article Five, Section Seven; "Though not forbidden, cadets are strongly encouraged not to develop strong romantic attachments while studying in the quadrant for the efficiency of the unit." ... "Though the chain of command may be consulted, the final say in any academic punishment or repercussion lies with the commandant's office."
• Article Unknown, Section Unknown; "People within the same squad cannot kill each other." ... "Challenges between squadmates are forbidden."... "Nothing but respect among riders at formation." ... "[after parapet] now you begin the true crucible."

Important Events

Conscription Day

see more here

Assessment Day

Sparring Challenges

Combat matches between the cadets and/or riders. Some are hand-to-hand while others are with weapons, it is up to the two competing cadets to decide which weapons can be used. Throwing weapons is not allowed as it endangers cadets sparring on other mats. Riders are not allowed to use lesser magic or signets during challenges. However, riders have still been known to use these abilities- as was the case between Imogen vs Violet, and Jack vs Violet.

These challenges start two weeks into the school year, usually the first week of august, and stop for first-years in early September when they start training for Gauntlet. To the cadets, challenges may seem random and any cadet can request a challenge, however, according to the book of Brennan the instructors secretly assign matches based on weeding out the weakest. These challenges are decided a week in advance.

Gauntlet

• Is a vertical obstacle course that cadets must complete in order to attend Threshing and attempted to bond with a dragon.
• It is located in the Riders Quadrant at Basgiath War College, the Gauntlet is built into the ridgeline that separates the citadel from the flight field and the Vale.
• The final gauntlet run begins shortly after morning formation on September 29th.

Presentation Day and Threshing

• Presentation Day
  • September 29th
  • One of the deadliest days for first year cadets
  • Cadets all walk in a line down the meadow and back. This is done so that the dragons can see that years cadets and assess them.
  • Advice given to cadets to promote bonding
    • Leaving at least seven feet between each cadet incase a dragon finds disfavor with one of them. A dragon is more likely to burn a group to weed out one singular cadet.
    • Talking to their fellow cadets while they walk. This helps the dragons get a sense of who they are and how well they work with others. There is a correlation between bonded cadets and the level of chatter between them on Presentation day.
• Threshing
  • October 1st
  • Cadets are spread out in the fields outside of the quadrant and they walk around looking for a dragon to bond with. Second- and third-year riders are also spread out around the fields to observe but they are not allowed to interfere.
  • Some first-year cadets takes this opportunity to attempt to kill any cadets that they think are too weak or unfit to be riders.
  • Once a rider bonds with a dragon, the dragon will put them through a series of flight trials, where the dragon will fly and turn, testing the rider's abilities to remain seated. If the rider falls from their seat then the dragon will either catch them and place them back in the seat, or if deemed unworthy, the dragon will let the cadet fall to the ground and die.
  • After a successful flight trial, the dragon will land and the cadet will report their bond to the roll-keeper who will record the bond in the Book of Riders.

Uniforms

The uniforms are less strict in the riders quadrant than in any other quadrant. Riders are only required to wear all black and cadets often alter or customize their uniforms. Cadets are issued standard uniforms at the beginning of their first year, this includes;

• Summer-weight uniforms tight fitted tunics, pants, and accessories.
• Fighting leathers- worn for sparring.
• Flight leathers, thicker more protective combat uniforms, aren't handed out until after Threshing due to the amount of cadets that die between Conscription and Threshing.

Patches

Cadets are issued patches that they can choose to wear on the shoulders of their uniforms and the wearer sews it into their clothes. Patches indicate information that is specific to the cadet and are often worn with pride but it is not mandatory for a cadet to wear them. The design on patches changes yearly.

Patches are only worn on regular uniforms, flight uniforms do not bear any insignias, patches, or names; they only have a rider's rank and any leadership designation on their shoulder. This is done intentionally to protect the rider if they are separated from their dragon behind enemy lines.

Known Patches

• Wing Patch: Flame shaped patch with the emblem for the Fourth Wing and a cantered reddish number two - Violet wears it.
• Year: The number of silver four-pointed stars worn on their collarbone indicates their year.
  • (One star for a first-year, two stars for a second-year, and three stars for a third-year)
• Classified Signet: The compass patch, worn below the wing patch - Dain wears it.
• Flame Section: It is bright purple. - Professor Devera wears it.
• Gauntlet Patch: Awarded to the cadet with the fastest Gauntlet time - Liam wear it; no description is given.
• Iron Squad: Green. Awarded to the squad with the most surviving members at Threshing - Violet's squad wears it.The Squad that earns this patch does not have to rotate sparring mats during matches.
• Classified Patch: Circular, silver patch with a black key, given to Violet, Rhiannon, Ridoc and Sawyer after escaping interrogation.
• Lightning Signet Patch: Lightning bolt that branches off into four different directions. Violet wears it.
• Executive Officer (Squad) Patch - Sawyer wears it: no description given
• Section Leader Patch(s) - Garrick wore it as Flame Section’s leader.
• Signet Patches - Represents a person’s (unclassified) signet. Known signet patches are Lightning and Fire Wielding
• Untitled Patch: Patch for the squad leader that keeps the highest number of first years alive - Dain wears it
• Untitled Patch: Circular patch with water and floating spheres- Heaton wears it
• Untitled Patch: Green patch with two silhouettes - Imogen wears it
• Untitled Patch: Triangular patch with a long sword. It indicates that the wearer is "not to be messed with on the mat"- Garrick and Heaton wear it

Locations

The Citadel

see more here

Class Schedule

Students are given academic schedules shortly after crossing the Parapet and classes begin the following day. Unbonded first year cadets choose their assignments during the first week of class.

First Year

• Breakfast Duty Chore (starts roughly at 5:25am)
• Breakfast (served at 6am)
• Formation (death roll, important announcements)
• Unnamed Class fourth floor, second room on the left in the academic wing.
• Gym (twice per week) or Gauntlet Training (three times per week)
  • Gauntlet Training starts around Sept 11th in the morning, two and a half weeks prior to Presentation Day.
• Dragon Lecture by Professor Kaori (unspecified time)
• History (lasts one hour and is directly before Battle Brief)
  • Reviews past wars only.
• Battle Brief (time; mid-morning, only class taken daily)
  • Entire quadrant attends.
  • Meant to teach critical thinking skills to keep riders alive in fluid political situations.
• Lunch
• Challenges (after lunch)
  • Every cadet is challenged once a week starting the second week of class (August)
  • Pause between second week of September and resume after solstice

Special Events

• Conscription Day (mid-July)
• Gauntlet/Presentation Day (September)
• Threshing (October 1st)
• Squad Battle
• War Games

Second Year

• Breakfast (served at 6am)
• Formation (death roll, important announcements)
• Battle Brief (time; mid-morning, only class taken daily)
  • Entire quadrant attends
  • meant to teach critical thinking skills to keep riders alive in fluid political situations.
• Lunch
• Challenges (after lunch)
  • Every cadet is challenged once a week starting the second week of class (August)
  • Pause between second week of September and resume after solstice.
• Flight Field
• Rider Survival Course (RSC)
• Physics

Special Events

• Conscription Day (July)
• Gauntlet/Presentation (September)
• Threshing (October 1st)
• Squad Battle
• War Games

Third Year

• Breakfast (served at 6am)
• Formation (death roll, important announcements)
• Battle Brief (time; mid-morning, only class taken daily)
  • Entire quadrant attends
  • Meant to teach critical thinking skills to keep riders alive in fluid political situations.
• Lunch
• Challenges (after lunch)
  • every cadet is challenged once a week starting the second week of class (August).
  • pause between second week of September and resume after solstice.
• Courses: Weaving

Special Events

• Conscription Day (July)
• Gauntlet/Presentation (September)
• Threshing (October 1st)
• Squad Battle
• War Games

The Wings

to see individual wing structure, and characters associated with each wing, please use the following links

Navarrian Military

See associated page for more information on military rankings and wing structure.

Western Wing

TBA

Cadets and Riders

Teachers

• Professor Devera- Battle Brief
• Professor Carr- Signet Manifestation and practice
• Professor Colonel Markham- Battle Brief
• Professor Emmetiro- Combat (Sparring/Gauntlet)
• Professor Kaori- Dragonkind, Flight Lessons
• Professor Grady- Rider Survival Course (RSC)

Temporary Teachers in Aretia

• Trissa - Runes
• Professor Kiandra- Flier teacher from Cliffsbane, Battle Brief
• Professor Devera- Battle Brief
• Ulices Ferris ("Hawk Nose")- Physics, every other day
• Kylynn ("Battle-Ax")- Flight Manuevers
• Brennan Sorrengail - Scribe Quadrant Currator
• Felix Gerault- Mentors Violet in Signet Wielding

Unnamed Characters:

• Unnamed Male rider: trim lines of a dark goatee. has a bevy of patches stitched into the worn leather jacket he wears.
• Unnamed Female rider: second year, with pink streaks in her hair.
• Unnamed Male rider: with dragon scales tattooed un his entire bicep.
• unnamed Female Rider: Second year, fourth wing, has two small hoop earrings in her left lobe stands next to Imogen.
• unnamed female cadet: first year, holding a blood-speckled cloth to her swollen lip.
• unnamed girl: first year, olive complexion, marked one.
• unnamed male first year gangly with slim fingers and on the smaller side. marked one.
• unnamed female, first year, third wing, who's bunk is only a row away from Violets and Rhiannons. marked one.
• unnamed female: pale redhead, first year, marked one.
• unnamed female: first year, first wing, stocky. mentioned again.
• unnamed male: first year, second wing.
• unnamed male: first year, tall, third wing.
• unnamed female: first year, buxom.
• unnamed male: first year, third squad, claw second, third wing. sweaty, with a gap between his front teeth.
• unnamed female rider: bonded a brown Clubtail, seen with Liam Mairi the morning after Threshing.
• unnamed male cadet: first year, second wing, Navil Jacek's younger brother. Spars against Sloane.

Death Roll Names

See the link above for more information on confirmed character deaths within the series

Quotes

“	What makes you a rider is what you do after people die.	”
–Xaden Riorson to Violet Sorrengail, Fourth Wing, Chapter 10

Trivia

• The cadets from the Morraine province all spend some Saturdays at the nearby lake because it reminds them of the ocean that they miss.
• Riders are required to serve for four years with a combat wing before they can be reassigned to a different type of position.
• Riders are taught to inspect their dragons after flight and look for any debris that could be lodged between their toes or the scales on their underbelly.
• Three candidates died in the turret falling down the stairs during Dain's first year, two boys and one girl who was crushed when one of the guys landed on her.
• 70 rider candidates died on conscription day between the parapet and the first formation.
• Almost 20% of the candidates died during the parapet on Violet's conscription day, compared to the usual 15%, likely due to the weather.
• There are 34 unbonded cadets from Dain's first year that start over as first years in Violet's year.
• 100 dragons were willing to bond during Violets Threshing in Fourth Wing, which was 37 fewer than Dain's year, and 26 fewer than Xadens year. No Blue dragons were willing to bond during Violets threshing.
• By the end of August, a quarter of the cadets killed at least one of their opponents during sparring with at least 20 more names added to death roll for first years alone.