Square Enix's Dragon Quest IX is celebrating Christmas early as a free downloadable quest is available that features a recognizable character named Mr. Claus.

Living on a northern frozen island, the well-known Christmas gift-giver looks after a horse and requests aid in looking for a specific item.

This seasonal download is available for Japanese players (or importers around the world) now. There is no word on a North American or European release date for the game, and similarly no word on whether or not other regions will be able to download all the free quests.