Character
Ferdinand Rossini
The heir made to wear his father's failures
Ferdinand is the eldest son of Lorenzo Rossini and heir to House Rossini. In his own body he is a tall, handsome young man. His father calls him a good son and an average sorcerer in the same breath.
For the year of the Academy Joust, Ferdinand did not attend the Academy under his own name. Enchanted bracelets exchanged his appearance with Lorenzo's. Ferdinand wore the body of a balding man past fifty, met buyers, and managed the family's potion business while his father displayed overwhelming magic before the other apprentices.
The arrangement demanded constant submission. At the family table Ferdinand apologized for lacking magical talent, accepted comparison with his younger siblings, and touched his own face with relief during the brief moments when Lorenzo allowed them to return to their bodies. He nevertheless participated in the deception and continued seeking buyers after House Rossini lost its trade with Osseur.