Jacopo the Elder, father
Lucia and Bianca di Chimici, half-sisters
Aurelio and Raffaella Vivoide, cousins
Ludovic [3] "Ludo" Vivoide is a Manoush and a cousin of Aurelio and Raffaella Vivoide.
Background[]
Unlike his cousins and other Manoush, who have dark hair and darker complexions, Ludo is notably red-haired and fairer skinned. His unusual appearance among the Manoush is attributed to his father being a di Chimici, though Ludo has little proof beyond a ring his mother gave him on her death bed, instructing him to show the ring to prove his di Chimici heritage if he ever got in trouble. He is rather attractive and popular with girls, most notably the ones at the wedding of Barbara and Marco[4].
Overview[]
Ludo's first appearance in the series occurs in City of Secrets, when he arrives in Padavia shortly after the city's governor, Messer Antonio, has accepted laws proposed by the di Chimici to outlaw occult practices, which includes those practiced by the Manoush. Unknown to the governor, his wife secretly harbours Ludo in their home, apparently being a worshipper of the Manoush religion herself before marrying Antonio and being an old acquaintance of Ludo's.
In Padavia, Ludo befriends the new Stravaganti from Barnsbury, Matt Wood, as well as Luciano Crinamorte, Cesare Montalbani, and William Dethridge. When the Manoush are imprisoned and slated for execution, Ludo considers using his supposed di Chimici heritage to save his life, but elects not to. With help from the Stravaganti and their allies, Ludo and the Manoush are spirited to safety in Bellezza, where they stay as guests of the Duchessa until they resume their transient lives.
Ludo subsequently appears in City of Ships, accompanying his cousins Aurelio and Raffaella to Classe. He meets Isabella and recognizes that she is a Stravagante because she lacks a shadow, before reassuring her that she will have the ability to accomplish what needs to be done when the time calls for it.
In City of Swords, Ludo appears in Fortezza, where he meets and falls in love with Laura Reid, the new Stravagante from London. However, Ludo makes a claim for the Fortezzan crown, which places him at odds with Laura, who must side with the Stravaganti supporting Princess Lucia as Fortezza's new ruler following the death of Jacopo the Elder.[5] Though Ludo's initial intentions had only been to find his father and obtain recognition as his son, citizens of Fortezza who feel that a woman is ill-suited to rule over them quickly express their support for Ludo's claim.
Though Ludo is acknowledged as Jacopo's only son and eldest child, the Signoria, governing body of Fortezza, reject Ludo's claim because he is an illegitimate child who was never acknowledged by Jacopo, who likely did not even know of Ludo's existence. As per Fortezzan law, he is exiled from the city as a false claimant. Dissatisfied with the decision of the Signoria, Ludo joins the opponents of Lucia di Chimici without any clear plan as to how to claim his birthright. The situation quickly results in a siege imprisoning Princess Lucia within Fortezza's fortress with her supporters and the collective army of the di Chimici family surrounding Fortezza. After a long siege, Ludo suddenly gives up his claim when Laura is unexpectedly hurt by one of his bodyguards.
Though he accepts being exiled from Fortezza, Ludo fears the Grand Duke of Tuschia's wrath and only agrees to leave under the protection of the Grand Duke's brother, Prince Gaetano. However, the Grand Duke secretly arranges for Ludo to be abducted with the intention of having him murdered at the wedding of Luciano Crinamorte and Duchessa of Bellezza. In Bellezza, Ludo is shot by his captors when he manages to escape by falling into the city's canals, where he is pulled into a mandola by Raffaela and Aurelio, who have been invited to the Duchessa's wedding as her guests. Ludo is kept in the Ducal Palace, where he is reunited with Laura, who remains by his side while all the other Stravaganti attend the wedding. When it becomes clear that he will die from the infection of his wound, Laura makes a reckless decision to stravagate Ludo to the 21st century so he can order to be treated. With the help of David Mulholland, he is brought to a hospital under the name "Luke Vivian" and translates when his original body dies. His death in Talia causes a considerable disturbance in the gateway between the worlds, but its full effects are left unknown.
Notes and References[]
- ↑ Description at amazon.com
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 City of Swords
- ↑ stravaganza.co.uk
- ↑ City of Secrets
- ↑ Goodreads summary