Peter Rossini

**Peter Rossini**

Peter Rossini was born the eldest son of Gabriel and
Elena Rossini in the city of San Lorenzo. The Rossini family was part of the wealthy
merchant class with holdings in shipping and banking concerns, and influences
in the local trade guilds.

##### **Early Years**

Gabriel had hoped to groom young Peter for the family
businesses but while showing a keen aptitude toward them, had no heart for it.
He wanted a more active lifestyle. Peter was looking to his brother Marco,
younger by two years, to embrace the tediousness of business. He himself would
see to the physical aspects of them.

Peter had spent his early years with his grandfather
Carlos Arnoldi Rossini, the first Rossini to enter into the overseas trade of
silks and tapestries. Peter loved to walk the docks with his Grandfather,
fascinated by the ships and taking great interest in the building and rigging
of sailing vessels. Peter liked but never understood why his grandfather would
nod with appreciation at a successful situation and say “Plumb, Level and
Square to the World”.

When Peter became of school age, he was put under the
tutelage of Giovanni Gessetti. Gessetti was an acquaintance of Carlos with
unknown ties. Gessetti was to teach Peter and later Marco in mathematics,
bookkeeping and material logistics. Peter was also to be instructed in swordsmanship
and physical training. Peter loved the training but hated the “book stuff”,
ducking out of assigned reading whenever possible.

One such excursion of being ‘oot n aboot’ proved to be
fateful.

##### **Assassination**

Peter often escaped the mundane world of study for the
wharfs and marketplaces. He became friends with local boys of the city. They didn’t
know he was “Grosso”, wealthy, and he didn’t care that they were “Populo”,
common. He spent much time in this world of freedom.

It was while trying to sneak back into Villa Rossini that
Peter was aware immediately that things were very wrong. The normal mutterings
from certain rooms were silent. He heard the screaming of his mother from his
brother and sister’s rooms. He was close enough to hear his mother begging for
the mercy of her children and then silence. As he ran down the hall, he was
knocked over by a hooded figure, the eyes and face he would always remember. He
found the lifeless bodies of his mother Elena, brother Marco and sister Karina,
stabbed. In the study he found his father and grandfather, slain. His
grandfather had been shot by a wrist bolt and father also stabbed. The
chronicles are unclear as to where Gessetti was during the assassinations.

##### **The ‘Gray Mouser’**

Vowing vengeance of his family, he made his way back to
his friends. Nature would have it that he turned to a life of petty crime,
snatching purses from the Grosso in the marketplace. While gold reminded him of
happier days in the Villa, he never took it, only silver. He reasoned that gold
in a street urchin’s hands would raise suspicions. He had a method by which he
would snatch a purse, follow the person and then run up saying “Pardon, your
grace, you dropped your purse back there. I retrieved it for you”. This usually
netted Peter a few silver as a reward. During these times, he became known as
the ‘Gray Mouser’; stealthy, planning and agile.

It was a matter of time before Gessetti caught up with Peter.
Gessetti had heard of a ‘Gray Mouser’ and knew it was Peter. Posing as an
elderly merchant, Gessetti wandered the marketplace. Sensing Peter’s approach,
Gessetti grabbed him. Peter was never so relieved to be caught in his life! Gessetti
took Peter under wing and began the training anew. The following years saw
Peter develop his skills and reach manhood. While in training, Peter would
often question Gessetti about his family’s assassinations. Gessetti would only
say ‘In time, In time’.

##### **Invasion and Exodus**

The immediate threat of invasion from forces to the east
led Rossini, Gessetti and others to engage in skirmishing actions in the
foothills of the east of San Lorenzo. While never intended to defeat the enemy
hordes, the actions served as a delaying tactic to allow the people of the
Lugano region to flee with the main body of the exodus.

Gessetti at this point instructed Rossini to travel with
the main body. He himself was to find Genseric and join the resistance.

Rossini strongly objected to this as cowardly but
Gessetti told him it was not ‘fleeing’ but ‘protecting’. Gessetti’s personal
task required him to join Genseric.

The exodus eventually resulted in internment by the
Empire. It was interment that led Rossini to meet Lucy Bligh and Oliver Redding.