Tod (Roderick Gordano) is the superstar of the young cadet class who have been selected to spend a year on the Mage pocket universe of Arth. The class is put together by the King and his staff, and it is apparently traditional for the heir to one of the five noble houses in the Pentarchy to be part of that cadet class. And Tod is that noble heir.
Luckily for Tod, he makes friends with two other like-minded (i.e. nice) cadets -- Josh, who is a centaur, and Philo, who is a gualdian. Each of them, like Tod, has magical abilities or potential way beyond the pathetic norm in their below-par class of cadets. Tod, however, has a magical birthright that has been carefully trained, so he is much more controlled in what he can do and cope with when it comes to magic. Josh and Philo are a bit more gawky, each in his own way.
Unluckily for Tod, he gets into two big ruckuses during his time on Arth. Each time he is punished by the scornful high mages who run the place, but each punishment is helpful in that it gives him a unique perspective on the players and the causes of the disruption created by the arrival of the Celestial Omnibus on Arth.
Tod is a very likeable young man, observant, smart, and considerate. And he is a rewarding part of this funny, complex, unusual novel.