Luc (Suikoden)

Official artwork of Luc by Konami

Official artwork of Luc by Konami

Luc (ルック, Rukku) is a character in the Genso Suikoden series of roleplaying games. He appears in Suikoden I, II, and III. He is a bearer of one of the 27 True Runes.

Statistics

Name: Luc
Alias: The Masked Bishop (Suikoden III; age 32)
Origin: Holy Kingdom of Harmonia
Age: 14 (Start of Suikoden I), 17 (Suikoden II), 32 (Suikoden III) (he remained about 18-20 due to the True rune)
Born: Solar year 444
Died: Solar year 476
Race: Human/Clone
Height: 165 cm
Rune: True Wind Rune (True Rune from birth, borne on right hand)
Family: Hikusaak (father/creator/original), Sasarai (twin brother/clone), Leknaat (mentor)
Affliation: Destroyers
Previous Affliations: Holy Kingdom of Harmonia, Dunan Army, Toran Liberation Army

Personality

Initially, one might see Luc as aloof, arrogant and mysterious, but this would be understandable as he is the bearer of the True Wind Rune, one of the 27 True Runes of the universe of Suikoden.

Underneath, Luc is truly unhappy with his role in life, which had been decided at birth as the bearer of a True Rune for his creator, Hikusaak, the High Priest of the Kingdom of Harmonia. Angry at the cruel destiny forced upon his life, Luc gradually learned to hate the idea of destiny controlling mortals like pawns in a cosmic game. After experiencing several epic wars within his lifetime, Luc came to the conclusion that mortals have the power to change destiny, but were too absorbed in their own petty agendas to truly do so. Determined to bring control of destiny into the hands of mortals, as well as to avenge his own unnatural existence, Luc decided to destroy himself and his True Wind Rune as an act of rebellion against destiny. In the end, however, he found peace with help from his true love, Sarah, who accepted Luc without fear or prejudice.

Biography

Luc was born in Solar Year 444. He is one of at least two clones created of High Priest Hikusaak with his sole purpose in life being to bear the True Wind Rune.

He was originally raised in Harmonia, but, due to an incident at the One Temple, he was rescued by Leknaat and lived on the Magician's Isle, which is northeast of Toran. During his time there, in Solar Year 455, he met Tir McDohl, who was running on an errand for the Scarlet Moon Empire, and enjoyed playing pranks on Ted. After Tir became the leader of the Liberation Army, he joined his army at Leknaat's urging.

File:Luc05.gif

Luc returned to Leknaat's service at the end of the war in Solar Year 457, but three years later, in Solar Year 460, Leknaat sent him again to fight in the Dunan Unification War. Although he had a bit of an interest in Tir's battle, he was quick to mention to Riou that he was only fighting because Leknaat ordered him to. During the Gate Rune War and the Dunan Unification War, Luc was the keeper of the Stone Tablet of Promise (the tablet of stars). During the Dunan Unification War, Luc explains to Riou how the Beast Rune works and what happened to the citizens of Muse. During the war, Luc becomes actively interested in attacking the Harmonian reinforcements granted to Highland, and their leader, Bishop Sasarai.

Sometime after the Dunan Unification War, Luc began receiving visions from the True Wind Rune he bore, and became bitter at his fate as Hikusaak's puppet. The visions Luc received were of a bleak and lifeless future, as the power of order overpowers the force of chaos, causing all life to stagnate. Luc resolves to change this future by destroying the True Wind Rune, realizing full well that his own death will result from this. He leaves Leknaat's service, after telling her how much he hates her. She is unable to stop him, as her Back Gate Rune is not strong enough, being only half of a True Rune.

To aid in his plan, Luc recruits the aid of a powerful magician, Sarah, whom he had rescued from Crystal Valley as a girl, and Albert Silverberg. Silverberg would further Luc's plan by summoning the Black Knight, Yuber.

File:Maskedluc.jpg

Luc as seen in Suikoden III, using a mask to conceal his identity.

For Luc's plan to work, he would need to gain the Five Elemental True Runes: The True Fire Rune, True Water Rune, True Lightning Rune, the True Earth Rune, and True Wind Rune, which he possessed already. To get these runes, Luc disguises himself with a mask and, with aid from Albert, pulls a lot of strings to become a bishop. Luc's timing was impeccable, as a fifty-year truce between the Grassland and Harmonia was just about to end, and the Grassland is the location of the Flame Champion, the bearer of the True Fire Rune.

While the Harmonian Army, led by Sasarai, begins the assault on Grasslands, Luc travels with Sarah, Yuber, and Albert Silverberg to the Grasslands to get the True Runes for himself. Luc's first plan is to create strife between the Zexen Federation and the Grassland. To accomplish this, Luc travels to the Great Hollow, and has Sarah create the illusion of Chris Lightfellow of the Zexen Knights attacking. While Shiba and Geddoe's mercenary troupe deal with her, Yuber secretly sneaks inside of the Hollow and assassinates Chief Zepon.

Afterwards, Luc travels to the Karaya Clan and has Sarah cast a spell creating a wall of anger. Anyone who entered the back of the village would see illusions that would enrage them, and make them succumb to uncontrollable fury. This happened to Borus, who massacred the Karayans until defeated by Geddoe.

Luc then searched for the True Fire Rune, and decided to check Le Buque for the Altar of the Mantor Trainers, which was once the altar of the Flame Champion. However, the altar turned out to be a fake the Flame Champion created to cover his tracks. Luc was then stopped by Geddoe and his troupe, where they learn the Masked Bishop has his own plans, and that he bears the True Wind Rune.

Luc then decides to search the Alma Kinan Clan for the True Water Rune, where he runs into Chris. However, Chris defends Yun's sacrifice long enough so that Luc can't obtain it.

Luc then learns of the Flame Champion's Hideaway, sensing the energy Sana used to open to seal to the True Fire Rune. Luc attempts to take the Rune, but the spirit of the Flame Champion blocks the attempt.

Unable to obtain the runes himself, Luc decides to join with Sasarai and the regular Harmonian Army and conquer the Grassland, obtaining the runes later. The attempts are successful until the Flame Champion unites the soldiers of Zexen and Grassland in the Battle of Brass Castle.

Luc then pursues Jimba, the bearer of the True Water Rune, and attacks him. Jimba is delivered a mortal wound, but manages to destroy Luc's mask, no longer allowing him to hide his face, and his exact likeness to Bishop Sasarai. Luc is about to take the rune, but is stopped by Chris, who takes the True Water Rune.

Rather than waste time on Grassland, Luc returns to Crystal Valley and attacks Sasarai to take the True Earth Rune. Luc distracts Sasarai by telling him the truth of his birth, and manages to remove the rune from his brother.

With two True Runes, Luc is confident enough in his position to wrest the runes from Grassland. Luc sets a trap in Le Buque and uses Franz to call on the Fire Bringer to help. Geddoe is the one who answers the call, taking Ace, Queen, Joker, Jacques, and Aila with him to rescue the citizens. Once the trap is sprung, Luc attacks. Geddoe and his troupe are too strong for Luc normally, but Sarah taps into the power of the True Earth Rune and defeats Geddoe, taking the True Lightning Rune from him. Luc leaves Geddoe and his crew to die with a nearly endless horde of monsters.

After this, Sarah decides to set a trap for Chris by creating an illusion. Appearing as Yumi, a girl from the Alma Kinan Clan, she tells a false story to Chris about how the Water Seal in Alma Kinan has been acting strangely, and that she wants Chris to help fix it by using the True Water Rune. Chris takes Borus with her, but deep in the Kuput Forest, Sarah reveals herself. She distracts Borus by making him recall the people he massacred in Karaya, and then uses the True Earth Rune on Chris to subdue her and steal her True Water Rune.

While Sarah is doing this, Luc summons monsters to attack Brass Castle to draw out Hugo, the bearer of the True Fire Rune. Wave after wave of monsters weaken Hugo, and eventually, Luc appears, using the power of the True Lightning Rune and True Wind Rune to overpower Hugo and take the True Fire Rune. With all the runes in his possession, Luc proceeds to leave, leaving Yuber behind to take out Hugo.

However, Hugo) escapes with the intervention of Chris and the Alma Kinan army; Geddoe, his troupe, and Le Buque; and finally, by Sasarai, who joins the Fire Bringer to stop Luc.

Luc places the runes of True Fire, True Water, True Lightning, and True Earth into receptacles built into a Sindar Ritual Site near the Great Hollow. Expecting the Fire Bringer to reclaim the Runes, he sends Yuber to guard the True Lightning Rune, Sarah to guard the True Water Rune, Albert Silverberg to guard the True Fire Rune, and Luc himself guards the True Earth Rune.

The energy of the five True Runes collects into the ruin, and Luc prepares to meet his end. However, the Fire Bringer intervene before the ritual can be finished. Geddoe and his crew crush Yuber, Chris takes her knights to defeat Sarah, Hugo and his mentor Sergeant Joe take the True Fire Rune after Albert Silverberg leaves it for them. Sasarai attempts to get the True Earth Rune back, but cannot best Luc in battle. Thomas and Cecile defend Sasarai though, and eventually, Luc just stops fighting and leaves. Sasarai is confused by these actions, because he'll get his True Rune back, but Luc responds to that, although he hates Sasarai more than anyone else, Sasarai is the only person who can understand just who Luc really is.

Luc meets Hugo, Chris, and Geddoe in the center of the Sindar Ruin.Using the gathered power in the ruins, he calls forth the incarnation of the True Wind Rune along with 'phantoms' of the other elemental runes to do battle. However, in the end, the Fire Bringer would defeat the beast, leaving Luc to his fate.

Because Luc has used so much power from the True Wind Rune, he lies dying. Albert Silverburg has fled and Yuber disappeared, his contract fulfilled from his view; the plans to destroy the Rune are in ruins. But Sarah comes to Luc and tells him that she loves him. She was born with incredible magical power and was used as a pawn by Harmonia, never experiencing the love she wanted. Luc rescued her, and she loved him for it. She would follow Luc's plans forever because of this. Luc asks Sarah what if he, just like everyone else, just wanted her power. Sarah responds that it was okay because he rescued her; she wouldn't have minded, as long as she could be beside him. Luc then thanks Sarah. Her love has redeemed him, and he finally believes himself a human and having a soul. They die with each other as the ruins collapse upon them.

After death, the souls of Luc and Sarah go to Leknaat, where the Seeress tells Luc she forgives him and blesses him.

Notes on Luc

• With the release of Suikoden III, it was revealed that the words in the opening of the original Suikoden, which read as "Please tell me, is fate unchangeable?", were actually words spoken to Leknaat by Luc himself. Because of the time these words are spoken, it is possible that he had been seeing the images of the world of order even as early as Solar Year 455.

• As one of the most complex characters in the Suikoden universe, Luc was also one of the most popular.

• When you unlocked his point of view in the Trinity Sight System & reached its end, he will tell Yuber & Hugo respectively that "He reminded them of people he used to know" & "He once entrusted his soul to a man who's just like Hugo". It's unknown if he's referring to Tir McDohl or Riou or both of them.