| “ | Luctes may seem unfriendly, but he's someone you can rely on when the chips are down. | ” |
| Luctes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| レクタス, Rekutasu (Lectus) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Luctes (レクタス, Rekutasu) is a supporting character in Legend of Legaia . He is the second-highest ranking member of the Soren tribe. He is the eldest son of Cructes, the Soren Elder, and the elder brother of Grantes.
Appearance
Luctes is of a lean, muscular build and is decorated in the attire of a Soren warrior. He wears a red long-sleeve shirt and red pants that cover his entire body. Luctes protects himself with purple-colored armor, which includes a breastplate, vambraces, codpiece and greaves. A single gold band covers Luctes's left bicep. He also wears a green helmet that covers the front of his head and has eyes at the sides. Most distinguishable is the green Flying Seru that Luctes wears on his back, whose eyes attach at the sides of his chest. The wings extend downward and reach about halfway down Luctes's body.
Like the typical Soren, Luctes's face is adorned with war paint under the eyes. Luctes's hair is wild and spiked backward in all directions. Curiously, he appears to he the only red-headed Soren in the entire tribe.
Personality
Luctes is a very loyal man and takes great pride in his Soren heritage. However, like other Soren he is very distrustful of humans, perhaps even moreso than the others. As the years passed and the Soren population dwindled due to their constant slaughter at the hands of the Mist's henchmen, Luctes became increasingly malcontent and bitter. His brother Grantes's banishment from the Soren tribe after unwittingly helping to build the Floating Castle was a big contributor to Luctes's unfriendly disposition.
Despite these faults, Luctes has a great sense of honor and is willing to acknowledge his past mistakes. Though initially untrusting of the Ra-Seru Heroes, when they destroy the Floating Castle he becomes friendly to them and thanks them for their contribution to the world.
Story
Early Life
Luctes was the second-highest in command at the Soren camp, only lower in rank than his father, Cructes. He led the other Soren in their reconaissance missions throughout Legaia and also directed many of their other activities. He and his younger brother Grantes were very close, but after Grantes was banished from the surface, Luctes' heart grew bitter toward him and toward life in general. He had lost his pride as a Soren.
Luctes oversaw many attacks on the Floating Castle, but every Soren who entered wound up dead. It is unknown whether Luctes partook in these attacks and narrowly escaped with his life or if he merely oversaw the attacks and stayed in the background.
Legend of Legaia
- "I had lost my pride as a Soren. I was bitter. I was a fool. But you, heroes of Ra-Seru, you opened my eyes. Thank you! I am grateful - from the bottom of my heart!"
- —Luctes to the Ra-Seru heroes
Luctes is first seen with two Soren as they land on the very top of Nivora Ravine. He and the others discuss the revival of the Genesis Tree in Sol, but upon seeing Noa run toward the top of the ravine they quickly fly away. Once Vahn, Noa and Gala revive the Genesis Trees of Buma they fly over the town to inspect it.
Vahn and the others see them up above and Noa tries to get their attention, but they soon leave. However, seeing the Soren gives them the idea to try and contact them so they can use their ability to fly in order to get to the Floating Castle. The Ra-Seru heroes return to Sol for Cara and let Grantes know that the Mist is gone from Buma, telling him that Cara is waiting there. With the combination of their words and the Jazz Club pianist performing the piece Cara was playing on her flute when they first met, Grantes decides to stop sulking at the bar and runs off to Buma.
After Vahn, Noa and Gala return to Buma they let Grantes know that they must see the Soren and Grantes gives them the Soren Flute to play at the summit of Mt. Dhiniandtrick the Soren into flying toward them, as the Flute was a distress call used by Soren. They travel north to Mt. Dhini and use the Soren Flute to open Birdman Gate and travel up the summit. Vahn plays the Flute at the top and Luctes appears with a group of other Soren.
Luctes demands to know where they obtained the Soren Flute, to which Noa responds that it was Grantes who gave it to them. Luctes scoffs, not surprised that a "traitor" like Grantes would do as such. Luctes demands for them to leave and beckons the other Soren to fly away with him. Gala becomes angered and accuses Luctes and the Soren of being apostles of the Mist. Furious, Luctes lands in front of Gala and confronts him for insulting the Soren, letting him know that they tried to destroy the Floating Castle many times at the cost of Soren lives.
The Ra-Seru heroes tell Luctes that they are the ones who revived the Genesis Trees and they wish to use their power to reach the Floating Castle. Luctes is surprised at this and flys over to the other Soren to deliberate the matter. He decides that he does not have the sole authority to make such a decision and tells the Ra-Seru heroes that they will speak with the Soren Elder to find out his decision. Vahn and the others agree and are picked up by the three Soren with Luctes and carried through the air over to the Soren Camp.
At the Soren Camp the Ra-Seru heroes can listen to a story about Grantes from one of the Soren warriors. Should they agree to listen they find out the relationship between Luctes and Grantes:
"Luctes and Grantes are sons of Cructes, the Soren Elder. Grantes was the younger brother of Luctes. The two brothers were very close. But then Grantes fell in love with a surface-dwelling human. Then Grantes was deceived by an evil person who exploited Grantes' devotion to the one he loved. That cruel deceiver was Zora, queen of the Floating Castle! She promised Grantes Seru Wings for Cara, if he would steal a Ra-Seru Egg from Buma's Genesis Tree. Unwittingly, Grantes helped build the Floating Castle. Then the Mist came. When Cructes learned of Grantes' betrayal, he was left with no choice. He took away Grantes' Seru Wings and banished him to the Mist in accordance with Soren law! As Grantes' father, and as Soren Elder, it was a painful decision for Cructes."
After the Ra-Seru heroes reach the Soren Camp, Luctes points them in the direction of the Soren Elder and waits at the square. After they return from the Soren Elder's teepee Luctes sees that they were granted permission and summons two Soren to help him carry Vahn and the others to the landing area of the Floating Castle.
Luctes and the other Soren wait for the Ra-Seru heroes as they battle their way through the castle, only to fly away in a hurry once one of the Soren spot Zora approaching the castle. After Zora enters the Castle the Soren return to the landing area. One of the Soren asks Luctes why he wouldn't fight Zora and Luctes responds that although he knows how they feel, they were ordered to merely fly the Ra-Seru heroes there and not engage in combat.
The Ra-Seru heroes return to the landing area after the Mist Generator is destroyed and the Castle starts to plummet to the ground, but Luctes and the others are nowhere to be found. When it seems as if they will die upon impact, Luctes returns with the other Soren and picks them up just in time, revealing that they had left because they had to escape the Seru from the Castle that were attacking them.
Luctes accompanies the Ra-Seru heroes in a meeting with the Soren Elder back at the camp. Cructes reveals that he sent a reconaissance team to find out where the true source of the Mist originated after it was discovered that the Floating Castle's Mist was a fake. The Elder tells them that the final Mist Generator was found beyond the Northern KaristoMountains and that Luctes will take them there. Upon hearing this, Luctes walks over to the square in order to wait for the Ra-Seru heroes.
Luctes apologizes for being so rude to the heroes initially and explains that it was because he had lost his pride as a Soren. He gives them a parachute so they can land safely in front of Conkram as the thick Mist would affect his Flying Seru if he got too close. Luctes drops them off and returns back to camp.
Luctes is seen once more in Rim Elm two months after the destruction of the Bio Castle. Dr. Usha had had Luctes drop him off in order to see Vahn so he may write a book about his adventure. Luctes tells Vahn that they know their Flying Seru will soon die out due to the destruction of the Seru-kai, but that they have all accepted to live as surface-dwelling humans. Luctes reveals that they will be counting on Grantes (who they had forgiven and offered to let become a Soren again after the destruction of the Floating Castle) to teach them how to live like regular humans.
Power
Though Luctes is never seen fighting directly, it is strongly suggested that he is the best of the Soren warriors. He had participated in attacks on the Floating Castle, and while none were successful he had always managed to make it out alive. In addition to his skill as a warrior, Luctes's Flying Seru adds to his inherent strength. While not as strong as a Sim-Seru wearer, he certainly dwarfs normal humans in power.
Special Abilities
- Flight - The ability to travel the skies with the use of wings.