- "You squeeze out every drop of wine you can, then you pass into nothing. You can put that on my tombstone."
- —Duke Luca Abele
Luca Abele is the acting Duke of Serkonos during the events of Dishonored 2 and the son of the previous Duke, Theodanis. In contrast to his benevolent father, he oppresses the people of Serkonos, provoking acts of rebellion against his authority. He is also openly disdainful for the Abbey of the Everyman.[1]
Biography
Luca is the eldest son of Duke Theodanis and Duchess Callas Abele. During his youth, Luca met Delilah Copperspoon in Dunwall.
During his time at school, there were numerous incidents in which Luca hurt other students. Letters were sent to his father, who was worried, realizing that his son's behaviour could not be ignored as a schoolboy prank, as Luca was not a boy anymore.[2]
During a visit to Dunwall in 1828, Luca goaded his younger brother, Radanis, into attacking two street girls. Radanis attacked and killed one of them, causing the other to retaliate by breaking off a wooden gazelle from Luca's rail coach and driving it into Radanis' eye, killing him.
After the death of his father in 1847, Luca became the new Duke of Serkonos. He had the old palace razed to build a new, more ornate one on the same position at Point Abele. Luca also started to gradually undo all his father had done for Karnaca, preferring his own comfort and well-being to the lives of his people.
Two years later, twelve years after her disappearance, Delilah contacted Luca from the Void. To free her from there, Luca convinced Aramis Stilton to allow Luca and others to host a séance at Stilton Manor. The séance was successful and Luca, Breanna Ashworth, Kirin Jindosh, Grim Alex and Stilton managed to return Delilah from the Void. The experience proved to be too much for Stilton, however, who went insane from what he saw. As Stilton was a loyal friend to his father, Luca ordered him imprisoned in his own mansion and employed the Howlers to provide Stilton with food. After Delilah had returned, she cast part of her soul into an effigy to become immortal. She entrusted the effigy to Luca, who stored it at his vault at the Grand Palace.
As preparation for Delilah's coup, Luca sent Grim Alex to Dunwall to eliminate political enemies of Empress Emily Kaldwin. He also closed off Addermire Institute to hide the fact that Alexandria Hypatia, the true identity of Grim Alex, was gone from time to time. Sometime before she left for Dunwall to kill Ichabod Boyle, she kidnapped Anton Sokolov from the Dreadful Wale and brought him to the Addermire Institute, from where he was then sent to the Clockwork Mansion.
Dishonored 2
At the beginning of Dishonored 2, Luca Abele arrives at Dunwall Tower during the anniversary of Empress Jessamine Kaldwin's death. He presents Delilah Copperspoon before the royal court as the lost heir to the throne and, blaming Emily and her father Corvo Attano for the murders of the Crown Killer, helps her stage the coup to usurp the throne.
After returning to Karnaca, Luca hosts a celebration for Delilah's ascension to the throne at the Grand Palace. Furthermore, he hosts orgies at the palace for the entire month.
After the protagonist has found out about the effigy that holds Delilah's spirit, the protagonist heads to the Grand Palace. There, the protagonist enters Luca's vault, trapping Delilah's spirit in the Heart, and eliminates Luca. Luca can be either killed outright, or the protagonist can work together with Luca's body-double Armando; this lets the body-double pass off as the Duke and claim that the former is the body-double who has gone insane. In the latter case, Luca is arrested by the Grand Serkonan Guard and imprisoned at an asylum.
Personality
Luca Abele is nothing like his father who was known as a good man. He abused his power in Serkonos for his own comfort while leaving his subjects to suffer. When evidence that part of his empire was decaying do his poor leadership he denied it and still arrogantly believing that Serkonos was still thriving under his leadership. He did have some respect for his father though as he agreed to take care of Aramis Stilton after he went insane do to loyalty to his father. He also had an obsessive love for Delilah even though she clearly did not have the same feelings and she only thought of him as an ally and a good friend.
Trivia
- Luca Abele is voiced by Vincent D'Onofrio.[3]
- In one of his broadcasts, Luca reveals that he has a fear of being out on the open ocean.
- According to an article in the Karnaca Gazette, Luca led a standing ovation at the Royal Opera House during a performance by the opera singer Shan Yun given in the Duke's honor.
- During the game, numerous messages from Luca are broadcast to Karnaca via loudspeakers.
- The ceremony painting is similar to Hiram Burrows's ceremony in his official capacity of Lord Regent, and was drawn by the same artist, Sergei Kolesov. In this painting, the cortege and the Duke himself are bathed in daylight, while the people watching the ceremony and the oppressed civilian on the bottom left are kept in shadows.
- Luca keeps the wooden gazelle head, with which Billie stabbed Radanis, in his vault at the Grand Palace. It can be stolen by the protagonist and is then displayed with the rest of the souvenirs in the protagonist's cabin aboard the Dreadful Wale.
- During the mission A Crack in the Slab, he mentions that he partakes in orgies.
- Among other things, Luca's body double complains that Luca takes credit for the paintings of the double.
- Luca made several attempts to paint himself but without much success. Two of his paintings can be found in the mission The Grand Palace.
- His self-portrait is on the balcony on the top floor. The same portrait can also be collected by Billie in The Bank Job mission in Death of the Outsider.
- In one of the scenarios of the mission, he can be in the private garden, trying and failing to paint a wolfhound. In High Chaos, Luca will shoot the dog after becoming frustrated with the quality of his painting. In Low Chaos, Luca will instead throw a rock/piece of debris at the dog, causing it to run off.
- If Corvo or Emily decide to assassinate Luca with the sword, a special animation will play, where the protagonist will disarm him. As he falls to the ground, and slowly starts to move back, they proceed to grab him and slit his throat.
- Luca commissioned a silver statue of Delilah and placed it in the banquet hall of the Grand Palace. He fantasizes about the statue[4] and has musicians entertain it.
- After being dragged away by the Grand Guard in the nonlethal scenario the Duke can be found lying on the bed in the Double's bedchambers and thus can be killed.
Gallery
Paintings and Silvergraphs
In-Game
References
Characters in Dishonored 2 | |
---|---|
Protagonists | |
Allies |
Alexandria Hypatia • Anton Sokolov • Aramis Stilton • Meagan Foster |
Assassination Targets |
Breanna Ashworth • Delilah Copperspoon • Kirin Jindosh • Luca Abele • Mortimer Ramsey • The Crown Killer |
Others |
Alexi Mayhew • Mindy Blanchard • Paolo • The Outsider • Vice Overseer Byrne |
Minor Characters (Male) |
Amadeo Monte • Armando • Corporal Dial • Cyrille • Bartholomeus Vasco • Hadros • Ichabod Boyle • Joe Hamilton • Karl • Lento • Luciano • Stanislaw Shepherd • Ramos • Rapollo • Overseer Abello • Overseer Fitz • Overseer Ogburn • Yul Khulan |
Minor Characters (Female) |
Amelia • Bettina • Francesca • Jessamine Kaldwin • Lizbet • Lucia Pastor • Lucille Clothilda • Martha • Maya • Parmelia • Tamina |
Classes |
Aristocrats • City Watch Guards • Civilians • Grand Guard • Hatters • Howlers • Nest Keepers • Overseers • Witches |
Animals |
Bloodflies • Fish • Gravehounds • Rats • Whales • Wolfhounds |