Louche

## Synopsis

Louche is a devil from the Nine Hells, who was once a powerful infernal leader who used his talent for musical enchantment to tempt mortals into avarice. Wanting to experience life on the Material Plane, he used a captured genie to make a wish to become a mortal. The next thing he knew, Louche awakened on the Material Plane in a mortal body, and set out to see what the mortal life had to offer.

## Adventuring Origin

Before becoming mortal, Louche was a powerful devil in the Nine Hells. For centuries, he served as one of the leading figures of the armies of Zariel in the plane of Avernus, the battlefront of the great Blood War between demons and devils. Louche's role in the armies of hell was not strategy or combat, however. His gift was music - he had innate power to inspire and enchant hordes of subservient lower devils into battle with his songs. This role earned him the title Trumpeter of the Apocalypse.

When not serving on the front lines of battle, Louche spent much of his time in the Iron City of Dis, where he was tasked by Dispater with enticing mortals into committing evil deeds or signing soul contracts.

On occasions, Dispater would also send Louche to the city of Sigil in the Outlands, where he was tasked with tempting wandering mortals into coming back with him to the Hells. During these excursions, Louche would often meet with a celestial named Israphel. Israphel was a fellow musician, who similarly used his talents to entice wandering mortals. The two had something of a friendly rivalry, albeit at high stakes, as they would use their music to compete to try to win souls. The two shared something of a romance, although it remained mostly unrequited given their opposing roles in the multiverse.

Louche has always been atypically sympathetic and moral for a devil, and dreamed for years of experiencing mortal life, away from the innate evil that suffuses the Hells. On his most recent birthday, Louche was given a *ring of djinni summoning* by his friend Mahadi as a gift. He used the ring to summon a djinni to grant him a wish. With this wish, Louche asked to be turned into a mortal.

The next thing that Louche remembers, he awakened in the Chwaka desert, near a massive hand protruding from beneath the sand (the Imlaq Colossus). He wandered the desert for a few days, attempting to get his bearings. Eventually, he met with another traveler, Ice, who seemed equally out of place. Concealing his true name, Louche introduced himself as "Marble Rye Something". Together, the two made their way to the coastal city of Karaad, eventually boarding a ship destined for the imperial capitol Ossidia.

## Secret Origin

Louche knows very little about his origin as a devil. He is aware of how most devils are born: as souls that end up in the Hells for one reason or another, and are converted into lemures. All devils fall into a strict hierarchy, and even a lowly lemure can eventually ascend to be a powerful devil. But few devils remember anything of their mortal lives, or even the earliest stages of their ascension through the infernal hierarchy. As far as Louche recalls, he has held his position as a powerful infernal leader for at least a few hundred years, and anything before that has escaped his memory.

In truth, Louche rose from the soul of a powerful follower of Asmodeus, by his same name. As a mortal, Louche was a tabaxi bard that lived in Karaad at the end of the Age of Arcana.

In his mortal life, Louche was born in Karaad. He was an only child, and his parents died when he was still young, leaving him to fend for himself in the harsh environment. He took up his father's love for music. Eventually, Louche made his way to the city of Avallon, where he studied for a time under the legendary bard Passeri. From Passeri, he learned a mastery of music and magic. In Avallon, he also met with Israphel, and developed a romantic relationship with him, after the two felt an immediate bond to one another.

Louche later returned to Karaad, where he ended up joining the forces of Asmodeus - mostly out of appreciation for the improvements Asmodeus made to the living conditions in the city. It was in Karaad, in the service of Asmodeus, that Louche met Mahadi, and played his part in creating the Imlaq Colossus. With the aid of Passeri, Louche wrote the Psalm of Awakening which was used to activate the Colossus.

Over the years that Louche spent in the service of Asmodeus, he continued his romantic relationship with Israphel in secret - despite the fact that the two were on opposing sides of a brewing war, and knew their love could never truly be requited.

Louche died in the deserts of Chwaka during the Gods' War - slain within the Imlaq Colossus by the forces of Pelor, where he died alongside Israphel. His soul was reborn as a devil, given a position of power as reward for his life's work in the service of Asmodeus. All memory of his former life has faded, as the remnants of his mortality have faded into his new infernal nature.

## Prophesy

There is a prophesy, well known to most devils, that one day Louche, as the Trumpeter of the Apocalypse, will learn a magical song called the Psalm of Assimilation. By using the Psalm of Assimilation, the prophesy states that Louche will be able to grant Asmodeus the ability to pass through the Divine Gate and return to the Material Plane, thus ushering in an era were devils reign in Materi.

The exact words of the prophesy are as follows:

> "The children of the Nine have been doomed by the gods' folly, but their chains cannot endure forever. We wait, and we prepare, for the night will come when our bonds will be broken. No son of two worlds can be bound to one. The River of Blood will carry us to the City of Doors. The Psalm of Assimilation will be our freedom. And the Trumpeter of the Apocalypse will sound our return."
>
>

Louche is unsure of the origins of this prophesy, or the specifics of what the Psalm of Assimilation is or what it entails.

In truth, the prophesy was spoken by Asmodeus himself, after the Severance, as the archdevils gathered in the Nine Hells to discuss their future. It was at this meeting that Asmodeus gave new life to the fallen soul of Louche, and made him into a powerful devil. His goal was to eventually create a mortal bloodline born from Louche, which he would absorb into himself via the Psalm of Assimilation, thereby granting himself the ability to pass through the Divine Gate. The "son of two worlds" referred to in the prophecy is not Louche himself, but rather his descendant (i.e. Malkoth).

In order to put his plan in motion, Asmodeus assigned Louche to the service of Dispater, who would task him with the collection of mortal souls. He knew that such a task would inevitably result in Louche siring a mortal child, sooner or later. He also knew that Louche would eventually have to travel to the Material Plane to find the Psalm of Assimilation, and ultimately sacrifice his own life and the lives of his descendants. He kept his plan secret, and the prophecy intentionally vague, not wishing to dissuade or influence Louche's actions. He was certain that Louche would eventually try to find a way out of his life as a devil, and that all he had to do was bide his time, and the rest of the pieces would fall into place. In the meantime, Asmodeus charged Mahadi with keeping tabs on Louche, and reporting on his status. In order to facilitate this arrangement, Louche was also placed under the jurisdiction of Zariel, so that he could participate in Blood War alongside Mahadi.

Asmodeus' plan is to use the River Styx to reach the city of Sigil. From Sigil, the Material Plan can be reached, by passing through the Divine Gate. By playing the Psalm of Assimilation, Louche will combine all of his descendants into one entity, and then assimilate them into Asmodeus, thereby allowing Asmodeus to traverse the Divine Gate. If Louche is unwilling to comply with this plan when it is revealed (which Asmodeus suspects he will be), he will use his mind-controlling magic to force him to comply.

## Party Connections

### Ice

Louche encountered Ice wandering in the deserts of Chwaka a few days after waking up as a mortal. The two have been traveling together for about a week.

## Planned Story Arcs

### Discovering Israphel's Plot

Related to the events of Malkoth's story arcs, Louche will eventually find himself at the Imlaq Colossus, where he'll learn that Israphel has abandoned the service of Pelor, and is plotting to awaken the Titan of Sapphrius Bay and use it to host his spirit and give him a permanent presence on the Material Plane. Much as Louche has found the ability to embrace his inner goodness by becoming mortal, Israphel has found the ability to embrace evil.

Within the Imlaq Colossus, Louche will find the Psalm of Awakening, and learn of the existence of a Psalm of Rest that could be used to counter Israphel's efforts.

### Learning the Song of Rest

Louche must travel to Nakuloko Island in the Taruki Jungle and learn the Psalm of Rest from a reclusive hermit satyr, Passeri, who lives on the island. Here, he can also learn the truth of his former mortal life, as Passeri knew Louche as a mortal. He will also learn the Psalm of Assimilation - the prophesied song that will enable Asmodeus' plot to enter Materi.

### Stopping Israphel's Plot

Using the Psalm of Rest and the Imlaq Colossus, Louche can stop Israphel from reviving the Titan of Sapphrius Bay, if he wishes.

### Facing Asmodeus

Louche will have to confront Asmodeus and prevent his incursion into the Material Plane.

## Story Rewards

### Team Skill: Nothing To Louche

Once Louche awakens Syntithenai, he permanently gains the following skill, which he retains even after he ends his attunement to the blade.

***Nothing To Louche.*** At the end of each long rest, you can choose an ally to be attuned to your Team Skill. The ally remains attuned to your Team Skill until you complete another long rest. You can only use your Team Skill on the attuned ally, and you can only ever have one ally attuned to your Team Skill at a time.

When your attuned ally expends one of your *bardic inspiration* dice, you gain temporary hit points equal to the number that they roll.

### Story Reward: Passeri's Book of Psalms

After accomplishing a task on behalf of the legendary bard Passeri, Louche will gain access to Passeri's Book of Psalms, and the magical songs contained within.