Lou (Knight of the Crystal Spire)
Lou was a master knight of the Knights of the Crystal Spire and a traitor to Rislandia. Once described as a once-promising knight, he secretly moonlighted as an informant for the Wyranth Empire, passing sensitive military intelligence to enemy agents in exchange for payment. His treachery was first exposed by James Gentry and was later cited as one of Gentry's notable accomplishments. Lou was ultimately killed by Ethan von Lantern during a mission to apprehend him near Loveridge.
Description
When off duty, Lou dressed in a regular ruffled shirt and coat, presenting himself as an ordinary civilian rather than a knight. He was a master knight by rank and carried twin pistols as well as a sword. He was known to exclaim "By Malaky" when startled. Cid had harbored a suspicion that something was amiss with Lou prior to his exposure.
History
Initial Exposure
In The Steam Knight, it was established that James Gentry had previously uncovered Lou's treachery during an earlier incident at the Crystal Spire. James had discovered Lou meeting secretly with Marcus, a Wyranth spy, at the top of the spire. Lou was caught passing military intelligence to Marcus and attempted to chase James down the spire's stairs after James fled, but stumbled and fell during the pursuit. This discovery of Lou's treachery was later cited at James's promotion ritual as one of his accomplishments — specifically, "rooting out a spy within the knights and bringing him to justice."
Intelligence Passed to the Wyranth
Among the intelligence Lou provided to Marcus was the location of a Rislandian airship traveling down the western coast and the position of the Grand Rislandian Army near Loveridge. Lou accepted a bag of coins from Marcus at the Dovetail Tavern as payment for this information. When discovered by James at the tavern, Lou fled before James could apprehend him.
Role in The Steam Knight
In The Steam Knight, Lou served as a traitor being actively hunted by James Gentry's mission group. After fleeing the Dovetail Tavern, Lou took refuge in a rundown two-story house beyond a cluster of trees, situated just north of Loveridge, halfway between the Rislandian Grand Army garrison and the town. He had at least one associate stationed outside the house at night.
When the mission group located him, Lou demonstrated tactical cunning: he threw a smoke bomb into the basement where the group had gathered and locked the basement door from the outside, intending to force them out through the front entrance so he could pick them off. He anticipated that the group would "run out the way they came."
When the group emerged, a confrontation ensued inside the house. Lou entered through the front door with anger in his eyes. He carried twin pistols and engaged the group directly. During the fight, James crashed into his legs, causing Lou to drop one pistol; he discharged the other into the ceiling. Lou then drew his sword and engaged Ethan von Lantern in a duel. He kicked James in the head and wounded Ethan with his blade near the chest. Lou declared to James, "Boy, I've watched your sword work. You're no match for me." He was struck in the shoulder by James using the steam-powered rotary gun as a club, and was subsequently run through the belly by Ethan's sword, dying from the wound.
Ethan referred to Lou as a turncoat and traitor during the confrontation.
Relationships
- James Gentry: James was responsible for first uncovering Lou's treachery at the Crystal Spire. The two had encountered each other at least twice before the events of The Steam Knight. Lou attempted to chase James down the spire stairs after being discovered but failed to catch him.
- Marcus (Wyranth Spy): Lou's Wyranth handler, to whom he sold military intelligence in exchange for coin. Their clandestine meetings took place at the top of the Crystal Spire and at the Dovetail Tavern.
- Ethan von Lantern: The knight who ultimately killed Lou in a sword duel near Loveridge. Ethan referred to Lou as a turncoat and traitor.
- Cid: Cid had harbored a prior suspicion that something was amiss with Lou before his treachery was fully confirmed.
Quotes
"The airship is on its way down the western coast right now." — Lou, to Marcus
"Lou, knight of the Crystal Spire, was a traitor!"
"He'll be expecting us to run out the way we came." — Lou, anticipating the mission group's response to his smoke bomb
"Boy, I've watched your sword work. You're no match for me." — Lou, to James during their confrontation
In A History of Rislandia
According to A History of Rislandia, Lou is identified as a traitor knight whose exposure is treated as a matter of historical significance to the Rislandian kingdom. The sourcebook frames his case not merely as an internal disciplinary matter for the Knights of the Crystal Spire but as an event with direct consequences for the crown: it states that James Gentry saved King Malaky XVI by stopping Lou. This framing elevates Lou's treachery beyond the intelligence-selling depicted in the novels, implying that his activities posed a threat to the king's life or reign specifically — a detail not present in the novel-based account on this page, which describes the harm of Lou's actions in terms of military intelligence passed to the Wyranth Empire rather than any direct danger to the monarch.
The sourcebook does not elaborate on the mechanism by which Lou's activities endangered King Malaky XVI, nor does it name Ethan von Lantern in connection with Lou's death. Lou is otherwise consistent with his portrayal as a traitor knight stopped by James Gentry.