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Valan Luca
VAE-lihn LOO-ka
Nationality:
Unknown
Year of Birth:
unknown
Gender:
Male
Hair Color:
Dark
Eye Color:
Unknown
Other Names:
n/a
Article Author:
Katsarida
Page Contents
Basic Information
Actions During the Story (Spoilers)
Character Summaries (Spoilers)
Basic Information
Appearance
Valan Luca is a man of tall stature, dark of hair, broad of shoulder, and handsome. Birgitte refers to him as a “pretty man” and his legs are remarked on as “well-turned” more than once. He dresses extravagantly as suits his occupation, in bright and sometimes clashing colors. He often flourishes his red silk cloak.
Personality
Luca’s personality is as intense as his style of dress and profession would lead a person to expect. He strives for grandiose and succeeds at vainglorious. Everything is over the top! He has the ability to stir the hearts and minds of people, is always striving to exceed both his competitors and himself, and is quick to see a way to turn situations to his benefit. He is passionate about all that he does.
Spoilers Below!!!
Actions During the Story
Actions Before the Story
Though logic dictates that Valan Luca was born and grew up, no mention of his actions are made.
New Spring
Valan Luca does not appear in this book and has no notable references.
Actions Between the Books
While not specifically mentioned anywhere in the books, at this time Luca would have started gathering his menagerie and traveling across the Westlands.
Eye of the World
Valan Luca does not appear in this book and has no notable references.
The Great Hunt
Valan Luca is present with the Hunters for the Horn in the Square of Tammaz where they took their Oath.
The Dragon Reborn
Valan Luca does not appear in this book and has no notable references.
The Shadow Rising
Valan Luca does not appear in this book and has no notable references.
Fires of Heaven
Valan Luca's traveling menagerie is thrown out of the town of Sienda with large fines due to one of the performers, Cerandin’s, “giant boar horses” causing damage to the inn The King’s Lancer. The show has set up camp down the road, and it is here that Luca first encounters Elayne, Nynaeve, Thom, and Juilin. He offers to play for the “Lady Morelin” (Elayne), and is turned down.
When the party later returns to the Grand Traveling Show, Luca is displeased with the penny “Nana” (Nynaeve) provided at Elayne’s suggestion that they could help him, and initially hostile towards the party. Elayne offers 100 gold marks for them to join with him to Ghealdan, but Luca only accepts after Thom offers to perform. The show gains multiple performers at this point: Elayne and Juilin high tightrope walking and Thom throwing knives with Nynaeve acting as a target. Later Birgitte (who beat Luca at an archery contest) is the one using Nynaeve as a target for her projectiles.
During their travels Luca becomes enamored of Nynaeve, finding ways to spend time with her and flirting. When the Prophet's men start to riot in the town of Samara, Luca goes looking for her. As his show is breaking camp to escape (one of their numbers has been flogged, and another beheaded), he proposes. She rejects him. As a parting gift, he gives her a bouquet of flowers while swearing to remember and love her always.
Lord of Chaos
Valan Luca does not appear in this book and has no notable references.
A Crown of Swords
Valan Luca does not appear in this book and has no notable references.
Path of Daggers
As the world seems to fill with refugees, many flee to the cities. Where there are people there is coin to be made, and Valan Luca would not turn down such an opportunity. He brings his Grand Traveling Show to Ebou Dar where it continues to grow.
Winter's Heart
Still outside of Ebou Dar, Valan Luca marries Latelle (a bear trainer). His menagerie has drawn the attention of Mat, who is in discussions with the former Illuminator, Aludra. Luca negotiates with Thom and Beslan for a party to join with his show as an escape from the now-Seanchan controlled city.
With negotiations successful, Luca takes on Mat and his group. Valan Luca’s Grand Traveling Show and Magnificent Display of Marvels and Wonders stays near the city for a time before slowly moving towards Lugard. Luca’s performers experience some close encounters with the Seanchan, including some questions by soldiers about Luca’s horses. Regardless, the Show continues to travel at a slow pace, stopping at “every flyspeck village” to perform. Not stopping would be out of character for a menagerie of this sort.
After an escape attempt by one of the former Sul’dam in Mat’s party, Luca and Latelle meet with Tuon who sheds her false name and story and provides him with a warrant for his show including a list of those who are under her protection.
Crossroads of Twilight
While set up outside Jurador, some Seanchan soldiers try to bully their way into the Traveling Show. This interaction discomforts Luca, who has the group pack up to move on. During their travels Luca lets slip to the Aes Sedai Tuon’s true identity, causing frustration for all involved as the Aes Sedai follow their nature and try to bully Tuon in regards to the Seanchan Empire.
Farther along the road, the Show approaches a ghost village that sinks into the ground, taking a peddler with it. The performers are frightened and want to turn back, but Luca shows his ability to weave words to bolster the hearts and minds of his people, and convinces them to continue on.
While set up outside Maderin, Mat and his group cause further annoyance for Luca by getting into an affray with several local merchants. Luca wants them gone, and purchases pack horses to hasten being rid of them.
Knife of Dreams
Valan Luca does not appear in this book and has no notable references.
The Gathering Storm
Thom and Elayne discuss Luca and how both of them traveled with his Grand Traveling Show and Magnificent Display of Marvels and Wonders at points in their adventures. Elayne remembers Aludra from her time traveling with the Menagerie.
Towers of Midnight
Valan Luca does not appear in this book and has no notable references. One of the former members of his traveling Show is working as a City Guard in Ebou Dar.
A Memory of Light
Character Summaries
Special Abilities
Luca is gifted with words and the ability to work with people. Gathering performers and artists of the caliber and range presented in Valan Luca’s Grand Traveling Show and Magnificent Display of Marvels and Wonders takes quite the project manager. Ensuring that they are able to work together successfully, quelling arguments, and ensuring the peace and contentment of so many is far from a simple task.
Notable Possessions
Aside from the Grand Traveling Show and Magnificent Display of Marvels and Wonders itself, the two most often mentioned items in Luca’s possession are his red silk cloak which he often flaunts, and his traveling wagon which is painted in multiple colors, and includes phases of the moon in its detail work.
Legacy
Though seemingly a character with little direct impact on the story, Luca and his Show are necessary for events to turn out as they do for two significant sets of characters.
Had they not traveled with Luca, Elayne and Nyneave would not have ended up at Samara to run into Galad. The Children of the Light and the Prophet of the Lord Dragon would not have clashed, starting a new conflict and invasion. The boat at the heart of the conflict is the one that brings the girls to Salidar, where they are raised full Sisters and Nyneave learns to Heal Stilling. While traveling with Luca, Birgitte is ripped from the World of Dreams and made Elayne’s warder, which also has significant implications for the future.
In the case of Mat and his group, time-traveling with Luca and his show allows for Mat and Tuon to get to know each other and to play their courtship game. This time also presents an opportunity for Tuon and Setalle Anan to have discussions about cultural differences between the Westlands and Seanchan, influencing both of their opinions.
More impactful, it is Mat’s interactions with Aludra whose illuminator knowledge and his connections to the Andoran Crown that lead to the creation of the Dragons. This discovery of the use of gunpowder for more than just fireworks changes the face of warfare.
During her time with the Show Aludra also invents matches, which one would expect to be as impactful in their world as they have been in ours.
In Other Media
No announcement has yet been made about casting Valen Luca in the Amazon Prime adaptation of the Wheel of Time.
