Assassin's Creed Cast Reunion set to assemble voice talent from Valhalla and Odyssey News Share 19 Oct 2024 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) TOWCB Team Back To Database The team at Podcast141 have announced that an upcoming livestream has assembled a huge collection of Assassin's Creed voice actors who provided performances Assassin's Creed Odyssey & Valhalla. Magnus Bruun (Eivor) @ magnusbruun Michael Antonakos (Alexios) @ michaelantonakos Melissanthi Mahut (Kassandra) @ melissanthimahut Gudmundur Thorvaldsson (Sigurd) @ gthorvaldsson David Menkin (Dag) @ davidmenkin Aron Már Ólafsson (King Harald) @ aronmola Boris Hiestand (Rued/Fenrir) @ borishiestand Craig Burnatowski (Glod) @ craigburnat Mike Kovac (Krauser from RE4 Remake / Expert Host) @ fightmikekovac Marwen Heni (Host) @ marwenheni The show, hosted by Marwen Heni ( VenomSnake141 ), is set to bring together a total of eight actors who contributed performances to Odyssey and Valhalla, including three main characters, Eivor (Havi), Kassandra and Alexios, voiced by Magbus Bruun, Michael Antonakos, Melissanthi Mahut. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/06e6c8_22b76abf5b7348ad8773ea52566996b6/720p/mp4/file.mp4 We can't wait to see the cast re-enact fan favourite scenes, tell behind-the-scenes stories and answer community questions! Check out the stream which airs October 22nd at 12 PM PT / 8 PM BST: VenomSnake141 on Twitch comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

TOWCB Recap: Reddit AMA with the Assassin’s Creed Mirage Dev Team News Share 13 Jul 2023 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Back To Database Banner by Thea Marie Rivedal (Moonchildgecko) from TOWCB Art Team. The official Assassin’s Creed Twitter account announced this last week that the devs of AC Mirage would be holding an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit’s r/Assassin’s Creed on the 13th of July, 2023. Present for the AMA were Creative Director Stephane Boudon, Narrative Director Sarah Beaulieu, and Art Director Jean-Luc Sala. The Q&A session lasted for about 3 hours with 23k reported views (via Moderator u/WhiteWolfWhispers) and we have gathered and trimmed all of the questions and responses from the devs below for you to read in an easy and organized fashion. You can read through the full subreddit thread here . Game Development and Design u/WhiteWolfWhispers: Just curious, at what point during Valhalla was it decided to make Mirage a full game instead of a dlc and why? Sarah Beaulieu: Hi! We decided to make Mirage a full game in the following weeks after starting working on it. The opportunity of working on the city of Baghdad, and on the character of Basim, was too good to be missed! u/SparkedSynapse: Is there a chance of Assassin Focus being visually retouched to add more digital-artifacting, Animus distortion, floating text, and the like? Stephane Boudon: The walkthrough trailer was still work in progress and we continue to improve the visual of the game. u/andyreloads-YouTube: How long will it take in hours to complete the game (100%) & how big is the map in KM? Sarah Beaulieu: In terms of playtime, we are closer to the first AC games. u/SparkedSynapse: Is there any chance of quest replay or mission replay being made available in a potential post-launch update? Stephane Boudon: For now, Mirage has no plan for DLC or extensive post-launch u/Ras_AlHim: Maybe a silly question, but will there be credits playing at the end (unlike the past few ACs)? Sarah Beaulieu: Not a silly question! Yes, you'll be able to read the names of everyone who worked on Mirage at the end of the game! u/ClaudioACSy: I would like to know what accomplishment you're the most proud of and what is the hardest challenge you've faced during the development of this game? Sarah Beaulieu: I'm especially proud of the cast of characters and actors we gathered for Mirage. The talents brought passion and authenticity to the story, and I'm so grateful for this. When working on a complex and huge lore such as Assassin's Creed, the hardest challenge is to stay consistent, while creating bridges with existing lore elements, and new ones... This is key! Story u/NeedleworkerPure5092: The game is set in the period called “Anarchy at Samarra”. Then, why doesn't it include Samarra, Basim’s birthplace and the Abbasid Caliphate’s capital at that time? It’s the city where all of the caliphs lived and most important historical events happened. Sarah Beaulieu: The city of Baghdad was the center of the world at that time, home to many scholars and artists, so we decided it was the perfect place for our story. And back then, caliphs came to Baghdad regularly. We tell the story of the origins of the rebellion, and tie it to the Hidden Ones'. u/PapaSmurph: Why give Basim an Eagle companion when he had no such companion in Valhalla and Eagle Vision makes the Eagle companion almost obsolete? Sarah Beaulieu: Hello! About the eagle, and on the story side, you'll get an answer in Mirage on why Basim doesn't have his eagle in Valhalla… u/Sir-Fluf: Could you explain your decision to not include modern day within this game? Will we still see some in the future? Sarah Beaulieu: Hi, thanks for the question! As the game is more condensed in terms of narrative, we decided to focus on Basim's story during his time in Baghdad, since it was already so dense. There is a scene at the beginning of the game where you will have the modern day context, then the experience will focus on Basim's evolution as a Hidden One. u/fabled765: What is the approach to weaving philosophy into the story of Mirage? Does Basim seek liberty for all or just himself? Sarah Beaulieu: Freedom is actually the core theme of the conflict. Basim is torn between his strong will to bring back justice in Baghdad, and his own struggles. This supports the whole story and character evolution. u/NoTax20: Will there be any ties/connections to Origins or the Babylonians? Jean-Luc Sala: The visual identity we chose for the masks of the Order of the Ancients has a connection to AC Origins, which also suggests a presence of the Order during the Babylonian era. We also have in-game items that will definitely remind you of Origins. u/OlgaBaikova: Why did you choose Basim to be the main character of this game? We've seen the end of his story in Valhalla, and if this game becomes an absolute success, there will be not much left to explore about Basim's life in case of a sequel; unlike the mysterious other assassin, Haytham, whose life we know almost nothing about, and who is the "real deal", if you know what I mean. Sarah Beaulieu: Basim's origin story was basically a blank page, so we saw this as a great opportunity to explore his complex personality. He is the kind of character I love working on. How did he become the character from Valhalla? What happened to him? And as the team really wanted to explore Baghdad's history, Basim made even more sense! u/lillchicken126: What books did the team read to get ready for this period? Jean-Luc Sala: A lot, but Guy Le Strange book "Baghdad During the Abbasid Caliphate From Contemporary Arabic and Persian Sources" was a solid start for us. Historians, specialists of the topic, inside and outside Ubisoft helped us a lot. Gameplay u/yautja-hunter: Will there be assassin headquarters like in the earlier games? Also, can we train our own assassins and use them in combat? Sarah Beaulieu: Each district in Baghdad has a Hidden Ones Bureau, where you will report to the rafiqs and collect assassination contracts. The experience is centered around Basim becoming a Master Assassin, therefore he does not train any other assassins yet! u/Assassiinuss: Also in the gameplay walkthrough the player picks up a contract from a board - are those contracts handcrafted and limited in number (as in you can do every contract only once) or are they randomly generated out of a set of locations, objectives and other modifiers like for example the quests from the message boards in the Wrath of the Druids DLC? Stephane Boudon: All the contracts are handcrafted and limited in number, no random generation. u/SparkedSynapse: How possible and available are Ejects during movement? Stephane Boudon: For Parkour we are focusing on fluidity and control and building our own thing, taking inspiration from several ACs. Back ejects and side ejects as in the pre-AC3 games are not part of our Parkour system, but we put a lot of effort working on small details to make sure players have the best control on Basim. We are still fine-tuning the Parkour to reinforce even more this control and the feeling of fluidity and agility when traversing Baghdad. Abilities u/SparkedSynapse: If they have the resource for it, can a player activate Assassin Focus during any state? (Walking, Jumping, On A Wall, etc) Stephane Boudon: You can only activate the Assassin Focus outside a conflict. u/SixKeys: How does the skill tree work? Can we obtain skills in any order and ignore ones we don't care for, or do we have to buy certain skills to unlock the rest? Can we unequip skills and armor for a no-upgrades run? Stephane Boudon: We’re still fine tuning the skill tree. Skills are dependent on each other so you will have to unlock a path to access the next skill. You can unequip most skills except the ones concerning an additional tool we newly added. Armor/Outfit can’t be unequipped, but you can override them visually with a Costume. u/Ti2738: What are your thoughts on the backlash towards the new “Focus Assassination”, specifically towards the comments on how it ruins the game by being too fantasy-like visually. Is it too late to change the look of this ability and, in your honest opinion, do you agree with what people are saying or do you stand by how the ability looks currently? Stephane Boudon: Basim is an incredibly agile and efficient Assassin, and when using the Assassin Focus he is so fast that the Animus has a hard time keeping up with his movements - that's what we convey with the visual effect. From a game design point of view the Assassin Focus is an incentive for players to use Stealth, as you need to do Stealth kills to fill in your gauge. It is also a way to reward the player with a possibility to eliminate in a blast the remaining targets of a specific location. But using it is completely optional and it will be your choice to invest or not skill points in the ability to upgrade it. When triggering it, you will also have to be very careful about where Basim will end after the last kill, or you could be easily detected. Stealth u/SixKeys: Can you tell us more about social stealth? Can we blend with anyone or just certain groups? Is blending automatic or do we need to press/hold a button like in Valhalla? Stephane Boudon: You can blend with any civilians in AC Mirage (except children) as soon as you have three people in Basim’s vicinity, however you can also trigger a patrol blending. Equipment u/BrunoHM: Outside of the 6 tools shown, are there more to be revealed? Could we get more examples of how we can change their properties? Stephane Boudon: Yes, Basim will be able to access 3 tiers for each of the five tools he will unlock (Torch is not upgradable). Each tier will allow you to choose a new modifier. For instance, a smoke bomb can be turned into a healing vapor refilling Basim’s health or throwing knife can be charged to deal more damage. u/Assassiinuss: In the gameplay walkthrough it is said that tools will get branching upgrades - are those choices permanent or can they be swapped/rolled back? Stephane Boudon: You can roll back or swap those upgrades at the bureau if you want. u/MedicinalM1Abrams: What differentiates costumes from outfits? Are they disguises that the player can wear to better blend in and sneak into enemy compounds(like a guard costume that lets Basim walk right through the front gates of a restricted area?) Jean-Luc Sala: Costumes are official costumes Basim would wear in "real life" (like the assassins costumes) and outfits are to player discretion. You can dye the outfits and not the costumes. In certain circumstances the game will require [you] to wear some specific costumes in order to infiltrate a location. Outfit[s] give you specific perks. u/Enviromental-Crew66: Will there be an option to toggle Basim's hood during gameplay? Either like Valhalla with a quick access wheel or in Origins with a menu button? Stephane Boudon: No, you can’t do it. For us, Basim is a predator that must remain hidden. It was for us natural that Basim keeps his hood on every time he’s on [a] mission in Baghdad like Altair will do later. Of course, you will be able to witness Basim without his hood in bureaus or when Basim is with his fellow Hidden Ones. u/MedicinalM1Abrams: What exactly are talismans meant to be? Do they have any tangible gameplay benefit or are they trophies/trinkets taken from any one of Basims targets that we can wear for further aesthetic customization? Sarah Beaulieu: The talismans are cosmetic only! But I can already tell you that some of them are well hidden in the world… u/andyreloads-YouTube: Is there an ISU armor set to obtain in Mirage? Sarah Beaulieu: About the Isu elements, we definitely have some surprises in store! Exploration u/BrunoHM: After the prologue, how much freedom do we have in regards to the main targets and map exploration? Will our Rank restrict us in the same way "Levels" or "Power" would? Stephane Boudon: The first target is mandatory in Baghdad after that you’ll be free to start your investigation in one of the 3 other bureaus of Baghdad. u/BrunoHM: Exploration-wise, are you using Valhalla's Artifacts, Mysteries and Wealth? What type of activities, and rewards, will we find around Baghdad and Alamut? Stephane Boudon: Like in AC Valhalla you will be able to discover unique world events, treasure maps and loot but we have also new specific activities, such as pickpocket contracts and roaming target to tackle inside the world. u/BusyBizBusyBiz: Even if the main story is shorter than previous installments, will we be able to keep playing with challenges and exploration? In the same vein, is there a new game plus planned for this release? Sarah Beaulieu: Apart from the main story, you will encounter world events as you explore Baghdad and its surroundings: you will meet characters and experience short narrative moments! You will also have assassination contracts that you will collect from the Hidden Ones Bureau, as well as world activities. All of them support either the world, the lore, or Basim's characterization. World & Environment u/Max-full: How did you reconstruct the city of Baghdad during this period ? Was it difficult? Jean-Luc Sala: Was it difficult ? Well bringing back to life a lost city is for sure always a challenge. Historians inside and outside Ubisoft were a great help. We will give details on this topic in our next Dev Diary. We based our work on Guy LeStrange['s] incredible book about Baghdad. The map of Baghdad in the game is very close to the Le Strange reconstruction. Le Strange book : Baghdad during the Abbasid Caliphate. u/neelabh2818: How dense is the city? Jean-Luc Sala: The city is very, very large. From an urbanistic point of view : it depends on the district, we have some intricate streets in the poor districts like in the city of Anbar and the workers district. Some other areas have large avenues. You will have the feelings of Mazes in the Round City. From a population point of view: you can expect more people in the commercial district of Karkh. u/Ras_AlHim: How different are the districts of Baghdad visually, what makes them unique? Jean-Luc Sala: The type of people and activities to be found in each city will affect their look and feel. Each District surrounding the Round City has a dedicated role. One is mostly industry and workers houses, the other is dedicated to trading and the last is about knowledge and science. You can expect very typical landmarks for each, [such] as factories, Great Mosque, Prison, Grand Bazaar, sellers streets and markets, Pharmacy, Hospital (Bimaristan), House of Wisdom, to name a few. The heart of the empire is the Round City and you can expect in this specific part of the city, the most exquisite display of Abbasid architecture and gardens, Administrations, Harem, a zoo and the Caliphal Palace at the very centre of the City. u/norranradd: What part of Baghdad did you enjoy building the most, or what part of the city is the most beautiful? Jean-Luc Sala: It's hard to choose :) I love the reconstruction of Dur-Kurigalzu (An ancient Ziggurat) and the southern marshes with flocks of Flamingos. The Western movie vibes of the Nestorian monastery is also one of my fav places. Of course the jewel of the empire is the round city, but the vibes in the bazaar district and the district of wisdom are really places I love to wander. As you see, it's hard to choose. :) Game Options & Modes u/SparkedSynapse: Was the Quick-Save feature visible in recent screenshots of the Inventory screen made available due to the consideration that Mirage leans harder on Stealth, and thus more punishing combat than Assassin's Creed previously has in many years? Stephane Boudon: In a way, we noticed stealth players love quick saving and we decided to make it more accessible. The game difficulty is a factor of course. u/SparkedSynapse: How does the Quick-Save feature work, and how "reliable" is loading your Quick-Save? In Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla for example, loading a save sometimes caused guards to be mispositioned or for guards "killed in a previous timeline" (IE, killed before you loaded the save) to still be dead. How "bulletproof" do you feel Quick-Save is? Are there important limitations for us to be aware of, with this feature? Stephane Boudon: This is part of our debug process, and we are committed to give you the best level of quality for AC Mirage. u/virtualtourism: Will there be a photomode to capture Basim and Baghdad? Will it be improved from the previous titles to have a photo mode? Jean-Luc Sala: Yes we still use the photo mode and you will have a lot of opportunities as Baghdad and surroundings are really visually stunning. You can also try to photo safari the now extinct Arabian Ostriches. We'll have the same feature set as for ACV, but you will also be able to play in-game (and capture shots through Photomode) with our AC1 nostalgic filter. u/Moon_Logic: Will there be a Discovery Tour or at least a no enemies free roam mode? How hard was it to recreate a city that was destroyed so long ago? Is accuracy even possible? Jean-Luc Sala: The recently announced feature "History of Baghdad" is our way to bring the historical content forward in your game experience. It felt important to us to share all the historical research and knowledge that went into the making of the game. Even if the city was destroyed in the 13th century, a lot of information can be found about [the] city . The reconstruction started with us learning the architectural Abbasid style in order to find back "the spirit of Baghdad". Bringing back the codex is also part of our "back to the roots" overall take on the game :) So what are your thoughts on what we learned today? Share your thoughts here or on our @ ACFirstCiv Twitter and on Facebook. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Mike Smith is a collector of all things Assassin's Creed and a major supporter of transmedia who joined TOWCB as a writer from 2021 - 2024 With nearly a full library of Assassin's Creed media, his work explored the universe in order of Genetic Memory. Notably, his Assassin's Creed Timeline became an essential tool for fans of the franchise looking to complete their collection and consume AC media in a particular order. Michael Smith

Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe Theories Theory Share 27 Apr 2023 Written By: Edited By: ActualSpider-Man Colum Blackett Back To Database Let’s Revisit & Reanalyze What We Know on Codename Hexe Some of you may remember u/bool0011’s original Reddit post about some of this a few months ago, but if not, I wanna get deep into the weeds of what Access The Animus assumed early on, and what else has come to light. Things we the always questioning should take into account when looking at the decoding of the Official Logo, and what it might mean for the game on the way, albeit far from now! AtA did somewhat reveal most of the secrets hidden within, with their early access to the trailer allowing them to get out in front of the pack the day of the Ubisoft Forward. While they were correct in much of their findings, we can thank @ AC_Mac for their infographic translation and u/bool0011 for their more astute directions towards where and when we might be visiting in game, along with a commenter on their video sharing some interesting inputs regarding German history! As you might know, the AC Hexe logo contained several secret messages hidden around what’s called a Pentacle. The star inside that circle in the Hexe logo is the *Seventh Pentacle of Mars* from the book called The Key of Solomon, or Clavicus Salomonis in Latin. The symbols chalked inside each leaf of the pentacle and around the outside used a form of The Alphabet of the Magi, and we really should look into the front page for said alphabet on Wikipedia: “The Alphabet of the Magi is the modern name of a variant of the Hebrew alphabet used for inscriptions in talismans in 17th-century occultism. ... It is based on a variant of the Semitic alphabet given by Theseus Ambrosius (1469–1540) in his introduction in chaldaicam linguam (1539, pp. 202f.) ...Ambrosius here simply gives variant glyphs of the Hebrew alphabet, labelled Aleph, Beth, Gimel, Daleth, He, Vau, Zain, Hhet, Teth, Iod, Caph, Lamed, Mem, Nun, Samech, Ain, Phe, Zadai, Coph, Res, Sin, Thau. The alphabet is different from the other variants of the Semitic abjad given by Ambrosius in that he mentions that these letters are said to have been invented by Gamaliel and transmitted in the a book called Liber ignis associated with the angel Raphiel. Claude Duret (1570?–1611) included it in his Thresor (1613, p. 117) under the name "the characters of the angel Raphael", citing Ambrosius.” “Edmund Fry included it in his Pantographia (pp. 28–29), stating: "Theseus Ambrosius asserts that this character was brought from Heaven by the Angel Raphael by who it was communicated to Adam who used it in composing Psalms after his expulsion from the terrestrial paradise. Some authors pretend that Moses and the prophets used this letter and that they were forbidden to divulge it to mortal man." ... That alphabet is described in the pseudo-Paracelsian Archidoxis magica, translated into English by R. Turner (1656). S.L. MacGregor Mathers included it in his 1888 edition of the Key of Solomon (plate XV) under the name "Alphabet of the Magi."” ‘Hexe’ itself was also a clue, as its origins come from Old Germanic and means “Witch”, so if the Blair Witch sticks and occult spiral of symbols wasn’t enough, there’s easy confirmation for witchy rituals happening. Now back to AtA’s findings. We now know the message around the outside of the circle to read: WIR ARBAITEN IM DEM TUNKEL UM DEM LICHT ZUDIENEN. “We work in the dark to serve the light.” An easy pull given the context of an AC game, despite “Tunkel” being an even older form of German for ‘dark’, as one commenter on their post has since said: “Love the analysis, some additions from a German native speaker: "Arbaiten" and "Tunckel" both are words written in "altdeutsch" (old german) used in the 15th to 16th century germany. U V W are the same letter because Latin only had the U. V and W evolved in the Romance languages as did J. So V and W are categorized with U and J with I and Y.” The words spirally etched into the pentacle itself read: MEPHISTO / RACHE / HAUS, and the native speaker in the comments shared more insights: “"Rache" is a noun translating to "revenge", singular imperativ would be "räche" In Goethes "Faust I." Faust uses the pentagram to keep MEPHISTO trapped in his home (HAUS), some would say to get the opportunity for revenge (RACHE). Act I. Study, line 1393 and on if you want to look it up. It could be an analogy to Faust I. but pentagrams were often used as a sign to protect your house from all Evil including the Devil (=Mephisto). Historic evidences of the Pentagram, e.g. the "Drudenfuß" found at a gate in "Ahrweiler", correlate to the era of witchhunts in Germany (16th century).” [Top right of the image, source: https://www.sacred-texts.com/ grim/kos/kos30.htm ] But first, about the Key of Solomon book (full book here). “The Key of Solomon (Latin: Clavicula Salomonis; Hebrew: שלמה מפתח]\ Mafteah Shelomoh\]) is a pseudepigraphical grimoire (also known as a book of spells) attributed to King Solomon. It probably dates back to the 14th or 15th century Italian Renaissance. It presents a typical example of Renaissance magic.” “The Key of Solomon is divided into two books. It describes the necessary drawings to prepare each "experiment" or, in more modern language, magical operations.” “Unlike later grimoires such as the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (16th century) or the Lemegeton (17th century), the Key of Solomon does not mention the signature of the 72 spirits constrained by King Solomon in a bronze vessel. As in most medieval grimoires, all magical operations are ostensibly performed through the power of God, to whom all the invocations are addressed. Before any of these operations (termed "experiments") are performed, the operator must confess his sins and purge himself of evil, invoking the protection of God.” “Elaborate preparations are necessary, and each of the numerous items used in the operator's "experiments" must be constructed of the appropriate materials obtained in the prescribed manner, at the appropriate astrological time, marked with a specific set of magical symbols, and blessed with its own specific words. All substances needed for the magic drawings and amulets are detailed, as well as the means to purify and prepare them. Many of the symbols incorporate the Transitus Fluvii occult alphabet.” Interestingly enough, Key of Solomon was referenced in Goethe's Faust, and where? With Mephistopholes! “For such as your half-hellish crew – The Key of Solomon will do.” Now getting back to our Seventh Pentacle of Mars. “Write thou this upon virgin parchment or paper with the blood of a bat, in the day and hour of Mars; and uncover it within the Circle, invoking the Demons whose Names are therein written; and thou shalt immediately see hail and tempest. “ Editor's Note.--In the centre of the Pentacle are the Divine Names, El and Yiai, which have the same numerical value when written in Hebrew. The Letters in Hebrew, and in the Secret Alphabet called the Celestial, compose the Names of Spirits. Round the Pentacle is: --'He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land. He smote their vines also, and their fig-trees.'--Psalm cv. 32, 33. What about other pentacles? The First Pentacle of Mars, Figure 25. --It is proper for invoking Spirits of the Nature of Mars, especially those which are written in the Pentacle. Editor's Note.--Mystical Characters of Mars, and the Names of the four Angels:--Madimiel, Bartzachiah, Eschiel, and Ithuriel written in Hebrew around the Pentacle. The Second Pentacle of Mars, Figure 26. --This Pentacle serveth with great success against all kinds of diseases, if it be applied unto the afflicted part. Editor's Note.--The letter Hé, in the angles of the Hexagram. Within the same the Names IHVH, IHSHVH Yeheshuah (the mystic Hebrew Name for Joshua or Jesus, formed of the ordinary IHVH with the letter SH placed therein as emblematical of the Spirit), and Elohim. Around it is the sentence, John i. 4:--'In Him was life, and the life was the light of man.' This may be adduced as an argument of the greater antiquity of the first few mystical verses of the Gospel of St. John. The Third Pentacle of Mars, Figure 27. -It is of great value for exciting war, wrath, discord, and hostility; also for resisting enemies, and striking terror into rebellious Spirits; the Names of God the All Powerful are therein expressly marked.Editor's Note.--The Letters of the Names Eloah and Shaddai. In the Centre is the great letter Vau, the signature of the Qabalistic Microprosopus. Around is the versicle from Psalm lxxvii. 13:--'Who is so great a God as our Elohim?'* The Fourth Pentacle of Mars, Figure 28. --It is of great virtue and power in war, wherefore without doubt it will give thee victory. Editor's Note.--In the Centre is the great Name Agla; right and left, the letters of the Name IHVH; above and below, El. Round it is the versicle from Psalm cx. 5:--'The Lord at thy right hand shall wound even Kings in the day of His Wrath.'* The Fifth Pentacle of Mars, Figure 29. --Write thou this Pentacle upon virgin parchment or paper, because it is terrible unto the Demons, and at its sight and aspect they will obey thee, for they cannot resist its presence. Editor's Note.--Around the figure of the Scorpion is the word HVL. The versicle is from Psalm xci. 13:--'Thou shalt go upon the lion and adder, the young lion and the dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet.' The Sixth Pentacle of Mars, Figure 30. --It hath so great virtue that being armed therewith, if thou art attacked by any one, thou shalt neither be injured nor wounded when thou fightest with him, and his own weapons shall turn against him. Editor's Note.--Around the eight points of the radii of the Pentacle are the words 'Elohim qeber, Elohim hath covered (or protected),' written in the Secret Alphabet of Malachim, or the writing of the Angels. The versicle is from Psalm xxxvii. 15:--'Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bow shall be broken.' Also, we should collect as much info as possible from the book itself, not just pictures. THE ORDER OF THE PENTACLES: Seven Pentacles consecrated to Saturn = Black Seven Pentacles consecrated to Jupiter = Blue Seven Pentacles consecrated to Mars = Red Seven Pentacles consecrated to the Sun = Yellow Six Pentacles consecrated to the Moon = Silver Five Pentacles consecrated to Venus = Green Five Pentacles consecrated to Mercury = Mixed CHAPTER XVIII CONCERNING THE HOLY PENTACLES OR METALS These Pentacles are usually made of the metal the most suitable to the nature of the Planet; and then there is no occasion to observe the rule of particular colours. They should be engraved with the instrument of Art in the days and hours proper to the Planet. Saturn ruleth over Lead; Jupiter over Tin; Mars over Iron; the Sun over Gold; Venus over Copper; Mercury over the mixture of Metals; and the Moon over Silver. They may also be made with exorcised virgin paper, writing thereon with the colours adopted for each Planet, referring to the rules already laid down in the proper Chapters, and according to the Planet with which the Pentacle is in sympathy. Wherefore unto Saturn the colour of Black is appropriated; Jupiter ruleth over Celestial Blue; Mars over Red; the Sun over Gold, or the colour of Yellow or Citron; Venus over Green; Mercury over Mixed Colours; the Moon over Silver, or the colour of Argentine Earth. CHAPTER II OF THE DAYS, AND HOURS, AND OF THE VIRTUES OF THE PLANETS It must, therefore, be understood that the Planets have their dominion over the day which approacheth nearest unto the name which is given and attributed unto them-viz., over Saturday, Saturn; Thursday, Jupiter; Tuesday, Mars; Sunday, the Sun; Friday, Venus; Wednesday, Mercury; and Monday, the Moon. The rule of the Planets over each hour begins from the dawn at the rising of the Sun on the day which takes its name from such Planet, and the Planet which follows it in order, succeeds to the rule over the next hour. Thus (on Saturday) Saturn rules the first hour, Jupiter the second, Mars the third, the Sun the fourth, Venus the fifth, Mercury the sixth, the Moon the seventh, and Saturn returns in the rule over the eighth, and the others in their turn, the Planets always keeping the same relative order. Note that each experiment or magical operation should be performed under the Planet, and usually in the hour, which refers to the same. For example:-- In the Days and Hours of Saturn thou canst perform experiments to summon the Souls from Hades, but only of those who have died a natural death. Similarly on these days and hours thou canst operate to bring either good or bad fortune to buildings; to have familiar Spirits attend thee in sleep; to cause good or ill success to business, possessions, goods, seeds, fruits, and similar things, in order to acquire learning; to bring destruction and to give death, and to sow hatred and discord. The Days and Hours of Jupiter are proper for obtaining honours, acquiring riches; contracting friendships, preserving health; and arriving at all that thou canst desire. In the Days and Hours of Mars thou canst make experiments regarding War; to arrive at military honour; to acquire courage; to overthrow enemies; and further to cause ruin, slaughter, cruelty, discord; to wound and to give death. The Days and Hours of the Sun are very good for perfecting experiments regarding temporal wealth, hope, gain, fortune, divination, the favour of princes, to dissolve hostile feeling, and to make friends. The Days and Hours of Venus are good for forming friendships; for kindness and love; for joyous and pleasant undertakings, and for travelling. The Days and Hours of Mercury are good to operate for eloquence and intelligence; promptitude in business; science and divination; wonders; apparitions; and answers regarding the future. Thou canst also operate under this Planet for thefts; writings; deceit; and merchandise. The Days and Hours of the Moon are good for embassies; voyages envoys; messages; navigation; reconciliation; love; and the acquisition of merchandise by water. Thou shouldest take care punctually to observe all the instructions contained in this chapter, if thou desirest to succeed, seeing that the truth of Magical Science dependeth thereon. The Hours of Saturn, of Mars, and of the Moon are alike good for communicating and speaking with Spirits; as those of Mercury are for recovering thefts by the means of Spirits. The Hours of Mars serve for summoning Souls from Hades, especially of those slain in battle. The Hours of the Sun, of Jupiter, and of Venus, are adapted for preparing any operations whatsoever of love, of kindness, and of invisibility, as is hereafter more fully shown, to which must be added other things of a similar nature which are contained in our work. The Hours of Saturn and Mars and also the days on which the Moon is conjunct with them, or when she receives their opposition or quartile aspect, are excellent for making experiments of hatred, enmity, quarrel, and discord; and other operations of the same kind which are given later on in this work. The Hours of Mercury are good for undertaking experiments relating to games, raillery, jests, sports, and the like. The Hours of the Sun, of Jupiter, and of Venus, particularly on the days which they rule, are good for all extraordinary, uncommon, and unknown operations. The Hours of the Moon are proper for making trial of experiments relating to recovery of stolen property, for obtaining nocturnal visions, for summoning Spirits in sleep, and for preparing anything relating to Water. The Hours of Venus are furthermore useful for lots, poisons, all things of the nature of Venus, for preparing powders provocative of madness and the like things. But in order to thoroughly effect the operations of this Art, thou shouldest perform them not only on the Hours but on the Days of the Planets as well, because then the experiment will always succeed better, provided thou observest the rules laid down later on, for if thou omittest one single condition thou wilt never arrive at the accomplishment of the Art. For those matters then which appertain unto the Moon, such as the Invocation of Spirits, the Works of Necromancy, and the recovery of stolen property, it is necessary that the Moon should be in a Terrestrial Sign, viz.:--Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn. For love, grace, and invisibility, the Moon should be in a Fiery Sign, viz.:--Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius. For hatred, discord, and destruction, the Moon should be in a Watery Sign, viz.:--Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces. For experiments of a peculiar nature, which cannot be classed under any certain head, the Moon should be in an Airy Sign, viz.:--Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius. So here are the associations regarding Mars pentacles: • Its pentacle is made over Iron metal • Its adopted color is Red • Its dominion is on Tuesday • Mars comes third in the planet rule from the dawn; • Experiments under Days and Hours of Mars are cast for war, courage, giving death, military honour • Mars is also used in its hours to summon the souls from Hades, specifically if killed in battles, and to speak with the spirits But how does all this tie back into what we’ve already been told in Assassin’s Creed history? Where else have we heard of such True Magic and Divine Science before? It’s time we got deeper in the weeds on Project Legacy’s potential connections, beginning with the other alchemists we’ve met that had handled a very similar tome - or tomes - as the one we’ve been exploring, and may yet help us in theorizing when, who, and what we’ll be looking forward to in Hexe! Nicholas Flamel, Edward Kelley, John Dee, Paracelsus Bombastus, Giovanni Borgia, William Robert Woodman, Mina Bergson/Moina Mathers, Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, William Wynn Westcott, Aleister Crowley. All these names either handled, experimented with, or otherwise knew of the secrets contained within a sacred alchemical text that had been split in two, in the hopes that its secrets would remain lost to whomever held only one or the other, though as it turned out, plenty of miracles and magick could be performed if the right reader researched its indecipherable pages. Heavily connected - though not explicitly confirmed - to the Voynich Manuscript we’ve seen pop up several times in various sources, Divine Science and True Magic have only been known to be combined in one man’s hands: Abraham of Würzburg. His name is mentioned by a lot of the above alchemists, and for good reason - they all attribute their findings to this man’s work before them, written and published into a grimoire titled The Book of Abramelin, or alternatively, The Book of Abraham. However, this book is somewhat confusing, as is the man it’s about, but we can diffuse as much confusion as possible by looking into things further. One such “Book of Abraham” was a collection of scrolls discovered in an early 19th century archeological expedition to Egypt by a man named Antonio Lebolo, which were then sold on July 3rd, 1835 to none other than Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism - and known Templar in AC - who then went on to translate and claim it to be the story of Abraham from the Bible, his early life in Canaan and Egypt, and his vision of the cosmos and creation. Smith then published this translated Book of Abraham into part of The Pearl of Great Price in the Book of Mormon. I can’t say definitively that Assassin’s Creed lore conflates this story with what I’m about to explain, but I think it holds much significance with the arguably more important Abraham at play in the lore. There’s another book that has manuscripts dating back to 1608, attributed to a man named Abraham von Worms, about a different Egyptian mage named Abraham from the 14th century (henceforth referred to as Abra-Melin). Abra-Melin made a grimoire that he then taught to another German man from the 14th century named Abraham of Würzburg, and this German Abraham’s journals of his trip to Egypt and his studies under Abra-Melin were catalogued into 4 major parts - “an autobiographical account of the travels of Abraham of Worms to Egypt, a book of assorted materials from the corpus of the practical Kabbalah (including some which is duplicated in the German-Jewish grimoire called "The Sixth and 7th Books of Moses") and the two books of magic given by Abramelin to Abraham.” Two books of magic, they said? Interesting... Now, the pages of this grimoire that Abra-Melin gave to Abraham of Würzburg are never claimed in our history to relate to the later-discovered Book of Abraham that would wind up in the Book of Mormon, but I think the culturally congruent Egyptian Abrahams both having books of particular importance revolving around nature and how things came to be, should put both of these stories in the same vein when talking about how this could be and has been used in AC. For an irrefutable example, we can look to the most famous grimoire to spawn from Samuel Mathers’ macabre magicks in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, whom took the writings of this supposed Abra-Melin as possibly more fervent gospel than Smith took his scrolls! Mathers would go on to publish his studies and findings into his own translated grimoire, titled The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, in 1897, sparking new interest in the occult in the early 20th century. But where does all this bring us in answers about Hexe? To sum up my theory on the story, it’s been posited for a while that we’ll be seeing 17th century German witch trials, but what I think is that we’ll be witnessing the fallout of whoever found these 1608 manuscripts regarding Abra-Melin, perhaps practicing what it contained, communing with “spirits of Hades”, and eventually being outed or going into hiding during the 1625-1631 Würzburg Witch Trials, a harrowing time in 17th century Germany for anyone showing any occult interests, and a hotbed for hidden Assassin and Templar - and Hermetic Order - secrets to discover! What did they know of Isu writings? Could the language connect to the ritualistic Hebrew and Alphabet of the Magi we see in the pentacles? I could add that Abramelin Oil is used in consecration rituals, but that’s a whole other rabbit hole of possible connections I’ll leave for you to explore further if you wish! But what are your thoughts? Am I stretching too many threads to make sense of what little we’ve been given so far? Or do you think my Spidey-senses are spot-on? What are you most excited for that might be coming in Codename Hexe? Let’s discuss! • Your Friendly Neighborhood Mentor ṇoænos wahæáid oænosr zàrhṇdichṛ comments debug Comments (1) Write a comment Write a comment Sort by: Newest Guest May 01, 2023 Wow, that sounds extremely convincing Like Reply About the Author Author of the all-encompassing timeline, Codex Temporis, and the Isu-to-English dictionary, Codex Transferendum, Your Friendly Neighborhood Mentor is here to help unweave the confusing web of AC! ActualSpider-Man

Guiding Shadows: A Review of Assassin’s Creed The Golden City (LIGHT SPOILERS) Review Share 16 Jan 2023 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Ashlea Blackett Back To Database “They worked in the dark to serve the light, but were they never allowed to exist in it as well?” (AC The Golden City - Chapter 21) LIGHT SPOILER WARNING for story themes and subjects Overview The tenets of the Assassin's br otherhood have been the guidelines for each holder of a hidden blade since before the series began, alongside the maxim and "working in the dark to serve the light". Yet, many Assassins have questioned what they are taught, as have the ones they have protected. Who are the Assassins to decide who lives and who dies? Who are they besides birds of prey that hide where the light is afraid to go? Constantinople (as depicted in Assassin's Creed Revelations) The Golden City is the newest novel from Aconyte Books and is written by Jaleigh Johnson, a New York Times bestseller and chosen author for the ABA Spring Indie Next list. Within this tale is an isolated story following fan-favorite Assassins Hytham and Basim Ibn Ishaq in 867, Constantinople. The young Acolyte Hytham joins Basim to investigate the conspiracy plot of Emperor Basil I to kill his son Leo VI with the assistance of the Order of the Ancients, as well as spy on his mentor for the Brotherhood as they began questioning Basim’s priorities over the Creed. Hytham (as seen in Assassin's Creed Valhalla) Hytham has been a guide to the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla story for some time now. Previously, he was seen in Sword of the White Horse by Elsa Sjunneson, and soon he will return in The World of Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Journey to the North–Logs and Files of a Hidden One by Rick Barba. His character has been expanded upon and revisited multiple times in the Valhalla series, as an anchor to the Brotherhood for multiple mainline characters, but his persona has never been explored before this title; The Golden City . This is a Hytham, post Assassin’s Creed Mirage but pre-AC Valhalla . A Hytham that is unsure if he can trust his mentor and at times, himself. A man who doesn't question his skills, but strives to become more like his experienced mentor. The story opens with a look at the relationship between Hytham and Basim, sparing as the Acolyte admires his mentor's skill and demeanor as he tries to figure out who Basim is as a person and Assassin. Within the first chapter, Hytham sees something in Basim that resembles a man who has “trod the same stretch of earth for decades or longer”. My thoughts immediately turn to the trailer for AC Mirage and the djinn that we as fans have speculated to be the Isu Loki invading the mind of Basim; something that Basim references (the djinn) when discussing the nightmares of the prince later in the story. The story continues with the explanation of the plot, a mission for the “young eagle” to protect Prince Leo in an environment where anyone could be an enemy or pawn of the Order of the Ancients. It is in the palace of the Emperor where he meets Prince Leo and learns of the dangers surrounding the future leader of the city. A child that has experienced multiple accidents that in truth were poor attem pts on his life , hidden by a paranoid father who believes the child to be an illegitimate heir to the throne. Fatherhood is an underlying subject throughout the story with both positive and negative connotations. It is where I find Jaleigh shines the most as she weaves together a bond between a frightened child and the guardian assigned to protect him. A man who never had the chance to have his own family, but knows the sacrifice he must make to be a member of the Assassin Brotherhood. It's a relationship that he sees and questions between himself and Basim as a student and mentor. A journey of the Protector and Ward that echoes other media like Logan and The Last of Us . It is this theme that drives my opening quote as Hytham allows his personal feelings to fuel the mission he was tasked with by the boy’s mother, Empress Eudokia Ingerina. Basim ibn Ishaq The first signs of a tie-in to Assassin's Creed Valhalla can be seen via Basim’s interest in the Viking people as he yearns to learn more about the Eagle Clan, led by the warrior Thyra, head of the Varangian Guard, servants of the Emperor and his family. While it is not explained in detail, the players involved know that Basim is looking for someone specifically within the Vikings. This of course is what leads to the two Assassins seeking out Sigurd Styrbjornsson and his step-sister, Eivor Varinsdottir in AC Valhalla. Review The Golden City has plenty of combat depicted in great detail and can be visualized with ease. This is something I have always enjoyed and looked for in the transmedia of the series. From the sparring between partnering Assassins to close combat melees in the streets, the action is plentiful but not overwhelming. Between the clash of scimitars and precision of knife throws, a balanced conspiracy plot is picked apart with each page turn alongside the caring scenes of Hytham and Leo. Reflecting back on the story a few days after finishing, I found that the conspiracy was a good way to craft this standalone novel as it kept the elements of Hytham's mission contained and easy to keep track of. Looking at games like Valhalla where you have multiple storylines to remember, this book's focus on protecting the prince and investigating Hytham made a relaxing read. Even when the opposition was revealed, I found myself thinking about the surprise reveal, but not needing to double back and try to find missing clues. The same can be said about Basim. I learned multiple personality traits about the Master Assassin, but nothing that felt like an easter egg, or direct reference to another piece of media. Knowing that Hytham and Basim are alive in Valhalla made the potential worry of loosing a character to the Order of the Ancients non-existent. However, I didn't see that as a negative as I still had the full story to explore and fully admire the characters' individual world building and growth. The story is similar to a DLC expansion to the story. I think a lot about Bonfire of the Vanities and Assassin's Creed II, where the story was isolated to a new district with supporting characters that we met previously as Ezio. You have a good story that is tied into the main campaign, or in this case Basim and Hytham's backstories, but if you didn't get a chance to play that DLC (or read this book) you wouldn't be missing out of any key elements. Does the book go into the depth of the two Assassin's relationship? It does, and that may give players of Valhalla a better idea of the thoughts the Assassin's have in the game. Yet on the other side, I could not tell you anything that gives a peak into Mirage outside the mention of Roshan and Basim's mention of the djinn which I noted earlier. It feels like Batman: Year One in many ways where Hytham has been an Assassin for a while, but is still an Acolyte in the story. This leaves a lot of room for more stories and the journal releasing this year with Journey to the North could fill in more of the time between Mirage and Valhalla. Comparing The Golden City to other Aconyte Books titles, I would say this is a good title to be added to their expanding transmedia line of books, and while I would rank it towards the lower half of the releases (6 books including Golden City ) it isn't bad; I still enjoyed it. However where Geirmund's Saga read like the novelization of one of the games, Sword of the White Horse focused on a story based on Arthurian legend, and The Magus Conspiracy was a multi-decade conspiracy thriller, The Golden City feels like a character arc for Hytham, developing him further, but it doesn't hinder the enjoyment of Valhalla or the series in whole. Assassin’s Creed The Golden City is a great book for readers that enjoy drama, action, and stories of relationships without any prior knowledge of the Assassin’s Creed universe. Fans of the series will find a great introspective into the mind of an Assassin and a perfect read to excite for Assassin’s Creed Mirage. The book releases on April 4, 2023, in the United States and Globally as an Ebook. It will be available in paperback on June 22, 2023, in the UK. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Mike Smith is a collector of all things Assassin's Creed and a major supporter of transmedia who joined TOWCB as a writer from 2021 - 2024 With nearly a full library of Assassin's Creed media, his work explored the universe in order of Genetic Memory. Notably, his Assassin's Creed Timeline became an essential tool for fans of the franchise looking to complete their collection and consume AC media in a particular order. Michael Smith

Art Reveal: Basim and Loki by SophiaEA16 Art Share 28 Apr 2021 Written By: Edited By: Sophia Ashlea Blackett Back To Database We're pleased to reveal a new piece of art created by our very own SophiaEA16 from the AC Partnership Program! To celebrate the launch of our new interview with Carlo Rota, who provides the voice and mo-cap performances for Basim and Loki in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, we reached out to Sophia with an idea. What if Basim looked in the mirror one day and saw his past staring back at him. Sophia took this starting point and made it her own, creating this beautiful piece to accompany our interview, and we couldn't be happier with the final result. Loki's menacing eyes create an atmosphere of uncertainty, something that we really wanted to capture in this piece. What are his intentions? What will he do next in the Modern Day? Find out Carlo's thoughts in our new interview, which releases Friday 30th April 2021! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Sophia is a talented artist and Twitch streamer from Venice who joined the program in early 2021. During her time on the program, Sophia worked closely with our community members on a number of art different projects, such as competitions and fundraising campaigns. Sophia

AC Community Questions: Hayden Bird (TombAssassin) Interview Share 10 Jul 2024 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Colum Blackett Back To Database Col: Hi Hayden, thank you for joining me for this introductory interview. Please could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your role within the Assassin's Creed Community. Hayden: Thanks, Col, very glad to be a part of the team once again. I think some stuff about me is I love to write, first and foremost, and love my favorite franchises such as Assassin's Creed and Harry Potter. I have always loved to write since as long as I can remember. Its always been my passion as I recall writing short stories for my elementary school book fair or writing fan fictions of cartoons I love! My role with TOWCB is really enjoyable and allows me to stretch my creative knowledge as far as I can! With the team I write articles based on all things Assassin's Creed. Whether it be news, guides, or theory articles, I just love contributing as much as I can! Col: In June 2024, you rejoined The Ones Who Came Before's Assassin's Creed Partnership Program, known as the @ Isu_Network . How have you enjoyed your time working with our content teams? Hayden: Since joining in June of this year, it personally feels great being back. Some of those are still here whom I worked with, Including Col, which started in early 2020, the beginning and peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, while some are new people I got to meet, and will continue to meet others and strengthen relationships with the ones I currently know. Col: When did you first start writing articles, and what in your opinion would you say has been your most popular / recognisable piece? Hayden: I first started writing when I was in grade school, like I mentioned above, but those were more short stories about cartoons or Nintendo games. But as for writing articles I first officially started with sports writing. I wrote for a small online San Diego sports website, i managed ton publish two articles which was good considering I was 14 at the time and had a lot of distractions in my life at that time. I wrote about the football and baseball teams in that area. As for my most recognizable piece I'd say it would be my one great article I wrote as a member of MuggleNet , which is a long-running Harry Potter news website. I wrote a great professional article there late last year about the broadway show Harry Potter and the Cursed Child becoming available for schools to perform on their own. The article took over a week to write and get published, and when it did, it got viewed a lot from both the twitter post they made and on their website! I parted ways with them towards the end of 2023, which eventually led into my position with TOWCB again! Col: What are some of your most recent Assassin's Creed Community Projects, and what are you working on currently? Hayden: Some of the more recent Assassin's Creed projects I have been working on are a mix of genres! I have done a news article and a opinion based article as well, and what I can say is much more is on the way! I have lots of ideas going through my head almost all the time, so the flow of creativeness stays the same, but the work is always, in my opinion, top class. I only want to publish articles that are well done and make a difference, it's key to a successful career! Col: Have you visited any of the locations from the games? Which Assassin's Creed game is your favourite and why? Hayden: Unfortunately I have not had the pleasure to visit and explore any of the great historical settings shown in the Assassin's Creed games. I have been planning trips to, for example, Greece, where I'd love to see the real world setting of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, but Europe trips are quite expensive, sadly! My main goal as of right now, and has been for the past three or so years, is the visit the Bahamas! But ironically not for the beaches and resorts, but the pirate history! Which we all saw in Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag! I am hoping to make this trip in the next few years! My favorite game in the Assassin's Creed series is Black Flag! Surprisingly I wasn't a huge fan of the game at first, but after playing it for hundreds of hours during Covid lockdown, it became my favorite! I originally played this game on release day for PS3 in 2013, but really did not get super attached to it until quarantine! Col: Have you attended any events within the Assassin's Creed Community? Do you have a favourite Assassin's Creed community moment/ story you would like to share? Hayden: Unfortunately I have yet to attend an Assassin's Creed community event. I really wanted to see the Assassin's Creed Symphony when it released, but sadly was unable to go! I am hoping that being apart of TOWCB team again, that it might lead to opportunities to meet with the community at a potential Ubisoft or Assassin's Creed event, that I could experience it with friends here in TOWCB family! If I had to choose a favorite Assassin's Creed community moment it would definitely be the release of the Assassin's Creed movie back in late 2016. I was talking about it with all my Assassin's Creed friends on Twitter and Facebook, and went to see it opening day! I was so excited to see this movie that I had to get a ride to a theater an hour away from my home because my local theater was only playing the movie in the evening when I had plans scheduled! Safe to say me and my twitter friends had a laugh about that one! Col: What would be your dream setting for the upcoming AC Netflix TV show or future game? Hayden: My dream setting for the exciting new Assassin's Creed Netflix projects would be Ancient China! It is actually a setting I'd like to see FULLY covered in a mainline Assassin's Creed game. Of Course, Ubisoft released Chronicles China several years ago, but I would like to see it adapted into a full on game or in the TV series! I hope the Netflix series may touch on this era of history, or potentially explore multiple setting is multiple seasons! Col: Do you have any personal AC goals you would like to achieve? Hayden: If I had an Assassin's Creed I'd love to experience one day, it would be a position writing for a narrative role in game development at Ubisoft! My dream has always been to be a game story writer, and working at Ubisoft has been a dream of mine since I was young! I am hoping to continue to grow as a writer and maybe one day take on a major position in the games industry! Col: What would you say is your most significant community achievement to date? What is your favourite part of being a community member? Hayden: My most significant community moment would have to be the hype train for the release of Assassin's Creed Syndicate! I talked about this game with all of my gaming buddies on both PlayStation and social media. I had just gotten a PS4 months prior, and I was late to playing Unity, but made it a point to be ready for Syndicate on release day. I remember wearing all my Assassin's Creed gear and walking into GameStop to pick up my pre-order of the game. The staff there at the store loved my outfit and dedication so much that they took my picture in the store to post on their website! When I got home, all I remember is running upstairs to download the game! I was glad to share this memory with my friends in the Assassin's Creed community, which is why Syndicate is still a special game to me! So being a community member then, and now, has been an honor! Col: Do you collect AC merchandise? If so, what is your favourite item? Hayden: I USED to collect Assassin's Creed merchandise, but overtime the merch has been increasingly hard to come by on the internet, especially on Amazon. I do basically all my shopping online, as I don't drive for various reasons so getting to a store is challenging on the regular. In my opinion, it used to be WAY easier to buy and collect Assassin's Creed gear. Now I can't find much available on Amazon, which is a shame because as I remember the selection used to be huge! Col: What advice do you have for people looking to get in to games journalism and creative writing? Hayden: My advice to those who love to write, and those who want to get into game journalism is to write, as much as you can, whenever you can! The beauty of writing is even if you are having trouble finding a position with a blog or website, a place to submit articles, then write your own personal projects and ideas and just keep them to you for now. I have countless for fun articles in my Google Docs account, from times where I was not currently apart of any writing team. Doing these practice articles will help improve your writing skills and can also potentially be used as a writing sample one day, should you nail down a interview with a website. Col: Where can our community members find you online? Hayden: Any community members who would like find my page or connect with me on social media, I am most active on Twitter/X on @ TombAssassin and I have been using this app since early 2012, and have been on different account throughout the years until I found a good home in late 2016, which ironically I created this account because of the Assassin's Creed movie. I have been active on this account every single day since then! I also am relatively active on Instagram mostly in the past year @ H_Bird25 and tend to post on my story a lot. I prefer twitter, as most my following is on there, but I do love every now and then hopping on Instagram and updating my story with cool pictures I take, including some self promotion on my writing progress! As for other platforms such as Facebook or Snapchat, I am not on there! Two platforms are personally enough for me, as it gets overwhelming for me to manage so many different accounts! Regardless, I hope to connect with more friends in the gaming community on my two socials anytime I can! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. Previous Next TOWCB Team A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. Work

The Maverick is an Assassin's Creed TikTok star based in USA who is known for his comedy sketches and parkour ability. He is also a Modern Day follower of the Creed who strives to make a difference in real life, through actions such as litter picking and fundraising to help the less fortunate. Previous Next Video Content The Maverick Previous Partner The Maverick is an Assassin's Creed TikTok star based in USA who is known for his comedy sketches and parkour ability. He is also a Modern Day follower of the Creed who strives to make a difference in real life, through actions such as litter picking and fundraising to help the less fortunate. Instagram | Twitter | TikTok Work

Assassin's Creed Day Artwork Released Art Share 21 Dec 2025 Written By: Edited By: Aita_Sageblood Colum Blackett Back To Database To celebrate Assassin's Creed Day 2025, and to honour the legacy of Desmond Miles (1987-2012) who sacrificed himself to ensure humanity's survival from the impending threat of a solar flare, our very own Aita_Sageblood from TOWCB Art Team has released a new piece of artwork inspired by Assassin's Creed III! Thanks to Desmond's bravery, humanity survived and the Assassins were able to prevent Juno from inhabiting a clone body and taking over the world. We love the use of colour on the pedestal, and the ominous glow enticing the hand of Desmond. The date in the top left hand corner is a callback to the glyphs from the early Assassin's Creed games, left by Subject 16, Clay Kaczmarek. We hope that you enjoyed Assassin's Creed Day, but also took a second to reflect upon Desmond's selfless decision which made everything which came after 2012 possible. Safety and Peace Assassins! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author In June 2025, Aita_Sageblood (Nathan) joined TOWCB's Art Team in an effort to widen the variety of art styles on the team. He is known online for his vibrant digital artworks, bringing colour and energy to each and every project. In January 2026, Nate was promoted to Art Team Leader, and throughout 2026 will be working alongside TOWCB's Art Team on a variety of projects which range from creating art for fundraising to live art creation watchalongs! By joining the AC Partnership Program, we aim to boost his profile within the community and create a meaningful relationship with Ubisoft. Aita_Sageblood

Interview With Magnus Bruun, Up Now On YouTube Interview Share 28 Feb 2026 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Gargudon Back To Database In the beginning of the month, Gargudon from the TOWCB team had the opportunity to sit down with actor Magnus Bruun - known in the community for voicing Eïvor Varinsson in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, as well as hit Viking show The Last Kingdom - for a chat, talking everything from the role of Eïvor and preparation for, the landmark Viking series, Valhalla releasing during lockdown in 2020, Norse culture then and today and more. Full interview is up now on our YouTube channel! Enjoy! A big thanks to Magnus once again for taking the time to do it and being awesome, and stay tuned for more interviews with more high profile Assassin's Creed voice actors, composers and more, hopefully coming sooner than later! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9y2Xj-6pW4 comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav / Gargudon is an active community member, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016 - hosting the discussion based show “The Memory Corridor” - but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews and composing. He joined The Ones Who Came Before in 2019 for a merger, publishing new episodes - and reviving the show following nearly a year of inactivity - on our platforms, until phased out in 2023. Today, among other things he is known in the community for the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Preview Event in Paris Event Share 22 May 2026 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team TOWCB Team Back To Database TOWCB Team Leader Col attended a preview event for Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced in Paris! The event featured exclusive early access to the game, interview opportunities with developers and voice actor Matt Ryan, and a glimpse at upcoming merchandise! Massive thank you to Ubisoft for the opportunity! Vlog Interview with Matt Ryan Interview with Julien Koch comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. TOWCB Team

TO BE COMPLETED Assassin's Creed Symphony - The Journey So Far Share 1 Oct 2019 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Back To Database June 29th 2019 - Paris Palais des congrès de Paris comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 20th - 26th August 2022 Community Share 27 Aug 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week I will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. 1) Kassandra & Ikaros Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey This week’s first capture comes from @ thewolfkissedVP a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. First up we have a delightful shot of Kassandra and Ikaros having an intimate moment. The timing to achieve such a capture is impeccable. This has to be up there with one of my favourite photos from Assassin's Creed Odyssey. I have to mention the use of colour, it really is done to perfection. The photo looks almost painting like in how it is presented. I think Kevin has really captured the bond between Kassandra and Ikaros, beautiful work. 2) Scenic Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Photo number two comes from @ Huldera1 a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Next up we have a wonderful shot of the sun reflecting off the water in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. At first glance this photo could be mistaken for real life. The details and ambiance are so magnificently captured. I really like the person out on the boat, and the snow topped mountains in the distance. It is worth checking out the full set using the link below. These are some of the best atmospheric shots I have seen. Link to set 3) Brotherhood Game: Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood This week’s third shot comes from @ FrameHoldPhotos a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. It is Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood week for the AC15 celebration, and it felt wrong not to include a shot from that game. Lucky for me we have someone who is great at capturing moments in the older games. What I love about this shot is how it represents playing the game. We are in the perspective of the player and that is something not often seen in the newer games. The deep colours in this shot are splendid and the red of Ezio’s outfit really stands out. A classical capture from a legendary game. 4) Altair Game: Assassin’s Creed VP number four comes from @ Subject_72 a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Photo number four continues the themes of the previous shot. Traditional in style, we see the Assassin who started it all. This is a beautifully constructed shot that amplifies a game that is 15 years old. You can see why a remake is so sort after. The colours here are fantastic and I love how Altar stands out amongst the crowd. It is great to see lots of captures from the older games, I hope it continues after the celebrations come to an end. 5) Ice Cold Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla The final capture of the week comes from @ Spiggy_Smalls over on Twitter. The final shot appeared on my feed this week and I could not help but admire it. There is so much to like about this photo. Obviously the positioning of this shot is the standout with the camera looking through the trees. However that is not the only thing I love about this capture. I really like that Eivor’s sat on the horse atop a rock, looking out over the lands. The church in the distance, masked by the fog is a fantastic addition. What a stunning photo, worthy of being on a canvas. And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out this week’s photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next week keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 7th to 18th October Community Share 8 Dec 2023 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Renzo Back To Database Welcome to the biweekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from the AC Partnership Program. Every two weeks we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. This theme has been run by the TOWCB VP team. We have been monitoring the hashtag and the community hub to see all your wonderful shots. Keep an eye on the site as more shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to #ACFirstCivVP for a chance to be featured. Theme: Halloween Spirit Slayer Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @Its__Gurly The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @TuridTorkil Turid I was immediately captivated by the composition of this shot. The combination of tattoos, clothing and weapons make a dark warrior out of Eivor, and you can sense that he is not afraid of the monster that lurks in the dark. Smoke and fog create an eerie mood, perfect for our theme this week. Aaron One of my favourite games to play in October is Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, especially the Wrath of the Druids DLC. The mood and tone of that expansion perfectly lends itself to the spooky vibes. The hallucinations Eivor experiences such as in this creepy capture from Mel really added a new element to the game. The shadowy figure looks so ominous, while Eivor stands there with axe and flail in hand. I think his dark hair and tattoos add to that eerie feel. Everything kind of aligns in this shot to make it a worthy winner for our Halloween theme. The Mask Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @Cll3ar Selected by @Falconswift87 Spooky theme weeks always offer up some inventive photography. I think Raven’s VP style fits effortlessly with this. Once again, the variety of outfits in Valhalla help to cater for all types of shots. Here I am getting some real Order of the Ancient vibes with the white mask on Eivor’s face. The hood is so large that it is resembling the grim reaper. I am such a fan of the foggy white background as it marries beautifully with the blacks. The feather like features that are entering the shot from the right make me think of Odin. Maybe Eivor is Odin’s messenger of death. Draugr Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @m_nt_13 Selected by @_VirtualTourism Once again, we find ourselves in Valhalla but this time it is the Draugr who have been sent to haunt us. These creatures of Norse mythology don’t have a huge part to play in the story but the outfit for Eivor is a real fright. This disturbing shot of the Draugr appearing in the darkness brings the scares for sure. I love the lighting here, the bones on the arm and the teeth coupled with those freaky yellow eyes work so well together. You can really see that this creature is not of this world, I would have very much liked to see Eivor face off against this beast. Ghost Ship Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @Yumejin2416 Selected by @TuridTorkil Assassin’s Creed Odyssey isn’t really known for its spooky nature, although you do come up against some mythical creatures. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed the ship in this shot wasn’t from Valhalla. I adore the composition of this photo, especially the placement of the ship in relation to the moon, and how the light is reflecting on the water adding to the mood. The eeriness brought on by the ship's silhouette and the bluey/purple fog make for a very atmospheric photo. It reminds me a little of the pirate movies where the ship just appears out of nowhere. Frozen Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @WonDerNooB_VP Selected by @CapturesByRenzo There is nothing like a bit of Greek mythology to bring the spooky. This shot gives me massive Jason and the Argonauts vibes. At the same time, it is going to expose my age, sorry everyone. Once again, the use of fog is so critical creating that creepy atmosphere. I think the orange and black tones, along with the architecture make this feel like a graveyard. Furthermore, the people frozen as statues elevate the sinister sensations. It is when you wander through this section of the game that you realise how impressive the level design is. RS has showcased that so well here. Mists Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ cyriellevp.bsky.social Selected by @CapturesByRenz o I have spoken before about how great the fog function is in the Assassin’s Creed photo mode. By adding it you can immediately change a photo's style and feel. This capture by Cyrielle is so hauntingly beautiful. It reminds me of the concept art you see, mostly due to the composition and the placement of Alexios. The path disappearing into the water and the marsh land that surrounds it gives off immense ghostly vibes. The trees covered in fog help to bring a sense of impending doom. I am not sure what Alexios is walking into, but it gives me the creeps. Skull Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @saskiaemmischVP Selected by @Falconswift87 Everyone knows I am a massive fan of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and especially the portraits that you can produce. Added to that the game lends itself perfectly for the Halloween theme. Here Saskia has knocked it out of the park with this super ominous shot of Eivor in the Druid mask. I just love how the white of the mask pops, and with the dark hood it looks so cool. Eivor has the appearance of one of Odin's undead horseman sent to collect souls of the unworthy. It even appears like the fog is exiting the eye hole, giving a real menacing aura to the portrait. I would not immediately think this is from Valhalla and that is a testament to how good the shot is. And that sums it up for this Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out the photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next time keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Q&A with Chantel Riley (Layla Hassan) Interview Share 14 Feb 2018 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Our Admin Col_96 conducted an interview with Chantel Riley, who provided the voice and motion capture performance for Layla Hassan in Assassin's Creed Origins! Col: Hey Chantel, thanks for joining us today! It's great to have you here for your first Assassin's Creed Community Interview! Before working on AC Origins, had you played any of the games before? If so, do you have a favourite? Chantel: Actually I have not played any of the games but I always knew about them. I remember always being very drawn to its beautiful graphics and animation. I never would have thought that after all those years I would get the opportunity to be a part of a great game. Col: Had you done much voice acting before working on AC? Chantel: AC Origins is my first Voice Acting job. Col: How did you find the voice acting/ mo-cap experience? Chantel: AC is my very first for both! Pretty dope one to start with if you ask me. I got to give my respects to voice actors around the world, especially the video game world. I learned a new division of acting through this opportunity. Its more than just going into a studio and recording some dialogue and grunts. It becomes you and next thing you know, your entire body starts getting active and helps with each line or audible sound. Mo - Cap was so cool. I've always wanted to try it out. So watching the game play and seeing Layla walk and talk and knowing they were my movements, was so crazy to me. #ILoveTechnology Col: When you auditioned for the role, did you know it was for a video game? Chantel: I did know it was for a video game but I didn't know which one. I didn't learn what game it was for until I actually booked the role. I was very excited and so was my brother since he is a big gamer. Col: Layla is the first third person playable Modern Day character since Desmond Miles. Did you feel any pressure at all when working on the project, knowing that fans were eagerly awaiting the return of playable Modern Day? Chantel: I think overall, I just wanted to deliver the best performance I could. I try not to allow the pressure to get to me because I know it will affect my performance in a negative way. So I focus on how fun the project was instead. Col: Concept art for Layla was actually leaked before launch due to an art book. Did you see how much hype and excitement this caused within the AC Community? Chantel: I did do some digging around about the leak and did see the excitement about Layla and the game. So of course, I got excited with them. Col: How would you describe Layla to a friend? Chantel: Layla is a highly intelligent and strong willed woman. She is courageous and won't stop until she is on top and gets the recognition she deserves. Col: Do you have a favourite Layla line? Chantel: I love when she says "F-- you Abstergo, I'm seeing this through". Its kind of like her war cry. So powerful. (Sorry mom...lol). Col: One thing that sticks with me when thinking about Layla is the respect that she shows when discovering the Mummies of Bayek and Aya within the cave. After intense Animus sessions, do you think she feels connected to them, possibly due to the bleeding effect? (even though they're not related in any way) Chantel: Definitely! I feel as though there is a much deeper connection than we think while entering into anyones past or psyche. Seeing what they see, experiencing what they experienced, I feel would have some affect on Layla. Col: Have you ever been to Egypt before, and do you know if Layla's cave actually exists? If so, would you ever consider visiting? Chantel: I have never been to Egypt but would love to visit one day. There is a tremendous amount of history that I would be interested in learning about. Col: In the Laptop files we discover that Layla actually contributed towards the Madrid Animus, seen in the AC Movie. Have you seen the Movie? Chantel: I have! Col: Have you seen much of the creativity within the Community, such as Assassin’s Creed Origins Fan Art/Cosplay Projects/Videos etc? Chantel: I had a chance to watch some youtube videos of fans playing the game. Col: Did you enjoy working on Assassin's Creed Origins, and would you ever return to the brand if asked? Chantel: I had an amazing time! I would love to come back if they ask. (Fingers crossed). We would like to say a massive thank you to Chantel for joining us for this interview, and to everyone at Ubisoft who made it possible! Chantel's Social Media Links: Twitter Instagram comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Let's Talk Assassin's Creed: Valhalla #2 ft Col_96 Podcast Share 1 May 2020 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Back To Database In today's special epsidoe we take a look at asassins Valhalla news, in also joined by a Community admin from the ones who came before comunity group. https://twitter.com/ACFirstCiv?s=09 Spotify Link comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 24th to 30th April Community Share 2 May 2023 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week I will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. This week’s theme: Assassin’s Creed Sunset Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ MystixVP A beautiful sunset to kick-start this week’s showcase. With the summer fast approaching this capture reminds me of nice walks along the beach. The use of colour in this shot is perfection, I would never expect so many tones of orange to look quite this good. I admire the shadows from the trees as they provide a real depth to the shot. A very warming photo that makes you want to jump back into Origins. Reflection Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ tn_taurus These were some of my favourite moments in Assassin’s Creed Origins, where you can allow Bayek to sit and reflect on his mission. What I love about this shot is the scale, as Bayek has such a great view over the landscape. The colours in this capture are just so delightful. Similar to the Stone Circles that allow Bayek time to remember Khemu, this shot makes me think of his speech about Egypt forgetting who she is. Link to set: https://t.co/fCR6dh0qW8 The Lion King Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ Its_Gurly Photo number three is part of an Assassin’s Creed Origins wildlife set that shows just how great the eco system is within these games. I picked this particular shot as it was giving off massive Lion King vibes. I respect the layout of the capture especially with the blurred effect. These Lions are not to be messed with as the ferocious look suggests. Lucky for us we were able to tame these beasts to work alongside us. Link to set: Cave of Wonders Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ Cyb3r3ll4 This week’s #Thorsday shot sees Eivor exiting a cave after another successful loot no doubt. This capture is glorious, and fits both the minimalist and silhouette categories to perfection. You cannot help but feel like you’re in the cave. I am certainly getting Northman vibes from this shot. Eivor definitely looks ready to journey on knowing his future is fated and won’t change. Vista Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ UkkoVP We end this week’s showcase with a beautiful shot of Sýnin surveying the lands. This capture actually reminds me of a real life destination quite close to where I live. The blue from the sky and the sea is brilliantly saturated, whilst the greenery shines through as a perfect contrast. My favourite part though has to be that shadow creeping across the land. Such an atmospheric shot, I love it. The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week: Judge: Michael Smith from TOWCB Core Team The vibrancy of the English countryside is one of the best aspects of AC Valhalla. The beauty found in the isolation of nature, seeing how the country is an island separated from the rest of the world is part of what fueled Eivor to want to explore more and myself as a player to explore the map for vistas like this. And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out this week’s photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next week keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Huntsman Gear Guide Guide Share 26 Mar 2021 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Buckley Back To Database After the relatively long intro in Norway, you will no doubt be eager to find a new armour set when you arrive in England. One of the easier sets to claim is the Huntsman, which can be found in the opening areas of England. All items can be found in-game without the need for DLC or micro-transactions. The Huntsman Set All gear sets in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will not only provide the player with an aesthetic look, but also stats and bonuses that increase Eivor’s strength. Further to this, your gear will also be aligned to one of the three branches of the skill tree. The Huntsman set follows the wolf skill line and therefore will benefit from any skill points you have placed here. It is also good to consider the set bonus perks that are different for each armour set. The Huntsman gear provides you with a nice Viking look and leans heavily into an archer playstyle. The two bonuses for equipping the Huntsman set are in the image below. It is good to remember that the more pieces of the set you wear, the bigger the bonus. It is not essential though, and you can mix gear for interesting perks. How to Get the Huntsman Gear Set Unfortunately you cannot obtain all of the set pieces in the same region. There are five gear items to collect, with three in Grantebridgescire and the other two in Ledecestrescire. The Power Levels of these regions should not pose too much of a problem, as when you arrive in England both Grantebridgescire and Ledecestrescire are early story destinations. That being said, all of the Huntsman armour is well guarded so you will need to either fight your way to it or use stealth. Grantebridgescire and Ledecestrescire are both Power Level 20, so following the story would be the best way of attaining this set. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has four tiers for gear pieces: Grey (Fine) Red (Superior) Blue (Flawless) Gold (Mythical) When you fine each piece of the Huntsman set it will already be Superior. It is wise to use what resources you have to bring the gear to its highest level, and save your nickel ingots to upgrade the armour to flawless when you return to Gunnar at the Settlement. It is important to note that Ubisoft recently patched Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, implementing the transmogrification feature. This means you can upgrade your gear to the highest level but not have to worry about not liking the look. You can pay fifty coins to Gunnar and he will amend the aesthetic to one of the previous iterations but with the highest stats. The Huntsman Cape This seems like it could be more difficult than it actually is. Your best route is to take your Longship up river to Templebrough Fort in Ledecestrescire. The cloak can be found in a tower situated in the middle of the river. Just climb the tower and shoot the wood hanging to break the floor below. From here jump down and open the chest. There are a few guards so be careful not to been seen, but it is possible to avoid them altogether. The Huntsman Helm This one can be a little trickier. The helm can be found at Tonnastadir fort in Ledecestrescire. It is a heavily guarded area, which can be difficult early in the game. You will come here as part of the Ledecestrescire story arc, and I would suggest waiting until then to collect the helm. The helm is locked behind a gate, so you will first need to head to the longhouse. The key can be found on a table, but be careful as sometimes there will be guards in the room. Once you have the key, head to the metal gate where three guards will be waiting. There is some debris you can drop on them. Either way you will need to dispatch the guards before entering. The helm can be found at the end of the hallway in a chest. The Huntsman Armour The chest piece is probably the most difficult to obtain. It can be found in Ravensburg outpost, Grantebridgescire. This outpost is part of the story arc so waiting until then is a good option. You will find the chest containing the armour in the main hut at the centre of the enemy camp. Despite the camp being well guarded it is possible to get all the way to the hut unnoticed. You may wish to tactically remove some of the guards just so if you are caught you will not be overwhelmed. The Huntsman Vambraces The vambraces are hidden behind a waterfall in Grantebridgescire. The location is not too far from your settlement. Just head south of Ravensthorpe and you will see an area with two sections of water. The vambraces can be found in the first section of water, behind a waterfall. Once you enter the cave you will find another section of water. You will need to dive in and swim underwater until you reach the end. Straight after exiting the water you will see the chest in front of you. The Huntsman Breeches Your final piece to collect will be the breeches. They are situated in Soham hideout, which is on a patch of land not too far from Isle of Ely Monastery, Grantebridgescire. You will want to sneak into the camp and head towards the large stone building in the centre. Inside you will find a chest containing the breeches. You may also need to dispatch some of the guards. There are two sat at a table in the main building, making it difficult to sneak up on them, so be careful. Once you have all the gear items, you can return to Gunnar to upgrade them. Don’t forget to take a look at the transmogrification feature. It is also worth mentioning that you can pay travellers for information regarding the location of gear items (represented on the map by a question mark) Hopefully these tips will help you get started on your Viking adventure. Valhalla is a wonderful game full of intrigue and mystery with a story that sucks you in slowly. Be patient and take your time, you will not regret it. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Insomnia #i71 Ubisoft Community Cosplay Competition Photo Log Events Share 7 Nov 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Here are our captures from the Ubisoft Community Cosplay Competition which took place at Insomnia Gaming Festival (#i71) in September 2023, taken by TOWCB Team members Colum, Aaron and Michael. Congratulations to Jamie from CreedCosplay for winning the Cosplay competition! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSITae7AXeA comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 4th - 10th June 2022: Origins Edition Community Share 18 Jun 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the new weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week, we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. 1) Killer Croc Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins This week’s first capture comes from @ G_Assassin90 over on Twitter. First up in our Assassins Creed Origins special is a super bird’s eye view of a crocodile wading through the water. I Really like how this shot has the predator partly submerged in the green water. Anyone who’s played Origins knows how deadly these creatures are especially when hiding in the reeds. The eco system in Origins is the best I have seen in a game so far. 2) Egyptian Sunsets Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins Photo number two comes from @ virtualmiky This one is a perfect phone wallpaper. I love the positioning of the shot but also the stunning colours. This capture flawlessly shows off the beauty of Assassin’s Creed Origins. The game maybe almost 5 years old but it certainly doesn’t feel like it. Bayek on top of a pyramid will always be iconic. 3) Golden Sands Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins This week’s third shot comes from @ PodToGo using the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture For me this shot is just like the promotional material put out by Ubisoft when Assassin’s Creed Origins launched. It was photos like this that got me hyped for the game. I would certainly recommend checking out the full set of shots. The contrast of the bright blue sky and the golden sand is spectacular. 4) Black & White Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP number four comes from @ joshy_navaneeth member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Time to mix things up with photo number four as we bring in a bit of black and white photography. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in character shots, but the buildings and environment can be just as awesome. I remember this location very well, it was nice how Origins was less repetitive with its buildings. You can see in this shot how people are just living here. It would be easy to mistake this for a real life photo. 5) Desert Hero Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins The final capture of the week comes from @kingforever008 member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. To close out our first Assassin’s Creed Origins showcase we have a real comic book style shot. I am a big fan of silhouette captures and this one mixed with the vibrant colours looks amazing. The rays from the sun behind Bayek make him feel like an imposing figure. I get real Batman vibes from this almost reminiscent of the Animated Series intro. And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out this week’s photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next week keep those shots coming in. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young