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Understanding the Isu Language: Nouns, Verbs and Adjectives Analysis Share 3 Oct 2024 Written By: Edited By: Edenoi ActualSpider-Man Back To Database The following is a dictionary of Isu words and their meanings and etymologies (the Proto-Indo-European words "descended" from them) when available. At the bottom of the article you'll also find a list of known sound changes from Isu to Proto-Indo-European. Dictionary Aærh Possibly related to PIE *h₁eg- "to lack" whence English indigent Verb Require, need Adhayz Possibly formed from ad + hayz Verb Believe Adhayznos Formed from adhayz + -nos Adjective Credulous Agwzí Developed into PIE *h₂egʷsih₂ "axe" Noun Axe Apovlôz Formed from apo + vlôz Verb Sacrifice Arhzmṛmṇ Formed from arhz + smṛ + -mṇ Noun Record (information storage) Azrhṇ Formed from az + rhṇ Verb Guarantee Blahæ Developed into PIE *pleh₁- "to fill" Verb Fill Blahænos Formed from blahæ + -nos Adjective Full Blàyz Verb Try, attempt Carb Developed into PIE *kerp- "to pluck, to harvest" Verb Harvest Chagru Developed into PIE *h₂éḱru "tear" Noun Tear (from the eye) Chalhæ Developed into PIE *kelh₁- "to call, to cry, to summon" whence English proclamation Verb Summon Chan Developed into PIE *ken- "to arise, to begin" Verb Start Charærh Developed into PIE *h₂erh₃- "to plow" whence English arable Verb Plow Charærhdrṃ Formed from charærh + -drṃ Noun Plow Charh Developed into PIE *keh₃- "to fight" Verb Fight Chayrh Developed into PIE *kéh₂ikos "one-eyed, blind" Adjective Blind Chayrhos Formed from chayrh + -os Noun Blind person Chàyz Developed into PIE *h₂eys- "to wish, to request, to search" Verb Seek Chnàk Developed into PIE *h₂neḱ- "to reach, to attain" whence English next Verb Reach Chṛd Verb Prepare Chu Developed into PIE *(s)kewh₁- "to perceive, to observe" whence English show Verb Perceive Chuæs Formed from chu + -æs Noun Sight Chṇtæcharh Formed from chṇtæ + charh Noun Rebellion Chṇrhú Formed from chṇ + -rhú Noun Family Dag Possibly developed into PIE *teḱ- "to sire, to beget" whence English architect or *dʰewgʰ- "to produce" Verb Produce Dagæs Formed from dag + -æs Noun Production, creation Dawrh Possibly developed into PIE *tewh₂- "to be numerous" whence English thousand Noun Child Doshæs Possibly developed into PIE *tews- "to be happy" Verb Soothe Gṇs Developed into PIE *ḱens- "to announce, to proclaim" whence English censorship Verb Announce Gwachæt Verb Assign Gwam Developed into PIE *gʷem- "to step" Verb Come Gwar Developed into PIE *kʷer- "to do, to make, to build" Verb Do Gwardrṃ Formed from gwar + -drṃ Noun Instrument, tool Gwaw Developed into PIE *gʷewH- "to defecate" Noun Excrement Gwich Verb Limit Hæwòch Developed into PIE *h₁weh₂- "to leave, to abandon, to give out" whence English evacuate Verb Abandon Hàgwṛmæch Possibly formed from hàgwṛ + mæch Adjective Cowardice Hahṃz Adjective Talented Hahṃzos Formed from hahṃz + -os Noun Talent Hàs Developed into PIE *h₁es- "to be" whence English essence Verb To belong Haz Possibly developed into PIE *bʰed- "to improve, to make better" Adjective Better Hṇrharz Formed from hṇ + rharz Verb Wrap Hṇrhṇ Formed from hṇ + rhṇ Verb Understand Hṇzahæs Formed from hṇ + zah + -æs Noun Behavior Hoærh Possibly developed into PIE *h₂eǵ- "to drive" whence English activate Verb Activate Hṛ Developed into PIE *h₃er- "to move, to stir" Verb Move Huch Noun Future Hűch Verb Cleanse Hűchæs Formed from hűch + -æs Noun Sanitation Hnom Developed into PIE *h₁nómn̥ "name" Verb Name Kahæs Developed into PIE *ḱeh₁s- "to teach, to indicate" Verb Command Kḷ Developed into PIE *ḱel- "to cover" whence English occult Verb Hide Kṇch Verb Doubt Komhaæzrhú Possibly formed from kom + haæz + rhú Noun Council Kűz Noun Mud Kway Developed into PIE *kʷey- "to avenge" whence English penalty Verb Avenge Kwayæs Formed from kway + -æs Noun Revenge Læs Developed into PIE *leys- "to shrink, to grow thin, to be gentle" whence English less Adjective Weak Làygw Developed into PIE *leykʷ- "to leave" whence English derelict Verb Leave Lṇz Developed into PIE *lendʰ- "land, heath" Noun Land Lochus Developed into PIE *lókus "pond, pool" Noun Lake Lolh Possibly developed into PIE *lewbʰ "to desire, to covet, to want" whence English love Verb Desire Lolhæs Formed from lolh + -æs Noun Desire Machtér Developed into PIE *méh₂tēr "mother" Noun Mother Marhachs Developed into PIE *méǵh₂s "big, great" whence English much Adjective Great Marhachsos Formed from marhachs + -os Noun Greatness Marhràch Likely formed from marh + ràch; marh developed into PIE *megʰ- "to be able" whence English mighty Adjective Able Mér Developed into PIE *meh₁- "to measure" Verb Quantify Mérmṇ Formed from mér + -mṇ Noun Quantity Mḷ Developed into PIE *mey- "to strengthen" whence English more Adjective Strong Mḷos Formed from mḷ + -os Noun Strength Mṇ Developed into PIE *men- "to think" whence English mind Verb Think Mṇmṇ Formed from mṇ + -mṇ Noun Thought Mṇrh Developed into PIE *mengʰ- "many, sufficient" Noun Plenty Mṇrhṇgwardach Formed from mṇrh + rhṇ + gwar + -dach Noun Polymath Mṇsṛ Possibly formed from mṇ + sṛ Noun Correlation Mṇzlom Possibly formed from mṇ + zlom Noun Sense, reason Mṛ Developed into PIE *mer- "sea" whence English mermaid Noun Sea Mṛvṃ Noun Image (possibly) Nàg Developed into PIE *neḱ- "to perish, to disappear" whence English necropolis Noun Death Ṇgwar Formed from ṇ + gwar Verb Undo Ṇṛch Formed from ṇ + ṛch Verb Unlock Ṇṛchdrṃ Formed from ṇ + ṛch + -drṃ Noun Key, unlocker Ṇsæs Developed into PIE *h₁ensi- "large knife" Noun Sword Ṇwahæ Formed from ṇ + wahæ Adjective Untrue Ôrhr Possibly developed into PIE *yóh₁r̥ "year" Noun Day Paus Adjective Free, unconstrained Pausos Formed from paus + -os Noun Freedom Ṛch Verb Lock Réyzd Developed into PIE *h₂rey-dʰ(h₁)- "to put in order" whence English arithmetic Verb Calculate Réyzdér Formed from réyzd + -ér Verb Calculator Rhàb Developed into PIE *h₃ep- "to work, to toil, to make" whence English opus Verb Work Rhàbér Formed from rhàb + -ér Noun Worker Rhàbmṇ Formed from rhàb + -mṇ Noun Labor Rhagw Developed into PIE *h₃ekʷ- "to see, eye" Verb See Rharz Developed into PIE *gʰerdʰ- "to enclose, to encircle" whence English gird Verb Enclose Rhawrh Adjective Cold Rhlab Possibly developed into PIE *klep- "to steal" whence English kleptomania Verb Steal Rhlabmṇ Formed from rhlab + -mṇ Noun Theft Rhḷb Verb Imagine Rhḷbæs Formed from rhḷb + -æs Noun Imagination Rhḷbmṛvṃ Formed from rhḷb + mṛvṃ Noun Design Rhṇ Possibly developed into PIE *ǵneh₃- "to recognize, to know" Verb Know Rhṇæs Formed from rhṇ + -æs Noun Fact (reality) Rhṇgwar Formed from rhṇ + gwar Verb Craft Rhṇhér Formed from rhṇh + ér; rhṇh eveloped into PIE *ǵenh₁- "to produce, to beget, to give birth" whence English progenitor Noun Father Rhob Developed into PIE *h₁ep- "to grab, to snatch, to get" whence English option Verb Choose Rhoz Developed into PIE *gʰedʰ- "to join, to unite" whence English gather Verb Compile Rhwegash Verb Coddle Sakw Possibly developed into PIE *sekʷ- "to follow" whence English sequence Verb Put into effect Sarh Developed into PIE *seǵʰ- "to overpower" Noun Control Sawrh Developed into PIE *sewh₁- "to give birth" whence English son Verb Birth Schar Developed into PIE *(s)ker- "to cut off, to sever" whence English carnage Verb Cut Seyl Developed into PIE *seyl- "still, quiet" Adjective Silent Seylos Formed from seyl + -os Noun Silence Shoàz Developed into PIE *wed- "water" Noun Water Shoṛrh Developed into PIE *swergʰ- "to be ill" whence English sorrow Verb Suffer Shoṛrhæs Formed from shoṛrh + -æs Noun Pain Shuæsholh Verb Despair Shuæsholhæs Formed from shuæsholh + -æs Noun Despair Shuàgw Developed into PIE *wekʷ- "to speak, to sound out" Noun Voice Verb Speak Shuàr Developed into PIE *wer- "to burn" Verb Burn Shuàrh Developed into PIE *weǵ- "to be lively, to be awake" Verb Wake Shul Noun Warmth Sízwṛ Noun Goal Smṛ Developed into PIE *(s)mer- "to remember" Verb Remember Smṛmṇ Formed from smṛ + -mṇ Noun Memory Sorhwḷ Developed into PIE *sóh₂wl̥ "sun" Noun Sun Spak Developed into PIE *speḱ- "to see, to look, to observe" whence English spectate Verb Watch Srṛ Verb Suffice Srṛæs Formed from srṛ + -æs Noun Sufficiency Srṛæsnos Formed from srṛ + -æs + -nos Adjective Enough Stḷ Developed into PIE *stel- "to put, to place, to locate" Verb Place Stḷmn Formed from stḷ + -mn Noun Site Tṛrhw Developed into PIE *terh₃w- (meaning unsure but ancestor to German drohen "to threaten") Verb Threaten Ubospak Formed from ubo + spak Verb Suspect Ubospaknos Formed from ubo + spak +-nos Adjective Suspicious Vlôz Possibly related to the English blood, bleed Verb Lose (uncertain) Vras Possibly developed into PIE *bʰel- "shiny, white" whence English blaze Noun Flare Vrérh Developed into PIE *bʰleyǵ- "to shine" whence English blink Verb Shine Vṛrh Developed into PIE *bʰergʰ- "to safeguard, to protect, to preserve" whence English harbor Verb Save Vrurhærh Developed into PIE *bʰruHg- "to make use of, to have enjoyment of" whence English frugal Verb Use Wahæ Developed into PIE *weh₁- "true" whence English verify Adjective True Wahædach Formed from wahæ + -dach Adjective Truth Wàrhd Developed into PIE *weh₂t- "excited, inspired, possessed, raging" Adjective Mad (not in control of mental faculties) Wḷrh Developed into PIE *welh₃- "to hit, to strike" Verb Hurt, injure Wḷrhmṇ Formed from wḷrh + -mṇ Noun Wound Wṇhæ Developed into PIE *wenh₁- "to love" whence English winsome Noun Love Wṛgwachæt Formed from wṛ + gwachæt Verb Reassign Wṛmṛvṃ Formed from wṛ + mṛvṃ Noun Pattern Zah Developed into PIE *dʰeh₁- "to do" Verb Act (do something) Zahæs Formed from zah + -æs Noun Action Zàrh Possibly developed into PIE *deh₃- "to give" whence English mandatory Verb Allow Zàw Developed into PIE *dʰew- "to run, to flow" Verb Run Zayg Developed into PIE *deyḱ- "to point out, to show" whence English indicate Verb Show Zblæs Probably derived from a verb zbḷ, possibly related to the word "double" and meaning "to copy" Noun Message Zdô Possibly developed into PIE *steh₂- "to stand" Verb Go (or possibly be) Zérhú Seems to have the -rhú group suffix, and thus may be referring to the Nornir Noun Fate Zḷv Developed into PIE *dʰelbʰ- "to dig, to excavate" whence English delve Verb Shovel Zḷvdrṃ Formed from zḷv + -drṃ Noun Shovel Zṃ Developed into PIE *dem- "to build" whence English domicile Verb Build Zmæs Formed from zṃ + -æs Noun Construction Zṃch Probably related in some way to zṃ Verb Create Zṃchmṇ Formed from zṃch + -mṇ Noun Creature, animal Zozayg Formed from zo + zayg Verb Present Zràw Developed into PIE *srew- "to flow, to stream" Verb Flow Zrerh Possibly developed into PIE *dreh₂- "to run" Verb Become Zrhogwus Possibly formed from zrho + gwus Noun War Zrhwachày Possibly formed from zrho + wachày Noun Destruction Zway Developed into PIE *dwey- "to fear" Noun Fear Zwúrh Noun Shroud Zyaw Developed into PIE *dyew- "sky, heaven" whence English divinity Noun Sky Sound Changes Z becomes d B becomes p Rh becomes a laryngeal (h sound) or sometimes g Sh becomes w Ch becomes a laryngeal or sometimes ḱ H becomes a laryngeal (usually the first laryngeal) Gw becomes kʷ Æ disappears Syllabic consonants often become regular consonants with vowels attached Proto-Indo-European roots aren't dependent on which vowel they have, just the consonants around the vowel, so all vowels just kind of become e More Isu Studies You can find more articles on the Isu language linked here: Understanding the Isu Language: The Basics comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Eden is a codebreaker who joined The Ones Who Came Before during the Assassin's Creed Shadows promotional campaign, helping the team to decipher numerous codes and puzzles used for marketing. She is also a high school Maths tutor, and has previously published a few short TTRPG's with more projects in the works. She first started playing Assassin's Creed in 2010, and is especially interested in the glyphs and puzzles, and platforms such as Assassin's Creed Initiates that expand the lore in creative ways. Edenoi

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: November 9th - 15th Community Share 16 Nov 2020 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome back to a new weekly virtual photography initiative hosted by Gustav Poulsen from The AC Partnership Program. Each week, five Assassin's Creed shots will be showcased here on TOWCB website, in order to promote virtual photography and community contributions. Gustav is a seasoned pro when it comes to virtual photography, and has a keen eye for special shots. Look out for more Photo Logs over the coming weeks, some of which may include Assassin's Creed Valhalla! England With the release of AC Valhalla last week, a new era of Assassin’s Creed has begun! This also means a swarm of new beautiful pictures, capturing the beauty of the North has hit the community. The honor of having the first Valhalla capture featured on the recap list goes to Instagram user @ ladyofthecreed. Kept short, this picture perfectly captures the sun behind a line of trees, spreading its beautiful light rays, as but a fraction of the English coast is illuminated. Be My Eyes, Synin This beautiful portrait of Eïvor’s trusted Eagle companion Synin, is taken by Instagram user @ beloved.of.bayek . Not too much to say about this picture, other than it’s overall awesome looking and well structured. The focus depth has been nicely paid attention to, as Synin in the front is in focus, while the illuminated ocean, snowy mountains & blue winter sky fades into the background. Ancestral Rite This next picture is taken by Instagram user @ acvideos_tiziochesichiamatizio . Judging from the title, this picture finds Eïvor paying his / her respects to the ancestors through a campfire ritual in the night. The photographer has really paid attention to getting the lighting just right, as Eïvor is completely covered in the darkness of the night. Not only is this capture just cool looking, but it also has an overall mysterious & spiritual vibe to it. Beautiful Norway Coming in at slot number four on the list, is a magnificent landscape shot by Twitter user @ jules_vp_ . This picture stunningly captures the sun setting over the snowy cold mountains of Norway, as it illuminates everything from the ocean to the snow. The lighting cast from the sun is on its own extremely beautiful, given its red, purple and golden colors. If anything, this picture is a prime example of how to capture the golden hour. Snowy Rivers Fifth capture on the list is taken by community member @ ckaloush . In it we see one of the many cold snowy rivers of the North, going through a forest filled landscape as a flock of birds soar above it in the distance. Additionally, the picture’s relatively dry and non-warm colour grading, perfectly matches the cold landscapes and winter vibes we see in it. Sunrise Kicking off the latter half of the first AC Valhalla recap list, is a capture by Assassin’s Creed UK founder and admin @ davewoodwardac. In it we see Eïvor on some high ground, watching as the sun rises on the cloudy horizon, casting its light all over the English highlands. This picture is not only extremely pretty, but also has certain cinematic vibe to it. From Norway to England Coming in at the seventh spot, is a beautiful cinematic shot by Twitter user @ G_Assassin90. In this one we see Eïvor having made it to the top of one of the many tall snow filled mountains of Norway, looking out over the ocean and snow filled landscapes. Additionally, this one also captures the stunning purple-esque colors of a Northern sunset. The Light Of Winter We’re obviously big fans of the early captures of the golden hour, and here is yet another picture of just that; this one by Twitter user @ 3mpireTimes. Not too much to say about this one, other than it once again beautifully captures the magic warm colours of a Northern winter sunset, as it also lights up all the magnificent surrounding landscapes. A Northern World On the second last spot on the first Valhalla recap list, we have just one more sunset capture for now, this one by Twitter user @ Leromir . This one stunningly captures another Norwegian landscape, as it, the ocean below and the clouds above are all coloured purple by the imminent sunset. The colours of a cold winter sunset do have a certain magic to them in the real world, and it looks like the new game has done a great job replicating that very magic. We can’t wait to see more pictures like this! A Viking’s Destiny Finally, coming in at the tenth and final spot on this week’s list, is an Eïvor portrait by Instagram user @ theguyinthespacesuit. A beautiful close up portrait taken from the side of our Viking protagonist, as he sees the sunset light casting over the Norwegian mountains. Right by his side, soaring above him, is his trusted raven companion Synin. This picture has a certain epicness to it to say the least. As one would presume by his facial expressions, this portrait is Eïvor getting ready to conquer the entirety of the map. Thanks for checking our this weeks's photo log, and to all of the virtual photographers who contributed towards this article! 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, but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews & composing. By joining The Ones Who Came Before in 2019, originally reviving 'The Memory Corridor' podcast, which had been offline for nearly a year, he has had the opportunity to expand his audience and further develop his skills. 

His unique skill set made him the perfect candidate for our team. 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)

Best quotes in Assassin's Creed III (2012) Share Written By: Edited By: Reporter Name Back To Database ''My enemy is a notion, not a nation.'' (Connor) VP by Jack ( _VirtualTourism ). Edit by Turið Torkilsdóttir comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author This is placeholder text. To connect this element to content from your collection, select the element and click Connect to Data. About the Author

Benoît Richer Interview: Assassin's Creed Valhalla Co-Dev Game Director Interview Share 14 Oct 2020 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Buckley Back To Database We are proud to release the second interview in our new series dedicated to the development of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, featuring Co-Dev Game Director Benoît Richer from Ubisoft Montreal! Col: First of all, congratulations on the reveal of AC Valhalla, it looks absolutely phenomenal and we can't wait to learn more. Are you pleased with the response to the game so far? Benoît: Very much yes! All of our key new features along with some legacy ones that we want to bring back with a fresh new take really resonated well, people are excited about the game experience that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will offer! We were excited to be able to show an early look at the game right at announcement, even as we are working on it and the game is clearly not finished. People need to be aware that if we want to show them stuff early instead of holding back everything, there’s still going to be some issues that we know as game devs that we’ll have the time to fix. There’s still going to be people that judge the whole game harshly by seeing a bug & or a detail they didn’t like in a video, without playing. For me it’s like judging a wine by its color and not by tasting the full experience, how every element comes together. But honestly the vast majority that we see online are really hyped for the game and it’s awesome! It’s really motivating for everyone! Col: Have you seen any of the Valhalla fan content created so far, and is so, does anything special come to mind? Benoît: I’m actually following a lot what’s happening online with the fan & the community and I’m really impressed with everything I see (quality & quantity!), like beautiful fan art, amazing cosplays, gear crafting, Discord channels, the #ACSisterhood movement, YouTube videos, live Twitch sessions, historical research, etc.! All of those actually show a great passion for this game and it’s really exciting to be part of it! I try, as much as I can, to answer questions online (that I can answer obviously) and give my support! The AC community is really awesome! Col: How excited are the team to be working on such a unique project? Benoît: You have no idea how much the whole team (hundreds of people across the world) is very hyped and excited to work on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla! It’s quite a challenge to be working on an Assassin’s Creed title as it comes with a lot of expectations from the players, but if you look at the passion, dedication and expertise that this team has, everyone is confident in the unique experience that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will offer. What makes it unique in my opinion is how everything comes together in perfect harmony to create THE best Viking experience out there in an Assassin’s Creed world; like the theme, the historical pivotal story moment, the strong narrative moments, the lore, the new features and systems that makes you feel #LikeAViking , the music, the immersion of the world filled with activities that represent their culture, beliefs and way of life! Assassin's Creed Valhalla releases November 10th 2020 Col: How large can your settlement grow to, and how does Eivor deal with the problem of over population? Benoît: We’re about to reveal more about the settlement soon, but from what I could say right now, is that we’ve designed the settlement to be quite expandable and the more you level it up, the more there’s people that bring their story, contribution and opportunities for Eivor. Each new buildings has their purpose and some will even provide new abilities! Col: Can you choose the strategic positioning of your settlement? Benoît: No. When you arrive in England, there’s an area where you go to build your settlement but as for the why this place was chosen, I can’t say more not to spoil the story. Col: The UK is know for it's unpredictable weather. Do NPC's react to the weather accordingly? If so, can you give us a few examples of this mechanic? Benoît: Indeed this is an aspect that we wanted to make sure was represented and something that the player could use for their own advantage. For example, you can see a storm coming in the sky, or if there’s dense fog (especially in certain areas or time of day), players can take advantage of this as it’s going to impact enemy perception. Col: Do we hear accents in the game? Benoît: Yes of course. You can hear Norse, Welsh, Danish and Scot giving a true phonologic texture. Our Vikings are made up of Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish actors, so yes a lot of beautiful accents. When Eivor first arrives, Ravensthorpe is little more than a Saxon longhouse and a couple of tumbledown shacks. Col: What can you tell us about 'Puzzle Forest', and the mysteries that can be found in the world? Benoît: I’ll start by saying that we do have puzzle wood that you can explore and what you encounter there is really interesting. We do have quite a lot of various activities in the world that represent the Norse/Saxon culture, beliefs and the time period under 3 different categories; 1-Wealth, 2-Mysteries and 3-Secrets. For the Mysteries, among them there’s the offering altars where you can bring back specific offerings to receive blessings from the gods, Standing stones where you have visual anamorphism gameplay to find the hidden place of energy, the World events that are individual captivating story moments that tells more about who these people were and give different emotional tones to the experience, the Animus anomalies that are present day moments merged into the simulation where you need to complete very interesting puzzles in order to recover part of a hidden message that was left for Layla to find, various World boss encounters from legendary folklore beasts to very hardened characters that has deep and interesting stories, hidden underground Caverns concealing secrets, and some others that were exposed already such as Cairn stones landmarks, Flyting the famous rap battles, and more that we’ll let the player discover for themselves. As for the Secrets, among them there’s Roman artefacts that you could find old Roman vestige structures and bring back to a collector in your settlement, Curse symbols to find and destroy that are affecting you psychologically and even physically as the Norse were affected by those curses, Hallucination mushrooms you can consume in order to resolve 3 different types of imaginative puzzles, Flying papers which are a nice homage to Black flag as you can find customisation items, Manuscripts where you can find hidden treasures in the world and other secrets to discover. Col: Other than the Ringleader, what are some of the other new enemy types that feature in the game? Benoît: I’ve never worked on a game where there was such a wide and interesting variety of different enemy archetypes & bosses in a game! We have many different factions such as the Norse, Saxon, bandits, Celts, Picts and others and each of them has unique archetypes & unique abilities. Like a Norse Viking Rusher that rushes and jumps at you (or your raid crew) with dual wielding axes, a huge Saxon Housecarl that gives a lot of pressures constantly attacking with his flail, a Bandit Boar Master that use long fire torches to sends his boars at you and so many more that we’ll let the player discover! Also it’s worth mentioning that this time around, we have archetypes that work in synergy, like for example that Ring leader in the presence of archers could assemble them to call “volley shots”, a huge bandit Destroyer that could spill oil on your and the floor while a bandit Pyro set it on fire or the boar master with his long fire torch. All of those, along with player skills & abilities are going to ensure a very cool progression and variation through the course of the game and in various territories! Col: As the world is filled with meaningful content, what sort of collectibles will players be able to find in the world? Benoît: A lot of them has been covered in the Mysteries and Secrets questions, but there’s a lot more that the player will discover in the world helping his survival skills (as Norse were amazing survivalist and we wanted to cover this aspect in gameplay in a more significant way) such as healing Plants, various Mushrooms that has different effect such as adding adrenaline for players to unleash their abilities, healing, however some other are more dangerous so players will have to be careful and learn the distinction, Minerals to collect or hunting for Leather in order to upgrade your gear and also your carriable capacity of arrows and health rations, Notes & flavor items that are adding richness, depth and historical background to the world, Tattoos in flying papers and some more that we’ll let the player discover! We would like to thank Benoît for joining us for this interview, and to Gabe Graziani and the Ubisoft PR department for making it possible. 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)

Yasmin is a Digital Artist based in Melbourne, Australia who discovered the Assassin's Creed series in 2019. Since then she has fallen in love with the franchise and created beautiful realistic digital artworks of several of the main characters. By joining TOWCB, we hope to introduce Yasmin to the AC Community by collaborating on a number of exciting projects such as art releases and podcasts. Previous Next Yasmin Page Artist Yasmin is a Digital Artist based in Melbourne, Australia who discovered the Assassin's Creed series in 2019. Since then she has fallen in love with the franchise and created beautiful realistic digital artworks of several of the main characters. By joining TOWCB, we hope to introduce Yasmin to the AC Community by collaborating on a number of exciting projects such as art releases and podcasts. Instagram | ArtStation | Tumblr | Twitter Work New piece of Assassin's Creed Shadows Fanart Released by Yasmin Page Art Assassin's Creed Art Reveal: Edward Kenway by Yasmin Page Other Searching for the Creed: Assassin's Creed Florence Landmarks Other Assassin's Creed Mirage Art Reveal: Basim and Enkidu by Yasmin Page Art TOWCB Assassin's Creed Art Exhibition: Yasmin Page Art

Building an Assassin's Creed Community: Getting Started Community Share 24 Oct 2020 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Buckley Back To Database Setting up an Assassin's Creed Community can be a daunting prospect, as so many exist across multiple different social media platforms. Don't let that deter you though. The community is always ready to embrace the next wave of innovative projects, and in this new series we will help you to establish your own. In this first article, I will be drawing on my own experiences to help fellow community members start up their own projects, and build something that stands out from the crowd. Back in 2014, the community looked very different. You would wait eagerly for the next epic video produced by Assassin's Creed Universe, and use the Initiates platform to gain intel from an online database full of lore and mysteries. The Ones Who Came Before was created as a place to share theories and aimed to create a platform that encouraged positive discussion surrounding the games. We have since shifted our aims, and now strive to make our channels the home of Assassin's Creed community content, and hope to inspire a new wave of fan content. So, how do you get started? At the drawing board of course! Grab your nearest notepad and pen and jot down some initial ideas that come to mind. Find a niche and set your goals Once you have your initial ideas, conduct some research into past and present Assassin's Creed communities. Look for a way to stand out from the crowd, and highlight your niche area. A perfect example of this is AC: Landmarks , a new community project led by Arshak that provides in-depth historical discussions. Although the project only started up this year, it's been very successful and is different to anything else going on in the community right now. Next, set your goals and list your intentions. What are you hoping to achieve? Do you want to create a new form of community or simply cover the news? Whatever it is, make it a goal and keep going until you achieve it. You don't always need to be the biggest, and sometimes people make huge social media numbers a priority. I personally value small-scale interactions with passionate community members over this. Yes, growth is a sign of progression, but it takes time to achieve. You probably won't gain huge numbers overnight, but that's okay. So, you have your niche area and goals. Now what? Next, your community needs a name! Look for something that sounds Assassin's Creed related, but doesn't clash with past initiatives or projects. A great example of this is Access the Animus , which is actually a song by Jesper Kyd on the original soundtrack! Trial and Error Now you have your goals, niche area and a name, it's time to set up your social media channels/ platform! Where do you want to start? Probably best to begin with a platform you're already familiar with. Create your channels and begin your first Assassin's Creed community projects! In the beginning, you'll probably get a low response rate. That's to be expected when you start. You'll also start to notice what does well and what doesn't. Youtube is a good place to see this progression, as you can track likes, views and dislikes. Whatever you do in the beginning, make it work for you. One of the first projects for TOWCB was a wall poster that listed all the Modern day characters from Initiates. This sparked discussion about the Altair II ship and later developed into the Norway theory, which became popular with community members at the time. It really is just a case of trial and error. Thrive in your niche field, and people will notice. As I said before, it's not always about the numbers. If you have positive interactions with community members, you're on the right track and your platform is beginning to establish itself. Don't give up, and if you're unhappy with your response rate, reach out for support. Create an inner circle The Assassin's Creed community has always been extremely supportive, and you can always find people to give you a helping hand. You don't have to do anything alone. Collaborative projects with community leaders are a great way of making a name for yourself, and will also help you make friends. Establish a network, and build a team around you in order to take the pressure off. We here at The Ones Who Came Before have a huge inner circle thanks to years of working on projects. Some of our branches include: The core admin team, The Discord moderators and The AC Partnership Program members. As you can see, we have loads of community members we can call on for help or support, and you too can create an inner circle by working with people. You might even find that working on projects with other people can be more fun! This can seen by looking at recent episodes of the Let's Talk Assassin's Creed Podcast hosted by Declan from The Mentors Guild. Collaborative projects will always be a great way to spark discussion and explore different avenues of thinking. The Ones Who Came Before always aims to promote community content, so reach out to us directly for support. We would be honoured to join your inner circle, and will share your projects with our audience. Stay Unique This one can sometimes be hard, as other communities are also working hard to create content, but try your best to stay unique, and stand out from the crowd. If you notice similarities in your projects, maybe collaborate or put a unique spin on it. You can always adapt your work to stay innovative. As former community developer Justin Kruger used to say: #DoAThing . Keep going and establish yourself. I hope that you found the first article in the series to be useful. Let us know in the comments if you plan on setting up your own AC community/ project over the coming weeks, and if we can be of any help. Next time: We invite another Community Builder from The Mentors Guild to bring you some guidance on establishing and maintaining an Assassin's Creed community. Thanks for reading! 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: 6th to 12th November Community Share 15 Nov 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: Birdseye View Coming in to Land Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ Murphys_Law_Vp “We will need a safe way in. And I know where we might scout one” Beautiful scenery and awe-inspiring landmarks are a staple of this beloved series. When Assassin’s Creed Mirage was announced we knew that we were in for a treat. This spectacular shot is the perfect example of the above. The structure looks so elegant and the photo does an excellent job of highlighting those gorgeous green domes. The camera tilt is a genius move as together with Enkidu give a sense of swooping in. Very much in the style of Senu from the Assassin’s Creed Origins trailer. The depth of field rounds off the capture with that Mirage vibe, excellent virtual photography. Link to set: The Palace Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ Rambo_590 “Does where you stand not awaken fond memories.” It has been discussed a lot recently about whether Assassin’s Creed should ditch the companion bird as its purpose has become repetitive. For us virtual photographers though the companion is the perfect way of producing shots with better depth and range. Exhibit A above shows this elegantly. This capture gives us such a stunning view of the city, and the various style buildings that reside there. I adore the fog in the distance as it serves to inject that desert feel to the image. Enkidu’s wingspan is my favourite part of this capture, the way his wings spread across the photo is majestic. Without doubt the theme has been met in this fine-looking capture. Vinland Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ cop_filip “This is where ghosts fade to mist, to be forgotten.” After the Assassin’s Creed Mirage rollercoaster, it is nice to feature a Valhalla shot again. Vinland doesn’t get many chances to shine in terms of virtual photography. The North American coastal area that was explored by the Vikings, lends itself perfectly for this week’s theme. This capture gives us an amazing view of the landscape below. The gorgeous colours and scenery help the viewer know exactly where this shot was taken. A little insight as to what would be possible with a reimagined Assassin’s Creed III. A truly stunning capture that has been impeccably composed and superbly executed. Symbol Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ PodToGo “Everything is permitted, nothing is true.” One of the standout elements of the original Assassin’s Creed was the wonderfully designed bureau’s. They were the command centre for the Assassin’s and the symbol upon the rooftop helped the player spot their location. Their reappearance in Assassin’s Creed Mirage was so welcome and now we have a photo mode too. I love this capture, as it showcases the bureau hidden within the city. Using Enkidu allows us to see the famous symbol that is embedded into the rooftop. The saturation is delightful as the greenery pops in front of Basim. It’s a nice touch to include him in the shot, dressed in a classic white robe he is hard to miss. Landscapes Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ xephon70 “Your meddling has doomed us all, crow of battle” Landscapes in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla are a sight to behold. The variation on show is quite something and lends itself to some very different shots depending on your location. Here we have a dream scenario where landscapes combine to give a breathtakingly beautiful capture. Once again using the bird has a dramatic difference in the style of shot. The composition is exquisite, especially with the Raven in fully swoop. There are so many elements to this shot that are divine, but my favourite has to be the shadows across the land. Link to set: The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @ dpruttz_vp ''I love the composition as it is using the rule of thirds. The sweeping arch of the wing span and the mix of snow and grassy landscapes in the distance makes for a beautiful shot. The shadows of the rolling clouds and the colours truly capture the beauty if the English landscapes.'' 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

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 16th April - 22nd 2022 Community Share 3 May 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) Ancient Egypt Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins This week’s first capture comes from @zNotHermes over on Twitter. After watching Moon Knight this week I had to pick this one. A great capture of Bayek doing a bit of Tomb Raiding. I love the colours and the lighting in this shot. The warm glow of the torch guiding Bayek through the darkness, whilst being watched by the gods is very cool. I really miss exploring these wonderfully detailed tombs. 2) Easter Celebrations Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Photo number two comes from @NoviKaiba23 over on Twitter. A topical shot this week after the release of the Ostara event in Valhalla. The best part of each festival is how the environment changes to fit the theme. This capture sums up Easter for me. The details on the flowers and the pole really bring this shot to life. Eivor also looks very cool with the hood and cloak up amongst the guests. 3) Into The Fire Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey This week’s third shot comes from @anxelreyes over on Twitter. A leap of faith into what looks like a Volcano is my third pick for the week. This is such an eye catching picture with the molten lava bubbling below a diving Kassandra. For me, this capture brings the old and the new together in one shot. I would love to know what happens next. 4) Poppy Field Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP number four comes from @FlyingTrilobite over at ACFirstCiv Community. This shot immediately caught my attention when it was posted in our Twitter VP Community. The Poppies are so vibrant and I love the positioning of the capture. I like how Eivor is stood to the side admiring the beauty of the flowers. Valhalla can be quite a gloomy game but if you find the right spot you can create some amazing pictures like this. 5) Deep in Thought Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla The final capture of the week comes from @thewolfkissedVP over on Twitter. This is a stunning portrait of Eivor from the recent Ragnarok expansion. Everything just works here, I like the hairstyle and beard combo. The tattoos and the missing eye really give off that Norse feel. The armour is remarkable, very fitting of the mythical setting. The sepia toning of this shot is the winner for me, as it just gives off such a historic feel. 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: 5th to 15th February 2024 Community Share 21 Feb 2024 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett 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 is all about celebrating our 100th article. It has been an absolute honour to feature all your shots over the last 2 years. The collection below is a small selection of our favourites from the last few weeks, with write ups from the artists. We look forward to many more articles in the future. 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. This week’s theme: Assassin’s Creed 100th Article All Father Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ Cll3ar The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Theme ''When it comes to virtual photography, I aim to bring creativity and artistry to every shot. I enjoy capturing everything from dark, moody scenes to vibrant magical moments. Take for example this shot of Eivor (Havi) emerging from the red leaves left behind by a fallen enemy. I’ve been a fan of Assassin’s Creed for ages, and the photo mode features in the latest games have been a real game-changer for me. Allowing me to freeze moments and tell stories through my lens. The Assassin’s Creed community has been awesome, giving me the opportunity to showcase my work in articles and virtual photography magazines early on. This support has meant the world to me. Big thanks to everyone for letting me share my world with you.'' Judge: Admin Team Aaron ( FalconSwift87 ) “The realm is changed. But this is not Surtr’s doing. It is something more.” Assassin’s Creed Valhalla boasts a considerable section dedicated to Havi. When entering these mythical worlds, photography options become a lot more varied. On reflection I cannot wait to revisit them soon. This stunning landscape shot of Havi gives me real box art vibes, in fact it isn’t too dissimilar to what Ubisoft produced. I adore Havi stance as it shows him in pain, something he must endure a lot of during the Ragnarok DLC. The cold tones in the background fit beautifully with the Norse theme, reminding me of the Norway arc. I love the red leaves; they look so graceful fluttering up behind him. The remains of an enemy put to the sword by the High One. Turið Torkilsdóttir Raven has a distinctive way of utilizing the environment of a game. She combines pleasant colours and interesting scenery to create something unique every time. This photo is the best proof of it and well deserved first place. Kai ( KaiVirtualPhoto ) I’m a fan of Raven and her work with colours, and this shot makes no exception. I love the contrast between the red leaves in the foreground and the white/blue tones in the background. Eivor passing by with his eyes covered by shadows, as well as the cinematic aspect ratio, make for a magnificent picture and composition. Congratulations Raven. Jack ( _Virtualtourism ) Raven’s distinct style and perspective consistently yields stunning virtual photography across various games. In this image her talent shines through in her ability to convey motion within the image. The sense of Eivor traversing the scene is heightened not only by a great composition but also the vibrant red leaves, which are drifting through the scene, and helped by being excellently contrasted against the cold blue backdrop. Truly a breath-taking capture. Church Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ PodToGo ''Hi, I’m Payableondeath from Germany and I’ve been doing VP since 2015. I started just taking screenshots for me and my friends, but from 2017 with Horizon Zero Dawn, I discovered photo mode. I was impressed by everything I could do that couldn’t be done in real life photography, such as pausing the action and moving the camera or changing the time of day. I’ve loved challenging my creativity again and again. I got to know Assassin’s Creed back then with AC2. It picked me up during a difficult time and that’s not the only reason why it has a place in my heart. Assassin’s Creed also showed me to be open to foreign cultures and people. It is great to share my passion for both, with this wonderful community.'' Viewpoint Game: Assassin’s Creed Syndicate VP Artist: @ juanmawl ''I remember the exact moment I took this shot (along with others in that location). I was particularly fond of the WW1 sequence in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate. I was experimenting with a free roam injector for the PC version of the game. I loved the colours on the horizon, and I decided to place Lydia at the top of London Bridge. I tried some unusual angles, but I think the shot turned out beautifully overall. I love virtual photography in general and Assassin’s Creed in particular because it allows me to capture the details beneath the visuals, such as short angle shots, expressions, or the tranquillity of a landscape. There is so much difference between the gameplay shot and the final outcome. That is one of the things I love the most, comparing the two. I’ve been honing my photography skills since AC3, and shots like this one make me fee proud.'' Restricted Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: Siobhan from AC UK (@ mysticheero ) ''I’m a big Assassin’s Creed fan. I am part of the Assassin’s Creed United Kingdom group and former Mentor and Star Player for Ubisoft. I enjoy virtual photography and exploring the world of gaming through it, capturing scenes I find amazing and inspiring. I love discovering how changing colours, focal points and angles alters our perception of an image. Strong colours stand out and impact the emotion of a scene but, equally the lack of colour can have just as powerful effect. Assassin’s Creed has something for everyone, across all its transmedia sources. The community is a great place to express our love from different viewpoints. It’s always great seeing the community come together to share their passions, supporting and inspiring each other to be part of such an inclusive community.'' Under the Sea Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ RaffGN7 ''This shot was a little difficult to take. I had to centre Eivor with the ship, and Eivor needed to be closer to the camera because of the photo mode restrictions. I took some shots, and this was the one that turned out best. Obviously, it’s a little retouched in photoshop, so you can use it as a wallpaper or poster. My passion for this saga inspired me to take this shot. I call it Between two Worlds.'' Dracarys Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ Amaya_Nocturna ''This is truly an honour. This particular shot was all experimental. It was during my first time playing the Dawn of Ragnarok DLC. I was using Sýnin (with the dragon skin) to look for something, until I noticed the smoke from the chimneys. A lightbulb essentially went off in my head. It took a few tries to time it just right, but the result is something I am so extremely proud of. I would like to say that my virtual photography is still very much a work in progress. I am trying new things as often as possible, and I am trying to grow with it. Its like a traditional artist trying to have diverse styles. However, portraits like this are my forte. Virtual photography is fun and is another digital art form that we can explore. When it comes to Assassin’s Creed, I have to say that it is a great series. Personally, it has taught me that history is far more interesting than school makes it out to be. It taught me and continues to teach me history in a fun and engaging way. As far as the community is concerned, it is a place where I have met some amazing people and have formed lots of friendships. I continue to meet new people because of this fantastic series. I even met classmates who are also fans of Assassin’s Creed. I know the community isn’t always perfect, but I think we all need to remember that we are here for a mutual love of this game series. It’s a great community and we need to stick together.'' Tactician Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ 9b75 The good thing about Assassin’s Creed is that as an Assassin we can set the world straight. At the same time, we can get in touch with nature and the lives of the people who lived in that time-period. I don’t know of any other game where we can climb Big Ben, run freely around the Palace of Versailles, or stand at the top of the pyramids. It’s the best. I will continue to take photos of these great moments. I want to thank the community for featuring our work in this way. It is nothing short of a source of energy for us. Thank you so much. Surveying the Land Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ cop_filip ''Assassin’s Creed is the first gaming franchise I ever got into back with Assassin's Creed 2 and it's also where my virtual photography journey started all the way back in 2017. These are the games I've captured and posted most, and even after all this time and all the different games I've captured over the years I still love coming back to them and capturing their beautiful worlds. I really love this series and I'm happy I can be a part of and contribute to the community. '' Anubis Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ zurullotarra ''I love doing virtual photography because I can explore my favourite games looking for beautiful places to capture. That way I can get lost in their fantasy worlds and forget about real life.'' 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

Assassin's Creed Shadows Wallpaper Collection Released by Frame Hold Photography Community Share 27 Jan 2025 Written By: Edited By: Frame Hold Photography Colum Blackett Back To Database The launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows is fast approaching and the recently released Story Trailer has only increased excitement for the game. Our very own Frame Hold Photography today released the Assassin's Creed Shadows wallpaper collection, compiled of edits and key moments from the trailer! Let us know your favourites in the comments down below and enjoy Assassins! Desktop Desktop (Textless) Mobile Did you just find your new wallpaper? Show us on social media! Links can be found below. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Frame Hold Photography is a passionate Virtual Photographer who joined our Video Content Creation Team in Summer 2022, as we began our efforts to break away from solely written content. During a period of uncertainty for TOWCB website, FHP stepped up and took on the role of Site Manager, overseeing our restoration efforts. Our website today now sits at the top of many Google searches📈 Outside of AC, she is also a full time editor and visual effects artist on TV commercials, and has been putting her skills to use in the community by creating epic Assassin's Creed tribute videos, miniature figure painting videos and editing episodes of our Rally the Creed podcast! Frame Hold Photography

Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 20th to 31st January Community Share 22 Feb 2025 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett 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: Assassin’s Creed Framed Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ cyriellevp.bsky.social The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @ FrameHoldPhotos I love the frame within a frame technique used in this shot. The wooden window frames, the building in the distance, and the gentle sunlight casts gorgeous shadows on the landscape. The deliberate and artistic framing of this shot really makes it stand out as a stellar capture. Aaron If you like ornate carved wood with exquisite details or robust wooden architecture, then you should take in the wonders of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. I am very jealous that the development team got to study and visit all these amazing places to further enhance the experience of Viking life. This capture is so wonderfully framed, hats off to Cyrielle for pulling this off. The blur in the foreground is executed brilliantly, with just enough focus to see those amazing details. The elegant structure in the distance looks amazing with the sunlight bathing it from the left. I really like how the terrain rises, drawing your eye up to the spectacle in the centre. Through the Storm Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ AkiraAoyama_VP The Naval sections of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey were bittersweet for me. I enjoyed how gorgeous the Greek world looked from aboard the Adrestia, and at times how satisfying the combat would feel. But ultimately, I am not a huge fan of spending too much time at sea. In this shot we can see how moody and unforgiving the sea can be. The storm has been captured superbly here with the eye lit up amazingly. That lightning bolt striking the sea is a reminder of Zeus’ true power in these lands. I've got to say that I really like the composition as it feels like we are filming this high-speed ship as it chases the storm. Capturing Ikaros following behind is a nice touch too. Jackpot Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ UnfazedVP Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is full of small details that are easily missed when focusing on the story. As virtual photographers we often see everything as we pan that camera around looking for something to shoot. It almost feels fitting to feature a shot of some pots in honour of Jack as this is our first article since he departed the team. I have had the pleasure of viewing Unfazed’s Assassin’s Creed VP over the last few years, and it’s been awesome to see how each shot has evolved and improved. This is one of those shots that showcases the development teams' efforts to bring these worlds to life. For me it’s all about the sunlight streaming through on to the pots. Definitely worth checking the set for this one as it works beautifully. Making a Stand Game: Assassin’s Creed 3 VP Artist: @ JLunarTraveler I always get excited when we pick a classic Assassin’s Creed game, as it's rare to see shots from these games. I really hope in the future we will get remakes/remasters of the old games so a photo mode can be implemented. This particular shot is so badass, it’s got those superhero vibes thanks to the composition. I love how the soldiers are stood across the road in formation ready to halt our hero in his path. The shadow from the trees really adds to the ominous presence of the Templar order. Connor’s robes look so good with the details really popping. Impressive for a game that is almost 13 years old. Eyes in the Skies Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: Carmo Fernandes (@ Raider_Warrior ) I could not really be any more excited for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, however I am disappointed there will not be a bird companion this time around. Not only is it great having eyes in the sky but you get such a unique view of the world. Plus, as a virtual photographer, the bird allows for a camera range I cannot get from the normal Photo Mode. Distinctive shots like this one are also a treat thanks to our bird companion. I have to applaud Carmo for her patience to achieve this photo. Lining up Sýnin with the longship is not an easy task. I love how the wings almost mirror the oars on the boat, and how both are traveling in the same direction. 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

Rally The Creed Episode #3 w/ Kyle Marvell - Hosted by Gargudon Podcast Share 6 Nov 2022 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Back To Database 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, but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews & composing. By joining The Ones Who Came Before in 2019, originally reviving 'The Memory Corridor' podcast, which had been offline for nearly a year, he has had the opportunity to expand his audience and further develop his skills. 

His unique skill set made him the perfect candidate for our team. 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)

Quick-Fire Community Questions - Round 2: Damian (Damo_Kb8) Community Interview Share 4 Jun 2018 Written By: Edited By: Ashlea Blackett Colum Blackett Back To Database This week on Quick Fire Community Questions, we interviewed Ubisoft Star Player and Assassin's Creed Community Member Damian! (AKA: Damo_kb8) Ashlea: Hello Damian, thank you for taking part in round two of our Quick Fire Community Question series! Could you please tell us a little bit about yourself? Damian: Hi there im Damian, im 32, from the UK, and a massive obsessed fan of Ubisoft :-D Ashlea: Tell us a little bit about the role you play within the Ubisoft Community. Damian: I try my best to keep active in a few Ubisoft game communities, mainly Assassin's Creed and The Division communities but branching out to others, I like to try spread positivity within those communities, keeping those people smiling, as there can be a lot of negativity around and gaming should be a happy place of enjoyment. I like to offer help to those that need a hand, give out hints and tips, spread news about Ubisoft games, get involved with ideas and discussions about potential games, plus a bit of cosplaying :-D Ashlea: When did you first become involved in the Assassins Creed community? Damian: Well I used to be just one of those really shy people and just browse forums and websites but not interact, its not till I got to grips with social media and good internet a few years ago now (im showing my age) that I found somewhere where I can really express my longtime love and passion for the franchise and be able to show the world not just my dedication to Assassin's Creed and Tom Clancy series but to the whole of Ubisoft, meeting many players who share the same passion and love as I do, instead of hearing myself being called a geek and "im wasting my time/life" Ashlea: What is your favourite game series by Ubisoft? Damian: Hmm... can i say 3? My main loves have always been Assassins Creed, Tom Clancy's & Far Cry series. Ashlea: Do you have any Ubisoft related collectibles? What is your favourite item in your collection? Damian: Yes I have quite a lot which but since I've moved house a lot is in the loft but slowly filling up my desk with new collectables, one of my favourite items has to be my old Altair collectors edition Statue as right there that's where it started, I was hooked on AC. Another one I love is the Assassin's Creed Unity: Prima Official Initiate Edition that contains the chalice and a sealed scroll, and one of my favourites The Division collectables has to be the collectors edition art book from TITAN, its a thing of beauty! Ashlea: Do you have any rare or unique items? Damian: it's hard to tell what is rare as I've seen a lot of people post some great items, but I've got 3 Ubisoft items I've not seen many people with. One of them is a Promo hooded T-shirt for the original Assassins Creed, another one is a The Division Branded Roll of Hazard Tape, whilst the other is a beret from Tom Clancys END WAR. Ashlea: Have you attended many events through your Community activity for the Ubisoft brand? Damian: One of my favourite things is to meet community members at conventions whether that is at EGX or MCM comic con. I had the opportunity to get a special fan viewing of the assassins creed movie, that was special!, But E3 this year topped everything about meeting community members. Ashlea: How does it feel to be a Ubisoft Star Player, what does it mean to you? Damian: When I received the email telling me I was selected I was on my lunch break at work and literally my hands started to shake, started to well up, was totes emosh, was unbelievable feeling, and it all still didn't sink in till I landed in LA it felt like a dream. To be selected meant the world to me and for those that see me there you could tell from my face I was in the bliss, there would not be enough words for me to describe all the feelings I had and still have, my wish to those who selected me was not to let them down and show them there that they made a great choice in putting their faith in me, Ashlea: When were you asked to be a star player, and what was their reason behind selecting you? Damian: Still to this day im still unsure the real reasons, and for what game, i can only assume that as I try my best to support a number of Ubisoft franchises I literally got selected as a "UBISOFT" Star Player as a fan of all things Ubi, i do have a running joke with Oliwia that it was my AC Syndicate Socks that finalised that decision, for those that don't know I met her at EGX in September and I had 3 t-shirts on at the time (AC: Origins, The Division, Far cry: Primal) AC Socks and a Division backpack with multiple Ubi game badges on. Ashlea: What does being a Ubisoft Star Player entail? Damian: It involves being a representative of Ubisoft and or there particular game franchise, showing how passionate you are about the games and communities they create. Ashlea: What was it like at E3? Damian: Quite simply E3 was one of the best experiences of my life, not just the venue and the city, it was the people, the players, the developers and YVES!! I wish I could go back year after year and talk games with all those people again, it was just magical. Ashlea: How did you get to the event and who did you meet there? Damian: We had these shuttle buses that took us from the hotel to E3 or Ubi Lounge. The sheer amount of people I met was overwhelming, and would be a crazy amount of names to list but meeting the game development teams on AC: Odyssey, The Division2, Skull & bones, Starlink, Trials rising, BG&E2, Rainbow6, also a few legends of Ubi like Alix Wilton Regan, Zack Cooper, Magnus Sanford, Gabe Graziani, and Yves Guillemot just to name a handful. Ashlea: Please tell us a little but about your experiences at E3 and the conferences you attended. Damian: So the Booth at E3 was massive it was probably one of the best set ups I've seen at a convention, but quite alot of the other Ubi star players will agree with me on this one is the Ubi lounge we had alot of fun in there doing workshops with the game developers. Some of the stuff that got said in there was under NDA so cant really say what went on but it was just amazing being able to talk with the individual team members, chat about there roles and discuss potential future ideas on updates or games, giving feedback direct face to face as you play the demos. It was just invigorating to be apart of, on top of that is being able to meet those other star players who you might not ever got to meet, speaking with many from other games and seeing that we all had a common passion, a passion for Ubisoft. I feel blessed being apart of our group of players that were there, and I couldn't ask for a better bunch of people to share this experience with. Our guides for the whole thing were simply amazing. The team at Ubisoft Club were just the best, and they helped me in more ways than they all know, also going out of my comfort zone and doing interviews on camera was so nerve racking but I'm so glad i overcame my fear to do them. One of the best moments was getting to meet Yves and to ask him questions. I tried to thank him for giving the dev's the time they need to bring the quality of game that's worthy of Ubisoft, but i was a bumbling mess of nerves, never in my life would I ever of thought id be speaking face to face with the CEO. Ashlea: What was the Ubisoft conference like? Damian: The UbiE3 conference is as every bit you dream it will be, after spending years staying up late watching streams of it, being there in person surrounded by other great people was just mind-blowing. Ashlea: Are you excited for release of AC Odyssey? Damian: YES YES YES... I am indeed, I've seen a lot of negativity around it after getting back for e3, but after playing a very deep demo with many aspects of gameplay involved all I can say is that if you loved Origins then you're gonna love Odyssey! Many other gameplay editions that make it fun and enjoyable, such as extra bits for combat, more sea combat! Sharks!! Pitched battles on beaches, new mercenary system, these are just a hand full of highlights. I think it will surprise a few people, as we still don't know a great deal on the story but I can see us all getting ourselves lost in Ancient Greece. Ashlea: What promotions are you hoping to see from Ubisoft before the release of the new game? Trailers, cosplay, gameplay demos etc? Damian: I would like to maybe see a bit more info on the story, more on both characters, and the mysterious cult. Ashlea: Do you have any plans for future Ubisoft community projects/ cosplay/ art etc? Damian: Well before I went to E3 I was working on a Crossover Cosplay "#AgentCreed" a mix of assassins creed and the division in the same universe. Now i'm back I hope to finish it up, plus I'm looking to get involved with all the different communities more, in many different ways, hoping to join many communities together from different games, WeAreUbisoft! But you never know what's around the corner, hopefully, people have seen what I'm like as a person and see what I am about and it will bring about opportunities, I'm always open to taking on and trying new things and challenges, we'll see what happens next, only the future will tell. It has been a pleasure talking with you guys as always. We would like to say a huge thank you to Damian for joining us for this edition of Quick Fire Community Questions. You can find Damian on: Twitter Instagram comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Ashlea is the Editor/ Charity Project Coordinator for The Ones Who Came Before on its wide variety of social media platforms. Her main responsibilities for TOWCB involve creating and editing articles, organisation of events and coordinating our charity fundraising, as well as hosting the Rally The Creed Podcast. Ashlea Blackett

Assassin's Creed Art Reveal: Edward Kenway by Yasmin Page Other Share 17 Mar 2024 Written By: Edited By: Yasmin Page Colum Blackett Back To Database We are pleased to reveal this digital artwork by Yasmin Page (@ _MinPage ) created as a tribute to Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag. Last week, 10th March 2024 marked Edward's 331st birthday, so what better time to share this recreation of the original Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag Cinematic E3 Trailer which started the journey. The game has received renewed interest due to the disappointing launch of Ubisoft title 'Skull and Bones'. We love how Yas has depicted the smoky backdrop, created by canon fire. You can find more art by Yasmin Page on Instagram ( @ _MinPage ) or via the links down below. Instagram | ArtStation | Tumblr | Twitter comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Yasmin is a Digital Artist based in Melbourne, Australia who discovered the Assassin's Creed series in 2019. Since then she has fallen in love with the franchise and created beautiful realistic digital artworks of several of the main characters. By joining TOWCB, we hope to introduce Yasmin to the AC Community by collaborating on a number of exciting projects such as art releases and podcasts. Yasmin Page

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 21st to 27th August Community Share 29 Aug 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 Shadows Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ misthiosvp “I am fire, I’ll use that, a beacon to the order” Kassandra the Eagle-Bearer, a mercenary who’s fortunes changed dramatically over the course of her story. Kassandra’s combat mastery and charm built her a reputation across the Greek world, one that would put fear in the hearts of her enemies. She may not have been an Assassin, however she did carry out their work by removing the Order in Greece. This is black and white virtual photography at its finest. Fantastic use of shadows, and light to create a prestigious portrait of the Misthios turned Assassin, Kassandra. The Fire Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ Shadmehrphoenix “Is it from here we launch our attack” The shieldmaiden responsible for the eradication of the Order in England must always be remembered. Eivor’s tale is long and less straightforward than some of her predecessors, but like Kassandra she has an important role within the Hidden Ones, even if she isn’t directly an Assassin. Just like the previous capture this shot exudes class, and once again the shadows play an important role dramatizing the shot. I love the torch though, the projection of light across Eivor’s face brilliantly showcases the Jormungandr tattoo. Fantastic virtual photography of the Norse raider lighting the way. Set Sail Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ RenanVP_Alt “An ocean lies before us, Eivor. And on its far side, a new kingdom awaits” Sigurd and Eivor’s relationship with Styrbjorn weakens after he seeks peace with his enemies. They grow tired of his lack of ambition and set sail for England to find wealth and glory. Eivor believes this to be a simple plan but little did she know Sigurd is being manipulated by Basim in the background. For me this capture epitomises Valhalla and the fact it is a Viking game at heart. The Longship looks beautiful here with the colours a delight on the eye. The scenery and the water is breath-taking, it takes me back to that moment in the game. Excellent timing to get Sýnin in the shot too. The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: Colum Blackett ( Col_96) : Community Admin for TOWCB For me, this shot takes me back to the Assassin's Creed Valhalla marketing campaign, and looks like an official promo shot for the game. I love how it shows Eivor during a peaceful moment in her life, before all the chaos that follows. Norway was particularly spectacular in Valhalla, and this dynamic capture brings it to life. There is so much momentum in this snapshot, all happening below the wings of Eivor's faithful companion Sýnin. The Raven Clan travelled far and wide, but home always calls them back in the end. Great shot all round. Valkyrie Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ m_nt_13 “You are unworthy” The Valkyrie were a selection of female combatants who took fallen warriors to Valhalla once they had fallen in the real world. When the warriors arrive in Valhalla they are turned into Einherjar for Odin to utilise. It is quite fitting that Eivor should wear this outfit as she herself is somewhat a servant to Odin through fate. This epic shot of Eivor in the Valkyrie mask is perfectly framed highlighting the faceless Viking walking through England with purpose. In some ways I am getting real Order of the Ancients vibes from this. I adore the detail and saturation on the mask, it just looks incredible. Sword of Destiny Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ Sarokeye “Eivor. On our journey here, I had much time to think. On the ecstasies and agonies of our friendship” The brothers are a formidable partnership but Sigurd’s greed and Basim’s poison words are enough to leave this once solid relationship in tatters. Depending on your choices throughout the game you could reconnect but it would never be the same. This mind-blowing capture of Sigurd’s sword in the ground typifies the descent into madness. A once strong-willed leader of the Raven Clan, now broken by fate. The details here are stunning and the ambiance is so moody, really gives you the sense of doom. The details of the rust and dirt are so good, symbolizing that Sigurd has seen better days. A truly phenomenal capture. Link to Set: 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

Chinese Pirates: Pitching an Assassin's Creed Game Wishlists Share 13 Sept 2022 Written By: Edited By: Finn Fletcher Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Following the latest Assassins Creed showcase, we can all see that the future of the brand will be exciting and varied. While Mirage undoubtedly stole the show as an exciting return to form for the series, there was a more unusual announcement with the new Assassins Creed Infinity platform. I can't lie, it does have me worried, but my personal concerns aside, the exciting aspects of this new platform is getting to explore more varied historical periods with smaller, stranger stories. Taking advantage of this, and after having fun through replaying the series recently, I had an idea for a story that I think could add wonderfully to this new tapestry. When replaying Assassin's Creed Rogue, I couldn't help but wonder why Ubisoft gave up on the genuinely spectacular naval gameplay. Black Flag was obviously a huge success, and while Rogue wasn't such a smash hit, it was built to fail next to Unity's next gen glitches. Naval gameplay is still beloved and missed by players, whether hardcore Assassins Creed fans or not, and it seems no other developer stepped in to fill that gap. So today I want to pitch Ubisoft an idea, the most simple plan for success I could possibly imagine. At first I thought the obvious location for another naval/pirate game would be India. With a full and vibrant history of piracy and sea fairing, matched with corrupt politicians and tyranny to fight against, the Indian Ocean would definitely provide a great setting for a game in this series. However, with the upcoming and, in my opinion, incredibly bland looking Skull and Bones filling this period, I reconsidered. If we're already getting a pirate, naval game to explore this period, then let's look elsewhere, find a location and culture that could provide something distinct. With that in mind I moved my sights to East Asia, specifically the exploits of Pirate Queen Zheng Yi Sao. For those who don't know, Zheng Yi Sao was an infamous pirate of the early nineteenth century, who rose from a prostitute to leader of 70,000 men in the largest pirate fleet known to history. She terrorised the coasts of China, plundering both European and Chinese vessels alike. The reason she gained so much success, was because, unlike the pirates of the Caribbean, Zheng Yi Sao's fleet was well organised, with a set governance and rules in place. This pirate confederation stopped the pirates from falling to the greed and chaos that destroyed cities like Nassau and the characters we saw in Black Flag. This period of the great Chinese pirate confederacy, I think could make a stellar follow-up to Black Flag, allowing Ubisoft to show not just different visuals of East Asian culture, but explore new themes for this series. It would also the first Assassins Creed game in Asia, which is mind boggling in itself. The particular region of china I am envisioning is Hong Kong, Canton (modern day Guangzhou) and the surrounding sea and islands. Historically this was the hub of trade and therefore, pirate action and the city of Canton was pivotal in the end of Zheng Yi Saos career. This area would also provide good geography to match the gameplay; two bustling cities that can accommodate the Assassin fantasy and an island filled ocean for interesting naval exploration. Ideally, the smaller islands surrounding the mainland would function a lot like the islands of Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Each will house a target, with stories that involve the locals. This can give fun smaller narratives/side missions, while showing the personal effects of Templar control. In terms of narrative , considering this game's setting, I believe we should start at the turn of the 19th century. The lead character will be an original character (OC) named Lai Jun. Captain of her own ship, and master Assassin. I want her to be older, middle to late thirties , similar to Ezio in Brotherhood. The franchise has settled into protagonists around the age of twenty, and while I appreciate getting to be the age of every lead character, I think we need to push different stories about different types of characters. Having been an Assassin her whole life and from an Assassin legacy (you thought Jun was just a coincidence?), Lai has never needed to question her role. She is determined, talented at the art of being an Assassin and dedicated to its creed. Yet, despite the brotherhood being her whole life, her whole heritage even, she has grown rather cynical. At this period in time, China, like the rest of the world, was in a rather tumultuous position. Globally, capitalism and industrialisation were being born, leading to unmitigated starvation and inequality, revolutions were rising everywhere and power was being funnelled to increasingly fewer people. Then in China, the people were about to enter what would be, in retrospect, called the "century of humiliation" with the death of the emperor just behind them, with in-fighting and rebellions to come. The British Empire was sneaking in, and, while it didn't have the chokehold it had over the rest of the world, it was still only a few decades away from taking control of Hong Kong; an action that has caused trouble in the region which remains to this day. This is the context of Lai's introduction, as she runs across the rooftops of Hong Kong during New Year's festivities to kill a Templar target. The world is changing and the future is uncertain. At this point in her life, Lai has killed more Templars than she can count, and yet there are always more to fill the positions. The war doesn't seem to be swaying either way, and she can't help but feel that her actions are futile in the wider chaos of the world. I think when a franchise reaches a certain point, it needs to consider the emotions of its audience, and its place in the wider culture. Think of Halo 3, a massive event game which was built from the ground up as a war game, the scale of which you've never seen. It was a tour de force, a the best of compilation for the Halo franchise so far, all turned up to 11. Then, having set the world alight with this event game, Bungie made Halo Reach. A game with the same mechanics and fun action of 3, but which took a sombre approach. It was a reflection really, of the franchise as a whole, and how it may never live up to the hype and scale it previously had. After 15 years, 12 mainline games and god knows how much multimedia content, fatigue has set in to the Assassin's Creed franchise. Lai, like us, doesn't know the direction her fight is going or if it will ever have a satisfying end. Searching for her first target will let us understand Lais position, and tutorialise land based gameplay. In general I want to go back to the aspirations of Unity, a stylish free flow movement with a focus on social stealth. Combat should be deadly and swift, I envision the same precision of Ghost of Tsushima, a back and forth of attacks and deflections. Sneaking through the highly populated celebrations, Lai will find her, target a low level and frankly unimportant Templar. His insignificance will be reflected in the confession scene, with Lai seeming unimpressed but still remaining respectful as Assassins are expected. Escaping the scene, Lai will return to her ship and flee the city. We can here get a glimpse of the new naval mechanics, which in all honesty I can't imagine being that different from Black Flags. They are already perfect, adapt them to Chinese ships (that are named "Junks"), which are usually smaller and faster than the frigates and brigs of Western navy's Lai will reunite with the Brotherhood to report on her mission. I really want this branch of the Brotherhood to feel ancient, capturing the atmosphere of Masyaf. Historic dens with intricate architecture retelling the stories of great Assassins from this part of the world. Nevertheless a lot of this has fallen into disarray, rituals and repeated phrases taking the place of effective, organised action. Walking through the den we can see that Lai is comfortable there, friends with everyone she has always lived alongside. The mentor, who's not much older than Lai, is clearly unprepared for his responsibilities and unsure of how to direct Lai from here. His fear of appearing too controlling, and his constant search for approval and advice leave the Brotherhood rudderless. With no new target given to her, Lai heads to her pirate friends and here we can meet some of the more unusual side characters who will join our journey. At this point there was no large spread confederacy, however the region around Hong Kong did have a large pirate presence. One important figure of this group of pirates was the husband of previously mentioned pirate queen Zheng Yi Sao, known by the same name. For my own sanity from here on out I'm going to refer to the male Zheng Yi and original pirate king as "Zheng", while the female Zheng Yi and later pirate queen will be referred to as Sao. Anyway, at this point the two Zhengs were not married. Sao was still a prostitute and while this may not be entirely accurate, I want her to be living among the pirates, already close to this growing fleet. Her and Lai are friends, very different people who manage to see the charm in one another. Zheng meanwhile is a charming gentleman, a rather eccentric character who hasn't yet taken control as pirate chief but has clear ambition. His eccentricities allow him to get close to people, and his cunning mind allows him to continue rising and taking advantage of opportunities. Also historically he was bisexual, marrying Sao but having male sexual partners up to his death. It’s incredibly important to show this side of his life, providing representation for the real historical figures who were LGBTQ+. If I was to use a more modern comparison, I want these pirates to be like the free love hippies of the sixties. Lai clearly enjoys her time among them, and we truly get to understand how this group of criminals find freedom and acceptance in one another. Yet, it's still important to show that this community has important rules and leadership. One of these early missions could see Zheng sending Lai after a crew member who ignored orders, establishing his rulership as firm but fair. This directly contrasts the current Brotherhood, who seem in disarray without leadership. It can also be through the pirates that Lai will meet the main antagonist of the game. When robbing a merchants storage warehouse, we will overhear two British merchants discussing the arrival of a large incoming shipment, led by the aristocrat and famous businessman Charles Vidic (OC and descendant of Warren Vidic), a name instantly recognisable to Lai. Vidic is a Templar grand master, and like Lai, has a legacy in the order. He was raised a Templar, with incredible wealth and a commitment to restoring what he calls “the natural order of things”. A traditionalist, Vidic's ideals heavily resemble the older Templars, who subjugate and control the populace by any means necessary, believing it to be for their own good. He also hides a major secret, but we’ll get to that later. Seeing a chance to hit a huge target and finally make an impact, Lai contacts the pirates to organise an attack on the coming delivery. She wilfully chooses to not inform the Brotherhood, worrying that they may interfere with her plans. The attack is a major failure, Vidic captains a huge man o war, unusual for a merchant vessel, and decimates the pirates. Lai flees, losing a majority of her crew, with only a few pirate ships surviving. Broken and injured, Lai returns to the den and faces the chagrin of the mentor. Lai is criticised for acting too rash, but communication is made with the brotherhood of England to learn more about Vidic. While taking on other targets, both Chinese and British, we will get a better understanding of Vidic’s behaviour and the overall goals of his version of the Templars. Importantly, I want the game to clearly indicate the passage of years. This journey should be long, spanning across the full decade to 1810. We can see the pirate confederacy rise and fall, become a full fledged government, while British merchants become more prominent in the area. During these time jumps, Lai and Sao become closer, good friends who support one another as Sao becomes leader of the pirates. As the journey goes on, Sao pushes Lai to take a more proactive role in the Brotherhood. While not wishing to join herself, Sao sees its importance to Lai and how the disastrous leadership has affected her. It will be in Sao’s final scene where we can truly see her impact. In real life Sao did not go out in a dramatic blaze of fire we like to see for heroes. She did not fall in some great battle like Blackbeard does in Black Flag, screaming some inspiring quote. No, the ever cunning Sao saw the increased pressure placed upon her pirate confederacy, after she’d spent so many years raiding the coasts. In 1810, she sailed her huge fleet directly into the city of Canton, disembarking to hand herself in for her crimes. Due to her high profile, the state handed her and her crew a pardon, allowing them to keep the riches they’d earned as long as they didn’t resume pirating. Before doing this I’d like to see Sao and Lai converse, as Lai begs for her to reconsider. She doesn’t want to lose her friends and allies, seeing this as only another loss, a failure of making any major change in her life. Sao reassures Lai, informing her that we can only try to find the best in the situations we are given. For Lai, she needs to finally stand up to the Assassins' leadership, take control to implement the actions that are necessary. Watching her friends sail off to a peaceful life, Lai is provided with a choice. Settling down, or continuing her fight. Unable to give up on her ideals, Lai returns to the den, demands the position of mentor and creates a plan to finally finish off Vidic. More will be revealed of Vidic throughout the narrative, I want multiple encounters between him and Lai, failed assassination attempts or aggressive responses from the Templars. As it turns out, Vidic's mental state is rather erratic, and while he’s a talented leader the claims he makes about himself seem outlandish. Now let us take a look into the Isu lore for this instalment and I have to admit I’m not an expert in this area. The additions I’m going to make should fit in with the existing lore, however any creed fanatics who see problems with what I write please leave a comment. I’m genuinely interested to know. Anyway, Vidic has the ability to glimpse through time. It’s not clear visions, rather small insights, almost like poetry that describes what has and what will happen. One of my favourite parts of Isu lore in Origins was the description of how the Isu could physically see time. When the humans first revolted for their freedom, Isu who supported the human cause attempted to grant this ability to us. They performed experiments on willing subjects, hoping that if this power was provided they would gain equality, or at least be powerful enough to truly fight. The experiments were not completely successful though, leaving hundreds of people with parts of this code abandoned in their DNA. Through the pure chaos of existence though and centuries of genetic combinations, Vidic was created with the right combination of genes that gave him a sliver of this power. This connection to the Isu drove Vidic into his more fundamentalist Templar beliefs. Glimpsing the future has given him foresight of the coming globalised and industrialised worlds, and the problems that they will cause. This march toward progress must be orderly, and it’s only by having a fully dominated populace that this can occur. He will label the the pirates as degenerate terrorists and the Assassins as mindless, pointing to the poor leadership that has left them unable to ever effectively eradicated the Templars. We can see that he is not necessarily wrong, the current Assassin leadership is weak and the pirates attack and kill merchants in sometimes brutal ways, leaving regular citizens without food. As trade increases, and the demands of the public become much more complicated (internet, television, food that can only be grown in different nations etc.), this level of chaos will lead directly to the downfall of civilization as we know it. His mental gift will also reveal to him the location of an Isu temple, one that was intentionally left unrecorded due to the power it held. Imagine it like a black ops base, redacted even from official records. Being able to glimpse through time is the only way Vidic could find it. The base itself will house a “telescope” that will allow Vidic to gain a clearer image of the future. With it, he could monitor what every person on the planet will do, and act to make sure they behave in a way he deems suitable. That is why he came personally to Hong Kong with such an impressive fleet, to access this temple and defend himself during the search. This way the finale of the game can take place inside the temple, Vidic getting to truly envision the future as he had always wished, only to mentally crumble under the strain. We as people were never meant to have this gift, our psyche cannot process the information and it leads only to madness. An epic fight occurs, where Vidic dies in disgust, knowing of the great terrors that will occur. Nuclear explosions, world wars, climate change and the potentially apocalyptic solar eclipse are all to come, with no way of stopping it. He dies in anguish, screaming at Lai for her foolish commitment to freedom, which will only lead to humanity's ruin. Obviously there’s an irony to Vidic’s belief. The greatest minds to ever live could not figure out how to give the power of temporal sight to humans, with it only truly being solved by the infinitely powerful chaos of existence. In a world as controlled as he would like, the power that guides him wouldn’t exist. This should be explicitly stated in game either by an Isu messenger (like seen in Origins) or potentially Basim if he is still the modern day protagonist. With the telescope available to her now, the temptation of its power hits Lai. She questions whether to use it, whether to see if her fight will be worthwhile, but refuses. At heart, she knows that to do so would stand against her tenants, that seeing what will happen can only lead to the removal of people's free will, whether intentional or not. She destroys the temple, leaving this path behind. Of course as modern viewers we know her fight wasn’t as impactful as she would have hoped. Hong Kong would fall to the British, weaponized addiction would sweep the nation, and the last dynasty would fall. Her people had much more strife ahead of them that no one person could change, but the ideals she preached and her trust in humanity are the only cure to the plagues which face us all. I know this exploration of time may seem out of left field, but I think it could provide an additional layer to the drama of this story. To have someone who can provide accurate information on what will occur in this difficult era for China can truly express the dramatic irony of trying to fight what we know will come. Additionally, a core principle of Chinese political philosophy is the “dynastic cycle”, which refers to the continuous rise and fall of different dynasties' rulership, destined to repeat the mistakes of before. Culturally we can relate this story of time exploration with this philosophy, providing a nice link between the region and narrative, as Vidic (an outsider) acts to defy this ancient belief in cycles of repetition. And so that’s the pitch, the world of a cynic finding hope even in the darkness. With any luck, this can reinvigorate the community, providing a game that can recreate some of the heights of the franchise while reflecting growing franchise fatigue. Gameplay wise, mixing the impressive naval with the heights of city based action allows the best of both worlds, which was never quite reached before. Additional Isu exploration can continue to expand the lore, while potentially setting up future modern day plots. Based on what direction the series heads with the modern day, Basim or otherwise, the telescope can reveal the next major event the modern day Assassins must face. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Finn is a creative writer from Rotherham, UK who has previously supported TOWCB's Fundraising events, and raised awareness surrounding Men's Mental Health. Finn's writing covers a wide scope, with releases so far including reviews, interviews and stories. He is known in the AC Community for his 'Pitching an Assassin's Creed Game' series, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website! Finn Fletcher

Assassin's Creed Fans Launch Isu - English Dictionary News Share 12 Feb 2021 Written By: Edited By: ActualSpider-Man Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Data compiled by Colum Blackett. Assassin's Creed fans have managed to crack the secret language of the highly advanced precursor race known as the Isu, and in the process, decode multiple hidden messages. A new Assassin's Creed Isu to English dictionary has been released thanks to a collaborative community effort to decode secret messages. Fans first noticed the strange symbols on the collector's edition of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, as well as in the game, and set about trying to decode them. The team over at Access the Animus managed to successfully crack the code, and in the process, discovered the legitimate way to unlock the Isu bow, which had been found in the game due to a clever save hack. The decoded messages led the team to an iron ore deposit on a small island surrounded by a lake in Northumbria, which could only be destroyed using the Excalibur sword at sunset! Following the discovery, the creator of the language, Antoine Henry (Associate director at Ubisoft Singapore) joined RockPaperShotgun for an interview detailing the creation process. ''The idea of creating a language for the Isu came about during a casual discussion with [narrative director] Darby McDevitt, where I was telling him about my passion for languages and creating them. When he mentioned creating one for the Isu, I thought it was just one of these crazy ideas you come up with in a discussion for the fun of it. Even though we were both excited, I didn't think he was serious at all. Months passed and I thought that would be the end of it. Then one day, out of nowhere, Darby contacted me to see how we could make it happen!" "The process of creating the Isu language was writing in reverse a history of how humans learned it from the Isu, and how it then evolved over time to become Proto-Indo-European. I started from old languages in that family (Latin, Ancient Greek, Sanskrit, etc.) and academic reconstructions of what Proto-Indo-European could have been like, and worked my way backwards from there." ''We completely intended for the community to decipher some of the language, but I would have never imagined that they would go as far as they did. They managed to break down words and rules that I didn't even think could be identified! I am amazed by their passion and dedication. As a creator when you see this, it really makes the effort worth it." It's fair to say that fans have impressed the Assassin's Creed Valhalla development team with their codebreaking skills, but the community has now gone one step further by compiling all of the translated words and phrases to form an Isu- English dictionary! This new community resource will no doubt be an indispensable tool for helping fans unlock even more secrets in future codebreaking efforts, and can be found here on Reddit thanks to the work of user IMHOZen1. '' Codex Transferendum is now a full-fledged Isu language guide, from writing, to translating, to now even speaking every single bit of Isu text we see in Valhalla!'' IMHOZen1 details in his post. With the help of Reddit user / bool0011 , the Isu vocalizations for each character were successfully decrypted. The 25 page document is available for free, and will no doubt be a central resource for all those wishing to learn the mysterious language of the Isu. We would like to extend our admiration to all the fans who helped in this incredible community effort. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. 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

Deciphering the Secrets of the Assassin’s Creed Shadows Community Challenge and Mystery Box Breakdown Share 1 Jan 2023 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database During the marketing campaign for Assassin's Creed Shadows, we were thrilled to announce that TOWCB / Isu_network Team Leader Colum Blackett (Col_96) was granted the rank of Veteran Master, and received an Assassin's Creed Shadows Mystery Box from Ubisoft! Straight away we gathered our team of codebreakers and set about trying to crack the secrets of the box. TOWCB Codebreakers: Ashlea_97 FrameHoldPhotos Edenoi ActualSpider-Man TheNerdyArcher We were thrilled to see a community challenge so early on in the AC Marketing campaign, and it provided many twists and turns which kept us guessing right until the very end. The Mission Upon receiving the box, Col was invited to a Discord server with other 'Veteran Masters' (content creators and box-owners). THE EXPERIENCE This Discord experience is separated in two parts: A Community quest that starts on June 3rd. You have 24 hours to solve all the community riddles. A Content Creators quest that starts on June 4th. They will be streaming live. As members of the Assassin's Creed community and thus, Apprentices, you are tasked to solve riddles that will give important information and hints for Content Creators and their dedicated quest. Follow their streams tomorrow to discover the end of the story but also solve their riddles together. In this adventure, you will be referred to as Apprentices, whereas Content Creators will be referred to as Veteran Masters. In the server, bots would provide clues and questions in order to progress further into the deeper layers of the challenge. The Box The box measured 17cm across by 23, and featured Japanese text on the box which translates roughly to '' bravery, honor, respect'', signaling positive virtues. 勇名誉礼思義羊ホ戈仁 The box was also secured using a puzzle lock, which took some time to open. Ash had a great deal of fun figuring it out. Master Komatsu Uchihira (Discord bot) provided a poem to help Veteran Masters to open it. The poem refers to the different levels of security on the lock, which all had to be completed in the correct order. Completing one level would unlock another, and so forth. Also provided was a diagram showing the correct order in which to open the combination. Here is our video showing Ash cracking the combination. Inside the Box: A blood-stained note A scroll detailing the quest A Map of Japan Hidden Blade poster Community Riddles Puzzle #1 : Apprentices were invited to the Discord server and encouraged to work together in order to assist Veteran Masters the following day. Master Komatsu Uchihira (Discord bot) provided a riddle which encouraged apprentices to rewatch the CGI trailer Answer: D.O Master Komatsu Uchihira (Discord bot) congratulates the apprentice and suggests that the letters could be initials that stand for something. Next, Apprentices had to mention the letters to characters (Discord bots) in order to gain more information. Answer is SACHI Puzzle #: Puzzle #: After opening the box, Veteran Masters informed Master Komatsu Uchihira (Discord bot) of their success, who congratulated them on opening the box. Next, Veteran Masters would receive their first instructions. It became clear that it was impossible to progress from this stage without the help of 'apprentices', so for those who opened the box early, like us, it was a waiting game. The event kicked off on the 3rd June 2024 when community members were invited to join the 'Assassin's Creed Shadows: The First Mission' Discord server. Puzzle: Origami? Puzzle: Sign language? The blood-stained note. VIDEO OF INK FADING AWAY 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

Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 18th to 29th March 2024 Community Share 16 Apr 2024 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett 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. 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. This theme week: Parkour Looking to Sync Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: Eric Allen (@ Milz_VP ) The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Aaron ( FalconSwift87 ) The return to the roots with Assassin’s Creed Mirage brings back the experience of an Assassin traversing a city in search of his target. It’s a feeling of nostalgia that many fans have enjoyed. Climbing structures with Eivor or Kassandra always felt slightly out of place. Here we have an intriguing shot of Basim scaling one of the tall structures found throughout Baghdad. I really like how the composition creates a sense of height and danger. The sandy tones mixed with the sky-blue work to reinforce the location of this excellent capture. Watch for the Shadows Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ m_nt_13 Aaron ( FalconSwift87 ) I was happy when the team suggested running a parkour theme as Assassin’s Creed is so famous for this form of traversing. As the games have progressed the standard has constantly been raised and we have been able to climb almost any structure in the game. This capture really resonates with me as I am a fan of this type of photo. The lighting is immense and serves to highlight the beautiful details on the Baghdad building. Not only that but it casts a shadow of Basim and the line he is crossing. Once again, the composition is great, and I like that Basim is slightly off centre. Taking in the Sights Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ visionevp Aaron ( FalconSwift87 ) We could not have this theme without a return to the beginning with Bayek and the pyramids. Although a large proportion of Assassin’s Creed Origins is desert the cities are a great place to get your free run on. I will never forget my first time scaling the elegant pyramids, and that awesome sensation as you slide down one. This shot is impressive as it combines both parkour and some stunning scenery. I love the orange tones mixed with the pure white, and Bayek contrasts excellently with these. His pose is perfect and reminds me of Senu his eagle companion. Escaping Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ UnfazedVP Aaron ( FalconSwift87 ) I think my favourite Assassin’s Creed for parkour is Unity. The speed in which you could traverse the rooftops was very satisfying. I also enjoyed the almost cinematic moments when escaping through buildings or windows. Here Julio has recreated something similar that takes me back to 2014. This is a clean shot that has three colours working beautifully together. The red sash is eye catching, and Bayek’s black robes give him a tremendous Assassin feel. Once again, the light hitting the sandy building works to contrast against Bayek. He works in the dark to serve the light. Searching for Trouble Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ BasimIbnIshaq_ Aaron ( FalconSwift87 ) With the talk of Assassin’s Creed Red having two playable characters, I started to think what Valhalla would have been like if we switched between Eivor and Basim. I think it would have worked excellently with the tension between the two and the obvious assassin and warrior mentalities. Here we can see Basim approaching a straw roof building on what looks like London. I guess this shot is from the discovery tour. I love the choice of outfit and the positioning is on point. I also like how the white of his robes stand out clearly against the darker background. Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography Showcase - March 2024 Video edited by Turið Torkilsdóttir. 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

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Music Fan Theme - The Wind Between The Cherry Trees - Available Now! Breakdown Share 27 Mar 2025 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) TOWCB Team Back To Database Link to listen on Apple Music Link to listen on Spotify For a while now, we here at The Ones Who Came Before have been getting into the world of music, interviewing composers who have shaped the sound of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, covering iconic tracks, as well as writing our own original fan themes inspired by different instalments. This tradition of course continues with the newly released AC Shadows, hence we are excited to announce our newest original track inspired by the new game - The Wind Between The Cherry Trees - written, arranged and produced by Gargudon from the TOWCB team! This is an in depth look with the brains behind the track, at the process of how it came together, as well as some of the influences behind it. And of course, make sure to also check out the full track, available now wherever music is streamed! Track breakdown & writing process I had so much fun creating this new fan theme for the new instalment, at last heading to a fan favourite location over many years, 16th century Feudal Japan. Before I even started properly producing the track, I already had a very good idea of how I wanted it to sound, what elements I wanted to be at the forefront of it, and what ambiences and emotions I wanted to capture. The setting of the new game meant so many fun opportunities and possibilities for choice of sounds and instruments; I always knew I wanted emphasis on something very ambient and tranquil sounding, with lots of Japanese stringed and wind instruments. The opening and final sections of the track, are meant to capture the peace and tranquillity of the vast forests of Japan that can be explored in the game, filled with massive waterfalls, blue skies, diverse wildlife, and like the title suggests of course, blooming pink cherry trees, or as they call it in the native tongue, sakura. I feel like the prominent koto, fused with the ambient plucks and pads, perfectly captures these sceneries, and can serve as the soundtrack to meditating and or practicing katana moves on the highest mountain. In between these two sections though, is a perhaps slightly darker and more intense, yet also quite cinematic sounding interlude. I wanted this part to mainly centre around massive sounding percussion with big taiko drums, while also giving it an element of traditional African music, as an homage to Yasuke’s native background. My favourite part about this interlude section though, is easily the throat singing, a common ritual practiced throughout Southeast Asia. Recording those parts was also super fun and challenging in a good way, as it had me looking into different techniques, learning something new in the process. When I tracked them, my voice was also pretty rough, following a nasty round of sickness, which in the end may or may not have been an advantage, it then having a certain rawness to it. Track influences There was a number of different influences for the track, from things I’ve written myself earlier on, Jesper Kyd’s iconic AC soundtracks, to a couple of “normal” songs even and more. Two songs that were major influences, were actually these two by Nashville artists Alana Springsteen and Robyn Ottolini, “Look I like ” and “ House I Grew Up In ”. First of which I also did a super fun remix of it once, reusing a lot of elements, sounds and melodies for this new track. For songs labelled “Country”, both have a lot of sounds and ambiences you wouldn’t necessarily associate with the genre, having prominent sections with what sounds like a koto, or some other Eastern stringed instrument. Robyn’s song was a major influence for the first section, recreating certain sounds and vibes, and reusing the chord progression and koto melody. Alana’s (and my remix of) served as influence for the final section, also reusing the chord progression and a certain melody played on koto. Additionally I once again used the melody from my AC Unity inspired fan theme “French Highlands”, it being played on flute during the middle interlude. If a new version of Ezio’s Family can be written for almost every game, so can I reuse my own written themes. Of course I also turned to the master Jesper, using some ambient samples reminiscent of his legendary AC2 soundtrack, samples of birds singing and a waterfall to create a very lively soundscape and some realism, and of course as mentioned, throat singing, where a major inspiration was the loading screen music from another massive Ubisoft game, Far Cry 4, also set in a similar culture and part of the world. And that concludes this in-depth look at our newest original AC inspired musical fan theme! Once again, make sure to check out the full track, available wherever music is streamed, add it to your playlists, maybe even having it on in the background while exploring Japan! That and let us know what games you would like to see inspire future fan themes! 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, but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews & composing. By joining The Ones Who Came Before in 2019, originally reviving 'The Memory Corridor' podcast, which had been offline for nearly a year, he has had the opportunity to expand his audience and further develop his skills. 

His unique skill set made him the perfect candidate for our team. 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)