#and we have arno and shay’s complicated relationship

[teecupangel]

Part 3 and because @kingdomheartsrox and @thewolfprince wanted Templar!Haytham, you guys are getting Templar Haytham XD

Desmond’s Ancestors (Part 3 - Edward)

So, while the Immortality gang continue to try and find the singularity point, Edward (with Mary and Anne) live with their children in London. Haytham will still have Tessa as his mother (for the necessary genes) and Tessa becomes Edward’s wife.

If we’re going for the polycule route for Edward-Mary-Anne, Tessa feels threatened by his relationship with Mary and Anne even if she’s Edward’s official wife. If it’s purely platonic between Edward, Mary and Anne, Tessa thinks that Edward is lying and sleeping with them. Either way, it ends with Tessa being ‘seduced’ by Birch into becoming a Templar. The Templar heard rumors that one of the women (Mary or Anne) might be an immortal but they have their guard up so they used Tessa’s access inside the Kenway mansion to spring a trap.

This means that instead of Edward dying because of freaking ‘thugs’ (seriously, Ubisoft???), he is actually shot by Tessa from behind while they’re alone (with Mary and Anne taking the other children out of the mansion while Edward stayed to find Tessa and Haytham) during a Templar raid. The last thing he sees is Tessa shouting for Haytham and it’s a slow painful death because Tessa accidentally (or maybe not) shot him on the spleen. He lives long enough for Mary to find him when she came back after making sure Anne has the other children safe and sound with the Brotherhood.

Edward dies in Mary’s arms while the Assassins she took with her chase down the Templars and Edward revives to see Mary crying. They find out he’s immortal too but they hid it from the other Assassins and they talk to Anne about what Edward saw and what they learned ( shoutout to @thewolfprince for guessing what I had planned to make sure Haytham becomes a Templar XD)

So Tessa took Haytham and left with Birch, with the Templars going into hiding afterward. A few days later, someone torched the Kenway mansion and they’re pretty sure it’s one of the Templars who had either done it themselves or they paid someone to do it for them.

Either way, the three decide to sorta split up. Anne with Jenny and the other two children would stay in London to work with the other Assassins (and to make sure someone is always ready to welcome Haytham back if he manages to return by himself) and Anne would take care of training their children to be Assassins.

Edward and Mary would find a way to contact and meet up with the Adrestia because Mary believes they could help and it would be easier to find for clues on where they took Haytham if they had their own ship.

At this point, the Adrestria is masquerading as a merchant ship (and they do have supplies and such that they sell in ports because Ezio will not, under any circumstances, allow them to be poor XD)

Anyway, Haytham is brainwashed by Birch and Tessa in believing he’d been abandoned by his family and that they never loved him anyway with Tessa laying on it thick that all he needs is his dear mummy. Really, just Tessa Mother Gothel-ing Haytham with sprinkles of “you won’t leave mummy will you?” and Birch pretending to be a good ‘father figure’.

Edward and Mary do reach the Adrestria and they say the truth about what had happened. At this point, only Altaïr and Ezio knows about how Desmond knows of ‘a future’ so they spinned it to the Apple showing Desmond that specific future where Haytham will be in the colonies at around 1754 but everyone knows that’s too long. Almost 2 decades to let Haytham be in the hands of the Templars and Desmond also stressed that, by that time, Haytham would have been lost to them. This gets Edward fired enough to shout at Desmond that his son will never be lost to him, no matter what, with Ezio placing a hand on Edward’s chest to stop him in case he tries to throttle Desmond while Altaïr grabs Desmond’s wrist and pushes him quickly behind him.

It’s Bayek who steps in and tells everyone to calm down. That panicking and getting into each other’s throat will not help Haytham at all.

For now, they decide to try and find clues using what Desmond had ‘seen’ from the Apple.

Desmond’s Ancestors (Part 4 - Haytham… sorta)

This proves much harder than they anticipated because the Templars had evolved to combat Altaïr, Ezio and Bayek’s inclusion to this timeline. They’d gone deeper underground than what Desmond is used to, focusing on keeping their Templar affiliation a secret even to one another. No one even knows who the Grand Masters are at the moment and, really, that’s the most frustrating part of all.

Since we did decide Haytham will be a Templar, the Immortality gang will be unsuccessful in saving him before he fully commits to the Templar Order. The first time they heard of Haytham, they learned he had almost killed one of his older siblings (it would be very ironic if it was Anne’s child because that child was meant to die in canon or very tragic if it was Jenny). Edward still believes he can be reasoned with and ‘saved’, Desmond keeps quiet this time because, well, he’s also conflicted.

He doesn’t want Haytham to be a Templar, someone against them, but, at the same time, he knows he risks Ratonhnhaké:ton not being born if they intercepts Haytham’s ‘fate’ too early. So he keeps quiet and tries to help as best he could when other people think of a plan but won’t think of anything that could actually help.

Altaïr and Ezio notice this but they don’t say anything because they believe Desmond has a reason for keeping quiet. The others believe Desmond is keeping quiet because he doesn’t want to push Edward further (which is kinda true)

Anyway, Haytham still goes to the colonies before the immortality gang (maybe Desmond even made sure that he had a headstart?) and they got there just after Shay left for Lisbon. Achilles is still the mentor and it only takes Altaïr a few days of observing Achilles to realize that Achilles was not in the right headspace to be the mentor at the moment. Bayek is actually the one to stop Altaïr, telling him that they all grieve differently when they lose the people they love and they should support Achilles, not reprimand him. This angers Altaïr because he knows how dangerous it is to let grief take control and his lingering guilt of how his anger and wish to avenge Sef led to Maria (and maybe Malik if we’re killing Malik off during the Civil War?) and many of his brothers dying. This makes him say words to Bayek about how he does not understand how the death of a child changes someone and Bayek tries to remain calm but Altaïr is blinded by rage that is actually for himself but he directed it to Bayek instead which leads to a… very heated ‘discussion’.

This is the trigger and Edward gets into this, all heated up and emotional, leading to Edward and Mary leaving the gang to find Haytham on their own. Altaïr takes Desmond away (who follows him willingly) in the heat of the moment and Ezio goes with them to calm Altaïr down (and because he goes wherever Desmond goes)

Kassandra tells Alexios and Eivor that she’s going to follow Edward and Mary and asks Alexios to stay with Bayek and support him as much as he can while Eivor suggests she follows Altaïr and the others to assist Ezio.

We Interrupt the Desmond’s Ancestors Part for Shay Cormac:

Anyway, Lisbon still happens and, it is by chance, that Bayek and Alexios are away from the Homestead when Shay returns and everyone becomes idiots who don’t know what the word COMMUNICATE means. Or… is it a coincidence or the hands of the calculations at play?

Oh and Hope is actually not in the homestead right now because she’s ‘monitoring’ Altaïr and the others who had taken ‘residence’ in New York. Ezio is working with her to make sure the gangs do not do anything dumb while Altaïr and Desmond busy themselves with the Grand Temple because… well, they weren’t any close to finding the singularity point so might as well prepare for the catastrophe they know of anyway.

We now return to Desmond’s Ancestors (Part 5 Ratonhnhaké:ton)

Eivor stays with Altaïr and Desmond and she gets to know the descendants of the people who had helped her when she had been in.

At this point, Ratonhnhaké:ton has been born and likes to watch them and, when he got a bit older, became bold enough to approach Desmond who was always smiling and waving at him. Altaïr and Ezio realized that this is the Ratonhnhaké:ton Desmond always talk about and, seeing his facial structure, they realized that he has to be related to Edward Kenway in some way. Desmond finally admits the real reason why he had ‘let’ Haytham become a Templar and both Altaïr and Ezio tell him that it’s not his fault. He didn’t even realize how Haytham became a Templar until they heard that Edward had been attacked and that Desmond actually thought Haytham became a Templar out of his own free will. He did everything he could. The Templars had been craftier than he had expected them to be and this was ‘inevitable’.

When Desmond is alone, Juno whispers to his ear that Altaïr and Ezio only spoke sweet words to comfort him. That it truly was Desmond’s fault. ALL of this is Desmond’s fault. Desmond remains quiet the entire time.

So same thing happened, Shay becomes a Templar, Haytham does his thing… this time though, Shay is thwarted by Ezio from killing Hope who keeps telling him they can talk about this. Hope survives but her loyalty to Achilles is shattered because she heard Shay’s side of the story first and she can’t believe it, she doesn’t want to believe it but she knew that Shay isn’t the type to lie about such things.

Edward and Mary stop Haytham and Shay from killing Adéwalé but Haytham won’t listen to Edward, calling him an abomination. During the final fight with Achilles, Liam and Shay, Liam sacrifices himself to save Achilles and tried to take Shay with him. He does succeed and Shay died together with Liam.

Only to be revived next to Liam’s dead body. The fact that he has become an immortal, an abomination as Haytham likes to call them, shakes Shay up so severely that he leaves and hides.

It’s… not really a victory as Achilles is left with a limp and Hope is the only person left of his Assassins. Achilles officially retires and Hope takes over as the mentor with both Ezio and Bayek supporting her. Adéwalé stays for a while to help Edward try to find Haytham once more but is soon called away for a more pressing Assassin-related matter.

Things change though because Eivor realized that Ratonhnhaké:ton is Haytham’s son after one of the villagers tells about how a white man had come before them and had been quite close to Kaniehtí:io. Altaïr and Ezio don’t tell Eivor they already knew and they talked about how to tell Edward about it. Desmond asks if they should even tell Edward about this, surprising Eivor. Desmond believes Kaniehtí:io should have the final say if she wants her son to know his grandfather because… well… there has to be a reason why she didn’t stay with Haytham, right? And Edward loves his son too much to not tell him about Ratonhnhaké:ton.

Everything is becoming super complicated now because, yeah, Kaniehtí:io didn’t want anyone to know that Haytham Kenway is Ratonhnhaké:ton’s father and she even threatens to cut their tongue if they tell Haytham about her son. Desmond is totally on her side about this and Eivor agrees because it’s her son. She does warn that Ratonhnhaké:ton deserves to know who his father is. Desmond countered that sometimes having no father is a better alternative than knowing your real father.

Anyway, because Eivor, Altaïr, Ezio and Desmond were nearby, the village didn’t burn but that doesn’t stop the start of the American Revolutions.

This time, though, Ratonhnhaké:ton joins Desmond and the others when they decided to return to the homestead to check up on the others and plan what they can do because his mother finally told him the truth about Haytham Kenway and he wants to meet his father himself. Ratonhnhaké:ton gets trained by Desmond and the others in the ways of the Assassins as they travel back to the Davenport homestead.

Hope is still the mentor and Bayek and Altaïr finally bury the hatchet. Kassandra is keeping them posted on where she and Edward and Mary are and they decide to follow them with Ratonhnhaké:ton joining.

American Revolutions goes more or less the same as canon but, with Charles Lee heavily beaten and almost dying, some things are bound to change. Because the Templars have become more cunning, they secretly played for both sides and George Washington becomes an ally of the Templars without him realizing it or knowing that Charles Lee (one of his main ‘rivals’) was a Templar who didn’t know that Washington was being played by the Templars as well. (It would be funny if, like, Hamilton is a Templar in this one annnnyywwwaaayy)

The Battle of the Chesapeake goes a bit differently but still ends with Ratonhnhaké:ton deciding to kill Haytham Kenway because he realizes that Haytham will forever be loyal to the Templars which means the people he loves will always be in danger as long as he lives. He did meet and got to know Edward so this is also him “doing what needs to be done so grandfather doesn’t have to” kind of deal. This does end with Haytham dying in his hands once more and he leaves Haytham for dead as he tries to kill the remaining Templar (Charles Lee? Hamilton? Idk). Ratonhnhaké:ton dies from his wound after he kills the last Templar and wakes up to see Desmond crying as he held him in his arms.

Ratonhnhaké:ton accepts being an immortal better than everyone expected and he admits that he never thought of being an immortal but now… he realized that a part of him always knew it was going to happen. Something inside him knows this was meant to happen.

They don’t know that Shay had been the one to save Haytham when he died and was revived a minute later. And now both Shay and Haytham have complicated feelings for their immortality but Haytham says that they must use everything in their power for the Templar cause, even if it’s this cursed abomination.

So they go to France to retrieve something from Charles Dorian.

And this time…

Arno Dorian sees Shay Cormac kill his father.

Okay okay so.

Your thoughts on a Time Travel-ish fic where Desmond gets yeeted back to a little bit before Altaïr’s time and Bayek, Kassandra, Alexios, and f!Eivor become basically immortal bc of POE/Isu bullshit?

And then all the main characters after that become immortal bc of POE/Isu bullshit (including Desmond) so they’re just slowly gathering a bunch of immortal Assassin/some Templars and winging it til they hit the modern day era.

If you like to add a vampire spin to it, here’s the vampire idea a while back that does include a lot of main characters (but not all) getting turned into vampires.

Now, for this idea, let’s set up some things first.

Desmond is the primary immortal and nobody knows how it works.

They stop aging once they die and are revived for the first time.

There will always be a minute of death before their revival. (spawn rate)

Since we want to cover all main AC characters (although I love the fact that we didn’t include Basim in that list. Mirage isn’t out yet, Basim doesn’t count yet, I guess XD), I know you asked for Desmond being yeeted a little before Altaïr’s time so I’m hope you’re fine with Desmond being yeeted before or during Kassandra and Alexios’ time period. (I mean how 'little' is open for interpretations I say)

And how about we make this a little bit more interesting?

Desmond gets yeeted into the time of the Isus. To be more specific, he gets thrown into Minerva’s ‘temple’ during the final days before the Solar Flare.

He’s disoriented and maybe just ‘a bit’ traumatized because of the pain he felt when he activated the device so all he could do was try to understand what Minerva was saying.

About how she’s trying to save his life. That he must do what they all fail to do.

Find the true source of this anomaly, this singularity point that ensures a catastrophe hits Earth every few millennia regardless of what they do.

Because, and this is important, Desmond, even if you save the world from the Solar Flare, another catastrophe will happen. It is inevitable.

But you can find the reason why it has to be that way.

Desmond…

No matter what happens.

Never give up.

Keep looking.

I will do all I can to give you as much help as possible.

Good luck.

And Desmond falls asleep when Minerva pushes him into some kind of device that looked like a water bed.

When he wakes up, he finds himself staring at a confused-looking woman clad in armor.

The Layla Trilogy:

Desmond has no clue what this singularity point is meant to be but he assumes that he’s meant to find it now that he’s woken up… 2 millennia before his time, Jesus Christ.

Kassandra was just looking around the supposed ruins of Athena’s first temple. She believes he’s a demigod or a human turned demigod by Athena. She also thought he might even be Erichthonius but that idea was scrapped when Desmond showed her just how little he knows of the Ancient Greek world. He joins her because it’s not like he has any other clue and Kassandra traveling made it clear that he could cover more grounds if he stayed with her.

It’s because of Desmond’s intervention that Alexios (as Deimos) isn’t killed and the siblings’ relationship is rocky but Alexios stays with them in the Adrestria even if it usually comes down to Kassandra and Desmond making sure Alexios’ temper doesn’t get them into trouble. (Whether the other family members survive is your call).

In the end, it’s the whole Atlantis DLC that makes Kassandra and Alexios accidentally (or is it an accident, Minerva?) immortal. Desmond’s inclusion into the ‘vision’ screwed up the Isu tech and whatever is keeping Desmond immortal is copied into Kassandra and Alexios. They don’t realize it until later on when Alexios dies during a very fierce battle. Then a minute passed while Kassandra cradles her baby brother in her arms as she cries, Alexios opens his eyes and gasps loudly. Kassandra and Desmond would realize they’re immortal as well later on. No matter what they ask, Aletheia in the staff (Desmond doesn’t trust her one bit) doesn’t say anything at all. Desmond believes that their immortality might have been caused by one of the many POEs he had with him at the moment (he’s been hoarding every POE they find).

In this setup, Alexios would be Aya’s ancestor and it’d be more of a one-night stand that happened because Alexios was feeling a bit off that day and wanted some company. Whether they learn Aya is Alexios’ descendant is up to you. They meet Bayek during the Curse of the Pharaoh DLC while they were checking out the ‘curse’ and this is another case of Desmond’s immortality getting passed into Bayek while the POE is shrouding all of Thebes. Maybe even during the time they were in the Duat and Desmond is seeing people who haven’t even been born yet and that’s how he believed his desire to destroy the lies being shown to him caused Bayek to be infected by his immortality. They don’t know Bayek is immortal though but Bayek knows they’re immortal (maybe make one of them die in front of Bayek? They’ve become quite prone to risky actions because they know they can’t die) so when he realized he was immortal, he starts looking for them.

Eivor met them on the Isle of the Skye and Desmond’s immortality infects her during that time as well (maybe during the final confrontation with the POE?) but, as usual, they don’t know that yet. What happens is that Eivor returns to Ravensthorpe and the story continued until the end of AC Valhalla, maybe a few days later, Reda (who may or may not be an avatar of Minerva or her sage or something, the point is his immortality is not connected to Desmond’s… maaayybbee) introduces her to an old friend of his who is looking for someone who looks a lot like Randvi, a man going by the name Amun. At that point, Eivor already knows she’s immortal, Basim slicing her throat during their final confrontation was a dead giveaway, and Reda introduced them as ‘two people of similar circumstances’. They both realized that they’re immortals and Bayek (who Eivor knows as Amun) believes that the answer to their questions is with Desmond and the Spartan siblings (they’re not, they don’t even know they’ve been leaving immortals behind) so Eivor leaves Ravensthorpe to find Desmond and the other with Bayek, promising to come back once she has all the answers.

They finally catch up to Desmond and the others around late 1100s and Desmond doesn’t know how but he’s sure he’s the reason why they’re all immortals now. Without any other information, all they can do is be cautious and, later on, they decide that Desmond shouldn’t get too close to other people until they’re sure on how this entire immortality thing gets activated. Of course, that only means Desmond would feel bored (and maybe have bad reminders of his life on the Farm) so he was just walking a busy marketplace to take some time off his own spiraling thoughts, just looking around and that’s when he bumps into Altaïr.

Desmond’s Ancestors (Part 1):

Desmond didn’t even know Altaïr would be around these parts. Why would he? All he knew during this time was that Altaïr went with Maria to go travel, he didn’t know just how far the two had traveled during that time. Desmond desperately tries to get away because, fuck, there’s no way that he was going to mess up Altaïr’s life even if he desperately wants to because he has no idea what will happen to him if he messes Altaïr’s life so badly that Desmond Miles wouldn’t be born centuries from now. This only makes Altaïr interested in him and it ends with Desmond joining Altaïr and Maria in their travels, sorta forgetting to tell anybody else that he might have been half-kidnapped/half-went along with it?

So the current immortality gang is out looking for him while he’s making a life in Masyaf, becoming like an uncle to Altaïr’s children. Desmond keeps trying to tell Altaïr that Abbas is too dangerous to keep alive but Altaïr won’t listen, thinking that Abbas would not stoop as low as Desmond says, especially when the Apple doesn’t show him anything bad happening with Abbas. By this point, Desmond had told Altaïr everything so Altaïr know Desmond knows of a future but he insists that that future is no longer their future because they have changed things.

Altaïr and Maria still go with Darim to assassinate Genghis Khan but Desmond stays behind to keep an eye on Abbas. Unfortunately, this gets him captured and it’s only because of Desmond’s warning that Malik survived, taking Sef’s wife and children out of Masyaf on Sef’s orders while Sef stays behind to save Desmond. It ends in tragedy as Sef dies in Desmond’s arms instead even though Desmond begs for whatever is keeping him immortal to save Sef, to make him immortal as well. Desmond is taken deeper into Masyaf and tested on to find the reason for his immortality instead.

Altaïr’s return is heralded by a civil war between those who sided with Abbas and the Assassins Malik rallied. In the battle, Maria dies in Altaïr’s arms as well and, if you really want to hammer in the pain, Malik falls as well. When they finally took Masyaf back, Altaïr finds Desmond in the deepest part of Masyaf alive but… well… it’s not a pretty sight. Just as he frees a catatonic Desmond, Abbas stabs him from behind and Desmond snaps out of it, screaming as Altaïr falls into his arms. Remembering how Sef dies in his arms the same way breaks Desmond. Altaïr dies in his arms and revives a minute later, much to Abbas’ surprise. In the end, Altaïr kills Abbas and takes Masyaf back.

After the funerals are done and Masyaf starts healing, Altaïr tells the new mentor (Malik if he’s still alive or Darim if Malik is already dead) that he and Desmond are leaving Masyaf. That this place is simply too painful for Desmond right now and the only way he can heal is to be away from this place. The mentor agrees because they both know how much Desmond blames himself for the death of the people he and Altaïr loved. That not even Altaïr telling him it’s not his fault could reach him.

So they leave and a few days later the immortality gang reaches Masyaf but everyone is tight-lipped about what happened and if they know anyone that looks like Desmond (there were rumors that the people of Masyaf were experimenting on how to achieve eternal life and such). So it took them a long time for the mentor to confide what had happened (that’s fine with them though because they trust Desmond can take care of himself (oh boy) and they’re immortals, they have all the time they need) and the mentor isn’t sure where Desmond and Altaïr could be.

They’re in Monteriggioni. Of course, they’re in Monteriggioni. Desmond talked and showed Monteriggioni to Altaïr and his sons so Altaïr knew how much Desmond loved the town. They stayed there because Altaïr was hoping Desmond could heal there and Altaïr accidentally sorta-maybe bought the place while it was just a little thing and started expanding and stuff. They’re always known as descendants of themselves and they’re rumored to be brothers or cousins or something, anyway, the point is the town’s connection with the Assassins is a very hush-hush affair and the Italian Brotherhood grows with Altaïr’s assistance while Desmond just… does whatever he wants.

Desmond meets Ezio as a child when the Auditore family visits the town to pay their respect and Altaïr sees how happy Desmond is to play with Ezio and his siblings. He suggests that they vacation in Florence once in a while to visit the Auditores and Desmond agrees.

The Auditore execution doesn’t happen because Altaïr’s presence makes the Italian Brotherhood be more incognito. Giovanni is still loyal to Lorenzo (an ongoing headache of Altaïr’s) and he’s the mentor of the Italian Brotherhood while Altaïr has more of an advisory role but his connection to the other Assassins was great enough that he was able to coordinate a rescue mission when Giovanni was arrested. Federico and Claudia (who learned enough to fight in secret thanks to her Tio Desmond) were in the house and they got the others out while Giovanni stayed behind so he was the only one arrested and the Auditore family is given asylum in Monteriggioni.

Of course, the whole rescue plan had been in the making for a while now as a ‘last resort’ since Desmond told Altaïr what would happen and this pushes Ezio, Federico, and Claudia to join the Brotherhood in hopes of avenging what has happened to them.

Same thing happened as canon. The actions of the Italian Brotherhood (really, Ezio and his siblings) catch the attention of the immortality gang who finally catches up but they accidentally thought Ezio was the immortal with Desmond named Altaïr and that’s how Ezio learns about the whole immortality thing.

Ezio finds out he’s immortal after Rodrigo stabs him and he dies but revives. He believes his other siblings aren’t immortal though because he saw Minerva’s message for Desmond and it’s already changed. She’s speaking to Ezio and she tells him to “keep Desmond in check”. To make sure he remembers his mission. Ezio believes it’s not Desmond who gives immortality to random people but Minerva. That this immortality thing is something Minerva prepared to keep Desmond ‘safe’ and ‘focused’.

Desmond would have easily said that Minerva is going by a list of people Desmond cared about but he didn’t even know about Kassandra, Alexios, Bayek and Eivor before his death so that idea gets thrown out before it even fully forms.

Anyway, it ends with the immortality gang going on a newly refitted and upgraded Adrestia to start looking for this singularity point with Altaïr giving Monteriggioni to Petruccio who had been taking care of the finances and the little details for a while now. They stop by Constantinople as well and Ezio falls in love with Sofia, maybe he stays with her for a while and have two children? Idk. Anyway, the Auditore line continues…

Into the Kenway line…

Yeah, see that part one? Yeah, it’s because this got too long and I only answer/reblog on tumblr on a specific time frame to make sure I get things done. Sorry XD

I’ll get back to the others tomorrow (if work wills it) but if anyone wants to take a stab at this, feel free :)

(ngl, I was debating if I should make Malik/Maria/Darim and Sef immortal. I’m still on the fence with Malik being immortal. It would be a good angst fodder “Why you but not them?!!” kind of deal)

[lunavadash-creates]

Oh Dear, you’ve opened Pandora box of my curiosity! I would love to read about your other OCs! Does all your OC’s have something in common with you? I know you mentioned that the only trait you share with Amara are green eyes. But there are many traits you share with Olivia! What about others? But please, enjoy your vacation first!

Btw. Olivia is one of very few female names I like

🔪

Ha! Actually you opened the Pandora Box!

Honestly I have an OC for every fandom?men/women I like. Some of them doesn't even have name but I can imagine traits of them all. Also some OCs add a pinch of supernatural fantasy into the stories.

For AC 1 I have Amara and Shifa.

Shifa was an idea for a witch that was able to give Malik his hand back. Tbh I wrote some about it and then dropped it ;; (opsie)

For Ezio I have Flora. The only supernatural part of her is that she can see ghosts. Basically she sees ghosts of Federico and Giovanni and then tried to tell Ezio about it because she needs his help to help them cross the border. Actually I mostly use Flora in Sims but that story is complicated and lasts for all Ezio trilogy.

For Connor I thought about Slavic girl (idk I just like Slavic looks and folk outfits/stories etc. She run away from Europe after her country was destroyed and became a doctor/herbalist in America. She helps people both British and Native if she can. She doesn't want to hurt anyone. She used to be an assassin but she didn't want to kill and take part in wars.

Olivia - I already said a bit about her. She is a seamstress, Thomas Hickey's younger sister, bunny lover.

For Edward... Well I don't have oc for him to be with but I have an OC they actually starts her story in black flag! Ceri (Ceridwen) is a mermaid that became friends with Edward. She was for him when he lost everyone but when he settled in London she had to leave. She went back to th sea but she visited sometimes to check on them and meet baby Haytham. She promised Edward she would protect Haytham. But then she disappeared again and when she came back Edward was dead and Haytham was gone. She found him eventually during ac rogue, decided to stick by his side but eventually fell for Shay. Isn't it too weird? But I really like mermaids and sirens so I just had to make at least one!

I have 2 oc for Haytham. Olivia is my main one but when I'm down I like to make something about the other one. Lori (Loralei) is a siren who is with Haytham. I created her for my friend who has also sea creature for Shay! Sometimes we have fun with developing their relationship.

Shay - as I said, for him I only have this mermaid lady.

Arno - Vivienne. It's a soulmate au which I already wrote and it's somewhere on Tumblr and my ao3. I think I may write more about them sooner or later. Back then I had big mood for soulmate au's because I find them interesting!

For Arno I also have male OC Gilbert (alternative for french Frye I guess ). Gilbert is a writer and a friend of De Sade. He meets Arno by accident and then... He writes a book about him, but actually changed his name and such. But when Arno sees this book, he knows it's about him. He and Gilbert have funny relationship. Gilbert is at the same time very mature and very childish! He helps Arno to move on in life.

Jacob - let's start with Megan, another Slavic oc who tries to help people who run away from central/East Europe to London. She is an assassin and was sent to London to free it. She is supposed to make fully functional assassin's bureau in London and liberate the city. Council doesn't know Evie and Jacob are there so she kind of .. blackmails them to do what she wants or she will tell on them and they will be kick of the brotherhood. But eventually they work things out.

I have informant Ian who is also for Jacob. He is kind of a psycho and morally grey but welp.

I know it's so many and I'm like creating more whenever something inspires me. It's a total mess but it makes me happy 🥰

I almost forgot! Octavia the doctor for Otso Berg, finding out that his daughter isn't sick but poisoned by abstergo.

I have no oc for Bayek (except one lil oc who is a child Bayek and Aya kind of adopts) because I have so much respect and Aya and I'm in such an awe for Bayeks love I feel like I would be disrespectful if I made OC to be with him.

[mediaeval-muse]

Video Game Review: Assassin’s Creed Rogue (Ubisoft, 2014)

Genres: action-adventure, third person, open world

Premise: During the mid-18th century, Assassin Shay Patrick Cormac uncovers a First Civilization temple in Lisbon and unwittingly triggers an earthquake that kills thousands. Desperate to keep the Assassins from finding more of these temples and harming more innocents, he joins the North American Templars, whose hold over the British colonies is starting to grow. In the present, research into Shay’s memories triggers a server failure at Abstergo Entertainment, and the unnamed employee from Black Flag must help restore the system.

Platform Played On: PC (Windows)

Rating: 4/5 stars

***Full review under the cut.***

I am evaluating this game based on four key aspects: story, characters, gameplay, and visuals. Because I played this game on a PC, I will not be reviewing the Remastered version, which is only available for consoles.

Content Warnings: violence, blood

Story: Assassin’s Creed Rogue primarily follows Shay Patrick Cormac, an Irish Assassin-turned-Templar who operates during the French and Indian/Seven Years War in North America. Starting as a member of the Brotherhood, Shay is sent to Portugal by Achilles Davenport (the mentor of the North American chapter of Assassins) in order o recover a First Civilization artifact. Unbeknownst to Shay, removing the artifact from the temple triggers an earthquake, killing thousands of innocent people. Furious that Achilles (and perhaps other Assassins) knew this would be a possibility yet refusing to tell Shay, Shay leaves the Assassins and joins the Templars in order to prevent the Brotherhood from accessing more temples and artifacts and from harming more innocent people.

I really liked the overarching story because it gave us clear goals and a clear structure. Shay has one purpose: prevent the Assassins from gaining access to the next First Civilization site. To do that, Shay has to track down and neutralize all of his former Brotherhood colleagues, which adds a level of personal involvement and angst. Structurally, I think this plot made a lot of sense and was well-done, and though it wasn’t as involved as a headliner game (like Black Flag), it did present the player with a straightforward narrative.

The Seven Years War/French and Indian War was an interesting backdrop, though it didn’t have the same entanglement with history as headliners. Shay isn’t really involved with any landmark historical events, but he is responsible for the Templars gaining a foothold in North America, which serves as the setting for Assassin’s Creed III. In that sense, I think this story is more meaningful for people who have played both Assassin’s Creed III and Black Flag. I also think this plot works better for those who intend to continue to Unity, since the end of Shay’s story serves as the beginning for Arno’s.

The main thing I didn’t like was the game’s treatment of Native Americans. While I don’t think it was outright offensive, there was a point in the narrative where Shay had to rescue an Oneida tribe from Assassin thugs, and Shay does have to confront and kill one of his former friends, who is Native. In that sense, Rogue may be triggering for some people, but I personally didn’t find it egregious like the brutal scenes in Assassin’s Creed III. Rogue does contain some missions where Shay has to seek out Native “totems” to unlock some special Native armor, so that could be appropriative, but I’ll defer to Native gamers on that issue.

I also just wish the game was longer, mainly because it’s the only one where we get a full Templar perspective, and it had interesting missions. If it had been a headliner and gotten the amount of time and resources other headliners receive, I think this game could have done really well.

The present-day Abstergo arc continues to be less compelling than the Desmond Miles frame from previous games. I didn’t find the system failure to be very exciting, nor did I think the unfolding narrative about Otso Berg was communicated in a particularly engaging way. I do think the idea of the Assassins confronting the flaws in their belief system is an interesting one, but we barely see any Assassins in the modern day arc, so it’s difficult to feel like there are stakes.

Characters: Shay is a compelling protagonist in that he has complicated motivations and grey morality. He’s obviously very concerned for ordinary people, even as a Templar, and is very conflicted over the prospect of confronting his former friends. I liked that he seemed to have legitimate concerns about the Assassins and the way their hierarchy is constructed, which made his turn to the Templars more understandable. I liked the opportunity to see why someone might join the Templars, especially if that someone wasn’t completely on board with the authoritarian viewpoint the Order holds.

Shay’s Assassin companions are interesting in that they each seem to have their own combat abilities, which made for unique confrontations. Hope, for example, is an Assassin who is skilled with poisons, and Liam is pretty precise with a firearm. Encountering them, therefore, felt like several different boss fights that avoided repetition. I also think Shay spent enough time with each person at the beginning so that confronting them felt like an emotional challenge. I think the emotional stakes could have been enhanced if the game was longer and contained more time for character interactions, but with what it had, I think Rogue used its time effectively.

Shay’s Templar companions are also well-used in that the game makes clear that Shay feels an emotional bond with them. Shay first grows attached to Colonel George Monro, and it’s clear from the outset that Monro’s fondness for Shay is what motivates the latter to devote himself to the Templars, not necessarily the Order’s ideology. I liked this personal dimension to Shay’s Templar companions because it parallels how people in the modern day become drawn to harmful ideologies or groups: they mainly stay out of fear of being socially rejected. It was a pretty nice touch, and I think it worked better than just having players experience a “gritty” game centered on being unambiguously evil and just wreaking havoc and misery everywhere.

I also liked that we got some familiar faces, such as Achilles Davenport and Haytham Kenway. The conflict between Shay and Achilles serves as background for why Achilles is so broken in Assassin’s Creed III, and I think Rogue does a good job in showing how Achilles’ motivations are just as complex and grey as Shay’s are. Haytham continues to be ruthless, and I liked the budding mentor-mentee relationship between him and Shay. It served as a nice counter balance to the lack of affection between Shay and Achilles, while also giving us more of Haytham’s witty banter.

I will say that I am conflicted on whether or not this game did Adéwalé justice.  Adéwalé was an NPC in Black Flag and a playable character in Freedom Cry, so players who have completed both will have some investment in the character. Since Adéwalé is one of the companions Shay must track down and confront, it may seem like an unfair end to Adéwalé’s story, but again, I’m conflicted - mainly because Shay is supposed to be something of a villain.

Gameplay: The core of Rogue’s gameplay is not that much different from Black Flag’s: players explore the open world using Shay’s ship, the Morrigan, uncovering chests as well as collectibles, such as Templar maps (which are functionally the same as Black Flag’s treasure maps), animus fragments, pieces of a Viking sword, totems, shanties, and others. The Morrigan is upgradable, just like the Jackdaw, and Shay can use it to attack French ships to acquire resources such as wood, stone, metal, and cloth. Doing so will raise Shay’s notoriety, just as in Black Flag, but instead of lowering Shay’s wanted status by defeating enemies, Shay can only reset his wanted level by leaving an area until things quiet down. This made for a scaled-back version of ship combat and exploration, but it wasn’t a huge drawback to my gaming experience.

I did like that even though Rogue borrowed heavily from Black Flag, it did put its own spin on several gameplay elements to make them feel more integrated with the setting. For example, the weather at sea revolved more around cold weather than tropical weather, so instead of thunderstorms and cyclones, Shay was subject to icebergs and freezing water. Shay could also go hunting and craft like Edward, but the wildlife included new animals such as polar bears, arctic foxes, narwhals, and other North American or Arctic creatures. On land, Shay can intercept assassin contracts instead of accepting them, so instead of killing a target, Shay will have to protect a target by getting to the Assassin(s) before they can complete their mission.

Players are also able to unlock zones on the map by capturing forts, just like in Black Flag, but there are far fewer of these than in the game’s predecessor. Rogue relies a bit more heavily instead on “Assassin gang hideouts,” which function something like the Borgia towers in Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood or the forts in Assassin’s Creed III. For each hideout, Shay must complete a number of objectives (like kill the gang leader, cut down the flag, sabotage a poison barrel), which will then unlock the area’s harbormasters and general stores. Doing so will also unlock renovations, which Shay can complete to increase his revenue, similar to how renovations gave Ezio an income in previous games.

Shay can also gain income by managing a fleet, similar to Edward’s fleet in Black Flag. Players capture ships via boarding them during gameplay, and then send them out on missions to “progress the Seven Years’ War.” Aside from the resources, which change a bit, this aspect of the game was functionally the same as Black Flag, so it was fairly familiar and didn’t take long to pick up.

In terms of weapons, Shay has access to the staples: hidden blade, pistols, smoke bombs, rope dart, etc. Shay can dual wield with a sword and dagger (rather than Edward’s two swords), but the change is mostly aesthetic. Shay also has access to sleep darts, berserk darts, and firecracker darts via an air rifle rather than a blowgun, but again, the change is mostly aesthetic. The biggest change to equipment is probably the grenade launcher, which can fire sleep, berserk, and shrapnel grenades to affect multiple enemies, and the presence of gas as an environmental weapon (the effects of which Shay can mitigate on himself by using a gas mask).

In terms of combat and stealth, not much is different. Shay can use eagle vision, hide in bushes or tall grass, whistle to draw enemies closer to him, etc. The only thing that’s tricky is that Assassin gang members will hide randomly in the environment, ready to take Shay out as he passes through. Shay can avoid attacks by listening for “whispers” and using eagle vision to spot Assassin thugs before they jump him.

I think that in sum, the lack of innovation regarding mechanics isn’t as bothersome as some people make it out to be. Because the “flavor” of the mechanics changed, I do think Rogue did a good job adapting what it could in the short amount of time it had. Enough is the same where picking up mechanics is easy if the player has completed Black Flag, but narratively, enough is different to make the experience at least feel tailored to the setting.

Visuals: Rogue’s primary strengths in terms of visuals lies in the unique settings and Shay’s Templar aesthetic. Although Rogue doesn’t have the beautiful tropical waters of Black Flag, I do think it rendered the snow-covered mountains well and made the world feel like a cold environment. It took the best elements of Assassin’s Creed III (the trees, the city layouts) and combined them with the spirit of exploration from Black Flag. I particularly liked exploring the shipwrecks, which were not underwater, but fused with ice to create fun sites where I felt like I was playing “the floor is lava” (the lava, in this case, was freezing cold water that could kill you).

I also really loved Shay’s Templar aesthetic, which consisted of a lot of fancy 18th century coats and vests, combined with a strong black and red color scheme. Everything from the Morrigan’s sails and captain’s cabin to Shay’s “house” in New York repeats this color scheme, which was a nice change from what we typically see of the Assassins. I also liked that a lot of Shay’s design contained nods to his Irish heritage, from the Morrigan’s hull to the knotwork details on his coat. It was a nice touch which made everything feel a little more personal.

In terms of animations, I didn’t notice anything that set Rogue apart from other games. Shay didn’t have appealing finishers, nor did I encounter a lot of bugs that affected my impression of the game. There are some here and there, but I’ve come to expect bugs in every Assassin’s Creed game, so...

Final Verdict: Although Assassin’s Creed Rogue replicates much of the gameplay from its predecessors, the complex protagonist, solid narrative structure, and unique settings make it a memorable game that gives players new insight into the Assassin-Templar conflict.

[storytimefromthecreed]

Canon Crimes

“I’m not saying you’re only agreeing with him because he's your favorite, but..." Haytham frowned, but kept the respect in his voice. He was, after all, speaking to his father.

"Grandfather is still upset." Connor grinned at his father, sparing him no expense, clearly enjoying the attention Edward gave him.

Haytham groaned, "Gah, this again? Dad! You've got to forgive me for that."

Edward crossed his arms and shook his head. "You tried killing your own son, Haytham."

"To be fair, he tried killing me also."

Connor rolled his eyes, and Haytham made a move to him but was intervened by Edward who gave him a swift thump on the back of the head. "And have I ever tried killing you? No!" Connor snickered while Haytham rubbed the spot of contact and received a thump from Edward too, resulting in Haytham's smile. He was, after all, his son, Edward thought, best to let him know he was loved too.

Now, both silent, Edward said, "Decide what you'd like us all to do tonight, together, or I'm going to choose, and you can’t be upset if that includes us rewatching the Muppet Frog Prince."

"Grandpa."

"Dad."

Both Kenways groaned in unison and rolled their eyes to the ceiling. Edward couldn't help but smile at how similar they were. The pair began sprouting ideas, so Edward left them and went to relax on the backyard porch with the rest of the Assassins. Shay and Arno were sparring against Alexios and Kassandra; Altair, Malik, Evie, Ezio, Henry, Elise, Yusuf, Jacob, and Liam watched. Jacob pulled up a seat beside him, and Edward sat. Malik passed the plate of sandwiches toward him, but he put a hand up to decline.

"Don't want to ruin my appetite in case they decide we're going to dinner." He explained, and Elise swiped the plate.

"Must be nice to have both your boys with you." She took a bite, munching. "How's it been?"

Honestly, it had been wonderful! When he wasn't spending time with Haytham, he was with Connor. There was some tension between the two which made days like today, where Edward wanted all three of them spend time together, difficult to manage and painful emotionally; but, he was hopeful that they would work through it. Plainly, this was seen on his face, because the corners of Elise's smile pulled down to a frown.

Still, Edward couldn't fix his face, so Altair cleared his throat and said, "Relationships between Templars and Assassins have always been rocky, no matter who they are, but people can work around it, Edward, trust your boys."

As if on cue, Connor stormed out, Haytham right behind him, and he, upon seeing the eyes watching him, relaxed his tense frame and directed his displeasure Edward’s way. “I am sorry, Grandfather, but we can not seem to come to an agreement. Looks like the choice is yours.” 

Before Edward could speak, Malik interjected, “Altair is the reason my brother died.” Altair choked on his tea, and Yusuf began feverishly patting him on the back. Malik, undisturbed, continued and raised his left arm. “Oh, and why I lost this, isn't that right, Altair?” 

“Yea.” Altair croaked, having not recovered from his fit.

Malik continued, looking sternly between Connor and Haytham. “But he was a different man when he did so, and upon realizing his mistake, Altair worked tirelessly to become a better person. When he apologized for the wrongs, I couldn’t forgive him. The man apologizing was not the man who’d done the deeds, therefore, for me, he did not have to. Would Kadar have died another way or any time soon? Would I have my arm? Who’s to say. What’s done is done. I’m still a capable fighter, I’ve my health, and if history hadn’t taken that course, the Brotherhood would not be what it is today. Guess you could say, that’s why I’m his right hand man.”

Altair’s eyes were watery and his cheeks tinged red when he responded with a raspy voice. “We’ve all done things that we’re not proud of at a time when we didn’t know better. That’s the part of growing, and I’m thankful I’m surrounded by friends just a wise, if not more so, than I.”

Elise said, "If it's any consolation, my being a Templar has proved difficult in my and Arno's relationship, but we work through it by respecting one another and understanding that our Orders require different things from us, and balance them accordingly."

"Even Assassin and Assassin ties can be hard." Liam added, pointing to Shay. "Chased my best friend off a mountain after he’d tried to do nothing more that warn us of our mistakes, didn’t even know why, just that it was asked of me, and pushed him towards the Templar Order. Not that he minds it. He found what he was looking for in the Order, he’s happy, and he found people who listen and respect him. I’m happy for him.”

Shay, wiping the sweat from his brow as he and a defeated Arno rejoined the group with celebratory siblings, Kassandra and Alexios, nodded. "Took years for us to get our bearings. Those years were needed because they determined who we are today, and our friendship is stronger than ever for it."

"Things have to happen for better things to come." Arno added, smiling at Elise. "If my father hadn’t died, would I be Arno you see today? Would I have grown up through the Assassin ranks? Have the hate for Templars branded into my skull? Or would I have found another way? Anyway, I never would've met Elise and my life wouldn't be a thousand times brighter."

"Mon amour." Elise turned bright pink, her grin expanding her whole face. Pulling his face down for a kiss, she chuckled. "This guy. Truly, Arno’s been the best. Helping me find the people that killed my father after he was framed for it, and taking control of the Templar Order so that none could spark fire between the Templars and Assassins as they’d been doing."

"Hey," Shay said to Arno, “I am sorry for that.”

Arno, one hand on Elise, put his other hand on Shay’s shoulder with a kind smile. “You did, and I forgave you. What’s in the past, and all.” The friends smiled at one another, and Edward’s hope returned. Maybe Connor and Haytham could work past their differences.

“Kassandra tried to kill me.” Alexios gave his sister a knowing look that she responded to with a rolling of her eyes. “Multiple times, I might add.”

“I was young, Alexios.” Her tone was annoyed, but Kassandra grinned. “I was raised by some not so nice people. We all can’t have grown up on an island.”

Alexios looked at Connor. “Trust me, family are the most frustrating people to be around, but,” he threw an arm around Kassandra’s neck, messing her hair with his fist, and she fought against him easily. “But they’re family.”

“Guess I was lucky to have a sibling who wouldn’t give up on me, just as he is lucky I wouldn’t give up on him.” She stuck out an arm, and playfully struck his shoulder.

Alexios rubbed the spot and see offered peace with a sandwich. He accepted. “You wouldn’t give up on me, would you, Evie?” Jacob asked from across the table to Evie who sat with her head on Henry’s shoulder.

“The thought of leaving you to your own devices has crossed my mind.” Jacob glared, and she laughed. “I’m kidding, you’ve always been capable when left to your own devices. Well, except that whole Jack incident.”

“For that, I thank you kindly, sister.” Jacob twirled his hat impishly then placed it back atop his head with a smirk. “All laughs considering I never got a thank you after the train incident.” He wiggled his brows devilishly, and Evie shot up.

“You shut your mouth.”

“Say it.” 

She rolled her eyes and tossed a napkin at his face. “Thanks, BROTHER.” 

“What train incident?” Henry asked when her head returned to his shoulder and she groaned, covering her face in embarrassment.

“Tell ya later, Greenie.” Jacob winked.

“Maria was a Templar, still would be if they hadn’t have abandoned her after they failed to claim the Holy Land. I knew I loved her from the moment I fought her, but I’m not sure love was the first thing on her mind.” Altair looked up to the heavens, lost in thought.

“You fought your wife?” Connor rose a brow. 

Altair, pulled from his memories, a ghost of a smile on his lips, explained. “Didn’t know she was going to be my wife until after, but yes, that’s how Maria and I first met. The relationship between Assassin and Templar is vast and complicated, spreading across eras and families, intricately weaving us all as one.”

“Makes one think there might be a world where we could live together, in harmony.” Haytham spoke so low, it sounded as if he was speaking to himself.

“Yes,” Altair said, “maybe it’s time that we do. That we find this better way. This harmony.”

“Like my forgiving Haytham for trying to kill me with Shay.” Adewale, who’d slipped into the conversation from the backyard door, stood behind Haytham and made him jump. “Sorry, door was open and no one was inside, figured you’d all be here. Hey, Shay. How are you? You never checked out my ship like you said you would.” Various greetings were given him, but Adewale was watching Shay. 

“Adewale, how good to see you!” Shay left Arno’s side and gave the Assassin a handshake that turned into a hug. “If your ship is here, I’d love to see it.”

“Of course.” Adewale dug into his pocket. “Have to return these to Edward.” He withdrew a set of keys and tossed them towards Edward, who caught them mid-air swiftly.

“Ade!” Edward had left the table and embraced his friend. “It’s good seeing you! Hope the car served it’s purpose. When are we sailing?”

“Considering you keep flaking, why don’t you tell me? Better yet, why don’t you accompany Shay and I today? It’ll be nice to be among like-minded men.” Adewale grinned, but Edward frowned. Only for a moment. He gave his friend a small smile and said, “I’ve got plans tonight with my boys, maybe another time.”

Haytham cleared his throat, keeping his eyes away from Adewale and on Edward. “Father, since Connor and I are unable to meet in the middle for our plans, maybe it would be best you go.”

“I agree.” Connor said. 

Both gave him just a serious look with kind eyes, that Edward felt pride in that moment. Turning to Adewale, Edward wiggling his brows. “It looks like my plans have changed.”

“Always room for one more. Now you get to be be my quartermaster.” The trio bid their farewells, and Haytham stood beside Connor.

“You tried to kill your father’s best friend?” Connor asked, a brow raised.

“Thank god he didn’t take notice of that.” Both Kenways chuckled, then Haytham gave Connor a queer look, attempting to appear not stern. “Son, how about you join your mother and for dinner tonight?” Connor’s mouth was set in a tight line. “Tell me all about how I won’t let you kill Lee and maybe your mother and you could murder me for dessert?”

Connor’s stony demeanor cracked, and he shook his head, giving his father a smile. His first smile. “Fine, but you’re going to have to share that story of when the Templars tried to have me hanged.” 

“Goodnight everyone. Thank you for your kind words.” Haytham waved behind him.

“See you all tomorrow.” 

They headed back the way they’d come, leaving the rest of the Assassins to decide who was sparring next. The last they heard was Haytham saying, “I saved you from that! Doesn’t that count for anything?”

A pause. Then, “Yes, Father, is does.”

Ezio leaned back in his chair. “Love happy endings.”

“I second that.” Yusuf hummed, and Ezio squinted his eyes.

“On the subject of crimes against one another,” Ezio pointed to Yusuf. “Stop dating my sister?”

“Next spar between Ezio and Yusuf.” Jacob cheered, and the two men rose from their seats and headed to the circle.

“I’m dating her either way, you know that right?” Yusuf rolled his shoulders.

Ezio assumed his stance. “Yea, but this will make me feel better.”