#assassin's creed: the golden city

[newengland-alligator]

Assassin's Creed: The Golden City Review

So I recently finished reading Assassin's Creed: The Golden City by Jaleigh Johnson.

I'd rate this a 4 out of 5 stars.

Below the read-more I'll go a bit in-depth on what I liked, disliked and ect. This is NOT spoiler free, so if you want to avoid spoilers do not read this review.

The Plot:

"A young emperor’s life hangs in the balance in ancient Constantinople, and only the Brotherhood of Assassins can save him, in this action-packed historical adventure from the award-winning Assassin’s Creed universe.

Constantinople, 867 – A murderous plot is afoot. Assisted by the Order of the Ancients, the emperor schemes to assassinate his son and throw the city into chaos. In response, the Hidden Ones have dispatched Assassin acolyte Hytham to join his mentor, Basim Ibn Ishaq, to infiltrate the palace and foil the emperor’s plan. But that is not his only mission… Hytham’s brotherhood have entrusted him with uncovering where Basim’s true loyalties lie and whether the master Assassin’s personal obsessions outweigh his sense of duty. For Hytham to succeed, he must tread carefully, for Constantinople is a city of shadows, and danger hides in all of them."

This book was a very quick read for me. I basically devoured it within a couple days (it only took me that long because I had to work and sleep lol).

The plot itself is very straightforward, and it's ok overall, nothing spectacular. It did feel like the author was trying to make the mystery of who the head of this branch of the Order of Ancients was, as well as who the attempted assassin of Prince Leo was, more of a surprise, but it wasn't to me personally. I also wasn't expecting it to, and I don't hold it against the book.

Here are some lines that I particularly liked;

Mist threaded the uneven ground...a thick white river that Hytham shredded as he walked.

(Chapter 1, page 7, paragraph 2).

...The dancing flame cast long shadows on the wall and revealed a dark, sinuous shape cresting the foot of the bed. Serrated scales contrasted sharply with the pale blankets...

(Chapter 8, page 84, paragraph 3).

Hytham laid his hands against the cool stones, feeling salt spray his lips, fazing out at the cast stretch of black water scrolling away to the horizon.

"I've heard the sea at night can be terrifying to new sailors unused to being on the water," Basim said.

Hytham glanced at him. "I've always found it comforting," he said, "that there's something out there in the world so much bigger and grander than myself." He smiled ruefully. "Even if it seems infinite and likely to swallow me whole."

(Chapter 14, page 143, paragraph 8).

They had maneuvered themselves behind their targets. The rain his any sound their footfalls might have made, and they moved through water as effortlessly as air. The shadows held them safely, concealing them from the rest of the world. Because the shadows were their home, that liminal space where they could hide and observe. Or hunt.

(Chapter 15, page 159, paragraph 5).

...The height was dizzying, and below them in the harbor, the ships looked like tiny toy boats, the water turned to glittering shards of broken lights.

It hurt his eyes, but it was beautiful. (Chapter 28, page 288, paragraph 3).

Characters:

Except for Hytham, Basim and Leo, most of the other side characters were rather plain in my opinion. Thyra, Anna and Eudokia Ingerina were cool. I was hoping we were going to get more insight into Thyra and the Varangian Guard due to Hytham masquerading as a member, but there really wasn't much except for Basim asking a couple questions here or there.

It was nice to get a book with Hytham's POV. We get to see some of that rash, desperate to prove, but still calculating and dangerous individual we meet in AC: Valhalla. Unfortunately we don't get like, ANY backstory from him other than he used to want to be a father, until he became a Hidden One and further realized how dangerous his world was.

It was pretty disappointing as I was hoping to learn more about his story, but at least we got to see through his eyes, which was great. I love Hytham, definitely still one of my favorite characters in the Assassin's Creed series. His relationship with Leo was very sweet, and it was touching to see how quickly they bonded.

Hytham's relationship with Basim was very fun to read! The sparring scenes were some of my favorite parts of the book. It's very obvious from the get-go that Basim has some vaguely parental feelings about Hytham, where as Hytham is constantly torn between liking Basim, being unnerved by him, and struggling to trust him after Master Rayhan tells him that Basim is untrustworthy.

After Hytham makes a mistake that gets him captured by the Order of the Ancients, Basim risks the mission in order to rescue Hytham, despite not even knowing if Hytham is still alive. By the end of the book Hytham fully trusts Basim and is willing to help him search for whatever (or whomever) it is that Basim is searching for amongst the Norse.

This brings me to Basim. I loved how Jaleigh Johnson wrote him. It was perfect blend of arrogant asshole, incredibly smart, and almost supernaturally unnerving. The book seems to solidify my headcannon that yes, Basim had definitely become preoccupied with his obsession with finding Havi, but he was still absolutely loyal to the Hidden Ones and the Creed.

I do wish that his and Hytham's relationship had more time spent on it. We know that Basim thinks of Hytham as a son, that he cares deeply about him despite not wanting to (he's still haunted by the trauma of his own son's death), but we don't really get to see why. The book starts with Hytham and Basim only having known each other for a very short period of time, and the events of the book take place over what, a couple weeks? Their relationship, and Basim in general, was done very well, it just felt a little rushed at times.

Unlike with Hytham, we did get to learn more about Basim. His father was apparently abusive (whether this was before or after his father was exiled is unclear), he has a affinity with wolves, is terrified of Loki, and whatever happened to cause the loss of Enkidu has left him scarred mentally.

So all in all, I did enjoy the book and will definitely reread it! Here's to hoping that Ubi continues to put out Hytham content 🤞

[fanworldbuildingfun]

I have a mighty need for my reading list now and for the first one? I’ll even dust off my over decade-unused French

(Though the issue is, I can’t seem to find any electronic version of the book up for purchase? Which is dowrnight odd and regrettable)

This one is supposed to be set a short time before Valhalla, during time Basim Ibn Ishaq was active in Constantinople

The fun thing is, as you are playing a French Hidden One (or Frankish, I suppose, would be more correct?), it would echo to Siege of Paris DLC and to how active the branch actually is. The DLC only hints on it, so having more backstory to go along with the hint? Would be most welcome. Moreso given that the Francia branch survived - unlike the Brittania branch

Assassin's Creed: The Silk Road (2021, Hachette Heroes, ISBN 9782019451455)

And oh hear, this one. April, I await you - for this one is supposed to center on Hytham. And Basim, naturally, seeing as this one is also set in Constantinople. I’m custious about this part, specifically:

Hytham’s brotherhood have entrusted him with uncovering where Basim’s true loyalties lie and whether the master Assassin’s personal obsessions outweigh his sense of duty

Because whoo boy. If Valhalla is anything to go by, things did NOT go the way Hidden Ones expected them to

  Assassin's Creed: The Golden City (April 2023, Aconyte Books, ISBN 9781839082214)

[frenchoravocadotoast]

Take me back to Constantinople

Hytham (AC: Valhalla) x GN!Reader

Word count: 2704

A/N: I finished reading The Golden City a few days ago and I'm inconsolable :] Have some more Hytham content! (because I fell down a rabbit hole)

Had Hytham been told that he would challenge the tenets of the creed again, he would have vehemently denied it.

Constantinople had already been a tedious enough task to complete, and with his feelings involved, the young man swore to never get attached again. The life of an assassin was always on the run, never stable. He wasn’t meant to stay anywhere.

But then they met Sigurd. He and Basim traveled to Norway with him, then to England – and then Kjotve happened, and now Hytham had to stew in his disappointment as he healed from broken bones. His journey of travels ended here. At least he had the bureau to keep himself busy, as well as the lavish dinners to keep him fed and entertained. He liked it when there were get-togethers in Ravensthorpe. 

Like the one from a couple of days ago.

The assassin didn’t know what the reason for the celebration was – not that the vikings needed any. As long as they were promised food and booze at the banquet, they would gladly pillage and conquer any village they were asked to. Hytham had to admit that their logic was pretty efficient, if not a little too simple. But with Eivor, it was different. Her loyalties lay with her own virtues, a moral compass that luckily aligned with Hytham’s; and thus, she would willingly carry out any task that the Hidden One needed of her, even without the promise of a full belly and a drunken tongue.

She’d done a lot for him and his creed, and he couldn’t bring himself to say no to her when she insisted that he attend the celebration. She knew Hytham tended to overwork himself. There was paperwork to finish, new feathers to stock – hell, even the bureau itself was a mess. If Basim were to return with Sigurd now, and find the bureau looking like a rabid drengr had rummaged through it, Hytham would probably have to spend the rest of the month cleaning up the place rather than working up the ranks. 

He pursed his lips, not amused by the idea, but he tried his best to focus on the moment regardless. The clan members had come to form a circle, swaying to the tune of the music, and clasped their hands together as they stomped their right feet in unison. Hytham could feel the tremor under his own feet, and the laughing of the people echoed all over the room, pulling a smile at his lips too.

For a group of drunkards, they danced with great passion and expertise. Practice, Hytham shrugged. It definitely wasn’t their first night drinking and pissing mead, and dancing until their feet hurt. The circle spun faster and faster as the music enhanced. The dancers paired up to twirl and jump, and through the motion blur of faces and twirling dresses, Hytham saw it. Well, he wasn’t quite sure he’d seen it, but the smile looked familiar enough – and as the dancers continued to spin, his eyes settled on you.

He was right, then. You had indeed joined the circle. But your steps were calculated, and you lacked the drunken sway of the vikings who could barely keep themselves upright. Your smile shone bright, and your eyes crinkled under its pull as you switched partners with a woman. Her cheeks matched the tone of her ginger hair, and you somehow managed to avoid getting splashed by her drink, horn in hand.

Hytham’s eyes softened. It was moments like this that made him feel at ease, with no fear of an uncertain future or the haunting of a dark past. Everyone in this room had their fair share of demons, even the children – but they somehow possessed the power to forget about everything for the night, swinging and swaying to the music as the smoke from the bonfire fed off of each chant.

But there was something about you in particular that fascinated Hytham. Perhaps it was the way you carried yourself. The way you spoke, your presence. Maybe it was just the way you looked at him last week, when he’d taught you how to use his throwing knives. He was fixing your posture, and perhaps you’d noticed that he lingered close for too long, because Hytham caught you looking at him on numerous occasions since then. 

There was something there, he mused. A potion brewing quietly, and you were both none the wiser. Even now, the mere memory made Hytham’s fingers twitch as he watched you disappear on the other side of the circle.

“You’re staring.”

He stiffened, not wanting to give the woman the satisfaction of his reaction. 

“I’m just watching them dance.”

Eivor huffed out a laugh, dragging a wooden stool and plopping down next to him. From the corner of his eye, Hytham could see the blade of her ax glimmering under the candlelight.

“Basim was right, you’re awfully transparent.”

Hytham met her eyes, slightly offended. “He said that?”

“You can’t deny it if it’s true,” the blonde shrugged, nodding in your presumed direction. “Why don’t you ask them for a dance?”

Immediately, the assassin clammed up. It must have been an amusing sight to Eivor; a trained killer with a blade strapped to their arm, refusing to approach a person of their interest. When he and Eivor first met, Hytham had gone into detail about the imperative need to separate one’s feelings from their work – to allow such a thing could greatly compromise both his life and his creed. But it was a blurry line for the likes of him, a game that tested their loyalty to the brotherhood. The young eagle knew that line had been tested before, trespassed by his peers and predecessors. It hadn’t ended well for them – after all, the life of an assassin was short. It was built on sacrifice rather than yearning, that was the true purpose of a Hidden One. But now, Hytham knew he was once again at the mercy of his own heart – and what would that make of him?

Human, the little voice in his head said. It sounded an awful lot like Basim, and the acolyte was sure he could almost hear the older man’s trademark smirk. He must have trespassed that line too, at some point in his life; and Hytham couldn’t blame him. He was almost tempted to do it for the second time, too – perhaps he was spending too much time around the man. 

Hytham gave the viking woman a tentative smile. “You know I’m injured. I shouldn’t be dancing anyway.”

Eivor cocked an eyebrow, like she’d been expecting him to say that. 

“I thought it was your ribs that were broken, not your feet.”

Hytham frowned, frustrated; not because of her insistence, but rather because of her ability to read him like a book. Unlike his mentor, Hytham lacked the talent to keep secrets, and he was seemingly obvious to everyone except for himself.

“I don’t know how to dance,” he tried again.

“And they do?” Eivor laughed, looking at a drunk man who tripped and dragged his dancing partner down with him. Hytham could smell the alcohol on their breath from his seat.

“They’re too drunk to care.”

“Hytham.”

“I know you mean well, Eivor,” he softened his tone, shaking his head. “But I believe I should sit this one out. My ribs have been hurting again, and I wouldn’t want to aggravate them.”

It was a lie, and Eivor knew. Nevertheless, without questioning him, the woman sighed and stood up with great effort. She squeezed his shoulder in one last attempt to encourage him, but Hytham only patted her arm. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, or that he lacked the confidence to do so – but Hytham felt like he’d be intruding if he were to approach you now. You gleamed and danced amongst the other dancers, stepping over the bodies of the people who had succumbed to a drunken sleep. You moved with the kind of expertise he would almost envy if he weren’t a skilled fighter himself. 

Someday, he told himself. Someday, he would try to talk to you again. Not now, when you seemed to be in your own world. Hytham was content with just watching for now.

»» ──────ஓ๑♥๑ஓ ────── ««

That day came sooner than Hytham expected.

The scenario was oddly familiar. As per your request, you were in the training yard once more, graced by the presence of a slumped dummy. The assassin didn’t stray too far from you, observing your posture as you readied another throw. 

“Remember to aim for a pulse point.”

Hytham muttered, not keen on interrupting your focus. You were deeply concentrated, he could tell. Your gloved fingers gripped the dagger tightly, readjusting your hold, before you pivoted and hurled the weapon at the humanoid sack. The blade hissed through the air and past the target, and the scowl on your face darkened.

“Damn it.”

The assassin smiled in amusement. Throwing knives were cheeky little bastards – they seemed to have a mind of their own and strayed wherever they pleased. And the wind today didn’t seem to be working in your favor, either. These weren’t the best conditions to be training; but for the two of you, spare time was just as slippery as the flying blades. The second you could find time to spend together, you’d take it.

So Hytham respected your choice to continue training. It was a good enough excuse to spend time with you, at least until he ran out of knives.

He drew another one from his belt, nodding at you. “That’s alright. Try again.”

You took the dagger from him, and perhaps your impatience was starting to get to you, because just a few seconds later, the knife was cutting through the air again. This time though, it embedded itself into the crotch area of the dummy, and true to its humanoid appearance, it slumped over as if it were in pain. Hytham let out an incredulous laugh, warily eyeing the dummy.

“Wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that.”

You grinned in triumph, satisfied that this one had struck the target. “But this would still work, right?”

“I suppose it would,” he hummed, instinctively handing you another knife. It was the last from his belt, and Hytham was relieved to know that he would soon be retreating back into the warmth of the bureau. He propped up the dummy before joining your side again. “Try one last time. Here, I’ll help you.”

Your posture was better than last time, but it still needed fixing. The man waited for you to curl the knife up to your opposite shoulder, before leaning closer to hover at your eye level. Gauging the distance by moving into your space was unnecessary, he knew you were capable enough to do so on your own. You knew you didn’t need him either. And yet, Hytham relished the side glance you gave him, one that lingered on his face longer than he’d expected. He fought back a smile as he reached to lift up your crooked arm.

“Focus on the target and take your time,” he reprimanded you playfully. You ripped your eyes away from him, and Hytham swore he could feel the heat emanating from your cheeks. “Your arm should be fully outstretched in a straight line. Aiming too high or too low will miss the target entirely, and you’ll quickly lose range advantage.”

He let go of your elbow when he was satisfied enough. Your eyes were trained on the dummy, unblinking, and the leather of your gloves groaned when you tightened the grip on the knife. Your voice was a soft mutter, but Hytham heard it. 

“You know, you sound a lot like Basim.”

The man gave you the ghost of a smile. It seemed the little voice in his head was starting to seep into his voice now, too.

“Well, he is my mentor,” a pause, and Hytham was tempted to speak again despite your focus. He added quietly. “Would you prefer his tutoring?”

“No. I would much rather enjoy your company.”

“And I yours.”

Another pause, and then, you flung the knife again. It cut through the air with a hiss, glinting for just a second before it sank into the neck of the dummy, and the stray strands of straw fluttered down at the stab. Hytham grinned as your eyes widened, and drew back to look at you properly.

“Good job,” he winked, promptly walking back to the mannequin to retrieve his knives. “Remind me to never get on your bad side again.”

“So this is how you do it?” you asked, and Hytham’s smile softened at the awe in your eyes. “I’ve seen you fling daggers from greater distances with just the flick of a wrist.”

The man shrugged, at a loss for words. He was never good at taking compliments, especially when they were this genuine. “It’s a matter of practice,” was all he said instead. He nodded at the bureau just as you joined his side.

“In that case, I’ll have to whisk you away more often. I need you to teach me how to do that.”

Hytham repressed a grin, but he couldn’t hide the blush on his cheeks.

“You know I won’t complain.”

»» ──────ஓ๑♥๑ஓ ────── ««

Complain? No, he could never.

Hytham didn’t know what it was that pulled him towards you. Other than his feelings, of course. Was it the way the fireplace of the bureau cast shadows on your face? The depth of your eyes, perhaps? The tender caress of your lips against his? Too many questions ran about in his mind, and no answer was valid enough to satisfy him.

There was one thing that did satisfy him, though; and he knew right then and there that he was doomed. The kiss started off with a peck –Hytham wasn’t sure who had leaned in first–; but then came a second one, and then another one, which turned into a lingering kiss. He felt the heat of your sigh, the gentle nudge of your nose, the caress of your lashes against his skin. The blood in his ears was roaring at your touch.

If this was how training ended every time, then Hytham wouldn’t have minded teaching you more often.

You had somehow found your way to the shelves. His body pressed you against them, caging you in his embrace as your hands cradled his face; and here, hidden away from any witnesses, your lips came to create a dance and language of their own. Hytham pulled back, desperate to relieve the burn in his chest but not leaning too far either. Your breaths intermingled once more as his finger skimmed over your cheek, and he whispered.

“I’m starting to think training was just an excuse.”

He felt you smile against his skin, like he had caught you in a lie. Perhaps he had, judging from the glint in your eyes.

“It wasn’t, at least not in the beginning,” you paused, interrupted by him as he surged forward to catch your lips again. Your words etched onto his skin as you whispered through the kiss. “But then you refused to dance with me at the celebration, and I had to come up with a new idea.”

Hytham stilled, and your smile widened at his reaction. He glanced between your eyes, trying to read you like he’d been trained to do in his novice years. It was so obvious now that he looked more carefully – maybe he was too distracted by his feelings in the past to even notice what you were plotting. That seemed to be a recurring problem for Hytham. His cheeks grew warm again, but his small smile said he was impressed.

“I was set up.” 

“Took you long enough.”

“You’re devious,” his words were teasing, but the assassin felt his eyes soften the more he looked at you. Your arms around his neck had never felt so welcoming. “Perhaps we should make a Hidden One out of you.”

“Only if you continue teaching me how to use the knives.”

Hytham grinned, whispering against your lips. “Deal.”

[angelicsnowlily]

They make me sick I wanna put them in a snow globe and shake it aggressively

[marley-warriors]

Loki/Basim's background and motivations analysis

Based on AC Vallhalla, Mirage, Dawn of Ragnarok, The Golden City novel, and Forgotten Myths comic

To start with, the creator of Sages, Darby McDevitt explaines Sages as such.

Basim and Loki are the same being born in different time periods. Basim is Loki, but has amnesia of his past Isu life. It is only after accepting his Loki side (aka Nehal) that he lifted his amnesia and remembers his first life.

Edit: Sarah Beaulieu, narrative director of Mirage, indicates it may be a takeover, contrary to Darby below. Seems the lore is still unclear.

So here is what we know of Loki/Basim's background.

Loki had brothers once, but Basim did not. From the Edda's we learn of two older brothers; Byleist and Helblindi. His Father's name was Farbauti, which translates to 'Dangerous striker'.

In the Golden City we learn that Loki's father was extremely cruel and violent towards him, and apparently never loved him. From a young age, Loki would have felt unworthy of love. He was a child. He needed love to feel safe, but instead was forced to adapt to violence. Also, note how sad he is in the text. He's neglected and traumatised by his childhood memories.

It's saddening how Loki/Basim is filled with a childlike jealousy at Hytham's care for Leo. Because deep inside Loki/Basim craves that parternal love and affection which he never recived. And perhaps Basim's architect father provided a balm for that, but it was not enough, because even this father abandoned him by dying. And again he is forced to grow up fast as an outcast amongst society.

He is not evil, and had ambitions. Basim wanted to aid the less fortunate and had a strong sense of justice. We never met young Loki, but Baldr approached Loki specifically for mentorship in diplomacy.

[I will need a mentor in the art of diplomacy - and none is shrewder than Loki. - Baldr]

From an Isu perspective it would have been sensible to employ Loki as a Diplomat. It might have been his actual job, which explains why he was free to travel between the warring empires. Not just that, but he is half Jotnar and half Aesir. In the games Loki referes to himself as a Jotnar, but in the comic he acknowledges that he is not a pure-blooded Aesir, indicating his mom was Aesir.

The comics indicate that he was born and raised in Jotunheim, being well familiar with the area and serving as Baldr's guide.

[Jotunheim, realm of the frost giants was a harsh land. But Loki knew it well. For six days he guided Baldr through the mountains as they sought their treasure, evading the residents of that terrible place.

Loki: Stay in the shadows and out of the sunlight, no matter how tempting the warmth. Jotun eyes are keen and there are many about.

Baldr: Aren't you cold?

Loki: Don't mistake me for blood-kin Baldr. My father was bathing in blizzards while yours lounged in summer fields.

[Baldr is freezing in place and becoming an icicle while lamenting death.]

Loki: Perhaps I should have come alone.

Baldr: I couldn't let you risk the danger on my behalf. Not when I am invunerable and you-

Loki: - can endure the cold better than any pure-blooded Aesir? ]

Jotunheim under Jupiter/Zeus/Suttungr seems to be North America. Perhaps Loki grew up in Alaska or Canada. Loki is also a frost giant with the ability to manipulate ice (might also be a piece of Eden or bio-engineering).

The comics show that Loki loves spinning tall tales and has a real passion for story crafting. Baldr was aware of that and played that to his advantage.

[Appealing to my ego? Transparent, but... effective. - Loki AC Forgotten Myths after Baldr sweet-talks him.]

Loki has a big ego, and is aware of it too. In general, he seems keenly aware and insightful of his own nature, and engages in philosophical musings with Baldr. A sense of self-preservation drives Loki, and he uses this as a shield against anyone that threatens to do him harm. Loki is quick to fear death (as are most beings of course), but Loki's fear of death seems extreme, possibly steming from deep-rooted trauma.

[My nature is neither better nor worse than the next man's. When I am kind, it is because it suits me. When I am cruel, it is to preserve my existence - and that of my kin. The fear of death is the root of my "callousness." - Loki]

[I cannot be other than I am. All of this was fated. All this will happen again.]

Loki fully believes in fate, and so justifies his actions as already being calculated by the fates. There's no point in trying to be a better person if the fates have already declared you to be the bad guy, which is how every other character makes him feel.

[Have you considered that Havi may not want Loki redeemed? - Freya to Baldr in AC Forgotten Myths]

It doesn't help that the others keep enforcing this idea by calling him a trickster and oath-breaker, because if they don't hold him to a higher standart, why should he himself? Even the blood-brother Loki once looked up to has decided that he should never be seen as redeemable.

[Yet only a fool trusts Loki - Loki to Baldr after Baldr asks for mentorship in AC Forgotten Myths]

In the comics, it seems that Loki has weaponised his stereotype, and he warns Baldr a few times that he should be cautious around none other than himself. Either Loki has been verbally abused often enough to fully believe that he's the bad guy, or he uses it as a persona to hide his vunerability and hurt. Perhaps he was even trying to give Baldr a fighting chance of surving his own wrath?

Also, we must remember that Loki and Havi saw each other as real brothers. Havi called Loki his 'brother' or numerous occasions, but when angry, he'd call him 'Jotnar' or derogatory terms. Even Loki and Baldr called each other nephew and uncle on multiple occasions. Loki grew up in a broken family, found a new family in the Aesir, and forged a family of his own with Sigyn and Aletheia, but all of his families were shattered and taken from him.

[With such gifts would Loki find forgiveness. My brother always knew how to win hearts. To him, it was almost as easy as breaking them. - Havi]

Loki can be very charming if it gains him favour. He loves using bribes and offering gifts to appease the Aesir.

As is the case with some traumatic childhoods, Loki seems to understand love as transactional. Love needs to be earned by good deeds or gifts. And Havi's words seem to further reinforce the the notion of Loki only being valuable if he could offer contributions.

[Now Loki had the three gifts he needed to win redemption in Asgard. - Havi AC Dawn of Ragnarok]

Loki/Basim has a strong sense of justice, hence killing Baldr had been Loki's last resort. He had tried countless other methods first. Fenrir's imprisonment infuriated Loki, so he tried to reason with Havi. (Rightly so, Fenrir was a literal BABY who had done nothing wrong). Loki wanted to appeal to the council and courts for an overturned judgement, but Aletheia stopped him as she feared they'd kill him. Loki and Aletheia then polygraphed Havi before attempting to imprison him. When Juno freed Havi, it further foiled Loki's plans.

Loki informed Jupiter of what was happening, but even Jupiter failed to end the threat. It seems at this point that Loki really snapped and decided to do the job himself. He aimed to kill Havi before ever thinking of killing Baldr.

[Oath-breaker? I did to you what you did to my son. This is only fair. Release him, Havi. Release Fenrir, or I swear I will kill you here and now - Loki AC Valhalla]

Now this is interesting because of the blood-oath. Loki was ready and willing to kill Havi, which would activate the blood-oath and kill him too. The blood-oath promised mutual assured destruction, which is essentially a murder-suicide on Loki's part. But he was willing to die of suicide if it meant Fenrir could be free. Havi spared Loki because Havi had no intention of dying.

So Loki, who has become suicidal, sets off to stalk Baldr, and decides "Curse all! If I can never hold my son again, neither can Havi!"

[I have a tale for you. A tale of Loki, who claimed righteous vengeance upon Havi through his hapless son... - Loki imprisoned in AC Forgotten Myths]

Loki truly believes this is justified. He essentialy stabbed his only ally in the back, killing the last Aesir that had any trust or love towards him. It's interesting that Havi's own self-fulling prophesis brought this about, which Loki himself cautioned Havi against.

Loki is cunning, shifty, self-serving, a liar, but he is also diplomatic, patient, helpful and has a strong sense of justice. Circumstances have pushed him to this point. If Basim is Loki, we know that he is capable of good, and longed to do well (this depends on whether Basim was Loki or serves only as a vessel to him).

Loki only ever wanted to be a good father. He wanted to be the father he never had. When Loki lost Fenrir, he probably hated himself, because in his mind, he was now just as bad as his own father. He was willing to endure his two worst fears - death and lonliness - to free Fenrir. Not to mention Loki's cell being a claustrophobic coffin, completely alone (his biggest fear), only taken out off his coffin prison to be physically tortured. It's no suprise he experiences CPTSD/PTSD from his childhood, his imprisonment and the imprisonment of his son.

PS: Some people say Loki was evil in the Edda's? I read over them, and Loki was never malicious or evil (except when he killed Baldr and bragged about it). He was a troublemaker and caused chaos, but never for malicious or evil reasons. Loki was never jealous or plotting. He was more of a prankster. In fact, the Aesir were unreasonably cruel to him, constantly threatening him with death or bodily harm. Loki only caused the Aesir trouble for two reasons; he was A) Bored or B) Hungry/hangry. (Do not touch his food. He will fight you).

[sushis-brainrot]

So, I finished AC The Golden City. And I have thoughts:

Hytham is baby

Basim is a sassy tease

Hytham is bABY

Basim cares more easily for people than he cares to admit

Hytham is my boi, my big-hearted loving boi

Basim will most likely take anything you say he can't do, turn it into a challenge, and prove you wrong

HYTHAM QWQ

Basim calls Hytham "my friend", after almost every sentence <33

I didn't think I could love Basim's brain and Hytham's heart more

"In the grove you were elegant - the picture of grace," Basim said. "Now you fight like a vicious dog. I can't decide which version of you I like more."

"Really?" Basim grinned. "You know I do so love a challenge, Hytham."

"You'll be shocked, I'm sure, to learn that arrogance is a fault of mine." - Basim, and no, we're really not that shocked

"If we're lucky Isaac thinks he's taken me out of the fight." "Should you be out of the fight?" Hytham couldn't help but observe, as Basim winced again when he tied off the bandage. Basim smiled at him, and it was not a pleasant expression. "Your sense of humor is one of the many things I like about you, my friend."

[eziosofia]

Chapter 25 of AC: The Golden City is making me go through IT...

[bayern-moni]

The unfiltered version of their first meeting with Eivor

Basim: Don't be a brat. I saw you rolling your eyes, young man.

Hytham: I know I did promise you in Constantinople that I'd indulge your thing for the Vikings, but Sigurd is so ... obnoxious. He never stops talking about himself and I'm pretty sure he has a crush on you, mentor.

Basim: You need to learn how to deal with men in love with the sound of their own voice if you want to survive in the Hidden Ones' ranks. Think of this as part of your training. So be nice and smile at Eivor and Sigurd.

Hytham: *sigh* I regret this already. So much.

[wesslesprout]

Reading through The Golden City now I'm done with the main plot of Valhalla and I rlly do wish we got more time to spend with Basim and Hytham especially like he's so cute and soft with kids even though he swore he could never be a dad aaaa

[firerwolf]

I’m about half way through The Golden City and I’m enjoying the book so far. It’s certainly a good book if you’re a fan of Hytham or political plots. There are a few things that I’ve noticed which the book established that seem pretty important. Assuming the book is fully canon and approved of by Ubisoft then it is very informative.

First thing is that the book still doesn’t really tell you anything about Hytham’s history. Who he was before the Hidden Ones has been completely absent in the book meaning that I don’t think Ubisoft had any actual history for him. It’s sad to think his codex entry was really as little as it feels they cared about him.

Second is that his and Basim’s relationship was very different. In the book Basim is not the completely absent man he is in Valhalla. He is in the shadows but he is always there, he does teach Hytham, and he seems to genuinely care if Hytham feels offended or questioned by him. I’d say that Basim feels a little Loki like but as though having not found Sigurd that there is still some of the man who we’d meet in Mirage. It does give a good explanation of why it is that Hytham would have had some faith in Basim and been accepting of his absence.

Third, Hytham would be a fantastic father. In the book he states that after his first kill he gave up on being a father despite wanting to be one. He basically claims that he doesn’t feel like he can bring a child into the violent world he lives in. I wonder if living with the vikings and age would change that. The vikings exist in a world of violence and they still can have children and take care of them. Because in the book Hytham has to take care of a child and he is just good with the kid. He’s kind and caring and the kid really likes him.

Fourth, Hytham was a very skilled fighter and assassin who was likely to make Master. The book makes it very clear that Hytham is a skilled fighter, starting off the book with a sparring match between him and Basim where he can hold his own. Hytham is also smart, being skilled with words, memory, and is very observant. He is shown to not be as good as Basim but that simply means he’s not a master, not that he isn’t skilled. It represents exactly how bad the injury he received was and how frustrating it must be for him to be unable to fight as he did before. He had a future as a master and in an instance it was taken away. It also sort of makes the moment in Vahalla make less sense because it seems like a sloppy assassination attempt but Hytham is skilled. It does highlight the fact that the actual action is never addressed in the game or Hytham giving an end to his arc and makes it more annoying to me in retrospect.

Fifth, Hytham’s big weakness is that he gets emotionally involved. With several characters and the boy the main cause of fault for Hytham is that he lets his emotions take part in his decisions and it can sometimes be a fault. This makes it make a little more sense that Hytham is suspicious of Eivor who he feels Basim is making the same mistakes he was. Basim is being chummy with vikings and it seems like he’s blinded by his friendship with them and it makes Hytham’s attitude make more sense. And their blades are hidden making his objectives on that matter also make more sense. So far the book has done well in making the Hytham and Basim we meet at the start of Valhalla make more sense. Also the show of his abilities coupled with Sword of the White Horse which showed that people easily become loyal and protective of him they do lead to a good basis for assuming that Hytham was the first Mentor of the English brotherhood.

Sixth, it really makes me again wish that they weren’t making a game about Basim but instead were making one about Hytham. You could get the exactly same stealth heavy and limited story but you have more reason with Hytham. Basim is Loki, which means that him being limited doesn’t really make sense when we’ve seen what he should be able to do. Hytham is just a man. An injured man who is limited in what he can physically do. Him learning to be an effective assassin with his limitations would have allowed for player progression and skills, would have forced more reliance on stealth as Hytham couldn’t be in prolonged combat, and building a brand new branch to the brotherhood is an interesting story. It also would have worked better to actually give a Hidden One story to England and Valhalla.

[hythamkns]

spent an insanely long time in the character creator that i felt actively sick and i'm still not happy but we're here 😕

[sonderlivra]

Hytham/Basim Ibn Ishaq | 2200 words | One-shot | Rating: Explicit | Tags: Canon Universe, Porn Without Plot, No Spoilers

Summary:

Basim and Hytham celebrate the end of their mission in Constantinople.

[alexiios]

just read all of Assassin's Creed : the Golden City in one evening and it sucked so bad oh my god!! Hytham bby i'm so sorry

[fanworldbuildingfun]

So. My haul is finally whole

The Secret Crusade

Renaissance

Brotherhood

Revelations

Forsaken

Black Flag

Unity

Underworld

Desert Oath

Odyssey

Valhalla. Geirmund saga

Heresy

Assassin's Creed. Official movie novel

...I may or may not be lost for a while. Already started the Secret Crusade, and honestly? It almost feels a bit intrusive reading out Altaїr's perception of what's gone down in AC1

[elijahmiles]

hytham & basim: and my father's love was nothing next to god's will

ocean vuong, prayer for the newly damned / desireé dallagiacomo, origin story / jaleigh johnson, assassin's creed: the golden city / traci brimhall, lullaby on mount moriah, and: dioskouri / elizabeth lindsey rogers, questions about the father / amatullah bourdon, and my father's love was nothing next to god's will

[sushis-brainrot]

"In the grove you were elegant - the picture of grace," Basim said. "Now you fight like a vicious dog. I can't decide which version of you I like more." - Basim to Hytham