#conversations w/ alexios

[qqueenofhades]

Hi, I hope this isnt annoying to ask but w the old guard ive seen a lot of people mixing up catholic and christian when it comes to nicky. when by todays standards theyre not interchangeable as catholic is a specific strain of christianity. i was kinda under the impression the crusades were a purely catholic thing since the pope. is that right or were other christians involved??

Hmm. Just to be clear what you’re asking, are you wondering whether it’s a mistake to use “Catholic” and “Christian” interchangeably when talking about this time period or describing Nicky’s faith? And/or asking for a basic religious primer on medieval Europe and the crusades more generally?

First, it’s not a mistake to use “Catholic” and “Christian” as synonyms during the crusades, especially since a) Catholics are Christians, no matter what the militant Protestant reformers would like you to think, and b) until said Protestant reformation, they were the dominant and almost (but not quite) singular Christian denomination in Western Europe. Our source material for the period doesn’t describe the crusaders as “Catholics,” even if they were; they call them Christians or Franks. (Likewise, the word “Frank,” i.e. “French” was often used to describe Western European crusaders no matter which country they were from, since so many crusaders came from France and that was where the crusades were originally launched, at the council of Clermont in 1095.) To call them “Christians” points us to the fact that the crusades were viewed as a great pan-Christian enterprise, even if the reality was more complicated, and nobody would need to specify “Catholic,” because that was implicit.

In short, medieval Europe had two major strands of Christianity, which developed out of the centuries of arguments over heresy, the contents of the biblical canon, the nature and/or divinity of Christ, their relationship to Judaism, paganism, and other religions of late antiquity, and so forth. Eventually these two competing branches took on geographical, cultural, and linguistic associations: Western (Latin) Catholic Christianity, and Eastern (Greek) Orthodox Christianity. The Great Schism in 1054 split these two rites formally apart, though both of them had at least some thought that the internal divisions in Christianity should be healed and dialogue has continued intermittently even up to the present day (though they’re still not actually reconciled and this seems highly unlikely to ever happen.)

The head of Western Catholic Christianity was (and is) the Pope of Rome, and the head of Eastern Orthodox Christianity was (and is) the Patriarch of Constantinople. Both of these branches of Christianity were involved in launching the crusades. To make a long story short, the Byzantine (Greek) Emperor, Alexios Komnenos, appealed to the Catholic (Latin) pope, Urban II, for help in defending the rights of eastern Christians, territorial incursions against Greek possessions by the Muslims of the Holy Land and North Africa, and the city of Constantinople (and Jerusalem) itself. So although the actual French and Western European participants in the crusades were Catholic, they (originally, at least) joined up with the intention of helping out their Orthodox brethren in the East and “liberating” Jerusalem from the so-called tyranny of Islam. To this end, the accounts of the council of Clermont focused heavily on the brotherhood of western and eastern Christians and the alleged terrible treatment of these Christians by the ruling Islamic caliphate in Jerusalem. At that time, that was the Isma’ili Shia Muslim Fatimids (who had replaced the Sunni Muslim Abbasids in the early 10th century -- there are many names and many dynasties, but yes.)

However, despite this ecumenical start, relations between Western and Eastern Christians started to go bad very quickly over the course of the crusades, indeed within a few short years of Clermont. Alexios Komnenos wanted the crusade leaders to swear loyalty to him and pledge to return formerly Byzantine lands that might be recaptured from the Muslims, and the crusade leaders did not want to do this. There were deep cultural, linguistic, religious, social, and political differences between Greek and Latin Christians, even if they were both technically Christians, and these caused the obvious problems. The Greeks were obviously located in a different part of the world and had a different relationship with their Islamic neighbors (they fought them often, but also traded with them and established diplomatic ties) and this caused constant friction during the crusades, since the Westerners always suspected (not entirely wrongly) that the Greeks were secretly in league with the Turks. Albert of Aachen, writing his Historia Ierosolimitana in the early 12th century, referred to “wicked Christians, that is to say Greeks,” and our primary source for the Second Crusade (1145--49) is Odo of Deuil and his De profectione Ludovici VII in Orientem (Journey of Louis VII to the East.) He spent the entire time grousing about “treacherous Greeks” and blaming them for the crusade’s struggles (though the Second Crusade pretty much sabotaged itself and didn’t need any outside force to blame for its failure). There was some truth to this accusation, since Byzantium was then engaged in a war against Sicily (Louis VII’s ally, though it had its own connections to Muslim culture and indeed had been Muslim before the Normans conquered it in 1061). The Greeks had thus been working with the Muslims to undercut the invasion of Western Europeans into this contested territory, and this was not forgotten or forgiven.

The best-known example of Western-Eastern relations during the crusades going catastrophically awry is in 1204, at the sack of Constantinople as the culmination of the Fourth Crusade. Basically: the crusaders were deeply in debt to the Venetians and had already attacked the Catholic city of Zara (Zadar in Croatia) in hopes of getting some money back, then got involved in the messy politics of the Byzantine succession, went to Constantinople, and eventually outright attacked it, sacked and destroyed the city, and raped and slaughtered its inhabitants. This obviously poisoned the well all but permanently between Latin and Greek Christians (frankly, in my opinion, it’s one of the worst tragedies of history) and Constantinople never regained its former wealth and pre-eminence. It declined until it was captured in 1453 by the Ottoman Turks and Sultan Mehmed II, and has been an Islamic city ever since. (It was renamed Istanbul in 1923, under Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the “founding father” of modern Turkey.) Obviously, Latin and Greek Christianity still had to work with each other somehow, but the crusades were actually the single biggest factor in driving the two branches further apart, rather than reconciling them.

The words “catholic” and “orthodox” both have connotations of universality, overall correctness, and all-encompassing truth claims. Therefore, in some sense, to a Catholic Christian or an Orthodox Christian, defining themselves as such, with both words, is repetitious; they are Catholic/Orthodox and therefore the correct sort of Christian (even if their theological opponents would disagree). However, historians obviously do use that convention to distinguish them, since the identity is important, and makes a big difference as to what religious landscape an individual is living in. As for heresy, it was an equally complicated subject. Numerous “heretical” (i.e. not mainstream Catholic Christianity) Christian sects existed in Europe for this entire period, most notably the Cathars. (They got their own crusade launched against them, the Albigensian Crusade of 1209--29 in southern France.) The lines between heresy and orthodoxy (small-o orthodoxy meaning in this case, confusingly, Catholic Christianity) could often be blurred, and religious practices were syncretic and constantly influenced each other. A big problem in the Albigensian Crusade was identifying who the heretics actually were; they looked like their Catholic neighbors, they lived in community with them, their friends and family members were Cathar and Catholic alike, both rites were practiced, and plenty of towns were just fine with this hybrid arrangement. Hence it was not as simple as just pointing and going “get those guys,” and indeed, one of the leaders of the Albigensian Crusade, when asked by a knight how to tell them apart, advocated to just kill them all and God would know who the good Catholics were. Welp.

Northern and eastern Europe also remained pagan relatively late into the medieval era (into the 10th and 11th centuries) and the Northern and Baltic Crusades were launched with the aim of converting them to Catholic Christianity. (You will notice that the crusades have a complicated history as both a vehicle of religious warfare and as an attempted theater of conversion.) Heresy was a constant preoccupation of the Catholic popes, especially Innocent III (the progenitor of the Fourth, Albigensian, and Fifth Crusades). Especially in the thirteenth century, splinter religious groups and localized sects of “heresy” were popping up like crazy, and it was a constant point of contention as to how to deal with them, i.e. by force, persuasion, reconciliation, dialogue, etc. No, the medieval Catholic church was not the stereotyped instrument of fear, oppression, and tyranny, and could never enforce its views universally on all of western Europe. Church attendance on the parish level could be so low that in 1215 at the Fourth Lateran Council, Innocent issued an order requiring Christians to take communion at least once a year. So yes. The standard was very far from “everyone believed Catholicism fervently at all times and if they didn’t, they were immediately punished/burned alive.” The idea of burning heretics at the stake wasn’t even introduced until the early fifteenth century, and even then, it required an often-months-long formal church trial and wasn’t just something that the local village priest could hand out on a whim.

There were also monastic orders, and these (at least in Western Europe) were therefore Catholic, but they had different ways of practicing it and what their orders emphasized. The most common order were Benedictines (founded in the 6th century by Saint Benedict), who adhered to the Rule of Saint Benedict, which is still the basis for the following monastic orders. There were also the Cluniacs (founded in 10th-century France at Cluny Abbey) and the Cistercians (founded as rivals to the Cluniacs at the end of the 11th century, also in France). In terms of the crusades, the Cistercians were by far the most involved with/zealously supportive of them (Bernard of Clairvaux was a Cistercian) and took part in directly financing, preaching, and launching the Second, Fourth, and Albigensian Crusades alike. The better-known monastic orders, the Franciscans and Dominicans, weren’t founded until the thirteenth century, on the tail end of the crusades, and didn’t take much direct part in them. The Dominican inquisition, however, took over the business of dealing with the Cathars after the Albigensian Crusade petered out, and their concern was often with heresy thereafter.

Anyway. This has gotten long, as per usual. But I hope this gives you some introductory sense of the religious landscape of medieval Europe, the divisions within Christianity, and the fact that it’s entirely accurate to use “Catholic” and “Christian” interchangeably when discussing Nicky’s crusades-era faith and counterparts. The crusaders themselves did not specify themselves as being Catholic, and the crusades were (at least initially) viewed as a pan-Christian movement, even if eventually fatal tensions with Orthodox Christians left a permanent scar. The idea of identifying the precise denomination of Christianity is also another Protestant Reformation-era innovation, and wasn’t, at least in this case, necessary to do.

[dare-to-dm]

I’m as caught up as I’m ever gonna be with the Assassin’s Creed series, having recently replayed it from the beginning all the way to Odyssey.  It’s definitely got its highs and lows, but overall I really like the series.  Apropos of nothing, I’ve decided to rank all the playable assassins from my least to most favorite (with apologies to the assassins in the side scroller games which I couldn’t get into, and whoever was the protagonist in Unity, because I’m still butthurt about the “It’d be too difficult to animate women” thing and I’m never getting over it).

Jacob Frye - This guy sucks.  He’s basically just a thug who makes the barest of nods to Assassin ideals and usually makes things worse wherever he goes.  Like, running a gang is just a fun game for him. 

Layla Hassan - The assassins in the “present day” don’t get as much character development, and in the case of Layla, it shows.  Her switch from templar to assassin was quick and unconvincing, and as of the ending of Odyssey, she’s an arrogant jerk who clearly isn’t in control of herself.  Obviously her story isn’t done, and it’s likely the next game is setting her up for some kind of redemption arc, so there’s a chance I could like her more in the future. But right now I just don’t find her very likeable.

Alexios - Okay, I’m not gonna lie and pretend like I actually played Odyssey as Alexios.  I played as Kassandra and I am very happy with that decision.  Logically, Alexios would have been a very similar protagonist, but I didn’t find his visual design or voice appealing (at least in comparison to the glory that is Kassandra) so he goes, perhaps unfairly, low on my list. 

You - I’m referring to the several games where instead of playing a named protagonist experiencing a simulation of the past, you’re just a nameless gamer/Abstergo employee/hacker playing in the first person.  On the one hand, this makes for an interesting meta experience.  On the other hand, it means you get zero closure on the character arcs for the protagonists of these games.

Ezio Auditore - To be clear, Ezio is not a bad character.  I didn’t like him at first because I felt his characterization was shallow.  Too glib and flippant for someone who had watched their family be murdered.  But 3 games gave him more than enough development to be interesting and likeable. 

Shay Cormac - Shay is kind of jerk, but he does have strong ideals, which I appreciate in a character.  He’s really tragic, because he could have been an amazing assassin and boon to the brotherhood if they had only given him more of a chance and tried harder to communicate instead of judge.  I found his conversion from assassin to templar interesting and believable.  Can’t forgive him for killing Adewale, though.

Aya of Alexandria - Aya is somewhat cold for my tastes, but she is also an impressive force.  She is as much responsible for the formation of the Hidden Ones as her husband (if not moreso).  Her focus, dedication and leadership made it possible. I wish she got more playtime in Origins.

Altair Ibn La’Ahad - Okay, this guy was an asshole.  But a well written one.  And he had a good redemption arc, which I’m a sucker for.  

Desmond Miles - Some people feel like Desmond’s character is kind of bland, but I kind of like the whole Reluctant Hero thing.  He’s got a great balance of kindness and sarcasm, and when push came to shove, he didn’t choke.

Adewale - All the assassins are badasses, but I feel like Adwele is really badass.  Most of the other assassins come from relative positions of privilege, but this guy was born a slave, and spent his whole life existing under the oppressing shadow of colonialism.  Despite that, he remained kind and true to his ideals, and even had a sense of humor. 

Evie Frye - Evie is one of the most cerebral of the assassins, which I really appreciate.  She wasn’t just driven by a sense of justice, but also a curiosity for the truth.  Also, though it doesn’t get as much screen time as I’d like, I really like the relationship she forms with Henry Green.  Finally, as a sibling overshadowed by a more glib and “charming” but far less responsible younger sibling, I can relate a lot to Evie.

Kassandra - Technically, Kassandra never was an Assassin™, but damn if she didn’t kill a ton of people for a living!  It’s actually hard to place her on this list, as Odyssey had the most roleplaying elements of any of the games, so her “cannon” characterization isn’t firmly set.  But I played her as someone who was kind when she could afford to be, looked out for girls, and carried a major chip on her shoulder.  She was a bit simple minded for my tastes, but certain spoilery plot elements make her really fascinating to me.  Also, DAMN she’s hot.

Bayek of Siwa - I found his unwavering desire to avenge the death of an innocent very compelling.  I also think it’s cool that he’s the one devotedly religious assassins of the series.  And I love that he loves children! 

Edward Kenway - He gets major bonus points for being a pirate, I’m not gonna lie.  I have a thing for pirates.  He’s selfish, arrogant, reckless and generally makes things worse wherever he goes.  So why do I like him and hate Jacob?  I guess it’s because he gets a well written arc that shows him actually feeling for the people he’s hurt and suffering his own tragic losses due to his hubris.  Plus, he’s a pirate.

Aveline de Grandpre - I find the whole “double life” aspect of Aveline’s characterization to be compelling.  You spend much of the game not in Assassin Mode, but rather in the guise of socialite or slave.  Aveline is clever, charming and talented in addition to being a skilled killer.  She’s also genuinely warm, which is refreshing.

Ratonhnhake:ton (Connor) - Connor spends most of the game as a surly teenager, but honestly that’s a big part of why I find him so endearing.  In spite of the many tragic losses he endures and the staggering disillusionment he must feel at the repeated betrayal of supposed allies, he never stops being idealistic.  Plus, you know how it took Ezio until he was gray-haired to learn the importance of community building?  Connor was doing that work at the age of 15 or so. 

[classicnovaproductions]

AC Odyssey's Modern Day AU Headcanons- Kassandra Edition

With everything happening lately I thought it would be fun to create a list of headcanons I've come up with!

So for the sake of keeping everything easier to follow, everyone lives in Athens and the general AC lore and history is not entirely intact.

Warning: Very Long Post!

Kassandra

Born in Modern-day Sparta, she spent most of her youth growing up resenting the city's still highly conservative mindset

Is a full-on Lesbian

Favorite Literary Master is Sapphos of Lesbos

Spent her early to late 20s in the Greek Military, eventually working as a mercenary before being honorably discharged

Highly athletic, with a naturally above average strong physice

Head Curator for the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, and is heavily regarded in her field across Greece

Is also renowned for her unusually vast knowledge of Ancient Greece (some say it's as though she's lived through it...but that's impossible)

Can trace her ancestry to King Leonidas himself

Unless working out (which is quite often) Kass ALWAYS makes sure her attire is perfectly tailored and pressed-almost always in a suit of some sort

Favorite designer is Giorgio Armani

Favorite music include groups like Florence and the Machine and Within Temptation, along with Classical

Doesn't always admit it, but also loves Janelle Monae

Is an absolute Film Fan

There always seems to be an eagle somewhere close by her...but that's just coincidence

Many find her just as beautiful as she is intimidating, which makes a lot of people nervous around her

Doesn't talk about her childhood, but she sometimes suffers from night terrors and boughts of loneliness

Adores children and loves to give young ones a tour around the museum

Is a big advocate for historical preservation and conservation

No one knows where her wealth comes from, but Kass lives fairly comfortably yet refuses to ever put it on display (aside from her suits)

Known for having voracious sexual exploits, Kassandra is pretty much the definition of BDE in the WLW community

Despite this, however, Kass considers all her female relations to be meaningful ones

Is still friends with a lot of former GFs and they all gets drinks together as a group often

Will usually get sea sick when sailing with Barnabas

Barnabas

Spent most his life on the sea as a sailor

Kassandra considers him one of her best friends

Although semi retired now, he still partakes on new "voyages" that comes his way

Fascinated by Ancient Greek naval history, Barnabas has dedicated his off time to restoring one of the most well-known ships of the Aegeon Sea-The Adrestia

Also owns what is probably Athen's best Seafood Shack-despite not being next to the sea (Kass loves hanging out here on a lazy day)

Herodotus

Head Historian for the National Archaeological Museum

Is Kassandra's mentor, and sort of Father Figure

Is fascinated by Kassandra's family history

An introvert at heart, which Kass fully appreciates because the 2 of them can work together in complete silence for long periods of time and still enjoy each other's company

Has a surprisingly large arsenal of Dad jokes

Myrrine

Divorced from her husband Nikolaos long ago after realizing how awful he was to her children

Never remarried (and has no desire to) but does have a female partner

Works as a Politician in Sparta but visits Athens often to see her children

Has strong relationships with both Kassandra and Alexios

Always tries and sets her kids up with suitors

An absolute MILF! (And knows it)

Most always calm and collected but if you insult her children she WILL punch you in the nose!

Alexios

Looks up to Kassandra like crazy (and isn't afraid to admit it)

Fell in with some bad people in his younger years and regrets it greatly

With the help and love from his mom and sister was able to create a better life for himself

Is making up for his past mistakes and is loving his life now

Is one of Athens most demanded Physical Trainers

An utter sweatheart and full-on Feminist Ally (seriously, he's all for Equality)

Odessa

Kassandra's 2nd serious girlfriend (although they've had their fair share of one night stands since breaking up)

Works as a Literary Professor at the Mediterranean College of Athens-specifically in Ancient Greek Literature

Often has Kassandra visit as a Guest Speaker for her lectures

ALL the young WLW completely SWOON over Kassandra whenever she visits

May be tough on her students but will fight anyone who gives them a hard time

Has to mention she is a descendant of Odysseus at least once every lecture

Roxana

Was in the military with Kassandra where her and Kass dated for most their time as comrades, but grew apart after Kass left

Works as a Combat Trainer for the Military in Athens

She may be tiny, but she is the only one that can come close to fighting Kassandra and win

ADORES Janelle Monae

Although no longer together, her and Kass have a mutual respect and platonic love for each other

Was introduced to Kyra by Kassandra a couple of years ago-and they've been together since

Kyra

Like Kassandra, also suffered during her childhood (and does not talk about it)

Did a stint in the Peace Core as a young adult

Now is an Activist for Civil Rights causes and displaced Refugees - which Kass helps with when she can

Was with Kassandra for a few years and even planned on proposing

But due to her activism and the demands of Kass's job, they eventually split

Remain good friends and sometimes travel to Mykonos together to poke fun at American Tourists

Was introduced by Kass to Roxana a couple years ago and the 2 have been inseparable since

Daphne

A zoologist who met Kassandra while aiding in an exhibit about Greek animals and their cultural influence

While working together her and Kass had a series of one night stints

Although very enamoured with each other, they couldn't be together because Daphne had to leave for a biological expedition to the Arctic soon after her business with the museum finished

Her and Kass remain as penpals and stays in contact with each other whenever possible

Aspasia

A prominent politician in Athens, and is probably considered one of the most powerful women in Greece

Often visits the museum where her and Kassandra have long varied conversations

Even though they both are aware of the sexual tension between them neither ever act on it as they both have titles they must consider

Despite seeming cold and calculating all the time, all she wants is what's best for Greece

Nut Tacos (yea I'm adding him too)

Recently moved to Athens with his sister Neema from Iran

Started working at the museum to aide in their Persian War exhibit

Aid as in Assistant to Kassandra while she does all the work herself and tries everything to avoid him

Has a massive crush on our favorite Misthios

Tried to make several passes at Kass but was verbally Yeeted by her

Has no idea that his sister Neema is also eying Kassandra

Neema

Originally of Persian descent, her and her brother Natakas moved to Athens from Iran

Ancient Persian Historian sent to collaborate w/Kass

Neema and Kassandra hit it off almost immediately, and began dating soon after. It did not take long for them to completely fall in love with each other

All their friends are super supportive of their relationship, and the old Girlfriends even help Kassandra propose-only to find Neema planned on doing the same thing!

Kassandra and Neema end up marrying on Naxos surrounded by friends and family (with Barnabas officiating) and the two women enjoy a life of love and fulfilment together 💜

[infinitexechoes]

                                 ✧ › › ›  @fallesto w/ Alexios // [ con’t ]

HE WASN’T FOOLISH ENOUGH TO BELIEVE that one who wore the mask would come alone. In his experiences, these masked ones always traveled with an entourage unless they were expendable. As soon as he hit port about the land of Argolis, a quick scouting run gave him an idea of what he was up against. The cities were likely crawling with soldiers and on the outskirts of one of the smaller towns, he saw a huge skirmish breakout between Athenian soldiers, a few blacksmiths and Spartans. He did not want any part of it so he kept low, returning to his ship with a slew of work for their temporary stay.

But that work he had promised to take on had to be set aside for the time being. While he could use the coin for his crew, hearing this one spew more lies was infinitely more important. Plus, this one sounded a lot more intelligent than the last bloak he conversed with. That one didn't even try to reason with him. He merely shouted at him before he lost his head in a quick, clean blow. It was tempting really --- to do the same with this one --- yet this part of Alexios wanted to understand them. They had somehow managed to manipulate his sister so naturally curiosity compelled him to listen; to see if he could understand how his sister could be led to believe such filth. Just what kind of preaching did it take to bend her ear, or did they merely prey on her losses? He guessed he would find out in time because he was all ears --- for now anyway.

A scoff would leave the male as he turned, shaking his head. He would not keep his back to the other for very long. Just a moment as he gathered his thoughts. It was so easy to let his own quick temper lead the conversation straight to violence but he was reeling it in somehow. Shouting wasn't going to get him the answers he sought.

❝ It's hard to find REASON in another person's words when all of it sounds like propaganda and drivel. None of you have YET to make me believe that your way is the best way. My own journies around the world have done nothing but reassure me that all your heads should roll. You take from the innocent, manipulate high ranking people with no regards for the wives and small children they may have. A little girl I once knew DIED because she got caught in the cross hairs your nonsense --- all of it is unforgivable to me!❞

There it was --- that temper --- and it flared like a raging fire each time he thought of his old friend from Kephallonia. Finding her dead was equivalent to finding out his sister was in this goddamned cult. It hurt him to his very core and was just more motivation to see their ruin.

❝ You say that your cult is endless. If that's the case, then why waste your time threatening me? Surely if all of my killing is in vain, then you have nothing to worry about correct?❞ He knew better, and they knew better as well. He was starting to complicate things. Otherwise, they never would have bothered corning him for conversation. Why waste time on an ant when you know they'll never finish the cake in time? It was stupid, which meant this one was spewing lies ( nothing unusual of course ). He'd stand with his arms folded over his chest, brows arched as he responded to the threat.

❝Something tells me this is a lie as well. I've seen my sister and no offense, if she scares me then I have to doubt your sincerity about killing her before my very eyes. As for my mother, you'll have to get to her FIRST and I have it on good word that you haven't found her yet.  ❞

[mynameisalexios-archived]

Thread Wishlist Post

[NOTE:  This list is not exhaustive and I am totally up for threads not mentioned here!]

Alexios learning/discussing things!!! pls come teach my boy something he may not know, he is v curious!

in a similar-ish vein, Alexios learning some practical lessons in intimacy (wink wonk), preferably w/ someone he’d trust - so either someone who’s at least on good terms w/ Kassandra, or someone who he gets to know; could be spicy, could be cute, will probably be both!

Alexios intervening when someone’s being harassed/bullied, and just kinda wingin’ it from there tbh, that could apply to a variety of settings

Alexios coming across a guest (either at the house or on the road) at night during a bout of insomnia, and interesting conversations that may follow!

and just Alexios meeting people in general! my boy needs friends and gentleness  ;u;