Pactyas

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"You are Tainted. The blood flowing through you has the power to raze kingdoms, to alter the course of entire civilizations... You could burn this world. We must burn you first."

―Pactyas to Kassandra, c. 429 BCE.

Pactyas (died c. 429 BCE), also known as the Huntsman, was a member of the Order of the Ancients who served as the Magus of the Order of Hunters branch in Persia and Greece.

Originally a member of both the Persian elite and a secret group alongside his friends Amorges and Artabanus, Pactyas worked with them to plan the assassination of King Xerxes I of Persia in 465 BCE due to his tyrannical rule over their homeland. Following Artabanus' failed attempt to kill Xerxes' successor Artaxerxes I, Pactyas was convinced by Amorges to turn on Artabanus and join the Order to bring peace to Persia.

As the leader of the Order of Hunters, Pactyas was tasked to pursue Artabanus and his family, as well as the "Tainted Ones", individuals directly descended from the Isu, due to the perceived danger they posed. His hunt eventually brought him to Makedonia, which was home to the legendary misthios Kassandra, a Tainted One. Despite Pactyas' and his Order's best efforts to eliminate her, they would all meet their end at her blade.

Biography

Early life

At some point in his early life, Pactyas was rescued from a group of attackers who had knocked him out by a large grey wolf. As he woke up, Pactyas saw the wolf licking gore off his now deceased attackers. Coming to the self-proclaimed conclusion that nature had chosen to preserve his life, Pactyas adopted the alias of "the Huntsman" and became a self-proclaimed protector of nature.

Pactyas alongside Artabanus and Amorges

Pactyas eventually rose to become a member of the Persian elite, alongside his friends Artabanus and Amorges. Together with their allies, they formed a group to oppose King Xerxes I, whose tyrannical rule of Persia was backed by the Order of the Ancients. In August 465 BCE, they succeeded in assassinating Xerxes when Artabanus killed him with his Hidden Blade while the other members of the group ambushed the king's entourage.

Joining the Order

"We—we trusted him! Loved him! We were all as brothers, but he drew his blade against us!"

―Pactyas talking about Darius, c. 429 BCE.

After Xerxes' death, his son Artaxerxes I ascended the throne, and Artabanus, fearing his possible allyship with the Ancients, plotted his assassination, one which was foiled by Amorges, who had defected to the Order. Amorges later recruited Pactyas to the Order, claiming that Artabanus had betrayed them and Persia. In time, Pactyas was appointed the Magus of his own branch and began hunting his former comrade, who took on the name "Darius" after fleeing Persia.

In addition to pursuing Darius, Pactyas was assigned to eliminate the "Tainted Ones", individuals directly descended from the Isu, whom the Order regarded as a threat to peace and stability. By the 420s BCE, he had successfully hunted a number of them throughout Persia and other regions.

Pursuing the Eagle Bearer

"You'll never be free of us Artabanus! You and yours will die and The Tainted Ones will be scoured from this earth. We have called The Huntsman."

―A dying Order member to Darius, c. 429 BCE.

Around 429 BCE, Pactyas and his Order tracked down another Tainted One, the Spartan misthios Kassandra, who had made a name for herself during the Peloponnesian War. Pactyas sent several Order members to Makedonia to find and eliminate Kassandra, and they allied with the Spartan army, who aided their search efforts.

However, most of the Order members and their Spartan allies were killed by a group of mercenaries with the aid of Darius and his son Natakas, who had coincidentally taken refuge in Makedonia. Before dying, the leader of the Ancients told Darius that he had called "the Huntsman" to Greece, worrying him, as Darius recognized his old friend's alias.

After his subordinates' failure to eliminate Kassandra, Darius, and Natakas, Pactyas traveled to Makedonia himself and had one of his men set fire to the village of Potidaia in order to lure out the misthios. However, the plan ultimately failed as Kassandra and Natakas saved the villagers, while the Order Elite was assassinated by Darius.

With his plan foiled, Pactyas brought in the rest of his Order and found a hidden glade within Mount Pangeon, which he made his hideout in the region. He also converted the grove outside into a training ground, where he tamed and taught various wild animals to do his bidding and attack Tainted Ones on sight. These included wolves, wild boars, and crows.

Final showdown

Pactyas: "Yes "Darius," tell them about our promise."

Darius: "To protect Persia... Our children. Their future."

Pactyas: "Then—then why did... Why did you betray us?"

Darius: "To keep that promise."

—Pactyas final conversation with Darius, c. 429 BCE.

Pactyas having the actors surround Kassandra

Eventually, Pactyas decided to meet Kassandra in person, and lured her to a grisly display he had crafted within the Therme Wetlands, made of the corpses of soldiers she had killed in battle. He sought to shake her resolve with the display, and brought forward actors to pretend to be her victims' relatives seeking revenge. While his underlings attacked Kassandra, Pactyas escaped, leaving behind a scarecrow in the marsh and a taunting message.

Pactyas' location was ultimately discovered by Kassandra, who pieced together the information she had gathered with Natakas. When the misthios arrived at the glade outside his cave hideout, Pactyas taunted her from the shadows while sending his guards to attack her.

After Kassandra killed the soldiers, Pactyas was forced to face the misthios himself. Unable to defeat her, he fled to his hideout, hoping to lure his opponent into a trap. Kassandra followed the trail of his blood to his home turf and confronted the Huntsman again, along with his wolf familiars.

Pactyas' final moments

Despite the presence of the animals, Pactyas was ultimately defeated and mortally wounded by Kassandra. Although he summoned more guards to deal with her, Darius and Natakas arrived at that very moment and killed them. Realizing he had been bested, Pactyas accepted his fate and revealed his and Darius' shared past to Kassandra and Natakas before succumbing to his injuries. He was subsequently given a proper burial by his old friend.

Legacy

"In your absence, my old friend, we shall continue to keep our vow to protect Persia. Your death will not be in vain."

―Gergis' memorial to Pactyas.

Following Pactyas' death, the rest of the Order of the Ancients was alerted to the presence of Darius, Natakas, and Kassandra in Greece, and the threat they posed to the Order. Later on, Gergis, a fellow Magus from the Order of Dominion branch, erected a memorial for Pactyas alongside Phila and The Immortals on a small hill near Pedasos Camp in Messenia.

Personality and traits

"Don't you remember these faces? You killed these men. They had friends, lovers... families. Did their loved ones really deserve to die? Do they not deserve their revenge?"

―Pactyas trying to play mind games with Kassandra, c. 429 BCE.

Pactyas sought to protect his homeland and, as such, believed that all his actions ultimately benefited Persia. After joining the Order of the Ancients, he became convinced that Tainted Ones like Kassandra posed a threat to the established order, and hunted them for the betterment of humanity.

Pactyas confronting Kassandra

Despite his self-proclaimed distaste for pointless violence, Pactyas was shown to take enjoyment in tormenting his victims before killing them, playing psychological games with Kassandra and trying to get her to doubt her actions by presenting a gruesome display of her victims. He also taunted her while remaining hidden during their fight, and tried to shake her trust in Darius.

Pactyas was hurt by his friend Darius' supposed betrayal and wished to make him pay for it. After learning that Darius had lied to Natakas and Kassandra about the true reason why he had to flee Persia, he tried to expose the truth during his final moments.

Skills and equipment

While Pactyas was a skilled swordsman, his most useful skill was his ability to tame wild animals, such as wolves and boars, and get them to follow his commands. He also avoided getting into direct confrontations unless absolutely necessary, typically relying on his beasts or his soldiers to fight in his place.

Trivia

• Pactyas (Παχτύασ) is a Greek name possibly derived from the Thracian city of Pactya in present day Turkey.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Legacy of the First Blade (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Rebellion – The Hunter's Hounds (mentioned only)