Amunet

This article is about the assassin of pharaoh Cleopatra. For other uses, see Aya or Amun.

"The irony of freedom. We are free of each other, yet it brings me no happiness. We must move forward. Remain in our tempest of blood poetry. Despite it all, we dance and they die."

―Aya in a letter to Bayek, 43 BCE.

Amunet (born c. 85 BCE), born Aya, was the Greco-Egyptian co-founder of the Hidden Ones alongside her husband, Bayek. She was a descendant of Elpidios, a Greco-Persian whose maternal ancestry from the misthios Kassandra traced back to the Spartan king Leonidas I and whose paternal line from his father Natakas originated with the legendary Protector of Persia Darius.

Before establishing the Hidden Ones, Aya served as Cleopatra VII's agent during her war against her brother Ptolemy XIII for the throne of Egypt. Simultaneously, Aya sought to avenge her son Khemu's murder by the Order of the Ancients, and in 48 BCE, she killed two of its members, Actaeon and Ktesos, in Alexandria while Bayek hunted the rest.

Aya was initially a loyal retainer with high hopes for the young queen, playing a pivotal role in the Alexandrine war, but in the Battle of the Nile's aftermath, Cleopatra and her newfound Roman ally Gaius Julius Caesar sided with the Order and protected Lucius Septimius, one of the Order's last members. Released from service yet feeling betrayed, Aya and Bayek founded the Hidden Ones to resume the fight against the Order, with the former resolving to establish a Roman branch at the expense of her marriage.

On 15 March 44 BCE, Aya's fight against the Order in Rome culminated in her personally slaying Septimius and leading the assassination of Caesar. However, her actions inadvertently triggered a chain of events that eventually allowed Caesar's adopted son Octavian to seize control of both the Order and the Roman Republic and establish the Roman Empire. During this time, Aya opted to abandon her birth name to distance herself from her past, and took up the name Amunet.

In 38 BCE, Amunet was briefly reunited with Bayek when she traveled to the Sinai to fight against the occupying Roman forces, which were led by the Order member Gaius Julius Rufio. After Bayek assassinated Rufio, Amunet went back to Rome but returned to Egypt eight years later to visit Cleopatra and convince her to commit suicide in the face of imminent defeat in the War of Actium against Octavian. For this deed, Amunet would go down in Assassin history as the legendary Egyptian Assassin who killed Cleopatra with an asp.

Biography

Life in Siwa

Aya came from a powerful bloodline, as her ancestors included King Leonidas I of Sparta; Darius, the legendary assassin of King Xerxes I of Persia; and Kassandra, a renowned Spartan misthios. Born in the Egyptian capital of Alexandria around 85 BCE, Aya was half-Greek, half-Egyptian and among the most respected members of her community.

At an early age, Aya moved to Siwa to live with her aunt Herit, while her scholar parents stayed in the capital. In Siwa, she grew close to Bayek, the son of the town's protector, and by their fifteenth birthday, they were a couple. Bayek's father, Sabu, did not approve of their relationship as he knew that Aya's dream was to settle in Alexandria, and he feared that her mixed heritage would corrupt his teachings.

Later, after Bayek left Siwa and Aya to look for his father, Aya followed him and joined his quest for answers. Eventually, the two lovers discovered that Sabu was secretly one of the fabled Medjay and that he was investigating a lethal killer trying to crush the last remnants of the order. After they escaped the killer sent by the Order of the Ancients, the three of them settled in the desert, where Sabu pushed forward the basic training of his son over the course of several years, as they were now the last two Medjay. In the mornings Bayek would train with his father while for the rest of the day, he would train with Aya, sharing his new knowledge with the agreement of his father.

Eventually, Bion tracked them down again and murdered Sabu, but Aya and Bayek later avenged him when they killed Bion in Siwa. After discovering her pregnancy, Aya renounced her dream to return to Alexandria to become a scholar, also pushing away her doubts about the Medjay ways, and married Bayek. She later gave birth to their son, Khemu.

Serving Cleopatra

Hunting the Order in Alexandria

"I killed as well. Actaeon. I hunted him down and discovered a mask in his room. When he returned, I forced him to wear it. Then I thrust this knife through his eye slits."

―Aya telling Bayek about her assassinations of Actaeon and Ktesos, 48 BCE.

Aya with Bayek and Senu in Siwa

In 49 BCE, Khemu was accidentally killed by Bayek as the two tried to escape members of the Order of the Ancients in the Siwa Vault below the Temple of Amun. Aya, unable to cope with the loss of her only child and Bayek's thirst for revenge, returned to Alexandria where she joined her cousin Phanos the Younger.

There, Aya continued her education at the Library of Alexandria, learning about ancient history, philosophy, mathematics and mastering various languages. At the same time, she plotted to assassinate those who worked for Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII, believing them to be responsible for Khemu's death. Aya's brilliant mind and quick wit attracted the attention of Apollodorus, who later introduced her to Cleopatra, the exiled sister and wife of Ptolemy XIII. Aya became a close friend of the deposed queen, as well as one of her agents.

In 48 BCE, Aya identified Actaeon as a member of the Order of the Ancients, the organization responsible for killing Khemu. As such, she sneaked into his quarters and assassinated him when he returned, taking a royal papyrus from him. Aya returned home, only to find that Ktesos, Actaeon's accomplice, had followed her and attempted to kill her in revenge, though she was able to eliminate him. Her actions caught the attention of Gennadios, the Phylakitai of Alexandria, resulting in her becoming a wanted criminal. Apollodorus, knowing this, gave Aya a hideout beneath the Library of Alexandria to hide in. She would communicate with Phanos, who worked in the library and kept her updated.

Aya reunited with Bayek

Sometime thereafter, Bayek visited Alexandria in search of her, having assassinated both Medunamun and Rudjek, two other members of the Order of the Ancients. Phanos provided Bayek with information and direction to Aya's whereabouts, thus reuniting them after a year apart. Aya informed Bayek of her situation and her beliefs that the Snake, the last member of the Order worked in Ptolemy's court. Aya entrusted Bayek with a Hidden Blade that had been used to kill Xerxes I of Persia, requesting him to infiltrate the royal palace to discover the Snake's identity.

The Snake's identity was later revealed to be the Royal Scribe Eudoros, whom Bayek assassinated in the bathhouse of Alexandria. After Bayek also killed Gennadios, Aya was free to roam the city once again and met up with Bayek at the top of the Paneum. There, they shared a moment of intimacy, believing they had finally avenged their son. Bayek, however, was not convinced that Eudoros was the last member of the Order. Aya believed Apollodorus would know more about the Order and thus sent her husband to meet with Apollodorus' contact near the Lageion Hippodrome.

A new mission

Aya: "The Queen is not her father. All she does, she does for Egypt's sake."

Phoxidas: "As well as her own. Here we are, bringing Pompey more of Egypt's wealth, at her pity."

—Aya and Phoxidas discussing Cleopatra, 48 BCE.

Aya and Bayek meeting with Cleopatra

Later at Apollodorus' Estate, Aya met up with Apollodorus and Bayek, the latter having been introduced to Cleopatra. The queen introduced them to Pasherenptah, the High Priest of Ptah in Memphis, and revealed that the Order was responsible for her exile. Along with Apollodorus, Cleopatra then revealed that the Order sought to control all of Egypt, with members already controlling various regions.

After Cleopatra provided Bayek and Aya with four new targets—the Scarab, the Hyena, the Lizard, and the Crocodile—she informed them that Eudoros' cryptonym had been the Hippo, and that the Snake was a name used for the Order itself. Bayek pledged his allegiance to the queen and embarked on a journey to hunt down the members of the Order, thus separating him from Aya once again.

While Bayek was out hunting the Order, Aya and Phoxidas were sent to the Aegean Sea to secure an alliance with the Roman general Pompey, who was fleeing from Gaius Julius Caesar in the midst of their own civil war. They encountered ships sent by Ptolemy XIII, who attacked Pompey's fleet to prevent the alliance. Aya and Phoxidas were able to rescue Pompey, who agreed to the alliance and made preparations to travel to Egypt.

Search for the Lizard

"I will never stop mourning what we lost. Never. But I must make a world that is larger than our griefs, so that no mother ever again lives what I have lived."

―Aya to Bayek, regarding the death of Khemu, 48 BCE.

Aya reunited with Bayek in Memphis

Having secured the alliance with Pompey, Aya returned to Egypt and set off to Memphis right away, having learned that Bayek was hunting the Lizard in the city. Outside the Seer's house, Aya met with her husband, who was helping Pasherenptah's wife, Taimhotep, in a ritual to protect her unborn child. The two set off to the Temple of Ptah to investigate the Apis Bull's sickness. While Bayek investigated the bull's quarters, Aya spoke to the twin priestesses, Taous and Tawe, for more information.

Through Bayek's investigations, he was able to deduce that the twin priestesses were the ones responsible for poisoning the bull. Before they could run away, Aya and Bayek stopped and interrogated them, learning that their brother, Panchrates, had been captured by soldiers working for the Lizard, who threatned his life if the girls didn't do as they were told. Aya stayed with the twin priestesses in their home to ensure their safety while Bayek rescued Panchrates from the Temple of Hathor.

Having learned the Lizard's identity from Panchrates, Aya and Bayek rode to the Palace of Apries, where Cleopatra was giving a speech to the residents of Memphis. Aya informed Cleopatra of the twin priestesses' role in poisoning the Apis Bull, but when the queen called for the priestesses to be boiled to death, Bayek stepped in to interfere, stating that they had been coerced by a priest who had a blue scarf and a distinctive cough. Pasherenptah identified the priest to be Hetepi, one of his closest advisors. Aya volunteered to be the one who assassinated Hetepi, but Bayek stepped in and claimed that he would end the Lizard's life.

Aya and Bayek parting ways once again

Following Hetepi's death, the Apis Bull recovered, allowing the Festival of Apis to commence appropriately. At the end of the ceremony, Aya informed Bayek that she would accompany Cleopatra north to Herakleion, and shared a moment of intimacy with her husband before the couple were separated once again.

While Bayek hunted down the Crocodile in the Faiyum, Aya was sent with Phoxidas to the Mediterranean to defend the seas, crossing paths with the Gabiniani, Roman legionaries that had been left behind in Egypt and sided with Ptolemy XIII. Aya and Phoxidas were able to eliminate the Gabiniani fleet, before traveling to Herakleion.

Alliance with Caesar

Aya: "Give me the powder. Caesar thinks a woman cannot do this job."

Bayek: "Prove Caesar wrong, my love."

—Aya and Bayek during the Siege of Alexandria, 47 BCE.

Once Bayek completed his hunt of the four Order members throughout Egypt, he traveled to Herakleion and was reunited with Aya. However, the couple's reunion was cut short when they were attacked by Venator, a Gabiniani sent by Lucius Septimius to assassinate Cleopatra. After eliminating Venator and his soldiers, Aya and Bayek were sent by Cleopatra to meet with Pompey, who had landed in the northwest of the Herakleion Nome. Fearing that Septimius might target Pompey as well, Aya and Bayek departed the city on a felucca and went to meet with the Roman, only to find him decapitated and his army slain around him. Apollodorus and Cleopatra arrived shortly thereafter.

Aya arriving at the palace with Apollodorus, Bayek and Cleopatra

Desperate to reclaim the throne, Cleopatra decided to ally herself with Julius Caesar, who had arrived in Alexandria. Aya, alongside Apollodorus, Bayek, and Phoxidas, escorted the queen to Alexandria through the Mediterranean Sea, facing and destroying Ptolemy XIII's fleet in the process.

Upon their arrival at the palace, Aya and Bayek posed as servants while Apollodorus posed as a Phylakitai of Heliopolis, and Cleopatra hid herself in a carpet. They interrupted the meeting between Ptolemy XIII and Caesar, and Cleopatra revealed herself to her brother and the Roman general before making the latter a marriage proposal. Ptolemy's attempt to ally with Caesar was thus foiled, causing him to leave in rage. Aya and the others were then ordered by Caesar to leave the building, to allow him and Cleopatra to discuss their plans.

Outside the palace, Aya, Apollodorus, and Bayek discussed Pothinus and Septimius, the remaining members of the Order who were nowhere to be found. Apollodorus remarked that the Medjay would soon have the chance to eliminate them, and that by helping Cleopatra to be crowned Pharaoh, they would be able to crush the Order from within.

Aya and Bayek investigating Alexander the Great's sarcophagus

Later, Aya met with Cleopatra outside the Tomb of Alexander the Great. The queen asked Aya to unseal the tomb, which had been obstructed by an earthquake during the reign of her father Ptolemy XII Auletes, intending to use it to impress Caesar. Aya and Bayek investigated the tomb, managing to find an alternate entrance into the inner chamber. Aya removed the blocklade, granting Cleopatra and Caesar access to the tomb.

As they investigated Alexander's sarcophagus, the group was interrupted by Caesar's lieutenant Flavius Metellus, who delivered news about the Roman emissaries being held captive at the Akra Garrison. Aya and Bayek left the tomb and traveled to the garrison, where the former freed an emissary who revealed that Pothinus and Septimius were responsible for the kidnapping, as part of their plot to trap Caesar and Cleopatra in Alexandria. Aya, alongside Bayek, carried the emissary back to the palace, exposing the plot.

Caesar subsequently decided to flee Alexandria to prepare for battle, but before that he needed to alert his fleet by lighting the signal at the top of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, a task he trusted Bayek to accomplish, believing Aya would not be able to do so. However, they both decided to prove the Roman general wrong and so Aya went to light the signal while Bayek escorted Caesar out of the city. Despite facing difficulties with several of Ptolemy XIII's men who guarded the lighthouse, Aya was ultimately successful in her task.

Battle of the Nile

"You were right. I trusted the wrong goddess."

―Aya to Bayek following Cleopatra's betrayal, 47 BCE.

Aya preparing to eliminate Ptolemy XIII

In February 47 BCE, as Cleopatra and Caesar's combined forces clashed with Ptolemy XIII's army, Aya was tasked to eliminate the pharaoh. Spotting him attempting to flee from the battle across the Nile, Aya had a clear shot at Ptolemy XIII, but upon seeing crocodiles approach his boat, she lowered her bow and looked away. The pharaoh acknowledged her presence on the dock moments before his boat was attacked by the crocodiles, causing Ptolemy XIII to drown and be devoured by the animals.

Following Cleopatra and Caesar's victory, the former ascended the throne of Egypt and cut ties with Aya and Bayek, who were furious to learn that Flavius and Septimius were members of the Order and now also of Cleopatra and Caesar's inner circle. Realizing that the Order was influencing both rulers and thus effectively controlling both Egypt and Rome, Aya and Bayek angrily confronted Apollodorous, who expressed his sympathies but claimed there was nothing he could do, as both Flavius and Septimius were under Caesar's protection.

Forming the Hidden Ones

Bayek: "I am not a father anymore. I am not a husband. I am not a Medjay. I am a Hidden One."

Aya: "Yes... We are the Hidden Ones."

Bayek: "We sharpen our blades... and pull what hope is left from this foul earth."

—Bayek and Aya laying the foundations of their brotherhood, 46 BCE.

The formation of the brotherhood

Deciding to take matters into their own hands, Aya and Bayek gathered their remaining allies, including Phoxidas, Phanos, Tahira, and Pasherenptah, to discuss the situation. While Aya was angered by Cleopatra's betrayal, Bayek believed that they should set their desire for revenge aside and find something greater to fight for. As such, he declared to his allies his intention to form a brotherhood that would protect Egypt from the shadows and fight against tyranny.

While everyone raised a cup to the newly-formed brotherhood, Aya realized that the Order had shown a lot of interest in Alexander the Great's tomb and decided to investigate alongside Bayek. Arriving at the tomb, the two found a mortally wounded Apollodorus, who informed them that Flavius was the leader of the Order and Khemu's killer and that he had stolen an orb previously given to Apollodorus by Bayek, as well as Alexander the Great's staff.

Learning that Flavius and Septimius were heading to Siwa with the two artifacts, Aya and Bayek followed them, discovering that the Order members had used the orb and the staff to access the Siwa Vault. Inside the vault, Aya and Bayek discovered a map of the world with various locations highlighted, as well as the body of Bayek's friend Hepzefa, who had tried to stop the Order members but had been killed by them. Following Hepzefa's funeral, Aya and Bayek parted ways, as the latter traveled to Cyrenaica to eliminate Flavius, who had been spotted in the region.

Aya and Bayek agreeing to part ways

While Bayek killed Flavius and recovered the orb, Aya began recruiting more members to their brotherhood, including the Roman senators Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus. Upon being reunited in Alexandria, Aya informed Bayek that she had decided to travel to Rome to set up a bureau within the city and assist Brutus and Cassius in their plans to assassinate Caesar.

Realizing that Aya's departure would mean the end of their marriage, the two later met on the shores of the Mediterranean, where they both admitted that their old lives were over and that they had to dedicate themselves to their new cause. They then parted ways for the final time, though not before naming their brotherhood the Hidden Ones.

Activities in Rome

"Bayek, Caesar has been assassinated. Septimius is also dead. I have founded a bureau in the middle of Rome, yet no one knows of our existence. Like Amun, we are... the Hidden Ones."

―Aya in a letter to Bayek, 43 BCE.

By 44 BCE, Aya, Brutus, and Cassius had successfully established a branch of the Hidden Ones in Rome, recruiting over forty senators to their cause. Together, they devised a plan to assassinate Caesar to end his tyrannical rule over the Roman Republic, which was being supported and influenced by the Order of the Ancients.

Assassination of Julius Caesar

"Freedom is not given, Caesar. It is taken."

―Aya to a dying Caesar, 44 BCE.

Aya facing off against Septimius

A day before the assassination, Aya and Brutus tracked down Magnus, an orator who was attempting to manipulate the Roman Senate. Aya silenced the orator with a bow before leaving with Brutus, regrouping in a bathouse. They were later joined by Cassius, who informed them that Magnus' assassination and Caesar's wife Calpurnia's warnings did not deter Caesar's plans to become Dictator for life.

On 15 March 44 BCE, the Hidden Ones traveled to the Theatre of Pompey, where they saw Caesar speaking with Septimius ahead of his meeting with the Senate. While Brutus and Cassius were tasked to delay Caesar's speech before the Senate, Aya fought and defeated Septimius. She then tried to interrogate the Order member for the whereabouts of the Staff of Alexander the Great, which Septimius had brought with him to Rome years prior, but he refused to disclose the Staff's location and succumbed to his injuries.

Aya stabbing Caesar

Afterwards, Aya infiltrated the Senate and re-joined her fellow Hidden Ones as they listened to Caesar argue with the senators while announcing his plans to become Dictator for life and unite the Roman Republic under his rule. Realizing that Caesar could not be reasoned with, the Hidden Ones set their plan in motion and Aya was the first to stab Caesar in the back, followed by Brutus, Cassius, and all the senators, killing the Dictator.

Aftermath

"Then be the ruler our people deserve, or nothing will save you from my blade across your throat. You are the last of the pharaohs."

―Aya threatening Cleopatra, 44 BCE.

Following Caesar's assassination, Marc Antony used his political power and influence to turn the Roman citizens against Caesar's killers. Aya witnessed a mob savagely beating a Roman senator they mistook for one of the conspirators, and intervened to end his misery. After escaping from the mob, Aya returned to confront Antony, who implored her to bring Brutus to the people so that Rome could be at peace.

Deciding against killing Antony, Aya was chased by another angry mob. Their chase ended with a battle on top of an aqueduct, where Aya fainted from her wounds. Her unconscious body was retrieved by Brutus and Cassius, who took her to their hiding place in a storage room. After Aya woke up, she argued with Brutus, calling his decision to assassinate Caesar rash. Cassius broke up their fight, and Brutus later confided in Aya about his strange dreams, revealing he had received a vision that he had to follow to Crete.

Aya threatening Cleopatra

Two days after Caesar's death, Aya confronted Cleopatra at her villa in Rome, where she discovered that the queen had a child with Caesar named Caesarion. Out of respect for her former ally and her son, the Hidden One allowed Cleopatra to live, but warned her to be a fair ruler for the people of Egypt or she else would return to assassinate her.

Some time afterwards, Aya was captured by Antony, who interrogated her about Brutus' and Cassius' whereabouts. Angered by her refusal to betray her fellow Hidden Ones, Antony ordered her to be thrown into a large submerged arena to be killed by hippopotamuses. After killing two of the beasts and narrowly escaping being eaten by a third, Brutus and Cassius arrived and saved her with a volley of arrows. They then informed her about an underwater escape route which they all attempted to flee through, but were eventually confronted by a group of soldiers led by Antony himself.

The Hidden Ones emerged victorious, killing the soldiers, but before Brutus could execute Antony, Aya talked him down, telling him that he was not acting in accordance with his ideals. Having spared Antony's life, the three Hidden Ones then escaped to safety. Not long after, Aya gave Brutus her blessing to move to Crete and gifted him a dagger for his travels. Before his departure, Brutus urged Aya to establish a Hidden Ones bureau in Rome, which she would lead from the shadows.

Reborn as Amunet

"I have renounced Aya. I have killed Aya. I am now the Hidden One known as Amunet."

―Aya embracing her new identity, 43 BCE.

By 43 BCE, Aya had managed to establish a bureau in the Pantheon district of Rome. As the Hidden Ones' influence in the city continued to grow, Aya decided to write a letter to Bayek, in which she informed him that she renounced the love she once had for him, as well as her own identity, taking up the name "Amunet".

Amunet with her apprentices

Sometime later, Amunet issued a note to every Hidden One bureau, informing them of the events now transpiring in Rome: Marc Antony, using his power and influence, had turned the Roman citizens against Brutus and Cassius, causing them to flee to their deaths during the Battle of Philippi. In addition, a conflict between Antony and Caesar's adopted son Octavian was brewing, leading to a potential civil war. Amunet urged the Hidden Ones to continue their work and be ready for anything that may happen.

Journey to the Sinai

Bayek: "Amunet is a Mentor to this brotherhood. Our will never rests..."

Amunet: "...and our blades shall never tire."

—Amunet and Bayek addressing the Hidden Ones, 38 BCE.

In 38 BCE, Amunet traveled to the Sinai after learning of the situation the local Hidden Ones had found themselves in: the Roman forces of General Gaius Julius Rufio, an Order member, had occupied the peninsula as a starting point for their planned invasion of Egypt, and the Hidden Ones had allied themselves with a local rebel leader named Gamilat to stop them.

Amunet and Bayek being reunited

Shortly after her arrival, Amunet freed Bayek, who had traveled to the Sinai for the same reason, but had been captured by the Romans following an attack on the local Hidden Ones bureau and was set to be crucified. With Bayek rescued, the two headed to Fort Clostra to liberate their fellow Hidden Ones Kashta and Tahira, who had also been captured. Unfortunately, Tahira had been mortally wounded and passed away shortly after they arrived at Amunet's camp.

After the Hidden Ones mourned Tahira's death, Amunet informed Bayek that Rufio had recently landed with his fleet at Arsinoe. As the two rode there together, Amunet informed Bayek of the situation in Rome and they discussed Cleopatra, who had entered a relationship with Marc Antony, threatening to put Egypt in the crossfire of Antony and Octavian's war. Upon arriving in Arsinoe, Amunet and Bayek fought off Rufio's soldiers before Bayek assassinated the general aboard his personal octareme, putting an end to the Order's plans to invade Egypt.

Later, Amunet discovered that Gamilat had been sacrificing innocent lives by ordering his men to hide in various villages, so that when the Romans would massacre the villagers in search of the rebels, they would create martyrs to motivate more people to join Gamilat's rebellion. She informed Bayek of this, prompting the latter to confront Gamilat, which culminated in the rebel leader's death.

Amunet and Bayek bidding each other farewell for the final time

Gamilat's death and subsequent reverence as a hero caused the Sinai's population to forget about the Hidden Ones, allowing them to operate in the shadows once more. After establishing a new bureau in the mountains of the Arsinoe Nome, Amunet and Bayek gave a speech before their apprentices, declaring that their ideals and thus, the brotherhood, must outlive any of them. Afterwards, Amunet and Bayek shared one final moment together, where she assured him that they had done good before leaving to return to Rome.

Around 34 BCE, Amunet received word of another strange artifact like the one Flavius had used to control the population of Cyrenaica, located in the city of Thebes in Upper Egypt. Realizing that such power must not fall into the wrong hands again, Amunet sent a letter to Bayek, asking him to investigate the nature of a curse that had been plaguing the region, allegedly caused by the artifact.

Confronting Cleopatra

"Cleopatra, my former friend. Give up this battle. Spare our beloved Egypt further suffering."

―Amunet encouraging Cleopatra to take her life, 30 BCE.

Amunet handing Cleopatra the poison

On 12 August 30 BCE, Amunet infiltrated the palace in Alexandria, knocking out Caesarion and confronting Cleopatra. With the Octavian laying siege to the city, Amunet urged Cleopatra to resign to her fate, which she accepted on the condition that Amunet take Caesarion with her back to Rome and train him as a Hidden One.

Amunet then handed Cleopatra a vial of poison, which the queen used to commit suicide, and departed with an unconscious Caesarion. Meeting with Phoxidas on the shores of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, she boarded the trireme with Caesarion before journeying to Rome to start his Hidden One training.

Later life

"Work in silence from this day forward. Speak not your name, nor the names of your family and friends. For to do so would be a deadly compromise and a useless gesture. Seek not recognition, nor glory, nor compensation for your duty. Seek only the light, however dimly it may flicker upon the horizon... We are Hidden Ones, all of us, forever together in our solitude. May it ever be so."

―Amunet addressing the Hidden Ones at the synod in Alexandria.

During the later part of her life, Amunet presided over a synod of the Alexandrine Hidden Ones to discuss the final form of their Creed and its ironies. Master Assassin Hakor introduced her as she stood and explained the ironies; "If nothing is true, this statement must also be false." and "If everything is permitted, who gives this permission?". As she was questioned by a young acolyte named Magas, no one made a sound as she provided the answer to the irony. Stopping for a moment to relive a half-forgotten memory, her faltering was noticed by Magas but she quickly recovered and explained the tenets.

When Magas questioned the Creed and its ironies further, asking on whose authority they made such rules, Amunet answered that the group needed laws to govern their selfless acts of justice. With this, Amunet concluded the final Synod of the Hidden Ones, emphasizing that there would not be another. On the subject of the third tenet, to never comprise the brotherhood, Amunet told the acolytes to never reveal their name nor the names of their families, as doing so would break the tenet. She also strongly advised them never to seek recognition, glory, or compensation for their work. She then dismissed the acolytes to continue their work.

By this time, Amunet's birth name was a secret known to few, and uttering it was believed among the acolytes to be punishable by death.

Legacy

"Her true name is lost to the living, as are the names of all our first Hidden Ones. A testament to their devotion, I suppose! But this woman colored and stained by history cannot live invisible in her own time. She has seen the blood of Caesar, the tears of Cleopatra, and the wrath of Imperator Augustus no less!"

―The Hidden One Magas on Amunet.

Amunet's cenotaph

By the time of the Renaissance, Amunet's deeds had made her a legendary figure among the Assassins, the successors to the Hidden Ones, and she was posthumously honored as one of their own. She was mainly remembered for her alleged assassination of Cleopatra, whom she was said to have killed with an asp.

At some point, a tomb dedicated to Amunet was built beneath the Basilica di San Marco in Venice, Italy. In the late 15th century, the Italian Assassin Ezio Auditore explored the tomb and took the hidden seal from its sarcophagus, which later allowed him to obtain the Armor of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad sealed in the Sanctuary beneath Villa Auditore in Monteriggioni, where a statue of Amunet, alongside other celebrated Assassins, had been erected.

After her death, Amunet was mummified and interred in the same tomb as Bayek inside the Hotep Cavern, the place where the two had first fallen in love. At some point between her burial and her discovery during the 21st century, the tomb partially collapsed and Amunet's sarcophagus fell into a pit.

Aya's mummy found by Layla

In October 2017, Bayek and Amunet's tomb was discovered by Layla Hassan, an Abstergo Industries employee performing excavation work in the Hotep Cavern. After reliving Bayek's memories in her portable Animus HR-8, Layla experienced a Bleeding Effect-induced hallucination of Amunet leading her to her sarcophagus. Layla subsequently extracted a DNA sample from the mummy and used it to relive Amunet's memories in the Animus alongside Bayek's.

Personality and traits

"No one shall be bigger than the greater group. When I return to Rome I will not speak of heroes, I will speak of discipline and perseverance."

―Amunet to the Egyptian Hidden Ones, 38 BCE.

Aya was a strong-willed warrior who, like Bayek, was driven by vengeance in finding their son's killers. She was a strong believer in Cleopatra, unlike her husband who was more circumspect of the queen's true intentions. Aya was also very syncretic, since she believed in both Egyptian and Greek religion. She deeply loved Bayek and would always be ecstatic to see her husband and spend time with him.

Aya's faith in Cleopatra began to be shaken after the queen asked her to slay her own brother, Ptolemy, during the Battle of the Nile. Upon learning that Cleopatra and Julius Caesar were protecting Lucius Septimius and Flavius Metellus, the same men who had killed her son, Aya became furious and supported Bayek's cause to hunt them down. By this time, she had already grown a new disdain for Cleopatra, though when she confronted the queen in 44 BCE, she decided to spare her out of respect for both their past friendship and Cleopatra's son, Caesarion.

Aya being reborn as "Amunet"

Unlike Bayek, Aya realized early on that once they achieved vengeance for the death of their son, they would be unable to return to their old way of life and be a family again. After forming the Hidden Ones, Aya believed that they needed to dedicate themselves to their new cause and convinced Bayek to do the same, ending their marriage amicably as they parted ways to build up their brotherhood in Rome and Egypt, respectively. Later, Aya decided to completely renounce her past life and the love she once had for Bayek, adopting a new identity and persona called Amunet.

In her later years, Amunet acted as a mentor and guiding figure to her fellow Hidden Ones, trying to impart on them the wisdom of the Creed she and Bayek had developed to prevent another incident like the one in the Sinai, where their ally Gamilat had harmed innocents to further his own agenda. She was willing to engage in open debates about the Creed's meaning and its ironies, and was adamant that her apprentices treat her as their equal instead of a legendary hero. This was because of Amunet's firm belief that no Hidden One should be greater than the group and that only through discipline and perseverance could the brotherhood achieve its goals and survive the test of time.

Skills and equipment

In her youth, Aya received elite combat and acrobatic training as well as chose to dress in a manner that fit these activities. She carried twin blades as well as a shield and bow. She could easily hold her own against large groups of Roman soldiers and even defeated Lucius Septimius in a one-on-one battle, where her opponent had the advantage of utilizing an unknown Piece of Eden.

Aya commanding Phoxidas' ship

Aya was a master mariner by her third trip to sea with the ability to avoid all potential problems, including the massive issue of the various rocky outcrops that could have sunk her ship. She was able to sink an entire fleet of enemy warships with only a single vessel wile acting as the commander on said ship.

Her skill with stealth was legendary, being able to avoid Ptolemy XIII's police while hiding in Alexandria for well over a year. She also was able to sneak into a fully-guarded palace to confront Cleopatra, and infiltrate the Roman Senate with little difficulty.

Romantic life

Bayek: "We are parents."

Aya: "We were parents. I love you, Bayek of Siwa. But what are you of now?"

—Aya and her husband discussing the past and the future, 48 BCE.

Aya was known to only have one romantic relationship, that with her husband Bayek. They met as children and grew up together. By the age of fifteen the two were a couple, and sometime around 56 BCE they were married and Aya gave birth to their son, Khemu. However, after Khemu's death their relationship became strained when Aya moved back to Alexandria while Bayek begun his quest for vengeance.

Aya leaping onto Bayek

The couple were reunited one year later, when Bayek traveled to Alexandria to continue his journey of revenge, this time alongside Aya. However, their relationship soon became strained again, after a series of events led to the two being betrayed by their ally Cleopatra. They eventually decided to split up, with Aya heading to Rome and Bayek remaining in Egypt. They both agreed it was for the best and that the Hidden Ones were their family now.

When the two were reunited almost a decade later in the Sinai, Bayek expressed his lingering doubts if they had done right by the world, and Amunet assured him before letting go and returning to Rome. They shared a brief moment of embrace before releasing one another. Their relationship remained strictly professional thereafter, with their following correspondence being letters discussing the Hidden Ones and their cause.

Behind the scenes

Amunet is a character first mentioned in the 2009 video game Assassin's Creed II, as one of seven legendary Assassins with a dedicated statue in the Sanctuary of the Villa Auditore. Each of these Assassins have a unique accomplishment in history pertaining to the assassination of a historical figure. In Amunet's case, it is the assassination of Cleopatra via an asp.

Amunet was not formally introduced until the 2017 video game Assassin's Creed: Origins, where it is revealed that the character Aya (voiced by Alix Wilton Regan), the wife of the protagonist Bayek, would become Amunet following the foundation of the Hidden Ones, the precursors to the Assassin Brotherhood. However, Amunet's assassination of Cleopatra is retconned in the Assassin's Creed: Origins comic, set after the events of the game, where it is revealed that she did not directly kill the ruler, but rather provided her with the poison she used to take her own life. This is closer to the historical version of events, as Cleopatra allegedly committed suicide with either a venomous asp or poison.

In cutscenes as well as renders for promotional art, Aya is shown wielding the Storm Blades, a legendary set of dual swords that are obtainable in Assassin's Creed: Origins, though while playing as her she is permanently equipped with the far more common Twin Blades.

The body of Ktestos can be found in Aya's home in Alexandria for a time near the start of the main story. Upon investigation, Bayek makes remarks about the past and their time in Siwa, events which are further elaborated on in Origins' official prequel novel, Desert Oath.

Alongside her husband Bayek, Aya is available as a simulated ship lieutenant for the Adrestia in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey.

Etymology

In ancient Egyptian religion, Amunet is the goddess of invisibility and the consort of the god Amun in the Ogdoad, a group of eight primordial deities responsible for the creation of the world according to the Hermopolis tradition. She and Amun symbolize the hidden depths and incomprehensibility of the primeval world. As the female counterpart to Amun, her name also means "Hidden One" but with a feminine declension.

The name Amunet jmnt is itself derived from the name Amun jmn with the feminine suffix -t. There are several meanings and backgrounds to the name Aya, but based on the historical and demographic context, the most likely would be; the Mesopotamian goddess Aya a-a (𒀭𒀀𒀀) "dawn"; Aya, queen of the Thirteenth Dynasty of Egypt; derived from the Arabic āyah (آية) "omen, sign, proof, commandment, law, rule and/or guidance"; or from the Ancient Greek Agía (Αγία) "Holy, Saint".

Appearances

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An image gallery is available for Amunet

• Assassin's Creed II (sculpture only)
• Assassin's Creed: Initiates (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Origins – Desert Oath (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Origins
  • The Hidden Ones
  • The Curse of the Pharaohs (voice only)
• Assassin's Creed: The Official Collection
• Assassin's Creed: Origins comic
• Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (simulated ship lieutenant)
• Assassin's Creed: Rebellion
• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Where's the Assassin? (non-canonical appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple (cameo)
• Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game

References

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