Maxwell Roth

Jacob: "Why did you do it? All of it?"

Roth: "What? Snap a baby crow's neck between my thumb and forefinger? Slice to bits the ones you deem "innocent"? Keep the world in its divine manic state? For the same reason I do anything—why not?"

—Roth's last words to Jacob Frye, 1868.

Oberon "Maxwell Roth" (died 1868) was a crime boss and an associate of Crawford Starrick, the Grand Master of the British Templars during the mid-19th century. He was the leader of the Blighters, through which he effectively controlled London's criminal underworld, and was responsible for training several of Starrick's gang leaders to rule the city's boroughs.

Biography

Early life

According to Roth himself, he was born to a loving couple that named their son Oberon. They acted in a traveling theater troupe, where the boy learned to perform for the masses. However, they began to struggle financially and were forced to turn a life of crime so they could make ends meet, thieving and defrauding during their performances. Their illegal lifestyle robbed the group of their passion to perform, causing them to eventually disband and part ways, much to Oberon's dismay.

The family subsequently moved to London, but failed to find steady work there due to their criminal past. While his parents lived on the streets, Oberon moved in and out of various workhouses, all the while envying the rich upper classes.

One day, Oberon, having had enough, took on the name Maxwell Roth and ran away to join the circus, in an attempt to recapture the happiness he recalled from his days in the troupe. He learned acrobatics, boxing, and sleight of hand, but was again faced with a lack of money. Roth then decided to return to London and use his newly acquired skills in the criminal underworld.

Working for the Templars

"Surprise is the spice of life! Now, Mr. Starrick, that's a different story. I'm drowning in directives, all terribly boring."

―Roth complaining to Jacob Frye about his "boring" work for Starrick, 1868.

Over the years, Roth was frequently imprisoned, though he always got out, and worked various jobs, from street-cleaner to gun-for-hire. His deadly combination of brain and brawn saw his network expand and his infamy grow; some men worked for him, others simply owed him money, but all feared him.

Roth's reputation in the criminal underworld eventually caught the attention of the Templar Grand Master Crawford Starrick, who reached out to him and offered him a large sum of money to train a number of underlings—namely Octavia Plumb, Edith Swinebourne, Rexford Kaylock, Bloody Nora, Cletus Strain, Lilla Graves, and Victor Lynch—to be gang leaders. With the money he had received, Roth bought and refurbished a burnt-out theater in the Strand which would later be called the Alhambra Music Hall. He used it as the base of his operations, all the while keeping up a legitimate facade by funding shows for the public to enjoy.

Betraying Starrick

Roth: "My friend, if I fail to provide you with the chance to cause Starrick some pain, well you can charge into this theatre and kill me yourself."

Jacob: "What do YOU get out of all this?"

Roth: "The chance to have a little fun with the bravest man in London!"

Jacob: "You have a deal."

—Roth and Jacob forming an alliance, 1868.

Roth meeting Jacob

By 1868, Roth, who maintained control over the Blighters' various dealings, had begun to grow restless under Starrick's employ, expressing his disdain for the Grand Master's meticulous control over the city. Favouring more of an eclectic lifestyle, Roth sought out Starrick's nemesis and opposing gangster and outlaw, Jacob Frye, an Assassin and leader of the burgeoning Rooks. Sending him an invitation to the Alhambra, Roth expressed his admiration for Jacob's accomplishments upon his arrival and offered him a partnership.

After Jacob accepted, the pair began to undermine Starrick's criminal and economic power throughout the city, sabotaging his shipments of explosives, and kidnapping his henchmen Hattie Cadwallader, Benjamin Raffles, and Chester Swinebourne. Pleased with Jacob's performance, Roth invited him again to the Alhambra for more of his personal amusement.

Roth directing his Blighters to blow up Starrick's workshop

However, as they continued to work together, Jacob became increasingly perturbed by Roth's tactics. He eventually dissolved their partnership when Roth's anarchistic behavior saw him attempt to destroy one of Starrick's workshops with children inside; while Jacob opposed Starrick and despised child labor, he would not sacrifice innocent lives to strike against the Templar Grand Master. To this, Roth shot at the dynamite crates that Jacob had previously placed around the workshop, sending the building ablaze, and left angrily, forcing Jacob to rescue the children from the burning building.

Death

"Tonight, we have, for one night only, a very special performance of Corvus the Trickster. While some of the effects may be visceral and highly disturbing, do not be alarmed, my good people. Fear not! This is the purest form of entertainment! Tonight's performance immortalizes and is for the benefit of a young fellow very near and dear to my heart."

―Roth addressing the audience at the Alhambra, 1868.

Following this, Roth sent Jacob an invitation to a grand performance at the Alhambra—the corpse of Rook, the baby crow he had been raising as a pet—signifying his malevolent intentions. Once Jacob arrived at the theatre, Roth announced to the crowd that the show, Corvus the Trickster, was dedicated to the Assassin, themed around near-death stunts, before he promptly set the building ablaze with the guests still inside. He then challenged Jacob to make his move.

Roth's final moments

Prior to the inferno, Jacob had managed to free the theatre's machinist, who lowered the stage's rack. This allowed the Assassin to climb the rigging and cut away one of the sandbags above the stage, snaring Roth by the foot and elevating him up to his demise at the end of Jacob's Hidden Blade.

In his final moments, Roth explained his motivations, which essentially boiled down to just two words: "Why not?", before planting a goodbye kiss upon the unsuspecting Jacob. The Assassin was subsequently able to escape the burning Alhambra, leaving Roth's corpse behind.

Legacy

Following Roth's death, the city's residents created a murder ballad for him titled "Jokes, Jokes, Jokes", which they occasionally sang alongside similar tunes made up for John Elliotson, Pearl Attaway, and Philip Twopenny. Meanwhile, the loss of their leader was a crippling blow for the Blighters which, combined with their other defeats at the hands of the Rooks, led to the gang's demise by the end of the year.

For Jacob personally, Roth's actions had a profound effect and, seeing a dark mirror image of himself in the late crime boss, the Assassin decided to change his ways, becoming less reckless and impulsive.

Behind the scenes

Maxwell Roth is a character created for the 2015 video game Assassin's Creed: Syndicate, where he is voiced by the English actor John Hopkins. He is the only major assassination target in the game not to be an actual Templar, but rather just an associate of the Order.

Following his assassination, Roth kisses Jacob, leaving the latter shocked and confused. Syndicate's lead writer Jeffrey Yohalem later confirmed that Roth was in love with Jacob, and that the kiss was left as ambiguous as possible for Jacob to "figure things out."

Etymology

The name Maxwell comes from Mack, a shortened version of the Scandinavian name Magnus, and the Old English Wella meaning 'stream'; together they mean 'Mack's stream'. Roth is derived from the German word rot, meaning 'red'. Meanwhile Oberon, Roth's alleged given name, was the name of the fairy king in the English playwright William Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream, possibly referencing Roth's profession as a stage performer.

Gallery

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  Roth with his pet crow, Rook
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  Roth boarding a train
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  Roth and Jacob
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  Roth revealing himself to his audience
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  Roth waiting for Jacob to make his move
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  A trapped Roth at Jacob's mercy
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  Roth kissing Jacob
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  Roth's last laugh

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Syndicate