Bayek

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Bayek of Siwa (86 or 85 BCE – unknown) was the last Medjay active in ancient Egypt and one of the founders of the Hidden Ones, an organization that would later transform into the Assassin Brotherhood, alongside his wife Aya.

Bayek and his wife took a leading role in the civil war between Queen Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy XIII, a conflict that saw them at odds with the Order of the Ancients.

Laying the groundworks for the Hidden Ones during this struggle, Bayek and Aya formed bureaus in Memphis and Rome from which they would spread their influence throughout the Roman Republic, helping to fight for the freedom of the people against the Order's desire for control.

Biography

Early life

The son of the Medjay, Sabu, and his wife Ahmose, Bayek hailed from the town of Siwa, where he was viewed as a local hero. He was the last of the Medjay, an old Nubian Egyptian order which had become obsolete under the rule of the Greek Ptolemies, and as such was the respected protector of his community. In the rest of Egypt, however, he was viewed as an inconvenient relic by those in power.

He was married to an Alexandrian woman named Aya, who moved in with him during their youth, trained in the arts of the Medjay and had a son with. Unlike Bayek, Aya was an agent to the exiled queen Cleopatra, and her duty to Cleopatra strained their relationship given Bayek's misgivings about the queen. Nevertheless, their union planted the seeds for what would become the Assassin Brotherhood.

Khemu's death

In 49 BCE the Order of the Ancients kidnapped Bayek and Aya's son, Khemu, holding him hostage until Bayek told them how to open the Siwan vault. The order assumed that because Bayek was a Medjay he would know about the vault, however Bayek did not know how to open the vault. The situation escalated resulting in Khemu's accidental death by his father's hand.

Quest for vengeance

Khemu's death drove Bayek and Aya to hunt down the members of the Order of the Ancients, one by one. Bayek went searching for information about the Order for a whole year, and after many months he discovered the identity of The Heron. He then hunted him to the Bent Pyramid of Sneferu and killed him.

Personality and Traits

Before the tragic death of his son Bayek was shown to a caring and loving father and husband, as well as a dutiful protector of his home of Siwa. He was shown to have a lighthearted and jovial nature, as well as a strong sense of responsibility and duty for those who needed protecting.

After Khemu's death Bayek's sole focus became to hunt down those who were responsible, not to rest until everyone involved had paid with their lives. While he took priority on hunting down the Order of the Ancients he would stop to help those in need, showing that he still took his role as a Medjay and protector seriously.

While he maintained his friendly nature around close friends and people that he trusted, he was equally cold and ruthless toward those he considered to be his enemies. Bayek showed no sympathy toward those who prey on the weak and defenseless, especially innocent children. Although he was driven to kill the members of the Order, Bayek was not incapable in sympathizing with his targets or feeling guilty of his actions. Learning that Khaliset had lose a child caused Bayek to take pity on her, leading him to pray that Khaliset be reunited with her daughter in the afterlife after he killed her. Another example is after assassinating Taharqa Bayek sadly apologized to his son Kawab, showing remorse for robbing an innocent child of his father.

Equipment and skills

As a Medjay, Bayek was highly trained in the art of combat, and he utilized a variety of weapons that included the khopesh, spear, and bow. He also possessed a shield to defend himself against enemies' attacks and wielded the signature Hidden Blade for low-profile assassinations. Aside from this, Bayek was an expert in stealth and freerunning.

Bayek had a symbiotic relationship with his eagle, Senu, which aided him in reconnaissance thanks to his Eagle Vision. Unlike later Assassins such as Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, and Desmond Miles, Bayek's Eagle Vision was far more literal in the sense that activating the ability allowed him to see through the eyes of Senu.

Trivia

• Bayek is a play on the hieroglyphic word for "falcon" or "vulture". This is keeping in tradition of the protagonists' names being associated with avians.
• Bayek possesses a small scar on his upper lip, a feature he shares with later Assassins such as Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, Aveline de Grandpré and Desmond Miles.
• Bayek wears a necklace adorned with an eagle's skull, which, when viewed from a certain perspective, resembles the Assassin insignia.
• Bayek also has a missing ring finger on his left hand for the use of the Hidden Blade, similar to the Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins during the Crusades.
  • Furthermore, a thread can be seen connecting the Hidden Blade to Bayek's ring finger, which is in line with how the Hidden Blade's mechanism was activated before it was upgraded by Altaïr.
  • Bayek lost his ring finger while trying to escape being strangled to death by Eudoros, a member of the Order of the Ancients, due to activating his hidden blade while his fist was clenched, leading to the latter's death. This led to the practice of cutting one's finger as dedication to the Hidden Ones.
    • Later, legendary Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad of the Levantine Brotherhood recreated the hidden blade so one wouldn't need to sacrifice their finger. This allowed assassins to not be easily found in public during modern times since missing a finger would give away one's identity as an Assassin. However, some Assassins (like Aguilar, for example) still cut off their ring fingers to show their dedication to the order.
• Bayek's practice of dipping a feather in his targets' blood following their death is an act that would eventually become a standard ritual amongst the Brotherhood.
• Alongside Io:nhiòte, Bayek is one of the two known individuals gifted with Eagle Vision who displays the ability to telepathically see through the eyes of animals, in their case eagles.

Gallery

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  Concept art of Bayek
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  Another concept art of Bayek
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  3D Models of Bayek
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  Closeup of Bayek's face
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  Bayek
• Concept Art of Bayek with Senu
  Concept Art of Bayek with Senu
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  Bayek's burial potrait

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Desert Oath (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Origins