Bayek

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"There is freedom, and there is the life of innocents. Both must be balanced on the scale."

―Bayek to Gamilat, 38 BCE.

Bayek of Siwa (born c. 85 BCE), also known by the alias Amun, was one of the last Medjay of Egypt and the co-founder of the Hidden Ones and, by extension, the Assassin Brotherhood, alongside his wife, Aya.

Growing up in the remote village of Siwa, Bayek inherited the mantle of Medjay from his father, Sabu, and dedicated his life to protecting the security and welfare of his people. He also tried to raise his son, Khemu, in the Medjay ways, but this took a dramatic turn in 49 BCE, when Khemu was killed during an altercation with the Order of the Ancients, who had tried to interrogate Bayek to learn how to unlock the Siwa Vault.

Swearing vengeance on the Order, Bayek abandoned his Medjay duties and, alongside Aya, embarked on a quest to avenge their son by systematically assassinating every individual responsible. In process, they became allied with the exiled queen Cleopatra VII, who revealed that the Order's reach and power far exceeded their initial belief. Although wary, Bayek followed Aya's lead and pledged his service to Cleopatra as her personal Medjay, in the process embroiling himself in the Alexandrine Civil War against Ptolemy XIII.

Following the conflict's conclusion, Cleopatra and her ally, Julius Caesar, betrayed Bayek and Aya by aligning themselves with the Order. In response, Bayek gathered their allies to form the Hidden Ones, a secret brotherhood that swore to fight against the Order and safeguard peace and freedom. However, this came at the expense of his marriage, as Aya elected to travel to Rome to establish her own branch of the Hidden Ones there.

For the remainder of his life, Bayek led what would someday become the Egyptian Brotherhood of Assassins, expanding the organization by recruiting new members from all walks of life, and combating the oppression and atrocities perpetrated by the new Roman rule of Egypt. As the forefather of the Assassins, he planted the seeds for their progressive philosophy, devising the Creed and its strict tenets on discretion and never harming an innocent life.

As the organisation steadily grew during his travels, Bayek came across a deadly curse in the city of Thebes and set out to stop the one responsible by allying himself with the locals of the town that would help him with the endeavour. Ultimatley discovering an Apple of Eden once owned by the pharaoh Akhenaten to be behind the curse, Bayek retrieved the artifact and gave it to the thief Sutekh, trusting him to hide it somewhere where no one would find it.

Unlike Aya, who would gain legendary status among the later Assassins, Bayek was largely forgotten by members of the Brotherhood over the centuries, until his re-discovery in 2017 by Layla Hassan.

Biography

Early life

Youth in Siwa

Bayek was born in Siwa, Egypt around 85 BCE to the Medjay Sabu and his wife Ahmose. When he was a young child, a group led by a grave robber known as Menna attacked his family home. Most of them were killed by Sabu, but his mother bravely defended him as well. Bayek later became a close friend of Hepzefa, a fellow Siwan, and Kensa, a Nubian girl who trained Bayek in hunting. He was also well acquainted with Menehet, a priest of Sekhmet in Yamu whose children treated Bayek as a loving uncle. Bayek also occasionally raced against Sennefer, who later left Siwa to live in Kanopos.

Finding his father

In 70 BCE, a teenage Bayek lived in Siwa with his parents. At this time, he was also in a relationship with Aya of Alexandria, a half-Greek girl whom he adored. They often went together to the Hotep Cavern in the Qattara Depression where they fell in love. Bayek's father 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. Around this time, Bayek also started his training to become a Medjay, a protector of the community.

One day, a messenger arrived and relayed a message to Sabu. He briefly spoke with Rabiah, the village healer. Sabu elected to leave Siwa without giving a reason other than it being safer for Siwa that he left. After discussing his decision with Rabiah and Ahmose, Bayek chose to follow his father and set out to find him. He initially traveled to the city of Zawty to find the messenger who had met with Sabu. In doing so he met Tuta, a young street urchin, who ultimately misled Bayek, resulting in his purses being stolen. After chasing the thief across rooftops, Bayek was nearly strangled to death by Tuta's father, Paneb, but was saved by Aya, who had followed him. She knocked out Paneb and the three of them, including Tuta, escape to Thebes.

Arriving in Thebes, they met Kensa, but learned that Sabu was not there. Meanwhile, word reached Bayek that Menna may be hiding out nearby and he decided to hunt the grave robber down wth the help of Aya, Tuta, Kensa, Seri and Neka. However, Neka was captured and later tortured by Menna, until he was saved by a brave night rescue by the others. During the battle, Menna escaped on a chariot. He was pursued by Bayek and Kensa, the latter killing Menna's driver with an arrow shot. Menna ultimately died in the chariot crash.

Kensa later received word that Sabu was being held in a pit on the island of Elephantine. As such, Bayek and Aya left with her to rescue him. Under the cover of a sandstorm, the group infiltrated the island, but found that Sabu was not there and that they had been lured into a trap. After escaping from the guards chasing them, Sabu revealed himself to the group. At that moment, they were confronted by a man named Bion, but he became caught in the trap and was injured, though he managed to escape.

Becoming the last Medjay

"Every morning of my childhood, my father and I spoke the Prayer of the Medjay, a promise to those in need."

―Bayek on his Medjay duties, 48 BCE.

Several years passed, and Sabu continued to train Bayek as a Medjay. In turn, Aya was trained by Bayek with Sabu's approval. They spent years training on the run across many villages. Eventually, Bayek asked for Aya's hand in marriage but she refused, citing that life as a Medjay's wife would be harsh and that she still dreamed to move back to Alexandria, where she hoped to become a scholar. After receiving news about her aunt having fallen ill, Aya opted to return to Siwa, but along the way encountered Bion, whom she unknowingly led back to Bayek and Sabu's hideout.

As soon as he arrived at the camp, Bion let loose arrows that hit Sabu and sliced Bayek's stomach with a blade. All three men were ultimately injured in the ensuing battle, leading Sabu to push Bayek into a nearby river to save him. As a result, Sabu was struck down and killed by Bion. After witnessing his father's death, Bayek fell unconscious and was swept away to safety by the river.

Bayek was eventually pulled from the river by people aboard a boat who nursed him back to health over the course of four days. He then steadily traveled north, before disembarking to purchase a horse to get to Siwa. He arrived to find Aya safe with her aunt but was warned that Bion was somewhere nearby. Fearing for Ahmose's life, he immediately headed to his mother’s home along with Aya. Bion lied in wait and they all fought him until Ahmose critically wounded him in the process. With his dying breath, Bion revealed that a man named Raia had hired him to eradicate the Medjay bloodline.

Not long after Bion's death, Bayek married Aya, who had decided to stay with him afterall, and became the protector of Siwa. Eventually, Aya gave birth to their son, Khemu, in 56 BCE. Years later, Bayek traveled to Alexandria and killed Raia in his own home. Unbeknownst to the Medjay, Raia was a member of the Order of the Ancients, a powerful and secretive organization that sought to control all of Egypt. As the last Medjay of Siwa, Bayek was viewed as the respected protector of his community. To the rest of Egypt, however, he was seen as an inconvenient relic by those in power.

and together, they raised a son called Khemu. Years later, Bayek traveled to Alexandria and killed Raia in his own home. Bayek became the last Medjay in Siwa, where he was viewed as the respected protector of his community. To the rest of Egypt, however, he was viewed as an inconvenient relic by those in power.

Losing his son

Rudjek: "As Medjay, you must have some clue or key or legend that explains its use."

Bayek: "I don't know anything about this vault! Please, leave my son out of this!"

—Bayek interrogated by the Order about the vault, 49 BCE.

Bayek teaching Khemu to hunt

As Bayek became a father, he trained his son to follow in his footsteps and become a Medjay, teaching him the tradition of Old Egypt through the star's constellations. At some point, he also befriended a female eagle, Senu, who became a constant companion. The two shared a symbiotic relationship, as Bayek could see through the eyes of Senu.

In 49 BCE, the pharaoh Ptolemy XIII visited Siwa. To celebrate the arrival of the pharaoh, Bayek was charged by the Oracle of Amun to hunt an ibex for a feast that night. Bayek hunted the animal with his son and Chenzira, a friend of Khemu. Afterwards, Bayek decided to test the courage of his son, asking him to leap from a cliff into the water below; in doing so, he hoped to teach Khemu to conquer his fears, much like his father had taught him many years prior. To Bayek's disappointment, however, Khemu was too scared by the heights and refused to jump.

At that moment, they were interrupted by the screams of Chenzira in the distance. Bayek ordered Khemu to hurry back home while he went to investigate the potential danger. The Medjay was then confronted by a group of soldiers who had taken Chenzira hostage and demanded that Bayek follow them. After Chenzira ran away, Bayek attempted to fight the soldiers, but was ultimately overwhelmed, knocked unconscious and taken captive.

Bayek struggling against a masked one

Waking up in the Temple of Amun, Bayek was led by a masked man to a secret chamber underneath the temple where, to his dismay, he discovered that Khemu had also been captured by four other masked men. The masked figures showed Bayek a relic and demanded that he open the vault under the temple, believing that he would be able to do so due to his role as Medjay. Bayek, however, had no knowledge about the vault. Before the group could interrogate Bayek for more information, the pharaoh arrived at the temple. Khemu stole a knife from one of the masked men and succeeded in freeing his father, who attempted to take down the masked ones. He was subdued by one of them, who manipulated his attack and forced him to unintentionally stab Khemu in the heart, killing him. Before Bayek could respond, he was struck by the masked men and left for dead.

Quest for vengeance

Tracking the Heron

"Sleep? I never sleep. I just wait. In the shadows. And I will kill you all. Everyone who sniffed the air that day in Siwa."

―Bayek to Rudjek before killing him, 48 BCE.

Having survived the masked men's attack, Bayek later buried his son with the rest of his family at the Mountain of the Dead. During the attack, Bayek also lost Senu and assumed her to be dead. Feeling guilt for having stabbed Khemu in the heart, forbidding his son to reach the Field of Reeds, the Medjay was haunted by a nightmare in which he fought Apep who devoured his heart. This led Bayek to sleep rarely.

Khemu's death drove Bayek to hunt down the masked men one by one. Unlike her husband, Aya was unable to cope with the loss of their son and returned to Alexandria where her cousin Phanos the Younger lived. Bayek, meanwhile, began searching for information about the masked men throughout Egypt. During his absence, Hepzefa took over Bayek's Medjay duties and looked after Siwa in his stead. Bayek eventually discovered the pseudonyms of the five masked men: the Heron, the Ibis, the Vulture, the Ram and the Snake. He tattooed their cryptonyms on his arm to cross out each time he killed one of them. During his journey, Bayek met Tahira, a huntress who became a protector after being inspired by Bayek. He shared with her his quest of vengeance but they nonetheless parted ways.

Bayek confronting Rudjek, the Heron

After over a year of searching, Bayek discovered the identity of the Heron, Rudjek, who was the Nomarch of Saqqara. He tracked his target to the Bent Pyramid of Sneferu, where he crossed paths with Hypatos, Rudjek's bodyguard. Bayek fought and defeated Hypatos, getting injured during the battle, then confronted Rudjek inside the pyramid. As the Heron threw a knife at him - the very same knife which had killed Khemu - Bayek blocked the attack with Rudjeck's mask. He then slammed the mask and the knife into his target's face, killing him.

Having crossed out the first name on his list, Bayek left the pyramid and resumed his journey to pursue his remaining targets. Along the way, he passed out from his injuries and was found by Nefertari, the chief healer of Nitria, a natron mine in the Saqqara Nome. Nefertari brought him back to the town and patched his wounds. In the midst of confusion, Bayek left the mine upon waking up and embarked on a long journey back to Siwa.

Return to Siwa

Bayek clashing with Hypatos, Rudjek's bodyguard

A few months later, Bayek was confronted by Hypatos on the outskirts of the town above an Old Kingdom tomb, as Rudjek's former bodyguard sought revenge on the Medjay for killing his master. In the midst of their fight, Hypatos repeatedly slammed the floor, collapsing it and causing both him and Bayek to fall into the ruins below. As neither was incapacitated by the fall, they resumed the fight, with Bayek offering a truce. Hypatos refused the truce in the name of honor, eventually falling to the blade of Bayek.

Bayek later navigated his way through the tomb and when he reached the exit, he discovered his friend Hepzefa fighting a group of soldiers who served under Rudjek. After dispatching the soldiers, the Medjay duo rode back to Siwa. Bayek was told of the disruptions to his home village brought upon by the Oracle of Amun Medunamun, the Ibis, who had established the Temple of Amun as his base of operations. The two returned to Hepzefa's home, where Bayek began his preparations to hunt his next target. However, the villager healer Rabiah arrived shortly after and convinced Bayek to rest and let her treat his injuries.

Bayek's wounds being tended to by Rabiah

Having rested, Bayek met up with Hepzefa outside his home, who gave him a new bow to test out. Moments later, a villager ran towards Hepzefa, warning him that Ptolemy XIII's soldiers were looking for him. Bayek and Hepzefa hid in the tall grasses nearby and later sneaked up on the soldiers and eliminated them. Bayek was also reunited with Senu, who was still alive and had been patched up by Rabiah.

Having learned of Medunamun's tyrannical rule, Hepzefa urged Bayek to strengthen himself with armor and gear and aid the villagers in their errands. Bayek helped Benipe, the blacksmith of Siwa, to regain his tools from Camp Shetjeh. In return, Benipe allowed him choose between four weapons to pick as his reward: a bow, a shield, a mace and a spear.

Returning to his house, Bayek recovered his father's Khepesh and also a statuette of his son. He also returned to the stone circle near Siwa and promised to honor Khemu's dream to visit evry stone circle across Egypt.

Bayek carrying Teremun's body

Bayek, having read a letter from a villager named Issa, visited the Temple of Amun, where he discovered a group of farmers in a cage who had been arrested for protesting the increase of taxes. He also discovered the body of Issa's husband Teremun, bringing it back to the farmer's farm. Bayek was disgusted to find that Teremun's family, including Issa, had been killed by Ptolemy XIII's soldiers who burned down the hut with them inside. He then laid down Teremun's body before his burial.

Bayek later visited the Amanai Cave, a spring where the villagers of Siwa took water from. There, Bayek met with Kett, who informed him that bandits had taken over the spring and extorted the farmers in exchange for using it. Bayek infiltrated the spring and eliminated the bandits, thus reclaiming the cave for the village.

Bayek finding Chenzira in the tomb

Having freed the spring, Bayek made his way to the Mountain of the Dead, where he found Fenuku, a friend of Khemu, standing outside a hyena den. Fenuku informed Bayek that his older brother Chenzira had wanted to look at hyena skulls in the cave, but the returning hyenas chased both of them, causing Chenzira to run into the tomb. Bayek sent Fenuku home and explored the tomb to look for Chenzira, eventually finding him in a chamber with a stele from the Old Kingdom. After deciphering the stele, Bayek escorted Chenzira out of the tomb and sent him back home upon fending off a hyena attack.

Returning to the village, Bayek visited Rabiah in her home, where he learned that she had created a makeshift clinic to treat the villagers, who were brutalized by the Ptolemies. However, Rabiah's supplies from Yamu were being stolen by the soldiers, including a shipment which had sunk in the lake. Bayek recovered the shipment and brought it back to the clinic. There, he helped Rabiah to eliminate the soldiers who attempted to raid it, allowing Rabiah to continue treating the villagers of Siwa.

Slaying the Ibis

Bayek looking at Medunamun's corpse

Having helped the local Siwans, Bayek returned to the temple complex, where he freed the priests who suffered beatings at the hands of Medunamun. He later confronted the Ibis, who mocked Khemu's death, causing Bayek to angrily bludgeon him to death with a metalic orb the former was studying.

Having freed Siwa from Medunamun's tyranny, Bayek returned to Hepzefa, who invited him to drink a beer to their friendship. Afterwards, Bayek declared his intention to leave Siwa and travel to Alexandria to find Aya, who was hunting the remaining masked men in the city. Hepzefa directed him to the Great Library and told him to seek a statue of Serapis, which was the only hint Aya had given him regarding her location. The two friends then parted ways as Bayek continued his journey, leaving Hepzefa to defend Siwa.

Journey to Alexandria

Bayek and Menehet reunited

After crossing the desert, Bayek stopped by the Temple of Sekhmet to pay Menehet a visit while en route to Alexandria. Aware that the temple's renovations were new to the Medjay, Menehet gave his friend a tour of the complex, and Bayek was impressed by the sudden opulence of the temple. When they reached the temple's reflecting pool, Menehet's children pounced upon Bayek from behind, a playful greeting that transitioned into a game of hide-and-seek. Busy with his work, Menehet was not part to this, but whether he knew it or not, his children found themselves in dangerous spots over the course of the game, with Keba trapped in a well and Soris narrowly escaping a ravenous hyena.

While the children and Bayek were concluding their game, Menehet was confronted by a visitor to Yamu infuriated by the presence of fraudulent cat mummies in the market. Although the priest asserted that responsibility for the matter laid solely with the merchant in question, this reasoning failed to appease the visitor who stormed away no less irate than before. Because Bayek had caught wind of the rant, Menehet was prompt to describe the issue to him whereupon the Medjay took it upon himself to investigate the incident on his behalf.

Once the bandits behind the fake mummies had been dealt with, Menehet again enlisted the help of Bayek, this time to locate Pamu, an Egyptian fighter who was scheduled to play the champion of Sekhmet against the champion of Isfet in the Festival of Sekhmet that night. When Bayek returned with an intoxicated Pamu, he offered to fight as Sekhmet in his place to save his friend from disgrace, a favor which Menehet was very much grateful for, directing him to speak to the High Priest for permission.

Bayek dressed as the champion of Sekhmet

After the festival, Menehet thanked Bayek for his spectacular performance in winning the fight against Isfet, allowing him to keep the Sekhmet costume and the staff as tokens of respect. Recognizing that it was time for the Medjay to resume his journey to Alexandria, he then bid farewell to him, agreeing that Bayek should also do the same to the children before he left.

In Yamu, Bayek was approached by Ebio who tasked him to find her missing husband Klaudios. In the middle of the Lake Mareotis, Bayek found him surrounded by crocodiles near the Lost Crypt. Bayek saved a drunken Klaudios and brought him to the village. There, Klaudios revealed that Ebio got him drunk to marry her and make him pay a "virginity tax". As Ebio called her brothers to beat Klaudios, Bayek protected him from his aggressors. Near the Lost Crypt, Bayek found mutilated corpses with a prayer for the goddess Serqet. Finding traces of a bloody ceremony, Bayek couldn't investigate further as the symbols were damaged by crocodiles. Bayek decided to keep an eye open if anything similar happened again.

When bandits stole the Book of the Dead of the elderly Beka, Bayek recovered the book to help the man join his wife in the afterlife. Returning to Yamu, Bayek was informed by Beka's daughter that her father had died while he was away. At Beka's mummification, Bayek deposed the book on the man's body and greeted him to find his wife. As he saw three corpses laid out carelessly in the temple, Bayek interrogated the emballer. He said that they were brought by Iras, whose family had been slaughtered. Going to her farm, Bayek killed soldiers who tracked the girl. Speaking with Iras, she told him that the soldiers attacked her family after her father had refused to concede his land. Bayek subsequently tracked down the man responsible, Sophronios, and killed him, ending the threat.

Reuniting with Aya

Bayek meeting Phanos

Upon arriving in Alexandria, Bayek went to the Great Library and its statue of Serapis, as he had been instructed to do by Hepzefa. There, he was greeted by Aya's cousin Phanos, who revealed that Aya had been forced into hiding and escorted him to a garden shine where the entrance to Aya's hideout was located. Inside the hideout, Aya greeted her husband passionately after a year of separation.

While she cut his beard, Aya informed Bayek that she had killed Actaeon, who was the Vulture, and Ktesos, the Ram, leaving only one target to track down and eliminate: the Snake. She then gave him a royal papyrus with the Snake's emblem, indicating that their target was a member of the Ptolemaic Court. Aya also revealed that she had allied with the exiled queen, Ptolemy XIII's sister Cleopatra, and her agent, Apollodorus, who had spies tracking the same men as them. Although Bayek was distrustful of Cleopatra, he decided to trust his wife's judgement.

Bayek trying out his Hidden Blade

To kill the Snake, Aya gave Bayek a Hidden Blade which had been used to kill King Xerxes I of Persia centuries prior. Before Bayek's departure, Aya also informed him that because of her murders of Actaeon and Ktesos, she was being hunted by the Phylakitai of Alexandria, Gennadios. As such, she tasked her husband to eliminate Gennadios as well.

Bayek later reunited with Phanos, who asked him to free his actors and retrieve his script from the city guards as Phanos was preparing a play in the emptied Theatre of Alexandria that criticized Ptolemy XIII's regime. Bayek rescued one of the actors from the Akra Garrison, who revealed that the script was on its way to the palace and that the two other actors had managed to escape and go into hiding. Bayek found one of the escaped actors cowering in his home and, after eliminating the guards that were closing in on him, convinced him to go to Phanos. He then intercepted the patrol carrying Phanos' script and stole it back before delivering it to Phanos, who decided to slightly alter the script as to not anger the pharaoh.

After the play, Phanos invited Bayek to a symposium. On the road to Phanos' house, they were ambushed by phylakitai. After defeating them, Bayek and Phanos arrived at the symposium where artists were feasting. When phylakitai arrived and killed some of them, Bayek defended the house. To end the threat, Bayek killed the three phylakitai who targeted the artists.

Assassinating the Snake

Bayek sending Gennadios' to the Duat

Bayek found Gennadios in the Jewish quarter preparing to torture the dockworkers for information on Aya's whereabouts. Bayek infiltrated the Akra Garrison and killed the Phylakitai, who in his final moments questioned whether his and Aya's quest for vengeance went above the law. Bayek's assassination of Gennadios also had the undesired effect of making the Medjay a target of the other Phylakes in Egypt, who would hunt him down to try and exact revenge.

Following Gennadios' assassination, Bayek infiltrated the Royal Palace in search of information to help him deduce the Snake's identity. Heading to the room of the Royal Scribe Eudoros, Bayek found a locked chest containing documents which proved Eudoros' links to Medunamun, as well as the fact that the masked men held sway over Ptolemy XIII. Concluding that Eudoros was the Snake, Bayek headed to the bathhouse which the Royal Scribe was known to frequent. On the way there, he met Callista whose husband Aristo was wrongly accused by Eudoros to have plagiarized his work. Bayek freed Aristo and brought him to his wife, permitting them to flee to Crete.

Bayek attempting to drown Eudoros

Entering the bathhouse, Bayek navigated the ceiling and located his target. As he attempted to assassinate Eudoros, however, the Snake resisted his attack and began strangling Bayek, until the latter activated his Hidden Blade; amputating his ring finger and killing Eudoros. In his final moments, Eudoros claimed that he had nothing to do with Khemu's death and remarked that the Snake would never die. Bayek subsequently exited the bathhouse and cauterized his wound.

Bayek feeling uneasy about the Snake's death

Having eliminated both of his targets, Bayek returned to Aya atop the Paneum, where the couple decided to spend a night of passion to celebrate achieving closure for the death of their son. The following day, however, Bayek expressed his doubts over Eudoros being the last of the masked men and, though Aya tried to assure him that their quest for revenge was over, he remained unsettled. Aya then suggested that Bayek meet Apollodorus for more information, and directed him to the Lageion Hippodrome in the Kanopos Nome.

Alexandrian Civil War

Activities in Alexandria

While visiting the Serapeum of Alexandria, Bayek was approached by a priest who told him that his drummer had been jailed after being accused by the tanner Theon of stealing a precious lion's skin. The Medjay freed the drummer who told him that the skin had been stolen by bandits. Bayek recovered the skin and proved the drummer's innocence before Theon who refused to present excuses to an Egyptian. Later, the priest tasked Bayek to recover food that had been taken from the poor by guards. After the Medjay accomplished this mission, the guards discovered that the priest was responsible and wanted him dead. Bayek escorted the priest to the island of Pharos where he sought refuge and took up his old name Lysander.

Bayek returning Pegasus to Phidias and Kara

On the northern docks of Alexandria, Bayek was hired by the merchant Phidias to become the bodyguard of his daughter Kara. While escorting Kara home, the girl asked Bayek to follow her to the market. As he refused, she threatened him to call the guards. Reluctantly, Bayek went with Kara to get her horse Pegasus. On the road, Bayek discovered that Kara had a good character as she sent gifts to her former bodyguards and their families, and so agreed to bring her to the market. While they saw the linens, a thief stole Pegasus. Bayek tracked him and brought back the horse. As Phidias was waiting with Kara, she covered Bayek's absence by saying he had to leave for a moment to deal with Pegasus' shoe. When Phidias asked if he could hire the Medjay permanently, Bayek turned him down, claiming that he had to leave the city.

On the southern docks, the merchant Tjepu asked Bayek to find her son Tefibi who had gone missing after deciding to become a philosopher. As he searched a cave near the beach, Bayek investigated the place, finding a bundle of clothes and a trail of blood. Following the trail, Bayek found a wounded Tefibi hiding in a hut. On the road, they were attacked by soldiers accusing Tefibi of theft. After defeating the soldiers, Bayek permitted Tefibi to return home. Later, Tjepu and her son once again asked Bayek for help after guards had taken Tefibi's papyrus which also contained Tjepu's offering to sell olive. Bayek recovered the documents from the guards aboard a felucca and brought them back to their rightful owners.

Bayek drinking with Claridas and the Veneta Blue

Near the Hippodrome, Bayek witnessed a speech given in honor of the late chariot racer Icarus of the Prasina Green. In the crowd, Bayek met his old friend Sennefer who had changed his name to Claridas to become a racer for the Veneta Blue. After his friend stopped two Blues from beating Icarus' brother Nikias, Bayek followed Claridas and his teammates to a tavern. While drinking, Bayek was approached by Nikias who proposed he join the Greens but the Medjay refused.

Later, as Bayek and Claridas were drunken, the friends argued. Bayek reproached Claridas for abandoning his name and home to become a racer while Claridas blamed Bayek for always looking down on him and for having taken Aya from him. The two fought and fell unconscious. Awakening in a stable some time later, Claridas demanded to know what Nikias had said to Bayek, but the Medjay claimed that he didn't know what his friend spoke about. Claridas then told him that even if Nikias had asked him to join the Greens, he was confident that Bayek would not succeed as a racer. The Medjay took this as a challenge and decided to join the Prasina Green.

Bayek proving his racer's skills

Going to the Zephyros Stables, Bayek met Nikias and his father Philocrates to become a racer. Before that, however, he had to prove his skills by driving a chariot with Nikias around the estate. Returning to the stables, they discovered that bandits hired by the Veneta Blue had stolen the horse Saganaki. Bayek, Nikias and other Greens tracked the bandits and recovered the horse. Philocrates then welcomed Bayek as a member of the Prasina Green and gifted him a horse. Inside the Hippodrome, Bayek became a famous racer among the citizens of Alexandria, winning a number of races.

In Kanopos, Bayek found Selene mourning over the corpse of her son Halius. She explained that while her family paid their respects to the racer Icarus, the Blue Veneta killed Halius and stole a bust of Icarus. As her younger son Icarius hunted them, Bayek decided to investigate. After saving Icarius from the Blues, the Medjay recovered the bust which had been tossed into the sea. Bringing it to the family, Selene proposed to make an offering to Icarus in his name but Bayek refused and told Selene that if she really wanted to, she could make the offering for his late son Khemu.

Working for Cleopatra

Eventually meeting Apollodorous' contact at the Hippodrome, Bayek was told to meet Apollodorus at the Kanopos lighthouse after sundown. There, Apollodorus accepted to tell the Medjay what he knew about the Snake if Bayek rescued his informant Damastes who had been captured alongside a valuable scroll. Freeing Damastes from a cage, Bayek was informed that the scroll had sunk with Damastes' ship. Recovering the document, Bayek met Apollodorus who revealed that the scroll was meant for the Roman general Pompey in an effort to sway Rome to Cleopatra's side. Apollodorus then invited Bayek to his personal estate to meet the queen.

Apollodorus introducing Bayek to Cleopatra

At the estate, Bayek was reunited with Aya, who was working for Cleopatra, and met the queen, as well as the High Priest of Ptah from Memphis, Pasherenptah. Cleopatra then explained that Eudoros, whose cryptonym had actually been the Hippo, and the other masked men were members of the Order of the Ancients, also known as the Snake, a secret organization that sought to control Egypt using Ptolemy XIII as their puppet and convinced Cleopatra's brother to exile her.

As Bayek and Aya contemplated the fact that their quest for vengeance was far from over, Apollodorous revealed that his spies had uncovered four new names: the Scarab who terrorized the Nile Delta with violence; the Hyena who haunted the sacred Giza; the Lizard who plagued Memphis with misery and sickness; and the Crocodile who persecuted the Faiyum Oasis with fear and oppression. Confronted with this new information, Bayek agreed to become Cleopatra's personal Medjay and assassinate the remaining members of the Order. He relieved his old Medjay badge and was given a golden badge to signify his new allegiance to the queen.

Bayek assisting Pelias, the estate's steward

Before leaving the estate, Bayek was tasked by Pelias, Apollodorus' steward, to recover a letter with information for Apollodorus. Pelias had previously tasked his subordinate Ruia to do this but she never returned. While searching the letter without success, Bayek discovered Ruia's dead body. The Medjay informed Pelias about his subordinate's death and decided to investigate. He ultimately discovered that the master of arms Dymnos had killed Ruia during a confrontation as she had refused read the letter to him. Trying to kill Bayek to cover his crime, the master of arms was defeated by the Medjay, who subsequently found the letter and gave it to Pelias.

Search for the Scarab

Deciding to track down the Scarab first, Bayek traveled to Sais, a village in the Sapi-Res Nome. There he met Harkhuf, Apollodorus' local informant, who revealed that the city was governed with an iron fist by Sefetu, an ally of the Scarab. Harkhuf also claimed that the Scarab was a shadow, as there were many stories of disappearances and people buried in the desert by order of the Scarab. Finally, Harkhuf informed Bayek that an old man, Ghupa, had his tongue cut after he investigated on the Scarab, and directed the Medjay to meet with him for more information.

Bayek returning Ghupa to his family

Bayek met Kawab, the grandson of Ghupa, who told him that his grandfather had gone missing. The Medjay subsequently rescued the old man from Camp Pyrrhos, where he was being held prisoner, and returned him to his family, whereupon Ghupa gave him a parchment that revealed the Scarab was rallying troops in Letopolis. Maharet. Before Bayek's departure, Ghupa's daughter Maharet informed him that her husband, Taharqa, was in Letopolis and could help him.

Arriving in Letopolis, Bayek was approached by the town crier Ramessu who offered him a house like all the workers who were digging in search of a lost city. Bayek refused, explaining that he was not here to work on the site. In the streets of the city, he met the worker Nehi who had lost two oxen. Searching for the animals, Bayek discovered that they had been stolen by bandits who trained lions. Defeating them, Bayek recovered the oxen and brought them back to Nehi. As the worker informed Bayek that he had found strange writings in his house, the Medjay investigated other houses to complete the message. It was a prophecy leading him to the Temple of a Million Years buried in the sands near Letopolis, where Bayek discovered that, long ago, the priests had sacrificed their lives and the city to Sekhmet. After informed Nehi of his discovery, the worker decided to leave Letopolis.

Bayek being mistaken for a bandit by the Greek scholar

In the Temple of Horus, Bayek saved the workers Baba and Ipuy who were trapped in a tunnel. Inside the tunnel, he found an old library with scrolls. Reading one of them, he discovered that the Sword of Ptah was hidden in the house of Serqet on the other side of the river. There, he met a Greek scholar who initially mistook the Medjay for one of the bandits who had stolen the sword. After being informed of the location of the bandit camp, Bayek traveled there and recovered the sword.

Later, Bayek visited Taharqa in Letopolis and asked for his aid in finding the Scarab. Before he could answer, Taharqa was alerted to a raid by bandits who used the sandstorms as cover to plunder the city. Taharqa promised Bayek answers in exchange for his aid. After managing to defend the city and slaying the bandits at their hideout, Taharqa invited Bayek to join him and his family for dinner, where they would discuss about the Scarab.

Bayek having dinner with Taharqa's family

During dinner that night, Taharqa explained his dream to restore Letopolis for the gods, promising houses for workers who helped to dig out the city. However, during the conversation, Bayek began to pass out after drinking. As Taharqa came to help him, the Medjay noticed his smile and his ring with the Ancients' symbol and realized that Taharqa was the Scarab and had laced his drink. Bayek woke up the following day, buried up to his neck in the desert, left for dead and surrounded by Taharqa's other victims. After escaping with the help of his steed and Senu, he traveled to a nearby military camp where he recovered his possessionis, which the Scarab had offered as payment to Sefetu.

Subsequently, Bayek returned to Letopolis to find Taharqa and exact his revenge. Locating his target in the Temple of Horus, the Medjay assassinated him as he prayed to the goddess Nut. With his dying words, Taharqa expressed his regret that Letopolis would not be restored while Bayek confronted him over what he had done to his father-in-law Ghupa. The Scarab's response was that sacrifices had to be made for his great project and that his death would not stop the Order's plans.

Bayek thinking of Khemu after the Scarab's assassination

As Taharqa's family arrived and saw Bayek standing next to his body, he was confronted by Kawab and Maharet. Both were furious with the Medjay for his actions, but Bayek explained that Taharqa was the Scarab, a revelation that Ghupa nodded to. After asking Ghupa to help his family understand why Taharqa had needed to die, Bayek left the temple while thinking about his son, remorseful for having killed a father and a husband but resolving to continue his path of vengeance.

Bayek also helped Harkhuf to fight Sefetu, killing his archers and his tax collectors in Sais. He later met the harbourmaster, Zervos, who was smuggling goods for the people of Sais and needed his felucca secured, which the Medjay agreed to help him with. Bayek also encountered Jeska, an informant working for Harkhuf who was believed to be dead. After helping her to kill several soldiers who had burned a village, Jeska discovered that Harkhuf had been captured by Sefetu and taken to Fort Nikiou. Bayek infiltrated the fort, saved Harkhuf and killed Sefetu, ending his influence in the region.

Hunt in the Great Pyramids

Bayek questioning Mered about the Hyena

When Bayek arrived in Giza to begin his search for the Hyena, he met Mered, a merchant who worked as an informant for Apollodorus. He told him that the Hyena's real name was Khaliset, but asked that Bayek retrieve his stolen mount in exchange for more information. After recovering the horse from bandits, the Medjay returned to Mered, discovering that the mount had never belonged to him in the first place. Nevertheless, Mered honored their deal and revealed that the Hyena was searching for silica through the desert, as well as that her lair was located in a cave in the hills behind the Pyramid of Menkaure.

Traveling to the cave, Bayek killed the hyenas who protected the place and rescued a captive man who revealed that Khaliset had taken the other prisoners with her. He also found a drawing of the Great Pyramid of Giza and decided to head there next to investigate. Beneath the pyramid, he discovered an ancient complex and made his way to the main chamber, where he found a pedestal, more silica, the corpses of the other prisoners and the sarcophagus of Eshe, Khaliset's daughter. Bayek determined that the Hyena was attempting to resurrect her daughter using human sacrifices and the silica, which had activated the strange power of the complex.

Bayek confronted by Khaliset, the Hyena

At that moment, Khaliset appeared, furious that Bayek had disturbed her daughter's "tomb". He chased her through the pyramid's tunnels, eventually succeeding in killing her after a confrontation in the middle of a sandstorm outside the pyramid. In her final moments, Khaliset expressed her regret that she had failed to protect her daughter in both life and death, which made Bayek symphatize with her due to the loss of his own son, wishing Khaliset that she be reunited with Eshe in the afterlife.

At the Khufu Temple in Giza, Bayek saved the scavenger Oba from bandits. While escorting him to his camp, Oba told the Medjay that the had been captured because and his fellow scavengers had found a precious ring. At the camp, Odo's fellow scavenger Nebti explained that Rashidi had the ring and had run to the very same bandit camp Bayek had rescued Odo from. After saving Rashidi, the Medjay learned from him that Turo, another scavenger, had stolen the ring from him. In the Hemon Mastaba, Bayek found Turo's corpse and eliminated the hyenas who had killed him and eaten the ring. Returning with the ring to the scavengers' camp, Bayek saw that Turo's friends were more preoccupied with the ring than with their friend's fate, so he threw the ring in the sand, leaving the scavengers to fight each other over it.

Corteseos helping Bayek up

Near the Great Pyramid, Bayek found an unconscious man before being knocked out himself. Awakened by the man who presented himself as the geographer Corteseos, the Medjay discovered that his money and his heron feather were missing. Corteseos explained that his attackers were the same thieves who had stolen his research, and Bayek decided to find the thieves and recover their itmes. In the Pyramid of Menkaure, he found the thieves: Ngozi, Neema and Apheru, three young siblings who were forced to steal by bandits as they had imprisoned their protector Anta. Recovering his money and feather, Bayek promised the children to rescue Anta.

At the bandits' hideout, Bayek freed Anta, discovering it was a dog, but did not find Corteseos' notes. Returning to the children with their protector, they told him that one of the bandits was riding near the pyramid. Bayek killed him and recovered Corteseos' research. After giving the notes back to the geographer, he introduced him to the children, who wanted to go to the House of Nef in Memphis. As Corteseos was also headed there in order to map out the region, Bayek suggested that he let children and Anta escort him to his destination, to which the geographer agreed.

Saving Memphis from the Lizard curse

Bayek and Pasherenptah observing the Apis Bull

Traveling to Memphis to hunt the Lizard, Bayek met up with Pasherenptah who enlisted his aid to end a 'curse' that was plaguing the city and his pregnant wife Taimhotep. He decided to begin by investigating the odor of death that was surrounding the city. Exploring a tomb, he discovered that the mummies were rotten, creating the odor. During his investigation in the mummification temple, Bayek discovered that the Head of the Temple had tainted the natron used for the mummification with sand. When questioned by the Medjay, he declared that a priest of Anubis with a blue sash had ordered him to do it.

Later, Bayek helped Thutmose to hunt several crocodiles who were inexplicably aggressive and attacking the citizens of Memphis. After discovering that the twins Tjuyu and Tjanefer had been throwing human body parts into the water to lure the crocodiles, Bayek killed them and learned that they had been hired by the Lizard.

Arriving at Pasherenptah's house, Bayek saw Taimhotep and the town Seer performing a ritual to cure the former of a curse which had made her suffer three miscarriages. Taimhotep and Bayek drank a hallucinogenic brewage which caused the latter to relive his recurring nightmare of Apep, whom he defeated before being reunited with Khemu in the Field of Reeds. Waking up, the Seer revealed that Taimhotep was sick because someone had poisoned the temple food. As he left the house, Bayek was met by Aya, who was in Memphis with Cleopatra. They discussed their progress in their vendetta before Bayek expressed his desire to be with his wife, but Aya claimed she needed to serve the queen. The two then decided to work together to find the source of the curse plaguing Memphis.

Bayek and Aya questioning the twin priestesses

During their investigation in the of Temple of Ptah, Bayek and Aya discovered that the twin priestesses Taous and Tawe had poisoned the temple's bull representing the god Apis, thus making the population of Memphis believe the divinity was against the arrival of Cleopatra in the city. The priestesses confessed that they had been forced to do so to protect their brother, Panchrates, who was being held hostage. Bayek subsequently rescued Panchrates, who informed him that his abduction had been ordered by a priest of Anubis with a blue stash and a distinctive cough.

During a meeting with Aya, Cleopatra and Pasherenptah, Bayek revealed the description of the priest given to him by Panchrates, and Pasherenptah immediately identified the man to be Hetepi, one of his closest advisors. Deducing Hetepi to be the Lizard and the one responsible for Memphis' curse, Cleopatra ordered his death. Although Aya wished to be the one to end the Lizard's life, Bayek convinced her to let him carry out the assassination.

Bayek facing Hetepi, the Lizard

Traveling to the Temple of Ptah, where the priests of Anubis were conducting rites, Bayek was able to identify Hetepi by his cough and blue stash and kill him, liberating Memphis from his "curse". In his final moments, Hetepi tried to justify his acts to control the masses and claimed that the Medjay was no different, as the too was being manipulated by those in power. With the threat of the Lizard removed, the population of Memphis was able to celebrate the Festival of Apis, though at the end of the festivities, Aya informed Bayek that she would be traveling north to continue serving Cleopatra. This saddened the Medjay as it meant he would be separated from his wife once again.

Later, Bayek helped the Seer of Memphis by delivering amulets to protect an adventurer, a philanderer and a beggar. Afterwards, the Seer conducted a ritual to deliver Bayek from his recurring nightmare. Upon recovering a statue of the god Khnum from the Nile, who would replace Bayek in his fight against Apep, the Medjay was left to meditate for several hours while the Seer disappeared without him noticing.

Bayek trying to console Taimhotep

At one point, Bayek was tasked by the baker Teta to rescue her taster, Sasobek. After freeing him, Sasobek revealed that Taimhotep was the target of a poisoning plot, which the Medjay proceeded to foil. Bayek later helped Taimhotep in her ritual to assure that her child would be a boy. He found a talisman and escorted Taimhotep and her maid to the Pyramid of Djoser. There, Bayek watched the ritual while thinking about the Prayer of the Medjay he would have teached to his son, had he still been alive.

While exploring the streets of Memphis, Bayek saw a boy stealing from a merchant. Following the thief, he entered a bandit hideout. After Bayek defeated the bandits, the young thief introduced himself as Iphri and explained that he had been forced to steal by the bandits and their chief. As Iphri explained that other children were locked up and that his sister Kawit had gone to the city shipyard to free them, Bayek decided to investigate.

Bayek freeing Kawit and Matia

At the shipyard, Bayek found the remains of a burnt ship. Interrogating witnesses and collecting clues, he deduced that the children had been locked up at the dock and that Kawit had burned the ship to distract the guards while she freed the prisoners. With no trace of the children, Bayek explored the area. Finding bandits who were searching for a girl, Bayek killed them before going to meet the girl. She revealed to him that Kawit and the children had been captured and were being held prisoner in the villa of a woman named Gaia.

At the villa, Bayek found letters proving that Gaia Afrania sold children as slaves throughout Egypt, and rescued Kawit and the children. Going together to the house of Nef, a Memphis resident who housed homeless children, they discovered his corpse. While Kawit stayed to protected the children, Bayek tracked Gaia's ship across the Nile and killed the slaver.

Fighting the Crocodile

Bayek introducing himself to Hotephres

Bayek's quest to hunt down the Crocodile took him to Faiyum, where Apollodorus had told him to meet his ally Hotephres, who had stolen a ledger containing the true identity of the Crocodile and evidence of their crimes. Finding Hotephres' home abandoned, Bayek searched for clues and learned that Hotephres had been forced to flee from the Crocodile's men, but his servant had been captured. After Bayek freed the servant, he directed him to Hotephres' ship on Lake Moeris.

Meeting Hotephres aboard his ship, Bayek explained that he had been sent by Apollodorus to eliminate the Crocodile. Hotephres then revealed that he had given the ledger to his wife Khenut to hide, and gave him a doll to deliver to his daughter Shadya as proof that he was trustworthy. In Euhemeria, Bayek met Khenut and Shadya and learned from the former that a servant had hiden the ledger in their villa. Infiltrating the villa, which was being searched by soldiers, Bayek did not find the ledger, but stumbled upon a page of Shadya's diary which revealed that she had unknowingly taken the ledger.

Bayek finding Shadya's body

Fearing for Shadya's life, Bayek rushed back to her and her mother, but learned that they had been captured by the Crocodile's men, who took them to the lighthouse. There, Bayek found Khenut weeping, as the Crocodile's men had bound and thrown Shadya into the lake to drown. Although the Medjay dived into the lake to save the girl, it was too late and he only managed to recover Shadya's lifeless body and bring it back to her parents. As Hotephres and Khenut mourned their daughter, the latter informed Bayek that the men who had abducted her and Shadya were gladiators from the arena in Krokodilopolis. With this new lead, Bayek vowed to find and kill the Crocodile to avenge Shadya.

In Krokodilopolis, Bayek was reunited with his old friend Kensa, who had become a gladiator. Deciding that his best way to learn the identity of Shadya's killers was to become a gladiator himself, Bayek competed in the arena alongside Kensa as the "Champions of Siwa". After several battles, they managed to rise up in the ranks enough to challange the arena's champions, the brothers Diovicos and Viridovix. Defeating them, Bayek interrogated them to uncover the identity of their benefactor: Berenike, the nomarch of Faiyum. However, the brothers claimed that they had no involvement in Shadya's murder, so Bayek decided to spare their lives.

Bayek and Kensa arguing

After the battle, Kensa was furious to learn that Bayek had used her to uncover the identity of the Crocodile, to which he told her that he could not take the risk of Kensa inadvertently sabotaging his plan. Although Kensa was upset that Bayek had not trusted her enough to tell her the truth, she still attempted to convince him to continue fighting in the arena together, but the Medjay refused and left. He later informed Hotophres of his findings and promised to bring Berenike to justice.

While walking through the streets of Krokodilopoils, Bayek witnessed Berenike's soldiers burning houses and assaulting civilians who refused to follow the Crocodile's orders. Deciding to put an end to Berenike's tyrannical rule of Faiyum, Bayek tracked her to her villa in the Kerkesoucha Granary, where he discovered that Berenike had hired Kensa as her bodyguard, promising her a life of luxury in exchange for her loyalty. Nevertheless, Bayek managed to bypass all off the Crocodile's security and assassinate her.

As she laid dying, Bayek accused her of killing Shadya. Berenike had no idea who the young girl was, and retorted that Bayek was unable to see what greatness lies in store for Egypt, like "all of his kind". Bayek told her that Shadya was Hotephres and Khenut's daughter, and the dying woman explained that the ledger would have destroyed all the Order's hopes, so she did what had to be done. In response, Bayek vowed to destroy all she stood for and all those like her and declared she would die knowing the name of the innocent girl she murdered.

Bayek found both Hotephres and Khenut broken after the death of Shadya he performed a ceremony in honor oh her death he then gave the couple a new cause to fight for. In Faiyum Bayek inspired farmers to rise up against the Romans who were exporting them, he then freed the rebel's leader. Bayek assassinated the leader of Fort Boubastos when he assassinated he saw the farmers and the rebels attacking the fort as well. Bayek says goodbye to Hotephres and Khenut informing them that Faiyum is free now they must do there part.

Alliance with Caesar

Bayek meeting with Cleopatra in Herakleion

Bayek later received a letter from Aya explaining that there are two more members of the Order, The Scorpion and The Jackal, who were members of Ptolemy's royal guard and the likely culprits responsible for Khemu's death. He found out that Lucius Septimius was The Jackal and tracks him, but is too late to stop him from assassinating Pompey. With no other options, Cleopatra had Bayek, Aya and Apollodorus help sneak her into the palace to meet Julius Caesar by rolling her into a carpet. Cleopatra impresses Caesar and secures his support. Bayek killed the Scorpion, who was revealed to be Pothinus but was stopped from killing Septimius by Caesar. Aya watches Ptolemy get eaten by crocodiles when he tries to flee across the Nile.

Founding of the Hidden Ones

Liberation of Cyrenaica

Bayek with his new followers

Following her victory alongside Julius Caesar, Cleopatra took the throne as Pharaoh. Despite the protestations of Aya and Bayek, Septimius was allowed to live and in fact became an advisor to Caesar, who subsequently cuts all ties with the Medjay and his wife. Bayek, realizing that Cleopatra and Caesar had betrayed them and electing to join with the Order of the Ancients, began to gather allies in the hopes of forming a brotherhood with which to counter the threat of the Order and to defend the free will of the common people.

After identifying the strong interest shown by the Order in the tomb of Alexander the Great, Bayek and Aya decided to investigate and there found a mortally wounded Apollodorus. Apollodorus warned them that Caesar's lieutenant, Flavius, was in fact "the Lion"; the true leader of the Order of the Ancients. He and Septimius had taken the Orb and Alexander's regal staff from the tomb and were heading back to Siwa for the Vault.

Bayek confronting Flavius

Upon returning to Siwa, the former Medjay found the Vault already opened. Inside, he discovered the body of Hepzefaa, his childhood friend and the man he had chosen to defend Siwa in his absence, who had been killed by Flavius and Septimius. Tracking Flavius to the Roman city of Cyrene, in nearby Cyernaica, Bayek confronted and eliminated him, the man he deemed responsible for Khemu's death, despite Flavius' wielding of the ancient relic's powers. With the relic in hand, Bayek returned to Alexandria so as to apprise Aya of these events.

Becoming a Hidden One

Bayek: "Egypt has fallen. Greece also. And Rome will fall too. All will fall to the creed. Yet no one will know."

Aya: "When we assassinate, we assassinate only those who deserve it. The few sick souls who try to control us... but they will never know who we are. Cold, calculated poets of the kill."

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

—Bayek and Aya relinquishing their Medjay duties, 47 BCE.

Bayek leaving the Apple in the chest

In Alexandria, Bayek was introduced by Aya to Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus, two Roman senators who, like the former Medjay, had chosen to stand against Caesar and the machinations of the Order. Aya then informed her husband of her decision to travel to Rome, in order to set up a bureau within the city and to assist Brutus and Cassius in their plans to assassinate Caesar.

On the shores of the Mediterranean the two shared a moment; admitting that their life together as husband and wife had ended, they instead chose to devote themselves entirely to the principles they had adopted alongside their allies, and founded the Hidden Ones, an order of assassins dedicated to protecting free will from within the shadows.

In Memphis, Egypt, Bayek founded the first bureau from which the Hidden Ones would operate, with subsequent bureaus being set up in both the Sinai and Rome, the latter by Aya, now calling herself Amunet, who had begun to recruit more Hidden Ones to their cause.

Several years later, Bayek learned from Otis of a Roman camp north of Siwa from which a Roman General was planning to bribe various Greek and Egyptian officials to set up a communication network with a view to conquering Egypt. Bayek managed to stop the bribes, but soon discovered that Otis, who had chosen to aid the Hidden One in payment of a debt he owed Aya, had been murdered by the Roman general Gaius Julius Rufio.

Arrival in Sinai

Bayek introduced to Gamilat by Tahira

In 38 BCE, Bayek received a message from Tahira, leader of the Hidden Ones in the Sinai, informing him that the region was in open revolt against the Romans and that two Hidden Ones had been killed after being caught up in a massacre. With the situation becoming increasingly untenable, Tahira had become desperate for Bayek's assistance.

Arriving in Klysma Quarry, Bayek discovered that word of his past actions had become legend across Egypt. He then met with Tahira, who introduced him to Gamilat, the leader of the local Nabatean rebels and an ally of the Hidden Ones in the region. Together, they apprised Bayek of recent events and convinced him to assassinate three of general Rufio's lieutenants.

Bayek started by investigating the disappearance of the Hidden One Osorkon, who had been tasked with surveying the Klysma Quarry before disappearing. Bayek quickly discovered Osorkon's whereabouts and eliminated his Roman captors and assassinated Rufio's lieutenant, Tacito, before they could prise any actionable intelligence from him.

Bayek recruiting Shaqilat into the brotherhood

Now free, Osorkon explained to Bayek that a woman named Shaqilat had attacked a slaver's barge, freeing the children and bringing them to a courtyard in the quarry. Bayek discovered that Shaqilat has found safety with the liberated children, but he believed that her brutal methods served only to enrage the Roman garrison and risk vicious reprisal. After assisting Shaqilat in eliminating the predicted Roman attack on the village, Bayek, impressed by Shaqilat's skills and virtues, convinced her to join the Hidden Ones so as to confront the oppressors of the Sinai's people in a more restrained manner. Shaqilat, despite her doubts, accepted the offer was directed to the Hidden Ones' bureau.

Bayek then met with the Hidden One Maqwat, who informed the Mentor that Rufio's lieutenant, Ampelius of Capitolinus, was overseeing all commerce on the Sinai Peninsula from his base within the Walls-of-the-Ruler, and that he did so with brutality efficiency. Bayek infiltrated the fort and, despite great difficulty in initially distinguishing Ampelius from his legionnaires, assassinated the Roman officer.

Following Ameplius' death, Bayek learned of a bounty that had been placed on his head. After killing two who had sought to claim this bounty, Bayek tracked down the man who had placed it; he was shocked to discover that his would-be murderer was Kawab, the son of Taharqa, who had sought vengeance against his father's murderer for several years in an attempt to regain his father's honor. Engaging the Hidden One in a fistfight in the desert, Kawab was swiftly defeated by Bayek, who managed to convince Kawab to give up his quest vengeance and instead use his anger for a greater purpose. Kawab accepted his fate and ultimately joined Bayek as a member of the Hidden Ones.

Traveling north, to the city of Arsinoe, Bayek met with Gamilat and the two infiltrated Amenmesse's pyramid in search of Ptahmose, Rufio's mason, whom the ultimately manage to assassinate. After killing all three lieutenants, Bayek returned to the bureau to debrief Tahira but arrived to find the hideout under attack by the Romans.

Captured from crucifixion by the Romans, Bayek was eventually saved by Amunet, who was alerted of the Hidden Ones activities in the Sinai , to the point where she had heard tell of them even in Rome, and that there may be a traitor among them. Together, the two rescue Kashta and Tahira, who had also been captured during the attack, though Tahira ultimately succumbed to her wounds and died in Bayek's arms. Bayek and Amunet then returned to Arsinoe to eliminate Rufio himself, who had recently traveled to the Sinai from Rome in order to counter the growing threat to his plans.

Bayek and Amunet laying down the tenets of the Creed

Following Rufio's death, Amunet informed Bayek of Gamilat's practice of attacking the Romans before ordering his men to retreat into a nearby village. The inevitable Roman backlash and slaughter of innocent villagers were then deliberately being used to inspire more people to join Gamilat's rebellion. Outraged that Gamilat would cause the deaths of innocents to further his own cause, Bayek confronted the rebel leader and was ultimately forced to kill him when Gamilat refused to change his ways. Bayek and Amunet eventually rebuilt the bureau in the Sinai high in the mountains north of Arsinoe, and announce their plans to expand the brotherhood into Petra and Judea.

The Curse of the Pharaohs

Arrival in Thebes

In 38 BCE Bayek received a letter from Amunet about the rumors of an artifact in Upper Egypt. He was tasked to recover it at all costs. Bayek travelled to Thebes and upon arrival was welcomed by a red-haired Egyptian, Sutekh. Moments later an apparition of Queen Nefertiti appeared killing some soldiers. Bayek engaged and defeated the apparition and wondered if the artifact may be behind this. Bayek travelled to Luxor to meet Amunet’s contact Merti for information and to give her Amunet’s parcel. Merti heard rumors of a relic stolen from an unknown Pharaoh’s tomb which some say is the cause of the curse. Merti told Bayek to look into the black market in Thebes and to seek counsel of the High Priestess and God's Wife of Amun Isidora at the Temple of Karnak. Merti then left for Yebu Nome.

Searching for clues and Queen Nefertiti

Bayek began his search for the artifact at the black market. He met Siamun a merchant that offered to help but he set an ambush for Bayek and some men attacked him, however Bayek was able to defeat them with ease and afterwards interrogated Siamun. He told of an exclusive auction being held by a man called Irsu. Bayek was interested and was told to look for Tahemet for an invitation to the auction. Bayek found her gambling with some gamblers including a soldier as well as Sutekh who was also looking for the invitation. Tahemet lost the game and was forced to pay up but accusations of cheating came about and there was a brief fight amongst the soldiers and gamblers which Bayek dealt with. Bayek talked with Tahamet afterwards and she was also concerned about the recent curses and desecrations happening and blamed it on Irsu and his cronies who stole something from Nefertiti’s tomb. She told Bayek to take her invitation from her villa at Karnak. At the villa Bayek found Tahamet’s hidden room, he found the invitation as well as some information that Tahamet has been researching on the curse.

Bayek travelled to the auction at an island southwest of Thebes but encountered soldiers and dead merchants. Bayek eliminated the soldiers and investigated the auction. He summarized that the auction was attacked by soldiers and some merchants were captured and taken west to the Temple of Hatshepsut. Bayek travelled there and saw it was occupied by soldiers. Inside the complex, he found Irsu heavily wounded and inside a cage. Irsu enraged said to Bayek that his nephew stole the artifact and fled west from the auction while being chased by Irsu’s men. Moments later Irsu died from his wounds. Bayek set out to look for Irsu’s nephew and found him hiding inside a tomb in the Worker's Necropolis above Set-Ma'at. Bayek killed Irsu’s men that were looking for the thief and entered the tomb. He discovered that the thief and Irsu’s nephew was actually Sutekh whom he met in Thebes. Sutekh explained that he needed to return the relic his uncle stole to Nefertiti’s tomb, Bayek then persuaded Sutekh that he will return it. Sutekh gave the stolen relic to Bayek however it was not the artifact he was looking for, nonetheless Bayek travelled to the Valley of the Kings and into Nefertiti’s tomb. There he found Nefertiti’s sarcophagus and a portal. He walked through it and found himself somehow in the afterlife in Aaru. Bayek entered the temple to return the relic to its rightful place but before he is to enter he needed to purify himself. Having done the rites he returned the relic on Nefertiti’s throne and an apparition of Nefertiti appeared. Bayek defeated her and restored peace to her soul. Bayek saw visions of Nefertiti’s life, her husband Akhenaten holding a baby and her holding a relic. Bayek believed that the relic was the artifact he was looking for and that someone still has it.

Pharaoh Akhenaten and the Aten

Bayek travelled to the Temple of Karnak to speak to Isidora for more information about the curse. Isidora believed that the curse is a punishment from the gods for the tomb raiding and stolen relics. Bayek was directed to look at the farmlands outside of Thebes in which they have avoided the curse. Bayek was skeptical that the farmers would welcome the curse so he travelled to the village. From his investigation, he discovered that bandits have captured their priest Djehuty who has been keeping the villagers safe from the curse. After rescuing the priest from bandits at a nearby camp he invited Bayek to take part in the nightly ritual he does for the Pharaoh Akhenaten. After witnessing the ritual Bayek spoke to Djehuty and was disturbed of this cult worship of Akhenaten whom they believe is the son of Aten. Wanting to learn more about the Pharaoh Bayek was advised to look at the scrolls inside the Theban Archive.

At the Theban Archive, Bayek learned of a hidden sanctuary in Karnak dedicated to Akhenaten. Bayek travelled to Karnak and found the hidden entrance to it. Inside he discovered many relics and statues of Akhenaten retelling his story. Akhenaten discovered the artifact Bayek was looking for and worshipped it as Aten incarnate. He denied the gods and forced a new religion centered about the worship of Aten. The worship of this new religion stopped once Akhenaten died but the cult continued in secret, hence why the villagers were immune to the curse.

Bayek confronted Isidora with his new knowledge and convinced her that it is not Amun’s will that the curse is happening but the artifact and whomever has it now. To stop Akhenaten Bayek was instructed to consecrate his tomb to the true god Amun and needed to find the golden statue of Amun which was stolen by Tychon a Greek official. Bayek headed west between the temple and wharf and killed Tychon, taking his ledger where he learned that the golden statue was being kept in the Temple of Hatshepsut. Bayek travelled there and crafted some powder from the statue and afterwards set out to the Valley of the Kings where Akhenaten’s tomb is located.

Bayek entered the tomb and saw another portal and walked through it which brought him into Akhenaten’s vision of the afterlife. Bayek remembered Djehuty’s ritual where he believed that the statues contained Akhenaten’s spirit, he investigated a statue and saw Aten’s rays shining on a replica of the relic. Bayek destroyed the replica and began traveling to each statue that the Aten was shining on to destroy the replicas. After destroying the last one Aten’s ray shone onto Akhenaten’s throne, Bayek travelled to the temple and placed the dust he collected earlier from the golden statue of Amun on the throne. An apparition of Akhenaten manifested and attacked Bayek. After defeating the apparition Bayek witnessed visions of Akhenaten’s funeral, after his death the artifact Bayek seeked passed to Akhenaten’s successor.

Searching for the artifact

Bayek returned to Isidora to give her the news of putting Akhenaten and Nefertiti to rest. Bayek now knew that the artifact was in the hands of Akhenaten’s successors but still had no idea of its location or who holds it. Isidora suggested to look further into the late Tychon’s activities to see if he knew about the artifact. Bayek searched for Tychon's Villa in Thebes and saw that there was a funeral taking place. Bayek entered the house and discovered that Tychon had been working with Athames, the Strategos of Yebu, in plundering the tombs of the region and they agreed to stick to each other territories, Irsu was also working with Tychon in stealing from the tombs. Bayek found a report on a ship belonging to an individual named the Lotus who was also seeking the artifact. Bayek travelled south to Swenett where the ship was docked.

Bayek arrived in Swenett and went to the scribe’s office for the ship’s manifest that will help identify who the Lotus is. There was no sign of the scribe but a man Atut told Bayek that the scribe has been missing for some time and might be heading to the papyrus village for paper. Bayek travelled south and found the body of the scribe off the road, he examined the scene and concluded that bandits ambushed him. Bayek searched for the bandit hideout nearby and recovered the scribe’s manifest which says that the ship is docked south of Yebu. Bayek searched for the ship and found it anchored near the shore. Upon entering the ship he found blood and the deck ransacked, Bayek then followed a trail of blood that led to the shore and talked to a naked man that has just been robbed by a rust haired demon. The naked man told Bayek that the thief ran to the nearby smuggler's village. Bayek headed to the village and found out that the thief was Sutekh. Sutekh then recalled the events that happened in the ship, soldiers boarded the ship looking for Merti but she was never there. Bayek then deduced that the Lotus is Merti, the merchant he talked to in Thebes.

Bayek went looking for her at her villa, the House of the Blue Lotus and found soldiers surrounding the villa. After defeating the soldiers Bayek confronted Merti about the artifact, she knew of its power and searched for it but stopped searching after her group murdered a person trying to stop their looting. When Merti met Bayek back at Thebes she was prompted to search for the artifact again, though she still did not know who had it. Bayek was handed a scroll with information about the artifact and the Ma'at ritual, the scroll was brought from an Antiquarian at the Necropolis of the Nobles and Merti urged Bayek to continue the search before leaving for good. Moments later a Shadow of Anubis appeared and attacked Bayek.

After defeating the shadow Bayek picked up Merti’s trail and headed to the necropolis and witnessed Isidora and Tahemet arguing. Isidora accused Tahemet of being a traitor to the Thebans, as she has been helping Athames and his men with looting the tombs. However Tahemet only worked with the Strategos to avoid prison but also to protect as many relics as she can. After Isidora left Bayek questioned Tahemet about the Ma’at ritual, she said the carvings are inside the necropolis but hasn’t got a chance to review them since the tomb is crawling with Athames’ men. Bayek entered inside the Necropolis and eliminated the soldiers. Bayek investigated the carvings inside and discovered that the artifact is in the possession of the priests of Amun meaning that Isidora had the artifact.

Confronting Isidora

Bayek travelled to Karnak and into the temple to stop Isidora. He found the temple guarded by warriors of Amun. Bayek assassinated Isidora but it was a double created by the artifact, he searched for Isidora in her quarters and discovered more information of the ritual and artifact. After Akhenaten’s reign his son Tutankhamun gained possession of the artifact and restored the old religion, he then passed the artifact to the priests and was buried in a hidden tomb in the Valley of the Kings. In the present-day Nitokris, the mother of Isidora, attempted to conduct the Ma’at ritual to stop the thieves for desecrating the tombs. However she was murdered by them before she finished the ritual which was witnessed by a young Isidora. Isidora continued her mother’s work by following her notes which required the blood of Pharoah Ramesses II which was in his 'flame-haired' sons and daughters. Isidora intended to complete the ritual to punish the thieves but her revenge for her mother’s death has blinded her intention. She believed that she was doing Amun’s will and Bayek understood that if she was left to continue many more innocents would be harmed. Bayek travelled to the hidden tomb of Tutankhamun to stop Isidora but as he was about to kill her he was transported to the Duat. He fought Tutankhamun and defeated him and escaped the Duat and assassinated Isidora. Bayek gave Isidora some comfort hoping Amun would be merciful to her.

Bayek recovered the Piece of Eden and rescued Sutekh whom was being used for the ritual. Bayek decided to hand the Piece of Eden to Sutekh and tasked him to bury it so no one would find it.

Legacy

Bayek is known as the founder of the Hidden Ones, a forerunner of the Assassin Brotherhood. He created the Assassin's Creed, including not killing innocents after his friend Gamilat was responsible for killing innocents.

He was even worshiped as one of the great Assassin figures in modern times, which is why his grave was searched in 2017.

Personality and traits

Before the death of his son, Khemu, Bayek was a caring and loving father and husband, as well as a dutiful protector to his home of Siwa. He possessed a lighthearted and jovial nature, as well as a strong sense of responsibility and duty for those who needed protection. He was also very religious and would often teach his son about the gods and how they shaped daily life within the kingdom. Despite this, however, he claimed to never see eye to eye with priests, often condemning their greed and their pursuit of money and power.

After Khemu's death, Bayek's focus in life pivoted to the pursuit of those who were responsible; he vowed not to rest until everyone involved had paid with their lives. Despite his priority being the elimination of the Order of the Ancients, Bayek wouldn't hesitate to stop to help those in need, showing that he still took his role as a Medjay and protector of the innocent seriously.

Bayek being kind to Shadya.

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 for his actions. Learning that Khaliset had lost a child caused Bayek to empathize and take pity on her, leading him to pray that Khaliset would be reunited with her daughter in the afterlife. Later still, Bayek remorsefully apologized to Kawab, son of Taharqa, after he had assassinated the father and robbed the innocent child of his parentage.

A deeply pious man, Bayek was greatly devoted to the Egyptian pantheon, particularly Amun (whom he would later adopt the visage of); acts of sacrilege and blasphemy greatly offended him, such as the poisoning of the Apis bull, and the desecration of the sacred crocodiles of Krokodilopolis. He also had no patience for priests who abused their authority. Although Bayek was very proud of his homeland and followed the ancient faith and traditions of his country, he had no prejudices against strangers and their culture and simply wished that Egyptians and non-Egyptians would coexist as equals.

After forming the Hidden Ones, Bayek came to regard its members as his new family and would go to great lengths to protect and advise its members. Those who Bayek considered worthy of joining the Hidden Ones would also receive his guidance; when Shaqilat attacked a slavers barge to free several captured children Bayek advised her that fighting the slavers alone would not accomplish much, but fighting alongside a brotherhood would.

Equipment and skills

Bayek fighting a Roman soldier

As a Medjay, Bayek was a highly skilled warrior trained in the arts of combat, he was able to engage multiple opponents simultaneously. Bayek was able to wield a variety of weapons ranging from khopesh, swords, bows, spears, axes and utilized shields for protection.

A master of stealth, Bayek was able to use various hiding spots in order to silently assassinate his targets undetected and was also able to utilize the foliage of bushes to remain hidden from his enemies. He also proved proficient in the use of the Hidden Blade which aided him in silent assassinations.

Bayek sliding down the Great Pyramid

A skilled freerunner, Bayek was able to scale the great pyramids of Egypt and the lighthouse of Alexandria as well as natural elements with relative ease. He also proved to be a strong swimmer whilst searching the ruins of underwater temples and was capable of holding his breath for a relatively long period of time.

Having been trained by Kensa, Bayek was a skilled hunter, capable of killing several animals ranging from snakes, hippos, and crocodiles.

Bayek shared 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.

Romantic life

Bayek was known to only have one romantic relationship, that of his wife Aya. 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 had given birth to their son, Khemu. However, after Khemu's death their relationship became strained when Aya moved back to Alexandria while Bayek began his quest for vengeance.

Bayek and Aya reunite and share an intimate moment

However in 48 BCE after Bayek had slain Rudjek, he traveled to Alexandria where upon seeing each other for the first time in a year the two resumed their relationship and continued their vengeance together. Their relationship soon became strained again by 46 BCE, after a series of events led to the two being betrayed by their ally Cleopatra and the Order of the Ancients were approaching their goal. They 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.

Bayek and Amunet's last moment together

When the two were reunited in 38 BCE in Sinai, Bayek expressed his lingering doubts if they had done right by the world, Amunent 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 only following correspondence were letters sent for the Hidden Ones.

Behind the scenes

Early concept art by Vincent Gaigneux

Bayek is a character created for the 2017 video game Assassin's Creed: Origins, where he serves as the protagonist and is voiced by the British actor Abubakar Salim. In Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, Bayek can be recruited as a simulated ship lieutenant for the Adrestia. Salim returned to voice Bayek in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla in the narration of a letter during the quest "A Brief History of the Hidden Ones".

Assassin's Creed Origins: Official Game Guide states Bayek's age as 30 which would place his birth c. 78 BCE. This contradicts the novel Assassin's Creed Origins: Desert Oath which states Bayek was 15 in 70 BCE meaning he was 37 during the events of the game.

Bayek bears two prominent facial scars, including a large one across of his face and another one on the right side of his lip similar to Desmond Miles. Perhaps coincidentally, the Spartan misthios Kassandra has an almost identical scar in the same place. Bayek was the first person to have his ring finger cut off from the usage of the Hidden Blade, a tradition that would later be passed on to prove one's loyalty to the Creed in the Assassin Order up until the Levantine Brotherhood. Unlike future Assassins however, the removal of Bayek's finger was an accident that occurred while he was assassinating Eudoros, as a result of his inexperience with the weapon and the struggle put up by Eudoros.

Although Bayek was a co-founder of the first Assassin Brotherhood called the "Hidden Ones" alongside his wife, Aya–who would later take on the name Amunet–unlike his wife, there is no statue commemorating him in the Sanctuary of Monteriggioni. As it turns out, before his death he wrote a letter to Amunet warning her against being remembered down the line, after finding out that she was mentioned as a founder of the Hidden Ones in the Magas Codex.

Etymology

The name "Bayek" is a play on the hieroglyphic word for 'falcon' or 'vulture'. This is keeping in the tradition of the protagonists' names being associated with birds. Bayek was the first protagonist to have his name written in the writing system (in his case Egyptian hieroglyphics) of his people in an official art. He was followed by Alexios and Kassandra (Greek alphabet), and later Eivor Varinsdottir (Nordic runes). As a curiosity, the great majority of the previous protagonists belonged to people who had adopted the Latin alphabet, with the notable exception of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad (Arabic alphabet), Nikolai Orelov (Cyrillic alphabet), Shao Jun (Chinese characters) and Arbaaz Mir (Devanagari and Perso-Arabic script).

Bayek's alias of Amun is a reference to the Egyptian deity of the same name. In ancient Egyptian religion, Amun is considered to be the king of gods, the champion of the poor and downtrodden who upheld justice, and part of the Ogdoad, a group of eight primordial deities responsible for the creation of the world according to the Hermopolis tradition. Alongside his consort and female counterpart Amunet, he symbolizes the hidden depths and incomprehensibility of the primeval world. His name can also be roughly translated to the "Hidden One".

Appearances

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

References

An image gallery is available for Bayek