Floating conversations

Patience, brothers. Soon we will reveal the secrets of Assassin's Creed III, Assassin's Creed: Origins, Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, and Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. This article has been identified as being out of date. Please update the article to reflect recent releases and then remove this template once done.

"Floating conversations" are dialogues that were recreated or extrapolated through an Animus simulation but were not tied to a specific genetic memory.

Kassandra

Encounters across Greece

After learning from her adopted father Nikolaos that her mother Myrrine was still alive, the Spartan misthios Kassandra sailed to Phokis, Greece to claim the reward that Elpenor had promised to her. While in the polis of Kirrha, Kassandra came across the Oikos of the Olympians run by Sargon. Sargon: Welcome, my friend. My name is Sargon, Curator of Mythical and Extraordinary Antiquities. I have everything your heart could desire and more. For a price, of course. Sounds like nonsenseHow exciting Kassandra: This sounds almost too good to be true. Don't attempt to scam me, merchant. Sargon: By the gods, I would never dream of such a thing. Kassandra: I've never met a merchant so proud of his goods. Your items must be impressive. Sargon: They're the finest in all the Greek world, I promise you that, or may Zeus strike me down. Kassandra: I'm always happy to part with some drachmae if the price is right. Sargon: I'm not interested in drachmae. The only currency I accept is orichalcum. Kassandra: I've never heard of it. Sargon: Few have, thankfully. It's a precious metal from a time long before our own. It possesses many properties that Sargon finds appealing. (If "What do you sell?" is chosen.) Kassandra: What exactly do you sell? Sargon: Many things, my friend. Many things. I have weapons, armor, fashionable garments, and accessories for you, your friends, and even your ship. (If "Why not take drachmae?" is chosen.) Kassandra: What kind of merchant doesn't take drachmae? Sargon: The kind who is interested in rarer and more valuable forms of payment. (If "Where do I get orichalcum?" is chosen.) Kassandra: Tell me where to find orichalcum. Sargon: You can find it all over the Greek world if you know where to look. You can also check the message board for special jobs. Sargon is not the only one to deal in orichalcum. (Accept – "Show me what you have.") Kassandra: All right, let's see what you have to offer. Kassandra inspected Sargos' wares. Her curiosity satisfied, she left and continued her search for Elpenor. A while later, Kassandra returned to talk to Sargon again. Sargon: Welcome back, misthios. I'm always happy to see you. Kassandra: I'd be happy to see you more if you agreed to accept drachmae. Sargon: Sorry to disappoint, my friend, but I'm still only interested in orichalcum. Kassandra: What do you want with that strange metal? Sargon: Its values is beyond compare. It's ancient and worth far more than mere drachmae. I'm just one of the few to realize this. Kassandra: All right, keep your secrets. Show me what you have. Kassandra looked over his inventory again, then left to resume her quests. Towards the end of her journeys, she visited Sargon one last time. Sargon: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, etc. Kassandra: Quidquid latine dictum, etc

Bayek

Encounters across Egypt

While travelling across the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt in 48 BCE hunting the Order of the Ancients, the Medjay Bayek of Siwa came across the travelling merchant Reda at his Nomad's Bazaar stall. Reda: Medjay! Great warrior, come! I sell what you want. You need it, I have it. If I don't have it, you don't need it. Reda has your back in these desolate lands. Bayek: You are but a boy, how did you come by such fine treasure? Reda: Plucked from the ancient lands of the desert, the sunken vessels of the Nile, refined by hand maidens of the gods. Weaponry forged in Nubian mines, Persian jewels, and Assyrian treasures! I have it all! Bayek: I see, you are well-travelled for such a young man. Reda: Old wisdom, neb (sir). I have acquired from long nights in the desert with my camel. Bayek: I will see what you have. Reda: Come! Look around. If you want, good neb (sir), I have other jobs too. Bayek inspected Reda's wares. His curiosity satisfied, he left and continued hunting the Order. A while later, Bayek found Reda's stall again and spoke to him. Reda: The Medjay has returned! In need of more finery? Bayek: Yes, in a moment. I'm curious, Reda. Where are your parents? Reda: Long story, seni (friend). A phylakitai of Alexandria caught them stealing and boiled them in a bronze bull. Bayek: By Anubis, I am sorry, Reda. Reda: No need. The gods took my family but gave me my camel, Amun, a great steed. I wander the desert and see the sun set when I want to. This is my freedom. Bayek: I see, as always, you are wise beyond your years. Reda: Yes, Osiris hears not the mourning of the weary-hearted. You wanna sell or buy anything, seni (friend)? The future is golden. Bayek looked over Reda's inventory again, then left to resume his quest. Reda eventually made his way to Alexandria, where he spotted Bayek passing by one day and called out to him. Reda: Bayek! Have my goods brought you many victories? Bayek: Reda! Good to see you. Yes, of course they have, thank you. You know, at times I feel we are family. Reda: Ahh, you would not want that, Medjay! My dear mother poisoned my father in a fit of passion! Then she died in the Nile... from a hippo attack! I was left with nothing but this camel. A sad tale. Bayek: Reda, when we last spoke, their fate involved a bronze bull. Reda: Oh really? Your memory must be off, too many hours out in the sun baking your mind. The past is what our dreams make of it. Ha, well. Bayek: You mad ruffian, I love your stories no matter their truth! It is good to see you again, Reda. Reda: Yes, yes, what can I offer you today? You gonna buy something or not. Bayek looked over Reda's wares once more, and then left as before. Shortly after learning that the Order member known as "The Lizard" served under the unaware High Priest Pasherenptah in Memphis, Bayek visited Reda one last time. Reda: Bayek of Siwa, what are you of now? Haha! Bayek: I wonder myself. Recently, I fought a giant snake, the size of the pyramids, with my bare hands. Reda: Really? That is impossible! Where was this snake!??! Bayek: It is but a story. Or a dream. I do not know the difference anymore. Reda: You see, my seni (friend), it is best to tell the story, not the truth. Hahaha! You know, I have heard stories of you in my travels. You should be proud of your ways. The gods smile on your deeds. Bayek: I love all those I meet, families, outcasts, lost gods and goddesses, desert rats, ruffians, and I will mourn the day when I cannot defend them anymore. I always wanted joy, but I worry my marriage to darkness will win. Reda: Your sojourn on earth should not trouble you. The joy in your heard forever walks beside you. Bayek: Your place in the Field of Reeds will be splendid, Reda. Reda: (Missing dialogue) And for now, you will need to be prepared as always—what would you like today? Bayek inspected Reda's wares a final time before leaving. Some time in 38 BCE, while investigating rumors as a Hidden One about a curse on Thebes that supposedly brought long-dead pharaohs to life, Bayek entered a smuggler's village south of the Valley of the Kings and happened to reunite with Esiocles, who he had last seen nine years earlier as a child. Esiocles: Bayek? Can it really be you? I can't believe it, the Flea of Cyrene here in Yebu? Bayek: No! Little Esio? Esiocles: Not so little anymore. Bayek: What are you doing here? Is Sminthos with you...? Esiocles: I have't seen him since he left Cyrene. But he sent me a small fortune, to set myself up. Bayek: And what did you set yourself up as? Esiocles: (cough) Well, this is a smuggler's village, so... Bayek: You are a smuggler? Esiocles: I am hoping to be. I heard there is a merchant woman, she transports lotus wine from here to Rome and... Bayek: Esiocles, if I was your father, I would be ashamed. You waste your talents on criminal schemes. Esiocles: I... Bayek: I would send you back to Cyrene, but I fear the mischief you would cause there. I don't want to have to explain to Diocles why... Esiocles: Alright, Flea, alright. You have made your point. A life of crime is no life. Bayek: Go to Rome, find a friend of mine, Amunet, tell her I sent you and she will keep your idle hands busy.

Eivor Varinsdottir

Ravensthorpe residents

Shortly after the Raven Clan settled in Ravensthorpe, the Viking shieldmaiden Eivor Varinsdottir spoke to Gunnar outside the new smithy. ("What do you do here, Gunnar?") Eivor: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, etc. Eivor left to continue talking with the other residents the encampment slowly grew. Some time after Svend's death, Eivor spoke to Tove inside the Tattoo Shop. Tove: Eivor. Good to see you. Eivor: How are you, Tove? Holding up? Tove: Much better now, I think. I miss Svend every day, and yet he is here with me. His hugr (mind) infused in every design. Believing that, it helps. Eivor: Glad to hear it. And happy to offer myself as your first canvas. Tove: Good. Let's get started. Make sure to look at my new designs. ("What do you do here?") Eivor: What is it you do here again? Tove: If you would ever like to get a new tattoo, you can come to me. I'm open to inspiration, as well, so feel free to bring any designs you find. (Leave – I have to go.) Eivor: I have to go, see you soon. Tove: Until next time, Eivor. As Eivor left, she read a note left on the desk near the door. Tove's Tribute to Svend Kind Svend, I will forever be thankful for your guidance and your care, and hear your voice in my ears as I mark the skin of those you so loved. Your spirit lives in our work forever. See you in the next realm. Eivor spoke to Wallace in the Hunter's Hut. (If "Legendary Animals" was chosen.) Quest line? (If "Hunter Deliveries" was chosen.) Quest line? Shortly after Reda and his Thousand Eyes aide had settled in Ravensthorpe, Eivor walked up to Reda's stall and talked to him. Reda: Hello there! (If "See shop" was chosen.) Eivor: What do you have today? Eivor perused Reda's wares and then decided whether to buy something. (If "I want a contract." was chosen.) Eivor: Have you got a contract for me? If Eivor had only just met RedaIf Eivor had spoken to Reda before Reda: There are contracts for killing things, contracts for... Hm. Well, it is mostly killing. Reda: Not only does this quest pay, but you get to have fun doing it. Probably. Another day, another series of tasks that require a keen eye and a talent for violence. Interested? I have just received news of work that requires your special skill set. I have requests that may or may not involve violence. Interested? My agents are not meant to undertake these tasks, but you... you are more perilous. [More randomized lines] If contracts were availableIf no contracts were available Eivor looked through Reda's papers and selected a contract. Eivor looked through Reda's papers but could not find any contracts, or only saw ones that were not to her liking. Reda: There will be contracts when the mood strikes you. (If "What do you do here?" is chosen.) Eivor: Reda. What is it you do here? Reda: What don't I do here? You're looking at a man of boundless skill and talent. I sell the finest and rarest items in the world! So rare, that I have never held onto any one object for longer than a few days! Eivor: Yet you only deal in opal? Is there so much to be found in England? Reda: Only in opal, yes! But that I can offer, too, for England is not a fount of such rainbow stones. My guild, The Thousand Eyes, offers contracts that pay in opal. If you're interested, I always have one or two open. (Leave – "I have to go.") Eivor: I'll see you later, friend. Later, Eivor passed by Reda's stall and overheard him as he told Sylvi, Eira, and Knud a story. Intrigued, she walked up and leaned on one of the poles supporting the awning as she listened. Sylvi: Please, Reda! Tell us another! Reda: Yes, yes, one more. And only because you all have such good taste. Now, this one... this one begins a long time ago at a desert oasis, far away. A place of mystery, wonder, and a temple to a hidden god. The guardian of this temple was a proud man, kingly in nature, but not in fact. A protector of holy wisdom. And this Protector had a wife, a scholar, who spent her days reading ancient tomes and deciphering the secrets of the desert. Together they had a son, in whom they hoped to instill all their skill and knowledge. The boy was to be a union of their love. But then it came to pass that the king of their land arrived to seize the temple for himself. The Protector resisted. In the battle that followed, the boy was killed and the temple was taken. Struck with grief, the Protector and the Scholar separated. Eira: A king who kills a child is an ergi (coward)! They should kill him back! Reda: Indeed. But for a long time, the Protector and the Scholar followed solitary paths, seeking for a way to revenge their son. But in their isolation, they found only anguish and pain. Alone, they could do nothing but weep and thrash at the fates. After many fruitless years, they came together again to mourn their failure. They embraced as they had in their youth. And in that joining they realized what was missing. Only the union that had produced their son would lead to their victory. So the Protector taught the Scholar to fight and seek, while the Scholar taught the Protector wisdom and deep knowledge. As they trained, they became inseparable, moving, eating, sleeping as one. They were never seen apart. Until one day, they met upon the river's edge. They had learned all they could, her from him. Him from her. It was here they kissed and separated. She travelled east, he west. The were never seen again. It is said, however, that once every year, two eagles would return to that very spot, to linger and look upon the sea. The people of the region like to see these eagles, for they are an omen, a symbol of protection. Knud: They turned into birds! Like Loki became a salmon! Reda: Perhaps. Still others say that the eagles were their children, born of a love that could never endure. But who is to say for sure? Satisfied, Knud, Eira, and Sylvi left. Eivor: A stirring story. Fanciful, but sincere enough. Reda: Me? Fanciful? All of my stories are perfectly and mostly true.

Ship stories

Various crew members aboard Eivor's longship told stories as they traveled. BragiDag NithissonBirnaFinnrBjorn BloodtoothRolloVili Hemmingson While sailing, Bragi began telling a story. Kiarr RawboneFrathi the StrongNalOnarr the UglyRokr the RodentA Ritual for Skaði Bragi: In the early days of the feud between Kjotve the Cruel and the Raven Clan, there was a mad berserkr called Kiarr Rawbone. Kiarr had pledged his battle-fury to no king or jarl, and would give his oath only once each winter for reasons nobody could fathom. One year, Kiarr's sister, Thora, was married to Kjotve's brother, Alrek, and soon Kiarr was often seen in the company of that clan. But soon after, word came to Kiarr that Alrek had abused his sister. When he asked Thora about this, she told him, "It is true." So Kiarr invited Alrek on a hunting expedition. And when they were away, Kiarr slew Alrek and pulled off one of his arms. When he returned to camp, Kjotve asked where his brother was. Kiarr shook his head and held out his hand, in which was an arm ring. "Your brother bid me give you this ring, Kjotve." Confused, Kjotve took the ring. And with it came the entire bloody arm. "Your brother pledged his oath to Hel herself," Kiarr laughed. Then he turned and departed. He was never seen in those parts again. The longboat crew began murmuring amongst each other. Bragi: During my nineteenth winter, King Styrbjorn ordered the construction of a new longhouse, the splendid hall you now see at Fornburg. To build this longhouse, he employed the help of twenty men. I was among them, as was Frathi, the strongest and stoutest man I had ever seen. We set about felling trees and hewing wood for timber. Frathi was the fastest of us, dropping forty-one trees in only two days. On the third day, a spindly man called Nar was near upon felling his first tree. He had hacked it all the way around like some mad animal. When the tree fell, it did so in a direction he had not wished, straight down upon Frathi. Nar called out, but it was too late. Frathi had only enough time to turn and face the doom bearing down upon him. With that he raised his arms to embrace the timber-hammer. The force of the tree's falling drove Frathi deep into the snow bank, yet his arms never let go. He held that angry trunk as a lover. Like hounds, we scooped at the snow to reach him. We found Frathi ten feet down, alive but in pain, still bearing the tree upon his shoulder. The longboat crew cheered. Bragi: There was a woman called Nal who came by ship to Fornburg unheralded, demanding to meet King Sigvaldi, Styrbjorn's father. Nal was from Gautland. She was tall and rugged and strong, and everyone who walked near her said she smelled of men's blood. When her message was sent to our King, Nal was made to wait a full day. Yet she did not complain. She watched the waves and sang songs. Night came and went and still Nal sat by the shore of the fjord, singing her songs. She skipped rocks with children and smiled. As the afternoon of the second day approached, King Sigvaldi's messenger reappeared. They spoke quietly together. At last the messenger stood back and waved to some men nearby. Three men bearing three chests of silver approached quickly. They set the chests of silver in Nal's ship and stood back. Then Nal stepped forward, swinging a large bloodied sack before her. Nal opened the sack and emptied it on the shore. Seven pair of hands tumbled to the ground. Nal then mounted her ship and sailed away. The longboat crew began murmuring amongst each other. Bragi: Onarr the Ugly was an excellent sailor, who could pilot a longship entirely on his own, and this is why King Sigvaldi kept him around. In all other matters, Onarr was a cruel, anxious, and humorless man. He was one of the most unlikable people I have ever known. One year, I recall we had invited some karls from the Yngling clan to dine with us. As we were serving ale, we came to find that we had none left. It so happened that the ale had run out just before reaching Onarr's horn. This raised in him a word-storm and he accused Sigvaldi of treachery. Every man in the longhouse jeered at Onarr for raising such a fuss. This made Onarr angrier than before, and he stormed out. A short time later we heard him yelling through door of the hall, "I set this scorn pole upon the men of Yngling for their dishonor!" We looked outside and saw that Onarrhad severed one of the heads of the Yngling's horses and stuck it upon a hazel branch. When he saw us gathering at the door, the Yngling Karls among us, Onarr panicked and ran. He was not seen for many months. The longboat crew began murmuring amongst each other. Bragi: I knew a crazed man about my age called Rokr, who we had taken to calling Rokr the Rodent for his habit of collecting axes. For twenty years he collected axes of all make and size. He had never seen a day of battle, but he swore to Thor that he would. In his thirty-first year, after drinking too much ale, Rokr seduced another man's wife. That man called a holmgang against Rokr. Rokr accepted the holmgang and on the agreed upon day, he laid out twelve of his axes, and asked, "Which of these will I use to slay you?" "Will it be Bone-Splitter?" he said, "My bearded blade inscribed with seiðr runes, affixed with a handle of English oak?" "Or Blood-Fountain," he continued, "My Dane axe, which swings through the air on two hands with the speed of an arrow's flight." "Or might it be Twin-Wolf-Wounder," Rokr growled, growing more bold, "A fierce pair of throwing axes..." At that moment, the man who had challenged Rokr brought a large stone upon his head. Rokr died instantly, and his axes were given away as gifts. The longboat crew burst into laughter. Bragi: A story from my youth, this one has no lesson to be learned or message to be gleaned. Often my father like to take me on hunts in the forested lands east of Avaldsnes. I loved these solitary times with him. I never felled a beast myself, and my father saw that this upset me. I was only a boy, but I had dreams of being a man. So one winter, my father asked me to perform a bargaining ritual to the goddess Skaði, to improve his bow-skill and snow-sight. With glee warming my heart, I caught a hare and sacrificed it to the goddess, asking an exchange of skill and sight for my father. When the ritual was complete, my father and I set off into the forest. We hunted all day until night fell. And we slew no game. That night, around the fire, I was sullen. My sacrifice had not been heeded. Yet seeing my father only smiled. "Had you been hunting," he said, "You would have killed six fine deer. For Skaði hears only those who speak to her." The longboat crew cheered. The stolen mead kegEgilSarcastic HalliKalda Bragi: When I was eleven winters old, I was the youngest of my favorite cousins, a wild and rowdy bunch of boys and girls. Together with our parents, we attended a feast at the home of Halfdan the Black, of the House of Ynling. To toughen our patience, our parents set us with the old woman who ordered us to bake flatbreads and serve it to the noble jarls. After an hour, the flatbreads piled so high into pillars you could have built a roof over it and called it a longhouse. When our work was done, an older boy, Guthrod, suggested we steal a keg of mead and drown in happiness for our good work. So Guthrod and Mikkel and Osa snuck into the storeroom and stole a barrel as I stood watch. But when we were spotted, I froze. Three of Harald's men stopped us. They struck Guthrod and Mikkel and pushed Osa to the ground. "Whose idea was this?" they asked. I stood and said, "The idea was mine, the mead is for me!" One of the men eyed me and said only, "That is not true." Then they moved on. The longboat crew began murmuring amongst each other. Bragi: Some years ago I took to sea with a sword-dancer called Egil. A brooding warrior with a face of stone and oak-hard arms. One a raid in Courland, we shored up along the edge of a forest and explored until we came to peopled parts. A large farm. It was night and all were asleep so we set about plundering the place in the quiet of eve, taking sheep and goats as we pleased. It was then that Egil saw a farm-hand and pressed the boy for the family's hidden silver. The farm-hand squawked like a crow. Being hid beneath an anvil at the smith's forge, the silver was no trouble to lift. In secret, we took it and the boy back to the ship. It was then that Egil grew sad, for when the farmers woke with the crack of day, they would know they had been robbed, but not by whom. So Egil ordered three of us to follow him, back the sleep-hushed hamlet. As we burned the houses, Egil shouted his name... "I am Egil, son of Skallagrim! And I am the man who deprives you of everything but your life!" I never sailed with Egil again. The longboat crew began murmuring amongst each other. Bragi: Here's a tale to tickle your sides. The winter before, I was drinking in Stavanger with some companions. With us in the meadhall were men of Bard Jarl's clan, one of which was a poet named Halli, called Sarcastic Halli by most. Seven ale-horns into his night, Halli stood upon his table and called across the room to another man, a skald named Thjodolf. "Thjodolf!" he yelled, "I can compose a more beautiful poem with my belching than you could with your tongue and fine words!" The room laughed, Thjodolf loudest of all. "I accept your challenge, Sarcastic Halli," he shouted. "Allow me to begin!" Thjoldolf then spoke his verse: "Sad Halli drowns in horns of hubris, squeaking like a stoat, yet proudly the pup calls it poetry!" The room laughed again, with Halli joining in. Then Halli tripped across the room and opened his mouth to speak his verse. From his throat erupted a jet of vomit, into Thjodolf's face... his only composition that night, of which he seemed most proud. The longboat crew burst into laughter. Bragi: In my youth, I remember hearing the story of Kalda, a fierce young woman whose father forbade her from swordplay and raids. Kalda had skill to match or surpass any man in the clan. And so it was that her beloved Gapi asked her aboard his ship. Once again, Kalda's father forbade her to leave, calling her soft and weak and fragile. But Kalda ignored these insults and left. For a full spring, Kalda and Gapi sailed the coast of Francia, raiding and plundering and taking much silver and riches. Then, in the early weeks of summer, a passing ship gave Kalda news that her mother had died suddenly, Kalda was grief stricken. Kalda returned quickly home, only to find her mother there, alive and standing quietly beside her father. Kalda was confused. Kalda's father spoke in a sour voice: "I sent the tale of your mother's death, for you were insolent. But now you are home, where you must stay." Hearing those words, Kalda pulsed hot with rage. She slew her father and fled back to her ship, then set a swift sail for the horizon. The longboat crew cheered. While sailing, Dag Nithisson began telling a story. Odin and FreyjaChristian missionariesRagnar LothbrokThe broken sword hiltJörmungandr Dag: O, you have likely never heard the story of the time Odin and Freyja appeared before me on a dark winter's night! They call— Bragi: They called you their orphaned child, yes, Dag. We have heard the tale as often as the sun has risen and set. The longboat crew burst into laughter. Dag: Have you heard me tell the tale of the six Christian missionaries I lured away from their faith, into the worship of almighty Thor? Bragi: You showed them how to turn their crosses into hammers, simply by flipping them over. And they fainted with joy. That tale? Dag: Ah, yes. Yes indeed. The longboat crew burst into laughter. Dag: You may not know this, but Ragnar Lothbrok once asked me to lead his early assault on England myself. This would have been eight, maybe ten years back. It is hard to say. The winters blow into one another like a great white fog. But I remember, as if it were yesterday. Ragnar appeared at my home, unannounced. Naturally, I welcomed him. He had traveled a great distance, only to see me. So I poured him ale and fed him bread and listened as he talked. He was feeling anxious about his journey. Leading so many men into such a great war, it was a burden he could not handle. It was then, with tears wetting his lids, that he said, "Dag, teach me the art of war. Lead us to England and to victory!" But I shook my head. "Ragnar," I told him, "I have two weddings I must attend soon. Were it not for these, surely I would help you." Ragnar bowed his head. "Thank you, Dag," he said. "Though you will not be on my ship, you will be present in spirit. And that is enough." The longboat crew burst into laughter. Dag: Did I ever tell you the story of how I killed an entire clan single-handedly with the broken hilt of a sword? Bragi: Too often, Dag. More times than any man can count. The longboat crew burst into laughter. Dag: Not long after leaving for England, I made a solitary trek into the mountains east of Fornburg. I was looking for elk, or deer, or other game to bring home. But my luck was poor, and I could find nothing worth my arrows. Coming up over a rise, I saw a rounded mountain ahead of me, with a strange narrow slit in the earth running left to right. There appeared to be fresh water in this crevasse, which was strange, for it was on its side. As I approached, the ground rumbled and the crevasse shuddered. Then it opened, as wide as a lake, and ringed with color. Stepping back to take in the view, I realized with a shock what I was seeing. The eye of Jörmungandr, the world serpent! Yes! He sleeps near old Fornburg, blessing us with his dreams. O, if we could return there now I would show you the place. One day, maybe. One day I will show you the place. The longboat crew began whispering among themselves. The Wandering SkaldShut downDag the shipbuilderWarrior womenA "recent" tale Dag: Some time ago, I met a wandering skald in search of a jarl or king to serve. He had not composed a verse in years and was fearful of losing his skill. I said I knew many such great men. A few jarls, a handful of kings by name. But to my knowledge, all of them had skalds of their own. This poor skald was disappointed and thanked me for my time, asking my name as he departed. "Dag Nithisson," I told him. The skald's eyes went wide. "Dag Nithisson!" he exclaimed. "Of Fornburg?" I nodded and said, "The very man, I am." The poor skald sung to the skies with joy. "You are a legend among legends," he said. "Let me compose a verse for you." Imagine my surprise at hearing such praise, but I agreed. So he began, for two days, composing a most lovely verse on my behalf. Yes, a most lovely verse. Unforgettable, yes. And I will... yes, I will recite it for you, one day... when we have time. The longboat crew chuckled. Dag: Have I ever told you the story about— Eivor: I'm fairly certain you have. Anyone else with a tale to share before Dag starts talking again? The longboat crew burst into laughter. Dag: You might not be aware, but I am a man with considerable shipbuilding craft. In my youth, just thirteen winters old, I designed an improvement to our dragon-boats. One that gave them extra strength. It is so common now that none remember my genius design. But at the time, I was praised from the top to bottom of Norway. I had been sailing with my father, when we hit a rough patch of ocean. Our boat trembled like a frozen skeleton. We nearly broke to pieces, but I was not afraid. I was transfixed by the ship itself, watching it bulge and heave. As men screamed around me, I devised my improvements to keep the hull solid and shapely. When we returned to port, the young men vomiting and weeping around me, I shared my ideas with my jarl. He thanked me well. In time, all our ships used my new design. And soon all of Norway, So you may thank me, not the gods, for our smooth passage here. The longboat crew chuckled. Dag: Here is a tale I do not often tell! There was a clan, little known in the south, composed entirely of women! And I wh— Bragi: And why you did not stay with them when they asked you to be their king, Dag, I will never understand. The longboat crew burst into laughter. Dag: Here is a story I have not told a man, for it happened only last month! I was sharing a mead horn with a beautiful woman, when— Bragi: She, her sisters, and her mother, all begged for your hand in marriage. Is that how this tale ends? Dag: Ah... yes. Were you... were you there? The longboat crew burst into laughter. The oath to Eivor Dag: We all remember when Eivor gave orders to attack Kjotve's clan in Avaldsnes. I knew even then, our chance at victory was slim. It was a fool's errand. But Eivor demanded we strike, and I am not one to disobey my superior. Such is the mark of an honorable man. You all know what followed. We set upon Kjotve's men, and were overwhelmed. You lot were captured and fit to be butchered. And Eivor here, carried off to be sold into slavery, a fate worse than a fine death. But there is one fact you do not know! In the initial fight, I came upon Kjotve, cowering in an empty house. He did not see me, and I came within two arms length of him. I could have slain him! A fast stroke of my axe, ending our troubles. But I held back! Why? Because I remembered my oath to Eivor! Yes, years ago, Eivor had staked a claim on Kjotve's life. So I left the bacraut (asshole) alone. Yes. Eivor: A pity, Dag, there is no one living who can verify this incredible tale. The longboat crew burst into laughter. While sailing, Birna began telling a story. OathsShag storySoma of Grantebridge TBA Birna: A good shag story should liven our spirits! Now all your shag stories are surely dumb and swift. I joke, you are surely the greatest lovers, everyone of you. However, my stories of shagging are greater than most sagas. I once shagged in battle, inside a monastery with a kindred warrior. We finished on the alter, forgetting all gods and all spirits. You rise higher than spirits when you plow with hugr and abandon. I once shagged in the crook of a tree's branches, like the legs of a Jotun wrapped around us. We finished and fell to earth. A good shag is a great escape. That is my meaning in this story. If you find another, that is yours to keep. Okay, back to these swan-roads... Soma of Grantebridge. For a time, all the ealdormen of England wanted her dead. A bounty on her head the size of Yggdrasil. So she met with the leader of the South Gyrwans and told their King Roffe, "Say that you killed me. Proclaim it to all of the lands." Roffe answered, "No one will believe me." And Soma shook her head. "Invite them. Here. You will burn me on a pyre for all to see." So they came, the nobles of East Anglia, north and south, of Mercia, of Wessex. They wished to see Guthrum's Valkyrie die. Before all, King Roffe pronounced her guilty of murder and sentenced her to death. Then they put her on a boat and set it afire. Yet Soma had constructed a trap beneath the pyre. She released herself into the murky waters and swam to a bramble. Muddled and wet, she waited in the thorns for night to fall. She then returned to Cambridge as a shadow-walker. She entered the city and stole into the king's chamber, and took the head of Roffe, shouting, "Traitors of Soma wear no heads!" The Saxons though Soma a ghost! A spirit who kills! A curse invincible to fire and death! What a leader, my Soma. While sailing, Finnr began telling a story. Under Halfdan's BannerKing ÆthelredAmbition Finnr: You lot have not fought a full campaign under Halfdan's banner, I would wager. Let me tell you what it was like. Rarely was there a song-of-swords when Halfdan set forth. Smart Saxons submitted and the brave were butchered. Soon, his reputation reached the hinterlands well before the man himself arrived. And Saxons awaited him with riches, not steel. Halfdan's march through England was unstoppable. But everyone bows to a king until his back is turned. Even glorious kings who have not known treasons will do so in time. Halfdan had to ensure that what was his would remain so. One by one I saw him entrust a city or a village to his older, loyal followers. Until it came to me... until East Anglia. I accepted my charge. There are those who bemoan not being able to fight and die on the field. But Halfdan needed us alive. He knew the better, younger fighters should remain at his side, while his wizened drengir served as his eyes across these lands. Finnr: Hmm, there was a tale of the man I was to crown king before Oswald. Æthelred, he was called. It was just before you came, Eivor. Rued's men had made a spectacle of the poor man, a Christian priest. And a drunken one at that, his veins ran with mead. But he had guts. Bolstered by his Bible in one hand, ale horn in the other. If Oswald bound the people with faith in each other, Æthelred bound them with the love of God. His piety verged on fanaticism. In time I learned that Æthelred had a following. Reverent men who feared nothing, and embraced death in the service of their God. More and more joined him as East Anglia plunged deeper into despair. Emboldened, he sought to purge the lands of Rued's clan. I counseled him as best I could, but his faith in God emboldened him. His courage rivaled Rued's, but it was all he had. No combat experience, no trained warriors. Just sacks of meat falling apart. Æthelred was butchered, along with his men. Finnr: When I came to England with the Sons of Ragnar, I believed it would be a brief raid. A swift adventure out on the open sea. I loved that first crossing. Sliding over the blue expanse, sea spray wetting my face. Hungry for new lands and adventures. Memories of home always drew me back, distracted me. For it is there where all the worst parts of my life occurred. It took too long to look ahead. But I do now. Halfdan's ambition gave rise to my own. He gave me an excuse to leave, to fight! To die an honorable and glorious death so that we can live in the halls of our fathers. One cannot look back, you understand? You cannot go home again. The seers know this. Our paths are set. My life is here now. As is my death. Norway is a chapter past. While sailing, Bjorn Bloodtooth began telling a story. TBA While sailing, Rollo began telling a story. The NornirKjotve the CruelEstrid and EssexeNoriFirst killSeeking glory Rollo: In quiet moments like these, I often think on my life and how it will come to pass. The Nornir weave our fates. Everything we do has already been decided, even the day of our death. But these thoughts trouble me. For if the Nornir already know I am to be great, then I will be great, no matter what I do. If I cast myself overboard to drown, would fate send a dolphin to save me? Or was I always meant to a watery end? What is the point of valor? Of glory? If I slay a hundred men, am I a hero? After all, the dice were loaded. Should I do nothing at all? Why make an effort, when I could stand here and let my fate come to me? Or does heroism lie in not knowing one's fate? Facing your end whatever the whims of the gods. Perhaps the true measure of a man, the full span of his worth, is how little he gives a shit. Rollo: It was a man called Kjotve the Cruel that brought me to these rain-soaked shores. You all know the name, of that I am certain. He and my father, Rognvald, had some disagreements. But my father was never one to bow his head and keep silent. Kjotve's men came for him when I was out hunting. I was not there to defend him. And then when my brother Gurim also fell... I, like a coward, fled to England. I swore that in time I would return to avenge my father's death. But I waited too long. Upon my return from Francia, I heard the news. Kjotve the Cruel is long dead. Slain by the hand of Eivor, the Wolf-Kissed one. I am glad my father's killer is dead. But gods, I wish I had been there to swing the axe myself. Rollo: I often think on Estrid and my time in Essexe. I was almost a year younger and more foolhardy then. Once, the sight of her filled me with tempest. But those stories have calmed now. She did not giggle nor swoon like many girls I know. Wit was her weapon. She could unman you with one swipe of her tongue. But such grace. Such light. Freyja herself would not step with such elegance. Her gaze blinded me. Her words cut me down, raised me up. Made me a wolf, a lamb, a babe, a sage. Wiser men than me have been made fools by love, but not all of them take the lesson from it that I have. When I marry, I will take an equal. No more, no less. A woman worthy of me, as I will be of her. Rollo: I had an odd friend when I was a boy. His name was Nori. And by the gods, that boy could lie! Told us his father traded with the elves. Told us he had kissed sweet Hannah. Said he had seen a giant in the woods. Well, one day we decided we would see about him. So we dared him to take us to the place he saw the giant. He twisted and turned, but at least he agreed. The thing is, I had been out there already. I had taken up a big rock and made footprints in the soft earth. Heels and toes. Giant's feet. When he saw those prints, he went white as a virgin's britches. Everyone made out they were scared. And then... "WHO'S THAT WALKING THROUGH MY WOOD?" I howled from the trees, and I trashed the branches all around. Nori screamed like a maiden and took to his heels. By the smell of it, he emptied his arse on the way. He told us, afterwards, he knew it was a trick, but he never did go near those woods again. Rollo: Death follows in my wake. I do not seek it out, but it is always there, nipping at my heels like a faithful hound. Gilli was my first kill. He was twelve, I was six. He beat me every day, to my eternal shame. One day, I'd had enough. I decided to play a trick on him. I stole his mother's torc and tied it to the tail of the jarl's horse. Then I let him chase me into the stables, where I hid. He saw the torc and went for it. And when he did, I took my stick and whipped that stallion right in the balls! The stallion bucked, kicked Gilli right in the face. He never bullied me again after that. You know... because he was dead. That was the end of Gilli's saga. Rollo: I came to England too late, that is the problem. The Sons of Ragnar have shorn her of all possible glories. Everywhere I go, I find the footprints of men and women who were there before me. In my first weeks, I gathered many men and took them reaving. I lost my heart to an ealdorman's wife, kidnapped her away. But even that was not enough to raise the name of Rollo above the clamor. Other names but mine ring on the tongues of the skalds. Halfdan, Ubba, Guthrum. And Eivor the Wolf-Kissed. Like the trees of a great forest, they shade those beneath, and nothing more can grow there. This land is full. Its glories are spent. I need to look to other shores, where I will write my saga into history. OdinFranciaGoat Rollo: "Hrolfr, you are destined for greatness," my father said. I did not really believe him, not until Odin showed himself to me. Yes, Odin. The night was heavy and the moon was full. I had a bladder full of mead, so I went outside to relieve myself. My piss puddled in the soil, as piss does. In the moonlight, I saw my own reflection there. My own, and another. Standing at my shoulder, taller than any had a right to be, was a bearded man in a broad hat, a raven on each shoulder. His single eye fixed on me, bore into my skull. Can you believe it? This, the All-Father himself? He nodded once, and I knew, I knew. The raven-tester had chosen me. For what, I did not know. But I will soon. I hear your laughter. Yes, I saw Odin in a puddle of piss. Yet how many of you have seen the Hanged God, eh? That's right. Odin has shown me my path forward. One day, I will carve my name into history. Rollo: I have seen the shores of Francia now. Only a glimpse, but a glimpse was enough. I will paint it in your minds, my friends. How the wind stirs the trees, the birds cut the sky, and the lands are emerald green. The swell of those rolling hills. The way the sunlight dapples the forest floor. The maidens toiling in the fields, the sweat on their breasts glistening. O yes! How their firm buttocks tighten as they bend to pick sweet flowers. And the way they speak! Even an insult sounds like an invite. What else might they do with such elegant tongues? O, don't say you weren't thinking the same! One day, I will make that land my home. And those maidens will be mine! Rollo: Did I tell you about the time I pretended to be a goat? I am no stranger to the company of other's wives. But there was one beautiful wren, married to an Auld Blind Alwin. I could not resist her. So when he fell asleep, ale-addled by the fire, she let me visit her most private chambers. She was a chirruping songbird, but I was the braying buck. Rousing the dead in my ecstasy. At the moment of glory, the old man burst in on us waving his crop. He struck me on the arse and I gave a yelp! "Who's there?" he cried! But my girl was quick of wit, and knew her husband well. She convinced Auld Blind Alwin it was not a man in her room, but his prize goat, escaped from its pen. He dragged me by the hair, down on all fours to the barn, where he bolted it fast. I spent the night lying in straw and shit. Still the best night of my life. While sailing Vili Hemmingson began telling a story. FateIsbjornSturgeonIngrid the ChickenSkollaAstridUnityElk Vili: The last ship I spent any good time on was my father's. Quite a lot happened on that ship. Quite a lot. My sea legs are returning to me, but there is a shadow yet in the waves that stifles my joy. On our voyage from Norway, Thor's temper flared. The rain was relentless, and his fury struck the mast. Hard and fast, the waves roiled and tossed the ship. Trygve hollered above the wind, trying to reel in the hysteria. Father on the other hand, I had never seen him so calm. I grabbed on to him for an order, but he just looked at me and said... "If our fate is death, there is no worry, just accept it. If our fate is to live, then there is no worry, stay the course." I thought him mad at the time. But he was right. Those meant to survive, did. There was no fighting fate. Vili: How about the tale of the return of a jarl? Father was not always this cheerful. Not when he held his spear. We are different instruments of war. Him a spear, deft blows between armor, and me a heavy blade of steel, singing through it. Isbjorn, the bear of frost. My father lived and died by that spear. Wielding it for his people and land. But few saw what it did to him. It changed him, slowly but surely. A great man nonetheless, but one further away. Isolated. It was a strange relief when he lost it on that fateful hunt. Robbed of his powerful relic... he took it as a sign to slow down. And he returned to being a warm, affable man. The one you remember best. The spear... it is too rigid, too unfeeling, too fragile. And when the keen edge is lost, it's just a stick. The axe, on the other hand, blunted and chipped, you always feel its weight, its capacity for bloodletting, its burden. Vili: Have you seen the size of the sturgeons in these waters, any of you? Dwarves, most of them. But these vast, cold waters hide a monster the likes I'd never seen. When I was fishing with Trygve once, I dared to believe we had hooked a giant creature, a monster worthy of song. It must have been hours into the fight. The creature would not give, it would not budge. Untiring, immovable. But I would not yield to a fish! I pressed on, and slowly a silhouette emerged from the depths, thrice as big as our boat. Then a flash of armor, plated silver on the water's surface! A sturgeon surely! It thrashed violently and then it was gone. I fell off the boat. Trygve, too. Cold was the water, but nothing rivaled the smart of shame having been thwarted by our dinner. The longboat crew burst into laughter. Vili: Do you remember Ingrid the chicken? The one that the wretched old hermit woman used to keep? I stole her, you know. We had a connection, that bird and I. I would come by and feed it seed and worms I had picked up on the way to see her. But one day, she decided to hop into my arms. A sign, I thought! She had chosen me as her master! I vowed to look after her. My young heart sang. I had always wanted a pet of sorts. So I stashed her in a corner of the house when father wasn't looking. Ingrid settled in nicely into her makeshift nest I made. But morning came and I couldn't find her! Father called me over to the table more eagerly than usual. And there she was. Poor Ingrid, boiled and butchered on a plate. "It's not every day the gods bless us with an easy meal," Father boomed. "But this one wandering right into the house! Now eat!" I sat and ate my meal in silence. Ingrid was delicious. The longboat crew burst into laughter. Vili: The tale of Skolla should interest you. I looked for her before I left Norway. I wanted to take her with me. But you know her. She would have no master, no shackle. It had been months since I saw her last, and I was worried. Holding up hope, I set myself and an elk carcass down in her house. For hours she did not show, and I eventually fell asleep. Then suddenly, it was hard to breathe, and I gasped for air, waking only to find myself pinned down. And there she was, freshly sated with elk, sound asleep, her head on my chest. Nails ruffling my beard. I put my arm around her and we stole a nap like we used to. Then I woke again, and she was gone. As quietly as she came. Ah, she was a good dog... The longboat crew cheered. Vili: Remember the girl Astrid, Eivor? I asked her to come with me when we left Norway. But she was to wed another. A deal her father had arranged. What are children if not pawns to their father's ambitions? He made a peace-pledge to avoid the fates we ended up with. Banished. I often wonder how things would have been. Where we might have lived, what livestock we would have raised. A simple life, I hope. Out of the shadows of our heritage. I even pondered the names of our children. Me, the free-spirit, the war-seeker! I was a stranger even to myself, thinking of her. But there was a stony look in her eyes when she told me she was going to go through with her father's wishes. She had a strong heart, that girl. She always knew what was the right thing to do. And I was not it. The longboat crew cheered. Vili: When we arrived here, we thought the fighting was the hard part. But we were wrong. Getting the Saxons to accept their conquerors, that was the challenge. We pillaged and burned. Did what we do best. Soon their resistance waned and they surrendered to Father. In his wisdom, Father sought not to rule by fear. He bid the locals show us their way of life, he accepted them and theirs. Their ways, their culture, their god. Not all our people saw eye to eye with father and some made their displeasure known. Challenged their jarl. Often times, Father quelled the unrest with reason, but sometimes the square was drawn and the blood of kinsman was spilled. I once asked him why he would kill his own over the lives of these Saxons. He would only say, "There are no Norse or Saxons here, Son, not anymore. Not if we want to survive the ages to come." The longboat crew cheered. Vili: My scars tell good tales. Take this one... a hole through my chest and out my back. Just missed my heart. The elk up north are abundant, so I led a bunch of men into the woods, and we found two big males, jousting. I had never seen anything like it, horn on horn, bone on bone at that speed, with that power. Over and over and over again. Until only a single elk stood standing. Bloodied, triumphant. Facing me, we were two giants giubg at it for food, land, sex. My blood was pumping. I told the men to lower their bows as I approached it. I cast my spear aside, dug my boots into the snow. This was my land now and I had to prove it. We ran towards each other, and crash! I woke up a camp with my screaming. The men killed the elk for food and nursed me back to health. It was the first lesson England taught me. "Don't fuck with the elk". The longboat crew burst into laughter.

The Daughters of Lerion

While travelling through Norfolk, Eivor found a ruined villa and church in the woods outside the city of Northwic. Exploring the grounds, Eivor saw that they were littered with dilapidated attempts at defenses, countless bones—particularly human skulls, many on stakes—and had been abandoned for years due to the overgrowth of vegetation. Eivor approached the villa's main entrance and saw a large white circle with arcane ritual symbols scrawled on the ground and steps in front of the doorway. Stepping inside, she saw two cobwebbed chairs decorated with animal skulls facing the doorway, as well as a note at the foot of the chair on the right. Faded Letter Thegn Leofwine, Lerion's estate is a dire place. On our initial visit, we intended to detain Lerion's three daughters—Cordelia, Regan, Goneril—and seize all lands and property. But they were violent and intransigent. At our approach, the acosted us with curses and clods of mud and feces. A sickening display. I returned a fortnight later with a larger contingent of men to carry out the eviction, but the villa and its surrounding grounds had been vandalized, destroyed, and looted. The daughters have absconded to God knows where, and their hearts are full up with malice. Have a care as you move about the place. Thegn Æthelstan Eivor left the villa to investigate the church, only to find it gutted and burned out. Beside it, however, was a small building which had the planks boarding up the entry torn away. Eivor entered it and dropped down a hole in the floor. Pushing through a crack in the wall of a pit, Eivor found herself in a underground lair filled with cobwebs. Descending deeper, she passed through a door decorated with strings of arm and leg bones, and came to a storage room with a letter on the floor and another hole to a lower level. Eivor read the letter. Faded Letter Ealdorman Lerion, Glory awaits. The alliance we have forged is sealed by our mutual affection for the Ancients and the powers they bequeath. Have no doubts, the Mercian throne will be yours. Soon your great line of Wuffingas will be restored to a power they have not seen in generations. Give thanks to the Ancient Ones for what is to come. Summon all those spirits that give us strength. Ready your fyrd and await my signal. And do give my fond wishes to your beloved daughter, Cordelia. Ælla Rex of Northumbria Eivor dropped down to the lower level, which had another doorway decorated with bones and was filled with knee- to waist-deep water from a breeched underground reservoir. She soon came to a set of steps rising above water level, where she found another note beside an arrow-studded shield on the ground. Faded Letter Ealdorman Lerion, Rumors abound of your wish to take action against King Burgred in Mercia. Answer now and put a swift end to these whisperings or suffer the wrath of King Edmund. You have until the next new moon to visit Northwic and renew your vows of fealty to the King. Else, he will strip you of your title and take your villa for spoils. Do not defy him. Bishop Romulf, Advisor to His Majesty, King Edmund Eivor climbed over some rubble and dropped into a third and final level lined with broken Roman statues along a hallway. Turning left, she came to a loose collection of broken stakes, shields, and rubble, among which was a letter. Faded Letter Thegn Leofwine, Since the execution of Ealdorman Lerion for treason and subsequent disappearance of his three daughters, there has been no activity at the late ealdorman's estate. Only rats and roaches remain. My men and I have conducted a partial search of the premises. We found a great many disturbing signs that indicate our late Ealdorman Lerion was not a man of Christ, but was in fact deeply besotted by the false gods of his deluded forebears. If I could enter the family crypt, I might learn more about Lerion's blasphemies and motivations, but the way is blocked by a hideous statue, and the location is suffused with a cursed miasma. I dare not enter without a priest. I pray you have more success than I have had myself. Thegn Æthelstan Eivor continued down the hall, passing a large defaced statue with its head replaced by a deer skull, and stopped at a wall with a crack in it. Squeezing through, she emerged in a small open room with a flight of stairs that lead back to the surface and ended beside the estate's central fountain. Eivor retraced her path and continued the other direction down the statue hall, which terminated in a crypt that had been hollowed out to fit a new addition. In the center of the room sat a moss-covered stone titan holding a club, with a large set of antlers on its head and three glowing cracks set into its back. Carefully navigating around the skulls and rubble which filled the room, Eivor found another letter on a railing near the titan. Faded Letter Ealdorman Lerion, My loyalty is absolute, old friend. You shall have the men you ask for and more, but only if you can make clear assurances that the promised aid from Ælla of Northumbria will come. If he backs your claim to Mercia, then I shall as well. But I must have proof, I must have your oath. Swear upon a holy rood and deny the rumors that you dabble in blood-magic, and you shall hear the march of feet and the drum of hooves one week from the Christ mass. God willing, Mercia and East Anglia will be joined as one, and the Wuffingas will rule once more. Thegn Leofwine Eivor found a note on the base of a column to the left of the crypt entrance. Faded Letter Thegn Leofwine, As a reward for bringing the treasonous acts of Lerion into the light, King Edmund wishes to award you a third portion of the former Ealdorman's estate. Arrangements for Lerion's daughters must first be made. They will make poor wives for the Thegns of East Anglia, but unions with Mercia and Wessex may prove fruitful. King Edmund continues to worry over the Danes and their leeching demands. Let us leave aside all other conflicts and face this challenge head on, together. Thegn Æthelstan Eivor then found a final note on a stone sarcophagus to the right of the crypt's entrance. Faded Letter Observations upon entering the late Ealdorman Lerion's estate Little of value remains in the villa and upper grounds. His three daughters appear to have burnt, stolen, or destroyed everything of minor value. The family crypt below the villa contains more promise, though the space is marred by the horrifying iconography of a sickened mind. At the center of the crypt is a statue roughly rendered in the shape of the late Lerion. Three slits or impressions in its back seem to want for a key of some kind. Surely his absent daughters know the truth, but they have not been seen since a week following their father's execution for treason. I will remain here for a time and see what other mysteries, and perhaps answers, I can discern. Thegn Leofwine Eivor approached the steps leading to the titan's back. Eivor: This statue has three large slits. Something may fit here. A knife... or a dagger? Curiosity piqued, Eivor exited the tomb and continued her journey. GonerilReganCordelia While in the Isle of Ely Monastery, Eivor found a note amongst a pile of papers on a desk in a treasury room. Keep Out of the Marsh She waits in the marsh! A cruel and ghastly wretch. To disturb her is to awaken a demon. One who will eat your soul! Stay away. STAY AWAY! Exploring the marshes of Grantebridgescire, Eivor discovered the Spalda Fens, with it's low mist and myriad fireflies. Eivor: Smells of burnt peat. She soon came upon a corpse propped up in a kneeling position. Eivor: Desecrated. With a rage I have rarely seen. Approaching the cadaver, Eivor could see that ropes were tied around the dead body's head like a makeshift blindfold, with its mouth hanging open. Eivor: One more mangled corpse. What battle spit you out? From the cadaver's open mouth came a cloud of green mist, which surrounded Eivor and induced a hallucinatory state. Eivor: Ah! A figure approached Eivor from behind. Goneril: The guilty have come for spoils. Was our dignity not enough? You return again to mock our family? To make light of my father's sacrifice? Eivor turned to face Goneril. Eivor: Mad seer, you have no fight with me. Goneril: Which of the traitor kings sent you? Was it Edmund? Burgred? Ælla? Eivor: I follow the orders of no king. Nor will I bow to you. Eivor initiated combat with Goneril, who would teleport around, turning into cloud of sickly green hue. Goneril: You dare intrude? You will be skinned like the others. I will tear you apart. A lucky strike. She transformed into a smoke shade which attacked Eivor and dispersed before reforming another shade from the cloud and attacking again. Eivor: What trickery is this? Stay back! After suffering much damage, Goneril changed tactics. Goneril: You have done well warrior, lasting this long. But now I hold nothing back. If I must take your eyes, I will. Goneril resumed combat, using stronger attacks and shades. Goneril: Rise, foul vapors!. Eivor: Ach! What seidr (magic) makes you multiply? Goneril: I am one and many! Eivor eventually defeated her. Eivor: Let rest the spirit that haunts you. Eivor claimed her dagger as a trophy, as well as the piece of armor she had in her possession. While exploring East Anglia, Eivor discovered the barren Walsham Crag shrouded in heavy mist. Eivor: I sense a twisted siedr on the air. Eivor found the main path to a circular clearing in the crag littered with bodies, and the perimeter lit with candles. She soon came upon a flayed body impaled upright at a makeshift altar of skulls. Eivor: An unjust fate has befallen this one. A poor victim of someone's fury. A drop of blood fell from the corpse's nose and struck a rock, producing a cloud of red mist that gathered about Eivor's face and induced a hallucinatory state. A figure emerged from the opposite end of the clearing and menacingly approached Eivor. Regan: Are you hear for blood? Like all of those wretched others? Speak! Eivor turned to face Regan. Eivor: Not for yours, unless you tempt me. Regan: Liar, liar, liar! You will join them, all the unkind dead! Now I open the scars of my heart! Eivor stepped away from the altar and walked towards Regan. Eivor: Seidr-using troll! The two met in the open grounds at the center of the ruins as Regan surrounded the place with more red mist. Regan: Breathe deeply! Watch as I become smoke... and listen as I break your bones! Eivor: Raise a glass in Odin's hall. Another war begins. Eivor initiated combat with Regan, who transformed into a smoke shade which attacked Eivor and dispersed before reforming another shade from the cloud and attacking again. Eivor: How is this possible? Regan resumed combat, continually using her shades to teleport and attack Eivor in groups up close. Eivor: Always the maddest. Stubborn draugr! Regan: Bring out the blood! Bring out the dead! Feast on one more offering! After suffering much damage, Regan quickly changed tactics, casting a wide circle of red smoke around herself which exploded, knocking Eivor back and filling the air with thick smoke and embers. Regan: Now my blood screams. Eivor: A scream I shall quiet. Regan: A greater darkness fuels my rage. Spirit of my father's rage, fill me! Regan resumed combat, quickly forming even more shades which would burst into flame upon striking Eivor, or teleporting away to then suddenly dash forward and knock Eivor down as a shade struck the vulnerable Viking. Eivor: Wreathed in flame but not afire? How can this be? Regan: Suffer! Eivor: Too weak and too wild! Eivor eventually defeated Regan. Eivor: Enough of this cackling and welching. Let rest your demons. Eivor claimed her dagger as a trophy, as well as the piece of armor she had in her possession. While exploring East Anglia's Theotford Forest, Eivor approached some Roman ruins in Berkelow Bog. Eivor: Dark spirits rule the ethers. Entering the ruins, Eivor found the remains of a dead Viking obscured by overgrown shrubbery. Eivor: A fallen warrior, neglected by the Valkyries. Eivor walked to the central stage in the ruins, where a burned corpse was still tied to a stake. Eivor: This one suffered a great deal before dying. Suddenly, thunder crashed and a bolt of lightning struck the corpse. Blinded, Eivor raised her hands, only for a cloud of blue-grey smoke to gather about her face and induce a hallucinatory state. A figure emerged from the opposite end of the ruins and menacingly approached Eivor. Cordelia: Come you hither to pay your respects to the great and grave King Lerion? Coughing, Eivor turned to face Cordelia. Eivor: I do not know such a man. Cordelia continued walking forward as lightning sparked across Eivor. Cordelia: He was betrayed and murdered. By those who denied his friendship, just as you deny him now! Eivor stepped down from the stage and walked to Cordelia. Eivor: (coughing) Hold there, I am not your enemy! The two met in the open grounds at the center of the ruins as Cordelia surrounded the place with blue smoke. Cordelia: Darkness must reign. And you must fade within it! (Screams) Eivor: I will not be taken by a demon goddess. Cordelia: You will join my piles of bones. Eivor initiated combat with Cordelia, who teleported away to create phantoms of herself which charged at Eivor. Eivor: How can there be so many of you? Cordelia resumed combat, continually teleporting away from Eivor's attacks or up close to deliver her own. Eivor: Your tricks will not topple me! Away with all this! Cursed Seidr! After suffering much damage, Cordelia quickly changed tactics, casting a wide circle of blue fire around herself which exploded, knocking Eivor back and filling the air with thick blue smoke. Cordelia: Now you face the end! You demon-ploughing dog! I was to be Lady of Mercia! Cordelia teleported to another part of the ruins and called down bigger lightning strikes around her, but the bolts did not hit Eivor. Eivor: She commands the power of the wind? Your story is lost in the rage you spew! Folly has consumed you. Eivor eventually defeated Cordelia. Eivor: Tampered spirit. Leave this place. Eivor claimed her dagger as a trophy, as well as a pair of gauntlets she had in her possession. After defeating all of Lerion's daughters, Eivor returned to the estate and revisited the statue. Eivor: The dagger I won from the woman in the swamp. It must go here. Pulling out Goneril's dagger, Eivor aligned it with one of the slits and inserted it with a bone-grinding scrape. Eivor: Two more blades may fit here. Seeing that the first blade fit, Eivor withdrew Regan's dagger to try again. Eivor: The blade I took from the lady of the crag. It may fit. As before, the dagger fit into the stone slit with a scrape. Eivor withdrew Cordelia's dagger to complete the puzzle. Eivor: I have a dagger from the bog lady. It may go here. Upon inserting the final dagger, the statue suddenly burst apart, shaking the crypt as it collapsed the floor to reveal a deeper tunnel underneath. When the dust settled, Eivor entered the hole and followed the path down a hall lined with more Roman statues. She emerged in a treasure room that held four thrones, two on either side facing each other. Eivor found a note on one of the thrones on the left side. Faded Letter A blood-rotted bile of curses down the throat of treasonous Leofwine! Thunder and lightning of Thunor upon the petty head of pious Edmund! A scourge of Dane spears in the bloated guts of galling Ælla! Black curses on you ALL for defying so great a man! Lerion FATHER. Lerion KING. Lerion DIVINE. We will devour all those who defied him! R – G – C Eivor left the chair and stepped over a similar arcane circle as the one at the villa's entrance to reach the central altar, which was composed of three still-smoking candles in skulls atop skull-covered stone blocks surrounding a treasure chest. Eivor opened it and claimed Thor's Helmet from within. Eivor: A king's fortune, guarded well by his wayward daughters.

Cairns

During her travels, Eivor stacked many cairns reminiscing on conversations she had as a child. Rosta teaches Eivor about cairnsEivor's tallest cairn yetVarin tells the tale of LokiVisit from Sigurd Rosta: So go on. Try it yourself. Eivor, come! Stand here and look out over the fjords. Hold my hand, there you go. Eivor: Whaa! I have never been so high. Rosta: Your father brought me here long ago, when we were just nineteen winters. Together we stacked stones into cairns. Eivor: These? Rosta: Yes. Think of this as a test of mind and wit. Stack the cairn stones high and wide, into any shape you like. Eivor: How do I win? Rosta: You win by playing, and a quiet mind is your reward. Let the air and nature's beauty soothe you. Eivor: Come, Father, this way! Varin: I am here, I am here. Eivor: Look. I made this myself, my tallest cairn yet. Varin: Ah, yes. Your mother said you had taken swiftly to the stack-of-stones. This is impressive. Eivor: And it can stand hard against the winds as well. Watch! [blow] Varin: A burst of blue-air that blows to rival Njörðr's noisy belches! Well made, Eivor. But know this, height is not the only trait of a cairn's beauty. Shape, balance, expression are key. Seek a variety of these. Let your only goal in this task be to surpass your own best creation. Eivor: Father ... why do men yell at one another when they have drunk too much mead? Varin: Hm. Mead is a delicious poison that gives men courage and robs them of kindness. But yelling is not always a wrong. Have you never wanted to loose your tongue and scream at someone? Throw hugr-fire and word-spears at those who anger you? Eivor: Maybe. Varin: Why do you ask? Eivor: Sigurd told me the story of Loki and his anger at the gods. Why was he angry? Varin: Because he was vain. When the gods heaped pretty praise on the serving men of Ægir, Loki could not contain himself. His pride was heavier than his heart. He lived for trickery and glory-hounding. He was jealous. Loki would rather make enemies of friends than hear a good word about anyone but himself. Never be as Loki was. Rosta: Eivor, did you hear? The king will visit tomorrow. Sigurd will be with him. Eivor: Father told me, but I cannot play too often with Sigurd. He always steals my stones and calls me troll-tooth. Rosta: I can think of one way to fluster him. Use all of these stones for your next cairn. He'll have none for himself. Eivor: I could build the largest cairn he has ever seen. He would be so jealous. Rosta: Take these. Make him smile. Eivor: Yes! Rosta: And did your father mention Gunnar's arm ring? Eivor: No. Not that I remember. Rosta: Speak with your father tonight. He has a special task for you. SefaSigurd and skipping stonesA new brotherThe All-Father whispering Eivor: Sigurd, can I have that stone? Sigurd: No, I need it for my tower. Rosta: Sigurd. Your father tells me you have a love-pledge with Sefa? Sigurd: No, not anymore. She called me a whale-face, and I spit on her foot. Those are not words a lover should use. Rosta: Does Sefa know that you have severed your bond with her? Sigurd: She does. I told her to find another drengr. Then she cried. I do not know why. Sadness can be so silly. Eivor: Your meanness will haunt you one day, Sigurd. I would never betray you. Sigurd: Because we are friends. In love, hurt is different from that of friendship. Lovers must betray one another, as the sun rises and sets. Eivor: The sound of stones falling upon stones is nice. They click and clack so well. Sigurd: I prefer them as skipping stones. The whish and sploosh! Watch. Varin: Sigurd, stop that. Sigurd: Did you see that? How far it went? A giant's arm, I have! The strength of the gods! Eivor: That was mine! Varin: You know better than to take what's not yours, Sigurd. Must I tell your father how badly you behaved today? Sigurd: Say what you like. He would not believe you! Varin: He would ... and then he would pitch you into the sea, and invite me to drink in his hall. Be warned. Sigurd: Eivor ... I hoped I would find you here. You seem well. Your wounds have healed quickly. I heard my father talking to the others. He said you were his child now, so ... so that makes me your brother. You are welcome to this family. Now we will grow together, and feast together, and scamper over the snows together. I hope that pleases you. It pleases me. What is it you are building now? Two homes? Or ... a hill and a mountain? Eivor: This is my father Varin. And this is Kjotve the Cruel. Sigurd: Ah... Eivor: (scream) (crying) Sigurd: Lean on me. I will lead you home. Eivor: Are you referring to my father? Sigurd: Am I what? Eivor: What you just said. Was it about my father? Sigurd: I said nothing. We have been silent since we came here. Eivor: Liar. You did, just now. As plain as you're talking now. Sigurd: You're mad. What did I say? Eivor: A coward believes he will live unto old age if he stays clear of strife, but old age will wither him fast, though he be untouched by spears. Sigurd: I said nothing of the sort, troll-tooth! That is the All-Father whispering into your big head. Do you believe him a coward?Eivor and Sigurd on godsThe skald in youDescription of Valhalla Sigurd: Eivor? Eivor, you bacraut (asshole). I know you hear me. Eivor: What? Sigurd: Do you often think of your father? Eivor: Yes. Sigurd: Do you believe him a coward? Eivor: He is a coward, as everyone says. And now he lives with Hel. Her servants Slow and Lazy, her curtains Dire Luck pulled across his bed. Sigurd: You should win back the honor he lost. Eivor: I will. Sigurd: I know you will. Sigurd: You are quite good at this, these cairns. Better than me, that I admit. Eivor: Yes. Sigurd: This one is your masterpiece. A monument to the gods. Now bask in their glory and receive their honor. Eivor: The gods rarely have honor. Sigurd: Well... Eivor: They never live in peace. They hardly bat an eye at jealousy, rage, and madness. Sigurd: Yes, yes ... they are perfect. Sigurd: No, no, use that stone. Eivor, use the large one. There. Eivor: Do you like the snow, Sigurd? Sigurd: I suppose. I … I accept it. Eivor: I love it. I wish it could gather under my skin, surround my bones, and cloak me in silence, just the way it quiets the land. Sigurd: Snow like arrows? The skald in you speaks! I admit, it does calm me down some. Eivor: If everyone sat and watched the soft, chunky snow fall, and said nothing … nothing at all, we would all be happier. Sigurd: Snow makes for a poor plowing bed. That’s what I know! Eivor: Describe it for me, Sigurd … Valhalla. Sigurd: Ah, well. My father says the walls will drip mead, your fingers will sing, and your feet will grow wings! Jewels will fall from the mouths of wolves … butter jumps from barrel to bread. Eivor: And the mud smells of lavender. I heard that once. Sigurd: Yes. And when your eyes command rain, it pours hot drops, your smile craves sun, the clouds part like curtains. Bloody, shiny, unbreakable Valhalla … one day our slaughter-reeds will guide us there, my Eivor. Eivor: And my father will not be with us. That much I know for truth. Vé, Vili and Odin celebrate Having drunk the potion prepared by Valka, Eivor heard one of Odin's memories in Asgard, that he recalled while building a cairn himself. Vili: Our work is done and daylight remains. We have earned a drink for our troubles, I think. What say you, brothers? Vé: A drink, aye! To drown our creation in praise. A world fashioned anew from old flesh! Vili: Do you recall the size of old Ymir when we began our work? A corpse as tall as the day is long! Spanning the abyss, Ginnungagap. Vé: O yes, O yes. His pliant flesh, by which we made the fertile soils of the earth. Vili: And from his blood came oceans and the seas. I remember well. Vé: For hills and mountains, we piled his bones. Vili: From his beard came trees, from his hair the grass. Vé: His domed skull we opened for the blue heavens above. Crowded by clouds of brain matter. Vili: A new world made from an old life ended. Skal, brothers! I raise my horn to you both. Vé: Brother Odin, you are silent. Is something wrong? Is our work not worthy of praise? Odin: (laugh)

Fly Agaric

CentEast AngliaEssexeGlowecestrescire Eivor ate the fly agaric and in her hallucination solved a puzzle that consisted of passing through gates in a specific order. Eivor: Travel widely to become wise, for all things are too easy at home, and the ignorant who sit among wise men will be mocked. Eivor ate the fly agaric and in her hallucination solved a puzzle that consisted of passing through gates in a specific order. Eivor: I saw a rich man's home burning, yet he was hopeful, and death stood outside his door. It is always better to live, even in misery. Eivor ate the fly agaric and in her hallucination solved a puzzle that consisted of lighting braziers with blue fire. Eivor: Drink by the campfire, skate on the ice, buy a lean horse and a tempered sword. Do these things and be pleased with your lot. Eivor ate the fly agaric and in her hallucination solved a puzzle that consisted of lighting braziers with blue fire. Eivor: Firewood from firewood burns, flame kindles flame, and from man goes wisdom to man, and folly to folly. GrantebridgescireLedecestrescireOxenefordscireRygjafylkeSciropescire Eivor ate the fly agaric and in her hallucination solved a puzzle that consisted of lighting braziers with blue fire. Eivor: Fire is a blessing to one who has traveled far ... to he who enters from the cold with frozen legs, in need of food and clothing. Eivor ate the fly agaric and in her hallucination solved a puzzle that consisted of passing through gates in a specific order. Eivor: Before crossing a new threshold, take care ... for it is difficult to know what foes lie in wait beyond. Eivor ate the fly agaric and in her hallucination solved a puzzle that consisted of passing through gates in a specific order. Eivor: A wary guest who wants a meal is silent. He listens and looks about. So must a wise man be who searches within himself. Near the mushrooms, Eivor found a note. Note written in unsteady hands The first gate leads to Thruthheim, Where Thor thunders until Ragnarok. The second gate leads to Freyja's Folkvang. For good men and women grown weary of battle The third gate leads to Gladsheim, Where the All-Father welcomes his blood-drinkers. Eivor ate the fly agaric and in her hallucination solved a puzzle that consisted of passing through gates in a specific order. Eivor: One who wanders widely and has traveled far will learn the scope of mankind's nature, and discover common sense. Near the mushrooms, Eivor found a note. Engraved in Stone :Druid I shall be. I begin my initiation. I have eaten of the mushroom and wait to see the spirits. ... ... Oh, my! Eivor ate the fly agaric and in her hallucination solved a puzzle that consisted of lighting braziers with blue fire. Eivor: Amid bad men, friendship burns hotter than fire for five days full and tumbles to ash on the sixth when the fire has burnt out.

Vinland

While roaming across Vinland, Eivor came to a nearby lake, where she saw Konwahawíhshon humming to herself as she fished. Konwahawíhshon: Mmmm... hmmmm. Eivor: The leader of the village. They catch lake fish with a harpoon here. Interesting. Eivor walked closer for a better look. Eivor: What is she doing? Eivor approached Konwahawíhshon, who noticed her guest. Konwahawíhshon: Hátskwi Kenhnarà:ken, tesatononntsó:ni ken ne eskátne aietianitsató:rate? (Would you like to fish with me, white woman?) Seeing what Konwahawíhshon was doing, Eivor readied her own fishing line as the village leader continued humming. Konwahawíhshon: Mmmm... mmm... mmmm. Eivor cast her line into the lake full of fish. Eivor: The water is boiling with them! Konwahawíhshon: Mmmm... hmmmm. Just as Eivor caught a fish, Konwahawíhshon spoke up. Konwahawíhshon: Iah thiekaié:ri tsi ní:kon wakená:wi ne kéntson. Shé:kon tewakatonhontsó:ni. (I don't have enough fish. I need some more.) Eivor pulled up the fish and held it aloft. Konwahawíhshon: É:so tsi ioiánere'! Shé:kon teiontiatonhontsó:ni ne kéntson! (That's very good! We need more!) Eivor: I can find more if you like. Konwahawíhshon: Mmmm... hmmmm. Eivor caught another fish. Konwahawíhshon: Akwáhs nihseweién:te' ne kí:ken. (That's very good! We need more!) Eivor: Add one more to the catch. Konwahawíhshon: Kenharà:ken, Iáh akwáhs tetkaié:ri tsi nihsiéhrha', nek tsi ioiánere' tsi ní:ioht tsi wesá:nawe'. (You are not in a great shape, white woman, but you fish well.) Mmmm... mmm... mmmm. Eivor caught a third fish and added it to Konwahawíhshon's pile. Eivor: That should be enough to feed the entire village. As Konwahawíhshon gathered the fish, she saw that a bear had come up some distance behind Eivor. Konwahawíhshon: Hen! Tesahsterihen! Tshiteníhser, thí:ken ohkwá:ri! (Yes! Quick! Let's chase the bear!) Eivor turned around in time to see the startled bear retreat into the bush. Eivor: The bear has been drawn out by the catch. Together, Eivor and Konwahawíhshon chased after the bear. Konwahawíhshon: Tésta'n! Wáts enkonneri'taié:na' ohkwá:ri! (Stop running! I will have your head, bear!) Eivor: A bear is no simple threat. I should follow her. The women tracked the bear to a stream leading out from the lake behind a hill. Konwahawíhshon: Ó:nen wa'konhnhótera'ne', Rentsanénhskwas! (You are mine at last, thief of fish!) Konwahawíhshon provided covering fire with her bow as Eivor fought the bear. After a brief brawl, the animal was killed. Konwahawíhshon: Niá:wen tsi wahstié:nawa'se', Kenhnarà:ken. Enke'wahrahserón:ni' kí:ken ohkwá:ri tánon' kéntson. Sok ki'enwáton' ienshawe' ne kaná:takon. (Thanks for your help, white woman. Let's take the meat of the bear and the fish. Then we can go back to the village.) Before leaving, Eivor spoke to Konwahawíhshon once more. Konwahawíhshon: Á:, Kenhrarà:ken. Iah teshanénhskwas ne ohkwá:ri, tánon' iontiatonhnháhere'. (Ah, white woman, the bear can't steal anymore. We can celebrate.) Eivor: I suspect you were expecting that fight. I will leave you to your tasks. Eivor left Konwahawíhshon to prepare the bear.

River Raids
While raiding rivers across England with Vagn, Eivor learned more about his earlier life. Eivor: TBA Vagn: TBA

Flyting

Augusta the CheerfulBrother QuiescisChadwick, Monger of GossipFergal the Faceless If Eivor made at least two good versesIf Eivor failed at least two verses If Eivor made at least two good versesIf Eivor failed at least two verses If Eivor made at least two good versesIf Eivor failed at least two verses In Grantebridge, Eivor came upon a locked hut with a group of three people standing outside. She spoke to the woman. Anglo-Saxon Woman You! Dane! Come closer... Eivor: What do you want? Anglo-Saxon Woman: You look to be a good fighter... but do you dare to face the greatest battle you will ever know? Eivor: Of what do you speak? Anglo-Saxon Woman: I speak of a terrible and monstrous incorporeal power whose name is feared across these lands... Fergal the Faceless, the most fearsome flyter in all of Grantebridgescire. Anglo-Saxon Man 1: Oooh... Anglo-Saxon Man 2: Ughhh... Eivor: A flyter? Is that all? Anglo-Saxon Woman: Fergal the Faceless has silenced doubters before. Will you challenge him? I will face the Faceless.This sounds absurd. Eivor: I will face the Faceless. Eivor: You're absurd. Anglo-Saxon Woman: You are right to be afraid. You may return to me, should you ever wish to face death by flyting. Eivor left. She later returned and accepted the challenge. Anglo-Saxon Woman: You return. Do you dare, traveler, face the terrible flyting wrath of Fergal the Faceless? Eivor: I will face the Faceless. Anglo-Saxon Man 1: (gasp) Anglo-Saxon Man 2: My God... Anglo-Saxon Woman: You are braver than most. Or perhaps more foolish. Come, I will give you a key. This key unlocks Fergal's lair, which you see now before you! Eivor: That's a house. Anglo-Saxon Woman: No! No, it is a den of nightmares! A pit of death from which few have ever escaped unharmed! Eivor: By words. Unharmed by words. Anglo-Saxon Woman: Go! Go now. And God be with you. Eivor took the key and unlocked the hut to find it full of skeletons, pig carcasses, and animal skulls, with a stool set beside a wear in the back wall. Suspicious, Eivor returned to speak to the woman again. Anglo-Saxon Woman: Do not tarry. Your death by flyting awaits! Fergal will claim another sorry soul! Seeing she would get no answers, Eivor entered the house and sat on the stool. A man's voice came from seemingly nowhere. Fergal the Faceless: A new victim! What fool dares to challenge the might of Fergal the Faceless? Eivor: Eivor of the Raven Clan. Fergal: Eivor of the Raven Clan. My next meal. Are you prepared to be eviscerated by words? Eivor: I think I will survive. Fergal: I am Fergal the Faceless, and I am clever and strong! But you're not! You're ugly, and weak, and you're a big smelly coward! You're probably too scared to even face me, now that I think about it! Eivor smiled. Eivor: Sorry, have you started? Fergal: Yes, obviously! I said you're probably too scared to face me! ClumsyWeakFool Eivor: But your rhythm is clumsy, you'll never outpace me. Eivor: It's the weakest attempt I've yet heard to disgrace me. Eivor: See, your rhythm's how a fool would attempt to debase me. Fergal: Ah! You think you can win with rhyme, do you? Well... if you like to rhyme, listen this time. I'm very brave, my flyting is grave. I'm not a knave, and it's victory that I really crave. Your tongue is fat, you're a sprat, you whine like a little brat, and we are in a spat! FlatRatWeak Eivor: All my life I've not heard of a flyting so flat. Eivor: Says the flyter who hides in a hole like a rat. Eivor: There has never been so weak an insult as that. Fergal: O, you've made a terrible mistake. Be ready for my finishing blow! I am the best at flyting, I have got powerful skills. I'm strong as an ox and clever as a fox, I'm sharp as a dozen... hawks. Eivor noticed movement behind the wicker of the worn wall beside her and smirked. Fergal: Let me show you my skills and then you I shall kill... dead, with my... mm... my skill. I do not think you will best me.You're not a talented flyter, Fergal.You can stop now, we're done. Eivor: While it's quaint you think you can best me, I must say... I don't think you will. Eivor: If we are arguing as to your talent, I shall die happily on this hill. Eivor: You can stop stumbling over your verses, I have already had more than my fill. Fergal: You... well... I... just one moment! I... I need to think. Give me time! Eivor: Fergal the Faceless or Fergal the Wordless? Fergal: No! You get ready! The killing blow is... it's coming! It's... There was the sound of movement, and Eivor stood. Eivor: Fergal? Hello? Through the open door of the hut, she saw a man running away, and she shook her head in amusement. Hogg the BurlyJungulfManning, Fighter of WolvesOve the ScarredRatatosk If Eivor made at least two good versesIf Eivor failed at least two verses If Eivor made at least two good versesIf Eivor failed at least two verses Near the docks of Stavanger, came across two men, one of whom insulted her as she approached him from behind. Manning, Fighter of Wolves: What tiny little child approaches? Eivor: Me? Manning turned to face her. Manning: Ah! Many apologies. You are no child, simply a frail and fully-grown fool. Ha ha ha! He began to circle Eivor. Eivor: Do we know each other? Manning: I know you're a weakling! And you... you need only know my impressive scale and flawless build. Eivor: Why do you speak to me this way? Manning: We are flyting! Eivor looked back at Manning's companion in question, but he only shrugged. Eivor: I've consented to nothing yet. Manning: Fine. Do you wish to flyt against me? (Accept – "I do!") Eivor place a bet. Eivor: Here's my wager. I'm ready for you now. Manning nodded and began. Manning: Have you ever seen muscles as massive as mine? SwinePrideSpine Eivor: You have the form of a very large swine. Manning: Come on, you can do better than that! Eivor: I'm not awed by your muscles, but shocked by your pride. Manning: Come on, you can do better than that! Eivor: What you make up in muscles, you're lacking in spine. Manning and his companion nodded, pleased. Manning: More than strength, I can boast that my features are fair. ComeHairScare Eivor: Your pride is misplaced, you're as plain as they come. Manning: No no no. Wound me! Don't go easy on me! I can take it! Eivor: I don't like your features or your hair. Manning: No no no. Wound me! Don't go easy on me! I can take it! Eivor: They seem perfectly placed to give children a scare. Manning: You're brilliant! Yes! More! Manning: Have you ever met someone so witty and quick? ThickTickObtuse Eivor: No, you're quite like your arms: just incredibly thick. Manning put his hand to his chest. Manning: Brutal, I adore it! Eivor: You've the wit and the charm of a wood tick. Manning looked back at his companion, who shrugged again. Manning: You can't go harder than that? Eivor: I can't say that I have, you're uniquely obtuse. Manning looked back at his companion, who shrugged again. Manning: You can't go harder than that? If Eivor made at least two good versesIf Eivor failed at least two verses Manning: Wonderful! Rare to find someone with any flyting skill. You deserve every bit of your bet and more. I'll remember some of those insults! Eivor: Happy to be of service. Manning: What a shame. Thought you'd be up for a good spar. Come back again if you ever feel ready. Eivor returned again later to try again. Manning: Happy returns after a sorry loss. Do you want to try again? Give me your best. If Eivor made at least two good versesIf Eivor failed at least two verses If Havi made at least two good versesIf Havi failed at least two verses Stigr The AmorousThor If Eivor made at least two good versesIf Eivor failed at least two verses If Havi made at least two good versesIf Havi failed at least two verses

Encounters across Ireland

Shortly after sailing to Ireland to meet her cousin Bárid mac Ímair, Eivor spoke to Azar at her shop in Dublin's market. Azar: Ah! A visit from my good friend. (If "What do you have today?" is chosen.) Azar: I always enjoy the dance of trade. Eivor looked over Azar's contracts and decided whether to conduct some overseas trading. Azar: Enough for today? (If "Remind me what you do here." is chosen.) Eivor: What is it you do here, again? Azar: I trade our trade post resources. Foreign lands can provide us with rare exotic goods. (Leave – "I have what I need.") Azar: Farewell, Eivor. Eivor left Azar's shop and continued walking until she came to Aoife's smithy at the edge of the market. Aoife: And what is it I can do for you this fine day? What's the craic? Can I help ye? (If "Let me see your services." is chosen.) Eivor: I would like to see what you have in stock. Eivor quickly inspected Aoife's wares and decided whether to buy anything. Aofie: Look at you, now. Powerful! (If "What do you do here?" is chosen.) Eivor: Can you remind me what you do here? Aoife: If it's weapons or armor enhanced or adorned you'll be needin', that's what I'm here for. (Leave – "I have to go.") Eivor: I'm off, be well friend.

Frankish Nobles

While aiding the siege of Paris, Eivor met and fought three disenfranchised Frankish nobles. Amric, the HunterGerswinda, the CavalierHerbert du Lilibonne, the Duelist While passing near Les Trois Pignons, Eivor spotted a chest suspiciously posicioned in a clearing. Eivor looted the chest and a hiding noble astarted attacking her. Amric: What? Impossible! I cannot be seen. I cannot be found! I am not visible! Sly heathen! Never mind your sharp, godless eyes, you will not take me! I will never let you best me. In the lovely name of Lilibonne! Lilibonne! Lilibonne! Lilibonne! Eivor eventually defeated Amric. Eivor: Cattle die. Kinsmen die. Cowards who hide in mud and leaves die. Eivor approached a group of nuns being confronted by another woman mounted on a horse. French Woman: Please, we implore you. Leave us to our prayer! Gerswinda: Prayer won't be enough, sisters! We must take up arms and be the hand of God's judgement against the heathens. Gerswinda and her group attacked as they saw Eivor approach. Gerswinda: Ah ha! My eyes do not deceive me! It is our enemy! No time for training, sisters. Let us put our mettle to the ultimate test. French Woman: O dear, O my! Gerswinda: Sisters, take up arms! Let us smite this foul evil down to the wretched underbelly of Hell! Charge! Ha, ha! I underestimated you. I thought you heathens only swung your weapons aimlessly like children. It is not enough that you ruin my family's name, but now you seek to snuff the wick of my very life now as well? For Mother, Father, Herbert and Amric! For fair and lovely Lilibonne! Eivor defeated Gerswinda. Eivor: Had her rallying worked, she might have bested me. Herbert du Lilibonne: ...then I sliced, and his head swung clean off the neck! I admit, it was no pleasant task. But not too gruesome for I! Eivor approached the boasting man. Herbert du Lilibonne: Ah ha! An unworthy challenger approaches! Eivor: Your arena has no crowd. Herbert du Lilibonne: O heathen, your eyes fail you! Can you not see my admirers all around me? I will not disappoint them! Ready your weapon, step into my arena, and prepare for defeat! Eivor stepped into the arena. Herbert du Lilibonne: Ah ha! No escape for you now, heathen! You'll die in this ring. The last thing in your ears will be applause and cheers from my company here! For I am Herbert du Lilibonne, and you are soon to be gone! They began their fight to the death. Herbert du Lilibonne: Ah ha! Your strike annoys! But you won't beat me for flair and poise! I am quick, quick as a sheep! Watch me leap! I will not suffer a defeat! For I am Herbert du Lilibonne! It is family honor I fight upon! Hear my admirers bleat! Eivor defeated Herbert. Eivor: You were noble, but dumb as your sheep. Having defeated all of the nobles, Eivor reflected on their cause. Eivor: Brothers, and sister Lilibonne, they fought for honor but are no more.

Tombs of the Fallen

While exploring England, Eivor found and investigated a number of tombs belonging to former Brittonic leaders who fought invading Roman legions. Manius' SanctumBoudicca's TombCassivellaunus' TombVenutius' Tomb Eivor arrived at the docks at Ravensthorpe, finding a crowd of onlookers witnessing strange behavior on a group of animals in the river. Norse Woman 1: Do you hear that? Norse Woman 2: Thor's testicles! What is happening over there? Norse Woman 3: Have you ever known anything like this? Eivor approached them. Eivor: What is going on? Norse Woman 1: Across the river! The animals have lost their senses! Norse Woman 2: My very pig chewed through her fence and plunged into the river. She tried to swim across! Norse Woman 1: O! I have seen crows attacking one another. Perhaps this is serious. Eivor: It is concerning. My raven might see better. Sýnin! Through the raven's eyes, Eivor could see strange winds surrounding a rock marked with a rune. Eivor: [ONO - HUH?] Sýnin herself has lost course. Norse Woman 2: Something must be done! Norse Woman 1: Do you think we are in danger? Eivor: I will look into it. Eivor crossed the river and went towards the marked rock. As she touched the rune, the rock itself flickered away into an Isu column, revealing an entrance into the mountain itself. Eivor: What seidr is this? A note laid nearby the small column. Strange Columns I am struck by the unusual stone structures found in the tombs. I cannot believe that Britons, who live in huts of clay could have carved such columns. Some long-forgotten peoples must have erected them. –Manius Calvisius, Engineer to the Emperor Eivor entered Manius's Sanctum, taking a Leap of Faith into a cart of hay at the bottom of the cave. She began exploring the tunnels beneath, finding another note. Command of Nero Claudius Germanicus, Emperor of Rome Manius, I know you to be a capable engineer with a cunning and sometimes diabolical imagination. I am therefore assigning you this weighty commission. The barbarians of Britain have taken to gathering at the tombs of their heroes as if at sacred shrines. There they foment rebellion against Rome and therefore against my very person. This cannot be tolerated. However, Manius, I have consulted my soothsayer, a man of subtle knowledge. The auguries tell him that to defile the tombs or even to seal them away would bring a storm of ill fortune upon me personally. You see the problem. You must leave the tombs unharmed but endeavor to make access to them so parlous as to be unthinkable. I am not asking of you a favor, Manius. This is a command from your emperor. –Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus Eivor came upon a hall with a couple of pressure plates. Eivor: I need to place something on this. On a small room adjacent, she found a mechanism that dispensed a small round weight. Eivor: Where does this belong? She placed it on one of the plates in the hall and went to find something to weigh down the other. Eivor: I need something very heavy to weigh this down. A movable column, taller than her, was found in a sealed room, also adjacent to the hall. Eivor: This could be useful. Placing that upon the plate, a gate opened, allowing her to proceed. Eivor: Ah! A hidden chamber. This is the ancient work of Romans. Eivor approached what seemed to be an Isu map of the Isles, finding a key to Manius' workshop and another note. The Final Conundrum All the tombs are now protected by my contraptions. Yet I am defeated by this final entrance! What could lie behind it? How does one open its odd gateway? It is perhaps the one problem I cannot solve. –Manius Eivor: Is this England? Odd. Some locations are marked. On the ground before it, the final entrance Manius had mentioned. Eivor: Sealed tight. No way to open this. Eivor unlocked the door leading to the engineer's workshop, continuing on. Eivor: The workshop of a madman. She read a note from his desk. Notes from the Roman Engineer Emperor Nero has given me a task born of Madness. I am to prevent the Britons from gathering at the tombs of their fallen heroes. Yet I cannot simply build a wall! Our mad emperor insists that it be possible to approach the tombs, but mandates that all who attempt to do so shall perish. My duty is to do as he wishes, however nonsensical. And so I shall. –Manius Calvisius Near a prototype traps, two notes were affixed with daggers. Notes for Spinning Traps I lured a credulous Briton into one of the spinning traps. Successful dismemberment. Notes for Spike Walls The tests with the animals went badly. I must sharpen the spikes! Past the spike trap, Eivor looted a chest, retrieving the Fallen Hero Cape. Eivor: Impressive gear. Eivor approached the marked rock indicating Boudicca's tomb. As she touched the rune, the rock itself flickered away into an Isu column, revealing an entrance into the mountain itself. Eivor: The same as the other. This time, there was a note affixed to the Isu column itself. The Illusions By pure happenstance, I have unleashed the power of this remarkable machinery. Using some artifice, the entrances to these caves are obscured, leaving a passer by to believe there is no entrance at all! If I believed the gods existed, I would ascribe this to Mercury himself. –Manius Eivor entered Boudicca's tomb. Eivor: This place is not very welcoming. She made her way deeper, avoiding the numerous spike traps. Eivor: Ah! Go! Go! Go! Once upon a large room filled with traps and some pressure plates, Eivor started to locate the appropriate weights and placing them where they were needed. Eivor crossed a deep chasm filled with poisonous gas. Eivor: Best not fall. She went down a pit of spikes and found a mechanism that dispensed a small round weight. To return to the main hall, however, she had to traverse a tunnel filled with gas and spinning traps. Eivor: I have to go through this? She placed the weight upon the pressure plate and went to find another. Eivor went through a tunnel of gas and spike walls, finding another mechanism at the end of it. Eivor: Slowly. Carefully. She made her way back to the main hall, weight in hand. Eivor: How many traps are in this place? Once all four plates were weighed down, the gate opened. Eivor: Another chamber May this one be as truthful. Into the crypt proper, Eivor encountered Boudicca's tomb, perfumed by an odd incense. A ghostly apparition of the very Iceni warrior that laid there leaned against the tomb. Boudicca: Who disturbs my centuries-long slumber? I well deserved the rest. When Prasutagus, my husband, chief of the Iceni, died, the Romans broke their promise to us. They took our lands, cattle, crops, our horses and boats. They defiled my daughters. Then me. As I am of fiery temper, with my husband's sword, I hacked through their legions. I burned their camps at Colchester, Lunden, Albanes. Desecrated Roman tombs. Let flow rivers of Roman blood. But there were too many. Defeated, I drank poison rather than give myself to their sweaty hands. I am Boudicca. The ghost pounded on her own chest and disappeared. Eivor found a note on the tomb. Tribute to Boudicca Fiery hair and fiery heart Our Boudicca burned the Roman camps And danced in the flames They could not kill her She saw to that. Eivor retrieved the Fallen Hero Greaves and Bracers from two nearby chests. Eivor: More! Of the same kind as the first. On a hidden tunnel, she found a strange artifact. Eivor: What is this? hàsm Why did I say that? There must be someplace where these words are useful. Eivor approached the marked rock indicating Cassivellaunus' tomb. As she touched the rune, the rock itself flickered away into an Isu column, revealing an entrance into the mountain itself. Eivor: I shall never understand this. Eivor entered the damp waterlogged tunnels, eventually finding a cave with many waterfalls. Eivor: I may have to get wet. At the bottom of the cave, she found a boat, which she took further into the tomb, finding the main hall before the crypt proper. The main hall contained a building behind a waterfall, the pressure plates needed to open the large gate, and an empty dock. Eivor: An empty dock. Where is the boat? Arriving at the dock, she noticed the building. Eivor: The waterfall could hide something. On a nearby tunnel, she found the weight-dispensing mechanism and grabbed one of them. Eivor: I must not fall here, lest I lose this. She returned to the main hall with minimal issues. Near the gate, she pushed a column to another pressure plate before approaching the building. Eivor: What is in there? She entered the building through an opening on the side, finding a key to unlock the door and allowing her to push a weighted column out onto a pressure plate. Swimming through a flooded tunnel with spike wall, Eivor came upon a skeleton with a note. Final Note This cave is the making of a madman! I have barely survived several traps. But my strength wanes... Continuing on, she found a boat stopped in front of a wooden gate, and near it, another weight-dispensing mechanism. Eivor: The boat is blocked. Eivor placed the weight upon the boat and manipulated the counterweights holding the gate shut to allow her passage. Returning to the main hall, she placed the final weight upon the plate, opening the gate. Eivor: These strange caverns all have secrets. Into the crypt proper, Eivor encountered Cassivellaunus's tomb, perfumed by an odd incense. A ghostly apparition of the Briton made itself known, approaching Eivor. Cassivellaunus: Stranger, in life I was Cassivellaunus. I faced Gaius Caesar, called Julius. A clever man. We Britons had long fought each other, but the sea spewed forth Romans in their thousands. I rode to my enemies, the Atrebates, the Iceni, the Cantiaci, beseeching each to join together. United, we awaited the legions and their cowardly "turtle." Much blood was spilled, battles won and lost. Caesar declared victory and returned to Rome. But note well, stranger. He never came back. He disappeared as quickly as he had appeared. Eivor found a note on the tomb. Tribute to Cassivellaunus A leader, a fighter, a stalwart man. We fought for Cassivellaunus like we would fight for our own fathers. The one called Caesar claimed victory. But look about you. No Romans we. From a chest nearby, Eivor retrieved the Fallen Hero Breastplate. Eivor: Still more! How is it I'm so good at this? On her way back out, Eivor discovered another mysterious artifact. Eivor: rhobtoràs. Again, I'm speaking nonsense. Eivor approached the marked rock indicating Venutius's tomb. As she touched the rune, the rock itself flickered away into an Isu column, revealing an entrance into the mountain itself. Eivor: What adventure awaits within? Eivor entered the icy caves, coming upon a chasm. Eivor: A steep drop. I must move with care. She traversed the chasm, ziplined and eventually made her way to a large cave with some buildings, a couple of bridges and the pressure plates needed to open the large gate. On a nearby tunnel, she found the weight-dispensing mechanism and grabbed one of them. Eivor: Is it possible to carry this to the top? She did so with minimal issues. Near the gate, she pushed a column to another pressure plate before freeing one of the bridges with her bow. Inside the building the bridge led to, she found a barred door. Eivor: An arrow could solve this. But fired from where? Climbing outside of the building, she managed to shoot the door open through a window. Returning, she eventually found another weighted cloumn, though a gate impeded her from moving it to the pressure plate outside. Eivor: Now, how to move the platform? Manipulating the counterweight in the next room, she opened her way through, eventually reaching the plate. Once back at the main cave, she shot open the other bridge. There, she found numerous walls of ice in rooms leading to the weight. Eivor: Dangers lie hidden behind this ice. Looking for a key to unlock a door to the weight, Eivor found a room below with spike traps and a note from Manius. Fewer Traps My ardor for deadly devices got the best of me in the cave filled with swamps. I created far too many traps. It is just too enjoyable to imagine the bloody results! But I grow short of supplies. In this frozen cave I shall limit myself. However, those that I build will be all the deadlier. –Manius Eivor got the weight to the main hall and opened the gate. Eivor: As before. Into the crypt proper, Eivor encountered Venutius's tomb, perfumed by an odd incense. The beheaded body of Venutius appeared, startling her. His ghostly head upon the tomb began talking. Venutius: Who disturbs my rest? I am Venutius of the Brigantes. Romans came from the sea to parade in their skirts and finery with short, flat swords. My chieftan wife threw in with them! They beguiled her with cloth and gold. She even betrayed Caratacus. Gave him to the Romans as a gift. Then she betrayed me. She took my armor-bearer as her lover. So I turned on her Roman patrons. For years I hewed down their foot soldiers and disemboweled their horses. For this they took my head. Worse luck for them, I have it here! Hahaha! He disappeared as quickly as he had appeared. Eivor found a note on the tomb. Tribute to Venutius Hail our fallen hero, the good Venutius A man strong of arm He felled many a thieving Roman But paid with his head From a chest nearby, Eivor retrieved the Fallen Hero Helmet. Eivor: This must be the last of it. A fine haul! On her way back out, she discovered a another tomb, this one containing a couple of notes from her acquaintance Hildiran. First Note from Hildiran In my explorations I have come upon this ancient cell. I have meditated here and have heard voices of the past as though my ancestor's memories flow and surge in my blood. Could it be? Are the legends my mother told me true? Was this the place my long-ago forebear was imprisoned? A tale of betrayal by the gods themselves runs in my veins. A tale of a Valkyrie crashing to earth. A tale of the vengeance I must take. Second Note from Hildiran I return to this ancient prison from time to time to think of my mother and what she told me. It is quiet. Thoughts of my many-generations-ago grandmother held captive here bring memories of my mother's words. When Freya's medallion senses the presence of the One-Eye, then, only then, will my long-ago grandmother's legacy be revealed. In the same room, Eivor discovered another of the mysterious artifacts. Eivor: Yet another one of these. oænosôd Affixed to a nearby wooden beam with a dagger was another note from Manius. Cavern Purpose It seems clear that these caves were used for some other purpose long before the rebellious Britons came here. But what was that original purpose? I find evidence of restraints. Perhaps these were used as places of confinement. For beasts or men? If only I could breach the final entrance, what wonders I might discover! –Manius

Ezio Auditore

Unlocking Monteriggioni's Secrets

Claudia complaining to Ezio about her work After Ezio Auditore collected four Codex pages that were left in containers in and around Monteriggioni, he visited his sister Claudia in the Villa Auditore's main room next to his uncle Mario's study on the lower floor. Ezio: Salute (Hi) Claudia— Claudia: Our uncle is un mostro (a monster). This is outrageous! Ezio: What's happened? Claudia: He's making me work! If father was here, I'd never be stuck behind a desk like this. Ezio: And what are the terms of this supposed enslavement? Claudia: Since SOMEONE decided we're going to stay here, Zio (uncle) Mario suggested we try and find the money to repair the villa. Problem is, there isn't any. Ezio: I bet I can bring in some money. Claudia: Oh great, more work for me. Well, benissimo (fine). If you start paying for improvements to the town, I'll keep track of them in this book. And since I have nothing better to do, I'll also make note of any objects you bring in from the outside. If you actually get this place up and running, travelers might visit and spend money, although I doubt anyone will want to come this far out of the city. But if they do, I'll keep the money we make in this chest. You're going to have to show up to take it to the bank yourself, because when it gets full, I'm just going to take the extra cash for myself. Capito? (Understand?) Ezio: Deal. He then proceeded to an architect waiting for him in the room. Ezio: Buongiorno (Good day). Is there something wrong? Ezio meeting with the architect Architect: Ser Mario hired me to deal with this mess, but I'm an architetto (architect), not a miracle worker. Without money, I can't fix any of these buildings. Ezio: And if someone brought the money? Architect: Then we are in business! You must be Ser Ezio. Am I right? Ezio: Uncle! I like this architetto. (architect.) Mario: He gets very observant when he can smell money! Architect: If you want to fix this town, I'm going to need it. I have a price list here for new shops and renovations. Just bring me gold, make a choice and I'll begin at once. If I build you a shop, you, as the landlord, can purchase goods at lower rates. If you invest more money in the shop you get an even greater discount. As for the renovations, well... you'll be bringing the town and villa back to life. As Ser Mario tells me, that was very important to your great-great-grandfather. Plus, when you buy shops and renovations, you'll be increasing the number of people who visit, causing your income to increase! So, let's take a look, shall we? He showed Ezio a list of shops in the town in need of repairs and renovation. After some time, Ezio returned to Mario's study. Mario: Ezio! My boy. I think it's time I showed you something. He pulled a lever within the bookshelf in his study. It opened to reveal a passage beyond, which led to a cellar. Mario showing the Sanctuary to Ezio Mario: This is the Sanctuary. It was built by my great-grandfather to honor the memory of the Assassin Order and protect its secrets. Look around! These are the assassins who guarded the freedom of humanity when it was most threatened. And this is the armor of Altaïr. Little is known about Altaïr's life, but his armor is light and very strong. I'd give it to you, but I don't know how to retrieve it. My great-grandfather told me it would remain locked away until all its protectors were made whole. I heard rumors of crypts located throughout Italia, hidden tombs filled with treasure where these six were moved centuries ago. Maybe they have something to do with it. In my younger days, I sought the six myself... with no success. Perhaps you will have better luck.

Collecting 50 feathers

After Ezio Auditore collected 50 feathers throughout Italy in memory of his murdered little brother Petruccio, he returned to the Villa Auditore and placed them in a box his mother Maria kept on a dresser in her room. Mario walked by as Ezio closed the lid and spoke to him. Mario: I've seen you bringing Maria the feathers. I appreciate what you're trying to do for her, but you have to face facts. It's not working. Maybe you should focus on more important things. I've had a new weapon made for you at the blacksmith's. You can pick it up whenever you want. Mario hung his head in grief over his inability to prevent Petruccio's death, as well as the demise of his other nephew Federico and his own brother, Giovanni. Mario: I'm sorry, Ezio. After Mario left the room, Ezio visited the blacksmith and acquired the Condottiero War Hammer, which he added to the Villa's armory rack.

Collecting 100 feathers

After Ezio collected 50 more feathers throughout Italy, he again returned to the Villa Auditore and deposited them in Maria's box. An unresponsive Maria sat by the dresser and only noticed Ezio beside her when he closed the box lid. Ezio held out his hands and she clasped them as she stood up, before they shared an embrace in memory of their lost family. Maria: Thank you, Ezio. For not forgetting about me. In gratitude, Maria gave Ezio a cape with the House of Auditore family crest.

Obtaining the Armor of Altaïr

Ezio obtains the Armor of Altaïr from its pedestal During his travels around Italy, Ezio collected all the six Assassin Seals from various Assassin Tombs throughtout the country and put them in their respective places under the statues of six famous Assassins in the Sanctuary beneath the Villa Auditore. As he placed the last seal in its place, the grate that was locking away the Armor of Altaïr descended from the ground. Ezio approached the pedestal that held Altaïr's statue and the armor, it had lowered to reach him. Ezio: Thank you, Altaïr, for this great gift. May it shield me from my enemies.

Haytham Kenway

Benjamin Franklin

After arriving in Boston in 1754, Haytham met Benjamin Franklin inside a general store. Franklin: Hello again. Haytham: More Almanac pages? Franklin: Not quite. It's a treatise, actually. Haytham: Oh? Concerning what? Franklin: The benefits of taking an older woman as a lover. Haytham: Really? This, I'd like to hear. Franklin: First and most obvious—they're wiser. And so this makes for far more stimulating conversation. Makes other things more stimulating as well. But more on that in a moment. Haytham: Alright. Your argument for experience makes some sense. Franklin: Second, when beauty fades, women must improve their utility—lest they be discarded and forgotten. Rare is an old woman who is not also kind, compassionate, and good. Haytham: That's something of a generalization. Franklin: But also true. Now onto the third! Older women cannot conceive! Which means one less thing over which to fret. In fact, you also decrease the chance of acquiring something like the French Pox—its presence clearly visible—or the woman dead. Haytham: And should one desire a child? Franklin: Then make a young woman your wife. Let the older woman be a mistress. And that brings me to my fourth point: With age comes prudence. An older woman is less likely to reveal your indiscretions. Haytham: Yes. I suppose you know quite a bit about that. Franklin: And proud of it, thank you! As to the fifth reason: Because in every animal that walks upright, the deficiency of the fluids that fill the muscles appears first in the highest part: the face first grows lank and wrinkled, then the neck; then the breast and arms; the lower parts continuing to last as plump as ever: So covering all the above with a basket, and regarding only what is below the girdle, it is impossible of two women to know an old from a young one. And as in the dark all cats are grey, the pleasure of corporal enjoyment with an old woman is at least equal, and frequently superior, every knack being by practice capable of improvement. Haytham: You mad bastard! Franklin: Well it's true. And believe me, I should know—I've sampled a great many. You should try one as well! Like a fine wine, they only improve with age. Although... I suppose if left unattended too long, they have a tendency to sour. And that, my friend, is a most unpleasant experience. Better to work in a field often plowed, you know? Haytham: Is there more? Franklin: Indeed, indeed. The sixth is this: the sin is less. To take a maidenhead is a great responsibility. Mishandled, it can ruin lives. No such risk with an older woman. And this implies the seventh: younger women are more given to compunction. Anxiety and unease are not present in the more aged and experienced. And as to the the last of my reasons. Well it's really quite simple. Older women are so very grateful for the attention. Haytham: You make a compelling argument, Mister Franklin. I might just have to run a few tests myself. Franklin: I highly recommend it! Haytham spoke to Franklin another time: Franklin: I owe you a great thanks by the way. Haytham: What for? Franklin: Speaking with me. You see, I have very few friends in Boston these days. Haytham: And what did you do to earn their ire? Franklin: Started with a cartoon I drew, suggesting unification. How else can we hope to withstand the French menace? I proposed something similar at the Albany Conference as well, and it ruffled quite a few feathers. See, I've begun to wonder if Parliament best serves our interests. The Colonies might be better off independent and autonomous. Most of my peers however, haven't taken kindly to the suggestion. Haytham: Are things truly so bad under the Crown? Franklin: But you've answered your own question! Under! Why under? It should be side-by-side. Does France reside beneath Britain? Do the Italians? The Prussians? The Spanish? No. Sure they may disagree from time to time, even come to blows, but they stand on equal ground, and we should as well. Haytham: Are the Colonies not simply an extension of the Kingdom though? Another borough, if you will? Franklin: No, we are not. We've evolved into something else, something distinct. Haytham: Hmmm, I suppose it's only natural to desire parity. We leave behind our parents, our childhoods, our homes, and seek to find a place in the world. If it's true for a person, why not a nation? Franklin: Yes, yes, exactly. Haytham: Hmmm, interesting. Franklin: Anyway, I've taken up enough of your time. Please, don't let me keep you from your work. Haytham approached Franklin again. Franklin: Can't talk right now, I'm afraid... Sorry, but I've some work needs doing... Let us speak later, my friend. Haytham returned to Franklin after having collected one of his almanacs. Haytham: Mister Franklin. I believe I have something you'd like. Franklin: You... You did it! You find the missing pages! Incredible! Haytham: Thank you for the kind words, but it was nothing, really. Franklin: Nothing? It was impossible! They were gone. Scattered. And yet here they are, reunited. Franklin gave Haytham 500 pounds. Franklin: Here. Take this. Least I can do. You are a miracle worker! I shall sing your praises forever! Much as I'd love to chat, I have some reading to do at present. I hope you understand.

Charles Lee

Between missions, Haytham and Charles Lee conversed in the Green Dragon Tavern. Haytham: Do you like it here, Charles? Lee: There's a certain charm to Boston I suppose, to all of the colonies really. Granted their cities have none of London's sophistication or splendor, but the people are earnest and hard-working. There's a pioneer spirit that I find compelling. Haytham: It's quite something really, watching a place that's finally found its feet. Lee: Has it, though? The French still wage war from up north. And I fear the Spanish have designs upon this place as well... Is this a new world? Or just another battlefield? Haytham: Ah, that's a story as old as time itself, and one that's not likely to change. We're cruel and desperate creatures, set in our conquering ways. The Saxons and the Franks, the Ottomans and the Safavids—I could go on for hours! The whole of human history is but a series of conflicts and subjugations. A desire for more, and more, and more. Lee: I pray we one day rise above it. Haytham: While you pray, I'll act. We'll see who finds success first, hmm? Lee: It was an expression. Haytham: Aye, and a dangerous one. Words have power: wield them wisely.

William Johnson

Haytham spoke to William Johnson after recruiting him. Haytham: First though, I'd like to know a little more about you, William. Tell me about yourself. Johnson: What's there to tell? I was born in Ireland to Catholic parents—which I learnt early in life, severely limited my opportunities. So I converted to Protestantism and journeyed here at the behest of my uncle. But I fear my Uncle Peter was not the sharpest of tools. He sought to open trade with the Kanien'kehá:ka—but chose to build his settlement away from the trade routes instead of on them. I tried to reason with the man, but as I said, not the sharpest. So I took what little money I'd earned and bought my own plot of land. I built a home, a farm, a store and a mill—humble beginnings—but well situated, which made all the difference. Haytham: So this is how you came to know the Mohawk? Johnson: Indeed—and it has proven a valuable relationship. Haytham: But you've heard nothing of the precursors' site? No hidden temple or ancient constructs? Johnson: Yes and no—which is to say, they have their fair share of sacred sites but none matching what you describe. Earthen mounds, forest clearings, hidden caves—all are natural though. No strange metal... no odd glows. Haytham: Hmmm, it is well hidden then. Johnson: Even to them, it seems. But cheer up my friend, you'll have your precursor treasure, I swear it. Haytham: To our success then. Johnson: And soon! Should not be much longer... I'll let you know, soon as I have something... I hope you're right, Haytham... I should return to my studies. Haytham spoke to William again after identifying Silas Thatcher. Haytham: This business with Silas confuses me! If Britain stands any chance of pushing back the French, she must ally with the natives, not enslave them! Johnson: Silas is loyal only to his purse. That his actions harm the Crown is irrelevant. So long as there are buyers for his product, he'll continue to procure it. Haytham: All the more reason to stop him then. Johnson: My days are spent in congress with the locals—attempting to convince them that we're the ones they should trust; that the French are merely using them as tools to be abandoned once they've won. Haytham: Your words must lose their strength when held against the reality of Silas's actions. Johnson: I've tried to explain he does not represent us, but he wears the red coat; he commands a fort; I must appear to them either a liar or a fool... likely both. Haytham: Take heart, brother, when we deliver them his head, they will know your words were true.

Thomas Hickey

Haytham spoke to Thomas Hickey after recruiting him. Haytham: Any news? Hickey: Whispers of things, nothin' solid at the moment. I know you're looking for word of something out the ordinary, dealin' with temples and ancient times and whatnot. But so far, can't say my boys have heard much. Haytham: No trinkets or artefacts being moved through your... shadow market? Hickey: Nothin' new, couple ill-gotten weapons—some jewellery likely lifted from a living thing. But you said to look for talk of glows and hums and look out for strange sights, right? An' I ain't heard nothin' 'bout that. Haytham: Keep at it. Hickey: Oh I will—you've done me a great service mister, and I fully intend to repay my debt, thricefold, if it pleases. Haytham: Thank you, Thomas. Hickey: Place to sleep and meal to eat is thanks enough. Don't you worry, I'll get you sorted soon.

Benjamin Church

Haytham spoke to Benjamin Church after recruiting him. Haytham: So a question for you: why medicine? Church: I'm supposed to tell you I care for my fellow man right? That I chose this path because it allows me to accomplish a greater good? Haytham: Are these things not true? Church: Perhaps. But that's not what guided me. No, for me it was a less abstract thing: I like money. Haytham: There are other paths to fortune. Church: Aye, but what better ware to peddle than life? Nothing else is as precious, nor so desperately craved. And no price is too great for the man or woman who fears an abrupt and permanent end. Haytham: Your words are cruel, Benjamin. Church: But true as well. Haytham: You took an oath to help people, did you not? Church: I abide by the oath, which makes no mention of price. I merely require compensation—fair compensation—for my services. Haytham: And if they lack the required fund? Church: Then there are others who will serve them. Does a baker grant free bread to a beggar? Does the tailor offer a dress to the woman who cannot afford to pay? No: why should I? Haytham: You said it yourself, nothing is more precious than life. Church: Indeed: all the more reason one should ensure one has the means to preserve it.

John Pitcairn

Haytham spoke to John Pitcairn after recruiting him. Pitcairn: If I may, I was curious about your past with Braddock. You two clearly have a history. Haytham: Edward was one of us, upon a time: I considered him a close friend. He was brave and bold in ways few men are. But everything changed at the siege of Bergen op Zoom. We had lost the fortress to the French, and were in the midst of egress. There was a skiff hidden at the port that we planned to make our escape. As we drew near, a young man and his family came upon us, begging for safe passage. I consented, but Edward refused. The young man called him craven... so Edward killed him and all the rest... even the children. To this day I do not know why. Was this the first time he'd struck out? Or had I simply never seen it before? Either way, things were never the same after that. We campaigned together a few more times, but each outing was more disturbing than the last. He killed and killed; enemy or ally, civilian or soldier, guilty or innocent, it mattered not. If he perceived one to be an obstacle, they died. He maintained violence was a more efficient solution: it became his mantra, and it broke my heart. Pitcairn: I had no idea. Haytham: He hides it well, and intimidates into silence any who might discover him. Those who persist, have tendency to find... misfortune. Pitcairn: We should stop him. Haytham: I suppose you're right, but I maintain a foolish hope he might yet be saved and brought back round to reason. I know, I know, it's a silly thing, to believe one so drenched in death might suddenly change. Pitcairn: I'm sorry to have brought this up: it was not my intent to sour you. Haytham: Nonsense! We are brothers now: there should be no secrets between us.

Ratonhnhaké:ton

Samuel Adams

After attending the Second Continental Congress on 16 June 1775, Ratonhnhaké:ton spoke with Samuel Adams. Adams: Still here, are you? Connor: I was just wondering... What happens now? Adams: There's quite a lot to do. Commander Washington must determine when and where we'll strike next. And we need to get to work on our message. Connor: Message? Adams: We must contact the broadsheets at once—ensure it's clear to everyone that it was the Loyalists who fired first in Lexington. Connor: But no one knows who fired first... Adams: Which is exactly why we must spread the news quickly. We'll determine public opinion. Connor: This seems... dishonest. Adams: Perhaps. But so what? People must believe we acted in self-defense. Else, we've committed treason. Connor: But you have. Adams: Better to bow and scrape before a tyrant then? Is that what you suggest? Connor: No, of course not. No one should be denied freedom. And yet... To change the truth... It seems a dangerous road to travel. Adams: Understand, Connor, this is a war fought not just on the battlefield, but within hearts and minds as well. There's nothing wrong with a bit of theater—especially if it saves lives.

George Washington

Connor met with George Washington at the encampment at Valley Forge. Connor: Commander? Washington: I have failed them, Connor. Only look around to know my words are true. This revolution once seemed a righteous thing. Our cause pure and just. We asked only for what all people deserve: liberty, equality, and respect. The Empire should have embraced us. Instead they pushed for war—a war, it seems, they are now destined to win. I dared to dream of better things. Behold what it has wrought. Connor: Such dark thoughts will cripple a man. But only if he lets them. Look again. Out there stand men and women determined to be free. Such a struggle is rarely easy, and never without sacrifice. I have often asked myself a thousand times if I would not be happier back amongst my people, living a quieter, simpler life. But if I abandoned my cause—if you abandoned yours, Commander—who would take our places? And what would become of the people who rely upon us? Washington: It isn't right that they should suffer when I do not. If the ground must be their mattress, so too will it be mine. Connor: And what about the storm? Washington: If I can't take a stand against some snow, then there really is no hope for us. Not long afterwards, Connor spoke with Washington once more. Washington: What news do you bring me? Connor: No news, Commander. I was merely curious how your assistants were faring. Washington: Without them we would be lost. It's as simple as that. With Lafayette drilling our men, it's possible our next engagement will not be one sided. Have you had the opportunity to meet Casimir Pulaski? Connor: I have not. Washington: Unfortunate. He's another of these soldiers we've hired from overseas. A Polish man capable of fighting on horseback the likes of which I have never seen. I intend to name him Commander of the Horse and when spring comes and the battles resume, the Regulars will fear the charge of his Patriot Cavalry. Connor: I look forward to that day, Commander. Washington: As do I, Connor. As do I. During spring in Valley Forge, Connor spoke to Washington about his strategy that year. Having met his father, Connor began to express skepticism about the commander's tactics. Connor: The season for war is fast approaching, Commander. Have you decided upon a strategy? Washington: You cut to the core of things, don't you, Connor? We are divided. The British have Philadelphia and we hold Boston. Howe won't try for Boston again, there is no sense to such a maneuver. The port in New York—and by extension the Hudson—will be his prize and we will march there to meet him. For glory or for ruin. Connor: Are you sure that wise, Commander? Washington: Hesitant to take action? You? I'm surprised. Our army is as prepared and large as ever and the time for patience has passed. We need to strike a decisive blow this spring and New York will be the stage. Whether we achieve victory or not will remain in the Lord's hands. We've done all we can. After the war had ended, Connor came across George Washington at Bowling Green. Washington: Connor. Connor: Commander. Washington: It's good to see you. Connor: You have what you set out for. What will you do with it? Washington: A fair question. But if truth be told, I do not know. Men with far greater minds than mine will build this country's foundation, a task I am simply not equipped for. Have you played bocce before? I'm really growing quite fond of it. I think I'll have a green built in Mount Vernon when I return. Connor: All that death and sacrifice and you mean to leave the important tasks to better men while you play games? I might have expected it. Washington: Connor – Connor: Whether you think you are worthy or capable of the task, after the things we've done to ensure this outcome, you should not have the luxury of peace.

Marquis de Lafayette

Connor met with the Marquis de Lafayette at the encampment at Valley Forge during winter. Lafayette: Ah! Connor. What do you think of my work thus far? Connor: The men are bolstered. Focused. It is good you have come. Lafayette: You are too kind. Lord knows my journey was far from certain. The trials we suffered getting here were strange and many. I dressed as a woman, Connor, to evade British spies. Did you know that? Connor: I did not. As a woman you say? Lafayette: It is the truth. King George had already stopped our crossing once in Bordeaux, threatening to seize my newly purchased ship, La Victoire, and arrest me. But I was born stubborn and such a warning could not dissuade me. So we rode for Spain and bought passage aboard a ship there. George's spies had followed us every step of the way. Disguise was the only remaining option... mon dieu. (My Lord.) Connor: No man can doubt your commitment and you are invaluable to the cause. You did what you needed to do. I am certain I would have done the same. Lafayette: But of course you would! I expect nothing less! Connor met the Marquis de Lafayette again at Valley Forge. Lafayette: Monsieur (Mister) Connor. A pleasure as always. What brings you? Connor: I wanted to ask you something: why is this revolution so important to you? Lafayette: Hm. Since I decided to embark upon this adventure, through all the lords and merchants and soldiers I've spoken to, you are the first to ask me this. Have you ever been to France? Connor: I have not. Lafayette: One day, when all this is over, I will invite you to Paris to stay with me and my family. She is the most beautiful city in all the world, Connor, full of art and culture, women and wine. But she is sick on the inside, black and rotting. But here... here is something quite different. On the outside the colonies are dirty and dangerous, unforgiving and uncivilized. But on the inside they GLOW. And that is why I am here. To learn. I want to return home able to touch France's black heart and make it glow once more.

Kanen'tó:kon

Connor met Kanen'tó:kon at Kanatahséton during his training with Achilles Davenport. Kanen'tó:kon: Ratohnhaké:ton! I am glad for your visit. Connor: How are things? Kanen'tó:kon: A good year. Our harvest was plentiful—our numbers swell—and the forest remains undisturbed. Connor: I am glad of it. Kanen'tó:kon: And how are YOU, brother? Connor: Kept busy by our enemies... But their power wanes. I am hopeful that the land will be free of their influence soon. Kanen'tó:kon: I have kept your place inside the longhouse. It will be there for you when you are ready to come home. Another time, Ratonhnhaké:ton. I should return to work... Connor met with Kanen'tó:kon again after William Johnson's death, where he informed his friend that incursions into their land had stopped. Kanen'tó:kon: It is good to see you, brother. Connor: I trust the incursions have ended? Kanen'tó:kon: For now. Connor: You seem troubled. Kanen'tó:kon: What if they return? What if there are more? We should have listened to you. Then, we might be better prepared to deal with these threats. Connor: Fear nothing, for I will watch over our people. Kanen'tó:kon: But will it be enough? During the war, Kanen'tó:kon began to have doubts. Kanen'tó:kon: The seasons pass, but the threat lingers. When will we be free, brother? Connor: It is not so simple, Kanen'tó:kon. Kanen'tó:kon: You sound like the colonists. Connor: What do you mean? Kanen'tó:kon: They are wise with words, using them to hide truth. Connor: I hide nothing from you. Kanen'tó:kon: Still... perhaps I should take up arms. Perhaps we all should. Connor: No. That is not the way. Kanen'tó:kon: You fight. Why not us? Connor: I fight so that no one else needs to. Kanen'tó:kon: But I fear we do, Ratonhnhaké:ton... For you are just one man. Connor met with Kanen'tó:kon again. Kanen'tó:kon: Tell me something. The other Kanien'kehá:ka side with the Loyalists. Our village alone commits to no one. And you seem to favor the Patriots. Connor: I favor only freedom. Kanen'tó:kon: They have come to us, you know... The men in red coats. Their commanders have offered to secure our borders in exchange for service. Connor: You will make no such alliance. Kanen'tó:kon: Then you would have us join the men in blue? Connor: I would have you stay out of the conflict. Kanen'tó:kon: You may wish for us to remain neutral... But I fear it cannot last. I fear for our future, brother... I will think on all you've said. Your words worry me... I should return to my duties...

Oiá:ner

Connor met with Oiá:ner at Kanatahséton during his training. Oiá:ner: Ratohnhaké:ton? I hardly recognize you. Connor: I am sorry that I did not visit sooner. My time is taken up with study... Oiá:ner: Have you found what you seek, then? Connor: It is too soon to know. But I am on the proper path. Oiá:ner: Already, it is more than most. Connor: But will it be enough? Oiá:ner: That is something only you can answer. You are always welcome here, Ratonhnhaké:ton. I hope you will visit again soon. After William Johnson's assassination, Oiá:ner revealed that his demise had left them more vulnerable as he was generally supportive of the natives. She also began having doubts about the village staying neutral in the war, but Connor encouraged her to continue standing apart from the Iroquois clans that joined the conflict. Oiá:ner: It is good to see you, though I wish it was more often. Connor: I trust all is well? Oiá:ner: Things have been peaceful since Johnson's passing. Although... Connor: What is it? Oiá:ner: Some are concerned. He promised safety and security. With him gone, we are alone once more. And now, the other villages speak of aligning with the Loyalists. Connor: That is their choice. Our people walk a different path. Oiá:ner: Yes... For a very long time, we have stood apart from the Haudenosaunee. Apart from the Kanien'kehá:ka. Apart from all others, in fact. I will not abandon our duty, but some days I cannot help but question it. Connor: There is a reason that we stand alone. It is natural to wonder... To worry. But we must stand strong. We must have faith. Oiá:ner: Truly the world is turned around when it is I who question and you who comfort. You have given this old woman much to ponder... You have grown into a fine young man. I am proud of you. During the war, she expressed concern whether Connor would finish his task. Oiá:ner: You are returned to us! But not for long, I think? Connor: My work is not yet done... Oiá:ner: I wonder will it ever be? The symbol that you sought and found... It is a mark of courage and honor, yes. But it promises pain and loss as well. Connor: I will bear such things gladly—if it means you are all kept safe. Oiá:ner: You must not forget to look after yourself from time to time... Connor: When this is finished. When all are free. Then I will rest. Oiá:ner: I hope that day comes soon. Connor: As do I. Oiá:ner: Do not let me keep you, Ratonhnhaké:ton. Remember to look after yourself from time to time... After Kanen'tó:kon's death, Connor informed Oiá:ner. Fearful, though unaware Connor was the one who had killed him, she suggested relocating the village. Oiá:ner: What troubles you, Ratohnhaké:ton? Connor: Kanen'tó:kon is dead. Oiá:ner: What happened? Connor: He... I... I cannot say for certain... Oiá:ner: There is talk amongst the other nations of moving west... Away from the war... Perhaps it is time we considered such a thing. Connor: No. We stay. This is our home. Oiá:ner: But for how much longer? And at what cost? Connor: I will make it safe. Oiá:ner: Oh, my child... We cannot change what is to come. Though we might abandon this land... We will not abandon our ways. We carry home in our hearts. Connor: Please. You must wait. A little more time is all I need... Oiá:ner: I must speak with the others. I will see what can be done.

Stephane Chapheau

After recruiting Stephane Chapheau into the Colonial Brotherhood of Assassins, Connor spoke with him in a tavern. Connor: Stephane. How is your ale? Stephane: Pisse (Piss), but it gets the job done—my father would be disgusted—but after a day's work with you a man needs to unwind. I would prefer a nice bottle of wine but these Colonies lack refinement. Connor: Your father? Stephane: Mon père. (My dad). He was a great man. A cook in the French Army during the Seven Years' War. He marched all across the white North, feeding Louis-Joseph de Montcalm and his officers. Cooking them feasts from sticks and berries. When the Commander-in-Chief opted for open conflict instead of manning the battlements of Quebec, every man was called to arms, including my father. He died on the field. But I'm told he fought ferociously. It matters little. He's gone now. Connor: He would be proud of you. Stephane: This is my one hope—that he smiles upon the choices I've made. Some time afterwards, Connor spoke with Stephane once more. Stephane: Connor! Do you have time to sit? Connor: I do. Stephane: Good! I have been meaning to ask you, how did you come to all this? Connor: I did not ask for it, but I feel it was meant to happen. I was just a boy when I met Achilles. He made me a warrior. Stephane: That easy? I miss the kitchen if you can believe it. I had more control in that world than I ever will in the one we inhabit. But more people get to taste the fruit of my labor in this line of work and for that I am satisfied. Connor: We may change things yet, if we press on. Stephane: Frenchmen from the North never grow weary, just ask the women! Ha!

Duncan Little

Connor met Duncan Little in a tavern in Boston. Duncan: So you're the lad. Neighborhood could use more men of action like yourself. Connor: My name is Connor. Duncan: That's a lovely name for a man from Wales. What's your real name? Connor: Ratonhnhaké:ton... Duncan: A strong name—you should use it. Mine's Duncan, plain as they come. If you've the time to spare, I'd urge you to keep on doing what you're doing. This infernal gang needs to be stopped. Connor approached Duncan again. Duncan: How's it going, lad? I imagine you're busy these days, not much has changed with regards to our local thugs. I'll leave you to it. Your work is bearing fruit, my boy, and I'm close to figuring out who's orchestrating this ugly symphony. But something's got people spooked beyond the usual gang stuff. Odd. Anyway, keep on it. After recruiting Duncan into the Colonial Brotherhood, Connor spoke with him in a tavern. Duncan: Oi, lad! How's it going then? Connor: I am well. And you? Duncan: Oh, can't complain. There was something I've been meaning to tell you... I met your Da. It was a long time ago in London. I was just a boy—well, I didn't meet him really, just saw him do a fella in at the London Opera House. I was sitting in the balcony with an uncle of mine. Went to have a piss and when I came back, there's your Da. Dashing as they come, he was—shirt, jacket, immaculate. My uncle was just slumped there. Looked like he was sleeping. But I knew better even if I was a child. Your Da locked eyes on me. And I don't think I've ever been so frightened as I was in that instant. It wasn't a fear that he was going to cause me pain, it was a sense that he saw right through me—into my heart—and he'd crush it if it pleased him. But he didn't. He just raised his finger to his lips and gestured for my silence. I complied. Then he was gone. Connor: That must have been in the days before his betrayal was made public. He would have sailed for the Colonies not long after. I'm astonished that you were actually there. Duncan: You can imagine my surprise when I saw his face. Took me a while to piece it together but... there you have it. Thought you'd like to know. Connor: Thank you. Some time afterwards, Connor spoke with Duncan once more. Connor: How are you faring? Duncan: Not bad. Not bad. All this reminds me of being back in the Old Country. Fightin' for land, fightin' for the right to see God my way. Didn't take long before I realized the fight was futile and stepped aboard a ship bound for the Colonies. People over there are so wrapped up in HOW you perceive the Lord they forget we're all part of his flock. Stories change, Connor. The way people tell them evolves. It's no different in the Bible and I believe that's the real root of all the strife back home. But nobody wants to listen to me—if you don't see it their way, you're a heathen. But I feel we're honestly making a difference here. That our presence is felt if not appreciated by all. Ah! And it makes me sleep easy at night and that's all a man can ask for really. Connor: I would like to visit your home country some day. Duncan: Oh, would you now? You'd turn a head or two on the Emerald Isle, I'll tell you that. Maybe one day, I'll muster up the courage, go back and I'll bring you with me—would be good for a laugh at any rate!

Clipper Wilkinson

Connor met Clipper Wilkinson at Boston Neck. Clipper: Don't mean to bother you, but I couldn't help but notice what you done. Real good of you. Connor: What is happening here? Clipper: Regulars have taken to conscribing the young ones 'round here. It's not right. I was thinking that maybe we could do some good together—if you had the time. Connor: What would you have me do? Clipper: More of the same, actually. I got a plan cooking, but the folks need to know they've got someone to turn to. Find me when you're done. Connor approached Clipper again. Clipper: They're still conscribing kids all over, but I wager you've been off fryin' bigger fish. You're doing it. The recruiters are scared to go out collecting. We're almost ready to make our move. After recruiting Clipper into the Colonial Brotherhood, Connor spoke with him in a tavern. Connor: You do not partake? Clipper: No, sir. I need to stay sharp in case you call upon my rifle. Spirits do me in right quick. Drank half a flask of rum out in the bush with my brothers a few years back. Went for a run in the buff before I found myself rolling around in deer skat being sick all over. I don't want to go there again. No thank you. Connor: A smart choice given the circumstances. Clipper: I want to fight like you someday. Connor: You have everything it takes to be a great Assassin. Clipper: That means something coming from you. Some time afterwards, Connor spoke with Clipper once more. Connor: Where did you learn to shoot like you do? Clipper: Ranging with my dad and brothers in Virginia country. My family's been surveying and prospecting out there since my grand-pappy. Connor: How did you end up here? Clipper: I'm the youngest of four brothers. I was always going to be a runner-up with them so I set off alone to do my own business. Out west of Ohio's territory that no man of the Colonies' ever trodden. Figured I could find contracts out of New York. Then the war started. Connor: And you sided with the Patriots. Clipper: Not really. My family's for the King. I just don't like seeing boys forced to fight against their will is all. But I know that I want to be free, for all to be free. If that means I'm a Patriot, I guess I am. Connor: You are an Assassin. Nothing else. Clipper: That I am. And proud of it.

Deborah Carter

Connor met Deborah Carter at the north end of New York. Deborah: Might I have a word? Name's Dobby Carter. Couldn't help but notice you're getting involved in the goings on in our borough. Thought we might be of service to each other. Connor: What is happening here? Deborah: Ever since the war kicked off, merchants have been demanding high prices "for the good of the cause". Profiteering is what that is. It's high time the folks 'round the way got a fair shake. Connor: How can I help? Deborah: That easy? That's a change. Eh... Set up these up nearby when you get a chance—it's part of a bigger plan I got. Come see me when you're done. Connor approached Deborah again. Deborah: Merchants are still gouging people 'round here. We'll talk again soon. You certainly don't disappoint! People are standing up all over the place. We're almost there. After recruiting Deborah into the Colonial Brotherhood, Connor spoke with her in a tavern. Deborah: How do you do, Connor? Connor: I am alright. And you? Deborah: It's nice to be a part of something. Until now I was sort of drifting about the neighborhood getting irate when I saw things unjust. Sometimes I'd intervene, other times I would come here. Now I feel like all my energy is pointed at something. Connor: I am grateful to have your help. How did you come to be... you? Deborah: Ha! Funny question but I get your meaning. I was an orphan, pretty common around the ports with all the sailors and whores mucking about. I wanted to be out on my own so I did what I had to do. That's when I decided to pretend to be a boy. That worked for a time, until nature decided otherwise and it just became a bad joke. Folks around the borough still called me "Dobby" but the old codgers started leering and getting fresh. That's when I got tough. Took a good many shots to the face before I learned to defend myself properly but now I dare any man to come at me. They learn the price quick. Some time afterwards, Connor spoke with Deborah once more. Connor: Hello, Dobby. Deborah: Connor. You look well. Connor: I have been better. Deborah: Do you ever sleep? I really don't know how you do it. Connor: I try not to think about it. Deborah: A strong man, stronger than any I've ever met. How is it a man like you has no wife? Connor: I do not have the time to give a woman what she deserves. Perhaps when all this is over, I will be able to settle and have a family. I hope. Deborah: Of all the lecherous and deceitful men out there who are fathers, you'd be a godsend. But I suppose that's how it is, the good ones are too busy for it and the louts have nothing better to do. In any case, if you ever think it's time, make sure I get the first crack! Connor: Hmm, I promise.

Jamie Colley

Connor met Jamie Colley at a clinic in New York. Jamie: At least you're no beast like most of these "people". Anybody who's immune has already fled. Cowards. Connor: And who are you? Jamie: Jamie Colley. You need to keep doing what you're doing. Nobody else is. If we both get after it, we might be able to quell this monster of a disease. Connor: I will do what I can. Jamie: I'll be lending a hand to these doctors. Find me once you think you've done enough and maybe we can do more. Connor approached Jamie again. Jamie: What are you talking to me for? You haven't done anything about the outbreak yet. It's a start. Keep going and then we'll talk real business. After recruiting Jamie into the Colonial Brotherhood, Connor spoke with him in a tavern. Connor: Thirsty I take it? Jamie: What's wrong with taking a draught or two when the time is right? Connor: Nothing, Jamie, nothing. Jamie: Then why don't you join me then? Connor: Not right now, maybe later. Jamie: I suppose you got important business to attend to. I understand. Don't worry about me though, I can handle my booze. If you need me, I'll be there, Connor. Some time afterwards, Connor spoke with Jamie once more. Jamie: Hey Connor. Connor: Taking it easy today? Jamie: Things got a little out of hand the last time you saw me. Keeping an even keel. Connor: Good. Where are you from? Jamie: Here. Born and raised but I'm a mutt if that's what you're really asking. Think I even got a little of the Far East in my blood. That's what my father said, wherever that bastard got off to. Connor: What about your mother? Jamie: She's down south. Haven't seen her in five years or so. She works on a plantation—keeping care of the slaves. Pff. Slaves. That's why I left. Can't support that business. Owning a human isn't something any man should do. She doesn't agree so I leave her to it. I make my life up here now. I'm an Assassin. This is my family.

Jacob Zenger

Connor met Jacob Zenger in a tavern in New York. Jacob: So you are the man taking up arms in our part of the city. Glad to be hearing it. Connor: The military seems to be controlling this area. Jacob: Yah. Martial law has been declared. For what purposes, I do not know, but there is not a need. I do what I can, but it is hard. Connor: I may be able to help. Jacob: Very well. I need information on the man responsible for this. He has men all over the place—corrupt Redcoats. Maybe you can get them to talk. Connor approached Jacob again. Jacob: Hallo, friend. The martial law is quite the same. You are needing to start making an impact. Ah, the tides of change are coming in. Remain vigilant, and maybe we succeed in putting an end to this. After recruiting Jacob into the Colonial Brotherhood, Connor spoke with him in a tavern. Jacob: Ah! Connor! Sit! Sit! Connor: How are you Jacob? Jacob: Missing the beer gardens back home—but I am well. Connor: How did you arrive in the colonies? Jacob: Like most other men like me. The Army. I was a Hessian for a time. It was a good job while I had it. I only felt it was time for something different once I arrived. Not long after I am meeting you so it seems my feeling was useful, no? Connor: Certainly. Jacob: I am hoping to send for my family when the time is right. But we are fighting a war of our own, and I will not put them at risk. Connor: Hopefully things will die down soon. Jacob: No rush, Connor. I am in their hearts, and they are in mine. Some time afterwards, Connor spoke with Jacob once more. Jacob: I received a letter from home. Connor: What news? Jacob: My son is the strongest boy in our village. Standing tall and proud. My heart grows heavy for them, now and my patience wanes for bringing them across the ocean. I have sent money for passage. War or no war. Connor: We will keep them safe from the fighting when they arrive. Jacob: I am having no doubts about this. My worry is now of the crossing itself. Many miles overland to a port in France. There they must be purchasing safe passage aboard a ship coming to the colonies. Then they must brave the voyage itself. Many risks. Connor: Your son can lead them, you said yourself he is strong and capable. Jacob: My son? Ha! No matter how strong he grows he will never be as strong as my wife. Wihelmina is the most able person I have ever met—else I would not have left them. It is more matters of fortune that trouble me. Storms, pirates. Connor: These are things none can control, but I am sure if pirates try and take their ship, Wihelmina and your boy will make the brigands rue their decision. Jacob: Yes! Yes, you are right!

Homestead residents

After inviting Godfrey and Terry to live on the Davenport Homestead, Connor introduced himself to their wives Catherine and Diana. Catherine: You must be Connor! We've been raring to finally meet you! My name's Catherine and this is Diana. We're the wives of those two blockheads who cut trees. Diana: Nice to meet you! We've heard so much of you from the boys. Glad to finally put a face to the name. Connor: The pleasure is mine. Catherine: We were just discussing how nice this bit of territory is, on a river with nobody upstream. I won't lie, Godfrey's letter had me a little worried but now that we're here and settled, I must say I'm rather happy. Diana: They had us on this plot north of Champlain that was a tangle of rock and bramble. Horrible place. It's a real treat to be able to walk up the hill and take in the ocean. Connor: Your husbands must keep you busy. Catherine: Ha! Nothing we can't handle, Connor. The boys think they run the show, but the real bosses are standing right in front of you. Connor: I do not doubt it. After rescuing Prudence from a bear, Connor spoke to her and Warren. Warren: Hello, Connor. Prudence: Hello. Connor: Is something the matter? Warren: No, nothing that need worry you. Connor: I would not pry, but please know that if there was anything I could do to help, I would. Prudence: It's alright. Connor already knows half of it. As you know, we have been trying to have a child, Connor. For a long time. Thus far we've not been blessed, even once. It takes its toll after a time. Connor: You must not force such things. Nature will grant you with a young one when the time is right. Warren: We hope you're right, Connor. At the very least, we are at peace here. After the construction of Oliver and Corrine's inn, Connor checked to see if they were happy. Oliver: ...delicious, love. Connor! What brings you? Connor: I was passing by and thought I would stop in and see how you were faring. Oliver: That's nice of you. Well, my boy, we are faring very well. Corrine: Between those who live here, the sailors coming and going from the pier, not to mention the travelers, our beds are always full and our taps are always flowing. Connor: I am pleased things have worked out for you here. Oliver: As are we, Connor. I'd be lying if I told you we weren't worried when we were ousted from our old place, but the Lord works in mysterious ways. Connor greeted Terry and Godfrey on his way there to see if they were still at peace with each other. Connor: Gentlemen. You seem to be getting along. Terry: Oh aye. We're just on our way to have an ale. You might have noticed, I've got a bit of a temper problem. Diana's fine, the spuds are fine. We've got a good thing going here. I'm just happy I didn't hurt ol' Godfrey. Wouldn't have been able to forgive myself. Godfrey: So am I, Terry. So grateful you didn't poke me with your tiny fists. Terry: Don't rile me up! Godfrey: Alright, alright. Take it easy. Connor: I am happy things are well again. After collecting wild flowers for Norris to court Myriam with, Connor spoke with him and realized that to court someone meant to romance them. Norris: Hello, Connor. Connor: Norris. How are you? Norris: Alright. Remember we talked about Myriam? Connor: I do. And the cougar she felled. Norris: One shot. Confident and precise. Incroyable. (Incredible.) I like her. Connor: She is a good friend, we all do. Norris: Not like that, Connor. Connor: Oh. OH! Well, good for you! Norris: Only good for me if she likes me back. She is a strong woman. An independent woman. I admire her. Connor: I wish you well in your quest, Norris. Connor spoke to Achilles, who was examining his old robes that he had retrieved for him. Connor: Remembering old times, Achilles? Achilles: Connor. Oh. Yes, I suppose I was. Seems like so long ago. Connor: Who was the Assassin this belonged to? Achilles: Originally, it was John de la Tour's, the first Assassin in the Colonies. Then it was mine for a time. The things I've done wearing that armor... Some are uplifting to recall, others—very painful indeed. One day I will hand it over to you, Connor. It is your duty to keep it. It serves as a reminder for how long our brotherhood has really been here. How long we've been protecting the people of the land. But here I am going on again, I know you appreciate what it is. After Connor's returning from Boston, Warren expressed gratitude to Connor about his new life and the child on the way. Warren: Dr. White called upon us earlier! A very unexpected surprise. One that has put both Prudence and I at ease. Connor: The village is growing and a healer's services will benefit all. Warren: Indeed! It's hard to explain how I am feeling right now. My wife is resting healthy and safe, full with child in our warm home. The community is kind and attentive, and the land is rich. It was not so long ago that such a life was only a dream for us, Connor. Connor: All people deserve to feel safe and free. Warren: Hopefully, a day will come when all men of the Colonies will share your perspective. But it will be a long, hard road, that much is certain. Following the birth of Hunter, Connor found Warren, Prudence and Lyle White reminiscing at the farm about the day of his birth. Warren: Smoke, Connor? Connor: No, thank you. Lyle: We were just recalling the eventful day of little Hunter's birth. Connor: I am not sure I have ever been so anxious. Lyle: Ha! Warren: I barely remember a thing up until the moment I heard him cry. Then, it all slows down and I recall every little detail. From Hunter's wailing face, to Prudence's teary eyes filled with pure joy, to the smell of the mud and the leaves. I've never been as happy as I was in that instant. Lyle: Things in this house sound right. After Connor helped Norris again with romantic matters, they spoke about their names. Norris revealed that his name was Maurice, but since everyone mispronounced it, he grew tired of correcting them. Connor: Norris! How is the mine? Is there anything worth your time down there? Norris: Most definitely. Copper, Connor. And a healthy amount of it. Connor: Excellent. I am glad. I have been meaning to ask, is Norris a common French name? Norris: My real name is not Norris. It's Maurice. Connor: But you told me... Norris: I did. When I arrived in Boston, people started calling me Norris and I got tired of correcting them all the time. Just before we met I had been talking with that lady in the pub, she said she liked my name "Norris". I decided to stick with it. Connor: Would you prefer I called you by your real name? Norris: Nah. Everybody here knows me as Norris, Myriam included. Names can change but people stay the same, isn't that right, Connor? Connor: Very true. After Dr. White approached Connor for help with his reputation and the confrontation with the British scouts, Connor spoke to Prudence, Diana and Ellen outside the inn about their children, and they expressed gratitude towards him for bringing White to the Homestead. Diana: Not a day goes by that one of the boys doesn't hurt himself. I'll get some rest with the doctor around, sending the boys his way. Ellen: I know what you mean. Maria is all over the property like a mad-girl. Norris found her in his MINE yesterday with a great big gash in her knee. That girl, I tell you. Connor: It sounds like you all have your hands full. Diana: You could say that! Prudence: Having the doctor here is great for all of us, Connor. Thank you for finding him and bringing him here. Connor: He came here because of you. I only brought him the offer. After obtaining Lance's plans from France, Connor listened to him elaborate on the newly invented folding chair. Lance: Connor! Great timing. I was just getting underway on something that might be of interest to you. Connor: What is that? Lance: Those plans you retrieved for me. And believe you me, they were worth all the fuss. A FOLDING chair. Connor: I do not follow you. Lance: It's a chair. That FOLDS, Connor. You can fold them right up and stack them. Store them. Transport them. I could have a thousand chairs in my back room! It's simple brilliance and I am going to make a fortune. Connor: A folding chair. Well, I wish you the best with it. Lance: You'll see, Connor. You'll see. Later, Lance came to the Davenport manor and explained that the plans also contained Leonardo da Vinci's Flying Machine. They built and tested it, but it did not work, due to their limited knowledge on the invention. Lance: Connor! I'm so glad you're here. The plans I bought. They weren't JUST a folding chair, oh no. They had something else with them, something quite astonishing. A flying machine designed by Leonardo Da Vinci himself! And I built it! Ha! You can be the first to try it if you like! You'll be able to fly! Soar like an eagle! Connor: And it works? Lance: Da Vinci was one of the greatest minds in human history! As brilliant a man as any there has ever been. You can be CERTAIN it works! Would you like to try it? Connor: Yes. Such a device would certainly prove useful. When Connor found the painting of Achilles' family in New York, Achilles explained to him that he was reluctant to open the package and look at it since the memories were too painful. Connor: What is it, Old Man? Achilles: Just an old painting. Connor: I have gathered that much. Why will you not open it? Achilles: It is something close to me. Something that I can't bear to look at just yet. Perhaps someday I will muster up the courage to gaze upon it again, but not yet. After helping White and Diana tend to the injured after the Battle of the Chesapeake, Connor learned that she had become Dr. White's apprentice. Lyle: Good day, Connor. Connor: Hello, Dr. White. Diana. Diana: Hello there, Connor. Lyle: Diana and I were just having a look over our equipment and facilities, they've seen a great deal of use over the last few days. Connor: So things have turned for the better? Lyle: Better than it ever was in Boston. I was missing my apprentice when things first exploded but now I have Diana. She is better than he was in every respect. Connor: And are you happy, Diana? Diana: I never thought this would be my path but now that I'm here, I admit it feels right. He then spoke with Lyle and Lance at the tavern, where both men joked about being bachelors and then asked Connor why he had no wife. Lance: One day, doc. One day. You'll find one too. She'll come wandering into the village and light up your life. Mark my words. I'm telling you. I have a sense for these things. Lyle: Might be, might be. Ahoy, Connor! Look at us, three bachelors, waiting for love or waiting for a drink, whatever comes first. Drink wins! Lance: Women'll be lining up for you, doc! I'm telling you! Ladies love a healer. It's me that's doomed. Who wants to marry a woodworker, eh? Who? Nobody is who. Lyle: Hogwash! You brought the folding chair to the Americas! You're a pioneer! An entrepreneur! Women appreciate a man with vision. Ha ha ha! Lance: What about you, Connor? How is it a man like you has no wife? Connor: I would not be a good husband. I have not the time to give. One day, perhaps. After Achilles' funeral, Connor spoke to Father Timothy at the church, thanking him for presiding over the service. Timothy: Good day, Connor. How are you faring? Connor: I will honor him, in time. I just hope that what I do is enough. Timothy: If anybody is capable of honoring a man the likes of Achilles, it's you, Connor. Connor: How is your church? Timothy: It's everything I could have wanted and more. The people here are hard-working and appreciative of my services. They contribute more than most I've seen. I understand our God is not for you, but the community is strong when we gather within these walls. That much, you should see. Connor: I will pass through one of these days.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed II (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed III
• Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
• Assassin's Creed: Origins
  • The Curse of the Pharaohs
• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
  • Wrath of the Druids
  • The Siege of Paris