Alexios: Difference between revisions
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'''Alexios''' (Greek: Αλεξιος; 451 BCE – 422 BCE), also known as '''Deimos''', was a [[Sage (Cult of Kosmos)|Sage]] of the [[Cult of Kosmos]], an organization | '''Alexios''' (Greek: Αλεξιος; 451 BCE – 422 BCE), also known as '''Deimos''', was a [[Sage (Cult of Kosmos)|Sage]] of the [[Cult of Kosmos]], an organization active in ancient [[Greece]]. | ||
Alongside his half-sister, the famed ''[[Mercenary|misthios]]'' [[Kassandra]] | Alongside his older half-sister, the famed ''[[Mercenary|misthios]]'' [[Kassandra]], he was a grandchild of King [[Leonidas I]] of [[Sparta]] through his mother, [[Myrrine]], as well as a [[hybrid]]. His unique heritage made him the target of the Cult as an infant and a false oracle delivered by the Cult deceived Sparta into believing he had to be thrown off [[Mount Taygetos]] to his death. | ||
Although he survived the fall, | Although he survived the fall, Alexios was abducted by the Cultist [[Chrysis]] and forced to endure a cruel and torturous childhood. His harsh upbringing warped his mind, brainwashing him into becoming a weapon of the Cult convinced that he was their champion, Deimos. In reality, the other Cultists only saw him as a deranged beast which served their purposes. | ||
Not content with their control over Alexios, the Cult sought the assassinations of the rest of his family: Nikolaos, Myrinne, and Kassandra. At a conclave assembled by Deimos, he met his long lost sister for the first time while she was masquerading as one of the Cultists in order to learn the whereabouts of their mother. | Not content with their control over Alexios, the Cult sought the assassinations of the rest of his family: Nikolaos, Myrinne, and Kassandra. At a conclave assembled by Deimos, he met his long lost sister for the first time in years while she was masquerading as one of the Cultists in order to learn the whereabouts of their mother. | ||
Over the next several years, as the [[Peloponnesian War]] raged, | Over the next several years, as the [[Peloponnesian War]] raged, Alexios continued serving as Cult's brutal instrument all the while his sister assassinated its members in a desperate attempt to protect her family and redeem him. Her efforts ultimately fell short when Alexios, guilt-ridden over his monstrous actions, forced her to kill him during a final confrontation atop Mount Taygetos. | ||
== Biography== | == Biography== | ||
===Early life | ===Early life=== | ||
Born to Myrrine and [[Nikolaos]], a | Born to [[Myrrine]], the daughter of the late King [[Leonidas I of Sparta|Leonidas I]] of [[Sparta]], and [[Nikolaos]], a Spartan commander, in 451 BCE, Alexios was the younger half-brother of [[Kassandra]].<ref name="Debt Collector">''[[Assassin's Creed: Odyssey]]'' – [[Debt Collector]]</ref> Not long after his birth the [[Pythia]] at the time, [[Praxithea]], prophesied that the grandson of Leonidas would lead to the downfall of Sparta. It was unknown to those involved at the time that the "prophecy" had been concocted by the [[Cult of Kosmos]]<ref name="Sins of the Past">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – [[Sins of the Past]]</ref> in order to cull the bloodline of Leonidas as retribution for his defiance decades earlier.<ref name="Bully the Bullies">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – [[Bully the Bullies]]</ref> Thus, despite his regal blood, the [[Ephor|Elders]] of Sparta demanded the boy's death: to be thrown from the summit of Mount Taygetos.<ref name="The Big Break">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – [[The Big Break]]</ref> | ||
At the summit, | At the summit, Alexios was carried off towards the precipice by a Spartan elder while his family and the rest of the Spartan elders watched. Protests by his sister Kassandra fell on deaf ears, for even his father Nikolaos sided with the elders. Desperate to save his life, Kassandra rushed at the elder carrying Alexios, inadvertently pushing both the elder and her brother to their apparent deaths.<ref name="The Big Break" /> Though merely an infant, Alexios miraculously survived the fall and was later found by Myrrine. As the boy was badly injured and near death, his mother took him to the [[Sanctuary of Asklepios]] in [[Argolis]] to save his life.<ref name="Speak No Evil">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – [[Speak No Evil]]</ref><ref name="Ashes to Ashes">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – [[Ashes to Ashes (Odyssey)|Ashes to Ashes]]</ref> | ||
[[File:Speak No Evil - Myrrine - Assassin's Creed Odyssey.png|thumb|271x271px|Myrrine, struck by grief after learning the apparent fate of | [[File:Speak No Evil - Myrrine - Assassin's Creed Odyssey.png|thumb|271x271px|Myrrine, struck by grief after learning the apparent fate of her son]] | ||
While in the Sanctuary, Alexios' injuries were deemed too severe for him to survive despite the [[Priests of Asklepios|priests]]' best efforts. Myrrine was convinced to leave the child to perish from exposure at the [[Altar of Apollo Maleatas|altar]] of [[Apollo]] nearby. Unbeknownst to her, [[Chrysis]], a priestess of [[Hera]] and a member of the Cult of Kosmos, took Alexios as she had taken a number of children before.<ref name="Speak No Evil" /> Against the priests' predictions, Alexios made a full recovery without any lasting handicaps.<ref name="Ashes to Ashes" /> | While in the Sanctuary, Alexios' injuries were deemed too severe for him to survive despite the [[Priests of Asklepios|priests]]' best efforts. Myrrine was convinced to leave the child to perish from exposure at the [[Altar of Apollo Maleatas|altar]] of [[Apollo]] nearby. Unbeknownst to her, [[Chrysis]], a priestess of [[Hera]] and a member of the Cult of Kosmos, took Alexios as she had taken a number of children before.<ref name="Speak No Evil" /> Against the priests' predictions, Alexios made a full recovery without any lasting handicaps.<ref name="Ashes to Ashes" /> | ||
===Weapon of the Cult=== | ===Weapon of the Cult=== | ||
{{Quote|The Cult is nothing without me. Even the gods cower in my wake. Kneel or die.|Deimos|Assassin's Creed: Odyssey}} | {{Quote|The Cult is nothing without me. Even the gods cower in my wake. Kneel or die.|Deimos|Assassin's Creed: Odyssey}} | ||
Under Chrysis' care, Alexios grew up to become a weapon of the Cult and was named ''Deimos'' after the Greek [[Deimos (deity)|god]] of terror in order to inspire fear in the Cult's enemies.<ref name="Conversation with a Cultist">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – [[Cult of Kosmos clues]] – "Chrysis: Conversation with a Cultist"</ref> | Under Chrysis' care, Alexios grew up to become a weapon of the Cult and was named ''Deimos'' after the Greek [[Deimos (deity)|god]] of terror in order to inspire fear in the Cult's enemies.<ref name="Conversation with a Cultist">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – [[Cult of Kosmos clues]] – "Chrysis: Conversation with a Cultist"</ref> On one occasion during his youth, while hunting with a "friend" in a forest, he saw his companion be torn apart by a lioness, protecting her cub. This moment reminded him, painfully, about the apparent abandonment he had suffered years prior.<ref name="Where It All Began" /> For the next fifteen years, fueled by his rage, Deimos served the Cult without question until 431 BCE, when his first true test came in the form of his estranged sister.<ref name="Encounter">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – Cult of Kosmos clues – "Deimos: Encounter at the Temple of Kosmos"</ref> | ||
With the knowledge that his sister was alive, the [[Ghost of Kosmos]] manipulated Deimos into casting aside any feelings of love and to disbelieve anything "the other child of the bloodline" said to him. He | With the knowledge that his sister Kassandra was alive, the [[Ghost of Kosmos]] manipulated Deimos into casting aside any feelings of love and to disbelieve anything "the other child of the bloodline" said to him. He also received instructions to not kill her if he met her, bur rather to hurt her.<ref name="Ghost's Whisper to Deimos">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – Cult of Kosmos clues: – "Aspasia: The Ghost's Whisper to Deimos"</ref> | ||
[[File:The Serpents Lair - Test of Deimos - Assassins Creed Odyssey.png|thumb|left|250px|Deimos challenges the Cultists.]] | [[File:The Serpents Lair - Test of Deimos - Assassins Creed Odyssey.png|thumb|left|250px|Deimos challenges the Cultists.]] | ||
In 431 BCE, after the Cultist [[Elpenor]] was found murdered, with his mask and robe missing, Deimos brought his decapitated head to a Cult conclave in the [[Sanctuary of Kosmos]] to announce that they had an impostor in their midst. He then proceeded to search for the impostor by picking Cultists at random and placing their hand upon their [[Pyramid (Isu)|pyramidal artifact]], which allowed him to see the memories of those he interacted with upon its surface. It was at this point that Deimos first came into contact with Kassandra, who had indeed infiltrated the conclave disguised as a Cultist.<ref name="The Serpent's Lair">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – [[The Serpent's Lair]]</ref> | |||
Recognizing Kassandra's memories of Mount Taygetos and her murder of Elpenor, Deimos demanded to know who she was, quickly realizing she was his sister. Confused and enraged, he allowed her to leave and summarily executed the next Cultist, [[Epiktetos]], to touch the | Recognizing Kassandra's memories of Mount Taygetos and her murder of Elpenor, Deimos demanded to know who she was, quickly realizing she was his sister. Confused and enraged, he allowed her to leave and summarily executed the next Cultist, [[Epiktetos]], to touch the Pyramid, falsely accusing him of being the traitor.<ref name="The Serpent's Lair" /> Shortly thereafter, he pursued Kassandra to the island of [[Andros]], where he accused her of throwing him from Mount Taygetos as a child, a charge that Kassandra denied. After a tense exchange, he warned his sister to stay out of his way and departed.<ref name="Memories Awoken">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – [[Memories Awoken]]</ref> | ||
[[File:ACOD Athens's Last Hope - Perikles Death.png|thumb|250x250px|Deimos killing Perikles]] | |||
Two years later, Deimos struck at the heart of [[Athens]]. In the midst of a [[Plague of Athens|great plague]], he hunted down and murdered Athens' leader, [[Perikles]], in order to weaken the city's standing in their [[Peloponnesian War|conflict]] with Sparta and pave the way for [[Kleon]], the [[Sage (Cult of Kosmos)|Sage]] of the Cult's [[Delian League (Cult of Kosmos)|Delian League]] branch, to take power. Kassandra was present to witness the incident, but could do little to stop her brother, who escaped during the confusion.<ref name="Athens's Last Hope">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – [[Athens's Last Hope]]</ref> | |||
Around 428 BCE, Deimos interrogated and tortured the sculptor [[Phidias]] for information on three mysterious symbols, carrying out the assignment that the Cultist [[Brison]] had been unable to. The only things Phidias was able to say about the symbols was "''Itira''! ''Korgath''! ''Metin''!" for that was all he had been able to glean in the short time he had studied them. Unsatisfied with his constant blubbering, Deimos beat the sculptor to death.<ref name="Three Symbols Entombed">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – [[The Lost Tales of Greece]]'' – [[Three Symbols Entombed]]</ref> | |||
===War=== | ===Fighting in the Peloponnesian War=== | ||
In 425 BCE, Deimos took part in the [[Battle of Pylos]], fighting on the side of the Athenian army. There, he engaged Kassandra in combat, after his sister had allied herself with Sparta's [[Peloponnesian League]] at the behest of [[Brasidas]], a commander in the [[Spartan army]]. During the battle, Deimos was nearly killed by a falling tree before being pushed to relative safety by Kassandra, though they both ended up unconscious.<ref name="The Battle of Pylos">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – [[The Battle of Pylos]]</ref> | |||
In 425 BCE, Deimos took part in the [[Battle of Pylos]] fighting | [[File:ACOD Doing Time 3.png|left|thumb|250x250px|Deimos interrogating Kassandra]] | ||
Deimos and Kassandra were subsequently taken back to Athens, where the latter was imprisoned in a cell by Kleon. Intrigued by his sister's actions, Deimos waited outside her cell for her to wake up, whereupon he interrogated her. Suspicious of everything she said, Deimos rebuffed Kassandra's attempts at reconciliation. When Kleon interrupted them, and told Deimos to leave, he also verbally challenged Kleon's presumption of power over him.<ref name="Doing Time">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – [[Doing Time]]</ref> | |||
In 422 BCE, Deimos and Kassandra met each other once more on the [[Battle of Amphipolis|field of battle]]—this time at [[Amphipolis]] in [[Makedonia]]. There, Deimos killed Brasidas, impaling him through the chin on his own [[spear]] before engaging his sister in combat. The duel looked to be in his favor when, suddenly, he was mistakenly struck from behind by an arrow fired by Kleon. Kassandra subsequently pursued and killed Kleon before returning to the battlefield to find Deimos gone.<ref name="We Will Rise">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – [[We Will Rise]]</ref> | In 422 BCE, Deimos and Kassandra met each other once more on the [[Battle of Amphipolis|field of battle]]—this time at [[Amphipolis]] in [[Makedonia]]. There, Deimos killed Brasidas, impaling him through the chin on his own [[spear]] before engaging his sister in combat. The duel looked to be in his favor when, suddenly, he was mistakenly struck from behind by an arrow fired by Kleon. Kassandra subsequently pursued and killed Kleon before returning to the battlefield to find Deimos gone.<ref name="We Will Rise">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – [[We Will Rise]]</ref> | ||
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===Death=== | ===Death=== | ||
{{Dialogue|Myrrine|Think of what could lie ahead for us. A family as we were meant to be.|Deimos|I cannot be what you want me to be. The weeds burrow too deep.|Deimos' final words, 422 BCE.|Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (novel)|}} | {{Dialogue|Myrrine|Think of what could lie ahead for us. A family as we were meant to be.|Deimos|I cannot be what you want me to be. The weeds burrow too deep.|Deimos' final words, 422 BCE.|Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (novel)|}} | ||
[[File:ACOD_Where_It_All_Began_9.png|thumb|250px | [[File:ACOD_Where_It_All_Began_9.png|thumb|250px|Deimos' death]] | ||
In August of 422 BCE<ref name="Novel" /> | In August of 422 BCE,<ref name="Novel" /> Deimos returned to Mount Taygetos to challenge his estranged family one final time. It was here that he was confronted with the truth of his actions and the manipulations of the Cult over his entire life.<ref name="Where It All Began">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – [[Where It All Began]]</ref> | ||
Despite Myrrine and Kassandra's pleas, their words fell on deaf ears, for his convictions would not change; he knew that he could not change for them. Striking out at his mother with a concealed blade<ref name="Novel" /> | Despite Myrrine and Kassandra's pleas, their words fell on deaf ears, for his convictions would not change; he knew that he could not change for them. Striking out at his mother with a concealed blade,<ref name="Novel" /> Deimos was fatally stabbed through the neck by his sister with their [[Spear of Leonidas|grandfather's spear]], after the two engaged in a fight, and his body fell off the cliff.<ref name="Where It All Began" /> | ||
==Legacy== | ==Legacy== | ||
In 2018 when [[Layla Hassan]] relived the memories of Kassandra via a degraded genetic sample found on the Spear of Leonidas using her [[Animus#Animus HR-8.5|Animus HR-8.5]], it could simulate an alternate version of events. In it, Kassandra could save her brother, leading to him surviving beyond his historical death on Mount Taygetos and joining the crew of the ''Adrestia'' alongside Myrrine, Nikolaos, and [[Stentor]]. Alternatively, Deimos could kill Myrrine leading to Kassandra killing him in a slightly different manner.<ref name="Where It All Began" /> | In 2018, when [[Layla Hassan]] relived the memories of Kassandra via a degraded genetic sample found on the Spear of Leonidas using her [[Animus#Animus HR-8.5|Animus HR-8.5]], it could simulate an alternate version of events. In it, Kassandra could save her brother, leading to him surviving beyond his historical death on Mount Taygetos and joining the crew of the ''[[Adrestia]]'' alongside Myrrine, Nikolaos, and [[Stentor]]. Alternatively, Deimos could kill Myrrine leading to Kassandra killing him in a slightly different manner.<ref name="Where It All Began" /> | ||
When Layla needed to learn the locations of the symbols Deimos had brutally interrogated Phidias over, she reluctantly decided to relive his memories of the event, using a sample of his DNA she had recovered from the Spear of Leonidas. However, Layla struggled to go through with the interrogation and assimilated part of Deimos' aggressiveness through the [[Bleeding Effect]].<ref name="Three Symbols Entombed" /> | |||
==Personality and traits== | ==Personality and traits== | ||
As Deimos, Alexios possessed a messiah complex, believing himself to be a ''"demigod"'' due to his [[Isu]] blood, someone who would bring order to the Greek world. Due to his harsh upbringing by the Cult of Kosmos, he displayed no empathy for anyone and a strong lust for violence and warfare. His nature was extremely intimidating, to the point where even the Cult feared his unpredictable wrath.<ref name="The Serpent's Lair" /> Having a fiery temper, Deimos kept a weapon on him at all times.<ref name="Demigod's Belt">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – [[Demigod's Belt]]</ref> | As Deimos, Alexios possessed a messiah complex, believing himself to be a ''"demigod"'' due to his [[Isu]] blood, someone who would bring order to the Greek world. Due to his harsh upbringing by the Cult of Kosmos, he displayed no empathy for anyone and a strong lust for violence and warfare. His nature was extremely intimidating, to the point where even the Cult feared his unpredictable wrath.<ref name="The Serpent's Lair" /> Having a fiery temper, Deimos kept a weapon on him at all times.<ref name="Demigod's Belt">''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' – [[Demigod's Belt]]</ref> | ||
Over the course of his interactions with Kassandra, however, Deimos became aware that the Cult was using him and began to lash out whenever they attempted to keep him in line, believing they were challenging his power.<ref name="Doing Time" /> Despite realizing that his family had not abandoned him as he had been led to believe by the Cult, Deimos felt that he had committed too many atrocities to be redeemed and wished to die to escape the guilt. As such, he forced his sister to kill him by threatening their mother's life.<ref name="Novel" /> | |||
===Equipment and skills=== | ===Equipment and skills=== | ||
Thanks in part to his bloodline and the [[Sword of Damokles]] | Thanks in part to his bloodline and his personal weapon, the [[Sword of Damokles]] - a [[Swords of Eden|Sword of Eden]] - Deimos displayed powerful feats in combat. He was able to thrust his sword into the ground to release blasts of energy and could even project beams of energy from the tip of his sword. His combat prowess was so vast that he was even able to slaughter Brasidas, one of the best Spartan commanders at the time, within a few seconds as well as go toe-to-toe with Kassandra and her Spear.<ref name="The Battle of Pylos" /><ref name="Where It All Began" /> | ||
==Behind the scenes== | ==Behind the scenes== | ||
[[File:ACOD Alexios Render (no helmet).png|left|thumb|284x284px|Render of Alexios as the Eagle Bearer]] | |||
Alexios is one of two selectable protagonists of the 2018 video game ''[[Assassin's Creed: Odyssey]]'', alongside [[Kassandra]]. Regardless of who the player chooses, the two protagonists share the same story. However, the game's novelization confirms that Kassandra is the canonical protagonist and Alexios is Deimos.<ref name="PCGamesN">{{Cite web| url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/assassins-creed-odyssey/assassins-creed-odysseys-canon-story |title= Assassin's Creed Odyssey's [sic<nowiki>]</nowiki>female lead will be the canon character | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622153853/https://www.pcgamesn.com/assassins-creed-odyssey/assassins-creed-odysseys-canon-story| archivedate=22 June 2018| author=Forward, Jordan| date=22 June 2018| publisher=''{{Wiki|PCGamesN}}''| accessdate= 27 August 2018}}</ref> He is voiced by [[Michael Antonakos]] who also provided his motion capture, and portrayed as a child by Leonidas Castrounis. | |||
If the player chooses Alexios as the protagonist then his and Kassandra's roles in the story are reversed, with Alexios being the elder sibling who becomes the Eagle Bearer while Kassandra is Deimos. Regardless, both characters share the same romance options. If the player chose Alexios as the protagonist, then he will meet [[Layla Hassan]] in the modern day to give her the [[Staff of Hermes Trismegistus]] despite being canonically deceased. | |||
===Etymology=== | ===Etymology=== | ||
Alexios (Αλέξιος) is an Ancient Greek name meaning 'defender'. Deimos, (Δεῖμος), meaning 'dread', is also the name for the [[Deimos (deity)|deification of terror]], regarded as the son of [[Ares]] and [[Aphrodite]] and the twin of [[Phobos (deity)|Phobos]] ('fear') in [[Greek mythology]]. 'Deimos' and 'Phobos' are also the names of [[Mars (planet)|Mars]]' two moons. | Alexios (Αλέξιος) is an Ancient Greek name meaning 'defender'. Deimos, (Δεῖμος), meaning 'dread', is also the name for the [[Deimos (deity)|deification of terror]], regarded as the son of [[Ares]] and [[Aphrodite]] and the twin of [[Phobos (deity)|Phobos]] ('fear') in [[Greek mythology]]. 'Deimos' and 'Phobos' are also the names of [[Mars (planet)|Mars]]' two moons. | ||
==Appearances == | ==Appearances == | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Odyssey]]'' | *''[[Assassin's Creed: Odyssey]]'' {{1st}} | ||
*[[Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey | *[[Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' novel]] | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' | *''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Freerunners]]'' {{c|non-canonical appearance}} | *''[[Assassin's Creed: Freerunners]]'' {{c|non-canonical appearance}} | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Where's the Assassin?]]'' {{c|non-canonical appearance}} | *''[[Assassin's Creed: Where's the Assassin?]]'' {{c|non-canonical appearance}} | ||
==Notes== | == Notes == | ||
<references group="note" /> | <references group="note" /> | ||
Revision as of 01:57, 7 November 2023
Alexios (Greek: Αλεξιος; 451 BCE – 422 BCE), also known as Deimos, was a Sage of the Cult of Kosmos, an organization active in ancient Greece.
Alongside his older half-sister, the famed misthios Kassandra, he was a grandchild of King Leonidas I of Sparta through his mother, Myrrine, as well as a hybrid. His unique heritage made him the target of the Cult as an infant and a false oracle delivered by the Cult deceived Sparta into believing he had to be thrown off Mount Taygetos to his death.
Although he survived the fall, Alexios was abducted by the Cultist Chrysis and forced to endure a cruel and torturous childhood. His harsh upbringing warped his mind, brainwashing him into becoming a weapon of the Cult convinced that he was their champion, Deimos. In reality, the other Cultists only saw him as a deranged beast which served their purposes.
Not content with their control over Alexios, the Cult sought the assassinations of the rest of his family: Nikolaos, Myrinne, and Kassandra. At a conclave assembled by Deimos, he met his long lost sister for the first time in years while she was masquerading as one of the Cultists in order to learn the whereabouts of their mother.
Over the next several years, as the Peloponnesian War raged, Alexios continued serving as Cult's brutal instrument all the while his sister assassinated its members in a desperate attempt to protect her family and redeem him. Her efforts ultimately fell short when Alexios, guilt-ridden over his monstrous actions, forced her to kill him during a final confrontation atop Mount Taygetos.
Biography
Early life
Born to Myrrine, the daughter of the late King Leonidas I of Sparta, and Nikolaos, a Spartan commander, in 451 BCE, Alexios was the younger half-brother of Kassandra.[2] Not long after his birth the Pythia at the time, Praxithea, prophesied that the grandson of Leonidas would lead to the downfall of Sparta. It was unknown to those involved at the time that the "prophecy" had been concocted by the Cult of Kosmos[3] in order to cull the bloodline of Leonidas as retribution for his defiance decades earlier.[4] Thus, despite his regal blood, the Elders of Sparta demanded the boy's death: to be thrown from the summit of Mount Taygetos.[5]
At the summit, Alexios was carried off towards the precipice by a Spartan elder while his family and the rest of the Spartan elders watched. Protests by his sister Kassandra fell on deaf ears, for even his father Nikolaos sided with the elders. Desperate to save his life, Kassandra rushed at the elder carrying Alexios, inadvertently pushing both the elder and her brother to their apparent deaths.[5] Though merely an infant, Alexios miraculously survived the fall and was later found by Myrrine. As the boy was badly injured and near death, his mother took him to the Sanctuary of Asklepios in Argolis to save his life.[6][7]
While in the Sanctuary, Alexios' injuries were deemed too severe for him to survive despite the priests' best efforts. Myrrine was convinced to leave the child to perish from exposure at the altar of Apollo nearby. Unbeknownst to her, Chrysis, a priestess of Hera and a member of the Cult of Kosmos, took Alexios as she had taken a number of children before.[6] Against the priests' predictions, Alexios made a full recovery without any lasting handicaps.[7]
Weapon of the Cult
- "The Cult is nothing without me. Even the gods cower in my wake. Kneel or die."
- ―Deimos[src]
Under Chrysis' care, Alexios grew up to become a weapon of the Cult and was named Deimos after the Greek god of terror in order to inspire fear in the Cult's enemies.[8] On one occasion during his youth, while hunting with a "friend" in a forest, he saw his companion be torn apart by a lioness, protecting her cub. This moment reminded him, painfully, about the apparent abandonment he had suffered years prior.[9] For the next fifteen years, fueled by his rage, Deimos served the Cult without question until 431 BCE, when his first true test came in the form of his estranged sister.[10]
With the knowledge that his sister Kassandra was alive, the Ghost of Kosmos manipulated Deimos into casting aside any feelings of love and to disbelieve anything "the other child of the bloodline" said to him. He also received instructions to not kill her if he met her, bur rather to hurt her.[11]
In 431 BCE, after the Cultist Elpenor was found murdered, with his mask and robe missing, Deimos brought his decapitated head to a Cult conclave in the Sanctuary of Kosmos to announce that they had an impostor in their midst. He then proceeded to search for the impostor by picking Cultists at random and placing their hand upon their pyramidal artifact, which allowed him to see the memories of those he interacted with upon its surface. It was at this point that Deimos first came into contact with Kassandra, who had indeed infiltrated the conclave disguised as a Cultist.[12]
Recognizing Kassandra's memories of Mount Taygetos and her murder of Elpenor, Deimos demanded to know who she was, quickly realizing she was his sister. Confused and enraged, he allowed her to leave and summarily executed the next Cultist, Epiktetos, to touch the Pyramid, falsely accusing him of being the traitor.[12] Shortly thereafter, he pursued Kassandra to the island of Andros, where he accused her of throwing him from Mount Taygetos as a child, a charge that Kassandra denied. After a tense exchange, he warned his sister to stay out of his way and departed.[13]
Two years later, Deimos struck at the heart of Athens. In the midst of a great plague, he hunted down and murdered Athens' leader, Perikles, in order to weaken the city's standing in their conflict with Sparta and pave the way for Kleon, the Sage of the Cult's Delian League branch, to take power. Kassandra was present to witness the incident, but could do little to stop her brother, who escaped during the confusion.[14]
Around 428 BCE, Deimos interrogated and tortured the sculptor Phidias for information on three mysterious symbols, carrying out the assignment that the Cultist Brison had been unable to. The only things Phidias was able to say about the symbols was "Itira! Korgath! Metin!" for that was all he had been able to glean in the short time he had studied them. Unsatisfied with his constant blubbering, Deimos beat the sculptor to death.[15]
Fighting in the Peloponnesian War
In 425 BCE, Deimos took part in the Battle of Pylos, fighting on the side of the Athenian army. There, he engaged Kassandra in combat, after his sister had allied herself with Sparta's Peloponnesian League at the behest of Brasidas, a commander in the Spartan army. During the battle, Deimos was nearly killed by a falling tree before being pushed to relative safety by Kassandra, though they both ended up unconscious.[16]
Deimos and Kassandra were subsequently taken back to Athens, where the latter was imprisoned in a cell by Kleon. Intrigued by his sister's actions, Deimos waited outside her cell for her to wake up, whereupon he interrogated her. Suspicious of everything she said, Deimos rebuffed Kassandra's attempts at reconciliation. When Kleon interrupted them, and told Deimos to leave, he also verbally challenged Kleon's presumption of power over him.[17]
In 422 BCE, Deimos and Kassandra met each other once more on the field of battle—this time at Amphipolis in Makedonia. There, Deimos killed Brasidas, impaling him through the chin on his own spear before engaging his sister in combat. The duel looked to be in his favor when, suddenly, he was mistakenly struck from behind by an arrow fired by Kleon. Kassandra subsequently pursued and killed Kleon before returning to the battlefield to find Deimos gone.[18]
Death
- Myrrine: "Think of what could lie ahead for us. A family as we were meant to be."
- Deimos: "I cannot be what you want me to be. The weeds burrow too deep."
- —Deimos' final words, 422 BCE.[src]
In August of 422 BCE,[1] Deimos returned to Mount Taygetos to challenge his estranged family one final time. It was here that he was confronted with the truth of his actions and the manipulations of the Cult over his entire life.[9]
Despite Myrrine and Kassandra's pleas, their words fell on deaf ears, for his convictions would not change; he knew that he could not change for them. Striking out at his mother with a concealed blade,[1] Deimos was fatally stabbed through the neck by his sister with their grandfather's spear, after the two engaged in a fight, and his body fell off the cliff.[9]
Legacy
In 2018, when Layla Hassan relived the memories of Kassandra via a degraded genetic sample found on the Spear of Leonidas using her Animus HR-8.5, it could simulate an alternate version of events. In it, Kassandra could save her brother, leading to him surviving beyond his historical death on Mount Taygetos and joining the crew of the Adrestia alongside Myrrine, Nikolaos, and Stentor. Alternatively, Deimos could kill Myrrine leading to Kassandra killing him in a slightly different manner.[9]
When Layla needed to learn the locations of the symbols Deimos had brutally interrogated Phidias over, she reluctantly decided to relive his memories of the event, using a sample of his DNA she had recovered from the Spear of Leonidas. However, Layla struggled to go through with the interrogation and assimilated part of Deimos' aggressiveness through the Bleeding Effect.[15]
Personality and traits
As Deimos, Alexios possessed a messiah complex, believing himself to be a "demigod" due to his Isu blood, someone who would bring order to the Greek world. Due to his harsh upbringing by the Cult of Kosmos, he displayed no empathy for anyone and a strong lust for violence and warfare. His nature was extremely intimidating, to the point where even the Cult feared his unpredictable wrath.[12] Having a fiery temper, Deimos kept a weapon on him at all times.[19]
Over the course of his interactions with Kassandra, however, Deimos became aware that the Cult was using him and began to lash out whenever they attempted to keep him in line, believing they were challenging his power.[17] Despite realizing that his family had not abandoned him as he had been led to believe by the Cult, Deimos felt that he had committed too many atrocities to be redeemed and wished to die to escape the guilt. As such, he forced his sister to kill him by threatening their mother's life.[1]
Equipment and skills
Thanks in part to his bloodline and his personal weapon, the Sword of Damokles - a Sword of Eden - Deimos displayed powerful feats in combat. He was able to thrust his sword into the ground to release blasts of energy and could even project beams of energy from the tip of his sword. His combat prowess was so vast that he was even able to slaughter Brasidas, one of the best Spartan commanders at the time, within a few seconds as well as go toe-to-toe with Kassandra and her Spear.[16][9]
Behind the scenes
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Alexios is one of two selectable protagonists of the 2018 video game Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, alongside Kassandra. Regardless of who the player chooses, the two protagonists share the same story. However, the game's novelization confirms that Kassandra is the canonical protagonist and Alexios is Deimos.[20] He is voiced by Michael Antonakos who also provided his motion capture, and portrayed as a child by Leonidas Castrounis.
If the player chooses Alexios as the protagonist then his and Kassandra's roles in the story are reversed, with Alexios being the elder sibling who becomes the Eagle Bearer while Kassandra is Deimos. Regardless, both characters share the same romance options. If the player chose Alexios as the protagonist, then he will meet Layla Hassan in the modern day to give her the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus despite being canonically deceased.
Etymology
Alexios (Αλέξιος) is an Ancient Greek name meaning 'defender'. Deimos, (Δεῖμος), meaning 'dread', is also the name for the deification of terror, regarded as the son of Ares and Aphrodite and the twin of Phobos ('fear') in Greek mythology. 'Deimos' and 'Phobos' are also the names of Mars' two moons.
Appearances
- Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Odyssey novel
- Assassin's Creed: Rebellion
- Assassin's Creed: Freerunners (non-canonical appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Where's the Assassin? (non-canonical appearance)
Notes
- ↑ The Assassin's Creed: Odyssey novel and game provide conflicting information for a year of birth, with the novel stating 451 BCE and the game implying 446 BCE. However, the date provided in the novel is more accurate, since that if he had born on the date provided in the game, Alexios would have 15 years in 431 BCE, a fact that is incorrect.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (The Official Novelization) - Chapter 18
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Debt Collector
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Sins of the Past
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Bully the Bullies
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – The Big Break
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Speak No Evil
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Ashes to Ashes
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Cult of Kosmos clues – "Chrysis: Conversation with a Cultist"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Where It All Began
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Cult of Kosmos clues – "Deimos: Encounter at the Temple of Kosmos"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Cult of Kosmos clues: – "Aspasia: The Ghost's Whisper to Deimos"
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – The Serpent's Lair
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Memories Awoken
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Athens's Last Hope
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – The Lost Tales of Greece – Three Symbols Entombed
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – The Battle of Pylos
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Doing Time
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – We Will Rise
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Demigod's Belt
- ↑ Forward, Jordan (22 June 2018). Assassin's Creed Odyssey's [sic]female lead will be the canon character. PCGamesN. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved on 27 August 2018.
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