Pactyas

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Pactyas (died c. 429 BCE), also known as the Huntsman, was a member of the Order of the Ancients in Persia during the 5th century BCE.

Formerly a member of the Persian elite and a group of freedom fighters alongside Amorges and Artabanus, Pactyas was persuaded by Amorges to turn on Artabanus following his failed attempt to assassinate Artaxerxes I, joining the Order of the Ancients in the process. Appointed the Magus of the Order of Hunters, Pactyas was tasked to eliminate Artabanus, now known as Darius, and his family, as well as the Tainted Ones, individuals who were directly descended from the Isu.

Pactyas' hunt brought him to Makedonia, which was home to the legendary misthios Kassandra, who was also a Tainted One. Bringing the Order to Makedonia, Pactyas and his Order were eliminated by Kassandra, who worked alongside Darius and his son Natakas.

Biography

Joining the Order

Pactyas alongside Artabanus and Amorges

At some point in his life, Pactyas was rescued by a group of attackers who had knocked him out by a huge grey wolf. As he woke up, Pactyas saw the wolf licking gore off his now deceased attackers. Coming to the self-proclaimed conclusion that nature chose to preserve Pactyas' life, Pactyas donned the alias of the Huntsman and become a self proclaimed protector of nature.

Later, Pactyas rosed to became a member of the Persian elite, alongside Artabanus and Amorges. They later formed a group to oppose King Xerxes I, whose tyrannical rule was backed by the Order of the Ancients, proto-Templar organization. In 465 BCE, they succeeded in assassinating Xerxes when Artabnus killed him with a Hidden Blade.

After Xerxes' death, his son Artaxerxes I ascended the throne and Artabanus, fearing his possible allyship with the Order, plotted his assassination, one which was foiled by Amorges. Amorges later defected to the Order and recruited Pactyas, claiming that Artabanus had betrayed them and Persia.

Afterwards, Pactyas was appointed as the Magus of his own branch, hunting down his former comrade, who took on the name "Darius". In addition, he was assigned to hunt down the Tainted Ones, individuals who were directly descended from the Isu. By the 420s BCE, he had hunted a number of them throughout Persia and other regions.

Pursuing Kassandra

Around 429 BCE, Pactyas and his order tracked down another Tainted One, the misthios Kassandra who made a name for herself during the Peloponnesian War. There, he also unexpectedly discovered Darius and his son Natakas, who sought refuge near the village of Potidaia. Pactyas had one of his men set fire to the village, hoping to draw out and eliminate them. However, the plan failed as Kassandra and Natakas saved the villagers while the Order Elite was eliminated by Darius.

With his plan foiled, Pactyas brought in the rest of his Order and found a hidden glade within Mount Pangeon. He also converted the grove outside into a training ground where he tamed and taught the various beasts to do his bidding and attack the "Tainted Ones" at sight. These included the wolves, the wild boars and, the crows.

Last fight and death

Eventually, Pactyas decided to meet Kassandra, and lured her to a grisly display he'd crafted within Therme Wetlands, made of the corpses of soldiers she had allegedly killed in battle. He sought to shake her resolve with the display, as well as brought forth their survivors to berate her, but fled the conflict while his underlings attacked Kassandra, leaving only a scarecrow in the marsh and a taunting message.

Pactyas' final moments

Pactyas met Kassandra again some time later at the glade outside the cave where he had established his hideout. He taunted her from the shadows, and while he initially set his men to attack her, he ultimately faced her himself. Kassandra inflicted severe wounds on him, and Pactyas fled to his cave. She followed the trail of his blood to his home turf and confronted him again, along with his wolf familiars. Despite his belief that he would win in the end, Kassandra bested him, and although he summoned additional men to surround Kassandra, Darius and Natakas arrived in that moment and assassinated them. Pactyas realized he had been beaten and fell down, both in despair and in succumbing to his wounds. While dying, Pactyas revealed his and Darius' shared past to Kassandra and Natakas.

Legacy

Following Pactyas' death, the rest of the Order of the Ancients was alerted to the presence of Darius, Natakas, Kassandra, and the threat they posed to the Order.

Trivia

• Pactyas (Παχτύασ) is a Greek name possibly derived from the Thracian city of Pactya in present day Turkey.

Gallery

• 
  Pactyas confronted by Kassandra

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Legacy of the First Blade: Hunted