Isu incarnation

Ezio, my friend! How may I be of service? This article is in desperate need of a revamp. Please improve it in any way necessary in order for it to achieve a higher standard of quality in accordance with our Manual of Style.

Reborn Isu are human reincarnations of the Isu.

While initially believed that this only applied only to Aita, a member of the Isu and the husband of Juno, reincarnations of whom are referred to as Sages, it has since been discovered that reincarnations of other Isu surfaced in Scandinavia around the 9th century. Among that group were Eivor Varinsdottir, an incarnation of Odin; her adoptive brother Sigurd Styrbjornsson, Týr's reincarnation; and Svala, the rebirth of Freyja.

Sages

Main article: Sages

A Maya statue of a Sage's head in underground Tulum

The most prevalent Isu reincarnations are those of the Isu Aita, known as Sages. These Sages reappeared many times throughout history, bore a physical resemblance to Aita, and were recognizeable by their heterochromia.

Reborn Asgardian Isu

"Show me your neck!"

―Basim Ibn Ishaq to Eivor Varinsdottir, 877 CE

Odin, seven of his most trusted Isu followers, and Loki, had their DNA, memories, and consciousness integrated into the human gene pool in hope of escaping the doom of their civilization and be reborn in human bodies millennia later. These reincarnations could be identified by a mass of dark veins on their necks.

History

Isu Era

Desperate to save the life of her husband Aita, who had been left in a catatonic state, Juno embarked on a quest to acquire the "Mead", the serum that would activate the latest solution to halt the Great Catastrophe designed by the Capitoline Triad, locked up in the Grand Temple under the guard of Jupiter and Minerva. This particular innovation, if used correctly, could reincarnate some members of the Isu as humans in the distant future. As such, Jupiter and Minerva rendered it dangerous to use, as it would damage the human genome in the process. Desperate for the "Mead", Juno investigated their research sites and eventually encountered the abandoned project meant to receive the Mead when ready. Soon after, she began to inquire and plot out multiple ways to take it from the Vault in order to save her beloved, actions that eventually exiled her from the city guarding the Temple. Upon Odin's visit to North America to meet Aletheia, she discovered that he too sought the "Mead", and so decided to wait until she and her lover Loki dealt with him before deciding to collaborate with Odin to steal the serum from the Grand Temple.

Odin managed to successfully steal the "Mead" from the city, but not without deceiving Minerva and battling with Jupiter himself. Juno told him to come to the experimental well in order to make the serum work. After Odin sacrificed his left eye in payment in order to use as catalyst, the machine accepted this sacrifice and the "Mead" was finally synthesized, much to Juno's delight. With both the Isu taking samples of the fluid, she cautioned him to use the serum moments before his death, in order for it to work. With the "Mead" now in hand,, she was able to successfully insert her late husband's essence into a human bloodline.

The Æsir using the "Mead" through the Yggdrasil device

Odin eventually finished the construction of the abandoned project in Scandinavia, their territory, naming it Yggdrasil. During the midst of the Great Catastrophe, a group of Asgardian Isu comprising Odin, Freyja, Tyr, Thor, Sif, Heimdall, Idun and Freyr managed to successfully upload their essences into the supercomputer before heading off to face their end, gambling that Yggdrasil would successfully save them through various reincarnations in human bodies in the upcoming eons. Unknowingly to them, the Isu Loki later used the machine and uploaded his essence to take revenge on Odin for imprisoning his son Fenrir. His other plan was to be reunite with his lover Aletheia, who had her consciousness in the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus, and planned later to find and free their children.

Viking Age

During the Viking Age, the reincarnations of the Æsir finally appeared. The first was Rig Reidarasson, a Viking of the 8th and 9th centuries who was the reincarnation of Heimdall. During his life, Rig was plagued by the memories of Heimdall, believing them to be visions of the gods. His life, adventures and struggles to seize the hallucinations were immortalized in the Rigsogur, a saga wrote by the monk Brissy.

In the 9th century, Thor and Sif were reincarnated respectively in the Vikings Halfdan Ragnarsson and his friend Faravid, though they were unaware of this link. In 865 CE, when his father Ragnar Lothbrok was killed by the King and Ancient Ælla of Northumbria, Halfdan and Faravid conquered Northumbria and executed its king in 867 CE.

In the mid-9th century in Rygjafylke, Norway, the Raven Clan, who resided in the small settlement of Fornburg counted three Aesir reincarnations: the volva Svala for Freyja, the prince Sigurd Styrbojnsson for Týr and his foster sister Eivor Varinsdottir for Odin. In 870 CE, during a raid by the Ancient Kjotve the Cruel, Eivor captured his slave Gull, the Sage of Idun. Together, they eventually went up the Feiknstafir Mountains to the Temple of Heimdall, in order to recover an Apple of Eden. When Gull touched the artifact, she recovered Idun's memories, with Idun's consciousness taking assuming control and, now armed with the knowledge necessary to control it, used the artifact to fight Eivor. As the Temple was scrambling, Gull fell to her death with the Apple while Eivor survived.

The same year in Constantinople, Sigurd met the Levantine Hidden Ones Basim Ibn Ishaq, a reincarnation of Loki fully aware of his nature. Recognizing Sigurd as Tyr, Basim followed the Viking to his hometown to further his plan to find his children imprisoned by Odin. In 872 CE, Basim became acquainted with Eivor, granted her a Hidden Blade. Together, the three Aesir reincarnations fought Kjotve the Cruel, taking his fortress and killing him. This act permitted Harald Fairhair, the Sage of Frey, to unite Norway under his crown. As Harald became the lord of Fornburg, Sigurd, Eivor and Basim went to England to found a new colony while Svala returned in the Yggdrasil vault to live forever in a simulation of Valhalla.

Establishing the colony of Ravensthorpe in Mercia, Sigurd became the jarl of the village, working with Eivor to establish alliances through England. During one of her adventures, Eivor allied with Halfdan and Faravid to fight the rebelled King Ricsige of Northumbria and his Picts allies. After Halfdan became the new king of Northumbria, an argument arose between Faravid and the new King, the latter accusing his friend to poison him. This greatly affected Halfdan who became depressed. Eivor helped him to recover his morals.

Basim tried to reveal to Sigurd his true nature. With Eivor, the three Aesir reincarnations searched the Saga Stone, a part of the Yggdrasil vault containing the password to open its door. They allied with Fulke, a secretly Ancient who studied the Stone and reborn Isu. Together, they fought Lady Eadwyn who stole the Stone. After they recovered the artifact, Fulke betrayed them, taking Sigurd as a hostage. During his captivity, Sigurd was tortured by Fulke, who cut Sigurd's right arm to awake his Sage nature. Basim and Eivor traveled in Kent to save Sigurd but Fulke fled with him in Sussex. The two reborn Isu and their allies besiege the castle of Portcestre, saving Sigurd and killing Fulke. Even if Sigurd was saved, the torture greatly altered his mind as he saw himself as the god Týr, becoming arrogant.

During her journey, Eivor experienced several hallucinations of Odin, manifestations of his conscience trying to emerge in her mind, who sometimes directly spoke to her. With the seer Valka helping her to understand the meaning of the visions, created two potions that permitted her witness altered memories of Odin in Asgard and Jotunheimr.

In 877 CE, Sigurd and Eivor returned to Norway, entered the Yggdrasil vault and used the device. They experienced a simulation of Valhalla, encountering Svala as Freyja, as she was there for five years. Even if they enjoyed the simulation, they understood that it was false and decided to leave while Svala stayed. Odin tried to convince Eivor to stay but she fought him and escaped from the simulation, repressing her Isu side. Basim, who followed them, understood that Eivor was Odin's Sage. He took Sigurd hostage but quickly released him as Eivor attacked him. Basim blamed the imprisonment of his son on a clueless Eivor, believing he was mad. As the Hidden One was too strong for Eivor, Sigurd used the Yggdrasil device to trap Basim, sending him to the Grey. After this, Sigurd retired from his role of the jarl of Ravensthorpe and designed Eivor as his successor.

Gallery

• 
  Rig Reidarasson
  Reincarnation of Heimdall
  (c. 770s CE - c. 860s CE)
• 
  Svala
  Reincarnation of Freyja
  (? - 873)
• 
  Halfdan Ragnarsson
  Reincarnation of Thor
  (c. 790 CE – 877 CE)
• 
  Faravid
  Reincarnation of Sif
  (? - ?)
• 
  Basim Ibn Ishaq
  Reincarnation of Loki
  (? - present)
• 
  Sigurd Styrbjornsson
  Reincarnation of Týr
  (842 CE - ?)
• 
  Eivor Varinsdottir
  Reincarnation of Odin
  (847 CE - ?)
• 
  Gull
  Reincarnation of Idun
  (? - ?)
• 
  Harald Fairhair
  Reincarnation of Freyr
  (c. 850 CE - c. 930 CE)

Behind the scenes

Odin's declaration of "I will always remember when Odin [...] was me!" in the post-credits scene for the downloadable expansion Dawn of Ragnarök foreshadows his eventual rebirth as Eivor Varinsdottir, and also bears a strong resemblance to the final words of the Eleventh Doctor before his regeneration.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed Unity: Abstergo Entertainment – Employee Handbook
• Assassin's Creed: Unity
• Assassin's Creed: Syndicate
• Assassin's Creed: Uprising
• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla