Search for the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus
In 2018, a search for the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus[1] was undertaken by an Assassin cell assembled by Mentor William Miles and led by ex-Abstergo Industries employee-turned-Assassin Layla Hassan.[2]
Prelude
In October 2016,[3][4] at a secret Abstergo facility known as the Aerie, a group of teenagers were brought together in order to access a collective simulation known as the Ascendance Event. Led by the Templar and First Will Instrument Isaiah, he had planned to use the teenagers to find the Trident of Eden.[5][6] The psychiatrist Victoria Bibeau assisted him in this,[5] though after all was said and done she grew discontent with Abstergo and the Templars.[7]
In August 2018, the Assassins thwarted an attempted resurrection of the Isu Juno. Though it did not come without cost, through a uneasy alliance with the Templars, the Assassin Charlotte de la Cruz was killed under the debris of the exploded underground base of Álvaro Gramática.[8]
All too aware of the danger the Isu artifacts posed to humanity and in an effort to track down Pieces of Eden before Abstergo Industries––and by extension the Templars––could, Mentor of the Assassins William Miles assembled a team that included the newly inducted Layla Hassan, former Abstergo psychiatrist Victoria Bibeau, Japanese Assassin operative Kiyoshi Takakura, and trainee Alannah Ryan.[2] Kiyoshi who'd previously participated in the raid on Gramática's lab in Australia was cleared for the mission though was instructed to not overdo himself. Harlan Cunningham, another previous participant was considered for the cell but later put aside on the advice of William Miles.[7]
The search
Herodotos' Lost Histories
In October 2018, after using Abstergo research she'd kept after defecting,[9] Layla Hassan located the Lost Histories of Herodotos and through analysing and cross-referencing locations he'd mentioned in it, Hassan and her team located the broken Spear of Leonidas formerly owned by a Spartan misthios known as Kassandra who was also the grand-daughter of Leonidas I of Sparta.[2]
Although the remnants of any genetic data present on the spear was severely damaged, Layla extrapolated what she could and formatted her Animus HR-8.5 to fill in the blanks with secondary information gleamed from Herodotos. Through the Animus, she was able to relive the memories of Kassandra throughout the Peloponnesian War in 431 BCE.[2]
After learning the location and capabilities of the Forge, Layla excitedly expressed this to Victoria. Though the doctor showed significant concern for Layla's mental wellbeing after spending a long time in the Animus and instructed that she rested before going back to Kassandra's memories. After stretching her legs and talking to Alannah and Kiyoshi, Layla re-entered the Animus session.[2]
Discovering Atlantis
When Kassandra found her father Pythagoras underneath Thera (then known as Santorini) by 422 BCE, Layla exited the session excited that they'd found Atlantis. Victoria however, believed she was delirious and couldn't believe that Pythagoras would've been alive by then. Though after some reassuring, Victoria relented and the cell left their London hideout for the Altaïr II bound for Thera.[2]
When the ship reached the verified coordinates, Layla disembarked and continued by diving underwater. Navigating the subnautical cave system Layla eventually found the Gateway to the Lost City, and after changing back into her usual outfit Layla set up her Animus again and explored more memories in order to find an explanation on how to power up the Atlantean pillars.[2]
Gaining the knowledge she needed, Layla activated the pillars and powered up the Isu projected map of artifacts. After some brief troubleshooting, Layla got the mechanism working to its fullest capacity and to her surprise, Kassandra herself--kept alive for nearly two-thousand years by the power of the Staff, appeared to greet her. After conversing for a time, Kassandra bestowed the Staff upon Layla thus completing her purpose as the Keeper and succumbed to the effects of aging without the Staff keeping her alive.[2]
Learning the Staff's capabilities
Returning to Kassandra's memories to gather any loose memories she'd missed, Layla (through Kassandra) interacted with Aletheia, an Isu whose subconscious mind was inside the Staff. To learn her role as the Heir of Memories, Layla learned of the tombs of Agamemnon, Eteokles, and Orion through Kassandra memories and then traveled to them outside the session.[9]
Through numerous trials set by Aletheia, Layla learned the powers of the Staff and what her role as the Heir of Memories meant. Concerned for her wellbeing Victoria soon followed after Layla into the Gateway to monitor her. Their location then became compromised as members of Sigma Team 6 descended upon them. Later, during a Bleeding Effect rage influenced by the memories of Deimos, Layla inadvertedly killed Victoria.[9]
Reflecting on her actions, Layla returned to the Animus for a time before being torn from the session by Aletheia sensing the presence of an interloper. Juhani Otso Berg, Sigma Team leader approached her and some back and forth about Deanna Geary and Otso's daughter Elina, enraged the two of them until they came to blows. A brief scuffle ensued and Layla proved victorious, after mocking Otso Layla pushed him to the floor and impaled his lower spine paralysing him. Radioing the Altaïr II, she extracted with the deceased Victoria and unconscious Otso.[9]
Appearances
References
- ↑ The Art of Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Present Day
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Modern day
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Heresy – Chapter 2
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Heresy – Chapter 8
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Chapter 22
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Fate of the Gods – Chapter 2
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Layla Hassan's personal files: Getting the Team Together
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Uprising – Issue #12
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – The Fate of Atlantis – Modern day
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