User talk:Lady Kyashira

Welcome to the Order, Lady Kyashira!

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Feel free to contact me on my talkpage if you need anything. Master Sima Yi (talk) 14:56, August 28, 2017 (UTC)

Archive

Cult of Kosmos

"At this point, there is no confirmation the CoK are proto-templars at all." Alright, now where is this coming from? Frontierchris (talk) 15:35, June 19, 2019 (UTC)

There was a discussion quite a while ago which debated about this, which you can check out here. Nothing in the game nor the media indicates them to be a Proto-Templar organization at all. As such, we cannot speculate them to be as one even if their ideals and goals are similar. The Order of the Ancients was already confirmed to be one, which is why I did not remove them. XOdeyssusx (talk) 15:40, June 19, 2019 (UTC)

Don't you remember what Aspasia said to Kassandra at the Cult of Kosmos' hideout? Frontierchris (talk) 15:59, June 19, 2019 (UTC)

Again, as I've stated, sharing the same ideals and goals doesn't automatically make them a Proto-Templar organization. XOdeyssusx (talk) 16:11, June 19, 2019 (UTC)

Odeyssus, here's an article I think you should see which may confirm whether or not the Cult of Kosmos were proto-templars, just click on this [1]. Frontierchris (talk) 17:34, June 22, 2019 (UTC)

I have seen it before and while the theories are interesting, the website itself is not an official Ubisoft media or source. We only accept if Ubisoft themselves confirms that the CoK is indeed a Proto-Templar organization. XOdeyssusx (talk) 02:20, June 23, 2019 (UTC)

Hyphens and dashes in memory pages

Odeysssussssss, remember that hyphens are only grammatically correct when used with compound words. In all other cases, the proper punctuation is a dash, either an en dash (–) or an em dash (—), and conventionally we favour the latter when breaking off clauses in the middle of a sentence. This applies to memory pages too. I know that Ubisoft has constantly used hyphens in its subtitles and even some documents, but this is still a grammatical error, one that is unfortunate a bit common even in some professional companies due to oversight, laziness of writers, etc. I've corrected them for most of the Odyssey main memory pages, but I still see you adding hyphens again for new dialogue. :-/ The em dash should especially be used when a character's line is abruptly interrupted, where this is the one and only correct punctuation for that; the hyphen is too short for that function. The en dash should be used for date ranges, to qualify lines with an action (e.g. "Kill –" or "Lie –"), and for titles. Sol Pacificus^(Cyfiero) 20:31, June 19, 2019 (UTC)

Just for some reference, you can check out Wikipedia:Hyphens and dashes, the Wikipedian Manual of Style, or popular guides on English grammar like the Chicago Manual of Style, the Purdue University Online Writing Lab, The Associated Press Stylebook, and The Canadian Press Stylebook. Sol Pacificus^(Cyfiero) 21:09, June 19, 2019 (UTC)

Oh my, that's quite a lot of articles to read up on. I give them a read whenever I can. Thanks and apologies for all that errors :| XOdeyssusx (talk) 01:02, June 20, 2019 (UTC)

Oh noo you don't have to read all of them or even any of them. They all say the same thing, and I already summarized them. I'm just giving them as sources haha. Sol Pacificus^(Cyfiero) 10:28, June 20, 2019 (UTC)

Watermarks

Why aren't watermarked images allowed? Frontierchris (talk) 21:54, June 19, 2019 (UTC)

Watermarks are there because the uploader of the content do not want people to take the images and use it without their permission. Given the example of the image being from Access The Animus, it obviously means they do not wish for people take their image without their perimission.

P.S Also, I would like to point out that all the images you have uploaded recently have not been properly sourced. You sourced it to Youtube, but which video and which content creator who uploaded it? Just adding a Youtube link is not sufficient. XOdeyssusx (talk) 01:05, June 20, 2019 (UTC)

Alright I'll fix them tomorrow, just don't delete any of them. Frontierchris (talk) 02:20, June 20, 2019 (UTC)

All the images have been properly sourced including the one of Abia the Shaded. Frontierchris (talk) 23:12, June 20, 2019 (UTC)

Spacing of dialogue without change in speaker

So, I'm a little confused on this one. I've been transcribing dialogue according to the game's subtitles (which has led to some conflict with apostrophes and hyphens, so it's probably not the best methodology already), which usually alters between two or more people with clear changes in speaker, each prefaced with a bullet point and bold font. Subtitles display, at most, two lines, before continuing the rest of that particular piece of dialogue on another one or two lines, but still clearly single continuous pieces, so I've prefaced them as such. But there are clear pauses in some dialogues where a shift takes place, even though the character keeps talking without someone else speaking up, like with Myrrine's tone in Home Sweet Home (Odyssey). First she remarks that the boys are useless if they're too weak to kill a wolf, *pause, closeup* followed by "Come, let's go home." In situations like that, I've copied their lines up to the pause, then treated anything after as a separate line with a separate preface, by the same speaker.

To sum up, I've noticed that some of these pauses have been changed, with 'Home Sweet Home' being a recent example. Have I been doing it wrong? RShepard227 (talk) 05:29, July 7, 2019 (UTC)

I won't say you did, but it's simply following a practice that has been in place for a while. The dialogue in the past memory articles have all been adding on to the same lines rather than going to the next with a seperate preface. I assume this is so that there wont be confusion of dialogues being spoken next. Either way, I don't think the line breaks are really needed, but I suppose the use of a
tag can be used in place of adding a seperate preface. XOdeyssusx (talk) 07:06, July 7, 2019 (UTC)

Good to know. I'll stick with what works then, but the br tag also sounds like a good idea. I'll try it out and we can better judge how it looks. Thanks for the advisement. RShepard227 (talk) 04:15, July 8, 2019 (UTC)

Quick question

Hey XOdeyssusx,

I have a quick question. I saw this edit of yours. Where did you find out about Sokrates' Trial? I might have missed it, but haven't heard of it being mentioned. Cheers, Kennyannydenny (talk) 09:16, July 7, 2019 (UTC)

It was through an E3 showcase video by a YouTuber who has exclusive access to the content given. XOdeyssusx (talk) 09:19, July 7, 2019 (UTC)

Ah ok, thanks! Kennyannydenny (talk) 10:08, July 7, 2019 (UTC)

Dash

Hey Odeyssus, I saw your request at the Bottlenose dolphin page. I'm not sure what the difference is, but this - is the only dash that's on my keyboard, aside from the underscore. I have a Dutch keyboard, and not a US keyboard, so the layout and what buttons are on it are different. Maybe that other type of dash is on the US keyboard, but not mine. I can copy that other dash thingy from other pages I guess (don't really see any difference though so won't be sure if I copy the correct one) but as I have to go out of my way from typing just to copy those, expect me to often forget that, i've not used any other dashes than - for the past years and didn't even know there were several types. Kennyannydenny (talk) 11:08, July 16, 2019 (UTC)

The dash doesnt have anything to do with the keyboard, you can add it in by using the options in the Editor above. Just lick on the "more +" icon and a pop up will show the available symbols and codes. The dash is basically beside the Bold "Insert" text. XOdeyssusx (talk) 11:11, July 16, 2019 (UTC)

Oh ok, that's helpful. Saves me the trouble of having to look up another page that has the right ones and copy the thing. Kennyannydenny (talk) 11:32, July 16, 2019 (UTC)

Hey, I saw your edit here. Was the dash in the appearances section still the wrong dash? As I was changing the dashes on pages I made to that, thinking it was the one you were talking about. I clicked on more+. There are two dashes there, the first one looks like the one on my keyboard, so I thought you ment the second one. I have been using that second one since. Somehow I don't really see a difference until I save the page, and the second one becomes bigger. Am I supposed to use the first one of the two? I really want to get this right. Kennyannydenny (talk) 10:10, July 17, 2019 (UTC)

The first looks like the regular dashes we use on our keyboard, but it is actually bigger. So we use that for the references and appearances section. The 2nd is much longer, but is rarely used. Based on my understand, it seems to be used for dialogues when they are occasional breaks in between the sentences based on what we see ingame. XOdeyssusx (talk) 10:13, July 17, 2019 (UTC)

Ah, ok thanks! I'll be using the first one from now on then. Kennyannydenny (talk) 10:19, July 17, 2019 (UTC)

Categories

Odeyssus, would you mind explaining why you keep deleting the categories I've been adding lately? Frontierchris (talk) 15:02, July 19, 2019 (UTC)

I removed them with the reason given being speculation, because you are speculating them to be Isu technology because the alleged user they belong to are members of the Isu. Unless there are clear evidence to show that they are made by Isu, then we can add them in. Otherwise, we can't speculate that they are. XOdeyssusx (talk) 15:15, July 19, 2019 (UTC)

Images

Thank you for adding the images, they're looking great! Kennyannydenny (talk) 07:44, July 22, 2019 (UTC)

No problem :) :) XOdeyssusx (talk) 07:55, July 22, 2019 (UTC)

Lysander's Helmet

Odeyssus, the article for Lysander's Helmet needs to be fixed because the image is wrong, the helmet actually looks like the Spartan Polemarch Helmet. Frontierchris (talk) 14:19, August 22, 2019 (UTC)

Checked it ingame multiple times, it is the correct helmet. You're likely refering to the one Lysander wears ingame, which is why there's the discrepancy. XOdeyssusx (talk) 14:38, August 22, 2019 (UTC)

You think maybe you could add a picture of the full set on the Lysander’s Set article? Frontierchris (talk) 14:30, August 23, 2019 (UTC)

Will get to it as I progress along with my playthroughs. XOdeyssusx (talk) 14:52, August 23, 2019 (UTC)

Burned Farm

Regarding the disambig page. I'm currently searching the world in ACOD for anything the wiki doesn't have. If it turns out there are only 2 Burned Farms, then the page can be deleted. I just assumed there'd be more than one, I'll keep searching.B O O F H E A D 1 8 5 (talk) 10:34, September 8, 2019 (UTC)

Sorry

Is 100% confirmed, you know little about logic. (talk 21:50, September 25, 2019 (UTC)

Perhaps you probably go back and look at your sentence structure and take a look at this memory which the content is from.

A tax collector came to Stephane's house demanding he pay his tax, the taxman and the soldiers hated him and beat up him later.

There was nothing wrong with the sentence prior to the comma, the problem lies with the sentence you added in after. Not only is the phrasing wrong, but there was no mention of the individual being beaten up, just the mention of brawling and with Connor's assistance. Besides, all I simply done is rewritten the sentence prior to your edit so that it flows better. XOdeyssusx (talk) 06:00, September 26, 2019 (UTC)

Problems

Odeyssus, what's going on, all the articles are being blocked by this candidate for speedy deletion thing.

Someone is messing up several templates and stuff, which is why there's all these issues. I suggest that you dont edit anything at the moment. XOdeyssusx (talk) 15:25, September 26, 2019 (UTC)

Like not

A normal person can have their own doctor, dentist, cure, psychologist, teacher, lawyer, ect. Because not your own collector, you have no idea what I mean. User:RevolutionD3 (talk) 18:24 , September 26, 2019 (UTC)

Except that the roles you mention function differently from that of a taxcollector. Sure you, can address those roles as "his doctor, my teacher, her lawyer" etc, but I have never seen, or heard of someone addressing taxcollector as "his taxcollector". I get where you are coming from, but I do not agree with how you are addressing that phrase. XOdeyssusx (talk) 02:18, September 28, 2019 (UTC)

Kephallonia emblem

Hi there! A while back, you found and uploaded multiple emblems of various regions in AC: Odyssey. Did you manage to find one featuring a ram's head, its grand horns curling back? 'Cause that's Kephallonia Islands' emblem, and might be added to its page, given that the banner doesn't appear in-game. Sadelyrate (siniath) 13:33, September 29, 2019 (UTC)

Yes I did find one, but since we can't find it in-game, probably means that it's ultimately not meant to be used. I'll probably still upload it, but I'm not sure if we should use it though. XOdeyssusx (talk) 13:51, September 29, 2019 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure that the emblem you found is actually used in-game. When you go to the Message Board in Sami and click open the quest menu, it features the head on the upper left corner. The emblem's also present on the shields of the Barbarians (Adrestia crew skin), and the artbook confirms it. Sadelyrate (siniath) 13:54, September 29, 2019 (UTC)

Then I suppose we use that then. Anyway, I've uploaded the image already, so you can go and take a look. XOdeyssusx (talk) 14:04, September 29, 2019 (UTC)

Athenian Tassets?

You wouldn't happen to have a pic of the variant of the Athenian Tassets? The one with the disks near the ends of the leather strips? Sadelyrate (siniath) 08:25, October 14, 2019 (UTC)

Give me some time to find it :) XOdeyssusx (talk) 09:48, October 14, 2019 (UTC)

Thank you! Take your time. :) 'Easiest' is likely via the cosmetic panel. Annoyingly multiple things are named the same. Sadelyrate (siniath) 10:11, October 14, 2019 (UTC)

Thank you! :) Sadelyrate (siniath) 10:22, October 15, 2019 (UTC)

Ancient Axe

With "By then, it was already ancient." I ment that in the 5th century BCE, even though it was used in that time, it was already ancient. It was from a time way before the 5th century BCE, according to the ingame description. If I didn't clarify, it would seem that it's now an acient axe, since it was from the 5th century BCE, even though it is much older. Kennyannydenny (talk) 16:04, October 21, 2019 (UTC)

Legends

I categorized the Tunguska explosion in legends as there are many theories and mysteries about the event. Like for Jeanne d'Arc, Vlad Tepes and Nostradamus, many legends surround them even if they are historical characters.Francesco75 (talk) 10:35, November 17, 2019 (UTC)

AC1 informers

Hi XOdeyssusx,
I'm working through AC1 memories, adding links where I can, when I noticed that the informants page had been redirected to no objections from "informant" to "informer" by Wiki Manager (and Metal Gear Bureaucrat) Bluerock last Aug/Oct. As I recall, we tend to follow Wikipedia's naming style, but while WP has the page as "informant", Bluerock says AC1 exclusively used "informer". Which is it? If the former, could this be reverted back, or was the change agreed upon in IRC/ Discord and I'm unaware? – Darman (talk) 19:00, November 17, 2019 (UTC)

Hey there Darman, apologies for the late reply. I'm not too familiar with AC1 articles since I don't actually play the game despite owning it XD I don't recall a discussion in IRC/ Discord in regards to that issue so I'm afraid you might have to check with someone else :/ XOdeyssusx (talk) 11:55, November 18, 2019 (UTC)

It's only been a day, you're not late. Admittedly, I'm also unfamiliar with AC1, as I entered series with AC3, but looking at YouTube vids confirms what Bluerock said. When approaching an Assassin on the street, an Animus pop-up appears reading,

Informer Challenge
Lock onto the Informer to
Start Informer Challenge

But WP uses "informant", so what to do (if anything?) – Darman (talk) 15:45, November 18, 2019 (UTC)

I'm not entirely sure myself since the Wikipedia also use informer as an alternative (as seen in the opening introduction). I guess they are the same in that regard? Perhaps we leave it as it is for now unless someone who is more well-versed in the MoS / naming style format has an opinion on that XD XOdeyssusx (talk) 12:36, November 19, 2019 (UTC)

(Sorry, thought I'd replied) *grumbles* Alright, I'll wait. I just don't like seeing "unused" (if you will) redirects still floating about on main pages – Darman (talk) 14:55, November 27, 2019 (UTC)

ACReb + Memory Infobox

In an unrelated question, a week back, Chomchaum added the reward and heroclass parameters to the Memory infobox template for ACReb's Helix Events. I undid it, arguing "as these fields are exclusive to Rebellion alone, I [felt that] they're too niche to be in a generic infobox across all game memories", but they undid *that*, saying "As these fields are not mandatory, they can just not be filled for other AC games", which is fair. However, I still don't think such fields are necessary, as we don't include XP recruits earned in any of the pages on Assassin/Templar contracts (by bird, Den Defense, or ship missions). I pointed this out on their talk pg, hoping to spark discussion, but have not heard a reply. What would you advise? Thanks. – Darman (talk) 14:55, November 27, 2019 (UTC)

I'm not really familiar with templates by itself, but I think we occasionally (not always) have had discussions and polls conducted in regards to proposing these kind of changes to templates and stuff. As you said, if Rebellion memories have these fields, then the same should be applied to the others as well since the XP system is also present in previous games. Otherwise, they should be removed. Imo, we can have a sort of a small poll or discussion on whether this should be included depending on what the consensus agrees with. Right now, I don't think undoing each other's edits is going to help with the issue XD XOdeyssusx (talk) 14:35, November 28, 2019 (UTC)

Yes, the Wiki has on occasion had discussion on Templates; this one on ship details is the most recent I recall. Looking at the game again, it seems Chomchaum was right: all of Rebellion's memories give XP and coins (Helix Credits are campaign-exclusive) as "guaranteed rewards", with lower XP/coins for replays, and all suggest certain hero classes for 100% completion (don't know how I missed it...), though it's optional and can be ignored. Meanwhile, Helix Events give fluctuating Data Nodes (and sometimes Helix Cube points) in place of XP based on what tier is played. Looks like we should keep both fields. My mistake. (I think XP for Connor's recruits and Shay/Edward's fleet missions changes depending on who/what ship you send and their level? I don't recall...) Sorry for the confusion when the answer's right in front of me. Guess I'll sit this one out too, lol. – Darman (talk) 17:10, November 28, 2019 (UTC)

Contracts

(Hope you don't mind an AC flashback!) Clicking through the wiki, I noticed that Brotherhood does not have an Assassin recruits' contract pages. Or rather, it has them, but only the ones from linking it to Project Legacy, not the in-game ones from the pigeon coops. We have pages (even if regrettably stubs) for both Shay Cormac's and Edward Kenway's fleets, and have full pages for the Mediterranean Defense and Colonial Assassin contracts, so shouldn't we have a page for this, too? And if so, what name should be used, since "Assassin Guild" is about the organization of a local chapter and does not list contracts? – Darman (talk) 20:35, December 13, 2019 (UTC)

Hmm good that you mentioned it because I never really noticed it until you mentioned it to me XD I suppose we can follow a format similar to Contracts (Colonial Brotherhood), but the name being the Italian Brotherhood instead. XOdeyssusx (talk) 08:07, December 14, 2019 (UTC)

I'd been thinking that. But doing some digging online—as I don't own Brotherhood—I came across some key things before we continue. While we can get some mission details (title, description, etc) from this partial list (see §7.0) and most walkthroughs like this vid at 6:25 when slowed down, it appears that they are all just generic missions simply meant to level up recruits. Now, I feel there's something different about these than the missions for AC3's recruits or the fleets? Because just the ones in AC3's page are far from enough for every recruit to reach Assassin, and I'm near-certain some fleet missions repeat, but it's been so long since playing either, I don't recall. – Darman (talk) 06:50, December 15, 2019 (UTC)

I don't recall that either since it's been a while since I last touched Brotherhood, but I suppose the Contracts in that game could be different from AC3. Maybe this can probably explain why no one has created one for the Contracts in the game since it seems to be generic and randomized missions rather than one that is standardized like the rest. XOdeyssusx (talk) 13:52, December 15, 2019 (UTC)

Who are you?

"Irrevelant" because those who dedicate yourself to hunting vandalism are you so formal? Please speak as a normal person, not as a steward of the Queen of England. Bullfighter654 (talk) 22:33, January 3, 2020 (UTC)

Images of Adrestia

Hi, I'm a user of the Spanish Assassin's Creed Wiki. Right now, I'm creating the article Adrestia and I'm using as a reference the one that you have in this Wiki. Since you've uploaded all the images of the figureheads and the crew themes, I want to ask you one question: how did you get the png? I know you probably used Photoshop or some other program to remove the background, but I don't know where to get the original image from to get it so clean. If I could learn about how you got it, not only would I be able to finish the article on the Spanish wiki, I could also fill the ones that are empty or replace the images that doesn't have the same style as the rest on this article.

Thank you for your time. The MFDZ (talk) 12:41, January 13, 2020 (UTC)

Hey there, I actually used an image extraction software known as Blacksmith (which is kinda similar to the Archive_NEXT software for previous games prior to Origins if you heard of it.) I can' remember where I downloaded it from and I'm not really good at it, so you properly have to search around and figure yourself :/

So there's actually not much of Photoshop used in the process, I simply used it to make some minor cleanups such as cropping and reallignment (For some weird reason, the images extracted are saved upside down, so you have to manually align the pictures to make it right).

Also, you can simply use the existing images on this wiki and upload it on the Spanish Wiki, just remember to credit where you get it from and it should be all good :D XOdeyssusx (talk) 15:18, January 13, 2020 (UTC)

AC targets

I was reading the "Assassination targets" talk page, but now I'm quite confused as to how we plan to update it and I thought asking you directly might help. Clearly, we list targets of hunts (Bayek, Altaïr) and revenge plots (Ezio, Connor, Arno, etc), since they have motive as per the definitions of "assassinate/ion". But what about secondary kills, like Animus objectives ("Kill 5 guards from a haystack") or unnamed targets from contract side-missions? ("Kill this man for me") And what differentiates between killing in the field of "work" vs a planned hit, as in Molotov.cockroach's example of Haytham killing John Harrison, never mind Kass' kills? If you can clear this up for me, or point me to who could, I'd greatly appreciate it. – Darman (talk) 18:00, January 18, 2020 (UTC)

Hey there Darman, apologies for the late reply, have been really busy with work D:

Sorry but I'm not exactly sure myself. There has been a lot of confusion in regards to who we include on the list since the article originally (I believed) intended to only list targets of Assassins and Templars and the inclusion of Kassandra did brought on some confusion since we didn't have a clue as to whether she constitutes as a Proto-Assassin, but it seems the Essential Guide seem to list her as such. We similarly had issues on whether Cok is a Proto-Templar organization but so far that issue has been rectified I believe.

In regards to your point, I guess the examples you listed are likely because it's too ambiguous, there's no names and there's either a lack of or no information given which thus does not warrant their place om the article. As for your second point, I think that really needs to be discussed further. We did actually planned to discuss it a while ago when we locked the article to prevent further edit warrings but seems like there wasn't much success XD

But since you brought it up again, I suppose we can get the other editors to provide their views on it. XOdeyssusx (talk) 11:42, January 20, 2020 (UTC)

So sorry for my own late response, it's busy on my end, too. And thank you for replying. I can see why we wouldn't include Animus objectives, then. Even if X guards were stealth killed in Memory Y, there's no motive to their deaths, so they die in the line of work and are not assassinations.

As to my second point, I think(?) the answer may be staring us in the face. The page's intro paragraph says targets were "individuals [...] deem[ed] worthy of elimination[,] believed to be corrupt and[/or?] a danger to humanity." If I may boldly suggest, what if we were a bit lax in defining "assassination" and listed all main story kills, whether eliminated in combat or by stealth, and any named killed secondary characters? (eg. Giant Iscariotte in ACU) There's motive—a game/comic/media's overarching Assassin-Templar War, a civilian's contract, or simple expedience as with Haytham—and it still allows for Kass' mercenary activities while hunting the Cult/Ancients. – Darman (talk) 17:00, January 25, 2020 (UTC)

I think we should first be honest that the fundamental issue with this article is that it originated as another gameplay list. "Assassination targets" referred to the primary story targets of each game, and that was essentially the criteria for inclusion. Since the wiki switched to an in-universe policy long before my time here, the page has been fumbling its way into adapting to this, like many of our other articles which are holdovers from the gameplay days of this wiki. If we do not stare at the source of this confusion in the face, we will continue to fumble around in the dark. The fact of the matter is that not every story-related kill is necessarily an assassination by the proper real-world definition of the word and not every trivial kill in a side mission isn't an assassination.

With that having been said, I would not look to how the lead of the article is currently written for direction at all since it can be considered long outdated. It is also not well written because it opens by defining it as targets of the Assassin Brotherhood—with Templar targets tacked on as an afterthought—when according to the talk page and the content of the page, it's about any assassination target in general regardless what faction commits it.

I should also clarify, Darman, that the second sentence that you're referencing, "the Assassins killed many individuals they believed to be corrupt and a danger to humanity", doesn't actually state that this is how the targets are being defined in the article, only that this is what the Assassins did as a detail to provide some context.

What we need to do is figure out what we want out of this article, how "assassination" is defined in the real-world (as with the word "terrorism" this is likely to be contentious but there would be legal definitions depending on the UN, US, etc.), and how we would wish to define it. Sol Pacificus^(Cyfiero) 19:46, January 25, 2020 (UTC)

I have just rewritten the intro of the article. I simply wrote that an assassination target is "an individual marked for death" but by no means am I certain this is how it should be defined because it seems to be too generalized. However, "deemed worthy of elimination" was even worse in my opinion since someone can deem someone else worthy for death without having the desire, will, or plan to actually carry it out. Also, I don't like how the page overuses the word "elimination" which is sort of a euphemism for "killing", "assassination", or "death". For the very first sentence, I definitely thought we should just flat out call it for what it is: death or killing. Sol Pacificus^(Cyfiero) 20:14, January 25, 2020 (UTC)

Oh my bad, I forgot to add the most important thing. After I rewrote the intro in a haste, I have come to think, based on how I rewrote it intuitively, that perhaps we should just move the page to "assassination" instead and just have the whole article be about assassination. This might also allow us to be more flexible on what targets to list? I'm not sure. Sol Pacificus^(Cyfiero) 20:16, January 25, 2020 (UTC)

Hello

I just wanted to say congratulations on achieving a whole bunch of points on this wiki. I am very proud of you. Arkansalter (talk) 16:47, March 4, 2020 (UTC)arkansalter

Dialogue

The dialogue should remain in the dialogue area, because it is not just a trivia it is a dialogue choice.

The bug is a thing, let it stay there so players will come here and read it. Because people still making up forum asking about the damn bug.

Quest Items description let it stay there so people would come here and stay interested. —unsigned comment by TEOSS (talk · contr)

If the dialogue are as such, then you need to find a way to implement it properly in the proper format, not just dump it in there. The wikia here has a bunch of guidelines and Manual of Style to follow, so I suggest you read it up or look at other similar articles to have an idea on how to write them.

The articles on the wikia are written from an in-universe perspective, not gameplay based. That is why we have only a few articles that touches on Out-of-Universe and Gameplay elements. If you wish to include that bug thing, it should not be in the dialogue section itself, but instead of a Trivia/Behind the Scenes section which yu can always add under the outcome section.

As for quest items description, as mentioned above, most of our articles are written in an in-universe perspective, which which is gameplay or miscellaneous elements like quest items are often ommited out. It's not about keeping people interested. XOdeyssusx (talk) 09:19, March 24, 2020 (UTC)

I just dump it because I was in a hurry, and I was hoping someone who is smart willing to fix my information.

They should make a youtube video for its Manual Style. So other people, like me will not get confused.

Items info should not be omitted out, might not about keeping people interested. But still Information is still information, an informative information even though minor should still be important. Take Souls Series for an example that no items info should be omitted out.—unsigned comment by TEOSS (talk · contr)

If it is an important piece of information, then it should be kept yes. But I don't see how it is. We are not IGN, GamesRadar, GameInformer or what not. However, we do have examples like this and this where we document those miscellaneous stuff. XOdeyssusx (talk) 13:23, March 25, 2020 (UTC)

Freedom Cry weapons

Hey Odeyssus!

I meant to add the images for the missing weapons from Freedom Cry (the 4 machetes and 2 of the guns) and I noticed you did the other two guns. I wanted to ask how did you manage to get such good images? I couldn't for the life of me get rid of the overlay obscuring part of them. Thanks in advance. - Soranin (talk) 19:58, May 1, 2020 (UTC)

Just use some small trick, nothing much. I can't really remember much, but what I did was to take multiple images of the weapon at different angles, meaning with the overlay at different parts of the weapon, then use photoshop to blend the images together. :P XOdeyssusx (talk) 01:35, May 2, 2020 (UTC)

That's quite amazing! Though I must admit, I'm kinda of useless when it comes to photoshop (the idiom I wanted to use doesn't really translate into english, it was a little bit lighter in tone). Anyway, thanks for the answer! Soranin (talk) 02:34, May 2, 2020 (UTC)

Weapon Descriptions

Hey! I heard you were the main editor of the Origins/Odyssey pages, I've been recording the flavour text on legendary wepons in Odyssey and added it but I see you've removed it for a future revamping sorry to step on any toes! If you want any of the descriptions in future please do let me know. :D 1QueasyCrow (talk) 15:13, May 3, 2020 (UTC)

Hey there, no worries. I'm glad you are willing to help out as well given how there's still alot there's still lacking >< So your help is definitely much appreciated. You may also wish to join in on the discussion here if you have any suggestions. :) XOdeyssusx (talk) 15:15, May 3, 2020 (UTC)

Okay neat! I read through and for now I'll just let the adults talk it out I think haha. I'll keep checking in to see and if/when a decision is reached, thanks for the link

Proto-Assassins & Proto-Templars

Hey, I just opened up a discussion on our usage of the terms "proto-Assassin" and "proto-Templar". It's a long read, but I think is very important for us to clear this up because our wiki has been rather inconsistent about it, and we could cause some serious problems with it down the line. If you had the time, could you offer your input on it? Thanks. Sol Pacificus^(Cyfiero) 00:49, May 4, 2020 (UTC)

Memory galleries

Hello,
I'm working my way through Odyssey and realized my progression currently matches up with some articles needing images. So, I'm trying my hand at adding screencaps. But browsing the Wiki, I see that some memories like "The Taxman Cometh" have separate gallery pages, while others like "What's Yours Is Mine" have the gallery embedded in the page. If a memory has few images to capture, like "Losers Weepers", I understand embedding a gallery, but besides that exception, which standard do I follow? – Darman (talk) 13:00, May 8, 2020 (UTC)

Hmm, I'm not particularly sure about that. But I guess gallery pages can be used if the images are too exhaustive? So maybe for the article you mentioned, I think its fine if you have a memory gallery for it. I think one can be created for this page too now that you mentioned it. Anyway, thanks for helping with the memory images :D XOdeyssusx (talk) 13:31, May 8, 2020 (UTC)

Oops! So sorry I missed this, I didn't get a notif and only saw it now. Currently making the LotFB gallery. If I understand, a gallery page is at the editor's discretion, but generally should be any time there are more than 9 images besides those embedded in the article, yes? – Darman (talk) 14:55, May 13, 2020 (UTC)

Eggs of Easter

You probably already figured it out, but that dude editing the easter eggs page is our recurring enemy batalex. We just have to wait until someone can ban him again. - Soranin (talk) 14:41, May 13, 2020 (UTC)

Merge Proposals

Odey! I know you usually don't like discussion but I just opened up a discussion on our open merge proposals. It's quite long, but if we discuss it we can close them (especially because there are some from 2014 still unsolved :o)

If you have the time, could you offer some input? Thank you a lot. - Soranin (talk) 22:26, May 21, 2020 (UTC)

Byzantine Empire edits

Thanks for guidance NON-STOPPING GAMER2009 (talk) 13:37, June 4, 2020 (UTC)

I know now how to separate the croen of castile with the kingdom.

I urge you to read the section again. That part isnt reference the Greek rebellion in the 18-19th century, its in regards to the 15th and 16th century, which is part of the AC lore. XOdeyssusx (talk) 14:42, June 6, 2020 (UTC)

I know. The Templars got puppets all the Byzantine Remnants, but not Greeks. Liberty is supported by the Assassins, not Templars. It is also not mentioned in-game that Greeks rebelled under the name of the Templars. I am supporting in-game info together with traditions of the Assassins. NON-STOPPING GAMER2009 (talk) 14:45, June 6, 2020 (UTC)

And you can change this images. I thought you didn't had any problem. Just don't block me, please! NON-STOPPING GAMER2009 (talk) 14:48, June 6, 2020 (UTC)

You are missing the point. The articfle is about the Byzantine Empire itself, not Greeks in general. Please learn seperate the topic and identity. XOdeyssusx (talk) 14:49, June 6, 2020 (UTC)

Please sorry, I am angry. NON-STOPPING GAMER2009 (talk) 13:16, June 7, 2020 (UTC)

Please, explain me why are you writing it. And I am really sorry, please don't block me, PLS! NON-STOPPING GAMER2009 (talk) 13:19, June 7, 2020 (UTC)

But why did you wrote Byzantine is not Greek? NON-STOPPING GAMER2009 (talk) 13:42, June 7, 2020 (UTC)

You are definetily not a racist. I am because some of my edits were rasicistic. YOU ARE NOT. You are a good person, with a good life. And NOT A RACIST. You are a good person. I am really sorry. I will stop fanatism, ok? You are not. Just sorry, buddy. Leave me a message that you forgive me, and I will be ok. Appologise message from NON-STOPPING GAMER2009 (talk) 18:37, June 7, 2020 (UTC)

Wait, you send me something, I didn't saw it. 15th-16th century=OKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK NON-STOPPING GAMER2009 (talk) 18:47, June 7, 2020 (UTC)

RE:Images

If by sourcing, you mean the little box under the image on the file page, I will definitely get to them really soon. Andrewh7 (talk) 07:42, June 11, 2020 (UTC) Andrewh7

Yep. You can look at the past uploaded images for understanding on how to source it too :) XOdeyssusx (talk) 07:43, June 11, 2020 (UTC)

LGBT individuals

Is there a reason you reverted my edits on the Kosta, Lykinos, Timotheos, Roxana and etc. pages? There was literally nothing wrong with them. They're LGBT and the same category is on other romanceable characters of Kassandra/Alexios. Andrewh7 (talk) 02:53, June 12, 2020 (UTC) Andrewh7

I did mention the reason on the first edit that I undoed, which is in regards to Kassandra being the canonical protagonist. In this sense, we don't consider Alexios in that aspect here, so thus, a relationship between Kassandra and the male NPCs in the game would heterosexual. If you see that way, I did not remove the LGBT category from Roxana's page. XOdeyssusx (talk) 02:55, June 12, 2020 (UTC)

Odeyssus has a point. Because this wiki is from an in-universe perspective and Kassandra is canon, while Alexios is not, those individuals cannot be considered as LGBT, much as it pains me to say so. They could only be considered LGBT if, in a Kassandra playthrough, there was evidence of them being so. - Soranin (talk) 03:59, June 12, 2020 (UTC)

Odey's insight is perfectly correct. Our wiki is very particular about canon, and canonically, the protagonist of Odyssey is actually Kassandra, not Alexios. Normally, alternative timelines and pathways can still indicate underlying canonical traits that otherwise would have been hidden. For example, though George Washington never became a king, the alternative future we witnessed in Tyranny of King Washington shows that canonically, he was susceptible to that temptation even though he was ultimately able to reject it—the potential for that dark outcome is canonical, though that outcome is not. In the same way, potential homosexual relations, even if we cannot know if they canonically occur, indicates that the character in question is either bisexual or homosexual. Otherwise, that potential would not have been possible at all. This is why Roxana can be determined to be sexually attracted to women even if we choose not to have Kassandra romance her.

In an odd twist, the same cannot be said for romance-able male characters in Odyssey because unlike in many RPGs where the protagonist's gender is customizable (e.g. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic or Mass Effect) the concept behind Odyssey is that we are reliving the memories of the Eagle Bearer, who Ubisoft has told us is canonically female. Playing as the non-canonical sex in games like KotOR and KotOR II can be considered to have been a "what-if" playthrough regarding how the party members would interact with the main protagonists if they were the other sex. This cannot apply to Odyssey because the apparent premise is that we are seeing the Eagle Bearer's memories through the Animus, and if we were to play as Alexios instead, this is only Alexios' avatar being imposed onto what is actually Kassandra's life, with apparent Animus adjustments made to accommodate the illusion of walking in Alexios' shoes rather than Kassandra's. While I don't think this sort of Animus distortion in the memories makes much sense, that's the explanation we're given by Ubisoft. What this means is that canonically, at no point are we truly playing as Alexios. If a male character is romance-able as a male, it cannot be determined that that male character actually has a sexual preference for males because this may very well have just been a distortion of reality by the Animus rather than an accurate reflection of these characters in their lives. On a side-note, by the same logic, we cannot be sure that Roxana has any sexual attraction to males (and therefore bisexual), but this would be moot in regards to her inclusion in the category since we know her to at least be homosexual. Sol Pacificus^(Cyfiero) 19:18, June 12, 2020 (UTC)

Hello, I think the conversation already occurred before, but personally I think we need to rethink the LGBT category, as for me this concept is too contemporary, and have a political aspect. As an example, Leonardo was gay but I don't think he militated for the rights of gays in the Italian Renaissance. Another example, the Jacob-Roth relationship. I know Yohalem said Jacob was canonically bi, but he also said that Evie isn't the ancestor of Monima Das without further explanations, and many times the canon lore change in the series (the French comics). And for Roth, if kissed once a man make him officially LGBT, what about the Kiss of peace practice. However, I think we can keep a transgender category, (for Eon, Ned Wynert, Eric Cooper and others), as the concept could be applied without being anachronic. We can debate on the matter.Francesco75 (talk) 07:03, June 12, 2020 (UTC)

Closeup images

Do you think you could create closeup images of certain characters that lack them? Is there a rule about playable characters not getting a closeup image? There are quite a number of characters who lack a closeup image and some even lack an image altogether such as Myrrine, Nikolaos, Stentor, Lykinos, Timotheos, Sofia Sartor, and etc. that could probably really use them. Andrewh7 (talk) 23:08, June 16, 2020 (UTC) Andrewh7

Of course, it will be great if we can get full body renders for the characters, but that's not a priority. In the past, those images are usually provided through Database or Promotional Art, but there's only a few of them. Otherwise, any decent portrait images are enough to suffice. XOdeyssusx (talk) 02:42, June 18, 2020 (UTC)

Images

Some images, like flags can be used. We cannot use only from AC media. Spain and Russia don't have images. GodGamer GodConsole 16:16, June 17, 2020 (UTC)

East India Company

I wrote that knowing what will happen in the future. Leave me a talkpage message GodGamer GodConsole 18:52, June 20, 2020 (UTC)

Byzantine Armed Forces

Ok, I stop just that the Byzantines didn't have only a land force. Their navy also existed. Just Armed Forces are not ground forces at all. GodGamer GodConsole 14:54, June 24, 2020 (UTC)

They do, but they dont specifically appear in the game. Also, I'm basing it based on the Wikipedia article. If they name it as such, then it is as such. XOdeyssusx (talk) 14:55, June 24, 2020 (UTC)

Again mess with Wikipedia. Give me the link. GodGamer GodConsole 15:00, June 24, 2020 (UTC)

I will not rename it, ok? I saw the link. GodGamer GodConsole 15:02, June 24, 2020 (UTC)

There is no Wikipedia article for the Byzantine Armed Forces in general. The Wikipedia article that the Byzantine army article is linked to is called "Byzantine army", referring to the land forces, not inclusive of the navy. You really need to stop with your disruptive edits. I know you are trying to be helpful, but you aren't by going around adding unnecessary edits, not to mention you not reading our policies and MoS. XOdeyssusx (talk) 15:05, June 24, 2020 (UTC)

Templars=good guys?

How the Templars try to save humanity? We saw what they have done. Alleged with Hitler, Stalin and other tyrants and conquerors and these are the good guys? Templars are scums and villains. Or I didn't read well the article. But the phrase 'The Templars try to save humanity from the controlling free will ' means that Templars are the good guys. Explain on my talk. And also send the apologise message to know that you are currently ok, after I called you something that you're not. Discuss everything on my talk. GodGamer GodConsole 14:37, July 1, 2020 (UTC)

Argentine coup?

I was reading the Rifts page and I'm wondering if it gives enough info to warrant a page for the [1976 Argentine coup d'état]. I know Sima deleted it in 2017 citing "Speculation", but I think there's enough info for a start just from Rift #5, Puzzles 2 and 3. Puzzle 2 implicates the Templars in Cuba and Iran's coups, and I'm sure there's a reason for naming Argentina beyond just listing another Cold War coup, especially since Puzzle 3 has a letter from Kissinger offer support to the Argentine junta if they crushed resistance. Also, the other coup pages are relatively short, so it's not like it'd have to be big on details. There'd just be more WP links than AC Wiki ones. Or was Sima right and there's not even enough implied proof? – Darman (talk) 05:55, July 3, 2020 (UTC)

I think it should be fine, as long as the citations are in place and there's enough context in the article. XOdeyssusx (talk) 06:14, July 3, 2020 (UTC)

OK, thanks. Just wanted to check. I'll start a draft page. – Darman (talk) 14:00, July 3, 2020 (UTC)

Skills vs Abilities

Idk if you watched the leaked ACV footage, but I think we might need to rename all the skill tree pages. Towards the end of the test footage, the player visits the user interface menu and allocates skill points to a tree under the Skills heading. However, it's not like the Abilities skill trees in ACO or ACOD, in that it boosts stats and unlocks passive fighting moves (eg. shoot arrows faster, increase damage) and looks more like skill webs in Skyrim or The Witcher, instead of granting powers like Sparta Kick. Since there's now what looks to be a distinction between Skills and Abilities, should we change the page titles? – Darman (talk) 14:05, July 7, 2020 (UTC)

Well, given it's still pre-release and still a work in progress, things may all change. I suggest leaving it as it is until the official release where we can get a full look at those. There's no rush anyway :P XOdeyssusx (talk) 14:11, July 7, 2020 (UTC)

Haha, quite right. There's still ~6 months for changes. I'd just think that completely restructuring both trees would be a waste after all the art and coding to build them. – Darman (talk) 14:55, July 7, 2020 (UTC)

Yes no doubt, which is why it's better to leave it as it is, imo. Otherwise, as we keep making changes along the way during gameplay demos is going to be pretty exhausive. XOdeyssusx (talk) 14:57, July 7, 2020 (UTC)

Eraicon

Thanks for uploading it! I'm not good at Photoshop(?) or I'd have tried myself. How'd you do it? As far as I know, Jasca Ducato made the other icons. I guess he shared the template? – Darman (talk) 12:25, July 8, 2020 (UTC)

No, he didn't share it, so I had to try and use various tools in Photoshop to make it look as close as possible. XOdeyssusx (talk) 12:34, July 8, 2020 (UTC)

Ah, OK. Well, looks like a good match to me! Good job! – Darman (talk) 13:00, July 8, 2020 (UTC)

Valhalla Characters

Where was it said that these characters are new characters in Valhalla and that Eivor and other characters are in the Raven Clan? There are no sources or anything to confirm them. By the way, I watched videos of our character romancing a character named Broder. Andrewh7 (talk) 20:00, July 15, 2020 (UTC) Andrewh7

In footage of the flyting battle, the citizen refers to Eivor as "of the Raven clan". Eivor is definitely a Raven clan member, idk about the rest of their crew though. V i l k a T h e W o l f (talk) 01:21, July 16, 2020 (UTC)

Found these characters through gameplay demos by not just Ubisoft themselves. Will do my best to source them where they come from, otherwise, I will leave a Cite tag. XOdeyssusx (talk) 02:39, July 16, 2020 (UTC)

Valhalla redirect

Just a quick note: I think there's something... wrong? with the redirect titled "Valhalla". It still exists as a separate page from AC: Valhalla, despite having the same code as AC: Kingdoms, #REDIRECT ''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]''. Yet one looks like "↳ AC: Valhalla" and the other does not. I'd try moving it, but you already did that this week. Do you know why the formatting is off? – Darman (talk) 15:20, July 18, 2020 (UTC)

Probably due to the fact that the page was originally meant for the Norse God, so I tried to seperate to have one direct to AC Valhalla. Looks like the only way to fix it is to delete the page and create it again. Need to approach Sol or DarkFeather for this. XOdeyssusx (talk) 15:32, July 18, 2020 (UTC)

Eivor's Name

Hey I think Eivor's Norse translation is wrong. It's currently translated in the long-branch younger futhark dialect but that dialect is specific to Denmark. Eivor is from Norway so their name would have been spelt using the short-twig dialect. (I'm using unicode, so ᚢ doesn't exactly match up to its shape.)

ᛆ ᛁ ᚢ ᛆ ᚱ

Also, if Eivor has more of an 'o' sound, then the runes used would either be ᚢ or ᛆᚢ, not ᛆ.

ᛆ ᛁ ᚢ ᚢ ᚱ
ᛆ ᛁ ᚢ ᛆᚢ ᚱ

If a developer or someone of a similar position gave the current translation, then they are correct, but I thought I'd share my two cents.

--Hello83433 (talk) 05:43, August 12, 2020 (UTC)

Badge hunting, maybe?

I don't know if I'm being cynical in not assuming good faith, but I think a user's edits are suspicious, at least. I've been quietly tracking User:DSegno92 since I first saw them edit an unexpected Italian heading on their page some months back, and I've noticed that ~75% of their +200 edits are daily tweaks to their own page. I don't want to call it outright badge hunting, as I know some users may only have enough time for a single edit a day due to IRL, but looking at their page history shows that these edits are often no more than adding a single linked bullet point or linking an earlier text bullet, and that they roughly (if not exactly?) coincide when counted with earning badges for 5, 14, 30, 60, 100, and 200 days of consecutive edits. Oddly, it's all in Italian on an English site, so maybe English is not their forte, but they can do what they will with their own page. Maybe I'm wrong raising this accusation, but I thought it important to notify Staff. – Darman (talk) 13:45, September 6, 2020 (UTC)

Addendum: Other wikis they've contributed to also follow this pattern. Through this, they seem to have earned "1yr of edits" badge at Disney and Arkham, but have been called out three times at RDR2 and once at Arkham, when these edits were 92% of a 50-day streak in Dec 2019. – Darman (talk) 14:10, September 6, 2020 (UTC)

Definitely seems like badge hunting. I will bring this up with the other moderators including the admins Sol Pacificus and DarkFeather, and see how it goes. XOdeyssusx (talk) 14:25, September 6, 2020 (UTC)

Great, thanks for looking into it. Is there a way to notify Fandom of this, since User:DSegno92 clearly has a wide range of activity across the host domain? I know some users are blocked from only this site, but others like [User:115 Jessey] are "disabled globally". – Darman (talk) 01:10, September 7, 2020 (UTC)

I'm not too sure about that myself. Anyway, I have spoke to Sol, DarkFeather and Lacrosse about it and frankly speaking, we share the same consensus. I'm not sure if we can really issue a warning since hes only making edits on his own personal profile page. If he does that on the main pages or make another sorts of vandalism, then yes, we can. The badgehunting issue is more of a matter that the FANDOM themselves should look into instead of us. XOdeyssusx (talk) 12:08, September 8, 2020 (UTC)

They don't seem to have done any spam or vandalism. What few other edits they have are mostly minor grammar changes to main pages. I think I'll contact Fandom to see if they can do anything, as I feel DSegno92's actions across the Fandom domain slight the hard work of users honestly earning badges, but they may not respond. – Darman (talk) 00:05, September 10, 2020 (UTC)

So, Fandom actually replied to my inquiry. In brief, each Fandom community "[has] the right to set their own rules (as long as they are not against the Terms of Use). For example, Wookiepedia has a specific rule about user pages [...] but that's just one example, other communities may establish other sanctions after warning." It's up to each site's admins on whether/how to act on badge spams. I still think something should be done since DSegno92 has clearly ignored warnings elsewhere, but I will abide by Staff decision. – Darman (talk) 15:30, September 12, 2020 (UTC)

Howell Davis

Frontierchris (talk) 22:14, October 1, 2020 (UTC)XOdeyssusx,

According to goldenageofpiracy.org Howell Davis was a member of the Flying Gang.Frontierchris (talk) 22:14, October 1, 2020 (UTC)

Frontierchris (talk) 22:50, October 1, 2020 (UTC)Here's the site: https://goldenageofpiracy.org/pirates/flying-gang/howell-davis.phpFrontierchris (talk) 22:50, October 1, 2020 (UTC)

Extent of real-world info in articles

Odeyyyyy, you've probably already seen this thread being shared on Discord, but in case you've missed it, here you go: "Extent of real-world information in articles". I know you said you don't like being involved in discussions as much, but I would highly encourage you to put yourself more out there with these topics because certainly our wiki can benefit of having a more diverse range of voices on these matters, and this is also a significant issue for the wiki that has lain unresolved for years. Sol Pacificus^(Cyfiero) 22:40, October 9, 2020 (UTC)

Yeah, I will take a look, but don't blame me if my brain cells deteriorate trying to understand it :( XOdeyssusx (talk) 07:49, October 10, 2020 (UTC)

Songs in ACOD and ACV?

I asked this in July on the "Sea shanties" talk page, but no one responded, so I thought I'd try again.

Would the songs in Odyssey and Valhalla count as shanties? True, Kassandra doesn't collect music, but the words are all lines in poems by Classical authors that would be sung and which most everyone knew. Eivor does chase pages, though, and these are skaldic poems, which reciters would have to learn and are thought to have musical accompaniment.

Since writing it, I've found lyrics for four songs in ACV, but as prelim footage hasn't shown a database file like with AC4/RG, I'm unsure whether to add them. – Darman (talk) 02:35, 4 November 2020 (UTC)

Thought I'd bump this in case you haven't seen it. – Darman (talk) 15:35, 26 November 2020 (UTC)

Neema grave

Are you sure that this is the image of Neema grave ? I thought her grave is near the house (viewpoint) in Dyme. ACOD_Neema_memorial.jpg. —unsigned comment by Locarnos (talk · contr)

More Images

Hey XOdeyssusx, it's been a while, anyway do you think maybe you can add more images of Kassandra fighting certain Cultists, mercenaries, and Ancients members. You see I couldn't help noticing that there are still some articles that still don't have images of such.Frontierchris (talk) 19:44, August 24, 2021 (UTC)

Layla Hassan

Hey, XOdeyssusx. Is there any reason for you to have erased my edition on this article? I added more context and images. If it is because of the 'Prima Guide' references that were there before, there isn't any indication of what that may be so I lead them to Layla's personal files, before you inverted them. TiagoFF (talk) 10:14, 23 October 2021 (UTC)

The Prima Guide in this sense is the Official Guide, and all the info about Layla's early life comes from there. Your edit basically messed that up. Layla's personal files page has not much information about that part, so your edit to change the Prima Guide References is incorrect. Also, Layla has her own image gallery page, and the images you placed are already in there. The reason we dont add anymore images to the page itself is because we dont wish for the images to crowd up the page itself. XOdeyssusx (talk) 10:39, 23 October 2021 (UTC)

So, can I explcit that in the references? Identify the 'Prima Guide' reference as The Official Guide? TiagoFF (talk) 11:15, 23 October 2021 (UTC)

It's already shown as the Official Guide under the References section. That ref tag is just an identifier, that's all. XOdeyssusx (talk) 11:25, 23 October 2021 (UTC)

Memories

Hi, XOdeyssusx! I personally think that we shouldn't date the memories based on the timing we can complete them by actually when Kassandra actually completed them. I would encourage you to read a timeline that I made myself for Odyssey here, based on level region, killing Cultists and the relative location of Kassandra at the time. Would like to hear your opinion on this, in order to have these articles the best possible.TiagoFF (talk) 01:25, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

I do think it is a good list, but these are all based on our own assumptions and thus not an official one given by Ubisoft themselves. The rest of editors have a discussion regarding the timelines on Discord, but nothing fixed as far as I know. If they and I can come to a consensus regarding this, I wouldn't mind using it. XOdeyssusx (talk) 03:12, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

Isu

Hi, XOdeyssusx. Just wanted to ask if there's a specific reason why you disagree with the changes made to the article. In my opinion, the organization of the page as it is now is a bit confusing as doesn't sketch the factions of the civizaltion that we know that exist. According to Valhalla, they were structured in castes or groups. Now, with the launch of Dawn of Ragnarök within less than month. it's pointless to have them organized only by pantheons. - TiagoFF (talk) 11:52, 20 February 2022 (UTC)

A number of reasons.

1. Your organization of the groups is purely based on what on depictions of what we saw in the games, e.g Hades, Poseidon and Persephone in Aletheia's simulations based on the words they reside in. This doesn't made them automatically part of that "faction".

The Norse Isu in Valhalla, I hate to state that while Eivor's visions as Odin is presumbly a reflection of what the actual Isu Odin went through, it is someting that we should take with a grain of salt because we have no idea how much of Eivor's Norse beliefs has an impact on her visions. Thus, I don't assume every single figure that appear in those Eivor's visions and the Dawn of Ragnarok DLC to be Isu. There need's to be a limit drawn here.

3. Not every Isu has to be grouped entirely seperately. Those such as Greek/Roman/Etruscan and Egyptian can warrant their own list because they are long. The others can just be grouped together such as the "Others" section, unless we encounter more of such. XOdeyssusx (talk) 12:13, 20 February 2022 (UTC)

Sorry for the delay and length of this reply. First, the Atlantean Isu need to have their own sub-section: they're (for lack of a better term) jötnar just like the ones that live in North America but are of a specific independant city that has its own authority. Besides that, I dedicated two sub-sections to the "Elisean" and "From Underworld" Isu because we don't know their land's exact name as we only see them in a simulation but we do know that they're independant too, like Atlantis, forming the Sister Realms (they're hostile to other sub-factions, like Eden).
The events in Eivor's visions are clouded by her beliefs, distorting them, but we know that they are viable, they happened as they were sourced from Odin's own DNA, contrarily to the simulations that were intentionally manipulated by Aletheia. Of course, some things are metaphors for objects like Mimir, that technically represents Yggdrasil's project but his behaviour is machine-like, opposed to the Asgardian's and jötnar's behaviour. The characters' differences in species and color skin in the visions represent different factions or castes of the civilization, like what happens to humans. We can assume that they're Isu, unless there is something that contradicts that. (Another example: Ymir - I don't think he can be considered Isu. How can a being supposedly originates the whole universe as we know it? It might be a metaphor for an actual event.)
Lastly, having never-ending lists of characters might be confusing to someone wishing to comprehend how their civilization is organized. I made different categories to Hel, Jörmungandr, Fenrir and Glöd because they are the fruit of inter-faction relationships, they can't be considered either Asgardian, Muspel and jötnar (again, I used these names because we don't know the actual name of the factions, not to mention that these designations are used in the majority of the articles of this Wiki). - TiagoFF (talk) 19:39, 27 February 2022 (UTC)

Two small things: 1 - We cannot assume that Jotnar=Mediterranean Isu because Tyr says he's a Roman Mars and yet is not a jotunn. The fact that Minerva is both Vör (an Aesir goddess) and Gunlodr (a jotunn) also lends credence to this. 2 - a db entry for DoR differentiates between dwarves and Isu, so who knows what's happening there. - Soranin (talk) 20:13, 27 February 2022 (UTC)

Ok, now we're talking about the "names" problem. This is really confusing, I really tried to implement a system to evade these inconsistencies. You see, in my edit, I considered the different names and personas that deviate of the faction system as designations that belong to the respective factions. Like, Minerva the Isu belongs to the jötnar faction and her Gunlodr name is a designation that the Asgardian Isu gave to her as an outsider (like I made with Thökk being a jötnar name opposed to Loki in the Asgardian side) but the Vör name, I can't provide an explanation without speculating about Odin's relationship with her or if it was a detail by the developers that they forgot to cover. Still, I personally think that the categories that I introduced would improve this page as it puts a bit of light on top of the confusing organization of the First Civilization's society. - TiagoFF (talk) 21:50, 27 February 2022 (UTC)

Species

If you're going to object to edits without clarifying your position, are you going to do that for all the Isu or are the Aesir just special? Vetinari^{(Appointment)} 12:32, 2 April 2022 (UTC)

I have already given the reason why for some of the edits. And it's clear you misunderstood that species fill. First of all, the Aesir, Vanir are Isu factions, not a biological feature that we used to classify Sages and Hybrids from regular humans. That's why we have the affiliation fill in the first place, to list down the various groups/factions they belong to. By your logic, are you going to add the jotnar to those of the Roman/Greek pantheon? You have to see them in the context of AC media, not the actual real world. XOdeyssusx (talk) 12:44, 2 April 2022 (UTC)

'Ello, apologies I saw the edit summary hidden under a block of edits for other pages after I logged out last time and meant to check back in next time I logged in which turned out to be longer than expected. I don't think sticking Aesir or Muspel after Isu makes them Isu subspecies - races if anything biological - I think the field helps distinguish the cultural subgroupings for readers so Odin = Isu (Aesir) is shorthand for "an Isu of the people of Asgard" since ideas of Isu nationhood are hazy. So in that regard, yes, I'd be fine with seeing the Greco-Roman Isu individuals being called Jotnar on their infobox fields in the absence of better terminology. Although if you mean something like listing Minerva as a Norse god, no I don't agree with that. I don't agree with Muspels being listed as Jotnar when the DLC draws a line between Surtr and Jupiter's forces. You do me a disservice, I'm all for seeing AC fiction in the context of AC fiction; myths not mentioned in sources should either go in the behind the scenes section for real-world relevance or get off the Wiki, not sourced to that other encyclopedia as fact. ;) My frustration was with the lack of consistency between the Aesir/Vanir reverts and Muspels being untouched but that's been settled now at a glance. Vetinari^{(Appointment)} 17:51, 19 April 2022 (UTC)

Your "minor" edits

Hello XOdeyssusx,
I was checking the Recent Activity feed today when I saw that you edited the new memory "The Raven and the Cuckoo" by adding all of its dialogue. However, I noticed that you marked a +14,000 byte edit as "minor" and then remembered that I've seen you do this with a number of other pages before in the past, giving them significant updates but tagging them as inconsequential in nature.

I know you have been on the wiki for a long time, so I doubt it is simply your mouse slipping to check the "This is a minor edit" box instead of "Watch this page", but I cannot understand why it is happening. I have always been under the impression that minor edits are supposed to be for small grammar changes, typos, and other minutiae, not paragraphs of information. If you could please clarify this for me, I would appreciate it. Thank you. – Darman (talk) 01:40, 1 December 2022 (UTC)

Calling Chinese emperors by their real names?

Hey Odey (or should I say Kya? :P), I noticed that you have been referring to An Lushan by his self-proclaimed regnal name Emperor Xiongwu in your recent edits. I'm guessing you read my message to Darman about this a few weeks back about how it is a common historiographical practice to refer to an individual by their regnal name during the period of their rule. This hasn't been the practice for An Lushan because his claim as an emperor is viewed as illegitimate in history, like a "pretender" to the throne. Of course, I also politically think he was illegitimate, but since neutral point-of-view is a core wiki policy, I actually appreciate you having the foresight to try to be as impartial as can be and just take it as given alongside the Tang emperor.

Anyway, after telling Darman about that, I did think it over and thought maybe it is okay to keep on referring to a Chinese emperor by their real name throughout their reign. (My point to Darman was only that "Emperor Li Longji" or "Emperor An Lushan" is weird to me just because they don't do that).

Here are several arguments for using the real name of an emperor during their reign:

• First, when it comes to An Lushan, it does feel a bit weird to me to address him exclusively as Emperor Xiongwu from his self-proclamation as emperor onward. I think maybe we should be flexible about this.
• Second, most regnal names are "posthumous". Like an emperor were usually given the names, whether the temple name or whatever, after they died, so the normal convention of calling Li Longji "Emperor Xuanzong of Tang" during his lifetime might technically be anachronistic anyways. To illustrate this point, there are some emperors in history who are called "Emperor Fei" conventionally... fèi (廢) meaning "deposed". Isn't it weird that historians would call these guys "The Deposed Emperor" when talking about their lives before they were deposed? I think it's kind of weird. It also confuses me that An Lushan gave himself a regnal name upon crowning himself, and I'm not sure what category that name "Xiongwu" falls under.
• Apart from rebel leaders who declared themselves emperor then died within a year or two (and there are plenty of examples in Chinese history), there have also been leaders in "eras of fragmentation" who reigned for a while that we commonly refer to by their real names throughout their whole lives. Examples that you would be familiar with are Sun Quan (Emperor Da of Wu), Cao Pi (Emperor Wen of Wei), and Liu Shan (Emperor Xiaohuai of Han). I've been anticipating that someday the Three Kingdoms period might come up in Assassin's Creed, and we might want to form our practices with that possibility in mind in advance.
• There's also the case of deposed emperors who were stripped of or denied an imperial regnal name posthumously (denied even the title "The Deposed Emperor"), which creates an inconsistency and also a partiality that biases the victors in history.

So for all these reasons, it might be most consistent to just refer to an emperor by their real name throughout their lives, even when talking about periods where they reigned.

The main argument I can think of for requiring that we refer to an emperor by their regnal name during their rule is what I said before:

• For clarity, a typical historiographical practice is to do this. For example, calling Augustus by that name Augustus after he de facto became the first Roman emperor but Octavian for his life before.

And as a third option, it could be simpler to just use what readers' are most used to and expect. Call Li Longji "Emperor Xuanzong" during his reign and always call An Lushan "An Lushan" without acknowledging his imperial claim.

Sorry if I'm making this too complicated, but I really wanted to double-check with you about this. What do you think? Sol Pacificus^(Cyfiero) 05:56, 21 April 2023 (UTC)

I say we go according to the name they are mostly commonly known by or as listed on the Wikipedia and real-life articles. This way, we can minimize some confusion and solve some naming issues I guess? XD Lady Kyashira (talk) 10:26, 23 April 2023 (UTC)

It might not be necessary for me to clarify in advance, but since this has been a confusion previously with other users, I just wanted to be clear that I wasn't asking about the naming policy for Chinese rulers (i.e. the title of their articles) as we have already settled on using their real names for the titles of their articles for consistency. In this case, I was only asking about how we refer to a Chinese ruler when writing about them during their reign.

But yes, it might be better to not make a hard and uncompromising rule, but I wanted to defer to you on this. We can refer to a Chinese ruler by their real name during their reign or a regnal name. It is awkward to me to refer to An Lushan as Emperor Xiongwu during his short rule, but it would also be awkward to me to mandate that the Jiajing Emperor only be referred to as Zhu Houcong from now on. I think we could just allow flexibility to editors as long as it's consistent within the article, and given that flexibility, editors would most likely refer to them by the most common way. Sol Pacificus^(Cyfiero) 14:02, 23 April 2023 (UTC)

Licensing for images

Hi, I had noticed that there are numerous files currently marked for CC-BY-SA, aka Creative Commons. Why are they marked that? Fairuse is the more accurate term because legally AC is still owned by Ubisoft. Any publication of material as games does not loosen their ownership nor legally diminishes their rights. I'd say, edit all the pages to Fairuse. SeichanGrey (talk) 23:28, 25 April 2023 (UTC)

Cosimo Ruggeri

I'm confused about the statement "The astronomer warned the Queen that the construction would lead to her ruin, which it did on 5 January 1559 after tragedy struck her family." Does the tragedy mean the death of Catherine de' Medici? But she died at 1589 not 1559, is it a typo or something else? I'm not familiar with French history, maybe you can help me?—unsigned comment by 遵纪守法马拉卡 (talk · contr)

Hello yes, it was a typo. I have corrected the mistake, thanks for this :) Lady Kyashira (talk) 14:48, 28 August 2023 (UTC)

Categories

Why are you undoing my edits? Frontierchris (talk) 11:19, 10/20/2023 (UTC)

You are basing their connection to the Order purely on the people they were related to, when they don't even perform missions or do things on behalf othe Order itself. Do not undo our edits. Lady Kyashira (talk) 15:22, 20 October 2023 (UTC)

That's not the case with Marcellus Asina and Hypatos. Frontierchris (talk) 11:26, 20 October 2023 (UTC)

Hypatos was purely hired as a bodyguard, nothing to do with the Order. He specially only addressed Rudjek as Master, and only doing things in his name, not the Order. For Marcellus Asina, it is ambigious because he was only part of the plan to invade Egypt, which various Romans wanted to. Lady Kyashira (talk) 15:39, 20 October 2023 (UTC)

Can't we at least say they were puppets? Oh and why did you change your user name? Frontierchris (talk) 14:29, 20 October 2023 (UTC)

Marcellus Asina can be considered as a puppet, but Hypatos isnt. Lady Kyashira (talk) 02:00, 21 October 2023 (UTC)

Fan fiction

I was wondering if I could write fanon articles on this site if I include them as part of my user page and not as the site as a whole? And can I use regular categories if so? King Deadpool the Awesome (talk) 12:09, 21 October 2023 (UTC)

Hi there. Yes, it's fine if you only restrict that to your own user page and not the wiki articles. And no, sorry, I'm afraid you aren't permitted to use the categories since they are for in-universe and canon media. Hope you can understand. :) Lady Kyashira (talk) 13:20, 21 October 2023 (UTC)

Absolutely. That's why I asked. And thanks. King Deadpool the Awesome (talk) 17:09, 21 October 2023 (UTC)

NEXUS DATABASE ENTRIES

I NOTICE THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH THESE ENTRIES.SO THIS WOULD HELP.

Italy of the Renaissance, 1509 The Renaissance was a period of exceptional cultural vibrancy and Classical revival in Western Europe, starting in Northern Italy. Flourishing merchant city-states such as Florence and Venice competed to achieve economic dominance through international trade and political control. Rivalries were also strong inside individual cities, with bloody conflicts between the different families of the local oligarchies. Culture was a powerful tool of influence and rich families of the bourgeoisie patronized the most creative artists, painters, sculptors, architects and so on to promote their own interests. But violence, wars, conspiracies, and assassinations were also part of the struggle. Outside Italy, foreign powers such as France and the Holy Roman Empire, from Germany, also interfered in local affairs.

Church, power and prestige The Catholic Church was a major power in the troubled political context of the Renaissance, and the Pope himself was the influential ruler of the Pontifical/Papal States. In Rome and elsewhere, the wealthiest families competed to influence the Church. Members of the oligarchy joined the clergy to take control from inside. In the towns and villages, funding the local churches, offering donations and gifts, patronizing the best artists to elaborate and to adorn the religious buildings were also classic ways to achieve power and prestige.

Women and power The Italian ruling classes of the Renaissance, both the nobility and bourgeoisie, were male-dominated, and the political and ruling responsibilities were normally restricted to men. However, the social hierarchy was also a question of lineages and dynasties. Women belonging to prominent families could play an influential role in terms of sociability and alliance building and sometime in politics, though mostly from behind the scenes. Women also could play a role in the administration of the properties and businesses of the family.

Encastellation, a form of protection During the Middle Ages in Italy, in the absence of a strong royal authority cities continually fought each other. As a result, local lords and authorities started to build fortifications to protect towns and villages from rival armies and bandits. Though strictly speaking it involved defensive walls and towers rather than castles, the process was known as Encastellation (from the Italian Encastellamento). In practice, this was also an efficient tool for control and taxation of the population...

Lady With an Ermine Attributed to Leonardo da Vinci and painted c.1490, this masterpiece is believed to depict Cecilia Gallerani, the favorite mistress of Ludovico Sforza, powerful Duke of Milan and Leonardo’s employer at that time. As often with Leonardo’s work, hidden meanings have been debated, especially regarding the presence of the ermine. Some believe it was just a play of words on the Ancient Greek word forermine which sounds like the mistress’ surname. Others note that ermines were both symbols of preserved purity and moderation, two values cherished by the painter. But ermines were also seen as protectors of pregnancy, at a time Cecilia probably bore Ludovico’s son. Interestingly, Ludovico was member of the Order of the Ermine and nicknamed the White Ermine himself. The animal could then represent him, as he could obviously not appear in person on the portrait of his mistress... But he was possibly present when it was created: indeed, who do you think she is looking at?

Mercenaries and bandits on the loose Italian city-states hired mercenary troops to wage their wars. Placed under the lead of contract warlords known as condottieri, the war bands proved to be disciplined and efficient. However, when unemployed or just during their spare time, these troops frequently turned into bandits or carried out any mission for the highest bidder.

Rituals and Celebrations Apart from the classic rituals and religious ceremonies, other celebrations took place on Delos. There was, for example, the mysterious “dance of the Crane” which, according to tradition, was initiated by the Athenian mythological hero Theseus on his way back from Crete where he had slain the Minotaur. Worshippers also practiced self-flagellation around the Altar of Horns and the so-called biting of the Olive tree! This kind of celebration was also used by the Athenians to justify their involvement in the management of the sanctuary...

Apollo and the Serpent Often associated with youth, Apollo was ideally depicted as a beautiful young man with an athletic body. As a god of oracles, arts, archery, healing and also sunlight, his most common attributes were the lyre, the bow and arrows, the raven and the laurel wreath. He was also commonly depicted slaying the monstrous serpent Python with his arrows.

Temples and Banks... Usually, money and valuables stored in temples belonged to the dedicated god, and temple revenues were used for religious purposes. Nevertheless, the main temple of the sanctuary also functioned as a public bank and served as state reserve funds. It stored valuables and provided loans, even to private borrowers. For example, the temple of Apollo at Delos lent the funds at an interest rate of 10%!

The Shape of a Palm Tree Nicias, who liked to flaunt his wealth, made an offering of a bronze palm tree to Apollo in 417 BCE, during a splendid festival in Delos. The palm tree, associated with the birth of the god, was often found in shrines dedicated to him. This was because Apollo’s mother gave birth to him at the foot of a palm tree, thus rendering it sacred to him. Unfortunately, Nicias’s palm tree had a tragic end. It was decapitated during a storm, and in the process damaged the large statue of Apollo which was nearby.

A Question of Axes After 20 years of absence, Odysseus reached his homeland of Ithaca and participated in an archery contest which was organised by the suitors of his wife, the queen Penelope. Whoever managed to string Odysseus’ bow and then shoot an arrow through twelve axes in a row would marry the queen and thus become king. The suitors tried to stretch the bow by heating it and greasing it, but they failed to string it. In fact, no one could do it except Odysseus himself. After he successfully shot the arrow, Odysseus murdered all the pretenders to his throne.

Grain Supply Many cities of Ancient Greece depended on cereal imports. Any supply disruption could have tragic consequences starting with starvation. For example, at the end of the Peloponnesian Wars Athens suffered from a naval and ground blockade after being defeated in Aegospotami in 405 BCE. On Delos, vestiges of warehouses have been found in the port area which were possibly used to store grain.

Wreaths for Gods In Ancient Greece, wreaths were not only made of laurel but of different kinds of plants and trees, each one with a specific purpose. For example, wreaths of vine, ivy or roses were associated with Dionysus and Aphrodite, and were used during symposiums, the traditional banquets. Olive wreaths were the prize for the winners of the Olympic Games while laurel celebrated the winner of Pythic Games in Delphi. Considered Apollo’s sacred tree, the laurel was a reminder of the god’s first love. Cursed by Eros, Apollo chased the nymph Daphne against her wishes. The desperate nymph asked for help from her father, a river god, who saved her by transforming her into a laurel tree. The disappointed Apollo then developed a special reverence for the laurel tree.

Offerings and Markets Along with prayers and sacrifices, offerings were the most common religious practices in Ancient Greece. Any association, city, political group or individual could make an offering. It required that they deposit a valuable good in a sacred precinct dedicated to a specific god or goddess. The idea was to invoke divine protection against some threat, to solve an issue or to express gratitude for a wish fulfilled. During festivals, it was common to find markets and street vendors proposing all kinds of offerings for sale in the neighborhood of sanctuaries.

Jail conditions for POWs Conditions of incarceration varied greatly during the American Revolution. On the American side, providing decent treatment was common practice though tough conditions were occasionally reported. In the absence of proper camps for Prisoners of War (POWs), it was in fact common to distribute the British soldiers or German troops-for-hire among the population, with some degree of freedom. Some prisoners even chose to settle in the colonies and joined the cause of the Patriots! On the British side, conditions were usually inhumane, including cruel treatment and a systematic lack of food, drinking water and care. The British notably jailed POWs on prison ships in horrific sanitary conditions causing lethal outbursts of disease. In fact, it is estimated that more American Patriots died in prison than on the battlefield or in any other situation.

Alcohol, a crucial resource Drinking water was not necessarily safe in the Colonies, due to germs and other sanitary issues. This concern partly explains why people allegedly consumed 3 to 5 times more alcohol than the average American today! The most common beverages included beer, rum, whiskey or bourbon. Hard cider was a breakfast classic, including for kids. The Americans also enjoyed cocktails such as the popular and nutritive "flip", a mix of hot ale, rum or brandy, sugar, eggs and a spot of ground nutmeg. Several Founding Fathers of the United States such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams had close relationships with alcohol, being smugglers, wine lovers or hard drinkers. Some even say that alcohol may have played a role in heating up the spirits for the Patriot cause. In any case, taverns, which were crucial gathering places, often turned into revolutionary headquarters.

Boston leads the struggle From the Boston Massacre of 1770 to the Boston Tea party and the Siege of 1775, Boston played a major role during the American Revolution. This should not be a surprise. With a deep-sea harbor and naturally sheltered terrain, Boston was a major economic center of the American Colonies. This was based on trade and fishing activities under the leadership of a rich class of ship-owners and merchants. Starting during the 1760’s, restrictions on trade and enhanced taxation imposed by the British Crown directly affected the local economy and helped precipitate the Revolution.

Secret coding techniques Intelligence is key during wartime, especially when the contours of the two opposite sides are blurry, as occurred during the American Revolution. Guerrilla-style actions also implied solid spying and secrecy techniques. The interception of a message could have disastrous consequences and using secret correspondence was even more crucial since both sides spoke the same language! Leaders and agents used classic techniques such as the famous invisible ink made of lemon juice or vinegar, only revealed by heating. They also used masked letters with the secret text revealed by a pre-cut shape. More complex coding techniques were frequent as well: Thomas Jefferson himself, the future president of United States, invented the "Jefferson Cylinder", a coding tool with wheels and a cypher key to encrypt and decrypt messages.

Public hangings Public hangings were a common practice during the Colonial era, as a form of moral warning and religious sermon for the audience. During the American Revolution, this became less frequent, with improvised and quick executions in front of a reduced audience, especially of alleged spies. In any case, people were usually hanged from trees, and gallows were scarce. Though often depicted in fiction, the iconic trapdoor gallows to break the neck did not exist yet and the hanging victim actually died from suffocation...

The weight of the British Crown Relations between the future Americans and the British were complex. For a long period, the assistance of England had been necessary to survive in the colonies while the weight of the British Crown was too far away and limited to cause resentment. With time though, a new wealthy class emerged in America, one that could imagine a flourishing future without Britain. Ideas of emancipation appeared. At the same time, the Crown strengthened its control and exerted pressure over the Colonies. New taxes and regulations caused resentment and nurtured the rebellion, along with some tragic events such the Boston Massacre. The Patriot cause gained more and more of an audience as a result, even if most people seemed to remain loyal to the Crown.

The “noble train of artillery” In May 1775, a successful surprise attack of the British fort at Ticonderoga, nearly 300 miles from Boston, secured a massive stock of artillery. But the question was how to bring it back to Boston. After some time, Henry Knox, a self-made officer, organized an incredible expedition which took place in winter, under hazardous weather conditions, to retrieve the guns. The cannons were at first carried on the ground, then loaded on a ship on Lake George to go faster but it sank. Once bailed out, the precious material was put on specially built sleds driven by oxen. Snow was too high in places, making the advance on firm ground slow and difficult. River ice was too thin which turned crossings into new challenges. Finally, after a number of adventures, the so-called noble train reached Boston. The whole trip had taken ten weeks but the Patriots had now cannons with which to besiege the British inside the city.

The artillery of the siege Cannons and mortars used on both sides during the Siege of Boston were made of brass or iron. Some were 3 meters long with a weight of 2 tons. These cannons shot projectiles of around 10 kilos over more than 3 km. A dozen highly trained men were required to use them at an average firing capacity of 4 projectiles per minute. Though having a notable destructive power, this kind of artillery was not accurate. During the evacuation of Boston in 1776, the British fired around 700 cannonballs, but only 4 victims were reported.

A town under siege Relations were tense between the Bostonians and the nearly 3000 British troops, the infamous "Redcoats", who were garrisoned in Boston during the siege. Leaving the town was forbidden at first while the growing effects of the siege, including restrictions and shortages, caused disease and despair. The harsh winter season did not help. When part of the population was finally authorized to leave, Boston turned into a semi-deserted town with desperate Redcoats looting the houses and shops. People who remained in the city were suspected of being agents of the Patriot cause and suffered abuse as a result.

The signal of the Old North Church Built in 1723 and located in the North End of Boston, the Old North Church is the oldest standing church of the city. It is also famous for its relation to Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride at the beginning of the American Revolution. Revere, a wealthy Bostonian devoted to the Patriot cause, alerted the American militia stationed nearby as to the moves of the British troops. On Revere’s order, from the bell tower of the Church, the sexton reportedly sent a signal by lantern which had been previously agreed as "one if by land, two if by sea". As the British used the Charles River to approach, two lanterns were lit, only briefly to avoid detection. This first alert, completed by Revere’s horse ride, was crucial for the following American victories at Lexington and Concord in 1775.

The Sons of Liberty Founded in Boston in 1765, the Sons of Liberty were a revolutionary organization opposing the new British taxes and regulations and promoting the rights of the American colonists under a simple slogan: "no taxation without representation". Including prominent figures such as Paul Revere and Samuel Adams, the Sons were famous for their radical and highly publicized actions including the Boston Tea Party. Contrary to common beliefs, it was never a well-organized secret society but more of a loose umbrella organization for any person determined to fight the pressure of the Crown. The term was later used during the American Revolution for different groups of Patriots.

A revolutionary scientist An inventor, a mathematician and an astronomer, David Rittenhouse was definitely one of the most prolific scientists of the American colonies. Rittenhouse was especially famous for his amazing self-made instruments including two orreries, mechanical models of the solar system. He also built his own observatory and his work was crucial to establishing boundaries between the colonies. During the Revolution, he served as a military engineer, supervising weapons production and gunpowder storage. He later was the first director of the US Mint. The importance of keeping your word In a society of merchants, with only limited ways to register complaints or exercise control, demonstrating trust and keeping your word was crucial. This was part of a larger system of values based on notoriety and prestige. Having a good reputation, being reliable and recognized was a guarantee of economic success and political influence. On the other hand, a bad reputation, some public failures and humiliations could bring a good name down...

Prestige and fireworks Donations to the Church, owning family palaces or art patronage were classic ways to gain prestige. Sponsoring public celebrations also fit the bill. This may have included organizing shows of fireworks, a novelty recently brought back from China and one that surely amazed large audiences. With time, fireworks even became a specialty in Venice, during the Carnival and other celebrations.

A Venetian Market During the medieval era and Renaissance, Venice was a unique trading place, a worldwide hub between Europe, the Mediterranean, Persia, India and even the Far East, most notably through the famous Silk Roads. Venice’s markets offered a wide range of products of all kinds, raw material as well as processed items. All these goods were brought to Venice on seas, rivers or on land before being redistributed elsewhere. Venice also had a solid local industry, especially textiles. Among the most valuable goods were woolen textiles, drapery and ores from the North, silk and cotton from the Middle East and Egypt and porcelain and pearls from China. But the most beneficial was probably the spice trade starting with pepper, a most sought-after resource.

Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari is a typical church from the Italian Renaissance, one whose construction lasted more than a century. It was one of the most prestigious churches of the city and wealthy families and prominent persons such as Doges, the rulers of Venice, competed to have their own chapel inside or to be buried there. It featured a late Gothic style and some of Venice’s finest works of art: This would notably come to include masterpieces from the Venetian painter Titian, a decade after our adventure happens.

Prestigious towers Campaliniare bell-towers were usually built near a church or a religious complex and meant to mark the time of the day or to provide special alerts during specific events. As such, they were an essential element of daily life. Though not exclusive to Italy, these became an iconic feature of many Italian towns, especially during the Renaissance. Beyond their original function, campanili of the period were a visible sign of power and prestige. Each city competed to have the most elaborate one, decorated by renowned architects with fine adornments and rare material.

Secret denunciations The Lion’s mouths, or Bocche di Leone in Italian, because most of them featured Saint Mark’s winged lion, were complaint boxes scattered all over the city where citizens could complain about specific issues such as government, taxation, market affairs or public cleanliness. It was also a discreet way to report cases of fraud, corruption and conspiracies, until repeated cases of false allegations led to eliminating the anonymity of the complaints. In any case, the authorities took every complaint seriously and led careful investigations. Convictions could result in incarceration, exile or even death! Though debatable ethically, this was a very efficient way to rule the city. Pronounced social distinctions Marks of social status and social distinctions were important and carefully exposed, especially during social events such as public meetings and religious ceremonies. Inside the churches, different kinds of partitions known as rood screens originally separated the clergy from the lay people and the choir from the nave. With time, these partitions actually came to separate the wealthy from the common people. Made of carved wood, stone or iron, these were finely decorated elements.

Palaces for the wealthy What better show of wealth and prestige than owning your own palace in the city center? The richest families of the Renaissance competed to build the most exclusive palaces, with the best architects, including the finest decorations and adornments inside and out, such as sculptures, paintings or carvings.Note that palaces were usually conceived as the main element of a larger architectural complex including a church and an open square, in order to showcase the magnificent façades of the buildings. Venice had a number of them, mostly privately owned, along with the famous Palace of the Doge, on Saint Mark’s square, named after the title of the highest authority of the Republic of Venice.

Tavern Ancient Greek taverns were frequented by everyday people and offered wine. Depending on the size and quality of the tavern, some food was also available, and several distractions such as dice games could take place. The drink of choice of the ancient Greeks was wine mixed with water, while the Thracians, Egyptians, and Scythians brewed and drank beer. The wine was put in storage in amphorae, and their shape betrayed the region they came from. Once an amphora was opened, the wine would be decanted into a mixing bowl. Ancient wine was much stronger than today’s and reached as high as 16 percent alcohol. It was always mixed with water, with one part wine to three parts water being the preferred admixture. Like wine today, it came in three different types, dry, sweet, and medium-sweet, and could be red, white, or rosé.

Dice games Dicing was a popular amusement in Ancient Greece and cheating with loaded dice was not unknown. Dice games were played with four-sided knucklebones, with the values 1 and 6, 3 and 4, or six-sided dice made of different materials, including ivory, clay, and bronze. The value of each side was marked by dots, strokes, or words. As with the knucklebones, the numbers of two opposite sides always added up to seven. Usually, the game was played with 3, sometimes 4 dice, which were thrown from the back of the hand, the palm or a goblet. In the game called the "highest toss game" (pleistobolinda), the sum of the points won the game, with the highest possible number of points being triple sixes ("the Aphrodite throw"), and the lowest triple ones ("the dog throw"). Games could be played for objects, but more often were played for money.

Gambling and games of chance It was common for some ancient Greeks to spend their day in a gambling house, where many cockfights and games of chance took place. They gambled not only by spinning coins and hiding small objects in their hands, but also over quail fights or cock fights. The latter, imported to Greece by the Persians during the Persian War, were particularly common on the day of the celebration of the Greek victory over the Persians.

30 Tyrants In April 404 BCE, the Peloponnesian War ended when Athens surrendered to Sparta. The Athenian democracy was replaced by an oligarchy of 30 Tyrants selected from among the aristocracy to rule over the city. Under the lead of the radical Critias and the more moderate Theramenes, the 30 Tyrants created a new council and a college of magistrates. They issued new laws based on the old constitutions. They also tore down the walls of Athens and abolished the popular juries.Their opponents were persecuted through multiples sentences, confiscation of property or even death, with the execution of prominent citizens and foreigners frighteningly frequent. After their defeat at Munychia, the 30 Tyrants were removed from power and democracy was reestablished in September 403 BCE.

Critias Critias was an Athenian aristocrat of the 5th century BCE, and a prominent leader of the oligarchic faction during the Peloponnesian War. Probably a member of the government of the Four Hundred, he was later one of the 30 Tyrants who took power in the aftermath of Athens’ defeat at Aegospotami. He seemed to play a prominent role in the condemnation of his more moderate colleague Theramenes, who opposed the violence perpetrated by the government under the protection of Sparta. In contrast to his colleague, he appears to have been one of the more radical members of the Tyrants, and to have personally plotted some of its most reprehensible measures: murders, confiscations, banishments, as well as the mass execution of the population of Eleusis. In May of 403 B.C.E., he was killed at the Battle of Munychia by the returning democratic forces of Thrasybulus. Also depicted as a prolific and appreciated author of poetry, Critias was renowned for being one of the most famous disciples of Socrates. As a result, critics tend to explain this association with the Tyrants as one of the main factors behind the philosopher’s condemnation to death in 399 B.C.

Brigandage Looting and theft, two words often linked to banditry in ancient Greece, were considered by some ancient authors to be a way of making a living, alongside herding, fishing, hunting, and farming. This occupation did not seem to have had for the Ancient Greeks an offensive connotation. The population was still expected to be able to defend themselves against bandits, to the point where the men of northwest Greece took up arms in the 5th century BCE.

Work at Home Many Greeks were comfortable combining their living and working spaces. Some of them had a shop in their house, overlooking the street. From there they could sell food, leather, or various manufactured items. Others, like doctors, also worked from home and received clients or patients in their offices. It did not prevent other craftsmen from producing objects and selling them from their workshops, such as weapons, shields, musical instruments or jewelry. Some members of the social elite often perceived certain craftsmanship in a negative way. This was at least in part due to the fact that the working conditions were very exhausting. Their practitioners very often worked in the shade while sitting all day, and were left little time for leisure. According to Aristophanes, blacksmiths, potters, shoemakers and shield makers worked from dawn till dusk. The notion of public holidays did not exist, and workers normally rested only on religious holidays.

Symposium The symposium, which means "drink together", was a social institution of importance in Ancient Greece. It was held by small, exclusive groups in an entertaining room (named andron),where guests wearing garlands performed libations and prayers at the opening and ending of the event. They reclined on one or two couches (known as klinai) arranged around the sides of the room. Low tables for food were set in front of the couches. These drinking parties took place after meals, and were sometimes accompanied by music and dance. Professional entertainers and even courtesans were every so often a part of the party. Sometimes, biscuits were sprinkled with salt and served during the symposium to stimulate or sustain guests’ thirst so they could drink more. The wine was placed in a krater or mixing bowl in the middle of the room. It could be cooled by a psykter or wine-cooler, which was filled with wine and placed inside the krater full of cold water. Then, it was served with an oenochoe or an olpe (types of jugs) and drunk from cups such as kylikes or kantharoi. At the end of party, a procession might be held in the streets to attest to the unity and strength of the group.

Ancient Greek houses An Ancient Greek house was the living place of the family and their servants. The general plan of a Greek house was built around a courtyard. Several rooms with different functions were placed around the courtyard, which was the main source of daylight into these rooms. One would approach the house by means of a gateway where the guests could stand and have discussion before knocking. The door opened into the courtyard, surrounded by a colonnade and various rooms. In the courtyard there stood an altar for the domestic cults. Among the various rooms around the courtyard could be found a kitchen, a bathroom, a living room, bedrooms and storage rooms. Houses often had a second floor where there would be some bedrooms and rooms dedicated to women and children. In the house, oikos in Ancient Greek, the women were generally in charge of management, which was called in Greek the oikonomia, a word that gave our modern “economy.”

Street Some ancient cities, like Athens, were noisy and dirty places. The largely unpaved streets were littered with human and animal waste. Nevertheless, the streets, and public buildings of Athens were under the supervision of magistrate called an astynomos who had the responsibility for ensuring their sanitation. Five of them were appointed for the city and five for the Piraeus. Their main duties were to keep the streets and religious shrines clean and free from obstruction. They made sure that garbage was not dumped inside the city and organized the garbage disposal outside the city walls. They also prohibited parts of buildings, such as balconies or extensions, from encroaching on public thoroughfares or having windows facing the streets. The districts where craftsmen gathered were often noisy, smoky and unpleasant. Some streets, not equipped with night lighting, could even be dangerous.

Sycophants In Athens, anyone could sue an individual in a public legal action. Therefore, during the Classical period, some Athenians initiated legal actions solely to seek financial rewards for successful prosecutions. These individuals also made money by blackmailing people who would rather pay than go to court. These improvised prosecutors were called sycophants, a word which came to be used as an insult. Weaving and textiles Whether at home or in a workshop, textile making methods were similar in ancient Greece. After careful treatment of fibers of animal, plant or even mineral origin, they were transformed into threads. Used on the different types of looms, the fibers were spun with a spindle. Then, with a conical rod of wood or bone of about 20 cm, they were commonly woven on a weight loom. The most common textiles were wool or linen. The production of clothes was extremely laborious, and decorative elements, such as metallic thread, increased the cost exponentially. Although most of the clothes were made at home for household use, several ancient authors indicate that clothes were sometimes bought in the market. Moreover, it has been claimed that the textile market provided some of the women who made garments with a means of supporting themselves. The quality of the garment and the fibers used were associated with the wealth of its owner. Brighter and more vivid colors, such as white, red, purple, green, or brown, were often worn by women. Black, the color of mourning, was worn only on specific occasions.

How to make the rich pay Cities’ income came from various sources, including leases of land and mines, grazing and fishing rights, port and merchandise taxes, fines and confiscation of property and war tribute. Wealthy citizens and foreigners also participated in increasing the resources of the city, by paying for equipment for warships, financing the organization of festivals or even that underwriting public competitions. In particular, the organization and financing of the choregia brought unparalleled prestige to the choregos. The choregos paid the expenses of musical and theatrical performances, and gained considerable prestige by winning these competitions. Some of them commemorated their victory by erecting a monument in the city.

The Risks of Stealing Since houses in ancient Greece were built with mud bricks, thieves were known to dig through walls to get inside. Anyone who stole anything at night could be killed without incurring punishment for the murderer or could be arrested in private and handed over, as was normally the case, during the day to Athenian officials. The latter could immediately order the execution of the criminal if he confessed. Anyone who could plausibly deny the crime was brought to court with the ultimate threat of capital punishment. It appears that in many cities a lawsuit for theft was aimed at enforcing the return of the object, with a fine. In Athens, in the event of theft, the courts could impose a loss of honor in addition to a fine.

Spy network and secret codes The most important spy network of the Revolution was definitely the "Culper Ring", named after the aliases of two of its members and headed by Benjamin Tallmadge. The network used all kinds of secret techniques such as invisible ink or a famous coded book based on numbers attached to words and names. The secret of the Culper Ring was so well-kept that the public was only informed of its existence in the 1930s. Women played an important role in the organization and the identity of female agent 355 still remains a complete mystery...

The Franklin stove Also known as the Pennsylvania fireplace, this device was designed by Benjamin Franklin himself. Based on a clever system of a baffle and "inverted siphon", it was supposed to produce more heat and less fumes. However, it worked poorly and achieved very few sales until it was finally enhanced by famous scientist David Rittenhouse. Nevertheless, the flawed device is still mentioned among Franklin’s great inventions such as the lightning rod and bifocals!

Markets in Boston Open-air markets were something quite recent in the Colonies as the early practice was to sell food door to door. 3 open-air markets existed in Boston in the 1730’s. They were joined by a covered market in 1742, known as Faneuil Hall, after the rich merchant who founded it. Most vendors were apparently men while buyers were women. People used money but also bartered. Raised tensions regularly occurred with the authorities which tried to regulate activities at the markets, especially with peddlers.

Public Shaming in the colonies Public shaming was a common practice during the Colonial era, based on a mix of medieval legacy and Puritan culture. It served as a public humiliation in front of the community and a warning for the audience. Public flogging was frequent, with a varying degree of pain administered. Less harmful but uncomfortable and equally humiliating were devices made of wooden boards and based on physical restraint. Offenders were put in the stocks, which restrained their ankles and sometime their wrists too, or in the pillory, standing on a post, with their neck and wrists secured. The punishment took place in public spaces such as marketplaces to increase visibility, and usually lasted around a couple of hours. Often used for women, there was a specific punishment called the ducking stool: the offender was placed on a chair attached to a long beam and repeatedly submerged in water. Gossips were forced to wear the infamous scold’s bridle, a mask or some straps made of iron silencing the victim.

Muffled oars In July 1777, Major William Barton, along with some 40 men packed into 5 whaleboats, led a raid to capture British General Richard Prescott in his own headquarters on Aquidneck Island, near Newport. Sailing at night in absolute silence, it took 6 days to cross Narrangasett Bay stealthily and to round the island in order to approach their target. Silence was key and the oars were allegedly covered with sheepskin to deaden their sound. On the last segment, on the night of the 10-11 of July, the expedition also benefited from a cloudy night. The plan perfectly worked as Barton and his troop passed by several British ships and landed unnoticed.

General Richard Prescott, the target A Lieutenant General of the British Army, often described as arrogant, Richard Prescott was in charge of the 4000 troops that garrisoned in the strategic sector of Newport. He had his personal headquarters in a farm owned by Henry Overing, a fervent Loyalist, where only an escort of a few men protected him. The farm was less than 1 mile from the coast, which made an operation from the sea to kidnap him more likely to succeed. Ironically, Prescott had already been captured (and exchanged) one year before.

William Barton, a daring man In late 1776, General Charles Lee, second in Command of the Continental Army under the command of Washington, was captured by the British. Exchanging prisoners of similar ranks was common but the Patriots held no captive General at the moment. However, in mid-77, William Barton, a modest hat-maker from Providence who had joined the rebellion from the start learned from trusted sources that the General Richard Prescott, head of the British forcesin Rhode Island, was hosted at a farm, five miles north of Newport, near from the coast. Barton then planned and led a daring plan to kidnap Prescott and exchange him for Lee.

The Ships of the Navy Mounting up to a hundred cannon - many more than the number serving on a battlefield - British ships in the colonies had incredible firepower. These ships were difficult to steer and were mainly used for the classic fleet battle which consisted of forming lines and firing at each other. The lighter ships were used for the French –inspired commerce raiding which consisted in hunting down merchant ships to disrupt the logistics of the enemy. They could also sail closer to the shore. In both cases, the battle did not focus on sinking the enemy ship but on dismasting it. The iconic pirate-style boarding remained exceptional! When damaged or after some 20 years of service, ships were laid up and scrapped. Some could then be used as prison-ships.

Life on Board Discipline and life conditions were harsh for the average recruits on the ships of the Royal Navy. The men spent their time “watchkeeping”, scrubbing the deck, maintaining the weapons or exercising. Half of the crew was busy while the others rested. Food was based on dried vegetables, salted meat and rotting biscuits. Fresh meat was only for the officer class. Vitamin deficiencies caused scurvy. Water was often dirty and caused typhus, so it was safer to drink alcoholic beverages such as wine or beer.

Signal communication Signal lamps, typically using Morse code, appeared during the 19th century. It was not until the 19th Century too that signaling flares started to be commonly used on ships as well, thanks to the invention of US businesswoman Martha Coston. During the American Revolution, the Royal Navy still used classic flag signals, or common lanterns at night or due to bad weather. Communications were limited to quite simple messages only.

Quartering the soldiers In the absence of proper military barracks, housing and feeding the British Army in America was a major issue. In 1765, a first Quartering Act imposed on the local authorities to build and maintain barracks for the troops. If necessary, troops could also be housed in buildings such as public houses, stables, barns or uninhabited houses. A new act of 1774 allowed governors of the Crown to take action if proper solutions were not proposed by locals. Housing in private homes remained very unusual and was not included in these acts. However, all these measures were strongly resented by the population and denounced as “intolerable acts”. This eventually gave rise to the 3rd Amendment, which strictly forbids housing of soldiers in private homes.

San Michele island A small islet north of Venice, San Michele was for a long time the site of a lone monastery and a church, a mysterious place visited only by some fishermen and travelers. When fire destroyed the church, this led to the construction on a new one, completed in 1469, which is considered as the first Renaissance-style building in Venice. Its nicely adorned façade, made of white Istrian stone, attracted attention and the church became a reference and an iconic location of Venice. Centuries later, the island housed the official cemetery of the city, for sanitary issues. It then became known as the Island of the Dead.

San Giacomo di Rialto An iconic church of Venice, it is home to two legends. First, according to tradition, San Giacomo was founded the same year as Venice itself, in 421 in the very same place that became known as the Rialto. This would make it the patron church of the city. Second, the presence of the church later prompted the creation of the famous market of the Rialto. According to tradition, it was allegedly there, under the protection and scrutiny of the church, that the first bill of exchange was introduced among the merchants, money lenders and bankers. It basically consisted of a piece of paper with a name and an amount. No matter if this is true or not, the fact is San Giacomo has always had a notable importance for the Venetians.

Leonardo’s workshop Let’s try to imagine how Leonardo’s workshop in Venice might have been... Well, based on existing elements from his time in Florence and France, it must have been an incredible and messy collection of all kinds of inventions, drawings and research objects, a cabinet of curiosities of spanning the entire culture. Just remember that the famous genius was a painter, a sculptor, a poet, an architect, an engineer, an inventor, an urbanist, an anatomist, in brief, an artist and a scientist: his workshop surely reflected his prolific mind and his insatiable thirst for knowledge.

Ponte dei pugni This bridge takes its name from an ancient custom in Venice linked to the division of the city into 2 opposite neighborhoods, the Castellani in red and the Nicolotti in black. Several times a year, after a first public challenge, both factions met on the bridges and fought for hours. The goal was to throw their rivals in the canal below and to be the last ones on the bridge. A large audience not only cheered its champions but also joined the fight. The massive brawl often forced the law to intervene. Fighting was usually based on punching but weapons such as clubs and knives were sometimes used. There were severely wounded and dead. Victories were duly celebrated and defeats were mourned, at least until the next encounter...

Shipsheds and shipyards A Greek harbor such as Munychia contained a series of shipsheds, arranged on the shore or encircling a cove. Each shed was built to accommodate a warship on dry ground, but it was also used to build ships and maintain them. The ships were pulled from / into the water with ropes and on wooden planks. The warships required a methodical overhaul in dry docks. This was done during the winter months, as there was no navigation during this period. The architecture of the sheds - with their relatively low roofs - meant that the ships were dismasted for their overhauls. The first ship sheds were built in the 6th century BCE. and we know that Pericles built a number of them for a sum of 1000 talents, which would represent about 150 to 250 million US dollars today. Naval inventories reveal there were 372 shipsheds in the three harbors of the Piraeus during the 4th century BCE.

Ancient warships A trireme was a warship maneuvered by 170 rowers manning three rows of oars. Its military purpose was to strike with metal rams or to allow for boarding of the enemy ships. The crews were usually enlisted citizens, paid one drachma a day, and this salary was covered by the Athenian state. Due to their sought-after special skills, the rowers of the top bench received additional bonuses from the wealthy fundraising citizens who competed in order to have the best possible crews. From the 5th to the 4th century BCE. the heavy losses of the Peloponnesian War and the exhaustion of funds made it difficult to find new rowers and crew members. As a result, not all crew members were citizens. The trireme, when fitted out as a pure warship, could carry only about thirty crewmen and combatant besides the rowers. These included marines (epibates), archers, a captain, a helmsman, a boatswain, a piper, and assorted crewmen in charge of the gear, sails and repairs.

Fortifications The naval installations of Athens’ harbors were fortified. The walls were extended on either side of each harbor’s mouth by means of moles, thereby decreasing the width of the entrance passage. Moles were terminated with fortified towers to which a chain was attached, enabling the port to be completely sealed off in times of danger. Although the demolition of Athens’ fortifications and shipsheds was imposed by the victorious Spartans in 404 BCE and the new oligarchic regime of the Thirty Tyrants, it was not completed. As a result, the Athenian fortifications and harbor remained a recurring theme among orators of the 4th century, a symbol of prestige and power.

Food supply and military logistics Soldiers not only provided their own equipment, they were also expected to bring their own food. We know that Athenian’ standard was a three-day ration. Rations usually consisted of dry foods such as salted fish or cereal flours that could be mixed with water to make a porridge. Food could also be pillaged in enemy territory. The short duration of conflicts in the Greek world often occurred because of the poor logistics of supplying and maintaining armies. Towards the end of the Classical period, armies could be resupplied by ships, and larger equipment could be transported using wagons and mules, which came under the responsibility of men too old to fight.

War machines Pericles, the Athenian politician, appears to have been the first Greek to use "siege engines" during the Peloponnesian War. These included "rams", "turtles" and towers. To burn down fortresses, the Greek historian Thucydides said that some of his contemporaries would have used iron tubes filled with hot coals, sulfur, and pitch in order to launch flaming projectiles at the walls. The invention of the gastraphetes at the end of the Classical period, the ancestor of the catapult and the crossbow, eventually played an important role by having a greater range than an archer.

The Pnyx, the cradle of democracy Situated on a hill west of the Acropolis, the Pnyx was the main site of Athenian democracy. The word "Pnyx" has been linked in popular etymology to the meaning "parked together," clearly an allusion to the fact that at the time of the assembly the crowd was so dense that everyone was close to each other. Originally built during the 5th century BCE, it was remodeled in 403 BCE under the Thirty Tyrants. The Pnyx housed the assembly of the citizens of Athens which was called to order and presided over by the Prytaneis. At the beginning of each session, a sacrifice was offered to Zeus Agoraios, the patron of the assembly. A quorum of 6,000 citizens was necessary to adopt decrees, such as declaring war or voting expenses towards grain importation, or even the election of certain magistrates. Sessions lasted couple of hours each. Speeches were made by the citizens on the platform and votes were done by a show of hands. Orators were held responsible for what they said in public.

The equipment of Hoplite The Greek warrior’s equipment consisted of a bronze cuirass (or a lighter armor), bronze greaves, a spear, a sword, and a shield. The panoply – the name given to the whole apparatus the citizen needed to provide for himself – was costly: an Athenian decree of the 6th century BCE lists 30 drachmas, a month’s wages for the average craftsman, as the price. It is clear that not every man could possess all the pieces of equipment composing the panoply; members of the elite could, but others had to content themselves with lesser or cheaper gear (such as light armor, the linothorax, instead of the bronze cuirass). It is also likely that arms and armor were passed down from father to son in order to reduce expenses. Towards the end of the Classical period, the state began supplying weapons, relieving – partially – the problem of cost.

The role of a ship’s purser The "ship’s purser" was a warrant officer whose main task was to supply food, drink, clothes and other small items to the crew. The pursers bought their function from the Admiralty and received no pay for it. Acting as mandatory intermediary between the regular suppliers and the crew members, the pursers took their share from both sides. They were on-board suppliers, merchants, lenders and even bankers. The role was undoubtedly profitable but the activity could also be risky due to unsold stocks and other hazards. Chasing the crew to get paid or withholding part of their salaries did not make pursers popular, especially as they were always suspected of making all kinds of immoral profits.

The art and use of gunpowder Gunpowder supply was a challenge throughout the American Revolution, especially for the Patriots. Some was imported from the West Indies, France and Switzerland, but the Patriots also had to develop their own local industry. Making gunpowder, a mix of sulfur, carbon and saltpeter, was actually not the difficult part. It was, however, dangerous, due to the risk of explosions, and manufacturing sites were usually built in isolated areas, or with a weaker wall to direct the potential explosion in a safe direction. Due to the saltpeter, gunpowder had a special taste and was sometimes used as a substitute for salt. It was also used sometimes for tattoos!

Explosion hazards Storing up to 20 tons of gunpowder, ships of the period were particularly vulnerable to the risk of explosions. Flames and fires were everybody’s nightmare. This was true when they were used for cooking or lighting, and even more so during battles. The use of fire ships, which were deliberately set on fire and sent against the enemy, was frequent. During the American Revolution, one of the British fleet’s most important losses was the HMS Augusta. While sailing up the Delaware River, the powerful 64-gun ship ran aground on sandbars. As the battle started, the Patriots sent several fire ships onto the river in order to disrupt the attack and destroy the British ship. The Augusta caught fire and later exploded. The blast was heard up to 50km away.

Ships' manifests Bookkeeping is an old practice of sailors. Known as manifests, these ship's books were used to record any noteworthy information or event occurring onboard. They were notably used on merchant ships to establish lists of merchandise and to justify any losses or damage. Officers of Navy ships used them to explain their decisions, in case of investigation or martial court. In any case, these books now offer valuable information over centuries for historians, in numerous different areas including climate change!

Oh, this is greatly much appreciated. Thank you so much. Lady Kyashira (talk) 08:27, 18 November 2023 (UTC)

Discovery Tour images

I wanted to try filling out the missing images in Discovery Tour entries (Egypt and Greece), but it seems like it's not possible to completely hide the UI elements in-game. How did you do it for the images you uploaded? Ripped them from the game files? –Axilmeus (talk) 18:55, 20 February 2024 (UTC)

ACOD PNG images

I wonder how you got those PNG images for ACOD. --UJ112013 (talk) 16:13, 22 September 2024 (UTC)

Hi, I use an extraction tool called ACviewer which you can get here. Cheers! Lady Kyashira (talk) 10:10, 23 September 2024 (UTC)

Titan Comics pics

I see your current project is to add missing images or update pre-existing ones from the Titan comics. Great work, it's definitely needed. Where are you finding all these pics without speech bubbles, though? I've read a number of the cited issues myself digitally and have never seen the backgrounds that are hidden behind the text. – Darman (talk) 21:45, 27 December 2024 (UTC)

They were issues I obtained from a book bundle that AC did with Humble Bundle, containing issues from Titan Comics, Dark Horse, Aconyte, and TokyoPop. You can no longer find it from there, though. Lady Kyashira (talk) 05:54, 28 December 2024 (UTC)

Cool! Just was curious. Congrats on being lucky enough to get it. – Darman (talk) 05:25, 29 December 2024 (UTC)

Incomplete Shadows memories that I need help in finishing

• A Chance Encounter
• Temple Stories
• Restless Spirits
• The Lost Envoys
• Darkness Falls
• The Peasant Who Would Be King
• Topple the Traitor
• Story of a Samurai
• Story of a Young Boy
• Story of a Shinobi
• Out of the Shadows

MrWii000 (talk) 22:36, 17 August 2025 (UTC)