Shōgun Historical Shallow-Dive: Part 1
Does everybody else's heart hurt? Good! Let's get learning. These characters and the people that inspired them all deserve their own post, but here's a quick one if you're wondering what happened. This is a shallow-dive because the history is extremely complicated, and a condensed version of just the events leading up to Sekigahara (the battle depicted in the finale) take up entire volumes of history. I'll do my best to answer questions about what happened to our three protagonists, in the show, as well as real life 🙇
One note: given I'm not a professional historian, I've got no obligation to not have biases and favourites. I've tried to keep most of them out of this, but if you want to punish yourself by trying to keep track of who's who in the Azuchi-Momoyama period, this book is the best English-language overview.
What happened to Toranaga (Tokugawa Ieyasu)?
Gif: @yocalio
I am not as strong as I might be, but I have long known and practiced patience. And if my descendants wish to be as I am, they must study patience. - from The Legacy of Ieyasu Tokugawa
In the book, Toranaga reveals that it had been his aspiration to be Shōgun from the very beginning. That was what drove his alliance with the Taiko, that was what drove his feigned alliance with the Heir.
History follows a very similar path. I re-read some chapters on the battle of Sekigahara last night, and there is no easy way to explain it, but: the result of Sekigahara (an enormous, two-day battle with 200,000 samurai and ashigaru warriors in the field) was an enormous victory for Tokugawa, Toranaga's real-life counterpart.
Years - sometimes decades - of scheming by Tokugawa had made Ishido/Ishida's Western Alliance completely fragmented. In the months leading up to the period displayed in the show, Toranaga was calling in a lifetime of marriage alliances, diplomatic advantage, defensive pacts and childhood friends who'd risen to high status. Re-reading the sources, the names of all the lords of all the important fiefs and castles makes my head spin, let alone the ones that turned out to be pivotal to Toranga/Tokugawa's victory. But it was a resounding victory, and by both the numbers and the disposition of forces, he should have lost.
Historians have a consensus that if the 'Western forces' of the Heir had have fought together with a unified command structure, they would have won, easily. But they didn't - orders from Ishido/Ishida were ignored, Toranaga/Tokugawa endured onslaughts, and the Regents' opposing armies eventually fractured and melted away. This was a last-of-an-era battle. Families were fighting on either side, every single unit that could be brought to bear was on the field. It is no exaggeration to say Sekigahara is one of the few, unambiguous battles upon which the beginning of a historical era came down to.
Toranaga/Tokugawa triumphed because he spent decades building unity of purpose and strong alliances, simultaneously sowing division amongst the Regents, who ultimately balked at being commanded by a bureaucrat like Ishido/Ishida. Whilst there was no one decisive moment of an extremely bloody, rainy, two-day battle, the fact that Ishido/Ishida's forces refused to be told what to do by someone of lower status was the main theme of their defeat. A crucial army stationed on the hill stayed still, refusing to commit to either side, until Toranaga/Tokugawa fired muskets into their ranks. They made up their mind, and attacked Ishido/Ishida's Western army. Ishido/Ishida's one trick of firing a flare to commit the reserve army didn't work. The commander ignored it. Instead of being there to fight for something, Ishido/Ishida's coalition was there to oppose someone. They all had different reasons. And ultimately, the man that brought them together didn't command enough respect to command a battle.
As our show Toranaga said, the Regents fell upon each other. He might have been a bit optimistic about how and why this would happen (they fell over each other in retreat, and it took two days of horrific combat), but it happened. Tokugawa Ieyasu was famous for richly rewarding former enemies, and most of those he defeated kept their heads. This reputation is a strong incentive for leaving the field when things start going Tokugawa's way.
The two exceptions were Ishido/Ishida, and Kiyama/Konishi, both beheaded in Osaka (Ishido, bizarrely, was upbeat about his fate, until seconds before the sword came down). Killing Ishida was the obvious move, as the man schemed and bitched so much he caused a civil war. Killing Konishi was more calculated - it opened up his trade-hub in Kyushu to being ruled by a fervent Buddhist daimyo and ally of Tokugawa.
Toranaga/Tokugawa forces soon captured Osaka Castle after the battle of Sekigahara, and with it, the Heir.
Toranaga/Tokugawa 'reluctantly' accepted the Imperial appointment of Shōgun three years later, in 1603. In 1605, he abidcated, passing the title to his most malleable and competent son, Hidetada. He was the real power behind the throne and ruled until his death in 1616.
The year before he died, he was able to fully secure his legacy. The Heir (in real life, Toyotomi Hideyori) had begun to gather daimyo to Osaka castle who were opposed to Tokugawa. Tokugawa used the flimsiest of pretexts - the opening of a shrine - to order the Heir out of the castle. He refused, Tokugawa forces besieged the castle - twice. The first one was called off because cannon fire nearly killed Ochiba no kata, and she pushed her son to sue for peace. By the second siege, there would be no peace: the Tokugawa forces defeated all oppoosition, and secured the legacy.
Toranaga/Tokugawa's descendants would rule for 250 years of internal peace and external lock-down of the country from barbarians (and Christians), except for limited trade.
The big question: did Toranaga/Tokugawa really want to be Shōgun from the start? History tells us, rather unambiguously, yes - before the campaign, he was writing his 100 Articles for ruling Japan, which would be instrumental for his family holding on to power and preventing internal strife. His plan may well have gone back to his formative, teenage years. At the very least, it is highly likely it was solidified when Toranaga/Tokugawa was a vassal of the Dictator Koroda/Oda Nobunaga - the man Mariko/Hosokawa Gracia's father assassinated, who was brutal even by the standards of the day. We don't have time for him, the Taiko, and Mariko's father today - but my opinion is that the motherfucker firmly deserved to be assassinated, and the only amazing thing is that the inspiration for Mariko's father was able to hold off for so long.
But that killing set off a chain of events that would lead to Toranaga/Tokugawa becoming sole ruler of a unified Japan. So much of history is contingent on individual actors and random events. It didn't have to happen. It was extremely unlikely. But, through patience (and by my reckoning, a lot of luck), he made the world he wanted to see. Whether that was worth the price in lives is for the reader to decide.
But by all accounts, Toranaga/Tokugawa died very satisfied in the knowledge that his legacy was secure, his realm was unified, and, finally, at peace.
What happened to Mariko (Hosokowa Gracia)?
Gif: @yocalio
As is probably obvious, Mariko's purpose was fulfilled before the conclusion of the show. As is also probably obvious, her historical counterpart - Hosokowa Gracia - did not have an affair with an English sea pilot (😢). She did, however, change Japanese history, and tipped the balance of noble support towards Toranaga/Tokugawa. Her death had meaning.
The framing of her marriage to Buntaro and exile after her father's successful assassination of a brutal dictator is almost exactly correct. She was one of the most desirable, valued and accomplished young noblewomen of the day. The stain of the name Akechi would haunt her for the rest of her life. Real life Buntaro, Hosokowa Tadaoki, genuinely sent her away for two years to save her life. The Hosokowa family even went so far as to pretend that she had died, to save her from the Taiko's vengeance. Whilst her marriage was an unhappy one (though not, as far as is known, abusive), she was beloved by the head of the Hosokowa clan, the show's Hiromatsu. They went to extraordinary lengths to keep her safe.
Her main comfort in her life was her faith. It's perhaps here that we get the strongest through-line from Hosokowa Gracia to Mariko - unafraid, intelligent, and fierce.
She first came to learn about Christianity from her Christian maid, who extolled the virtue of the faith, and the opportunities for intellectual stimulation theological discussion could bring. In 1587 (five years after her father assassinated the dictator, three years after she returned from exile), she decided to take action on it. She snuck out of Osaka Castle and visited the main church in Osaka - she had lively conversations with the elderly Father-Visitor, and was an excellent pupil of both Portuguese and Latin theological texts. I don't know if you guys have ever tried to read those things, but even in translation, they are torturous. This woman was extremely intelligent.
As a noble woman of the Taiko's court, she knew he was about to issue an edict outlawing Christianity. Being the (excuse the language) absolute fucking badass that she was, she had her maid (baptismal name Maria) baptise her before the edict was issued, transforming from Hosokowa Tama to Hosokowa Gracia. Even though she had to keep her faith a secret due to the Taiko's edict, she found a way to hold on to it. She had a special sake cup made with the Hosokowa mon emblazed on the lip, which, on very close inspection, was actually a Christian cross.
During this time of her religious conversion and education, a primary source from a Jesuit priest says that 'I have never disputed with a woman of such clear judgement, and such definite knowledge.' She was known for being fiercely intelligent, and this is commented on in many European letters and journals that have remained from the Catholic church's time in Japan.
Her relationship with her husband - like Buntaro, a senior retainer of Toranaga/Tokugawa - was frosty. They never reconciled after her father's (Akechi Mitsuhide) rebellion, but her husband did recall her from exile when it was safe to do so, and she lived to serve a very similar purpose to Mariko in the book and show. By virtue of not being an interpreter, she was less close to Toranaga/Tokugawa than in the book and show, but she was still dedicated to her clan and her clan's overlord, as will become clear.
Just as in the show, Hosokowa Gracia agonized at the thought of seppuku putting her soul in mortal danger. But she perceived her duty to be to ensure death before being captured or otherwise dishonoured.
To put it bluntly, Ishido (Ishida in real life) fucked up. Before any military manouvers had begun, he went to seize hostages of friends and enemies alike throughout Osaka castle. His forces tried to forcibly seize Hosokowa Gracia from the family quarters. She gave orders for her senior retainer to kill her, her daughter, and set fire to their section of Osaka Castle, so that none could be taken and subjected to dishonour. She arranged with this samurai to stand on one side of a shoji screen, facing him. He stabbed her through the heart with a naginata. She died, satisfied in the knowledge that:
...the death was not suicide, and her soul would doubtless be spared from the torments of Hell.
Although not doing this directly on the orders of Toranaga/Tokugawa, it's highly likely she knew that she was making a statement (many of the other hostages went quietly). This furthered his cause immensely. Inspired by Hosokowa Gracia, families streamed out of Osaka Castle and other Regent-held castles by any method they could. Her example ignited a firestorm of controversy surrounding the gall of a jumped-up bureaucrat (a reputation Ishido/Ishida would never escape) forcing the death of one of the era's pre-eminent noblewomen. Although her husband was relatively unbothered by her death, her father-in-law - the book/show's Hiromatsu - was furious. Because of Hosokowa Gracia and his granddaughter's death, he immediately fortified his border castle.
He defied a large [Ishido/Ishida] army of 15,000 men with only 500 men of his own.
Many of [Ishido/Ishida's] commanders held [Hosokowa Fujitaka/Hiromatsu] in such high regard that they went through the bare motions of laying siege. On a regular basis, gunners 'accidentally' forgot to load their cannon with iron shot, and so Tanabe Castle's walls reverberated daily to the harmless booming of blank gundpowder explosions. [Ishido/Ishida's] military offensive had launched to a disastrous start.
The siege only ended because of an imperial decree (it's a long story - Fujitaka/Hiromatsu knew an oral tradition special imperial poem that risked dying with him, nobody could refuse the Emperor). More than this, any chance Ishido/Ishida had of convincing skilled and respected generals to commit to his side ended with Fujitaka/Hiromatsu's defiance. Such was the respect that he commanded, and such was the rage he felt at the death of his daughter-in-law, that he worked tirelessly to gather support for Toranaga/Tokugawa, despite his advanced years.
Mariko/Hosokowa Gracia's contribution was an inflection point to what many samurai, busho and daimyo were suspecting - that Ishido/Ishida was a snake bitch who couldn't be trusted (I believe that's the correct historical term). Her actions galvanized resistance against him, and continued to spread the wildfire that would seal his defeat on the battlefield of Sekigahara: 'Why are we taking orders from him?'
Importantly, Hosokowa Gracia's remains were gathered by a Catholic priest, and given a Christian burial in Osaka. From everything we know of her, this would have been very meaningful indeed. Just as with Mariko in the show's depiction, Hosokowa Gracia's death was not senseless or without meaning. It meant something, and continues to resonate through the centuries.
What happened to John Blackthorne (William Adams)?
Gif by @cinematic-gif-archive
The short answer: imagine an alien landed in America. It was smart enough to avoid death. It ended up chief special advisor to Obama, and they became bros. That is William Adams's life.
First things first: Blackthorne stays in Japan. 'Old Rich Blackthorne' scenes are basically fever dreams. I was worried when the episode opened with a flash-forward to an old man living in Tudor comfort. This would be a huge change from both the book, and history. The novel ends with Toranaga confirming that his plan is for Blackthorne to never leave Japan. Blackthorne finds his place there. In history, the same is true of William Adams.
In episode 10, the 'is this a flash-forward?/is this a dream?' question is answered halfway through the episode. Blackthorne drops Mariko's cross over the side with Fuji's family ashes. As soon as that's done, the aged visions of Blackthorne disappear.
For those who are more textual than visual: the episode is titled A Dream of a Dream (a play on the title of the Taiko's death poem). Concussed, grief-stricken Blackthorne is dreaming of the dream he used to have - returning to England with riches and glory, his family name secure, with every comfort Queen Elizabeth the First can offer a pirate-explorer like Sir Francis Drake or Sir Walter Raleigh. But as soon as he lets go of Mariko's cross into the water (earlier, actually, when he sincerely attempted seppuku to try and save the people of Ajiro) that dream stopped appearing. The dream he had of exploiting Japan for riches and glory was gone, replaced with the reality of the life he is left to build.
In the show and the book, Toranaga is explicit about never letting Anjin-sama/Blackthorne leave Japan. If he builds new ships, Toranaga will burn them again. He needs Blackthorne's knowledge, expertise, and - in a bizarre twist of fate - friendship. We leave him hauling his wreck from the harbour, ready to salvage the keel and spars, to build a new ship in Japan.
So how does this marry up with history? Extremely accurately. As far as we know, the historical William Adams was slightly less of a pirate/privateer than the book/show's John Blackthorne. His hatred of Catholicism was more driven by their fervent desire to kill him, which they kept up for nearly a decade. His interest in exploration, in the show and in the historical, was genuine.
The show's story very closely follows what actually happened in real life (again, sans romance... although he does have love in his life, which we'll get to). His crew were initially imprisoned, he was summoned by Toranaga/Tokugawa, and met with him many times to discuss his knowledge of the outside world, trade, and Christianity's impact in Asia. The Jesuits did pester the Council of Regents, and Toranaga/Tokugawa in particular, to execute him. Toranaga/Tokugawa refused, saying this barbarian had done nothing to harm Japan or its people. The Jesuits would not forget this.
He did train elements of Toranaga/Tokogawa's army in how to work the cannon his ship possessed - a skill he possessed, but no one else was willing to offer. He actually followed Toranaga/Tokugawa to several battles. Recent primary source evidence has revealed it was highly likely he was actually at the Battle of Sekigahara, which is a very recent development in the historiography of his life. It is just bananas insane, but it demonstrates just how useful (and likeable) Blackthorne/Adams was to Toranaga/Tokugawa.
I've read two biographies of William Adams, and he was very, very like the Blackthorne portrayed by Cosmo Jarvis. Other Europeans in Japan complained that he was arrogant and dismissive - historians see this as Adams adapting to his station in Japanese society, and being extremely frustrated with European manners and bearing in Japan.
Once Toranaga/Tokugawa became shōgun, Adams - already a samurai - was made hatamoto, and forbidden from leaving Japan. He was granted many generous cuckoos (250 of them!), an estate in Edo, a fief at the entrance to Edo bay, and rose to become Toranaga/Tokugawa's chief trade advisor. During Toranaga/Tokugawa's remaining life, he built two Western-style ships (which Tokugawa came aboard and was very pleased with - that's nice!), and took over piloting duties of Portuguese and Spanish ships making landfall in Edo, pissing off the Catholics to no end.
On Ieyasu Tokugawa's death in 1616, his holdings and fief were confirmed by the new shōgun, Ieyasu Hidetada. But his relationship with the court wouldn't be the same. My reading of the sources leads me to believe that James Clavell was right here: Toranaga/Tokugawa Ieyasu genuinely liked Blackthorne/William Adams, and wanted him around.
As more and more Europeans arrived in Japan, including the English and the Dutch, Adams served as translator for them, and - for the Enlgish - fixer whenever they did something barbaric and rude that would warrant execution. He seemed to view spending time with the (no joke) drunken, whoring, disgusting-smelling English trading factory members as an extreme annoyance. He seemed happiest at sea, and at his mansion in Edo, where he married the daughter of a merchant in 1613. Whilst her name is lost to the historical record, they had two children, Joseph and Susanna.
He wasn't a deadbeat dad - he wrote to his wife back in England, explaining that he could not return. She was a firebrand, and eventually extracted a form of life insurance from the Dutch company that had contracted Adams's piloting services. Partly she was able to do this because of a proclamation issued by Toranaga/Ieyasu Tokugawa: 'William Adams was dead the day he was made samurai, and Miura Anjin - the pilot of the fief of Miura - was born.' That sounds like a badass quote I've made up, but that's one of the English translations of Tokugawa's proclamation.
Adams kept up his maritime adventures, charting the Japanese coast, going on several trading missions to Southeast Asia (sailing to Thailand and meeting with the King of Siam, furthering his amazing ability to charm and dazzle). He struck up firm friendships with members of Tokugawa's court, fellow Japanese merchants in Edo, and the much more polite Dutch traders, despite the tensions that had grown between their two countries.
There's an important aspect of his legacy that endured for centuries. Toranaga/Tokugawa, suspicious of what he had learned of Catholic conversion and invasion of other Asian states, was already disposed to be wary of the Church. The Church in Japan would not let Adams rest, attempting to kill him, convert him, bribe him, and offer him passage home in 1614 on a Portuguese ship. In the same year Portuguese priests claimed that only Spanish miners had the skills to open up the mineral wealth of Japan. Adams warned the shōgun, again, that this was the Catholic way - first the priests, then the conquistadores.
Influenced by these reports and counsel, and because the Jesuits legitimately were conspiring to do the shit Adams accused them of (always a tough charge to defend), Toranaga/Tokugawa Ieyasu expelled all Portuguese priests in 1614, and demanded all Japanese Christians recant. Apart from this leading to the Dutch being the only nation allowed to conduct trade with Japan, this was the end of Japanese Christianity, until the country was forced open in 1855. Christianity never took root in the same way it would in places like Brazil and the Philippines. Was William Adams the only factor in this development? No. Was he a factor? Yes.
He died in 1620, after twenty contented years in Japan and Asia. His will stipulated that his estates and belongings be split evenly between his family in England and Japan. One of Adams's colleagues recorded that Ieyasu Hidetada transferred lordship of Adams's fief to his Japanese son, Joseph, as well as his katana and wakizashi. His line fell out of the historical record, but memory of and monuments to the Anjin remain in Japan.
Faring Well
Shōgun, the book, was fiction, written by a man fascinated by Japanese history, driven by a desire to bring it to the world. He was overwhelmingly successful. It was an excellent start, and even fired up some fascinating academic discussion at the time that I'd definitely recommend. The 2024 adaptation, in my view, changes many of the elements that have aged poorly, were flat-out wrong to begin with, and - like all great adaptations - adds to the work, rather than cheapening it.
Despite being based on real people, the fictional characters created for the show - Blackthorne, Toranga, and especially Mariko - feel real. That is an amazing achievement.
I hope this opens up an interest in Japanese history for some viewers. Being able to visit the places where these events took place is a truly awesome experience. Like all history, it's for individuals to judge what they think of the players.
Hiroyuki Sanada said that he admires Tokugawa Ieyasu because of his ability to bring forth 250 years of peace out of nearly 500 years of chaos. Was Ieyasu motivated by altruism, or self-interest? Does it even matter?
Anna Sawai saw in Hosokowa Gracia a moving, powerful woman, deeply committed to her faith, and to doing what she believed was right in the context of her time. As a person without faith myself, I found this portrayal of genuine belief extremely moving. The demonstration of her convictions was one of the most amazing performances I've ever seen.
And as for the English pilot, Cosmo Jarvis said he wanted to capture the restlessness of Adams, his slow transformation and growth, and the unique qualities that allowed the man to survive and thrive in an extremely deadly time. One thing he nailed that I think even James Clavell messed up was how deepy strange William Adams was. Not weird, not insane, but just a very singular individual. Biographers talk about his aloof, detached, self-aware nature being misconstrued as arrogance by Europeans who encountered him in Japan. Part of it was his annoyance at their inability to learn how to be in Japan; part of it was that he was simply built very differently. In embodying this, I think Cosmo Jarvis succeeded amazingly.
From what we can find in the historical record, William Adams and Hosokowa Gracia may not be 'great' in the sense that Tokugawa Ieyasu was 'great'. They did not build an era. To borrow a phrase from one of my favourite historical writers, whilst they may not be 'great' people, they were good people. That is vanishingly rare in the history we celebrate, and I think, for that reason alone, it's important to remember them, and the things they lived and died for.
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Blood's Thicker Than Water (Platonic)
Made this cause I love assassins creed and I hate how they left the plot point about Desmond having a kid from a one night stand. Like sure there’s a comic for Elijah but let’s be real, who here has read that comic?
Sorry if any of them seem out of character, I haven’t played the games in a long while lol
Also thanks to my friend for streaming the games so I can get back into them lol
You never really met your dad but from what your mother described him as he was….a troubled soul
Now to be fair you’ve never exactly met Desmond Miles yourself but from the stories she told it’s obvious he had his fair share of demons
Some of which seemed to spill from the cracks of his soul from the short time she spent with him
A bartender is what he was, until he suddenly up and vanished from said bar in 2012 and died not too long after
It didn’t really make sense then even to your young mind
The gap between his sudden disappearance and death leaving too much unsaid for your mind not to be annoyed by
But as a child you eventually put the thought away
Eventually you forget
Instead going on to pursue your next whim as you focus on the present, or in your case Learning about the past in the present time
Unlike your fascination with your father that went away, your love of history never faded with time
It just seemed to grow the older you got
Your not sure why but something about history just clicked with you
It was somewhere within the range of middle school and reading national geographic that you had realized you liked it
That despite how some areas of it were bleak and disturbing it was interesting
And it got even more so interesting as you delved deeper into the depths of libraries
Nose buried in books lined with dust and old parchment
Yellowed pages and old ink that you carefully decode from centuries of lost meaning and metaphors lost to the modern age
You studied from the ancients all the way up to Victorian
Easing your way though literal centuries of historical records as you soaked up information like a sponge
And it’s there you vegans seeing an odd…repetition of events that seemed to occur
Odd assassinations plagued each era you looked into, all of which connected somehow by people in odd dress
In some journals that had luckily stood the tests of time you uncovered more eye witness accounts
A solider’s log back in the revolutionary war talking about an odd man meeting with his superiors in the dead of night
The diary of a log master who wrote of an odd frequent visitor that had an odd blade hidden beneath his sleeve
The drawing of a Victorian child being freed from a factory that had a hooded lady and man on the rooftop
I’m one you found a symbol, one created from the bottom perspective of an eagle skull, something also commonly associated with these hooded figures
What’s odd as well is that with these hooded assassins you also find traces of another group
One well know to historians such as yourself
Oddly enough the symbol of the Templar knights keep showing up even after their annulment
It’s odd, but what’s more odd enough is that both seemed to be tied to other historical artifacts
Ones well kept in archives and from the public eye
Ones you shouldn’t technically know about if not for you sneaking into sections your don’t have the status to enter
Their always gold with odd symbols. Somehow always pristine and polished despite the fact their dated to be from before ancient times
They for some reason seem to call to you specifically
Tempting you with forbidden knowledge you wish to taste like Eve
But for now you choose to wait until you can do proper analysis on them without the risk of punishment
So you lie and wait
Admittedly you didn’t think anyone expected for you to be this good at your job
In their defence you were a university student here on Co-op and not an actual full time historian
Hell you were in first year for gods sake
But somehow despite it all
Despite the fact you had actual historians and people in the history program years above you here you quickly began to become an outlier
A shinning beacon within the large archive, so much so that you began being allowed in the restricted sections you already snuck into
Mind you, now properly allowed there with some supervision of sorts gave you much more flexibility in research
You got to touch these artifacts
Hold them in gloved palms as silk covered finger glide across its edges and ridges
You study them extensively decrypting and decoding the ancient texts and hieroglyphs
Jotting down what you found in both a report and your own personal journal
Your not sure why you do so but you chock it up to making sure no one takes credit for your work
And this continues to the point your eventually allowed alone with them
It’s great
You dedicate yourself to this task as you learn more and more
Soaking up knowledge like a sponge as you find out more of what was previously lost
Find new angles and perspectives on events
For history isn’t just a set time and date, it’s interpretation based on what we know from sources
And even then sources can be biased
Sources can lie and silence another person’s view on the event
Your more than happy to try make your own interpretations
Admittedly when you were asked to study what looked to be a necklace from these unidentified ancient artifacts you were ecstatic
How could you not be?
Intricate gold woven in something akin to Grecian jewelry
Yet also had hints of something akin to Egyptian
It also…glows? Or at least you swear you’ve seen it glow gold and pulsate a few times but that could be the sleep deprivation speaking
Either way it’s an honour
One you don’t take lightly as you study it
Spending countless restless nights and days trying to crack its code
An unknown source has been funding the archive and your research quite a bit
Betting big money on it much to your surprise and suspension
You get that this is potentially something big but it feels out of left field
Especially since no one knows the name of the company
It’s just under an anonymous donation every month
It’s sketchy
But you aren’t one to argue about free money to further your and your colleagues pursuit of knowledge
Not when this beautiful place used to be underfunded
Not when most historical records were donated by people with a good conscious
Not when this place was almost shut down
With a sigh you continue on your work
Diligently tact checking and writing up a storm
Your writing looks like chicken scratch but that was a commonality between all history majors
Well, along with being giant nerds
And it’s there at that desk at 3 am in the morning, tired and only running on 3 hours of rest you find something peculiar on the necklace
A sharp jaded edge that you absentmindedly prick yourself on by accident
With a groan you wipe the blood away on your pants
Then going up to get a bandaid
You swore to god if you died of tetanus you’d be positively pissed
Unknown to you the necklace starts to glow
When you get home your more exhausted than usual
Your limbs feel like their kade of concrete and your head is stuffed with tissue
Eyelids trying to glue themselves shut
You practically kick off your shoes before tumbling to the couch
Not bothering in changing clothes or showering for the sweet relief of sleeps embrace
So you flop down face first into the old leather cushions of your couch
Only putting in the effort of fishing a hand to grab a throw pillow and blanket from nearby that you burrowed yourself into
A comfy cocoon/prison you couldn’t will yourself to leave even as you swore for a moment you heard something in the house
But your mind writes it off
Your too tired to question anything let alone get up
All you want is sleep
And that’s exactly what you get as your eyelids shut
You fall into the realm of dreams, odd ones playing out in your mind
Blurred images of odd men
A weird void-like realm
The cries of an eagle overhead
A single word appearing in your head
Kenway
And then your eyes snap awake when the sound of arguing fills your ears
Yelling of several male voices jumbling up your already fogged up sense as you practically fall off the couch in a mixture of fear and confusion
Curses escaping your mouth when suddenly the voices go silent and your left in a realm of fear
Hair standing on end as the creaking of the house makes you more alert
Despite the fact you’d never fought a day in your life you will up the courage to grab a baseball bat and cautious cross to where you heard the commotion
Careful steps on the non-creaky boards of the home that you’d luckily memorized
And there you find several men in old garb
Accents of Red tying them together like a string of fate
Or a trail of blood fainting their very existence
they turn to you with sharp eyes
It’s the one in modern clothes that surprises you the most
The face of your supposed dead father staring back at you
Ocher brown eyes that had long lost their life now rejuvenated as they seem to find familiarity in your own features
Some of which mirror his own along with some of the others in the room
The bridge of your nose
A all powerful spark in your eyes as they flick between everyone and escape routes
The way your lip slightly twitches when you try to keep a brave face
Your posture as you decided what to do
It’s all too familiar to him and them in a way that isn’t just coincidence
Especially not when all of them are Kenway
Not when he had been able to prove to them that fact through the experience of virtually living through their lives up until his death
“I’m not sure who the fuck all of you are but get out of my house.” Your fingers twitch and flex as your palms grow sweaty, the wood absorbing the pressure and moisture “especially my dead dad look-alike”
You all but confirm his suspicions
Their suspicions
And it looks Ike for you tonight will be much longer than you anticipated
Turns out that artifact you were studying wasn’t just as normal one
Neither were the other ones you looked at
The way they explained it as was their “artifacts from dead gods”, a fallen civilization that engineered humanity into being their slaves
It’s a lot to take in
Even more so when your suspicions of something bigger happening throughout global history with those odd deaths were real
Oh, and these were you dead ancestors and dad somehow back from the grave and now in your home
…..yeah safe to say that’s a lot to take in after an already very long and tiring shift
You sit there as they explain this, half asleep, and half exasperated
Cause how the hell are you supposed to believe all this bullshit that for some reason feels correct
Something in you tells you that their right yet your mind is fighting that logic
You’d always been a logical person, when it came to most situations you used your brain instead of your heart
And in those cases things ended up fine
But now your faced with this
A situation where your heart is screaming for you to listen as your brain tries to take this all in
Cause logic is completely out the window at the moment
For now you have to trust them even if your still afraid
I mean, how couldn’t you be?
But you get the sense that they understand
At least a little bit by how their also thrusted into a new environment without much say
Perhaps that (along with your own apprehension) is helping comfort them as well
So for now they’ll stay
Your just thanking (the dead) gods that grandma and grandpa’s old home is big enough for all of them
Altaïr Ibn-La’ Ahad
The oldest down the line of your dad’s side of your lineage finds himself often reading through your books in your study
It was a bit of a surprise one day entering it to find him sitting in a spare chair but you don’t mind the silent company
Especially as he seems to find interest in your studies
Occasionally he breaks the silence and asks you a question about the subject he’s reading about
He’s by far the oldest (even if he’s back in the body of his prime) of them therefore he’s the one who has the most figuratively to catch up on
So you indulge him
And also asks questions as well that he seems eager in answering
Knowledge connects you both, scholarly intellect being the bridge between the two of you despite centuries of time apart
Typically he asks about thinks such as modern life and what is know about his home, what happened to it? What it’s known of his era
You answer as best you can
Especially since that era of time isn’t exactly your forte
But he appreciates it anyways
Appreciates that you try, appreciates that you passionately care about history in the first place
Admittedly your mom was supportive but never understood your love of history
She’d listen to your rants and long conversations with a polite smile but you knew she never understood what you were talking about
But he does
He does and contributes whole heartedly in just as much passion
It’s nice
What’s also nice is that he’s studied the artifacts you now study as well
So now your both constantly coming up and developing ideas together
A constant back and forth
Hypotheses, discussion, and testing
Delving deeper into discovery like you’ve wanted
But with this he also helps you see where passion and obsession mix together
After the loss of his wife and son he delved into studying as a form of escape
It drove who was left away
Made the pit in his heart deeper
He doesn’t talk about it often but he seems to see how you may go down the same path
And he warns you of it
Unlike his younger self (that he now appears as) he’s wise if a little rough around the edges
He encourages knowledge but not to the point where it’s an all encompassing and toxic obsession
Within the household he seems to take a somewhat neutral but quiet role
He helps out and offers advice and guidance
Much like a teacher and grandfather of sorts
Speaking up when he has to and making sure the house doesn’t end up in disrepair
He seems to have a fascination with modern appliances, or at least holds a thankfulness for them
Like a few others he sticks to his robes most the time but you’ve seen him sport more modern clothes once awhile
Stuff still somewhat reminiscent of what he wore before but with a modern flare. Things with hoods and draping. Silks and wool. Something with an accent of red mixed in
Sometimes when you fall asleep in your studies you find a blanket draped over you and a cup of tea at your side
He won’t admit it’s him but he’s the only one who knows your tea preferences
He keeps his worry for you deep down but it’s somewhat relived when seeing that you take his warning of not taking the pursuit of knowledge too far
“It says here there was something called the “French revolution”. Would you care to explain what happened here to me?” He asks making you pause your work for a moment, when he sees your smile he knows your answer. Sure he read some of this book and got the gist of it, but something about seeing your eyes light up at his inquiry makes him feel at peace for a moment.
“Would I ever!”
Ezio Auditore da Firenze
This man is quite literally all up in your (and everyone’s) business
Not in an annoy way per say but he’s definitely curious about the lives his descendants have led (both good and bad)
Ezio is very clearly a family man and it’s somewhat ironic to see since half of this household has some sort of familiar issue
Most of which is some sort of daddy issue stemming from either Haythem or Edward that trickled down the line to you
Something that Ezio is seemingly trying to wrap his head around
Out of the others he’s the one who opens up the most
Partially because you think he misses his immediate family and friends
It must be a lot to handle being away from home, now in a foreign land where everything has changed
Despite that though he keeps a brave face
Almost always flashing a smile as he drags you from your study to have some “bonding time”
You won’t admit it to his face but you don’t mind
Especially as he gives your poor hunched over back a break
And treats your pallet to some good old fashioned (literally) Italian food and not cup ramen once again
He tried it once and threw your supply out, saying he’d be supplementing you with food from now on
You can’t exactly say your disappointment or upset from the heaven that is fresh baked garlic bread and pasta
He cooks not only for you but for the others of the house as well, saying his sister taught him lest he piss off his future lady
Taking in their suggestions and cooking foods from their homes as a way of him offering comfort
Whilst he does these tasks he often hums in his mother tongue of Latin
You don’t have the heart to tell him it’s a dead language
Especially when he seems so happy that you can somewhat understand it
He’s happily rambling and teaching you words
Helping you sound out phrases and pronunciation correctly unlike your Latin professor
Some of his songs he lightly sings under his breath get stuck in your head since he has a good singing voice
But despite the facade you see the cracks
Sometimes you find him looking at modern objects mumbling about how Leonardo would have loved to see this or made something similar
Or how Claudia would’ve liked this book
How Petruccio would have loved this toy
It….leaves a bitter taste in your mouth
Once upon a time you felt this same type of longing for family
Once a time you thought of you dad before going to bed and staring at his old Polaroid with hope
One that would never come to fruition (until now)
It’s why you indulge him, to keep his mind off the deeper plunge of melancholy
Compared to the others he’s relatively open to modernizing
In fact he seems somewhat excited in these things
Raiding your wardrobe like a damn fashionista and critiquing what’s good quality
He also has a wide variety of looks, not sticking to something similar to his time of dress
Versatile and somehow up to date? Your not sure how but somehow he’s in fashion?
Like he must’ve found a copy of vogue or something cause there is no way he just guessed that this was the new trend
When you pressure him on it he replies that he’s simply that amazing
You call bullshit but have yet to find evidence
But in the meantime you ask get him to tell you about Da Vinci and you furiously jot down what he says
Sometimes when he looks at you he sees flashes of Claudia’s quick wit
It makes him long for home yet as he looks at his descendants and ancestor he also feels….something
A small pit of warmth developing as he gets to know the inhabitants of this house longer
Meet Altair besides through a weird vision
His home is in Florence yet that feeling of comfort from the Villa is bleeding into these old (yet new) walls
“So this painting is his most famous work?” He asks looking at your computer with a bit of confusion, his scared lips quirking at the digital image.
“Yeah. This is actually probably the most famous painting in the world”
“Really? Of all his works this one is considered the best? I’m not doubting his skill but of all his pieces?”
“Believe me, I get it. It’s only this famous cause it was stolen”
“Stolen?!? Tell me who did it! I swear-”
Edward Kenway
For someone who was a feared pirate on the seas he’s surprisingly much less violent than you’d think him to be
Sure, he’s scary as hell still but at least he’s not stabbing you in the back and making off with your grandmas pearls or something
Still your a bit unnerved by him considering you did a project on him back in middle school and he’s now in your home
Munching on some god damn biscuits as if this was a normal situation
His son Haytham avoids his as best he can but he seems to bond with his grandson quite easily
Or more easily than he does with Haythem
It takes some time but you eventually go to him when you find him awake at the dead hours of night
A whisky bottle in hands as he occasionally takes a swig in silence as he stares out the window
You don’t talk
You don’t need to when he drinks in silence for awhile staring at the moon before eventually talking about the guilt
In his pursuit of power and gold he let people die
Greed woven into his soul as he sacrificed good men for his cause
He changed and did good yet his past haunts him
Hands stained red
Guilt eating away
A son who doesn’t want anything to do with him
At some point when he stops his rambles you speak
Reminding him that while his actions weren’t good he changed
It doesn’t wash the blood away but it stoped more from staining his hands
Though Haythem avoids him Connor is more than eager to fill his place
It doesn’t fix his overlying problems but it does help
In the morning he ends up talking with you more after this as your initial fear melts away
You end up seeing Edward Kenway, not the fiercesome captain of the Jackdaw
You see a man burdened by past mistakes and still wishes to do better
You see a human being at its core
With history it’s easy to forget the people your looking at was once alive and a breathing being
One who was just as flawed as you and I
But seeing a infamous pirate captain cry about issues pertaining not just time him made you remember that
He isn’t opposed to modernizing but seems to keep a certain sea-like touch to his appearance
Clothes for labourers and something loose is what he normally sticks to
He’s lucky though since he doesn’t exactly have traditional robes and can incorporate what he appeared in with a modern flair
Occasionally when he gets drunk he slurs out old shanties and talks about his epic tales
You might or might not have freaked the fuck out learning that James kidd was actually a woman
Mind blown
Ezio and Altair had to drag you away from your computer from writing an entire essay
Sitting on your countertop he holds a glass of whiskey in hand, one held out for you as you sit down beside him. The moon casts its gentle rays and lights the marble slab you both sit on. “I prefer Rum but this’ll do” it’s said in a playful tone that makes you nod and take a sip.
“I can grab some captain Morgan later…speaking of which, did you know him?
“No, but I did find a few of his things laying about “
“Care to tell?”
“Aye, sure thing”
Haytham Kenway
As the only Templar in this house it’s safe to say he’s definitely the outlier of the bunch
A relative lone wolf from the group that all hold some sort of Ill feelings towards him
From his father its confusion and sadness
The others it’s a mix of that and anger
From Connor it’s just plain…well your not quite sure how to describe it
The two’s entire family situation is just plain messy and thick with tension that their blades could cut through
But here’s the thing, in this house your also an outlier
A neutral zone so to say
Hell, the entire house seemed to be a haven of sorts from their whole Templar vs Assassin conflict
To be honest you don’t really care about this secret war
Well that’s a lie you are interested in these war of secret societies but you don’t specifically care to get involved in their politics
Not when you have business in interfering in it unless a fight breaks out and your telling everyone to calm the fuck down
So safe to say your kinda the only one who talks to Haytham
He is…well sometimes he’s a bit of an ass (in the British type of way) but at the same time he’s good conversation
Specifically when it comes to that of morals and philosophical beliefs
He is a conflicted man
A flawed one
But he holds his beliefs and morals despite the fact he’s been hurt and betrayed by a man he viewed as a mentor
He doesn’t talk about it much but he’s still hurt
Still seething with venom that burns his soul and flesh
Makes him want to lash out despite his upperclassman appearance and attitude
That despite it all he loves his son, so much so he willingly walked into what would be his death knowingly
That despite what happened he loves his dad yet can’t face him yet on account of what he became
What ideals and morals he still believes in even now
It’s perhaps he’s venting this to you rather than a journal because he knows you won’t judge him unfairly on the basis of what side your own
Your judging him as a flawed man and as an equally flawed person
It’s with him as well you open up about your own frustrations
How you still don’t know how to feel about this all
The fact that a lot of what you once knew was flipped on it’s head
Along with the fact your not even sure how to address your dad
It’s an entire mess but perhaps your both messed up together and that also draws you both to talking
To discuss your feelings of insucurity and confliction
To feel comfort that your not alone in not having your emotional shit in order
On some especially…emotional nights you both both have a cup of tea
He seems to enjoy that each time you use a different type, much of which used to be hard to obtain due to shipping and it’s prices
He hasn’t really yet grasped modern technology but your slowly helping him with it
It’s kinda like trying to teach a grandpa to figure out a phone, but now it’s him with the concept of a microwave
Like some of the others he’s yet to really also change his clothes to something modern
There has been a few times though he sported sweaters and vests
Your now working on helping his wardrobe since he prefers a sophisticated look
Occasionally he looks at the photos that line your walls, looking as you evolve through the ages
It’s…odd
With Connor he never had the chance to watch him grow
Never a snapshot to immortalize what he was like a child but now ones of you litter the walls like paintings
He feels melancholy
Yet at the same time he’s happy to get another chance maybe
One that is seemingly being helped by your gentle hand unknowingly
“I never thought about it until now but the stars are different” he says taking a sip of his matcha tea, he lets it pool on his tongue and experience the flavour. Not his favourite but not the worst
“That’s cause of light pollution here…though the stars do move so it it’s possible they’ve shifted position in the sky”
“Do they teach you about the stars in your schooling?”
“Yeah I took some. Not sure why, it just kinda spoke to me. Maybe it’s the Kenway blood”
Ratonhnhaké:ton/Connor Kenway
Of the group Connor is the most quiet and surprisingly the one whom you connect with the best for some reason
Perhaps it’s cause your both socially awkward in ways that let you relate
Or the fact you’ve both been ostracized by society for various reasons
His company is that of a quiet one but one you accept it with ease as you both sit and enjoy each others company
A quiet kinship made of unspoken but understood words from one another
The reminder that someone else is there and your not truly alone
He is perhaps the one you feel you can understand the most
And it’s the same likewise for him
Your both people deeply hurt and still bleeding internally
People raised by only their mother in a cruel and harsh world
People who were let down one way or another by their father
People who are still mad and angry but use that to further their determination
It’s odd but you feel truly understood
Like your soul was peeled back to reveal at your core your still a lone spirit lost in the world
One clinging to what they know as their only lifeline in this confusing and jumbled mess of a situation
The hulking 6 foot 2 man shows you trails near your home
Taking to the forest paths you’ve know your entire life and helping you discover even more about them
And while he does this he teaches you more about the world as you both walk the old beaten path
He tells you how to identify what type of tree is which, which stones are likely geodes and what tracks belong to who
It’s honestly petty interesting especially since he adds snippets of stories from his heritage
In return you talk about what you know as well
Snippets of your own knowledge that he seems to store into his mind just as you do with his stories
An equal exchange of sorts
On these walks you begin to notice he takes you out on these when your at your most stressed
The times in which your mind is overworking and consuming itself with anxiety
The times in which you need to breath
Connor doesn’t seem like one to vocally express his care but he does so through action
Small inconspicuous actions that mean a lot more than what meets the eye
It’s seems that his towards you is helping you when you need it most
Taking you away to just take a moment for yourself
To just breath in the fresh air and let the sunset coloured leaves of autumn crunch under your boots
Letting the cold breeze take away your worries
It’s perhaps better than any type of verbal support
Yet another unspoken action of care and compassion through knowing and watching
Of watching and knowing when you need a break
When you realize this and give him a small tired smile as a thanks he seems to know
Only giving a small nod with a minuscule smile of his own
It only grows bigger when you begin to ask him if his traditions, of the stories and practices of his people that he’s more than willing to tell when he knows you ask out of genuine curiosity and respect
Connor is somewhat 50/50 in modernizing
He adapts quite well but still needs help with certain things as he navigates the situation
But like usual he is anything but resourceful as he watches what you do and figures it out
He helps the others quite a bit with what he’s picked up and somewhat takes pride in the fact he can help them
Whilst he’s privy to wearing his robes he isn’t against more modern clothes
The only problem though is sometimes finding stuff that fits him considering he’s not only a giant but also fairly muscular
But your both eventually able to find some stuff for him to wear that he likes
He really appreciates though that you try to buy clothes and jewelry from nearby indigenous peoples
It might not be his but he appreciates the sentiment and familiarity that the beaded jewelry give him
“I’ve lived here my whole life and walked down these paths a thousand times yet it seems more like your the local here” you say with amusement as you follow Conner through an area you’d be never been before.
He smiles, it’s small but there as he adds “just a matter of perspective. You see the paths your used to and I see ones you hadn’t noticed”
Desmond Miles
Yeah so this is entirely awkward for you
Like how the fuck do you emotionally deal with this and the fact your very dead dad who didn’t know you existed till now is now very alive
And living in your house with his very dead ancestors that are also now alive
Case and point you don’t, specifically you ignore the problem and act like everything is fine
You lock yourself away and try to avoid him like the plague
Somehow Scurry past him and into the kitchen to grab something before returning to your abode to eat
But then things got complicated
Things change
You began talking to the others
Slowly coming out the darkness of your study and joining the dinner table
But you still try to avoid him
It feels like the sight of him burns your mind, all those nights as a kid coming back to you
The hope and then disappoint in learning he died and that he likely never wanted you
Your mother never said this but the other kids did. They always teased and picked at the fact you were a mistake
It’s why you push so hard now to be the best, To prove them wrong (to prove to yourself that your worth existing)
The fact is that now he’s here and you don’t know how to deal with that
How would you even start?
What do you even say to him?
You quiet down when he enters a room because you don’t know what to do
Whatever your about to say dying in your throat like a caged bird and all that came come out are garbled noises as you evade him
Eyes casting down to your hands like a child averting their gaze from their parent when in trouble (he is your dad so it’s the same thing right?)
Leaving the room he’s in as quickly as you can once a take is done
The others notice quick, I mean how can’t they? A damn butter knife can cut through the tension
The whole thing with Haytham and Connor is less tense than this
But what can you even do?
How in thick do you talk to him and how can he even talk to you?
Your 18 and in university, he’s 25 and was a bartender in New York before apparently sacrificing himself for the world
He’s closer in age to being a big brother rather than your dad.
But even besides that he’s been long dead and gone since 2012
It’s been years since that point and more importantly he’s someone important and your not
He’s an assassin born to a bloodline of other assassins
Someone who was raised in this tradition with greatness not only in his origin but also in his death
And your you
A child born from a one night stand who’s only achievement is being good at knowing about old people
It hurts but it’s true
If he’s a star then your a candle compared to his light
A mere blip or spark to the greater picture
There had been times he looked like he wanted to say something but you scurry away before he can say anything
Sometimes you catch the looks and small gestures Ezio tries to make as if to encourage him to go up to you
How Connor sometimes brings up to you how he wishes for reconciliation with his dad and that perhaps it’s possible with your own
Altair not beating around the bush and plainly telling both him and you to talk
But it all feels for naught and dies when those feelings and thoughts return
But eventually he corners you
Well not really corners you per say but he catches you as you leave your study after a talk with Altair
“Listen I don’t have any grudge against you. For one you died, I’d be a dick if I blamed you for that or your decision to save the world and whatever. Second you didn’t know about me in the first place” you say briefly looking up at him before averting your gaze, he looks like he wants to say something but he can’t get a word out before you continue “but you don’t have to act like my dad or anything. You never asked for me, it was a mistake, I was a mistake and I’m fine with it.” (Your lying to yourself)
You leave before he can get a word out, and he’s left alone in the hallway. When he returns to Ezio he just sits down in silence. It’s enough for everyone to know I didn’t go the way he wanted.
Admittedly when you begin to notice odd figures at the achieves you write it off
I mean it could literally be anyone plus the supervisors aren’t making a fuss about them here
If anything their welcoming them and looking at them with hopeful eyes
Small glances full of opportunities in them
It’s odd but maybe their just some non-profit here to support the archive
Or even private benefactors of sorts
But then they turn their attention to you
Plastic smiles on their faces, artificial pleasantries as their main spokeswoman sits in front of you in a slick suit
Her stilettos tapping against the ground as your eyes trail to her bodyguards of sorts
They stand not too close nearby
Watching
Waiting
And then she begins talking
And slowly you grow more and more uncomfortable
Hands playing with one another, fingers twitching in your palm as crescent are indebted in your skin
They apparently are interested in your findings
In your research
But more specifically you
They’ve researched you…a lot
Down from where your mother was born to her great great something grandfather
And your father
…but that’s not public knowledge
It wasn’t even on your birth certificate
This….this isn’t
She smiles though now the darkness melts away into something more knowing
Dangerous and sadistic of sorts
And it’s there on her little pin showing her name you recognize the logo
Within your house you’d vaguely heard whispers of the others talking in hushed tones
You didn’t mind
The less you know the better in that sense
Out of sight and out of mind
But sometimes you’d hear the mumbles of a name that you didn’t put together until now
One spat with venom just as they did with the word of the Templar
Abstergo
You barely have time to react before your black bagged and sufficiently knocked out
Mind drifting to that of panic
What would happen to you?
What will happen when the others find out?
But then those thoughts fade away into the dark void of sleep
When you wake up things are odd
Everything is a sterile white and too bright for your foggy sleep tinged eyes
The room is blurred as is your senses as you weightlessly drift
Everything feels odd
And then it happens sharp and pure pain that leaves you writhing and screaming into the void
And that’s when you notice that white light had left and your in a void of sorts
Empty glitching effects all around you as your left to look around in confusion until you see something
A memory? Specifically one of your memories
Your staring at a simulation of sorts of your past self
A 8 year old in their bed with chubby cheeks pulled up into a melancholy smile
You recognize this moment, your small hands holding a picture that had long been put away into a scrapbook and forgotten
Your left wordless and confused
And then that bitch’s voice appears again and she explains
This entire thing is a simulation of your memories
And essentially their gonna go through your head picking through them to not only learn what they want but then use you as their lab rat cause of your bloodline.
Cause apparently memories of your ancestors could be accessed that way and it was generally easier to have a descendant rather than finding objects and artifacts
And it’s there in that simulation it feels like your mind is being ripped apart
Memories ripped from your mind to play out in front of you as she makes comments and documents them before their forced back in and another is ripped out
Like book having pages torn out and then crudely stitched back in
It hurts so damn much
Over and over
Your just left in screaming again on the ground of this simulated world as she makes idol comments
Left begging for it to stop
For someone to help
For the love of god someone help you make it stop
Of course this would happen to you
You’ve always had shit luck despite your whole family motto being “make your own luck”
What utter bullshit
You can’t make good luck from bad
Can’t just change things when the scales are already tipped one way
But then like a miracle from above she goes quiet and suddenly the memory is gone
And your left in the void still reeling from it all
Still on the glitching ground before once more white encompasses your view
Blinding and bright as your still recovering
And then an unfamiliar voice tunes in
“Your safe” it’s heavily accented, in an Irish twang that’s soft as he says these words to you. A reminder that your ok now, it’s over. “Can you walk?”
You try to look at him with squinting eyes yet they still can’t adjust, your limbs feel heavy like solid rock. Unmoving even as you try. With some difficulty you shake your head
“Aight, I’ll have you carry you then. Are you alright with that?”
“Just get me out of here…please. I just want to go home, I miss my family” it sounds pathetic but as tears begin to fall the stranger doesn’t seem to think Ill of you.
“Don’t worry, I get what that’s like.” The tone is sympathetic and like before is soft “you’ll be home I no time, I promise”
You think for a moment before responding “I trust you”. For a second you feel him go still at that before he picks you up.
For awhile there’s buzzing alarms and panic as your saviour gets you out whoever’s you were taken too
There’s not a moment of silence as he sharply runs and dodges past what you think to be gunshots
Occasionally he grumbles something but for the most part he seems calm
Composed despite the chaos of it all
So much so that it makes you wonder if this is an average Tuesday for him
There’s so much shout and yelling for your already pounding head
But sometimes the yells are silenced as the sound of a blade cuts it short
Footsteps far behind eventually stopping
Sirens getting more and more distant and allowing you and the man to breath
It’s there in the pocket of silence you learn his name
Shay
It sounds familiar, like really familiar yet you can’t put your finger on it
Either way your grateful because how can you not be?
Your away from that place
Away from the torture of having your mind picked apart like a lab experiment
Having the privacy of your memories looked at and prodded
But now your somewhat okay
Your eyes feel weird, your vision feels weird like it keeps switching between something
Your at least somewhat able to walk though it’s unbalanced
but Shay doesn’t seem to mind
He offers an arm that you cling to for support
A kind smile on his face as he makes sure you didn’t injure yourself further
And then you notice his clothes are….old
Like Haytham and Connor level old
And…shit
It’s halfway home through the trails you recognize due to Connor that your vision changes
The world feels bigger as if your third eyes opened or something
Shays figure and presence is highlighted in a clover green
And perched nearby is another green figure, one waiting for a good moment
Shay follows your sight before promptly having to duck out the way from a knife that flies at his head
He pushes you back behind him, you stumble back vision switch between monochrome and normal as someone else grabs you
Instinctively you almost yell before realizing who was now helping keep you steady
And the other person now attacking Shay
“Connor! He’s good! He saved me!”
“He’s a Templar!”
“So is Haytham and you haven’t killed him…again have you!”
At that Shay pauses, turning to look at you with confusion as Connor stops his attempt as slitting his throat
Ezio on the other hand helps you up but keeps a firm protective grip
Watching Shays movements like Connor in apprehension before the two settle down and stare at you for more detail
Both waiting on your word
“He saved me and today has been a long ass day-“
“You’ve been gone for 4 days”
You pause momentarily at that before adding “long 4 ass days of having my mind literally ripped apart. Can we please head back to the house and settle this there? Thank you”.
The moment you get back your almost immediately tackled to the ground by a familiar white and red hoodie wearing absent (dead) father
It’s….odd but nice
Desmond (still feels too awkward to call him dad) is holding you like a lifeline and you notice bags beneath his eyes
He looks like hell
But none of the others are any better either
They all like positively exhausted yet light up when seeing your safe
Your home
It reminds you of your mom when you returned home from school
The long work day evident on her brow but her smile lighting up the room at the sight of your face
It’s no different compared to then except for the fact they all (except Haytham) then protectively pull you away from the nearby Shay who’s being glowered at by Connor
Safe to say it’s a little awkward until you somehow pull free of Desmond’s death grip hobble your ass between the two lone Templars and Assassins
A long discussion having to take place between them all as you not only explain what happened but also it seems you all forget one crucial thing
It seems you forgot about your mom’s side of the family
Whoop de Doo you have more things to process and so does everyone else here
Specifically Connor and Haytham Because before apparently knew (or know of) Shay
Great, another complex relationship in this household like there needed to be more of that
But with this entire situation it also highlights something bigger
Your not safe
None of you are safe
Perhaps you never truly were
And that in turns leaves you with the difficult decision of what to do next
Because In this difficult game of politics between two ever warring groups your a neutral force
You wanted to stay that way but unfortunately fate had other plans
as your drug into this game your left with limited options of sides for not only yourself but for the others who seem keen on following you
Even the two (former?) templars seem to follow your decision
So When Des…er your dad suggests finding his old friends it seems like the best option
It’s either that or be kidnapped and prodded again and who knows what abstergo will do to everyone else (even one’s that once upon a time we’re on their side)
Besides, he says you’ll get along well with someone named Shaun so It can’t be too bad
So he sends out a message and you leave the home you find yourself look at with melancholy
It stopped being a home when mom died but now it seemed like it was just that again
Only time can tell what will bring upon you next
But….you think you’ll be ready for whatever is thrown at you when you have this odd group of family at your side
The expression of blood is thicker than water never really held much weight since you only ever had your mom until she was gone
But maybe you understand it a bit better now
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Uncovering the unreleased Far Cry 5 in-game Encyclopedia
The almost complete but unused in-game encyclopedia, reconstructed thanks to the oasisstrings file.
Please note that it’s still cut content, so some information might not be relevant anymore.
You can read the oasisstrings file here. Pictures from this encyclopedia were also extracted and posted by @xbaebsae here.
Part 2: Locations - Holland Valley
Gardenview Packing Facility
The last facility added to the Hadlers' apple empire. They shipped their apples throughout Hope County and beyond. When the cult went red state, the Hadlers stopped their legal threats and resorted to violence.
Silver Lake Trailer Park
A community of people just trying to do their best.
Gardenview Orchards
A part of Doug and Debbie Hadler’s apple empire. After their ciderworks facility, they expanded to a second, larger orchard: Gardenview Orchards. Then they opened the Gardenview Packing Facility.
Rae-Rae's Pumpkin Farm
Fiery matriarch Rae-Rae Bouthillier cares about two things: Prize-winning pumpkins and her dog Boomer.
Gardenview Ciderworks
The first major facility owned by Doug and Debbie Hadler. Ten years ago, they had a dream: an empire made of apples. They nearly achieved it too, until the cult forcibly took over everything they had worked for.
Bridge of Tears
It was called the Mišihrew Bridge when the railroad was still active. It’s now a rickety old train bridge and John Seed's ideal location to send a warning message to all sinners.
Frobisher's Cave
In 1970, a cougar, named "Frobisher" by the locals, killed the star pitcher of a rival baseball team. The Hope County Silver Foxes won that year and changed their name to the Cougars in Frobisher's honor.
Howard Cabin
Home of Niesha Howard, an extreme rock climber from Canada who moved to Montana to be a prepper.
Copperhead Rail Yard
Copperhead Rail was created in the late 1800s by Emmet Reaves. It was shut down in the early 70s and a lot got left behind. It became a place for kids to get drunk or bums to find shelter, then the cult bought it.
Lincoln Lookout Tower
It’s the last working fire tower in the county. A man who worked here promised to help the Strickland family fight off the cult if ever their farm was under attack.
Sergey’s Place
A hobo historian calls this place home. Nobody's seen him in a while though.
Boyd Residence
Will Boyd lives here, or at least he did. No one in the valley talks about him. And for good reason.
Strickland Farm
Property owned by the Strickland family of farmers. No friends to Eden’s Gate.
U.S. Auto
A scrap yard containing trashed cars, broken farm equipment, and even a few busted planes. Eden's Gate uses the garage to build and maintain their convoys.
Doverspike Compound
Les Doverspike was a militia nut and he built himself a bunker. Nobody in the prepper community liked him. Despite that, he was anti-cult and pro-Resistance.
Harris Residence
Mike and Deb Harris were preppers with a cunning plan to keep themselves fed after the end of the world.
Reservoir Construction Yard
Deep North Water wanted to build a new reservoir for the Holland Valley. The company ran out of funding and was chased away by Eden’s Gate.
Dodd’s Dumps
Colin Dodd used to run garbage disposal for the whole Holland Valley, and his business lot shows it. The cult intimidated him into leaving but has yet to sort through all he left behind.
Davenport Farm
The remains of a run-down farm. Local farmers let their cows graze here. Can't let good land go to waste.
Hilgard Electric Power Station
The Holland Valley's power supply is reliant on this transformer station which is controlled by Eden's Gate.
Golden Valley Gas
Once the kind of gas station that gave out free bubble gum to kids, Golden Valley is now a strategic point of gasoline and auto maintenance for the Project at Eden's Gate.
Green-Busch Fertilizer Co.
Facing a decline in business, the Green-Busch family said “yes” and sold the place to John Seed on the condition that locals could keep their jobs and work alongside Eden's Gate.
St. Isidore School
Once a religious boarding school, it was forced to close its doors by Eden's Gate.
Dodd Residence
Home of Colin Dodd, hoarder and DIY enthusiast. He never throws anything out. His granddaughter Nadine's been known to lurk here.
Roberts Cabin
Home of Joe Roberts, a hunter. He's gone missing. He loved hunting deer above all else.
Hope County Clinic
Dr. Kim Patterson provides medical services to Hope County's farmers and low-income residents, many of whom would never receive care in such a remote area.
Holland Valley Station
In the days that it was up and running, Copperhead Rail used to stop here. Eden’s Gate uses this station to catch people who try to escape the region.
Grain Elevator
As the farmlands started to collapse, the grain elevator was the first casualty. Too expensive to maintain.
Henbane River Rail Bridge
Copperhead Rail was created in the 1880s during a mining boom, and shut down in the early 70s after the industry collapsed.
Flatiron Stockyards
Bobby Budell established the stock yards in 1946, and has proudly provided farm and ranch auction services since. The economic and community base employed over 25 people at its height.
Fillmore Residence
Home of Doug Fillmore. Not much is known about him.
Dupree Residence
Home of Tommy Dupree, an idiot who used to work at Green-Busch Fertilizer Co. He got fired by Eden's Gate because he was as dumb as the crap he bagged.
Catamount Mines
Fall’s End owes its existence to the gold Orville Fall discovered here in 1865. The mine brought a generation of prosperity to the region until a suspicious accident entombed 100 men within it, forcing its closure in 1912.
Sunrise Farm
Sunrise Farm was going under, so owners Mike and Chandra Dunagan reluctantly sold it to Eden's Gate. Big mistake.
Deep North Irrigation Reservoir
Originally designed to irrigate farms, the reservoir became a liability when the cult began putting Bliss in the water supply. The Resistance sealed it up to buy themselves time.
Red’s Farm Supply
The Redler family has run this place for 4 generations, and earned a reputation for honest business. Wendell did his best to keep it out of cult hands.
Purpletop Telecom Tower
In the 1950s, Purpletop Telecom built this tower, blessing people with the wonders of AM radio. As time and technology marched forward, they were also given the American splendor of a local TV station.
Woodson Pig Farm
This place has been in the Woodson family since 1943. Current owners Andrew and Frances Woodson used their wealth to try to stand up to John Seed and fight him in court. They lost, and joined the Resistance.
Sawyer Residence
Don Sawyer came from out of town to join the Project at Eden's Gate. He restores canoes, but isn't very good at it. Visitors have sworn they've heard him swearing in Russian over those boats.
Hyde Barn
Kenny Hyde's a poor man in Holland Valley, but that doesn't stop him from loving deep fried balls. He's the proud keeper of Fall’s End Testy Festy decorations, stashing them at his barn until they're needed.
Kupka Ranch
Zip Kupka's the only one who really knows what's going on in the Holland Valley.
John’s Gate
A missile silo long decommissioned and abandoned. The locals used to call it "Area 68." Eden's Gate bought it in secret and turned it into a bunker that is in John Seed's safekeeping until the Collapse.
Security Gate
Formerly the entrance to the missile silo, it's now the gateway to John Seed's bunker. Everything taken in the Reaping passes through this checkpoint.
Steele Farm
The Steele family managed to get their kids out of Hope County, but stayed behind to try and defend their home from Eden's Gate.
Lamb of God Church
A Lutheran church. Its elderly priest was overshadowed by Pastor Jerome’s charismatic sermons. John once asked the priest to say “yes.” Not a chance. Then, the priest was gone. He had taken a “long vacation.”
Lamb of God Sacristy
The Project at Eden's Gate has turned the Lamb of God Church's sacristy into a holding place for everything they need to baptize people at the water's edge.
Armstrong Residence
The Project at Eden's Gate targeted the Armstrong family early, burning their home to the ground when Grace Armstrong refused to devote her sharpshooting skills to the Father's cause.
Bradbury Tractor Shed
A shed for tractors.
Hope County Jail Bus
Prisoners hijacked this bus but were run off the road. The wreck was left to rot in the woods. When Eden's Gate brought prohibition to Hope County, some enterprising moonshiners set up shop behind the cult’s back.
Parker Laboratories
Home and workshop of Dr. Laurence Parker, and the origin of many mysterious noise complaints.
Seed Ranch
The power of yes gave John Seed this dream ranch overlooking the Holland Valley. it has commanding views, a private air strip, and secluded soundproofed rooms for his most invigorating religious pursuits.
Bradbury Farm
The home of the Bradbury family, hay farmers for generations. The strange pattern of dead hay in the field does not impact the quality of the final product. That's the Bradbury guarantee.
Bradbury Hay Field
Bradbury Farm's hay is baled and stored here before being sold to clients looking to feed their livestock with quality hay.
Laurel Residence
Laurel family honey was a local market favorite until their bee colony collapsed and jeopardized the business. It also spooked the Laurels who sunk money into a bunker and became preppers overnight.
Eden’s Gate Greenhouse
Bliss plants are found throughout the Henbane River, but they're also found here. John Seed takes the flowers he receives by boat from the east and plants them in his greenhouse.
Seed Boat Launch
Once a favorite spot for summer frolickers, this boat launch is used by John Seed for receiving shipments of Bliss and other supplies from elsewhere in Hope County.
Rye & Sons Aviation
This plot of land was first settled in 1920 by Willard Rye. He started a crop dusting business. His sons inherited both and it now belongs to the current generation of Ryes: Nick & Kim.
Kellett Cattle Co.
The Kellett family supplied beef for 3 generations. These proud Republicans thought they recognized the American spirit in Eden’s Gate, but when John Seed asked them to serve the Project, they said “no.”
Fall’s End
After prospector Orville Fall struck gold, his small mining camp quickly grew. Decades later, his rival, rail baron Emmett Reaves, shot him dead in the streets, giving the town its official name.
Old Silo
Welcome to the middle of it.
Kay-Nine Kennels
The owner, Kay Wheeler, loved her dogs more than life itself. She bred and trained hunting and guard dogs. When Eden’s Gate showed up, the local demand for guard dogs tripled. John Seed noticed and took action.
Sunrise Threshing
A silo and shed complex attached to Sunrise Farm. Rumor has it that Mike Dunagan's stashed a lot of cool shit around here somewhere.
Redler Residence
Home of Wendell Redler, local businessman and Vietnam veteran.
Adams Ranch
Jules Adams lost her husband in an "accident" after saying no to John Seed. Her family's struggled to keep the cattle ranch out of cult hands ever since.
Miller Residence
Despite financial hardship, the Miller family refused the cult’s invitations, prepping for doomsday all on their own. When the reaping came, Jerry Miller was out working.
Wellington Residence
The Wellington family mine is an urban legend, supposedly stuffed with gold, explosives, or both depending who you ask. Generations of Wellingtons (possibly inbred) have tried and failed to strike it rich here.
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