Sorrosyss
01-21-2017, 07:10 PM
http://i.imgur.com/ImFtiFP.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/xF8aXMu.png
The Last Descendants series focuses on a group of young adults, as they venture into the modern day war between the Assassins and Templars. Featuring a variety of historical locations and settings, as well as cameos from other parts of the lore, they are recommended for any AC fan.
NOTE: The following analysis covers the first two novels some major lore highlights, specifically those that have a significant bearing on the current present day setting of the franchise. The analysis for the third novel can be found here (http://www.accesstheanimus.com/ACLD_Fate_of_the_Gods_Review_Summary_Analysis.html ).
The Protagonists
There are six main protagonists, whom together represent the Last Descendants of the series' name.
http://i.imgur.com/9klKB0L.png
Owen Meyers
http://i.imgur.com/otMbPXn.png
Javier Mondragón
http://i.imgur.com/bu0QUdU.png
Natalya Aliyev
http://i.imgur.com/yerIUyi.png
Sean Molloy
http://i.imgur.com/Dm9KfUT.png
Grace Collins
http://i.imgur.com/J0JKXy2.png
David Collins
But whom are they Descendants of? More on that below...
The Fate of Rebecca Crane
http://i.imgur.com/2CxrBSf.png
Last seen bleeding out at the end of Syndicate after being shot, it is wonderful to see her fully recovered and back out operating within the field. She assists Griffin, a fellow Assassin whom is training Owen and Javier, in utilising an Animus in a hidden Assassin hideout. She is currently operating in the New York area, apparently separate from Shaun for the time being.
The Untold Heroics of Shaun Hastings
http://i.imgur.com/B6YCxOA.png
Speaking of Shaun, he has been active within Madrid for some time. This is of course the location of the Abstergo facility shown within the Assassin's Creed movie, so we must assume he is likely aware of Callum Lynch and the other held Assassins. He apparently was stealing Animus plans, which would suggest that the Brotherhood now has the ability to build the Animus shown within the film. This ties up with comments from the filmmakers stating that the design may show up in future games.
Exoframe Animus
http://i.imgur.com/Ac4HyPf.png
The Aerie is an Abstergo facility that appears to have been purpose built for the Phoenix Project, and the search for Pieces of Eden. They have yet another version of the Animus called the Exoframe. This one allows a similar range of movement as that shown within the movie, but instead keeps the user stationary in an enclosed space. You could almost call it a happy medium between the old and newer models.
Extrapolated Memory
http://i.imgur.com/FpTSrAu.png
Extrapolated memories are a new concept to the franchise, but not one that is entirely unknown to us. Specifically, they allow the Animus to take data from existing DNA sources, in order to project and simulate the events of a specific ancestor. If someone interacted with them, then the software can analyse their mannerisms and intents, and try to assign a path for that individual between 'known' data sources. Essentially, the Animus is 'making it up' when there is no true data. But then we have seen Abstergo modifying stories before when it suits their purpose (such as in Liberation), so having this ability assigned to the artificial intelligence of the machine would kind of make sense.
The Trident of Eden
http://i.imgur.com/aon3raO.png
The Trident of Eden was originally wielded by Alexander The Great, whom as a result was one of the most successful conquerors the world has ever seen. Upon his defeat, the Trident head was split into three Prongs, and taken by three different individuals. Each Prong holds a different power over humans, instilling an overwhelming emotion - Faith, Fear or Devotion.
The Faith Prong was discovered in the first book within the former home of Ulysses S. Grant at Mount McGregor, USA.
The Fear Prong was discovered within the tomb of Möngke Khan, Mongolia.
The Devotion Prong is believed to be have been in the possession of King Harald Bluetooth, the viking ruler of Denmark. (10th Century)
At this time, Isaiah is now in possession of the first two Prongs, with the third likely to be the focus of the third book. The assumption is that when the three are combined, it will create an unstoppable supreme ruler upon Earth once more.
Isaiah's True Agenda
http://i.imgur.com/L1dS3an.png
Which leads us to Isaiah. At the end of the second book he collects the second Prong, and declares himself death. He rescinds his allegience to the Templar Order, and sets off in search of the final Prong to complete the Trident.
Whilst it would not be the first time we have seen someone corrupted by the powers of Pieces of Eden, I found it curious that he elected to have already spent the time to write out and send Victoria Bibeau a 'manifesto' of some kind. This is curious, as it would suggest premeditation to his actions. We have also heard of a manifesto before in Black Flag. Yes, that of the Instruments of the First Will, that was plastered all over post it notes in the Abstergo office by John Standish. Is Isaiah truly acting in his own interests, or is his true plan to recover a powerful weapon for Juno's imminent return?
The Ascendance Event
http://i.imgur.com/sM18sYD.png
Ok this is the big one. Its a difficult concept to explain, but there is some science to it. Both the Templars and the Assassins are now aware of an event called Ascendance. What they have found is that there are specific bloodlines that appear together throughout time - coined memory concordance. These bloodlines also seem to be attracted to, and in contact with Pieces of Eden, as if guided by an unseen force.
One of the explanations provided is that it is related to the theory of the collective unconscious mind. This was a theory created by Carl Jung who summed it up as follows;
The collective unconscious comprises in itself the psychic life of our ancestors right back to the earliest beginnings. It is the matrix of all conscious psychic occurrences, and hence it exerts an influence that compromises the freedom of consciousness in the highest degree, since it is continually striving to lead all conscious processes back into the old paths.
This is the reason that a person can never encounter a Spider in their lifetime, and yet display absolute fear when first seeing one - the theory being that at some point ancient humans associated spiders with being dangerous, presumably due to poison.
Within the AC universe, the work of Sebastian Monroe discovered that within all humans there is what he coined Sub-DNA. This is a separate code hidden beneath the primary DNA, that is only found in select humans, but possibly was part of all humans at some point. What makes the series' protagonists so vital to the story, is that all six together contain the entirety of the Sub-DNA code. But why?
In essence, it sounds very similar to the Precursor DNA of the Isu. We have seen a few of the protagonists use Eagle Vision, so we know that the Isu is within their blood as well. But whom exactly are these six the Last Descendants to? The six bloodlines that broke apart the Trident? Unlikely I'd wager. Perhaps it goes even further back. Right back, to Adam and Eve. Admittedly the group has a wide racial diversity, but as we have often seen family trees can go further than most of us can possibly imagine.
The Isu were experimenting with ways to enthrall the world in order to save it from a global catastrophe. Indeed, we have seen the Apples of Eden completely corrupt the minds of some humans. But Adam and Eve were different. As hybrids, they contained an entirely different DNA, but also one that meant that they were immune to and could resist the mind control of Isu technology. If their bloodline passed down this immunity as Sub-DNA, then throughout history these bloodlines have been coming together each time to promote free will whenever a Piece of Eden emerges, likely attracted by their own Isu DNA. Within these six young adults - these Last Descendants, is not only the key to stopping anyone wielding a Piece of Eden against them, but also arguably the power to reverse engineer that mind control back out. In theory, it could help Abstergo unlock the power to create their own Apples of Eden.
Its a fascinating concept, and its ramifications could be keenly felt across the AC franchise. I look forward to learning more within the next novel.
The Last Descendants series focuses on a group of young adults, as they venture into the modern day war between the Assassins and Templars. Featuring a variety of historical locations and settings, as well as cameos from other parts of the lore, they are recommended for any AC fan.
NOTE: The following analysis covers the first two novels some major lore highlights, specifically those that have a significant bearing on the current present day setting of the franchise. The analysis for the third novel can be found here (http://www.accesstheanimus.com/ACLD_Fate_of_the_Gods_Review_Summary_Analysis.html ).
The Protagonists
There are six main protagonists, whom together represent the Last Descendants of the series' name.
http://i.imgur.com/9klKB0L.png
Owen Meyers
http://i.imgur.com/otMbPXn.png
Javier Mondragón
http://i.imgur.com/bu0QUdU.png
Natalya Aliyev
http://i.imgur.com/yerIUyi.png
Sean Molloy
http://i.imgur.com/Dm9KfUT.png
Grace Collins
http://i.imgur.com/J0JKXy2.png
David Collins
But whom are they Descendants of? More on that below...
The Fate of Rebecca Crane
http://i.imgur.com/2CxrBSf.png
Last seen bleeding out at the end of Syndicate after being shot, it is wonderful to see her fully recovered and back out operating within the field. She assists Griffin, a fellow Assassin whom is training Owen and Javier, in utilising an Animus in a hidden Assassin hideout. She is currently operating in the New York area, apparently separate from Shaun for the time being.
The Untold Heroics of Shaun Hastings
http://i.imgur.com/B6YCxOA.png
Speaking of Shaun, he has been active within Madrid for some time. This is of course the location of the Abstergo facility shown within the Assassin's Creed movie, so we must assume he is likely aware of Callum Lynch and the other held Assassins. He apparently was stealing Animus plans, which would suggest that the Brotherhood now has the ability to build the Animus shown within the film. This ties up with comments from the filmmakers stating that the design may show up in future games.
Exoframe Animus
http://i.imgur.com/Ac4HyPf.png
The Aerie is an Abstergo facility that appears to have been purpose built for the Phoenix Project, and the search for Pieces of Eden. They have yet another version of the Animus called the Exoframe. This one allows a similar range of movement as that shown within the movie, but instead keeps the user stationary in an enclosed space. You could almost call it a happy medium between the old and newer models.
Extrapolated Memory
http://i.imgur.com/FpTSrAu.png
Extrapolated memories are a new concept to the franchise, but not one that is entirely unknown to us. Specifically, they allow the Animus to take data from existing DNA sources, in order to project and simulate the events of a specific ancestor. If someone interacted with them, then the software can analyse their mannerisms and intents, and try to assign a path for that individual between 'known' data sources. Essentially, the Animus is 'making it up' when there is no true data. But then we have seen Abstergo modifying stories before when it suits their purpose (such as in Liberation), so having this ability assigned to the artificial intelligence of the machine would kind of make sense.
The Trident of Eden
http://i.imgur.com/aon3raO.png
The Trident of Eden was originally wielded by Alexander The Great, whom as a result was one of the most successful conquerors the world has ever seen. Upon his defeat, the Trident head was split into three Prongs, and taken by three different individuals. Each Prong holds a different power over humans, instilling an overwhelming emotion - Faith, Fear or Devotion.
The Faith Prong was discovered in the first book within the former home of Ulysses S. Grant at Mount McGregor, USA.
The Fear Prong was discovered within the tomb of Möngke Khan, Mongolia.
The Devotion Prong is believed to be have been in the possession of King Harald Bluetooth, the viking ruler of Denmark. (10th Century)
At this time, Isaiah is now in possession of the first two Prongs, with the third likely to be the focus of the third book. The assumption is that when the three are combined, it will create an unstoppable supreme ruler upon Earth once more.
Isaiah's True Agenda
http://i.imgur.com/L1dS3an.png
Which leads us to Isaiah. At the end of the second book he collects the second Prong, and declares himself death. He rescinds his allegience to the Templar Order, and sets off in search of the final Prong to complete the Trident.
Whilst it would not be the first time we have seen someone corrupted by the powers of Pieces of Eden, I found it curious that he elected to have already spent the time to write out and send Victoria Bibeau a 'manifesto' of some kind. This is curious, as it would suggest premeditation to his actions. We have also heard of a manifesto before in Black Flag. Yes, that of the Instruments of the First Will, that was plastered all over post it notes in the Abstergo office by John Standish. Is Isaiah truly acting in his own interests, or is his true plan to recover a powerful weapon for Juno's imminent return?
The Ascendance Event
http://i.imgur.com/sM18sYD.png
Ok this is the big one. Its a difficult concept to explain, but there is some science to it. Both the Templars and the Assassins are now aware of an event called Ascendance. What they have found is that there are specific bloodlines that appear together throughout time - coined memory concordance. These bloodlines also seem to be attracted to, and in contact with Pieces of Eden, as if guided by an unseen force.
One of the explanations provided is that it is related to the theory of the collective unconscious mind. This was a theory created by Carl Jung who summed it up as follows;
The collective unconscious comprises in itself the psychic life of our ancestors right back to the earliest beginnings. It is the matrix of all conscious psychic occurrences, and hence it exerts an influence that compromises the freedom of consciousness in the highest degree, since it is continually striving to lead all conscious processes back into the old paths.
This is the reason that a person can never encounter a Spider in their lifetime, and yet display absolute fear when first seeing one - the theory being that at some point ancient humans associated spiders with being dangerous, presumably due to poison.
Within the AC universe, the work of Sebastian Monroe discovered that within all humans there is what he coined Sub-DNA. This is a separate code hidden beneath the primary DNA, that is only found in select humans, but possibly was part of all humans at some point. What makes the series' protagonists so vital to the story, is that all six together contain the entirety of the Sub-DNA code. But why?
In essence, it sounds very similar to the Precursor DNA of the Isu. We have seen a few of the protagonists use Eagle Vision, so we know that the Isu is within their blood as well. But whom exactly are these six the Last Descendants to? The six bloodlines that broke apart the Trident? Unlikely I'd wager. Perhaps it goes even further back. Right back, to Adam and Eve. Admittedly the group has a wide racial diversity, but as we have often seen family trees can go further than most of us can possibly imagine.
The Isu were experimenting with ways to enthrall the world in order to save it from a global catastrophe. Indeed, we have seen the Apples of Eden completely corrupt the minds of some humans. But Adam and Eve were different. As hybrids, they contained an entirely different DNA, but also one that meant that they were immune to and could resist the mind control of Isu technology. If their bloodline passed down this immunity as Sub-DNA, then throughout history these bloodlines have been coming together each time to promote free will whenever a Piece of Eden emerges, likely attracted by their own Isu DNA. Within these six young adults - these Last Descendants, is not only the key to stopping anyone wielding a Piece of Eden against them, but also arguably the power to reverse engineer that mind control back out. In theory, it could help Abstergo unlock the power to create their own Apples of Eden.
Its a fascinating concept, and its ramifications could be keenly felt across the AC franchise. I look forward to learning more within the next novel.