Among the numerous fascinating secondary characters that enrich the beautiful story of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, the fearless history lover Epizelos is definitely one of the most memorable that our lead hero has the chance to meet along the way. Epizelos - Eppie for his close friends - is a young man from Boeotia whom Alexios comes across while visiting the region, either in the course of a main quest, or for exploration purposes. It turns out that he has a huge love for history, myths and ancestral treasures, something that quickly attracts our lead hero's interest and he agrees to help Eppie in his quests.

The first meeting between Alexios and Eppie is quite intense: Alexios finds Eppie lying wounded on the ground at the side of the road of a rather dangerous area, surrounded by hungry wolves that are about to tear him to pieces. Wolves, however, are not the only hazard in the area: not far from the spot where he is, is a small sanctuary occupied by fierce hunters; and sometimes Deianeira, the fearsome champion and Cultist, can be seen passing along the road with her equally fearsome cousin Astra. After being saved from a certain death by Alexios, and although he does look quite exhausted and weak because of his struggle to survive the wild animals' attack prior to Alexios finding him, Eppie quickly manages to pull himself together and make his aquaintance: although not a professional archaeologist or historian, he had always been fascinated by the past and had been studying ancient history and exploring sites of interest ever since he was able to go out in the world on his own. A slim and delicate young man with black hair and piercing dark eyes, Eppie doesn't have the appearance of someone who is into sports or training. Both activities could be rather useful in his risky quests, but his lack of such experience never stopped him from traveling around Greece, looking for hidden treasures in sites of worship, many of which definitely would have been riddled with all sorts of danger.

Being a mercenary by trade, Alexios gets immediately interested when Eppie asks him to help him recover precious treasures connected to the Mycenaean civilization. Eppie's deep faith that something important is about to be revealed is based on the fact that he has already found a piece of a stele which has some mysterious writings on it. He further establishes Alexios's aid by playfully indicating that their paths crossing was actually a work of the Fates. Regardless, Alexios and Eppie seem to have a connection from the start, although, on first look, they don't have much in common as far as their characters, temperaments and interests are concerned. It gradually becomes obvious however that, aside from his interest in finding precious treasures, Alexios gets genuinely moved by Eppie's love for history and his contagious enthusiasm everytime a discovery is about to be made.

Eppie leads Alexios to a nearby cave which turns out to be an important Oracle. Inside the cave, there is some kind of shrine, and there are several people praying, although Eppie claims that they can't possibly know about the Mycenaean connections to the site. Proving him right, Alexios finds a secret passage leading to the tomb of a Mycenaean warrior which is cleverly hidden behind uninteresting corridors and dusty anterooms, a section of the cave that apparently the worshippers outside and the local residents had no idea about. There is a sarcophagus in the tomb with a piece of an armor inside it, and Eppie's stele piece can be placed on a wall made with similar pieces, some of which are missing, with a strange and unreadable inscription on it.

Alexios then agrees to go on a series of quests to recover the missing stele pieces. Along with each piece, he finds another piece of the warrior's armor. With every new stele piece that is placed on the wall, the inscription becomes more and more readable, as Eppie, with his vast knowledge, is able to go through it and decipher it. In short intervals between the quests, Alexios has some quite interesting discussions with his new friend, in which it is revealed that Eppie has a hard time getting along with his peers because they can neither understand nor empathize with him. It becomes clear that, when it comes to his environment, he is completely alone in his quest for more knowledge of the ancients, and his passion for exploration and history is most probably frowned upon by his family and friends. 

There is a strange mystery surrounding Eppie's discovery, as it is unclear why the missing armor's pieces have been scattered around, and there is always a stele piece with each one of them. Eppie suspects that the message that the inscription conveys must be very important, which is why it was partly destroyed, so that it could not be easily discovered by explorers or random passers-by. As he slowly deciphers a new part of the inscription, he finds out that it speaks of a ritual which, once completed, will activate something. Little by little, Alexios follows the clues given by Eppie and manages to recover all the missing stele pieces and all the pieces of the warrior's armor, at which point the full inscription becomes readable. Eppie reads out the full message and all of a sudden the inscription wall becomes illuminated, with Isu-like symbols projecting from it. Alexios stands watching it in awe, but soon realizes that Eppie cannot see any of this impressive stuff. He can only see a plain version of the inscription, just a wall stele with writings on it. The reason why this happens is because the activation of the stele was to be seen only by the Isu and their kin, and since Alexios was half Isu, he was able to witness it. Eppie being a mortal, was deprived of this privilege, but the point is that it was his, a humble human's research, that led to the solution of this centuries-old riddle. 

Secretly acknowledging this, and seeing how disappointed Eppie is with this outcome, Alexios pretends that he sees nothing special either, which lifts his friend's spirits a bit. Alexios then encourages Eppie to never stop his studies and his research, and asks him to join him on his ship as a lieutenant. Although Eppie has his doubts, because like we said earlier, he is not the athletic type, accepts the offer because this will mean he will be able to widen both his knowledge and his exploration horizons by traveling. It is interesting to note that if Alexios makes the mistake to point out to Eppie that there is indeed something in front of his eyes and he simply cannot see it, he will leave in a fury, and unfortunately we won't be able to see him again. There is no reason to make such a bad choice, however, because after bonding with Eppie so much during the course of his quests, it's a shame to trash everything on a whim. Not to mention that Eppie, being a golden lieutanant, is one of the best high-ranked crew members that you can get in the whole game, and it is clear that he will be your second best buddy after Barnabas.

Although Eppie is an amateur researcher, he can be viewed as an early colleague of Lara Croft and a tomb raider of the ancient world. His story is one of the most fascinating secondary questlines in Odyssey, not only thanks to him being such a charming and likeable protagonist, but also because it is closely connected to the backdrop of Alexios's story. The discoveries that Eppie's clues bring to the light prove that, in the game's lore, the Mycenaeans were part of the Isu heritage, and obviously whoever scattered the armor and stele pieces around, did so to protect the untimely revelation of such a knowledge. Random explorers that would stumble upon the warrior's tomb in the depths of the Oracle would simply note it down as a great discovery and probably stop there. Eppie's desire for further enlightenment led him to keep searching, ignoring all dangers and surpassing all obstacles, and maybe it was indeed fatal for Alexios to come to his rescue at that specific point in time, because he was the one to be able to witness the activation of the stele, as he was among the very few people in position to actually see it happen. 

At some point during his quests, and as it becomes obvious that the full revelation is about to happen, Eppie has a moment of doubt, where he expresses his fear that he may not be worthy of this discovery. This may foreshadow the outcome of the story, since he is not able to witness the activation of the stele because he is mortal, but being worthy has nothing to do with it. He is more than worthy because it was his restless spirit and fascination with primordial history that led to this discovery. When he expresses his doubts, Alexios manages to raise his spirit by encouraging him to look forward to the full discovery no matter what. We could say that Eppie sort of represents all historians, professional or not, and all explorers who bring secrets of the past to the light; sometimes these secrets are treasures, other times they are relics or items of worship; they can also be lost texts or other kinds of knowledge that many times can be put to use in each era's contemporary world. Eppie might have been living in the ancient times, but there were already centuries of history before him, and a vast mythology which he longed to explore and delve deeper into.

»A Life's Dedication (Eppie's Story)

Philosophy In Assassin's Creed Odyssey

Philosophy is a recurring subject that is explored extensively in Assassin's Creed Odyssey, as well as its eclectic relations with science and religion, all three being essential parts of not only the intellectual circles, but also everyday citizens in Ancient Greece. The protagonist of the game has the chance to meet several real-life philosophers, artists and thinkers of that time, as well as imaginary characters who also belong, directly or indirectly, to such groups and discuss with them issues related to various aspects of social, political, religious and artistic life.

Sokrates naturally has the lion's share in the philosophical part of the game, providing his sometimes cryptical input in situations where decisions make a critical difference and they may even have unpleasant outcomes. The essence of Sokrates's philosophy lies in self-awareness and perception as individual traits that a person should have and cultivate as means to understand and interpret the world around them. Sokrates doesn't really have any doubts - or, at least, expressing them openly is not his priority. He uses doubt as a vehicle in order to make people consider things and reach conclusions based on their own way of thinking. The first time that Alexios meets Sokrates is in Athens, where our hero had previously been sent by Perikles to rig a vote in order to change its outcome. Surprisingly enough, this action proves to not be in favor of the man who was being judged, because Perikles wanted his friend to be exiled in order to keep him away from imminent danger. Sokrates arrives to watch the announcement of the vote's result and poses us a series of questions about the limits of responsibility between the perpetrator and the abettor of an action. The interesting thing about Sokrates's dialectic method is that he never seems to agree with what Alexios replies to him, or that at least he finds new subjects for discussion with every answer that he gets. What he does in fact is that he tries to plant ideas in his conversator's mind, because, for him, ideas and thoughts are essential for the development of the person overall.

Later on, during Perikles's symposium, Alexios meets Sokrates again. This time, the philosopher brings about the subjects of leadership and justice, and aptly so since the setting is the villa of the city's leader. Sokrates wonders if ruling is an art, making Alexios - and us - consider to what extend real rulers and leaders are just in their decisions and whether their actions are for the benefit of the common good or they simply serve their own ambitions and personal plans.

At the same symposium, Alexios has a brief chat with the existentialist Protagoras. The sophist answers every question by doubting the existence of everything, wondering constantly whether what we see with our own eyes is truly there. Although the conversation with him naturally does not bring any fruit, since he seems to doubt the existence of everything and everyone around him, it still brings a very interesting issue into matter: our perception of things may not necessarily correspond fully to how things truly are. Each person has a unique way of seeing and perceiving everything around them, and this perception is the result of a series of experiences, thoughts, conclusions, activities that, for every person, form what we call "life experience". So two people may be looking at the same thing and still see something different.

Alexios comes across Sokrates again later, during specific quests, where critical decisions are connected with questions of morality. At some point, Alkibiades sends Alexios on a series of tasks in order to forge the name of a friend of his on the Athens citizenship list and make sure a witness will testify that said friend is indeed an Athenian citizen. It turns out that person is a traitor, and the question that arises is whether he deserves to become an Athenian citizen, albeit illegally. Sokrates is there of course, to wonder whether we should only judge people based on their past actions or we could offer them a second chance, posing a moral dilemma that cannot be easily or straightforwardly answered. Usually people never fully change, this is a trait of all living beings after all. In some cases, people who have done bad things in the past, eventually come to a point where they have their regrets, and this may lead them to change path in their life. But the contrary can also happen: a good person may become bad due to factors like circumstance or misfortune. For this reason, each case should be considered separately, and there is not a universal rule or strategy that can be applied to everyone.

While Alexios is on the hunt for an Athenian Cultist, who also happens to be a writer, Sokrates intervenes with a series of questions concerning freedom of speech and its potential limits. He wonders whether it is fair to shut people up, in cases where said people have extreme or dangerous opinions; a situation that cannot always have an easy or straightforward solution. Living in a state of Democracy, naturally the person in question has every right to express their opinion, no matter how ugly or threatening it may be. On the other hand, people with such extreme or dangerous opinions are usually enemies of Democracy, so the regime should, in theory at least, be protected somehow. Then again, if said enemies of Democracy are given the freedom to express themselves, their dangerous opinions are being made known to the public, therefore it is easier to keep an eye on them and take action against them if and when it becomes necessary. It is a matter than cannot be easily answered, and its handling depends on several other factors.

A bit later, another issue shows up, as Sokrates seems to have been somehow involved in the theft of a horse from the farm of a wealthy man. Apparently the philosopher learned about this matter and, digging deeper into it, found out that it was not one of a typical theft. The person who stole the horse was a poor farmer who had no means to support his family. He took a desperate decision and stole the horse from the rich man, intending to work with it and provide for his people. Subsequently, he was arrested. Sokrates poses a moral question to Alexios, concerning the degree to which the motive behind an action that is considered bad or illegal should or should not be taken into account when deciding about the culprit's fate. With this case as a starting point, Sokrates moves on to express more universal questions. Should every crime have consequences? And what about cases when a "crime" is for the benefit of the common good?

These questions are also connected to the next situation where Sokrates gets involved while Alexios is just about to locate one more Cultist, a ruthless slave owner. The "Master", as they call him, has tricked one of his slaves into believing that he is going to give him his freedom which the poor man has managed to buy by saving money. However when the time comes, the Master refuses to set the man free. When Alexios offers to help the slave by talking to the Master, the latter agrees to offer the slave his freedom if Alexios accepts to kill someone for him. At this point, Sokrates intervenes, essentially stressing the weight of the moral dilemma that rises for our hero, as he is called to decide upon the fate of a man by sacrificing another person's life. Sokrates sees this case as the perfect chance to discuss with Alexios about equality between people and its potential limits. The clue in this case, however, is that the moral dilemma in question is a fake one. The Master may be a wealthy man, and he may be the "owner" of the slave, but in fact he has no real influence over anyone because he is no position to exert power that goes beyond his domain. So he may be the slave's master, but he cannot really decide about the fate of people that do not "belong" to him, therefore he is in no position to blackmail Alexios in order to make him kill someone who is a free person and is not under his command. Moreover, the slave has already bought back his freedom, which makes the Master's refusal to set him free blatantly illegal. 

On the idyllic island of Delos, Alexios bumps one more time onto Sokrates who again is found in the heart of a tumultuous case that seems to have caused a commotion among the locals. A rebel stole from the sanctuary, and while he was being arrested, he killed one of the guards. The man then was going to be executed but since death of any kind on Delos was forbidden, he had been imprisoned, waiting to be transported to Mykonos for his execution. Sokrates calls Alexios to decide whether the man should be saved from his fate, considering that his initial motive was for a good cause: he stole from the Delian sanctuary in order to help the rebellion against Podarkes, the cruel leader of the Silver Islands. When Alexios goes to talk to the man, however, he finds out that his mindset is rather extreme and in reality his actions, instead of helping the rebellion, could seriously harm it. In the long run, if Alexios frees the man by sending him on his way, it is a decision that may have tragic consequences. This is something that is impossible to know beforehand, so our hero is called to consider all possibilities and take a hard decision by killing the man himself in cold blood, something that, in the end, will prove to be for the best of all parties involved. This also goes to show that morality can sometimes be fluid, especially when important values are endangered.

In Achaia, Alexios meets Demokritos, whose philosophical questions are the most cryptic and complex, being also connected to physics and mathematics. Demokritos sends Alexios on a quest to find three theorems that, according to him, are essential for understanding how the universe works. The Golden Ratio, Zeno's paradox and the Pythagorean theorem may seem like they are much different on first look, but they all prove that everything around us is relative and that the universe is infinite. 

What Demokritos describes seems to nod to quantum physics and the Dirac equation. According to quantum physics, everything that exists in the universe acts and reacts both as a particle and as a set of waves. These two elements, however, are opposites: the waves can expand to many places around them, while the particles can only be limited to one place. Moreover, the way that the waves react with each other is very different from the way that particles react with each other. The Dirac equation is based on the claim that if two different systems keep reacting with each other for a set period of time and then are separated, from that point and on they can still be seen as two different systems, but at the same time they will have already been united in one new system with a new form of matter. Because of this, the initial two systems will still be in position to affect each other, no matter how much the distance between them is. Since they connected with each other at a certain point, they remain united forever even if they are miles apart now. Something like this happens when two people fall in love with each other and they get separated (although this applies not only to erotic love, but also to friendly love or whatever similar human connection). Love brings people together, and when they are separated, the same element of love is what keeps them connected, diminishing the distance between them on an unseen level. These connections resemble those between the planets and stars that exist in the universe thanks to the law of gravitation.

 

 

In a similar way, Philosophy and Poetry are connected with each other because they are parts of Life. In this context, Life is the force that brings and keeps them together because all three have a common axon: the human being. Between Philosophy and Poetry, there is a void filled by Love which, again, is the deepest of the human expressions. Demokritos then narrates a sad story about how he was in love with a poet in his youth, but never got to confess his feelings to her. Encouraged by Alexios, he decides to do it now, but in a tragic twist of fate he arrives at her home just seconds after she had been attacked and killed by bandits. Now this can be interpreted in both a realistic and an allegorical way: the realistic interpretation is that you should almost never leave for later something that you feel you need to do, because you may have only one chance to do it and once this chance passes by, there will be no other. The allegorical interpretation is that Philosophy (represented by Demokritos) and Poetry (represented by the poet) can never be fully united because they are notions that most of the times conflict each other. Philosophy, like Science, tends to research and analyze things according to theorems, observation and experiments, while Poetry interprets the world in a way that sometimes may even reverse and rebut the philosophical theories. On a different level, however, the Poet could also represent how Demokritos viewed Philosophy: as his ideal love which he admired and researched about but felt too intimidated to approach more. The fact that the woman died before he had the chance to express her feelings to her implies that no matter how much a philosopher searches and researches things, Philosophy as a notion, just like the mechanism of the Universe, will constantly be a step forward, always almost impossible to reach and fully comprehend.           

 

In Korinth, Alexios meets a strange woman who sends him on a series of quests, all of which have a fair share of philosophical extensions. The woman shows up in a busy park and seems to know very well who Alexios is and what his accomplishments are. There are several tasks that Alexios is called to take, which start with investigating two graves: the man buried in the first grave died at sea, while the other was killed by lions. After Alexios comes back from the graveyard, the woman asks him to decide which God is the most dangerous: Apollo or Poseidon. Depending on our choice, Alexios then will visit two different places and the stories of those involved will test his faith in humanity and how well he can judge people's characters and trust them. The questions that arise during these quests also have to do with how much people's actions affect each other and to what degree the so-called divine intervention can be blamed for the outcome of actions that, in fact, are human. Is revenge the right path for justice? Or humans in fact commit hubris when they take justice in their own hands?

On a less philosophical path, but still related is the story with the sculptor Polykleitos in Elis. Alexios comes across Polykleitos on his way to Olympia, and the sculptor invites him to a farm nearby where the residents have hired him to build for them a statue of the Eagle Bearer. Alexios becomes particularly curious since the matter is directly related to him and subsequently he gets acquainted with the people living in the farm, who all seem to have fallen in strange misfortunes. As it turns out, a cunning group of priestesses have taken advantage of Alexios's fame, and managed to convince this group of gullible farmers that the Eagle Bearer speaks through them. This way, they have made a small fortune by collecting valuable items and money from the people in the farm, supposedly to be offered as gifts to the Eagle Bearer. This story is connected to the previous one since it also explores the limits of faith, and additionally it goes beyond that, hinting at a case of mass manipulation. The farmers fell victims to their own faith, and let themselves be tricked by people who took advantage of this, which turned out to be their weak point. Lack of further and deeper thought was essentially what led these people to be so evilly manipulated, as they accepted the lies that the priestesses served them without questioning them. The exact opposite of Sokrates, that is, who questions and doubts everything.

And speaking of Sokrates, there is one more story with philosophical extensions where he not only makes an appearance, but he is also the protagonist. In Phokis, Alexios meets Sokrates's wife, Xanthippe, and the two of them find out that the philosopher had been arrested and imprisoned. Based on Sokrates's real story, this mission explores a series of themes that seem to have been of interest or related to him and his philosophical queries all along. Sokrates was imprisoned because he expressed an opinion that apparently was considered too radical. Meanwhile, the Pythia had told Socrates that he is the wisest man. This was done deliberately from her part, because, from the privileged position that she held, she wanted to open the people's eyes and stop them from being manipulated by the Cult. Since Sokrates, like all people, believed that she spoke the words of gods, she hoped that, because Sokrates did not think that he was indeed the wisest man, she would make him doubt her credibility and thus consider that maybe it was not the gods who directed her, and subsequently make the people realize that as well and stop blindly following her advice and, eventually, the words of the Cult. 

On his quest to set Sokrates free, Alexios goes to a symposium in Delphi where he succeeds in convincing a few other philosophers to support Sokrates's right to freely express his opinion, even if they themselves disagree with him. Therefore freedom of speech comes to the foreground again, as one of the most important values in social life, being also one of the first matters that Sokrates posed to Alexios during their initial meetings. In the conclusion of this story, Sokrates narrates a myth to Alexios which is an allegory for the freedom of speech and the need for people to speak for themselves and not through the words and quotes of others. Something that Philosophy, in its essence, values as equally important as well.

Siblinghood in Assassin's Creed Odyssey

One of the many prominent themes in the story of Assassin's Creed Odyssey is family connections, and especially the usually complicated relationships between siblings. This is an issue that dominates throughout the plot, since the lead character has a biological sibling who at least for the most part of the story is also their archenemy, and they also discover a foster brother, a young man whom their father adopted as a boy years before, after his original family was presumably lost. But apart from the protagonist's case and their relationship with their siblings, there are also many stories and substories in the game that either are centered around other siblings or their development depends a lot on the bonds that connect them or not.

Keep in mind that most of the stories mentioned in this article may play out differently depending on the choices you make. My analysis is based on the choices that I usually make in my playthroughs, which I feel they make more sense. Still, although the outcomes may differ, the basic emotional and intellectual traits of the characters always remain the same, with minor variations.

Good and Evil as opposing forces

Alexios and Kassandra

Although not entirely unerring himself, since there are instances where he may be unjust or even cruel, Alexios is a good-hearted, well-balanced and insightful hero with foresight and high perception. Kassandra, on the other hand, having grown up in the care of the Cult of Kosmos, reached a point where she was brainwashed almost without hope of recovering. Chrysis, the priestess who took care of her, taught her from a very tender age to be cruel and ruthless and use her supreme power in all the wrong and evil ways. Her moniker, Deimos, pretty much sums up her mentality, her superhuman strength and the fear that she inflicts on others, since it means "terror". 

We can see, however, when in the good ending of the game she is brought back to her senses and becomes her real self again, that she does have some good elements which, undoubtedly, will be cultivated further if she ends up with her family reunited. The relationship between Alexios and Kassandra is not that much complex, because they did not grow up together as siblings and in reality they hardly know each other, especially as far as Kassandra is concerned because she was only a baby when she was violently separated from her family. Still, the power of her bloodline never ceased to be there and it almost literally "speaks" to her when Alexios offers her to hold his spear. 

Agapios and Neritos

Agapios and Neritos are the protagonists of a side mission which may be optional but is particularly interesting and complex, as it also has common elements with the story of our hero. You first come across Agapios on the island of Euboea, where he seems to hold quite an important role, but soon it is revealed that he is a slave. Not an ordinary one, though, as it turns out. Lucky to have a generous and kind magistrate as a master, Agapios managed to not only be highly respected by his compatriots, but to also make several crucial connections around the islands. Meanwhile, the residents of Euboea and Skyros suffer from high taxes imposed to them by a fierce illegal group called The Dagger which acts like some kind of mafia, threatening people and forcing them to pay huge amounts of money at knife-point. Agapios sends you to investigate several cases around Euobea which are connected to The Dagger's doings, and during your investigations you gradually discover that the leader of The Dagger is Neritos, Agapios's long lost brother who had been presumed dead years ago after supposedly drowning at sea. Feeling abandoned and disappointed after managing to survive, Neritos started a new life in the shadows and he became the head of The Dagger, showing an extremely cruel and merciless attitude that turned him into a terrifying legend. 

 

 

Eventually the two brothers will come face to face, at which point and depending on your previous choices, Agapios may choose to distance himself from Neritos or naively believe that he can still change. You will have to deal with Neritos and kill him anyway, but in the first case, Agapios will be alive and well at the end of the story, deciding to remain on Euboea even after his master offers him his freedom, to help rebuilt his homeland, whereas in the second case Neritos will not hesitate to push his brother off the cliff, killing him with no sign of remorse. Pretty much like in the case of Alexios and Kassandra, Agapios and Neritos are two opposites, the one standing for justice and the other opting for criminal activity. What is interesting about Agapios and Neritos is the great difference in mentality between the two brothers, although for both of them life had been cruel: Agapios would always focus on positive things and make the most of everything in spite of lacking a most important thing, his freedom. While Neritos, despite having his freedom, preferred to live a life dedicated to crime, choosing a path that led him to more darkness.

Diona and Eritha 

Diona is one of the most memorable female Cultists that you come across, what with her seductive manner and her cunning, and she is also one of the most interesting characters in the game overall. She and her twin sister Eritha are identical in appearance, but quite different when it comes to psyche, mentality and ethics. Alexios first comes across Diona, who is a priestess of Aphrodite on the island of Kythera and initially appears as an innocent damsel in distress, claiming that there are criminals in the region who are threatening her life. Alexios begins his investigation on Kythera, where things are not exactly what they seem and of course not at all how Diona paints them.

As the story unfolds, Alexios finds out that Diona's sister is the High Priestess, a person far more esteemed and prestigious than herself, and the two also happen to be identical twins. Diona however hates Eritha because the latter had always been one step ahead of her, always better in everything, and her venomous jealousy led her to become a member of the Cult of Kosmos, in an attempt to claim her own place in the world and gain absolute power. As a villain, Diona is a very interesting character because she is evil incarnate in a way far more deep and complex than Kassandra whose extremely violent behaviour is mainly a result of brainwashing. Diona is one hundred percent conscious of her actions, and there is no way she can possibly change. Eritha, on the other hand, is a just person in general, but has her own fair share of cruelty as it is implied that she punishes people who don't show enough faith. But we could say that this is part of her role as a High Priestess, which more often than not demands from her to be severe. 

While Eritha cares for Diona, Diona is ruthless and determined to kill her sister in cold blood, but during their final confrontation, they both seem to share almost the same amount of hatred for each other. Good and evil in this case reach a point where they nearly overlap, an indication that everything in this life is fluid, even moral values.

Herodotos and Mestor

Mestor is Herodotos's adopted brother, who seems to be gentle and kind-hearted at first, but as it turns out he has a very dark side which led him to betray his homeland and his family. When Herodotos reunites with his brothers on the island of Samos, Mestor is the one to welcome him with open arms, seemingly overwhelmed with happiness for his return. This comes to contrast with the contempt and anger with which Theodoros, Herodotos's biological brother, reacts upon his arrival, creating a false impression about the inner motives of each character.

 

As things start to get complicated on the island, Alexios begins an investigation with Herodotos, which reaches a crucial point when, after all available info is gathered, it becomes clear that one of the two brothers is a traitor. Eventually Mestor is exposed, and it is only then that Theodoros comes to his senses and confesses to Herodotos that he always felt bitter and disappointed after the latter decided to leave Samos and set on his travels, leaving Theodoros behind, and it is implied that maybe Mestor kept this feud going while Herodotos was away by never letting Theodoros forget about their brother's decision. Although Mestor is not exactly evil in a literal sense, still his act of betrayal puts him on the direct opposite extreme of Herodotos, who loves his homeland and his country deeply and would do anything to aid them.

 

Different perceptions of duty and morality

 

Alexios and Stentor

In the course of the story, Alexios comes across a surprise when he bumps onto Stentor, a young soldier whom his father adopted when he was just a boy, after losing his original family. Stentor may be stubborn and egocentric and hate Alexios with a venom at the beginning, yet he adores his stepfather and this is something that counts a lot for him, as it apparently happens to be his weak spot. 

During a most crucial confrontation between him and Alexios, their father's unexpected appearance and his words towards Stentor are enough to make him have a change of heart and potentially bring out his better self. Alexios on the other hand does look like he feels a bit sorry for Stentor, as in some way he kind of understands his reactions, and is ready to give reconciliation a chance when the time comes. Both Alexios and Stentor have a deep and strong sense of duty, but their perception of it is quite different: Stentor is blindly faithful to his duty and he refuses to be a bit more flexible and open his mind, while for Alexios, duty is not strictly one thing, as what he has to do every time depends a lot on several other factors that he always takes into consideration before taking action.

Lykaon and Agave

Lykaon is the physician whom you meet in the Chora of Delphi, and he looks like a sweet and kind young man who cares for his patients and people in general. Lykaon is good-mannered and gentle and he seems to be very sentimental and sensitive, which makes the situation where he finds himself rather tough. His grandmother, Praxithea, used to be an oracle at Delphi in her youth, and was one of the series of eloquent women that the Cult had "prophesying" exactly what they ordered, making people believe that it was actually the gods that spoke through her. From her position as an oracle, Praxithea was forced to give false prophecies for years, endangering and dooming many people all over Greece. Having discovered this, Lykaon is unable to find peace and he feels that his duty is to kill his grandmother in order to restore justice. But because he is a good person, he finds it extremely difficult to commit murder, and decides to kill Praxithea peacefully by giving her a large dose of mandrake, otherwise a medicinal plant but a poison when given in big quantities, so that he can do his duty and not have too much remorse about it. Still, as the time approaches for the deed to be done, he feels less and less inclined to proceed and asks Alexios for moral support. In a twist of the story, however, it is revealed that Praxithea was in fact the oracle who gave Alexios's family the fatal prophecy about Kassandra's god-requested execution years ago, a revelation that unavoidably has Alexios get much more personally involved in the case.

While Lykaon has to fight with his own conscience and finds it rather hard to bring himself together and do what he thinks is morally just, his sister Agave has a quite different perception of how all this should be dealt with. She too feels that their grandmother had done wrong and should be punished somehow, but she does not want to let Lykaon get blood on his hands. When bandits hired by the Cult of Kosmos arrive to kidnap Praxithea in order to kill her later, Agave does nothing to stop them and even allows them to take her away, because she feels this is the perfect chance for her and Lykaon to get rid of their grandmother without having to resort to something nasty themselves. Agave's reactions are a bit contradicting, though; on the one hand she refuses to let Lykaon become a murderer, but on the other she doesn't seem to have the slightest regret for literally sending Praxithea to her death. Although she never considered harming her grandmother herself, she feels relieved when someone else unexpectedly releases her from the burden of having to do something about it. Whereas Lykaon feels guilty even before attempting to commit murder, and when finally Praxithea is free and Alexios prevents him from killing her, he is relieved and makes peace with his conscience and his life.

Victims of circumstance

Tekton and his unnamed brother

Tekton is a young man whom you meet early in the story; he is stranded on a wrecked boat off the coast of Boeotia near a deserted island, and he asks you to go free his brother who had been captured by pirates and is held on another island nearby. Both Tekton and his brother are carpenters, and the brother especially never really liked the sea, but he had reluctantly accepted to take that trip with Tekton. The story does not end well for the two brothers, although Alexios manages to locate and free the captured one after killing his abductors. Unfortunately, he is already too exhausted and weak to be able to survive, and he dies minutes after he is set free.

Tekton is so connected with his brother that if you lie to him about his death, he will get very angry and leave in a fury. Whereas if you are honest with him and tell him that his brother did not make it, he will mourn deeply, but will accept your job offer, finding a new purpose in life.

Solon and Ide

 

Another case of similarly ill-fated siblings is that of Solon and little Ide. Upon arriving on the island of Lemnos in order to kill a local Cultist, Alexios finds out that his good friend Barnabas has a nephew there, Neleus, who is an aspiring athlete. As it turns out, Neleus is very ill, as are several other athletes on Lemnos and Thasos, some of whom additionally disappear under mysterious circumstances.

 

 

While investigating the case, Alexios first bumps onto Solon who used to be one of those athletes, but now is working at a marble quarry. What is curious though is that he is in a bad mental and physical state, he doesn't have the appearance of an athlete at all, and he looks a lot older than his actual age. As the case unravels with its chilling details, it turns out that the Cult of Kosmos is in fact behind the aforementioned disappearances, as they have set up a cunning plan to recruit new soldiers: one of their generals regularly visits the local gymnasium of Thasos, where he picks the strongest and most talented students, subsequently luring them to the house of a wealthy resident with promises of entertainment of all kinds. There, the owner of the house, under the Cult's orders, offers the athletes a special wine which gets them too drunk to have resistances, then leads them to a secret cave where a doctor, hired by the Cult, gives them a tonic that makes them extremely strong. While they are still under the influence of both the wine and the tonic, they are abducted and brainwashed, turning into killing machines. In some cases, however, the tonic does not work and has severe side-effects, resulting in the athletes getting seriously sick, like Neleus, unable to go back to their activities. The luckiest ones end up workers at the quarry, like Solon, but some of them unfortunately die. 

 

 

Unaware of all this, Ide has however managed to get somewhere while investigating on her own, and realized that there is a connection between the disappearing athletes and the gymnasium. When Alexios comes across her, he promises to look further into the case, and he learns from the guymnasium's trainer how the Cult's plan actually works. Although he is able to elimitate the Cult's forces on Thasos and Lemnos and save Neleus by providing him with the doctor's antidote, Alexios does not manage to save Solon, whom Ide eventually finds dead in the quarry. Ide is clearly a very caring person who loves her brother dearly and would do anything for him. Unfortunately she is too young to be able to deal with the forces of the Cult, and she was too late in discovering that her brother had actually been at the quarry all along.

Ankos and Araxis 

Ankos and Araxis are two minor characters that appear in an important questline which leads to the reveal of a Cultist in Krete. They both seem rather naif and gullible, which was why they decided to take part in the hunt for the supposed Minotaur that the Cult had set up in Lato in order to lure, kill and rob aspirant warriors. Although imposing in appearance, they are a bit dim-witted and obviously their big size does not correspond to a respective physical strength or nimbleness. They look like they get along well together, although each one of them thinks he is braver and stronger than the other. On the way to the false Minotaur's lair, the conversation between the two brothers reveals that neither of them actually ever wanted to be warriors, let alone brave warriors. They were bakers who were lured into taking on an adventure that would potentially make them rich and famous, but in reality they never really cared much for either wealth or fame.

 

Although Ankos and Araxis are victims of circumstance as well, they surprisingly escape their imminent doom by deserting the Minotaur battlefield at just the last minute. The ominous atmosphere and terrifying sounds coming from the supposed monster's cave are enough to make them run away in panic, and although this could be viewed as an act of cowardice from their part, in reality it is survival and knowing when to back off, even if it is out of mere primal instinct.

 

Siblinghood as a holy bond 

Davos and Orneos

The case of these two brothers is quite unique, as they do seem to share a holy bond, but the interactions both between them and with Alexios are not exactly indicative of that. Alexios first comes across Davos on the mountainous area overlooking Kleptous Bay in Kephallonia. He looks like a rather wealthy man, and wants to hire Alexios so as to free his brother Orneos who has been captured by bandits and is being held prisoner at their lair below. Although generally polite, he does seem somewhat snobbish, with a tendency to show off his wealth even when it is not necessary, additionally judging Alexios for being a mercenary. During their brief discussion, he confesses to Alexios that both he and his brother had been exiled from Althens with the accusation of fraud.

When Alexios finds Orneos, the man is quite rude, verbally attacking Alexios for not coming to his rescue sooner, and making an ironic comment about his brother for hiring someone of lower status to free him. Regardless, when the two brothers reunite, they look quite content, although their interaction looks and sounds somewhat weird and typical. Apparently they were both men who counted everything with money - their having committed fraud is indicative of this - and although they obviously care for each other, their love for money is more powerful and most probably what truly keeps them united.

Timon and Abreas

 

You come across Timon at the port of Orchomenos, and he looks like a rather wealthy and respectable young man who can also play the lyre quite well. What catches your attention is that he is playing a very sad tune, which comes to contrast with his overall meticulous appearance: his clothes look expensive and he is wearing a golden leaf necklace around his neck. As it turns out, Timon had a brother, Abreas, with whom he was very close. They used to train together as kids, and most probably had kept that habit as adults too. In the past, they would train against two girls who were cousins and grew up to be quite fierce warriors - and not only that. One of them, Deianeira, became an Olympic champion and now also happens to be a Cultist. Her cousin, Astra, does not seem to be involved with the Cult, but due to her close connection to Deianeira, she is always on her side, supporting and aiding her in everything, and thanks to Deianeira, she has several Cultist guards watching over her at her training grounds. 

 

In spite of the obvious connection between the two pairs, at some point recently Deianeira killed Abreas for revenge because he found out about her illegal activities connected to the Cult and exposed her. Now Timon, unable to get over his brother's death while knowing who the culprit was, asks Alexios to kill Astra so as to make Deianeira, who loved her cousin as dearly as Timon loved his brother, feel the same pain of loss. He also asks him to take back a necklace that he had made for his brother and which Astra had stolen from his dead body. The story of Timon and Abreas, albeit with brief, is one that stays with you, not only because of its emotional depth but also because Timon, like nearly all the secondary characters in this game, makes a strong impression with how heart-breakingly expresses his sadness for Abreas's loss and how much he misses his brother.

Makarios and Theoros

 

Makarios and Theoros are two Spartan brothers, sons of Xanthe, the magistrate of Pitana. Makarios is about to join Agoge, the Spartan training routine, while Theoros has mysteriously disappeared from the training territory. While accompanying Makarios on his way to meet the trainer, Alexios has the chance to talk with the boy who seems rather enthusiastic about the initiation of his training, and apparently doesn't care that it is going to be extremely tough and demanding, because he has idolized his older brother and wants to live up to his example. He is not intimidated even when the trainer makes it clear to him that life in the Agoge is not going to be easy.

Soon after, the trainer informs Alexios that he had sent Theoros off with another student on a camp nearby to have them test their survival skills, but neither of them has returned. The investigation uncovers that the other student had been murdered, and subsequently leads Alexios to a cave on the mountains beyond the training grounds, where Theoros is held hostage by a group of bandits. Apparently the bandits attacked the camp, and while the other student tried to fight them and paid with his life, Theoros didn't have the courage to resist and he was abducted. When Alexios finds and frees him, he confesses that he is very worried about his little brother because he feels Makarios is too young to undergo the hard training and the many dangers at the Agoge. It is very clear though that he underestimated his little brother who is prepared for everything. By reminding Theoros how much Makarios loves him and looks up to him, Alexios manages to boost up his morale and make him gain back his courage.

Xenia and Gotarzes

The gigantesque pirate lady of Keos may look intimidating and ruthless, but she too has a sensitive side, which is reflected in her relationship with her equally gigantesque brother. Xenia is smart, brave and effective in everything she does, the exact contrary of her brother who, despite his imposing size, is clumsy and timid, and practically unable to be in control of his crew. Alexios bumps onto Gotarzes accidentally while on a treasure hunt and saves him from his angry sailors who apparently have taken advantage of his weak character in order to overthrow him. 

After taking him back to Keos, Alexios learns that he is Xenia's brother, albeit far more different than her. Xenia seems to be more than aware of her brother's incapability, yet it is obvious that she loves him and cares for him deeply, as she is relieved to see him return alive. Although the two siblings differ so much from each other, their relationship is very simple and crystal clear, mainly due to Gotarzes's naivety.

Periktione and Thyia 

Periktione is the magistrate of Lalaia, the beautiful mountainous village of Parnassos, which now is inhabited only by women and children since all men have gone to war. Having to deal with a very tough situation as her village is constantly under threat, Periktione hires Alexios to help her defend her people against enemy forces. Her sister, Thyia, is a feisty warrior who wants the best for her homeland, just like Periktione does, but her approach on the matter is quite different from her sister's. 

While Periktione suggest a more strategic defense by destroying the caches of their enemies, Thyia believes that it is better to attack and kill their spies. Although strategy works most of the times, in this case Thyia's violent plan proves to be the best defense for the village as it eventually saves not only the place itself but also Periktione's life. The two sisters differ a lot as far as mentality and lifestyle are concerned but it is obvious that they love each other very much and their debates are essentially and deep down centered around which would be the best and most effective way to keep each other safe at any cost.

Timotheos and Lykinos

Timotheos and Lykinos are the Korinthian brothers whose misfortune has put them in dire straits, as they are at the mercy of a group of vicious bandits with whom their recently deceased father used to have dealings before being brutally murdered by them. Alexios first comes across Lykinos by chance while passing by the bandit camp where the young man is held hostage. After rescuing him and taking him back to his family home, he learns that Lykinos is an aspiring poet who has just returned from Athens where he had been to find his luck. His brother, Timotheos, is a soldier who has serious post-war trauma, something that affects his attitude as well as his relationship with Lykinos.

Initially there seems to be a very big gap between the two brothers, as they apparently had grown sentimentally apart during the time that Lykinos was away. Additionally, Lykinos's artistic ventures don't seem to be much appreciated by his family circle, as both his brother and his late father were soldiers and both their interests and their way of life were a lot different from his. Surprisingly enough, it is Lykinos who asks Alexios to avenge the death of his father by killing the bandits that murdered him. Timotheos on the other hand becomes furious when he learns about this turn of events, as his nasty experience in the war has made him refrain from all kinds of violence. As it turns out, all the brothers needed to do was to accept each other for what they were, realizing that since they lost their father, they had nobody else in the world except for each other. The close bond that they have in spite of their differences is shown more clearly if Alexios romances both of them and in the end choses the one over the other: in that case they both get angry with him and leave, clearly feeling betrayed but with a common destiny.

 

Herodotos and Theodoros

 

Theodoros is Herodotos's biological brother, a writer as well, who holds a grudge against him because years ago the historian set off for a life of traveling and adventuring, leaving Theodoros behind. Theodoros is a good person and he cares for his brother, but all this time that they were apart, he couldn't let go of the feeling of bitterness associated with Herodotos's choice of living. When his brother returns to Samos to pay respects to their dead parents, Theodoros greets him with contempt and anger, but as it is revealed that Samos is under threat and that their adopted brother, Mestor, is greatly responsible for this since he had been a spy in favor of the Persian Empire against his homeland, Theodoros realizes his misjudgement and reconciles with Herodotos.

 

Although the two brothers seem to have a lot in common, like the talent for writing and the love for their land, it is implied that Theodoros would never really want to leave Samos, in spite of what he says. Herodotos on the other hand always had the charisma to look further than most people, and his restless spirit would eventually urge him to a life of adventuring and getting to know new lands and people. It is exactly that difference that is essentially the core of their bond, as they complement each other this way, something that they both realize when life gives them a second chance to find and get to know each other anew.

Choices Matter For Your Love Life Vs Your Morality In Assassin's Creed: Odyssey

In my review of Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, I mentioned how certain choices that you make affect the development of your protagonist's character in more than one ways. In this article, I will elaborate a bit more on this matter, focusing on how their decisions affect the outcome of their love life in connection to their morality, as I think it is a very interesting subject. When characters are shown to have emotions and, subsequently, a romantic side, they are more realistic and thus become more human. When faced with related dilemmas, they can follow the path of either Vice or Virtue; and since the main hero of this game comes from Ancient Greece, any association with said myth of Heracles couldn't be more fitting. In this article, I will not analyze all the romances or their outcomes (there are that many choices you can make in each case); I will focus on certain stories which are the most interesting and stand out among the rest, when it comes to love versus morality. For the purpose of the article, I will use only my own choices as examples, and I will have Alexios as my hero, as I mostly play the game with him.

On the island of Hydrea, Alexios meets a young woman, Roxana, who comes from a family of warriors and is in the process of tough training as preparation for a savage battle called "The Battle of One Hundred Hands" that will take place soon on the neighboring island of Melos. Accepting to spar with her and deciding to participate in the upcoming battle yourself, marks the beginning of the questline which starts with the quest Sparring With Roxana. Almost from the start, the game tries to trick you towards flirting Roxana, although your initial choices will not make much difference really. Your crucial choice is right before the battle quest begins, when you will have to decide between fully romancing her or keeping your distance. At that point, you already know that you and Roxana will unavoidably be rivals in the battle, the purpose of which is to bring forth only one winner, with all the other participants being gradually eliminated. This practically means that, in the end, you and Roxana will be called to fight against each other in a duel where only one will survive.

The only way to save Roxana at that point and open up the possibility to avoid the fatal duel is to romance her before the battle. If you do that, when the time comes for her and Alexios to fight, Alexios will be able to persuade her to cancel the duel and then he can ask her to join his crew (she is a legendary lieutenant, by the way), a proposition that she will gladly accept. In similar cases involving other people, you can choose between several options in various combinations: flirt the other person, part with them peacefully, recruit them, attack them; but in Roxana's case, you only have two: recruit her or kill her. There is no way to simply part with her in friendly terms and let her go; you either have to take her with you or murder her. So if you did romance her earlier, which will make way for her accepting to cancel the duel, the only way to spare her during the duel sequence is to recruit her as a crew member. Following this path, Roxana becomes one of your available lieutenants, and you forget about her as you go on with your journey, until you get involved in another quest, much later.

Said quest waits for you on the island of Lemnos: Neleus, a promising athlete who also happens to be the nephew of your dear friend Barnabas, seems to be in serious trouble and you are called to offer a helping hand, foremost for your buddy's sake. Starting with the quest Tough Love, the story involves several people and is one of the most complex and interesting questlines of the game. Upon arriving at the house where Neleus is, Alexios meets Mikkos, who is the boy's caretaker and your very spicy romance option for that questline. Mikkos is a few years older than Alexios, and doesn't hesitate to make bold advances even during your first meeting with him. As the story unfolds, you have the chance to fully romance Mikkos at a party, and in the finale, assuming you did everything to get a happy ending for Barnabas's nephew, you will be able to have one more romantic encounter with Mikkos in the sunset, before saying a goodbye that, since you never cease to be a traveler, may not be definitive.

During your first runs of the game, you can complete the Hydrea & Melos questlines fairly early, as their level is relatively low; but you are recommended to travel to Lemnos only when you are strong enough to survive the demanding quests there. This means that, upon arriving on Lemnos, you may have already done Roxana's quests, and if you romanced her and spared her, she will be with your crew. If this is the case, when the questline on Lemnos reaches its conclusion, Roxana will arrive with Barnabas to greet you. After everything is settled, she will literally send Mikkos away to stay with Alexios herself, claiming her antagonist's place in the sunset scene. This unexpected twist has one extremely disappointing downside: the game takes for granted that you prefer Roxana over Mikkos, as you are not given the chance to choose between the two of them at that point. Mikkos gets too intimidated by Roxana's authoritative stare and warrior aura and he withdraws with a sad look on his face that speaks much more than any words could. I am pretty sure that Alexios would have picked Mikkos if he could choose, given that the main questline's title is Have You Seen My Mikkos?. Not to mention how much fun, deliciously wild and adorably campy the romance with him is. You can still reject Roxana during the ending scene and make her leave you alone, but even so you have already lost your last chance of romancing Mikkos in the sunset, as he will be nearby afterwards, but apart from complimenting Alexios on his looks, he will not say anything else to him.

The way the two stories are entwined challenges your moral status in a rather frustrating way, as in the end of the Lemnos story you are robbed of your free will if you spared Roxana on Melos. Even if you want your character to follow a specific path in their sex life, but decide to romance Roxana strictly out of human compassion so as to not sacrifice her (and for practical reasons, so as to hire her on your ship), she will totally ruin your affair with Mikkos later and, what's worse, you are not even given the chance to decide yourself which lover you will pick. Your story with Mikkos will end happily only if you have killed Roxana on Melos, or if you start her story after Mikkos's questline is safely complete. But even if you do the latter, you will still have to kill her if you don't want to romance her. Plainly put, the game practically forces you to romance Roxana if you don't want to be a murderer.

On a different pace and atmosphere, the enchanting adventure Trouble In Paradise which takes place on the Silver Islands, is a beautiful and immersive story that could even stand alone as a DLC episode. Alexios arrives on Mykonos to hunt down and kill one of the Cultists, the ruthless Podarkes, who rules the islands with an iron fist, after receiving a message from Kyra, the leader of a group of rebels who fervently want to get rid of the evil man. Kyra has one more reason to hate Podarkes, as he had guards kill her mother when she was little. Alexios meets Kyra and he also meets Thaletas, a Spartan polemarch who had also received a similar message from Kyra and arrived on Mykonos to help her free and secure the Silver Islands. You can flirt with both of them, but you can fully romance only one, and your decision will naturally have consequences. Like in the previous case, I will analyze my own choices only, with their own outcomes and side-effects.

Kyra is a smart, funny and pretty girl, and among all the possible female romance options for our character, she seems to be the second most fitting choice after Odessa. Similarly, Thaletas is handsome, intelligent, brave and proud; hands down, the best match for Alexios among all male romance options, and all romance options, for that matter, since my Alexios prefers boys anyway; so I always romance Thaletas in this questline. In my headcanon, Thaletas is Alexios's destined soulmate and lover, partly due to their common background, since they are both Spartans, and mainly because there is this intense chemistry between them. Thaletas is a seemingly arrogant young man who, however, hides a very sensitive and romantic side behind his beautiful features, and it becomes rather obvious that he is smitten with Alexios from the moment when the two of them meet for the first time.

 

Interestingly enough, this becomes initially clear only if you take a specific path at the start of the questline. As soon as the story starts, you have to check two locations: Kyra's hideout in a secret cave and the beach where Thaletas and his men are fighting against Athenians. If you go to meet Kyra first, she and Alexios will eventually run to the beach to assist Thaletas and will fight alongside him. After the brief battle is over, the scene plays out in a rather neutral way for our hero, as Thaletas's attention is mainly focused towards Kyra, with whom he has an affair, and he doesn't seem to take Alexios into much consideration. Whereas if you go to the beach before visiting the hideout, the first contact with Thaletas will be between him and Alexios only. Kyra will not be present, and in the scene after the battle Thaletas will openly express how impressed he is with Alexios and his battling skills. You can definitely see those love sparkles flickering all around the white sands, and it is more than certain that it was written in the stars for the the two boys to come across each other. Although the rest of the story will unfold the same way even if you and Thaletas had a typical first meeting, choosing to go to the beach first to meet Thaletas on your own, sets the mood and gives you a hint about what the young Spartan might be hiding from his girlfriend. Moreover, if you go to the beach first, Thaletas will arrive a bit later at Kyra's hideout, and there is a brief extra segment in the scene, during which Thaletas offers an almost missable cue about his unexpected feelings towards our hero.

The next part of the story takes place at the rebel hideout where you are called to choose between Kyra's strategy and Thaletas's plan, both aiming at weakening the Athenian forces and, subsequently, making it easier to kill Podarkes. If you decide to aid Thaletas with his aggressive plan, you will have a golden chance to find him alone at the beach and directly flirt with him for the first time. Notably, out of the three crucial dialogue options that you are offered, the two have strong sexual undertones and, even more notably, Thaletas will respond accordingly to either of them, confessing that he is attracted to Alexios, but cannot leave Kyra for the time being. He will then send you on a couple of risky missions that will harm the Athenians, therefore setting the ground for a battle that will favor the Spartans.

At this point, you are recommended to go and talk to Kyra and agree to help her too with her own plan. Her strategy is more stealthy, as it involves secretly destroying the Athenians's supplies and stealing their money. You may skip all her quests, but it is recommenced that you do at least one in order to further weaken Podarkes, therefore making him easier to kill. In any case, after certain missions are completed, an extra one will be unlocked, which will reveal to you a shocking secret about Kyra's past: she is Podarkes's illegitimate daughter, something that she was unaware of all these years that she was seeking revenge from the man who was responsible for the murder of her mother. Meanwhile, your romance with Thaletas keeps blooming, and when all his tasks are done, you can then openly ask him to become your lover, which he will finally accept and admit that he is in love with our hero after teasing him a bit more. But as it turns out, it is more than worth the while, and after their love is consummated, he and Alexios will exchange a warm vow to meet again after the war is over.

On the Kyra front, however, things are rather nasty. You are facing the moral dilemma to reveal her secret to all the rebels or talk to her about it in private. If you do the former, her troops will abandon her and she will get mad at you. Although this looks like a bad move, it is a choice that somehow highlights your intention to take the girl out of the picture, to ensure that Thaletas will never go back to her. Later on, after Podarkes is dead, you will need to speak to her as she is about to burn her father's corpse. There are a few things you can tell her at that point, but only one choice each time will have a good ending as far as she is concerned. All other choices will lead her to commit suicide by falling off a cliff. As bad and malicious as the latter feels, it is the only way for you to have a little hope considering your future with Thaletas, who now seems to have finally made up his mind and has decided to go back to Sparta, praying that he and Alexios will someday cross paths again. So your last chance to keep the flame burning is to make Kyra fall to her death and then lie to Thaletas about her demise. If you tell him the sad news, he will get extremely upset and will not want to see you again, which means that you totally messed up everything. If Kyra is alive, however, not only will Thaletas go back to her, but he will also decide to stay on the Silver Islands with her instead of returning to Sparta. On the positive side, you remain good friends with both of them, and as a bonus, Kyra is thankful that Alexios taught Thaletas new tricks. I guess she is either too confident or too naive to believe that her boyfriend will not seek an encore with the master in the future.

 

So the choices that you make in this story are decisive for your love life but at the same time are constantly testing your moral standing. If Alexios chooses to save Kyra, he will lose Thaletas for good. But if he makes her kill herself and, assuming he and Thaletas do find each other again after the war as they promised, will he be able to live with the burden of her death in his conscience? My guess is that, since the mercenary's life has definitely hardened him, and seeing that he is able to lie so easily about such a serious matter, he will get over it sooner or later, especially since the prospect of a blissful love life still remains bright for the days to come.