HIDDEN ONE,

STATS. basim ibn is'haq, born in 835, pob the newly founded city of samarra, iraqi (arab-kurdish descent), 182cm/6', speaks arabic, kurdish, greek, some frankish, artificially acquired knowledge of norse and old english through loki's memories, cis man (he/him), bisexual.

OVERLOOK. years begin to show on basim's face, but they do not dull the intensity of his gaze. some of the wrinkles that gently line his expression are hidden by a thick, neatly trimmed beard; his hair, equally dark, is combed back and reach his nape, hinting to curl at the ends. his nose is elegantly hooked; thick-lashed eyes the color of molten amber, although frequently hidden in the shade of his peaked hood. a broad-chested, solid man, graceful and swift, so impossibly light-footed that not even his betters hear him approach; well-built but not bulky, with powerful limbs from years of climbing and wielding weapons. a deep voice, dark and smooth as the cover of a warm blanket, marked by a foreign lilt that slips into a thick accent when speaking any language other arabic. a stringy scar cuts slantly across his cheek, one whose story he does not tell. ring finger missing, severed at the knuckle. smells smoky, faintly sweet, reminiscent of old parchment and honey.

PERSONALITY. a mysterious, well-traveled man, wise with much experience and a confidence that sometimes feels borrowed; capable of acting with the untold kindness of grief, considerate as a father or a lover, as much as with cutting viciousness. a man of hidden depths and undisclosed agendas, despite how many layers you peel away there is always something he is hiding. open-minded and immensely curious, of great intelligence; challenging and sharply humorous, charming when he wants to be, secluded and evasive when he refuses to be known. deeply hurting. exudes a sense of danger, but also unfathomable safety. has a deep-running rebellious streak, and is no stranger to encouraging others to indulge in theirs. his personality, feelings, dreams, memories etc have been poisoned with someone else's, a past life slipping through the cracks forced open by loss and trauma. not all of basim is basim.

PORTRAYAL NOTES. for anyone unfamiliar with assassin's creed lore (and not all of it applies here btw) and basim's games specifically, please know that basim is a highly skilled, immensely talented and experienced assassin that joined a literal murder cult at seventeen. he's VERY good at killing people, hiding in plain sight, and anything that being a hidden one entails. the hidden ones are said murder cult, whose goal revolves around fighting a secret organization called the order of the ancients to eventually impose their worldview; they fight for the liberation of mankind, on the basis of a nuanced sense of morality that will be discussed here. basim is also the recipient/reincarnation of the norse god loki*, which is an essential aspect of his character.

*basim was raised muslim, considered himself muslim for the most part of his life, and i am not. the difficult effort of reconciling islam with polytheism is a theme on this blog and will be extensively discussed in the most respectful way possible; loki is not a god in basim's eyes but a jinn, and much of his struggle will be read and understood through the lenses of islamic mysticism.