Assassin’s Creed Mirageis out, but the story is not fully over yet. The events of Basim’s life will likely play some role in themodern-day segments of futureAssassin’s Creedgames, whatever comes of them, but the upcoming novel,Assassin’s Creed Mirage: Daughter of No One, gives readers a deep dive into Basim’s mentor, Roshan, as well. She appears inAC MirageandAC Valhalla, but while players have met her, they don’t really know her, author Maria Lewis told us.
Minor spoilers are head, but nothing related to the overarching plotGame Rant recently read an advanced copy ofAssassin’s Creed Mirage: Daughter of No Oneand spoke with Lewis about the text. The novel explores her past leading into the Brotherhood in a dual timeline structure, and Lewis had a lot of freedom within the confines of the novel. For example, it was important to Lewis that readers see Roshan as more than a stoic badass (a box she feels too many strong women protagonists are trapped in), but there were key elements of her character that had to be maintained to be consistent. Not only did this involve research into the time period and the character, but Ubisoft also provided Lewis with a set of rules. She called these “no-benders,” and while she could decide on and explain the “how” of them, they were mandatory elements of Roshan’s character and the novel.
There were a series of what I call ‘no-benders’ given to me by Ubisoft, things that had to be included in the story one way or the other, and it was the ‘how’ that was negotiable.
During our conversation, Lewis told us about three “no-benders” Ubisoft provided her with, though the full list is probably more exhaustive. The first is the most obvious and simple: that Roshan has the moniker of “Daughter of No One.” This parallels her with theAssassin’s Creedfranchise’s first protagonist, Altair, and establishes her importance in this era. It’s just a name, but names go a long way in terms of communication and power. It comes up a time or two in the novel, really accentuating Roshan’s role in the world and her relationship with others.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage: Daughter of No One’s No-Benders
The second is Roshan’s second sense. While she is not a Master Assassin, Roshan’s life and upbringing have ensured there’s a keen awareness around her at all times. The novel often explores how Roshan is able to pick up on small, subtle details that many others would no doubt miss, and sometimes she fails or lands in hot water because of it. She is not an assassin yet, after all. Of course, fans of the franchise may note that this sounds acutely similar toEagle Vision in theAssassin’s Creedfranchise. However, Lewis stops short of confirming whether this is one and the same, but few things get past Roshan regardless.
The final ‘no-bender’ was the inclusion of the Harbor Master storyline. Without delving into spoilers, it’s an important event inRoshan’s pastthat precedes the contemporary elements of the novel, and it was important that Lewis make sure she works all of this into the frame of the story. Working in these elements, such as the second sense, was something Lewis had to intentionally plan around and include.
You set those things out on the plan, see how they correlate with what’s already established in the Assassin’s Creed world, then find ways to represent them which are engaging textually. What works visually in the games doesn’t always translate to the page and part of my job is to make sure that sparkles within the chosen medium.
Assassin’s Creed: Daughter of No Onereleases on November 21. It doesn’t seem that anyAssassin’s Creed MirageDLCis on the way, yet it’s clear many fans may want more of this world. For those who loved Roshan and want to know more about her, there’s not a better resource than this novel.
Assassin’s Creed: Mirage
WHERE TO PLAY
Play as a cunning young street thief seeking answers in this majestic Middle Eastern open world. Experience the home of the original Assassins in this exciting new narrative-driven, open world adventure. 15 years since the first Assassin’s Creed redefined adventure, experience the franchises' trademark parkour and stealth like never before - in Assasin’s Creed Mirage. In this smaller scale, back to basics Assassin’s caper, you play Basim, a young street thief seeking answers. Roam the richly-detailed, reactive and vibrant streets of 9th century Baghdad, uncovering the mysteries of the past as you fight to secure your future. Stalk the shadows. Become the ultimate assassin.
