- "As a child I never enjoyed the glamor, the dress up, and the manners. It was all so suffocating. It all changed when I stepped outside of our gates one day and saw the world for what it really is. I've never turned back since."
- ―Rebekah telling Basim Ibn Ishaq about her life prior to joining the Hidden Ones, 860s.[src]-[m]
Rebekah (Arabic: رفقة) was a member of the Hidden Ones based at Alamut during the 9th century. In addition to serving the brotherhood as a blacksmith, she later took up a position as the Rafiq of their bureau in the Karkh district of Baghdad.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Born into an affluent family somewhere apart from Baghdad, Rebekah was raised in an opulent environment that required strict social etiquette and decorum.[1] In her own words, she found this lifestyle "suffocating" and rebelled against it.[2][1] One day, she ventured beyond her community's gates and witnessed the hardships of society outside her sheltered upbringing. She encountered inequities on a scale that significantly marred her view of the world, and she was revolted by the pervasive exploitation of the less privileged by those with greater wealth and power like her very peers. Resolving to leave behind her home forever, she set herself on a trajectory that eventually led to her join the Hidden Ones in Alamut.[1]
Blacksmith of Alamut[]
- Basim: "This blade has character!"
- Rebekah: "Why would I make anything less than unique?"
- Basim: "I am in your debt. I was not expecting new weapons today!"
- Rebekah: "Repay me by using them on the Order. Make them feel the sharpness of its character!"
- —Basim and Rebekah discussing the former's new scimitar, 862.[src]-[m]
Rebekah presenting Basim with his new scimitar
By 862, Rebekah had become the blacksmith of Alamut. That February, she forged a sword and an accompanying parrying dagger for a new recruit, Basim Ibn Ishaq, on the orders of his master Roshan. The new weapons were a surprise to Basim when he brought the leather strips for the dagger hilt to Rebekah as instructed, and they also signified his progress from wooden training swords.[3]
Later that night, Rebekah informed her fellow Hidden Ones around a campfire that one of their brothers, Ahmad ibn Musa, would be leaving for Baghdad the following day. She was also present to listen to Basim and Nur inform the Alamut Council of mercenary presence in the vicinity of their camp, which prompted Mentor Rayhan to send Nur to Baghdad to investigate.[3]
Rebekah talking to Basim on his initiation day
After Basim completed his training, he was set to be formally inducted into the brotherhood by the Alamut Council. On the day of the initiation, Rebekah talked to Basim and jokingly claimed that the Hidden Ones were "initiating anyone now". Later, she was present at the initiation ceremony alongside the rest of the Alamut Brotherhood, where Basim vowed to uphold the Hidden Ones' tenets and was presented with a Hidden Blade by Rayhan after sacrificing his left ring finger.[4]
Shortly after Basim's initiation, Nur returned to Alamut gravely wounded, as the Order of the Ancients had attacked him during his investigation. Rayhan subsequently assigned Basim, Roshan and Fuladh Al Haami to travel to Baghdad and continue Nur's investigation, with Rebekah and other Hidden Ones set to follow suit shortly.[4]
Rafiq in Baghdad[]
- Rebekah: "A grand auction is happening, the Da'irat Al-mal. An annual show of silk robes comparing their golden spoons. No surprise, but this event is invite only. There is a high chance one of our targets will attend."
- Basim: "So, gain entry into the auction and find the one behind this."
- Rebekah: "Mumtaz! (How delightful!) You catch on quick."
- —Rebekah and Basim discussing the Da'irat Al-mal, 860s.[src]-[m]
Basim, Rebekah and Roshan discussing the Order's presence in Karkh
Following her arrival in Baghdad, Rebekah helped Fuladh to set up a bureau in Karkh before becoming its Rafiq to investigate the Order's activites in the district.[5] She was later joined by Basim and Roshan, whom she informed of the corruption in Karkh, which had become stronger than usual, as there were rumors of harassment from officials and goods being seized.[1]
Basim subsequently conducted an investigation and managed to learn of an Order member known as "The Treasurer", who was set to attend Baghdad's annual grand auction, the Da'irat Al-mal, at the Bazaar. After discussing his findings with Rebekah and Roshan,[6] Basim infiltrated the auction and managed to identify the Treasurer as the Chinese merchant Ning before assassinating her.[7] He then returned to the Karkh bureau, where Rebekah and Roshan congratulated him before the former returned to her work.[8]
Personality and traits[]
- Basim: "As-salamu 'alaikum (Peace be upon you), Rebekah!"
- Rebekah: "Wa 'alaikum as-salam (And peace be upon you), Basim. What a slow and boring day..."
- Basim: "Did you not know that I have been called to be initiated?"
- Rebekah: "Oh? We are really initiating anyone now!"
- —Rebekah teasing Basim, 860s.[src]-[m]
Rebekah and Basim taking in the sights after climbing a cliff
Already in her childhood, Rebekah's individualistic spirit made conformity into the rigorous demands of upper-class society difficult.[2][1] Where there were constraints on how she presented herself, whether in dress or in social interactions, she felt suppressed in her ability to express herself while the luxuries of privilege failed to give her fulfillment.[1] Instead, she found the extravagance superficial. Her discontent laid the seeds for her personal rebellion against the trappings of aristocratic life, compelling her to seek out the world beyond.[2][1]
Her exposure to the abuses marginalized peoples had to endure in their everyday lives forever altered her perspective.[2] To her, their experiences and not those of her upbringing's exclusive bubble were what spoke to the realities of the world.[1] Notwithstanding this, she felt complicit in systemic injustice by her very position in the social hierarchy and no pride in having been born into wealth.[2] All these qualities of her character pushed her to defy that system and her place in it. Her determination was so strong that she never harboured any regrets about forsaking the comforts of her childhood home for the Hidden Ones.[1]
As a Hidden One, Rebekah could be quite sarcastic and witty, especially with new recruits like Basim.[4] The two often engaged in playful banter, trying to up one another, but nonetheless worked well together and regarded each other as friends.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
Rebekah is a character created for the 2023 video game Assassin's Creed: Mirage. She was first mentioned in the game's official "Character Reference Guide", where it was revealed that she was the one who had forged Basim's personal scimitar.[9]
Etymology[]
The name Rebekah is derived from the Hebrew name Rivqah (רִבְקָה), meaning "snare", "noose", "tied up", "secured", and sometimes "beautifully ensnaring".
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Coins and Daggers
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Database: Rebekah
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – A New Beginning
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Taking Flight
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Branching Out
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – A Faceless Feather
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Gilded Butterflies
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – A Grand End
- ↑ Ubisoft (26 May 2023). "Assassin's Creed Mirage: Character Reference Guide". Ubisoft. Retrieved on 28 May 2023.