Senu

"Be my eyes, Senu!"

―Bayek, calling out to Senu.^[src]

Senu was a female Bonelli's eagle^[1] who resided in the Ptolemaic Kingdom during the 1st centure BCE. She was a loyal companion of Bayek, former Medjay of Siwa and a founder of the Hidden Ones.

Biography

"Khemu would often speak of Senu as my 'Horus'. "Pappo, her keen eye protects you"."

―Bayek, reminiscing^[src]^-[m]

At some point before 49 BCE, Bayek befriended Senu, and they grew close. This friendship extended to Bayek's son, Khemu; his friend, Chenzira, tried to get him to steal Senu's feathers, telling Khemu that Senu's feathers would ensure his passage into the Field of Reeds. Bayek scoffed at the notion.^[2]

However, when Bayek's son, Khemu, died in 49 BCE, Bayek begun his hunt for the Masked Ones behind his death. However, as Senu was injured, she was unable to join Bayek on his journey.^[3]

During Bayek's absence, Senu was nursed back to health and taken care of by the Siwan healer, Rabiah.^[4] The following year, after Bayek had slain Rudjek and his bodyguard Hypatos, Bayek returned to Siwa, and was reunited with Senu.^[5]

Abilities

Senu shared a symbiotic relationship with her master, who, with the ability of Eagle Vision, could view the world from her perspective. As a result, she was a powerful medium of reconnaissance for Bayek on his adventures, who could not only see what Senu saw, but also hear conversations down on the ground below.^[3]

Additionally, when her master was out in the field, she would always be loyally following him from high up in the air, and would assist him in one of two ways:

If Bayek was hunting, Senu could swoop down and kill nearby animals.
If Bayek was infiltrating restricted locations, Senu could swoop down and harass an enemy to distract them, giving Bayek a chance to deal the killing blow more easily.^[3]

Trivia

Senu's name may be derived from the Bennu bird, for the following reasons:
- The Bennu bird was said to be a self-created being that played a role in the creation of the world; Senu is Bayek's pet eagle, and played a role in 'pioneering' the Eagle Vision ability.
- The Bennu bird was said to be the ba of Ra, and enabled the creative actions of Atum; Senu, fitting in with the Ancient Egyptian concept of the soul, was an 'aspect' of Bayek that would continue living on after his body died, and by being a medium of reconnaissance for Bayek, she enabled him to plan his assassinations and goals easier.
Alternatively, Senu may be translated as 'Sister'.
After completing all the tours of the Discovery Tour, an exclusive skin called "White Senu" is made available. It seems to be based on hierofalcons, a group of birds commonly used for falconry in the Middle East and North Africa.
Senu was conceived early in the development of Origins; the developers pitched the idea of actually controlling an eagle, given that the eagle is a common motif in the Assassin's Creed series.^[6]
If Bayek remains idle for a while, Senu will swoop down and perch on his arm. Bayek can then show her affection by petting her or feeding her a snack from his pouch. Moving will result in Senu flying off to resume normal activity.
When moving the left analog stick a certain way (while controlling Senu), she will do a barrel roll to either left or right.