STELAE

Also known as stela, a stele is an upright stone slab or column typically bearing a commemorative inscription or relief design, often serving as a gravestone. In Odyssey, the Eagle Bearer stumbles upon twenty two First Civilization stele, each consists of an upright frame enclosing a metallic translucent surface with various geometric shapes, one resembling the Metatron’s Cube which is often used to depict the Flower of Life or used to dispel demons when drawn around an individual/object, in addition to foreign typography, slightly similar to Mycenaean Greek alphabet.

Upon interacting with them, a holographic projection appears briefly, depicting greek typography as well as shapes and lines, typically related to First Civilization technology, and the glow fades away shortly afterwards. When following a side quest line related to the Stele, the Eagle Bearer will interact with a number of those stele with the aid of a companion, known as Eppie, who claims that each of the stele pieces include a key which he can use to decipher the language of the gods, referring to the First Civilization, as according to him, they help finish a ritual which will activate something. Upon searching for the stele pieces, some stated that they “speak” to them, while not exactly any of the speeches are audible, the Eagle Bearer refers to them as “words of madmen”.

Eppie states that some of the passages that they found in a cave where the ritual using the stele pieces is meant to take place, speak of primordial gods, worth and inner vision. Eventually, the Eagle Bearer manages to collect all the stele pieces for Eppie, who manages to translate the complete writings on the wall which state “Only those who possess inner vision, a gift of the primordial gods, will be deemed worth to wield the power of the Great Dipsioi.” activate one final stele that results in displaying another hologram, which only the Eagle Bearer can see, and not Eppie.

This is the very first time the franchise explores the native language of the First Civilization. In Assassin’s Creed II and Brotherhood, ancient languages such as Sumerian cuneiform, were engraved onto the walls of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, right before and after encountering Minerva’s hologram. This time, we’re shown different symbols, and The Eagle Bearer was mesmerized by their presence, despite not having much knowledge or useful commentary regarding what they could refer to, and how the words or spoken or what exactly the purpose of the Stele, beside the speculation that they depict the names of Isu members. Since they’re found in tombs built by Mycenaean Greeks, a civilization that exited between 1600 – 1100 BCE, the fact that the text that the Stele pieces deciphered mentions the name Dipsioi, a Mycenaean deity that refers to “the Thirsty and hence the Dead Ones”; perhaps related to Thessalian month Dipsos, meaning obscure, hints that the Mycenaean Greeks might be the ones who found the stelae at some point and them used to honor the graces of their most respected and highly regarded figures, who probably utilized Isu artifacts, been in touch with Isu technology or were Isu themselves. After all, Pythagoras acquired the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus from Hermes himself, who lived merely a century before the Eagle Bearer, unlike the majority of the Isu who perished not very long after the Great Catastrophe (Toba), circa 75,000 BCE.

In that case, the Stele could serve as gravestones of Isu members buried in these tombs, who were buried within these tombs, an idea that was planned for the vaults of Egypt in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, judging by the early concept arts of the game, depicting coffins for Isu members, which likely carried on to Odyssey.