The next Assassin's Creed Valhalla DLC has been announced. Set to take place during the Siege of Paris, history fans are sure to be excited as the series dives into one of the most fascinating power shifts in European history. The Siege of Paris by Vikings from 885-886 CE led to the eventual fracturing of the Carolingian dynasty and set a precedent which eventually saw Viking descendants ruling huge swathes of Europe from England to Sicily over the following centuries.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla's Siege of Paris DLC is sure to packed full of colorful characters. Historical accounts paint a fascinating picture of the people involved in the siege, with roles ranging from the heroic to the downright hilarious.
Abbo "The Crooked" Cernuus
Assassin's Creed's historical characters wouldn't be possible without real historians, but some are more prone to exaggeration than others. For a long time much of what was known about the Siege of Paris came from the eye-witness account of one monk named Abbo "the Crooked" Cernuus. His poetic account of the Siege, De bellis Parisiacae urbis - wars of the city of Paris - is known for its outlandish exaggeration of the events that transpired.
The agreed upon account of the Siege of Paris sees Viking raiders Sigfred and Sinric sail a force of ships up the river Seine in an attempt to extort the Carolingian Empire, a feat pulled off by Vikings in the past. After several months of the siege, the Emperor agreed to pay them and allowed the Vikings to sail further up the Seine and raid Burgundy, which was in the midst of a revolt. While modern estimates put the number of Viking ships involved in the siege at around 300, Abbo Cernuus claimed that 700 Viking ships arrived that day, carrying between 30,000 to 40,000 Norsemen.
Described by historian Nicholas Brooks as "in a class of his own as an exaggerator," Abbo's penchant for embellishment could make him a great character to include in the Siege of Paris DLC. It could be great seeing how he twists the events that players will get to witness firsthand. Somewhere between a holy man, a poet, and a charlatan, Abbo the Crooked would likely be one of the most memorable characters to encounter, his unique reputation landing him somewhere between Dandelion from The Witcher and Uncle from Red Dead Redemption.
Charles The Fat
One of the most likely historical figures to appear is the Carolingian Emperor himself, a descendant of Charlemagne, the unfortunately named Charles the Fat. Known as sickly, lethargic, and incompetent, the Siege of Paris led to Charles' downfall when he decided not to attack the Viking ships when they were vulnerable, but instead let them move on to Burgundy. When the Viking's finally left, he even gave them 700 pounds of silver, hugely damaging his reputation and eventually leading to a coup.
It would be interesting to see how the depiction of Charles the Fat actually stands up to history in Assassin's Creed. Was he really a weak ruler, or did he have the foresight to avoid further bloodshed? Was he really the reason the Carolingian Empire fractured, or did he inherit the impossible task of maintaining it? History buffs may be wondering how Assassin's Creed's portrayal of Charles will compare to another figure from the time, remembered as the leader Charles failed to be.
Count Odo
Although he sounds like a Star Wars villain, Count Odo of Paris is considered the hero of the Siege of Paris, at least from the perspective of the Franks. While Charles the Fat eventually caved to Viking demands, the siege began when Odo refused to back down, despite only having a handful of defenders in comparison to the Viking army. Though Abbo's reputation makes him hard to believe, the monk claims Odo defended the city with as few as 200 men.
After the siege Odo was chosen by the nobles of West Francia to be their new king, kicking off the Robertian dynasty. The question of whether Odo really was the hero history claims could make him a great Assassin's Creed character. Odo wasn't alone in leading the defense, however. He partnered up with a man whose actions would go on to create a whole new stock-character in medieval literature - the fighting bishop.
Goslin, the Fighting Bishop of Paris
Goslin - also known as Gauzlin, Gozlin, or Joscelin - was elected bishop of Paris just a couple of years before the Vikings led by Sigfred and Sinric arrived. When it became clear an attack was on the way, Goslin was in charge of strengthening the city's defenses. Goslin's efforts stopped the city being taken immediately. Not only did he set up defense towers, but when the Vikings destroyed the tower at the bridge now known as Pont au Change, Goslin led an effort to rebuild the entire tower in just one night. This forced the Vikings to give up taking Paris right away, and arguably saved the city. It's believed that disease - or perhaps exhaustion - led to his death just when peace was on the horizon. Though Goslin wouldn't be around to reap his rewards, one man certainly did.
An Older Rollo
Rollo the Viking has already appeared in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, but it was the Siege of Paris that began his transformation from raider to royal, and it would be great to be reunited with him at this pivotal moment in his life. When Sigfred left the siege in frustration, Rollo remained with his force. It would be Rollo's men that Charles the Fat would infamously spare from the blade and allow to move on to Burgundy. With this success Rollo would later lead the Norsemen in another famous siege, the 911 Siege of Chatres.
This led to the West Frankish king granting him rule over the land that became known as Normandy in exchange for him converting to Christianity and stopping any more Vikings sailing up the Seine. Rollo's great-great-great grandson, William the Conqueror, would conquer England in 1066.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
