Spare Leda's Farm or Burn for Barnabas in Assassin's Creed Odyssey (Demeter's Fire)

Game: Assassin's Creed Odyssey

Quest: Demeter's Fire (hidden quest accessible after Daddy's Home)

Location: Sacred Plains of Demeter, Attika

Summary: After drug-induced dreams of his long-lost love sends Barnabas and the Eagle-Bearer across the Greek world in pursuit of her whereabouts, they make a startling discovery: Barnabas has a daughter. The prophetic whispers of "Leda" haunting Barnabas are not of his wife who survived the shipwreck which parted them, but of the child bearing her mother's name: A now grown warrior-farmer facing her own crises in the wake of her mater and step-father's recent passing. As sole recipient of their inheritance, her status as overseer and property-owner draws unwanted attention from would-be "suitors" kept at bay by Leda's deft sword hand - until now.

The gods have brought Barnabas and the Eagle-Bearer home to aid Leda and reunite the family, but this isn't where the story ends. Leda refuses to leave the farmstead and join her father on board the Adrestia despite her longing for adventure, citing loyalty towards the land her family have cultivated so tirelessly. Only a "sign from Demeter herself" will sway her, and the player/protagonist can read this as a leave-it-up-to-the-gods situation or take it into their own hands (arson). This scenario involves the concept of player/protagonist omniscience, superstition, family values and tradition, and choosing one's destiny on their behalf.

More information: Demeter's Fire | Assassin's Creed Wiki | Fandom

The Sacred Plains of Demeter, Attika, Greece. Photo credit: FetchQuester

Recruit Leda, or Honour Her Familial Commitments

Is there anything the Eagle-Bearer wouldn't do for Barnabas? A hero of his own odyssey and steadfast friend to our protagonist as fated by the gods themselves, Barnabas' intuition, humour, and loyalty make him an endearing second-in-command. Like the rest of the Adrestia's crew, Barnabas is family - and the Eagle-Bearer's ultimate confidant. The revelation of parenthood is life-changing, however; while Barnabas cannot abandon his calling as sea captain, he implores Leda to follow hers. One nock of a flame-tipped arrow might be all that is needed to tip fate in Barnabas' favour - but tempting the gods is a dangerous game to play.

Don't Burn the Farm!

Yet are such drastic measures justified? Having found solace and purpose with the Eagle-Bearer and companionship with smuggler Iola, Barnabas' familial grief is now a closed chapter in his life just as Leda is moving forward with hers. A pious man, he places faith in the course of destiny as writ by the gods; that our protagonist utters "Barnabas must never know" acknowledges an act he would never condone and the burden of which we must bear in silence.

But there are other repercussions, too. From a role-playing perspective, the Eagle-Bearer as protector-of-the-people has committed a crime which defies their core ethics and aligns them more closely with Deimos' destructive nature. How can they justify endangering human life and livelihood if the fire escalates, and how will this impact a region dependent on grain as a vital source of food and currency thus affecting its economic and political strength? How will this undermine Leda’s social position in the community as an influential contributor? The reparations for such a tragedy would be extensive even with the support of her labourers, leaving a harrowing task of restoring the farm to a fertile state or acquiring adequate land to build anew. 

Counting on the gods' fickle nature to aid her endeavour is an unreliable hope - especially given the Eagle-Bearer's brazen defiance in "imitating" an act of nature while exclaiming "Gods forgive me!" as they set the first granary alight. It is hubris to presume we were sent across the wilds of Attika to entice Leda to our cause, and equally troubling to be the harbinger of chaos for her family legacy as it smoulders in the ashes of a homestead into which two generations of work have been poured. 

This is Leda's home: Memories of childhood and coming of age, of toiling alongside loving parents and seeing the life they have built grow and flourish. To jarringly uproot her from everything she loves and place her amidst a crowd of strangers in an unfamiliar environment is a choice with little integrity, incurred by circumstances forced upon her vs. her own volition.

This is what makes such an act inherently selfish by speaking for Leda and Barnabas, placing what we perceive to be their needs over the needs of the many. Leda is needed here within the community, and the gods have presented her with an opportunity for change; whether this is the right decision is not for us to dictate. Leda must follow her own head and heart.

To create is to destroy. Photo credit: Elvira @Elvira04289

Let it Burn!

In our hero's heart of hearts there can be no justification for destroying Leda's home - only the player's affection for Barnabas partnered with a vicarious desire to repair the Eagle-Bearer's own dysfunctional family ties. The importance of familial bonds is emphasized throughout Odyssey's story arc, driving us towards reconciliation no matter the cost - in this case, a cost which is worthy of a chance for a new beginning. Like the mother who forsook her adventurous disposition to settle down for the quiet pastoral life, Leda has already paid her dues to the world: Now it's time to answer her true calling and embrace her "new" family on board the Adrestia where she can satiate her restlessness and fulfil her legacy as a warrior. Perhaps this is what the gods intended, after all.

Such a life is not without peril, but battle-readied blood and salt-water flow through Leda's veins, more suited to seasons on the Aegean than the farm which has become a liability as interest in the young overseer's personal fortune grows among her harassers. To be rid of this burden would be a blessing, allowing Leda to reassess her needs and desires by letting go of past commitments and looking towards the future - a rare opportunity she may regret should she neglect it.

This would create a substantial ripple effect throughout the community as unemployed workers would need to eke out a living elsewhere - but this is not an impossible task, given the need for hands in wartime (soldiering, smithing, building, recruiting, serving, messaging, etc.) Leda's experience with leadership and farming would not go to waste, being able to utilize these skills and talents in other ports as the Eagle-Bearer comes to the aid of those in need; with the great, wide reach of the world awaiting her, Leda's work may have only just begun.

Spoilers affecting choice:

Leda seems content if left behind at the farm, warmly telling the Eagle-Bearer to "take care of my pater" when interacting with her.

If the Eagle-Bearer burns down the farm and admits their guilt, Leda vehemently vows to rebuild and revive - her commitment to the legacy of her family more resolute than ever. Naturally, she has no desire to see the Eagle Bearer again.

If the burned-down farm is cast as a message from the gods, devout Leda seems unquestioning - she readily accepts the sign of Demeter, stating "she knows best" and appears unfazed. It is almost as though a weight has been lifted from her shoulders and she is now at liberty to pursue her own life.

- Lucy A.

***

Sources: 

Assassin's Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft Québec/Ubisoft); fandom.com