Record of Ragnarok: Ouroboros

Chapter 6: The Old Man of the Mountain

"...What the hell is this?" Ares says with an unsettlingly fearful expression upon seeing the grim aura from Hassan-i Sabbah's divine weapon.

"Mmh." While Hermes remains composed, opposite to Ares upon seeing Hassan's weapon leaking some substance.

"Could it be their trump card? Pretty engaging..." Yu Huang says, staggered about Hassan's newly unlocked power.

"What is this all about? Some visual effects as a trick? Hmh! What a joke! Just give up, already." Huitzilopochtli scoffs at the sight of everyone in the audience being frightened by Hassan's weapon, with the god thinking that it is nothing important.

[The eleventh of the 13 Valkyrie sisters, Hlökk's room.]

"Hassan-i Sabbah...His aura is truly terrifying, and his color is...unpleasing." In the Valkyrie's room, a man with a silver mustache and different colored eyes looks at the screen alongside his own Valkyrie, Hlökk. He is none other than Jack the Ripper, a former champion of humanity who killed the Indomitable Hero, Heracles a millennium ago, known as Humanity's Most Infamous Murderer agitated by the mere presence of Hassan-i Sabbah.

"You know it's really bad that even you, out of all people, are having cold sweat about that guy." Hlökk says, being extremely dumbfounded that one of the most bloodthirsty murderers is scared of the old man of the mountain.

"They called him the 'Angel of Death' for a good reason...There is a short-lived rumor. Hassan-i Sabbah defeated death itself."

Many sources state that Hassan-i Sabbah was born in the city of Qom in the 1050s. However, early in his life, his family moved to Rayy in Iran. It was here that Hassan would develop an interest in metaphysical and spiritualism. Hassan was also an extremely clever and studious body, he would study language, philosophy, astronomy, and mathematics.

At the age of 17, Hassan swore allegiance to the Fatimid caliph in Cairo. Hassan was extremely devout and many Elders would be impressed by his eagerness to learn. Soon enough, he would embark on his journey to Cairo, and along the way, he would travel to many different regions. He went to Arran (current Azerbaijan), and Armenia. Hassan, at this point, was already an expert conversationalist and his charisma was second to none. He then turned south and traveled through Iraq, reaching Damascus in Syria. He left for Egypt from Palestine.

In 1078, it is unclear for how long he stayed in Egypt but he would continue studying, as was his way and he became a full-on missionary. While he was in Cairo, he would study and preach, but he soon ran into some problems, he was thrown in jail due to political reasons, but he was quickly released and deported. This only emboldened Hassan, and he once again traveled around the world.

He toured extensively throughout Persia and he eventually ended up in Northern Iran. Nizam al-Mulk, the Vizier of the Seljuk Empire would order Hassan to be captured and arrested and would dispatch soldiers to look for him. With Hassan being a wanted man, he had to search for a base to hide out in, he was living in the northern town of Qazvin, which was 60 kilometers from Alamut Castle. A mountain fortress that was thought to be impregnable from any military attack, it was also fabled for its heavenly gardens, library, and ancient laboratories where philosophers, scientists, and theologians could debate intellectual freedom.

Hassan had not only stumbled upon a fortress in which he would be safe from the Vizier of the Seljuk Empire, but he could also continue his love for studying. Hassan was just one man though, he had no army or warriors loyal to him. So how would he take the castle?

In the year 1090, Hassan would journey toward the mountain fortress. As an expert conversationalist and a charming man, he would gain the friendship and loyalty of many of the soldiers at the castle, but he was careful to not attract the attention of the castle's Vizier, as one mishap he would be arrested. With the castle deputy and Hassan's allies now on his side, he was able to take the castle without any bloodshed.