Abu'l Nuqoud

2012-07-17T11:00:45Z

109.102.74.92: /* Merchant King of Damascus */

{{Era|AC|TSC|Templars|Good}}
{{WPtargets}}
{{Quote|You take the lives of men and women, strong in the conviction that their deaths will improve the lots of those left behind. A minor evil for a greater good? We are the same.|Abu'l Nuqoud|Assassin's Creed}}
{{Character Infobox
|name = Abu'l Nuqoud
|image = abul-nuqoudpng.png
|birth = c. 1137
|death = 1191 <br> [[Damascus|Damascus, Syria]]
|period = High Middle Ages
|faction = [[Saracens|Muslim Saracens]]<br>
[[Templars]] (secret)
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed]]''
|voice = [[Fred Tatasciore]]}}

'''Abu'l Nuqoud''' (unknown - 1191) was the merchant king of [[Damascus]], and secretly a member of the [[Templars|Templar Order]]. He lived in the rich district of Damascus, [[Syria]].

Abu'l was the fourth person assassinated by the [[Assassins|Assassin]] [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] in his [[Hunt for the Nine|quest for redemption]]. His death, like those of his eight Templar brothers, had been ordered by [[Rashid ad-Din Sinan|Al Mualim]], the [[Mentor]] of the [[Levantine Assassins]].

==Biography==
===Merchant King of Damascus===
{{Quote|Look at me! My very nature is an affront to the people I ruled, and these noble robes did little more than to muffle their shouts of hate.|Abu'l Nuqoud|Assassin's Creed}}

Abu'l Nuqoud was an abnormally large man with rich tastes and a humongous appetite. Everything he said and did was to excess. He was known to throw lavish parties, decorate his [[Merchant King's Palace|palace]] with gaudy works of art, and feed himself the finest foods.

He hated the poor and saw them as a blight upon the land, believing them to be the source of everything wrong with the world. He took pleasure in tricking and torturing those of lesser means, and was incredibly self-centered.

Abu'l Nuqoud also loved nothing more than to remind the people of Damascus how generous he was. He knew how to throw a party – and how to earn the favor of "those who mattered".

At some stage in his life, he joined the Templar Order and gained knowledge about the [[Second Apple|Apple of Eden]] and the plans the Templars had with the ancient artifact.

===Death===
{{Quote|All this suffering is born of fear and hate! It bothers you that [[Crusaders|they]] are different, just as it bothers you that '''I''' am different!|Abu'l Nuqoud addressing the crowd at his party.|Assassin's Creed}}

[[File:Merchant king 5.png|thumb|left|250px|Abu'l before his death.]]
When Altaïr sought out Abu'l Nuqoud, he learned that the merchant king had organized a lavish party at his palace for the nobility of Damascus. The party was paid for with money stolen from the city's treasury.

After the guests had settled down, Abu'l, speaking from his balcony, proposed a toast for their generosity and then proceeded to lambaste them for their hatred and hypocrisy in supporting [[Saladin|Salah Al'din]] and his war campaign. It was soon revealed that he had poisoned the wine in order to exact revenge on the people who tormented him with their cruel words and bigotry.

He then ordered his men to kill anyone who tried to escape from the party. Altaïr took advantage of the ensuing panic to make his way to Abu'l, who tried to escape. Altaïr gave chase and managed to assassinate Abu'l.

In his dying words, Abu'l told the Assassin that he had not joined the Templars for revenge, but to create a new and better world, instead of pretending to follow a god who called him an abomination. He also challenged Altaïr's willingness to strike down anyone when it was ordered by Al Mualim, remarking that Altaïr might doubt the worthiness of his cause.

==Personality and characteristics==
[[File:Merchant king 4.png|thumb|250px|right|Abu'l on his balcony.]]
Abu'l Nuqoud could not bring himself to support a war for a god who labeled him an abomination. He threw large and extraordinary parties, decorated his palace with expensive works of art, and fed himself the finest foods; all the while wearing expensive clothing.

He would even murder dozens of innocent [[Civilians|citizens]] for the sake of his own pettiness and frustration, blaming them for his problems, and for talking about him behind his back.

Abu'l was an obese man, wearing velvet robes with yellow patterns. His robes were usually open, which displayed his large stomach. He wore long loose pants, which were olive colored, with yellow shoes that had a pointed tip. He wore a turban, decorated with a feather pinned by a jewel. On his face, one could see the signs of severe acne.

==Final words==

*'''Altaïr:''' ''Be at peace now. Their words can no longer do harm.''
*'''Abu:''' ''Why have you done this?!''
*'''Altaïr:''' ''You stole money from those you claimed to lead, sent it away for some unknown purpose. I want to know where it's gone and why!''
*'''Abu:''' ''Look at me! My very nature is an affront to the people I ruled, and these noble robes did little more than to muffle their shouts of hate.''
*'''Altaïr:''' ''So this is about vengeance, then?''
*'''Abu:''' ''No, not vengeance, but my conscience. How could I finance a war in service to the same god that calls me an abomination?''
[[File:Merchant king 8.png|thumb|250px|Altaïr stains a [[Feather|feather marker]] with Abu'l's blood.]]
*'''Altaïr:''' ''If you do not serve Saladin's cause, then whose?''
*'''Abu:''' ''In time, you'll come to know them: I think perhaps you already do.''
*'''Altaïr:''' ''Then why hide? And why these dark deeds?''
*'''Abu:''' ''Is it so different from your own work? You take the lives of men and women, strong in the conviction that their deaths will improve the lots of those left behind: a minor evil for a greater good. We are the same!''
*'''Altaïr:''' ''No! We are nothing alike!''
*'''Abu:''' ''Ah, but I see it in your eyes: you doubt. You cannot stop us... we will have our "New World".''

==Trivia==

*In Arabic, ''ʾAbu n-Nuqūd'' literally means "Father of the Money" or "Father of the Coins".
*Abu'l is the only target without any weapon upon him. He will only turn to fight you when he makes it to a guard tower and receives a sword.
*Because of some of his mannerisms (such as his style of dress), his speech about people of all kinds living together, his words about not serving the "same god that calls me an abomination," the way he caresses one of his guards, and the fact that many characters refer to him as "different," it is speculated that he is a homosexual.
*Creative director [[Patrice Désilets]] stated that the production team affectionately called the merchant king their "she-male". He pointed out that the fun of a character like Abu'l is ''"the big party, [where] everyone is drinking, then everyone is dying, and then you've got to go and reach him and kill him from behind."''
*Even though he appears to be overweight and of quite old age, Abu'l can run relatively fast.
*In the mobile game, he is called "Vizier Abull Aswad".

==Gallery==
<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" widths="180">
abul1.png|Altaïr observing Abu'l's party.
abul2.png|Abu'l pleases the crowd.
abul3.png|Altaïr overhears Abu'l trying to send a word to the audience.
abul4.png|Abu'l trying to send a message.
Merchant king 3.png|Abu'l during his speech.
Merchant king 6.png|Altaïr striking at Abu'l.
Merchant king 7.png|Abu'l Nuqoud's final moments.
</gallery>

==Source==

*''[[Assassin's Creed]]''
{{AC}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nuqoud, Abul}}
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[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed Assassination Targets]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade Characters]]
[[Category:Templars]]

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Abu'l Nuqoud