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William Miles

2012-01-16T14:03:50Z

121.54.32.157: /* Early life */

{{Era|ACB|ACR|TF|Assassins}}
{{WPAssassins}}
{{Spoilerhd}}
{{Character Infobox
|name = William Miles
|image = William_Miles.png
|birth = 1948
|period = [[Modern times]]
|faction = [[Assassins]]
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' (voice)<br>''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''<br>''[[Assassin's Creed III]]''<br>[[Assassin's Creed (French comic)|''Assassin's Creed'' (French comic)]]
|voice = [[John de Lancie]]}}
'''William "Bill" Miles''' (born 1948) was a member of the [[Assassins|Assassin Order]], who acted as a contact for the Assassin teams spread throughout the world. Based in the Assassin headquarters, he regularly kept the teams informed about the situation of the others. He has one son, [[Desmond Miles|Desmond]].

Initially working from a remote compound known as "[[the Farm]]", William's dedication to the Assassin Brotherhood allowed him to slip into the role of leader, overseeing the activities of Assassin cells spread around the globe.

In late 2012, William joined the Assassin team consisting of Desmond, [[Shaun Hastings]] and [[Rebecca Crane]], who had managed to obtain one of the [[Apples of Eden]]. Together, they relocated to [[wikipedia:New York|New York]] to find the [[Grand Temple]] left behind by the [[First Civilization]].

==Biography==
===Early life===
William Miles was born in 1948, into the Brotherhood of Assassins, eventually devoting his life to the Assassins' cause.<ref name="Encyclopedia">''[[Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia]]''</ref> In 1987, William was living with his wife in an Assassin compound called "[[the Farm]]", located in the [[wikipedia:Black Hills|Black Hills]] of [[wikipedia:South Dakota|South Dakota]], outside [[wikipedia:Rapid City|Rapid City]]. Living with approximately thirty other Assassins in the compound, William's son Desmond was born and raised there.<ref name="Revelations">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''</ref>

William trained Desmond extensively, insisting to him the importance of being careful, and of being ready for an attack from [[Templars|their enemies]] at any time. <ref name="Revelations"/>

At one point, he trained Lucy Stillman, who was born into the order.

===Researching Daniel Cross===
In 1998, William was contacted by [[Paul Bellamy]], the Assassin in charge of an Assassin compound located outside [[Philadelphia]]. Paul asked William to look for information about an individual named [[Daniel Cross]], who was brought into the compound by [[Hannah Mueller]], under the assumption that he was an Assassin.<ref name="The Fall #2">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Fall]]'' - Issue #2</ref>

William found information about Cross' ancestry, which led to the [[Russian Assassins|Russian Assassin]] [[Nikolai Orelov]], who was closely tied to the [[Tunguska event]]. William relayed this information to Paul, and Cross was accepted into the Assassin Brotherhood.<ref name="The Fall #2"/>

In November 2000, Daniel was personally introduced to [[The Mentor (2000)|the Mentor]], and assassinated him upon an impulse secretly implanted into his brain by [[Abstergo Industries]] during his youth. The Templar sleeper agent also revealed the locations of all Assassin camps he had visited during his journeys,<ref name="The Fall #3">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Fall]]'' - Issue #3</ref> resulting in the Templars initiating the "Great Purge" to destroy these camps, though the Farm was left unscathed.<ref name="Revelations"/>

===Overseeing the Order===
With the loss of the Mentor and nearly all Assassin compounds gone,<ref name="The Fall #3"/> the Assassins went into hiding, operating from remote and secluded compounds<ref name="AC">''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref> and cells. Eventually, control of the Order slipped into William's hands, and William started overseeing the Order's activities.<ref name="Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

However, in 2003, Desmond ran away from the Farm, fed up with his parents' paranoia about the Templars and believing them to be nothing more than conspiracy freaks. Despite efforts to find Desmond, William and the Assassins were unsuccessful in retrieving him.<ref name="Revelations"/>

William continued to loyally serve the Order nonetheless, keeping in contact with the Assassin cells via the [[Hephaestus Email Network]], the Assassins' private email network.<ref name="Revelations"/>

In 2012, Lucy Stillman was working undercover in Abstergo Industries as the assistant of [[Warren Vidic]],<ref name="AC"/> one of the [[Inner Sanctum of the Templar Order]].<ref name="Revelations"/> After the death<ref name="AC"/> of her teammate [[Clay Kaczmarek]],<ref name="Revelations"/> used in Abstergo's [[Animus Project]] as "Subject 16", Abstergo's [[Lineage Research and Acquisition|Lineage Discovery and Acquisition]] division managed to track down Desmond and captured him, also using him in the Animus Project as "Subject 17". Around this time, William and the other Assassins deserted the Farm, some time before a team sent by Abstergo arrived there.<ref name="AC"/>

===Retrieving Desmond===
Lucy eventually broke Desmond out of Abstergo's facility in [[Italy]], and the two of them joined [[Shaun Hastings]] and [[Rebecca Crane]] to continue Desmond's Animus sessions, though this time for the Assassins' interests.<ref name="AC"/> William kept in contact with Lucy's cell, occasionally hearing of Desmond's progress.<ref name="Brotherhood"/>

Eventually, by reliving the memories of [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]], Desmond was able to attain the location of [[Ezio's Apple|his ancestor's Apple of Eden]], hidden for centuries in the [[Colosseum Vault]]. The team entered the [[First Civilization]] Vault, and Desmond retrieve the Apple; however, his body was taken possession of by [[Juno]], a member of the First Civilization, who forced him to stab Lucy,<ref name="Brotherhood"/> killing her.<ref name="Revelations"/> William dispatched some Assassins to retrieve the team from the Vault, and placed Desmond inside the Animus due to Desmond's conscious state worsening after his body was taken possession of.<ref name="Brotherhood"/>

Desmond continued to relive Ezio's memories, finding a restored memory sequence from 1506. Desmond received an e-mail from William telling him that the memory sequence he had found would lead them to some information that the Assassins required. At the end of the memories, [[Leonardo da Vinci]] and Ezio Auditore found [[Pythagorean Vault|another Vault]] in [[Rome]], located beneath the Pythagorean Temple. When Ezio's DNA activated a [[Vault pedestal|pedestal]], the room projected a set of coordinates: 43 39 19 N 75 27 42 W, which led to [[wikipedia:Turin (town), New York|Turin]] in the [[United States|American]] state of [[wikipedia:New York|New York]];<ref name="Brotherhood - Da Vinci Disappearance">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' - ''[[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]''</ref> the location of the [[Grand Temple]] left behind by the First Civilization.<ref name="Revelations"/>

Once the sequence was completed, William instructed the other man to sedate Desmond, though it was too late; Desmond had entered a coma,<ref name="Brotherhood - Da Vinci Disappearance"/> and fell into the Animus' [[Black Room]].<ref name="Revelations"/> Despite this, William was confident that his son would recover, and he and the other man then left in order to investigate the coordinates.<ref name="Brotherhood - Da Vinci Disappearance"/>

===Relocating to New York===
While Desmond was still in the Animus, William transported [[Rebecca Crane]] and Desmond to New York, while Shaun stayed behind to attend Lucy's funeral. William examined the Apple of Eden, but didn't believe he had the genes to properly wield it, while Desmond did. Upon arrival, William helped Rebecca stabilize Desmond, as well as monitor his vitals. While watching over Desmond, William asked Rebecca and Shaun about him, such as what his relationship had been with Lucy. He also mentioned that Desmond's DNA had a high potency of First Civilization DNA, allowing him to wield the Apple of Eden. He also discussed with them their next move, and how to transport Desmond in his comatose state.<ref name="Revelations"/>

[[File:Desmonds Arm.png|thumb|left|250px|William besides Desmond, upon regaining his consciousness.]]
When his son finally woke from his coma, William was the first to greet him, with Desmond seeming surprised to see him, but recognizing him immediately. Desmond, seeing the Apple, told his team that he knew what to do next, and William proceeded to open the doors of the van they were in.<ref name="Revelations"/>

Meanwhile, Abstergo had been tracking William for some time, as they knew he had become the ''de facto'' leader of the Assassin Order. Once William's location became known, Warren Vidic and [[Laetitia England]] assigned their Master Templars to find and eliminate him.<ref name="Revelations"/>

==Characteristics and personality==
William was truly devoted to the Assassin Order, sacrificing the social relationships he had with those around him for the sake of the Order, including those he had with his own wife and son. While his wife was able to deal with the emotional distance, Desmond could not, which became one of the reasons why Desmond decided to run away from his parents.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/>

This somewhat cold personality of his also occasionally disturbed other members of the Order, including Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane after William showed little remorse over Lucy Stillman's death.<ref name="Revelations"/> Nonetheless, his driven personality and intelligence that William used to serve the Assassin Brotherhood earned him the loyalty of the Order,<ref name="Encyclopedia"/> allowing for him to become their ''de facto'' leader in the absence of a Mentor.<ref name="Revelations"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{ACBH}}
{{ACR}}
{{ACTF}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miles, William}}
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: The Fall Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Revelations Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed III Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed (French Comic) Characters]]
[[Category:Assassins]]

Skirmish in the Campagna District

2011-03-02T11:16:39Z

121.54.32.157: EME

{{era|ACB|bbook}}
{{WPtimeline}}
{{Campaign
|1={{{width|500px}}}
|2={{{c1|#000000}}}
|name=[[Liberation of Rome]]
|battles= [[Rise of the Brotherhood]] – [[Infiltrating the Castello]] – [[Incident at the Pagan Party]] – [[Skirmish in the Campagna district]] – [[Colosseum Passion Play]] – [[The Fall of Cesare Borgia]]
}}
{{Battle
|width=
|prev= [[Incident at the Pagan Party]]
|next= [[Colosseum Passion Play]]
|name = Skirmish in the Campagna district
|image = [[File:Trojanhorse3.jpg|300px]]
|date = 1503
|place = [[Campagna district]], [[Rome]]
|result = *Mercenaries and Assassins victorious
*Death of [[Octavian de Valois]].
|side1 = *[[Mercenaries]]
**[[Assassins]]
|side2 = *[[France|The French]]
**[[House of Borgia]]
**[[Knights Templar]]
|commanders1 =*[[Bartolomeo d'Alviano]]
**[[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]]
|commanders2 =[[Octavian de Valois]]
|casual1 = Unspecified numbers
|casual2 = Unspecified numbers
}}
{{quote|Cesare persuaded King Louis to lend him an entire army to defeat me. I'm flattered.|Bartolomeo d'Alviano, regarding the French.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
The '''Skirmish in the Campagna district''' was a conflict between the forces of [[Bartolomeo d'Alviano]] and [[Octavian de Valois]] in 1503.

In 1503, subsequently following the death of [[Juan Borgia the Elder]], the [[Assassins|Assassin]] [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] intended to assassinate [[Octavian de Valois|the Baron of Valois]], one of the [[House of Borgia|Borgia]]'s supporters, in order to weaken Cesare's influential control over [[Rome]] and to lower the morale of the [[guards]] positioned at the [[Castel Sant'Angelo]]. Ezio visited the [[Caserma di Alviano|military barracks]] to check on his old friend [[Bartolomeo d'Alviano]], who was battling the [[France|French]] forces of [[Cesare Borgia]], led by the Baron.

==Hostility==
{{dialogue2|Bartolomeo|It's only a matter of time before I have Valois by the throat. We have them in retreat [...] The situation is under control.|Mercenary|Close the gates!|Bene (Good). So maybe I could use a little help.|Bartolomeo and his men, moments before the French arrive.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}

Reaching the barracks, Ezio was greeted by a paranoid Bartolomeo, who quickly pointed his sword at Ezio the moment he arrived. When he recognized him, however, his paranoia subsided, and he segued into a more cheerful demeanor. He told Ezio that he had been expecting his wife, which Ezio admitted did not surprise him. Ezio then asked who this Baron de Valois was. Bartolomeo informed him that Cesare had persuaded King Louis to lend him an army to combat against Bartolomeo, a fact that flattered him.

[[File:Gatekeeper4.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Bartolomeo speaks with Ezio.]]
Ezio inquired on how the battle against the Baron was going, and Bartolomeo assured him that the French were in retreat. As they conversed, however, a French [[Arquebusiers|arquebusier]] shot at the two from a distance, though missed. Despite this, Bartolomeo still insisted that the fight was going well, until a [[Mercenaries|mercenary]] loudly announced that the French troops were moving in for a direct assault. Bartolomeo then admitted that he may need some help containing the situation.

Ezio, Bartolomeo and the mercenaries fought against the French forces, successfully driving back the first wave of soldiers; however, further reinforcements attacked the barracks and overwhelmed Bartolomeo's men. Ezio and the mercenaries then had all three of the gates leading directly into the barracks closed, to prevent any more from entering.

[[File:Gatekeeper1.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Octavian mocks Bartolomeo.]]
Although the barracks was safely defended, the Baron Octavian de Valois and his troops called for Bartolomeo's attention. With Bartolomeo listening from behind the gates of the barracks, Octavian asked for Bartolomeo's unconditional surrender. Bartolomeo angrily refused. Octavian then told him that he must learn to speak French, in order to mask the condottiero's barbaric sensibilities. Bartolomeo mockingly agreed, asking the Baron to teach him in French, while he instructed the Baron in fighting, since he appeared to do so little of it.

After exchanging insults, Octavian once again requested for Bartolomeo's surrender before sunrise. Bartolomeo, finding such a request amusing, warned the Baron that his ''"lady, Bianca"'' would whisper it into the Baron's ear. Octavian then revealed that his troops had managed to capture Bartolomeo's wife, [[Pantasilea Baglioni|Pantasilea]], and promised to release her, should Bartolomeo come into his camp unarmed and alone. The Baron and his men then left the vicinity.

[[File:Gatekeeperbart.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Bartolomeo screams insults through the gate to the French camp.]]
Enraged, Bartolomeo, with Ezio close behind him, rode on [[Horses|horseback]] to the [[Castra Praetoria]] for a rescue attempt. However, they soon discovered that the camp was impenetrable. After Bartolomeo angrily shouted insults through the gates of the camp, Ezio told him that it would be best to regroup and gather their force for a direct assault, just as they had done in [[L'Arsenale]].

Bartolomeo told him that the camp was thicker with Frenchmen than the streets of Paris, and that the walls surrounding the camp were impossible to scale. Bartolomeo, devoid of any tactic due to his wife's absence, was ready to surrender unarmed, bearing gifts for the Baron, and hoping that he would spare Pantasilea. Hearing this, Ezio thought of a plan, ordering Bartolomeo to call off the attacks and go back to the barracks. After Bartolomeo ordered his men to fall back, Ezio returned to the barracks to reveal his idea.

==Clothes make the Man==
[[File:French kiss.jpg|thumb|250px|Bartolomeo and Ezio, discussing Ezio's plan.]]
{{Template:Dialogue|Bartolomeo|You speak French?|Ezio|There were a couple of French girls in [[Florence|Firenze]].|Ezio and Bartolomeo after their safe access to the French camp.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
At the barracks, Ezio asked Bartolomeo if the mercenaries were capable of overpowering the French guard patrols if they managed to initiate a surprise assault inside the camp. Bartolomeo confirmed this without a doubt. Ezio then told Bartolomeo his plan, which was to liberate several suits of French armor for the mercenaries to use. Once in gear, Ezio and the mercenaries would bring Bartolomeo to the French camp, as if the condotteiro had surrendered to the them. Once inside the camp, Ezio would give the signal to attack.

Bartolomeo was overjoyed with Ezio's cleverly devised plan. He then told Ezio that he would order his men to gather the armor from the dead soldiers, and also added that they would proceed to the camp from the north, so as not to arouse suspicion. Before Ezio left, Bartolomeo warned the Assassin to keep the fight brief, in order to cause less damage to the armor, and allow them to have clean disguises.

[[File:Skirmish3.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Ezio stands over the bodies of some French soldiers.]]
After the meeting, Ezio scouted the district, killing the French soldiers stationed at nearby military camps. After the twentieth soldier fell, the mercenaries took the armor from the corpses littered around the area. Gathering at the north, the mercenaries clad themselves in the French's armor, as they readied to proceed into the enemy camp.

Bartolomeo ordered his men to give him his own suit of armor, however, Ezio quickly dismissed this, reminding Bartolomeo that their plan required him to act as the prisoner. Agreeing, Bartolomeo joined his men with his hand tied. Ezio, after donning the armor of a French Captain, prepared to proceed through the district with Bartolomeo and his mercenaries. As they marched on, Ezio noticed some of the Baron's soldiers from afar, who could potentially ruin their plan. Wasting no time, Ezio eliminated them before the mercenaries arrived, and did the same for any other soldiers along the path.

Subsequently, as they marched, Ezio and Bartolomeo discussed what the Baron thought of Cesare's promise to allow the French to rule Italy. Bartolomeo spoke of the Baron's pride in his bloodline, how it affected his capability in battle, and that no matter what he thought, Cesare intended to be king. He also told Ezio his opinion on the plan, thinking it brilliant, if not cowardly. He said that he believed in fair fighting, to which Ezio commented that the Baron and Cesare thought otherwise. Bartolomeo then quoted something [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze|Ezio's father]] had once written, ''"There will come a day in which men no longer cheat each other; and on that day we will see what mankind is truly capable of."''

[[File:Trojanhorse4.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Bartolomeo and the "French soldiers."]]
As they arrived at the entrance of the French camp, a guard posted on a watch tower asked Ezio, in French, what his business was there. Ezio replied in French, stating that Bartolomeo had surrendered to the Baron and wished for his wife to be freed. The guard, doubting Ezio's demeanor and accent, asked what part of France he was from. Ezio replied that he was from Montreal. After this, the guard granted access to Ezio and his men. When Bartolomeo asked where Ezio had learned to speak French, he replied that there had been a few French girls in [[Florence|Firenze]] during his time there.

==Nobility among Brutes and Barons==
[[File:BaronBartMeetCamp.jpg|thumb|250px|The Baron and Bartolomeo meet at the French camp.]]
{{quote|You think commanding an army grants you nobility? Nobility comes from fighting beside your soldiers, not kidnapping a woman so you can cheat your way out of battle! Why don't you grow a pair, and release my wife?!|Bartolomeo, to Octavian de Valois.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
While walking inside the camp, Bartolomeo was insulted and taunted by the soldiers stationed there, which continued until Bartolomeo faced Octavian directly. The Baron, with Pantasilea beside him, greeted Bartolomeo with mock courtesy. Bartolomeo, enraged with the Baron's tactics, demanded that his wife be released. The Baron then tried to press on with his insults, telling Bartolomeo that his entitlements were too much for a man of his low caliber. Bartolomeo then claimed that his name was worth its currency, unlike the Baron's, which he stated was counterfeit.

The Baron was deeply offended, but Bartolomeo continued, saying that one gained nobility by battling beside one's men, and not through kidnapping women in order to cheat out of battle. He once again demanded his wife be released.

[[File:Trojanhorse7.jpg|thumb|250px|Octavian threatens Pantasilea.]]
The Baron, his rifle in hand, pointed it to Pantasilea's head in response to the taunts. Seeing the danger, Ezio fired his [[Pistol|hidden gun]] into the air, signaling the mercenaries to initiate the attack. Sensing danger, the Baron quickly fled with Pantasilea in tow, while several [[Papal Guard|Papal guards]] defended his retreat. Then Ezio, Bartolomeo, the mercenaries and the French soldiers engaged in a fray.

After disposing of the guards, Bartolomeo demanded that Ezio follow Octavian, and save Pantasilea. Agreeing to do so, Ezio quickly left the vicinity, climbing the nearest rooftop and making his way through the camp from there. Though stopped by several French Guard Captains stationed at the gate to the Baron's personal barracks, Ezio battled the men and eventually routed them. Opening the gate, Ezio proceeded forward. As he set foot in the courtyard, Ezio was nearly shot by the Baron, who was effortlessly dragging Pantasilea with him. Inside the safety of the barracks, he angrily threatened to kill Pantasilea should he notice the slightest hint that Ezio was near.

[[Free-running|Treading carefully]], Ezio quietly made his way onto the walls of the barracks, avoiding the guards until he saw the Baron with his rifle still pointed to Pantasilea's head. Seeing an opportunity, Ezio leapt and killed the Baron before he could react. As he died, the Baron told Ezio that he had only wanted respect. Ezio then told him that it was something earned, not inherited or purchased. The Baron then realized his mistake as he closed his eyes, and Ezio spoke his words of respect over the body. After this, he left to check on Pantasilea.

[[File:PantBartHug.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Pantasilea and Bartolomeo hug each other intimately.]]
Bartolomeo arrived soon after to attend to Pantasilea. The two hugged each other warmly, as Bartolomeo revealed that he had been lost without her. Pantasilea then told him that what he had planned was brilliant, but he corrected her that it was not his plan, but Ezio's. Ezio then countered this himself, telling Pantasilea that it had all been Bartolomeo's doing. A puzzled Bartolomeo was then hugged by Pantasilea, who told him that he was her prince.

After this, and thanking Ezio for his assistance, Pantasilea left the camp. Bartolomeo followed her, patting Ezio on the shoulder and signifying a job well done. Ezio simply watched Bartolomeo and Pantasilea leave before departing himself.

==Aftermath==
After Octavian's death, the French troops abandoned their stations in Rome and returned to France, weakening Cesare's balance of power. The mercenary guild continued to further the Assassins' cause, without any disturbances from the French army. This marked another step forward for the Assassins, and a step backward for the [[Templars]].

==Source==
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''

{{Timeline}}
[[Category:Major Events]]
[[Category:Battles]]
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