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Cesare Borgia

2011-01-08T21:07:51Z

173.79.246.215: /* Siege of Viana and Death */

{{Era|AC2|Templars|Ren}}
{{WP-REAL}}
{{spoilerhd}}
{{Character Infobox
|name = Cesare Borgia
|image = Char_cesare.png
|birth = 13 September 1475<br>[[Rome]], [[Italy]]
|death = 12 March 1507 (aged 31)<br>[[Viana]], [[Spain]]
|period = Italian [[Renaissance]]
|faction = *[[Templars]]
**[[House of Borgia]]
*[[Papacy]]
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed: Ascendance]]''<br>''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''
|voice = [[Andreas Apergis]]
}}

{{quote|Father, do you not see? I control all of this. If I want to live, I live. If I want to take, I take. If I want you to die, you die!|Cesare Borgia to his father, 1503|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}

'''Cesare Borgia''' (13 September 1475 - 12 March 1507) was the son of [[Rodrigo Borgia]] and a nemesis of [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]]. Like his father, he was a member of the [[Templars|Templar Order]]. Eventually, he became the commander of the [[Papacy|Papal]] army and a leader in the Templar Order.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

==Biography==
===Early life===
Cesare Borgia was born in [[Rome]] in 1475, to Rodrigo Borgia, the [[Grand Master of the Templar Order]], and his long-term mistress [[wikipedia:Vannozza dei Cattanei|Vannozza dei Cattanei]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

At the age eighteen, Cesare became a Cardinal while his older brother, [[Juan Borgia the Younger|Juan]], Rodrigo's favorite, became captain general of the Papal armies. Realizing his life as a Cardinal would reach a dead end and his brother would get everything, Cesare had Juan killed by the courtesan Fiora Cavazza, and then took his place as Captain General, thereby becoming one of the most powerful men in Italy.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

===Becoming a Templar leader===
In 1496, when his father waged war with the Orsini Family to seize their territory, Cesare joined the battle. Among the enemy's ranks was [[Bartolomeo d'Alviano]], in secret an [[Assassin]]. When Bartolomeo's resources were down to three fortresses, Cesare cut off his supplies. When it looked like victory was near, Carlo Orsini arrived with his army and joined Bartolomeo, even wounding Cesare in the face.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>

===Siege of Monteriggioni===
[[File:Apple.jpg|thumb|250px|Cesare Borgia at Monteriggioni's gates, holding the Apple of Eden.]]
{{Quote|I know you're there, Ezio! The Pope told me about you and your little group of [[Assassins]]! And [[Sixth Apple|this]]!|Cesare Borgia to Ezio Auditore, 1500.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
In January 1500, Cesare, who had been brought up in the Templar ways, led [[Siege of Monteriggioni|an assault]] on [[Monteriggioni]], headquarters of the Assassins in [[Italy]] in order to eliminate the [[Master Assassin]] Ezio Auditore. Besieging the city, Cesare's forces overwhelmed the city's defenders and handed to him [[Mario Auditore]] and [[Caterina Sforza]]. Standing at the city gates, the [[Sixth Apple|Apple of Eden]] in hand, Cesare "invited" Ezio to come and face him in [[Rome]] with a shot of his firearm that killed Mario. Ezio was then shot down and wounded by a team of [[arquebusier]]s, and the battle was won. With Monteriggioni in ruins, Cesare returned to Rome with his prize.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

===War in Rome===
{{quote|He is ambitious, ruthless, cruel beyond imagining. The laws of men mean nothing to him. The powerful Orsini and Colonna families have been brought to kneel at his feet, and the King of France stands at his side.|[[Niccolò Machiavelli]], regarding Cesare Borgia.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
[[File:Cesare_and_the_Papal_Guard.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Cesare speaking to the [[Papal Guard]].]]

By 1500, Cesare had Rome under his iron fist as commander of the Papal army, though it appeared that he and his father sometimes disagreed on his choices. He used [[Borgia towers]] to keep control over the five districts of Rome. Cesare was also away for periods of time, overseeing the advancement of his army in a bid to unite all of Italy under his rule.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

In 1502, [[Leonardo da Vinci]] was forced into service for the Borgia, wherein Cesare made Leonardo build several [[War Machines|war machines]] for his army. However, all of Leonardo's creations were stolen and destroyed by Ezio Auditore, in secret, at Leonardo's own behest.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

In Rome Cesare was first seen at the [[Castel Sant'Angelo]], coversing with his three generals about their plans, where he told them to plat along with his father's "tired old men's club" but remember who they really served. He was later sharing a romantic moment with his sister.

In 1503 Cesare attended [[Juan Borgia the Elder]]'s pagan party, where he gave a brief speech on a soon to be united Italy. After commanding the party to begin Rodrigo reminded him they agreed not to conquer Italy, Cesare then said he had the army and would be making the decisions. Later that year he ordered [[Micheletto Corella]] to murder [[Pietro Rossi]], Lucrezia's secret lover, after he had him kill [[Francesco Troche]]

In 1503, Cesare and his father Rodrigo argued over the former's insatiable lust for power. Rodrigo commented that he had given Cesare all he had, and still his son wasn't satisfied. Cesare demanded that his father give him the Apple of Eden, but Rodrigo refused. At this point, Lucrezia barged in, crying out to her brother that their father was attempting to poison him with the bowl of apples he'd left out. An angry Cesare responded by charging Rodrigo and shoving the apple he'd been eating into his mouth. The poison did its work and Rodrigo died within seconds. Cesare then demanded the Apple of Eden's whereabouts from Lucrezia, who confessed under much pressure. Unfortunately, Ezio beat Cesare to the [[Basilica di San Pietro]] (where the Apple was hidden), and retrieved the Apple before him, having witnessed the scene from the window.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

Cesare's rule met a downward spiral from there. As a final stab from his father, Cesare had consumed enough of the poison to leave him weak for months. While recovering, Ezio and the other Assassins used the Apple to dwindle his remaining forces and the Vatican fully rejected his request for support, seeing the Borgia's money as "tainted."<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

After being confronted by the highest-ranking Assassins, whom had eliminated Cesare's last remaining followers, [[Fabio Orsini]] arrived with the Papal Guard and a warrant for Cesare's arrest, by the order of [[wikipedia:Pope Julius II|Pope Julius II]]. Cesare was taken away, imprisoned, and later exiled to Spain.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

===Siege of Viana and Death===
{{Quote|I will lead mankind to a new world! You cannot kill me! No man can murder me!|Cesare Borgia's last words, 1507.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}[[File:Acbrother_b09_097.jpg|thumb|288px]]
Cesare spent several years in prison, until a Count gave him a rope with which he was able to escape. He fell 70 metres to the ground, landing on top of a servant who had accompanied him. Despite several fractured bones, Cesare was able to escape dressed in merchant clothes, and join his brother-in-law, [[John III of Navarre]], in [[Spain]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

In March of 1507, Cesare tried to regain his lost honor by commandeering John III's vast army during the [[Siege of Viana|Siege]] of [[Viana]], after which, should he be victorious, he would regain the support of the French. However, unbeknownst to him, Ezio caught wind of Cesare's involvement in the battle and set out for Viana.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

During the siege, Ezio located Cesare on the battlefield fighting alongside his men and charged, though Cesare held him back just long enough to dodge Ezio's left [[Hidden Blade]] and flee. Ezio's pursuit was delayed by several cannonball impacts that stunned him, and incapacitated the other soldiers in the area.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

[[File:Komplettloesung-Assassin-s-Creed-Brotherhood-Cesare-Borgia-745x419-d1a5f15651026359.jpg|thumb|left|280px]]Ezio would soon catch up to him on the outskirts of the castle walls, where Cesare had his soldiers killed a [[Civilians|civilian]] woman, who was crying for him to help her son, who had been injured. Ezio eventually faced Cesare on the walls of [[Viana Castle|Viana's Castle]] and fought against him, with Cesare wielding a sword and a ''pistola''. Though Cesare attacked with speed and skill, while also periodically calling reinforcing troops, Ezio nevertheless defeated him, eventually pinning him to the ground. When Cesare vowed not to die at the hands of man, Ezio declared that he would leave Cesare "in the hands of Fate," and threw him off of the castle wall to his death.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

After Ezio left Viana, the siege was concluded and Cesare's body was buried in a marble tomb beneath the altar of the Church of Santa Maria. An inscription was placed on the tomb that says: ''"Here lies in little earth one who was feared by all, who held peace and war in his hand."''

==Personality==
Cesare was born into the Templar Order and, like many of his other siblings, was raised by his father into his personal weapon. However, Cesare was naturally an aggressive and ambitious person, and would do anything for unlimited power. By age 18, Cesare became a Cardinal, while his brother, [[Juan Borgia the Younger|Juan Borgia]], held the lofty title of Captain General of the Papal armies.

Jealous of the position his brother held, he had him killed in order to take his place as general (which would begin his rise to power). He has an incestuous relationship with his sister, Lucrezia Borgia, and frequently descended into jealous rage due to her many dalliances with other men (who she normally woos in order to spite her unfaithful brother).<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Ascendance">''[[Assassin's Creed: Ascendance]]''</ref>

Eventually, Cesare came to the conclusion that he would be able to bring all of [[Italy]] under the Templars's control. To reach his goal, Cesare conquered multiple regions and cities throughout Italy, successfully controlling [[Romagna]], and bringing the powerful Orsini to kneel before him.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Ascendance" />

Over time, Cesare deluded himself into thinking that no mortal man could kill him, and that he would lead mankind into a new era; a belief that he held onto until the moment of his death.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />Cesare was also extremly ruthless, an example of this is when he had one of his closest friends, [[Francesco Troche]], murdered after believing him to be a traitor.

==Final words==
'''Cesare''': ''The throne was mine!''<br />

'''Ezio''': ''Wanting something does not make it your right.''<br />

'''Cesare''': ''What do you know!?''<br />

'''Ezio''': ''That a true leader empowers the people he rules.''<br />

'''Cesare''': ''I will lead mankind into a new world!''<br />

'''Ezio''': Che nessuno recordi il tuo nome. ''(May no one remember your name.)'' Requiescat in pace. ''(Rest in peace.)''<br />

'''Cesare''': ''You cannot kill me! No man can murder me!''<br />

'''Ezio''': ''Then I leave you in the hands of Fate!''

==Trivia==
*Historically, it is said that [[Niccolò Machiavelli]] greatly admired Cesare. However, in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'', while Machiavelli does respect his ability to enforce his will, he also seeks to eliminate Cesare and his [[House of Borgia|family members]] alongside Ezio.
*Cesare's comments about bloodshed and the need for cleansing may highlight the origin of the name [[Abstergo]], which is Latin for "I cleanse."
*When interacting with [[Shaun Hastings]] during Sequence 8, [[Desmond Miles]] asks him if there are any good stories about Cesare, to which Shaun replies with ''"Are you kidding me?"'', pointing to the fact that Cesare had a very aggressive attitude.
*Despite being shown to be adept with a [[Crossbow]] in both ''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]'' and ''[[Assassin's Creed: Ascendance]]'', Cesare never wields the weapon in ''Brotherhood''.
*In [[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (novel)|the novelization of ''Brotherhood'']], Cesare's face had been apparently deformed by the "New Disease," and he had resorted to wearing a mask. However, in the game, he is never seen with any said deformity or mask.
*His given name "Cesare" is pronounced in Italian as "Chay-sar-ay." It is the Italian variation of the name Caesar.
*Whilst playing the memory "An Apple a Day" Cesare can be seen sprinting towards the Passeto tu Borgo out-of-cutscene, and appears to ghost-through two iron portcullises.
*When replaying the memory, after the cutscene in which Ezio drops Cesare from the Castel walls, his body can be seen when looking down from the battlements before the memory fades out.

==Gallery==

<center><gallery captionalign="left">
Zw-acb-Lucrezia-Cesare.jpg|Cesare and Lucrezia kiss intimately.
ACB Cesare Baron.png|Cesare and [[Octavian de Valois]].
ACB Cesare Lucrezia.png|Cesare demanding the location of the [[Apple of Eden]] from Lucrezia.
</gallery></center>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{ACBH}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Borgia, Cesare}}
[[Category:Characters|Borgia, Cesare]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Ascendance Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Characters|Borgia, Cesare]]
[[Category:Templars|Borgia, Cesare]]
[[Category:Historical Characters|Borgia, Cesare]]

Assassins

2010-12-22T04:24:26Z

173.79.246.215: /* Modern Times */

{{Era|ACAC|AC|ACB|AC2|AC2D|Assassins|Crusade|Ren|Modern|Good}}
{{WP-REAL|Hashshashin}}
{{Faction Infobox
|name =
|image =Aclogo.png
|imgdesc =The emblem of the Assassin Order.
|hideo =
|founder =[[Adam and Eve]]'s descendants<ref name="Assassin's Creed II">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>
|leader =[[Grand Master of the Assassin Order]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed">''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref>
|headquarters =''Middle ages'':<br>[[Masyaf]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /><br>[[Alep]]<br>[[Cyprus]]<br> ''Renaissance'':<br>[[Tiber Island]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref><br>''Modern times'':<br>"[[The Farm]]"<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
|locations =''Renaissance'':<br>[[Florence]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /><br>[[Monteriggioni]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /><br>[[Venice]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /><br>[[Forlì]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /><br>[[Rome]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" /><br>''Modern times'':<br>Worldwide<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
|related =*[[Thugs]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
*[[Mercenaries]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Courtesans]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Thieves]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[House of Medici]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
|religion =
|hideh =
|formed =Pre-history
|reorganised =1191<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
|collapsed =
|hidea =
|notable =*[[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]]
*[[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]]
*[[Al Mualim]]
*[[Daniel Cross]]
*[[Desmond Miles]]
*[[Nikolai Orelov]]
|}}
{{Quote|We work in the dark, to serve the light. We are Assassins.|[[Niccolò Machiavelli]]|Assassin's Creed II}}
The '''Assassins''', also known as the '''Assassin Order''', '''Assassin Brotherhood''' and '''Hashshashin''', were an organized order of assassins who fought a continuous secret war with the [[Templars]] for over two-thousand years. Whereas the Templars strove for the power to save humanity from itself by controlling free will, the Assassin Order struggled to ensure the survival of free will, as it is what allows for the progression of new ideas and the growth of individuality. The Assassins, if not the order itself, had existed since at least 456 BC, throughout the [[wikipedia:Roman Era|Roman Era]], the [[Assassin's Creed|Third Crusade]], the [[Assassin's Creed 2|Renaissance]], and into the [[Modern Times|21<sup>st</sup> Century]].

==The Order==
{{quote|Laa shay'a waqi'a mutlaq bla kul'un mumkin.<br />("Nothing is true, everything is permitted" in Arabic)''|[[The Creed|The Assassin's Creed]]|Assassin's Creed II}}
.لا شيء واقع مطلق بل كل ممكن

''"Nothing is True, Everything is Permitted."'' Although it may not be perfectly translated, the meaning of the phrase is embodied by the Assassin's Order throughout the series, as they believe the words hold true meaning to their way of life.

The order believed in a strong set of values that strictly governed their way of life. This Creed consisted of three [[tenets]]:
#"Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent."
#"Hide in plain sight, be one with the crowd."
#"Never compromise the Brotherhood."<ref name="Assassin's Creed">''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref>
These tenets permeated every aspect of the Assassins' daily life, as well as their fight for "peace in all things." The Assassins carried out their duties through political, strategic assassination, in the hope that killing one individual would lead to the salvation of thousands. The Assassins believed that they fought on the behalf of those who did not possess the abilities, resources, or knowledge to speak out against those who abused their power.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

Despite their service to those who would otherwise suffer, the Assassins were still feared by the general populace, due mainly to their method of ensuring peace. The Assassins were most feared due to their terrifying reputation for taking life in public places, before many witnesses - so as to bring fear into the hearts of those who might abuse their power or corrupt the innocent - before vanishing into the crowd without a trace.<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /> To aid in this, the Assassins used a particularly efficient weapon for assassinations: the [[Hidden Blade]],<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> a single thrust from which could end the life of its victim.

However, in order to ascertain which death might best assist the Assassins' goals, extensive political knowledge was a must have. Thus, the Assassins remained ever in tune with the ever-changing politics surrounding them. Obtaining information on this was the job of low-level members of the Order, who would be stationed throughout the cities of the world. These [[Informants|spies]] would watch the local nobles and rulers, looking for signs of corruption, or for membership in the Templars. Once gathered, any information was passed on to the Assassins responsible for the actual execution.<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />

[[File:AssassinGuard.png|thumb|200px|left|Rauf, a combat instructor, wearing similar robes to other high ranked Assassin guards in Masyaf.]]
===Training===
The Assassins spent their entire lifetime training to kill.<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /> From an early age, they were taught to observe their surroundings and plan ahead. Combat skills were a must, and its training was continuous, with a focus on bladed weapons of all sorts. However, despite such a concentration on combat, the most important consideration in the Assassins' training was concealment. Stealth was the greatest weapon of the Assassin, and everything about their life (the clothes they wore, where they lived, and even how they walked) emphasized a devotion to it.<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /><ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> It was essential for an Assassin to be able to reach their target unnoticed, and then slip back into the crowd after they had struck.<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />.

Another significant focus of an Assassins' training was maneuverability. By the time an Assassin reached the [[Ranks|rank]] of [[Master Assassin]], he was also a master of an early form of [[Free-Running|parkour]], extensively utilized by the Assassins. Widely seen as alien by the general populace, this method of movement allowed the Assassins to reach areas not normally accessible to man. From scaling a wall, to climbing to one of a city's many [[view point]]s, parkour gave the Assassins a significant advantage over nearly all their enemies and city [[Guards|guards]] and can be used to get anywhere in the city at any time

==History==
===The Third Crusade===
[[File:Almualimassassins.png|thumb|250px|Al Mualim and the Assassins in the fortress of Masyaf.]]
In 1191, during the [[Third Crusade]], the [[Syria]]n branch of the Assassin Order was centered in the fortress of [[Masyaf]], deep within the kingdom of the [[wikipedia:Holy Land|Holy Land]]. Led by [[Al Mualim]], the Assassins battled with the [[Templars]] and their leader, [[Robert de Sable]], over ideologies and the means with which to accomplish them. It was during the Third Crusade that the Assassins learned of a Templar interest in an [[First Apple|ancient artifact]], hidden within the catacombs of [[Solomon's Temple]]. It was decided to liberate the treasure from them, and the mission was a success, although a costly one. With the death of [[Kadar A-Sayf|one Assassin]], the severe injury of [[Malik A-Sayf|another]], and the arrival of the Templar army at the gates of Masyaf, the Assassins were nearly overwhelmed by the [[Siege of Masyaf|following battle]]. However, by crushing most of the Templar army under a concealed onslaught of rolling logs, they were able to drive the Templars from the fortress and village below.<ref name="Assassin's Creed"/>

Following the assault, the Assassin blamed for the loss of life that day – [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] – was severely reprimanded, and tasked with removing nine influential individuals, who plagued the Holy Land with their corrupt rule. As Altaïr made his way down the list made up of both [[Crusader]] and [[Saracen]] individuals, he was greatly unsettled by the realization that their goal to bring peace to the people of the Holy Land was just, as he that felt his victims were "misguided perhaps, but pure in motive." This was a view shared by Al Mualim, who agreed with their goals, but felt that their attitude of "the end justifies the means" undermined the good they sought to ensure. As his mission progressed, Altaïr sought to know what bound his victims together, and the discovery that they were all Templars only served to reinforce the Assassin's determination to bring an end to the Templar plot.

By the end of the year, the Assassins were victorious over their Templar enemies. [[Robert de Sable]], [[Grand Master of the Templar Order]], was dead, however the treachery of one of their own had also hit the Assassin Order hard. Al Mualim, [[Grand Master of the Assassin Order]], and a former member of a coalition of ''ten'' Templar leaders, was revealed to be a traitor, and was killed by the very man he had sent to eliminate his fellow Templar conspirators. With Al Mualim dead, Altaïr took over as Grand Master of the Order, leading the Assassins in their attempts to rebuild their strength after the costly conflict.

Eventually, it was decided that the [[Piece of Eden]] was too great a threat to keep in Masyaf, and the decision was made to store it on the island of [[Cyprus]], in the [[Templar Archive|Limassol archives]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines">''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]''</ref> However, following the liberation of the island from its Templar rulers, the Piece was kept by Altaïr until he had at least completed his fabled [[Codex]].

The power of the Assassin's in the east was destroyed by the Mongols in 1256 when an assassination attempt on Hulagu Khan failed and the Mongols retaliated by attacking the Assassin's strongholds, destroying them.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

===Renaissance===
{{Quote|In this modern age, we are not as literal as our ancestors; but our seal is no less permanent…|Mario Auditore|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:Asslogorenaissance.png|thumb|left|Renaissance variation of the Assassins' emblem.]]
The Order continued to thrive, despite being forced to adopt an even more secretive and isolated existence.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> During the time period known as the [[Renaissance]], the Assassin Order had apparently "gone underground." The reason for this is explained inside the Codex pages, where Altaïr states that even though the Templar Order was served a crushing defeat in the Holy Land and Cyprus, they still survived in more inconspicuous ways. As such, Altaïr believed that the Assassins too had to change tactics so as to live on.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

Having abandoned the fortress of Masyaf, the Assassins spread out across the [[wikipedia:Mediterranean|Mediterranean]], taking up residence in places like northern [[Italy]] and [[Spain]]. However, the Templars too had done as much, headquartering themselves in [[Rome]]. By 1321, the Assassin Order had successfully integrated itself into modern day life of northern Italy, widely unknown to the average folk. That same year, a young sailor by the name of [[Domenico Auditore|Domenico]], the son of an Assassin, was apprenticed to the poet and Assassin [[Dante Alighieri]], who had been tasked with transporting the Codex of Altaïr from [[Venice]] to Spain.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Auditore Crypt">''[[Auditore Family Crypt|Uplay Content - Assassin's Creed II: Auditore Family Crypt]]''</ref> Upon his death, however, the undertaking fell instead to Domenico. During the voyage, pirates under the employ of the Templars ambushed the ship looking for the Codex, consequently killing the wife of Domenico. Fortunately for the Assassins, Domenico managed to break apart the Codex and hide its pages from the pirates before he and his son were forced overboard.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Auditore Crypt" />

Eventually returning to Venice, Domenico found his father and his patron, [[Marco Polo]], an ally of the Assassins, dead. Thus, Domenico emptied the bank accounts of Messer Polo, and traveled to the city of [[Florence]] under the assumed name of [[House of Auditore|Auditore]]. He eventually constructed the [[Auditore Family Villa|Auditore Villa]] in the city of [[Monteriggioni]], which became the center of the Assassin Order in Italy.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Auditore Crypt" />

[[File:Assassins1503E3.png|thumb|400px|Ezio and his apprentices, facing Cesare and Rodrigo Borgia in Rome in 1503.]]
Despite the order "modernizing" since the 12<sup>th</sup> Century, they still retained many of the rituals and practices, albeit altered. The practice of removing one's ring finger had been stopped, although the seal of the Order was branded upon the finger instead; such was the induction of [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]] in 1487. Although significantly fewer in number, the Assassins were supported by the [[courtesans]], [[thieves]] and [[Mercenary|condottieri]] of Florence and Venice; the guilds of which were each run by a member of the Order.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

During this time period, the Assassins entered another period of increased hostilities with the Templars, who were attempting to overthrow the ruling [[House of Medici]] in Florence, and the [[wikipedia:Doge|Doge]] of Venice. Having already killed the [[Galeazzo Maria Sforza|Duke]] of [[Milano|Milan]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Lineage">''[[Assassin's Creed: Lineage]]''</ref> in 1476, [[Rodrigo Borgia]], the Grand Master of the Templar Order, brought the noble families of [[House of Pazzi|Pazzi]], [[House of Barbarigo|Barbarigo]] and [[House of Orsi|Orsi]] together<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Lineage" /> to accomplish his goals. Entering into conflict with the Assassins, Borgia dealt a crippling blow to the Order in 1476, when he executed the experienced warrior [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze|Giovanni Auditore]] and his two sons, [[Federico Auditore da Firenze|Federico]] and [[Petruccio Auditore da Firenze|Petruccio]], although a third son, Ezio, managed to escape. With the aid of Ezio, the Assassins were able to counter Borgia's plot over a [[Assassin's Creed II|twenty-three year campaign]], defeating him at every turn.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

In 1487, the Order of Assassins learned that the Templars had retrieved an important artifact from the island of Cyprus, and deemed its capture necessary. Following the artifact from [[L'Arsenale di Venezia]], Ezio managed to overpower and replace the Templar guard carrying the artifact. Under this guise, Ezio met with Borgia himself, and the two engaged in battle. Borgia fled upon the arrival of other Assassins, and the artifact fell once again into the hands of the Assassins. The Assassins of this age, however, were unaware of the nature of the artifact, although they did recognize it as one of the Pieces of Eden mentioned within Altaïr's Codex.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

{{spoiler}}
====War in Rome====
By 1500, one year after [[Cesare Borgia]] [[Fall of Monteriggioni|besieged]] the city of [[Monteriggioni]], murdering [[Mario Auditore]] and once again claiming ''the Apple'' for the Templars, Ezio Auditore had moved to Rome, meeting up with Niccolò Machiavelli and laying the foundations of a new "brotherhood" of Assassins. Utilising the mercenaries, thieves and courtesans of [[Bartolomeo d'Alviano]], [[La Volpe]] and [[Claudia Auditore da Firenze|Claudia Auditore]] respectively, Ezio's brotherhood worked to [[Liberation of Roma|combat the influence and power]] of the Borgia family, and by extension the Papacy itself. Headquartered in an underground store-room owned by [[Fabio Orsini]], on [[Tiber Island]] in the centre of Rome, the Assassins begun to spread their influence throughout the city, recruiting those who had been saved by Ezio Auditore. Many undertook a variety of missions across Europe, aiding their brothers in cities such as London, Lisbon, Moscow and Calicut.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

Over a period of three years, Ezio's brotherhood whittled away the Borgia family's power, and with the murder of Rodrigo Borgia at the hands of his own son, and the arrest of Cesare by the [[Papal Guard]] of Julius II, the Templars' influence over the city of Rome was shattered.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />
{{Spoiler End}}

===Modern Times===
{{Quote|We lost two more teams last night. That's eight more of us just… gone.|Lucy Stillman|Assassin's Creed II}}

By the 21<sup>st</sup> Century, the world had changed vastly.<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /> Whilst the Order of Assassins had kept to their policy of remote camps and isolation,<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /> the Templars had begun to infiltrate society further; taking the form of many corporations such as [[NASA]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> and [[Abstergo]]. The Templars continued to search for and investigate the various Pieces of Eden they discovered throughout this period,<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /><ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> whilst the Assassins continued their war against them; notably being responsible for the destruction of at least one Templar-controlled base in [[wikipedia:Siberia|Siberia]] in 1908, known in public as the [[Tunguska explosion]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /> However, by the year 2012, the Templars, under the guise of their front company [[Abstergo Industries]], had begun kidnapping Assassins or those related to them in an attempt to locate even more Pieces of Eden.<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /> Notable captives included the mysterious [[Subject Sixteen]], and [[Desmond Miles]] - descendants of both Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad and Ezio Auditore.<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />

Using Desmond, Abstergo managed to obtain a map of the locations of the Pieces of Eden across the globe, and subsequently begun their attempts to claim them. Not long after, the Assassins were able to free Desmond<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> with the aid of [[Lucy Stillman]] (an Assassin who had been working undercover at Abstergo for at least seven years by 2012)<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> as well as obtain their own copy of the map.<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /> Following this, Desmond agreed to aid the Assassins in their quest to defeat Abstergo, mostly for revenge, but also for closure. Utilizing the [[Animus|Animus 2.0]], a copy of the machine used by Abstergo to explore his genetic memories previously,<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /><ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> Desmond followed the memories of Ezio Auditore, adopting his skills in combat and free-running, while the rest of the Order concentrated to locating the Pieces of Eden before their Templar counterparts. Despite this, however, the war with the Templars had taken a turn for the worse. With their numbers dwindling, the Order of Assassins was in danger of losing the war.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

As technology progressed, so did the weapons used against the Assassins. By 2011, the Templars were using cell phone towers to track down the Assassins. As a result, Desmond and his group had to take refuge within the [[Sanctuary]], deep beneath the city of [[Monteriggioni]]<ref>http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=270248</ref>.

==Known Assassins==
[[File:Zw-renaissance-assassins.png|thumb|300px|Ezio's initiation into the Brotherhood.]]
{{quote|The seeds were planted as two worlds became one. Behold, the Assassins, the children of two worlds!|Subject 16|Assassin's Creed II}}

The Assassins had existed since before the turn of the first millennium; several known figures included [[Darius]], [[Iltani]], [[Wei Yu]],<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> [[Gaius Cassius Longinus]], [[Marcus Junius Brutus]] and their co-conspirators,<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy">''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]''</ref> [[Amunet]], [[Leonius]], and [[Qulan Gal]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> Historically however, the fore-bearers of the Assassins have existed since before recorded time, possibly reaching as far back as [[Adam and Eve]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

===Medieval and Renaissance periods===
During the [[Third Crusade]], the Syrian sect of the Order of Assassins was mainly made up of native, Syrian-born individuals; although some, like Altaïr, were born to parents of both religions. Led by [[Al Mualim]],<ref name="Assassin's Creed " /> and later [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] himself,<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> other members included [[Harash]],<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" /> [[Malik A-Sayf|Malik]] and [[Kadar A-Sayf]], [[Rauf]], [[Abbas]], [[Masun]], [[Jamal]],<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /> and [[Qulan Gal]], the death-bringer of [[Genghis Khan]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> Allies also included various individuals, such as [[Adha]],<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles">''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]''</ref> and even former Templars like [[Maria Thorpe]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" /><ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> Others included [[Dante Alighieri]] and [[Domenico Auditore]], <ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> founder of the [[Auditore Villa]].

[[File:Vlcsnap-2010-11-12-17h45m54s20.jpg|thumb|274px|Bartolomeo d'Alviano and La Volpe with the Assassin Brotherhood.]]
Later on, during the Renaissance, the Order's numbers had dwindled significantly. Having become much more secretive, members of the Order often had occupations and lives outside of the Order, ranging from artists<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Renaissance">''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]''</ref> to thieves<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> to royal treasurers.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery">''[[Assassin's Creed II: Discovery]]''</ref> They included the Florentine banker [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze]];<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Lineage" /><ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> his brother [[Mario Auditore]], caretaker of the Auditore Villa and ''[[Mercenary|condottieri]]'' leader; [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]]; [[Paola]] and [[Teodora]], the heads of the Florentine and Venetian courtesans respectively; [[Antonio]], the head of the Venetian Thieves Guild; [[La Volpe]], the head of the Florentine Thieves Guild; [[Niccolò Machiavelli]], a writer and head of the Florentine Mercenaries; [[Bartolomeo d'Alviano]],<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> ''condottiero'' of [[Venice]]; [[Perotto Calderon]], undercover in the employ of the Borgia. Others included [[Giovanni Borgia]], the illegitimate son of Celderon and [[Lucrezia Borgia]]; [[Francesco Vecellio]], Renaissance painter,<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy">''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]''</ref> [[Tessa Varzi]] and [[Cipriano Enu]],<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy" /> [[Rinaldo Vitturi]], the keeper of [[the Shroud]],<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy" /> [[Ridolfo Fioravant]] and [[Pietro Antonio Solari]], spies working undercover as architects on the [[wikipedia:Moscow Kremlin|Kremlin]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" /> and [[Luis de Santángel]] and [[Raphael Sanchez]], finance minister to Ferdinand II and treasurer of Queen Isabella I respectively.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery" />

Once again, the Order had many allies amongst the common folk of Italy, as well as amongst the nobility. Foremost among them was [[Leonardo da Vinci]], Ezio's closest friend and a genius of invention. Others included [[Caterina Sforza]],<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Battle of Forlì">''[[Battle of Forlì (DLC)|Assassin's Creed II: Battle of Forlì]]''</ref> the Countess of [[Forlì]];<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> [[Lorenzo de' Medici]], the ruler of Florence;<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> [[Agostino Barbarigo]], the Doge of Venice from 1486;<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> and the famed explorer [[Christoffa Corombo]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery" />

By 1500, Ezio Auditore and Niccolò Machiavelli had begun training new initiates in the Order from their [[Tiber Island|base]] in [[Rome]]. During this time [[Claudia Auditore]], sister of Ezio, also joined the Order.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

===Modern Times===
At the turn of the 20<sup>th</sup> Century, the Assassins' Order had spread as far the Russian Empire, with a strong presence in and around [[Petrograd]]. Members of the [[Narodnaya Volya]] were in fact members of the Assassin Order. Some known Assassins include [[Nikolai Orelov]] and [[Aleksandr Ulyanov]], the older brother of [[Vladimir Lenin]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: The Fall">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Fall]]''</ref>

During the late 20th and 21<sup>st</sup> Century, however, the Order seemed to have sunk further into hiding, with their numbers fewer than ever.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> Although it is evident that more existed, only a few were known to: the mysterious '[[Subject 16]]',[[Desmond Miles| Desmond Miles]], [[Lucy Stillman]],<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /> [[Rebecca Crane]] , [[Shaun Hastings]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, [[Hannah Mueller]], Paul Bellamy and [[Bill Miles]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: The Fall" />).(who may be concealed individual known as [[William M.]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />).

==Known victims==
{{Quote|Find them, kill them. In doing so, you will sow the seeds of peace.|[[Al Mualim]] to Altaïr|Assassin's Creed}}
Over the [[Timeline|centuries]], the Order of Assassins killed hundreds, if not thousands of individuals who they saw to be corrupt in their ways and a danger to humanity. Their intense rivalry with the Templars also ensured that many underlings who served their Templar masters often shared the same fate.<ref name="Assassin's Creed"/>

Below is a chronological list of notable victims of [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]]:

<div style="float:left; width:48%;">
*[[Tamir (Altaïr's Chronicles)|Tamir of Damascus]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles"/>
*[[Alaat]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles"/>
*[[Roland Napule]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles"/>
*[[The Master's Student]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles"/>
*[[Master of the Tower]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles"/>
*[[Harash]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles"/>
*[[Basilisk|Lord Basilisk]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles"/>
*[[Tamir|Tamir, the arms dealer]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed"/>
*[[Garnier de Naplouse]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed"/>
*[[Talal]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed"/>
*[[Abu'l Nuqoud]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed"/>
*[[William of Montferrat]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed"/>
</div>

<div style="float:right; width:48%;">
*[[Majd Addin]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed"/>
*[[Jubair al Hakim]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed"/>
*[[Sibrand]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed"/>
*[[Robert de Sable]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed"/>
*[[Al Mualim]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed"/>
*[[Frederick the Red]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines"/>
*[[Moloch]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines"/>
*[[Dark Oracle]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines"/>
*[[Shalim]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines"/>
*[[Shahar]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines"/>
*[[Pirate captain]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines"/>
*[[Armand Bouchart]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines"/>
</div>
<br clear="all" />

Below is a chronological list of notable victims of [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]]:

<div style="float:left; width:48%;">
*[[Uberto Alberti]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Vieri de' Pazzi]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Francesco de' Pazzi]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Stefano da Bagnone]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Bernardo Baroncelli]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Antonio Maffei]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Francesco Salviati]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Jacopo de' Pazzi]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Emilio Barbarigo]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Carlo Grimaldi]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Marco Barbarigo]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Silvio Barbarigo]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Dante Moro]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Ludovico Orsi]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Battle of Forlì " />
*[[Checco Orsi]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Battle of Forlì " />
*[[Gaspar Martinez]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery" />
*[[Pedro Llorente]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery" />
</div>

<div style="float:right; width:48%;">
*[[Juan de Marillo]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery" />
*[[Girolamo Savonarola]]<ref>''[[Bonfire of the Vanities (DLC)|Assassin's Creed II: Bonfire of the Vanities]]''</ref>
*[[Il Carnefice]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />
*[[Iacopo de Grassi]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />
*[[Master of the Sacred Palace]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />
*[[Malfatto]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />
*[[Silvestro Sabbatini]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />
*[[Lanz]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />
*[[Lia de Russo]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />
*[[Brother Ristoro]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />
*[[Donato Mancini]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />
*[[Gaspar de la Croix]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />
*[[Auguste Oberlin]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />
*[[Juan Borgia the Elder]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />
*[[Octavian de Valois]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />
*[[Cesare Borgia]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />
</div>
<br clear="all" />

Below is a chronological list of the victims of other known Assassins:<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

<div style="float:left; width:48%;">
*[[Xerxes I of Persia|King Xerxes the Great]], by [[Darius]] in 456 BC<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Alexander the Great]], by [[Iltani]] in 323 BC<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Qin Shi Huang]], by [[Wei Yu]] in 210 BC<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Gaius Julius Caesar]], by various in 44 BC<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />
*[[Cleopatra]], by [[Amunet]] in 31 BC<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Caligula]], by [[Leonius]] in 41 AD<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Genghis Khan]], by [[Qulan Gal]] in 1227 AD<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Tomás de Torquemada]], in 1498 AD<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Perotto Calderon]], by various in 1498 AD<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy" />
*[[Agostino Barbarigo]], by [[Tessa Varzi]] in 1501 AD<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy" />
*[[Margaret of York]], in 1503 AD<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />
*[[Isabella I of Castile]], in 1504 AD<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />
</div>

<div style="float:right; width:48%;">
*[[Niccolò di Pitigliano]], by [[Francesco Vecellio]] in 1510 AD<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy" />
*[[Francisco Pizzaro]], in 1541 AD<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Mary I of England]], in 1558 AD<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Ivan Ivanovich of Russia]], in 1581 AD<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[John Wilkes Booth]], in 1865 AD<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Alexander II of Russia]], in 1881 AD<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /><ref name="Assassin's Creed: The Fall" />
*[[Grigori Rasputin]], in 1916 AD<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Adolf Hitler]], in 1945 AD<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Joseph Stalin]], in 1953 AD<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[François Duvalier]], in 1971 AD<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
</div>
<br clear="all" />

==See Also==
*[[The Creed]]

==Appearances==
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]'' {{imo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed II: Discovery]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Lost Legacy]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Fall]]''

==Notes and references==
[[File:AssassinInformant.png|thumb|right|An Assassin informant.]]
{{reflist}}

{{ACSeries}}
{{ACAC}}
{{AC}}
{{ACBL}}
{{ACII}}
{{ACIID}}
{{ACBrotherhood}}
{{ACLL}}
{{ACTF}}
[[Category:Assassin's Order]]
[[Category:Assassins| ]]

Vatican Vault

2010-10-25T15:31:28Z

173.79.246.215: /* Inside The Vault */

{{Spoilerhd}}
'''The Vault''' was a large chamber constructed by [[Those Who Came Before]], located beneath the [[Sistine Chapel]] in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter's_Basilica Vatican], in order to transmit a warning to [[Desmond Miles]] in the year 2012.

===Entering The Vault===

It appears that the only way to enter The Vault is by combining two [[Piece of Eden|Pieces of Eden]], held by a chosen descendant of Those Who Came Before, who is most likely a member of the bloodline of [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]]. Recognized as "The Prophet," [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] was able to enter The Vault by using [[Piece of Eden#34: The Staff|the Staff]] in conjunction with the [[Piece of Eden|Apple of Eden]]. Despite attempting to use the same two Pieces of Eden, [[Rodrigo Borgia]] was unable to enter The Vault.

=== Inside The Vault===
[[File:Ezio_fault_1.jpg|300px|thumb|right|The Vault]]
The floors, walls and pillars of The Vault were covered in glyphs that only appeared to Ezio moved toward them for as Those Who Came Before knew, he possessed Altaïr's supernatural gift of [[Eagle Vision]], and was therefore deemed worthy to see the images as The Prophet. It was thought by Rodrigo Borgia, now the Pope at the time, that The Vault contained God himself. Unbeknown to all, The Vault instead contained a holographic projector. [[Minerva]], who appeared through this device, explained that she was part of a highly advanced race that existed before mankind, Those Who Came Before. She explained that her race had created humans, but had soon faced rebellion thereafter. Glyphs on the wall confirmed this, showing an Egyptian hieroglyphic with a god holding a Piece of Eden as humans charged toward him with weapons.

According to Minerva, the [[Temples]] were built by "those who knew to turn away from war," presumably those who did not fight or did not want to fight in the war between the humans and Those Who Came Before. The reason for this was an unknown catastrophe, presumably a large solar flare, that significantly damaged the Earth and killed off most of both species. Those in the Temples worked to protect the world, and Minerva has tasked [http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Desmond_Miles Desmond Miles] (speaking to him through Ezio) with locating the other Temples to avert another cataclysm.

=== Minerva's speech===

[[Video:The Vault|thumb|left|300px|Minerva's Message to Desmond]]

<blockquote>"''When we were still flesh, and our homes still whole, your kind betrayed us... We who made you. We who gave you life. We were strong but you were many, and both of us craved war. So busy were we with earthly concerns, we failed to notice the heavens, and by the time we did, the world burned until naught remained but ash. It should have ended then and there, but we built you in our own image. We built you, to survive, and so we did. Few were our numbers, your kind and mine. It took sacrifice, strength, compassion, but we rebuilt, and as life returned to the world, we endeavored to ensure this tragedy could not be repeated. But now, we are dying, and time will work against us. Truth turned into myth and legend. What we built, misunderstood. Let my words preserve the message and make a record of our loss. But let my word also bring hope. You must find the other temples, built by those who knew to turn away from war. They worked to protect us, to save us from the fire. If you can find them, if their work can be saved, so too might this world. Be quick, for time grows short, and guard against the cross, for there are many who will stand in your way.''
<br /></blockquote>

<blockquote>''It is done. The message is delivered. We are gone now from this world, all of us. We can do no more... The rest is up to you, Desmond.'''''"'''</blockquote>

<blockquote>Minerva's message implies that the Temples contain some sort of assistance or research in saving the world from a repeat of the catastrophe that occurred before.</blockquote>

{{-}}

==Notes==
*During Minerva's speech, a glyph of [[w:Step pyramid|step pyramids]], with what appears to be a Piece of Eden hovering over it, appears on the wall. This could mean that another Temple is possibly a structure located in South America, a [[w:zigurrat|ziggurat]] in Mesopotamia, or even the ancient [[w:Temple of Borobudur|Temple of Borobudur]] in Indonesia.
*The logo of [[Abstergo Industries]] can be seen in the vault.

{{ACII}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vault}}
[[Category:Articles with Spoilers]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Locations]]
[[Category:Rome]]
[[Category:Those Who Came Before]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Locations]]