Hermeticists

2012-07-06T03:35:00Z

58.111.143.157: /* Trivia */

{{Era|Brotherhood|PL|DYL|Hermeticists}}
{{WP-REAL|Hermeticism}}
{{quote|As above, so below.|The Hermetic vow.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
{{Faction infobox
|name = Hermeticists
|image = Caduceus.svg
|imgdesc =
|founder =
|leader =
|headquarters =
|locations = [[Greece]] [[Italy]] [[England]]
|related =
|religion =
|hideh =
|formed = Circa 6th century BCE
|reorganised =
|collapsed =
|notable = [[Pythagoras]] [[Ercole Massimo]] [[William Robert Woodman]] [[William Wynn Westcott]] [[Samuel Liddell Mathers]]}}
The '''Hermeticists''' were members of the '''Cult of Hermes''', a group based on a set of philosophical and religious beliefs, who dedicated themselves to "transforming mankind."

==History==
===Origins===
{{quote|We hold the key to life's mysteries.|The staff speaking to Pythagoras.|Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy}}
The Cult of Hermes had its origins in the sixth century BCE, when [[Pythagoras]] and his disciple [[Kyros of Zarax]] traveled through the deserts of ancient [[Greece]] to find [[Hermes Trismegistus]]. After long days of travel, they happened upon a man bearing a winged staff, twined with two serpents.<ref name="Project Legacy - Kyros of Zarax">''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]'' - ''[[Chapter 2 - Kyros of Zarax|Divine Science: Chapter 2 - Kyros of Zarax]]''</ref>

[[File:PL-Agnus Dei.png|thumb|200px|left|The staff and snakes of Hermes.]]
The man dressed in peasant's garb announced himself to be Hemes, and plunged his staff into the ground, causing the snakes to seemingly come alive, and the sands to shift.<ref name="Project Legacy - Kyros of Zarax" />

The snakes spoke to Pythagoras as a worthy successor, and he was handed the staff, the "key to life's mysteries" that had "been passed down since the dawn of time."<ref name="Project Legacy - Kyros of Zarax" />

At this, Pythagoras became one of the first known Hermeticists.<ref name="Project Legacy - Kyros of Zarax" />

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===Renaissance===
{{quote|Why seek knowledge without putting it to use? We have the chance to fashion a better world, one in which we have the freedom to shape our own destiny.|Ercole Massimo, a leader of the Hermeticists.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
Sometime before 1506, several Hermeticists pursued the [[Assassins|Assassin]] [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]], in order to obtain the [[Ezio's Apple|Apple of Eden]] he had in his possession. They were unsuccessful, however, and the [[Piece of Eden]] was sealed away.<ref name="The Da Vinci Disappearance">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' - ''[[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]''</ref>

[[File:BH-Ezio Salai and Hermetecist.png|thumb|250px|right|Hermeticists fighting Ezio and Salaì.]]
As of 1506, after the [[Liberation of Rome|fall]] of the [[House of Borgia|Borgia]] in Rome, the Hermeticists were led by [[Ercole Massimo]]. At his order, they captured [[Leonardo da Vinci]], a famed polymath, in order to discover the hidden entrance of the [[Temple of Pythagoras]].<ref name="The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

Soon afterwards, in front of [[La Volpe Addormentata]], another group of disciples attacked two of Leonardo's friends, Ezio Auditore, and his assistant [[Salaì]], though they were both able to defend themselves.<ref name="The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

In order to delay their search for the entrance of the temple, Leonardo told Ercole of the clues hidden in several of his paintings. Ercole then sent his Hermeticists throughout [[Italy]] to seek the lost paintings, though all of these were intercepted and reclaimed by Ezio.<ref name="The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

In the chambers of the Temple of Pythagoras, a large number of disciples, including Ercole, were killed while attempting to keep Ezio from rescuing Leonardo.<ref name="The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

===Modern times===
[[File:Rosy_Cross_of_the_Golden_Dawn.png|thumb|250px|left|Rosy Cross of the Golden Dawn, as seen atop Woodman's coffin.]]
In the late 19th century, the Hermetic Order was revived in [[London]], England under the name '''Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn'''. It was co-founded by [[William Robert Woodman]], [[William Wynn Westcott]], and [[Samuel Liddell Mathers]].<ref name="Project Legacy - Frater V.O.V.">''Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy'' - [[Chapter 4 - Frater V.O.V.|Divine Science: Chapter 4 - Frater V.O.V.]]''</ref>

In the Victorian era, Hermetic practices were closely tied to the occult, and involved many rituals and ceremonies. However, these "black magic" practices were still frowned upon, and at one point, Westcott was forced to leave the Order upon his beliefs being revealed.<ref name="Project Legacy - Frater V.O.V." />

With this necessity for secrecy, many members of the Order were known simply by titles; Westcott was the Praemonstrator, Mathers, the Evoker of Spirits (and later, the Imperator), and Moina, Mathers' wife, was the Seeress.<ref name="Project Legacy - Frater V.O.V." />

====Leadership====
[[File:PL-Quod Scis Nescis.png|thumb|250px|The three founders of the Golden Dawn.]]
While all three were still alive, Woodman, Westcott and Mathers led the Hermetic Order in a "perfect partnership" they once defined as "Harmony." However, greed and ambition eventually took over, and in 1891, Westcott and Mathers had Woodman assassinated in his greenhouse.<ref name="Project Legacy - Frater V.O.V." />

Additionally, following an argument over whether or not to publish the secrets and ancient formulas within the [[the Book|Book of Abraham]], Westcott planned a coup to oust Mathers from the Order. However, in 1896, Mathers was a step ahead of him, and had a young adept of the Order plant evidence of Westcott's interest in black, ritualistic magic; forcing him to leave the Order.<ref name="Project Legacy - Frater V.O.V." />

Subsequent to this, Mathers moved to [[Paris]], and left his "Queen," Miss Farr, as his representative in London. It was there in Paris that the events that triggered the "beginning of the end for the Order" started.<ref name="Project Legacy - Frater V.O.V." />

[[Aleister Crowley]], who aptly called himself the Beast, was an initiate of Mathers' and an ambitious member of the Outer Order. He at first attempted to force himself into the Inner Order by assaulting Miss Farr, jumping on her desk and shrieking his demands. However, when this failed, he instead approached Mathers in Paris. Needing allies, Mathers accepted him.<ref name="Project Legacy - Frater V.O.V." />

Some time later, in 1899, several members of the Order would revolt, and Mathers would be forced to resign. However, though the Seeress predicted that the Order would not endure, she also went on to say that ''"This is not the end. It is a new beginning."''<ref name="Project Legacy - Frater V.O.V." />

====Secret chiefs====
{{quote|Little is known about the Secret Chiefs. Many believe them to be transcendent cosmic authorities, while others claim they are mere humans. Some say they do not even exist.|Frater V.O.V.|Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy}}

[[File:PL-Deus Lux Solis.png|left|thumb|250px|A member of the Secret Chiefs.]]
The foundation of the Golden Dawn was closely tied to a group called the "Secret Chiefs," who were only known to the knowledgeable members of the Inner Order, and who were said to possess "terrible supernatural powers."<ref name="Project Legacy - Frater V.O.V." />

A little before 1900, Mathers was summoned by one of the Secret Chiefs, who he met with in a dark Parisian alley. Though the man wore a cloak, he clearly wore a ring marked with the red cross of the [[Templars|Templar Order]].<ref name="Project Legacy - Frater V.O.V." />

The man began to berate Mathers, saying that their partnership had ended, and that he had failed to heed their warnings. He remarked that Mathers' research was useless, but Mathers pleaded for more time, saying that he would have progressed more, had he still had the Book.<ref name="Project Legacy - Frater V.O.V." />

However, the Templar only rebuked the statement, telling him that it had never been about the Book, but about Woodman, whose death he correctly blamed upon Mathers.<ref name="Project Legacy - Frater V.O.V." />

==Trivia==
[[File:Hermeticist-render.png|right|150px|thumb|A Renaissance Hermeticist.]]
*The symbol of the Hermeticists is a "{{Wiki|caduceus}}," a short staff entwined by two serpents, and sometimes surrounded by wings. In Greek Mythology, it was believed to be the staff wielded by Hermes, the messenger of the gods.
*Similarly to the [[Cento Occhi]], in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'', the Hermeticists carry several valuable items that are needed for [[Shop Quests]].
*The Hermeticists wield daggers and other [[short blades]], and fight much like [[Agile guards]].
*During the restored memories, several Hermeticists can be found throughout Rome, actively fighting against Borgia [[guards]].
**After the sequence is completed, Hermeticists no longer appear in-game.
**In many sequences during the restored memories, Hermeticists could be found standing over the bodies of guards, indicating that they may have killed the guards in order to gain their vantage positions.
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==Gallery==
<gallery widths="180" position="center" spacing="small" captionalign="center" captiontextcolor="#ffffff">
Rolethedice4.png|Three Hermeticists preparing to fight.
TToP 1.png|Leonardo, a Hermeticist and Ercole Massimo.
ACBSP 2011-04-12 00-11-45-75.png|A Hermeticist in La Volpe Addormentata.
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{ACBH}}
[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy Factions]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Factions]]

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Hermeticists