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Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad

2009-12-22T09:40:33Z

65.26.182.111: /* Hidden Role in Assassin's Creed II? */

{{Character Infobox
|name = Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
|image = Alta-assassins-creed.jpg
|imgdesc = A full body portrait of Altaïr.
|faction = [[Assassins]]/Hashishin
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'', ''[[AC: Altaïr's Chronicles]]'', ''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]'', ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' (Gameplay Chase Scene)
|period = Third Crusade
|voice = [[Philip Shahbaz]]
}}
{{dialogue|Al Mualim|Remember... nothing is true.|Altaïr|Everything is permitted.|Al Mualim and Altaïr at the Masyaf fortress}}
'''Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad''' (الطائر ابن لا أحد in [[wikipedia:Arabic|Arabic]]) (1166 - unknown) is the main protagonist in ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'', as well as the ancestor of [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] and [[Desmond Miles]].

==Biography==
=== Early Life ===
Altaïr was born to an unknown couple, consisting of a Christian woman and a Muslim man. During his childhood his parents left [[Masyaf]] for unknown reasons, though Altaïr felt little at their departure due to the nature of the [[Assassins|Assassin]] order. Prior to the events of the series, Altaïr trained under [[Al Mualim]] and quickly rose among his brethren in skill. This caught Al Mualim's eye and favor, and Altaïr was eventually promoted to the rank of "[[Master Assassin]]".

In the codex pages Altaïr states that he never felt a connection between his parents and him and that when he left them it was nothing more than departing "two strangers". He also stated that it was Al Mualim that cared for him and that was enough for him during that stage of his life.

===''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]''===

===''[[Assassin's Creed]]''===
{{quote|A small sacrifice to save many. It is necessary.|Altaïr}}

Altaïr, [[Malik]] and [[Kadar]] were sent by [[Al Mualim]] to go underneath the Temple Mount in [[Jerusalem]] to recieve an artifact(Which you later find out that this is the Apple) from the [[Templars]]. Whilst in the temple underground, Altaïr sees the Asssassin's arch-enemy, [[Robert de Sable]], Altaïr attempts to kill Robert but fails and is thrown from the temple. Malik and Kadar were trapped with Robert and his Templars. Upon return to [[Masyaf]], Al Mualim names Altaïr as a traitor to the Creed, but Malik returns with artifact. The Templars attack Masyaf, Altaïr defends the village and then he and two other Assassins climb the tower of the Castle and enact Al Mualim's plan, he performs a [[Leap of Faith]] off the tower to an area which leads to another tower full of logs which land on top of the Templars. After the attack Al Mualim deems Altaïr a failure and a traitor to the Creed and Al Mualim stabs him with a dagger, apparently killing him.

Altaïr wakes up from his ''"Sleep of the Dead"'' and Al Mualim strips him of his possessions and title. Altaïr now had to start from a novice once again and hunt down a traitor within Masyaf who had helped the Templars in the attack of Masyaf. On return to Al Mualim, Altaïr is ranked up and given his [[Hidden Blade]] and longsword back, he also is given a deal of nine lives for his own. He would later in the game find out that The nine people on the list were simply decoys for [[Altaïr]].

[[File:Altairscreen.jpg|thumb|left|Altaïr doing a leap of faith]]

===The Nine===
{{dialogue3|Al Mualim|I hold here a list. Nine men adorn it, nine men who need to die. They are plague-bringers, war-makers... Their power and influence corrupt the lands, ensuring that the Crusades continue. Find them, kill them... In doing so, you will sow the seeds of peace, both for the region, and for yourself.|Altaïr|Nine lives in exchange for mine...|A generous offer indeed. Have you any questions?|Only where I need begin.}}

Altaïr starts his quest, leaving [[Masyaf]] and riding through the [[kingdom]] on horseback to [[Damascus]], location of the first target, [[Tamir]].
Arriving there, he goes to the local [[Bureau]] and asks permission for the assassination. The [[dai]] denies it, ordering Altaïr to first gather information about his target. Going through the city's poor district, Altaïr interrogates informants, pickpocket letters and maps and eavesdrop on conversations around him, acquiring the location of the target. Returing to the Bureau with this info, he receives a permission for the kill and a [[white feather]], to be wet in the victim's blood as proof of the murder.
In a plaza of the market district, Altaïr witness Tamir slaying a business partner, and kills him while he does a round around the tends.
Returning to the Bureau, Altaïr is directed to Al Mualim again, who congratulates him by the accomplishment and rewards part of his equipment back. Altaïr the leaves to the other cities, [[Jerusalem]] and [[Acre]] to his next targets.

[[File:SS11.jpg|thumb|right|Altaïr chases [[Talal]] though the streets]]
Arriving at Jerusalem's Bureau, Altaïr is harshily received by Malik, that Bureau's new leader. Malik then sends him to the investigations, returning when he has the necessary information. After receiving the permission and the feather, Altaïr enters Talal's slave complex, but is ambushed by his followers. Dispatching of them, he chases Talal throughout the rooftops and streets, finally catching up to him and putting a [[hidden blade]] on his neck. Altaïr returns to the Bureau, reports to Masyaf and then goes to Acre, where [[Garnier de Naplouse]] is to be killed.

At Acre, he meets the Bureau leader and gather info about his target, then receives the feather and permission for the kill.
Infiltrating Garnier's hospital, Altaïr watches him make the rounds on his patients and strikes him from above. A city wide alert is issued, and after escaping from the hospital and hiding in the Bureau, Altaïr returns to Masyaf to a talk with Al Mualim.

[[File:SS4.jpg|thumb|left|Garnier's death from above]]

After killing eight of the nine, Altaïr is left with the assassination of [[Robert de Sable]], who is in Jerusalem for a funeral. At the funeral Altaïr enters in a sword fight with "Robert" and his Templars, at the end of the fight Altaïr discovers that is wasn't Robert but a woman, [[Maria]], he lets her go, fleeing for [[Arsuf]] where Robert is convincing [[Richard the Lionheart]] to join with [[Saladin]] to destroy the Assassins. Altaïr tries to convince Richard of Robert's plot to overthrow him, but Richard doesn't know who to trust and lets God decide. Altaïr and Robert then fight to the death, but Altaïr comes out victorious.

After the death of Robert, Altaïr discovers that Al Mualim was in fact a Templar and he returns to Masyaf to find out that the people of the Town had been put in a hypnotic trance, apart from him and few other Assassins. They make their way to the fortress. when Altaïr arrives he discovers that Al Mualim was responsible for this using the [[Piece of Eden]] which was recovered at Solomon's temple and after hearing many revalations Altaïr confronts his former master. After fighting many illusions, Altaïr manages to put his [[Hidden Blade]] into Al Mualim, ending the hypnotic trance. As Al Mualim dies he says that he did all this to ensure world peace and claims that Altaïr will not be able to destroy the Piece of Eden.

===''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]''===
One month after the events of "Assassin's Creed", Altaïr fights and captures the Templar Maria Thorpe in Acre. Interrogating her, Altaïr learns that the sudden death of Robert de Sable has sent the Templars fleeing for the island of Cyprus. Altaïr decides to head there himself eliminate the remaining Templars. By the end of ''Bloodlines'', Altaïr learns that Cyprus has been a storehouse for a large number of Templar artifacts (all the Pieces of Eden) for quite some time. Due to Altaïr's relentless pursuit, however, the Templars have been forced to move the collection elsewhere, perhaps leading to their eventual scattering across the globe. By the conclusion of the story, Maria finally understands the depths of the Templars' wickedness. Her relationship with Altaïr, antagonistic for most of the game, soon becomes a friendly one... and ultimately romantic (as seen in AC2). It is at this same time that Altaïr begins writing the first pages of the [[Codex]]. The trip to Cyprus is mentioned in the Codex Pages in Assassin's Creed 2 as well.

=== Legacy ===
It is known that after Bloodlines, Maria bore at least two children with Altaïr, as the codex mentions he will have her talk with their sons. Also before his death, he wore a new armor, the same armor that would one day be worn by his descendant Ezio Auditore da Firenze as his Master Assassin Armor. This armor is the symbolic color of black, signifying the upper most rank in the Assassin Order. His death is unknown, but likely he died in old age with his children and Maria watching over him as he passed away. It should be noted however that in his last entry into the codex he remarks about his temptations and his ability to call for the Apple and use it to extend his life, as he states "I know the knowledge is there." The fate of Altaïr remains unclear.

===''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''===
At the point in which Assassin's Creed II begins, Altaïr is thought to have been dead for hundreds of years. It is known that he left a [[Codex]] that his descendant, [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio]], will find. In it, he left a secret map which reveals the locations of Pieces of Eden scattered all over the world. However, at the end of one of the Codex entries, Altair states that while he feels death creeping up on him in his old age, he knows a Piece of Eden that may extend his life. He goes onto say that he "refuses to stare into it for fear of corruption", but ends the Codex entry with "but maybe I will just one last time". It is unknown what decision he ultimately makes, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that Altair may still be alive in the present.

It is also shown that Altaïr bore at least two children with Maria, the templar woman who took Robert de Sable's place in Jerusalem during the first Assassin's Creed.

Altaïr's armor is accessible in the game, but acquiring it is not necessary for completing the story. It is available to the player after exploring six Assassin`s Tombs and collecting the seals therein. When brought to the vault in the Villa Auditore, all six seals will open a gate, behind which lies Altaïr's armor.

You can also get a Altaïr costume in the game from the Uplay store for 30 points.

=== Hidden Role in Assassin's Creed II? ===
There is further evidence to suggest that Altaïr did not die of old age and that he used a Piece of Eden to extend his life in Assassin's Creed II. Philip Shahbaz, the voice actor for Altaïr in the original Assassin's Creed, is strangely not listed as reprising his role as Altaïr in Assassin's Creed II. Instead, Owen Thomas is credited as voicing Altaïr in Assassin's Creed II, with Philip Shahbaz's only mention on IMDB casted him as "voice". What's interesting here is that all of the other voice actors either have a specific character or just "various voice". To this date, whoever "voice" was has not yet been revealed, and seeing as though Altaïr never spoke during the hallucination of him and Maria at the Templar castle, evidence suggests that Altaïr - or perhaps his voice - is featured somewhere other than the hallucination. Speculation is that there may very well be a character in Assassin's Creed II who is Altaïr in disguise unknown to the player, with only a voice resemblance as a clue, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

==Characteristics and personality==

[[File:SS5.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Altaïr free-running from rooftop to rooftop.]]
Altaïr is an ancestor of [[Desmond Miles]] and his memories are encoded into Miles' DNA. [[Abstergo Industries]] abducted Miles in order to use the [[Animus]] on him, which would decode his genetic structure and extract vital information from the memories of Altaïr, in a project bent on New World Order. Altaïr is a master assassin instructor, capable of extraordinary acrobatic feats, a master of social stealth, fully adept in the application of the deadly arts, and a member of the [[Assassins|Assassins' Order]]. Near the beginning of the game, he is demoted to the Assassins' [[Rank]] of [[Novice]] and removed of all his equipment save for his robes. In order to regain his status, he must publicly assassinate nine men who are involved in exploiting the war hostilities in the Holy Land.

Altaïr travels between the four cities ([[Jerusalem]], [[Masyaf]], [[Damascus]], and [[Acre]]) to kill his victims. His extensive knowledge in the deadly arts are without question at the level of an instructor, able to infiltrate any fortification completely unnoticed, brush shoulders with a primary assassination target without alerting them to his hostile presence and strike from any direction, a testament of his undeniable mastery over "Hiding in Plain Sight", showing his understanding of the "Assassins Creed" and the importance of the second [[tenet]].

Altaïr, bound by the second tenet of the "Assassins Creed" has mastered the ability to become one with the crowd, so that his deadly presence and approach is masked entirely from his intended target. His ability to blend in and appear as just another face in the crowd, makes it much more possible to get in extremely close to a target and silently assassinate them using the Hidden Blade without alerting the immediate surrounding environment. Whether investigating or silently assassinating, Altaïr constantly remains anonymous out of his instinctive assassins nature, very briefly exposing himself to the publics eye during his actual assassinations of "The Nine". Even public assassinations do not guarantee Altaïr's exposure however, as he is a Master Assassin, and is highly skilled in adapting to changing situations and the changing environment. Knowing all too well in how maintain control in the dangerous and constanly changing environment, Altaïr's possession of such sharp perceptional skills carries over into how he reads the crowd for any slight sign of danger.

[[File:SS7.jpg|thumb|260px|The eagle watches the streets of Acre from a rooftop.]]

Altaïr's sharp sense of awareness aided him greatly during his quest to eliminate the Templars, both within the dangerous cities, and throughout the kingdom. Altaïr's acrobatic skills also helped in both assassination and escape; he used his skills to strike from many different directions, including from affront, above, and behind, when performing his assassinations. Altaïr's assassination expertise is unquestionable; being capable of appearing from the crowd unseen, quickly killing his target silently, before outrunning any who deigned to pursue him afterwars. In preperation for his strike, Altaïr stalks the district where his target resides, obtaining information on where and when he will be, so that his blade finds it mark. Using that knowledge better prepares him for the opportune moment to strike. Observing, and moving silently about the large crowds that usually gather within the kill zone, Altaïr strikes without flaw or mercy making him very efficient in the exact moment of the strike. Highly educated upon the politics involving the Crusaders and Saracens and their religious philosophies, this educational training also helped Altaïr in better understanding their territories, and the numerous factions within. It also gave him a better perspective on why his targets choose their paths in life, although he was not above questioning that which he did not understand. He also knows that the death of his targets help to ensure peace returns to the land.

Altaïr's social mastery ensures that low-profile kills performed while hiding amongst the crowd always succeed, allowing him to eliminate any guards patrolling the streets, although as his quest progressed and his arrival predicted, this became all the more difficult. However, regardless of his anomimity, Altaïr showed that, in combination with a mastery of social stealth and tracking knowledge, blending into the crowd to becoming simply another face, allowed Altaïr to carry out his assassination target investigations more easily. In doing so, he kept to the second tenet within the Creed, which called for anomimity in all things.[[File:SS2.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Altaïr escapes with the city on wide alert]]

Altaïr's modest clothing also allowed him to disguise himself as a scholar of the Christian faith; permitting him entrance to several areas a normal citizen was not allowed; enabling him to close in on his target without raising suspicion. A lifetime of experience and training also permitted Altaïr a keen ability to predict the alertness of those guards around him, giving him time to adjust his mannerisms accordingly.

[[file:SS3.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Talal's follower is impaled]]
=== Equipment and skills ===
Like his fellow assassins, Altaïr is trained in hand to hand and weapons combat, blade throwing, climbing, urban acrobatics, eavesdropping, interrogation, and pick pocketing.

Altaïr's weapon of choice for assassinations – the Hidden Blade – a weapon similar to a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katara_(sword) katara], is mounted on the inside of his left hand gauntlet, and when deployed, extends between the space left by his amputated ring finger. He flicks a trigger on his small finger to extend the blade, and does so again to retract it. Altaïr is not restricted to just the Hidden Blade however; he also uses throwing knives, a sword, and a small blade, as well as his fists when the need arises. Altaïr also uses an ability called "Eagle Vision," a sort of sixth sense that lets him see the allegiances of those around him. When activated, his vision shows his enemies in red and his allies in blue. This vision also shows those citizens with information in white and his main targets in gold.

After the events of ''Assassin's Creed'' and ''Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines'', Altaïr dedicated more of his life to philisophical study – focusing upon the [[Piece of Eden]] – as opposed to actual assassination, showing himself to be a brilliant engineer and inventor. With the aid of the Piece of Eden, Altaïr was granted the foresight of advanced technological developments, which including upgrades to the Hidden Blade and the creation of a nearly impregnable, but lightweight metal that was imbued into his Master Assassin robes.

==Behind the Scenes==
The name Altaïr is an Arabic word, which means "The Flying One". In interviews, the game's producer, [[wikipedia:Jade_Raymond|Jade Raymond]] has stated that while in mid-air, Altaïr's shadow resembles that of an eagle. This is because of his attire, which includes a point at the front of the hood (to resemble a beak) and slits through the back of the outfit (to resemble tail feathers). The second part of his name, Ibn-La'Ahad means 'son of no-one', reflecting his mysterious origins. It has been revealed by Raymond that his father was a Muslim and his mother a Christian. His appearance is remarkably similar to Desmond's, only a few scars seeming to separate their appearances at first glance. His rebellious nature and mission failure would lead to his severe demotion, placing him on the same level as a raw initiate to the Assassin Order. That same attitude cost [[Malik]] his left arm, as well as the life of his brother Kadar at the beginning of the story. As the situation progresses and Altaïr listens to the final words of his assassination victims, listening to their revelations involving them and their justified corrupt deeds within the Holy Land and their cities, his attitude changes and he becomes less impetuous, overconfident, demanding, arrogant, self-centred and impatient, learning to perceive more between the lines and actions of the world while drawing upon the teachings of the "Assassins Creed". Near the end of the conflict, all of his brash and rebellious nature, has vanished behind a demeanour of calm, focused, driven, humble, more patient and higher wisdom of understanding. But with this he learns what it is the "Assassins Creed" truly means, and recommends of him as an Assassin.

==Trivia==
*Jade Raymond, producer of ''Assassin's Creed'', revealed during an interview at the Ubidays 2007 that Altaïr was born to a Muslim father, and a Christian mother<ref>[http://www.gametrailers.com/video/ubidays-07-assassins-creed/19929 Ubidays 07 Jade Raymond Interview Pt. 2]</ref>.
* Altaïr also has three different voices throughout three of the Assassins Creed games. His voice in Assassins Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles sounded a bit higher and not as deep as the original Assassins Creed game. His voice in Assassins Creed Bloodlines had more of a Middle Eastern accent than the one in the original game.
* It is odd to note that, despite instant death when entering deep waters Altaïr does know how to swim since this been proven at the ending of Altaïr's chronicles.
* The Altaïr costume can be unlocked for Prince of Persia(2009). Users have to register at the Ubisoft Website and then link that account to an Xbox 360 Gamertag or PSN screen name.
* Altaïr's Outfit can also be used in Assassin's Creed 2. It can be unlocked via UPlay (it's actually the Altaïr skin used during the dream). Ezio's ring finger will also vanish when this armour is worn. Additionally Ezio can still perform double assassinations, even though the Altaïr outfit only have one hidden blade.
* His first name, "Altaïr", means "The Bird" or more literally "The Flying One". His last name, "Ibn-La'Ahad", means "Son of No One".
* His hood tip resembles an eagles beak.
* Altaïr's ability to blend with crowds and with scholars may seem hindered by his bright white clothes, which make him stick out, and the fact that he is heavily armed which could draw suspicion from guards, weilding a long sword and exposed throwing knives.
* It is curious to note that the name Altaïr is in fact supposedly a feminine name in Arabic, however it is not uncommon as the name "Ashley" was once used for males in the past.
* In the game Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, the player can unlock Altaïr's costume for the main character (Old Snake).  One can obtain it by either password or getting the assassin emblem on any difficulty. It is available on the second playthrough after you earn it.

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

{{AC}}

{{ACII}}
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassins|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad

2009-12-22T09:39:40Z

65.26.182.111: /* Hidden Role in Assassin's Creed II? */

{{Character Infobox
|name = Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
|image = Alta-assassins-creed.jpg
|imgdesc = A full body portrait of Altaïr.
|faction = [[Assassins]]/Hashishin
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'', ''[[AC: Altaïr's Chronicles]]'', ''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]'', ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' (Gameplay Chase Scene)
|period = Third Crusade
|voice = [[Philip Shahbaz]]
}}
{{dialogue|Al Mualim|Remember... nothing is true.|Altaïr|Everything is permitted.|Al Mualim and Altaïr at the Masyaf fortress}}
'''Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad''' (الطائر ابن لا أحد in [[wikipedia:Arabic|Arabic]]) (1166 - unknown) is the main protagonist in ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'', as well as the ancestor of [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] and [[Desmond Miles]].

==Biography==
=== Early Life ===
Altaïr was born to an unknown couple, consisting of a Christian woman and a Muslim man. During his childhood his parents left [[Masyaf]] for unknown reasons, though Altaïr felt little at their departure due to the nature of the [[Assassins|Assassin]] order. Prior to the events of the series, Altaïr trained under [[Al Mualim]] and quickly rose among his brethren in skill. This caught Al Mualim's eye and favor, and Altaïr was eventually promoted to the rank of "[[Master Assassin]]".

In the codex pages Altaïr states that he never felt a connection between his parents and him and that when he left them it was nothing more than departing "two strangers". He also stated that it was Al Mualim that cared for him and that was enough for him during that stage of his life.

===''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]''===

===''[[Assassin's Creed]]''===
{{quote|A small sacrifice to save many. It is necessary.|Altaïr}}

Altaïr, [[Malik]] and [[Kadar]] were sent by [[Al Mualim]] to go underneath the Temple Mount in [[Jerusalem]] to recieve an artifact(Which you later find out that this is the Apple) from the [[Templars]]. Whilst in the temple underground, Altaïr sees the Asssassin's arch-enemy, [[Robert de Sable]], Altaïr attempts to kill Robert but fails and is thrown from the temple. Malik and Kadar were trapped with Robert and his Templars. Upon return to [[Masyaf]], Al Mualim names Altaïr as a traitor to the Creed, but Malik returns with artifact. The Templars attack Masyaf, Altaïr defends the village and then he and two other Assassins climb the tower of the Castle and enact Al Mualim's plan, he performs a [[Leap of Faith]] off the tower to an area which leads to another tower full of logs which land on top of the Templars. After the attack Al Mualim deems Altaïr a failure and a traitor to the Creed and Al Mualim stabs him with a dagger, apparently killing him.

Altaïr wakes up from his ''"Sleep of the Dead"'' and Al Mualim strips him of his possessions and title. Altaïr now had to start from a novice once again and hunt down a traitor within Masyaf who had helped the Templars in the attack of Masyaf. On return to Al Mualim, Altaïr is ranked up and given his [[Hidden Blade]] and longsword back, he also is given a deal of nine lives for his own. He would later in the game find out that The nine people on the list were simply decoys for [[Altaïr]].

[[File:Altairscreen.jpg|thumb|left|Altaïr doing a leap of faith]]

===The Nine===
{{dialogue3|Al Mualim|I hold here a list. Nine men adorn it, nine men who need to die. They are plague-bringers, war-makers... Their power and influence corrupt the lands, ensuring that the Crusades continue. Find them, kill them... In doing so, you will sow the seeds of peace, both for the region, and for yourself.|Altaïr|Nine lives in exchange for mine...|A generous offer indeed. Have you any questions?|Only where I need begin.}}

Altaïr starts his quest, leaving [[Masyaf]] and riding through the [[kingdom]] on horseback to [[Damascus]], location of the first target, [[Tamir]].
Arriving there, he goes to the local [[Bureau]] and asks permission for the assassination. The [[dai]] denies it, ordering Altaïr to first gather information about his target. Going through the city's poor district, Altaïr interrogates informants, pickpocket letters and maps and eavesdrop on conversations around him, acquiring the location of the target. Returing to the Bureau with this info, he receives a permission for the kill and a [[white feather]], to be wet in the victim's blood as proof of the murder.
In a plaza of the market district, Altaïr witness Tamir slaying a business partner, and kills him while he does a round around the tends.
Returning to the Bureau, Altaïr is directed to Al Mualim again, who congratulates him by the accomplishment and rewards part of his equipment back. Altaïr the leaves to the other cities, [[Jerusalem]] and [[Acre]] to his next targets.

[[File:SS11.jpg|thumb|right|Altaïr chases [[Talal]] though the streets]]
Arriving at Jerusalem's Bureau, Altaïr is harshily received by Malik, that Bureau's new leader. Malik then sends him to the investigations, returning when he has the necessary information. After receiving the permission and the feather, Altaïr enters Talal's slave complex, but is ambushed by his followers. Dispatching of them, he chases Talal throughout the rooftops and streets, finally catching up to him and putting a [[hidden blade]] on his neck. Altaïr returns to the Bureau, reports to Masyaf and then goes to Acre, where [[Garnier de Naplouse]] is to be killed.

At Acre, he meets the Bureau leader and gather info about his target, then receives the feather and permission for the kill.
Infiltrating Garnier's hospital, Altaïr watches him make the rounds on his patients and strikes him from above. A city wide alert is issued, and after escaping from the hospital and hiding in the Bureau, Altaïr returns to Masyaf to a talk with Al Mualim.

[[File:SS4.jpg|thumb|left|Garnier's death from above]]

After killing eight of the nine, Altaïr is left with the assassination of [[Robert de Sable]], who is in Jerusalem for a funeral. At the funeral Altaïr enters in a sword fight with "Robert" and his Templars, at the end of the fight Altaïr discovers that is wasn't Robert but a woman, [[Maria]], he lets her go, fleeing for [[Arsuf]] where Robert is convincing [[Richard the Lionheart]] to join with [[Saladin]] to destroy the Assassins. Altaïr tries to convince Richard of Robert's plot to overthrow him, but Richard doesn't know who to trust and lets God decide. Altaïr and Robert then fight to the death, but Altaïr comes out victorious.

After the death of Robert, Altaïr discovers that Al Mualim was in fact a Templar and he returns to Masyaf to find out that the people of the Town had been put in a hypnotic trance, apart from him and few other Assassins. They make their way to the fortress. when Altaïr arrives he discovers that Al Mualim was responsible for this using the [[Piece of Eden]] which was recovered at Solomon's temple and after hearing many revalations Altaïr confronts his former master. After fighting many illusions, Altaïr manages to put his [[Hidden Blade]] into Al Mualim, ending the hypnotic trance. As Al Mualim dies he says that he did all this to ensure world peace and claims that Altaïr will not be able to destroy the Piece of Eden.

===''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]''===
One month after the events of "Assassin's Creed", Altaïr fights and captures the Templar Maria Thorpe in Acre. Interrogating her, Altaïr learns that the sudden death of Robert de Sable has sent the Templars fleeing for the island of Cyprus. Altaïr decides to head there himself eliminate the remaining Templars. By the end of ''Bloodlines'', Altaïr learns that Cyprus has been a storehouse for a large number of Templar artifacts (all the Pieces of Eden) for quite some time. Due to Altaïr's relentless pursuit, however, the Templars have been forced to move the collection elsewhere, perhaps leading to their eventual scattering across the globe. By the conclusion of the story, Maria finally understands the depths of the Templars' wickedness. Her relationship with Altaïr, antagonistic for most of the game, soon becomes a friendly one... and ultimately romantic (as seen in AC2). It is at this same time that Altaïr begins writing the first pages of the [[Codex]]. The trip to Cyprus is mentioned in the Codex Pages in Assassin's Creed 2 as well.

=== Legacy ===
It is known that after Bloodlines, Maria bore at least two children with Altaïr, as the codex mentions he will have her talk with their sons. Also before his death, he wore a new armor, the same armor that would one day be worn by his descendant Ezio Auditore da Firenze as his Master Assassin Armor. This armor is the symbolic color of black, signifying the upper most rank in the Assassin Order. His death is unknown, but likely he died in old age with his children and Maria watching over him as he passed away. It should be noted however that in his last entry into the codex he remarks about his temptations and his ability to call for the Apple and use it to extend his life, as he states "I know the knowledge is there." The fate of Altaïr remains unclear.

===''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''===
At the point in which Assassin's Creed II begins, Altaïr is thought to have been dead for hundreds of years. It is known that he left a [[Codex]] that his descendant, [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio]], will find. In it, he left a secret map which reveals the locations of Pieces of Eden scattered all over the world. However, at the end of one of the Codex entries, Altair states that while he feels death creeping up on him in his old age, he knows a Piece of Eden that may extend his life. He goes onto say that he "refuses to stare into it for fear of corruption", but ends the Codex entry with "but maybe I will just one last time". It is unknown what decision he ultimately makes, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that Altair may still be alive in the present.

It is also shown that Altaïr bore at least two children with Maria, the templar woman who took Robert de Sable's place in Jerusalem during the first Assassin's Creed.

Altaïr's armor is accessible in the game, but acquiring it is not necessary for completing the story. It is available to the player after exploring six Assassin`s Tombs and collecting the seals therein. When brought to the vault in the Villa Auditore, all six seals will open a gate, behind which lies Altaïr's armor.

You can also get a Altaïr costume in the game from the Uplay store for 30 points.

=== Hidden Role in Assassin's Creed II? ===
There is further evidence to suggest that Altaïr did not die of old age and that he used a Piece of Eden to extend his life in Assassin's Creed II. Philip Shahbaz, the voice actor for Altaïr in the original Assassin's Creed, is strangely not listed as reprising his role as Altaïr in Assassin's Creed II. Instead, Owen Thomas is credited as voicing Altaïr in Assassin's Creed II, with Philip Shahbaz's only mention on IMDB casted him as "voice". What's interesting here is that all of the other voice actors either have a specific character or just "various voice". To this date, whoever "voice" was has not yet been revealed, and seeing as though Altaïr never spoke during the hallucination of him and Maria at the Templar castle, evidence suggests that Altaïr is featured somewhere other than the hallucination. Speculation is that there may very well be a character in Assassin's Creed II who is Altaïr in disguise unknown to the player, with only a voice resemblance as a clue, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

==Characteristics and personality==

[[File:SS5.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Altaïr free-running from rooftop to rooftop.]]
Altaïr is an ancestor of [[Desmond Miles]] and his memories are encoded into Miles' DNA. [[Abstergo Industries]] abducted Miles in order to use the [[Animus]] on him, which would decode his genetic structure and extract vital information from the memories of Altaïr, in a project bent on New World Order. Altaïr is a master assassin instructor, capable of extraordinary acrobatic feats, a master of social stealth, fully adept in the application of the deadly arts, and a member of the [[Assassins|Assassins' Order]]. Near the beginning of the game, he is demoted to the Assassins' [[Rank]] of [[Novice]] and removed of all his equipment save for his robes. In order to regain his status, he must publicly assassinate nine men who are involved in exploiting the war hostilities in the Holy Land.

Altaïr travels between the four cities ([[Jerusalem]], [[Masyaf]], [[Damascus]], and [[Acre]]) to kill his victims. His extensive knowledge in the deadly arts are without question at the level of an instructor, able to infiltrate any fortification completely unnoticed, brush shoulders with a primary assassination target without alerting them to his hostile presence and strike from any direction, a testament of his undeniable mastery over "Hiding in Plain Sight", showing his understanding of the "Assassins Creed" and the importance of the second [[tenet]].

Altaïr, bound by the second tenet of the "Assassins Creed" has mastered the ability to become one with the crowd, so that his deadly presence and approach is masked entirely from his intended target. His ability to blend in and appear as just another face in the crowd, makes it much more possible to get in extremely close to a target and silently assassinate them using the Hidden Blade without alerting the immediate surrounding environment. Whether investigating or silently assassinating, Altaïr constantly remains anonymous out of his instinctive assassins nature, very briefly exposing himself to the publics eye during his actual assassinations of "The Nine". Even public assassinations do not guarantee Altaïr's exposure however, as he is a Master Assassin, and is highly skilled in adapting to changing situations and the changing environment. Knowing all too well in how maintain control in the dangerous and constanly changing environment, Altaïr's possession of such sharp perceptional skills carries over into how he reads the crowd for any slight sign of danger.

[[File:SS7.jpg|thumb|260px|The eagle watches the streets of Acre from a rooftop.]]

Altaïr's sharp sense of awareness aided him greatly during his quest to eliminate the Templars, both within the dangerous cities, and throughout the kingdom. Altaïr's acrobatic skills also helped in both assassination and escape; he used his skills to strike from many different directions, including from affront, above, and behind, when performing his assassinations. Altaïr's assassination expertise is unquestionable; being capable of appearing from the crowd unseen, quickly killing his target silently, before outrunning any who deigned to pursue him afterwars. In preperation for his strike, Altaïr stalks the district where his target resides, obtaining information on where and when he will be, so that his blade finds it mark. Using that knowledge better prepares him for the opportune moment to strike. Observing, and moving silently about the large crowds that usually gather within the kill zone, Altaïr strikes without flaw or mercy making him very efficient in the exact moment of the strike. Highly educated upon the politics involving the Crusaders and Saracens and their religious philosophies, this educational training also helped Altaïr in better understanding their territories, and the numerous factions within. It also gave him a better perspective on why his targets choose their paths in life, although he was not above questioning that which he did not understand. He also knows that the death of his targets help to ensure peace returns to the land.

Altaïr's social mastery ensures that low-profile kills performed while hiding amongst the crowd always succeed, allowing him to eliminate any guards patrolling the streets, although as his quest progressed and his arrival predicted, this became all the more difficult. However, regardless of his anomimity, Altaïr showed that, in combination with a mastery of social stealth and tracking knowledge, blending into the crowd to becoming simply another face, allowed Altaïr to carry out his assassination target investigations more easily. In doing so, he kept to the second tenet within the Creed, which called for anomimity in all things.[[File:SS2.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Altaïr escapes with the city on wide alert]]

Altaïr's modest clothing also allowed him to disguise himself as a scholar of the Christian faith; permitting him entrance to several areas a normal citizen was not allowed; enabling him to close in on his target without raising suspicion. A lifetime of experience and training also permitted Altaïr a keen ability to predict the alertness of those guards around him, giving him time to adjust his mannerisms accordingly.

[[file:SS3.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Talal's follower is impaled]]
=== Equipment and skills ===
Like his fellow assassins, Altaïr is trained in hand to hand and weapons combat, blade throwing, climbing, urban acrobatics, eavesdropping, interrogation, and pick pocketing.

Altaïr's weapon of choice for assassinations – the Hidden Blade – a weapon similar to a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katara_(sword) katara], is mounted on the inside of his left hand gauntlet, and when deployed, extends between the space left by his amputated ring finger. He flicks a trigger on his small finger to extend the blade, and does so again to retract it. Altaïr is not restricted to just the Hidden Blade however; he also uses throwing knives, a sword, and a small blade, as well as his fists when the need arises. Altaïr also uses an ability called "Eagle Vision," a sort of sixth sense that lets him see the allegiances of those around him. When activated, his vision shows his enemies in red and his allies in blue. This vision also shows those citizens with information in white and his main targets in gold.

After the events of ''Assassin's Creed'' and ''Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines'', Altaïr dedicated more of his life to philisophical study – focusing upon the [[Piece of Eden]] – as opposed to actual assassination, showing himself to be a brilliant engineer and inventor. With the aid of the Piece of Eden, Altaïr was granted the foresight of advanced technological developments, which including upgrades to the Hidden Blade and the creation of a nearly impregnable, but lightweight metal that was imbued into his Master Assassin robes.

==Behind the Scenes==
The name Altaïr is an Arabic word, which means "The Flying One". In interviews, the game's producer, [[wikipedia:Jade_Raymond|Jade Raymond]] has stated that while in mid-air, Altaïr's shadow resembles that of an eagle. This is because of his attire, which includes a point at the front of the hood (to resemble a beak) and slits through the back of the outfit (to resemble tail feathers). The second part of his name, Ibn-La'Ahad means 'son of no-one', reflecting his mysterious origins. It has been revealed by Raymond that his father was a Muslim and his mother a Christian. His appearance is remarkably similar to Desmond's, only a few scars seeming to separate their appearances at first glance. His rebellious nature and mission failure would lead to his severe demotion, placing him on the same level as a raw initiate to the Assassin Order. That same attitude cost [[Malik]] his left arm, as well as the life of his brother Kadar at the beginning of the story. As the situation progresses and Altaïr listens to the final words of his assassination victims, listening to their revelations involving them and their justified corrupt deeds within the Holy Land and their cities, his attitude changes and he becomes less impetuous, overconfident, demanding, arrogant, self-centred and impatient, learning to perceive more between the lines and actions of the world while drawing upon the teachings of the "Assassins Creed". Near the end of the conflict, all of his brash and rebellious nature, has vanished behind a demeanour of calm, focused, driven, humble, more patient and higher wisdom of understanding. But with this he learns what it is the "Assassins Creed" truly means, and recommends of him as an Assassin.

==Trivia==
*Jade Raymond, producer of ''Assassin's Creed'', revealed during an interview at the Ubidays 2007 that Altaïr was born to a Muslim father, and a Christian mother<ref>[http://www.gametrailers.com/video/ubidays-07-assassins-creed/19929 Ubidays 07 Jade Raymond Interview Pt. 2]</ref>.
* Altaïr also has three different voices throughout three of the Assassins Creed games. His voice in Assassins Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles sounded a bit higher and not as deep as the original Assassins Creed game. His voice in Assassins Creed Bloodlines had more of a Middle Eastern accent than the one in the original game.
* It is odd to note that, despite instant death when entering deep waters Altaïr does know how to swim since this been proven at the ending of Altaïr's chronicles.
* The Altaïr costume can be unlocked for Prince of Persia(2009). Users have to register at the Ubisoft Website and then link that account to an Xbox 360 Gamertag or PSN screen name.
* Altaïr's Outfit can also be used in Assassin's Creed 2. It can be unlocked via UPlay (it's actually the Altaïr skin used during the dream). Ezio's ring finger will also vanish when this armour is worn. Additionally Ezio can still perform double assassinations, even though the Altaïr outfit only have one hidden blade.
* His first name, "Altaïr", means "The Bird" or more literally "The Flying One". His last name, "Ibn-La'Ahad", means "Son of No One".
* His hood tip resembles an eagles beak.
* Altaïr's ability to blend with crowds and with scholars may seem hindered by his bright white clothes, which make him stick out, and the fact that he is heavily armed which could draw suspicion from guards, weilding a long sword and exposed throwing knives.
* It is curious to note that the name Altaïr is in fact supposedly a feminine name in Arabic, however it is not uncommon as the name "Ashley" was once used for males in the past.
* In the game Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, the player can unlock Altaïr's costume for the main character (Old Snake).  One can obtain it by either password or getting the assassin emblem on any difficulty. It is available on the second playthrough after you earn it.

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

{{AC}}

{{ACII}}
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassins|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad

2009-12-22T09:32:51Z

65.26.182.111:

{{Character Infobox
|name = Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
|image = Alta-assassins-creed.jpg
|imgdesc = A full body portrait of Altaïr.
|faction = [[Assassins]]/Hashishin
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'', ''[[AC: Altaïr's Chronicles]]'', ''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]'', ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' (Gameplay Chase Scene)
|period = Third Crusade
|voice = [[Philip Shahbaz]]
}}
{{dialogue|Al Mualim|Remember... nothing is true.|Altaïr|Everything is permitted.|Al Mualim and Altaïr at the Masyaf fortress}}
'''Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad''' (الطائر ابن لا أحد in [[wikipedia:Arabic|Arabic]]) (1166 - unknown) is the main protagonist in ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'', as well as the ancestor of [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] and [[Desmond Miles]].

==Biography==
=== Early Life ===
Altaïr was born to an unknown couple, consisting of a Christian woman and a Muslim man. During his childhood his parents left [[Masyaf]] for unknown reasons, though Altaïr felt little at their departure due to the nature of the [[Assassins|Assassin]] order. Prior to the events of the series, Altaïr trained under [[Al Mualim]] and quickly rose among his brethren in skill. This caught Al Mualim's eye and favor, and Altaïr was eventually promoted to the rank of "[[Master Assassin]]".

In the codex pages Altaïr states that he never felt a connection between his parents and him and that when he left them it was nothing more than departing "two strangers". He also stated that it was Al Mualim that cared for him and that was enough for him during that stage of his life.

===''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]''===

===''[[Assassin's Creed]]''===
{{quote|A small sacrifice to save many. It is necessary.|Altaïr}}

Altaïr, [[Malik]] and [[Kadar]] were sent by [[Al Mualim]] to go underneath the Temple Mount in [[Jerusalem]] to recieve an artifact(Which you later find out that this is the Apple) from the [[Templars]]. Whilst in the temple underground, Altaïr sees the Asssassin's arch-enemy, [[Robert de Sable]], Altaïr attempts to kill Robert but fails and is thrown from the temple. Malik and Kadar were trapped with Robert and his Templars. Upon return to [[Masyaf]], Al Mualim names Altaïr as a traitor to the Creed, but Malik returns with artifact. The Templars attack Masyaf, Altaïr defends the village and then he and two other Assassins climb the tower of the Castle and enact Al Mualim's plan, he performs a [[Leap of Faith]] off the tower to an area which leads to another tower full of logs which land on top of the Templars. After the attack Al Mualim deems Altaïr a failure and a traitor to the Creed and Al Mualim stabs him with a dagger, apparently killing him.

Altaïr wakes up from his ''"Sleep of the Dead"'' and Al Mualim strips him of his possessions and title. Altaïr now had to start from a novice once again and hunt down a traitor within Masyaf who had helped the Templars in the attack of Masyaf. On return to Al Mualim, Altaïr is ranked up and given his [[Hidden Blade]] and longsword back, he also is given a deal of nine lives for his own. He would later in the game find out that The nine people on the list were simply decoys for [[Altaïr]].

[[File:Altairscreen.jpg|thumb|left|Altaïr doing a leap of faith]]

===The Nine===
{{dialogue3|Al Mualim|I hold here a list. Nine men adorn it, nine men who need to die. They are plague-bringers, war-makers... Their power and influence corrupt the lands, ensuring that the Crusades continue. Find them, kill them... In doing so, you will sow the seeds of peace, both for the region, and for yourself.|Altaïr|Nine lives in exchange for mine...|A generous offer indeed. Have you any questions?|Only where I need begin.}}

Altaïr starts his quest, leaving [[Masyaf]] and riding through the [[kingdom]] on horseback to [[Damascus]], location of the first target, [[Tamir]].
Arriving there, he goes to the local [[Bureau]] and asks permission for the assassination. The [[dai]] denies it, ordering Altaïr to first gather information about his target. Going through the city's poor district, Altaïr interrogates informants, pickpocket letters and maps and eavesdrop on conversations around him, acquiring the location of the target. Returing to the Bureau with this info, he receives a permission for the kill and a [[white feather]], to be wet in the victim's blood as proof of the murder.
In a plaza of the market district, Altaïr witness Tamir slaying a business partner, and kills him while he does a round around the tends.
Returning to the Bureau, Altaïr is directed to Al Mualim again, who congratulates him by the accomplishment and rewards part of his equipment back. Altaïr the leaves to the other cities, [[Jerusalem]] and [[Acre]] to his next targets.

[[File:SS11.jpg|thumb|right|Altaïr chases [[Talal]] though the streets]]
Arriving at Jerusalem's Bureau, Altaïr is harshily received by Malik, that Bureau's new leader. Malik then sends him to the investigations, returning when he has the necessary information. After receiving the permission and the feather, Altaïr enters Talal's slave complex, but is ambushed by his followers. Dispatching of them, he chases Talal throughout the rooftops and streets, finally catching up to him and putting a [[hidden blade]] on his neck. Altaïr returns to the Bureau, reports to Masyaf and then goes to Acre, where [[Garnier de Naplouse]] is to be killed.

At Acre, he meets the Bureau leader and gather info about his target, then receives the feather and permission for the kill.
Infiltrating Garnier's hospital, Altaïr watches him make the rounds on his patients and strikes him from above. A city wide alert is issued, and after escaping from the hospital and hiding in the Bureau, Altaïr returns to Masyaf to a talk with Al Mualim.

[[File:SS4.jpg|thumb|left|Garnier's death from above]]

After killing eight of the nine, Altaïr is left with the assassination of [[Robert de Sable]], who is in Jerusalem for a funeral. At the funeral Altaïr enters in a sword fight with "Robert" and his Templars, at the end of the fight Altaïr discovers that is wasn't Robert but a woman, [[Maria]], he lets her go, fleeing for [[Arsuf]] where Robert is convincing [[Richard the Lionheart]] to join with [[Saladin]] to destroy the Assassins. Altaïr tries to convince Richard of Robert's plot to overthrow him, but Richard doesn't know who to trust and lets God decide. Altaïr and Robert then fight to the death, but Altaïr comes out victorious.

After the death of Robert, Altaïr discovers that Al Mualim was in fact a Templar and he returns to Masyaf to find out that the people of the Town had been put in a hypnotic trance, apart from him and few other Assassins. They make their way to the fortress. when Altaïr arrives he discovers that Al Mualim was responsible for this using the [[Piece of Eden]] which was recovered at Solomon's temple and after hearing many revalations Altaïr confronts his former master. After fighting many illusions, Altaïr manages to put his [[Hidden Blade]] into Al Mualim, ending the hypnotic trance. As Al Mualim dies he says that he did all this to ensure world peace and claims that Altaïr will not be able to destroy the Piece of Eden.

===''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]''===
One month after the events of "Assassin's Creed", Altaïr fights and captures the Templar Maria Thorpe in Acre. Interrogating her, Altaïr learns that the sudden death of Robert de Sable has sent the Templars fleeing for the island of Cyprus. Altaïr decides to head there himself eliminate the remaining Templars. By the end of ''Bloodlines'', Altaïr learns that Cyprus has been a storehouse for a large number of Templar artifacts (all the Pieces of Eden) for quite some time. Due to Altaïr's relentless pursuit, however, the Templars have been forced to move the collection elsewhere, perhaps leading to their eventual scattering across the globe. By the conclusion of the story, Maria finally understands the depths of the Templars' wickedness. Her relationship with Altaïr, antagonistic for most of the game, soon becomes a friendly one... and ultimately romantic (as seen in AC2). It is at this same time that Altaïr begins writing the first pages of the [[Codex]]. The trip to Cyprus is mentioned in the Codex Pages in Assassin's Creed 2 as well.

=== Legacy ===
It is known that after Bloodlines, Maria bore at least two children with Altaïr, as the codex mentions he will have her talk with their sons. Also before his death, he wore a new armor, the same armor that would one day be worn by his descendant Ezio Auditore da Firenze as his Master Assassin Armor. This armor is the symbolic color of black, signifying the upper most rank in the Assassin Order. His death is unknown, but likely he died in old age with his children and Maria watching over him as he passed away. It should be noted however that in his last entry into the codex he remarks about his temptations and his ability to call for the Apple and use it to extend his life, as he states "I know the knowledge is there." The fate of Altaïr remains unclear.

===''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''===
At the point in which Assassin's Creed II begins, Altaïr is thought to have been dead for hundreds of years. It is known that he left a [[Codex]] that his descendant, [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio]], will find. In it, he left a secret map which reveals the locations of Pieces of Eden scattered all over the world. However, at the end of one of the Codex entries, Altair states that while he feels death creeping up on him in his old age, he knows a Piece of Eden that may extend his life. He goes onto say that he "refuses to stare into it for fear of corruption", but ends the Codex entry with "but maybe I will just one last time". It is unknown what decision he ultimately makes, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that Altair may still be alive in the present.

It is also shown that Altaïr bore at least two children with Maria, the templar woman who took Robert de Sable's place in Jerusalem during the first Assassin's Creed.

Altaïr's armor is accessible in the game, but acquiring it is not necessary for completing the story. It is available to the player after exploring six Assassin`s Tombs and collecting the seals therein. When brought to the vault in the Villa Auditore, all six seals will open a gate, behind which lies Altaïr's armor.

You can also get a Altaïr costume in the game from the Uplay store for 30 points.

=== Hidden Role in Assassin's Creed II? ===
There is further evidence to suggest that Altaïr did not die of old age and that he used a Piece of Eden to extend his life in Assassin's Creed II. Philip Shahbaz, the voice actor for Altaïr in the original Assassin's Creed, is strangely not listed as reprising his role as Altaïr in Assassin's Creed II. Instead, Owen Thomas is credited as voicing Altaïr in Assassin's Creed II, with Philip Shahbaz's only mention on IMDB casted him as "voice". To this date, whoever "voice" was has not yet been revealed. This further suggests that Altaïr may have had a hidden role in Assassin's Creed II that has not been disclosed yet.

==Characteristics and personality==

[[File:SS5.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Altaïr free-running from rooftop to rooftop.]]
Altaïr is an ancestor of [[Desmond Miles]] and his memories are encoded into Miles' DNA. [[Abstergo Industries]] abducted Miles in order to use the [[Animus]] on him, which would decode his genetic structure and extract vital information from the memories of Altaïr, in a project bent on New World Order. Altaïr is a master assassin instructor, capable of extraordinary acrobatic feats, a master of social stealth, fully adept in the application of the deadly arts, and a member of the [[Assassins|Assassins' Order]]. Near the beginning of the game, he is demoted to the Assassins' [[Rank]] of [[Novice]] and removed of all his equipment save for his robes. In order to regain his status, he must publicly assassinate nine men who are involved in exploiting the war hostilities in the Holy Land.

Altaïr travels between the four cities ([[Jerusalem]], [[Masyaf]], [[Damascus]], and [[Acre]]) to kill his victims. His extensive knowledge in the deadly arts are without question at the level of an instructor, able to infiltrate any fortification completely unnoticed, brush shoulders with a primary assassination target without alerting them to his hostile presence and strike from any direction, a testament of his undeniable mastery over "Hiding in Plain Sight", showing his understanding of the "Assassins Creed" and the importance of the second [[tenet]].

Altaïr, bound by the second tenet of the "Assassins Creed" has mastered the ability to become one with the crowd, so that his deadly presence and approach is masked entirely from his intended target. His ability to blend in and appear as just another face in the crowd, makes it much more possible to get in extremely close to a target and silently assassinate them using the Hidden Blade without alerting the immediate surrounding environment. Whether investigating or silently assassinating, Altaïr constantly remains anonymous out of his instinctive assassins nature, very briefly exposing himself to the publics eye during his actual assassinations of "The Nine". Even public assassinations do not guarantee Altaïr's exposure however, as he is a Master Assassin, and is highly skilled in adapting to changing situations and the changing environment. Knowing all too well in how maintain control in the dangerous and constanly changing environment, Altaïr's possession of such sharp perceptional skills carries over into how he reads the crowd for any slight sign of danger.

[[File:SS7.jpg|thumb|260px|The eagle watches the streets of Acre from a rooftop.]]

Altaïr's sharp sense of awareness aided him greatly during his quest to eliminate the Templars, both within the dangerous cities, and throughout the kingdom. Altaïr's acrobatic skills also helped in both assassination and escape; he used his skills to strike from many different directions, including from affront, above, and behind, when performing his assassinations. Altaïr's assassination expertise is unquestionable; being capable of appearing from the crowd unseen, quickly killing his target silently, before outrunning any who deigned to pursue him afterwars. In preperation for his strike, Altaïr stalks the district where his target resides, obtaining information on where and when he will be, so that his blade finds it mark. Using that knowledge better prepares him for the opportune moment to strike. Observing, and moving silently about the large crowds that usually gather within the kill zone, Altaïr strikes without flaw or mercy making him very efficient in the exact moment of the strike. Highly educated upon the politics involving the Crusaders and Saracens and their religious philosophies, this educational training also helped Altaïr in better understanding their territories, and the numerous factions within. It also gave him a better perspective on why his targets choose their paths in life, although he was not above questioning that which he did not understand. He also knows that the death of his targets help to ensure peace returns to the land.

Altaïr's social mastery ensures that low-profile kills performed while hiding amongst the crowd always succeed, allowing him to eliminate any guards patrolling the streets, although as his quest progressed and his arrival predicted, this became all the more difficult. However, regardless of his anomimity, Altaïr showed that, in combination with a mastery of social stealth and tracking knowledge, blending into the crowd to becoming simply another face, allowed Altaïr to carry out his assassination target investigations more easily. In doing so, he kept to the second tenet within the Creed, which called for anomimity in all things.[[File:SS2.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Altaïr escapes with the city on wide alert]]

Altaïr's modest clothing also allowed him to disguise himself as a scholar of the Christian faith; permitting him entrance to several areas a normal citizen was not allowed; enabling him to close in on his target without raising suspicion. A lifetime of experience and training also permitted Altaïr a keen ability to predict the alertness of those guards around him, giving him time to adjust his mannerisms accordingly.

[[file:SS3.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Talal's follower is impaled]]
=== Equipment and skills ===
Like his fellow assassins, Altaïr is trained in hand to hand and weapons combat, blade throwing, climbing, urban acrobatics, eavesdropping, interrogation, and pick pocketing.

Altaïr's weapon of choice for assassinations – the Hidden Blade – a weapon similar to a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katara_(sword) katara], is mounted on the inside of his left hand gauntlet, and when deployed, extends between the space left by his amputated ring finger. He flicks a trigger on his small finger to extend the blade, and does so again to retract it. Altaïr is not restricted to just the Hidden Blade however; he also uses throwing knives, a sword, and a small blade, as well as his fists when the need arises. Altaïr also uses an ability called "Eagle Vision," a sort of sixth sense that lets him see the allegiances of those around him. When activated, his vision shows his enemies in red and his allies in blue. This vision also shows those citizens with information in white and his main targets in gold.

After the events of ''Assassin's Creed'' and ''Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines'', Altaïr dedicated more of his life to philisophical study – focusing upon the [[Piece of Eden]] – as opposed to actual assassination, showing himself to be a brilliant engineer and inventor. With the aid of the Piece of Eden, Altaïr was granted the foresight of advanced technological developments, which including upgrades to the Hidden Blade and the creation of a nearly impregnable, but lightweight metal that was imbued into his Master Assassin robes.

==Behind the Scenes==
The name Altaïr is an Arabic word, which means "The Flying One". In interviews, the game's producer, [[wikipedia:Jade_Raymond|Jade Raymond]] has stated that while in mid-air, Altaïr's shadow resembles that of an eagle. This is because of his attire, which includes a point at the front of the hood (to resemble a beak) and slits through the back of the outfit (to resemble tail feathers). The second part of his name, Ibn-La'Ahad means 'son of no-one', reflecting his mysterious origins. It has been revealed by Raymond that his father was a Muslim and his mother a Christian. His appearance is remarkably similar to Desmond's, only a few scars seeming to separate their appearances at first glance. His rebellious nature and mission failure would lead to his severe demotion, placing him on the same level as a raw initiate to the Assassin Order. That same attitude cost [[Malik]] his left arm, as well as the life of his brother Kadar at the beginning of the story. As the situation progresses and Altaïr listens to the final words of his assassination victims, listening to their revelations involving them and their justified corrupt deeds within the Holy Land and their cities, his attitude changes and he becomes less impetuous, overconfident, demanding, arrogant, self-centred and impatient, learning to perceive more between the lines and actions of the world while drawing upon the teachings of the "Assassins Creed". Near the end of the conflict, all of his brash and rebellious nature, has vanished behind a demeanour of calm, focused, driven, humble, more patient and higher wisdom of understanding. But with this he learns what it is the "Assassins Creed" truly means, and recommends of him as an Assassin.

==Trivia==
*Jade Raymond, producer of ''Assassin's Creed'', revealed during an interview at the Ubidays 2007 that Altaïr was born to a Muslim father, and a Christian mother<ref>[http://www.gametrailers.com/video/ubidays-07-assassins-creed/19929 Ubidays 07 Jade Raymond Interview Pt. 2]</ref>.
* Altaïr also has three different voices throughout three of the Assassins Creed games. His voice in Assassins Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles sounded a bit higher and not as deep as the original Assassins Creed game. His voice in Assassins Creed Bloodlines had more of a Middle Eastern accent than the one in the original game.
* It is odd to note that, despite instant death when entering deep waters Altaïr does know how to swim since this been proven at the ending of Altaïr's chronicles.
* The Altaïr costume can be unlocked for Prince of Persia(2009). Users have to register at the Ubisoft Website and then link that account to an Xbox 360 Gamertag or PSN screen name.
* Altaïr's Outfit can also be used in Assassin's Creed 2. It can be unlocked via UPlay (it's actually the Altaïr skin used during the dream). Ezio's ring finger will also vanish when this armour is worn. Additionally Ezio can still perform double assassinations, even though the Altaïr outfit only have one hidden blade.
* His first name, "Altaïr", means "The Bird" or more literally "The Flying One". His last name, "Ibn-La'Ahad", means "Son of No One".
* His hood tip resembles an eagles beak.
* Altaïr's ability to blend with crowds and with scholars may seem hindered by his bright white clothes, which make him stick out, and the fact that he is heavily armed which could draw suspicion from guards, weilding a long sword and exposed throwing knives.
* It is curious to note that the name Altaïr is in fact supposedly a feminine name in Arabic, however it is not uncommon as the name "Ashley" was once used for males in the past.
* In the game Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, the player can unlock Altaïr's costume for the main character (Old Snake).  One can obtain it by either password or getting the assassin emblem on any difficulty. It is available on the second playthrough after you earn it.

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

{{AC}}

{{ACII}}
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassins|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad

2009-12-22T09:09:35Z

65.26.182.111: /* Assassin's Creed II */

{{Character Infobox
|name = Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
|image = Alta-assassins-creed.jpg
|imgdesc = A full body portrait of Altaïr.
|faction = [[Assassins]]/Hashishin
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'', ''[[AC: Altaïr's Chronicles]]'', ''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]'', ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' (Gameplay Chase Scene)
|period = Third Crusade
|voice = [[Philip Shahbaz]]
}}
{{dialogue|Al Mualim|Remember... nothing is true.|Altaïr|Everything is permitted.|Al Mualim and Altaïr at the Masyaf fortress}}
'''Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad''' (الطائر ابن لا أحد in [[wikipedia:Arabic|Arabic]]) (1166 - unknown) is the main protagonist in ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'', as well as the ancestor of [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] and [[Desmond Miles]].

==Biography==
=== Early Life ===
Altaïr was born to an unknown couple, consisting of a Christian woman and a Muslim man. During his childhood his parents left [[Masyaf]] for unknown reasons, though Altaïr felt little at their departure due to the nature of the [[Assassins|Assassin]] order. Prior to the events of the series, Altaïr trained under [[Al Mualim]] and quickly rose among his brethren in skill. This caught Al Mualim's eye and favor, and Altaïr was eventually promoted to the rank of "[[Master Assassin]]".

In the codex pages Altaïr states that he never felt a connection between his parents and him and that when he left them it was nothing more than departing "two strangers". He also stated that it was Al Mualim that cared for him and that was enough for him during that stage of his life.

===''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]''===

===''[[Assassin's Creed]]''===
{{quote|A small sacrifice to save many. It is necessary.|Altaïr}}

Altaïr, [[Malik]] and [[Kadar]] were sent by [[Al Mualim]] to go underneath the Temple Mount in [[Jerusalem]] to recieve an artifact(Which you later find out that this is the Apple) from the [[Templars]]. Whilst in the temple underground, Altaïr sees the Asssassin's arch-enemy, [[Robert de Sable]], Altaïr attempts to kill Robert but fails and is thrown from the temple. Malik and Kadar were trapped with Robert and his Templars. Upon return to [[Masyaf]], Al Mualim names Altaïr as a traitor to the Creed, but Malik returns with artifact. The Templars attack Masyaf, Altaïr defends the village and then he and two other Assassins climb the tower of the Castle and enact Al Mualim's plan, he performs a [[Leap of Faith]] off the tower to an area which leads to another tower full of logs which land on top of the Templars. After the attack Al Mualim deems Altaïr a failure and a traitor to the Creed and Al Mualim stabs him with a dagger, apparently killing him.

Altaïr wakes up from his ''"Sleep of the Dead"'' and Al Mualim strips him of his possessions and title. Altaïr now had to start from a novice once again and hunt down a traitor within Masyaf who had helped the Templars in the attack of Masyaf. On return to Al Mualim, Altaïr is ranked up and given his [[Hidden Blade]] and longsword back, he also is given a deal of nine lives for his own. He would later in the game find out that The nine people on the list were simply decoys for [[Altaïr]].

[[File:Altairscreen.jpg|thumb|left|Altaïr doing a leap of faith]]

===The Nine===
{{dialogue3|Al Mualim|I hold here a list. Nine men adorn it, nine men who need to die. They are plague-bringers, war-makers... Their power and influence corrupt the lands, ensuring that the Crusades continue. Find them, kill them... In doing so, you will sow the seeds of peace, both for the region, and for yourself.|Altaïr|Nine lives in exchange for mine...|A generous offer indeed. Have you any questions?|Only where I need begin.}}

Altaïr starts his quest, leaving [[Masyaf]] and riding through the [[kingdom]] on horseback to [[Damascus]], location of the first target, [[Tamir]].
Arriving there, he goes to the local [[Bureau]] and asks permission for the assassination. The [[dai]] denies it, ordering Altaïr to first gather information about his target. Going through the city's poor district, Altaïr interrogates informants, pickpocket letters and maps and eavesdrop on conversations around him, acquiring the location of the target. Returing to the Bureau with this info, he receives a permission for the kill and a [[white feather]], to be wet in the victim's blood as proof of the murder.
In a plaza of the market district, Altaïr witness Tamir slaying a business partner, and kills him while he does a round around the tends.
Returning to the Bureau, Altaïr is directed to Al Mualim again, who congratulates him by the accomplishment and rewards part of his equipment back. Altaïr the leaves to the other cities, [[Jerusalem]] and [[Acre]] to his next targets.

[[File:SS11.jpg|thumb|right|Altaïr chases [[Talal]] though the streets]]
Arriving at Jerusalem's Bureau, Altaïr is harshily received by Malik, that Bureau's new leader. Malik then sends him to the investigations, returning when he has the necessary information. After receiving the permission and the feather, Altaïr enters Talal's slave complex, but is ambushed by his followers. Dispatching of them, he chases Talal throughout the rooftops and streets, finally catching up to him and putting a [[hidden blade]] on his neck. Altaïr returns to the Bureau, reports to Masyaf and then goes to Acre, where [[Garnier de Naplouse]] is to be killed.

At Acre, he meets the Bureau leader and gather info about his target, then receives the feather and permission for the kill.
Infiltrating Garnier's hospital, Altaïr watches him make the rounds on his patients and strikes him from above. A city wide alert is issued, and after escaping from the hospital and hiding in the Bureau, Altaïr returns to Masyaf to a talk with Al Mualim.
[[File:SS4.jpg|thumb|left|Garnier's death from above]]

After killing eight of the nine, Altaïr is left with the assassination of [[Robert de Sable]], who is in Jerusalem for a funeral. At the funeral Altaïr enters in a sword fight with "Robert" and his Templars, at the end of the fight Altaïr discovers that is wasn't Robert but a woman, [[Maria]], he lets her go, fleeing for [[Arsuf]] where Robert is convincing [[Richard the Lionheart]] to join with [[Saladin]] to destroy the Assassins. Altaïr tries to convince Richard of Robert's plot to overthrow him, but Richard doesn't know who to trust and lets God decide. Altaïr and Robert then fight to the death, but Altaïr comes out victorious.

After the death of Robert, Altaïr discovers that Al Mualim was in fact a Templar and he returns to Masyaf to find out that the people of the Town had been put in a hypnotic trance, apart from him and few other Assassins. They make their way to the fortress. when Altaïr arrives he discovers that Al Mualim was responsible for this using the [[Piece of Eden]] which was recovered at Solomon's temple and after hearing many revalations Altaïr confronts his former master. After fighting many illusions, Altaïr manages to put his [[Hidden Blade]] into Al Mualim, ending the hypnotic trance. As Al Mualim dies he says that he did all this to ensure world peace and claims that Altaïr will not be able to destroy the Piece of Eden.

===''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]''===
One month after the events of "Assassin's Creed", Altaïr fights and captures the Templar Maria Thorpe in Acre. Interrogating her, Altaïr learns that the sudden death of Robert de Sable has sent the Templars fleeing for the island of Cyprus. Altaïr decides to head there himself eliminate the remaining Templars. By the end of ''Bloodlines'', Altaïr learns that Cyprus has been a storehouse for a large number of Templar artifacts (all the Pieces of Eden) for quite some time. Due to Altaïr's relentless pursuit, however, the Templars have been forced to move the collection elsewhere, perhaps leading to their eventual scattering across the globe. By the conclusion of the story, Maria finally understands the depths of the Templars' wickedness. Her relationship with Altaïr, antagonistic for most of the game, soon becomes a friendly one... and ultimately romantic (as seen in AC2). It is at this same time that Altaïr begins writing the first pages of the [[Codex]]. The trip to Cyprus is mentioned in the Codex Pages in Assassin's Creed 2 as well.

=== Legacy ===
It is known that after Bloodlines, Maria bore at least two children with Altaïr, as the codex mentions he will have her talk with their sons. Also before his death, he wore a new armor, the same armor that would one day be worn by his descendant Ezio Auditore da Firenze as his Master Assassin Armor. This armor is the symbolic color of black, signifying the upper most rank in the Assassin Order. His death is unknown, but likely he died in old age with his children and Maria watching over him as he passed away. It should be noted however that in his last entry into the codex he remarks about his temptations and his ability to call for the Apple and use it to extend his life, as he states "I know the knowledge is there." The fate of Altaïr remains unclear.

===''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''===
At the point in which Assassin's Creed II begins, Altaïr is thought to have been dead for hundreds of years. It is known that he left a [[Codex]] that his descendant, [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio]], will find. In it, he left a secret map which reveals the locations of Pieces of Eden scattered all over the world. However, at the end of one of the Codex entries, Altair states that while he feels death creeping up on him in his old age, he knows a Piece of Eden that may extend his life. He goes onto say that he "refuses to stare into it for fear of corruption", but ends the Codex entry with "but maybe I will just one last time". It is unknown what decision he ultimately makes, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that Altair may still be alive in the present.

It is also shown that Altaïr bore at least two children with Maria, the templar woman who took Robert de Sable's place in Jerusalem during the first Assassin's Creed.

Altaïr's armor is accessible in the game, but acquiring it is not necessary for completing the story. It is available to the player after exploring six Assassin`s Tombs and collecting the seals therein. When brought to the vault in the Villa Auditore, all six seals will open a gate, behind which lies Altaïr's armor.

You can also get a Altaïr costume in the game from the Uplay store for 30 points.

==Characteristics and personality==
[[File:SS5.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Altaïr free-running from rooftop to rooftop.]]
Altaïr is an ancestor of [[Desmond Miles]] and his memories are encoded into Miles' DNA. [[Abstergo Industries]] abducted Miles in order to use the [[Animus]] on him, which would decode his genetic structure and extract vital information from the memories of Altaïr, in a project bent on New World Order. Altaïr is a master assassin instructor, capable of extraordinary acrobatic feats, a master of social stealth, fully adept in the application of the deadly arts, and a member of the [[Assassins|Assassins' Order]]. Near the beginning of the game, he is demoted to the Assassins' [[Rank]] of [[Novice]] and removed of all his equipment save for his robes. In order to regain his status, he must publicly assassinate nine men who are involved in exploiting the war hostilities in the Holy Land.

Altaïr travels between the four cities ([[Jerusalem]], [[Masyaf]], [[Damascus]], and [[Acre]]) to kill his victims. His extensive knowledge in the deadly arts are without question at the level of an instructor, able to infiltrate any fortification completely unnoticed, brush shoulders with a primary assassination target without alerting them to his hostile presence and strike from any direction, a testament of his undeniable mastery over "Hiding in Plain Sight", showing his understanding of the "Assassins Creed" and the importance of the second [[tenet]].

Altaïr, bound by the second tenet of the "Assassins Creed" has mastered the ability to become one with the crowd, so that his deadly presence and approach is masked entirely from his intended target. His ability to blend in and appear as just another face in the crowd, makes it much more possible to get in extremely close to a target and silently assassinate them using the Hidden Blade without alerting the immediate surrounding environment. Whether investigating or silently assassinating, Altaïr constantly remains anonymous out of his instinctive assassins nature, very briefly exposing himself to the publics eye during his actual assassinations of "The Nine". Even public assassinations do not guarantee Altaïr's exposure however, as he is a Master Assassin, and is highly skilled in adapting to changing situations and the changing environment. Knowing all too well in how maintain control in the dangerous and constanly changing environment, Altaïr's possession of such sharp perceptional skills carries over into how he reads the crowd for any slight sign of danger.
[[File:SS7.jpg|thumb|260px|The eagle watches the streets of Acre from a rooftop.]]

Altaïr's sharp sense of awareness aided him greatly during his quest to eliminate the Templars, both within the dangerous cities, and throughout the kingdom. Altaïr's acrobatic skills also helped in both assassination and escape; he used his skills to strike from many different directions, including from affront, above, and behind, when performing his assassinations. Altaïr's assassination expertise is unquestionable; being capable of appearing from the crowd unseen, quickly killing his target silently, before outrunning any who deigned to pursue him afterwars. In preperation for his strike, Altaïr stalks the district where his target resides, obtaining information on where and when he will be, so that his blade finds it mark. Using that knowledge better prepares him for the opportune moment to strike. Observing, and moving silently about the large crowds that usually gather within the kill zone, Altaïr strikes without flaw or mercy making him very efficient in the exact moment of the strike. Highly educated upon the politics involving the Crusaders and Saracens and their religious philosophies, this educational training also helped Altaïr in better understanding their territories, and the numerous factions within. It also gave him a better perspective on why his targets choose their paths in life, although he was not above questioning that which he did not understand. He also knows that the death of his targets help to ensure peace returns to the land.

Altaïr's social mastery ensures that low-profile kills performed while hiding amongst the crowd always succeed, allowing him to eliminate any guards patrolling the streets, although as his quest progressed and his arrival predicted, this became all the more difficult. However, regardless of his anomimity, Altaïr showed that, in combination with a mastery of social stealth and tracking knowledge, blending into the crowd to becoming simply another face, allowed Altaïr to carry out his assassination target investigations more easily. In doing so, he kept to the second tenet within the Creed, which called for anomimity in all things.[[File:SS2.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Altaïr escapes with the city on wide alert]]

Altaïr's modest clothing also allowed him to disguise himself as a scholar of the Christian faith; permitting him entrance to several areas a normal citizen was not allowed; enabling him to close in on his target without raising suspicion. A lifetime of experience and training also permitted Altaïr a keen ability to predict the alertness of those guards around him, giving him time to adjust his mannerisms accordingly.

[[file:SS3.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Talal's follower is impaled]]
=== Equipment and skills ===
Like his fellow assassins, Altaïr is trained in hand to hand and weapons combat, blade throwing, climbing, urban acrobatics, eavesdropping, interrogation, and pick pocketing.

Altaïr's weapon of choice for assassinations – the Hidden Blade – a weapon similar to a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katara_(sword) katara], is mounted on the inside of his left hand gauntlet, and when deployed, extends between the space left by his amputated ring finger. He flicks a trigger on his small finger to extend the blade, and does so again to retract it. Altaïr is not restricted to just the Hidden Blade however; he also uses throwing knives, a sword, and a small blade, as well as his fists when the need arises. Altaïr also uses an ability called "Eagle Vision," a sort of sixth sense that lets him see the allegiances of those around him. When activated, his vision shows his enemies in red and his allies in blue. This vision also shows those citizens with information in white and his main targets in gold.

After the events of ''Assassin's Creed'' and ''Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines'', Altaïr dedicated more of his life to philisophical study – focusing upon the [[Piece of Eden]] – as opposed to actual assassination, showing himself to be a brilliant engineer and inventor. With the aid of the Piece of Eden, Altaïr was granted the foresight of advanced technological developments, which including upgrades to the Hidden Blade and the creation of a nearly impregnable, but lightweight metal that was imbued into his Master Assassin robes.

==Behind the Scenes==
The name Altaïr is an Arabic word, which means "The Flying One". In interviews, the game's producer, [[wikipedia:Jade_Raymond|Jade Raymond]] has stated that while in mid-air, Altaïr's shadow resembles that of an eagle. This is because of his attire, which includes a point at the front of the hood (to resemble a beak) and slits through the back of the outfit (to resemble tail feathers). The second part of his name, Ibn-La'Ahad means 'son of no-one', reflecting his mysterious origins. It has been revealed by Raymond that his father was a Muslim and his mother a Christian. His appearance is remarkably similar to Desmond's, only a few scars seeming to separate their appearances at first glance. His rebellious nature and mission failure would lead to his severe demotion, placing him on the same level as a raw initiate to the Assassin Order. That same attitude cost [[Malik]] his left arm, as well as the life of his brother Kadar at the beginning of the story. As the situation progresses and Altaïr listens to the final words of his assassination victims, listening to their revelations involving them and their justified corrupt deeds within the Holy Land and their cities, his attitude changes and he becomes less impetuous, overconfident, demanding, arrogant, self-centred and impatient, learning to perceive more between the lines and actions of the world while drawing upon the teachings of the "Assassins Creed". Near the end of the conflict, all of his brash and rebellious nature, has vanished behind a demeanour of calm, focused, driven, humble, more patient and higher wisdom of understanding. But with this he learns what it is the "Assassins Creed" truly means, and recommends of him as an Assassin.

==Trivia==
*Jade Raymond, producer of ''Assassin's Creed'', revealed during an interview at the Ubidays 2007 that Altaïr was born to a Muslim father, and a Christian mother<ref>[http://www.gametrailers.com/video/ubidays-07-assassins-creed/19929 Ubidays 07 Jade Raymond Interview Pt. 2]</ref>.
* Altaïr also has three different voices throughout three of the Assassins Creed games. His voice in Assassins Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles sounded a bit higher and not as deep as the original Assassins Creed game. His voice in Assassins Creed Bloodlines had more of a Middle Eastern accent than the one in the original game.
* It is odd to note that, despite instant death when entering deep waters Altaïr does know how to swim since this been proven at the ending of Altaïr's chronicles.
* The Altaïr costume can be unlocked for Prince of Persia(2009). Users have to register at the Ubisoft Website and then link that account to an Xbox 360 Gamertag or PSN screen name.
* Altaïr's Outfit can also be used in Assassin's Creed 2. It can be unlocked via UPlay (it's actually the Altaïr skin used during the dream). Ezio's ring finger will also vanish when this armour is worn. Additionally Ezio can still perform double assassinations, even though the Altaïr outfit only have one hidden blade.
* His first name, "Altaïr", means "The Bird" or more literally "The Flying One". His last name, "Ibn-La'Ahad", means "Son of No One".
* His hood tip resembles an eagles beak.
* Altaïr's ability to blend with crowds and with scholars may seem hindered by his bright white clothes, which make him stick out, and the fact that he is heavily armed which could draw suspicion from guards, weilding a long sword and exposed throwing knives.
* It is curious to note that the name Altaïr is in fact supposedly a feminine name in Arabic, however it is not uncommon as the name "Ashley" was once used for males in the past.
* In the game Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, the player can unlock Altaïr's costume for the main character (Old Snake).  One can obtain it by either password or getting the assassin emblem on any difficulty. It is available on the second playthrough after you earn it.

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

{{AC}}

{{ACII}}
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassins|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad

2009-12-22T09:08:59Z

65.26.182.111: /* Assassin's Creed II */

{{Character Infobox
|name = Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
|image = Alta-assassins-creed.jpg
|imgdesc = A full body portrait of Altaïr.
|faction = [[Assassins]]/Hashishin
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'', ''[[AC: Altaïr's Chronicles]]'', ''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]'', ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' (Gameplay Chase Scene)
|period = Third Crusade
|voice = [[Philip Shahbaz]]
}}
{{dialogue|Al Mualim|Remember... nothing is true.|Altaïr|Everything is permitted.|Al Mualim and Altaïr at the Masyaf fortress}}
'''Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad''' (الطائر ابن لا أحد in [[wikipedia:Arabic|Arabic]]) (1166 - unknown) is the main protagonist in ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'', as well as the ancestor of [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] and [[Desmond Miles]].

==Biography==
=== Early Life ===
Altaïr was born to an unknown couple, consisting of a Christian woman and a Muslim man. During his childhood his parents left [[Masyaf]] for unknown reasons, though Altaïr felt little at their departure due to the nature of the [[Assassins|Assassin]] order. Prior to the events of the series, Altaïr trained under [[Al Mualim]] and quickly rose among his brethren in skill. This caught Al Mualim's eye and favor, and Altaïr was eventually promoted to the rank of "[[Master Assassin]]".

In the codex pages Altaïr states that he never felt a connection between his parents and him and that when he left them it was nothing more than departing "two strangers". He also stated that it was Al Mualim that cared for him and that was enough for him during that stage of his life.

===''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]''===

===''[[Assassin's Creed]]''===
{{quote|A small sacrifice to save many. It is necessary.|Altaïr}}

Altaïr, [[Malik]] and [[Kadar]] were sent by [[Al Mualim]] to go underneath the Temple Mount in [[Jerusalem]] to recieve an artifact(Which you later find out that this is the Apple) from the [[Templars]]. Whilst in the temple underground, Altaïr sees the Asssassin's arch-enemy, [[Robert de Sable]], Altaïr attempts to kill Robert but fails and is thrown from the temple. Malik and Kadar were trapped with Robert and his Templars. Upon return to [[Masyaf]], Al Mualim names Altaïr as a traitor to the Creed, but Malik returns with artifact. The Templars attack Masyaf, Altaïr defends the village and then he and two other Assassins climb the tower of the Castle and enact Al Mualim's plan, he performs a [[Leap of Faith]] off the tower to an area which leads to another tower full of logs which land on top of the Templars. After the attack Al Mualim deems Altaïr a failure and a traitor to the Creed and Al Mualim stabs him with a dagger, apparently killing him.

Altaïr wakes up from his ''"Sleep of the Dead"'' and Al Mualim strips him of his possessions and title. Altaïr now had to start from a novice once again and hunt down a traitor within Masyaf who had helped the Templars in the attack of Masyaf. On return to Al Mualim, Altaïr is ranked up and given his [[Hidden Blade]] and longsword back, he also is given a deal of nine lives for his own. He would later in the game find out that The nine people on the list were simply decoys for [[Altaïr]].

[[File:Altairscreen.jpg|thumb|left|Altaïr doing a leap of faith]]

===The Nine===
{{dialogue3|Al Mualim|I hold here a list. Nine men adorn it, nine men who need to die. They are plague-bringers, war-makers... Their power and influence corrupt the lands, ensuring that the Crusades continue. Find them, kill them... In doing so, you will sow the seeds of peace, both for the region, and for yourself.|Altaïr|Nine lives in exchange for mine...|A generous offer indeed. Have you any questions?|Only where I need begin.}}

Altaïr starts his quest, leaving [[Masyaf]] and riding through the [[kingdom]] on horseback to [[Damascus]], location of the first target, [[Tamir]].
Arriving there, he goes to the local [[Bureau]] and asks permission for the assassination. The [[dai]] denies it, ordering Altaïr to first gather information about his target. Going through the city's poor district, Altaïr interrogates informants, pickpocket letters and maps and eavesdrop on conversations around him, acquiring the location of the target. Returing to the Bureau with this info, he receives a permission for the kill and a [[white feather]], to be wet in the victim's blood as proof of the murder.
In a plaza of the market district, Altaïr witness Tamir slaying a business partner, and kills him while he does a round around the tends.
Returning to the Bureau, Altaïr is directed to Al Mualim again, who congratulates him by the accomplishment and rewards part of his equipment back. Altaïr the leaves to the other cities, [[Jerusalem]] and [[Acre]] to his next targets.

[[File:SS11.jpg|thumb|right|Altaïr chases [[Talal]] though the streets]]
Arriving at Jerusalem's Bureau, Altaïr is harshily received by Malik, that Bureau's new leader. Malik then sends him to the investigations, returning when he has the necessary information. After receiving the permission and the feather, Altaïr enters Talal's slave complex, but is ambushed by his followers. Dispatching of them, he chases Talal throughout the rooftops and streets, finally catching up to him and putting a [[hidden blade]] on his neck. Altaïr returns to the Bureau, reports to Masyaf and then goes to Acre, where [[Garnier de Naplouse]] is to be killed.

At Acre, he meets the Bureau leader and gather info about his target, then receives the feather and permission for the kill.
Infiltrating Garnier's hospital, Altaïr watches him make the rounds on his patients and strikes him from above. A city wide alert is issued, and after escaping from the hospital and hiding in the Bureau, Altaïr returns to Masyaf to a talk with Al Mualim.
[[File:SS4.jpg|thumb|left|Garnier's death from above]]

After killing eight of the nine, Altaïr is left with the assassination of [[Robert de Sable]], who is in Jerusalem for a funeral. At the funeral Altaïr enters in a sword fight with "Robert" and his Templars, at the end of the fight Altaïr discovers that is wasn't Robert but a woman, [[Maria]], he lets her go, fleeing for [[Arsuf]] where Robert is convincing [[Richard the Lionheart]] to join with [[Saladin]] to destroy the Assassins. Altaïr tries to convince Richard of Robert's plot to overthrow him, but Richard doesn't know who to trust and lets God decide. Altaïr and Robert then fight to the death, but Altaïr comes out victorious.

After the death of Robert, Altaïr discovers that Al Mualim was in fact a Templar and he returns to Masyaf to find out that the people of the Town had been put in a hypnotic trance, apart from him and few other Assassins. They make their way to the fortress. when Altaïr arrives he discovers that Al Mualim was responsible for this using the [[Piece of Eden]] which was recovered at Solomon's temple and after hearing many revalations Altaïr confronts his former master. After fighting many illusions, Altaïr manages to put his [[Hidden Blade]] into Al Mualim, ending the hypnotic trance. As Al Mualim dies he says that he did all this to ensure world peace and claims that Altaïr will not be able to destroy the Piece of Eden.

===''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]''===
One month after the events of "Assassin's Creed", Altaïr fights and captures the Templar Maria Thorpe in Acre. Interrogating her, Altaïr learns that the sudden death of Robert de Sable has sent the Templars fleeing for the island of Cyprus. Altaïr decides to head there himself eliminate the remaining Templars. By the end of ''Bloodlines'', Altaïr learns that Cyprus has been a storehouse for a large number of Templar artifacts (all the Pieces of Eden) for quite some time. Due to Altaïr's relentless pursuit, however, the Templars have been forced to move the collection elsewhere, perhaps leading to their eventual scattering across the globe. By the conclusion of the story, Maria finally understands the depths of the Templars' wickedness. Her relationship with Altaïr, antagonistic for most of the game, soon becomes a friendly one... and ultimately romantic (as seen in AC2). It is at this same time that Altaïr begins writing the first pages of the [[Codex]]. The trip to Cyprus is mentioned in the Codex Pages in Assassin's Creed 2 as well.

=== Legacy ===
It is known that after Bloodlines, Maria bore at least two children with Altaïr, as the codex mentions he will have her talk with their sons. Also before his death, he wore a new armor, the same armor that would one day be worn by his descendant Ezio Auditore da Firenze as his Master Assassin Armor. This armor is the symbolic color of black, signifying the upper most rank in the Assassin Order. His death is unknown, but likely he died in old age with his children and Maria watching over him as he passed away. It should be noted however that in his last entry into the codex he remarks about his temptations and his ability to call for the Apple and use it to extend his life, as he states "I know the knowledge is there." The fate of Altaïr remains unclear.

===''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''===
At the point in which Assassin's Creed II begins, Altaïr is thought to have been dead for hundreds of years. It is known that he left a [[Codex]] that his descendant, [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio]], will find. In it, he left a secret map which reveals the locations of Pieces of Eden scattered all over the world. However, at the end of one of the Codex entries, Altair states that while he feels death creeping up on him in his old age, he knows a Piece of Eden that may extend his life. The entry ends with him stating that he is "refusing to stare into it for fear of corruption", but ends the Codex entry with "but maybe I will just one last time". It is unknown what decision he ultimately makes, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that Altair may still be alive in the present.

It is also shown that Altaïr bore at least two children with Maria, the templar woman who took Robert de Sable's place in Jerusalem during the first Assassin's Creed.

Altaïr's armor is accessible in the game, but acquiring it is not necessary for completing the story. It is available to the player after exploring six Assassin`s Tombs and collecting the seals therein. When brought to the vault in the Villa Auditore, all six seals will open a gate, behind which lies Altaïr's armor.

You can also get a Altaïr costume in the game from the Uplay store for 30 points.

==Characteristics and personality==
[[File:SS5.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Altaïr free-running from rooftop to rooftop.]]
Altaïr is an ancestor of [[Desmond Miles]] and his memories are encoded into Miles' DNA. [[Abstergo Industries]] abducted Miles in order to use the [[Animus]] on him, which would decode his genetic structure and extract vital information from the memories of Altaïr, in a project bent on New World Order. Altaïr is a master assassin instructor, capable of extraordinary acrobatic feats, a master of social stealth, fully adept in the application of the deadly arts, and a member of the [[Assassins|Assassins' Order]]. Near the beginning of the game, he is demoted to the Assassins' [[Rank]] of [[Novice]] and removed of all his equipment save for his robes. In order to regain his status, he must publicly assassinate nine men who are involved in exploiting the war hostilities in the Holy Land.

Altaïr travels between the four cities ([[Jerusalem]], [[Masyaf]], [[Damascus]], and [[Acre]]) to kill his victims. His extensive knowledge in the deadly arts are without question at the level of an instructor, able to infiltrate any fortification completely unnoticed, brush shoulders with a primary assassination target without alerting them to his hostile presence and strike from any direction, a testament of his undeniable mastery over "Hiding in Plain Sight", showing his understanding of the "Assassins Creed" and the importance of the second [[tenet]].

Altaïr, bound by the second tenet of the "Assassins Creed" has mastered the ability to become one with the crowd, so that his deadly presence and approach is masked entirely from his intended target. His ability to blend in and appear as just another face in the crowd, makes it much more possible to get in extremely close to a target and silently assassinate them using the Hidden Blade without alerting the immediate surrounding environment. Whether investigating or silently assassinating, Altaïr constantly remains anonymous out of his instinctive assassins nature, very briefly exposing himself to the publics eye during his actual assassinations of "The Nine". Even public assassinations do not guarantee Altaïr's exposure however, as he is a Master Assassin, and is highly skilled in adapting to changing situations and the changing environment. Knowing all too well in how maintain control in the dangerous and constanly changing environment, Altaïr's possession of such sharp perceptional skills carries over into how he reads the crowd for any slight sign of danger.
[[File:SS7.jpg|thumb|260px|The eagle watches the streets of Acre from a rooftop.]]

Altaïr's sharp sense of awareness aided him greatly during his quest to eliminate the Templars, both within the dangerous cities, and throughout the kingdom. Altaïr's acrobatic skills also helped in both assassination and escape; he used his skills to strike from many different directions, including from affront, above, and behind, when performing his assassinations. Altaïr's assassination expertise is unquestionable; being capable of appearing from the crowd unseen, quickly killing his target silently, before outrunning any who deigned to pursue him afterwars. In preperation for his strike, Altaïr stalks the district where his target resides, obtaining information on where and when he will be, so that his blade finds it mark. Using that knowledge better prepares him for the opportune moment to strike. Observing, and moving silently about the large crowds that usually gather within the kill zone, Altaïr strikes without flaw or mercy making him very efficient in the exact moment of the strike. Highly educated upon the politics involving the Crusaders and Saracens and their religious philosophies, this educational training also helped Altaïr in better understanding their territories, and the numerous factions within. It also gave him a better perspective on why his targets choose their paths in life, although he was not above questioning that which he did not understand. He also knows that the death of his targets help to ensure peace returns to the land.

Altaïr's social mastery ensures that low-profile kills performed while hiding amongst the crowd always succeed, allowing him to eliminate any guards patrolling the streets, although as his quest progressed and his arrival predicted, this became all the more difficult. However, regardless of his anomimity, Altaïr showed that, in combination with a mastery of social stealth and tracking knowledge, blending into the crowd to becoming simply another face, allowed Altaïr to carry out his assassination target investigations more easily. In doing so, he kept to the second tenet within the Creed, which called for anomimity in all things.[[File:SS2.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Altaïr escapes with the city on wide alert]]

Altaïr's modest clothing also allowed him to disguise himself as a scholar of the Christian faith; permitting him entrance to several areas a normal citizen was not allowed; enabling him to close in on his target without raising suspicion. A lifetime of experience and training also permitted Altaïr a keen ability to predict the alertness of those guards around him, giving him time to adjust his mannerisms accordingly.

[[file:SS3.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Talal's follower is impaled]]
=== Equipment and skills ===
Like his fellow assassins, Altaïr is trained in hand to hand and weapons combat, blade throwing, climbing, urban acrobatics, eavesdropping, interrogation, and pick pocketing.

Altaïr's weapon of choice for assassinations – the Hidden Blade – a weapon similar to a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katara_(sword) katara], is mounted on the inside of his left hand gauntlet, and when deployed, extends between the space left by his amputated ring finger. He flicks a trigger on his small finger to extend the blade, and does so again to retract it. Altaïr is not restricted to just the Hidden Blade however; he also uses throwing knives, a sword, and a small blade, as well as his fists when the need arises. Altaïr also uses an ability called "Eagle Vision," a sort of sixth sense that lets him see the allegiances of those around him. When activated, his vision shows his enemies in red and his allies in blue. This vision also shows those citizens with information in white and his main targets in gold.

After the events of ''Assassin's Creed'' and ''Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines'', Altaïr dedicated more of his life to philisophical study – focusing upon the [[Piece of Eden]] – as opposed to actual assassination, showing himself to be a brilliant engineer and inventor. With the aid of the Piece of Eden, Altaïr was granted the foresight of advanced technological developments, which including upgrades to the Hidden Blade and the creation of a nearly impregnable, but lightweight metal that was imbued into his Master Assassin robes.

==Behind the Scenes==
The name Altaïr is an Arabic word, which means "The Flying One". In interviews, the game's producer, [[wikipedia:Jade_Raymond|Jade Raymond]] has stated that while in mid-air, Altaïr's shadow resembles that of an eagle. This is because of his attire, which includes a point at the front of the hood (to resemble a beak) and slits through the back of the outfit (to resemble tail feathers). The second part of his name, Ibn-La'Ahad means 'son of no-one', reflecting his mysterious origins. It has been revealed by Raymond that his father was a Muslim and his mother a Christian. His appearance is remarkably similar to Desmond's, only a few scars seeming to separate their appearances at first glance. His rebellious nature and mission failure would lead to his severe demotion, placing him on the same level as a raw initiate to the Assassin Order. That same attitude cost [[Malik]] his left arm, as well as the life of his brother Kadar at the beginning of the story. As the situation progresses and Altaïr listens to the final words of his assassination victims, listening to their revelations involving them and their justified corrupt deeds within the Holy Land and their cities, his attitude changes and he becomes less impetuous, overconfident, demanding, arrogant, self-centred and impatient, learning to perceive more between the lines and actions of the world while drawing upon the teachings of the "Assassins Creed". Near the end of the conflict, all of his brash and rebellious nature, has vanished behind a demeanour of calm, focused, driven, humble, more patient and higher wisdom of understanding. But with this he learns what it is the "Assassins Creed" truly means, and recommends of him as an Assassin.

==Trivia==
*Jade Raymond, producer of ''Assassin's Creed'', revealed during an interview at the Ubidays 2007 that Altaïr was born to a Muslim father, and a Christian mother<ref>[http://www.gametrailers.com/video/ubidays-07-assassins-creed/19929 Ubidays 07 Jade Raymond Interview Pt. 2]</ref>.
* Altaïr also has three different voices throughout three of the Assassins Creed games. His voice in Assassins Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles sounded a bit higher and not as deep as the original Assassins Creed game. His voice in Assassins Creed Bloodlines had more of a Middle Eastern accent than the one in the original game.
* It is odd to note that, despite instant death when entering deep waters Altaïr does know how to swim since this been proven at the ending of Altaïr's chronicles.
* The Altaïr costume can be unlocked for Prince of Persia(2009). Users have to register at the Ubisoft Website and then link that account to an Xbox 360 Gamertag or PSN screen name.
* Altaïr's Outfit can also be used in Assassin's Creed 2. It can be unlocked via UPlay (it's actually the Altaïr skin used during the dream). Ezio's ring finger will also vanish when this armour is worn. Additionally Ezio can still perform double assassinations, even though the Altaïr outfit only have one hidden blade.
* His first name, "Altaïr", means "The Bird" or more literally "The Flying One". His last name, "Ibn-La'Ahad", means "Son of No One".
* His hood tip resembles an eagles beak.
* Altaïr's ability to blend with crowds and with scholars may seem hindered by his bright white clothes, which make him stick out, and the fact that he is heavily armed which could draw suspicion from guards, weilding a long sword and exposed throwing knives.
* It is curious to note that the name Altaïr is in fact supposedly a feminine name in Arabic, however it is not uncommon as the name "Ashley" was once used for males in the past.
* In the game Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, the player can unlock Altaïr's costume for the main character (Old Snake).  One can obtain it by either password or getting the assassin emblem on any difficulty. It is available on the second playthrough after you earn it.

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

{{AC}}

{{ACII}}
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassins|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad

2009-12-22T09:08:26Z

65.26.182.111: /* Assassin's Creed II */

{{Character Infobox
|name = Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
|image = Alta-assassins-creed.jpg
|imgdesc = A full body portrait of Altaïr.
|faction = [[Assassins]]/Hashishin
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'', ''[[AC: Altaïr's Chronicles]]'', ''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]'', ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' (Gameplay Chase Scene)
|period = Third Crusade
|voice = [[Philip Shahbaz]]
}}
{{dialogue|Al Mualim|Remember... nothing is true.|Altaïr|Everything is permitted.|Al Mualim and Altaïr at the Masyaf fortress}}
'''Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad''' (الطائر ابن لا أحد in [[wikipedia:Arabic|Arabic]]) (1166 - unknown) is the main protagonist in ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'', as well as the ancestor of [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] and [[Desmond Miles]].

==Biography==
=== Early Life ===
Altaïr was born to an unknown couple, consisting of a Christian woman and a Muslim man. During his childhood his parents left [[Masyaf]] for unknown reasons, though Altaïr felt little at their departure due to the nature of the [[Assassins|Assassin]] order. Prior to the events of the series, Altaïr trained under [[Al Mualim]] and quickly rose among his brethren in skill. This caught Al Mualim's eye and favor, and Altaïr was eventually promoted to the rank of "[[Master Assassin]]".

In the codex pages Altaïr states that he never felt a connection between his parents and him and that when he left them it was nothing more than departing "two strangers". He also stated that it was Al Mualim that cared for him and that was enough for him during that stage of his life.

===''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]''===

===''[[Assassin's Creed]]''===
{{quote|A small sacrifice to save many. It is necessary.|Altaïr}}

Altaïr, [[Malik]] and [[Kadar]] were sent by [[Al Mualim]] to go underneath the Temple Mount in [[Jerusalem]] to recieve an artifact(Which you later find out that this is the Apple) from the [[Templars]]. Whilst in the temple underground, Altaïr sees the Asssassin's arch-enemy, [[Robert de Sable]], Altaïr attempts to kill Robert but fails and is thrown from the temple. Malik and Kadar were trapped with Robert and his Templars. Upon return to [[Masyaf]], Al Mualim names Altaïr as a traitor to the Creed, but Malik returns with artifact. The Templars attack Masyaf, Altaïr defends the village and then he and two other Assassins climb the tower of the Castle and enact Al Mualim's plan, he performs a [[Leap of Faith]] off the tower to an area which leads to another tower full of logs which land on top of the Templars. After the attack Al Mualim deems Altaïr a failure and a traitor to the Creed and Al Mualim stabs him with a dagger, apparently killing him.

Altaïr wakes up from his ''"Sleep of the Dead"'' and Al Mualim strips him of his possessions and title. Altaïr now had to start from a novice once again and hunt down a traitor within Masyaf who had helped the Templars in the attack of Masyaf. On return to Al Mualim, Altaïr is ranked up and given his [[Hidden Blade]] and longsword back, he also is given a deal of nine lives for his own. He would later in the game find out that The nine people on the list were simply decoys for [[Altaïr]].

[[File:Altairscreen.jpg|thumb|left|Altaïr doing a leap of faith]]

===The Nine===
{{dialogue3|Al Mualim|I hold here a list. Nine men adorn it, nine men who need to die. They are plague-bringers, war-makers... Their power and influence corrupt the lands, ensuring that the Crusades continue. Find them, kill them... In doing so, you will sow the seeds of peace, both for the region, and for yourself.|Altaïr|Nine lives in exchange for mine...|A generous offer indeed. Have you any questions?|Only where I need begin.}}

Altaïr starts his quest, leaving [[Masyaf]] and riding through the [[kingdom]] on horseback to [[Damascus]], location of the first target, [[Tamir]].
Arriving there, he goes to the local [[Bureau]] and asks permission for the assassination. The [[dai]] denies it, ordering Altaïr to first gather information about his target. Going through the city's poor district, Altaïr interrogates informants, pickpocket letters and maps and eavesdrop on conversations around him, acquiring the location of the target. Returing to the Bureau with this info, he receives a permission for the kill and a [[white feather]], to be wet in the victim's blood as proof of the murder.
In a plaza of the market district, Altaïr witness Tamir slaying a business partner, and kills him while he does a round around the tends.
Returning to the Bureau, Altaïr is directed to Al Mualim again, who congratulates him by the accomplishment and rewards part of his equipment back. Altaïr the leaves to the other cities, [[Jerusalem]] and [[Acre]] to his next targets.

[[File:SS11.jpg|thumb|right|Altaïr chases [[Talal]] though the streets]]
Arriving at Jerusalem's Bureau, Altaïr is harshily received by Malik, that Bureau's new leader. Malik then sends him to the investigations, returning when he has the necessary information. After receiving the permission and the feather, Altaïr enters Talal's slave complex, but is ambushed by his followers. Dispatching of them, he chases Talal throughout the rooftops and streets, finally catching up to him and putting a [[hidden blade]] on his neck. Altaïr returns to the Bureau, reports to Masyaf and then goes to Acre, where [[Garnier de Naplouse]] is to be killed.

At Acre, he meets the Bureau leader and gather info about his target, then receives the feather and permission for the kill.
Infiltrating Garnier's hospital, Altaïr watches him make the rounds on his patients and strikes him from above. A city wide alert is issued, and after escaping from the hospital and hiding in the Bureau, Altaïr returns to Masyaf to a talk with Al Mualim.
[[File:SS4.jpg|thumb|left|Garnier's death from above]]

After killing eight of the nine, Altaïr is left with the assassination of [[Robert de Sable]], who is in Jerusalem for a funeral. At the funeral Altaïr enters in a sword fight with "Robert" and his Templars, at the end of the fight Altaïr discovers that is wasn't Robert but a woman, [[Maria]], he lets her go, fleeing for [[Arsuf]] where Robert is convincing [[Richard the Lionheart]] to join with [[Saladin]] to destroy the Assassins. Altaïr tries to convince Richard of Robert's plot to overthrow him, but Richard doesn't know who to trust and lets God decide. Altaïr and Robert then fight to the death, but Altaïr comes out victorious.

After the death of Robert, Altaïr discovers that Al Mualim was in fact a Templar and he returns to Masyaf to find out that the people of the Town had been put in a hypnotic trance, apart from him and few other Assassins. They make their way to the fortress. when Altaïr arrives he discovers that Al Mualim was responsible for this using the [[Piece of Eden]] which was recovered at Solomon's temple and after hearing many revalations Altaïr confronts his former master. After fighting many illusions, Altaïr manages to put his [[Hidden Blade]] into Al Mualim, ending the hypnotic trance. As Al Mualim dies he says that he did all this to ensure world peace and claims that Altaïr will not be able to destroy the Piece of Eden.

===''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]''===
One month after the events of "Assassin's Creed", Altaïr fights and captures the Templar Maria Thorpe in Acre. Interrogating her, Altaïr learns that the sudden death of Robert de Sable has sent the Templars fleeing for the island of Cyprus. Altaïr decides to head there himself eliminate the remaining Templars. By the end of ''Bloodlines'', Altaïr learns that Cyprus has been a storehouse for a large number of Templar artifacts (all the Pieces of Eden) for quite some time. Due to Altaïr's relentless pursuit, however, the Templars have been forced to move the collection elsewhere, perhaps leading to their eventual scattering across the globe. By the conclusion of the story, Maria finally understands the depths of the Templars' wickedness. Her relationship with Altaïr, antagonistic for most of the game, soon becomes a friendly one... and ultimately romantic (as seen in AC2). It is at this same time that Altaïr begins writing the first pages of the [[Codex]]. The trip to Cyprus is mentioned in the Codex Pages in Assassin's Creed 2 as well.

=== Legacy ===
It is known that after Bloodlines, Maria bore at least two children with Altaïr, as the codex mentions he will have her talk with their sons. Also before his death, he wore a new armor, the same armor that would one day be worn by his descendant Ezio Auditore da Firenze as his Master Assassin Armor. This armor is the symbolic color of black, signifying the upper most rank in the Assassin Order. His death is unknown, but likely he died in old age with his children and Maria watching over him as he passed away. It should be noted however that in his last entry into the codex he remarks about his temptations and his ability to call for the Apple and use it to extend his life, as he states "I know the knowledge is there." The fate of Altaïr remains unclear.

===''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''===
At the point in which Assassin's Creed II begins, Altaïr is thought to have been dead for hundreds of years. It is known that he left a [[Codex]] that his descendant, [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio]], will find. In it, he left a secret map which reveals the locations of Pieces of Eden scattered all over the world. However, at the end of one of the Codex entries, Altair states that while he feels death creeping up on him in his old age and that he knows a Piece of Eden that may extend his life. The entry ends with him stating that he is "refusing to stare into it for fear of corruption", but ends the Codex entry with "but maybe I will just one last time". It is unknown what decision he ultimately makes, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that Altair may still be alive in the present.

It is also shown that Altaïr bore at least two children with Maria, the templar woman who took Robert de Sable's place in Jerusalem during the first Assassin's Creed.

Altaïr's armor is accessible in the game, but acquiring it is not necessary for completing the story. It is available to the player after exploring six Assassin`s Tombs and collecting the seals therein. When brought to the vault in the Villa Auditore, all six seals will open a gate, behind which lies Altaïr's armor.

You can also get a Altaïr costume in the game from the Uplay store for 30 points.

==Characteristics and personality==
[[File:SS5.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Altaïr free-running from rooftop to rooftop.]]
Altaïr is an ancestor of [[Desmond Miles]] and his memories are encoded into Miles' DNA. [[Abstergo Industries]] abducted Miles in order to use the [[Animus]] on him, which would decode his genetic structure and extract vital information from the memories of Altaïr, in a project bent on New World Order. Altaïr is a master assassin instructor, capable of extraordinary acrobatic feats, a master of social stealth, fully adept in the application of the deadly arts, and a member of the [[Assassins|Assassins' Order]]. Near the beginning of the game, he is demoted to the Assassins' [[Rank]] of [[Novice]] and removed of all his equipment save for his robes. In order to regain his status, he must publicly assassinate nine men who are involved in exploiting the war hostilities in the Holy Land.

Altaïr travels between the four cities ([[Jerusalem]], [[Masyaf]], [[Damascus]], and [[Acre]]) to kill his victims. His extensive knowledge in the deadly arts are without question at the level of an instructor, able to infiltrate any fortification completely unnoticed, brush shoulders with a primary assassination target without alerting them to his hostile presence and strike from any direction, a testament of his undeniable mastery over "Hiding in Plain Sight", showing his understanding of the "Assassins Creed" and the importance of the second [[tenet]].

Altaïr, bound by the second tenet of the "Assassins Creed" has mastered the ability to become one with the crowd, so that his deadly presence and approach is masked entirely from his intended target. His ability to blend in and appear as just another face in the crowd, makes it much more possible to get in extremely close to a target and silently assassinate them using the Hidden Blade without alerting the immediate surrounding environment. Whether investigating or silently assassinating, Altaïr constantly remains anonymous out of his instinctive assassins nature, very briefly exposing himself to the publics eye during his actual assassinations of "The Nine". Even public assassinations do not guarantee Altaïr's exposure however, as he is a Master Assassin, and is highly skilled in adapting to changing situations and the changing environment. Knowing all too well in how maintain control in the dangerous and constanly changing environment, Altaïr's possession of such sharp perceptional skills carries over into how he reads the crowd for any slight sign of danger.
[[File:SS7.jpg|thumb|260px|The eagle watches the streets of Acre from a rooftop.]]

Altaïr's sharp sense of awareness aided him greatly during his quest to eliminate the Templars, both within the dangerous cities, and throughout the kingdom. Altaïr's acrobatic skills also helped in both assassination and escape; he used his skills to strike from many different directions, including from affront, above, and behind, when performing his assassinations. Altaïr's assassination expertise is unquestionable; being capable of appearing from the crowd unseen, quickly killing his target silently, before outrunning any who deigned to pursue him afterwars. In preperation for his strike, Altaïr stalks the district where his target resides, obtaining information on where and when he will be, so that his blade finds it mark. Using that knowledge better prepares him for the opportune moment to strike. Observing, and moving silently about the large crowds that usually gather within the kill zone, Altaïr strikes without flaw or mercy making him very efficient in the exact moment of the strike. Highly educated upon the politics involving the Crusaders and Saracens and their religious philosophies, this educational training also helped Altaïr in better understanding their territories, and the numerous factions within. It also gave him a better perspective on why his targets choose their paths in life, although he was not above questioning that which he did not understand. He also knows that the death of his targets help to ensure peace returns to the land.

Altaïr's social mastery ensures that low-profile kills performed while hiding amongst the crowd always succeed, allowing him to eliminate any guards patrolling the streets, although as his quest progressed and his arrival predicted, this became all the more difficult. However, regardless of his anomimity, Altaïr showed that, in combination with a mastery of social stealth and tracking knowledge, blending into the crowd to becoming simply another face, allowed Altaïr to carry out his assassination target investigations more easily. In doing so, he kept to the second tenet within the Creed, which called for anomimity in all things.[[File:SS2.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Altaïr escapes with the city on wide alert]]

Altaïr's modest clothing also allowed him to disguise himself as a scholar of the Christian faith; permitting him entrance to several areas a normal citizen was not allowed; enabling him to close in on his target without raising suspicion. A lifetime of experience and training also permitted Altaïr a keen ability to predict the alertness of those guards around him, giving him time to adjust his mannerisms accordingly.

[[file:SS3.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Talal's follower is impaled]]
=== Equipment and skills ===
Like his fellow assassins, Altaïr is trained in hand to hand and weapons combat, blade throwing, climbing, urban acrobatics, eavesdropping, interrogation, and pick pocketing.

Altaïr's weapon of choice for assassinations – the Hidden Blade – a weapon similar to a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katara_(sword) katara], is mounted on the inside of his left hand gauntlet, and when deployed, extends between the space left by his amputated ring finger. He flicks a trigger on his small finger to extend the blade, and does so again to retract it. Altaïr is not restricted to just the Hidden Blade however; he also uses throwing knives, a sword, and a small blade, as well as his fists when the need arises. Altaïr also uses an ability called "Eagle Vision," a sort of sixth sense that lets him see the allegiances of those around him. When activated, his vision shows his enemies in red and his allies in blue. This vision also shows those citizens with information in white and his main targets in gold.

After the events of ''Assassin's Creed'' and ''Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines'', Altaïr dedicated more of his life to philisophical study – focusing upon the [[Piece of Eden]] – as opposed to actual assassination, showing himself to be a brilliant engineer and inventor. With the aid of the Piece of Eden, Altaïr was granted the foresight of advanced technological developments, which including upgrades to the Hidden Blade and the creation of a nearly impregnable, but lightweight metal that was imbued into his Master Assassin robes.

==Behind the Scenes==
The name Altaïr is an Arabic word, which means "The Flying One". In interviews, the game's producer, [[wikipedia:Jade_Raymond|Jade Raymond]] has stated that while in mid-air, Altaïr's shadow resembles that of an eagle. This is because of his attire, which includes a point at the front of the hood (to resemble a beak) and slits through the back of the outfit (to resemble tail feathers). The second part of his name, Ibn-La'Ahad means 'son of no-one', reflecting his mysterious origins. It has been revealed by Raymond that his father was a Muslim and his mother a Christian. His appearance is remarkably similar to Desmond's, only a few scars seeming to separate their appearances at first glance. His rebellious nature and mission failure would lead to his severe demotion, placing him on the same level as a raw initiate to the Assassin Order. That same attitude cost [[Malik]] his left arm, as well as the life of his brother Kadar at the beginning of the story. As the situation progresses and Altaïr listens to the final words of his assassination victims, listening to their revelations involving them and their justified corrupt deeds within the Holy Land and their cities, his attitude changes and he becomes less impetuous, overconfident, demanding, arrogant, self-centred and impatient, learning to perceive more between the lines and actions of the world while drawing upon the teachings of the "Assassins Creed". Near the end of the conflict, all of his brash and rebellious nature, has vanished behind a demeanour of calm, focused, driven, humble, more patient and higher wisdom of understanding. But with this he learns what it is the "Assassins Creed" truly means, and recommends of him as an Assassin.

==Trivia==
*Jade Raymond, producer of ''Assassin's Creed'', revealed during an interview at the Ubidays 2007 that Altaïr was born to a Muslim father, and a Christian mother<ref>[http://www.gametrailers.com/video/ubidays-07-assassins-creed/19929 Ubidays 07 Jade Raymond Interview Pt. 2]</ref>.
* Altaïr also has three different voices throughout three of the Assassins Creed games. His voice in Assassins Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles sounded a bit higher and not as deep as the original Assassins Creed game. His voice in Assassins Creed Bloodlines had more of a Middle Eastern accent than the one in the original game.
* It is odd to note that, despite instant death when entering deep waters Altaïr does know how to swim since this been proven at the ending of Altaïr's chronicles.
* The Altaïr costume can be unlocked for Prince of Persia(2009). Users have to register at the Ubisoft Website and then link that account to an Xbox 360 Gamertag or PSN screen name.
* Altaïr's Outfit can also be used in Assassin's Creed 2. It can be unlocked via UPlay (it's actually the Altaïr skin used during the dream). Ezio's ring finger will also vanish when this armour is worn. Additionally Ezio can still perform double assassinations, even though the Altaïr outfit only have one hidden blade.
* His first name, "Altaïr", means "The Bird" or more literally "The Flying One". His last name, "Ibn-La'Ahad", means "Son of No One".
* His hood tip resembles an eagles beak.
* Altaïr's ability to blend with crowds and with scholars may seem hindered by his bright white clothes, which make him stick out, and the fact that he is heavily armed which could draw suspicion from guards, weilding a long sword and exposed throwing knives.
* It is curious to note that the name Altaïr is in fact supposedly a feminine name in Arabic, however it is not uncommon as the name "Ashley" was once used for males in the past.
* In the game Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, the player can unlock Altaïr's costume for the main character (Old Snake).  One can obtain it by either password or getting the assassin emblem on any difficulty. It is available on the second playthrough after you earn it.

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

{{AC}}

{{ACII}}
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]
[[Category:Assassins|Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr]]

Desmond Miles

2009-12-22T08:59:04Z

65.26.182.111: /* Trivia */

{{revamp}}
{{spoilerhd}}
{{imageneed}}

{{Character Infobox
|image =Desmond2.png
|imgdesc =
|name =Desmond Miles
|status =Alive
|arabic =
|alias =Subject Seventeen
|meaning =
|faction =[[Assassins]]
|appear =''[[Assassin's Creed]]'', ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''
|period =Modern times (2012)
|voice =[[Nolan North]]
}}
{{Quote|I'm a bartender, for Christ's sake! What do you want me to do, teach you how to mix a martini?|Desmond to Vidic and Lucy}}
'''Desmond Miles''' is the primary protagonist of the ''[[Assassin's Creed series]]''.

==Biography==
===Early life===
Desmond has been confirmed in the game booklet to be 25 years old (the same as Altaïr).

Desmond Miles was born in an assassin hideout much like [[Masyaf]], a modern day Assassin enclave called 'The Farm', isolated and 'off the grid' as it was. Desmond was apparently supposed to be raised as an assassin. He was unable to leave this small community of thirty or so people, but wanted to since he believed that they were "just a bunch of hippies who wanted to fight the man." He later escapes by himself, claiming that he wanted to see the rest of the world. Desmond also states that he has no regrets leaving his father and mother because as far as he was concerned, they were his "wardens", and at one point when [[Vidic]] makes accusations of him being an assassin and he responds "I'm not an assassin...not anymore". During some time in his life, Desmond became a bartender. Desmond never used his real name before being taken. He used cash only, he was found from his fingerprint needed for a motorcycle license. Until the end of Assassins creed 2, Desmond had never killed anyone.

[[File:Altiar_and_Ezio.jpg|thumb|143px|Desmond's two known ancestors, Altaïr and Ezio]]

===''[[Assassin's Creed]]''===
[[File:Desmondanimus.jpg|thumb|left|Desmond and [[Lucy Stillman|Lucy]] beside the [[Animus]]]]
The story starts off with flashes of [[Altaïr]] in an odd foggy area which will turn out to be the garden at the back of the home base in Masyaf. After about five minutes, Desmond wakes up to find himself on top of a machine and two figures with lab coats near him. He has no recollection of getting to where he is now and is told that he is being held captive. When he questions why, the answer he receives is somewhat unbelievable.

The people in the lab coats are [[Lucy Stillman|Dr. Lucy Stillman]] and [[Warren Vidic|Dr. Warren Vidic]]. They run the [[Animus]] project for [[Abstergo Industries]]. The Animus is a device used to locate and project genetic memory from an individual received from their ancestors. According to Dr. Vidic, the memories of our past relatives are stored in our DNA.

Desmond is told that he has information that someone needs. While Desmond claims to be nothing more than a bartender, it is alluded to that he is an assassin, or at least was one at some point in the past. He seems to have the same age, weight, and height as Altaïr at the time that the Animus decodes. He also wears a white hooded-sweatshirt, similar to Altaïr's clothing. Desmond also has a scar on the right side of his face, going downwards across the lips, Altaïr also has a identical scar. You can see it if you get Altaïr to face a wall or cliff and move the camera around to see his face close up. Moreover, his ancestral lineage were mostly assassins. There is a specific memory in the life of his ancestor Altaïr that the Doctors are trying to access, but Desmond's subconscious mind is blocking access to the memory and they need his help to access it. If he refuses to assist them, they threaten to induce a coma, continue their work, and, when done with Desmond, leave him to die.

Without much choice, Desmond agrees to help them.

Over the next few days, Desmond is removed from the Animus several times; either to give him time to rest or as occurred at one point, because the Animus was overheating. During these periods he finds that someone has left the code for his sleeping quarter’s door in his closet, allowing him to go out into the Animus chamber alone, where he accesses Abstergo's computer system, trying to learn why he was brought there. He does this both with Stillman's access pen, that she apparently forgot, and Vidic's which he stole from Vidic's labcoat pocket. He however remains unable to escape and learns nothing that makes his captives goals clear. At one point his memory viewing is interrupted by a group of Assassins who have apparently launched a rescue attempt, caught in a gun battle with Abstergo's guards. Desmond however cannot see this only hear the gunfire through an intercom device. Vidic later states that these Assassins were not only killed, but were the last of the Assassins, possibly as a means of demoralising Desmond; Lucy Stillman's actions, however, suggest otherwise, and when Desmond asks if Lucy knows anything about his parents she responds that she doesn't know but that they probably escaped. After accessing the target memory Abstergo’s executives order Desmond to be killed, but some quick thinking on Lucy’s part spares him this fate and he is ordered to be kept at Abstergo until he has no possible use to them. By this point Desmond begins to develop “the bleeding effect” (mentioned in Lucy's E-Mails as affecting previous test subjects) as he manifests Altaïr’s eagle vision allowing him to see cryptic messages written on the walls of the chamber (presumably test subject sixteen, the subject before Desmond, who is alluded to in the E-Mails) and see that Lucy Stillman is indeed his ally, an assassin.

===''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''===
[[File:Demsondanimus2.jpg|thumb|Desmond sitting in the [[Animus|Animus 2.0]]]]
Desmond starts off Assassin's Creed II still held within Abstergo, right where we left off at the end of the first game. Lucy arrives and demands him to get into the Animus before Abstergo discovers what she's done. Desmond agrees and, inside the Animus, he experiences the birth of one of his ancestors , [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] due to the comparison of DNA Memory between him and [[Subject 16]] (Which speculates they might be related). Lucy soon after pulls him out and the two attempt to escape from the Abstergo building. Along the way, Abstergo security soon finds out they're trying to leave, meaning at times they have to take action in order to avoid being captured as they escape. Also, when they start to sneak around a large office-like room, they come across a number of Animus machines along the way, and when Desmond asks Lucy about them she tells him to be silent. At the final door, a password is needed that Lucy does not have, however Desmond uses his Eagle Vision, an ability he has just acquired from the Bleeding Effect, to see fingerprints on the keypad, putting in the code soon after. The final point of the escape pits Desmond and Lucy against a group of guards at the parking lot exit. Lucy hides Desmond in the trunk of a car and she drives off to an Assassin hideout, whilst he endures the bumps on the journey. 

When they arrive, the two of them meet [[Shaun Hastings]] and [[Rebecca Crane]], both of whom are Assassins, just like Lucy. She tells Desmond they want him to become an Assassin member, and can train him in a matter of days using the memories of Ezio. With the Bleeding effect, Ezio's skills will be passed to Desmond, making him faster, stronger, more agile and therefore become a better fighter, highly maneuverable and a key member of the Modern-day Assassin order. He accepts stating he wants revenge on what Abstergo did to him, leaving Lucy happy he wants to join as he is plugged into the Animus where his journey as Ezio, begins.

Midway through the game, Desmond is retracted from the Animus. Lucy didn't want him staying in Ezio's memories for too long, otherwise he may face the mental degradation that Subject 16 had suffered. She also wants to see how much Desmond has picked up from his time as his ancestor, tasking him with initiating security protocols around the Assassin hideout. Just as he begins, however, vivid hallucinations develop as he begins seeing people from Altair's time period, around different parts of the hideout. Lucy says that if they only occur for a little while, he should be fine. Unfortunately for Desmond, at one point after finishing his task, the visions start to become more real and he is taken back to one Altair's memories, even though he isn't linked to the Animus. Here, Desmond learns of Altair having a relationship with the Templar, [[Maria]], the decoy of Robert de Sable in the first Assassin's Creed. As Altair leaves, Desmond wonders why he isn't following him. Instead, he moves towards Maria where he enters her womb, obviously showing that Altair's child and another of Desmond's ancestors has been conceived.

During his time inside the Animus, at the end of the game a "[[Those Who Have Gone Before|god]]", [[Minerva]], who also refers to herself as "One Who Came Before", warns Desmond through Ezio of the destruction of the world. Immediately after getting out of the Animus, Lucy informs Desmond that their stronghold is under attack and she hands him a hidden blade. An old friend is introduced, as Vidic appears and says that he has come back to claim Desmond. Lucy and Desmond, now synchronized with both Altaïr and Ezio, fight off the Vidic's henchmen. His hand-to-hand combat skills are much improved from the escape from Abstergo, and he begins to show a mastery of disarming, countering, free running and climbing techniques. When Desmond finally confronts Vidic he begins to flee, but promises that their victory is only temporary. Lucy decides they must leave the safehouse and says that they have another safehouse somewhere up north. She also informs Desmond that they have the Animus onboard and he should delve back in, looking for anymore memories that may reveal more information, whilst she and the others try to analyze Minerva's warning and Subject 16's Animus video.

==Trivia==
*He is modeled after model [[Francisco Randez]] and voiced by [[Nolan North]].
*Desmond possesses the same scar in his mouth as his ancestors Altaïr and Ezio did.
*Desmond's clothes are similar to those worn by both Ezio and Altaïr, albeit in a more modern style. He has a hood (although it is not worn over his head), and his jacket is white - similar to Altair's robes, and Ezio's clothing, which is originally referred to as "Assassin White". Concept Art of him with his hood up show that it has the "eagle-beak" shape his ancestors' clothes had.
*Desmond acquires a Hidden Blade at the conclusion of Assassin's Creed 2.  The original owner of the blade is uncertain, but it shares the same design as Ezio's, inherited from his father, Giovanni.  
*Desmond obtains Eagle Vision from his ancestor Altaïr and his fighting and free-running skills from his ancestor Ezio through the Bleeding Effect in the Animus.
*Desmond will most likely become a Master Assassin during the Assassin's Creed series. He already has mastered eagle vision, free running, climbing, and even fighting. How much more training can be obtained is still unknown however.
*At times during the game, Desmond's eyes appear to be a golden yellow colour, as do Ezio's, greatly resembling the eyes of an eagle, a bird of prey spotted throughout the Assassin's Creed series.
*Desmond, like Altair and Ezio, is a born of a bloodline mixed with Assassin and the "Ones Who Came Before" genes.
*Desmond's fighting skills during the break from Abstergo are a lot like Altair's in Assassins Creed, it is unknown if this is due to the Bleeding Effect, or he always fought as badly.

{{AC}}

{{ACII}}
[[Category:Assassin's Creed Characters|Miles, Desmond]]
[[Category:Assassins|Miles, Desmond]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters|Miles, Desmond]]
[[Category:Descendant of Altaïr|Miles, Desmond]]