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William of Montferrat

2011-08-28T14:46:36Z

68.253.212.95: /* Characteristics and personality */

{{Era|AC|Secret Crusade|Templars}}{{WPtargets}}
{{WP-REAL|William V, Marquess of Montferrat}}
{{Template:Character Infobox
|name = William of Montferrat
|image = willypng.png
|birth =
|death = 1191 [[Acre]], [[Israel]]
|period = [[Third Crusade]]
|faction = [[Crusaders|Christian Crusaders]] [[Templars]] (secret)
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade]]''
|voice = [[Harry Standjofski]]}}
{{quote|We'll see how sweet they are... the fruits of your labors. You do not free the cities as you believe, but damn them. And in the end, you'll have only yourself to blame. You who speak of good intentions...|William of Montferrat|Assassin's Creed}}

'''William of Montferrat''' was the fifth person [[Al Mualim]] ordered [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] to assassinate. He was located in the rich district of [[Acre]], Ayyubid Dynasty.

==Biography==
===Death===
William of Montferrat was assassinated within his personal quarters, located in the King's Citadel, shortly after a visit from King Richard, which gave Altaïr the opportunity he needed to get close enough for a kill. With William enraged and distracted over Richard's less than pleasant visit, the [[Assassin]] managed to stealthily penetrate the lord's citadel fortress, and quickly put an end to his life.

After observing William's and Richard's heated discussion safely under the cloak of the noble crowd, Altaïr pierced the
fortress in search of his target. He finally came to a corner keep, a small fortress within the fortress. From above, Altaïr listened as William belittled his men with razor barbed insults, intended on encouraging them towards better performance, and a stronger sense of duty.

[[File:assassins-creed2.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Altaïr assassinating William with his hidden blade.]]
Silently and skilfully eliminating [[archers]], Altaïr finally moved into position. Remaining highly in tune with the surrounding environment, Altaïr patiently watched and waited for William to perfectly position himself for his own death. As William continued his speech, he slowly paced toward the scaffold, Altaïr quickly dropped onto it, focused on his target and, before anyone even began to notice the impending danger, leaped towards William, his [[Hidden Blade|hidden blade]] extended. Even as William realized the presence of the descending Assassin, it was too late, for he was already being forced onto his back, with his throat punctured severely by the Assassin's steel blade.

==Characteristics and personality==
Although not a giant of a man, William of Montferrat was nevertheless set in the belief that might makes right, and he spent countless hours training and berating his men, to prepare them for the "coming war." Oddly enough, few of his soldiers had actually joined [[Richard I of England|King Richard]]'s march to the [[Arsuf|Arsuf Plains]], leading people to wonder what "war" he was talking about.

William constantly demanded perfection from his men, and was both quick to point out flaws, and reluctant to give praise. He was often shouting, and rarely sounded happy. At the time before his assassination, he was expecting a visit from King Richard himself, and although the king had placed him in charge of Acre on his behalf, William was waiting for the meeting with a mixture of trepidation and annoyance. When two of his soldiers were caught whoring and drinking while on duty, he killed them as a sign of consequence for his fellow soldiers to remember.

==Final words==
[[File:Goodbye-william-assassins-creed.png|thumb|320px|William's demise]]
'''Altaïr:''' ''Rest now. Your schemes are at an end''.

'''William:''' ''What do you know of my work?''

'''Altaïr:''' ''I know that you were going to murder Richard and claim Acre for your son, [[wikipedia:Conrad of Montferrat|Conrad]]''.

'''William (laughing):''' ''For Conrad?! My son is an arse, unfit to lead his host, let alone a kingdom! And Richard? He also knows no better... blinded as he is by faith in the insubstantial. Acre does not belong to either of them.''

'''Altaïr:''' ''Then who?''

'''William:''' ''The city belongs to its people!''

'''Altaïr:''' ''How can you claim to speak for the citizens?! You stole their food, disciplined them without mercy, forced them into service under you!''

'''William:''' ''Everything I did, I did to prepare them for the "New World." Stole their food? No, I took possession, so that when the lean times came, it might be rationed properly. (coughs, choking). Look around: my district is without crime- save those committed by you and your ilk!- and as for the conscription, they were not being trained to fight: they were being taught the merits of order and discipline. These things are hardly evil''.

'''Altaïr:''' ''No matter how noble you believe your intentions, these actions are cruel and cannot continue!''

'''William (laughing):''' ''We'll see how sweet they are, the fruits of your labors. You do not free the cities as you believe, but rather damn them! And in the end, you'll have only yourself to blame... you, who speak of good intentions.''

{{quote|William of Montferrat sought to kill King Richard. I had assumed he meant to do this for his son, Conrad, but it seems I was in error. His wish was for the people to inherit the land, free from the whims of petty tyrants. A 'new world' he called it. What is the meaning of these cryptic words? I shall have to ask Al Mualim...|Altaïr (Memory Log)}}

==Historical Materials==
William was actually the fifth named of Montferrat, and he was additionally known as "William the Old," to differentiate him from [[Wikipedia:William of Montferrat, Count of Jaffa and Ascalon|his eldest son]]. Aside from his death in 1191, he differs in published reports from the man Altaïr met in Acre.

Described as "medium, compact, with a round ruddy face and hair so fair as to be almost white," he was, according to Italian chronicler [[Wikipedia:Ottone and Acerbo Morena|Acerbo Morena]], eloquent, intelligent, good-humored, generous, but not extravagant. He was captured during the [[Wikipedia:Battle of Hattin|Battle of Hattin]] in 1187, and used as a pawn during the siege of [[Wikipedia:Tyre, Lebanon|Tyre]], where his second son Conrad refused to barter for him even as [[Saladin]] threatened William with death. He was late into his sixties, and possibly living in [[Tyre]], when he died.

==Behind the scenes==
[[Jade Raymond]], producer of the game, revealed that originally they planned to have Conrad of Montferrat in the game. Their research indicated that he wasn't killed in 1191, but William, Conrad's father, was located in Acre in the same period. In order to maintain the historical accuracy of the project, William was inserted into the game instead.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Limited Edition Art Book]]''</ref>

==Trivia==
*William's stronghold, and the area where his assassination in ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' takes place is reused in ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' in Desmond's bleeding effect sequence. When Altaïr is chasing [[Maria Thorpe|Maria]], the tower in which the sequence ends is the very same one above William's quarters.
**However, a couple of elements of the tower have changed between the events of the two games. The small circular balcony that surrounded the midpoint of the tower has disappeared. Also, the [[Leap of Faith]] post has changed position and shape; from pointing southeast and being a single wooden beam, to pointing directly toward the center of the fortress and being a triangle of three beams.
*The choice of William as a target for Altaïr was probably inspired by the fact that, historically, his son, Conrad, was murdered by the Assassins in Tyre. In reality, William would have been an old man during the events of the game.
*According to history, William of Montferrat was actually a very generous man, and often complimented his men, as well as held his soldiers in high regard.
*A glitch may occur in-game if you allow William to chase you to the upper walls of citadel. From there, it is possible to climb on top of the battlements and push him off into the sea below when he climbs after you. A message will then notify you that you have failed the mission, since your target has "escaped."
*William is [[Italy|Italian]]. He and his family come from the Piedmont region in northern Italy.

==Gallery==
<gallery captionalign="left">
ACWillMeet.jpg|Altaïr observing William and Richard from the crowd.
4-williamofmontferrat.jpg|William of Montferrat talking to one of his guards.
</gallery>

[[Video:Assassin's Creed silent kill - William of Montferat -|thumb|300px|left]]

{{-}}
==Notes and references==
{{reflist}}

{{AC}}
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed Assassination Targets]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade Characters]]
[[Category:Templars]]
[[Category:Historical Characters]]

House of Medici

2011-08-26T00:00:49Z

68.253.212.95:

{{Era|ac2|lineage}}
{{WP-REAL}}
{{Faction infobox
|name = House of Medici.
|image = Coat of Arms of Medici.svg
|imgdesc = The Medici coat of arms with different colors in-game
|hideo = No
|founder =
|leader = [[Lorenzo de' Medici]]
|headquarters = [[Florence]], [[Italy]]
|locations = [[Florence]] [[Tuscany]]
|related =
|religion = Roman Catholic
|hideh =
|formed =
|reorganised =
|collapsed = 1492
|hidea =
|notable =
|}}
The '''House of Medici''' was the strongest family in [[Florence]] during the late 15th century. [[Lorenzo de' Medici]] was the head of the house, and a close ally to the [[House of Auditore|Auditore family]], as well as their [[Assassins|Assassin]] connections. They were subject to [[Templars|Templar]] attack due to their ''de facto'' control of Florence.
==History==
===Origin===
The Medici family came from the agricultural Mugello region, north of Florence, being mentioned for the first time in 1230. The origin of the name Medici is uncertain, although Medici is the plural for Medica, a doctor.

===Successful generations===
Through out a great part of the 15th century, [[Cosimo de' Medici|Cosimo Medici]], followed by Piero de' Medici, and lastly Lorenzo de Medici ruled over Florence. Cosimo Medici, whos power stemmed from his vast wealth, ruled over Florence untill his death in 1464, he was succeeded by his son, Piero.

Piero's reign was short, spanning only five years after which he succumbed to gout. After Piero, Lorenzo became the head of the Medici family. Like his grandfather and father, Lorenzo ruled Florence, through surrogates in the city councils, threats, payoffs, and strategic marriages. The Medici under Lorenzo were great patrons of arts and culture, and with its rule, Florence became the center of culture and innovation.
===The Pazzi conspiracy===
[[File:Assassins_creed_II_3.jpg|thumb|250px|Francesco attacking Giuliano, with Ezio trying to stop him.]]

In 1478, while attending High Mass, Lorenzo and his brother, Guilano, were attacked by members of the Pazzi family, in an event that would later be known as the [[Pazzi Conspiracy]]. Although the conspirators managed to kill Guilano, Lorenzo was saved by [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]], who then took Lorenzo back to his [[Palazzo Medici|home]]. Once there, Lorenzo instructed Ezio to kill the main conspirator, [[Francesco de' Pazzi]]. After Ezio assassinated Francesco, he met with Lorenzo at the [[Ponte Vecchio]]. Once there, Lorenzo gifted Ezio a [[codex]] page as well as the names of Francesco's co-conspirators. After the meeting, Ezio left to pursue those responsible for the conspiracy.

Once Ezio had killed all those who played a part in the conspiracy, he returned to Lorenzo, who then presented him with the [[Assassin's Creed II Outfits#Medici Cape|medici cape]] as a symbol of faith and trust, and the two parted ways.
===Savonarola's take over===
After Lorenzo's death in 1492, his son [[Piero de' Medici|Piero]] took control of the house. Unfortunately, Piero let Florence fall into the hands of [[Girolamo Savonarola]], who bewitched the citizens with a [[Piece of Eden]].

Ezio Auditore returned to Florence in 1497, only to find that Savonarola had taken control over the city from the Medici. Finally in 1498, Ezio assassinated Savonarola and allowed the Medici to try and regain power. Despite this, it took the Medici fourteen years to regain control of Florence.
==Trivia==
*The Medici are the only rulers in ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' who controlled two regions, [[Florence]] and [[San Gimignano]].
*The Auditore and Medici families' friendship began when [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze|Giovanni Auditore]] rescued Lorenzo from drowning in the river Arno.

==Gallery==
<gallery captionalign="left">
MediciGuard.jpg|A Medici guard.
Medicicape.png|The Medici cape given to Ezio by Lorenzo de' Medici
guiliano.jpg|Guiliano de' Medici
lorenzo.jpg|Lorenzo de' Medici
</gallery>

==Source==
*''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Medici, House of}}
[[Category:Houses]]

House of Medici

2011-08-26T00:00:25Z

68.253.212.95:

{{Era|ac2|lineage}}
{{WP-REAL}}
{{Faction infobox
|name = House of Medici.
|image = Coat of Arms of Medici.svg
|imgdesc = The Medici coat of arms with different colors in-game
|hideo = No
|founder =
|leader = [[Lorenzo de' Medici]]
|headquarters = [[Florence]], [[Italy]]
|locations = [[Florence]] [[Tuscany]]
|related =
|religion = Roman Catholic
|hideh =
|formed =
|reorganised =
|collapsed =
|hidea =
|notable =
|}}
The '''House of Medici''' was the strongest family in [[Florence]] during the late 15th century. [[Lorenzo de' Medici]] was the head of the house, and a close ally to the [[House of Auditore|Auditore family]], as well as their [[Assassins|Assassin]] connections. They were subject to [[Templars|Templar]] attack due to their ''de facto'' control of Florence.
==History==
===Origin===
The Medici family came from the agricultural Mugello region, north of Florence, being mentioned for the first time in 1230. The origin of the name Medici is uncertain, although Medici is the plural for Medica, a doctor.

===Successful generations===
Through out a great part of the 15th century, [[Cosimo de' Medici|Cosimo Medici]], followed by Piero de' Medici, and lastly Lorenzo de Medici ruled over Florence. Cosimo Medici, whos power stemmed from his vast wealth, ruled over Florence untill his death in 1464, he was succeeded by his son, Piero.

Piero's reign was short, spanning only five years after which he succumbed to gout. After Piero, Lorenzo became the head of the Medici family. Like his grandfather and father, Lorenzo ruled Florence, through surrogates in the city councils, threats, payoffs, and strategic marriages. The Medici under Lorenzo were great patrons of arts and culture, and with its rule, Florence became the center of culture and innovation.
===The Pazzi conspiracy===
[[File:Assassins_creed_II_3.jpg|thumb|250px|Francesco attacking Giuliano, with Ezio trying to stop him.]]

In 1478, while attending High Mass, Lorenzo and his brother, Guilano, were attacked by members of the Pazzi family, in an event that would later be known as the [[Pazzi Conspiracy]]. Although the conspirators managed to kill Guilano, Lorenzo was saved by [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]], who then took Lorenzo back to his [[Palazzo Medici|home]]. Once there, Lorenzo instructed Ezio to kill the main conspirator, [[Francesco de' Pazzi]]. After Ezio assassinated Francesco, he met with Lorenzo at the [[Ponte Vecchio]]. Once there, Lorenzo gifted Ezio a [[codex]] page as well as the names of Francesco's co-conspirators. After the meeting, Ezio left to pursue those responsible for the conspiracy.

Once Ezio had killed all those who played a part in the conspiracy, he returned to Lorenzo, who then presented him with the [[Assassin's Creed II Outfits#Medici Cape|medici cape]] as a symbol of faith and trust, and the two parted ways.
===Savonarola's take over===
After Lorenzo's death in 1492, his son [[Piero de' Medici|Piero]] took control of the house. Unfortunately, Piero let Florence fall into the hands of [[Girolamo Savonarola]], who bewitched the citizens with a [[Piece of Eden]].

Ezio Auditore returned to Florence in 1497, only to find that Savonarola had taken control over the city from the Medici. Finally in 1498, Ezio assassinated Savonarola and allowed the Medici to try and regain power. Despite this, it took the Medici fourteen years to regain control of Florence.
==Trivia==
*The Medici are the only rulers in ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' who controlled two regions, [[Florence]] and [[San Gimignano]].
*The Auditore and Medici families' friendship began when [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze|Giovanni Auditore]] rescued Lorenzo from drowning in the river Arno.

==Gallery==
<gallery captionalign="left">
MediciGuard.jpg|A Medici guard.
Medicicape.png|The Medici cape given to Ezio by Lorenzo de' Medici
guiliano.jpg|Guiliano de' Medici
lorenzo.jpg|Lorenzo de' Medici
</gallery>

==Source==
*''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Medici, House of}}
[[Category:Houses]]