Assassin's Creed Wiki - User contributions [en-gb]

Minerva

2009-12-19T00:01:34Z

68.5.93.215: /* Assassin's Creed II */

{{Stub}}
{{WP-REAL}}{{Character Infobox
|image=Zw-Minerva-3.png
|faction=[[Those Who Came Before]]
|imgdesc= Minerva as seen in Assassin's Creed II
|name='''Minerva'''
|alias= ''Menrva, Merva, Mera, Athena''
|appear=''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''
|period=?
}}

==Assassin's Creed II==

'''Minerva''' was a member of [[Those Who Came Before]] who was also known as Merva, and Mera, and so on, before her death. She appears as a hologram within [[The Vault]], and reveals a little of the history of humanity and her people's origins.

She explains the disaster the Earth suffered, and specifically referred to [[Ezio]] as the "prophet"; she revealed that she was not speaking ''with ''him, but ''through ''him. Minerva apparently knew that [[Desmond]] would one day relive Ezio's memories as she said "the rest is up to you Desmond", much to his ancestor's confusion.

Minerva is the Roman name for the Greek goddess Athena, meaning that the people of ancient Greek and Roman times thought [[Those Who Came Before]] were gods.

Minerva is also one of the statuettes that must be collected to place with her 'partner' Jupiter on one of the pedestals at the villa Ezio's grandfather built in [[Monteriggioni]].

"Here sits the king of all Olympus, and beside him stands Wisdom,to guide his rule"
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters]]

Templars

2009-12-18T23:54:07Z

68.5.93.215:

{{Good}}

{{WP-REAL|Knights Templar}}
{{Imageneed}}
{{Faction Infobox
|image = Knights Templar Cross.svg
|imgdesc = The Templars used many variations on this red cross pattée as their symbol.
"Behold the mark of Cain." -Subject 16
|game = ''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''
|religion = Roman Catholic (officially), Atheist
|location = [[Acre]] Rich district
|targets = All targets are secretly (or openly) Templars
}}

{{quote
|1 = -Non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed Nomini Tuo da Gloriam (''Latin for "Not to us God, not to us, but to Your Name Give Glory"'') -May the [[wikipedia:Baphomet|Father of Understanding]] guide us
|2 = Mottos of the Templar
}}

The '''Knights Templar''' are the sworn enemies of the [[Assassins]]. They attacked [[Masyaf]] after a failed mission under Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem; and after that, Templars found in the Holy Land will attack [[Altaïr]] on sight. They tend to attack more skilfully and take more hits than normal guards. You can find them in small villages throughout the kingdom, as well as throughout the cities, keenly observing their surroundings of encroaching danger. Templars are battlefield hardened soldiers lending aide to King Richard in the Third Crusade. Their battlefield experience shows in the way they fight. They are warriors in every meaning of the word, extremely skilled in the application of sword combat, and extremely disciplined. Templars should be dealt with while expressing extreme caution and solid battle skills. These soldiers are usually stationary, and on the lookout for the Assassins, their sworn enemies, who they are engaged with in a low-scale war.

==History==
''Orde du Temple'' in French, the Knights Templar are amongst the most famous of the Western Christian military orders involved in the war. They are well known by the distinctive white mantles with a red cross. Officially endorsed by the Roman Catholic Church around 1129, the Order became a favoured charity throughout Christianity, and grew rapidly in membership. Because the Templars' existence was tied closely to the Crusades; when the Holy Land was lost, support for the Order faded.
[[image:Robert and Templar soldiers.jpg | right | 350px | Robert de Sable, an important Templar army leader during the 3rd Crusade ]]

According to Subject 16, the Templar Seal is the Mark of Cain. This indicates that the principle ideas of the Templars seems to have existed for much longer.

==Distribution and goals==
The Templar originally sought peace the Christian way, but the discovery of the Apples of Eden and their power to manipulate the minds of the masses, that all changed. As all powerful religious and political figures used the pieces to spread their lies, the Templar realized a personal truth: there is no God or Great Power out there, only men with power and those without. They became atheists, with maintaining the pretence and tradition of Roman Catholics to avoid suspicion, retain friends in the Vatican and for personal habit. This new freedom brought a new perception to the Templars. With no afterlife or ultimate punishment or reward after death, there was no real obligation to oblige by such morality (this was an easy transition, as most in those violent times ignored the concept of morality anyway). It also ensured that only this life was important, rather than preparing for the next. Without this new view, the corruption of the world shone to them like an ugly light. With so many lower class kept in line with the promise of Heaven and so many upper class blissfully ignoring such ideals, the Templars vowed to make a better world, one of peace, no matter the cost. Their main goal during the Crusades became to bring peace to the Holy Land by usurping the rule of Saladin and undermining the efforts of Richard the Lionheart while both where more concerned with fighting each other, but the ways they do it are both ruthless and barbaric. However, they believe that they're doing good. They're trying to control peoples' free wills and they will ruthlessly kill anyone who is against them, especially the Assassins, whose leader, Al Mualim, was a member of the Templars but he later chose to betray them by stealing the Piece of Eden for his own purposes. They're also good at manipulation, as they've members in both the Crusader and Saracen armies, allowing themselves to manipulate both Richard the Lionheart and Saladin for their own gain and manipulated the other knight orders like the Hospitalliers, Teutonic Knights and even the Assassins (Hashshashin) via Al Mualim.

==Members==
===Third Crusade===
* [[Basilisk]] (Grand Master of the Knights Templar)
* [[Robert de Sable]] (Grand Master of the Knights Templar, after Basilisk)
* [[Armand Bouchart]] (Grand Master of the Knights Templar, after Robert)
* [[Tamir the Merchant]] (Black marketeer in [[Damascus]])
* [[Garnier de Naplouse]] (Grand Master of the [[Knights Hospitalier]])
* [[Talal the Slave Trader]] (Slave master in [[Jerusalem]])
* [[Abul Nuqoud]] (A noble man of Damascus)
* [[William of Montferrat]] (Regent lord of [[Acre]])
* [[Majd Addin]] (Regent lord of Jerusalem)
* [[Jubair al Hakim]] (Head of the Illuminated and the chief scholar of Damascus)
* [[Sibrand]] (Grand Master of the [[Knights Teutonic]])
* [[Al Mualim]] (Master and leader of the [[Assassin]]s, betrayed the Templars)
* [[Maria]] (Robert de Sable's steward and his own personal assassin)
* [[Roland Napule]] (Head of a Templar hospital in [[Tyre]])
* [[Masun]] (Traitorous assassin who is a double agent to the Templar)
* [[Alaat]] (Templar knight)
* [[Master of the Tower]] (Basilisk's second-in-command)
* [[The Master's Student]]
* Anonymous Templar Knights, regular soldiers

===Renaissance===
*[[Rodrigo Borgia]] (Templar Leader and His Holiness, Pope Alexander VI)
*[[Marco Barbarigo]] (Corrupt Doge of Venice)
*[[Silvio Barbarigo]] (Member of the Supreme Tribunal of Venice)
*[[Emilio Barbarigo]] (Corrupt Merchant of Venice)
*[[Carlo Grimaldi]] (Member of the Council of Ten of Venice)
*[[Uberto Alberti]] (The Gonfaloniere of Firenze)
*[[Jacopo de' Pazzi]] (Head of the Pazzi Conspiracy)
*[[Francesco de' Pazzi]] (Patriarch of the Pazzi Family)
*[[Vieri de' Pazzi]] (Francesco's son - Ezio's rival)
*[[Stefano da Bagnone]] (Advisor to Jacopo de' Pazzi - Pazzi Conspirator)
*[[Bernado Baroncelli]] (Banker - Pazzi Conspirator)
*[[Francesco Salviati]] (Archbishop of Pisa - Pazzi Conspirator)
*[[Antonio Maffei]] (Priest - Pazzi Conspirator)
*[[Dante Moro]] (Personal Guard of Marco Barbarigo)
*[[Francisco Pizzaro]] (Spanish Conquistador)

===Modern times===
* [[Abstergo Industries]] (current form of the Templars)
** [[Warren Vidic]] (Scientist of Abstergo Industries)
** Three men who are the bosses of [[Abstergo Industries]] (one of them is [[Alan Rikkin]])

=== Others ===
*[[Cain]]
*[[Xerxes]]
*[[Alexander the Great]]
*[[Qin Shi Huang]]
*[[Atilla the Hun]]
*[[Genghis Khan]]
*[[Cleopatra]]
*[[Caligula]]
*[[Francois Duvalier]]
*[[John Wilkes Booth]]
*[[Lee Harvey Oswald]]
*[[Rasputin]]
*[[Josef Stalin]]
*[[Mary I of England]]
*[[Tomas de Torquemada]]
*[[Thomas Edison]]
*[[Henry Ford]]
*[[Adolf Hitler]]
*[[Lyndon B. Johnson]]
*[[Winston Churchill]] (?)
*[[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] (?)
*[[J. Robert Oppenheimer]] (?)

== Achievement ==
There are 60 Templars within the game world. Thirty are located in the Kingdom, and ten in each city. Two subsections (either poor, middle, rich) of each city will have three Templars, and the remaining subsection will have four. Watch out when hunting them, however, as Templars are completely immune to throwing knives. In any Memory Block, regardless of the Rank Memory that Altaïr has, the Templars will attack with all techniques (Guard Break, Counter-grab, etc.) and are extremely hard to kill without more advanced techniques and a high sync bar, or climbing on the wall behind the Templar unnoticed then assassinating them. Should one be able to throw a Templar to the ground however, they can easily be dispatched by a hidden blade or a few sword strikes. Templars will wave their swords and shout upon seeing you, leaving them open for a few precious seconds, during which the player can tackle them and assassinate them while they are on the floor. Templars will also automatically realize that you are an assassin, regardless of whether you are blended or not, unless you are sitting on a bench. Templar locations are broken down as follows:

Kingdom: 30x

Jerusalem Poor: 3x

Jerusalem Mid: 3x

Jerusalem Rich: 4x

Damascus Poor: 3x

Damascus Mid: 3x

Damascus Rich: 4x

Acre Poor: 4x

Acre Middle: 3x

Acre Rich: 3x

Eliminating all 60 Templars in the game will grant the Personal Vendetta achievement.

Personal Vendetta
Kill every Templar. (40 Points)

==Locations==
Simply put, if anyone finds a Templar in-game, check they aren't already listed and then give detailed description of their location. (Please don't use viewpoints as references, they disappear off of the map.)

There is one close by the docks on the Christian part of the kingdom. As you are leaving from Masyaf go right and you'll see a lake. At the edge of the docks is a Templar. There is one hiding in a house nearby.

There is one in the Poor District of Acre at the western edge of the large courtyard north of the plaza where you do the Masyaf flags fetch. Climb up in the middle of that western wall and you'll see him below you in front of a water spout.

There is another hiding inside the row of burnt out dwellings along the 'street' between the northern wall (Poor District Acre) and in the first block of houses as you approach the first sea-viewpoint from that direction. Stay on the roofs to spot him below.

In the Middle District of Acre (Sibrand campaign), there is one at the far western end of the docks. Keep going past where you save the citizen there toward the sea and boats.

:''Note: It seems that if you are fighting with a Templar on a roof and he dies from the fall, it doesn't count toward your tally.''

There is one in the Rich District of Acre on the roof of the giant church, between the two steeples.

There is one in the Rich District of Jerusalem hiding behind the building south of the large building with a golden roof.

There is one in the Kingdom on the way out of Damascus. As you are going out of Damascus go to the tents and look along the river for a Templar. There is one behind the view point tower nearby.

The website [http://www.assassinscreed-maps.com/ Assassin's Creed Interactive Maps] has great maps of the Kingdom and each separate district of Damascus, Acre, and Jerusalem with Templar locations marked by green dots. When you mouse over the dots, a screen shot showing the Templar will pop up.

== Extra Templars ==
During the Robert de Sable assassination you will fight more Templars. However, these do not count towards the total.

== The Historical Templars ==
The Knights Templar was a real Roman Catholic military order who were prominent during the Crusades. They were among the most skilled fighters at the time, which is reflected in the game. Their ruthlessness against non-Catholics was also infamous; this also is reflected in the game.

{{AC}}

{{ACII}}
[[Category:Templars| ]]

Templars

2009-12-18T23:50:39Z

68.5.93.215:

{{Good}}

{{WP-REAL|Knights Templar}}
{{Imageneed}}
{{Faction Infobox
|image = Knights Templar Cross.svg
|imgdesc = The Templars used many variations on this red cross pattée as their symbol.
"Behold the mark of Cain." -Subject 16
|game = ''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''
|religion = Roman Catholic (officially), Athiest
|location = [[Acre]] Rich district
|targets = All targets are secretly (or openly) Templars
}}

{{quote
|1 = -Non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed Nomini Tuo da Gloriam (''Latin for "Not to us God, not to us, but to Your Name Give Glory"'') -May the [[wikipedia:Baphomet|Father of Understanding]] guide us
|2 = Mottos of the Templar
}}

The '''Knights Templar''' are the sworn enemies of the [[Assassins]]. They attacked [[Masyaf]] after a failed mission under Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem; and after that, Templars found in the Holy Land will attack [[Altaïr]] on sight. They tend to attack more skilfully and take more hits than normal guards. You can find them in small villages throughout the kingdom, as well as throughout the cities, keenly observing their surroundings of encroaching danger. Templars are battlefield hardened soldiers lending aide to King Richard in the Third Crusade. Their battlefield experience shows in the way they fight. They are warriors in every meaning of the word, extremely skilled in the application of sword combat, and extremely disciplined. Templars should be dealt with while expressing extreme caution and solid battle skills. These soldiers are usually stationary, and on the lookout for the Assassins, their sworn enemies, who they are engaged with in a low-scale war.

==History==
''Orde du Temple'' in French, the Knights Templar are amongst the most famous of the Western Christian military orders involved in the war. They are well known by the distinctive white mantles with a red cross. Officially endorsed by the Roman Catholic Church around 1129, the Order became a favoured charity throughout Christianity, and grew rapidly in membership. Because the Templars' existence was tied closely to the Crusades; when the Holy Land was lost, support for the Order faded.
[[image:Robert and Templar soldiers.jpg | right | 350px | Robert de Sable, an important Templar army leader during the 3rd Crusade ]]

According to Subject 16, the Templar Seal is the Mark of Cain. This indicates that the principle ideas of the Templars seems to have existed for much longer.

==Distribution and goals==
The Templar originally sought peace the Christian way, but the discovery of the Apples of Eden and their power to manipulate the minds of the masses, that all changed. As all powerful religious and political figures used the pieces to spread their lies, the Templar realized a personal truth: there is no God or Great Power out there, only men with power and those without. They became atheists, with maintaining the pretence and tradition of Roman Catholics to avoid suspicion, retain friends in the Vatican and for personal habit. This new freedom brought a new perception to the Templars. With no afterlife or ultimate punishment or reward after death, there was no real obligation to oblige by such morality (this was an easy transition, as most in those violent times ignored the concept of morality anyway). It also ensured that only this life was important, rather than preparing for the next. Without this new view, the corruption of the world shone to them like an ugly light. With so many lower class kept in line with the promise of Heaven and so many upper class blissfully ignoring such ideals, the Templars vowed to make a better world, one of peace, no matter the cost. Their main goal during the Crusades became to bring peace to the Holy Land by usurping the rule of Saladin and undermining the efforts of Richard the Lionheart while both where more concerned with fighting each other, but the ways they do it are both ruthless and barbaric. However, they believe that they're doing good. They're trying to control peoples' free wills and they will ruthlessly kill anyone who is against them, especially the Assassins, whose leader, Al Mualim, was a member of the Templars but he later chose to betray them by stealing the Piece of Eden for his own purposes. They're also good at manipulation, as they've members in both the Crusader and Saracen armies, allowing themselves to manipulate both Richard the Lionheart and Saladin for their own gain and manipulated the other knight orders like the Hospitalliers, Teutonic Knights and even the Assassins (Hashshashin) via Al Mualim.

==Members==
===Third Crusade===
* [[Basilisk]] (Grand Master of the Knights Templar)
* [[Robert de Sable]] (Grand Master of the Knights Templar, after Basilisk)
* [[Armand Bouchart]] (Grand Master of the Knights Templar, after Robert)
* [[Tamir the Merchant]] (Black marketeer in [[Damascus]])
* [[Garnier de Naplouse]] (Grand Master of the [[Knights Hospitalier]])
* [[Talal the Slave Trader]] (Slave master in [[Jerusalem]])
* [[Abul Nuqoud]] (A noble man of Damascus)
* [[William of Montferrat]] (Regent lord of [[Acre]])
* [[Majd Addin]] (Regent lord of Jerusalem)
* [[Jubair al Hakim]] (Head of the Illuminated and the chief scholar of Damascus)
* [[Sibrand]] (Grand Master of the [[Knights Teutonic]])
* [[Al Mualim]] (Master and leader of the [[Assassin]]s, betrayed the Templars)
* [[Maria]] (Robert de Sable's steward and his own personal assassin)
* [[Roland Napule]] (Head of a Templar hospital in [[Tyre]])
* [[Masun]] (Traitorous assassin who is a double agent to the Templar)
* [[Alaat]] (Templar knight)
* [[Master of the Tower]] (Basilisk's second-in-command)
* [[The Master's Student]]
* Anonymous Templar Knights, regular soldiers

===Renaissance===
*[[Rodrigo Borgia]] (Templar Leader and His Holiness, Pope Alexander VI)
*[[Marco Barbarigo]] (Corrupt Doge of Venice)
*[[Silvio Barbarigo]] (Member of the Supreme Tribunal of Venice)
*[[Emilio Barbarigo]] (Corrupt Merchant of Venice)
*[[Carlo Grimaldi]] (Member of the Council of Ten of Venice)
*[[Uberto Alberti]] (The Gonfaloniere of Firenze)
*[[Jacopo de' Pazzi]] (Head of the Pazzi Conspiracy)
*[[Francesco de' Pazzi]] (Patriarch of the Pazzi Family)
*[[Vieri de' Pazzi]] (Francesco's son - Ezio's rival)
*[[Stefano da Bagnone]] (Advisor to Jacopo de' Pazzi - Pazzi Conspirator)
*[[Bernado Baroncelli]] (Banker - Pazzi Conspirator)
*[[Francesco Salviati]] (Archbishop of Pisa - Pazzi Conspirator)
*[[Antonio Maffei]] (Priest - Pazzi Conspirator)
*[[Dante Moro]] (Personal Guard of Marco Barbarigo)
*[[Francisco Pizzaro]] (Spanish Conquistador)

===Modern times===
* [[Abstergo Industries]] (current form of the Templars)
** [[Warren Vidic]] (Scientist of Abstergo Industries)
** Three men who are the bosses of [[Abstergo Industries]] (one of them is [[Alan Rikkin]])

=== Others ===
*[[Cain]]
*[[Xerxes]]
*[[Alexander the Great]]
*[[Qin Shi Huang]]
*[[Atilla the Hun]]
*[[Genghis Khan]]
*[[Cleopatra]]
*[[Caligula]]
*[[Francois Duvalier]]
*[[John Wilkes Booth]]
*[[Lee Harvey Oswald]]
*[[Rasputin]]
*[[Josef Stalin]]
*[[Mary I of England]]
*[[Tomas de Torquemada]]
*[[Thomas Edison]]
*[[Henry Ford]]
*[[Adolf Hitler]]
*[[Lyndon B. Johnson]]
*[[Winston Churchill]] (?)
*[[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] (?)
*[[J. Robert Oppenheimer]] (?)

== Achievement ==
There are 60 Templars within the game world. Thirty are located in the Kingdom, and ten in each city. Two subsections (either poor, middle, rich) of each city will have three Templars, and the remaining subsection will have four. Watch out when hunting them, however, as Templars are completely immune to throwing knives. In any Memory Block, regardless of the Rank Memory that Altaïr has, the Templars will attack with all techniques (Guard Break, Counter-grab, etc.) and are extremely hard to kill without more advanced techniques and a high sync bar, or climbing on the wall behind the Templar unnoticed then assassinating them. Should one be able to throw a Templar to the ground however, they can easily be dispatched by a hidden blade or a few sword strikes. Templars will wave their swords and shout upon seeing you, leaving them open for a few precious seconds, during which the player can tackle them and assassinate them while they are on the floor. Templars will also automatically realize that you are an assassin, regardless of whether you are blended or not, unless you are sitting on a bench. Templar locations are broken down as follows:

Kingdom: 30x

Jerusalem Poor: 3x

Jerusalem Mid: 3x

Jerusalem Rich: 4x

Damascus Poor: 3x

Damascus Mid: 3x

Damascus Rich: 4x

Acre Poor: 4x

Acre Middle: 3x

Acre Rich: 3x

Eliminating all 60 Templars in the game will grant the Personal Vendetta achievement.

Personal Vendetta
Kill every Templar. (40 Points)

==Locations==
Simply put, if anyone finds a Templar in-game, check they aren't already listed and then give detailed description of their location. (Please don't use viewpoints as references, they disappear off of the map.)

There is one close by the docks on the Christian part of the kingdom. As you are leaving from Masyaf go right and you'll see a lake. At the edge of the docks is a Templar. There is one hiding in a house nearby.

There is one in the Poor District of Acre at the western edge of the large courtyard north of the plaza where you do the Masyaf flags fetch. Climb up in the middle of that western wall and you'll see him below you in front of a water spout.

There is another hiding inside the row of burnt out dwellings along the 'street' between the northern wall (Poor District Acre) and in the first block of houses as you approach the first sea-viewpoint from that direction. Stay on the roofs to spot him below.

In the Middle District of Acre (Sibrand campaign), there is one at the far western end of the docks. Keep going past where you save the citizen there toward the sea and boats.

:''Note: It seems that if you are fighting with a Templar on a roof and he dies from the fall, it doesn't count toward your tally.''

There is one in the Rich District of Acre on the roof of the giant church, between the two steeples.

There is one in the Rich District of Jerusalem hiding behind the building south of the large building with a golden roof.

There is one in the Kingdom on the way out of Damascus. As you are going out of Damascus go to the tents and look along the river for a Templar. There is one behind the view point tower nearby.

The website [http://www.assassinscreed-maps.com/ Assassin's Creed Interactive Maps] has great maps of the Kingdom and each separate district of Damascus, Acre, and Jerusalem with Templar locations marked by green dots. When you mouse over the dots, a screen shot showing the Templar will pop up.

== Extra Templars ==
During the Robert de Sable assassination you will fight more Templars. However, these do not count towards the total.

== The Historical Templars ==
The Knights Templar was a real Roman Catholic military order who were prominent during the Crusades. They were among the most skilled fighters at the time, which is reflected in the game. Their ruthlessness against non-Catholics was also infamous; this also is reflected in the game.

{{AC}}

{{ACII}}
[[Category:Templars| ]]

Assassins

2009-12-18T14:13:29Z

68.5.93.215: f

{{Good}}
{{Imageneed}}
{{Faction Infobox
|image = Assassins Crest White.svg
|game = ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''
|religion = Islam (AC1), Catholic (AC2) Mixed(Period Times)
|nationality = Syrian (AC1), Italian (AC2), Mixed(Modern Times)
|location = [[Masyaf]] (AC1), [[Monteriggioni]] (AC2)
}}

{{quote|La shai wak'ion motlaq bal kollon momken'' ("Nothing is true, Everything is permitted" in arabic)''|The Assassin's Creed}}

The '''Assassins''', also known as the '''Hashshashin''', are an organized Order of Assassins, who are in a continuous low-grade war with their greatest adversaries: the [[Knights Templar]]. The order has existed for at least a millennium, and was active during the [[Assassin's Creed|Third Crusade]], the [[Assassin's Creed 2|Renaissance]], and even into the year 2012. The order believes in a firm creed of values that strictly govern their way of life, consisting of three [[tenets]]: stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent, hide in plain sight, and never compromise the Brotherhood. These tenets are lived daily by Assassins in the fight for "peace in all things". The Assassins carry out their duties through political strategic assassination, and by doing so, potential threats to peace are forever suppressed. By killing one individual, the Assassins believe that they can save tens of thousands.

Through their work, Assassins could be easily looked upon as keepers of peace. Assassins believe that they fight on behalf of those people who do not possess their abilities or resources to speak out against those in power who harm the powerless. Assassins speak to these corrupted men for the dispossessed by introducing them to the sharp edge of a [[Hidden Blade|blade]]. By doing so, the common people are freed from the shackles of oppression. Even though the Assassins fight for the people, they are feared, because no matter how one looks at the matter, killing above the bounds of the law for noble purposes is still killing, still an essentially evil act. The only way to justify the Assassins' deeds is to see them through the prism of long-term self-defense, though many moralists and philosophers claim this is just sophistry, a rationalization for murder. The Assassins were most feared due to their terrifying reputation for taking life in public places before many witnesses. The Assassins did so to create an atmosphere in which it was not safe to commit corrupt acts under the sun. This spread fear amongst their enemies, for they never knew when they might fall to an enemy who they could not see or hear.

Assassins used a particularly efficient weapon for assassinations: the Hidden Blade. A single thrust from this weapon could change the course of the Holy Land's future, as well as that of all future history. Such power could easily go to an Assassin's head, causing him to lift himself above others knowing he could change history, thus becoming as corrupt as the men whom he slew. But the devotion to the Assassins primary goal (peace in all things) and the knowledge of their "Assassin's Creed" provided the moral guidance necessary to keep the corruption caused by ultimate power at bay. This was not always the case. In order to have the precise political impact desired by an assassination, the Assassins possessed extensive political knowledge,  and remained always in tune with the ever-changing politics surrounding the many empires of the Holy Land and later of Western Europe during the Renaissance. They used this information to decide whose death would most benefit the people of their region.

Obtaining this information was done by stationing agents within the various cities of the Middle East and Europe to keep an eye on the actions of the various nobles and rulers. When deployed on missions, elite master assassins or blade hands were the ones responsible for carrying out public assassinations. They worked alone in the field, usually disguised as holy scholars of any of the three major monotheistic faiths or other suitable caricatures. When stationed in a particular city, the Assassins would spend an immense amount of time getting acquainted with their environment and learning where and when it would be best to strike at their chosen target. The actual strike itself always took place in public. By performing the murder in the public's eye, the Assassins knew without a doubt that news and information about the assassination would spread quickly amongst the common people, and those other corrupt men who served the one assassinated, effectively spreading fear and disrupting the chain of command among the corrupted regime that had been targeted by the Assassins.

==Known Assassins==
===Third Crusade===
====Members====
*[[Al Mualim]] (Master and leader of Syrian-Assassins [Secretly a Templar])
[[File:Masyaf.jpg|thumb|Masyaf, the Assassin's fortress.]]
*[[Altair|Altair Ibn-La'Ahad]] (Master Assassin and field instructor [Becomes Leader of the Assassins after the events of the first game])
*[[Malik]] (Dai over Jerusalem's Assassin Bureau)
*[[Kadar]] (Member of the Assassins and Malik's younger brother)
*[[Raoul]] (Member of the Assassins)
*[[Abbas]](Member of the Assassins)
*[[Masun]] (Traitor of Masyaf)
*The Instructors and Rafiqs
*[[Jamal]] (possible Assassin that betrayed Masyaf)
*[[Bahir]] (Damascus - Rooftop Race Informant PC version)
*[[Karim]] (Acre - Rooftop Race Informant PC version)

====Allies====
*[[Adha]] ("The Chalice")
*[[Maria]] (Altaïr's wife)

===Renaissance===
[[File:Zw-renaissance-assassins.png|thumb|Ezio's initiation into the brotherhood.]]
====Members====
*[[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] (A nobleman and member of the Assassins)
*[[Mario Auditore da Firenze]] (Ezio's uncle and mercenary)
*[[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze]] (Ezio's father and Nobleman)
*[[Federico Auditore da Firenze]] (Ezio's brother)
*[[Paola]] (Head of the Florentine Brothel)
*[[Sister Teodora]] (Head of the Venetian Brothel)
*[[Antonio]] (Head of the Venetian Thieves Guild)
*[[La Volpe]] (Head of the Florentine Thieves Guild)
*[[Bartolomeo d'Alviano]] (Head of the Venetian Mercenaries)
*[[Niccolò Machiavelli|Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli]] (A nobleman from Naples)
*[[Domenico Auditore]] (Patriarch of the Auditore family)
*[[Dante Alighieri]] (Poet and teacher of Domenico)
*[[Raphael Sanchez]] (Treasurer of Queen Isabella of Spain)

====Allies====
*[[Leonardo da Vinci]] (Ezio's best friend)
*[[Lorenzo de' Medici]] (Lord of [[Firenze]])
*[[Caterina Sforza]] (Countess of [[Forli]])
*[[Christoffa Corombo]] (Italian Conquistado)

=== Modern Times (2012) ===
*[[Desmond Miles]]
*[[Subject 16]]
*[[Lucy Stillman]]
*[[Shaun Hastings]]
*[[Rebecca Crane ]]
*Any remaining assassins alive (confirmed to be survivors by Lucy and Shaun)

=== Others ===
*[[Darius]] (The Male Persian Assassin; he killed [[wikipedia:Xerxes I of Persia|Xerxes]] with the Hidden Blade.)
*[[Iltani]] (The Female Babylonian Assassin; she poisoned [[wikipedia:Alexander the Great|Alexander the Great]].)
*[[Wei Yu]] (The Male Chinese Assassin; he killed [[wikipedia:Qin Shi Huang|Qin Shi Huang]] with a spear.)
*[[Qulan Gal]] (The Male Mongolian Assassin; he shot [[wikipedia:Genghis Khan|Genghis Khan]]'s horse with a bow and arrow.)
*[[Amunet]] (The Female Egyptian Assassin; she killed [[wikipedia:Cleopatra|Cleopatra]] with a snake.)
*[[Leonius]] (The Male Roman Assassin; he stabbed [[wikipedia:Caligula|Caligula]] to death with a dagger.)
*[[Adam and Eve]]  (The Two Original Assassins)
*Nikola Tesla (An ally of the Assassins, helped destroy the Staff and cause the Tunguska Event)

==Known Victims of the Assassins==
=== Victims of Altair Ibn-La'Ahad ===
*Talal
*Garnier de Nablus
*Tamar
*Abu'l Noqoud
*William of Monferrat
*Majd Addin
*Jubair al Hakim
*Sibrand
*Robert de Sable
*Al-Mualim

=== Victims of Ezio Auditore da Firenze ===
*Uberto Alberti
*The Pazzi Family
**Vieri de Pazzi
**Francesco de Pazzi
**Jacopo de Pazzi
*The Pazzi Conspirators
**Stefano da Bagnone
**Bernardo Baroncelli
**Antonio Maffei
**Francesco Salviati
*Emilio Barbarigo
*Carlo Grimaldi
*Marco Barbarigo
*Dante Moro
*Silvio Barbarigo
*Gaspard Martinez

=== Others ===
*Xerxes
**Stabbed by Darius with a Hidden Blade  
*Alexander the Great
**Poisoned by Iltani
*Qin Shi Huang
**Stabbed by Wei Yu with a spear
*Cleopatra
**Killed by Amunet with a snake
*Caligula
**Stabbed by Leonius  with a dagger
*Genghis Khan
**Horse shot out from under him by Qulan Gal with a bow  
*Mary I of England
*Francisco Pizarro
*Tomas de Torqemada
*John Wilkes Booth
*Rasputin
*Adolf Hitler
**Killed from above while attempting to flee his bunker in Berlin
*Joseph Stalin

==[[Assassin's Creed]]==
In 1191, during the Third Crusade, the Assassins Order has its stronghold in the fortress of [[Masyaf]]. Led by [[Al Mualim]], the assassins battle with the Templars and their leader, [http://images.wikia.com/wiki/Robert_de_Sable Robert de Sable] over ideologies and the means with which to accomplish them. It is the Third Crusade and low-scale war with the Templar's that Altair must find wisdom within himself from the "Assassin's Creed" in order to accomplish the assassinations appointed for his redemption. As the war intensifies and Altair begins to understand the Assassin's true way of life, the "Creed", its meaning begins to open Altair's eyes and mind to question his cause and the lives he is meant to take in the name of the Assassin's peace. Is killing these men the true and only way to teach those that have strayed? Or do they not deserve a second chance; "misguided perhaps but pure in motive". Altair, after killing Robert de Sable, confronts his Master, Al Mualim, who has secretly been a high-ranking Templar the entire time. After a grueling struggle, Altair defeats Al Mualim and becomes the leader of the Assassins, though many lives were lost during Al Mualim's short reign of Terror. Altair then dedicates the Order to hunting down and destroying the remaining Artifacts, left by "Those Who Came Before," using the Piece of Eden to find them.

==[[Assassin's Creed II]]==
During the Renaissance time period, the Assassin Order had apparently ‘gone underground’. The reason for this is explained inside the codex pages, where by Altair states that even though the Templar Order was served a crushing defeat in the Holy Land and Cyprus, they still survived in more inconspicuous ways. As such, Altair believed that the Assassins too had to change tactics so as to live on.

For example, he talked of abandoning the Assassin fortress of Masyaf and conducting their operations more covertly so as not to attract attention from their enemies. He also proposed that the method of removing the ring finger was an obvious sign to Templar forces who the Assassin members were, and found a way to modify the Hidden blade and still keep their finger. The Renaissance Italian Assassin Order, however, didn’t follow all these traditions that were passed down to them.

One example of this was the Auditore Villa, built by Ezio’s great-grandfather, which acted as an Assassin fortress, containing recovered Codex pages and the Armour of Altair. It was considered an Assassin fortress (whilst containing the Auditore crypt) even displaying a mix of the Auditore and Assassin symbols.

Rituals were still in place to induct new recruits as shown when Ezio is finally revealed to the rest of the Assassin Order, many of who have helped him over the years. Machiavelli (the supposed Grandmaster of the Assassins during the Renaissance) conducted a ritual, where by he posed questions to Ezio, who had to respond with ‘Nothing is true, everything is permitted’. He then finished by burning the ring finger on Ezio’s left hand, the same finger which use to be taken from Assassins to show their commitment to their Order. 

However they did still follow Altair’s idea of keeping hidden and evolved into a secret society (even though they still displayed Assassin Tomb’s and the Auditore Villa).

==Real History==
[[File:Hashashin_by_wraithdt.jpg|thumb|Artist's depiction of a Hashashin in battle]]
The Hashshashin (also Hashishin, Hashashiyyin, or Hashasheen), from which the word assassin is thought to originate, was the Persian derived designation of the Nizari branch of the Ismā'īlī Shia Muslims during the Middle Ages.

{{AC}}

{{ACII}}
[[Category:Assassin's Order]]

Piece of Eden

2009-12-16T06:40:11Z

68.5.93.215: /* Confirmed Artifacts */

[[File:POE.jpg|thumb|250px|Al Mualim with his Piece of Eden.]]

==Characteristics==
The '''Piece of Eden''' is one of several ancient objects left by [[Those Who Came Before]], possessing different effects, that is able to bend people to the will of the user. One of the greatest weapons known to man, it is capable of ending wars and (provided it is used correctly) ushering in a forced peace.

It is believed by the staff of Abstergo Industries and the Templars that the Piece of Eden, along with other artifacts like it, was the source of such miracles as the Parting of the Red Sea, the successful use of the Trojan Horse by the Greeks to win the Trojan War, the miracles surrounding "the Christ-figure" who founded the Christian faith and the Biblical plagues that ravaged Egypt, among other supernatural happenings.
[[File:Zw-eden-slave.png|thumb|left|The Piece of Eden used by [[Those Who Came Before]] to enslave humans]]

Apart from its power to force almost anyone into serving its possessor, the Piece of Eden's greatest power is that its existence essentially disproves the existence of an all-powerful God. The Templar Order had already committed itself to exposing the claims of all religions as false, and the Piece of Eden is perfectly suited to the successful pursuit of this purpose.

Incidentally, each Piece of Eden also contains a holographic map of the Earth that shows the location of all the other Artifacts. The Masyaf Piece of Eden was destroyed during its experimental use by [[Abstergo]] Industries at the Denver International Airport. Using [[Altair]]'s memory of events, however, the map showed the locations of the other Pieces of Eden.
[[File:Zw-eden-3.png|thumb|Ezio uses the Staff and Apple to access the Vault.]]

After Altaïr took control of the Assassins, their new goal was to hunt down and destroy the last of the Templars and the Pieces of Eden. During the events of ''Assassin's Creed Bloodlines'', Altaïr starts to study the artifact, writing about its powers and his own theories. When the Cypriots blamed Altaïr for the disasters that struck the island and tried to attack him, he used the Piece of Eden to control their minds, forcing them to hear the truth, that the real culprit was the Templar Grand Master, Armand Bouchart. After reaching the Archives in Limassol, and killing Bouchart, Altaïr kept the Masyaf Piece of Eden, not leaving it in the Archives as he had first intended. It is unknown what happened to the Masyaf Piece of Eden after Altaïr and Maria traveled "East". On an interesting note, the object is referred to as the "Apple of Eden" in the game.

In ''[[Assassin's Creed 2]]'', it is revealed that the Apple and other Pieces of Eden have a rather extensive history of changing hands while decrypting the "Truth" files left by Subject 16. Notable figures in history have used the Pieces of Eden, although for varying purposes; including, but not limited to: Napoleon Bonaparte, George Washington, Gandhi, Houdini, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Tsar Nicholas II, and even Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler. It is also revealed that there are at least 3 Apples remaining in the world, which represent the three divine Golden Apples of Greek mythology.

== Resistance ==

[[Image:poemap.jpg|right|thumb|200px|A map of many "Pieces of Eden"]]
In an e-mail at Abstergo Industries it is revealed that the company's leaders are worried that the Pieces of Eden are not all that is needed to achieve their goal. It is mentioned that some people may be resistant to the mind control effect of the Piece of Eden and that other "Artifacts" must be found to ensure no one is left to cause trouble in the Templar's planned "New World". The only three people so far to show a resistance against the Pieces of Eden are an unnamed person present at the DIA incident, Altaïr, and Ezio. The first sends an e-mail to Dr. Vidic declaring "I know what you did" and gives a firsthand account of the artifact's failed experiment there. Of note is that this person seems to be acting alone and is therefore unlikely to know of the Templars or the Assassins and may not be a member of either organization themselves. Altaïr's resistance is shown when Al Mualim shows him the treasure but Altaïr simply says that to him it is just a piece of silver and does not understand how Al Mualim can believe it to be pure temptation as he describes. This response surprises Al Mualim who later reveals that he had shown the Piece of Eden to Altaïr in an attempt to hypnotize him, but for some reason he could not. However, even though Altaïr is resistant against its hypnotic effect, the Piece of Eden can still do some things to him such as: immobilizing him, causing him to hallucinate and clouding his mind, both of which can be observed during the final battle. Finally, Ezio's resistance is shown when he finally confronts [[Rodrigo Borgia]] in Rome. Although this instance has Ezio ''himself'' using the Apple while Rodrigo uses the Staff.

There is a high potential that Altaïr passed on this gift to Desmond Miles and his other descendants. Although a small number of theories can be made upon decrypting Truth File #18 because while decrypting it Subject 16 makes comments about scientists finding a specific neurological receptor in the human brain that responds solely to the effects of the Eden artifacts. It is highly possible that Altaïr, or more appropriately, one of his ancestors, was born lacking these "dormant receptors". As Desmond's genetic family are seemingly the only of which that possess this resistance. Why such a severe neurological mutation such as this (severe, due to the fact that humans were created, specifically to be controlled by the artifacts through these receptors), were to occur is left for speculation.

== Confirmed Artifacts ==

'''01: The First Apple:''' Designed to create illusions and control men's minds; can be used in conjunction with the Staff.

'''Status:''' Most likely destroyed, but no confirmation.

'''Owners:''' Those Who Came Before, Adam(A)/Eve(A), Abel(A), Cain(T), Al Mualim(T)(!), Altair(A), Ezio(A), Unknown, Napoleon, Unknown, Houdini, Templars.

'''02: The Second Apple:''' Designed to create illusions and control men's minds; can be used in conjunction with the Staff.

'''Status:''' Caught in an explosive satellite malfunction. Most likely survived, but impossible to retrieve in the blackness of space; see the AC1 emails.

'''Owners:''' Those Who Came Before, Unknown, Queen "Bloody" Mary I of England(T)(!), Queen Elizabeth I of England, Unknown, Gandhi, Templars.

'''03: The Third Apple:''' Designed to create illusions and control men's minds; can be used in conjunction with the Staff.

'''Status:''' Unknown

'''Owners:''' Those Who Came Before, George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson(T)

'''04: The Fourth Apple:''' Designed to create illusions and control men's minds; can be used in conjunction with the Staff. But possibly it has helped in the development of weapons and technology throughout the centuries.

'''Status:''' Unknown

'''Owners:''' Those Who Came Before, "The Invention of Gunpowder", Nikola Tesla(A), Thomas Edison(T), Henry Ford(T), Adolf Hitler(T)(!), Assassins.

'''05: The Fifth Apple:''' Designed to create illusions and control men's minds; can be used in conjunction with the Staff.

'''Status:''' Unknown

'''Owners:''' Those Who Came Before, NASA(T).

'''25: The Sword:''' Designed to possibly cut through anything and block any attack. It also probably "passed" along an immense knowledge of combat tactics to the wielder, allowing them to take on entire armies. It's said that Attila the Hun's sword had an attack called the "Scourge of Mars". It was so terrifying that none dared to speak of the details...if there were any that survived it, that is. So it's also possible that with a single stroke, it can carve down hundreds of men.

'''Status:''' Unknown

'''Owners:''' Those Who Came Before, Perseus, Alexander the Great(T)(!), Attila the Hun(T), King Arthur, Sigurd, Genghis Kahn(T)(!), Joan of Arc, Templars.

'''34: The Staff:''' Designed to control men's minds and bodies; it has a spot in the headpiece where an Apple of Eden can placed to enhance the mind control powers.

'''Status:''' Destroyed in the Tunguska Incident.

'''Owners:''' Those Who Came Before, Egyptian Pharaohs, Moses, Alexander the Great(T)(!), John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, Saint Peter, Rodrigo Borgia(T), Ezio(A), Unknown, Czar Nicholas II, Rasputin(T)(!).

'''66: The Shroud:''' Unknown, possibly allowed the resurrection of the dead, able to heal any ailment. The Templars were behind the crucifixion of Christ, allowing them to steal the artifact, although his disciples may have used it to heal Jesus before the Templars stole it. The Shroud appears to be red in color, with a "golden layer" woven on the inside, most likely the golden layer is the "technological part" of the artifact.

'''Status:''' Unknown

'''Owners:''' Those Who Came Before, David, Jesus Christ, Templars.

(T) = A Templar/worked with Templars (A) = Assassin/Worked With Assassins (!)= Confirmed Assassinated by the Assassins

== Locations of the Artifacts ==

According to the Codex Map there are exactly 47 Pieces of Eden remaining in the world. Here are the proposed locations of each.

#Giza, Egypt
#Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania - (The Apple #?)
#The Gambia
#Timbuktu, Mali
#Atlas Mountains, Morocco
#Canary Islands, Spain
#Vologda Oblast, Russia - (The Staff?)
#Chernobyl, Ukraine - (The Staff? Or a failed Templar project)
#Sighişoara, Transylvania - (The Apple #4)
#Rennes-le-Château, France
#Salisbury, England - (The Sword?/Excalibur)
#Loch Ness, Scotland
#Uluru, Australia
#Nara, Japan
#Xi'an, China - (The Sword?)
#Lake Baikal, Siberia
#Bareilly, India
#Persepolis, Iran
#Jerusalem, Israel - (The Apple #1)
#Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - (The Shroud?)
#Machu Picchu, Perú
#Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
#Aasiaat, Greenland
#Chichen Itza, Mexico
#San Antonio, Texas
#Montréal, Quebec
#Lake Okanagan, British Columbia
#Coloma, California

== Possible Artifacts and their Functions; Temple locations==

These artifacts are based on the locations given in Assassin's Creed, and the clues and hints found in all the games.

*The Holy Grail: Although the Templars doubt its existence as a Biblical artifact, it could prove to be real. Possible Functions: Grants eternal life, among other things. Possible owners: Jesus.
*The Crystal Skulls: Quartz skulls found in Ancient Temples. Telepathic Communication. Currently possessed by the Templars, possibly found near the Nazca Lines. There are more than two, although the number is unknown at this time, but it's possible there could be at least 13.
*The "Philadelphia Experiment" artifact: Time travel, said to have been lost in the failed experiment. According to reports, a Navy destroyer ship disappeared for a few minutes, supposedly having traveled to the future. When it reappeared and was searched, most of the men were gone or they were there but dead, with pieces of their bodies melted into the metal of the ship. According to the email in the firct AC, it was locked away in a safe location, and curiously, on the Codex map it shows a dot in the middle of the Nevada desert...Area 51?
*The Golden Fleece: A seemingly weightless and indestructible piece of armor or cloak. In his [[Codex]], Altair speculates that it could have truly existed and was actually made of a unique metal compound he had discovered how to create using knowledge contained within the Apple. Shortly after creating his set of armour with the metal, Altair destroyed anything that could lead to its discovery or creation, fearing the knowledge could one day fall into the hands of the Templars. Possible Owners: Jason of the Argonauts
*The Spear of Destiny or Holy Lance: Said to protect its user from death, but causes instant death when lost. Also it's possible that when thrown it can never miss it's target and can't be stopped in mid-flight. Supposedly pierced the side of Christ at his crucifixion, although Biblically the man who pierced Christ was said to live forever, until he found out and killed himself with the spear. Possible Owners: Longinus, Constantine, Charlemagne and other Holy Roman Emperors
*The Philosopher's Stone: Turn any substance into pure gold. Possibly what started the gold rush in Coloma, California.

There are 8 locations of Temples mentioned by Minerva that could possibly help save the human race, and more than likely where Desmond and the other modern day Assassins will be heading in the third AC game.

*New York City, NY, USA; possible locations include the American Museum of Natural History, the New York Library, Madison Square Garden, etc. It's hard to determine because New York city has a huge underground network system, it could be hiding in plain sight, or it could be so far down that no one could possibly have seen it, able to rise up from the earth at will and just hasn't for thousands of years.
*Galapagos Islands
*Somewhere in the middle of the country of Cameroon, Africa; Cameroon is literally in the heart of Africa, covered in dense jungle, it woul be completely possible to hide a temple in it and never see it from the sky above.
*Lake Bakial, Russia
*Somwhere in the South Pacific Ocean, parallel to the one on the Galapagos Islands.
*Hidden in the fjords in Northern Norway, possibly close to the peninsula/islands near Hinnoya, Norway.
*Somewhere in the middle of the island of Java, Indonesia.
*Somewhere in the ocean south of the southeastern tip of Australia.

All the temple locations are parallel to each other, first appearing in a curved row of three, a row of two to make the parallel fold across the map, and then a curved row of three again.

Other possible Pieces of Eden. These are just something to think about, since the POE's were part of most of history and myths, it's possible these could also exist.

*The Wand: Every great sorcerer, wizard, or magician that could have possibly existed in the real world has been said to have a wand, thus the source of their power. Functions: this Piece of Eden could possibly allow the user the ability to warp reality, thus making making some form of magic spells possible. People who might have owned it: Circe, Merlin, the Fairy Godmother of some fairy tales. Has a high chance of existing, since the Sword was once wielded by King Arthur.
*The Boots: Numerous legends abound about boots that can grant either super speed or flight, like the Seven-league Boots or the Winged Sandals of Hermes.
*The Hammer: There is only one real mention of Mjolnir, the Norse thunder god Thor's warhammer. It was rumored to be unbreakable and able to control the elements of the storms. It has been noted lately that it's possible that Thor could have been a real person and was such a fantastic warrior that the Vikings actually worshiped him as the warrior god. It was also noted that in the real world, the Knights Templar were actually on good terms with the Viking community. Could be possible that they presented a Piece of Eden to them in the game world as a motion of good faith?
*The Helmet: Used by Perseus, along with the Sword, the Helmet of Hades made the wearer invisible once put on.
*The Shield: Perseus also used a mythical shield given to him by Athena (Minerva in the Roman culture). It's supposedly unbreakable and one of it's qualities is it's mirrored finish, which enabled him to supposedly kill the Gorgon without looking at it and thus turning to stone. It's possible that the Gorgon part was a myth, but instead was a person who possessed a Piece of Eden that could turn any who saw it into stone, and it just so happened to look like the head of a foul beast. It's noted that in just about every modern day statue that depicts Perseus, he is holding the head of Medusa in his hands.
*The Second Sword: There are thousands of myths and legends that tell of magic/enchanted swords all throughout history, some of them existing in the hands of other people at the same time in far off places. So it's possible that there might be a second Piece of Eden that is a Sword. There is obviously more than one apple shaped Piece of Eden, as listed above.

Things the Pieces of Eden share in common:

*If any one of these pieces were to be destroyed, like the Piece of Eden involved in the Tunguska Explosion, they would cause explosions similar to nuclear blasts, at least enough to level a major city. It's even been shown that at least one of these things were part of the Manhattan project in one of the glyphs left behind by Subject 16.
*It's highly possible that The Ones that Came Before had mastered all forms of technology, including controlled nuclear fusion which is another reason these things still have power to them even after thousands of years of being used throughout human history, and another reason for the blast theory above.
*It is possible, but very slim, that through their advanced technology, the Pieces of Eden are omni-synched: synchronized to each other throughout time and locations of where they are on the planet. It would explain why the one Apple shows the location of the remaining 46 pieces on the map shown to Altair, not showing the one lost in the satelite incident or the one lost in the Tunguska incident.

== Notes ==

It may be interesting to note that in Assassin's Creed, Al Mualim and Robert De Sable both want to use the Apple of Eden to control the population and enforce peace. But as the Templars continue to thrive, they seem obsessed with power. Rodrigo Borgia, the Spaniard, comes into possession of the Staff. Instead of using it to forcefully control his followers, he seems to desire it only for the power it brings him. (He is seen leading his congregation in prayer; if he controlled their minds, they would stand around like sheep. There would be no reason to pray.) He also talks of killing God solely for the power it will bring him. While the Templars first sought the Pieces of Eden in a quest for peace, they were corrupted and seem now to only desire power.

It should be noted that every major historical event or scientific discovery has been attributed to its catalysts having in their possession a Piece of Eden. As seen in the sections above, the Pieces are all at the heart of history. For example, Edison made his invention while he has the Apple of Eden in his possession. It is also known that Lee Harvey Oswald, as well as his co-conspirators, is mentioned in a letter discussing who will receive a Piece of Eden next.

It is stated in one of the Codex pages that a Piece of Eden can not be destroyed, however this could just be due to the lack of sufficient technology in the middle ages when the Codex was written. It is stated in a letter to Tesla (part of the Truth Video unlock events) that when the sender of the letter finds the Piece of Eden they are looking for, can he use his mastery of electricity to permanently destroy the Piece of Eden. Unfortunately, this resulted in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunguska_event Tunguska Explosion].

== Trivia ==

Thanks to the glyphs, a number of legends were proven to be real in a way, thanks to the P.O.E. Here are a few:
*The Greek Myth of Perseus.
*King Arthur existed as he had in the legends about him and not just the way historians think he did.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Piece Of Eden}}
[[Category:Assassin's Creed Series]]

Piece of Eden

2009-12-14T23:24:09Z

68.5.93.215: /* Confirmed Artifacts */

[[File:POE.jpg|thumb]]

The '''Piece of Eden''' is one of several ancient objects left by [[Those Who Came Before]], possessing different effects, that is able to bend people to the will of the user. One of the greatest weapons known to man, it is capable of ending wars and (provided it is used correctly) ushering in a forced peace.

It is believed by the staff of Abstergo Industries and the Templars that the Piece of Eden, along with other artifacts like it, was the source of such miracles as the Parting of the Red Sea, the successful use of the Trojan Horse by the Greeks to win the Trojan War, the miracles surrounding "the Christ-figure" who founded the Christian faith and the Biblical plagues that ravaged Egypt, among other supernatural happenings.

Apart from its power to force almost anyone into serving its possessor,the Piece of Eden's greatest power is that its existence essentially disproves the existence of an all-powerful God. The Templar Order had already committed itself to exposing the claims of all religions as false, and the Piece of Eden is perfectly suited to the successful pursuit of this purpose.

Incidentally, each Piece of Eden also contains a holographic map of the Earth that shows the location of all the other Artifacts. The Masyaf Piece of Eden was destroyed during its experimental use by [[Abstergo]] Industries at the Denver International Airport. Using [[Altair]]'s memory of events, however, the map showed the locations of the other Pieces of Eden.

After Altaïr took control of the Assassins, their new goal was to hunt down and destroy the last of the Templars and the Pieces of Eden. During the events of ''Assassin's Creed Bloodlines'', Altaïr starts to study the artifact, writing about its powers and his own theories. When the Cypriots blamed Altaïr for the disasters that struck the island and tried to attack him, he used the Piece of Eden to control their minds, forcing them to hear the truth, that the real culprit was the Templar Grand Master, Armand Bouchart. After reaching the Archives in Limassol, and killing Bouchart, Altaïr kept the Masyaf Piece of Eden, not leaving it in the Archives as he had first intended. It is unknown what happened to the Masyaf Piece of Eden after Altaïr and Maria traveled "East". On an interesting note, the object is referred to as the "Apple of Eden" in the game.

[[File:PoE-UsedByTWHCB.png|thumb|The Piece of Eden presumably used by [[Those Who Came Before]] to enslave humans]]

In ''[[Assassin's Creed 2]]'', it is revealed that the Apple and other Pieces of Eden have a rather extensive history of changing hands while decrypting the "Truth" files left by Subject 16. Notable figures in history have used the Pieces of Eden, although for varying purposes; including, but not limited to: Napoleon Bonaparte, George Washington, Gandhi, Houdini, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Tsar Nicholas II, and even Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler. It is also revealed that there are at least 3 Apples remaining in the world, which represent the three divine Golden Apples of Greek mythology.

== Resistance ==

[[Image:poemap.jpg|right|thumb|200px|A map of many "Pieces of Eden"]]
In an e-mail at Abstergo Industries it is revealed that the company's leaders are worried that the Pieces of Eden are not all that is needed to achieve their goal. It is mentioned that some people may be resistant to the mind control effect of the Piece of Eden and that other "Artifacts" must be found to ensure no one is left to cause trouble in the Templar's planned "New World". The only three people so far to show a resistance against the Pieces of Eden are an unnamed person present at the DIA incident, Altaïr, and Ezio. The first sends an e-mail to Dr. Vidic declaring "I know what you did" and gives a firsthand account of the artifact's failed experiment there. Of note is that this person seems to be acting alone and is therefore unlikely to know of the Templars or the Assassins and may not be a member of either organization themselves. Altaïr's resistance is shown when Al Mualim shows him the treasure but Altaïr simply says that to him it is just a piece of silver and does not understand how Al Mualim can believe it to be pure temptation as he describes. This response surprises Al Mualim who later reveals that he had shown the Piece of Eden to Altaïr in an attempt to hypnotize him, but for some reason he could not. However, even though Altaïr is resistant against its hypnotic effect, the Piece of Eden can still do some things to him such as: immobilizing him, causing him to hallucinate and clouding his mind, both of which can be observed during the final battle. Finally, Ezio's resistance is shown when he finally confronts [[Rodrigo Borgia]] in Rome. Although this instance has Ezio ''himself'' using the Apple while Rodrigo uses the Staff. But Ezio shows no resistance to the combined power of the Apple and the Staff.

There is a high potential that Altaïr passed on this gift to Desmond Miles and his other descendants. Although a small number of theories can be made upon decrypting Truth File #18 because while decrypting it Subject 16 makes comments about scientists finding a specific neurological receptor in the human brain that responds solely to the effects of the Eden artifacts. It is highly possible that Altaïr, or more appropriately, one of his ancestors, was born lacking these "dormant receptors". As Desmond's genetic family are seemingly the only of which that possess this resistance. Why such a severe neurological mutation such as this (severe, due to the fact that humans were created, specifically to be controlled by the artifacts through these receptors), were to occur is left for speculation.

== Confirmed Artifacts ==
01: The First Apple: Designed to create illusions and control men's minds; can be used in conjunction with the Staff. Most likely destroyed, but no confirmation.

Owners: Those Who Came Before, Adam(A)/Eve(A), Abel(A), Cain(T), Al Mualim(T)(!), Altair(A), Ezio(A), Unknown, Napoleon, Unknown, Houdini, Templars.

02: The Second Apple: Designed to create illusions and control men's minds; can be used in conjunction with the Staff. (Caught in explosive satellite malfunction, most likely survived, but impossible to retreve in the blackness of space; see the AC1 emails)

Owners: Those Who Came Before, Unknown, Queen "Bloody" Mary I of England(T)(!), Queen Elizabeth I of England, Unknown, Gandhi, Templars.

03: The Third Apple: Designed to create illusions and control men's minds; can be used in conjunction with the Staff.

Owners: Those Who Came Before, George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson(T)

04: The Fourth Apple: Designed to create illusions and control men's minds; can be used in conjunction with the Staff.

Owners: Those Who Came Before, "The Invention of Gunpowder", Nikola Tesla(A), Thomas Edison(T), Henry Ford(T), Adolf Hitler(T)(!), Assassins.

05: The Fifth Apple: Designed to create illusions and control men's minds; can be used in conjunction with the Staff.

Owners: Those Who Came Before, NASA(T).

25: The Sword: Unknown function.

Owners: Those Who Came Before, Perseus, Attila the Hun(T), Alexander the Great(T)(!), King Arthur, Sigurd, Genghis Khan(T)(!), Joan of Arc, Templars.

34: The Staff: Designed to control men's minds and bodies; it has a spot in the headpiece where an Apple of Eden can placed to enhance the mind control powers. (Destroyed in the Tunguska Event.)

Owners: Those Who Came Before, Egyptian Pharaohs, Moses, Alexander the Great(T)(!), John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter, Rodrigo Borgia(T), Ezio(A), Unknown, Czar Nicholas II, Rasputin(T)(!)

66: The Shroud: Unknown function, but possibly designed to resurrect the dead.

Owners: Those Who Came Before, David, Jesus Christ, Templars

(T) = A Templar / Templar Group
(A) = Assassin / Worked With Assassins
(!)= Confirmed Assassinated by the Assassins

== Locations of the Artifacts ==

According to the Codex Map there are exactly 46 Pieces of Eden remaining in the world. Here are the proposed locations of each.
#Giza, Egypt
#Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania - (The Apple #?)
#The Gambia
#Timbuktu, Mali
#Atlas Mountains, Morocco
#Canary Islands, Spain
#Vologda Oblast, Russia - (The Staff?)
#Chernobyl, Ukraine - (The Staff? or a failed templar project)
#Sighişoara, Transylvania - (The Apple #4)
#Rennes-le-Château, France
#Salisbury, England (The Sword?-Excalibur)
#Loch Ness, Scotland (apple#?)
#Uluru, Australia
#Nara, Japan
#Xi'an, China - (The Sword?)
#Lake Baikal, Siberia
#Bareilly, India
#Persepolis, Iran
#Jerusalem, Israel - (The Apple #1)
#Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - (The Shroud?)
#Machu Picchu, Perú - (The Crystal Skulls?)
#Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
#Aasiaat, Greenland
#Chichen Itza, Mexico
#San Antonio, Texas
#Montréal, Quebec
#Lake Okanagan, British Columbia
#Coloma, California

== ==
== Possible Artifacts and their Functions; Temple locations==
These artifacts are based on the locations given in Assassin's Creed, and the clues and hints found in all the games.

*The Holy Grail: Although the Templars doubt its existence as a biblical artifact, it could prove to be real. Possible Functions: Grants eternal life, among other things.
*The Crystal Skulls: Quartz skulls found in Ancient Temples. Telepathic Communication. Currently possessed by the Templars, possibly found near the Nazca Lines.
*The "Philadelphia Experiment" artifact: Time travel, said to have been lost in the failed experiment. According to reports, a navy Destroyer disappeared for a few minutes, supposedly having traveled to the future. When it reappeared, and was searched, most of the men were gone or they were there but dead, pieces of their bodies melted into the metal of the ship.  
*The Golden Fleece: A seemingly weightless and indestructible piece of armor or cloak. In his [[Codex]], Altair speculates that it could have truly existed and was actually made of a unique metal compound he had discovered how to create using knowledge contained within the Apple. Shortly after creating his set of armour with the metal, Altair destroyed anything that could lead to its discovery or creation, fearing the knowledge could one day fall into the hands of the Templars.
*The Spear of Destiny or Holy Lance: Said to protect its user from death, but causes instant death when lost. Also it's possible that when thrown it can never miss it's target and can't be stopped in mid-flight.  Supposedly pirced the side of Christ at his crucifixtion
*The Philosopher's Stone: Turn any substance into pure gold. Possibly what started the gold rush in Coloma, California.
There are 8 locations of Temples mentioned by Minerva that could possibly help save the human race, and more than likely where Desmond and the other modern day Assassins will be heading in the third AC game

*New York City, NY, USA

*Galapagos Islands
*Somewhere in the middle of the country of Cameroon, Africa
*Lake Bakial, Russia
*Somwhere in the South Pacific Ocean, parallateral to the one on the Galapagos
*Someplace in Northern Norway
*Somewhere in the middle of the island of Java, Indonesia
*Somewhere in the ocean south of the southeastern tip of Austrailia

All the temple locations are parallel to each other, first appearing in a curved row of three, a row of two to make the parallel fold across the map, and then a curved row of three again.

Other possible Pieces of Eden (just something to think about, since the POE's were part of most of history and myths, it's possible these could also exist)

*the Wand: Every great sorccer, wizard, or magician that could have possibly existed in the real world has been said to have a wand, thus the source of their power Functions: this piece of eden could allow the abilty to warp reality; thus making making magic spells possible; People who might have owned it: Circe, Merlin, the Fairy Godmother of some fairytales,

*the Boots: Numerous legends abound about boots that can grant super speed or flight, like seven-league boots or hermes winged sandals
*the Hammer: only one real mention of that of Mjolnir, the norse thunder god Thor's hammer, unbreakable and able to control the elements of the storm. It has been noted lately that it's possible that Thor could have been a real person and was such a fantastic warrior that the Vikings worshipped him as the warrior god.
*The Helmet: Used by Persus, along with Piece of eden #25, this Helmet of Hades made the wearer invisble once put on
*The Shield: Persus also used a mythical shield of Athena (Minerva in roman), more than likely it's unbreakable, but one of it's qualities is that it's reflective as a mirror, which enabled him to supposedly kill the gorgon without looking at it and thus turning to stone. It's possible that the gorgon part was a myth, but instead was a peson who possessed a piece of eden that could turn any who saw it into stone, and it just so happened to look like the head of a foul beast. It's noted that in just about every modern day statue that depicts Persus, he his holding the head of Medusa in his hands.
*The second Sword: There are thousands of myths and legends that tell of magic swords all throughout history, some of them existing in the hands of other people at the same time in far off places, so it's possible that there might be a second Piece of Eden that is a sword, There is obviously more than one apple shapped p.o.e. as listed above

Things the Pieces of Eden share in common:

*If any one of these pieces were to be destroyed, like the piece of eden involved in the Tunguska Explosion, they would cause explosions similar to nuclear blasts, at least enough to level a major city. It's even been shown that at least one of these things were part of the Manhatten project in one of the glyphs left behind by Subject 16.
*It's highly possible that the Ones that Came Before had mastered all forms of technology, including controlled nuclear fusion which is another reason these things still have power to them even after thousands of years of being used throughout human history, and another reason for the blast theory above
*It is possible, but very slim, that through their advanced technology, the pieces of eden are omni-synched, synchronized to each other throughout time and loction of where they are on the planet. it would explain why the one apple shows the location of the remaining 46 pieces on the map shown to Altair, not showing the one lost in the satelite incident or the one lost in the Tunguska incident.

== Notes ==
It may be interesting to note that in Assassin's Creed, Al Mualim and Robert De Sable both want to use the Apple of Eden to control the population and enforce peace. But as the Templars continue to thrive, they seem obsessed with power. Rodrigo Borgia, the Spaniard, comes into possession of the Staff. Instead of using it to forcefully control his followers, he seems to desire it only for the power it brings him. (He is seen leading his congregation in prayer—if he controlled their minds, they would stand around like sheep. There would be no reason to pray.) He also talks of killing God solely for the power it will bring him. While the Templars first sought the Pieces of Eden in a quest for peace, they were corrupted and seem now to only desire power.

It should be noted that every major historical event or scientific discovery has been attributed to its catalysts having in their possession a Piece of Eden. As seen in the sections above, the Pieces are all at the heart of history. For example, Edison made his invention while he has the Apple of Eden in his possession. It is also known that Lee Harvey Oswald, as well as his co-conspirators, is mentioned in a letter discussing who will receive a Piece of Eden next.

It is stated in one of the CODEX pages that a Piece of Eden can not be destroyed, however this could just be due to the lack of sufficient technology in the middle ages when the CODEX was written. It is stated in a letter to Tesla (part of the Truth Video unlock events) that when the sender of the letter finds the Piece of Eden they are looking for, can he use his mastery of electricity to permanently destroy the Piece of Eden. Unfortunately, this resulted in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunguska_event Tunguska Explosion].

== Trivia ==

*One of the Pieces of Eden is shown to be in Montreal, Canada. This is likely to be an inside joke as [[Ubisoft]] Montreal, who made the Assassins Creed franchise is based there.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Piece Of Eden}}
[[Category:Assassin's Creed Series]]

Easter eggs

2009-12-03T06:16:17Z

68.5.93.215: /* Giant Squid */

{{Stub}}

= Easter Eggs =

[[Video:Assassin's Creed 2: It's a-me, Mario!|thumb|300px|left]]
= Mario =

At the beginning of the third sequence, [[Mario Auditore da Firenze|Ezio's Uncle]] says "It's-a-me! Mario!" which is a reference to Super Mario Bros .

=Giant Octopus=
A giant octopus can be found in Santa Maria Delle Visitazione. The octopus appears after activating the lever that brings out the bars to swing and traverse the final chamber. To find the giant octopus you must look down the water near the lever for a minute. Once a minute or so has passed a cutscene showing a large octopus should pass by. A second cutscene can be activated if the player activates the lever and looks down again. The cutscene shows Ezio narrowly dodging the giant octopus's tentacle, then swims away.

[[Video:Assassin's Creed 2 Easter Egg- Giant Squid|thumb|300px|right|Action starts at 1:20!]]

= Altaïr's Outfit=
Altaïr's outfit from ''Assassin's Creed'' can be unlocked via Uplay by purchasing it for 30 points. It does not add/change any stat points for Ezio.