Hermeticists

2017-02-16T11:13:02Z

78.34.111.11: /* Modern times */

{{Era|ACB|ACRG|PL|DYL|Hermeticists}}
{{WP-REAL|Hermeticism}}
{{quote|Do you not see? We can banish ignorance. Free people from their social classes and kingdoms, from their animal emotions. Every one will have the truth at their grasp.|Ercole Massimo about the Hermeticists' goals.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
{{Faction infobox
|name = Hermeticists
|image = Caduceus.svg
|locations = [[Greece]] [[Italy]] [[United Kingdom|England]]
|formed = Circa 6th century BCE
|notable = [[Pythagoras]] [[Ercole Massimo]] [[Nicolas Court]] [[William Robert Woodman]] [[William Wynn Westcott]] [[Samuel Liddell Mathers]]}}
The '''Hermeticists''' were members of the '''Cult of Hermes''', a group based on a set of philosophical and religious beliefs, who dedicated themselves to "transforming mankind."

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

The man dressed in peasant's garb announced himself to be Hermes, and plunged his staff into the ground, causing the snakes to seemingly come alive and the sands to shift.<ref name="Project Legacy - Kyros of Zarax" />

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

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

===Renaissance===
{{Quote|Why seek knowledge without putting it to use? We have the chance to fashion a better world, one in which we have the freedom to shape our own destiny.|Ercole Massimo, a leader of the Hermeticists.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
[[File:A_Roll_of_the_Dice_6.png|thumb|250px|Three Hermeticists preparing to fight]]
Sometime before 1506, several Hermeticists pursued the [[Assassins|Assassin]] [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]], in order to obtain the [[Ezio's Apple of Eden|Apple of Eden]] he had in his possession. They were unsuccessful, however, and the [[Pieces of Eden|Piece of Eden]] was sealed away.<ref name="The Da Vinci Disappearance">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' - ''[[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]''</ref>

As of 1506, after the [[Liberation of Rome|fall]] of the [[House of Borgia|Borgia]] in Rome, the Hermeticists were led by [[Ercole Massimo]]. At his order, they captured [[Leonardo da Vinci]], a famed polymath, in order to discover the hidden entrance of the [[Temple of Pythagoras]].<ref name="The Da Vinci Disappearance" />

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==Trivia==
*The symbol of the Hermeticists was a "{{Wiki|caduceus}}," a short staff entwined by two serpents, and sometimes surrounded by wings. In Greek mythology, it was believed to be the staff wielded by Hermes, the messenger of the gods.
*Similarly to the [[Cento Occhi]] and [[Borgia messengers]] in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'', the Hermeticists carried several valuable items that were needed for [[Shop quests]].
*The Hermeticists wielded daggers and other [[short blades]], and fought much like [[Agile guards]].
*During the restored memories, several Hermeticists could be found throughout Rome, actively fighting against Borgia [[guards]].

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="180" position="center" spacing="small" captionalign="center">
Hermeticist-render.png|A Renaissance Hermeticist
GiordanoBruno.png|Giordano Bruno, a prominent Renaissance Hermeticist
HermesStolzenberg.jpg|An illustration of Hermes Trismegistus
TToP 1.png|Leonardo, a Hermeticist and Ercole Massimo
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{ACBH}}
[[Category:Cults]]
[[Category:Organizations]]
[[Category:Templar-affiliated groups]]

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

Hermeticists