Leap of Faith

2017-06-02T20:39:33Z

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{{Quote|They lead, each Brother plummeting from the tower and landing safely below in a bale of hay. They are like eagles. Truly free. I do not hesitate. The fall feels like a flight. Exhilarating!|[[Perotto Calderon]] performing a Leap of Faith for his initiation.|Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy}}
[[File:Glory 5.png|thumb|250px|Altaïr, Rauf, and another Assassin performing Leaps of Faith in Masyaf]]
The '''Leap of Faith''' was an acrobatic [[freerunning]] maneuver in which the person performing it dived off of a high structure and landed, unharmed, into a cushioning material.

The movie was integral for the members of the [[Assassins|Assassin Order]] and served as a requirement for their [[Initiation into the Assassin Order|initiation]] for many years, though the practice fell out of use in [[modern times]].

==History==
[[File:AC1 Altair Leap of Faith Damascus.png|thumb|250px|left|Altaïr performing a Leap of Faith in Damascus]]
The acrobatic move itself traditionally consisted of a vertical leap with a completely straight stature, followed by a head-over-heels roll in mid-air to allow the one performing it to land on their back.<ref name="AC">''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref>

The move could also be performed by simply walking off of a high ledge or beam, and leaning the entire body forward. This method was used by [[Rome|Roman]] Assassin [[Assassin apprentices|recruits]] after their initiation ceremony.<ref name="ACB">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

An alternative Leap of Faith could be performed while hanging from a ledge, and dropping down backwards onto a safe landing spot that was directly below.<ref name="AC2">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref> Areas from which a Leap could be performed were often marked by bird droppings with small hay patches, or with pigeons perched upon the respective ledge.<ref name="AC"/>

===Middle Ages===
In 1191, during the [[defense of Masyaf]], [[Rashid ad-Din Sinan]] ordered several Assassins to perform the Leap of Faith before the [[Templars|Knights Templar]] gathered before the fortress, both to proclaim that the Assassins did not fear death, and to successfully trigger an ambush that would rout the attackers.<ref name="AC"/>

In the field, the Leap of Faith was mostly used to descend from [[viewpoints]], each of which always provided a suitable safe target for it. However, it could be used to descend from anywhere, provided a safe spot was situated underneath. The Leap could also be used to escape pursuing [[guards]] on rooftops, since they were unable to perform the maneuver.<ref name="AC"/>

===Renaissance===
[[File:AC2 San Gimignano Leap.png|250px|thumb|right|Ezio performing a Leap of Faith from a tower in [[San Gimignano]]]]
Though [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] only performed Leaps of Faith into piles of hay, [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] could make use of water and other sorts of soft material, such as spice carts or flower petals.<ref name="AC2"/>

Upon traveling to Rome, Ezio made use of the Leap of Faith to quickly escape from the [[Borgia Towers|Borgia towers]] he had climbed and set aflame.<ref name="ACB"/> As per tradition, whenever Assassin recruits were initiated, they performed a Leap of Faith, signifying their new rank. Ezio himself performed a Leap of Faith from atop a bell tower in [[Venice]],<ref name="AC2"/> and his Roman recruits performed the act from atop the [[Tiber Island]] [[Tiber Island headquarters|headquarters]], into the [[Tiber]] below.<ref name="ACB"/>

===Enlightenment Age===
[[File:AC4 Leap of Faith.png|thumb|250px|left|Edward Kenway performing a Leap of Faith]]
During the 18th century, the [[Piracy|pirate]] [[Edward Kenway]] was also able to perform Leaps of Faith from high points. However, many of Edward's jumps were often directed into pools of water below - provided the water was deep enough - such as those he executed while [[Attacks on Tulum|defending Tulum]] or while chasing [[Charles Vane]] during their marooning on [[Isla Providencia]]. It was also possible for Edward to perform diving leaps from the crossmasts of [[Ships|ships]], landing safely in the sea.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''</ref>

Edward's grandson [[Ratonhnhaké:ton|Connor]] was able to perform Leaps of Faith into moving carts of hay below. Notably, Connor also leapt from the seaside cliffs of a burning [[Fort Wolcott]], and later into a giant cavern below [[Oak Island]] while searching for the treasure of [[William Kidd]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed III]]''</ref> The [[France|French]]-[[Africa]]n Assassin [[Aveline de Grandpré]] at one point used the Leap of Faith to enter the {{Wiki|Sacred Cenote|Sagrado Cenote}} in [[Chichen Itza]] while looking for the pieces of a [[Prophecy Disks|Prophecy Disk]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed III: Liberation]]''</ref>

===Industrial Revolution===
In 1868, [[Jacob Frye|Jacob]] and [[Evie Frye]], as part of their activities with the [[Ghost Club]], chased down [[Spring-heeled Jack]], who ultimately managed to escape by performing a Leap of Faith.<ref name="ACS">''[[Assassin's Creed: Syndicate]]''</ref>

===Modern times===
[[File:BH-Mesmond LoF.png|thumb|250px|Desmond's first Leap of Faith]]
In 2000, [[Daniel Cross]] performed a Leap of Faith into the Persian Gulf to escape the Assassins' [[Dubai]] headquarters, shortly after instinctively murdering [[Mentor (2000)|the Mentor]] with his newly acquired [[Hidden Blade]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: The Fall]]''</ref> Later on, in 2012, [[Desmond Miles]] performed his first Leap of Faith in the modern, but run-down city of [[Monteriggioni]], after witnessing a vision of Ezio climbing to a View Point due to the [[Bleeding Effect]].<ref name="ACB"/> A few months later, Desmond executed another, much higher Leap of Faith in [[New York City]], jumping from the {{Wiki|One World Trade Center}}, before deploying a [[Parachutes|parachute]] to glide to another rooftop. Several Abstergo recruits also performed Leaps of Faith during the simulations in the [[Animus]], as a part of the [[Animi Training Program]].<ref name="ACB"/> In 2015, [[Rebecca Crane]] and [[Shaun Hastings]] both performed Leaps of Faith to escape [[Isabelle Ardant]] and [[Sigma Team]].<ref name="ACS"/>

==Trivia==
;''Assassin's Creed''
*When [[Masyaf]] was attacked by Templars, three Assassins displayed their devotion by performing Leaps of Faith from a cliff. This was based on a historical incident involving the {{Wiki|Hashshashin#Origins|Hashshashin}}, in which their leader proclaimed that his followers were more devout than any and would follow all commands he gave.
*There was nothing coincidental about the placement of the piles of hay in the Animus. It was explained that the bales of hay and the birds indicating them were programmed into memories by [[Lucy Stillman]], as a way to help in navigation.

;''Assassin's Creed II''
*When being pursued by Ezio, [[Francesco de' Pazzi]] leapt from the [[Palazzo della Signoria]] into a haystack for a quick escape. This was the only known example for a non-Assassin performing a Leap of Faith until ''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''.
*To earn the "'''High Dive'''" [[Assassin's Creed II achievements|achievement]], Ezio had to perform a Leap of Faith from [[Giotto's Campanile]] in [[Florence]], as it was the highest View Point in the city.
*Ezio was forced to perform an alternative Leap of Faith at least once, after speaking with [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze|his father]] at the Palazzo della Signoria in "[[Jailbird]]."

;''Assassin's Creed: Revelations''
*[[Vali cel Tradat]] performed a Leap of Faith, becoming the second Templar to ever use the move. However, he was a former Assassin.

;''Assassin's Creed III''
*In ''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'', the [[Kanien'kehá:ka]] woman [[Kaniehtí:io]] performed a Leap of Faith, becoming the first person to perform this acrobatic move, who was not a member of the Assassins or Templars.
*The [[Colonial Rite of the Templar Order|Colonial Templar]] [[Grand Master]] [[Haytham Kenway]] also performed a Leap of Faith, becoming the third Templar to perform the move. However, he was raised as an Assassin during his childhood.
*Crows indicated where a Leap of Faith could be performed, instead of pigeons.

;''Assassin's Creed: Rogue''
*During the memory "[[The Color of Right]]", a gang member can be seen performing a Leap of Faith.

;''Assassin's Creed: Unity''
*[[Arno Dorian]] employed a maneuver similar to the Leap of Faith, known as the "Base Jump", leaping from a high point and swinging on an object as he fell to the ground.

;'''Other'''
*It was suggested that very few of the modern-age Assassins performed the Leap of Faith, due to Lucy Stillman saying it was "pretty awesome" when she witnessed Desmond Miles' Leap from the walls of Monteriggioni.
*In ''[[Assassin's Creed II: Discovery]]'', Ezio could also perform the alternative Leap of Faith by hanging above a haystack and letting go of the ledge. Doing so correctly would let Ezio flip three times.
*In ''[[Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade]]'', it was mentioned that the haystacks used in the Leaps of Faith at the Templar siege of Masyaf were placed there on the orders of [[Rauf]].
*The pirate, Alonzo, does a Leap of Faith after escaping a Mayan Temple.

==Gallery==
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" spacing="small" widths="180">
AquilusLoF.jpg|[[Aquilus]] performing a Leap of Faith
Leap of Faith ACR Concept art.jpg|Concept art of Ezio Auditore performing a Leap of Faith
Concept art for Leap of Faith.jpg|Concept art of three Assassins performing Leaps of Faith
ACRG Leap of Faith - Concept Art.jpg|Concept art of Shay Cormac performing a Leap of Faith
TiberIslandHQ LeapOfFaith Concept.JPG|Concept of Assassin recruits performing Leaps from the Tiber headquarters
Vali-leapoffaith.png|Vali cel Tradat performing a Leap of Faith
FC Leap of Faith.png|[[Adéwalé]] performing a Leap of Faith
AC3 Haytham Leap.png|Haytham Kenway performing a Leap of Faith
ACIII-HostileNegotiations 10.png|Ratonhnhaké:ton performing a Leap of Faith in the Frontier
The Fall.jpg|Daniel's Leap of Faith
</gallery>

==References==
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Leap of Faith