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William of Montferrat

2010-12-23T20:46:36Z

91.104.201.60: /* Trivia */

{{Era|AC|Templars|Crusade|Featured}}
{{WPtargets}}
{{WP-REAL|William V, Marquess of Montferrat}}
{{Template:Character Infobox

|name = William of Montferrat
|image = Ac-william-of-montferrat.jpg
|birth = c. 1147 A.D.
|death = 1191 A.D.<br>
[[Acre|Acre, Israel]]
|period = [[Third Crusade]]
|faction = [[Crusaders|Christian Crusaders]]<br>
[[Knights Templar]] (secret)
|appear = [[Assassin's Creed]]
|voice = [[Harry Standjofski]]
}}
{{quote|We'll see how sweet they are... the fruits of your labors. You do not free the cities as you believe, but damn them. And in the end, you'll have only yourself to blame. You who speak of good intentions...|William of Montferrat}}

'''William of Montferrat''' was the fifth person [http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Al_Mualim Al Mualim] ordered [http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Alta%C3%AFr Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad] to assassinate. He was located in the rich district of [[Acre|Acre, Israel]].
==The Crusader Regent of Acre==
Although not a giant of a man, William of Montferrat was nevertheless set in the belief that might makes right, and he spent countless hours training and berating his men, to prepare them for the "coming war." Oddly enough, few of his soldiers had actually joined [[King Richard]]'s march to the [[Arsuf|Arsuf Plains]], leading people to wonder what "war" he was talking about. William constantly demanded the best from his men, and was both quick to point out flaws, and reluctant to give praise. He was often shouting, and rarely sounded happy. At the time before his assassination, he was expecting a visit from Richard the Lionheart himself, and although the king had placed him in charge of Acre on his behalf, William was waiting for the meeting with a mixture of trepidation and annoyance.

==Assassination==
[[File:Assassinscreedrumored20an8.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Altaïr battles with William]]
William of Montferrat was assassinated within his personal quarters, located in the King's Citadel, shortly after a visit from King Richard, which gave Altaïr the opportunity he needed to get close enough for a kill. With William enraged and distracted over King Richard's less than pleasant visit, the [[Assassin]] managed to stealthily penetrate the lord's citadel fortress, and quickly put an end to his life.

After observing William's and Richard's heated discussion safely under the cloak of the noble crowd, Altaïr pierced the fortress in search of his target. He finally came to a corner keep, a small fortress within the fortress. From above, Altaïr listened as William belittled his men with razor barbed insults, intended on encouraging them towards better performance, and a stronger sense of duty. Silently and skilfully eliminating [[archers]], Altaïr finally moved into position. Remaining highly in tune with the surrounding environment, Altaïr patiently watched and waited for William to perfectly position himself for his own death. As William continued his speech, he slowly paced toward the scaffold, Altaïr quickly dropped onto it, focused on his target and, before anyone even began to notice the impending danger, leaped towards William, his[[ Hidden Blade]] extended. Even as William realized the presence of the descending Assassin, it was too late, for he was already being forced onto his back, with his throat punctured severely by the Assassin's steel blade.

William's assassination is recorded as the fifth major public figure to be openly assassinated by Altaïr, and his death is the second within Acre.

==Final Words==

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

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

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

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

'''Altaïr:''' ''Then who?''

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

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

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

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

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

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

==Historical Materials==
William was actually the fifth named of Montferrat, and he was additionally known as "William the Old," to differentiate him from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_of_Montferrat,_Count_of_Jaffa_and_Ascalon his eldest son]. Aside from his death in 1191, he differs in published reports from the man Altaïr met in Acre. Described as "medium, compact, with a round ruddy face and hair so fair as to be almost white," he was, according to Italian chronicler [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acerbo_Morena Acerbo Morena], eloquent, intelligent, good-humored, generous, but not extravagant. He was captured during the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_hattin Battle of Hattin] in 1187, and used as a pawn during the siege of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyre,_Lebanon Tyre], where his second son Conrad refused to barter for him even as [[Saladin]] threatened William with death. He was late into his sixties, and possibly living in Tyre, when he died.

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

==Trivia==
*The map used for William's stronghold and the area where his assassination in [[Assassin's Creed|''Assassin's Creed'']] takes place is re-used in [[Assassin's Creed II|''Assassin's Creed II'']] in Desmond's dream sequence. When Altaïr is chasing [[Maria Thorpe|Maria]], the tower in which the sequence ends is the very same one which is above William's quarters. However, a couple of elements of the tower have changed between the events of the two games. For one thing, the small circular balcony that surrounded the midpoint of the tower has disappeared. Also, the [[Leap of Faith]] post has changed position and shape; from pointing southeast and being a single wooden beam, to pointing directly toward the center of the fortress and being a triangle of three beams.
* The choice of William as a target for Altaïr was probably inspired by the fact that, historically, his son, Conrad, was murdered by the Assassins in Tyre in real-life. In reality, William would have been an old man during the events of the game.
* According to history, William of Montferrat was actually a very generous man, and often complimented his men, as well as holding his soldiers, very highly.
* A glitch may occur in-game if you allow William to chase you to the upper walls of citadel. From there, it is possible to climb on top of the battlements and push him off into the sea below when he climbs after you. A message will then notify you that you have failed the mission, since your target has "escaped." This is probably because Altaïr wouldn't be able to swim and get William's blood on the feather, thus not proving if William is dead.

==Gallery==
<gallery captionalign="left">
assassins-creed2.jpg|Altaïr assassinating William with his hidden blade.
4-williamofmontferrat.jpg|William of Montferrat talking to one of his guards.
</gallery>

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

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

Marcus Junius Brutus

2010-12-22T19:53:32Z

91.104.201.60: /* Trivia */

{{Revamp}}
{{WP-REAL}}
[[File:BrutusBust3.jpg|thumb]]
'''Marcus Junius Brutus''' (early June 85 BC – late October 42 BC), often referred to simply as '''Brutus''', was a politician of the late [[Rome|Roman]] Republic<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'</ref> and a member of the [[Assassins|Assassin Order]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy">''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]''</ref> He is best known in modern times for taking a leading role in the assassination conspiracy against [[Gaius Julius Caesar|Julius Caesar]].

==History==
Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger was the son of Marcus Junius Brutus the Elder and Servilia Caepionis. His father was killed by Pompey the Great in dubious circumstances after he had taken part in the rebellion of Lepidus; his mother was the half-sister of Cato the Younger, and later became Julius Caesar's mistress. Some sources refer to the possibility of Caesar being his real father. Brutus' uncle, Quintus Servilius Caepio adopted him in about 59 BC, and Brutus was known officially for a time as '''Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus''' before he reverted to using his birth-name. However, following Caesar's assassination in 44 BC, Brutus revived his adoptive name in order to illustrate his links to another famous tyrannicide, Servilius Ahala, from whom he was descended.

Brutus held his uncle in high regard and his political career started when he became an assistant to Cato, during his governorship of Cyprus. During this time, he enriched himself by lending money at high rates of interest. He returned to Rome a rich man, where he married Claudia Pulchra. From his first appearance in the Senate, Brutus aligned with the Optimates (the conservative faction) against the First Triumvirate of Marcus Licinius Crassus, Pompey Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus and Gaius Julius Caesar. Around 45 BC, many senators began to fear Caesar's growing power following his appointment as dictator for life. Brutus was persuaded into joining the conspiracy against Caesar by the other senators.

Eventually, Brutus decided to move against Caesar after Caesar's king-like behavior prompted him to take action. His wife was the only woman privy to the plot. The conspirators planned to carry out their plot on the Ides of March (March 15) that same year. On that day, Caesar was delayed going to the Senate because his wife, Calpurnia Pisonis, tried to convince him not to go. The conspirators feared the plot had been found out. Brutus persisted, however, waiting for Caesar at the Senate, and allegedly still chose to remain even when a messenger brought him news that would otherwise have caused him to leave. When Caesar finally did come to the Senate, they attacked him. Publius Servilius Casca Longus was allegedly the first to attack Caesar with a blow to the shoulder, which Caesar blocked. However, upon seeing Brutus was with the conspirators, he covered his face with his toga and resigned himself to his fate. The conspirators attacked in such numbers that they even wounded one another. Brutus is said to have been wounded in the hand.

After the assassination, the Senate passed an amnesty on the assassins. This amnesty was proposed by Caesar's friend and co-consul [[wikipedia:Marcus Antonius|Marcus Antonius]]. Nonetheless, uproar among the population caused Brutus and the conspirators to leave Rome. Brutus settled in Crete from 44 to 42 BC, but was later defeated in battle and upon fleeing, committed suicide. His last words were ''"By all means must we fly; not with our feet, however, but with our hands."'' Brutus also uttered the well-known verse calling down a curse upon Antonius (Plutarch repeats this from the memoirs of Publius Volumnius): ''"Forget not, Zeus, the author of these crimes."''

[[File:Armor_Of_Brutus.png|thumb|The Armor of Brutus.]]
==[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]==
The [[Dagger of Brutus|dagger]] he used to assassinate Julius Caesar can be obtained in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'' along with his personal [[Armor of Brutus|armor]], which is the most powerful in the game. The armor has 25 health diamonds, the same as the [[Armor of Altaïr]] from ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'', and is unlocked by exploring all the [[Lairs of Romulus|ruins]] in which the [[Followers of Romulus]] operate.

==Trivia==
*At some point before the assassination of Julius Ceaser, Brutus explored the [[Santa Maria Aracoeli Vault|vault]] hidden beneath what would eventually become the [[Santa Maria Aracoeli]]. He would include a drawing of the crypt within his scrolls.
*After Brutus' death, his followers tried to use the Shroud to bring him back, but it didn't work.
*In ''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]'', [[Giovanni Borgia]] relives some of Brutus' memories just like with his father [[Perotto Calderon]]'s memories, indicating that Perotto and Giovanni are Brutus' descendants.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brutus, Marcus Junius}}
[[es:Marco Junio Bruto]]
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Assassins]]
[[Category:Historical Characters]]