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

Colosseo

2010-11-19T17:44:16Z

96.57.50.98: /* Trivia */

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[[File:Collosseum.jpg|thumb|276px]]The '''Colosseum''', or '''Roman Coliseum''', (Italian: '''Colosseo''') is one of the most famous landmarks of [[Rome]] and is featured in the upcoming ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''. The player is able to climb to the top of the Colosseum, as it had been shown that [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] and his apprenticed [[Assassins]] scaled it in 1503. It is also revealed to be one of the secret locations in [[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]].{{fact}} Both pieces of Colosseum artwork shown thus far show executions by crucifixion taking place inside, though the identities of the victims and the reason for their executions are currently not known. These depictions are historically inaccurate, since by the [[Renaissance]], crucifixions had long ago fallen out of fashion in favor of burning at the stake. During the time when the [[Borgia|Borgia family]] ruled Rome the Colosseum became dilapidated and began to crumble. It is unknown if during Ezio's restoration of the city the Colosseum was also restored. In ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'' it is a location of one of [[Subject 16|Subject 16's]] puzzles.

==Trivia==
The Colosseum is elliptical in real life, but it was made circular for the game as devising shadows for different sides of the buildings would have been a nightmare for Ubisoft.<ref>[http://www.livescience.com/culture/assassins-creed-virtual-rome-renaissance-scholar-101112.html A Renaissance Scholar Helps Build Virtual Rome, ''Live Science'' article]</ref>

The Colosseum is one of the landmarks that Ezio can purchase after destroying the Borgia Tower in that area.

==Gallery==

<center><gallery captionalign="left">
Image:Colosseum2.jpg|Alternate artwork from inside the Colosseum.
AC colloseum.jpg|Ezio on the Colosseum.
</gallery></center>

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Rome]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Secret Locations]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Locations]]
[[Category:Landmarks]]
[[Category:Articles revamp]]
[[Category:Articles with Spoilers]]
[[Category:Articles in need of sources]]

Rodrigo Borgia

2010-11-19T17:41:22Z

96.57.50.98: /* Biography */

{{Era|AC2|Templars|Ren}}
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{{revamp}}
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{{WP-REAL|Pope Alexander VI}}
{{Character Infobox
|name = Rodrigo Borgia
|image = Zw-rodrigoborgia.png
|imgdesc = Rodrigo Borgia's database picture.
|birth = 1 January 1431 Xàtiva, Valencia, Crown of Aragon
|death = 18 August 1503 [[Rome]], [[Italy]]
|period = Italian [[Renaissance]] (15th Century)
|faction = [[House of Borgia]] [[Templars]] [[Papacy]]
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed: Lineage]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''
|actor = [[Manuel Tadros]]
|voice = [[Manuel Tadros]]
}}
{{quote|He is Rodrigo Borgia: one of the most powerful men in all of Europe, and leader of the Templar Order.|[[Mario Auditore]]|Assassin's Creed II}}
'''Rodrigo Borgia''' (1 January 1431 – 18 August 1503), born '''Roderic Llançol''', later '''Roderic de Borja i Borja''', was the leader of the [[Templars]] during the [[Renaissance]] in [[Italy]]. He was elected [[wikipedia:Pope|Pope]] from 1492 to 1503 as '''[[wikipedia:Pope Alexander VI|Alexander VI]]'''. His enemies called him "'''The Spaniard'''" (due to his [[Spain|Spanish]] origins) while his Templar followers called him "'''Maestro'''" ("Master" in Italian and "teacher" in Spanish). He was one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, and his surname (Italicized as ''[[wikipedia:Borgia|Borgia]]'') became a byword for the debased standards of the papacy of that era. He is the main antagonist of ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' and returns in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'', though not as the main antagonist.

==Biography==
[[File:Borgia lineage.jpg|thumb|left|Rodrigo Borgia hiding from Giovanni Auditore in Florence.]]
The [[Medici]] were the ruling family in [[Florence]]. But a conspiracy was being plotted in a attempt to overthrow the powerful [[Lorenzo de' Medici]], and Rodrigo Borgia was at the center of it. One night in 1476, Borgia was on his way to leave Florence with few of his men in the dark streets of the city. Suddenly, [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze|Giovanni Auditore]], an [[Assassins|Assassin]], intercepted him. Borgia fled immediately as the Assassin battled his men. Hidden behind a corner, he saw Giovanni capture one of his men. The prisoner revealed the plotted assassination of [[Galeazzo Maria Sforza]], Duke of Milan and a powerful ally of Lorenzo de' Medici, to Giovanni. Giovanni quickly went to stop the attempt, but arrived too late. Rodrigo and his accomplices' plan had succeeded and Borgia began planning the next move.

Deducing the origin of the Duke of Milan's murderers by looting a [[wikipedia:Ducat|Ducat]] from one of them, Giovanni headed to [[Venice]]. There, he intercepted a message from [[Marco Barbarigo|Marco]] and [[Silvio Barbarigo]] to their master, Rodrigo. After having decoded the letter by [[Uberto Alberti]] and [[Antonio Maffei|Father Maffei]], Giovanni carried the copied message to [[Rome]], in order to discover who is behind the plots. Once arrived in the city, he gave the message to a man. By tailing this one, it appears that the letter travels in various hands before arriving in its final destination: Rodrigo's. Rodrigo headed next to see Pope Sixtus IV to obtain a military support in order to conquer Florence.

The night before the trial of the [[House of Auditore|Auditore family]], Rodrigo was at Uberto's house. [[Ezio Auditore]], one of the sons of Giovanni Auditore, came by to give Uberto his father's letters which would prove him not guilty. Ezio noticed a hooded man (Rodrigo) behind Uberto, but paid no further notice to him. The following morning, Rodrigo attended the judgment of Giovanni and two of his sons. Years later, he would state that Ezio's brothers did not need to die, but he had them killed anyway to make a point to the assassins and to Ezio. Two years later, Rodrigo went to a meeting with the [[Pazzi]] family in [[San Gimignano]] and with the Templars in a catacomb under the Basilica of [[Santa Maria Novella]]. There he reminded them to beware the assassins, and stated that the next day would be "a new dawn for Florence".

After Ezio thwarted the Templars in Florence, Rodrigo was to meet with the remaining conspirators in Tuscany. The Pazzi were going to ask for asylum with Rodrigo in either Venice or Rome. But before the meeting could even commence, most of the conspirators were killed by Ezio, one by one. Only [[Jacopo de' Pazzi]] actually made it to the meeting alive. There Jacopo claimed that the blame rested with his nephew, Francesco, for his impatience and with [[Emilio Barbarigo]] for supplying the Pazzi troops with sub-standard weaponry. Enraged by Jacopo's sniveling excuses, Rodrigo lectured his subordinate on his failure, then stabbed him, aided by an all-too-eager Barbarigo. Ignoring Jacopo's pleas for mercy, Rodrigo stabbed him in the neck, then called out Ezio who had tailed Jacopo to the meeting. Sarcastically apologizing for killing Ezio's target for him, Rodrigo mocked Ezio; saying that he had been doing "this" for far longer than the novice Assassin. He ordered his men to kill Ezio and left without bothering to make sure the deed was done. He might have guessed that Ezio would escape, and chose not to stick around for it.

Borgia was later found in Venice, planning with [[Carlo Grimaldi]] and the Barbarigos to murder the current Doge, [[Giovanni Mocenigo]], so that one of them can replace him and take control of Venice. He chastised the Barbarigos for making their own plans and arguing over who would be the new Doge after they took Venice. He appointed Marco Barbarigo as the next Doge, and then left them to carry out his plans. While Ezio was hunting the Barbarigo's in Venice, Rodrigo was tracking the location of the [[Piece of Eden]] which [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] once took from the Templars. He sent ships to [[Cyprus]] in order to claim it from the Archives where Altaïr sealed it away before his death. He appeared in Venice to lay claim to the Piece of Eden; but then [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio]], disguised as the carrier of the artifact, attempted to kill him. Rodrigo was prepared for the attack, and told his men to stand down so that he could deal with Ezio personally (if the player missed the timing to kill them). The two began an intense battle, with Ezio emerging as the victor. Realizing he could not defeat Ezio alone, Borgia called in a supply of guards to overwhelm Ezio. Suddenly, many of Ezio's allies appeared, revealing themselves to be assassins. They held off the guards to allow Ezio to re-challenge Borgia, who then escaped from them before Ezio could kill him.

Rodrigo found out that [[Caterina Sforza]]'s late husband had made a map of where all the codex pages were, so he hired the [[Orsi Brothers]] to retrieve it. The Orsi's found out that Caterina had the Apple, so they took it, planning to present it to Rodrigo for an extra pay off. Unfortunately for him, Ezio managed to kill both of the Orsi brothers, though the Apple eventually came into the hands of [[Girolamo Savonarola]], an arch-enemy of Rodrigo.

With the Apple, Savonarola took control over Florence after Lorenzo's death. Rodrigo repeatedly kept sending his men to Florence in the hopes of acquiring the Apple.

In the following years, Rodrigo fooled the Spanish Inquisitor General [[Tomas Torquemada]] into capturing and killing Assassins in [[Spain]]. Tomas, who thought Rodrigo was as much as a believer of God as he was, blindly followed his orders. He also found out about [[Christoffa Corombo]]'s plans to sail west. Rodrigo knew of the presence of the [[wikipedia:Americas|Americas]] and the treasures that lay there, and did not want anybody to find it before he would. Therefore he arranged a meeting with Christoffa in Venice. Christoffa's friend [[Luis Santangel]], in secret an Assassin, suspected a trap and called for the aid of Ezio. Ezio successfully rescued Christoffa, and eventually Christoffa did set sail west.

Rodrigo offered his daughter [[Lucrezia Borgia]] to Caterina Sforza's son [[Ottaviano Riario]]. Rodrigo figured that with a son-in-law like Ottaviano, he could control the regions of Forlì and Imola. Caterina declined the offer, as she knew of his plans and that Lucrezia 'never stayed married for long'. This enraged Rodrigo, and his son [[Cesare Borgia]] began an assault on [[Forlì]].

Borgia was elected Pope in 1492 and established his power in Rome. Borgia's true intent however, was just to get in the Vault that lays under the Vatican, where, he believed, God rested.

[[File:Borgia.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Pope Alexander VI, with the Staff of Eden.]]
In 1499, he was chased by Ezio, who tried to assassinate him. Ezio snuck into the Vatican and seemingly assassinated Borgia without being seen inside the Sistine Chapel. After Ezio finished speaking with Borgia he left only to see him rise from the ground and use his Piece of Eden, [[The Staff|the Papal Staff]], to strike down Ezio and everyone else in the room. However, he was surprised to see that Ezio was able to resist the power of his staff, Ezio brought out his own Piece of Eden: [[First Apple|The Apple]] that Altaïr took from [[Al Mualim]]. Ezio then summoned four clones of himself to assist him in his battle against Borgia, eventually defeating him. But Borgia tripped Ezio with the Staff, and snatched the Apple from his hands, and combined it with the Staff to open up the door to The Vault, which had been underneath Rome the whole time. Ezio tried to stop him, but he was lifted into the air by Borgia, unable to resist two combined Pieces of Eden.

Borgia stabbed Ezio with a dagger and left him to die on the floor of the [[Capella Sistina|Sistine Chapel]] before escaping into the Vault. Though injured, Ezio eventually made his way to the Vault, with Borgia furiously pounding the door

[[File:Rodrigo_Borgia.jpg|thumb|Portait of Rodrigo Borgia (as Pope Alexander VI).]]

to the inner chambers. Ezio dropped down into the pit where Borgia was, and challenged him to one last fist fight, with no more weapons, no more plots, and no more decoys. Borgia accepted and the two had one last battle. During the battle, Borgia stated that he never believed in the Bible or in God, and only became Pope to get the Staff and access to the Vault, wanting to unify Italy under the Templar's rule. Ezio defeated Borgia, holding the Pope at blade-point and telling him he was not the Prophet: he never had been.

Broken by this revelation and accepting defeat, Borgia told Ezio to kill him and put an end to it. However, Ezio refused, saying that killing Borgia would not bring back his family. Besides, the knowledge that he was not the Prophet, as he had believed, was an even sorer blow than anything else that Ezio could have thought of. When his son Cesare learned of this he led a Siege on Monteriggioni to reaquire the Apple of Eden and kill the last of the Assassins.

In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Ezio goes to Castel Sant'Angel to assassinate Rodrigo and Cesare, however the former is not there and the latter leaves before Ezio can kill him. Later on, at Juan Borgia's pagan party, Rodrigo speaks to Cesare and checks him when he speaks out. In DNA Sequence 8: The Borgia, Rodrigo poisons an apple and Cesare eats it. However, Lucrezia Borgia, Cesare's sister and Rodrigo's daughter, finds out about the poison and tips Cesare off before he can swallow the chunk he is chewing. He spits it out, then shoves the apple down Rodrigo's throat. Rodrigo dies before Ezio arrives, but Ezio closes his eyes and says "Requiescat in Pace". Cesare escapes with a small bit of poison in him, which is enough to make him ill, but not to kill him.

=="Final Words"==
(First assassination attempt by Ezio)

'''Ezio:''' ''I thought...I thought I was beyond this. But I'm not. I've waited too long, lost too much... Requiescat in pace (Rest in peace), you bastard!''

'''Rodrigo:''' ''I don't think so!''

(Second "death scene" with Rodrigo)

'''Rodrigo:''' ''You can't!! You can't!! It's MY destiny!! MINE!!! I am the prophet!!''

'''Ezio:''' ''You never were.''

'''Rodrigo:''' ''Get it over with then...''

'''Ezio''': ...''No. Killing you won't bring my family back... I'm done. ''Nulla è reale, tutto è lecito. Requiescat in pace.'' (Nothing is true, everything is permitted. Rest in peace.)''

==Trivia==
[[File:Blason_famille_it_Borgia01_svg.png|thumb|Coat of arms of the Borgia. Can be seen on Borgia's personal guards (in black with red stripe outfit) with slightly different colors.]]
*As Ezio enters the Sistine Chapel to assassinate Borgia, he is proclaiming the Nicene Creed in Latin to the congregation. It is ironic that he is assassinated as he proclaims this, as the Nicene Creed confesses the wholeness of the Christian doctrine, in which Borgia later states in the final battle that he does not believe.
* Although Ezio did not kill Borgia, he is listed as dead in the Animus' Conspirator Web after the player completes the game and re-enters the Animus. This may be due to Ezio simply listing off Rodrigo as a target.
* While it is known that Rodrigo would go on to have the most debauched, bloody papacy in human history, what occurs between him and Ezio is completely unknown, as Rodrigo dies of a fever 4 years later in 1503, leaving ample time to wage a sizable campaign against the Assassins himself. Some of this is elaborated on in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'', which will likely depict his final fate.
* Throughout the entire game, Rodrigo is always wearing something that covers his head, where not once is he without a hat or a hood. He does appear without head coverings in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Lineage]]'', however.
* In a scene in ''Assassin’s Creed: Lineage'', he can be seen with an apple, which is perhaps a hint at the apple he later attempts to gain.
* Rodrigo's cloak from before he becomes Pope resembles Al Mualim's robe from ''Assassin's Creed''. Rodrigo also shares a trait with Al Mualim, as they both keep their hoods up throughout most of their respective games.
* Rodrigo is the only assassination target Ezio has had to fight repeatedly, as well as one of only two that he spared (the other being [[Tomas Torquemada]]). He is also the most formidable fighter in-game.
* It is possible to kill Rodrigo while in the Sistine Chapel if you poison him. After this you can wield the Staff of Eden, although unfortunately, you cannot use any of its powers.
* Rodrigo's fate differs in the novel, [[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance|''Assassin's Creed: Renaissance'']] to that shown in the game. In the game, after Ezio defeats and spares him, Borgia is left alone to come to terms with his misery as Ezio enters the Vault. He is not seen again, and it is presumed that he still lives. In the novel, however, when Ezio emerges from the Vault, Borgia commits suicide with poison. His last act is to ask Ezio what he saw in the Vault, to which Ezio replies ''"Nothing. No one,"'' leading Borgia to die believing everything he had done in life was for nothing. However, this should not be considered canon, due to the fact that Rodrigo appears alive in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood''.
* In Rodrigo's assassination target video, there is a scene with Rodrigo in his Papal robes standing next to his fellow Templars, who are seated at a table. This is impossible, because by the time Rodrigo became Pope, Ezio had killed all the other Templars in the game. The Pazzi, the Barbarigos and Carlo Grimaldi, for example, are shown at the table.
* Rodrigo had numerous children: Cesare, Lucrezia, Giovanni, and Gioffre from his mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei, a daughter, Laura, from his mistress Giulia Farnese, and an unknown number of children from other mistresses.
* He was the first pope to be elected from a conclave in the Sistine Chapel.
* Sometimes, during the fight with Rodrigo, he can be seen wielding a spear instead of the Staff.
* Rodrigo told Ezio during their fight in Venice that he didn't have to kill Ezio's brothers, he did it only to prove a point.
* He is an ancestor of virtually all royal families in Europe through his children Lucrezia and Juan.
* It is mentioned in'' Brotherhood'' that Rodrigo had crafted all his children, even Lucrezia, into deadly weapons, showing his manipulative personalty.
* Rodrigo's relationship with his son, Cesare, is somewhat strange as Cesare was far too power-hungry for Rodrigo to tolerate and Rodrigo sometimes disagreed with his son's actions. Once he made his son angry enough to actually attack him and shout ''"If I want to take I take, if I want you to die you die"!''
* From the ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'' Launch trailer many fans have rumored that Cesare might kill Rodrigo. This rumor was then confirmed when, in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Cesare kills Rodrigo with a poisoned apple (which in turn was meant to be used to kill Cesare)

==Gallery==
[[Video:Assassin's Creed 2 - Targets: Rodrigo Borgia 3/9|thumb|400px|left|Database entry.]]
<gallery widths="120" captionalign="left">
Rodrigolineage.png|Rodrigo in ''Assassin's Creed: Lineage''.
Borgia ingame ac2.jpg|Rodrigo Borgia as he appears in ''Assassin's Creed II''.
Borgia image.jpg|Borgia as pope with the staff
tadros.jpg|Rodrigo Borgia in Assassins Creed: Lineage
char_rodrigo.png|Rodrigo Borgia as he appears in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
</gallery>

{{ACII}}
{{ACIIDiscovery}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Borgia, Rodrigo}}
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Lineage Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Assassination Targets]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II: Discovery Characters]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Characters]]
[[Category:Templars]]
[[Category:Historical Characters]]

Desmond Miles

2010-11-19T17:19:40Z

96.57.50.98: /* Monteriggioni */

{{spoilerhd}}
{{FAimp}}
{{Character Infobox
|name = Desmond Miles
|image = Desmond_Miles.jpg
|imgdesc =
|birth = 1987 "[[The Farm]]"
|death =
|period = [[Modern Times]]
|faction = [[Assassins]]
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''
|voice = [[Nolan North]]
}}
{{Quote|I'm a bartender, for Christ's sake! What do you want me to do, teach you how to mix a Martini?|Desmond to Vidic and Lucy.|Assassin's Creed}}
'''Desmond Miles''' (born 1987) is the main protagonist of the main installments in the [[Assassin's Creed series]] and the descendant of a long line of ancestors who swore their allegiance to the [[Assassins|Assassin Order]]. He is initially forced to use a machine, called the [[Animus]], created by [[Abstergo Industries]] – the modern front of the [[Knights Templar]] – to relive the memories of his ancestor, [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] during the [[Third Crusade|Crusader]] era, in their quest to locate the "[[First Apple|Apple]]", a [[Pieces of Eden|Piece of Eden]].

Eventually escaping with the aid of modern day Assassins, Desmond once again uses an Animus (now improved to the [[Animus 2.0]]) to explore the memories of his second ancestor, [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]], so as to learn the ways of the Assassins in a [[Bleeding effect|much faster way than normal]].

==Biography==
===Early life===
{{quote|You have any idea what it's like to be trapped in a place, knowing there was a whole world out there I'd never get to see.|Desmond to Lucy about his childhood|Assassin's Creed}}
Desmond Miles was born in an Assassin "hideout" in the desert known as "[[The Farm]]", an "off the grid" compound with a population of about thirty people, much like the city of [[Masyaf]], where he was destined to be trained as an Assassin. He was frustrated by his parents' explicit instructions not to leave the compound, and believed them to be overly concerned and paranoid. On his 16th birthday, he finally fled, ''"wanting to see the rest of the world."'' He later told [[Lucy Stillman]] that he had no regrets over leaving his parents, because as far as he was concerned, they were little more than his "wardens", and to him the Farm was his "prison". After leaving the Assassin compound, he went into hiding for nine years. While keeping a low profile, he eventually became a bartender. Aware of the Knights Templar, and wanting to avoid both them and the Assassins, Desmond never used his real name and used only cash to purchase items. However, he was eventually found, traced through a fingerprint needed for a motorcycle license, and was brought to the [[Abstergo laboratory]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed">''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref>

===Kidnapped by Abstergo===
[[File:Warren-vidic-assassins-creed-2-character.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Dr. Vidic watches Desmond inside the Animus.]]
{{Quote|I'm not an assassin… not any more.|Desmond Miles to Warren Vidic.|Assassin's Creed}}

In September 2012, Desmond Miles was kidnapped by Abstergo Industries, a pharmaceutical company and front for the Knights Templar, for use as a test subject in the Animus, a device that can read the memories of Desmond's ancestors through the "genetic memory" left behind in their descendants' DNA. At first, [[Warren Vidic]] attempted to pry the information he wanted from Desmond's mind, but was met with failure. Whilst Desmond claimed to be nothing more than a bartender, Vidic revealed that they knew of his history as an Assassin, forcing Desmond to finally admit his past life. Vidic and Lucy Stillman told Desmond that they were trying to access a certain memory, but Desmond's subconscious was resisting their efforts. Vidic warned Desmond that if he refused to assist them, they would induce a coma, continue their work, and when done with Desmond, leave him to die. Without much choice, Desmond agreed to help them.
[[File:Desmond_&_Lucy_1.png|thumb|200px|Desmond and Lucy having their first private conversation.]]

[[File:Eagle_vision.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Desmond's Eagle Vision.]]
Desmond was made to explore the genetic memories of his ancestor Altaïr – a member of a clan of Assassins active during and after the Crusades, specifically Altaïr's experiences during the year 1191 – and does so over several days under the watchful eye of Vidic. During the nights however, Desmond discovered that he was able to explore the lab he was being held in, accessing the Animus computer and, after stealing Warren Vidic's pen, gaining access to his personal computer. Through e-mails, Desmond learned of the previous Animus subject, [[Subject 16]], who had suffered from a "bleeding effect" due to prolonged exposure to the Animus, as well as tidbits of information from the outside world. Eventually, with the aid of Lucy, the Assassins learned of Desmond's capture and attempted to liberate him, with the gunfire of their assault being heard through an intercom device, although the rescue attempt failed. Vidic boasts that those Assassins were in fact the last of the group he escaped from at 16; their desert hideout having been previously destroyed. Lucy's actions, however, suggested otherwise, and when Desmond asked if Lucy knew anything about his parents, she responded by saying that she didn't know, but that they ''probably'' escaped. During this discussion, Lucy revealed herself to be an undercover member of the Assassins. Desmond eventually achieved Vidic's goal and discovered the location of numerous Pieces of Eden. Executives of Abstergo Industries ordered his execution, but his life was saved by Lucy's intervention, who asked to keep Desmond alive in order to re-access his memories if need be. After the executives leave, Desmond suddenly accesses the "[[Eagle Vision|eagle vision]]" of his ancestor Altaïr, seeing Vidic and Lucy for their true allegiances, as well as [[Cryptic Messages|countless scrawled messages and puzzles]] on the floor of the main laboratory.

===Escape to the Hideout===
{{Quote|Wait! Why aren't I following Altaïr? Oh, shit...|Desmond discovering his lineage.|Assassin's Creed II}}
At the beginning of ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'', Desmond was still being held within the laboratory at Abstergo, continuing directly a couple hours after the last game. Lucy suddenly arrives, covered in blood and demanding Desmond to get into the Animus before Abstergo discovers what she'd done. Desmond, rather confused, agrees and manages to sync with the closest genetic match between himself and Subject 16 recorded in the Animus’ memory core. Inside the Animus, he experiences the birth of another of his ancestors, Ezio Auditore. He instantly gets pulled out though, and both make their escape.

[[File:Zw-desmond-fighting.png|thumb|200px|Desmond fighting off the Abstergo guards.]]
They were quickly spotted by Abstergo security and after Lucy locked a door to keep the security guards from getting to them, they turned the corner and were forced into an engagement with two more which Lucy quickly ended, allowing them to continue on stealthily. The two soon entered a glass elevator that led down to a large open room filled with office blocks that housed a large number of Animi. Following Lucy through the maze-like walkways between the Animi to avoid the guards patrolling the room they stealthily made their way through to the back, although Desmond's questions about the Animi are met with silence and Lucy telling him to "''shut the fuck up...please."'' Upon reaching the keycode locked door of another elevator, Lucy tried to enter a code but failed, to which Desmond instinctively called upon his recently activated [[Eagle Vision]] to see the code and after successfully entering it. Lucy questions Desmond about how he knew what code to enter, which he could not give a proper answer, showing his obliviousness to the [[Bleeding Effect]] as they safely entered the elevator and rode it down. Once in the car park underneath the building, the two were halted by yet more of Abstergo's guards, but were able to overcome them and escape.

Arriving at one of the Assassins' [[hideout]]'s, Desmond was introduced to two more Assassins – [[Shaun Hastings]] and [[Rebecca Crane]] – who have worked with Lucy over the years. Lucy told Desmond that they wanted him to become trained in the ways of the Assassin – thanks to the bleeding effect, they could achieve this in a matter of days – although it required him learning the ways of an Assassin through the ancestor that Desmond had synched with Subject 16 to find in Abstergo's Animus, Ezio Auditore. Desmond agrees to help almost immediately, which surprised Lucy, and was quickly plugged in the Animus 2.0.

After learning the ways of the Assassin through Ezio's memories, Desmond was retracted from the Animus, partly to test his retention of the memories, but also to prevent the mental degradation that Subject 16 had suffered from being in the Animus for an extended period of time.

[[File:Zw-desmond-dream.png|thumb|220px|left|Desmond experiencing the bleeding effect.]]
Tasking him with initiating security protocols around the Assassin hideout, Lucy left it to Desmond to work out how to reach them through the use of his Eagle Vision and new-found [[Free Running]] skills. Just as he began, however, he started suffering vivid hallucinations of the Crusader era and the Italian [[Renaissance]]. At first the visions were short, and were nothing to worry about, but after completing the task, Desmond was incapacitated as the visions became more real.

Taken back to [[Acre]] by the bleeding effect, Desmond once again followed the memories of Altaïr, this time without the use of the Animus, and discovered Altaïr and [[Maria Thorpe]] conceived a child, Desmond's next ancestor after Altaïr.

[[File:Demsondanimus2.jpg|thumb|250px|Desmond sitting in the Animus 2.0 next to Lucy.]]
The next day, Desmond had recovered from the experiences and returned to the Animus, neglecting to tell the Assassins what had happened. He continued to watch the genetic memories of Ezio Auditore, despite at one time being thrown out by [[Assassin's Creed II DLC|"corrupted memory sequences"]]. Eventually, they learn that Ezio's arch-nemesis, the [[Grand Master of the Knights Templar]], [[Rodrigo Borgia]] had, in 1492, become Pope Alexander VI, so as to gain access to yet another Piece of Eden, [[The Staff|the Papal Staff]], as well as to access [[the Vault]]. As Ezio's story began to conclude, Desmond and the Assassins watched deep within the Vault beneath the Vatican. Ezio found himself confronted by a "[[Those Who Came Before|god]]" hologram who called herself [[Minerva]]; Minerva warns the Assassins of the end of the world, as well as retelling the story of the war between "Those Who Came Before," and their human subjects. The Assassins are shocked when Minerva addresses Desmond by name, confusing even Ezio, and it is revealed that Minerva was in fact talking to Desmond ''through'' Ezio. Mere moments after, Desmond was quickly pulled out of the Animus, and upon seeing the three rushing to collect their belongings, realized that the Templars had found their location.

Immediately after getting out of the Animus, Lucy tossed Desmond a [[Hidden Blade]] with the Assassin's emblem on it, and asks for his assistance in covering the escape. Making their way into the warehouse, Vidic appeared, flanked by Abstergo security officials with the intent of reclaiming Desmond. The two Assassins killed the Templars that assaulted them, with Desmond – now fully synchronized with Ezio – masterfully using his Hidden Blade to kill many of the guards himself. With his entourage eliminated, Vidic was left to confront Desmond on his own, but instead retreats, promising that their victory is only temporary. The four Assassins then fled north, and Desmond is hooked up to the Animus inside the van and told to continue to search through his memories for anything useful. Meanwhile, the other Assassins begin to discuss the nature of Minerva and her talk.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>

===Monteriggioni===
[[File:Desmond_&_Lucy2.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Desmond and Lucy under Monteriggioni.]]
After the Abstergo attack at the end of ''Assassin's Creed II'', the [[File:Monteriggioni3.png|thumb|Desmond and Shaun having a discussion.]]modern day assassins traveled to [[Monteriggioni]] in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]] ''to set up their new base. The Templars were actively searching for them and were analyzing the environment using cell phone towers, so they had to set up underground under the [[Villa Auditore]]. Whilst searching the grounds of the Villa Auditore for a way into the [[Sanctuary]], Desmond – through the bleeding effect – saw a vision of the past of Ezio, who led him to a high, narrow ledge and leaped off. Desmond immediately followed suit, performing his first-ever [[Leap of Faith]] into a bale of hay. Desmond and Lucy made their way to the Sanctuary underground via a tunnel used by Ezio and the villagers of Monteriggioni to escape after the attack. Through the bleeding effect Desmond saw Ezio and the villagers escape, which worried him, making him wonder what would happen ''"if (he) can't stop the visions ''– ''how long until (he) started painting symbols on the walls"''. Lucy scolded him, telling him not to make light of his condition, and reminded him that Subject 16 was dead, and that he needed to focus. Desmond and Lucy used glow sticks to see in the tunnel, due to the lack of power. By this time, Desmond was wearing a Hidden Blade with three straps attaching it to his arm, although he wore no bracer with it.<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbwgvv0Ermo&feature=player_embedded</ref>

When he reached the Sanctuary, he saw another projection of Ezio who seemed to have visited it in his old age. Before he opened the door to Mario's office, Desmond noticed some numbers written on the walls which he pointed out to the other assassins. After the team set up underground, he became in charge of bringing electricity into the Sanctuary by inserting something into four electrical power boxes. After that, he continued with his regular Animus sessions.

After finishing up in the Animus, Desmond and the others learn that the Apple of Eden is hidden under the Colosseum. Desmond then tries to find a way for the others to get inside. Once they meet up again, Desmond activates a elevator that takes them to the Apple. He then takes the Apple and Juno takes control of Desmond's body and forces him to stab [[Lucy |Lucy Stillman]], because Juno needed a sacrifice to be awakened(speculation, Lucy may or may not be dead). After Desmond passes out, he gets put back into the Animus by two unknown men, whom are probably assassins.

==Characteristics and personality==
[[File:Zw-desmond-bleeding.png|thumb|300px|Desmond's new free-running skills.]]
Desmond has an uncanny resemblance to both Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad and Ezio Auditore da Firenze, despite having very little in common with their personalities. And being a discreet individual, he does not wear extravagant clothing, accustomed to a white hooded jacket, jeans, and black sneakers. Interestingly, if raised, the hood exhibits a beak-like feature similar to Ezio's and Altaïr's. In ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'', his attire differs, now having a backpack, no eagle beak on hood, black converses, white hooded jacket with a red collar, similar to Ezio, with a black shirt sporting an image of an eagle underneath. His sleeves are rolled up to reveal a tattoo where the Hidden Blade should be.

Desmond was a gruff and cynical individual, who held a serious outlook on life, due to being aware of the Templars and Assassins since his youth, although he was initially unaware of Abstergo Industries being a Templar company. Despite this, he was not above jesting about his situation, and would occasionally make jokes, although they rarely elicited a good reaction. After his emancipation from Abstergo, Desmond's demeanor became considerably more relaxed, and he spent a noticeable amount of time conversing with Lucy. After experiencing the [[Bleeding Effect]], he is more doubtful of his sanity, as with what happened to Subject 16.

===Equipment and skills===
Being that Desmond was trained during childhood as an Assassin, he was proficient in basic reconnaissance skills, such as eavesdropping and pickpocketing, and was also a competent fist fighter. After about a week of being forced to relive the memories of his ancestor, Altaïr, Desmond began to experience the bleeding effect, and developed an extra-sensory ability called Eagle Vision. Later on, after willingly exploring the memories of another ancestor, Ezio Auditore, Desmond learned how to free-run and use weapons. Not long afterwards, he was able to easily fend off a Templar attack with Ezio's combat skills.

Since synchronizing with Ezio, Desmond has been able to use all of the skills and abilities his ancestor could, both within the Animus and in real life.

==Trivia==
[[File:Zw-desmond.png|thumb|Desmond (notice the scar).]]
*He is modeled after [[Francisco Randez]] and voiced by [[Nolan North]]. Curiously, Randez also used to be a bartender before he became a model. This may have inspired the makers of the game to give Desmond the same profession.
*Desmond possesses the same scar on his lip as his ancestors Altaïr and Ezio had, though it is unknown how he obtained it.<ref name="Assassin's Creed">''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref><ref name="Assassin's Creed II">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>
*Desmond and Altaïr share the same age during the first game, both being 25 years of age in 2012 and 1191 respectively.<ref name="Assassin's Creed">''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref>
*Desmond is a descendant of Those Who Came Before and [[Humans]]. Proof of this is his Eagle Vision, product of the unification of those two races, which also led to the birth of the first "Assassins", [[Adam and Eve]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Collector's Edition Official Game Guide">''[[Assassin's Creed II: Collector's Edition Official Game Guide]]''</ref>
*Desmond has an A+ blood type.<ref>[[“Assassin’s Creed” game manual]]</ref>
*Desmond's history shows he never wanted to be an Assassin, nor does he have the skills yet before the second game to be one. However in the graphic novel, included with the limited edition of Assassin's Creed, he does call himself an Assassin and shows skills of stealth and lethality.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Graphic Novel">''[[Assassin's Creed: Graphic Novel]]''</ref>
*Desmond acquires a Hidden Blade at the conclusion of ''Assassin's Creed II''. The original owner of the blade is uncertain, but it is identical the one Ezio Auditore inherited from his father, [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze|Giovanni Auditore]]. By ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'' however, he seems to have gotten rid of the bracer, and kept the blade.
*The etymology of Desmond's name "the world" (or "man of the world" in Celtic and Latin) is not related to either of his ancestors, whereas Altaïr's and Ezio's names pertain to avians; Altaïr's being "the flying one" and Ezio's "eagle". His surname "Miles" is also the Latin word for "soldier". The name however suits him, as he wanted to leave his parents' watchful eyes to see the rest of the world outside the compound, and refers to his role in saving it from [[File:Desmond3.png|thumb|Desmond as he appears in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood''.]]destruction.
*Desmonds appearance changes significantly in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'' – The design of his hoodie has changed – most noticeably, the hood itself now appears larger, there is a closed zipper down the top of the hood, and the inside lining is red, similar to Ezio's [[:File:Ezio-ACBH.jpg|Master Assassin Robes]]. The zipper down the front is partly undone, revealing a gray shirt with what appears to be an eagle design. His sleeves are rolled up, revealing a black band on his right wrist, and tattoos on his left forearm which are obscured by his hidden blade. He now wears a courier bag, as well as the same hidden blade from ''Assassin's Creed II, ''however the hidden blade is now without a bracer.

== Video ==
[[Video:Real Life Storyline|thumb|480px|left|Real Life Storyline: Desmond Miles, Lucy Stillman and Warren Vidic]]
[[Video:Assassin's Creed Brotherhood Gameplay Desmond|thumb|left|482px|New Video of Desmond]] 

==Notes and references==
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Vatican Vault

2010-11-19T17:06:35Z

96.57.50.98: /* Notes */

{{Spoilerhd}}
'''The Vault''' was a large chamber constructed by [[Those Who Came Before]], located beneath the [[Sistine Chapel]] in the [[wikipedia:St. Peter's Basilica|Vatican]], in order to transmit a warning to [[Desmond Miles]] in the year 2012.

===Entering The Vault===
It appears that the only way to enter The Vault is by combining two [[Pieces of Eden]], held by a chosen descendant of Those Who Came Before, who is most likely a member of the bloodline of [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]]. Recognized as "The Prophet," [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]] was able to enter The Vault by using [[the Staff]] in conjunction with the [[First Apple|Apple of Eden]]. Despite attempting to use the same two Pieces of Eden, [[Rodrigo Borgia]] was unable to enter The Vault.

===Inside The Vault===
[[File:Ezio_fault_1.jpg|300px|thumb|The Vault]]
The floors, walls and pillars of The Vault were covered in glyphs that only appeared to Ezio as he moved toward them for as Those Who Came Before knew, he possessed Altaïr's supernatural gift of [[Eagle Vision]], and was therefore deemed worthy to see the images as The Prophet. It was thought by Rodrigo Borgia, now the Pope at the time, that The Vault contained God himself. Unbeknown to all, The Vault instead contained a holographic projector. [[Minerva]], who appeared through this device, explained that she was part of a highly advanced race that existed before mankind, [[Those Who Came Before]] . She explained that her race had created humans, but had soon faced rebellion thereafter. Glyphs on the wall confirmed this, showing an Egyp[[File:Zw-ACBH-Ezio-2.jpg|thumb|left]]tian hieroglyphic with a god holding a Piece of Eden as humans charged toward him with weapons.

According to Minerva, the [[Temples]] were built by "those who knew to turn away from war," presumably those who did not fight or did not want to fight in the war between the humans and Those Who Came Before. The reason for this was an unknown catastrophe, presumably a large solar flare, that significantly damaged the Earth and killed off most of both species. Those in the Temples worked to protect the world, and Minerva has tasked [[Desmond Miles]] (speaking to him through Ezio) with locating the other Temples to avert another cataclysm.

=== Minerva's speech===
[[Video:The Vault|thumb|left|300px|Minerva's Message to Desmond]]

<blockquote>"''When we were still flesh, and our homes still whole, your kind betrayed us... We who made you. We who gave you life. We were strong but you were many, and both of us craved war. So busy were we with earthly concerns, we failed to notice the heavens, and by the time we did, the world burned until naught remained but ash. It should have ended then and there, but we built you in our own image. We built you, to survive, and so we did. Few were our numbers, your kind and mine. It took sacrifice, strength, compassion, but we rebuilt, and as life returned to the world, we endeavored to ensure this tragedy could not be repeated. But now, we are dying, and time will work against us. Truth turned into myth and legend. What we built, misunderstood. Let my words preserve the message and make a record of our loss. But let my word also bring hope. You must find the other temples, built by those who knew to turn away from war. They worked to protect us, to save us from the fire. If you can find them, if their work can be saved, so too might this world. Be quick, for time grows short, and guard against the cross, for there are many who will stand in your way.''</blockquote>

<blockquote>''It is done. The message is delivered. We are gone now from this world, all of us. We can do no more... The rest is up to you, Desmond.''"</blockquote>

Minerva's message implies that the Temples contain some sort of assistance or research in saving the world from a repeat of the catastrophe that occurred before.

==Notes==
*During Minerva's speech, a glyph of [[wikipedia:Step pyramid|step pyramids]], with what appears to be a Piece of Eden hovering over it, appears on the wall. This could possibly mean that another Temple is possibly a structure located in [[wikipedia:South America|South America]], a [[wikipedia:Ziggurat|ziggurat]] in [[wikipedia:Mesopotamia|Mesopotamia]], or even the ancient [[wikipedia:Borobudur Temple Compounds|Temple of Borobudur]] in [[wikipedia:Indonesia|Indonesia]].
*The logo of [[Abstergo Industries]] can be seen in the Vault, on some of the walls. It is possible that Rodrigo Borgia saw this and made it a Templar symbol.
*The Vault in [[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]] appears to have changed greatly: the floor has a shiny, polished look, and the walls and obelisks are blue and give off a dim glow. 
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