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Assassins

2010-08-19T23:41:08Z

99.231.159.184: /* Known victims */

{{Era|ACAC|AC|ACB|AC2|AC2D|Assassins|Crusade|Ren|Modern|Good}}
{{WP-REAL|Hashshashin}}
{{Faction Infobox
|image = Aclogo.png
|game = ''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]''<br>''[[Assassin's Creed]]''<br>''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]''<br>''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''<br>''[[Assassin's Creed II: Discovery]]''<br>''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''<br>''[[Assassin's Creed: Lost Legacy]]''
|religion =
|nationality = Multiple<ref name="Assassin's Creed">''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref><ref name="Assassin's Creed II">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>
|location = Worldwide<ref name="Assassin's Creed II">''[[Assassin's Creed II''</ref>
}}

{{Quote|We work in the dark, to serve the light. We are Assassins.|[[Niccolò Machiavelli]]|Assassin's Creed II}}
The '''Assassins''', also known as the ''Assassins Order'', ''Assassins Brotherhood'' and ''Hashshashin'', were an organized order of assassins who fought a continuous secret war with the [[Knights Templar]] for over two-thousand years. Whereas the Templars strive for power by controlling the people, The Assassin Order struggles to ensure the survival of free will, as it is what allows for the progression of new ideas and the growth of individuality. The Assassins, if not the order itself, had existed since at least 456 BC, throughout the Roman era, the [[Assassin's Creed|Third Crusade]], the [[Assassin's Creed 2|Renaissance]], and into [[Modern Times|21<sup>st</sup> Century]].

==The Order==
{{quote|Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine<br />("Nothing is true, everything is permitted" in Arabic)''|The Assassin's Creed|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:AssassinGuard.png|thumb|Rauf, a combat instructor, wearing similar robes to other high ranked Assassin guard in Masyaf.]]
The order believed in a strong set of values that strictly governed their way of life, the Creed, which consisted of three [[tenets]]:
#"Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent."
#"Hide in plain sight, be one with the crowd".
#"Never compromise the Brotherhood<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />".
These tenets permeated every aspect of the Assassins' daily life, as well as their fight for "peace in all things". The Assassins carried out their duties through political strategic assassination, in the hope that killing one individual, would lead to the salvation of thousands. The assassins believe that they fight on behalf of those who do not possess the abilities, resources, or knowledge to speak out against those who abuse their power<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />.

[[File:AssassinInformant.png|thumb|left|An Assassin informant.]]
Despite their service to those who would otherwise suffer, the [[Assassins]] were still feared by the general populous, due mainly to their method of ensuring peace. The Assassins were most feared due to their terrifying reputation for taking life in public places before many witnesses – done so as to bring fear into the hearts of those who might abuse their power or corrupt the innocent – before vanishing into the crowd without a trace<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />. To assist in this, the assassins used a particularly efficient weapon for assassinations: the [[hidden blade]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, a single thrust from which could end the life of its victim.

However, in order to ascertain which death might best assist the assassins' goals, extensive political knowledge was a must have, and so the assassins remained always in tune with the ever-changing politics surrounding them. Obtaining the information was the job of low-level members of the Order, who would be stationed throughout the cities of the world; these spies would watch the local nobles and rulers, looking for signs of corruption or membership in the [[Knights Templar]]. Once gathered, any information was passed on to the assassins' who were responsible for the execution of the assassination<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />.

===Training===
The assassins spent their entire lifetime training to kill<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />. From an early age they were taught to observe their surroundings and plan ahead; combat was a must and its training was continuous, with a focus on bladed weapons of all sorts being their expertise. However, despite such a focus on combat, the greatest consideration in the assassins' training was concealment; stealth was the greatest weapon of the assassin and everything about their life, the clothes they wore, where they lived, even how they walked emphasised a devotion to concealment<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /><ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. It was the duty of an assassin to reach their target and stand beside them, before they struck, and sink away into the crowd<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />.

The other significant focus of an assassins training was manoeuvrability. By the time an assassin reached the rank of [[Master Assassin]], he was also a master of an early form of [[Free-Running|parkour]] widely utilised by the assassins. Widely seen as alien and naive by the general populous, this method of movement allowed the assassins to reach areas not normally accessible to man. From scaling a wall to climbing to one of a city's many [[view point]]s, parkour gave the assassins a significant advantage over the average city guard.

==History==
===The Third Crusade===
[[File:Almualimassassins.png|thumb|300px|Al Mualim and the Assassins in the fortress of Masyaf.]]
In 1191, during the [[Third Crusade]], the Syrian branch of the Assassins Order was centred in the fortress of [[Masyaf]], deep within the kingdom of the Holy Land. Led by [[Al Mualim]], the assassins battled with the [[Templars]] and their leader, [[Robert de Sable]], over ideologies and the means with which to accomplish them. It is during the Third Crusade that the assassins learnt of a Templar interest in an [[Piece of Eden|ancient artifact]] hidden within the catacombs of [[Solomon's Temple]] and decided to keep it from their grasps; the mission was a success, although a costly one. With the death of one assassin and the arrival of the Templar army at the gates of Masyaf, the assassins proceeded to literally crush most of the Templar army under a concealed onslaught of rolling logs, before driving the Templars from the village below.<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />

Following the assault, the assassin blamed for the loss of life that day – [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] – was severely reprimanded, and then tasked with removing nine influential individuals who plagued the Holy Land with their corrupt rule. As Altaïr made his way down the list, made up of both Crusader and Saracen individuals, the revelation that their goal – to bring peace to the people of the Holy Land – was just, unsettled him greatly, as he felt his victims were "misguided perhaps but pure in motive". This was a view shared by Al Mualim, who agreed with their goals, but felt their attitude of "the end justifies the means" undermined the good they sought to ensure. As his mission progressed, Altaïr sought to know what bound his victims together, and the realization that they were all Templars only served to reinforce the assassins’ determination to bring an end to the Templar plot.

By the end of the year the assassins' were victorious over their Templar enemies; [[Robert de Sable]], Grand Master of the Knights Templar was dead, however the treachery of one of their own had also hit the assassin order hard. Al Mualim, Grand Master of the Order of Assassins, and a former member of a coalition of ''ten'' Templar leaders, was revealed to be a traitor, and killed by the very man he had sent to eliminate his fellow Templar conspirators. With Al Mualim dead, Altaïr took over as Grand Master of the Order, leading the assassins in their attempts to rebuild their strength following the costly conflict.

Eventually, it was decided that the [[Piece of Eden]] was too great a threat to keep in Masyaf, and the decision was made to keep it on the island of Cyprus, in the Limassol archives<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines">''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]''</ref>. However, following the liberation of the island from its Templar rulers, the Piece was kept by Altaïr until at least he completed his fabled [[Codex]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />.

===Renaissance===
{{Quote|In this modern age, we are not as literal as our ancestors; but our seal is no less permanent…|Mario Auditore|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:Asslogorenaissance.png|thumb|Renaissance variation of the Assassins' symbol.]]
The Order continued to thrive, despite being forced to adopt an even more secretive and isolated existence<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. During the time period known as the Renaissance, the Assassin Order had apparently "gone underground". The reason for this is explained inside the Codex pages, where [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad|Altaïr]] 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, Altaïr believed that the Assassins too had to change tactics so as to live on<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />.

Having abandoned the fortress of [[Masyaf]], the assassins spread out across the Mediterranean world, taking up residence in places like northern Italy and Spain; however, the Templars too had done as much, head-quartering themselves in Rome. By 1321 the Assassin's Order had successfully integrated itself into modern day life of northern Italy, widely unknown to the average folk. That same year a young sailor by the name of Domenico, the son of an assassin, was apprenticed to the poet [[Dante Alighieri]], also an assassin, who was transporting the Codex of Altaïr from Venice to Spain<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Auditore Crypt">''[[Auditore Family Crypt|Uplay Content - Assassin's Creed II: Auditore Family Crypt]]''</ref>. During the voyage, pirates under the employ of the Templars ambushed the ship looking for the Codex, killing Dante, as well as the wife of Domenico. Fortunately for the assassins, Domenico had managed to break apart the Codex and hide it from the pirates before he and his son were forced overboard<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Auditore Crypt" />.

Eventually returning to Venice, Domenico found his father and his patron, [[Marco Polo]], an ally of the assassins, dead. So Domenico emptied the accounts of Messer Polo and travelled to the city of Florence under the assumed name of Auditore; eventually constructing the [[Auditore Family Villa|Auditore Villa]] in the city of [[Monteriggioni]], which became the centre of the Assassin's Order in Italy<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Auditore Crypt" />.

[[Image:Assassins1503E3.png|thumb|400px|Ezio and his disciples, facing Cesare and Rodrigo Borgia in Rome in 1503.]]
Despite the order "modernising" since the 12<sup>th</sup> Century, they still retained many of the rituals and practices, albeit altered. The practice of removing ones ring finger had as such been removed, although the seal of the Order was branded upon the finger instead; such was the induction of [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] in 1487. Although significantly fewer in number, the assassins' were supported by the [[courtesans]], [[thieves]] and [[Mercenary|condottieri]] of [[Florence]] and [[Venice]]; the guilds of which were each run by a member of the Order<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />.

During this time period, the Assassins entered another period of increased hostilities with the Templars, who were attempting to overthrow the ruling [[House of Medici]] in Florence, and the Doge of Venice. Having already killed the [[wikipedia:Galleazzo Maria Sforza|Duke of Milan]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Lineage">''[[Assassin's Creed: Lineage]]''</ref> in 1476, [[Rodrigo Borgia]] – the Grand Master of the Knights Templars – brought the noble families of [[House of Pazzi|Pazzi]], Barbarigo and [[House of Orsi|Orsi]] together<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Lineage" />, to accomplish his goals. Entering into conflict with the assassins, Borgia dealt a crippling blow to the Order of Assassins in 1476, when he executed the experienced warrior [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze]] and his two sons, [[Federico Auditore da Firenze|Federico]] and [[Petruccio Auditore da Firenze|Petruccio]], although a third son, Ezio, managed to escape. With the aid of Ezio, the Assassins were able to counter Borgia's plot over a twenty-three year campaign, defeating him at every turn<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />.

In 1487, the Order of Assassins learned that the Templars had retrieved an important artifact from the island of Cyprus, and deemed its capture necessary. Following the artifact from L'Arsenale di Venezia, Ezio managed to overpower and replace the Templar guard carrying the artifact. Under this guise, Ezio met with Borgia himself and the two engaged in battle; Borgia fled upon the arrival of the assassins, and the artifact fell once again into the hands of the assassins. The assassins of this age however, were unaware of the nature of the artifact, although they did recognise it as one of the Pieces of Eden mentioned within Altaïr's Codex<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />.

By the year 1503, the Assassins had begun to spread their influence beyond Italy, with many undertaking a variety of missions in locations as far afield as Spain and the Holy Roman Empire<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>.

===Modern Times===
{{Quote|We lost two more teams last night. That's eight more of us just…gone.|Lucy Stillman|Assassin's Creed II}}
By the 21<sup>st</sup> Century, the world had changed vastly<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />. Whilst the Order of Assassins had kept to their policy of remote camps and isolation from society<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />, the [[Templars]] had begun to infiltrate society further; taking the form of many corporations such as [[NASA]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> and [[Abstergo]]. The Templars continued to search for and investigate the various Pieces of Eden they discovered throughout this period<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /><ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, whilst the assassins continued their war against them; notably being responsible for the destruction of at least one Templar-controlled in Siberia in 1908, known in public as the [[Tunguska explosion]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />. However, by the year 2012 the Templars, under the guise of their front company [[Abstergo Industries]] had begun kidnapping assassins, or those related to them in an attempt to locate even more Pieces of Eden<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />. Notable captives included the mysterious [[Subject Sixteen]], Daniel Cross, and [[Desmond Miles]] – a descendant of both Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad and Ezio Auditore da Firenze<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />.

Using Desmond, Abstergo managed to obtain a map of the locations of the [[Pieces of Eden]] across the globe, and subsequently begun their attempts to claim them. Not long after, the assassins were able to free Desmond Miles<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, with the aid of [[Lucy Stillman]], an assassin who had been working undercover at Abstergo for at least three years by 2012, as well as obtain their own copy of the map<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />. Following this, Desmond agreed to aid the assassins in their quest to defeat Abstergo, mostly for revenge, but also for closure. Utilising the [[Animus|Animus 2.0]], a copy of the machine used by Abstergo to explore his genetic memories previously<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /><ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, Desmond followed the memories of Ezio Auditore, learning as he went, adopting his skills in combat and free-running, whilst the rest of the Order concentrated to locating the Pieces of Eden before their Templar counterparts. Despite this however, the war with the Knights Templar had taken a turn for the worse; with their numbers dwindling, the Order of Assassins were in danger of losing the war<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />.

==Known assassins==
[[File:Zw-renaissance-assassins.png|thumb|300px|Ezio's initiation into the brotherhood.]]
{{quote|The seeds were planted as two worlds became one. Behold, the Assassins, the children of two worlds!|Subject 16|Assassin's Creed II}}

The assassins had existed since before the turn of the first millennium; several known figures included the killer of [[Xerxes I of Persia]], [[Darius]], as well as [[Iltani]], [[Wei Yu]], [[Amunet]] and [[Leonius]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. Historically however, the fore-bearers of the assassins have existed since before recorded time, possibly reaching as far back as [[Adam and Eve]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />.

===Medieval and Renaissance periods===
During the [[Third Crusade]], the Syrian sect of the Order of Assassins was mainly made up of native, Syrian-born individuals, although some, like Altaïr, were born to parents of both religions. Led by [[Al Mualim]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed " />, and later [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] himself<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, other members included [[Harash]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />, [[Malik A-Sayf|Malik]] and [[Kadar A-Sayf]], [[Raoul]], [[Abbas]], [[Masun]], [[Jamal]], Bahir, Karim<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /> and [[Qulan Gal]], the death-bringer of [[Genghis Khan]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. Allies also included various individuals, such as [[Adha]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles">''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]''</ref>, and even former Templars like [[Maria Thorpe]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" /><ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. Others included [[Dante Alighieri]] and [[Domenico Auditore]] <ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, founder of the [[Auditore Villa]].

Later on, during the Renaissance, the Order's numbers had dwindled significantly. Having become much more secretive, members of the Order often had occupations and lives outside of the Order, ranging from artists<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Renaissance">''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]''</ref>, to thieves<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, to royal treasurers<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery">''[[Assassin's Creed II: Discovery]]''</ref>. The Grand Master at the time, [[Niccolò Machiavelli|Niccolò di Bernado dei Machiavelli]] was a Florentine noble, as well as diplomat, political philosopher, musician, and playwright<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. Others included the Florentine banker [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Lineage" /><ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, and his brother [[Mario Auditore]], caretaker of the Auditore Villa and condottieri leader, [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]], [[Paola]] and [[Sister Teodora]], the heads of the Florentine and Venetian courtesans respectively, [[Antonio]], the head of the Venetian Thieves Guild, [[La Volpe]], the head of the Florentine Thieves Guild, [[Bartolomeo d'Alviano]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, condottieri of [[Venice]], and [[Luis Santangel]] and [[Raphael Sanchez]], Finance minister to Ferdinand II and Treasurer of Queen Isabella I respectively<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery" />.

Once again, the Order had many allies amongst the common folk of Italy, and also amongst the nobility. Foremost among them was [[Leonardo da Vinci]], Ezio's closest friend and a genius of invention. Others included [[Caterina Sforza]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Battle of Forlì">''[[Battle of Forlì (DLC)|Assassin's Creed II: Battle of Forlì]]''</ref>, the Countess of [[Forlì]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, [[Lorenzo de' Medici]], the ruler of Florence<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, [[Agostino Barbarigo]], the Doge of Venice from 1486<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, and the famed explorer [[Christoffa Corombo]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery" />.

By 1503, [[Ezio Auditore]] had begun training new initiates in the Order, from his [[Tiber Island|base]] in [[Rome]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

===Modern Times===
At the turn of the 20<sup>th</sup> Century, the Assassins' Order had spread as far the Russian Empire, with a strong presence in Petrograd; and it was during this time that the Assassin [[Nikolai Orelov]] was active<ref name="Assassin's Creed comic book mini-series">[[Assassin's Creed comic book mini-series|''Assassin's Creed'' comic book mini-series]]</ref>. During the 21<sup>st</sup> Century however, the Order seemed to have sunk further into hiding, with the numbers fewer than ever<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. Although it was known that more existed, only a few were known: the mysterious '[[Subject 16]]', [[Desmond Miles]], [[Lucy Stillman]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />, [[Rebecca Crane]] and [[Shaun Hastings]], the Order's historian<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />.

At some point during this period, the descendant of Nikolai Orelov: [[Daniel Cross]], delved into the Animus to explore the genetic memories of his ancestor<ref name="Assassin's Creed comic book mini-series" />.

==Known victims==
{{Quote|Find them, kill them. In doing so, you will sow the seeds of peace.|[[Al Mualim]] to Altaïr|Assassin's Creed}}
Over the centuries, the Order of Assassins killed hundreds, if not thousands of individuals who they saw to be corrupt in their ways and a danger to humanity. Their intense rivalry with the Knights Templar also ensured that many underlings who served their Templar masters often shared the same fate<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />.

Below is a chronological list of the victims of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad:

<div style="float:left; width:48%;">
*[[Tamir (Altaïr's Chronicles)|Tamir of Damascus]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles" />
*[[Alaat]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles" />
*[[Roland Napule]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles" />
*[[The Master's Student]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles" />
*[[Master of the Tower]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles" />
*[[Harash]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles" />
*[[Basilisk|Lord Basilisk]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles" />
*[[Tamir|Tamir, the arms dealer]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
*[[Garnier de Naplouse]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
*[[Talal]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
*[[Abu'l Nuqoud]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
*[[William of Montferrat]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
</div>

<div style="float:right; width:48%;">
*[[Majd Addin]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
*[[Jubair al Hakim]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
*[[Sibrand]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
*[[Robert de Sable]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
*[[Al Mualim]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
*[[Frederick the Red]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />
*[[Moloch]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />
*[[Dark Oracle]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />
*[[Shalim]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />
*[[Shahar]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />
*[[Pirate Captain]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />
*[[Armand Bouchart]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />
</div>
<br clear="all" />
Below is a chronological list of the victims of Ezio Auditore da Firenze:

<div style="float:left; width:48%;">
*[[Uberto Alberti]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Vieri de' Pazzi]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Francesco de' Pazzi]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Jacopo de' Pazzi]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Stefano da Bagnone]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Bernardo Baroncelli]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Antonio Maffei]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Francesco Salviati]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Emilio Barbarigo]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Marco Barbarigo]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Silvio Barbarigo]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
</div>

<div style="float:right; width:48%;">
[[File:Hashashin by wraithdt.jpg|thumb|right|Artist's depiction of a Hashashin in battle]]
*[[Dante Moro]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Carlo Grimaldi]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Checco Orsi]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Battle of Forlì " />
*[[Ludovico Orsi]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Battle of Forlì " />
*[[Gaspar Martinez]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery" />
*[[Pedro Llorente]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery" />
*[[Juan de Marillo]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery" />
*[[Tomas Torquemada]] (spared)<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery" />
*[[Girolamo Savonarola]]<ref>''[[Bonfire of the Vanities (DLC)|Assassin's Creed II: Bonfire of the Vanities]]''</ref>
*[[Rodrigo Borgia]] (spared)<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
</div>
<br clear="all" />

Below is a chronological list of the victims of other known Assassins*:<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

*[[Xerxes I of Persia|King Xerxes the Great]], by [[Darius]] in 456 BC
*[[Alexander the Great]], by [[Iltani]] in 323 BC
*[[Qin Shi Huang]], by [[Wei Yu]] in 210 BC
*[[Cleopatra]], by [[Amunet]] in 31 BC
*[[Caligula]], by [[Leonius]] in 41 AD
*[[Genghis Khan]], by [[Qulan Gal]] in 1227 AD
*[[Tomas Torquemada]], by unknown in 1498 AD
*[[Francisco Pizzaro]], by Diego de Almagro II's men in 1541 AD
*[[Mary I of England]], by unknown in 1558 AD
*[[John Wilkes Booth]], by Boston Corbett in 1865 AD
*[[Grigori Rasputin]], by Felix Yusupov in 1916 AD
*[[Adolf Hitler]], by unknown in 1945 AD
*[[Joseph Stalin]], by unknown in 1953 AD
*[[François Duvalier]], by unknown in 1971 AD
*Max Fungus, by [http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Ezio_Auditore_da_Firenze Ezio Auditore Da Firenze ] in 2001 AD<br />

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

{{ACAC}}
{{AC}}
{{ACB}}
{{ACII}}
{{AC2D}}
{{ACBrotherhood}}
{{ACSeries}}
[[Category:Assassin's Order]]
[[Category:Assassins| ]]

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

2010-08-19T23:30:31Z

99.231.159.184: /* Weapons */

{{sourceless}}{{spoilerhd}}
{{Game Infobox

|name = Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
|image = UPDATE.png
|Developer = Ubisoft Montreal
|Publisher = [[Ubisoft]]
|US Date Released = 16th November 2010
|UK Date Released = 19th November 2010
|Genre = Historic Action-Adventure
|Game modes = Single-player, Multiplayer
|ESRB = RP-M+ (Rating Pending)
|Platform = PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
|Media = DVD, Blu-ray Disc
|Website = http://www.assassinscreedbrotherhood.com
}}
'''''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood''''' is an upcoming direct sequel of 2009's ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''. Featuring Ezio once again, the game pictures him, now a legendary [[master assassin]], leading his newly found brotherhood in a hunt for Templars. This is also the first game of the series to include a multiplayer mode of any kind.

[[Desmond Miles]] will make an appearance in Brotherhood, so the main storyline does progress. His voice actor [[Nolan North]] has admitted to be working on a new Assassin's Creed game and game developers announced that his story would "take an interesting turn".<ref>[http://www.gamingtarget.com/article.php?artid=10799 Nolan North confirms part in new Assassin's Creed game]</ref>

==Story==
Following the events of [[Assassin's Creed II]], [[Desmond Miles]] will relive more of [[Ezio|Ezio Auditore da Firenze's]] memories who became a legendary [[master assassin]]. However, after a surprise [[Knights Templar|Templar]] [[Siege of Monteriggioni|attack]] on the town of [[Monteriggioni]], led by [[Cesare Borgia]], the Assassins are brought to the verge of extinction, and the [[First Apple|Apple]] lost.

With [[Mario Auditore|uncle Mario]] dead and his villa in ruins, Ezio must now travel to [[Rome]], center of corruption and power and home of the Templar Order in [[Italy]] in order to regain the Apple of Eden and bring the Templar Order to its knees once and for all. Not only will Ezio have to succeed in destroying the threat of the Templars, but Desmond himself will face problems of his own. <ref>http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=260729</ref>

==Features==
===Characters===
''Below is a list of known characters to appear in-game;''

'''Assassins'''
*[[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]]
*[[Mario Auditore]]
*[[Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli]]

'''Knights Templar'''
*[[Rodrigo Borgia]]
*[[Cesare Borgia]]
*[[Lucrezia Borgia]]

'''Allies'''
*[[Leonardo da Vinci]]
*[[Caterina Sforza]]

'''Multiplayer characters'''

{{main|AC: Brotherhood multiplayer characters}}

''Note: Ubisoft has stated that some of the multiplayer characters will make an appearance in the Single-player game as targets for Ezio to kill.''

[[File:Harlequin.jpg|thumb|300px|From left to right: Barber, Priest, Merchant, Banker, Saracen, "Caramel Hunter", Female Barber, Hunter, Executioner, Harlequin]]

*The [[Doctor (multiplayer character)|Doctor]]
*The [[Courtesan (multiplayer character)|Courtesan]]
*The [[Executioner]]
*The [[Banker]]
*The [[Priest (Brotherhood multiplayer character)|Priest]]
*The [[Hunter]]
*The [[Barber]]
*The [[Merchant (multiplayer character)|Merchant]]
*The [[Blacksmith (Brotherhood's multiplayer character)|Blacksmith]]
*The [[Soldier (Brotherhood's multiplayer character)|Soldier]]
*The [[Harlequin]] (limited edition/pre-order exclusive)
*The [[Officer (Brotherhood's multiplayer character)|Officer]] (limited edition/pre-order exclusive)

===Weapons===
;Singleplayer
The weapon wheel in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood remains the same with the addition of the Crossbow. Also, there are little symbols added to the weapon symbols like the Hidden Gun to the Longsword, Throwing Knives to the Short Blade and a yet unknown symbol to the Poison Blade. These symbols represent the weapon that can be combined with the current weapon. This combination is shown in the E3 2010 Demo of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and in a screenshot when Ezio kills a guard with his Sword and then quickly shoots him with the Hidden Gun.

''Note: Weapons with an asterisk (*) next to them are introduced in Brotherhood.''
*[[Longsword]]s
*[[Crossbow]]*
*Double [[Hidden Blade]]s
*[[Poison Darts]]*
*[[Hidden Gun|Hidden Gun(s)]]
*[[Dagger]]s
*Arquebus* (unknown if usable by player)
*[[Spears and Halberds|Spears, Halberds and Pikes]]
*[[Throwing Knives]]
*[[Warhammer]]s and Maces
*Calivers*
*Wheelock Pistols
*[[Heavy Weapons|Axes]]
;Multiplayer
*[[Axe]] - used by the [[Executioner]].
*[[Fan]] - used by the [[Courtesan]].*
*[[Syringe]] - used by the [[Doctor]].*
*[[Dagger]] - used by the [[Priest]], [[Harlequin]], Merchant, and Officer.
*[[Switchblade]] - used by the [[Hunter]].*
*[[Claw]] - used by the [[Banker]].*
*[[Razor]] - used by the [[Barber]].*
*[[Warhammer]] - used by the [[Blacksmith (Brotherhood's multiplayer character)|Blacksmith]].
*[[Shortsword |Shortsword ]]- used by the [[Soldier (Brotherhood's multiplayer character)|Soldier]].
*[[pistol|Hidden Gun]] (used as an ability)
*[[Smoke Bomb]] (used as an ability)
*[[Throwing Knives]] (used as an ability)
*The Fung Sword - used by Max Fung (only when you pre-order the fung edition)
'''[[Multiplayer Abilities]]'''
*[[Multiplayer Abilities#Morph|Morph]]
*[[Multiplayer Abilities#SpeedBoost|Speed Boost]]
*[[Multiplayer Abilities#Disguise|Disguise]]
*[[Multiplayer Abilities#Decoy|Decoy]]
*Poison
*Power Charge
*Firecrackers
*Smoke Bomb

=====Other Tools=====
Other than the weapons, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood will include some old and new tools avaliable to Ezio Auditore.
*[[Horse]]s
*[[Flying Machine|Advanced Flying Machine]]
*[[Mounted Cannons]]
*[[Lifts|Merchandise Lift]]
*[[Chase-Breakers]]
*[[Parachutes]]

===Enemies===
*[[Papal Guards]]
*[[Brutes]]
*[[Seekers]]
*[[Arquebusier]]
*[[Guards|Militia Guards]]

===Singleplayer===
Ubisoft claims (through conferences, videos and announces) that Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood will include new features, especially small gameplay add-on (i.e.: the flying Sequence in [[:Category:Assassin's Creed II|Assassin's Creed II]], different from the rest of the gameplay). New weapons such as the crossbow will be introduced, and new combat elements will also be introduced, rewarding those who attack first, for example. Additionally enemies will more likely attack together instead of just one at a time as seen in previous installments. Ezio will also make use of a parachute throughout the game, most likely designed by [[Leonardo da Vinci]] himself. <ref>http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=260729</ref>

It is also likely that the player (through Ezio) will have to train apprentices, help other assassins, and confront enemies along with them.

Ezio's ability to train and send other assassins on jobs and missions may have a key gameplay element in such that their success may have a small impact of the storyline, much like the progression of the game through upgrading Rome. This success will depend on abilities of the assassins sent, where younger, less experienced assassins will have a higher failure rate than older, more experienced ones. If your assassins die on a mission, they will not return. Ezio may also have the ability to select and bring along a group of assassins to assist in his missions, Ubisoft has said that in Brotherhood leadership is as vital a skill as the ability to use a sword. Also mentioned was the ability to select an assassin as Ezio's "personal assassin", no further information about this was given.

===Multiplayer ===
''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'' is the first Assassin's Creed game to feature a multiplayer mode. The players are Templars in training at the Abstergo facility. They use the [[Animus]] and the [[Bleeding Effect]] to train in combat, stealth and free running. The simulation consists of stalking and killing one another. The area in which the Templar assassins train is selected manually, as pre-set maps.

One of the multiplayer game modes has been announced in the July edition of Playstation magazine. This mode is called "[[Wanted]]". Six to eight players are dropped on a map where they find and kill each other. Each player is given a target, which is another player. Your goal is to find and kill your target without being seen or killed by your own predator. If you break your cover and your target sees you, a chase sequence will commence. They will try to catch and kill you and you will have to hide from them.

In [[Hunter (multiplayer mode)|Hunter]] mode, one player will take the role of an assassin while other players play as guards. Before the beginning of the mission the player will have to choose his class - there is no information how many classes will be available, but each class will have different animations and weapons. After the player has chosen his class, the radar will show him the area where his target is located and the number of enemy players that are searching for him. After the player has found the location where the victim is hiding they must then locate their target. There aren’t many skins for the NPCs so the player might find several identical people on the same location. That will make his job a lot harder because he should kill only one person, and if the player accidentally kills an innocent person he will lose his contract. Therefore, observation is the key to success in this mode. Ubisoft hints that each multiplayer character will appear in some form in the single-player mode too.

No further specifics about game modes are known.

The Beta comes out in September. You can only play the Beta on the PS3. However it is only available in North American for the time being. To get it, you must pre-order the PS3 version of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood at Gamestop. You will recieve a code and you must input it on [https://secure.ubi.com/register/Login.aspx?lang=en-US&genomeId=ff009be3-0f75-4486-a6bd-5badd943674f&NextURL=http://assassinscreed.us.ubi.com/ this site.]

Note: If you pre-ordered Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood at Gamestop already and did not recieve a code, you may show your receipt of pre-order to a clerk at Gamestop around August 9 and get a code.

===Physics and effects===
After some criticism from PC gamers about the Ragdoll physics in previous installments, Ubisoft has stated that the physics will be improved upon in ''[[Brotherhood]]'', as well as several graphical effects in the game.

Ragdolls will fall much more realistic due to the new, edited "Havok" engine. In the other games, ragdolls sometimes would convulse when hitting the floor after being thrown off a building.

===Controlling the Assassins===

During the game you will have the option of sending [[Assassins]] to different areas to complete tasks. You will have the ability to send new assassins to other European countries and complete missions to gain status. Once they have proven themselves effectively, they can accompany you on missions in Rome. The new assassins are recruited when Ezio rescues them from harassing guards, which leads them to join the Assassins. You can have the ability to train young Assassins and have them do jobs for you.

If an Assassin fails to pass a mission, he can't be used again. You can also customize the assassins' armor and weaponry, and each one has a different personality. Later on you can use experience points they've gained to upgrade their fighting and free-running abilities.
*So far it's known that you will be able to train at least twelve assassins, male or female, at a time and possibly bring up to five, including the "personal assassin", on missions.
*So far, Ezio and Desmond are the only known playable characters in the singleplayer game campaign

==Limited Editions==
Three special Editions have been revealed so far for the game. Europe will have the 'Codex' and 'Auditore' Edition. The Codex Edition will only be available through Play.com, while the Auditore Edition will be available through other retailers. North America will have the 'Collector's Edition' with the exclusive Harlequin figure available at Gamestop, while the Collectors edition with the Doctor figure is available at other retailers<ref>[http://www.playstationgamingblog.com/2010/06/16/assassin%E2%80%99s-creed-brotherhood-limited-codex-edition-revealed Assassin's Creed 'Codex' Edition revealed.]</ref> <ref>[http://nzgamer.com/all/news/4183/assassins-creed-brotherhood-les-announced.html Assassin's Creed 'Auditore' Edition announced.]</ref> <ref>[http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/09/assassins-creed-brotherhood-collectors-edition-comes-with-jac/ Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood collector's edition ]</ref>

===The Codex Edition===
[[File:15571172-large.jpg|thumb|150px|The Codex Edition]]
*Renaissance Collector Chest
*Altaïr's exclusive [[Codex]]
*Hard Copy Strategy Map of [[Rome]]
*Multi player characters cards
*DVD of the ''[[Assassin’s Creed: Lineage]]'' short-film
*Bonus Disc
**Exclusive Making-of Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Video
**Digital Sneak Peak at the [[Assassin's Creed comic book mini-series|comic book series]]
**Trailers
**Game Soundtrack
*2 Exclusive single player maps: Aqua Gear & Trajan Market
*2 Multi player characters: [[Harlequin]] & [[Officer]]

===The Auditore Edition===

[[File:AuditoreEdition.jpg|thumb|150px|The Auditore Edition]]
*Transparancy box with 3D thermoformed portrait of [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]] and " [[Animus]]" effect
*Multiplayer character cards
*Aqua Gear exclusive single player map
*DVD of the ''[[Assassin's Creed: Lineage]]'' short-film

===The Collector's Edition===
[[File:200894_ceLG.jpg|thumb|150px|The Collector's Edition (Harlequin)]]
*Collectible black package
*The [[Harlequin]] Jack-in-the-Box Collectible exclusive to GameStop customers only or The Doctor Jack-in-the-Box if purchased at other participating retailers
*Two Exclusive In-Game Single Player Maps
*Hard Copy Strategy Map of [[Rome]]
*Exclusive Art Book
*Bonus Disc
**Exclusive Making-of Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Video
**Digital Sneak Peak at the [[Assassin's Creed comic book mini-series|comic book series]]
**Trailers
**Game Soundtrack
*[http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html/ref=amb_link_353686082_2?location=http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/videogames/promos/Amazon_Ezio_Skin_Art._V185754199_.jpg&token=957BBB0669152D76BE1C614537975585163C1748&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=hero-quick-promo&pf_rd_r=0T1DQSCE5X0J009F8M2S&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=1271972222&pf_rd_i=B003YMV2G2 Helmschmied Drachen armor](The special armor is only available if purchased at Amazon.com)

===Special Edition===
*Trajan Market Map Pack
*Officer Multiplayer Character

==Trivia==
*In the E3 2010 Single Player Walkthrough, the "Press Start/Enter" menu background changes from the original Animus in Assassin's Creed to the Animus 2.0 in Assassin's Creed II. As all of the characters in the multiplayer mode are Templars, it can be seen that they are using Abstergo Animi.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="170" orientation="none" captionposition="below" captionalign="center" captionsize="medium" bordersize="none" spacing="small">
e3-2010-assassins-creed-ii-brotherhood-preview-20100613080159378_640w.jpg|[[Ezio]] during the [[siege of Monteriggioni]].
Dibujo4.JPG|[[Ezio]] observing the city of [[Rome]].
Dibujo3.JPG|[[Ezio]] being present at a crucifixion inside the [[Colosseum]], [[Rome]].
Dibujo1.JPG|[[Ezio]] and his apprentices at the [[Pantheon]], [[Rome]].
Dibujo.JPG|[[Ezio]] at the [[Castel Sant'Angelo]], [[Rome]].
Capture1.JPG|Assassin's Creed Official Forum background
Image:BrotherhoodscreenPassionPlay rome.jpg|[[Ezio]] at the [[Colosseum]], [[Rome]].
Image:Pistol.jpg|A hidden gun kill smoothly integrated into sword-combat.
Image:ACBH-screenshot4.jpg|[[Ezio]] riding through the city of [[Rome]].
Ezio And Assassins.jpg|Notice the Assassin leaping from the building, it appears to be a female.
Assassins45.png|The Assassins descend from above.
Brotherhood.jpg|[[Ezio]] and the his apprentice inside the [[Pantheon]], [[Rome]].
ACB4.jpg|[[Ezio]] and a [[Borgia]] soldier battling on horse-back.
ACB3.jpg|[[Ezio]] escaping from [[Borgia]] [[Arquebusiers]].
ACB2.jpg|[[Ezio]] using a cannon to take down [[Borgia]] ships.
ACB6.jpg|[[Ezio]] assassinating a guard atop a tower in [[Rome]].
Image:Brotherhood_screen_characters.jpg|From left to right: the [[Courtesan]], the [[Doctor]], the [[Executioner]], the [[Hunter]].
Image:ACBH-screenshot1.jpg|The [[Priest]] pulling the [[Banker]] off the roof.
Image:AC Brothehood multi 2.JPG|The [[Priest]] getting killed by the [[Hunter]] with a [[Doctor]] watching from above possibly waiting to assassinate the [[Hunter]].
Image:AC Brothehood multi.JPG|The [[Courtesan]] chasing the [[Hunter]] and in the back the [[Executioner]].
Image:AC Brothehood multi 3.JPG|The [[Courtesan]] getting killed by the [[Banker]].
Image:AC Brothehood multi 4.JPG|The [[Courtesan]] running from the [[Hunter]].
Image:AC Brothehood multi 1.JPG|The [[Executioner]] grabbing the [[Hunter]] and in the back the [[Banker]].
Image:ACBH-screenshot2.jpg|The [[Doctor]] and the [[Executioner]] looking at each other.
Image:ACBH-screenshot3.jpg|The [[Doctor]] poisoning the [[Courtesan]].
ACB5.jpg|The [[Courtesan]] assassinating the [[Executioner]].
ACB11.jpg|The [[Executioner]] assassinating the [[Barber]].
Killingjoke.png|The [[Harlequin]] assassinating the [[Executioner]]
Neck scrap.png|The [[Banker]] Killing the [[Harlequin]]
Assassins creed brotherhood.jpg|a promotional poster for [[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]
Ac3poster copy.jpg|[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]] promotional poster
RiptenCodexEdition-600x636.jpg|[[Codex Edition]]
AuditoreEdition CTC.jpg|[[Auditore Edition]]
Doctor1.jpg|[[Collectors Edition]]
Harlekin.jpg|[[Collectors Edition]]
Abstergo_ACB_1280x1024.jpg|[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]] Promotional Poster
</gallery>

==Videos==

===Trailers===
{| border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 200px;"
|[[Video:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood - Debut Website Teaser (HD)|thumb|right|330px|Debut Teaser Trailer]]
|[[Video:Assassins Creed Brotherhood Weapons Trailer HD|thumb|right|330px|Weapons Teaser Trailer]]
|-
|[[Video:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood E3 Trailer|thumb|right|330px|E3 2010 Cinematic Trailer]]
|[[Video:Assassin's Creed Brotherhood Multiplayer Trailer|thumb|right|330px|E3 2010 Multiplayer Trailer]]
|-
|[[Video:Assassin's Creed Brotherhood - Comic-Con Multiplayer Trailer (HD)|thumb|330px|right|Comic-Con Multiplayer Trailer]]
|
|}
===Other Videos===
[[Videos#Assassin's_Creed:_Brotherhood|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Videos]]

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

{{ACSeries}}
[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed Series]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood| ]]

Assassins

2010-08-19T23:26:55Z

99.231.159.184: /* Known victims */

{{Era|ACAC|AC|ACB|AC2|AC2D|Assassins|Crusade|Ren|Modern|Good}}
{{WP-REAL|Hashshashin}}
{{Faction Infobox
|image = Aclogo.png
|game = ''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]''<br>''[[Assassin's Creed]]''<br>''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]''<br>''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''<br>''[[Assassin's Creed II: Discovery]]''<br>''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''<br>''[[Assassin's Creed: Lost Legacy]]''
|religion =
|nationality = Multiple<ref name="Assassin's Creed">''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref><ref name="Assassin's Creed II">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>
|location = Worldwide<ref name="Assassin's Creed II">''[[Assassin's Creed II''</ref>
}}

{{Quote|We work in the dark, to serve the light. We are Assassins.|[[Niccolò Machiavelli]]|Assassin's Creed II}}
The '''Assassins''', also known as the ''Assassins Order'', ''Assassins Brotherhood'' and ''Hashshashin'', were an organized order of assassins who fought a continuous secret war with the [[Knights Templar]] for over two-thousand years. Whereas the Templars strive for power by controlling the people, The Assassin Order struggles to ensure the survival of free will, as it is what allows for the progression of new ideas and the growth of individuality. The Assassins, if not the order itself, had existed since at least 456 BC, throughout the Roman era, the [[Assassin's Creed|Third Crusade]], the [[Assassin's Creed 2|Renaissance]], and into [[Modern Times|21<sup>st</sup> Century]].

==The Order==
{{quote|Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine<br />("Nothing is true, everything is permitted" in Arabic)''|The Assassin's Creed|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:AssassinGuard.png|thumb|Rauf, a combat instructor, wearing similar robes to other high ranked Assassin guard in Masyaf.]]
The order believed in a strong set of values that strictly governed their way of life, the Creed, which consisted of three [[tenets]]:
#"Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent."
#"Hide in plain sight, be one with the crowd".
#"Never compromise the Brotherhood<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />".
These tenets permeated every aspect of the Assassins' daily life, as well as their fight for "peace in all things". The Assassins carried out their duties through political strategic assassination, in the hope that killing one individual, would lead to the salvation of thousands. The assassins believe that they fight on behalf of those who do not possess the abilities, resources, or knowledge to speak out against those who abuse their power<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />.

[[File:AssassinInformant.png|thumb|left|An Assassin informant.]]
Despite their service to those who would otherwise suffer, the [[Assassins]] were still feared by the general populous, due mainly to their method of ensuring peace. The Assassins were most feared due to their terrifying reputation for taking life in public places before many witnesses – done so as to bring fear into the hearts of those who might abuse their power or corrupt the innocent – before vanishing into the crowd without a trace<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />. To assist in this, the assassins used a particularly efficient weapon for assassinations: the [[hidden blade]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, a single thrust from which could end the life of its victim.

However, in order to ascertain which death might best assist the assassins' goals, extensive political knowledge was a must have, and so the assassins remained always in tune with the ever-changing politics surrounding them. Obtaining the information was the job of low-level members of the Order, who would be stationed throughout the cities of the world; these spies would watch the local nobles and rulers, looking for signs of corruption or membership in the [[Knights Templar]]. Once gathered, any information was passed on to the assassins' who were responsible for the execution of the assassination<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />.

===Training===
The assassins spent their entire lifetime training to kill<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />. From an early age they were taught to observe their surroundings and plan ahead; combat was a must and its training was continuous, with a focus on bladed weapons of all sorts being their expertise. However, despite such a focus on combat, the greatest consideration in the assassins' training was concealment; stealth was the greatest weapon of the assassin and everything about their life, the clothes they wore, where they lived, even how they walked emphasised a devotion to concealment<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /><ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. It was the duty of an assassin to reach their target and stand beside them, before they struck, and sink away into the crowd<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />.

The other significant focus of an assassins training was manoeuvrability. By the time an assassin reached the rank of [[Master Assassin]], he was also a master of an early form of [[Free-Running|parkour]] widely utilised by the assassins. Widely seen as alien and naive by the general populous, this method of movement allowed the assassins to reach areas not normally accessible to man. From scaling a wall to climbing to one of a city's many [[view point]]s, parkour gave the assassins a significant advantage over the average city guard.

==History==
===The Third Crusade===
[[File:Almualimassassins.png|thumb|300px|Al Mualim and the Assassins in the fortress of Masyaf.]]
In 1191, during the [[Third Crusade]], the Syrian branch of the Assassins Order was centred in the fortress of [[Masyaf]], deep within the kingdom of the Holy Land. Led by [[Al Mualim]], the assassins battled with the [[Templars]] and their leader, [[Robert de Sable]], over ideologies and the means with which to accomplish them. It is during the Third Crusade that the assassins learnt of a Templar interest in an [[Piece of Eden|ancient artifact]] hidden within the catacombs of [[Solomon's Temple]] and decided to keep it from their grasps; the mission was a success, although a costly one. With the death of one assassin and the arrival of the Templar army at the gates of Masyaf, the assassins proceeded to literally crush most of the Templar army under a concealed onslaught of rolling logs, before driving the Templars from the village below.<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />

Following the assault, the assassin blamed for the loss of life that day – [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] – was severely reprimanded, and then tasked with removing nine influential individuals who plagued the Holy Land with their corrupt rule. As Altaïr made his way down the list, made up of both Crusader and Saracen individuals, the revelation that their goal – to bring peace to the people of the Holy Land – was just, unsettled him greatly, as he felt his victims were "misguided perhaps but pure in motive". This was a view shared by Al Mualim, who agreed with their goals, but felt their attitude of "the end justifies the means" undermined the good they sought to ensure. As his mission progressed, Altaïr sought to know what bound his victims together, and the realization that they were all Templars only served to reinforce the assassins’ determination to bring an end to the Templar plot.

By the end of the year the assassins' were victorious over their Templar enemies; [[Robert de Sable]], Grand Master of the Knights Templar was dead, however the treachery of one of their own had also hit the assassin order hard. Al Mualim, Grand Master of the Order of Assassins, and a former member of a coalition of ''ten'' Templar leaders, was revealed to be a traitor, and killed by the very man he had sent to eliminate his fellow Templar conspirators. With Al Mualim dead, Altaïr took over as Grand Master of the Order, leading the assassins in their attempts to rebuild their strength following the costly conflict.

Eventually, it was decided that the [[Piece of Eden]] was too great a threat to keep in Masyaf, and the decision was made to keep it on the island of Cyprus, in the Limassol archives<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines">''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]''</ref>. However, following the liberation of the island from its Templar rulers, the Piece was kept by Altaïr until at least he completed his fabled [[Codex]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />.

===Renaissance===
{{Quote|In this modern age, we are not as literal as our ancestors; but our seal is no less permanent…|Mario Auditore|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:Asslogorenaissance.png|thumb|Renaissance variation of the Assassins' symbol.]]
The Order continued to thrive, despite being forced to adopt an even more secretive and isolated existence<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. During the time period known as the Renaissance, the Assassin Order had apparently "gone underground". The reason for this is explained inside the Codex pages, where [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad|Altaïr]] 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, Altaïr believed that the Assassins too had to change tactics so as to live on<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />.

Having abandoned the fortress of [[Masyaf]], the assassins spread out across the Mediterranean world, taking up residence in places like northern Italy and Spain; however, the Templars too had done as much, head-quartering themselves in Rome. By 1321 the Assassin's Order had successfully integrated itself into modern day life of northern Italy, widely unknown to the average folk. That same year a young sailor by the name of Domenico, the son of an assassin, was apprenticed to the poet [[Dante Alighieri]], also an assassin, who was transporting the Codex of Altaïr from Venice to Spain<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Auditore Crypt">''[[Auditore Family Crypt|Uplay Content - Assassin's Creed II: Auditore Family Crypt]]''</ref>. During the voyage, pirates under the employ of the Templars ambushed the ship looking for the Codex, killing Dante, as well as the wife of Domenico. Fortunately for the assassins, Domenico had managed to break apart the Codex and hide it from the pirates before he and his son were forced overboard<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Auditore Crypt" />.

Eventually returning to Venice, Domenico found his father and his patron, [[Marco Polo]], an ally of the assassins, dead. So Domenico emptied the accounts of Messer Polo and travelled to the city of Florence under the assumed name of Auditore; eventually constructing the [[Auditore Family Villa|Auditore Villa]] in the city of [[Monteriggioni]], which became the centre of the Assassin's Order in Italy<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Auditore Crypt" />.

[[Image:Assassins1503E3.png|thumb|400px|Ezio and his disciples, facing Cesare and Rodrigo Borgia in Rome in 1503.]]
Despite the order "modernising" since the 12<sup>th</sup> Century, they still retained many of the rituals and practices, albeit altered. The practice of removing ones ring finger had as such been removed, although the seal of the Order was branded upon the finger instead; such was the induction of [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] in 1487. Although significantly fewer in number, the assassins' were supported by the [[courtesans]], [[thieves]] and [[Mercenary|condottieri]] of [[Florence]] and [[Venice]]; the guilds of which were each run by a member of the Order<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />.

During this time period, the Assassins entered another period of increased hostilities with the Templars, who were attempting to overthrow the ruling [[House of Medici]] in Florence, and the Doge of Venice. Having already killed the [[wikipedia:Galleazzo Maria Sforza|Duke of Milan]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Lineage">''[[Assassin's Creed: Lineage]]''</ref> in 1476, [[Rodrigo Borgia]] – the Grand Master of the Knights Templars – brought the noble families of [[House of Pazzi|Pazzi]], Barbarigo and [[House of Orsi|Orsi]] together<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Lineage" />, to accomplish his goals. Entering into conflict with the assassins, Borgia dealt a crippling blow to the Order of Assassins in 1476, when he executed the experienced warrior [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze]] and his two sons, [[Federico Auditore da Firenze|Federico]] and [[Petruccio Auditore da Firenze|Petruccio]], although a third son, Ezio, managed to escape. With the aid of Ezio, the Assassins were able to counter Borgia's plot over a twenty-three year campaign, defeating him at every turn<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />.

In 1487, the Order of Assassins learned that the Templars had retrieved an important artifact from the island of Cyprus, and deemed its capture necessary. Following the artifact from L'Arsenale di Venezia, Ezio managed to overpower and replace the Templar guard carrying the artifact. Under this guise, Ezio met with Borgia himself and the two engaged in battle; Borgia fled upon the arrival of the assassins, and the artifact fell once again into the hands of the assassins. The assassins of this age however, were unaware of the nature of the artifact, although they did recognise it as one of the Pieces of Eden mentioned within Altaïr's Codex<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />.

By the year 1503, the Assassins had begun to spread their influence beyond Italy, with many undertaking a variety of missions in locations as far afield as Spain and the Holy Roman Empire<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>.

===Modern Times===
{{Quote|We lost two more teams last night. That's eight more of us just…gone.|Lucy Stillman|Assassin's Creed II}}
By the 21<sup>st</sup> Century, the world had changed vastly<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />. Whilst the Order of Assassins had kept to their policy of remote camps and isolation from society<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />, the [[Templars]] had begun to infiltrate society further; taking the form of many corporations such as [[NASA]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" /> and [[Abstergo]]. The Templars continued to search for and investigate the various Pieces of Eden they discovered throughout this period<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /><ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, whilst the assassins continued their war against them; notably being responsible for the destruction of at least one Templar-controlled in Siberia in 1908, known in public as the [[Tunguska explosion]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />. However, by the year 2012 the Templars, under the guise of their front company [[Abstergo Industries]] had begun kidnapping assassins, or those related to them in an attempt to locate even more Pieces of Eden<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />. Notable captives included the mysterious [[Subject Sixteen]], Daniel Cross, and [[Desmond Miles]] – a descendant of both Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad and Ezio Auditore da Firenze<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />.

Using Desmond, Abstergo managed to obtain a map of the locations of the [[Pieces of Eden]] across the globe, and subsequently begun their attempts to claim them. Not long after, the assassins were able to free Desmond Miles<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, with the aid of [[Lucy Stillman]], an assassin who had been working undercover at Abstergo for at least three years by 2012, as well as obtain their own copy of the map<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />. Following this, Desmond agreed to aid the assassins in their quest to defeat Abstergo, mostly for revenge, but also for closure. Utilising the [[Animus|Animus 2.0]], a copy of the machine used by Abstergo to explore his genetic memories previously<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /><ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, Desmond followed the memories of Ezio Auditore, learning as he went, adopting his skills in combat and free-running, whilst the rest of the Order concentrated to locating the Pieces of Eden before their Templar counterparts. Despite this however, the war with the Knights Templar had taken a turn for the worse; with their numbers dwindling, the Order of Assassins were in danger of losing the war<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />.

==Known assassins==
[[File:Zw-renaissance-assassins.png|thumb|300px|Ezio's initiation into the brotherhood.]]
{{quote|The seeds were planted as two worlds became one. Behold, the Assassins, the children of two worlds!|Subject 16|Assassin's Creed II}}

The assassins had existed since before the turn of the first millennium; several known figures included the killer of [[Xerxes I of Persia]], [[Darius]], as well as [[Iltani]], [[Wei Yu]], [[Amunet]] and [[Leonius]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. Historically however, the fore-bearers of the assassins have existed since before recorded time, possibly reaching as far back as [[Adam and Eve]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />.

===Medieval and Renaissance periods===
During the [[Third Crusade]], the Syrian sect of the Order of Assassins was mainly made up of native, Syrian-born individuals, although some, like Altaïr, were born to parents of both religions. Led by [[Al Mualim]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed " />, and later [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] himself<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, other members included [[Harash]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />, [[Malik A-Sayf|Malik]] and [[Kadar A-Sayf]], [[Raoul]], [[Abbas]], [[Masun]], [[Jamal]], Bahir, Karim<ref name="Assassin's Creed" /> and [[Qulan Gal]], the death-bringer of [[Genghis Khan]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. Allies also included various individuals, such as [[Adha]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles">''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]''</ref>, and even former Templars like [[Maria Thorpe]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" /><ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. Others included [[Dante Alighieri]] and [[Domenico Auditore]] <ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, founder of the [[Auditore Villa]].

Later on, during the Renaissance, the Order's numbers had dwindled significantly. Having become much more secretive, members of the Order often had occupations and lives outside of the Order, ranging from artists<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Renaissance">''[[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]''</ref>, to thieves<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, to royal treasurers<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery">''[[Assassin's Creed II: Discovery]]''</ref>. The Grand Master at the time, [[Niccolò Machiavelli|Niccolò di Bernado dei Machiavelli]] was a Florentine noble, as well as diplomat, political philosopher, musician, and playwright<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. Others included the Florentine banker [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Lineage" /><ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, and his brother [[Mario Auditore]], caretaker of the Auditore Villa and condottieri leader, [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]], [[Paola]] and [[Sister Teodora]], the heads of the Florentine and Venetian courtesans respectively, [[Antonio]], the head of the Venetian Thieves Guild, [[La Volpe]], the head of the Florentine Thieves Guild, [[Bartolomeo d'Alviano]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, condottieri of [[Venice]], and [[Luis Santangel]] and [[Raphael Sanchez]], Finance minister to Ferdinand II and Treasurer of Queen Isabella I respectively<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery" />.

Once again, the Order had many allies amongst the common folk of Italy, and also amongst the nobility. Foremost among them was [[Leonardo da Vinci]], Ezio's closest friend and a genius of invention. Others included [[Caterina Sforza]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Battle of Forlì">''[[Battle of Forlì (DLC)|Assassin's Creed II: Battle of Forlì]]''</ref>, the Countess of [[Forlì]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, [[Lorenzo de' Medici]], the ruler of Florence<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, [[Agostino Barbarigo]], the Doge of Venice from 1486<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />, and the famed explorer [[Christoffa Corombo]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery" />.

By 1503, [[Ezio Auditore]] had begun training new initiates in the Order, from his [[Tiber Island|base]] in [[Rome]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" />

===Modern Times===
At the turn of the 20<sup>th</sup> Century, the Assassins' Order had spread as far the Russian Empire, with a strong presence in Petrograd; and it was during this time that the Assassin [[Nikolai Orelov]] was active<ref name="Assassin's Creed comic book mini-series">[[Assassin's Creed comic book mini-series|''Assassin's Creed'' comic book mini-series]]</ref>. During the 21<sup>st</sup> Century however, the Order seemed to have sunk further into hiding, with the numbers fewer than ever<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />. Although it was known that more existed, only a few were known: the mysterious '[[Subject 16]]', [[Desmond Miles]], [[Lucy Stillman]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />, [[Rebecca Crane]] and [[Shaun Hastings]], the Order's historian<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />.

At some point during this period, the descendant of Nikolai Orelov: [[Daniel Cross]], delved into the Animus to explore the genetic memories of his ancestor<ref name="Assassin's Creed comic book mini-series" />.

==Known victims==
{{Quote|Find them, kill them. In doing so, you will sow the seeds of peace.|[[Al Mualim]] to Altaïr|Assassin's Creed}}
Over the centuries, the Order of Assassins killed hundreds, if not thousands of individuals who they saw to be corrupt in their ways and a danger to humanity. Their intense rivalry with the Knights Templar also ensured that many underlings who served their Templar masters often shared the same fate<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />.

Below is a chronological list of the victims of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad:

<div style="float:left; width:48%;">
*[[Tamir (Altaïr's Chronicles)|Tamir of Damascus]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles" />
*[[Alaat]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles" />
*[[Roland Napule]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles" />
*[[The Master's Student]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles" />
*[[Master of the Tower]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles" />
*[[Harash]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles" />
*[[Basilisk|Lord Basilisk]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles" />
*[[Tamir|Tamir, the arms dealer]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
*[[Garnier de Naplouse]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
*[[Talal]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
*[[Abu'l Nuqoud]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
*[[William of Montferrat]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
</div>

<div style="float:right; width:48%;">
*[[Majd Addin]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
*[[Jubair al Hakim]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
*[[Sibrand]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
*[[Robert de Sable]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
*[[Al Mualim]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed" />
*[[Frederick the Red]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />
*[[Moloch]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />
*[[Dark Oracle]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />
*[[Shalim]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />
*[[Shahar]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />
*[[Pirate Captain]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />
*[[Armand Bouchart]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />
</div>
<br clear="all" />
Below is a chronological list of the victims of Ezio Auditore da Firenze:

<div style="float:left; width:48%;">
*[[Uberto Alberti]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Vieri de' Pazzi]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Francesco de' Pazzi]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Jacopo de' Pazzi]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Stefano da Bagnone]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Bernardo Baroncelli]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Antonio Maffei]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Francesco Salviati]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Emilio Barbarigo]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Marco Barbarigo]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Silvio Barbarigo]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
</div>

<div style="float:right; width:48%;">
[[File:Hashashin by wraithdt.jpg|thumb|right|Artist's depiction of a Hashashin in battle]]
*[[Dante Moro]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Carlo Grimaldi]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
*[[Checco Orsi]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Battle of Forlì " />
*[[Ludovico Orsi]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Battle of Forlì " />
*[[Gaspar Martinez]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery" />
*[[Pedro Llorente]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery" />
*[[Juan de Marillo]]<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery" />
*[[Tomas Torquemada]] (spared)<ref name="Assassin's Creed II: Discovery" />
*[[Girolamo Savonarola]]<ref>''[[Bonfire of the Vanities (DLC)|Assassin's Creed II: Bonfire of the Vanities]]''</ref>
*[[Rodrigo Borgia]] (spared)<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />
</div>
<br clear="all" />

Below is a chronological list of the victims of other known Assassins*:<ref name="Assassin's Creed II" />

*[[Xerxes I of Persia|King Xerxes the Great]], by [[Darius]] in 456 BC
*[[Alexander the Great]], by [[Iltani]] in 323 BC
*[[Qin Shi Huang]], by [[Wei Yu]] in 210 BC
*[[Cleopatra]], by [[Amunet]] in 31 BC
*[[Caligula]], by [[Leonius]] in 41 AD
*[[Genghis Khan]], by [[Qulan Gal]] in 1227 AD
*[[Tomas Torquemada]], by unknown in 1498 AD
*[[Francisco Pizzaro]], by Diego de Almagro II's men in 1541 AD
*[[Mary I of England]], by unknown in 1558 AD
*[[John Wilkes Booth]], by Boston Corbett in 1865 AD
*[[Grigori Rasputin]], by Felix Yusupov in 1916 AD
*[[Adolf Hitler]], by unknown in 1945 AD
*[[Joseph Stalin]], by unknown in 1953 AD
*[[François Duvalier]], by unknown in 1971 AD
*Max Fungus, by Fungus in 2001 AD

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

{{ACAC}}
{{AC}}
{{ACB}}
{{ACII}}
{{AC2D}}
{{ACBrotherhood}}
{{ACSeries}}
[[Category:Assassin's Order]]
[[Category:Assassins| ]]