Editing Council of Elders

{{Era|Organizations|Templars}}[[File:ACM Council of Elders.jpg|thumb|250px|Kaye and the four other Elders]]
The '''Council of Elders''' is one of the guiding bodies of the [[Templar Order]].<ref name="ACfilm">[[Assassin's Creed (film)|''Assassin's Creed'' (film)]]</ref> It operates as a separate entity from the order's governing structure to ensure and maintain the integrity of the Templar government itself by influencing and guiding of the governing structures, having a similar function as the [[Black Cross]]. It does not exert direct control over these structures, such as the [[Inner Sanctum of the Templar Order|Inner Sanctum]].<ref name="ACTEG2">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Essential Guide]]'' {{C|2nd ed.}}</ref>

==History==
In the late 17th century, the Council tasked [[Laureano de Torres y Ayala]] with finding the [[Observatory (Isu)|Observatory]] in the [[West Indies]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Black Flag]]'' – Chapter 29</ref>

During the earliest years of the Black Cross, the Council may have had an significant impact on their assignments.<ref name="ACTEG2" />

In Autumn 2013, [[Álvaro Gramática]] and [[Alan Rikkin]] led a discussion at the Council's annual strategies meeting, debating on how much information to share with the public about [[human]]ity's [[Project Anthropos|origins]]. While it sparked lively discussion, the Council concluded that they felt it was better the public remain in blind to such matters, and so would wage disinformation campaigns on any attempts to expose the truth by dismissing them as unfounded conspiracies. Before parting ways, the Council advanced their next meeting 6 months forward to 6 June 2014 both to allow for initial progress reports on the media campaigns, and to coincide with the {{Wiki|40th G7 summit}} in [[Brussels]], [[Belgium]], as most Council members would already be attending it.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[Database: 08. Public Relations Primer]]</ref>

By 2016, it was led by [[Ellen Kaye]] and possessed discretionary powers over the funding of [[Abstergo Industries]] and its various subsidiaries. The Council was present at a gathering in [[London]] during which [[Alan Rikkin]] was killed by the [[Assassins]].<ref name="ACfilm" />

==Gallery==
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" widths="180">
ACMovie Francisco Rizi's Grand Inquisition in Council of Elders' meeting room.jpg|Kaye and Rikkin in the meeting room
Ellen and Alan Rikkin.png|Rikkin reporting to Kaye
</gallery>

==Behind the scenes==
The Council's members appear to have a higher rank than the [[Guardians (Templars)|Guardians]], which are the three highest ranking members of Inner Sanctum of the Templar Order, as exemplified by Ellen Kaye giving orders to Alan Rikkin.<ref name="ACfilm" /> However, earlier sources state that only the [[Generals of the Cross|General of the Cross]] is above the Guardians in authority, with the Guardians reporting directly to the General.<ref name="ACTEG2" /><ref name="ACU Helix Data 10">''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' – [[Database: 10. Reconnaissance Memo]]</ref> As of 2017, the Council of Elders' exact position and role in the Templar hierarchy remains unclear, save only that it is not ranked above the General of the Cross.<ref name="Reddit AMA with Aymar Azaïzia">{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/assassinscreed/comments/60pj33/i_am_aymar_azaizia_head_of_content_for_assassins/df8biyo|title=I am Aymar Azaizia, Head of Content for Assassin's Creed, Ask Me Anything!|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326140011/https://www.reddit.com/r/assassinscreed/comments/60pj33/i_am_aymar_azaizia_head_of_content_for_assassins/|archivedate=26 March 2017|author="AymarMtl" and "Sorrosyss"|date=21 March 2017|accessdate=27 March 2017|publisher=''{{Wiki|Reddit}}''|quote=Sorrosyss: Are the Elders ranked above the General of the Cross within the Templar Order. Is Ellen Kaye the General?<br>AymarMtl: No and no :)}}</ref>

In ''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'', the organization that tasked Laureano de Torres y Ayala was only referred to as "the Counsel"<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[Mister Walpole, I Presume?]]</ref>

==Appearances==
*''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' {{1stm}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Black Flag]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' {{Mdat}}
*[[Assassin's Creed (film)|''Assassin's Creed'' (film)]] {{1st}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Essential Guide]]'' {{C|2nd edition}}

==References==
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[[pt-br:Conselho dos Anciões]]
[[zh:长老会]]
[[Category:Templar Order]]
[[Category:Templar ranks]]
[[Category:Abstergo Industries]]
[[Category:Council of Elders]]