Editing François-Thomas Germain

{{Era|Individuals|Templars}}{{WP-REAL}}
{{Quote|For centuries we have focused on the trappings of power: the titles of nobility, the offices of Church and State. Caught in the very lie we crafted to shepherd the masses... In the wake of revolution, the Order will adapt. They will retreat to the shadows and we will, at last, be the secret masters that we were meant to be.|Germain to Élise de la Serre, regarding the Templars' agenda, 1794.|Assassin's Creed: Unity|The Temple}}
{{Character Infobox
|image = ACU François-Thomas Germain Render.png
|birth = 17 April 1726<br>[[Paris]], [[Kingdom of France]]
|death = 28 July 1794 {{c|aged 68}}<br>Paris, [[France|French Republic]]
|species = [[Human]] {{c|[[Sage]]}}
|database = [[Database: François-Thomas Germain|François-Thomas Germain]]
|affiliates = [[Templars]]
*[[Parisian Rite of the Templar Order|French Rite]]
}}
'''François-Thomas Germain''' (1726 – 1794) was a [[France|French]] [[silver]]smith, [[Sage]], and [[Grand Master of the Templar Order|Grand Master]] of the [[Parisian Rite of the Templar Order|French Templars]] during the [[French Revolution]].

After experiencing visions of the [[Isu]] and reading the ''[[Codex Pater Intellectus]]'', he took it upon himself to reform the Order, which he believed had grown corrupt after aligning itself with the aristocracy for centuries, at least being the case especially in the [[Parisian Rite of the Templar Order|Parisian Rite]]. Inspired by Grand Master [[Jacques de Molay]], Germain sought to carry out the "[[New World Order|Great Work]]" and create a [[Capitalism|capitalist]] society in which the Templars could more easily control the [[Civilian|populace]].

The Grand Master of the Parisian Rite at the time, [[François de la Serre]], considered Germain's ideas too radical and exiled him from the Order. Undeterred, he began turning de la Serre's advisors to his cause, forming a radical faction within the Order. In 1789, he had de la Serre assassinated in the [[Palace of Versailles]], leaving most of the Order under his control.

As the French Revolution broke out, Germain and his followers exploited discontent with the monarchy and sought to create as much chaos as possible. In this way, the aristocracy and clergy would be crushed and the populace would fear the idea of rising against the establishment again. The Templars hoarded food and framed the royal family, eventually leading to the [[Execution of Louis XVI|execution]] of King [[Louis XVI of France|Louis XVI]] in 1793. Under the Templar [[Maximilien de Robespierre]], the [[Reign of Terror]] began, bringing the revolution to a violent and chaotic climax.

Along the way, the deceased Grand Master's daugher [[Élise de la Serre]] opposed Germain. She and her lover, the [[Parisian Brotherhood of Assassins|French Assassin]] [[Arno Dorian]], eventually eliminated Germain's followers and tracked him down to the [[Temple (Paris)|Parisian Temple]] in 1794. After the Grand Master killed Élise with a [[Sword of Eden 1|Sword of Eden]], he himself was killed by Arno. In his final moments, Germain triggered a vision, telling the Assassin that his goals of reforming society and the Templar Order had already succeeded, even if he would not live to see the changes.

==Biography==
===Early life===
{{Quote|Great towers of gold, cities shining white as silver. I thought I was going mad. Then I found this place - Jacques de Molay's vault. Through his writings, I understood. [...] I was connected to Grand Master de Molay. That I had been chosen to purge the Order of the decadence and corruption that had set in like rot. And to wash the world clean, and restore to the truth the Father of Understanding intended. [...] Prophets are seldom appreciated in their own time. Exile and abasement forced me to reevaluate my strategy. Find new avenues for the realization of my purpose.|Germain on his visions and expulsion, 1794.|Assassin's Creed: Unity|The Temple}}
Germain was born a [[Sage]] in 1726 to {{Wiki|Thomas Germain}} and Anne-Denise Gauchelet. The Germains were a distinguished family of silversmiths, and Germain was raised and trained by his father to continue the family business. He became the royal silversmith and sculptor to the King of France, and employed dozens of workers in a workshop at the [[Louvre]] that produced thousands of pieces. Since his recorded death in 1791 however, most of his works works have either been stolen, lost or melted down. After a poorly-defined scandal in 1765, possibly involving the violation of guild regulations, Germain lost the prestigious position as royal silversmith and sculptor and was kicked out of his workshop.<ref name="Database">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[Database: François-Thomas Germain]]</ref>

At some point in his life, Germain became a member of the Parisian Rite of the Templar Order, rising to become the [[Lieutenant of the Templar Order|lieutenant]] of Grand Master François de la Serre.<ref name="Cautious Alliance">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[A Cautious Alliance]]</ref> He crafted [[Templar pin|silver pins]] for members of the Order,<ref name="Silversmith">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[The Silversmith]]</ref> and was trained in [[sword]]smanship by fellow Templar [[Frederick Weatherall]].<ref name="Novel">[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' novel]] – {{Cite|20 Jan 2021}}</ref> By 1756, Germain's actions as a high-ranking Templar had caught the attention of the [[American Brotherhood of Assassins|Colonial Assassins]]' [[Mentor]] [[Achilles Davenport]], who added the Frenchman on a notice board in the [[Davenport Homestead]]'s manor.<ref name="ACRG">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Freewill]]</ref>

[[File:ACU The Temple 10.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Germain's visions]]
Germain eventually began experiencing visions of the [[Isu|First Civilization]]. Initially, he believed that he was descending into insanity, but realized the truth of his visions upon the discovery of [[Jacques de Molay]]'s ''[[Codex Pater Intellectus]]'' in the vault beneath the [[Temple, Paris|Parisian Temple]]. Through the readings of de Molay, Germain learned that the two of them were connected somehow, and became determined to shape the destiny of the [[Humans|human]] race in the way envisioned by de Molay.<ref name="Temple">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[The Temple]]</ref>

Germain believed that by stripping the aristocracy of power and giving it to the middle class, he would create a capitalist society which could be easily controlled by the Templars.<ref name="Temple" /> As he shared these ideas with the rest of the Order, several Templars began to support them. However, de Molay was considered a controversial figure among the Templars, and voicing support for him was considered heresy. Wishing to end the dissension, de la Serre pleaded with Germain to renounce his radical notions. As the latter refused, the heavy-hearted Grand Master decided to expel him from the Order.<ref name="Cautious Alliance" /><ref name="Hoarders">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[Hoarders]]</ref>

[[File:Hoarders 10.png|thumb|250px|Germain being taken away after his expulsion]]
At a ceremony, de la Serre announced Germain's expulsion and claimed that anyone offering relief to him would be expelled as well. Embittered, Germain deemed the Order corrupt and having forgotten its original purpose, and requested aid from [[Marie Lévesque]], one of the Grand Master's advisors who had protested the expulsion.<ref name="Hoarders" /> He also recruited other individuals who were dissatisfied with the state of living in France, and the French monarchy itself.<ref name="Le Roi Est Mort">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[Le Roi Est Mort]]</ref><ref name="Rise of the Assassin">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[Rise of the Assassin]]</ref>

By 1788, Germain was believed to be dead by many members of the Order.<ref name="Cautious Alliance" /> In reality, he was plotting his return from the shadows and likely contacted the [[Spanish Rite of the Templar Order|Spanish]], [[Roman Rite of the Templar Order|Roman]] and [[American Rite of the Templar Order|American Rites]], convincing them that overthrowing the de la Serre family was necessary.<ref name="Novel" />

===The new Grand Master===
{{Dialogue2|Germain|I tried to make him see. But the Order had become corrupt, clutching at power and privilege for their own sake.|Arno|But you could set it right, is that it? All by killing the man in charge.|No, de la Serre's death was only the first stage.|Germain speaking with Arno Dorian about de la Serre's death, 1793.|Assassin's Creed: Unity|The Execution}}
To take control of the Templar Order from de la Serre, Germain orchestrated his assassination in May 1789. Crafting a silver pin laced with poison to serve as the murder weapon, Germain entrusted two of his followers, [[Charles Gabriel Sivert]] and the [[Roi des Thunes]], with killing the Grand Master.<ref name="Confession">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[Confession]]</ref><ref name="Le Roi Est Mort" />

[[File:The Estates General 5.png|thumb|left|250px|Germain exiting the carriage]]
On the day when the assassination was set to take place, Germain was briefly encountered by [[Arno Dorian]], de la Serre's adoptive son, though both were unaware of each other's identities. Arno mistook Germain's carriage for de la Serre's, when he attempted to deliver a message from a Templar loyalist, [[Chrétien Lafrenière]], to the Grand Master.<ref name="Estates-General">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[The Estates General]]</ref>

Both Sivert and the Roi des Thunes succeeded in assassinating de la Serre,<ref name="High Society">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[High Society]]</ref> and reported to Germain.<ref name="Le Roi Est Mort" /> With the Grand Master dead, Germain gained control of a majority of the Templar Order. However, he was still opposed by Lafrenière and de la Serre's daughter, [[Élise de la Serre|Élise]].<ref name="Novel" />

===Meeting Arno===
{{Dialogue|Arno|(Mister) Germain? The silversmith?|Germain|Thank God! They've been holding me for months! Please, get me out of here!|Arno and Germain's first proper meeting, 1791.|Assassin's Creed: Unity|The Silversmith}}
[[File:The Silversmith 5.png|thumb|250px|Germain in his workshop]]
In March 1791, Arno, now an Assassin, snuck into Germain's workshop to ask him questions behind de la Serre's murder. Since the Assassin did not recognize him, Germain omitted the fact that he was once a Templar himself, and pretended to be a simple silversmith who had unintentionally discovered Chrétien Lafrenière's secrets while working for him, and had become a prisoner in his own shop as a result. Germain catered to Arno's desire for revenge, and falsely accused Lafrenière of ordering the creation of the poisoned pin, as well as plotting something ominous in [[Les Halles]].<ref name="Silversmith" />

At the [[Hôtel de Beauvais]], Germain met with several of his Templar subordinates. Lévesque informed him of the success of inflating the price of grain, to further stir the populace to revolt, but noted that the process would take too long. However, Germain said that it would be a small price to pay for successfully discrediting King Louis XVI, as he desired to see the King condemned before his death, rather than hailed as a martyr, despite [[Frédéric Rouille]]'s suggestions of simply assassinating the monarch.<ref name="Jacobin Club">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[The Jacobin Club]]</ref>

[[File:A Dinner Engagement 12.png|left|thumb|250px|Germain explaining the importance of Louis XVI's execution]]
[[Aloys la Touche]] informed Germain of the deaths of Sivert and the Roi des Thunes, though the Grand Master remained confident that their demise would not hinder his plans for long. Rouille also expressed concern that Élise may have rallied the moderate members of the Order against them, but Germain revealed that he had already lured her into a trap, and that Lafrenière was no longer a factor in their plans.<ref name="Jacobin Club" />

Unbeknownst to the Templars, Arno had overheard their plot, and managed to save Élise from the ambush.<ref name="Templar Ambush">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[Templar Ambush]]</ref> By the time Arno had discovered Germain's deception from Élise herself, the Grand Master had already abandoned his residence, knowing that his act would not hold up for long.<ref name="Cautious Alliance" />

===Execution of the King===
{{Quote|The King is... merely a symbol. A symbol can inspire fear, and fear can inspire control - but men inevitably lose their fear of symbols. As you can see. This was the truth de Molay died for: the Divine Right of Kings is nothing but the reflection of sunlight upon gold. When the Crown and Church are ground to dust, we who control the gold will decide the future. (Jacques de Molay, you are avenged.)|Germain to Arno during King Louis XVI's execution, 1793.|Assassin's Creed: Unity|The Execution}}
[[File:ACU The Execution 2.jpg|thumb|250px|Germain confronting Arno at the execution]]
On 21 January 1793, Germain was present at the [[Place de la Concorde]], where Louis XVI was about to be executed. The Grand Master confronted Arno once again, proclaiming the rebirth of the Templar Order. Germain mentioned to Arno that the reason for de la Serre's murder was to rid the Templars of corruption. He also stated that the Grand Master's murder was only the first phase of the Order's reconstruction, and that it would truly be reborn with the death of King Louis.<ref name="Execution">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[The Execution]]</ref>

Germain then revealed his plans as Louis XVI was placed on the guillotine. By stripping France's upper class and aristocracy of power and giving it to the rising middle class, it would be far easier for the Templars to gain control of the populace. Once the King was beheaded, Germain proclaimed that Jacques de Molay had been avenged, then made his escape, leaving Arno to deal with his subordinates.<ref name="Execution" />

With the death of Louis XVI, Germain entrusted the control of the newly founded French Republic to one of his followers, [[Maximilien de Robespierre]]. Robespierre would enforce Templar subjugation over the people in France through the Reign of Terror, carrying out mass executions of those accused of treason and moderatism.<ref name="Rise of the Assassin" />

===Last stand===
{{Dialogue|Élise|Did you think this day would never come? That because François de la Serre had no sons to avenge him, that your crime would go unanswered?|Germain|Revenge, is it? Your vision is as narrow as your father's.|Élise and Germain's confrontation in the Temple, 1794.|Assassin's Creed: Unity|The Temple}}
During the Reign of Terror, Germain secluded himself within the Parisian Temple, which was heavily guarded with no weak points. While there, Germain attempted to commune with de Molay and made use of a [[Swords of Eden|Sword of Eden]].<ref name="Temple" />

After the fall of Robespierre's regime, knowledge of Germain's base of operations at the Temple was exposed to Arno and Élise, as each infiltrated the structure on their own and attempted to assassinate the Grand Master. It was during this endeavor that Germain was tracked by Arno to the Temple's rooftop. As the Assassin attempted to kill him, he soon discovered that the Templar wielded the Sword of Eden.<ref name="Temple" />

[[File:ACU The Temple 3.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Germain using the Sword of Eden against Arno and Élise]]
Germain retreated to the vault beneath the Temple, in preparation for the final confrontation. Arno requested that Élise distract Germain, which she successfully did. As she confronted the Grand Master over the nature of the Templar Order, the distraction allowed Arno to land three successive strikes. Prompted to use the Sword's power, Germain blasted Arno away with the artifact's power, pinning the Assassin under a large chunk of debris.<ref name="Temple" />

Faced with the choice of helping Arno free himself or preventing Germain's escape, Élise initially went to aid Arno, but soon changed her mind, engaging in a duel with the Templar. In the exchange of blows, Élise managed to damage the Sword of Eden enough for it to destabilize, with the resulting explosion injuring Germain and killing Élise. Just prior to the blast, Arno succeeded in breaking free, but arrived too late to save Élise.<ref name="Temple" />

===Death===
{{Quote|Bravo. You've slain the villain. That is how you've cast this little morality play in your mind, isn't it? [...] At the moment, I'm bleeding out on the floor of the Temple. But it seems the Father of Understanding has seen fit to give us this time to talk. [...] Think on this: the march of progress is slow, but it is inevitable as a glacier. All you have accomplished is to delay the inevitable. One death cannot stop the tide. Perhaps it will not be my hand that shepherds mankind back to its proper place - but it will be someone's. Think on this when you remember her.|Germain's final words, 1794.|Assassin's Creed: Unity|The Temple}}
[[File:ACU The Temple 9.jpg|thumb|250px|Germain's last moments]]
Mournfully, Arno looked over to the body of his dead love, before turning to assassinate Germain with his [[Hidden Blade]]. As Germain bled out, he spoke to Arno through a vision, telling the Assassin of his memories of the First Civilization, and the motive behind his purge of the Templar Order. Germain further explained his reasons for influencing the revolution to become chaotic and violent. Before succumbing to his wounds, Germain told Arno that his death would do little to stop his plans, Élise's death an example of this.<ref name="Temple" />

In 1808, Arno entered the Temple once more, accompanied by [[Napoleon Bonaparte]]. They discovered Germain's corpse which had long since decayed, and buried his skeletal remains in the Parisian catacombs.<ref name="Temple" />

==Legacy==
Being a Sage, Germain was important to both the Templars and Assassins of the 21st century. Finding information regarding the whereabouts of his body through the [[Genetic memory|memories]] of Arno was an important goal of the modern Assassins, but no recovery effort was made after they had learned that his remains were poorly buried in a Parisian catacomb, and would have been badly decomposed by [[modern times]].<ref name="ACU MD">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' – [[21st century conversations#Assassin's Creed: Unity|Modern day]]</ref>

Even with Germain's death, his long-term goal of restoring order amongst the violent anarchy in France would eventually succeed in a way. In 1799, the revolution orchestrated by him enabled Napoleon Bonaparte to establish himself as the new leader of France and re-establish about law and order across the nation.<ref name="AC2">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' – [[Glyphs]]</ref>

==Personality and traits==
{{Quote|New order never comes without destruction of the old. And if men are made to fear untrammeled liberty, so much the better. A brief taste of chaos will remind them why they crave obedience.|Germain explaining his actions to Arno Dorian, 1794.|Assassin's Creed: Unity|The Temple}}
As a reincarnation of [[Aita]], a member of the First Civilization, Germain displayed contempt towards [[human]]ity, believing that it should [[Project Anthropos|revert back]] to being the [[Slavery|subjugated]] race they had been [[Isu Era|millennia before]]. His beliefs were also influenced by the ideologies of Jacques de Molay, a fellow Sage and Templar Grand Master.<ref name="ACU">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]</ref>

[[File:ACU The Silversmith 1.jpg|thumb|250px|Germain deceiving Arno into assassinating Lafrenière]]
Germain was extremely ruthless, willing to go to great lengths to see his ambitions fulfilled, and humanity returned to the role of slaves. This was seen through the turmoil of the French Revolution, where his machinations caused millions of civilians across France to starve, and thousands more to die under the Reign of Terror. He also expressed little remorse for the deaths of his Templar followers, even forsaking them if they were ever to outlive their usefulness, as seen with Robespierre. Germain believed these sacrifices to be for the greater good.<ref name="ACU" />

He cared little for his own well-being, calmly embracing death in his conversation with Arno. This was due to his confidence that others would carry on his ideals in the future, and the knowledge that as a Sage, he would be born again.<ref name="ACU" />

===Skills and equipment===
As a Sage, Germain was capable of using First Civilization artifacts without suffering from any detrimental effects. He was able to wield the Sword of Eden with great proficiency, accessing its abilities of physical displacement, creating illusions and projecting energy with relative ease. Germain could use the sword as a melee weapon as well, being able to hold his own in a sword fight against Élise, as he was trained in the art of swordsmanship by Frederick Weatherall, making him a highly skilled swordsman.<ref name="ACU" />

As a silversmith, Germain was a skilled craftsman, and was able to manufacture silver pins used as symbols of recognition within the Templar Order. These pins could be used for offensive purposes, and laced with poisons if needed.<ref name="ACU" />

Germain was a master of manipulation, able to recruit certain individuals by exploiting their dissatisfaction with the corruption in France, such as Aloys la Touche and Frédéric Rouille. Likewise, Germain was able to take advantage of Arno's desire for redemption for de la Serre's death to eliminate Chrétien Lafrenière.<ref name="ACU" />

==Behind the scenes==
François-Thomas Germain is a historical figure introduced in the 2014 video game ''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'', where he was voiced by the [[Canada|Canadian]] actor [[Julian Casey]].

Historically, Germain died in Paris on 23 January 1791.<ref name="Wiki>{{WP|François-Thomas Germain}}</ref> This is refrenced in the game itself, where [[Bishop]] states in Germain's [[database]] entry that all historical records describe his death as occuring in 1791 rather than 1794. The reason for this discrepancy is unknown.<ref name="Database" />

==Trivia==
*According to Bishop, Germain was the second known Sage who became a Templar Grand Master, following Jacques de Molay, as [[Abstergo Industries]] suggested.<ref name="AENEH">''[[Assassin's Creed Unity: Abstergo Entertainment - Employee Handbook]]''</ref>
*[[Shaun Hastings]] claimed to have one of Germain's silver antiques in his possession, which he used as a paperweight.
*During the execution of King Louis XVI, Germain exclaimed ''"Jacques de Molay, you are avenged."'' A recurring real life Templar legend states that during the execution, a French [[Freemasons|Freemason]] either dipped his hand in the king's blood or held the king's head and yelled ''"Jacques de Molay, thou art avenged!"''
* Germain's character is only partly based on the historical French silversmith. His character, profile and nature as the Sage derives from the {{Wiki|Count of St. Germain|Comte de Saint Germain}}, a courtier whose tall claims and urban legends made him popular in the 19th Century occult as a supposed immortal, who was formerly the Wandering Jew and who prophesied the French Revolution.
*Germain's plot to usher the French Revolution to unleash vengeance on the royal family for the purge of the Templars, to manipulate the people to chaos and violence by instigating hatred against Church and Crown derives from a real-life book by {{Wiki|Augustin Barruel}}.

==Gallery==
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" widths="180">
ACU Germain - Concept Art.jpg|Concept art of Germain
ACU Germain Untextured Renders.jpg|Untextured renders of Germain
Germain - Clay.jpg|Clay renders of Germain
Germain - Clay closeup.jpg|Close-up of Germain's clay render
Germain - Clothes render.jpg|Renders of Germain's outfit
ACU Germain Render.png|Database image of Germain
Germain Assassination Profile.jpg|Germain's assassination profile
Hoarders 7.png|Germain getting expelled from the Order
Hoarders 11.png|Germain meeting with Marie Lévesque
Le Roi Est Mort 18.png|Germain being informed of de la Serre's death
A Dinner Engagement 14.png|Le Peletier informing Germain of Louis XVI's fate
ACU The Temple 8.jpg|A mortally wounded Germain after the destruction of the Sword of Eden
</gallery>

==Appearances==
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' {{1stm}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' {{1st}}
*[[Assassin's Creed: Unity (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Unity'' novel]]
*''[[Assassin's Creed Unity: Abstergo Entertainment – Employee Handbook]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Official Collection]]''

==References==
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