Editing Shay Cormac

{{Era|Individuals|Assassins|Templars}}
{{Quote|Uphold the principles of our Order, and all for that for which we stand. Never share our secrets nor divulge the true nature of our work. Do so until death – whatever the cost. This is my new creed. I am Shay Patrick Cormac. Templar of the Colonial... of the American Rite. I am an older man now, and perhaps wiser. A war and a revolution have ended, and another is about to begin. May the Father of Understanding guide us all.|Shay Cormac reflecting on his allegiance to the Templar Order, 1776.|Assassin's Creed: Rogue}}
{{Character Infobox
|image = ACRG Shay Unhooded.png
|birth = 12 September 1731<ref>[http://assassinscreed.tumblr.com/post/150307227302/the-father-of-understanding-may-have-been-his assassinscreed.tmblr.com]</ref><br>[[New York City]], [[New York]], [[United States|British America]]
|species = [[Human]]
|database = [[Database: Shay Patrick Cormac|Shay Patrick Cormac]]
|affiliates = [[Assassins]] (formerly)
* [[American Brotherhood of Assassins|Colonial Brotherhood]] {{C|1748 – 1756}}<br>[[Templars]] 
*[[American Rite of the Templar Order|Colonial Rite]] {{C|1756 – death}}<br>[[Royal Navy]] {{C|1756 – 1760}}<br>Crew of the ''[[Morrigan]]''
|voice = [[Steven Piovesan]]
}}
'''Shay Patrick Cormac''' (born 1731) was a member of the [[American Rite of the Templar Order|Colonial Rite]] of the [[Templars|Templar Order]] during the 18th century.

Born to [[Ireland|Irish]] immigrants in [[New York City|New York]], Shay lost his parents at an early age, and was brought into the [[American Brotherhood of Assassins|Colonial Brotherhood]] of [[Assassins]] by his childhood friend [[Liam O'Brien]], where the two served under the [[Mentor]] [[Achilles Davenport]].

In 1751, the Templars stole two [[Pieces of Eden]] in the Brotherhood's possession: the [[Precursor boxes|Precursor box]] and the [[Voynich manuscript|Manuscript]]. The following year, after acquiring a sloop-of-war, the ''[[Morrigan]]'', Shay was tasked with recovering the ancient artifacts. While he and Liam hunted down the Templars in possession of the Pieces of Eden, Shay began to question the Assassins' methods.

After recovering the artifacts, Shay and his fellow Assassin, [[Hope Jensen]], used them to discern the location of a [[Isu|First Civilization]] [[Lisbon Temple|Temple]] in [[Lisbon]]. Achilles promptly sent Shay to Lisbon in 1755, believing that the Temple held an [[Apples of Eden|Apple of Eden]]. When he accessed the Temple however, Shay inadvertently triggered a [[1755 Lisbon earthquake|massive earthquake]], leaving thousands dead or homeless. His faith in the Brotherhood shattered, Shay resolved to keep them from finding more temples by stealing the Manuscript from them, nearly losing his life in the process.

The Templar [[George Monro]] had the unconscious Shay brought under the care of [[Barry Finnegan|Barry]] and [[Cassidy Finnegan]] in New York. Upon recovering, Shay met Monro and his fellow Templar [[Christopher Gist]], and began working with them to reclaim the ''Morrigan'' and bring down the Assassin-allied [[gangs]] of the city. After Monro was killed by Liam in the aftermath of the [[Siege of Fort William Henry]], Shay was inducted into the Templar Order, working with [[Grand Master of the Templar Order|Grand Master]] [[Haytham Kenway]] to help the [[British Empire]] win the [[Seven Years' War]] and destroy the Colonial Assassins by [[Colonial Assassin purge|hunting]] down his former compatriots.

In 1760, a final confrontation in the [[Arctic Ocean|Arctic]] left Liam dead, Achilles crippled and without followers and the Manuscript in Templar hands. Shay would spend the next 16 years searching for the Precursor box, leading him to [[Versailles]], where he killed the Assassin [[Charles Dorian]] and reclaimed the artifact in 1776. Since he reclaimed the artifact, Shay searched for more artifacts and trained both his son and [[Cudgel Cormac|grandson]] later in life.

==Biography==
===Early life===
Shay Cormac was born on 12 September, 1731 in New York, to a family of Irish immigrants from {{Wiki|Dublin}}. His mother died in childbirth, and his father was often absent from home due to his employment in the merchant marine, leaving Shay to be raised by his aunt. Living in a rough part of the city, Shay often found himself in trouble, but was constantly protected by his closest friend, [[Liam O'Brien]].<ref name="ACRG">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]''</ref>

Eventually, Shay joined his father at sea, and although he missed the company of his friend, he eagerly began training in [[Firearms|marksmanship]] and [[Swords|swordsmanship]], even going as far to face down and shoot an attacking [[Piracy|pirate]] captain, saving his father's ship. However, tragedy struck in 1747, when a fierce storm claimed the lives of Shay's father and several crew members.<ref name="ACRG"/>

Shattered and desolate, Shay wandered New York's streets, picking fights in [[taverns]], until he was helped once again by Liam, who managed to get his friend back on his feet. Later that year, Liam introduced Shay to his Mentor, Achilles Davenport, and inducted him into the Brotherhood not long after. Over the next four years, Shay devoted himself to the Order and [[the Creed]], serving dutifully. However, he still pondered the ambiguous areas between the motives of the Assassins and those of the Templars, their sworn enemies. Over time, he voiced these doubts, questioning Liam about the morality of the Assassins' actions and the Creed, as well as the increasingly tight control their Mentor was placing on them.<ref name="ACRG"/>

[[File:Way the Wind Blows 10.png|left|thumb|250px|Shay acquiring the ''Morrigan'']]
In 1752, while on a mission in the [[Atlantic Ocean|North Atlantic]], Shay and Liam came across their comrade [[Louis-Joseph Gaultier, Chevalier de la Vérendrye]], who was supposed to meet with smugglers carrying valuable cargo. When the smugglers were intercepted and captured by the [[Royal Navy]], Shay infiltrated the smugglers' camp, eliminated the British [[guards]], and commandeered their ship, a sloop-of-war named the ''Morrigan''.<ref name="ACRG"/>

===Tracking the artifacts===
Shortly after, Shay and Liam returned to the [[Davenport Homestead]], headquarters of the Colonial Assassins, where they witnessed the arrival of [[Adéwalé]], a member of the [[Caribbean Assassins|Caribbean branch]] of the Order. While Adéwalé convened with Achilles and discussed the [[1751 Port-au-Prince earthquake|earthquake]] that destroyed [[Port-au-Prince]] a year prior, Shay trained under the guidance of Liam, Hope Jensen, and [[Kesegowaase]], before meeting with Achilles to receive a new mission, which entailed tracking down and acquisition of two First Civilization artifacts stolen by the Templars in [[Haiti]]: the Precursor box and the Manuscript.<ref name="ACRG"/>

[[File:By Invitation Only 8.png|thumb|250px|Shay Cormac assassinating Lawrence Washington]]
After meeting with Chevalier de la Vérendrye and his informant, [[Le Chasseur]], Shay traveled to [[Mount Vernon]], home of a noted Templar, [[Lawrence Washington]], in order to intercept a package. Having recovered an [[air rifle]] from the shipment, Shay infiltrated the grounds of Washington's manor and witnessed a meeting between Lawrence and three other Templars: [[Samuel Smith]], [[James Wardrop]], and [[Jack Weeks]]. Lawrence assigned Smith and Wardrop to guard the box and the manuscript, respectively, before dismissing them. As Washington walked about the grounds of his manor in the midst of a garden party, Shay managed to blend in and assassinate him; as Shay and Liam made their escape, Shay expressed both disappointment and guilt for killing Lawrence, who was already suffering from a terminal case of {{Wiki|tuberculosis}}.<ref name="ACRG"/>

A few months later, Shay tracked down Samuel Smith at sea, who attempted to escape with the Precursor box in his possession. Although Smith's [[schooner]] led the ''Morrigan'' into a skirmish and attempted to deter the pursuers with burning oil, Shay gave chase and eventually assassinated Smith in his camp at [[Terra Nova]], and recovered the artifact.<ref name="ACRG"/>

[[File:Fiat Lux 6.png|left|thumb|250px|Hope and Shay examining the map]]
In 1754, as tensions between the [[French Army|French]] and [[British Army|British]] forces escalated to the brink of war, Shay traveled to [[Albany]], [[New York]], to eliminate James Wardrop. After observing [[William Johnson]] and [[Benjamin Franklin]] conversing at the {{Wiki|Albany Congress}}, Shay headed to [[Fort Frederick]] to assassinate Wardrop and retrieve the Voynich manuscript, disregarding Wardrop's claims that he was endangering the world.<ref name="ACRG"/>

With both artifacts in his possession, Shay and Hope enlisted the aid of Franklin to activate the devices. After reassembling Franklin's lighting-to-battery assembly, Shay watched as the electrical charge powered the box, projecting a holographic display of the [[Earth|globe]] with a shimmering light over the site of a [[Lisbon Temple|a Precursor Temple]] in [[Lisbon]], [[Portugal]]. Relaying this information back to Achilles, Shay was tasked with traveling to Lisbon to investigate the Temple and retrieve the Piece of Eden held within.<ref name="ACRG"/>

===Disaster in Lisbon===
[[File:Kyrie Eleison 15.png|thumb|250px|The artifact disintegrating in Shay's hands]]
Arriving in [[Europe]] in 1755, Shay set out for the [[Carmo Convent]] in the heart of Lisbon. As the priest conducted mass inside, Shay activated several mechanisms at the convent's apex, opening a passage to the Temple hidden beneath. He then entered the Temple and approached the Piece of Eden – which appeared as a shining, star-shaped artifact suspended above a pedestal – and removed it from its place. However, disturbing the artifact from its stationary position caused it to disintegrate, and triggered a massive earthquake. As Shay emerged from the Temple, he hurriedly made his way through the collapsing city as [[civilians]] and buildings fell around him. In a swift but fortunate motion, Shay was able to make his escape and leap into the sea; he then [[Swimming|swam]] back to his ship and sailed for the [[United States|Thirteen Colonies]].<ref name="ACRG"/>

[[File:Freewill 2.png|left|thumb|250px|The Assassins arguing with Shay]]
Upon his return to the Homestead, Shay stormed into the manor and accused Achilles of sending him on the mission while aware of the chaos that taking the Piece could cause, recounting that the earthquake in Haiti happened shortly after [[François Mackandal]] sent [[Vendredi]], one of his men, into a First Civilization [[Port-au-Prince Temple|Temple]] which Mackandal had discovered. Although Achilles insisted he knew nothing about the possibility of triggering a disaster, Shay maintained that he had been made to slaughter hundreds of innocents on Achilles' command.<ref name="ACRG"/>

Refusing to serve under a man who would brush off such destruction and loss of life, Shay resolved to steal the manuscript in order to prevent the Assassins from finding other Temples. Sneaking into the manor that night, Shay took the artifact and was about to make his escape before he was confronted by Achilles. When the Mentor tried to stop him, a struggle ensued, during which Shay was thrown outside through a broken window.<ref name="ACRG"/>

[[File:Freewill 15.png|thumb|250px|Shay falling into the bay]]
With the Assassins hunting him across the Homestead grounds, Shay made his way to a cliff overlooking the bay, but was cornered by the remaining members of the Brotherhood. As he attempted to [[Leap of Faith|leap]] into the water below, one of the Assassins shot Shay in the left shoulder from behind, which caused him to fall off the ledge; Shay was led to believe it had been Liam who shot him. Due to this turn of events, the Assassins believed Shay dead and the manuscript lost, though his unconscious form was rescued and placed in the care of Barry and Cassidy Finnegan by a Templar, Colonel [[George Monro]].<ref name="ACRG"/>

===Meeting the Templars===
[[File:ColorofRight 05.png|left|thumb|250px|The Finnegans aiding the wounded Shay Cormac]]
Some weeks later, Shay awoke in a house in New York, where he was being nursed back to health by the Finnegans. When their home was attacked by members of a local gang, Shay came to their rescue and drove the bandits out. Since his clothes were ruined during the fall, Cassidy presented him with an outfit which belonged to Finnegans' late son, while Barry returned Shay's weapons to him. Leaving the house, Shay apprehended one of the gang members and learned the location of their hideout.<ref name="ACRG"/>

Infiltrating the compound, Shay cut down the gang's [[Flags|flag]] and killed their leader, driving the bandits out of the district and restoring order. He was then approached by Colonel George Monro, who introduced himself as a friend of the Finnegans. As the pair walked through New York, Monro subtly explained the Templar philosophy to Shay, while not revealing his allegiance to the Order, although he suspected that he was a Templar due to the cross and to the little confidence towards him when they met . When Shay returned to the Finnegans' home and discussed the next move in his fight against the gangs, Monro directed asked him to prevent the execution of Christopher Gist, one of Monro's allies that the gangs had captured and planned to hang.<ref name="ACRG"/>

[[File:A Long Walk And A Short Drop 10.png|thumb|250px|Shay accepting Christopher Gist as his first mate]]
Shay managed to save Gist's life and kill the gang members present, taking their headquarters as his own. Following on from this, Shay noticed a ship anchored near the gang's hideout, which he discovered to his surprise to be that of his former vessel, the ''Morrigan''. Gist suggested reclaiming the ship, and helped Shay eliminate the remaining gang members in the area, as well as the Assassin [[stalkers]] who worked with them. Gist then gathered his allies in the neighborhood to crew the ''Morrigan'', and applied for the position of the vessel's first mate, an offer which Shay readily accepted. The two then set sail, heading for Albany to meet with Colonel Monro.<ref name="ACRG"/>

Meeting with Monro at the Albany docks, Shay learned that a nearby [[France|French]] [[Forts|fort]] was disrupting Colonel's operations in the area, as well as posing a potential threat to the region's safety. After raiding a nearby warehouse to gain the items necessary to reinforce the ''Morrigan'', Shay attacked the fort and destroyed its defenses. Fighting his way through the compound, Shay entered the war room and found Le Chasseur, armed and waiting for him. The two dueled, with Shay emerging victorious, and Le Chasseur revealed that a group of criminals in New York was creating a [[poison]] gas they planned to use against the colonial authorities. Determined to stop the criminals, Shay headed back to the city.<ref name="ACRG"/>

[[File:Keep Your Friends Close 2.png|thumb|left|250px|Franklin giving the prototype grenade launcher to Shay]]
Finding Monro once again, Shay shared what he had learned with the Colonel, who in turn told him that a certain woman had been directing criminal operations in the city, including the production of large batches of poison which was to be used against the civilian population. Monro also told Shay that Benjamin Franklin was developing certain weapons for the unknown woman, and suggested that Shay visit the inventor.<ref name="ACRG"/>

Franklin was surprised to see Shay when he arrived, but did not question him when Shay claimed to have come to collect the results of Franklin's experiments. To this, Franklin gave him a prototype [[grenade launcher]], which Shay used to destroy the compressors containing poisonous gas in the industrial district and halt the production completely.<ref name="ACRG" />

[[File:Keep Your Friends Close 4.png|thumb|250px|Shay destroying the factory with the grenade launcher]]
After finishing the task, Shay met with Monro and Gist on a nearby rooftop, where they agreed Shay's actions had saved countless lives. While they observed the destroyed factory, Jack Weeks and William Johnson joined them and congratulated Shay on his work, before the group went to a nearby tavern to celebrate their success. Over the course of the next year, Shay assisted the Colonel, and by extension the Templars, in a variety of ways, proving himself a worthy candidate to recruit into the ranks of the Order.<ref name="ACRG"/>

===Siege of Fort William Henry===
In August 1757, Shay received a package from Colonel Monro. Inside, he found the Manuscript and a letter from the Colonel. From what was written, Shay learned of Monro's involvement in his rescue and recuperation, following Shay's defection from the Brotherhood, and the fact the Colonel was tasked by the Grand Master of the Colonial Rite of the Templar Order with decoding the manuscript, a task at which he had failed. Reading on, Shay learned of Monro's assignment to [[Fort William Henry]] and the dire conditions the Colonel faced there.<ref name="ACRG"/>

[[File:Honour And Loyalty 4.png|left|thumb|250px|Shay escorting Monro and his men]]
An alliance between the French Army and the [[Abenaki]] threatened the safety of the fort, and William Johnson's reinforcements had never arrived to assist Monro's troops. Suspecting Kesegowaase to be involved in the alliance, Shay set sail for Monro's location. Arriving, he found Jack Weeks, who had been waiting for Johnson's reinforcements at the shore, and pointed Shay in the direction of Monro's division, patrolling in the wilderness.<ref name="ACRG"/>

Fighting off French troops and Assassin stalkers, Shay met the Colonel and escorted him to the safety of the ''Morrigan''. As the ship cast off, Kesegowaase appeared on shore, enraged that Shay had survived and allied himself with the Templars. Before the Assassin could leap onto the ''Morrigan''<nowiki/>'s deck, Weeks threw a barrel of gunpowder onto the dock, which Shay detonated with a gunshot, scarring Kesegowaase's face. Having saved Monro, Shay turned his attention to Johnson's regiment beset by French forces, and the [[Oneida]] tribe whose village had been attacked and captured by an Assassin-allied gang. Shay managed to assist both parties, strengthening Monro's army, and allowing the Colonel to travel back to Albany and protect the town from the impending French attack.<ref name="ACRG"/>

[[File:Scars 6.png|thumb|250px|Shay questioning Kesegowaase]]
Some time later, Shay arrived to find the city under siege by the French Army and their native allies. Making his way through the town, Shay reached the fort as Monro fought off a wave of attackers. Spotting Kesegowaase, Shay chased and dueled the Assassin, mortally wounding him with a mounted [[Puckle gun]]. As Kesegowaase died, he scorned Shay's conversion to the Templars, commenting that they would fail in time, and that Monro was already dead. When Shay questioned him further, Kesegowaase merely uttered "Liam", before collapsing.<ref name="ACRG"/>

Fearing for the Colonel's life, Shay made his way to the docks and was told by Monro's soldiers that their commander was trapped inside, to which Shay ran into the burning building and carried a wounded Monro outside. In his final moments, the Colonel told Shay that Liam had taken the manuscript, before removing his [[Templar ring]] and entrusting it to Shay, before succumbing to his wounds.<ref name="ACRG"/>

[[File:Scars 14.png|left|thumb|250px|Shay's induction into the Templar Order]]
Following this, Shay was inducted into the Colonial Rite by its Grand Master, Haytham Kenway, with Christopher Gist, Jack Weeks, William Johnson, and [[Charles Lee]] present at the ceremony. Afterwards, Shay informed Haytham of the Precursor sites and his belief that Achilles would recklessly endanger innocents by his continuous pursuit of the Temples.<ref name="ACRG"/>

===Hunting the Assassins===
Shay traveled to the north Atlantic to meet with a Royal Navy captain, [[James Cook]], and was given leave to use Cook's [[Man O' War]], the [[HMS Pembroke|HMS ''Pembroke'']], to halt the advance of the [[French Navy]]. During the battle, Adéwalé aided the French with his [[brig]], the ''[[Experto Crede]]'', by leading several fireships towards the HMS ''Pembroke''. Shay followed Gist's advice to focus on the fireships, allowing the ''Experto Crede'' to slip away, just as the Royal Navy ships arrived to combat the French forces.<ref name="ACRG"/>

[[File:Bravado 8.png|thumb|250px|Adéwalé speaking to Shay during his final moments]]
Eventually, Shay and Haytham managed to track Adéwalé down into the [[River Valley]], and forced him to beach the ''Experto Crede'' at [[Vieille Carrière]], after a brief engagement. The two Templars separated, with Haytham choosing to distract Adéwalé, allowing Shay to assassinate him. With his dying breath, Adéwalé told Shay that Achilles already possessed the means to find more First Civilization sites.<ref name="ACRG"/>

Shay subsequently traveled to New York, and overheard Achilles and the other Assassins talk about replicating the Franklin experiment on the Precursor box. Determined to stop his former comrades, Shay worked with Jack Weeks to break Hope's control over the city's organized crime. To accomplish this, the pair stole gang uniforms and staged a heist against a military outpost, in order to give the British a reason to fight the criminals. Shay met with Haytham after the successful heist, just as the Grand Master was interrogating a gang member to discover Hope's location.<ref name="ACRG"/>

[[File:Caress of Steel 5.png|left|thumb|250px|Hope taking away Shay's mask]]
Shay managed to infiltrate the mansion in which Hope resided, and bore witness to her successful replication of Franklin's experiment with the Precursor box, prompting Liam to depart and inform Chevalier de la Vérendrye of the First Civilization site's location. As Liam left, Hope detected Shay and shot out the overhead window, causing him to fall into the chamber. She then took away Shay's [[gas mask]] and released poisonous vapors into the room while making her escape. Carefully, Shay managed to leave the chamber and spotted Hope outside, however she shot him with a poison dart that affected his heart rate. To maintain his life, Shay chased Hope across the city, eventually assassinating her and taking the antidote from her body. As he expressed remorse for killing her, Hope revealed that her diversion had bought Chevalier enough time to escape, and lamented on what she saw as Shay's wasted potential in aiding the Templars.<ref name="ACRG"/>

[[File:Cold Fire 9.png|thumb|250px|Shay meeting with Gist and Captain Cook]]
Shay took the ''Morrigan'' out into the North Atlantic, where he and Gist met with Captain Cook once again to inquire about Chevalier's whereabouts. At Cook's suggestion, Shay infiltrated the fort on [[Anticosti Island]], stealing Chevalier's maps in order to figure out where he was headed before heading back to the ''Morrigan''. Bringing the maps to Cook, the Captain was able to pinpoint Chevalier's location. Sailing into a snowstorm, Chevalier's fleet ambushed the ''Morrigan'', but Shay was able to to sink the enemy vessels, before boarding Chevalier's ship, the ''[[Gerfaut]]'', and killing him. However, Chevalier told him that he was merely a decoy for Achilles and Liam, who were on their way to the [[Arctic Temple|Precursor site]] in the Arctic.<ref name="ACRG"/>

===Confrontation in the Arctic===
[[File:Non Nobis Domine 1.png|left|thumb|250px|Haytham, Gist and Shay discussing their attack]]
Shay reported his findings to Haytham, who joined him on the journey to the Precursor site. As the pair navigated through the ice caves and past the Assassins, an ice bridge collapsed, separating the two and forcing Haytham to find another route to the Temple. Once they had reached their goal, Shay and Haytham came upon Achilles and Liam studying the Piece of Eden, identical to the one Shay had encountered in Lisbon. While Achilles admitted that he was wrong about the artifacts, Liam condemned Shay for betraying the Brotherhood. In response, Shay accused Liam for shooting him in the back at the Davenport Homestead. Liam clarified Chevalier as the actual shooter that day and prepared to fire at Shay, but was restrained by Achilles. After a brief struggle, Liam fell back onto the artifact, disturbing the Temple and triggering an earthquake. Shay pursued Liam through the collapsing caverns, while Haytham followed Achilles to a clearing outside.<ref name="ACRG"/>

Eventually, as the former comrades fought each other, the precipice under them gave way, causing them to fall. Shay survived the fall, whereas Liam was mortally wounded. With his dying breath, Liam was still firm in his conviction of Shay's betrayal, which the latter justified as attempting to save the world. Liam ironically stated that he hoped the world Shay and the Templars were attempting to save was a "good one", before passing away. Shay recovered the manuscript from his body, and headed back to find Haytham and Achilles.<ref name="ACRG"/>

[[File:Non Nobis Domine 9.png|thumb|250px|Shay and Haytham confronting Achilles and Liam]]
He eventually came upon Haytham besting Achilles in combat, and stopped the Grand Master from delivering a fatal blow to the Mentor, reasoning that Achilles knew then the danger of the Precursor sites, and if he perished, the Assassins would blindly continue their search for the Temples. Reluctantly, Haytham agreed with Shay's reasoning and spared Achilles, but to ensure he would not stand in the way of the Templars anymore, Haytham crippled the Mentor with a shot to the shin. While the Colonial Rite took on the task of purging the remaining Brotherhood, Haytham charged Shay with tracking down and recovering the Precursor box, although Shay admitted their only lead was Chevalier transporting it away from the colonies, and that it could take years for the Templars to find the box again.<ref name="ACRG"/>

===Journey to France===
[[File:ACRG Assassination 6.png|thumb|left|250px|Shay assassinating Charles Dorian]]
In 1776, Shay was present in [[Paris]], [[France]], following the information about the Precursor box being in possession of a French Assassin, Charles Dorian. Shay assisted Benjamin Franklin, who was in France as an ambassador to the French royal court, in escaping from a group of criminals. As a token of gratitude, Franklin provided the means for Shay to enter the [[Palace of Versailles]], although he was unaware of the Templar's true mission, as Shay merely stated he was meeting a business associate.<ref name="ACRG"/>

Having infiltrated the palace, Shay located Charles and assassinated him, recovering the Precursor box in the process. In his dying words, Charles remarked that [[Ratonhnhaké:ton|Connor]]'s Assassins and the [[American Revolutionary War]] had thwarted the Templar plans in the New World. Distraught that all of his hard work had come undone, Shay answered that the Templars would stage a [[French Revolution|revolution]] of their own to restore the balance of power.<ref name="ACRG"/>

===Travels, later life and death===
{{Quote|Never a traitor to the truth! He never betrayed the Templar Order! And he taught me how to kill vermin like you.|Cudgel Cormac, regarding his grandfather's allegiance to the Templar Order.|Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants}}Since Shay reclaimed the artifact in 1776, he searched for more precursor artifacts rather than returning to the colonies.<ref>[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0aNOdYDnogk Youtube - ''The Assassin's Den - ft. Richard Farrese (Lead Writer on Assassin's Creed Rogue)'']</ref> Later in life, Shay trained his son and grandson in learning to master [[Freerunning]] and [[Eagle Vision]]. They also inherited his air rifle. Shay remained a Templar to his death, having never betrayed the Templar Order.<ref name="ACLD">''[[Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants]]''</ref>

==Personality and characteristics==
{{Quote|Life's hardest choices are the ones that force you to question your own moral code.|Shay, regarding his ties to both the Assassins and the Templars.}}[[File:Non Nobis Domine 16.png|thumb|250px|Shay reasoning with Haytham to spare Achilles' life]]
Shay was originally a brash young man, not taking his role as an Assassin seriously, due in part to his lack of experience as opposed to disbelief in their cause. He was prone to expressing doubts regarding the Creed, which bolstered his decision to steal the manuscript and leave the Assassins after the disaster in Lisbon, believing that the Brotherhood was at fault under Achilles' leadership.<ref name="ACRG"/>

Despite openly aligning with the Templars and fighting his former comrades, Shay expressed remorse for having to eliminate them, particularly his teacher Hope Jensen and his close friend, Liam O'Brien. He also took no pleasure in killing Assassins whom he was not familiar with on a personal level, such as Adéwalé and Charles Dorian.<ref name="ACRG"/>

Shay had a sense of honor, as he expressed disliked having to kill individuals whom he deemed weak and defenseless, such as Lawrence Washington or Samuel Smith, despite their allegiance to the Templar Order. Shay even reasoned with Haytham Kenway to spare the defenseless, beaten Achilles. Similarly, Shay was deeply affected by the earthquake in Lisbon, believing that he had personally slaughtered innocent people through the activation of the First Civilization device.<ref name="ACRG" /> This ultimately shattered his belief in [[The Creed|the Creed]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: A Walk Through History (1189-1868)]]''</ref>

When he adopted Templar ideology, he made it colder, more hateful, calculating and somewhat twisted. When he defeated his former friend Liam and spoke to him, he did not seem to show any sign of compassion or remorse unlike his last moments with with Hope, with whom he may have shared romantic feelings.<ref name="ACRG" />

Despite his sense of honor, Shay also became more manipulative and persuasive as a Templar. Many times he used his status among Templar puppets to reach his goals, posing as part of the [[George III of the United Kingdom|King]]'s [[Royal Navy]] when working with James Cook, or relying on his friendship with Benjamin Franklin to gain admittance to the Château de Versailles to meet a "business acquaintance"; however, in the latter case, it was partly to help Franklin repay him for saving the doctor's life. He also manipulated events in the colonies and Europe with [[Shay Cormac's fleet|his Templar fleet]] and assisted other Templar Rites, like the [[Louisiana Rite of the Templar Order]].<ref name="ACRG" />

[[File:Armour And Sword 9.png|left|thumb|250px|Shay speaking with Onatah after aiding the Iroquois]]
Shay was also determined to help those who were in need, as seen through numerous property [[renovation]]s commissioned by him across the North American colonies, in order to improve the living standard of the people. It was through helping the colonists against the oppression from both the authorities and the Assassin-affiliated gangs which caused Shay to embrace the Templar ideology. He also expressed a dislike of [[slavery]], displaying a disbelief when he learned that the French, who were allied with the Assassins at the time, were still practicing slavery in Haiti, even after the attempts to end the practice by François Mackandal and Adéwalé.<ref name="ACRG" />

Throughout his life, Shay carried a motto of "making his own luck", displaying his belief in personal independence and ingenuity, rather than fortune or others' actions to achieve success.<ref name="ACRG" />

Shay also had characteristics of being a lone wolf, often leaving his ship and crew and spending hours exploring the Hudson River Valley as well as the North Atlantic by himself. As he got older, he became less of a jokester and more of a darker toned killer. Further, the emotional trauma he carried from the Lisbon earthquake weighed heavily on him, gradually changing his personality from a brash and immature boy into a responsible yet ruthless man. Many Assassins later grew to fear him and branded him as a traitor, rebel, and renegade, including his former best friend Liam.<ref name="ACRG" /> And by the Assassin [[Varius]] during the [[American Civil War]], who branded him a traitor and the Cormac's for "Hunters".<ref name="ACLD" />

===Equipment and skills===
{{Quote|A pity, the boy has so much potential... But so little discipline.|Hope Jensen, regarding Shay's skills, 1752.|Assassin's Creed: Rogue}}[[File:Cold Fire 4.png|thumb|250px|Shay Cormac commandeering the ''Morrigan '']]
From his early life as a sailor, under the wing of his father, Shay was trained in swordsmanship and marksmanship; additionally, he was tutored in terms of sailing and navigating a ship. During his youth, Shay was renowned for picking fights in local taverns where he proved to be a capable [[Fists|fist-fighter]], being able to take down multiple opponents.<ref name="ACRG" />

Upon joining the Assassin Brotherhood, Shay's skills grew. He became a skilled swordsman to the point where he was able to dual wield weapons with great efficiency; he also became skilled marksman. He became a capable [[Freerunning|freerunner]], able to scale trees and cliffs almost effortlessly. He was tutored in [[Social Stealth|stealth]] and [[pickpocketing]] by Hope Jensen. His skill as a captain was noticed by the other Assassins, with even Chevalier regarding him as the second best sailor of the Brotherhood. In terms of weaponry, Shay wielded dual Hidden Blades, a sword and parrying dagger, two flintlock pistols, [[rope darts]], and [[Bombs|smoke bombs]].<ref name="ACRG" />

[[File:Cold Fire 6.png|thumb|left|250px|Shay dual-wielding a sword and a dagger]]
Shay became a capable [[Hunting|hunter]], having been instructed by Kesegowaase, where he was able to overpower and kill dangerous animals including [[wolves]] and [[bears]], as well as sea creatures. In addition, Shay possessed the rare ability of Eagle Vision, which he would use to help pinpoint the location of his enemies.<ref name="ACRG" />

Shay later acquired a prototype air rifle, which was diverse as it fired projectile darts including sleep, berserk and firecrackers; in addition, after being upgraded by Benjamin Franklin, the rifle became a deadlier tool as it was able to fire sleep, berserk and lethal grenades.<ref name="ACRG" />

[[File:Honour And Loyalty 3.png|thumb|250px|Shay taking aim with the air rifle]]
Shay was noted by Hope and Achilles to have great potential as an Assassin, though this was offset by his brash and laid-back attitude. Nonetheless, he was skilled enough to be entrusted with the search for the Precursor sites by Achilles, despite the latter having more experienced and disciplined subordinates at his disposal.<ref name="ACRG" />

Upon joining the Templar Order, Shay became a deadly adversary, as with his combined skills and high arsenal of weaponry, he was able to defeat many of his former allies including the skilled Kesegowaase, Chevalier, and even the legendary Adéwalé. As an Assassin Hunter, Shay become skilled enough to counter the Assassins’ signature moves, including air assassinations. To protect himself from the effects of [[Bombs|smoke bombs]] and various gases, Shay usually carried a gas mask on his person. <ref name="ACRG" />

==Legacy==
Shay's actions, specifically his assassination of high-ranking Assassin members, had a long-lasting effect on the [[Assassin-Templar War]] in the colonies. The Colonial Templars maintained dominance over the colonies, while the Assassins were all but wiped out, with the exception of Achilles who was forced into seclusion at his homestead. The Assassins would not regain a foothold until the presence of [[Ratonhnhaké:ton]] tipped the balance back into the Assassins' favor and dismantled everything that Shay built for the Templars.

Shay's assassination of Charles Dorian left the latter's son, [[Arno Dorian]], an orphan. Arno was soon adopted by Grand Master [[François de la Serre]], and Arno would become embroiled in the Assassin-Templar conflict years later.

Shay, however, is not the only Templar in the Cormac family's history, as his grandson, [[Cudgel Cormac]], was also an active member of the Order during the 19th century in New York City. Through Cudgel, his lineage also stretches to at least [[Javier Mondragón]] in the 21st century. <ref name="ACLD"/>

Shay is also highly revered amongst modern day Templars, specifically the Master Templar [[Juhani Otso Berg]]. Juhani saw Shay as the perfect example of what a Templar should be, and idolized him to the point that his attire somewhat resembled Shay's.<ref name="ACRG" /> Despite being one of his inspirations, he also considered people that rely on luck to be peasants.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Templars]]'' - ''[[Assassin's Creed Templars Volume 1: Black Cross|Volume 1: Black Cross]]'' </ref>

Juhani also made use of Shay's genetic memories of the Assassins' flaw in order to weaken the Assassins in spirit. He uploaded Shay's memories into a server which was broadcast to the Assassins, temporarily throwing them into disarray.<ref name="ACRG" /> Berg also used Shay's memories as a feint that caused the Assassins to empty a few safehouses, shut down a few servers, put up some new firewalls, and flushed out the Assassins' man in Montreal almost instantly. Berg, having monitored his communications with other Initiates, watched them run, and where they were running to, resulting in the death of their man in Montreal. By 2015, it had resulted in the military contacts of the Assassins and the Initiates being transferred or discharged, their wealthier private citizens being audited or brought out by Abstergo, and their friends in the higher learning faced budget cuts and their authority and curriculum was challenged. This caused the Initiates and Assassins world wide to enact the Rooftop Garden Protocol. Efficiently shutting down all unnecessary communications on their network on the orders of [[William Miles]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Syndicate]]''</ref>

==Trivia==
*Shay's name is the anglicized form of the Gaelic ''Séaghdha'', which means "hawk". His middle name comes from the Latin ''Patricius'', meaning "nobleman". His family name is a conjoined term; ''mac'' is Gaelic for "son of", while ''cor'' has been interpreted as either "charioteer" or "raven".
*The word "shay" is a corruption of ''chaise'', originally from French. Alternately: liar, breaker of promises, betrayer.
**Interestingly, if his surname is derived from "raven", it is similar to that of the [[Crows]], a faction of counter-Assassin specialists from ''[[Assassin's Creed: Identity]]'', thereby drawing a connection with his role as an Assassin hunter.
*Shay's Templar attire bore similarities to the [[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag outfits#Templar armor|Templar armor]] obtained by [[Edward Kenway]] during his time in the [[Caribbean|West Indies]].<ref>[https://twitter.com/assassinscreed/status/505889581082767360 Twitter: Assassin's Creed]</ref>
*Shay's Templar outfit was adorned with several symbols, including {{Wiki|Celtic knot}}s, {{Wiki|Yggdrasil}}, {{Wiki|triquetra}}s, and the [[Templar insignia]].
*Shay's practice of [[dual-wielding]] a sword and a dagger was also utilized by the Templar brothers [[Shalim]] and [[Shahar]] during the 12th century.
*While promotional images depict Shay's Templar outfit with a hood, the in-game version of the outfit does not actually have one. Though it should be noted that the hood was removed in order for Shay's Templar outfit to fit in his new allegiance and personality.
*Shay is similar to [[Vali cel Tradat]] of [[Assassin's Creed Revelations|''Assassin's Creed Revelations'']]. Both are Assassins who loyally serve [[the Creed]] until they both lose faith in their Brotherhoods, join the Templar Order, and begin to hunt down their former comrades. Unlike Vali, who is killed by the Assassins, Shay survives every attempt of his life by his former allies.
*Although [[Anne Bonny]]'s maiden name was Cormac, she possessed no relation to Shay, with the similarity in surname being purely coincidental.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QghXzjY-c4 Youtube - ''Assassin's Creed Rogue - Interview with Ivan Balabanov'']</ref>
*Even though Shay defected from the Assassins due to their willingness to sacrifice the lives of innocents, he himself is able to kill civilians without the [[Helix]] [[Synchronization|desynchronizing]]. According to ''Rogue'''s lead writer, [[Richard Farrese]], this is due to a glitch in the [[Animus]].<ref>[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0aNOdYDnogk Youtube - The Assassin's Den - ft. Richard Farrese (Lead Writer on Assassin's Creed Rogue)]</ref>
*Shay is the first playable main protagonist who is a Templar rather than an Assassin, and ''Rogue'' was marketed on this premise.

==Appearances==
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Official Collection]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants]]'' {{Mo}}

==References==
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