Editing Shay Cormac

{{Era|Individuals|Assassins|Templars}}
{{NPOV}}
{{Quote|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|QXNzYXNzaW5hdGlvbg0K}}
{{Character Infobox
|image = ACRG Shay Unhooded.png
|birth = 12 September 1731<ref>{{Tumblr|assassinscreed|post/150307227302/the-father-of-understanding-may-have-been-his|tumblrname=Assassin's Creed|postname=The Father of Understanding may have been his...|quote=On this day in 1731, Shay was born.|image=File:AC Tumblr - Shay Cormac birthday.jpg|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405221428/http://assassinscreed.tumblr.com/image/150307227302}}</ref><br>[[New York City]], [[New York]], [[United States|British America]]
|species = [[Human]]
|database = [[Database: Shay Patrick Cormac|Shay Patrick Cormac]]
|affiliates = *[[Assassins]]
**[[American Brotherhood of Assassins|Colonial Brotherhood]] {{C|defected}}
*[[Templars]] 
**[[American Rite of the Templar Order|Colonial Rite]]
*[[Royal Navy]]
*''[[Morrigan]]'' crew
|voice = [[Steven Piovesan]]
}}
'''Shay Patrick Cormac''' (born 1731) was a member of the [[American Brotherhood of Assassins|Colonial Brotherhood]] of [[Assassins]] and later a [[Master Templar]] of the [[American Rite of the Templar Order|Colonial Rite]] who was active during the mid-to-late 18th century. He is an ancestor of the 21st century Assassin [[Javier Mondragón]].<ref name="ACLD">''[[Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants]]''</ref>

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

In 1752, Shay became the [[captain]] of his own {{Wiki|sloop-of-war}}, the ''[[Morrigan]]'', and was tasked with the retrieval of two [[Isu]] [[Piece of Eden|artifacts]] from the Templars: a [[Precursor box]] and the [[Voynich manuscript]]. Shay was successful in his mission, which allowed the Assassins to learn the locations of several Isu sites. Sent to investigate [[Lisbon Temple|one such site]] in [[Lisbon]], Shay inadvertently triggered a [[1755 Lisbon earthquake|massive earthquake]] when he removed the temple's artifact, leaving thousands dead or homeless.

Wracked with guilt and his faith in the Brotherhood shattered, Shay resolved to prevent the Assassins from finding more temples by stealing the Voynich manuscript. However, he was caught by his former brothers and sisters and fell into the ocean after being shot. The unconscious and wounded Shay was soon found and rescued by the Templar [[George Monro]], who left him in 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 [[Initiation into the Templar Order|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 [[Great Purge (1757-1763)|hunting]] down his former comrades.

In 1760, a final confrontation in the [[Arctic Ocean|Arctic]] left Liam dead, Achilles crippled and without followers, and the Voynich manuscript in the Templars' possession. Shay would then spend the next sixteen years searching for the Precursor box, eventually leading him to [[Versailles]], [[France]], where he killed the Assassin [[Charles Dorian]] and reclaimed the artifact in 1776.

In his later life, Shay continued to serve the Templar [[New World Order|cause]] by searching for more Isu artifacts on the Order's behalf and trained both his son and [[Cudgel Cormac|grandson]] in the Templar ways.

==Biography==
===Early life===
Shay Cormac was born on 12 September 1731 in [[New York City]] to a family of [[Ireland|Irish]] immigrants from [[Dublin]]. His mother died during 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 taught how to protect himself by his friend, [[Liam O'Brien]], whom he had met while visiting his father at the docks one day.<ref name="Database">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Database: Shay Patrick Cormac]]</ref>

By the time he was eight-years-old, he was already known for being a fighter on the streets. That same year, Shay joined his father at sea to already start working for his own wages. He was enthusiastic about the prospect of adventure and was taught basic self-defence skills with a [[sword]] and [[pistol]] in the event of a [[piracy|pirate]] attack. These attacks occurred more than once, and one one occasion, Shay managed to save his father's ship by shooting a pirate captain in singe combat. Nonetheless, tragedy befell them in 1747 when a fierce storm claimed the lives of Shay's father and much of their crew.<ref name="Database" />

===Joining the Assassins===
{{Dialogue2|Shay|I make my own luck, Liam.|Liam|Ah, you've been saying that for years, but you've precious little to show for it. Or have you been spending it all getting out of trouble?|Well you know, trouble just follows me around.|Shay and Liam, 1752.|Assassin's Creed: Rogue|The Way the Wind Blows}}
Shattered and desolate, Shay drifted about in New York's streets, picking fights in [[taverns]] day after day, until the following year when he ran back into Liam. Liam, who had since joined the [[Assassins]], helped Shay recover from his depression before introducing him to his [[Mentor]] [[Achilles Davenport]] for recruitment into the [[American Brotherhood of Assassins|Colonial Brotherhood]]. Over the next four years, Shay trained under Liam and four other more senior recruits, [[Hope Jensen]], [[Kesegowaase]], and [[Louis-Joseph Gaultier, Chevalier de la Vérendrye]].<ref name="Database" />

Although Shay served dutifully, he harboured more doubts about the morality of the Assassins' actions and Achilles' prohibitions than the others.<ref name="Database" /> This was not helped by the frequent bullying he endured under Chevalier de la Vérendrye, who held him in particular contempt,<ref name="The Wind">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[The Way the Wind Blows]]</ref> and his misgiving that Achilles did not hold him in as much confidence as he did Liam.<ref name="The Wind" /><ref name="TSSS">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Tinker Sailor Soldier Spy]]</ref>

[[File:Way the Wind Blows 10.png|left|thumb|250px|Shay acquiring the ''Morrigan'']]
In January 1752, Shay and Liam accompanied de la Vérendrye on a mission to [[Port-Menier]], where de la Vérendrye was set to meet with some [[Smuggling|smugglers]] he had made arrangements with. While Shay and Liam were [[hunting]], the [[Royal Navy]] attacked de la Vérendrye's [[Man O' War]] ''[[Gerfaut]]'', capturing his smuggler allies and leaving the Assassins stranded. Returning to camp after hearing [[cannon]] fire, Shay and Liam were berated by de la Vérendrye's for their tardiness, an altercation that rapidly escalated into a [[fist]]fight between Shay and de la Vérendrye.<ref name="The Wind" />

After Liam broke up the fight, he handed Shay a sword and [[Short blade|dagger]] and the three Assassins proceeded to silently dispatch a group of nearby [[United Kingdom|British]] sailors in order to rescue de la Vérendrye's smugglers. Shay then happily claimed the sailors' {{Wiki|sloop-of-war}} as his own, dubbing it the ''[[Morrigan]]'' after the [[Morrigan (Isu)|Irish goddess]]. With his new ship, Shay sank the British vessels attacking the ''Gerfaut'', allowing de la Vérendrye to return to his own vessel. The three Assassins then sailed back to the [[Davenport Homestead]], the headquarters of the Colonial Assassins, to report to Achilles.<ref name="The Wind" />

===Search for the artifacts===
{{Dialogue|Shay|Achilles doesn't really trust me, does he?|Liam|Give it time, Shay. Do this for him—for us—and you'll do much more than earn his trust.|Shay and Liam discussing Achilles and their mission, 1752.|Assassin's Creed: Rogue|Tinker Sailor Soldier Spy}}
[[File:Lessons and Revelations 8.png|thumb|250px|Achilles telling Shay about the Precursor sites]]
Two months later, at the Homestead, Shay and Liam witnessed the arrival of [[Adéwalé]], a member of the [[West Indies Brotherhood of Assassins|West Indies Brotherhood]], who came to speak with Achilles about an [[1751 Port-au-Prince earthquake|earthquake]] that had destroyed the city of [[Port-au-Prince]] during the Assassins' search for an [[Isu]] [[Temple (Isu)|temple]]. While Adéwalé and Achilles talked, Shay trained under the guidance of Liam, Hope and Kesegowaase, refining his marksmanship, combat, stealth and hunting skills.<ref name="Lessons and Revelations">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Lessons and Revelations]]</ref>

Following Adéwalé's departure, Achilles informed Shay of the Templars' theft of two Isu [[Piece of Eden|artifacts]] from the [[Saint-Domingue Brotherhood of Assassins|Saint-Domingue Brotherhood]]: a [[Precursor box]] and the [[Voynich manuscript]]. Shay was then tasked by the Mentor with recovering the stolen artifacts, while Liam was tasked with supervising Shay during his mission and joined him aboard the ''Morrigan'' as his quartermaster.<ref name="Lessons and Revelations" />

Shay and Liam first sailed to [[Port la Joye]] to meet with de la Vérendrye, who claimed to have a lead on the artifacts' location. During the voyage, Shay lamented that Achilles had no trust in him, but Liam assured him that, if he succeeded in this mission, he would have more than proven himself to the Brotherhood. After picking up de la Vérendrye, he told Shay about his contact, the smuggler and Assassin ally [[Le Chasseur]], who was located on [[Anticosti Island]].<ref name="TSSS" />

[[File:Tinker Sailor Soldier Spy 3.png|left|thumb|250px|Shay and the others discussing Lawrence Washington]]
En route to Anticosti, Liam spotted a British [[schooner]] under attack by [[France|French]] [[Gunboat|gunboats]], and Shay decided to help the Assassins' French allies, disabling the schooner and using the resources looted to upgrade the ''Morrigan''. Arriving at Anticosti shortly after, the Assassins met with Le Chasseur, who informed them that the Precursor box and the Voynich manuscript were in the possession of the [[Master Templar]] [[Lawrence Washington]].<ref name="TSSS" />

With this information, Shay and Liam left Anticosti and sailed to [[Two Bends]] in the [[River Valley]] to report to Achilles, Hope and Kesegowaase. After Hope revealed that her spies had learned Washington was expecting a package, Shay and Liam decided to tail the ship carrying the package in the hopes it would lead them to Washington.<ref name="By Invitation Only">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[By Invitation Only]]</ref>

====Washington's assassination====
{{Quote|The sickly way that man looked, he would have been dead in a month anyway.|Shay voicing his doubts about having taken Lawrence Washington's life, 1752.|Assassin's Creed: Rogue|By Invitation Only}}
Following the ship to [[Mount Vernon]], Shay disembarked the ''Morrigan'' to continue his pursuit on foot and eventually intercepted Washington's package: an [[air rifle]]. Taking the rifle for himself, Shay used it to silently infiltrate Washington's estate, where he spied on a meeting between him and three of his fellow Templars: [[Samuel Smith]], [[James Wardrop]] and [[Jack Weeks]].<ref name="By Invitation Only" />

[[File:By Invitation Only 8.png|thumb|250px|Shay with the dying Lawrence Washington]]
During the meeting, Washington assigned Smith and Wardrop to guard the box and the manuscript, respectively, and revealed that he was suffering from a terminal case of {{Wiki|tuberculosis}}. After the other Templars left, Shay approached Washington as he was walking about the grounds of his manor in the midst of a party and assassinated him.<ref name="By Invitation Only" />

With his dying words, Washington thanked Shay for ending his suffering, which left the Assassin feeling extremely uneasy. He later voiced these thoughts to Liam after they escaped the Templars' fleet, which had attacked the ''Morrigan''. Liam assured his friend that killing Washington had been the right thing to do, as his death was sure to sow chaos among the Templars.<ref name="By Invitation Only" />

====Recovering the relics====
{{Dialogue|Shay|When Achilles said whoever had the artifacts could access sites of great power, what did he mean?|Liam|I'm not sure I understand it myself, Shay. I had a long talk with Adéwalé about that. He believes the Box can be activated to, well, project words or images...|Shay and Liam discussing the Pieces of Eden, 1754.|Assassin's Creed: Rogue|One Little Victory}}
Shay and Liam spent the following months unsuccessfully trying to locate the Precursor box and the Voynich manuscript. During this time, Achilles' [[Abigail Davenport|wife]] and [[Connor Davenport|son]] passed away, and Shay bore witness to how much the loss affected the Mentor, seeing him cry at one point.<ref name="One Little Victory">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[One Little Victory]]</ref>

[[File:One Little Victory 6.png|left|thumb|250px|Shay holding the Precursor box recovered from Samuel Smith]]
Eventually, in April 1754, Shay and Liam received a lead on Samuel Smith's whereabouts from Le Chasseur, who also provided them with [[Puckle gun|Puckle guns]] for the ''Morrigan''. The Assassins quickly made use of the new weapons, engaging Smith's schooner, the ''[[Equitas]]''. Although the Templar led the ''Morrigan'' into a skirmish and attempted to deter the pursuers with burning oil, Shay gave chase and eventually assassinated Smith at his camp in [[Terra Nova]], recovering the Precursor box.<ref name="One Little Victory" />

Three months later, as tensions between the [[French Army|French]] and [[British Army|British]] forces in the colonies escalated to the brink of war, Shay and Liam traveled to [[Albany]] to meet with Hope for information on James Wardrop and the Voynich manuscript. After Hope revealed that Wardrop was in the city, Shay attended the [[Albany Congress]] in the hopes of learning his location.<ref name="We the People">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[We the People]]</ref>

[[Eavesdropping]] on a conversation between [[Benjamin Franklin]] and the Templar [[William Johnson]], Shay learned that Wardrop had taken refuge in [[Fort Frederick]]. He subsequently infiltrated the fort and assassinated Wardrop, taking the manuscript from him despite the Templar's warnings that he was endangering the world.<ref name="We the People" />

[[File:Fiat Lux 6.png|thumb|250px|Hope and Shay examining the map]]
With both the Precursor box and the manuscript in-hand, Shay regrouped with Hope and the two Assassins, posing as associates of Johnson, enlisted the aid of Franklin to activate the box. Learning that Franklin was unable to carry out his experiment due to his lightning rods having been confiscated by the authorities, Shay went to retrieve them from a warehouse.<ref name="Fiat Lux">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Fiat Lux]]</ref>

Following Shay's return, Franklin conducted his experiment, using the rods to direct electricity into the box. Upon a third lightning strike, the artifact activated, displaying a holographic [[Isu map|map]] of the world that revealed the locations of several Isu temples. Shay recognized one of the places shown to be in [[Lisbon]], [[Portugal]],<ref name="Fiat Lux" /> and later relayed this information to Achilles.<ref name="Kyrie Eleison">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Kyrie Eleison]]</ref>

===Disaster in Lisbon===
{{Quote|So what's the next city you want me to smite?! What happened in Haiti happened in Portugal. A great earthquake. Thousands dead, thanks to your damned Manuscript!|Shay confronting Achilles following his return from Lisbon, 1756.|Assassin's Creed: Rogue|Freewill}}[[File:Kyrie Eleison 15.png|left|thumb|250px|The artifact disintegrating in Shay's hands]]
Tasked by Achilles with investigating the [[Lisbon Temple]] and retrieving any Pieces of Eden it housed, Shay left the ''Morrigan'' in the care of the Assassins and boarded a ship bound for [[Europe]]. Arriving in Lisbon on 1 November 1755, he immediately set out for the [[Carmo Convent]], where he believed the Temple to be located. While the priest conducted mass inside, Shay activated several mechanisms at the convent's apex, opening a passage to the Temple hidden beneath.<ref name="Kyrie Eleison" />

As Shay entered the Temple, he found that it contained a shining, star-shaped artifact suspended above a pedestal, and promptly removed it from its place. However, disturbing the artifact from its stationary position caused it to disintegrate and triggered a [[1755 Lisbon earthquake|massive earthquake]].<ref name="Kyrie Eleison" />

Escaping the Temple before it collapsed, Shay hurriedly made his way back to the harbor, all the while the buildings around him were destroyed by the earthquake, killing thousands of [[Civilian|civilians]] in the process. 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="Kyrie Eleison" />

===Abandoning the Brotherhood===
{{Dialogue2|Shay|Achilles. I have to do this.|Achilles|And what is it you're doing exactly? Stealing from your Brothers? Betraying me?|Someone must make amends.|Achilles confronting Shay after his theft of the Voynich manuscript, 1756.|Assassin's Creed: Rogue|Freewill}}[[File:Freewill 2.png|thumb|250px|The Assassins arguing with Shay]]
Upon his return to the Davenport Homestead, Shay immediately stormed into the manor accusing Achilles of knowingly sending him to be the unwitting agent of Lisbon's destruction. Hope, stunned by his allegation, was first incredulous that anyone could cause an earthquake on their own, then offended on her Mentor's behalf at Shay's claim that the disaster was premeditated. As Shay referred back to the previous operation and earthquake at Port-au-Prince to support his charge, an alarmed Liam burst in having heard the tantrum from outside. Finally, when Shay cut Achilles' attempted explanation off, the Mentor resorted to removing him from the premises to cool his tempers outside.<ref name="Freewill">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Freewill]]</ref>

The time-out did little to allay Shay's inflamed distrust of Achilles, however, and before the day was out or another attempt at dialogue, he resolved to steal the Voynich manuscript and flee the Assassins with it in hand. He had reached the conclusion that there was no other possible way of preventing another catastrophe like what happened at Lisbon but to ensure that the Assassins never ventured into an Isu site ever again.<ref name="Freewill" />

Sneaking into the Davenport manor, Shay retrieved the manuscript in Achilles' study, but the Mentor caught him in the act. With tempers at an all time high, the two instantly broke into an argument rife with misunderstandings. Achilles accused Shay of betrayal while Shay insisted he was "mak[ing] amends". When Achilles asserted that the manuscript held "the future of. . .the whole world", Shay mistook him to be claiming a "right" to [[New World Order|dictate the future of all humanity]] out of misguided altruism.<ref name="Freewill" /> Not realizing this mistake, Achilles fired back that it was a "responsibility" but failed to clearly communicate that he was referring to securing the artifacts from anyone's abuse,<ref name="Freewill" /> as had long been the Assassins' orthodox policy.<ref name="My Faithful Acolytes">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[War Letters]]: "My Faithful Acolytes"</ref> As a result, Shay doubled down on his accusation that the Assassins' were driven by a "mad grab for power" and proclaimed that he was taking it upon himself to end it. This was the breaking point for Achilles, and he furiously threw himself at Shay. In the ensuing struggle, Shay was pushed outside the manor through the window.<ref name="Freewill" />

[[File:Freewill 15.png|left|thumb|250px|Shay falling into the bay]]
He recovered from his fall just in time to see Achilles bark out the indescript order "Stop Shay!" to the Assassins from the window. His words reached the ears of de la Vérendrye on the ''Gerfaut'' all the way out on the bay, and the captain seized on the chance to try to kill Shay by bombarding the Homestead from afar. Simultaneously, the other Assassins and their fighters pursued Shay as he fled across the Homestead grounds. Eventually, he was cornered on a cliff overlooking the bay by the whole ensemble of Achilles, Liam, Hope, Kesegowaase, and de la Vérendrye. Though Liam and Hope implored Shay to stop and return the manuscript, their pleas fell on deaf ears as Shay turned to [[Leap of Faith|leap]] into the water below. His movement prompted de la Vérendrye to fire on him from behind to preempt his escape, but he struck only Shay's left shoulder from behind, causing him to tumble to fall off the precipice.<ref name="Freewill" /> Having not seen the shooter, Shay incorrectly assumed that it was Liam when in reality his old friend had no intent to harm him at the time.<ref name="Non Nobis Domine">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Non Nobis Domine]]</ref>

Because Shay was rapidly swept away by the currents, the Assassins believed that he was dead and the Voynich manuscript was lost, but Shay had survived both his wound and his fall. Despite his heavy injury, he was still stable when he was found unconscious by men working for Colonel [[George Monro]], a Templar who took the manuscript and left Shay in the care of [[Barry Finnegan|Barry]] and [[Cassidy Finnegan]] in New York.<ref name="Color of Right">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[The Color of Right]]</ref>

===Meeting the Templars===
{{Dialogue3|Shay|You redcoats are nothing but landlords. The townsfolk here are grinding away, trying to make a living.|Monro|I cannot blame you for having that impression. Some of my comrades have been less than helpful. But I take a different approach.|And what is that?|I care. I want to see these colonists safe and prosperous.|Shay and George Monro's first meeting, 1756.|Assassin's Creed: Rogue|The Color of Right}}[[File:ColorofRight 05.png|thumb|250px|The Finnegans aiding the wounded Shay]]
By June 1756, Shay had made a full recovery and was finally able to get out of bed, thanking the Finnegans for nursing him back to health. At that moment, however, Barry and Cassidy's home was broken into by members of a local criminal gang who sought to extort them for money. Despite his injuries, Shay came to the couple's rescue and defeated the bandits.<ref name="Color of Right" />

As Shay's clothes had been ruined during his fall, Cassidy presented him with an outfit that had belonged to the Finnegans' late son, while Barry returned Shay's weapons to him. Before leaving the house, Shay inquired about the Voynich manuscript, to which Barry told him that he had no book on him when he was brought to their home, leading Shay to assume that the manuscript lay at the bottom of the ocean.<ref name="Color of Right" />

Learning that the gang members who had attacked the Finnegans also terrorized the districts' other residents, Shay set about putting an end to their operations. After [[Interrogation|interrogating]] a gang member, he learned where the gang's [[Gang headquarters|hideout]] was located and infiltrated it. He cut down the gang's [[flag]] and killed their leader, driving the criminals out of the district and restoring order.<ref name="Color of Right" />

[[File:ColorofRight 15.png|left|thumb|250px|George Monro introducing himself to Shay]]
Shortly after, Shay was approached by George Monro, who introduced himself as a friend of the Finnegans and thanked him for removing the gang members, as he had planned on doing so himself. He then invited Shay to join him for a walk, during which he revealed that the Finnegans' son had "worked" for him and subtly explained some Templar philosophy to Shay. Although Monro was careful not to reveal his true allegiance, Shay already suspected the Colonel to be a Templar.<ref name="Color of Right" />
{{-}}

====Fighting the gangs====
{{Dialogue|Monro|That should discourage those miscreants. New York is safe, for now.|Shay|With all due respect, Colonel, it's going to take more than a few explosions to get rid of this kind of trouble.|Shay and Monro, following the destruction of the gangs' factory, 1756.|Assassin's Creed: Rogue|Keep Your Friends Close}}
When Shay later returned to the Finnegans' home to discuss his next move in his fight against the gangs with Monro, the Colonel asked him to rescue his ally [[Christopher Gist]], who was being held captive by gang members at [[Fort Arsenal]]. Shay prevented the bandits from executing Gist and, with his help, defeated all the gang members present before deciding to take their headquarters as his own.<ref name="Long Walk and Short Drop">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[A Long Walk and a Short Drop]]</ref>

[[File:A Long Walk And A Short Drop 10.png|thumb|250px|Shay accepting Christopher Gist as his first mate]]
Following this, Shay noticed a ship anchored near his new home, which he discovered, to his surprise, to be his own 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 [[Stalker|stalkers]] who worked with them. He 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.<ref name="Long Walk and Short Drop" />

With his new crew, Shay sailed to Albany to meet Monro, who informed him and Gist of a nearby French [[fort]] that posed 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. He then fought his way through the compound until reaching the war room, where he found Le Chasseur, armed and waiting for him.<ref name="Circumstances">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Circumstances]]</ref>

Despite Shay's reluctance to kill Le Chasseur, he could not allow the smuggler to inform the Assassins of his survival and so the two engaged in a duel, which the former ultimately won. With his dying words, Le Chasseur told Shay that he had been supplying the gangs in New York with [[Poison|poisonous]] gases, which the Assassins intended to use against the colonial authorities. Determined to stop the criminals, Shay headed back to the city.<ref name="Circumstances" />

[[File:Keep Your Friends Close 2.png|left|thumb|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="Keep Your Friends Close">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Keep Your Friends Close]]</ref>

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="Keep Your Friends Close" />

[[File:Keep Your Friends Close 5.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 that 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 Monro, 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="Keep Your Friends Close" />

===Siege of Fort William Henry===
{{Dialogue|Monro|You continue to prove your loyalty to the Templars, Master Cormac. Risking your life for me...|Shay|We're not out of the woods yet, Colonel. As for my loyalty... Well, I do owe you, don't I? You... saved my life... gave me a second chance.|Shay and Monro, following the Siege of Fort William Henry, 1757.|Assassin's Creed: Rogue|Honour and Loyalty}}
In August 1757, Shay received a package from Monro. Inside, he found the Voynich manuscript and a letter from the Colonel, in which he explained that he had been aware of Shay's former allegiance to the Assassins from the moment his men had rescued him. Monro also told Shay about his mission from the [[Grand Master of the Templar Order|Grand Master]] of the [[American Rite of the Templar Order|Colonial Templars]] to decode the manuscript, a task he had failed to accomplish and which he hoped Shay would be able to help him with.<ref name="Honour and Loyalty">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Honour and Loyalty]]</ref>

[[File:Honour And Loyalty 4.png|left|thumb|250px|Shay escorting Monro and his men]]
Learning about Monro's assignment to [[Fort William Henry]] and the dire conditions the Colonel faced there, Shay sailed to [[Marais Rocheux]] to meet with Jack Weeks. The Templar told Shay that an alliance between the French Army and the [[Abenaki]] threatened the safety of the fort, and that William Johnson's reinforcements had never arrived to assist Monro's troops, forcing them to surrender. Suspecting Kesegowaase to be involved in the alliance, Shay decided to protect Monro and his men as they evacuated the fort.<ref name="Honour and Loyalty" />

During the evacuation, Monro's troops came under attack by French soldiers and Assassin stalkers, but Shay was able to dispatch them, saving the Colonel's life. He then escorted him and his men to the safety of the ''Morrigan'', but 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.<ref name="Honour and Loyalty" />

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 Assassin-allied gang members. Shay managed to assist both parties, strengthening Monro's army and allowing the Colonel to travel back to Albany. Shay also decided to return the Voynich manuscript to Monro, believing that now that the Assassins were aware of his survival, he was a bigger target than the Colonel.<ref name="Armour and Sword">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Armour and Sword]]</ref>

[[File:Scars 6.png|thumb|250px|Shay questioning Kesegowaase]]
Some time later, Shay arrived in Albany 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, claiming that his new allies would ultimately fail and that Liam had alread killed Monro.<ref name="Scars">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Scars]]</ref>

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 Voynich manuscript, before removing his [[Templar ring]] and giving it to Shay, trusting him to continue his work within the Order.<ref name="Scars" />

===Hunting the Assassins===
{{Quote|Colonel Monro spoke highly of you, Shay. He was convinced you could become the best among us. I expect you will not disappoint.|Haytham Kenway, following Shay's induction into the Templar Order, 1758.|Assassin's Creed: Rogue|Men o' War}}
[[File:Scars 14.png|left|thumb|250px|Shay's induction into the Templar Order]]
In 1758, Shay returned to Fort Arsenal in New York, where he was [[Initiation into the Templar Order|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.<ref name="Scars" /> Afterwards, Shay informed Haytham of the Assassins' search for the Isu temples and his belief that Achilles would recklessly endanger innocent lives through his pursuit of the Pieces of Eden.<ref name="Men o' War">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Men o' War]]</ref>

In June, Shay traveled to the [[Atlantic Ocean|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]] at the [[Siege of Louisbourg]]. During the battle, Adéwalé aided the French with his [[brig]], the ''[[Experto Crede]]'', by leading several fireships towards the ''Pembroke''. Shay followed Gist's advice to focus on the fireships, allowing the ''Experto Crede'' to slip away, just as the Royal Navy arrived to combat the French forces.<ref name="Men o' War" />

Following the decisive British victory at [[Louisbourg]], the Templars could focus their efforts on hunting down the Assassins, beginning with Adéwalé. After several months, Shay and Haytham managed to locate the Assassin in the River Valley and, following a brief engagement, forced him to beach the ''Experto Crede'' at [[Vieille Carrière]]. The two Templars then separated, with Haytham choosing to distract Adéwalé while Shay approached him from behind and assassinated him.<ref name="Bravado">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Bravado]]</ref>

[[File:The Heist 2.png|thumb|250px|Shay spying on the Assassin meeting]]
In October 1759, Shay spied on a meeting between the remaining Colonial Assassins at the New York harbor, learning about their plan to replicate Benjamin Franklin's experiment with the Precursor box in order to locate more Isu temples. 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 robbery of a military outpost, in order to give the British Army a reason to fight the criminals.<ref name="The Heist">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[The Heist]]</ref>

====Eliminating Hope====
{{Dialogue|Shay|Hope, I didn't want to do this.|Hope|I trained you to do this. I expected nothing less.|Shay and Hope during the latter's final moments, 1759.|Assassin's Creed: Rogue|Caress of Steel}}
After the successful heist, Shay met with Haytham, who interrogated one of Hope's men to learn the location of her [[Hope Jensen's mansion|mansion]], just as the estate came under attack by British forces. Shay took advantage of the British assault to infiltrate the mansion and bore witness to the Assassins' successful replication of Franklin's experiment with the box. After Liam departed with the box and the Voynich manuscript, Hope detected Shay and shot out the overhead window, causing him to fall into the chamber.<ref name="Caress of Steel">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Caress of Steel]]</ref>

[[File:Caress of Steel 5.png|left|thumb|250px|Hope taking away Shay's mask]]
As Hope took away Shay's [[gas mask]], she released poisonous vapors into the room to kill him and made her escape. Shay carefully navigated around the chamber to avoid the vapors and, once outside the mansion, spotted Hope, who 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.<ref name="Caress of Steel" />

As Shay expressed remorse for killing her, Hope revealed that her diversion had bought the Assassins enough time to escape and commence their expedition to find the Isu temple revealed by the box. She also lamented that Shay had "wasted" his potential within the Brotherhood by joining the Templars.<ref name="Caress of Steel" />

====Pursuing de la Vérendrye====
{{Dialogue|de la Vérendrye|So, cabbage farmer, are you still convinced the Templars are right?|Shay|Convinced to the end.|Shay confronting de la Vérendrye after mortally wounding him, 1760.|Assassin's Creed: Rogue|Cold Fire}}
In early 1760, Shay took the ''Morrigan'' out into the North Atlantic, where he and Gist met with Captain Cook once again to inquire about de la Vérendrye's whereabouts. At Cook's suggestion, Shay infiltrated the fort on Anticosti Island to steal de la Vérendrye's maps and learn where the Assassin expedition was headed. Escaping the fort with the maps, Shay returned to the ''Morrigan'' and delivered the maps to Cook, who was able to pinpoint de la Vérendrye's location.<ref name="No Laws But Our Own">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[No Laws But Our Own]]</ref>

[[File:Cold Fire 7.png|thumb|250px|Shay interrogating de la Vérendrye]]
Sailing into a snowstorm, the ''Morrigan'' was ambushed by de la Vérendrye's fleet, but Shay was able to sink the enemy vessels. He then boarded the ''Gerfaut'' and engaged de la Vérendrye in a duel, mortally wounding him. In his final moments, the Assassin taunted Shay and revealed that he was merely acting as a decoy for Achilles and Liam, who were already on their way to an [[Arctic Temple|Isu temple]] located in the [[Arctic Temple|Arctic]].<ref name="Cold Fire">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Cold Fire]]</ref>

Following de la Vérendrye's demise, Shay and Gist took his maps and gave them to Cook, who questioned whether the two men were part of a larger group, but mistakenly assumed that they received orders from King [[George II of Great Britain|George II]] rather than a secret organization. Shay then told the captain that his patrons would contact Cook regarding the sponsoring of future voyages, and the two parted ways.<ref name="Cold Fire" />

===Confrontation in the Arctic===
{{Quote|Achilles is harmless now! A Mentor with no followers. What kind of world are we making if we cannot show mercy? Besides, he understands what these Precursor sites are now. Without him, the Assassins may continue their search.|Shay convincing Haytham to spare Achilles' life, 1760.|Assassin's Creed: Rogue|Non Nobis Domine}}
[[File:Non Nobis Domine 3.png|left|thumb|250px|Shay and Haytham approaching the Arctic Temple]]
Shay reported his findings to Haytham, who joined him on the voyage to the Arctic Temple to stop the Assassins' expedition. Leaving Gist behind on the ''Morrigan'', the pair navigated through ice caves and past the gang members who accompanied Achilles and Liam. As they ventured deeper into the caverns, an ice bridge collapsed under them, separating Shay and Haytham and forcing the latter to find another way into the Temple.<ref name="Non Nobis Domine">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Non Nobis Domine]]</ref>

Making his way past the site's ancient defense mechanisms, Shay eventually reached the heart of the Temple and was soon joined by Haytham. The two Templars then confronted Achilles and Liam, who had found the site's artifact, identical to the one encountered by Shay in Lisbon.<ref name="Non Nobis Domine" />

While Achilles admitted that he had been wrong about the artifacts, Liam condemned Shay for betraying the Brotherhood. In response, Shay accused Liam of shooting him in the back at the Davenport Homestead, but the Assassin clarified that it was de la Vérendrye who had shot Shay that day. He then 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="Non Nobis Domine" />

[[File:Non Nobis Domine 13.png|thumb|250px|Shay fighting Liam]]
Eventually, as the former friends fought each other, the precipice under them gave way, causing them to fall onto the ice below. Shay used Liam to break his fall, resulting in the latter being mortally wounded. With his dying breath, Liam questioned Shay's decision to betray everyone he knew and join the Templars, to which the latter claimed he had done so in order to save the world.<ref name="Non Nobis Domine" />

Upon hearing this, Liam sardonically stated that he hoped the world the Templars were trying to build was a "good one". He then succumbed to his injuries and Shay, as a final sign of respect to his oldest friend, pulled his Assassin hood over his head. On Liam's body, Shay found the Voynich manuscript and took it before heading back to find Haytham and Achilles.<ref name="Non Nobis Domine" />

Coming across the Grand Master and Mentor locked in combat, Shay witnessed Haytham best and disarm Achilles before attempting to deliver the fatal blow. Shay intervened and convinced Haytham to spare Achilles' life, arguing that the Mentor was no longer a threat with all of his followers gone and that he could warn other Assassins of the danger of the Isu temples. Haytham agreed with Shay's points, but to ensure Achilles could never again operate in the field, he crippled him with a shot to the right shin.<ref name="Non Nobis Domine" />

[[File:Non Nobis Domine 19.png|left|thumb|250px|Haytham tasking Shay to find the Precursor box]]
Later, aboard the ''Morrigan'', Haytham told Shay that Gist and the others would oversee the [[Great Purge (1757-1763)|extermination]] of the remaining Assassins in the colonies. He then assigned Shay the task of recovering the Precursor box, which had been sent by the Brotherhood to Europe. When Shay remarked that it could take years to find the box, Haytham claimed that it could take an entire lifetime and asked if Shay was up for the challenge. The Templar nodded in the affirmative and embarked on his new mission.<ref name="Non Nobis Domine" />
{{-}}

===Journey to France===
{{Dialogue|Charles|Connor and his Assassins... The American Revolution undid your Templar business.|Shay|Then perhaps we shall start a revolution of our own.|Shay and Charles Dorian following the latter's assassination, 1776.|Assassin's Creed: Rogue|QXNzYXNzaW5hdGlvbg0K}}
By December 1776, Shay had managed to track the Precursor box to [[Paris]], France, where he learned that it was in possession of the [[Parisian Brotherhood of Assassins|local Assassins]] and was to be entrusted to one of their members, [[Charles Dorian]], during a meeting at the [[Palace of Versailles]]. To gain access to the palace, Shay tried to locate his old acquaintance Benjamin Franklin, who by this point served as the [[United States]] ambassador to France.<ref name="Deconstructed">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[RGVjb25zdHJ1Y3RlZA0K]]</ref>

After protecting Franklin from a gang of local criminals, Shay explained that he needed to meet a "business acquaintance" at the palace, and the ambassador was able to secure his admittance to the château.<ref name="Protection">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[UHJvdGVjdGlvbg0K]]</ref> Upon spotting Charles, Shay tried to follow him into the palace but was stopped by the guards, who informed him that the building was closed to visitors for the day. Finding another way into the château, Shay sneaked past the guards, as well as Charles' son [[Arno Dorian|Arno]], who was conversing with a [[Élise de la Serre|young girl]], and eventually located the Assassin meeting.<ref name="Assassination">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[QXNzYXNzaW5hdGlvbg0K]]</ref>

[[File:ACRG Assassination 6.png|thumb|250px|Shay assassinating Charles Dorian]]
As Charles left the meeting and began to look around for his son, Shay approached the Assassin from the crowd and stabbed him with his [[Hidden Blade]], taking the box from him. The dying Charles recognized Shay and declared that [[Ratonhnhaké:ton|Connor]]'s Assassins and the [[American Revolutionary War]] had thwarted the Templars' plans in the New World. In response, Shay suggested that the Order could stage a [[French Revolution|revolution]] of their own to restore the balance of power, then escaped the palace as Charles succumbed to his injuries.<ref name="Assassination" /> 

===Later life===
{{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 Templars, 1863.|Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants}}
Following his successful retrieval of the Precursor box from the French Assassins, Shay continued traveling around the world in search of more Isu artifacts for the Templar Order.<ref name="RichardFarreseInterview1">{{Youtube|0aNOdYDnogk|The Assassin's Den - ft. Richard Farrese (Lead Writer on Assassin's Creed Rogue)|loomer979|Loomer|quote={{Cite|26 Apr 2024}}}}</ref> Shay later conceived a son, whom he trained in the Order's ways, as he later did with his [[Cudgel Cormac|grandson]]. He taught them to master [[freerunning]] and [[Eagle Vision]], which they inherited from him, and also passed down his air rifle to them. Shay remained a Templar to his death, having never betrayed the Order.<ref name="ACLD" />

==Legacy==
{{Quote|There will always be Assassins who are willing to abandon their cause to serve ours. Yet there is no one who embodies this idea better than Shay Cormac, and I want the Assassins to confront this painful reality.|Juhani Otso Berg, 2014.|Assassin's Creed: Rogue|Numbskull's personal files}}
Shay's actions during the Seven Years' War, specifically his assassinations of many high-ranking Colonial Assassins, had a long-lasting impact on the [[Assassin-Templar War]] in the colonies. The Templars maintained dominance over the region for over a decade, while the Assassins were all but wiped out with the exception of Achilles, who was forced into seclusion at his Homestead. The Colonial Brotherhood would not regain a foothold until the arrival of Connor, who tipped the balance of power back into the Assassins' favor during the American Revolutionary War.<ref name="AC3">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]''</ref>

Shay's assassination of Charles Dorian in 1776 left the latter's son, Arno, an orphan. Arno was soon adopted by [[François de la Serre]], the Grand Master of the [[Parisian Rite of the Templar Order|French Templars]], and would become embroiled in the Assassin-Templar conflict years later, joining the French Brotherhood.<ref name="ACU">''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]''</ref>

[[File:Deconstructed 1.png|left|thumb|250px|The research analyst reliving a memory of Shay]]
Shay trained both his son and his grandson Cudgel in the Templar ways, and they went on to become prominent members of the Order's [[American Rite of the Templar Order|American Rite]]. Cudgel in particular became a proficent Assassin hunter like his grandfather, operating in New York City during the 19th century. Through Cudgel, Shay is an ancestor to [[Javier Mondragón]], a teenager who joined the Assassin in the early 21st century.<ref name="ACLD" />

Shay served as one of the main sources of inspiration for the Master Templar [[Juhani Otso Berg]], who saw him as the perfect example of what a Templar should strive to be.<ref name="Berg's Inspiration">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Numbskull's personal files]]: "Berg's Inspiration"</ref> In November 2014, Berg had a [[Numbskull|research analyst]] relive Shay's [[Genetic memory|genetic memories]] at [[Abstergo Entertainment]] before uploading the [[Helix]] footage collected to the Assassins' network in order to point out his perceived flaws of their Creed and weaken their resolve. This footage was heavily altered, however, making the Colonial Assassins seem more ruthless and removing any traces of Shay's remorse towards killing his former comrades.<ref name="ACRG MD">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[21st century conversations|Modern day]]</ref>

==Personality and traits==
{{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:Assassin's Creed Rogue Cinematic Announcement Trailer US}}
[[File:Lessons and Revelations memory.png|thumb|250px|Shay with his fellow Assassins]]
Shay was originally a brash, immature, and insubordinate young man who often did not take his role as an Assassin seriously. This was due in part to his lack of experience, but also his own brewing doubts regarding both the integrity of his fellow Assassins and the morality of the Creed itself. Shay was highly outspoken and did not shy away from pointing out the perceived hypocrisies of his fellow Assassins, especially the militant and dogmatic Chevalier de la Vérendrye, which often landed him in trouble. The above factors would gradually push him away from the Brotherhood and eventually lead to his betrayal.<ref name="ACRG">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]''</ref>

Despite openly aligning with the Templars in his later life, Shay expressed remorse over having to eliminate his former comrades, particularly his teacher Hope Jensen and his close friend Liam O'Brien. He also, at least initially, took no pleasure in killing Assassins whom he was not familiar with on a personal level, such as Adéwalé. However, there were a notable exception with de la Vérendrye, who had always looked down upon Shay for his common class upbringing, and openly berated and insulted him multiple times; as such, when it came to taking his life, Shay appeared to take some satisfaction in the act.<ref name="ACRG" />

Shay possessed a strong dislike of [[slavery]], displaying disbelief when he learned that the French, who were allied with the Assassins at the time, were still practicing slavery in [[Haiti]], despite attempts by [[François Mackandal]] and Adéwalé to end the practice. Similarly, Shay was deeply affected by the earthquake in Lisbon, believing that he had personally slaughtered thousands of innocent people through his disturbance of the Isu temple underneath the city. He would carry this trauma with him for the rest of his life.<ref name="ACRG" />

[[File:Non Nobis Domine 16.png|left|thumb|250px|Shay reasoning with Haytham to spare Achilles' life]]
Shay also had a sense of honor, as he disliked having to kill individuals that he deemed weak or defenseless, like Lawrence Washington and Samuel Smith, despite their allegiance to the Templars. He even reasoned with Haytham Kenway to spare the defenseless Achilles Davenport, claiming that the Templars had to set an example for the rest of [[Human|humanity]] by knowing when to show mercy to their enemies.<ref name="ACRG" />

Shay was determined to help those in need, as seen through the numerous property [[renovation]]s commissioned by him across the North American colonies. It was through helping the British against the oppression inflicted by the French authorities and the Assassin-affiliated gangs that Shay learned to embrace the Templar ideology.<ref name="ACRG" />

As the years went on, Shay's sense of honor and selflessness gradually gave way to a more manipulative, cold, ruthless, calculating, and somewhat twisted disposition. For instance, he showed no remorse in killing the French Assassin Charles Dorian, despite the deep trauma it caused for his young son Arn, whom Shay had encountered mere moments earlier. He also gleefully boasted of his plans to start a revolution in France, one that would claim even more innocent lives than the disaster in Lisbon had.<ref name="ACRG" />

[[File:Shayandcharles.PNG|thumb|250px|Shay with the dying Charles Dorian]]
Shay would often use his status among Templar puppets to reach his goals, which included posing as a member Royal Navy when working with James Cook, or relying on his friendship with Benjamin Franklin to gain admittance to the Palace of Versailles to kill Charles Dorian, under the pretense of "meeting a business acquaintance". However, in the latter case, it was also to repay him for saving Franklin's life. He would go on to manipulate events in the colonies and Europe with [[Shay Cormac's fleet|his Templar fleet]] and assist other Templar Rites, particularly the [[Louisiana Rite of the Templar Order|Louisiana Rite]] headed by [[Madeleine de L'Isle]].<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. 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 the Assassin [[Varius]] during the [[American Civil War]], who branded Shay a traitor and the Cormacs as "Hunters".<ref name="ACLD" />

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" />

===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|Lessons and Revelations}}
[[File:Cold Fire 4.png|left|thumb|250px|Shay commandeering the ''Morrigan'']]
From his early life as a sailor, under the tutelage of his father, Shay was trained in swordsmanship and marksmanship. He was also 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 [[Fist|fist-fighter]], being able to take down multiple opponents.<ref name="ACRG" />

Upon joining the Assassins as a teenager, 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 a proficient marksman and a capable 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 de la Vérendrye regarding him as the second-best sailor of the Brotherhood, after himself. In terms of weaponry, Shay wielded dual Hidden Blades, a sword and parrying dagger, two flintlock [[pistol]]s, [[rope dart]]s, [[Throwing knife|throwing knives]], and [[Bombs|smoke bombs]].<ref name="ACRG" />

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

In 1752, Shay acquired a prototype air rifle from a shipment intended for Lawrence Washington. The weapon proved to be a useful addition to Shay's arsenal as it could fire a variety of projectiles, including sleep, berserk, and firecracker darts. After being upgraded by Benjamin Franklin in 1756, the rifle became an even deadlier tool as it could additionally fire sleep, berserk and lethal grenades.<ref name="ACRG" />

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 box and Voynich manuscript by Achilles, despite the latter having more experienced and disciplined subordinates at his disposal.<ref name="ACRG" />

[[File:Honour And Loyalty 3.png|left|thumb|250px|Shay taking aim with his air rifle]]
Upon joining the Templar Order, Shay became a deadly adversary. His training as an Assassin allowed him to easily snuff out all of his Assassin pursuers and defeat most of his former allies including Kesegowaase, de la Vérendrye, and even the legendary Adéwalé. As an Assassin hunter, Shay was skilled enough to counter the Assassins' signature moves, including air assassinations. To protect himself from the effects of smoke bombs and various gases, Shay usually carried a gas mask on his person.<ref name="ACRG" />

==Trivia==
;Etymology
*Shay's name is the anglicized form of the Gaelic ''Séaghdha'', which means "hawk".{{Cite|26 Apr 2024}} 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". Interestingly, if his surname is derived from "raven", then 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.
*The word "shay" is a corruption of ''chaise'', originally from French. Alternative meanings include "liar", 'breaker of promises", "betrayer".

;Equipment
*Shay's Templar attire bears 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>{{Twitter|AssassinsCreed|status/505889581082767360|Assassin's Creed|quote=@IAmDarrenJunior It's not the same armor, but it's emblematic of the style of Templar uniform of the time.|image=File:AC Twitter - Shay Cormac armor.png}}</ref>
*Shay's Templar outfit is adorned with several symbols, including {{Wiki|Celtic knot}}s, {{Wiki|triquetra}}s, the [[Templar insignia]], and [[Yggdrasil]], a ash tree in [[Norse mythology]] that was previously emblazoned on the [[silver]] medallions carried by [[Order of the Ancients]] members in England during the 9th century.<ref name="ACV">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]''</ref>
*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.<ref name="Bloodlines">''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]''</ref> According to the Scottish fencer Archibald MacGregor, dual-welding a sword and a dagger was common among Irishmen, who used two sticks, a short one in their left hand to guard with and a long one in their right, "which they manage with amazing dexterity".<ref>MacGregor, Archibald. (1791). [https://cdn.loc.gov/service/rbc/rbc0001/2019/2019gen23669/2019gen23669.pdf ''MacGregor's Lecture on the Art of Defence''.] Paisley: J. Neilson. pg. 30. Accessed 3 January 2020.</ref>
*While promotional images depict Shay's Templar outfit with a hood, the outfit's in-game version does not include this feature.

;Other
*Although Shay is not the first playable Templar in the [[Assassin's Creed (series)|series]], he is the first one to serve as the main protagonist of a game, and ''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' was marketed on this premise.
*Shay is similar to [[Vali cel Tradat]] from ''[[Assassin's Creed Revelations]]'', as both are Assassins who were loyal to the Creed until losing faith in the Brotherhood and joining the Templars, whereupon they began hunting down their former comrades. The difference is that, while the Assassins eventually killed Vali, Shay survived all of the Brotherood's known attempts on his life.
*Although [[Anne Bonny]]'s maiden name was Cormac, she possessed no relation to Shay, with the similarity in surname being purely coincidental.<ref>{{Youtube|QghXzjY-c4|Assassin's Creed Rogue - Interview with Ivan Balabanov (Producer on AC Rogue)|loomer979|Loomer|quote={{Cite|26 Apr 2024}}}}</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 name="RichardFarreseInterview2">{{Youtube|0aNOdYDnogk|The Assassin's Den - ft. Richard Farrese (Lead Writer on Assassin's Creed Rogue)|loomer979|Loomer|quote={{Cite26 Apr 2024}}}}</ref>
*[[Melanie Lemay]] expressed interest in developing an interactive feature for the Helix based on Shay's genetic memories, like Abstergo had done for other individuals including [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]], [[Ezio Auditore]], [[Edward Kenway]] and Haytham Kenway.<ref name="Database" />

==Appearances==
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' {{Imo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed Unity: Abstergo Entertainment – Employee Handbook]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Initiates]]'' {{Mdat}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Syndicate]]'' {{Mdat}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Official Collection]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' {{Imo}} {{Mdat}}

{{GalleryBox|Shay Cormac}}
{{-}}

==References==
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[[de:Shay Patrick Cormac]]
[[es:Shay Patrick Cormac]]
[[fr:Shay Cormac]]
[[hu:Shay Patrick Cormac]]
[[it:Shay Cormac]]
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[[nl:Shay Cormac]]
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[[pt-br:Shay Cormac]]
[[ru:Шэй Патрик Кормак]]
[[zh:谢伊·科马克]]

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