Editing Assassin bureau

{{Era|Locations|Hidden Ones|Assassins}}
{{Quote|Be sure to visit the city's Assassin Bureau when you arrive. I'll dispatch a bird to inform the Rafiq of your arrival. Speak with him, you'll find he has much to offer.|Al Mualim.|Assassin's Creed|Knowledge (Masun)}}
[[File:AC1 Assassin bureau.png|thumb|250px|Altaïr in an Assassin bureau in Damascus]]
An '''Assassin bureau''' was a command center used by the [[Assassins|Assassin Order]], most often located within cities where they also served as safe houses. Their primary function was to act as bases of operation through which missions could be processed and overseen. Bureaus typically doubled as shops as well. More than mere fronts for the Assassins, these stores would trade in genuine merchandise such as silks,<ref name="The Hunt Begins">''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]'' – [[The Hunt Begins]]</ref> carpets,<ref name="The Red Hospital">''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]'' – [[The Red Hospital]]</ref> and pottery,<ref name="Knowledge Tamir">''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' – [[Knowledge (Tamir)]]</ref> or offer services like tailoring,<ref name="The Fall epilogue">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Fall]]'' – Epilogue</ref> generating income for the Brotherhood.

A tradition that dated back to at least the 1st century BCE, bureaus were an integral component of the Assassins' operational structure.<ref name="The Essential Guide">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Essential Guide]]''</ref> Throughout the ages, not all [[Assassin Guild]]s utilized the bureau as an administrative unit, at times relying on other organizational methods such as [[Assassin Den|dens]],<ref name="ACR">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''</ref> but the system remained in use into the 20th century.<ref name="The Fall epilogue" /> It was indefinitely rendered obsolete after the [[Great Purge]] of 2000 which decimated the Assassins and forced them to rely almost exclusively on mobile [[Assassin cell|cells]].<ref name="The Fall epilogue" /><ref name="The Essential Guide" /><ref name="ACB">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

==History==
===Ptolemaic Egypt===
[[File:ACO Hidden Ones Bureau.jpg|thumb|250px|left|The Hidden Ones bureau in Memphis]]
The first Egyptian bureau was founded in [[Memphis]],<ref name="BirthOfTheCreed">''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]'' – [[Birth of the Creed]]</ref> [[Egypt]] sometime in 44 BCE after the creation of the [[Hidden Ones]] by [[Bayek]] and [[Amunet|Aya]].<ref name="LastOfTheMedjay">''Assassin's Creed: Origins'' – [[Last of the Medjay]]</ref> By 43 BCE, Aya had established a bureau in the [[Pantheon]] district of [[Rome]].<ref name="BirthOfTheCreed"/>

Sometime between 44 BCE and 38 BCE, a bureau was established in [[Sinai]] by one of Bayek's first Hidden Ones, [[Tahira]].<ref>''Assassin's Creed: Origins – [[The Hidden Ones (DLC)|The Hidden Ones]]'' – [[The Hidden Ones (memory)]]</ref> The Sinai bureau had a secret exit that backed onto mountains.<ref name="The Hidden Ones">''Assassin's Creed: Origins – The Hidden Ones''</ref> Unfortunately, the Sinai bureau was destroyed by fire,<ref>''Assassin's Creed: Origins – The Hidden Ones'' – [[No Chains Too Thick]]</ref> and the Hidden Ones of Sinai fled to the mountains of the [[Arsinoe Nome]],<ref>''Assassin's Creed: Origins – The Hidden Ones'' – [[The Greater Good]]</ref> where they made a new bureau.<ref name="The Hidden Ones"/>

At some point before 30 BCE, a bureau was established in [[Alexandria]]. This bureau would be immortalized as the location for the final {{Wiki|synod}} of the Hidden Ones presided by [[Amunet]] as documented in [[The Magas Codex]].<ref name="MagasCodex1">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[The Magas Codex]] I of VI</ref>

===Roman Empire===
The [[Roman Hidden Ones]] that [[British Brotherhood of Assassins|operated]] in the {{Wiki|Roman Britain|province}} of [[England|Britannia]] between the years 100 and 430 CE had six main bureaus. These were located in [[Leicestershire|Ledecestrescire]], [[London|Lunden]], [[Winchester|Wincestre]], [[York|Jorvik]], [[Essex]]e, and [[Gloucestershire|Glowecestrescire]].<ref name="English Locales of Note">''Assassin's Creed: Valhalla'' – [[Layla Hassan's personal files]]: English Locales of Note</ref> [[Parisian Brotherhood of Assassins|Another branch]] of Hidden Ones operated in {{Wiki|Roman Gaul}} around the same time and had established four bureaus, one in each region of [[Amienois]], [[Melunois]], and [[Evresin]] which were all centered around their main base in [[Paris]] itself.<ref name="SiegeOfParis">''Assassin's Creed: Valhalla — [[The Siege of Paris]]''</ref>

Shortly after the death of the Western [[Roman Empire|Roman Emperor]] [[Honorius]] in 423 CE, ''[[Master|magister]]'' [[Vitus]] wrote to the Hidden Ones stationed at [[Leicester]], warning them that Britain would be imminently unstable due to the local tribes who harbored ill sentiments towards them having filled the power vacuum left by the departing [[Roman army|Roman legions]]. Reasoning that it would be better to restart the branch later rather than suffer the loss of its members to unnecessary bloodshed, he ordered that the letter's recipient immediately evacuate and move their headquarters to the [[Germany|German]] city of [[Cologne]] and join forces with the [[German Brotherhood of Assassins|local chapter]].<ref name="ABriefHistory">''Assassin's Creed: Valhalla'' – [[A Brief History of the Hidden Ones]]</ref>

Within the year, word of the evacuation reached the Hidden Ones in Gaul who had experienced similar misunderstandings themselves with the local {{Wiki|Gauls|Gallic tribes}}. Seeing the situation was untenable, the ''magister'' known only as "[[C. C.]]" wrote to the surrounding bureaus from Paris and ordered all Hidden Ones to hide the three keys necessary to unlock the Paris location, seal the rooms, and likewise abandon Gaul until such time had passed that they could safely return and resume [[Assassin-Templar War|their fight]] against tyrants and the [[Order of the Ancients]] for [[human]]ity's freedom. Before closing their letter, C. C. also informed the Hidden Ones that Vitus had extended an invitation from Cologne, adding that they too would join any who were willing to travel to {{Wiki|Germania}}. While the majority of C. C.'s orders were carried out, a few Hidden Ones refused to abandon their posts and decided to stay in Gaul to continue their work on a more individual scale.<ref name="Hidden">''Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – The Siege of Paris'' – [[Hidden]]</ref>

===Viking Age===
By 870 CE, some Frankish Hidden Ones had relocated to a new bureau in [[Chinon]]. That year, the young Hidden One [[Oisel]] received a letter from [[Basim Ibn Ishaq]] of the [[Ottoman Brotherhood of Assassins|local branch]] of Hidden Ones in [[Constantinople]], which asked him to follow Basim's travels in the [[Levant]], starting in [[Antioch]].<ref name="TheSilkRoad">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Silk Road]]''</ref>

In 873, Basim and [[Hytham]] established a [[Ravensthorpe bureau|bureau]] in the English village of [[Ravensthorpe]] with the help of the [[Vikings|Viking]] [[shieldmaiden]] [[Eivor Varinsdottir]] of the [[Raven Clan]].<ref name="ToServeTheLight">''Assassin's Creed: Valhalla'' – [[To Serve the Light...]]</ref> Because of Hytham's severe wounding in his attempt to assassinate [[Kjotve the Cruel]],<ref>''Assassin's Creed: Valhalla'' – [[A Cruel Destiny]]</ref> Basim assigned him to oversee and upkeep the bureau. Inside the office, Hytham kept numerous scrolls detailing missions and members of the [[Order of the Ancients]]. To combat the Order's reign in England, Hytham often received letters from a "[[Alfred the Great|Poor Fellow-Soldier]] of [[Jesus of Nazareth|Christ]]", who relayed information on key [[assassination]] targets in the cities of Lunden, Jorvik, and Wincestre.<ref>''Assassin's Creed: Valhalla'' – [[More Intel]]</ref>

Circa 873, Eivor entered the abandoned Hidden Ones bureaus in England and recovered pages of the Magas Codex, contracts for assassinations, and letters between the members of the bureaus.<ref name="ABriefHistory"/> After sailing to [[Francia]] in 885 to assist the second Viking [[Siege of Paris (885–886)|siege of Paris]], Eivor took time to visit all the ruined Gallic Hidden Ones bureaus and recovered the keys to the Paris office, where she found and claimed [[Charlemagne]]'s short [[sword]] [[Joyeuse]] from a [[treasure chest]] that had been secreted away. As she left the premises, she indirectly met the Frankish Hidden One [[Abbo of Cernuus]] under the alias "AC" by way of a letter he left on the ground after she had entered the building.<ref name="Hidden"/>

===Third Crusade===
Bureaus were widely used by the [[Levant]]ine [[Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins|Brotherhood of Assassins]], with some cities such as [[Acre]], [[Damascus]], [[Jerusalem]],<ref name="AC1">''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref> and [[Tyre]]<ref name="ACAC">''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]''</ref> having one per district. Bureaus acted as sanctuaries for members of the Assassin Order, where their users could physically and mentally prepare themselves for a mission, allowing them to restock on [[Throwing knife|throwing knives]], sleep, or to meditate. It also allowed Assassins a place to wait for the appropriate moment to strike or for the dust to settle after an assassination.<ref name="AC1" />

Inside each bureau resided a leader, who held either the [[rank]] of [[Rafiq]] or higher. They would often give Assassins useful information on where to learn more about targets. Once the strike had been planned and approved by the bureau leader, an Assassin was given a [[feather]] to soak in the blood of their target as proof of their success.<ref name="AC1" />
[[File:AC1 Bureau Side Chamber.png|thumb|250px|left|A Third Crusade bureau's main chamber]]
These bureaus all had a similar construction. The exterior of the building was typically quite discreet, resembling that of common construction, although they did not have any obvious windows or doors. The entrance was usually located on the roof, like the Memphis bureau of the Hidden Ones.<ref name="AC1" />

A main chamber served as the entrance hall to the bureau, and was a small living area comprised of two fountains, potted plants, and several pillows and carpets. This place was intended as a location for Assassins to rest before and after assassinations. The walls were decorated with hanging carpets and the [[Assassin insignia]], while the ceiling was grated with an opening that acted as an entrance into the Bureau. Some bureaus took the living area comforts a bit further, as the Acre bureau's walls were lined with books while the Damascus bureau contained a chess set and a board on which to play. When the city [[Soldier|guards]] were on alert, the bureau's roof was closed with a grated panel to prevent them from discovering the place and subsequently violating a tenet of [[the Creed]].<ref name="AC1" />
[[File:AC1 Bureau Main Chamber.png|thumb|225px|The Bureau leader's chamber]]
A bureau leader's chamber was adjacent to the main chamber. From behind a desk, each leader addressed those who would come to speak with them, while also studying and attending to the Assassin Order's operations in that respective city. Behind the desk were bookshelves and closets, where registries of missions were kept. The books and scrolls the leader had access to were also located in this area. Across the room, a raised walkway held weapons, books, and other items that could assist Assassins in their missions.<ref name="AC1" />

===Golden Age of Piracy===
[[File:AC4 Assassin Bureau.png|thumb|left|250px|The Assassin bureau in Havana]]
During the early 18th century, the bureaus spread throughout the major cities in the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] varied in size and description. The bureaus in [[Havana]] and [[Kingston]] held at least one building and had a surrounding courtyard or walls, the [[Nassau]] bureau consisted of a small collection of buildings, and the [[Cayman Islands]]' "ghost" bureau had no defined buildings or areas to speak of.<ref name="AC4">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''</ref>

After killing the traitorous [[Duncan Walpole]] in 1715,<ref>''Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag'' – [[Edward Kenway (memory)]]</ref> [[Edward Kenway]] recovered and subsequently sold a map detailing the four bureaus' locations to the [[West Indies Rite of the Templar Order|local branch]] of [[Templars]] operating in the region,<ref>''Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag'' – [[Mister Walpole, I Presume?]]</ref> unwittingly putting the Assassins stationed there in danger. Edward eventually traveled to the four bureaus and made amends for disclosing their locations;<ref>''Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag'' – [[The Taíno Assassin]]<br>↑ ''Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag'' – [[Bureau Under Attack]]<br>↑ ''Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag'' – [[The Maroon Assassin]]<br>↑ ''Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag'' – [[Oh Brother...]]</ref> in doing so, he assisted the bureau [[Master Assassin|Masters]] in various ways, in return for a collection of [[Templar key|keys]] that would grant him access to a set of [[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag outfits|Templar Armor]].<ref>''Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag'' – [[This Old Cove]]</ref>

==List of example bureaus==
;Egypt
*Alexandria bureau<ref name="MagasCodex1"/><ref name="TheSilkRoad"/>
*[[Hidden Ones Arsinoe bureau|Arsinoe bureau]]<ref name="The Hidden Ones"/>
*[[Hidden Ones Klysma bureau|Klysma bureau]]<ref name="The Hidden Ones"/>
*[[Memphis bureau]]<ref name="BirthOfTheCreed"/>

;Italy
*Rome bureau<ref name="BirthOfTheCreed"/>

;The Levant
*Damascus bureau<ref name="AC1" />
*Acre bureau<ref name="AC1" />
*Jerusalem bureau<ref name="AC1" />
*Tyre bureau<ref name="ACAC"/>
*Antioch bureau<ref name="TheSilkRoad"/>

;Greece
*Constantinople bureau<ref name="TheSilkRoad"/>

;France
*[[Champlieu Ruins|Champlieu bureau]]<ref name="Hidden"/>
*[[Diodurum Ruins|Diodurum bureau]]<ref name="Hidden"/>
*[[Gisacum Ruins|Gisacum bureau]]<ref name="Hidden"/>
*[[Lutetia bureau]]<ref name="Hidden"/>
*Chinon bureau<ref name="TheSilkRoad"/>

;Germany
*Cologne bureau<ref name="ABriefHistory"/>

;Britain
*[[Camulodunum bureau]]<ref name="ABriefHistory"/>
*[[Eboracum bureau]]<ref name="ABriefHistory"/>
*[[Londinium bureau]]<ref name="ABriefHistory"/>
*[[Ratae bureau]]<ref name="ABriefHistory"/>
*[[Temple of Ceres bureau]]<ref name="ABriefHistory"/>
*[[Venta Belgarum bureau]]<ref name="ABriefHistory"/>
*[[Ravensthorpe bureau]]<ref name="ToServeTheLight"/>

;China
*Chang'an bureau<ref name="TheSilkRoad"/>

;Russia
*Moscow bureau<ref name="SafeHands">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia]]'' – [[In Safe Hands]]</ref>

;Caribbean
*Cayman bureau<ref name="AC4"/>
*Havana bureau<ref name="AC4"/><ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Identity]]'' – [[Database: Havana (Identity)]]</ref>
*Kingston bureau<ref name="AC4"/>
*Nassau bureau<ref name="AC4"/>

==Gallery==
<gallery position="center" widths="180" captionalign="center">
ACO Hidden Ones Bureau in 1877.png|The Memphis bureau in 1877
ACO Birth of the Creed 10.jpg|Aya and other Hidden Ones at the Rome bureau
ACO - Hidden Ones Klysma bureau 1.png|The Klysma bureau
ACO - Hidden Ones Klysma bureau 2.png|The main room of the Klysma bureau with the rooftop entrance.
ACO - Hidden Ones Klysma bureau 3.png|The planning room of the Klysma bureau
ACO - Hidden Ones Klysma bureau 4.png|The communications room of the Klysma bureau
ACO Hidden Ones bureau in Arsinoe 1.jpg|The Hidden Ones Arsinoe bureau
ACO Hidden Ones bureau in Arsinoe 2.jpg|Interior of the Arsinoe bureau
ACO THO Hidden Ones Gathering.png|The Hidden Ones in the Arsinoe bureau
ACV - Roman Hidden Ones bureau concept.jpg|Concept art of a Roman Hidden Ones bureau in Britan
ACV - Ravensthorpe Hidden Ones bureau.jpg |Concept art of the bureau in Ravensthorpe
AC bureau concept.png|Concept art of the bureau in Damascus
Garnier Knowledge 1.png|Altaïr and [[Jabal]] at the Acre bureau
Majd Knowledge 1.png|Altaïr and [[Malik Al-Sayf]] at the Jerusalem bureau
Abu'l Knowledge 1.png|Altaïr and the [[Damascus bureau leader|bureau leader]] at Damascus
William Knowledge 2.png|Altaïr and Jabal at the Acre bureau
Majd Knowledge 2.png |Altaïr and Malik at the Jerusalem bureau
Abu'l Knowledge 2.png|Altaïr and bureau leader at the Damascus bureau
</gallery>

==Appearances==
*''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Identity]]'' {{Mdat}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]''
**''[[The Hidden Ones (DLC)|The Hidden Ones]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]''
**''[[The Siege of Paris]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Silk Road]]'' {{Mo}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{AC}}
{{Assassins nav}}
[[nl:Assassijnenbureau]]
[[ru:Бюро Ассассинов]]
[[uk:Бюро Асасинів]]
[[Category:Assassin Brotherhood]]
[[Category:Buildings]]