Siege of Masyaf - Revision history

Soranin: /* References */

2026-05-12T15:32:10Z

References

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	{{Reflist}}		{{Reflist}}
	{{Timeline}}		{{Timeline}}
	~~<!--~~<!--[fr:Premier siège de Masyaf]~~-->~~-->		<!--[fr:Premier siège de Masyaf]-->
	[[Category:Battles]]		[[Category:Battles]]
	[[Category:Timeline]]		[[Category:Timeline]]

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	{{Timeline}}		{{Timeline}}
	<!--[[fr:Premier siège de Masyaf]]-->		<!--<!--[fr:Premier siège de Masyaf]-->-->
	[[Category:Battles]]		[[Category:Battles]]
	[[Category:Timeline]]		[[Category:Timeline]]

Soranin at 15:28, 6 May 2026

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	{{Youmay\|the siege of 1176\|the [[Defense of Masyaf\|attack of 1191]] or [[Fall of Masyaf\|siege of 1257]]}}		{{Youmay\|the siege of 1176\|the [[Defense of Masyaf\|attack of 1191]] or [[Fall of Masyaf\|siege of 1257]]}}
	{{Conjecture}}		{{Conjecture}}
	{{Quote\|Yes. Salah Al'din's army. He came to lay siege to Masyaf, to defeat the Assassins. Eighty years ago, a bright day in August. A day very much like today...\|Niccolò Polo to his brother Maffeo, 1256\|Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade}}		{{Quote\|Yes. Salah Al'din's army. He came to lay siege to Masyaf, to defeat the Assassins. Eighty years ago, a bright day in August. A day very much like today...\|Niccolò Polo to his brother Maffeo, 1256.\|Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade}}
	{{Battle Infobox		{{Battle Infobox
	\|prev = [[Siege of Jerusalem (1099)\|Siege of Jerusalem]]		\|prev = [[Siege of Jerusalem (1099)\|Siege of Jerusalem]]
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	\|conflict = [[Saracens\|Saracen]]-[[Assassins\|Assassin]] conflict		\|conflict = [[Saracens\|Saracen]]-[[Assassins\|Assassin]] conflict
	\|date = August 1176		\|date = August 1176
	\|place = [[Masyaf]], Assassin ~~Brotherhood~~		\|place = [[Masyaf]], [[Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins\|Assassin state]]
	\|result = Assassin victory		\|result = Assassin victory
	\|side1 = [[Assassins]]		\|side1 = [[Assassins]]
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	\|civilian =		\|civilian =
	}}		}}
	The '''Siege of Masyaf''' was an invasion of [[Masyaf]], the stronghold of the [[Assassins]] under command of [[Al Mualim]], conducted by the [[Saracens\|Saracen]] armies of [[Saladin]], the Sultan of [[Egypt]] and [[Syria]] in ~~the~~ August of 1176. Though conceived as a siege, the attack lasted only a couple of days, as Saladin was intimidated into retreat after the Assassins proved with [[Umar Ibn-La'Ahad]] that a lone agent could easily kill him in his sleep at their discretion no matter his defences.		The '''Siege of Masyaf''' was an invasion of [[Masyaf]], the stronghold of the [[Assassins]] under command of [[Al Mualim]], conducted by the [[Saracens\|Saracen]] armies of [[Saladin]], the Sultan of [[Egypt]] and [[Syria]], in August 1176. Though conceived as a siege, the attack lasted only a couple of days, as Saladin was intimidated into retreat after the Assassins proved with [[Umar Ibn-La'Ahad]] that a lone agent could easily kill him in his sleep at their discretion no matter his defences.

	==Background==		==Background==
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	==Course==		==Course==
	===Battle of Masyaf===		===Battle of Masyaf===
	The morning after the Saracens first arrived at Masyaf, they launched what would be their only attack of the campaign. Having completed at least one ram and one siege tower, they pushed these up the slope to the fortress gate and commenced their assault. [[Archer]]s on both sides traded arrows while the defenders poured burning oil and dropped rocks on the besiegers from their towers. The villagers taking refuge in the fortress were not idle, and many of them contributed to the defence in whatever way they could, pelting rocks and dousing any fires that alighted. Whenever Saracen soldiers attempted to set fire to the wicket gates for entry, Assassins sortied out to repel them. The battle continued all throughout the day, but by evening, the Saracens had been repulsed and retreated to their camp to repair their siege engines and construct more.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />		The morning after the Saracens first arrived at Masyaf, they launched what would be their only attack of the campaign. Having completed at least one ram and one siege tower, they pushed these up the slope to the fortress gate and commenced their assault. [[Archer]]s on both sides traded arrows while the defenders poured burning oil and dropped rocks on the besiegers from their towers. The villagers taking refuge in the fortress were not idle, and many of them contributed to the defence in whatever way they could, pelting rocks and dousing any fires that alighted.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />

			Whenever Saracen soldiers attempted to set fire to the wicket gates for entry, Assassins sortied out to repel them. The battle continued all throughout the day, but by evening, the Saracens had been repulsed and retreated to their camp to repair their siege engines and construct more.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />

	===Frightening Saladin===		===Frightening Saladin===
	That night, the Assassins hatched their plan: as ordered by Al Mualim, the Master Assassin [[Umar Ibn-La'Ahad]] infiltrated the Saracen camp, not to kill Saladin, but to issue a warning to him. Relying on information provided by the Assassin spy [[Ahmad Sofian]], Umar was able to bypass the camp's defences and evade its traps. In particular, he was aware that the conspicuous, extravagant pavilion at its centre was actually not Saladin's tent, but a decoy, and that the real tent had [[salt]] and cinder strew around its perimeter. This was a measure employed by Saladin in the hopes it would amplify the sound of an approaching Assassin's footsteps and alert his [[guard]]s, but in this, it failed entirely.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />		That night, the Assassins hatched their plan: as ordered by Al Mualim, the Master Assassin [[Umar Ibn-La'Ahad]] infiltrated the Saracen camp, not to kill Saladin, but to issue a warning to him. Relying on information provided by the Assassin spy [[Ahmad Sofian]], Umar was able to bypass the camp's defences and evade its traps. In particular, he was aware that the conspicuous, extravagant pavilion at its centre was actually not Saladin's tent, but a decoy, and that the real tent had [[salt]] and cinder strew around its perimeter. This was a measure employed by Saladin in the hopes it would amplify the sound of an approaching Assassin's footsteps and alert his [[guard]]s, but in this, it failed entirely.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />

	Umar entered Saladin's tent without issue while the sultan laid asleep. As instructed, the Assassin left behind a [[feather]] and pinned a letter on Saladin's pallet with a [[dagger]]; the letter threatened that should Saladin refuse to withdraw immediately, the next dagger would find his genitals. While Umar had performed his mission perfectly up until that point, the sultan awoke just as he was leaving the tent. Saladin immediately screamed for his guards, and in his escape, Umar was forced to kill a general who was also a nobleman. Not long afterwards, the Saracens discovered Ahmad's duplicity and ~~seized~~ him hostage.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />		Umar entered Saladin's tent without issue while the sultan laid asleep. As instructed, the Assassin left behind a [[feather]] and pinned a letter on Saladin's pallet with a [[dagger]]; the letter threatened that should Saladin refuse to withdraw immediately, the next dagger would find his genitals. While Umar had performed his mission perfectly up until that point, the sultan awoke just as he was leaving the tent. Saladin immediately screamed for his guards, and in his escape, Umar was forced to kill a general who was also a nobleman. Not long afterwards, the Saracens discovered Ahmad's duplicity and took him hostage.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />

	===Umar's sacrifice===		===Umar's sacrifice===
	{{Dialogue\|Envoy\|Let your man take his place, and his life will be spared and the peace treaty honored. If not, he dies and the siege begins and your people starve.\|Shihab\|Do you want that on your conscience, ''Umar Ibn-La'ahad?''\|Shihab Al'din and his envoy delivering their ultimatum to the Assassins, 1176\|Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade}}		{{Dialogue\|Envoy\|Let your man take his place, and his life will be spared and the peace treaty honored. If not, he dies and the siege begins and your people starve.\|Shihab\|Do you want that on your conscience, ''Umar Ibn-La'ahad?''\|Shihab Al'din and his envoy delivering their ultimatum to the Assassins, 1176\|Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade}}
	The following day, Saladin indeed wasted no time in withdrawing from Masyaf with a majority of his forces, but his uncle remained behind with two hundred soldiers to negotiate the terms of peace. Through his envoy, Shihab initially expressed the Saracens' consent to the "offer of peace", only to suddenly retract it by ~~proclaiming~~ that there was one condition for the agreement: the head of their fallen general's killer.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />		The following day, Saladin indeed wasted no time in withdrawing from Masyaf with a majority of his forces, but his uncle remained behind with two hundred soldiers to negotiate the terms of peace. Through his envoy, Shihab initially expressed the Saracens' consent to the "offer of peace", only to suddenly retract it by declaring that there was one condition for the agreement: the head of their fallen general's killer.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />

	Despite Umar's resignation, Al Mualim announced his refusal, but the Saracens had one more card to play: they brought out their hostage, Ahmad, and threatened to execute him and resume hostilities unless Umar was brought forth. At that point, Shihab shouted above directly to Umar, revealing that he had learned his name from torturing Ahmad. Although Al Mualim was reluctant to allow Umar to take Ahmad's place on the executioners' block, it was through Umar's insistence, desperate to avoid further bloodshed, that he eventually relented.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />		Despite Umar's resignation, Al Mualim announced his refusal, but the Saracens had one more card to play: they brought out their hostage, Ahmad, and threatened to execute him and resume hostilities unless Umar was brought forth. At that point, Shihab shouted above directly to Umar, revealing that he had learned his name from torturing Ahmad. Although Al Mualim was reluctant to allow Umar to take Ahmad's place on the executioners' block, it was through Umar's insistence, desperate to avoid further bloodshed, that he eventually relented.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />
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	==Aftermath==		==Aftermath==
	{{Dialogue\|Al Mualim\|We have his assurance that our sect can operate without further hostilities and no further interference in our activities?\|Saracen envoy\|As long as interests allow, you have that assurance.\|Al Mualim negotiating with Shihab's envoy, 1176\|Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade}}		{{Dialogue\|Al Mualim\|We have his assurance that our sect can operate without further hostilities and no further interference in our activities?\|Saracen envoy\|As long as interests allow, you have that assurance.\|Al Mualim negotiating with Shihab's envoy, 1176\|Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade}}
	Though the siege itself was relatively uneventful in the larger schemes of Saladin, its casualties had long-lasting repercussions for the Assassins. Following Umar's sacrifice, Ahmad was overcome with guilt and shame, feeling responsible for his demise. He came to Altaïr's room in the middle of the night and apologized, before committing suicide before the young boy's eyes. A shocked Altaïr brought the news to Al Mualim, who told him to keep it a secret, even from Ahmad's son, [[Abbas Sofian\|Abbas]]. The death of his father would haunt Abbas for the rest of his life, and it would ultimately give rise to a decades-long grudge against Altaïr that persisted for as long as they lived. From Altaïr's ascension as Mentor of the Assassins, Abbas dogged him every step of the way attempting to undermine his efforts, eventually usurping his leadership, murdering his son [[Sef Ibn-La'Ahad\|Sef]] and friend [[Malik Al-Sayf]], and twisting the ~~order~~ into no more than a sect of [[bandit]]s.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />		Though the siege itself was relatively uneventful in the larger schemes of Saladin, its casualties had long-lasting repercussions for the Assassins. Following Umar's sacrifice, Ahmad was overcome with guilt and shame, feeling responsible for his demise. He came to Altaïr's room in the middle of the night and apologized, before committing suicide before the young boy's eyes. A shocked Altaïr brought the news to Al Mualim, who told him to keep it a secret, even from Ahmad's son, [[Abbas Sofian\|Abbas]].<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />

			The death of his father would haunt Abbas for the rest of his life, and it would ultimately give rise to a decades-long grudge against Altaïr that persisted for as long as they lived. From Altaïr's ascension as Mentor of the Assassins, Abbas dogged him every step of the way attempting to undermine his efforts, eventually usurping his leadership, murdering his son [[Sef Ibn-La'Ahad\|Sef]] and friend [[Malik Al-Sayf]], and twisting the Order into no more than a sect of [[bandit]]s.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />

	The peace between Saracens and the Assassins would last for at least the rest of Saladin's life; it was maintained throughout the [[Third Crusade]], with the two factions sharing control of [[Alep]].<ref name="ACAC">''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]''</ref> Despite this, the Assassins did not cease their covert assassinations of high-ranking Saracens when they deemed them to be corrupt and oppressive, and the Saracens remained ever distrustful, at times hostile, to the presence of Assassins in their jurisdiction and did not permit them into their other major cities such as [[Damascus]] and [[Jerusalem]].<ref name="AC1">''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref>		The peace between Saracens and the Assassins would last for at least the rest of Saladin's life; it was maintained throughout the [[Third Crusade]], with the two factions sharing control of [[Alep]].<ref name="ACAC">''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]''</ref> Despite this, the Assassins did not cease their covert assassinations of high-ranking Saracens when they deemed them to be corrupt and oppressive, and the Saracens remained ever distrustful, at times hostile, to the presence of Assassins in their jurisdiction and did not permit them into their other major cities such as [[Damascus]] and [[Jerusalem]].<ref name="AC1">''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref>
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	==Appearances==		==Appearances==
	*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade]]''		*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade]]'' {{1st}}
	*''[[Assassin's Creed: Initiates]]''		*''[[Assassin's Creed: Initiates]]'' {{Mdat}}

	==References==		==References==
	{{Reflist}}		{{Reflist}}

	{{Timeline}}		{{Timeline}}
			<!--[[fr:Premier siège de Masyaf]]-->
	[[fr:Premier siège de Masyaf]]
	[[Category:Battles]]		[[Category:Battles]]
	[[Category:Timeline]]		[[Category:Timeline]]

imported>Soranin: /* Behind the scenes */

2024-01-23T17:34:02Z

Behind the scenes

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	==Behind the scenes==		==Behind the scenes==
	Historically, the Assassin that sneaked into Saladin's camp and left the warning note and dagger was said to have been ~~[[wikipedia:Rashid ad-din Sinan~~\|Rashid ad-~~din~~ Sinan]], the real-life counterpart of Al Mualim himself.		Historically, the Assassin that sneaked into Saladin's camp and left the warning note and dagger was said to have been {{Wiki\|Rashid ad-Din Sinan}}, the real-life counterpart of Al Mualim himself.

	==Appearances==		==Appearances==

imported>Sol Pacificus at 01:40, 17 April 2022

2022-04-17T01:40:04Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:40, 17 April 2022
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	{{Youmay\|the siege of 1176\|the [[Defense of Masyaf\|attack of 1191]] or [[Fall of Masyaf\|siege of 1257]]}}		{{Youmay\|the siege of 1176\|the [[Defense of Masyaf\|attack of 1191]] or [[Fall of Masyaf\|siege of 1257]]}}
	{{Conjecture}}		{{Conjecture}}
	{{Quote\|Yes. Salah Al'din's army. He came to lay siege to Masyaf, to defeat the Assassins. Eighty years ago, a bright day in August. A day very much like today...\|Niccolò Polo ~~retelling the siege~~ to his brother Maffeo, 1256\|Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade}}		{{Quote\|Yes. Salah Al'din's army. He came to lay siege to Masyaf, to defeat the Assassins. Eighty years ago, a bright day in August. A day very much like today...\|Niccolò Polo to his brother Maffeo, 1256\|Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade}}
	{{Battle Infobox		{{Battle Infobox
	\|prev = [[Siege of Jerusalem (1099)\|Siege of Jerusalem]]		\|prev = [[Siege of Jerusalem (1099)\|Siege of Jerusalem]]

imported>Darman36: Quotes not linked

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Quotes not linked

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	{{Youmay\|the siege of 1176\|the [[Defense of Masyaf\|attack of 1191]] or [[Fall of Masyaf\|siege of 1257]]}}		{{Youmay\|the siege of 1176\|the [[Defense of Masyaf\|attack of 1191]] or [[Fall of Masyaf\|siege of 1257]]}}
	{{Conjecture}}		{{Conjecture}}
	{{Quote\|Yes. Salah Al'din's army. He came to lay siege to Masyaf, to defeat the Assassins. Eighty years ago, a bright day in August. A day very much like today...\|[[Niccolò Polo]] retelling the siege to his brother [[Maffeo ~~Polo\|Maffeo]]~~, 1256\|Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade}}		{{Quote\|Yes. Salah Al'din's army. He came to lay siege to Masyaf, to defeat the Assassins. Eighty years ago, a bright day in August. A day very much like today...\|Niccolò Polo retelling the siege to his brother Maffeo, 1256\|Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade}}
	{{Battle Infobox		{{Battle Infobox
	\|prev = [[Siege of Jerusalem (1099)\|Siege of Jerusalem]]		\|prev = [[Siege of Jerusalem (1099)\|Siege of Jerusalem]]

imported>Darman36 at 16:04, 13 April 2021

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	\|commanders1 = *[[Al Mualim]]		\|commanders1 = *[[Al Mualim]]
	*[[Faheem Al-Sayf]]		*[[Faheem Al-Sayf]]
	*[[Umar Ibn-La'Ahad]]~~&dagger;~~		*[[Umar Ibn-La'Ahad]] †
	\|commanders2 = *Saladin		\|commanders2 = *Saladin
	*[[Shihab Al'din]]		*[[Shihab Al'din]]
	\|forces1= *Masyaf Assassins		\|forces1= *Masyaf Assassins
	*Masyaf [[~~civilians~~\|villagers]]		*Masyaf [[Civilian\|villagers]]
	\|forces2 = *10,000 Saracen soldiers		\|forces2 = *10,000 Saracen soldiers
	**~~[[wikipedia:~~Arabs\|Arab]] infantry		**{{Wiki\|Arabs\|Arab}} infantry
	**~~[[wikipedia:~~Armenians\|Armenian]] infantry		**{{Wiki\|Armenians\|Armenian}} infantry
	**[[~~wikipedia:Nubians\|Nubian~~]] infantry		**[[Nubia]]n infantry
	**Arab cavalry		**Arab cavalry
	**[[Turkey\|Turk]] cavalry		**[[Turkey\|Turk]] cavalry

imported>Blue-castle: fr

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	{{Timeline}}		{{Timeline}}

			[[fr:Premier siège de Masyaf]]
	[[Category:Battles]]		[[Category:Battles]]
	[[Category:Timeline]]		[[Category:Timeline]]

imported>Lady Kyashira at 10:21, 30 June 2020

2020-06-30T10:21:10Z

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	{{Quote\|Yes. Salah Al'din's army. He came to lay siege to Masyaf, to defeat the Assassins. Eighty years ago, a bright day in August. A day very much like today...\|[[Niccolò Polo]] retelling the siege to his brother [[Maffeo Polo\|Maffeo]], 1256\|Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade}}		{{Quote\|Yes. Salah Al'din's army. He came to lay siege to Masyaf, to defeat the Assassins. Eighty years ago, a bright day in August. A day very much like today...\|[[Niccolò Polo]] retelling the siege to his brother [[Maffeo Polo\|Maffeo]], 1256\|Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade}}
	{{Battle Infobox		{{Battle Infobox
	\|prev = [[~~Assassination~~ of ~~Julius Caesar~~]]		\|prev = [[Siege of Jerusalem (1099)\|Siege of Jerusalem]]
	\|conc =		\|conc =
	\|next = [[Battle of Hattin]]		\|next = [[Battle of Hattin]]

imported>Sol Pacificus: Cleanup

2020-03-24T00:14:49Z

Cleanup

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	\|civilian =		\|civilian =
	}}		}}
	The '''Siege of Masyaf''' was an invasion of [[Masyaf]], the stronghold of the [[Assassins]] under command of [[Al Mualim]], conducted by the [[Saracens\|Saracen]] armies of [[Saladin]], the Sultan of [[Egypt]] and [[Syria]] in the August of 1176. Though conceived as a siege, the attack lasted only a couple of days, as Saladin was intimidated into retreat after the Assassins proved with [[Umar Ibn-La'Ahad]] that a lone agent could easily kill him in his sleep at their discretion no matter his ~~defenses~~.		The '''Siege of Masyaf''' was an invasion of [[Masyaf]], the stronghold of the [[Assassins]] under command of [[Al Mualim]], conducted by the [[Saracens\|Saracen]] armies of [[Saladin]], the Sultan of [[Egypt]] and [[Syria]] in the August of 1176. Though conceived as a siege, the attack lasted only a couple of days, as Saladin was intimidated into retreat after the Assassins proved with [[Umar Ibn-La'Ahad]] that a lone agent could easily kill him in his sleep at their discretion no matter his defences.

	==Background==		==Background==
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	Arriving before Masyaf, the Saracen army refrained from pillaging the village before the citadel while most of the [[Civilian\|villagers]] had already withdrawn into the fortress for refuge. Camp was established, but no words were exchanged between the two belligerents; the Saracens merely began the construction of siege engines for the assault the following day.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />		Arriving before Masyaf, the Saracen army refrained from pillaging the village before the citadel while most of the [[Civilian\|villagers]] had already withdrawn into the fortress for refuge. Camp was established, but no words were exchanged between the two belligerents; the Saracens merely began the construction of siege engines for the assault the following day.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />

	In the meantime, Al Mualim called a conference with all his [[Master Assassin]]S to discuss how best to handle the situation. While [[Faheem Al-Sayf]] pushed for Saladin's assassination, asserting that in the wake of his death the Saracen army would collapse, Al Mualim was skeptical of this course, predicting that Shihab would simply take his place. Faheem countered that Shihab lacked the capabilities of Saladin anyways, yet Al Mualim maintained they needed the Saracens to be strong enough to resist the [[Crusaders]] and therefore decided on a more subtle approach than assassination.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />		In the meantime, Al Mualim called a conference with all his [[Master Assassin]]s to discuss how best to handle the situation. While [[Faheem Al-Sayf]] pushed for Saladin's assassination, asserting that in the wake of his death the Saracen army would collapse, Al Mualim was skeptical of this course, predicting that Shihab would simply take his place. Faheem countered that Shihab lacked the capabilities of Saladin anyways, yet Al Mualim maintained they needed the Saracens to be strong enough to resist the [[Crusaders]] and therefore decided on a more subtle approach than assassination.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />

	==Course==		==Course==
	===Battle of Masyaf===		===Battle of Masyaf===
	The morning after the Saracens first arrived at Masyaf, they launched what would be their only attack of the campaign. Having completed at least one ram and one siege tower, they pushed these up the slope to the fortress gate and commenced their assault. [[Archer]]s on both sides traded arrows while the defenders poured burning oil and dropped rocks on the besiegers from their towers. The villagers taking refuge in the fortress were not idle, and many of them contributed to the ~~defense~~ in whatever way they could, pelting rocks and dousing any fires that alighted. Whenever Saracen soldiers attempted to set fire to the wicket gates for entry, Assassins sortied out to repel them. The battle continued all throughout the day, but by evening, the Saracens had been repulsed and retreated to their camp to repair their siege engines and construct more.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />		The morning after the Saracens first arrived at Masyaf, they launched what would be their only attack of the campaign. Having completed at least one ram and one siege tower, they pushed these up the slope to the fortress gate and commenced their assault. [[Archer]]s on both sides traded arrows while the defenders poured burning oil and dropped rocks on the besiegers from their towers. The villagers taking refuge in the fortress were not idle, and many of them contributed to the defence in whatever way they could, pelting rocks and dousing any fires that alighted. Whenever Saracen soldiers attempted to set fire to the wicket gates for entry, Assassins sortied out to repel them. The battle continued all throughout the day, but by evening, the Saracens had been repulsed and retreated to their camp to repair their siege engines and construct more.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />

	===Frightening Saladin===		===Frightening Saladin===
	That night, the Assassins hatched their plan: as ordered by Al Mualim, the Master Assassin [[Umar Ibn-La'Ahad]] infiltrated the Saracen camp, not to kill Saladin, but to issue a warning to him. Relying on information provided by the Assassin spy [[Ahmad Sofian]], Umar was able to bypass the camp's ~~defenses~~ and evade its traps. In particular, he was aware that the conspicuous, extravagant pavilion at its ~~center~~ was actually not Saladin's tent, but a decoy, and that the real tent had [[salt]] and cinder strew around its perimeter. This was a measure employed by Saladin in the hopes it would amplify the sound of an approaching Assassin's footsteps and alert his [[guard]]s, but in this, it failed entirely.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />		That night, the Assassins hatched their plan: as ordered by Al Mualim, the Master Assassin [[Umar Ibn-La'Ahad]] infiltrated the Saracen camp, not to kill Saladin, but to issue a warning to him. Relying on information provided by the Assassin spy [[Ahmad Sofian]], Umar was able to bypass the camp's defences and evade its traps. In particular, he was aware that the conspicuous, extravagant pavilion at its centre was actually not Saladin's tent, but a decoy, and that the real tent had [[salt]] and cinder strew around its perimeter. This was a measure employed by Saladin in the hopes it would amplify the sound of an approaching Assassin's footsteps and alert his [[guard]]s, but in this, it failed entirely.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />

	Umar entered Saladin's tent without issue while the sultan laid asleep. As instructed, the Assassin left behind a [[feather]] and pinned a letter on Saladin's pallet with a [[[dagger]]; the letter threatened that should Saladin refuse to withdraw immediately, the next dagger would find his genitals. While Umar had performed his mission perfectly up until that point, the sultan awoke just as he was leaving the tent. Saladin immediately screamed for his guards, and in his escape, Umar was forced to kill a general who was also a nobleman. Not long afterwards, the Saracens discovered Ahmad's duplicity and seized him hostage.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />		Umar entered Saladin's tent without issue while the sultan laid asleep. As instructed, the Assassin left behind a [[feather]] and pinned a letter on Saladin's pallet with a [[dagger]]; the letter threatened that should Saladin refuse to withdraw immediately, the next dagger would find his genitals. While Umar had performed his mission perfectly up until that point, the sultan awoke just as he was leaving the tent. Saladin immediately screamed for his guards, and in his escape, Umar was forced to kill a general who was also a nobleman. Not long afterwards, the Saracens discovered Ahmad's duplicity and seized him hostage.<ref name="The Secret Crusade" />

	===Umar's sacrifice===		===Umar's sacrifice===