Ottoman Brotherhood of Assassins: Difference between revisions
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{{Era|Organizations|Assassins}} | {{Era|Organizations|Assassins}} | ||
{{Faction infobox | {{Faction infobox | ||
|image = Ottoman Insignia-R.png | |image = Ottoman Insignia-R.png | ||
|founder= [[Niccolò Polo]] {{c|reestablished}}<br>[[Maffeo Polo]] {{c|reestablished}} | |founder = [[Niccolò Polo]] {{c|reestablished}}<br>[[Maffeo Polo]] {{c|reestablished}} | ||
|leader = [[Mentor]] | |leader = [[Mentor]] | ||
|headquarters = [[Constantinople]] | |headquarters = [[Constantinople]] | ||
|locations = [[Turkey]] | |locations = [[Turkey]] | ||
| | |parent = [[Assassins|Hidden Ones]] {{c|1st – 9th century}}<br>[[Assassins]] {{c|1258 – 2000}} | ||
|active = c. 1st century CE<ref name="Database">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[Database: The Hidden Ones]]</ref> | |active = c. 1st century CE<ref name="Database">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[Database: The Hidden Ones]]</ref> – c. 872<ref name="ACV"/> {{c|disbanded}}<br>1258<ref name="ACTSC" /> – 6 December,<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone]] – [[Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone Book 1|Book 1]]''</ref> 2000<ref name="The Fall">[[Assassin's Creed: The Fall (TPB)|''Assassin's Creed: The Fall'' (TPB)]]</ref> {{c|purged}} | ||
}} | |||
The '''Ottoman Brotherhood of Assassins''', also | The '''Ottoman Brotherhood of Assassins''', also variously called the '''Turkish Assassins''', the '''Constantinople Assassins''', simply the '''Ottoman Assassins''',<ref name="The Essential Guide">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Essential Guide]]''</ref> or the '''Seljuk Assassins''',<ref>[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Revelations'' novel]] – Chapter 79</ref> was the [[Assassin Guilds|guild]] of [[Assassins]] based in [[Constantinople]] under the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] and [[Ottoman Empire]]s. | ||
In 1258, a new guild was | Originally founded in the 1st century CE by Hidden Ones active in the Byzantine Empire, it lasted for five centuries before disappearing from Constantinople between the 9th and 12th centuries. In 1258, a new guild was established in Constantinople by the traveler brothers [[Niccolò Polo|Niccolò]] and [[Maffeo Polo]] on the order of the [[Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins|Levantine Assassins]]' [[Mentor]] [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] to expand the Brotherhood across the world while also hiding the [[Masyaf Key|keys]] to his [[Library of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad|library]]. | ||
Under the | Under the Byzantines, the Assassins were hunted down and killed throughout the empire. After the [[Fall of Constantinople]] in 1453, the Mentor [[Ishak Pasha]] established a lasting peace between the guild and the Ottoman Empire, assuring a stronger presence in Constantinople through [[Assassin Den]]s. Even after the Ottoman conquest of the Byzantine Empire, the [[Byzantine Rite of the Templar Order|Byzantine Rite]] of the [[Templars|Templar Order]] posed a threat to the Ottoman Assassins as they supported the remnants of the fallen Empire. | ||
During the early 16th century, the [[Italian Brotherhood of Assassins|Italian]] Mentor [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]] helped the guild leader [[Yusuf Tazim]] to reinforce the Ottoman Assassins by recruiting many citizens of Constantinople and leading [[Mediterranean Defense|operations against | During the early 16th century, the [[Italian Brotherhood of Assassins|Italian Assassins]]' Mentor [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]] helped the guild leader [[Yusuf Tazim]] to reinforce the Ottoman Assassins by recruiting many citizens of Constantinople and leading [[Mediterranean Defense|operations against the Templars]] across the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. The guild also played a key role in the retrieval of the Masyaf Keys against the Templars. | ||
Like many Assassin guilds in 2000, the Ottoman Brotherhood was wiped out during the [[Great Purge]] led by the | Like many Assassin guilds in the year 2000, the Ottoman Brotherhood was wiped out during the [[Great Purge]] led by the Templar Order. | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
===Early activity=== | ===Early activity=== | ||
Prior to the founding of the Assassins Guild in the 13th century, | Prior to the founding of the Assassins Guild in the 13th century, the Hidden Ones were known to operate in [[Constantinople]] and its surrounding regions as early as the 1st century CE.<ref name="Database" /> During the reign of [[Roman Empire|Roman Emperor]] [[Constantine I]] in the 4th century, at least one [[Roman Assassin|Hidden One]] witnessed Constantinople's rise as the new capital of the Roman Empire.<ref name="Employee Handbook">''[[Assassin's Creed Unity: Abstergo Entertainment – Employee Handbook]]''</ref> | ||
In 860, a Hidden One witnessed the siege of Constantinople by the [[Russia|Rus]]. He wrote a letter to the [[Hidden Ones of Alamut|Alamut Brotherhood]], reporting the event and asking that more Hidden Ones be sent to the city as he feared the [[Norse people|Norse]] would return.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage]]'' – [[Notes from Basim's travels]]: "Tiding from the West"</ref> A few years later, a Hidden One began to use two [[Hidden Blade]]s, though this required him to sacrifice both of his ring fingers. One of his brethren informed [[Rebekah]], a [[Rafiq]] stationed in [[Baghdad]], about this practice.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage]]'' – [[Notes from Basim's travels]]: "Dual-Wielding"</ref> | |||
In 867, the [[Master Assassin|Master Hidden One]] [[Basim ibn Ishaq]] and the [[acolyte]] [[Hytham]] from the [[Abbasid Caliphate]] arrived in Constantinople to foil an assassination plot by Emperor [[Basil I]] and the [[Order of the Ancients]] against the prince [[Leo VI the Wise|Leo]]. Allying with the [[Varangian]] guard and [[Eagle Clan]] leader [[Thyra (Eagle Clan)|Thyra]], the Hidden Ones saved the prince and killed the leader of the Ancients, [[Isaac]].<ref name="TGC">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Golden City]]</ref> | |||
By 870, Basim was the [[Assassin leader|leader]] of the Constantinople bureau. That year, he and Hytham traveled to [[Antioch]] to investigate the activities of a mysterious group called the [[Snake-Eaters]], who protected merchants along the [[Silk Road]] but had recently begun to extort money and attack those who did not pay for their protection. After discovering that the Snake-Eaters were allied with the Order of the Ancients and had wiped out the Hidden Ones in Antioch, Basim sent letters to other Hidden One branches requesting assistance.<ref name="TSR">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Silk Road]]</ref> | |||
[[File:ACV SoG - Basim in Constantinople.png|thumb|230px|left|Basim at the Constantinople bureau]] | |||
Basim and Hytham were eventually joined by the [[Parisian Brotherhood of Assassins|Frankish Hidden Ones]] [[Oisel]] and [[Matthias]] and the [[Egyptian Brotherhood of Assassins|Egyptian Hidden Ones]] [[Jessamyn]], [[Kalim]], [[Rashid]], and [[Sihem]]. Together, they managed to drive the Snake-Eaters out of Antioch, after which Basim and Hytham returned to Constantinople while the remaining Hidden Ones followed the Snake-Eaters' trail along the Silk Road to eliminate the group.<ref name="TSR" /> | |||
That same year, Basim dispatched the acolyte [[Ammon]] to [[Bulgar]] on a mission to recover a [[Shrouds of Eden|Shroud of Eden]]. This mission ultimately proved unsuccessful when Ammon was killed by the Viking [[Sigurd Styrbjornsson]], and Basim was informed by a fellow Hidden One of Ammon's fate.<ref name="Song of Glory">''[[Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Song of Glory]]'' – [[Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Song of Glory 3|Issue #3]]</ref> Basim and Hytham later met and befriended Sigurd when he came to Constantinople, and left the city to accompany him to his homeland of [[Norway]], where they hoped to eliminate the last remnants of the Order of the Ancients.<ref name="ACV">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[The Prodigal Prince]]</ref> | |||
===Establishment of the Assassins Guild=== | ===Establishment of the Assassins Guild=== | ||
{{Dialogue|Altaïr|So, where will you go next?|Niccolò|Back to Constantinopoli for a time. We will establish a guild there before returning to Venezia.|Niccolò Polo to Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad about establishing the Constantinople Assassins Guild, 1257.|Assassin's Creed: Revelations}} | {{Dialogue|Altaïr|So, where will you go next?|Niccolò|Back to Constantinopoli for a time. We will establish a guild there before returning to Venezia.|Niccolò Polo to Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad about establishing the Constantinople Assassins Guild, 1257.|Assassin's Creed: Revelations|Passing the Torch}} | ||
In 1204, the leader of the [[Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins|Levantine Assassins]], [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]], journeyed to Constantinople in the Byzantine Empire hoping to establish a proper Assassins Guild from which the Assassins could operate. However, due to the chaos caused by the ongoing [[Fourth Crusade]], Altaïr was unable to recruit potential Assassins.<ref name="ACTSC">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade]]''</ref> | In 1204, the leader of the [[Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins|Levantine Assassins]], [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]], journeyed to Constantinople in the Byzantine Empire hoping to establish a proper Assassins Guild from which the Assassins could operate. However, due to the chaos caused by the ongoing [[Fourth Crusade]], Altaïr was unable to recruit potential Assassins.<ref name="ACTSC">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade]]''</ref> | ||
In 1257, the tradesmen [[Niccolò Polo|Niccolò]] and [[Maffeo Polo]] were invited to stay at the Assassins' fortress of [[Masyaf]] by [[Darim Ibn-La'Ahad]], Altaïr's son. Being trained into becoming Assassins themselves, Altaïr entrusted them with creating various [[Assassins Guilds]] abroad, as well as guarding Altaïr's [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's Codex|Codex]]. When the [[Mongol Empire|Mongols]] eventually attacked, the Polo brothers left Masyaf,<ref name="ACTSC" /> also being entrusted with safeguarding the five [[Masyaf Keys|keys to Altaïr's library | In 1257, the tradesmen [[Niccolò Polo|Niccolò]] and [[Maffeo Polo]] were invited to stay at the Assassins' fortress of [[Masyaf]] by [[Darim Ibn-La'Ahad]], Altaïr's son. Being trained into becoming Assassins themselves, Altaïr entrusted them with creating various [[Assassins Guilds]] abroad, as well as guarding Altaïr's [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's Codex|Codex]]. When the [[Mongol Empire|Mongols]] eventually attacked, the Polo brothers left Masyaf,<ref name="ACTSC" /> also being entrusted with safeguarding the five [[Masyaf Keys|keys]] to Altaïr's library underneath Masyaf.<ref name="Passing the Torch">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Passing the Torch]]</ref> | ||
The Polos then traveled back to their home in Constantinople, where they were successful in creating a guild and bringing the Assassin ideals to the Byzantine Empire.<ref name="ACTSC" /> However, the Byzantine Empire was not sympathetic with the Assassins | The Polos then traveled back to their home in Constantinople, where they were successful in creating a guild and bringing the Assassin ideals to the Byzantine Empire.<ref name="ACTSC" /> However, the Byzantine Empire was not sympathetic with the Assassins; the last Byzantine Emperor, [[Constantine XI Palaiologos|Constantine XI]], ordered the capture and execution of Assassins throughout his Empire, but it is unknown if any of his predecessors did the same.<ref name="A Warm Welcome">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[A Warm Welcome (Revelations)|A Warm Welcome]]</ref> | ||
The Byzantine Empire was eventually defeated and usurped by the Ottomans in 1453, resulting in the foundation of the Ottoman Empire. Templar presence in the region became minimal, allowing the Assassin Order to develop.<ref name=" | The Byzantine Empire was eventually defeated and usurped by the Ottomans in 1453, resulting in the foundation of the Ottoman Empire. Templar presence in the region became minimal, allowing the Assassin Order to develop.<ref name="A Warm Welcome" /> | ||
===Growth of the Brotherhood=== | ===Growth of the Brotherhood=== | ||
{{Quote|For the first time in many decades, the Assassins have a strong presence here. It wasn't always that way. Under the Byzantine Emperor, the Assassins were hunted down and killed on the spot.|Yusuf Tazim | {{Quote|For the first time in many decades, the Assassins have a strong presence here. It wasn't always that way. Under the Byzantine Emperor, the Assassins were hunted down and killed on the spot.|Yusuf Tazim talking about the Ottoman Assassins in the 16th century, 1511.|Assassin's Creed: Revelations|A Warm Welcome (Revelations)}} | ||
By the later half of the 15th century, the Vizier [[Ishak Pasha]] | By the later half of the 15th century, the Vizier [[Ishak Pasha]] – secretly an Assassin – took a leading role over the Ottoman Brotherhood. He fought and defeated [[Vlad Tepes|Vlad "the Impaler" Tepes]], who was secretly a Templar, and brokered a truce between the Assassins and Ottomans.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' – [[Database: Ishak Pasha]]</ref> | ||
During the late 1480s, Ishak Pasha had begun recruiting Ottoman citizens into the Assassin Brotherhood. Among them was [[Yusuf Tazim]],<ref name="Database Yusuf">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Database: Yusuf Tazim]]</ref> whose father had also been an Assassin and had died in the line of duty;<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: The Official Movie Novelization]]'' – Regressions – Subject: Emir</ref> [[Murat Bin Husn]], a [[Janissary]] who became a trusted lieutenant of Ishak;<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' – [[Database: Murat Bin Husn]]</ref> and [[Aleksei Zima]], a Templar defector.<ref name="Database Aleksei Zima">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' – [[Database: Aleksei Zima]]</ref> | |||
In 1495, Zima uncovered a plot by the [[Byzantine Rite of the Templar Order|Byzantine Templars]] to procure the [[The Secret Crusade|journal]] of Niccolò Polo, which held clues to the locations of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's library and its keys.<ref name="Database Aleksei Zima"/> Ishak Pasha subsequently led a team comprised of his best Assassins, including Yusuf, Murat, and Zima, to [[Spain]], where they worked alongside their [[Spanish Brotherhood of Assassins|Spanish brethren]] to retrieve the journal from the [[Spanish Inquisition|Inquisition]] before it was sold to the Templars.<ref name="Uncovering Clues">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' – ''[[The Ottoman Connection]]'' – [[Uncovering Clues]]</ref> However, the trade had already taken place, and the Assassins walked into a trap,<ref name="A Bad Deal">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' – ''[[The Ottoman Connection]]'' – [[A Bad Deal]]</ref> barely escaping with their lives.<ref name="Expert Escape">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' – ''[[The Ottoman Connection]]'' – [[Expert Escape]]</ref> | |||
Ishak Pasha eventually passed away, and leadership of the Ottoman Assassins shifted to Yusuf, who by then had become a [[Master Assassin]].<ref name="Database Yusuf" /> Following Ishak's death, Murat was given his [[Armor of Ishak Pasha|armor]] by Sultan [[Bayezid II]] in acknowledgement of his unbreakable will. Murat went on to hide the armor, which was said to hold mystical powers, inside [[Hagia Sophia]] to keep it safe.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations – Discover Your Legacy]]'' – Bloodlines: "Murat Bin Husn"</ref> | |||
For unknown reasons, the Ottoman Assassins | For unknown reasons, the Ottoman Assassins did not seem not to have any influence in Constantinople in the early 16th century. In 1501, the [[Italian Brotherhood of Assassins|Italian]] Mentor [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]] sent some of his own recruits to help set up a guild in the city.<ref name="Weeds and Seeds">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – [[Contracts (Italian Brotherhood)#Constantinople|Contracts]]: "Weeds and Seeds"</ref> A year later, a group of Ottoman Assassins, including Yusuf, and [[Venice|Venetian]] Assassins met in [[Greece]] to make plans to end the [[Ottoman–Venetian War]], being successful in doing so in 1503.<ref name="Database Yusuf" /> | ||
The Assassins had realized that the Templars were spreading their reach to the New World. To ensure that they could keep their activities in check, the Assassins wanted maps to the Americas. They broke into the workshop of the famous Ottoman admiral and cartographer and [[Piri Reis]], an exceptional | The Assassins had realized that the Templars were spreading their reach to the New World. To ensure that they could keep their activities in check, the Assassins wanted maps to the Americas. They broke into the workshop of the famous Ottoman admiral and cartographer and [[Piri Reis]], an exceptional cartographer, who had been called away for naval duty. They found maps drawn in excellent detail, and found that he had tracked their common enemy to the New World. The Assassins boarded these voyages to follow the Templars.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'' – [[Contracts (Italian Brotherhood)#Constantinople|Contracts]]: "Age of Discovery"</ref><ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]'' – [[Contracts (Project Legacy)#Constantinople, Ottoman Empire|Contracts]]: "Age of Discovery"</ref> | ||
Meanwhile, the Inquisition in Portugal and Spain caused several men and women to leave the country. This community flourished with scientists, artists and philosophers. Sultan Bayezid II welcomed these refugees, as he knew that they would strengthen his empire. King Ferdinand had planted spies in this community, and made sure they exposed nothing about themselves. However, Italian and Ottoman Assassins were watching for suspicious behavior and caught about a dozen spies, killed them and replaced them with their own men. These Assassins worked to strengthen the guild in Constantinople.<ref>''[[Contracts (Project Legacy)|Contracts | Meanwhile, the Inquisition in [[Portugal]] and Spain caused several men and women to leave the country. This community flourished with scientists, artists and philosophers. Sultan Bayezid II welcomed these refugees, as he knew that they would strengthen his empire. King [[Ferdinand II of Aragon|Ferdinand]] had planted spies in this community, and made sure they exposed nothing about themselves. However, Italian and Ottoman Assassins were watching for suspicious behavior and caught about a dozen spies, killed them, and replaced them with their own men. These Assassins worked to strengthen the guild in Constantinople.<ref name="Weeds and Seeds"/><ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]'' – [[Contracts (Project Legacy)#Constantinople, Ottoman Empire|Contracts]]: "Weeds and Seeds"</ref> | ||
In 1506, after some initial conflict, | In 1506, after some initial conflict, Piri Reis, tired of the artificial boundaries that separated nations, joined the Ottoman Assassins as a scholar and technician, eventually becoming a Master Assassin specializing in [[bomb]] crafting.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Database: Piri Reis]]</ref> | ||
===Fight with the Byzantine remnants=== | ===Fight with the Byzantine remnants=== | ||
{{Quote|When the Templars take control of a district, they flaunt their presence, hanging banners, extorting the merchants. It's a constant battle to keep them at bay, and they rub our noses in every victory.|Yusuf Tazim, | {{Quote|When the Templars take control of a district, they flaunt their presence, hanging banners, extorting the merchants. It's a constant battle to keep them at bay, and they rub our noses in every victory.|Yusuf Tazim, on the Assassins' struggle against the Templars in Constantinople, 1511.|Assassin's Creed: Revelations|On the Attack}} | ||
[[File:Upgrade 3.png|thumb|250px|Yusuf introducing Ezio to the Ottoman Assassins]] | [[File:Upgrade 3.png|thumb|250px|Yusuf introducing Ezio to the Ottoman Assassins]] | ||
Following the earthquake in Constantinople in 1509, Templar remnants of the Byzantine Empire returned to the city, hoping to restore their fallen empire. The Assassins became engaged in a direct conflict with the Byzantines in the following years, though they also used the hatred between the Byzantines and Ottomans to their advantage, often purposely creating conflict between these factions.<ref name=" | Following the [[Little Judgment Day|earthquake]] in Constantinople in 1509, Templar remnants of the Byzantine Empire returned to the city, hoping to restore their fallen empire. The Assassins became engaged in a direct conflict with the Byzantines in the following years, though they also used the hatred between the Byzantines and Ottomans to their advantage, often purposely creating conflict between these factions.<ref name="A Warm Welcome" /> | ||
In 1511, | In 1511, Ezio Auditore, having left [[Italy]], journeyed to the Ottoman Assassins' [[Galata headquarters|headquarters]] in Constantinople with the intention of finding the five keys needed to open Altaïr's library in Masyaf. Greeted by Yusuf Tazim,<ref name="A Warm Welcome" /> Ezio was quickly taken in and introduced to various techniques that the Ottoman Assassins used,<ref name="Upgrade and Explore">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Upgrade and Explore]]</ref> including bomb crafting and [[Hookblade]]s.<ref name="The Hookblade">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[The Hookblade]]</ref><ref name="Bomb Crafting">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Bomb Crafting]]</ref> | ||
Though Yusuf still led the Ottoman Assassins, it was Ezio who took a leading role over the Brotherhood against the Byzantine Templars. Recruiting many new Assassins and taking back Constantinople from Byzantine control, Ezio even sent his apprentices to various regions across the Mediterranean, thwarting the Templars' plans and taking over cities from Templar control.<ref name=" | Though Yusuf still led the Ottoman Assassins, it was Ezio who took a leading role over the Brotherhood against the Byzantine Templars. Recruiting many new Assassins and taking back Constantinople from Byzantine control, Ezio even sent his apprentices to various regions across the Mediterranean, thwarting the Templars' plans and taking over cities from Templar control.<ref name="Mediterranean Defense">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Mediterranean Defense]]</ref> | ||
[[File:Prince's banquet 6.png|thumb|left|250px|Ezio, Yusuf and other Assassins disguised as minstrels]] | [[File:Prince's banquet 6.png|thumb|left|250px|Ezio, Yusuf and other Assassins disguised as minstrels]] | ||
In late 1511, Yusuf led a group of Assassins to attend a cultural exposition held in [[Topkapı Palace]] by Ottoman Prince [[Suleiman I|Suleiman]], knowing that the Templars were going to infiltrate it. Joined by Ezio, the Assassins went disguised as minstrels | In late 1511, Yusuf led a group of Assassins to attend a cultural exposition held in [[Topkapı Palace]] by the Ottoman Prince [[Suleiman I|Suleiman]], knowing that the Templars were going to infiltrate it. Joined by Ezio, the Assassins went disguised as Italian minstrels, with Ezio distracting the guests and discovering the Templar infiltrators using his [[Eagle Vision#Eagle Sense|Eagle Sense]]. Successfully locating all Templars before they could bring harm to Suleiman, the Ottoman Prince and Ezio became friends and allies in the process.<ref name="The Prince's Banquet">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[The Prince's Banquet]]</ref> | ||
In early 1512, the Ottoman Assassins aided Ezio Auditore in setting sail for [[ | In early 1512, the Ottoman Assassins aided Ezio Auditore in setting sail for [[Cappadocia]] to find the last Masyaf Key, as the Janissaries were blocking the port to make sure Ezio did not leave the city. While Ezio destroyed the [[Great Chain]] that spanned across the [[Golden Horn]] and burned the Ottoman fleet, Yusuf and a group of other Assassins kept the guards at bay. Ezio successfully opened the harbor, and joined Piri Reis on the ship to Cappadocia.<ref name="Setting Sail">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Setting Sail]]</ref> | ||
===Conflict with Shehzade Ahmet=== | ===Conflict with Shehzade Ahmet=== | ||
{{Quote|The whole city rises against us, while Yusuf's murderer waits and watches from the arsenal, laughing. Fight with me, and show him what it means to cross the Assassins!|Ezio Auditore | {{Quote|The whole city rises against us, while Yusuf's murderer waits and watches from the arsenal, laughing. Fight with me, and show him what it means to cross the Assassins!|Ezio Auditore rallying the Ottoman Assassins against Ahmet, 1512.|Assassin's Creed: Revelations|Discovery (memory)}} | ||
[[File: | [[File:Escape 1.png|thumb|250px|Ahmet confronting Ezio]] | ||
Before Ezio left, he had asked Yusuf to protect a woman named [[Sofia Sartor]], a bookseller Ezio expressed interest in. Yusuf agreed, and he and several other Assassins took up positions around Sofia's bookstore to ensure her safety.<ref name="Setting Sail" /> While Ezio was able to eliminate [[Manuel Palaiologos]], who he believed to be the [[Grand Master of the Templar Order|Grand Master]] of the Byzantine Templars, in Cappadocia,<ref name="Last of the Palaiologi">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Last of the Palaiologi]]</ref> he soon discovered that the true Templar leader was the Ottoman Prince [[Ahmet]], Suleiman's uncle.<ref name="Escape">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Escape (Revelations)|Escape]]</ref> | |||
Arriving in Cappadocia to confront Ezio, Ahmet explained his plan to use the knowledge inside Altaïr's library to find the [[Grand Temple]], which he believed would grant him the power to end all feuds that divided men. He then asked that Ezio hand him the Masyaf Keys and, after the Mentor refused, Ahmet threatened to harm Sofia.<ref name="Escape" /> | |||
Ezio and Ahmet subsequently raced back to Constantinople, with the latter arriving first and ordering his men to attack Sofia's book shop. Though Yusuf and his Assassins attempted to defend Sofia, they were ultimately killed by the Templars, and Sofia was kidnapped. Ezio discovered Yusuf's body upon his return to Constantinople and rallied the remaining Ottoman Assassins to strike back at Ahmet, who was hiding in the city's arsenal.<ref name="Discovery">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Discovery (memory)|Discovery]]</ref> | |||
Before going to the exchange near [[Galata Tower]], Ezio appointed | [[File:Discovery 3.png|thumb|left|250px|Ezio rallying the Ottoman Assassins to fight Ahmet]] | ||
The Assassins led a full-on assault on the arsenal, and numerous Assassins and Templars faced off against each other. Ezio reached Ahmet deep inside the arsenal, but had to spare his life in order to find out Sofia's location. Offering a deal to trade Sofia for the Masyaf keys, Ahmet and the Templars left the arsenal.<ref name="Discovery" /> Before going to the exchange near [[Galata Tower]], Ezio appointed Yusuf's lieutenant [[Dogan]] to become the new leader of the Ottoman Assassins.<ref name="ACR novel">[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Revelations'' novel]]</ref> | |||
Nonetheless, Ezio and Sofia returned to Constantinople, with Suleiman's knowledge and Selim's temporary consent. Ezio made preparations to leave and to stabilize the Assassins in the city. [[Azize]], a female Assassin who had taken care of Sofia's bookshop in her absence, was allowed to run the shop full-time and the Brotherhood bought it from Sofia. With Dogan as the leader of the Ottoman Assassins, Ezio knew that the Brotherhood would continue to thrive. Eventually, Ezio left for [[Rome]] with Sofia, who had become his fiancée.<ref name="ACR novel" /> | Suspecting the meeting with Ahmet to be a trap, Ezio had the Assassins take up positions around the perimeter, and they jumped in as soon as Ezio's suspicions became true. Nonetheless, Ezio managed to successfully rescue Sofia, and the two of them chased after Ahmet in the countryside around Constantinople.<ref name="The Exchange">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[The Exchange]]</ref> | ||
After a long chase, Ezio and Ahmet ultimately found themselves falling from a cliff, only to be saved by Ezio using one of his [[parachute]]s. Right afterwards, they were joined by Ahmet's brother [[Selim I|Selim]], Suleiman's father, who had just become Sultan and was on his way back to Constantinople. Selim attacked and strangled Ahmet, and eventually shoved his brother off another cliff to his death. Though the Sultan intended to kill Ezio as well, he spared his life due to his son's respect for the Assassins and banished him from Constantinople instead.<ref name="End of the Road">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[End of the Road]]</ref> | |||
Nonetheless, Ezio and Sofia returned to Constantinople a few months later, with Suleiman's knowledge and Selim's temporary consent. Ezio made preparations to leave and to stabilize the Assassins in the city. [[Azize]], a female Assassin who had taken care of Sofia's bookshop in her absence, was allowed to run the shop full-time and the Brotherhood bought it from Sofia. With Dogan as the leader of the Ottoman Assassins, Ezio knew that the Brotherhood would continue to thrive. Eventually, Ezio left for [[Rome]] with Sofia, who had become his fiancée.<ref name="ACR novel" /> | |||
===Purged=== | |||
The Ottoman Brotherhood was among the Assassin guilds that were wiped out by the Templars in their [[Great Purge]] in December 2000.<ref name="The Fall"/> | |||
==Origins and appearance== | ==Origins and appearance== | ||
[[File:Exchange 7.png|thumb | [[File:Exchange 7.png|thumb|250px|Ezio with a group of Ottoman Assassins]] | ||
By the 16th century, the Ottoman Assassins wore tanned white Assassin robes with an orange chest-plate, and blue pants. In some cases, Assassins also wore Ottoman masks underneath their hoods, and some Assassins always wore their hood down, like Yusuf Tazim, in contrast to common Assassin custom. Each of them were equipped with a Hidden Blade and a Hookblade, which they used for fast and easy climbing and for transporting via [[ziplines]], so they could make their way to their destination fast.<ref name="ACR" /> | By the 16th century, the Ottoman Assassins wore tanned white Assassin robes with an orange chest-plate, and blue pants. In some cases, Assassins also wore Ottoman masks underneath their hoods, and some Assassins always wore their hood down, like Yusuf Tazim, in contrast to common Assassin custom. Each of them were equipped with a Hidden Blade and a Hookblade, which they used for fast and easy climbing and for transporting via [[ziplines]], so they could make their way to their destination fast.<ref name="ACR">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''</ref> | ||
During the time of the Ottoman Empire, people from various countries and regions around Turkey were attracted to the empire, which resulted in the Assassin Brotherhood containing members from various different cultures and ancestries.<ref name="ACR" /> | During the time of the Ottoman Empire, people from various countries and regions around Turkey were attracted to the empire, which resulted in the Assassin Brotherhood containing members from various different cultures and ancestries.<ref name="ACR" /> | ||
==Techniques== | ==Techniques== | ||
[[File:Sentinel P1 2.png|thumb|250px|An Ottoman Assassin performing double assassination]] | [[File:Sentinel P1 2.png|thumb|left|250px|An Ottoman Assassin performing a double assassination]] | ||
The basic techniques of the Ottoman Assassins were similar to those of the Levantine Assassins, their spiritual forebearers. However, the Ottoman Assassins invented their own upgraded version of the [[Hidden Blade]], called the Hookblade, which allowed for faster climbing and faster travel via Constantinople's ziplines.<ref name="ACR" /> | The basic techniques of the Ottoman Assassins were similar to those of the Levantine Assassins, their spiritual forebearers. However, the Ottoman Assassins invented their own upgraded version of the [[Hidden Blade]], called the Hookblade, which allowed for faster climbing and faster travel via Constantinople's ziplines.<ref name="ACR" /> | ||
| Line 88: | Line 110: | ||
==Members== | ==Members== | ||
*[[Ece Ashkar]]<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: | ;Byzantine Empire | ||
*[[Ammon]] | |||
*[[Hytham]] | |||
*[[Basim ibn Ishaq]] {{C|leader; c. 870}} | |||
;Ottoman Empire | |||
<div style="float:left; width:48%;"> | |||
*[[Ece Ashkar]]<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Recollection]]''</ref> | |||
*[[Azize]] | *[[Azize]] | ||
*[[Dogan]] | *[[Dogan]] {{C|leader; 1512 – ?}} | ||
*[[Evraniki]] | *[[Evraniki]] | ||
*[[Heyreddin]] | *[[Heyreddin]] | ||
*[[Ishak Pasha]] | *[[Murat Bin Husn]] | ||
*[[Irini]] | |||
*[[Ishak Pasha]] {{c|Mentor; c. 1490s}} | |||
</div> | |||
<div style="float:right; width:48%;"> | |||
*[[Kasim]] | *[[Kasim]] | ||
*[[Yerman Ragar]] | *[[Yerman Ragar]] | ||
*[[Piri Reis]] | *[[Piri Reis]] | ||
*[[Yusuf Tazim]] | *[[Yusuf Tazim]] {{C|leader; c. 1509 – 1512}} | ||
*[[Vali cel Tradat]] {{C|betrayed}} | *[[Vali cel Tradat]] {{C|betrayed}} | ||
*[[Aleksei Zima]] | *[[Aleksei Zima]] | ||
*[[ | </div> | ||
{{-}} | |||
===Allies and puppets=== | |||
;Byzantine Empire | |||
<div style="float:left; width:48%;"> | |||
*[[Demetrios Hestiun]] | |||
*[[Eudocia Ingerina]] | |||
*[[Jessamyn]] {{C|[[Egyptian Brotherhood of Assassins|Egyptian Hidden Ones]]}} | |||
*[[Justin]] | |||
*[[Kalim]] {{C|Egyptian Hidden Ones}} | |||
*[[Leo VI the Wise|Leo VI]] | |||
*[[Mahaut]] {{C|[[Parisian Brotherhood of Assassins|Frankish Hidden Ones]]}} | |||
</div> | |||
<div style="float:right; width:48%;"> | |||
*[[Matthias]] {{C|Frankish Hidden Ones}} | |||
*[[Oisel]] {{C|Frankish Hidden Ones}} | |||
*[[Thyra (Eagle Clan)|Thyra]] | |||
*[[Rashid]] {{C|Egyptian Hidden Ones}} | |||
*[[Sihem]] {{C|Egyptian Hidden Ones}} | |||
*[[Sigurd Styrbjornsson]] | |||
</div> | |||
{{-}} | {{-}} | ||
;Byzantine-Ottoman Wars | |||
<div style="float:left; width:48%;"> | |||
*[[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] {{C|[[Italian Brotherhood of Assassins|Italian Brotherhood]]}} | *[[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] {{C|[[Italian Brotherhood of Assassins|Italian Brotherhood]]}} | ||
*[[Hayreddin Barbarossa]] | *[[Hayreddin Barbarossa]] | ||
*[[Castor]] {{C|[[Greek Brotherhood of Assassins|Greek Brotherhood]]}} | |||
*[[Samis El Felipe]] | |||
*[[Iskender]] {{C|Egyptian Brotherhood}} | |||
</div> | |||
<div style="float:right; width:48%;"> | |||
*[[Blaise Legros]] | *[[Blaise Legros]] | ||
*[[Mujir]] {{C|[[Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins|Levantine Brotherhood]]}} | |||
*[[Pedro Navarro]] | |||
*[[Selim al-Toumi]] | |||
*[[Suleiman I]] | *[[Suleiman I]] | ||
</div> | |||
{{-}} | |||
==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center | <gallery captionalign="center" position="center" widths="180"> | ||
ACR Promotional Screenshot 8.jpg|Ezio commanding | ACR Promotional Screenshot 8.jpg|Ezio commanding a group of Ottoman Assassins | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
==Appearances== | ==Appearances== | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade]]'' | *''[[Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade]]'' {{1st}} | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations – Discover Your Legacy]]'' | *''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations – Discover Your Legacy]]'' | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' | *''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' | ||
*[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Revelations'' novel]] | *[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Revelations'' novel]] | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Recollection]]'' | *''[[Assassin's Creed: Recollection]]'' | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Memories]]'' {{Imo}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' | *''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed Unity: Abstergo Entertainment – Employee Handbook]]'' | *''[[Assassin's Creed Unity: Abstergo Entertainment – Employee Handbook]]'' | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Official Movie Novelization]]'' | *''[[Assassin's Creed: The Official Movie Novelization]]'' | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' | *''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' – ''[[The Ottoman Connection]]'' | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' {{Mo}} | *''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' {{Mo}} | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Song of Glory]]'' | *''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Song of Glory]]'' | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Silk Road]]'' | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Golden City]]'' | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage]]'' {{Imo}} | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Reflist}} | {{Scroll box|content={{Reflist|2}}}} | ||
{{Assassins nav}} | {{Assassins nav}} | ||
{{ACR}} | {{ACR}} | ||
{{ACRec}} | |||
{{ACfilm}} | |||
{{ACRebellion}} | |||
{{ACVSoG}} | |||
{{ACSR}} | |||
{{ACGC}} | |||
[[Category:Assassin guilds]] | [[Category:Assassin guilds]] | ||
Latest revision as of 01:14, 25 May 2026
The Ottoman Brotherhood of Assassins, also variously called the Turkish Assassins, the Constantinople Assassins, simply the Ottoman Assassins,[6] or the Seljuk Assassins,[7] was the guild of Assassins based in Constantinople under the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires.
Originally founded in the 1st century CE by Hidden Ones active in the Byzantine Empire, it lasted for five centuries before disappearing from Constantinople between the 9th and 12th centuries. In 1258, a new guild was established in Constantinople by the traveler brothers Niccolò and Maffeo Polo on the order of the Levantine Assassins' Mentor Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad to expand the Brotherhood across the world while also hiding the keys to his library.
Under the Byzantines, the Assassins were hunted down and killed throughout the empire. After the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Mentor Ishak Pasha established a lasting peace between the guild and the Ottoman Empire, assuring a stronger presence in Constantinople through Assassin Dens. Even after the Ottoman conquest of the Byzantine Empire, the Byzantine Rite of the Templar Order posed a threat to the Ottoman Assassins as they supported the remnants of the fallen Empire.
During the early 16th century, the Italian Assassins' Mentor Ezio Auditore helped the guild leader Yusuf Tazim to reinforce the Ottoman Assassins by recruiting many citizens of Constantinople and leading operations against the Templars across the Mediterranean Sea. The guild also played a key role in the retrieval of the Masyaf Keys against the Templars.
Like many Assassin guilds in the year 2000, the Ottoman Brotherhood was wiped out during the Great Purge led by the Templar Order.
History[edit | edit source]
Early activity[edit | edit source]
Prior to the founding of the Assassins Guild in the 13th century, the Hidden Ones were known to operate in Constantinople and its surrounding regions as early as the 1st century CE.[1] During the reign of Roman Emperor Constantine I in the 4th century, at least one Hidden One witnessed Constantinople's rise as the new capital of the Roman Empire.[8]
In 860, a Hidden One witnessed the siege of Constantinople by the Rus. He wrote a letter to the Alamut Brotherhood, reporting the event and asking that more Hidden Ones be sent to the city as he feared the Norse would return.[9] A few years later, a Hidden One began to use two Hidden Blades, though this required him to sacrifice both of his ring fingers. One of his brethren informed Rebekah, a Rafiq stationed in Baghdad, about this practice.[10]
In 867, the Master Hidden One Basim ibn Ishaq and the acolyte Hytham from the Abbasid Caliphate arrived in Constantinople to foil an assassination plot by Emperor Basil I and the Order of the Ancients against the prince Leo. Allying with the Varangian guard and Eagle Clan leader Thyra, the Hidden Ones saved the prince and killed the leader of the Ancients, Isaac.[11]
By 870, Basim was the leader of the Constantinople bureau. That year, he and Hytham traveled to Antioch to investigate the activities of a mysterious group called the Snake-Eaters, who protected merchants along the Silk Road but had recently begun to extort money and attack those who did not pay for their protection. After discovering that the Snake-Eaters were allied with the Order of the Ancients and had wiped out the Hidden Ones in Antioch, Basim sent letters to other Hidden One branches requesting assistance.[12]
Basim and Hytham were eventually joined by the Frankish Hidden Ones Oisel and Matthias and the Egyptian Hidden Ones Jessamyn, Kalim, Rashid, and Sihem. Together, they managed to drive the Snake-Eaters out of Antioch, after which Basim and Hytham returned to Constantinople while the remaining Hidden Ones followed the Snake-Eaters' trail along the Silk Road to eliminate the group.[12]
That same year, Basim dispatched the acolyte Ammon to Bulgar on a mission to recover a Shroud of Eden. This mission ultimately proved unsuccessful when Ammon was killed by the Viking Sigurd Styrbjornsson, and Basim was informed by a fellow Hidden One of Ammon's fate.[13] Basim and Hytham later met and befriended Sigurd when he came to Constantinople, and left the city to accompany him to his homeland of Norway, where they hoped to eliminate the last remnants of the Order of the Ancients.[2]
Establishment of the Assassins Guild[edit | edit source]
In 1204, the leader of the Levantine Assassins, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, journeyed to Constantinople in the Byzantine Empire hoping to establish a proper Assassins Guild from which the Assassins could operate. However, due to the chaos caused by the ongoing Fourth Crusade, Altaïr was unable to recruit potential Assassins.[3]
In 1257, the tradesmen Niccolò and Maffeo Polo were invited to stay at the Assassins' fortress of Masyaf by Darim Ibn-La'Ahad, Altaïr's son. Being trained into becoming Assassins themselves, Altaïr entrusted them with creating various Assassins Guilds abroad, as well as guarding Altaïr's Codex. When the Mongols eventually attacked, the Polo brothers left Masyaf,[3] also being entrusted with safeguarding the five keys to Altaïr's library underneath Masyaf.[14]
The Polos then traveled back to their home in Constantinople, where they were successful in creating a guild and bringing the Assassin ideals to the Byzantine Empire.[3] However, the Byzantine Empire was not sympathetic with the Assassins; the last Byzantine Emperor, Constantine XI, ordered the capture and execution of Assassins throughout his Empire, but it is unknown if any of his predecessors did the same.[15]
The Byzantine Empire was eventually defeated and usurped by the Ottomans in 1453, resulting in the foundation of the Ottoman Empire. Templar presence in the region became minimal, allowing the Assassin Order to develop.[15]
Growth of the Brotherhood[edit | edit source]
By the later half of the 15th century, the Vizier Ishak Pasha – secretly an Assassin – took a leading role over the Ottoman Brotherhood. He fought and defeated Vlad "the Impaler" Tepes, who was secretly a Templar, and brokered a truce between the Assassins and Ottomans.[16]
During the late 1480s, Ishak Pasha had begun recruiting Ottoman citizens into the Assassin Brotherhood. Among them was Yusuf Tazim,[17] whose father had also been an Assassin and had died in the line of duty;[18] Murat Bin Husn, a Janissary who became a trusted lieutenant of Ishak;[19] and Aleksei Zima, a Templar defector.[20]
In 1495, Zima uncovered a plot by the Byzantine Templars to procure the journal of Niccolò Polo, which held clues to the locations of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's library and its keys.[20] Ishak Pasha subsequently led a team comprised of his best Assassins, including Yusuf, Murat, and Zima, to Spain, where they worked alongside their Spanish brethren to retrieve the journal from the Inquisition before it was sold to the Templars.[21] However, the trade had already taken place, and the Assassins walked into a trap,[22] barely escaping with their lives.[23]
Ishak Pasha eventually passed away, and leadership of the Ottoman Assassins shifted to Yusuf, who by then had become a Master Assassin.[17] Following Ishak's death, Murat was given his armor by Sultan Bayezid II in acknowledgement of his unbreakable will. Murat went on to hide the armor, which was said to hold mystical powers, inside Hagia Sophia to keep it safe.[24]
For unknown reasons, the Ottoman Assassins did not seem not to have any influence in Constantinople in the early 16th century. In 1501, the Italian Mentor Ezio Auditore sent some of his own recruits to help set up a guild in the city.[25] A year later, a group of Ottoman Assassins, including Yusuf, and Venetian Assassins met in Greece to make plans to end the Ottoman–Venetian War, being successful in doing so in 1503.[17]
The Assassins had realized that the Templars were spreading their reach to the New World. To ensure that they could keep their activities in check, the Assassins wanted maps to the Americas. They broke into the workshop of the famous Ottoman admiral and cartographer and Piri Reis, an exceptional cartographer, who had been called away for naval duty. They found maps drawn in excellent detail, and found that he had tracked their common enemy to the New World. The Assassins boarded these voyages to follow the Templars.[26][27]
Meanwhile, the Inquisition in Portugal and Spain caused several men and women to leave the country. This community flourished with scientists, artists and philosophers. Sultan Bayezid II welcomed these refugees, as he knew that they would strengthen his empire. King Ferdinand had planted spies in this community, and made sure they exposed nothing about themselves. However, Italian and Ottoman Assassins were watching for suspicious behavior and caught about a dozen spies, killed them, and replaced them with their own men. These Assassins worked to strengthen the guild in Constantinople.[25][28]
In 1506, after some initial conflict, Piri Reis, tired of the artificial boundaries that separated nations, joined the Ottoman Assassins as a scholar and technician, eventually becoming a Master Assassin specializing in bomb crafting.[29]
Fight with the Byzantine remnants[edit | edit source]
Following the earthquake in Constantinople in 1509, Templar remnants of the Byzantine Empire returned to the city, hoping to restore their fallen empire. The Assassins became engaged in a direct conflict with the Byzantines in the following years, though they also used the hatred between the Byzantines and Ottomans to their advantage, often purposely creating conflict between these factions.[15]
In 1511, Ezio Auditore, having left Italy, journeyed to the Ottoman Assassins' headquarters in Constantinople with the intention of finding the five keys needed to open Altaïr's library in Masyaf. Greeted by Yusuf Tazim,[15] Ezio was quickly taken in and introduced to various techniques that the Ottoman Assassins used,[30] including bomb crafting and Hookblades.[31][32]
Though Yusuf still led the Ottoman Assassins, it was Ezio who took a leading role over the Brotherhood against the Byzantine Templars. Recruiting many new Assassins and taking back Constantinople from Byzantine control, Ezio even sent his apprentices to various regions across the Mediterranean, thwarting the Templars' plans and taking over cities from Templar control.[33]
In late 1511, Yusuf led a group of Assassins to attend a cultural exposition held in Topkapı Palace by the Ottoman Prince Suleiman, knowing that the Templars were going to infiltrate it. Joined by Ezio, the Assassins went disguised as Italian minstrels, with Ezio distracting the guests and discovering the Templar infiltrators using his Eagle Sense. Successfully locating all Templars before they could bring harm to Suleiman, the Ottoman Prince and Ezio became friends and allies in the process.[34]
In early 1512, the Ottoman Assassins aided Ezio Auditore in setting sail for Cappadocia to find the last Masyaf Key, as the Janissaries were blocking the port to make sure Ezio did not leave the city. While Ezio destroyed the Great Chain that spanned across the Golden Horn and burned the Ottoman fleet, Yusuf and a group of other Assassins kept the guards at bay. Ezio successfully opened the harbor, and joined Piri Reis on the ship to Cappadocia.[35]
Conflict with Shehzade Ahmet[edit | edit source]
Before Ezio left, he had asked Yusuf to protect a woman named Sofia Sartor, a bookseller Ezio expressed interest in. Yusuf agreed, and he and several other Assassins took up positions around Sofia's bookstore to ensure her safety.[35] While Ezio was able to eliminate Manuel Palaiologos, who he believed to be the Grand Master of the Byzantine Templars, in Cappadocia,[36] he soon discovered that the true Templar leader was the Ottoman Prince Ahmet, Suleiman's uncle.[37]
Arriving in Cappadocia to confront Ezio, Ahmet explained his plan to use the knowledge inside Altaïr's library to find the Grand Temple, which he believed would grant him the power to end all feuds that divided men. He then asked that Ezio hand him the Masyaf Keys and, after the Mentor refused, Ahmet threatened to harm Sofia.[37]
Ezio and Ahmet subsequently raced back to Constantinople, with the latter arriving first and ordering his men to attack Sofia's book shop. Though Yusuf and his Assassins attempted to defend Sofia, they were ultimately killed by the Templars, and Sofia was kidnapped. Ezio discovered Yusuf's body upon his return to Constantinople and rallied the remaining Ottoman Assassins to strike back at Ahmet, who was hiding in the city's arsenal.[38]
The Assassins led a full-on assault on the arsenal, and numerous Assassins and Templars faced off against each other. Ezio reached Ahmet deep inside the arsenal, but had to spare his life in order to find out Sofia's location. Offering a deal to trade Sofia for the Masyaf keys, Ahmet and the Templars left the arsenal.[38] Before going to the exchange near Galata Tower, Ezio appointed Yusuf's lieutenant Dogan to become the new leader of the Ottoman Assassins.[39]
Suspecting the meeting with Ahmet to be a trap, Ezio had the Assassins take up positions around the perimeter, and they jumped in as soon as Ezio's suspicions became true. Nonetheless, Ezio managed to successfully rescue Sofia, and the two of them chased after Ahmet in the countryside around Constantinople.[40]
After a long chase, Ezio and Ahmet ultimately found themselves falling from a cliff, only to be saved by Ezio using one of his parachutes. Right afterwards, they were joined by Ahmet's brother Selim, Suleiman's father, who had just become Sultan and was on his way back to Constantinople. Selim attacked and strangled Ahmet, and eventually shoved his brother off another cliff to his death. Though the Sultan intended to kill Ezio as well, he spared his life due to his son's respect for the Assassins and banished him from Constantinople instead.[41]
Nonetheless, Ezio and Sofia returned to Constantinople a few months later, with Suleiman's knowledge and Selim's temporary consent. Ezio made preparations to leave and to stabilize the Assassins in the city. Azize, a female Assassin who had taken care of Sofia's bookshop in her absence, was allowed to run the shop full-time and the Brotherhood bought it from Sofia. With Dogan as the leader of the Ottoman Assassins, Ezio knew that the Brotherhood would continue to thrive. Eventually, Ezio left for Rome with Sofia, who had become his fiancée.[39]
Purged[edit | edit source]
The Ottoman Brotherhood was among the Assassin guilds that were wiped out by the Templars in their Great Purge in December 2000.[5]
Origins and appearance[edit | edit source]
By the 16th century, the Ottoman Assassins wore tanned white Assassin robes with an orange chest-plate, and blue pants. In some cases, Assassins also wore Ottoman masks underneath their hoods, and some Assassins always wore their hood down, like Yusuf Tazim, in contrast to common Assassin custom. Each of them were equipped with a Hidden Blade and a Hookblade, which they used for fast and easy climbing and for transporting via ziplines, so they could make their way to their destination fast.[42]
During the time of the Ottoman Empire, people from various countries and regions around Turkey were attracted to the empire, which resulted in the Assassin Brotherhood containing members from various different cultures and ancestries.[42]
Techniques[edit | edit source]
The basic techniques of the Ottoman Assassins were similar to those of the Levantine Assassins, their spiritual forebearers. However, the Ottoman Assassins invented their own upgraded version of the Hidden Blade, called the Hookblade, which allowed for faster climbing and faster travel via Constantinople's ziplines.[42]
The Ottoman Assassins were also introduced to various types of bombs, by trade from China. They trained themselves in their usage, and the Master Assassin Piri Reis eventually created more specialized bombs with experience gained in the Ottoman navy.[42]
Members[edit | edit source]
- Byzantine Empire
- Ammon
- Hytham
- Basim ibn Ishaq (leader; c. 870)
- Ottoman Empire
- Ece Ashkar[43]
- Azize
- Dogan (leader; 1512 – ?)
- Evraniki
- Heyreddin
- Murat Bin Husn
- Irini
- Ishak Pasha (Mentor; c. 1490s)
- Kasim
- Yerman Ragar
- Piri Reis
- Yusuf Tazim (leader; c. 1509 – 1512)
- Vali cel Tradat (betrayed)
- Aleksei Zima
Allies and puppets[edit | edit source]
- Byzantine Empire
- Demetrios Hestiun
- Eudocia Ingerina
- Jessamyn (Egyptian Hidden Ones)
- Justin
- Kalim (Egyptian Hidden Ones)
- Leo VI
- Mahaut (Frankish Hidden Ones)
- Byzantine-Ottoman Wars
- Ezio Auditore da Firenze (Italian Brotherhood)
- Hayreddin Barbarossa
- Castor (Greek Brotherhood)
- Samis El Felipe
- Iskender (Egyptian Brotherhood)
Gallery[edit | edit source]
-
Ezio commanding a group of Ottoman Assassins
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations – Discover Your Legacy
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations novel
- Assassin's Creed: Recollection
- Assassin's Creed: Memories (indirect mention only)
- Assassin's Creed: Unity
- Assassin's Creed Unity: Abstergo Entertainment – Employee Handbook
- Assassin's Creed: The Official Movie Novelization
- Assassin's Creed: Rebellion – The Ottoman Connection
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Song of Glory
- Assassin's Creed: The Silk Road
- Assassin's Creed: The Golden City
- Assassin's Creed: Mirage (indirect mention only)
References[edit | edit source]
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