;[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage – A Soar of Eagles 1]]
;[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage – A Soar of Eagles 2]]
;[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage – A Soar of Eagles 3]]
*[[Aksumite Kingdom]]
*[[Arwe]]
*[[Church of Abuna Yemata]]
*[[Endubis]]
*[[Memnon (eagle)]]
*[[Nibris]]
*[[Fuladh Al Haami]]
*[[Roshan]]
The Assassin Brotherhood has been waging a secret war against their sworn enemy, the Templar Order, for thousands of years. The Templars aim to create a perfect society ruled by order and discipline, a goal that is in direct opposition to the ideals of the Brotherhood, which strive to defend the free will of humankind.
Central in the conflict between the Assassins and the Templars are the Pieces of Eden — extremely rare and powerful technological artifacts created by an advanced precursor civilization. It is believed that such artifacts could contain extensive knowledge or be used as weapons. Although the fight for their possession continues to this day, the Templars have been successful in collecting many of them.
|Purchased from any General Store for 1200 Reales<section end="NAME"/>
|-
!Spanish Cup-hilt Rapiers<section begin="NAME"/>
|Rapier
|Common
|17
|2
|N/A
|Found in treasure chest in Havana<section end="NAME"/>
|-
!Officer's Smallswords<section begin="NAME"/>
|Rapier
|Common
|13
|2
|N/A
|Default swords<section end="NAME"/>
|-
!German Rapiers<section begin="NAME"/>
|Rapier
|Common
|22
|2
|N/A
|Found in treasure chest on Crooked Island<section end="NAME"/>
|-
!Privateer's Cutlasses<section begin="NAME"/>
|Cutlass
|Common
|25
|2
|N/A
|Found in Treasure Chest on Florida island<section end="NAME"/>
|-
!NAME<section begin="NAME"/>
|
|
|
|
|
|<section end="NAME"/>
|-
<section end="Resynced Swords"/>
|}
A chance for the Brotherhood to regain lost ground in the war is the Animus device, a technology stolen from the Templars allowing for the exploration of memories encoded in human DNA. Using the Animus, the Assassin Brotherhood has a chance to locate other Pieces of Eden and deny the Templars from acquiring them first.
|''Sleek black blades with gold filigree, hones to deadly edges.''
|-
|Dragon's Fang Swords
|''A sword with a light, graceful design featuring a mystic jade edge.''
|-
|Blades of the Damned
|''A pair of swords glowing with hellfire and brimstone, fierce and powerful.''
|-
|Serpent's Fang Cutlasses
|''A pair of sharp, serpentine swords inspired by sea monster fangs, lit with neon patterns.''
|-
|The Fortune
|''A pair of unique swords once used by the infamous pirate, Edward Kenway.''
|-
|Dual Cleavers
|''A pair of simple meat cleavers typically used by butchers and made infamous by pirates as weapons of war.''
|-
|Order of Gold
|''Adorned with intricate patterns, these blades are a rare and deadly curiosity.''
|-
|Ezio's Swords
|''A pair of swords once owned by the legendary Assassin mentor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze.''
|-
|Altaïr's Swords
|''A pair of swords once owned by the legendary Assassin mentor, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.''
|-
|Naoe's Shadowblade
|''A balanced katana shaped by shinobi combat principles, favoring fluid movement and rapid follow-up strikes. Performs best with evasive tactics.
|-
|Dark Animus Corsair Pistol Swords
|''These blades dance with strange light, like tears in the fabric of the world.''
|-
|Spring-Steel Swords
|''A pair of swords that look unremarkable at first glance, but have the strength to deflect bullets if wielded properly.
|-
|Blades of Toledo
|''A sleek pair of swords Edward Kenway acquired in the famous city of Toledo.''
|-
|Le Bourgeoys Blades
|''The only pair of pistol swords with a genuine original flintlock attached.''
|-
|Persian Scimitars
|''A beautiful and deadly pair of Persian scimitars, replete with embedded diamonds.''
|-
|Matched Golden Swords
|''A pair of legendary golden swords, praised far and wide for their exquisite beauty.''
|-
|Masterwork Blades
|''A pair of beautifully balanced swords forged by a master craftsman.''
|-
|Espada Ancha
|''Versatile soldier's swords, unremarkable in appearance but trustworthy in a fight.''
|-
|French Court Swords
|''A pair of swords famous for having a perfect balance between speed and power.''
|-
|Pirate Scimitars
|''A pair of devastating scimitars, praised from Barbados to Boston.''
|-
|British Colonial Cutlasses
|''A pair of cutlasses popular among the settlers of the British colonies in North America.''
|-
|Scottish Broadswords
|''Heavy broadswords that emphasize damage over finesse.''
|-
|Standard Pistol Swords
|''A pair of rare pistol swords, capable of firing a gunshot in the right circunstances.''
|-
|Captain Drake's Swords
|''A pair of silver broadswords rumored to have been used by the legendary privateer, Sir Francis Drake.''
|-
|Ferraro's Rapiers
|''A pair of rapiers that belonged to the Italian diplomat, Ruggiero Ferraro.''
|-
|Officer's Rapiers
|''A pair of extremely light rapiers praised for their swiftness.''
|-
|German Rapiers
|''A pair of traditional German rapiers typically used by Prussian court officers.''
|-
|Privateer's Cutlasses
|''A pair of cutlasses appreciated for their versatility by privateers throughout the West Indies.''
|-
|British Cutlasses
|''A pair of light cutlasses made popular by British privateers.''
|-
|French Dress Swords
|''A pair of elegant swords made popular by French court officers.''
|-
|Spanish Cup-hilt Rapiers
|''A pair of cheap yet efficient Spanish rapiers.''
|-
|Officer's Smallswords
|''A pair of small swords popular among officers in the British Army.''
|-
|Rustborne Swords
|''Versatile blades with integrated flintlocks, their bronze-hued surfaces worn by time and battle. Perfect for Assassins who strike swiftly, both in melee and from a distance.''
|}
This is why the last to join this conflict are the modern day descendants of Brotherhood members who fought this covert war over the centuries. By entering the Animus, they can explore the memories of their ancestors, acquire information concerning the Pieces of Eden, and gain unique skills that would normally take years to master. It is only by doing so that the Assassin Brotherhood may gain an edge and turn the tide against their enemies.
|bought from secret General Store on unmarked island in the north-west of Gibara region at Coordinates 550, 638 (22000 Reales)<section end="NAME"/>
|-
!Rustic Flintlocks<section begin="NAME"/>
|Legendary
|22
|1.20
|After a Perfect Dodge, quick shooting immediately does not consume ammunition
|obtained from in-game online store for free (on map press Options-Button to access the store).<section end="NAME"/>
|-
!Peaceful Means<section begin="NAME"/>
|Legendary
|20
|1.00
|Pistol shots are quieter
|Purchased from Treasure Dealer for 3 Capuchin Monkey Pelt, 4 Iguana Leather, and 20 Rum Barrels.<section end="NAME"/>
|-
!Cannon-Barrel Pistols<section begin="NAME"/>
|Rare
|21
|1.12
|N/A
|from locked chest in Jiguey (535, 511). It's a locked underwater chest, loot the key from the pirate leader on the beach inside Jiguey, in the same cave as the chest.<section end="NAME"/>
|-
!Captain Morgan's Pistols<section begin="NAME"/>
|Rare
|20
|1.50
|N/A
|Found in underwater treasure chest on Black Island<section end="NAME"/>
|''Hand-carved ebony with gold-plated iron forming a lethal union.''
|-
|Dragon's Roar Pistols
|''Sleek pistols imbued with ornate scrollwork and glowing jade.''
|-
|Diabolist's Pistols
|''A set of pistols wreathed in infernal flames, emitting an aura of destruction.''
|-
|Fury of the Deep Pistols
|''Silvery, steel pistols adorned with deep-sea patterns and neon highlights.''
|-
|Golden Flintlock Pistols
|''A set of legendary, golden flintlock pistols, famed for their extraordinary precision.''
|-
|Gargoyle's Breath
|''Monstrous, leering faces adorn the grips of these pistols.''
|-
|Captain Drake's Flintlocks
|''A set of flintlock pistols once owned and used by captain and knight, Sir Francis Drake.''
|-
|Rustic Flintlocks
|''Firearms with rustic patinas, showing the marks of countless skirmishes. Compact, reliable, and ready for close encounters or unexpected duels.''
|-
|Peaceful Means
|''The method by which many disputes can be swiftly resolved.''
|-
|Cannon-Barrel Pistols
|''A set of pistols forged to resemble ship cannons.''
|-
|Captain Morgan's Pistols
|''A set of flintlock pistols once owned and used by Captain Morgan.''
|-
|Captain's Wheellock Pistols
|''A rare set of old wheellock pistols, coveted by soldiers for their sturdiness and sentimental value.''
|-
|Spanish Officer Pistols
|''A set of pistols, praised throughout the West Indies for their stability.''
|-
|Pirate Blunderbusses
|''A set of bulky blunderbusses, popular among pirates for their brashness.''
|-
|Baldwin's Golden Pistols
|''Inextricably tied to the fall of the Baldwin name, these pistols claimed the lives of at least two of their owners' family. They are likely to claim many more.''
|-
|Standard Wheellock Pistols
|''A set of wheellock pistols, perfect for reaching targets at great distances.''
|-
|Common Flintlock Pistols
|''A set of typical flintlock pistols, found all across the West Indies.''
|''This ominous trinket contain the ghosts of drowned sailors.''
|Takedowns can chain to one more enemy
|Purchase from the Treasure Dealer for 60 wine, 40 spice, 30 tobacco and 20 aloe
|-
|
|Shark Teeth
|Legendary
|''A symbol of fierceness and reckless bravery.''
|Brutes cannot deny Chain Takedowns
|Purchase from a level 3 General Store for 25000 Reales
|-
|
|Templar Cross
|Legendary
|''The secret symbol of the Templars.''
|Reduce damage from enemy melee attacks
|Complete Damn Fine Gear
|-
|
|Hidden Ones Sigil
|Legendary
|''The secret sigil of the Hidden Ones.''
|Enemies' detection time is increased while crouched
|Complete [[The Pirate Captain]] (half of the Assassin's Contracts)
|-
|
|Brass Bird Trinket
|Legendary
|''Kenway's lucky brass charm, linked to his iconic ship.''
|Rope Dart cooldown is shorter
|Purchase the ''Master Assassin Pack''
|-
|
|Wooden Eyeball
|Legendary
|''This false eye provides extra insight.''
|Quick shooting kills Brutes instantly
|Purchased from General Store at Great Inagua for 12000 Reales
|-
|
|Obsidian Monolith
|Legendary
|''Darker than the blackest seaglass, gazing too long upon this particular material hurts the eyes.''
|Perfect Dodge is easier to perform
|Complete rank 9 of "Eye in the Dark" [[Animus Hub#Projects|project]]
|-
|
|Yax Tun Pendant
|Legendary
|''This Mayan design brings fortune to its bearer.''
|All gunshots are mysteriously absorbed
|Complete Mayan Mysteries
|-
|
|Guardian Beast Trinket
|Legendary
|''Rendered in miniature, that its gaze might ward the steps of its keeper across land and sea.''
|Health slowly regenerates while out of combat
|Found in underwater chest between pair of unnamed island south of San Ignacio wreck
|-
|
|Stormrunner Pendant
|Rare
|''A lightweight circular pendant painted in striking blue and red pigments. Its design captures the spirit of relentless motion and high adrenaline, carried by travelers who refuse to tire, whether sprinting through crowded markets or scaling towering keeps.''
|Increases the amount of healing from food, drink, and remedies
|Found in underwater chest off the coast of Nassau, at coordinates 615, 767
|-
|
|Hunter's Amulet
|Rare
|''An amulet of good fortune favored by hunters.''
|Animals' range of detection is reduced
|Buried treasure chest on Santanillas
|-
|
|Bloody Spanish Medal
|Rare
|''One of Laurens Prins' trophies from his time as a soldier.''
|Reduces damage from Spanish soldiers
|Inside Laurens Prins' Manor
|-
|
|Anchor Medallion
|Rare
|''A lucky anchor medallion favored by sharp-eyed sailors.''
|Increases the rewards from floating loot
|Found in a treasure chest on Sacrifice Island
|-
|
|Lock of Hair
|Rare
|''A lock of Caroline's hair kept as a lucky keepsake.''
|Restore some health after a perfect parry
|Complete Wayward Souls
|-
|
|Cross Pendant
|Rare
|''A bejeweled cross once worn by the wealthiest citizen in Kingston.''
|Reduces damage from British soldiers
|Complete Tithes Paid
|-
|
|Exotic Sea Shells
|Rare
|''A string of sea shells gathered from around the world.''
|Increases the wildlife products gained from skinning animals
|Found in treasure chest in southeast Havana
|-
|
|Small Goblet
|Rare
|''A sacred grail said to prolong its owner's life.''
|Increases the amount of healing from food, drink, and remedies
|Complete The Other Cheek
|-
|
|Jackdaw Totem
|Rare
|''Carved by an unknown sculptor, it represents protection and gratitude.''
|Falling from high places no longer damages Edward
|Complete A World Without Gold
|-
|
|Lodestone
|Rare
|''A naturally magnetized piece of mineral.''
|Loots nearby Corpses and Curios automatically
|Purchased from a Level II General Store for 7000 Reales
|-
|
|Folded Palm
|Rare
|''A gambler's trinket meant to bring good fortune.''
|Gain reales after each Takedown
|Complete Spiteful Soldier
|-
|
|Found Coin
|Rare
|''A large gold coin turned into a good luck charm.''
|Increase the amount of Reales gained
|Complete Art Lover I
|-
|
|Rabbit's Foot
|Common
|''A lucky charm for warding off misfortune.''
|Chance of staggering an enemy following a successful parry
|Complete [[The Taíno Assassin]]
|-
|
|Gold Earring
|Common
|''Gold hoop earrings stolen from a lady with connections in high places.''
|Reduces the gain of Wanted Level from acts of piracy
|Found in underwater chest at Salt Key Bank
|-
|
|Diamond Trinket
|Common
|''This diamond trinket is as tough as nails and as hard as a rock.''
|Oxygen drains slower while diving underwater
|Found in underwater treasure chest at Cape Bonavista
|-
|
|Demon-forged Pendant
|Legendary
|''A fiery charm pulsating with dark energy from the lower planes.''
|Berserk darts also sets enemy on fire
|Purchase the ''Hellfire Pack''
|-
|
|Abyssal Pendant
|Legendary
|''A silver snakehead charm, illuminated with an inner glow.''
|Killing enemies also recovers some health
|Purchase the ''Sea Serpent Pack''
|-
|
|Fortunate Circle Charm
|Legendary
|''An elegant pendant in the form of a lucky jade circle.''
|Impervious to attacks for a short duration after a Perfect Dodge
|Purchase the ''Dragon Storm Pack''
|-
|
|Narwhal's Horn
|Rare
|''The broken tip of a narwhal's horn.''
|Enemy guards lose their defensive stance more quickly
|Found inside the house on Cat Island
|}
==DB==
===General Database===
<tabber>
<tabber>
|-|01=
|-|Maps=
;FILE_01: <Pawns in a Secret War>
<center>
The alarm neutralized and the lock picked, Inez opened the door to the warehouse. She'd taken off her leather jacket, covered in pins and chains and other things that might jangle the lone security guard awake. Maybe this score would get her off her friend's couch. The crates were piled high to the ceiling, lost in bright fluorescence, stacked like a very neat child's building blocks. She took the small flashlight out of her pocket and recited the aisle and tier where the box she was supposed to take sat. This was a rental facility, or so she was told, and light on security. Turned out to be anything but. She'd scaled the shelf to the fifth tier, about twenty feet up, her shoes gripping the shelf below. She found the box. It looked like a pen case but small, which was good because Inez wasn't big. In her head, she hummed a punk tune from the night before and for a moment, reconsidered how much she'd drank as her stomach turned while looking back down. Also, there were two men walking down the aisle between the shelves. They hadn't seen her yet, but she could tell they weren't rent-acops. It was the submachine guns that gave it away.
{|class="article-table sortable" cellpadding=5;
|
|}</center>
This is what she got for taking a job proffered at a party in Wicker Park. Way too artsy a crowd for her. She held her breath, tried very hard not to swear, and waited for the men to pass. When they did, she cat-climbed down to the concrete floor, crept around the end of the aisle, and saw them in front of the door she'd opened. The door she hadn't closed all the way because… hangover. About 400 pounds of muscles nullified that exit. She'd have to find another way out.
|[[Database: Abel "The Padre" Galvão|Abel "The Padre" Galvão]]
|[[Database: Adéwalé (Black Flag)|Adéwalé]]
|[[Database: Ah Tabai (Black Flag)|Ah Tabai]]
|[[Database: Anne Bonny|Anne Bonny]]
|-
|[[Database: Bernard "The Butler" Woodhouse|Bernard "The Butler" Woodhouse]]
|[[Database: Edward "Blackbeard" Thatch|Edward "Blackbeard" Thatch]]
|[[Database: Edward Kenway|Edward Kenway]]
|[[Database: "Calico" Jack Rackham|Calico Jack Rackham]]
|-
|[[Database: Caroline Scott|Caroline Scott]]
|[[Database: Charles Vane|Charles Vane]]
|[[Database: James Kidd|James Kidd]]
|[[Database: Lucy Baldwin|Lucy Baldwin]]
|-
|[[Database: Mary Read|Mary Read]]
|[[Database: Opía Apito|Opía Apito]]
|[[Database: Rhona Dinsmore|Rhona Dinsmore]]
|[[Database: Stede Bonnet|Stede Bonnet]]
|[[Database: Smuggler Upton|Upton Travers]]-->
|}</center>
The skylight it was. The panels were open and she'd considered going in through the roof anyway. So, hell, why not? Worst that could happen is she falls, gets caught, and spends more time in jail, right?
|[[Database: Laureano Torres y Ayala|Laureano Torres y Ayala]]
|[[Database: Laurens Prins|Laurens Prins]]
|[[Database: Lucia Márquez|Lucia Márquez]]
|-
|[[Database: "The Sage"|The Sage]]
|[[Database: Thomas Barehaire|Thomas Barehaire]]
|[[Database: Smuggler Vance|Vance Travers]]
|[[Database: Woodes Rogers|Woodes Rogers]]-->
|}</center>
</tabber>
She made it to the skylight and was levering open one of the panels when the first bullet starred the glass in front of her. No more being careful, she hauled her ass through the window, sneakers finding traction on the roof and bolted for the fire escape… which, of course, had another slab of guard meat coming up it just then. This was some serious security. The man fired at her, spent brass moving in seeming slow-mo as the muzzle flashed. But Inez had run to the edge by then, said screw it, and jumped to the next roof, which she was not at all sure she'd make it to until she landed. From there, she ran off the edge of that roof and caught a light pole down to the street. Before she had time to pat herself on the back, there was another of the guards with a gun right in her face.
"You Descendants think you're untouchable. The Templars think otherwise." He was about to pull the trigger. Then, she was covered in blood. Someone had stepped around the edge of an alley with a silenced pistol. He wore black, nondescript clothes and was maybe a few years older than Inez. Automatic fire raked the alley behind him as he fired at the guard coming down the fire escape. Inez turned, some instinct telling her that the other guards were outside by now and, sure enough, two positioned themselves behind the loading dock and took a bead on her would-be rescuer. He saw one in time to pop him, but the other, well, Inez hadn't fired a gun since one of her mom's interchangeable boyfriends taught her, but she had a knack and put two rounds into the other guard's chest. Then, she dropped the gun, screamed, and started shaking. She didn't make it far out of the alley, or the street beyond before her rescuer pulled her down. Everything moved as if through a world of transparent syrup.
|[[Database: Great White Shark|Great White Shark]]
|[[Database: Hammerhead Shark|Hammerhead Shark]]
|-
|[[Database: Howler Monkey|Howler Monkey]]
|[[Database: Humpback Whale|Humpback Whale]]
|[[Database: Hutia|Hutia]]
|[[Database: Iguana (Resynced)|Iguana]]
|[[Database: Jaguar|Jaguar]]
|-
|[[Database: Jellyfish|Jellyfish]]
|[[Database: Killer Whale|Killer Whale]]
|[[Database: Manta Ray (Resynced)|Manta Ray]]
|[[Database: Monkey|Monkey]]
|[[Database: Ocelot (Resynced)|Ocelot]]
|-
|[[Database: Parrot|Parrot]]
|[[Database: Pelican|Pelican]]
|[[Database: Rabbit|Rabbit]]
|[[Database: Red Howler Monkey|Red Howler Monkey]]
|[[Database: Sea Urchin|Sea Urchin]]
|-
|[[Database: Seagull|Seagull]]
|[[Database: Tiger Shark|Tiger Shark]]
|[[Database: Tropicbird|Tropicbird]]
|[[Database: Turtle (Resynced)|Turtle]]
|[[Database: White Jaguar|White Jaguar]]
|-
|[[Database: Wild Pig|Wild Pig]]
-->
|}</center>
</tabber>
She watched her hand open a car door, getting in on the passenger side. The guy gunned the already humming engine. He turned to her, face awash in the street's wet neon refracted through beaded rain on the windshield and said, "You ever consider more steady work?" That's when she finally breathed again then said, "What the hell is a Templar?"
|[[Database: Letter from Torres|Letter from Torres]]
|[[Database: Slave Ledger|Slave Ledger]]
|[[Database: Notice of Dismissal|Notice of Dismissal]]
|[[Database: Bill of Sale|Bill of Sale]]-->
|}</center>
|-|02=
|-|Portraits=
;FILE_02: <A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE>
<center>
Her rescuer, if she could call him that, took sharp turns with the car, doubled back the way they'd come, then pulled into a public garage. He told her to get out and follow him. Now was the time to run if she was going to do it.<br>"You want to bolt? Go for it. We won't stop you. We just have an offer for you."
It was that "we" more than anything else that stopped Inez, though she didn't love the idea of having those. What did he call them, Templars? Yeah, of having them on her again. Finally. She said, "Who are you? The thief fairy? You come out of the sky and bless the wicked?"<br>He smiled, like maybe he was exactly that. "I'm Royce."
|Laureano de Torres' Portrait
|El Tiburon's Portrait
|Commodore Chamberlaine's Portrait
|Woodes Rogers' Portrait
|Ben Hornigold's Portrait
|Bartholomew Roberts' Portrait
|Blackbeard's Portrait
|Stede Bonnet's Portrait
|Robert Maynard's Portrait
|}</center>
He gestured for her to follow him, and she did, carefully. The fluorescents slung from the ceiling of the garage made all white people look dead, Inez thought, and they made this Royce look doubly so. "You said ‘we.' Is that the royal we or do you have an invisible friend?"
They passed several cars. Royce took a fob from his pocket and deactivated the alarm on a plain sedan. He opened the driver's door. "My friends can be pretty invisible when they want." He smiled in a way she knew other women would find appealing. Maybe she did too. "But the ‘we' I'm talking about is the organization I work for."
|Bust of a Water Deity
|Maize Deity
|Standard Bearer
|Triptych
|Beaver Pelt
|Bracelet
|Cabinet
|}</center>
</tabber>
"And they are? Let me guess… first name Rolls?" Her eyes scanned the parking garage. She started calculating how fast he could run versus how fast she could.<br>"Get in and I'll tell you," Royce said.
|[[Database: "The Burning of the 'Royal James'"|"The Burning of the 'Royal James'"]]
|[[Database: "Saint Jerome as Cardinal"|"Saint Jerome as Cardinal"]]
|[[Database: "Merry Company"|"Merry Company"]]
|[[Database: "Harbor Scene at Sunset"|"Harbor Scene at Sunset"]]
|[[Database: Map of the World|Map of the World]]
|[[Database: "An English Ship in Action with Barbary Vessels"|"An English Ship in Action with Barbary Vessels"]]
|[[Database: "The Flight into Egypt"|"The Flight into Egypt"]]-->
She did. She'd look back on that decision, her hand pulling open the passenger's side door, sitting as if on automatic pilot, later and wish sometimes she hadn't. Wished she had run. But, right there in the moment, she got in. He locked the doors immediately, pulled out of the parking space like a stunt driver, all squeals and burning rubber, then said, "I'm an Assassin."
|Vanitas Still-life
|Nymphs By A Fountain
|"Der Liederliche Student" by Gerard van Honthorst
|[[Database: Spanish Man o' War|Spanish Man o' War]]
|[[Database: English Cutter|English Cutter]]
|[[Database: English Frigate|English Frigate]]
|[[Database: English Schooner|English Schooner]]
|[[Database: English Brig|English Brig]]
|[[Database: The El Dorado|The El Dorado]]
|[[Database: The Jackdaw|The Jackdaw]]
|[[Database: The Revenge (ship model)|The Revenge]]-->
The gate raised without him stopping. The man working in the little booth nodded solemnly, and they were back on the street. LaSalle, she thought, but it had all happened so fast. Chicago's skyline wasn't visible here, which meant they were in it. Flakes caught in the headlights. Slush pulled neon from the windows and stretched it across the streets.
|Nosso Senhor da Compreensao
|Queen Anne's Revenge
|English Man o' War
|El Impoluto
|HMS Prince
|La Dama Negra
|Brothers in Arms
|HMS Ipswich
|}</center>
</tabber>
Inez said nothing. Best to let this Royce give something away.<br>They were under the full industrial gothic of Lower Wacker now.
<tabber>
|-|Letters=
<center>
{|class="article-table sortable" cellpadding=5;
|
|}</center>
"You don't talk much," Royce said.<br>"It's my first kidnapping."
|[[Database: "Vertumnus, a Portrait of Today"|"Vertumnus, a Portrait of Today"]]
|[[Database: Columbus Map|Columbus Map]]-->
Royce laughed. "I'm not kidnapping you. You can leave after you hear me out."<br>"And those other guys back there? The dead ones? They just wanted to hug me, right?"
|"Atalanta Fugiens"
|"De Gama Diary Extract"
|"Magellan's Ship"
|"Sacred Theory of the Earth"
|"The Fetus In The Womb"
|"Voynich Manuscript" - Folio 33v
|"World Map" (1570)
|}</center>
"The Templars? No. They wanted to recruit you, initially. You're a descendant in a line of people who've fought a war for millennia. All their memories are in you and the Templars want them. So do we. Neither side meant for it to happen the way it did."<br>She sighed. He was a nut. "So, you're a Shirley McLain past-life kinda of assassin, got it."
|-|Shanties=
<center>
{|class="article-table sortable" cellpadding=5;
|
|}</center>
He turned. She tracked the name of the street in case she had to bail. "You're called a Descendant. Your DNA holds the memories of past Assassins. We need that knowledge. The Templars would like it too."<br>"And me without my crystals."<br>"I'm going to take you to a safehouse and introduce you to my cell. After that, you decide. Sound alright?"
</tabber>
She sighed again and looked out at Chicago's wintry blur. "Sure. Pretty fast for me to meet your mom, but why not?"<br>He nodded. "My cell surveilled you. Said you were a smart ass."
===World of Piracy===
<tabber>
|-|Lore=
<center>
{|class="article-table sortable" cellpadding=5;
|[[Database: Golden Age of Piracy|Golden Age of Piracy]]
|[[Database: Jolly Roger|Jolly Roger]]
|[[Database: Pirate Articles|Pirate Articles]]
|[[Database: Pirate Round|Pirate Round]]
|-
|[[Database: Rum|Rum]]
|[[Database: Shanties|Shanties]]
|[[Database: War of the Spanish Succession|War of the Spanish Succession]]
|}</center>
"Well," Inez said, "at least they got something right."
Inez stood in bare room inside a building she hadn't ever noticed before in the city. It was as if the building didn't want to be seen, so boring and average that it faded into the background. She and four other "recruits" stood at the edge of a large, dojo-like mat. A black, muscular woman stood in the center. Her name was Doria, and she had serious eyes. Inez had seen eyes like that before in some of her less-savory contacts. Eyes that burned like cigarette coals through a napkin. She kept her hair scalp-short for fighting. Inez hoped that wasn't part of the deal she'd made on acceptance here.
"Templars are our enemy. By joining us, they become your enemy. Anyone who has second thoughts should leave now. Not all of you will live to see the end of the year," said Doria.
The woman paced the mat like something in a cage, only there were no bars. She might leap and attack at any moment. "Meaning is inherently religious, but we are not. We work towards a tangible end. Teleology, you understand?"
|Fort Charles
|Port Royal Tower
|The Observatory
|Sugar Mill
|Ramparts
|Cathedral Of Havana
|Castillo de la Real Fuerza
|Castillo Moro
|}</center>
"Tele-what?" Inez asked.
</tabber>
===Transcription===
<tabber>
|-|British Empire=
The course of the 18th Century saw the [[British Empire]] become the [[Earth|world]]'s leading colonial power, with [[France]] and [[Spain]] as its primary rivals. After siding with the [[Netherlands]] and Austria in the [[War of the Spanish Succession]], the British Empire expanded, gaining territories from both Spain and France, and taking over control of the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] [[Slavery|slave trade]] in Spanish America.
|-|Dancers=
For a handful of coin, "Dancers" can be employed to distract guards and interfere with ongoing fights. They might also have some incredible stories of their own to tell, if only you'd bother to listen.
"The idea that something or something works towards a predetermined purpose."
|-|Drunkards=
Sailors flush with [[rum]] and the heat of the [[sun]], these Drunkards can be useful in a few ways. First as [[Blending|blend groups]] that allow [[Edward Kenway|Edward]] to hide in plain sight, and secondly as allies in the event of a scuffle. But remember to bring a bit of coin if you want them to fight alongside you, as these [[Piracy|pirates]] won't risk their lives for free.
"Sounds like philosophy," Inez said.
|-|Spanish Empire=
Already a global power, the Spanish defeated powerful adversaries such as the Aztecs and Incas in the Americas by exploiting existing conflicts and rivalries between tribes and nations between the 15th and 18th centuries.
"This is not about philosophy," she said. "This isn't spiritual, and it's not enlightening. This is about how to kill or incapacitate your opponent as quickly as possible. Because, if you don't, they'll do the same to you. That's our war with the Templars summed up."
Acquisitive and protective of the supply of precious metals its new colonies afforded it, the Spanish Empire enthusiastically participated in the Atlantic slave trade and defended its trade routes aggressively.
Doria's eyes wandered around the room. She settled on the Iowa boy with the fullback build. He smiled. She gestured for him to come onto the mat. He did. "You think you can take me?" she said.
Even after its defeat in the War of the Spanish Succession, the 18th century was nevertheless one of prosperity for the Spanish Empire, as their trade reputation grew steadily under Bourbon oversight, and continued to grow at an extraordinary rate until the 1780s.
He looked around at the other recruits, met Inez's eyes. Inez shook her head. The man turned back. "I think you'll kick my ass."
|-|Swashbucklers=
Often used interchangeably, there are a number of important distinctions to make between these different kinds of swashbucklers...
She smiled. "You're smarter than you look, Iowa." She pointed at Inez. "You, scrawny girl. Come here." Inez stepped forward with caution.
[[Piracy|Pirates]]: Criminals on the open sea who use coercion, intimidation and violence to rob innocent people of their cargo and transport. The term pirate is a catch-all and may be used generally to refer to all who perform acts of larceny on the open ocean. Pirates have been a problem since the advent of long-distance ocean travel; every age has seen its share of pirates, and every age has cursed their name and romanticized their cause. During the so-called "[[Golden Age of Piracy]]" (roughly 1650 to 1725), the majority of pirates were from the [[United Kingdom|British Isles]]. Most were young men in their 20s and almost all had already gained some experience as sailors prior to falling into piracy.
"You think you can take her?" Doria asked Iowa as she pointed at Inez. The guy laughed. "Yeah, probably."
Buccaneers: Though often used as a synonym for Pirates now, the term Buccaneer refers more specifically to a group of pirates who lived and operated in the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] in the middle of the 17th century. Best known for attacking settlements and fortifications on land in large groups, the Buccaneers derived their name from the [[France|French]] Boucanier -- an instrument used for smoking strips of meat over an open fire, a favorite sort of sustenance for these terrestrial pirates.
"So, do it." Doria said.
Privateers: Non-commissioned sailors who attack and rob, having been given a Letter of Marque by their King or a royal official such as a Governor. Thus the distance between a Pirate and a Privateer is but a hair's breath of difference -- Pirates simply sail for one [[Monarchy|monarch]] fewer.
And like that, he flung his fist at her. But it was a roundhouse, slow enough that she instinctively ducked under him, hit the mat, and kicked one leg out into his groin. Two-hundred pounds of corn-fed fullback hit the mat beside her. It was not Inez's first rodeo with handsy men.
|-|Taíno=
Taíno refers to a group of related languages and cultures widespread across the Caribbean at the time of European arrival. Broadly speaking, they consisted of the Ciboney or Western Taíno of Cuba, Jamaica and the Bahamas; the Classic Taíno of Hispaniola and Borikén (the indigenous name of Puerto Rico); and the Eastern Taíno of the Antilles.
"Good," Doria said. "You took out a slightly above average man," she laughed. Then, she kicked Inez. No warning. She moved from five feet away right next to her in a hummingbird's heartbeat. Inez almost dodged the blow. Almost. Doria's foot planted itself in her stomach. She was back on the mat, stunned. Her stomach tried to crawl up her esophagus. Her head did a Tilt-a-Whirl around the other faces. She retched.
A Taíno cacique or chief demonstrated rank by carrying an object forged from guanín, a unique indigenous alloy made out of copper, silver, and gold, noted for its lustrous shine. The term "tabaco" from which we also derive from a Taíno word, as tobacco was cultivated on the islands and its usage noted by Spanish explorers. Other English words with a Taíno origin include barbecue, canoe, hurricane, iguana, and potato.
"Getting up is lesson two. You aren't ready for that yet," said the woman.
Other, non-Taíno indigenous groups of the island include the Ciguaya, Macorix, and Kalinago or Caribs, for whom the Caribbean Sea is named.
</tabber>
Inez would have agreed, but she just passed out.
<tabber>
|-|Havana=
There were several attempts to found a town near the [[Havana]] Bay in the early 1500s. A settlement was established by the [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]] {{Wiki|Conquistador}} [[Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar]] around 1514. The city sits on a bay that opens to the {{Wiki|Gulf Stream}} and thus became a natural stopping point between [[Europe]] and the [[Americas]].
|-|04=
In the earliest stages of the [[Golden Age of Piracy|golden age of piracy]] Havana was burnt to the ground by [[France|French]] {{Wiki|French corsairs|corsair}}, [[Jacques de Sores]]. By the 1700s, Havana had become a large, heavily fortified port city where [[Spanish Treasure Fleet|Spanish treasure ships]] would dock on their way to Europe. [[Piracy|Pirates]] lurked on the approaches to the city, hoping to capture these same [[ship]]s.
;FILE_04: <THE FIRST ANIMUS JOB>
Inez smelled the stink of London, heard its cacophony, carriage wheels on stone roads, gulls crying at a gray sky, accents she could barely untangle. Her nose filled with the rot of fish from the docks. To the north, a palace made of glass stood where she knew was a parking lot today. The reality of it all shook her. They'd explained how it worked before they put her in the machine, but the "being here" of it was the difference between watching baseball and being in the majors. Royce explained how inhabiting the memories of an ancestor might feel like body-dislocation. That didn't even begin to cover it.
This was not her body. Not her world. She saw with other eyes. Smelled with wider nostrils. She could feel the lack of her breasts and the bulge in her pants. A chill rode her spine like a chemical burn. People seemed smaller. Then, she realized it was she who was taller.
|-|Nassau=
Originally founded as another [[Charleston|Charles-Towne]], the city was renamed [[Nassau]] in honor of [[William III of England|King William III]] of the {{Wiki|house of Orange-Nassau}}. This city has a particularly colorful past: In 1706 the city's officially appointed Governor skipped town, thus severing the [[British Empire|Crown]]'s direct control over [[the Bahamas]].
Of all her high school Dickensian imaginings, the actual city, the Smoke, came not at all close to this reality. The air hung heavy with grit, and breathing it irritated her senses.
The islands languished for almost a decade in the hands of [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Civilians|citizens]] with little or no interest in Statesmanship. By 1713, the entire region had become a haven for [[Piracy|pirates]] and it was in this period that [[Benjamin Hornigold]] declared Nassau to be a pirate republic. He proclaimed himself governor and thereafter every pirate of any sense and reputation used Nassau as a base of operation, transforming this small city of barely 1000 residences into a "nest of infamous bastards", according to the Governor of Bermuda.
Last night, this man she inhabited met a contact in a public house. She recalled it from his point of view. The other man's bulbous, veined nose. The kind of veins you get from drinking. Her father had them. The man whose body was now hers, Jacob Frye, had thoughts which bled into her own until they became a mélange she could not easily separate. Even his accent rolled from her lips as she mouthed his thoughts before a dollymop… and how did she know that word?… stared from gaudy, painted eyelids, causing Inez to stop. Talking to oneself wasn't acceptable in any era, apparently.
|-|Mayan Temples=
Dating generally from the [[Maya]]n {{Wiki|Maya civilization|Classic period}} (AD 250 - 900), most Mayan ruins can be found throughout the [[Yucatán Peninsula|Yucatán peninsula]] and Central America. Mayan Temples have steep stone steps and a platform at the top for wooden crowning structures. Mayan architecture is composed with a sophisticated eye to decoration, often using wall paintings and elaborate bas-relief stone carvings. Mayan arches forego the use of a keystone, instead creating a triangle-like arch known as a corbel vault.
</tabber>
She piloted the body through a dense throng of people gathered round a plinth atop which stood some bronze hero. Her boots… his boots… clicked on cobblestone, and she had ears keen enough to hear them above the din. She felt as if she'd possessed someone or perhaps, he possessed her.
<tabber>
|-|Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asis=
A dominating presence on [[Havana]]'s Plaza de San Francisco, the [[Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asis]] dates from 1580s. Originally, a statue of St. [[Francis of Assisi]] stood atop the bell tower, but this was blown off in a cyclone in 1846. Baroque features were added to the basilica in 1730.
She found herself wending down roads and alleys. Boot leather on cobblestone, flagstone, dirt. Names came to her as she passed, of public houses and shopfronts, of the streets themselves, but they came at the same once-removed as the body. The man she inhabited rolled his shoulders and neck as he entered a specific pub called The Spotted Fawn. The stale smell of ale spilled, of cheap perfume, of the place's dank, sweaty walls. Her eyes found a man in a corner table. His eyes hooded by a heavy, prominent brow. She knew this was her target. Took a seat at the bar and blended in. Waited. She watched the man in a mirror behind the bar, a mirror world where left was right. She read his body, his face. How soon would he go to the loo, and why did she think of it as the loo now, herself? That was something she only ever heard on TV.
|-|Governor's Mansion=
The [[Governor's Mansion, Havana|Governor's Mansion]] housed the acting [[Spain|Spanish]] governor in addition to prison facilities. A new governor's mansion was constructed across the square in 1791.
Soon. Soon, his bladder would take control and move him to the bathroom like a puppet. She rose and went there first, quietly, the back hall leading to the alley and the loo lit poorly by a lantern. She stepped in. Waited.
|-|Old Avery Tavern=
This [[Old Avery|drinking spot]], named after "The King of [[Piracy|Pirates]]" Henry Avery, was highly popular among gritty seafarers in the early 18th century. Legend had it that Avery himself once had a financial stake in several establishments throughout the [[Caribbean|West Indies]], but that appears to be nothing more than self-promotion.
The moment the man came in, she grabbed his throat so he couldn't scream, then dragged him inside. A kick to his stomach doubled him over. She had a fist of his hair in her hand and she pulled his head forward so her blade could slide beneath the skull and into his brain. He spasmed once and was still. It was done.
|-|Laurence Prins' Manor=
[[Laurens Prins]] was an incredibly successful [[Slavery|slave-trader]] who spent the better part of his 80 years transporting [[Humans|human]] cargo from the west of [[Africa]] to the [[Caribbean|West Indies]]. Near the end of his life, he lived in semi-retirement on land he purchased near [[Kingston]]. One of his most active [[Slave ships|slave ships]], the [[Whydah]], was famously captured by the [[Piracy|pirate]], [[Samuel Bellamy|Sam Bellamy]].
To be sure, she checked his eyes, then slipped out. In the alley, she wanted to retch again. Though this time not for the bodily displacement but for what she'd done. What she knew she'd do in the future and, in that future, to people who weren't already a century dead and gone.
</tabber>
She came up panting from the machine they called the Animus. Sweat in her eyes like salt. She wiped it away. Royce was there with a med-tech. "Your heart rate's too fast," Royce said, "You'll have to even that out as you get used to this."
<tabber>
|-|"Saint Jerome as Cardinal"=
An unusual rendering of Saint [[Jerome]] as a scholar rather than an ascetic. The book supporting his hands alludes to his work as a Bible translator.
Get used to this. The words hung there in her mind beyond the afterimage of a spectral London. And knowing she would get used to this both thrilled and shamed her.
|-|"Harbor Scene at Sunset"=
Harbor scenes such as depicted in this 1644 painting were a favorite subject of the artist Claude Lorrain.
|-|05=
|-|"The Burning of the 'Royal James'"=
;FILE_05: <THE HIDEOUT>
An oil on canvas painting by [[Willem van de Velde the Younger|Willem van de Velde II]], the founder of the English school of marine painting. It shows a battle of the {{Wiki|Third Anglo-Dutch War}}.
Light through the mullioned window caused a grid-like shadow on the table onto which Inez tossed her olive drab duffel bag. Dust motes scattered on impact, finding a thin strip of light through the boarded windows of the old house. Inez and the others in her cell pulled drop cloths off old chairs, tables, and wardrobes. A shrouded candelabra hanged in the main dining room. One room after another was a dead museum to some American life trapped forever in the 1950s.
"You get this from the Addams Family?" Inez asked Royce.
|-|"An English Ship in Action with Barbary Vessels"=
More of a display of his imaginative and technical skills than an actual historic representation, this dramatic painting by [[Willem van de Velde the Younger|Willem van de Velde II]] depicts a battle with Barbary corsairs from north [[Africa]].
"Place smells like my grandmother", Iowa said, setting down his bag.
|-|"The Flight into Egypt"=
This painting by Luca Giordano was commisioned by King Philip V of Spain for display in the French court.
</tabber>
Royce looked around wistfully. "My cell started in a place like this. You'll get used to it. Besides, the vintage décor helps immerse you in history."
<tabber>
|-|Bat-Nosed Figurine=
Gold-work from the Isthmus, representing a crowned half-human, half-bat figure flanked by four crocodile heads.
</tabber>
"And immersing ourselves in history is what we do," Inez said, imitating Royce's oft-used maxim.
<tabber>
|-|Birthday Announcement=
Today is my birthday.
"This place should be condemned," Junko, the tech wizard, said. She's a girl with rimless glasses, flat, black hair, and eyes meant for drilling.
Brandish every Cask, Bottle and Barrel of Alcohol. Everyone is to partake and sing my Praises. To ensure that this Do goes splendidly, I will take charge of the Stores and require its Key.
"It is, Junko," Royce said. "But we own it. And we own anyone who might have interest in it. Let me show you downstairs."
My Father will be most gratified at your swift fulfilment of my Commands.
"Great," said Inez. "Always wanted a dungeon."
- Emmerson Beckford
Royce let that slide, his hand on the fireplace mantle. He did something to it which caused a metallic click. "Follow me," he said as the entire fireplace swung out. Neat trick, if it's functional.
|-|Endeavor Cargo Manifest=
I, Thomas Cecil, hereby report that the following is a true Manifest of all the Goods, Wares and Merchandize, of the Marks, Numbers and Contents of each Package on board the Endeavor which Cargo was received at the Trading Post of Andreas Island from whence the Craft Sailed for the Plantation of Cat Island.
Below sat the kind of room a superhero vigilante might keep in secret. Everything was stainless steel and serious looking.
Sugar - 110 Barrels
Molasses - 25 Barrels
Tobacco - 15 Barrels
There was no personal touch to any of it. A weapons cabinet holding firearms. A rack holding melee weapons. It was like shopping in a computer RPG. Level up. Upgrade your gear. But this was no game, Inez knew.
|-|Barrister's Letter=
John,
Inez remembered the man she shot during a botched mission. That one hurt. Didn't even puke afterwards. But still, thinking of it put knots in her gut. He was just a dad. Collateral damage.
It is done. Accompanying this Letter you will find the Will, fully notarized by myself and with the old Man's signature. It will survive the scrutiny of any English Court, I assure you.
"Inez?" Royce said, "You listening?"
Arrangements for your Daughter's removal are also underway. My Associates in the Royal Navy tell me she will be apprehended within the Month. In fact, I hear they have solicited the most reputable Pirate Hunter Lieutenant Maynard for the Task.
"Protocols," she said. "Leave in pairs. Never take the same route home twice."
Courage my Friend. After so many long Years, we are almost there,
Royce eyed her as one might a recently bought thoroughbred that was showing signs of early weakness.
Thomas Barehaire Esq.
"I got it, Royce, ok?"
|-|Last Will and Testament=
In the Name of God, I, Theodore Rupert Braddock, being of sound Mind and Memory, do declare this my last Will and Testament, in Manner and Form following, revoking all former Wills by me made.
Royce sat at a bank of computer screens, each showing a CCTV view of the outside. He turned the swivel chair towards her and the others. "Not ok. Getting it isn't enough. It must be second nature. It must be a part of you."
As touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life, I give, devise, and bequeath all my Goods unto my well-beloved Son-in-Law, John Baldwin, Husband of my late daughter Elizabeth, to have and to hold the same unto him, his Heirs, and Assigns forever.
The crew exchanged looks. Inez couldn't read their faces, after all, they've been training to present only the emotions they want the world to see. But Inez did get it. After she killed that man… she got it and, in so doing, knew she could never come back to whoever it was that she had been before.
I do nominate, constitute, and appoint my said Son-in-Law, John Baldwin, to be the sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament, charging him to see this my Will performed according to my true Intent and Meaning.
"Rubicon crossed, Royce." She looked at the others again. "We're all in or we would have bolted by now."
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal, this Second day of January in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Twenty.
Royce took a moment to absorb the proposition, doing so, and nodded. "Right. Then let's have a look at the cabinet of toys." He walked over to the gun locker, his eyes bright as he opened it to reveal racks of heavily-modded rifles and submachine guns. His smile was like a kid on Christmas morning. And Inez, despite herself, found it all exciting.
Signed, sealed, published, and declared by the said Theodore Rupert Braddock as and for his last Will and Testament, in the presence of us, who, at his Request and in his Presence, and in the Presence of each other, have subscribed our Names as Witnesses hereto.
Theodore Rupert Braddock
|-|06=
Witnessed by:<br>
Thomas Barehaire, Esquire<br>
John Baldwin
|-|07=
|-|Neatly Folded Letter=
;FILE_07: <UNTITLED N.2>
Thom,
The sound you hear from a bullet is it breaking the sound barrier. Once you've heard it, it's already gotten to you. This last one missed, and for that, Inez thanked any god or primal entity who would listen.
This was not supposed to turn into a firefight. But here she was, again. Stealth took them only so far, and now she huddled behind the front of a sedan. Specifically, she crouched behind the front because she knew only the engine block could stop a high-powered round. What you see in the movies, with action heroes hiding behind car doors and that? None of that is real. You hide behind that and anything that hits goes through the car and then you.
Don't go getting all uncharitable about this, I did it for your own Good. I knew we might strike some Trouble along the way, so I hid your Share with the original Will in the Likelihood we ever need the old Man's Signature again.
Those thoughts weren't supposed to come up. This was not supposed to be a firefight. It was supposed to be a simple snatch and grab on an unguarded subject. Royce joked it was now, "recon in force." He was military, she knew, but what branch of secret elite team she didn't know. She didn't know much about any of her crew or they about her. How it had to be. Protocol.
The Locket's here too. I want it kept, no matter what you think. There is no one left to know of it's Significance, at any Rate. I'll recover it from you when all this is over, and include a Crate of Rum for the Inconvenience.
She heard the bolt go back on a Kalashnikov, indicating a reload. She used this chance to dash across the snowy street and reposition herself on the shooter's flank, which afforded a clean shot. Her MP7 took him out. Two in the chest, one cleaving part of his head off.
Chin up Man! We're Home free!
Inez then got behind the engine block of another car. They were in a parking garage, and Inez figured they'd been led into a trap. Bad things happened in parking garages, as far as Inez could tell. Maybe that was a life lesson. Probably not.
John.
As it happened, the car she took cover behind also carried a Templar. Bad luck. No way to know. He came out of the driver's side door with an old UZI. Inez popped back over the hood, showing the smallest profile she could. He fired. So did she. Her bullet landed in his throat. His bullets pinged off a support column behind her, ricocheted, and lodged a fragment in her right leg.
|-|Jing Lang's Note=
Vance,
She heard covering fire from Royce's and Iowa's weapons. Reiko appeared at her side and nodded at the wound. "Need help?" Inez nodded in return as if she'd just been asked if she'd like breakfast in a fine hotel restaurant. She let Reiko help her up and they three-legged it to the stairs where Iowa was holding the door open.
I had to leave early. My Order requires a Report and there cannot be a Delay. I'll be waiting by the Tavern at the usual Time. Come with both pieces of the Map.
He flipped Inez over one of his big shoulders like a sack of potatoes. Royce was last, reloading his sub machine gun as he hit the door. "We're out of here," he said.
Jing Lang
As Royce turned his head, Inez, now on Iowa's shoulder and looking back at the Templars firing at them, saw a red bead on Royce's temple. She fired from that position, a ridiculous Hail Mary burst from the MP7 she knew couldn't possibly hit the guy. But it did. Her shots got off first, clipping the man in the shoulder, and Royce's head remained intact.
|-|Letter from Torres=
A letter to Lauren Prins, [sic] congratulating him on acquiring The Sage.
|-|Slave Ledger=
1. Cato, 35 years, superior carpenter and ship caulker.<br>
2. York, 16 years, field hand.<br>
3. Nero, 25 years, stone cutter.<br>
4. Bess, 28 years, field cook, water carrier.<br>
5. Esther, 31 years, midwife.<br>
6. Gracey, 14 years, good house girl and child's nurse.<br>
7. Anthony Morgan, about 30 years, fine engineer and field hand.<br>
8. Sarah Morgan, 32 years, good field hand; tonsils occasionally inflamed.
9. Infant, 2 months.<br>
10. Anthony, 3 years.<br>
11. Stephen, 5 years.<br>
12. Nace, 9 years.<br>
13. Sophy, 12 years, likely.
"Sometimes," she thought, "dumb luck saves your ass."
|-|Notice of Dismissal=
You, Mr Thomas Stell, Ensign, stand charged for Dereliction of Duty.
|-|08=
On Tuesday last you were tasked to deliver a Prisoner to the Church at the center of Kingston, but were discovered to be in a shameful and drunken State, having abandoned your Post.
|-|09=
You are dismissed forthwith from Service, being no longer entitled to Pay or Protection from the Royal Navy.
;FILE_09: <RELIC HUNTERS>
A nowhere desert at night. Sand and grit scoured the windows of a box car diner. A group was outside, digging in an old, Civil War era cemetery. The group was made up of Inez, Iowa, Reiko, and Royce. Each took a turn with the shovel. Currently, Iowa was taking a leak in the abandoned diner. Inez worked the shovel, her arm muscles hurting. Six feet down is more than you think. "Grave robbing," Inez thought to herself, "isn't what I'd prefer to be doing on a Saturday night, but here I am." She's here because in that coffin was a Piece of Eden. Not a metaphor, as Inez understood it.
Her shovel hit the old, wooden casket, thumping a hello from here to wherever the desert winds might carry such a noise.
|-|Bill of Sale=
Know all, by these Present, that I, Alvin of the Village of Grand Cayman, in consideration of the Sum of Forty-Two Reales in Hand, paid to me by Vargas of the Village of Grand Cayman, the Receipt of where I do acknowledge, have in turn sold and delivered in measured Weight One-Hundred-and-Thirty-Six Pounds of Mutton Snapper unto said Vargas.
Royce got into the tow truck they "borrowed" and let the rope down on the winch. Inez fixed it to the coffin by the handles. There was no smell but dust and time. She hoped the body didn't fall out on the way up. With everything ready, Reiko gave her a hand up and out of the grave.
In witness whereof I have set my Hand the Fifth Day of May 1716.<br>Signed, sealed and delivered in the present of
All and Sundry, viz.
Inez watched Iowa keep the coffin level as it rose. Royce pulled ground. Once there, Reiko picked up a prybar, but Royce told her to wait until he could see. Getting out of the driver's side, he joined the rest of them. He nodded and Reiko knelt down, putting the prybar in and leveraging it.
- Alvin of Grand Cayman
</tabber>
There was squeaking and a cough of dust. After a moment, the dust cleared, showing that there was a dead fellow in there, sure enough. Inez noted that it was all bones and cloth fragments, aside from the thing he was buried holding. It was a leather satchel about the size of a bowling bag. Keiko tossed it up to Royce, who opened it.
<tabber>
|-|Julien Du Casse's Portrait=
A debonair portrait of Julien Du Casse, the infamous mercenary.
And that is when Inez first saw a Piece of Eden. Even out of the bag, it didn't look like much. It didn't look, like, you know, the Grail or anything. Or, if it did, it was the Grail Indy found. What was like this thing? It was a small box made of wood, once finely inlaid but weathered to the point of being paintless. A wooden box. It looked old but worthless. She said as much.
Hangs above the bed in the Mansion at Great Inagua.
Royce smiled. He held it in between his palms as if communing with it. "Fortune and glory, kid. Fortune and glory."
|-|Laurens Prins' Portrait=
A vivid portrait of Laurens Prins, the reprehensible slaver.
"Please, Royce," Reiko said.
Hangs in the hall of the Mansion at Great Inagua.
"Sorry," he said. "This is it. This is what we want."
</tabber>
‘Really impressive, Royce," Inez said and then everyone, including Royce, laughed.
<tabber>
|-|Schooner=
The schooner was a class of ship used as a general sailing vessel by both navies and civilian operators, providing light firepower and ample speed.
|-|10=
|-|Brig=
;FILE_10: <UNTITLED N.3>
The brig was a class of ship bearing two square-rigged masts, and represented a compromise between larger, more powerful ships, and the faster, but less well-armed ones.
Her heart thundered in the cathedral of her ribs as it hadn't since she was a thief. In those days, a chase like this was rare. Usually, she didn't get caught and didn't have to bolt. These days, chases were common. But she really did wish the freerunners she used to hang with could see this. She took the stairs down into the subway like a gazelle, hit the turnstile like an Olympic gymnast, then used that like a mount and came up off it with her legs kicking out, right into a Templar's chest. He went down and Inez landed on his chest to punctuate things.
The train was just coming into the station with a long squeal of its brakes. There was little to no crowd here at Jefferson Park at 2:53 AM, but she bolted for the open doors of the train and then begged them to close. But it was too late. She saw pursuers boarding the other cars.
|-|Man O' War=
The man o' war was a type of large warship purpose built for warfare, boasting multiple gun decks, and crewed by heavily armed professional soldiers.
She could run out at the last second, but she was pretty sure they had someone covering the train. Someone who'd drop her before the doors closed behind her. So, she stayed. Opt for the devil you know and, in this case, the devils that probably have the order to take her alive, if at all possible. That was something, anyway.
|-|El Dorado=
El Dorado was a brig that formed part of the Spanish Treasure Fleet.
She looked to the cars ahead of her through a series of subway windows. People were pushing down the aisle, their eyes on her. It was the same behind her. She figured that this car was as good as any to start a tussle in. She stretched on her toes, letting her back stiffen, then uncoiled vertebrae while exhaling. She then did a small runner's jog-in-place move and started gauging the angles in the train, the height of people seated and standing, various vectors she might try when they get inside.
The fleet was destroyed in a hurricane, with the El Dorado its lone surviving vessel.
The first to arrive were a pair from the back car. It was a guy maybe six foot tall and a shorter woman. From ahead, two men, wide looking, started closing in. She waited until they were close. In fact, she waited until one of the broad men grabbed at her, getting purchase on her jean jacket. She slid out of it the way she'd practiced, stomped onto the guy's instep, and launched herself up under his chin for a KO the only way she knew how. Then the other grabbed at her shoulders, but she wasn't there. She jumped up on a seat, ran on the wall and windows of the car, right past broad man number two and into the next car, where she hit something solid and human.
|-|Jackdaw=
The Jackdaw was a brig captained by the pirate-turned-Assassin Edward Kenway, who named it after the small, swift bird of his native Wales.
Someone was bear-hugging her. It was a very big woman she didn't notice before. The squeezing forced air out of her lungs. Air that she needed to stay conscious. She felt a rib give. She could feel herself slipping into a warm, black unconsciousness. She couldn't…
The ship was known as El Dorado before Edward and his future quartermaster Adéwalé captured it from its fleet.
Suddenly, electricity was running through the woman and, because she was hugging Inez, it ran through her, too. Fifty thousand volts, but all of them at low enough amperage not to kill you. Inez fell to the ground, flapping about helplessly like a fish out of water.
|-|Royal Fortune=
The Royal Fortune was a man o' war captained by the pirate and Sage Bartholomew Roberts, who elected to keep and renamed it after he captured it as the Nosso Senhor da Compreensão from the Portuguese Navy.
Rieko quickly put away the taser and slipped something under Inez's nose, a noxious potion that seemed to numb the electricity. Inez tried to gather herself. She watched as Reiko's hands wrapped her belt around the handle and bar inside the door so it wouldn't open.
|-|The Ranger=
The Ranger was a brig formerly owned by the pirate Benjamin Hornigold before he passed it on to his colleague, Charles Vane.
Reiko gathered half of Inez under her arm, and the two hobbled through a car filled with people more-than-willing to avoid them. They both hoped that they would not die at the next stop.
</tabber>
</tabber>
<tabber>
|-|Spanish Brig=
A miniature ship model of a Spanish Brig.
|-|Spanish Cutter=
A miniature ship model of a Spanish Cutter.
|-|Spanish Schooner=
A miniature ship model of a Spanish Schooner.
|-|Spanish Frigate=
A miniature ship model of a Spanish Frigate.
|-|Spanish Man o' War=
A miniature ship model of a Spanish man o' war.
|-|English Brig=
A miniature ship model of an English Brig.
==Page 28==
|-|English Cutter=
Abstergo Ent [Brahman version 2.00.3145]<br>
A miniature ship model of an English Cutter.
<F> Copyright 1985-2016 Abstergo Corp.<br>
F:\CLOUD<br>
cloud> open cloud.br-london.co.uk<br>
Connected to br-london.co.uk<br>
220 psiweb1 Abstergo CLOUD Service «Version 1.2><br>
370-Welcome to Abstergo Cloud site. 370-Please change to the correct directory for your country<br>
cloud> ed oh 250 CWD command successful.<br>
cloud> put c: temp \test.txt<br>
200 PORT command successful. 150 Opening ASCII mode data connection Testixt. cloud: 23 bytes sent in 0.01 Seconds 2.30 Kbytes/sec.<br>
cloud> transferring...<br>
Abstergo link confirmed.<br>
Cloud sync confirmed.<br>
Upload in progress.<br>
Do not disconnect...
==Setting Overview==
|-|English Schooner=
<opening cloud.ai-corp.ca> <uploading data from the Abstergo Corp database><br>
A miniature ship model of an English Schooner.
<please wait...><br>
<Reading the loaded SD card> </Installing AsBr16_patch.><br>
<With the database you are about to open, you will learn all you need to know about the modern-day world and its ancient roots><br>
<synchronizing...>
===THE ASSASSIN BROTHERHOOD===
|-|English Frigate=
{{Quote|To say that everything is permitted is to understand that we are the architects of our actions and that we must live with their consequences, whether glorious or tragic.|Ezio Auditore}}
A miniature ship model of an English Frigate.
The Assassins are an ancient and secretive organization dedicated to protect mankind's freedom of choice. They believe that only free will can allow humanity to thrive and survive, as it allows for the birth of new ideas and innovations.
To achieve such noble goal, the Brotherhood fights for the oppressed, secretly assassinating any tyrant or dictator who threatens the freedom of their people. Throughout their long history, this ideology has set the Assassins up in direct opposition to a powerful and equally secretive organization – the Templars, who believe that the only way to ensure the survival of humanity is to remove free will, thus saving mankind from itself.
|-|English Man o' War=
A miniature ship model of an English man o' war.
The Brotherhood's ideals were conceived thousands of years ago, in Ancient Greece, although their first incarnation – the Hidden Ones – was established in Egypt at the end of the Ptolemaic Kingdom.
|-|The El Dorado=
A miniature ship model of the El Dorado.
====THE HIDDEN ONES - ORIGINS====
|-|The Jackdaw=
{{Quote|We must continue the fight and defend the free will of the people. And no matter how small, our brotherhood is the only hope and our kingdom needs no crowns.|Bayek of Siwa 47 BCE}}
A miniature ship model of the Jackdaw.
The Hidden Ones were a group of freedom fighters founded in Egypt in 47 BCE by Bayek of Siwa, a Medjay, and his wife, Aya of Alexandria (later known as Amunet). Their goal was to combat the tyranny and corruption present in Egypt at that time. While they fought against oppressive rulers, they also sought to maintain peace and justice by targeting those who threatened the population, striking as quickly and lethally as desert cobras.
They opposed the Order of the Ancients, a conspiratorial group of powerful figures who might be seen as one of the earliest incarnations of the Templars. The Order exerted their influence discreetly, manipulating local rulers for personal gain; their meddling contributed to much of the chaos of the declining days of the Ptolemies. The Hidden Ones sought to counteract the Orders' nefarious activities and restore order to Egypt.
|-|The Revenge (ship model)=
A miniature ship model of the Revenge.
</tabber>
<tabber>
|-|Black Jaguar=
In the [[Americas]], the term ‘black panther’ generally refers to a melanistic [[jaguar]]. They are not a separate species, but a color morph of the spotted form. Black jaguars form less than ten percent of jaguars.
====MODERN DAY BROTHERHOOD====
Black jaguars can be found in Isla Providencia and Pinos Isle.
{{Quote|The Templars might have deeper pockets than us, but they've got no ambition, no passion, no competitive edge! That's why, even with all their resources, anything they can do, I can do better. Faster, too.|Rebecca Crane}}
The modern day Brotherhood is organized into small cells of Assassins, usually located in major cities or strategic sites, but also in isolated compounds outside urban centers with more substantial Templar presence. In general, modern cells function differently than the guilds of the past and can be described as solitary units of freedom fighters training and living off the grid.
|-|Cat=
The cat is a small carnivorous mammal with a flexible body, sharp claws, and quick reflexes. Cats have long been domesticated, and are favored as pets for their affectionate independence, and playful natures.
The leader of the Brotherhood is called the Mentor. At one time, each Guild had its own Mentor. However, by the twentieth century, the entire Brotherhood was overseen by a single leader. The identity and location of the Mentor was kept secret, even from the Assassins.
Sailors often keep cats aboard ships to deal with rats and other vermin.
Gavin Banks and William Miles both served as Mentors after the Great Purge, sharing the responsibility. At that time, the Brotherhood was recovering, struggling to re-establish itself in the wake of the Templar Order's devastating blow.
|-|Crocodile=
The [[Crocodile]] is a large, tropical-dwelling tetrapod. Crocodiles can measure up to 15 feet long, weigh 2000 pounds, and live to be 70 years old. This prehistoric-looking predator preys on birds, fish, insects and other reptiles.
Miles returned to the Brotherhood as sole Mentor in 2015, although it was with great reluctance that he adopted that title.
Crocodiles have been known to indulge in cannibalistic behaviour. Because of this, they live in groupings of the same size.
====ASSASSIN TRAINING====
Not to be confused with alligators, crocodiles are bigger, lighter in color, and have narrower snouts. Although known to attack [[humans]], the crocodile is more likely to flee than to react aggressively when approached.
Becoming an Assassin requires rigorous training. Apprentices must learn to observe a situation in great detail, as being well informed means being able to make the best possible decision. This is more than just watching — it means taking note of the context of a situation, absorbing as many details as possible, and collecting information via the gathering of intelligence.
Once the action starts, furtiveness is an Assassin's greatest tool. Being able to reach a target covertly, deal with it quickly and efficiently, then slip away without anyone noticing is fundamental. Apprentices extensively practice the art of "hiding in plain sight", learning how to blend in a crowd, to move away or disappear completely.
Crocodiles are most commonly found in Nassau, Long Bay, and Matanzas.
Trainees are also taught to take advantage of the shadows and find alternative routes to reach their destination. ‘Freerunning' is their main asset here — an acrobatic form of movement that involves navigating fluidly across an urban or natural landscape, climbing vertical surfaces such as walls, leaping horizontally or vertically, diving, vaulting, swinging from handholds, dropping, and rolling. While equipment is not required, the Brotherhood has developed various gear over the years to enhance an Assassin's ability. Tools such as hooked blades, whips, orbthe grappling hook and rope launcher extension to the Assassin's gauntlet have all been used to aid freerunning.
|-|Deer=
Deer are large hoofed ruminants notable for having two large and two small hooves on each foot. Males have antlers while the females do not, with the exception of a single species where the females also grow antlers. Deer are selective feeders, eating plant food low in fiber content and high in protein such as young grass, herbs, woody shoots, and bark.
Finally, all apprentices undergo extensive weapons and combat training, typically with blades. The original Medjay background of Bayek and Aya influenced how they trained the Hidden Ones, and their style can still be recognized in how a modern Assassin moves today. Yet, no single fighting style can be said to be typical among members of the Brotherhood. Other than the Hidden Blade, the Assassins make use of whatever weapon or technique they excel at. The clandestine nature of the Brotherhood makes it difficult to instruct all trainees in the same way; many initiates must learn what they can from fellow crew members and cell mentors, and often must do so in do-or-die circumstances.
Various subspecies of deer can be found in the Caribbean bioregion. The red brocket deer, for example, is found in Trinidad and Tobago and the Key deer, introduced by colonists, inhabits the Florida Keys.
Not all Assassins are trained to be fighters, although they all share a basic level of competence in self-defense. Initiates are often encouraged to develop their interests into strengths for the Brotherhood, for the more diverse and complementary the knowledge and specialization of the trainees, the more a group of Assassins will be helpful to the cause. Engineering, medicine, history, sleight of hand, computer hacking, or combat – everything might serve the cause at the right moment.
Deer are most commonly found in Kingston, Salt Lagoon, and Santanillas.
=====The Doctrine=====
|-|Frigatebird=
{{Quote|You cannot know anything. Only suspect. You must expect to be wrong, to have overlooked something.|Malik Al-Sayf}}
Frigate birds are large seabirds with long wings, forked tails, and slender bodies. They generally inhabit tropical and subtropical oceans, often nesting on remote islands. Frigate birds are skilled fliers, and are known to steal food from other seabirds.
To help the Assassins put their philosophy into practice the Brotherhood developed a protocol, maintained by three simple rules — the Three Tenets.
;I. Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent
Your goal is to ensure peace in all things. The Brotherhood believes that by assassinating the evil and the corrupt they will ultimately bring peace, freedom, and security to the people. Killing innocents could stir up anger and dissent among those who you are supposed to save and protect.
{{Quote|There is freedom, and there is the life of innocents. Both must be balanced on the scale.|Bayek of Siwa}}
;II. Hide in plain sight
You must be unseen. Assassins must get close to their targets stealthily and be gone as quickly as possible in order to perform awe-inspiring, public killings.
{{Quote|Let the people mask you such that you become one with the crowd.|Al Mualim}}
;III. Never compromise the Brotherhood
Your individual actions must never bring harm to all. Should an Assassin fail in their duty and be captured or followed, they must avoid giving away anything that could be traced back to the Brotherhood or bring harm to its members.
{{Quote|Its meaning should be obvious. Your actions must never bring harm upon us — direct or indirect!|Al Mualim}}
The Three Tenets appear simple, but in fact they present all Assassins with a complex and challenging set of ethical puzzles when they are applied to the usual methods employed by the Brotherhood.
In light of this dissonance, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad developed the Three Ironies, a corollary set of observations into the contradictory nature of the Assassin Brotherhood that he included in a series of writings known as the Codex:
|-|Hammerhead Shark=
;I. THE ASSASSINS SEEK TO PROMOTE PEACE, BUT COMMIT MURDER.
Found across the world in tropical and temperate waters, the [[Hammerhead sharks|hammerhead]]'s unusual head shape gives it increased sensory ability to detect its prey. The hammerhead does not attack humans, although it can be lethal if provoked.
;II. THE ASSASSINS SEEK TO OPEN THE MINDS OF MEN; BUT REQUIRE OBEDIENCE TO RULES.
;III. THE ASSASSINS SEEK TO REVEAL THE DANGER OF BLIND FAITH, YET PRACTICE IT THEMSELVES.
As Altaïr points out, Assassins bend their own rules in order to accomplish their work for the greater good. But this must not be seen as paradoxical, but rather serve to illustrate the Brotherhood's willingness to embrace contradiction, a way to introduce an element of uncertainty into Assassin ideology, and therefore help prevent episodes of fanaticism and zealotry among its members.
Hammerhead sharks can be found in the Eleuthera and Gibara regions.
Indeed, beliefs should constantly be challenged in order to make sure the right path is not being followed for the wrong reasons.
|-|Howler Monkey=
Considered one of the loudest animals on [[earth]], the small-sized [[Howler monkey|Howler Monkey]] generates a siren-like howl that can be heard from a distance of 3 miles (5km). They are not aggressive and are popular as pets in The West Indies.
{{Quote|The Creed of the Assassin Brotherhood teaches us that nothing is forbidden to us. Once, I thought that meant we were free to do as we would. To pursue our ideals, no matter the cost. I understand now. Not a grant of permission. The Creed is a warning. Ideals too easily give way to dogma. Dogma becomes fanaticism. No higher power sits in judgement of us. No supreme being watches to punish us for our sins. In the end, only we ourselves can guard against our obsessions. Only we can decide whether the road we walk carries too high a toll. We believe ourselves redeemers, avengers, saviors. We make war on those who oppose us, and they in turn make war on us. We dream of leaving our stamp upon the world… even as we give our lives in a conflict that will be recorded in no history book. All that we do, all that we are, begins and ends with ourselves.|Arno Dorian}}
Howler monkeys are most commonly found in Kingston, Cape Bonavista, and Long Bay.
====The Great Purge====
|-|Hutia=
{{Quote|The modern-day Assassins are weak. It is only a matter of time before I catch the last of them, and kill them. But it is not enough for them to die. I want them to know how weak they truly are, and I want everyone to see them suffer. So on the day they finally meet me, they will welcome the death I offer them.|Juhani Otso Berg}}
The hutia is a large rodent unique to the Caribbean basin which varies in size, and can form distinct species from island to island. Hutias are often hunted by locals to be eaten in a spiced stew.
In the year 2000, Daniel Cross, an Assassin who had been turned into a sleeper agent by Templar conditioning, struck at the heart of the Brotherhood, slaying the last Assassin Mentor. This act was followed by the Great Purge, a Templar assault that almost destroyed the Brotherhood of Assassins. Following the attack, the Brotherhood was weakened, surviving members scattered in small, isolated cells for over ten years. As testament to the strength of their conviction and training, these Assassins were still able to counter various serious threats.
===The Templar Order===
Hutias are most commonly found in Cayman Sound and Long Bay.
{{Quote|The people never have the power. Only the illusion of it. And here's the real secret: they don't want it. The responsibility is too great to bear. It's why they're so quick to fall in line as soon as someone takes charge. They want to be told what to do. They yearn for it. Little wonder, that, since all mankind was built to serve.|Haytham Kenway}}
The Templar Order seeks to create a perfect society by imposing a rigid structure upon the world. Discipline and authority form the cornerstone of Templar's strategy, positioning them in direct opposition to the Assassin Brotherhood's approach. They consider free will and unbridled innovation to be detrimental and firmly believe that the world can achieve stability and peace only through their enlightened guidance.
In practical terms, the Templars support the centralized leadership of the authoritarian governments of the world, taking action to shape and control society as needed and exploiting revolts and revolutions to their advantage, like puppeteers behind the scenes.
|-|Iguana=
Iguanas are large, herbivorous lizards found throughout the Caribbean islands. The common iguana eats only leaves, flowers and fruit. Despite their at times fierce appearance they are not aggressive, and typically flee when threatened. However, they can lash their tails and bite if provoked.
Their ideology revolves around the idea that only structure and order will allow humankind to transcend its more primitive tendencies, and that free will and autonomy leads to a chaotic, unharmonious society. In short, the unwashed masses cannot be trusted to govern themselves. Paradoxically, the ultimate goal of the Templars seems to parallel that of the Assassins — the survival of mankind. It is their means of achieving that goal that make all the difference.
Iguana are found in Great Inagua, Andreas Island, and Abaco Island.
The Templar Order has existed in one form or another for millennia. Little is known about its history before the 5th century BCE, but archeological evidence suggests that it rose to power as a secret society in Persia, Egypt, and beyond. Initially known to initiates as the Order of the Ancients, they started to operate openly in the Middle Ages, when the Order of the Knights Templar was officially recognized at the Council of Troyes in 1129. By the end of the 13th century, the Order had been greatly weakened by the Assassin Brotherhood and their allies, until they were eventually forced to return to the shadows after publicly being denounced as heretics.
|-|Jaguar=
The largest feline in the Western hemisphere, the [[jaguar]] is distinguished by its compact and powerful build, its agility, and its unique killing method of biting directly into the skull to pierce the brain. The [[Maya]]ns believed that the jaguars could carry messages to and from the afterworld.
Diminished but not destroyed, the Templars continued to influence mankind from the shadows, manipulating history's most influential figures. With their help, they would carry on their age-old quest, helping humanity to reach its full potential through technical and scientific development.
Jaguars are most commonly found in Cape Bonavista, Long Bay, Tulum, and Principe.
=====Modern Day Templars=====
|-|Jellyfish=
At the dawn of the 20th century, the Templars felt that a new era was about to begin — a time where scientific progress would not only flourish, but also change the very fabric of society. In 1910, the Order's leaders designed the Plan. 27 years later, a group of influential Templar industrialists founded Abstergo Industries, a multinational corporation that would become the public face of the Order.
Also called a [[wikt:medusa|medusa]], the [[jellyfish]] isn't technically a [[fish]]—it is a free-swimming {{Wiki|Cnidaria|non-vertebrate}} found in every sea across the [[Earth|world]]. Jellyfish consist of a {{Wiki|Mesoglea|gelatinous bell}} with trailing tentacles capable of {{Wiki|Cnidocyte|stinging}} prey. Jellyfish stings are in most cases harmless to [[human]]s, but some can be extremely serious, even lethal.
For the second time in its millennia-old history, the Order was at least in some small way made public. The Templars, however, would not repeat the mistakes of the past. They determined that Abstergo would be used as a front, and take full advantage of the vast resources the company would provide, while the Templars would continue to operate behind the scene, never revealing their identity or real agenda.
|-|Manta Ray=
Although related to [[shark]]s, [[manta ray]]s are harmless. They can be quite large (up to 30 ft (9m) wide) and feed on small [[fish]] and plankton, funneling food into their mouth using {{Wiki|cephalic}} flaps extending from the eyes. Manta rays, which are found all over the world, have the unique ability to leap from the water into the air to escape attackers.
Today, Abstergo Industries is one of the largest and most powerful corporations in the world.
|-|Monkey=
Monkeys in the Caribbean are primarily an introduced African species called the green monkey, although up to the 17th Century these still shared territory with the now extinct Jamaican monkey. Both species were omnivores that ate a variety of foraged foods including fruit, seeds, flowers, insects, and smaller animals like frogs and birds.
{{IUNote
Monkeys were viewed as pests by farmers as they continually raided crops, but were favoured by locals and sailors who adopted them as mischievous, intelligent pets.
|Title=CHILDREN OF CAIN
|Text=While the origins of the Templar Order have long been forgotten, some speculate that one of its founding members was Cain, the mythical figure who killed his own brother, Abel. Further conjecture would posit that Cain actually murdered his brother not out of jealousy, but in order to acquire a Piece of Eden — one of the highly advanced technological devices left behind by the First Civilization.<br><br>Evidence might suggest that some Templars of olden days considered themselves the Children of Cain. Several even espoused the belief that their emblem, the red cross pattée, was the mark of Cain.}}
====Abstergo Industries====
|-|Ocelot=
{{Quote|We are committed to researching, developing, and providing high-quality products that enrich, entertain, and shape the lives of our customers. We build programs that re-examine the past, improve the present, and define the future.|Abstergo Industries Mission Statement}}
The ocelot is a wild cat that typically has yellow fur with dark stripes in the manner of a jaguar. Ocelots are nocturnal and range from the size of domestic cats up to four feet (1.2 meters) in length.
In the modern day, Abstergo Industries operates within several business areas, including pharmaceuticals and communications. The company has been responsible for the majority of corporate research and development achievements of the Western world, greatly contributing to the technological and economic advancement of mankind.
Behind the scenes, Abstergo has developed a three-part, Templar-directed initiative that non-initiate Abstergo employees are not privy to: to destroy the Assassin Brotherhood, to acquire Precursor technology, and to establish a New World Order. To accomplish this plan, Abstergo has spent enormous capital, investing in foreign governments and funding major corporations, quietly strengthening its influence over the dissemination of knowledge as well as accumulating resources and gathering data.
Ocelot hides are coveted by leather workers for their ease of working, patterned fur, soft texture, and durability.
====Structure of the Templar Order====
Ocelots can be found in Cumberland Bay and Abaco Island.
The Templar Order has always been directed by an Inner Sanctum, a secret council of nine members sometimes referred simply as ‘The Nine'. Still in charge today, the Inner Sanctum is swathed in secrecy — only its members know what is discussed in the council, and their identity is unknown even to other Templars. Every member of the Inner Sanctum knows about the plans for the creation of a New World Order, and is fully aware of Abstergo's secret projects and initiatives.
Above the Inner Sanctum sit the three Guardians, individuals tasked with reviewing every decision made by the Inner Sanctum. Once approved by the Guardians, a proposition is then passed to the General of the Cross, who has final approval. The identity of all these individuals is usually kept secret, although it is known that Alan Rikkin was a member of both the Nine as well as a Guardian until his demise in 2016. Several other governing bodies influence Templar operations. For example, the Council of Elders guides, but does not dictate directly, the operations of the Order through its influence over the allocation of Templar resources.
|-|Turtle=
The [[Caribbean]] basin provides an excellent climate for both land and [[Green sea turtle|sea turtles]]. Turtles are reptiles with a hard, protective upper shell called a carapace. Although they are natural swimmers and can stay submerged for up to 7 hours while resting, turtles breathe air. Despite being awkward and slow moving on land, they go ashore to lay their eggs.
{{IUNote
|-|White Jaguar=
|Title=THE BLACK CROSS
White coats in animals can be due to a specific genetic mutation or albinism. The genetic mutation that yields a white jaguar also results in a more aggressive animal, making them dangerous as well as rare.
|Text=The Black Cross was a secret inquisitorial position that solely answered to the Inner Sanctum. They were enforcers, tasked with keeping members of the Order in line with the philosophy of the secret society. They were empowered to excise any Templar who became corrupted. In time, they reached almost legendary status among Templars, who admired and feared them in equal measure, but the position eventually became defunct with the death of the last known enforcer, Albert Bolden, in 1927. Juhani Otso Berg independently reconstituted the position of the Black Cross in 2016 in order to restore the integrity of modern Templars, including its high-ranking members. Otso Berg secretly took the mantle for himself, the first Black Cross to be an actual member of the Inner Sanctum.}}
====Precursor Research====
White jaguars can be found at Great Inagua.
One main focus of Templar research is the study of the Precursors, a civilization also known as the Isu. Predating humankind, Isu civilisation was a rigidly structured, analytical, and orderly society, focused on rational design. The Templar Order uses the Animus technology developed by Abstergo to uncover as much information related to the Precursor civilization as possible. The Templar Order especially covets the so-called Pieces of Eden, powerful artifacts created by the Precursors to control humanity.
===The First Civilization===
|-|Wild Pig=
{{Quote|They're gifts, Mr. Miles. From those who came before.|Dr. Warren Vidic on the Pieces of Eden, 2012}}
The [[wild pig]], or [[wild boar|boar]], is a large cousin of the domesticated [[pig]] covered by hairy bristles. They were introduced by [[Europe]]ans to the [[Caribbean]] basin ([[Christopher Columbus|Columbus]] himself brought eight pigs with him from [[Spain]]). Wild pigs flourished in the island environment and were hunted by sailors and [[Piracy|pirates]] to provide salted pork on their voyages.
Little is known about the Isu, the Precursors, or Those Who Came Before, but their civilization spanned the entire planet before mankind even appeared. This ancient race, now extinct, was so advanced that modern day scientists — at least the few fortunate enough to have come across their technology — have not yet even begun to fathom the full extent of their function.
It is exactly the products of such technology that the Templar Order is bent on finding. In particular, they seek the artifacts known as the Pieces of Eden — incredibly complex devices that the Isu created to enforce obedience on humankind. In fact, while archeological evidence is scanty, all data gathered so far (mainly by the Templars) seem to indicate that the Precursors employed humans as slaves.
Wild pigs are most commonly found in Nassau, Great Inagua, and Cape Bonavista.
While the full and direct enslavement of humankind is not something the Templars desire, the fact that most of the Pieces of Eden seems built to achieve the mental and physical control of human thoughts, emotions, and behavior, makes them an invaluable instrument towards the Order's goal of creating a society based on the choices of an enlightened few.
|-|Bull Shark=
So-called because of their short snouts and their tendency to head-butt prey, [[bull sharks]] are commonly found in warm, shallow waters. They are extremely aggressive and dangerous to [[Humans|humans]]. The females are larger than the males, and adults measure well over seven feet (2.15m) long.
To find the Pieces of Eden, the Templar Order employs the Animus device developed by Abstergo Industries. By probing the past, the Templars are sure they will discover the whereabouts of these lost treasures one after the other.
Bull sharks can be found in the Dry Tortuga, Gibara, and Punta Guarico regions.
====The truth about the Isu====
|-|Capuchin Monkey=
The human race is the result of extensive scientific experimentation by members of the Precursor civilization. By accelerating the natural evolutionary process of mankind and altering its genetic makeup by mixing it with their own, the Isu created a race in their image, albeit one possessing a shorter lifespan. Even if gifted with only five senses, humans were designed to flourish in challenging conditions, a characteristic that enabled them to adapt to their environment and survive.
Found throughout Central and [[South America]], [[capuchin monkey]]s are small and highly intelligent. They eat almost anything -- nuts, fruits, small birds, frogs, clams, etc. Many [[Piracy|pirates]] favored capuchins as pets.
Mankind looked up to the Isu as gods, but in truth humans were merely a subservient workforce. By limiting human potential, and employing the Pieces of Eden, humanity was kept pliant and obedient.
Capuchins can be found in Matanzas and Misteriosa.
Eventually, following centuries of slavery, humanity rose up against their masters. The Isu were heavily outnumbered by their slaves, but Precursor technology was superior. This uprising raged on for a decade before the Precursor civilization was effectively destroyed by the Toba Catastrophe – a cataclysmic coronal mass ejection some seventy-thousand years BCE – despite several attempts to prevent the disaster. Mankind survived, rebuilt and flourished; the surviving Isu died out over the millennia, their civilization doomed as their number diminished.
|-|Great White Shark=
The largest predatory fish in the world, the [[Great white sharks|great white]]'s lethal aspect is due to its nearly 300 serrated teeth arranged in rows. Great whites have been known to attack [[humans]], but usually more out of curiosity than hunger -- "sample biting" and then releasing their victims. The great white reaches an average length of 15 feet (4.6m).
Different cultures across the world share thematically similar mythologies, testament to the Isu's continued influence over humanity, even in the twilight of their own civilization. Knowledge of the Precursor civilization has spread beyond the Brotherhood and the Order as outsiders have inadvertently uncovered mysterious artifacts and knowledge.
Great white sharks can be found in the Cruz and Serranilla regions.
====The Vaults====
|-|Humpback Whale=
The Templars have already located a number of sites that have been identified as the center of important Precursor activity. A disproportionate number of these so-called Isu Vaults are located in and around Rome, although they are found all over the world.
Known for emitting complex sequences of haunting moans, the [[Humpback whale|humpback]] is a large whale that reaches up to 62 feet (19 meters) in length. They migrate from the poles to the equator seasonally and travel in pods.
According to the information gathered, these Vaults were centers of research and planning, aimed at exploring methods of preservation of the world and its people in the face of catastrophe. They were built underground so as to be removed from any disturbance on the surface, as well as to be more secure in the event that a disaster was not averted.
Humpback whales can be found in the Castillo De Jagua and Navassa regions.
One of the most important Vaults was the one called the Grand Temple. Here, the Precursor scientists Minerva, Juno, and Jupiter (the ‘Capitoline Triad') labored searching for methods to avert or cope with the incoming natural disaster that would become the Toba Catastrophe. They worked in the underground temple for years in vain, researching and testing various potential solutions that were developed in a network of secondary temples or vaults.
|-|Killer Whale=
Called the Grampus by sailors in the 18th century, the [[killer whale]], or Orca, is part of the dolphin family. Known for their ferociously deadly predation, killer whales feast on [[seal]]s, sea-lions and even other whales. They hunt in pods in the manner of [[Wolves|wolf packs]] and are found throughout the [[Earth|world]]'s seas.
===Animus Technology===
Killer whales can be found in the Cruz and Conttoyor regions.
{{Quote|Animus technology functions in much the same way a simulator/projector does. Your consciousness will tap into the genetic coding in such a way that everything will appear to all your senses as three-dimensional, putting you in the heart of the action. It's adaptive, so as the memories unfold, the "program" you experience begins to change subtly. They will appear to you as glitches and let you explore a memory much more closely|The Abstergo Entertainment Employee Handbook, 2014}}
</tabber>
The first Animus was developed in the 1970s and 80s, under the direction of Abstergo Industries' Dr Warren Vidic, one of the leading experts on genetic memory. His revolutionary work was inspired by his study of Precursor technology, and aimed at creating an empirical way to analyze and investigate genetic memories by use of a virtual reality simulation.
In time, the Animus technology was refined into an accurate tool allowing its user to truly interface with history itself. As users improve their synchronization level within a simulation, the Animus allows them to delve deeper and deeper into genetic memories, unlocking secrets that would otherwise remain buried in the sands of time.
<tabber>
|-|Red Howler Monkey=
Red howler monkeys can be located on Isla Providencia.
</tabber>
But the Order found other uses for Doctor Vidic' ground-breaking technology. The Templars first developed the Animi Training Program, which made use of the virtual experience simulator to train and picked Abstergo employees to better face Assassins. Then, Abstergo started secretly collecting genetic memories from the unknowing public through the worldwide release of an Animus entertainment console capable of stealing data from the genetic memory of users and storing it for potential use.
<tabber>
|-|Adéwalé=
Born: 1692, [[Trinidad]]<br>
Died: Unknown
====Animus models====
Born to [[Slavery|enslaved]] {{Wiki|Ogoni people|Ogoni}} parents in {{Wiki|Yorubaland|Yoruba}}, [[Adéwalé]] was sold to the owner of a prosperous [[plantation]] before his teens. He remained on this plantation, working the fields, until his mid teens, always scheming of ways to escape his predicament, but uneasy with the prospect of living life as a fugitive.
The Data Dump Scanner (DDS) was a program created by Abstergo Industries as part of Project Legacy, intended for use as part of the Animi Training Program. The software enables users to experience any pre-recorded memory, not just those to which they have a genetic link.
The Animus Omega was ostensibly used by Abstergo employees to view memories taken from Subject 17, Desmond Miles, but in truth was secretly being used to find more information about Precursor civilization. The Omega dates to 2013.
Then fortune struck, giving Adéwalé the sign he needed. At some point near his 16th birthday, a group of buccaneers raided the [[plantation]], robbing it of raw cane, refined [[sugar]], and as many [[real]]es as they could find. Seeing in this an opportunity, Adé grabbed a crate of sugar and hauled it aboard one of the longboats the buccaneers had rowed ashore. Surprised to see a slave among them, the buccaneers were nevertheless thankful for the aid, and welcomed Adé among them.
Sold to the general public in 2012 as an entertainment console, the Animus Console enabled its users to experience carefully edited memories as a form of immersive, educational games. Again, the Console had an ulterior motive – as a way to influence the public to think more like the Templar Order.
Adé sailed with this first group of men for many years, quickly learning the ways of a seaman, grateful for the chance to develop his own skills and chase his own passions. And though his life among buccaneers was not free of the usual bigotry of the era, Adé found the prejudice to be more confrontational than restrictive.
The Brahman V.R., produced in 2013 in collaboration with Mysore Tech, was another mass-marketed entertainment device. Unbeknownst to its users, it harvested their genetic memories for use by Abstergo Industries.
In 1715, misfortune struck a cruel blow when the ship Adé was aboard, struck a shallow sandbar near the port of [[Havana]]. The buccaneers—mostly [[United Kingdom|British]] at the time—tried desperately to free the trapped vessel, but after catching sight of an approaching [[Spain|Spanish]] [[Man O' War|Galleon]], abandoned ship only to be torn apart by schools of circling [[bull shark]]s. Adé made peace with his fate, and stood his ground.
Templar scientist Álvaro Gramática developed the Helix in 2014, using Animus technology alongside DDS software to create a narrative sympathetic to the Order for use as propaganda. The program was also used to mine genetic memories for information regarding Precursor artifacts. Assassins and their sympathizers took advantage of its cloud-based nature to hack into it and interfere with the Helix program.
Taken to [[Havana]] for questioning and inspection, Spanish authorities eventually decided to send Adéwalé to Spain, where they felt he would make an excellent interpreter, owing to his fluent command of Spanish, [[England|English]], and [[France|French]]. Some weeks later, they loaded him into of the Galleons that made up their perennial [[Spanish Treasure Fleet|treasure convoy]], en route to [[Seville]].
One of the limiting factors of Animus technology was that the genetic memories of a subject stopped when the subject passed their genetic memories on to their descendants. To overcome this limitation, in 2016, a classified Abstergo experiment combined this source DNA with written accounts, letters, DNA samples from eyewitnesses and so on to generate algorithms of "probable paths", referred to as "extrapolated memories". These were projected simulations of genetic memories that extended beyond the moment of procreation.
Named for the [[Maya]]n god of hunting, [[Ah Tabai]]'s given name remains a mystery, and very little is known about his earliest decades. The only child he is known to have fathered died before the age of ten.
{{Quote|Each vault's knowledge was transmitted to a single place. It was our duty – mine, Minerva's, and Juno's – to sort and sample all that was collected.|Jupiter}}
In the secret war, a number of factions pursue their own agenda independently, without pledging allegiance to either the Assassins or the Templars.
====Erudito====
What little else we know about him comes from his own mouth; from the stories he told those who knew him. When speaking about his own past, he avoids personal details in favor of abstractions and hints. He frequently speaks of his love and admiration for the tragic history of his people, and used these stories to illustrate the complex intersections of cultures and religions, frequently pointing out the fact that "From within and without come enemies and allies alike. Nothing in life is guaranteed, except surprise..."
The Erudito is a collective composed of hackers who aim to boycott Abstergo Industries, using cutting-edge technology to spread uncomfortable, hidden truths about the corporation and its connections with the Templar Order.
For example, when Abstergo Industries introduced a revolutionary Animus technology as a commercial entertainment product, Erudito hacked several users' accounts to reprogram a number of playable memories that Abstergo manipulated to reveal the real story hidden behind them.
It is not known how early Ah Tabai acquired the title of Mentor, nor how large his impact was on the [[Assassins]] of the [[Caribbean|West Indies]]. However, that he maintained semi-regular contact with the [[American Brotherhood of Assassins|Assassins in the British colonies]] to the north, in various parts of [[Europe]] and [[Africa]], and in [[China]]. He was instrumental in opening his branch to men and women from all walks of life - mostly Europeans, Africans, and those Native to the area.
====INSTRUMENTS OF THE FIRST WILL====
As a native Mayan himself, rumors and stories of the ancient [[Observatory (Isu)|Observatory]] were not foreign to Ah Tabai. So when in 1713 rumors of [[Bartholomew Roberts|a new "Sage"]] began to surface, Ah Tabai took it upon himself to locate the man, believing the Assassins should be the protectors of the ancient and mysterious place. He sent word far and wide to as many Assassin outposts as possible, hoping their network of spies and informants would lead them to their prize. But after two years, there was no word.
Also known as the "Juno cult", the Instruments of the First Will were a secretive group that not only included Templars, but Assassins and civilians as well. Devoted to Juno, the cult are committed to their fanatical mission to bring the Isu back to life and re-establish the Precursors at the head of a newly enslaved human species.
Even in the modern day, the Instruments were able to operate unnoticed for many years, infiltrating the Templar Order, and attracting members of the Brotherhood and Erudito to their cause.
Then, in early 1715, an experienced British Assassin named [[Duncan Walpole]] arrived at Ah Tabai's encampment, initially expressing a desire to train under the Mentor directly. Ah Tabai found the request odd but flattering, for Walpole had already achieved a level of Mastery few assassins ever reached. After many months of intensive training, Ah Tabai came to consider Duncan Walpole as one of his most trusted colleagues.
====THE INITIATES====
Then in June of 1715, word arrived that the [[Templars]] had located and imprisoned the [[Sages|Sage]] on [[Spain|Spanish]] lands in the far south. Seeing an opportunity to cripple his arch-enemies, Ah Tabai entrusted Duncan Walpole with the task of rallying various Assassins around the West Indies and leading an assault on the Templar prison ship en route to [[Havana]]. Duncan Walpole agreed to this task... and was never heard from again.
An underground, unaffiliated group of anonymous individuals, privately funded by citizens looking for the truth, the Initiates are determined to expose the existence and operations of both the Brotherhood and the Templar Order. The collective sends any information they gather over a private and secure network known as the Outernet.
==Timeline==
It was only after [[Edward Kenway]]'s disastrous meddling in Havana that Ah Tabai was made aware of the full extent of Walpole's betrayal.
;UNKNOWN [BCE]:
*By genetically modifying existing species, the Isu create the first humans.
;CIRCA 75,010 BCE
|-|Anne Bonny=
*After stealing an Apple of Eden, Eve awakens Adam, sparking the human uprising against the Isu race.
Born: 1702, [[Ireland]]<br>Died: Unknown
*The Isu Saturn, Juno's father, was one of the first victims of the conflict. The death of Saturn marks the beginning of the eternal vengeance Juno swore against the human race.
;CIRCA 75,010-75,000 BCE
[[Anne Bonny|Anne]] was barely a teen when she left her native [[County Cork|Cork]] in [[Ireland]] for the [[United Kingdom|British]] colonies, and by sixteen she was en route to [[Caribbean|West Indies]] at side of her new husband, Mr. Jack Bonny, a gentle but sturdy young man in his early 20s.
*The Human-Isu war.
;CIRCA 75,000 BCE
The pair arrived in [[Nassau]] in April of 1716, settling down with an unclear idea of what shape their lives might take. Jack eventually found work on one of the small [[plantation]]s there, while Anne cultivated her ability to loaf and daydream. Unfortunately, her beauty, aloofness, and complete indifference to propriety made her the object of more romantic attention than she had ever known or cared for.
*The Toba Catastrophe. A massive solar flare hits the Earth, devastating both Isu and human populations. Few Isu survive, leading to their gradual extinction. The surviving members of the human race build new civilizations.
;754 BCE
Within a year of arriving in Nassau, the Bonnys' marriage was in shambles, a union only in name. While Jack disappeared further into his work, Anne grew more confident and sociable, eventually taking a job as a barmaid at the popular [[Old Avery]] [[tavern]] in the center of Nassau. And though she took on a few lovers in the next few years, it was mostly out of envy and spite that the rabble of Nassau branded Anne a harlot and a tease. But with no high society to shun or shame her, Anne's desirability only increased on the strength of these rumors.
*Romulus and Remus, two twin Demigods descendants of the Isu Mars, retrieve a Piece of Eden, the Sword of Mars, from the god's temple. The artifact could convey extraordinary powers, turning its wielder into a mythical leader.
;753 BCE
|-|Edward "Blackbeard" Thatch=
*Romulus and Remus fight to the death due to the brothers' irreconcilable views about Rome and the Sword of Mars. Romulus kills Remus and becomes the first king of Rome.
orn: 1680, [[England]]<br>Died: ????
;717 BCE
Known variously by different sources as Thatch, Teach, Theach, Tache, Titche, Teatch, Tack, and more, we are fairly certain [[Edward Thatch]] was born in or around [[Bristol]] and took to the sea at an early age, most likely in his teens. It is also speculated that he arrived in the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] quite soon after leaving England.
*After decades of reign, Romulus understands his brother's vision in favor of free will and realizes that Rome has become a city corrupted by the desire for order and supremacy. As his opponents plot to kill him in the shadows, Romulus disappears, taking the Sword of Mars to the Precursor civilization's temple to prevent the artifact from being used again. He then instructs his followers to act in secret to defend free will.
;480 BCE
If this was indeed the case, Ed Thatch would have seen his fair share of the [[War of Spanish Succession]], a protracted fight between most of the Empires of [[Europe]] that pitted Hapsburg Austia and its British ally against Bourbon France and Spain. In these early years, from 1700 to 1713, Thatch was a privateer or at the very least a merchant seaman, doing his part for the crown—[[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Queen Anne]] at the time.
*Betrayed by the mysterious Cult of Kosmos, Leonidas, King of Sparta, is killed at Thermopylae making a last stand against the invading Persian army. Leonidas' broken spear, an Isu artifact, is passed down to his daughter Myrrine.
;465 BC:
But with the [[Peace of Utrecht|Treaty of Utrecht]] bestowing peace upon a troubled [[Europe]] in 1713, Thatch and his fellow sailors found themselves far from home and out of work. Thus, they turned to [[piracy]] as a means of sustaining themselves. In the ensuing years, Thatch befriended a captain named [[Benjamin Hornigold]] and soon after joined his crew as quartermaster, at some point between late 1714 and early 1716.
*The Persian king Xerxes I is killed by the Assassin Darius, marking the first recorded use of the Hidden Blade.
;431-406 B CE
Settling in [[Nassau]], Thatch, Hornigold, and the rest of the "Flying Gang" as these pirates called themselves, began cooking up schemes far larger than most pirates of the era dared dream. Wanting nothing less than a country of their own, they worked to turn Nassau into a place of liberty and freedom for all who desired an escape from the bonds of imperial rule.
*The Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta is the first act of covert manipulation by the Cult of Kosmos, a powerful group who attempts to command the course of history. The Spartan mercenary Kassandra, granddaughter of Leonidas, thwarts the cult, destroying the Precursor artifact they employed as part of their plan.
;CIRCA 47 BCE
|-|Edward Kenway=
*The Order of the Ancients forges an alliance between Caesar and Cleopatra, which links the two mighty empires of Rome and Egypt under their control.
Born: 1693, [[Wales]]<br>Died: ????
;47 BCE
[[Edward Kenway|Edward James Kenway]] was born on the 10th of March in [[Swansea]], [[Wales]], to [[Bernard Kenway]] of [[Manchester]] and [[Linette Kenway|Linette Hopkins]] of nearby {{Wiki|Cardiff}}. By Edward's 10th birthday, his father had moved the family to a [[Hatherton|small farm]] just outside [[Bristol]], a nearby port town in the southwest of England.
*Bayek of Siwa and Aya establish the Hidden Ones, a group dedicated to covertly stop those who would overrule humanity's free will. The headquarters in Memphis and Rome are founded.
;40 BCE
This relocation had a depressing effect on young Edward's mood. He grew restless from a lack of contact with old friends and struggled to find an outlet for his limitless energy. By his teens he was spending more and more time in the city away from his farm, where the lure of excitement overrode prudence. By age sixteen, he had substituted a career as a successful farmer for a life of hopeless tomfoolery, frequently shirking his responsibilities to his family in favor of rough company.
*Bayek and Aya agree that the Hidden Ones must keep their identities secret, and their activities should never endanger the lives of innocents, starting the tenets of the Assassin's Creed as we know it.
;30 BCE
In late 1711, at the age of seventeen, Edward met [[Caroline Scott-Kenway|Caroline Scott]], a woman of modest but steady means. Their friendship began cautiously, as Caroline's hand had already been promised to the boorish [[Matthew Hague|son]] of a wealthy [[East India Company]] [[Aubrey Hague|executive]]. But Edward's charms eventually won out, and he and Caroline were married within a year of their meeting; a union that angered [[Emmett Scott|her father]], and got the whole of Bristol talking.
*Helped by her former friend Amunet (Aya), Cleopatra ends the war that threatened to destroy Egypt and its people by taking her own life.
;1090 CE
In the earliest months of their marriage, Edward resolved to do well by his wife and provide for her as he believed a man in his position should. But his grandiose dreams and exaggerated opinion of himself prevented him from taking immediate responsibility for their well-being. And after only a year, he had stumbled back into his worst habits - drinking, fighting and idleness.
*Although their rites and practices remain secretive, at the behest of their leader Hasan, the Brotherhood begins to act openly, hoping to inspire others in fighting oppression.
;1129 CE
It was in this dark period that Edward revived an old idea of joining a [[privateer]]ing fleet sailing for the [[Caribbean|West Indies]], with the aim of making war against the [[Spain|Spanish]] and collecting unchecked sums of gold and cargo. This, he told his wife, was their path to quick riches. Being a sensible and prudent woman, Caroline discouraged these fanciful ideas.
*At the Council of Troyes, the Order of the Knights Templar is publicly recognized. Hugues de Payens is the first public Grand Master.
;1257-69 CE
By the summer of 1712, Caroline understood that her husband's departure was inevitable. She wanted no further part of Edward's reckless plan, and so left him to live with her parents. Stunned by this sudden turn, Edward was determined to earn his fortune fast and prove himself as capable as he always claimed he was. He left for the West Indies barely one month later, where he soon fell in with the privateer [[Benjamin Hornigold]] and his quartermaster, [[Edward Thatch|Ed Thatch]].
*After training under Altair Ibn-La'Ahad and his son Darim, Niccolò and Matteo Polo set up the first Assassin Guilds in the West, in Constantinople and Venice.
;1307 CE
Edward spent the first half of 1713 sailing with these two seasoned sailors, on regular sweeps of the windward passage. But that year, fate threw him another upset. With the signing of the [[Peace of Utrecht|treaty of Utrecht]], all hostile actions between the major empires came to an end and the prospects of British privateers dried up. Now poor, unemployed, and thousands of miles from home, Edward and his colleagues settled on the island of New Providence in [[the Bahamas]] to reconsider their options.
*The King of France, Philip IV, brands the Knights Templar as heretics. Their Temple in Paris is besieged, and over sixty Templars are arrested including Grand Master Jacques de Molay.
;1314 CE
These were fanciful days for Edward. He discovered in the small town of [[Nassau]] a life quite unlike that which he had left behind. The atmosphere of wild and noisy freedom in this small stateless encampment overwhelmed and captivated him. The drinking, the gaming, the women, the aimless desire to simply live as one pleased. And yet, as carefree as he was, his beloved Caroline was never far from his mind. If he could make something of himself in the West Indies—working a [[sugar]] [[plantation]], perhaps—he might win her back after all his time away.
*The last public Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, is burnt at the stake. At his final behest, his nine most trusted men are dispatched around the world to continue the Templars' goals in secret.
;1512 CE
But in absence of true conviction, habit takes hold fast; and it was only a matter of time before Edward set back out to sea with his mates, to live the life they knew best; no longer privateers—legal and sanctioned—but as [[Piracy|pirates]] now, with nary a whit of loyalty to kin and country, earning his fortune by the sword and pistol, praying his end was never too near.
*Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's secret library in Masyaf is opened by Ezio Auditore. There, he witnesses the Isu Minerva's message about the Toba Catastrophe, and her warning of a Second Disaster to come.
;1766 CE
|-|Calico Jack Rackham=
*Aveline de Grandpré faces the Templar Order in Louisiana.
Born: 1682, [[Jamaica]]<br>Died: ????
;1788 CE
Of the few infamous [[Piracy|pirates]] to call the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] his birthplace, [[Jack Rackham]] was born in Jamaica at the height of [[Port Royal]]'s boom as a den of scoundrels. This would likely explain his atrophied moral compass, for he was frequently drunk, rarely serious about anything, and always chasing women. He used his outrageous and offensive charm to keep out of most trouble. But a strategist and fighter he was not.
*Mysterious supernatural activities put the New Orleans Bureau of the Brotherhood on edge.
;1917 CE
Nicknamed "Calico" for his affinity for [[India]]n and [[Asia]]n prints, he was a terrible sailor and a worse pirate, given to flights of fancy and myopic ideas that served only himself, rather than solid strategic thinking. He was likely drunk for half of his adulthood, and had a weakness for women that trumped all basic needs, such as sleeping or eating. His disarming charm, dashing good looks, and his swift wit carried him far, but parties can only last so long before someone has to clean up after them.
*In the midst of World War I, the British spy and Templar Agent Jeremiah Davies allies with the Assassin's Brotherhood to keep the Instruments of the First Will activities in Egypt.
;1937 CE
|-|Caroline Scott=
*The Templar Order founds Abstergo Industries as a public front.
Born: 1691, England<br>Died: ????
;1942 CE
Daughter of [[Emmett Scott|Emmett]] and [[Elizabeth Scott]], [[Caroline Scott-Kenway|Caroline]] was born in [[Bristol]], [[United Kingdom|England]], to a prosperous family of merchants and civil servants. Given a modest education by her father, she furthered her own studies in her own way, taking time to read as often as her familiar duties allowed. Splitting her time between this and helping her mother manage her father's affairs, she grew into a confident and level-headed woman with more skill and intelligence than her situation allowed her to exercise.
*A Brotherhood cell moves through occupied France on the trail of suspicious Templar activities.
;JANUARY 1943 CE
Caroline first met [[Edward Kenway]] outside the [[Auld Shillelagh]], in the aftermath of a drunken altercation. She had arrived to fetch one of her servants and there found Edward escorting [[Rose|the woman]] from the clutches of one of Bristol's more notorious [[Tom Cobleigh|cads]]. Thankful for his kindness, Caroline agreed to a second meeting on more equitable terms, hardly thinking a romance possible.
*A Brotherhood cellreaches Saint Bertin. The Seneschal Templar Heinz Müller, leading a platoon of German soldiers, is tearing the Abbey apart, looking for something hidden beneath it.
;FEBRUARY 1943 CE
And yet—against all odds—that is just what happened. Edward and Caroline grew quite close, and soon fell in love, quite much to the dismay of her father. Emmett Scott had already promised his daughter to the [[Matthew Hague|son]] of a wealthy [[East India Company]] [[Aubrey Hague|executive]], and made his displeasure apparent at every turn. But all his noise was to no avail. Caroline and Edward were married in 1712.
*Die Glocke, an early ancestor of the Animus powered by an Apple of Eden, is tested on the British Assassin Eddie Gorm.
;OCTOBER 1943 CE
For a time it seemed as though this odd pairing might produce a lasting union. But Edward's deep love for his wife was offset by his uncouth habits and reckless attention to responsibility. Not content to live a life of middle class drudgery, Edward [[Edward Kenway (memory)|dreamed large]], and fixed on the idea that he could sail to the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] and fight as a [[Privateer]] against the [[Spain|Spanish]]. Or, barring that, buy some land and sow a [[sugar]] [[plantation]]. Caroline tried to dissuade her husband, but to no effect.
*Project Rainbow, more commonly known as the Philadelphia Experiment, is an attempt by the Assassins and Templars to use Die Glocke to change history and avert the dreadful events of World War II. The experiment fails, but the scientific knowledge acquired becomes key to the subsequent development of the Animus.
;1976 CE
|-|Charles Vane=
*Thanks to the newly discovered evidence of triple-helix DNA, Dr Warren Vidic begins drafting blueprints for the first Animus.
Born: 1680, [[England]]<br>Died: ????
;1977 CE
A common refrain in any biography of a [[Golden Age of Piracy|Golden Age]] [[Piracy|Pirate]] goes something like this: "Very little is known about this man's early life..." And with [[Charles Vane]] it's no different. It is not known where he was born, or where he grew up, or when he first took to sea. But maybe that's just as well, for it further heightens the mystery of this strange, unstable man.
*Using blueprints stolen from Abstergo by William Miles, an Assassin Cell constructs their own version of the Animus.
;1978 CE
Surely one of the most ornery and unstable of the "Flying Gang", the band of pirates who called [[Nassau]] their home for a time, Charles Vane began his career like most pirates of the era--honestly, as a [[privateer]] sailing for his King. Likely living in Jamaica in 1715, he was one of many aboard [[Henry Jennings]]' assault on a [[Spain|Spanish]] expedition to recover the gold from their [[Spanish Treasure Fleet|ill fated wreck]] in 1715 off the coast of [[Florida]].
*The first Animus device is built. Abstergo launches the discipline of DNA Memory Research.
;1980 CE
Barely a year later it had become impossible to keep up honest work as a privateer, as [[United Kingdom|British]] Governors were skittish about breaking the terms of the [[Peace of Utrecht|Treaty of Utrecht]], which called for a cessation of all aggression between the major empires. Having few other options, Vane sailed to Nassau where many of his former colleagues were now living.
*Abstergo first uses Animus 1.0 on a human subject, Subject 1, in a dangerous and excruciating procedure. Dr Vidic volunteers to be Subject 2.
*Overseen by Dr Vidic, Abstergo Industries launches the Animus Project. Its goal: to explore genetic memories to gather information about the Assassins and the Pieces of Eden.
;2000 CE
Quick to anger and ferociously mean, Charles Vane quickly earned himself a reputation as a difficult captain to sail under. At some point in 1717 or 1718, an old friend, [[Jack Rackham|"Calico" Jack Rackham]] joined his crew as quartermaster. The two remained partnered for some time, living and working out of Nassau with the likes of [[Benjamin Hornigold]], [[Edward Thatch|Ed Thatch]], and Henry Jennings.
*The Great Purge begins when a Templar sleeper agent, Daniel Cross, kills the Mentor of the Brotherhood. Using intelligence passed to them by Cross, the Templar Order attacks the Brotherhood across the world. Only Assassin Cells unknown to Cross survive.
;2011 CE
|-|James Kidd=
*Subject 16, Clay Kaczmarek, is abducted by Abstergo and placed in the Animus.
Born: 1695, England<br>Died: ????
;2012 CE
Even though not yet out of his teens, James Kidd was a cocky and confident lad with a brashness cultivated to counter his youth. He claimed to be the bastard son of the late [[William Kidd]], the infamous privateer-turned-[[Piracy|pirate]] who was captured and hanged by [[United Kingdom|British]] authorities in 1701. Although James had no proof of this connection, his mother always insisted on it, claiming that she spent a single "panicked night of passion" with Captain Kidd just before his departure from London in 1695.
*Under the guidance of Rebecca Crane and Lucy Stillman, the Assassin Brotherhood produces their own Animus. Upgraded and refined, Animus 2.0 – nicknamed "Baby" – is shaped like a chair.
*Abstergo begins the Animi Training Program, employing Animus technology to train employees to fight the Assassin Brotherhood.
;1-2 SEPTEMBER 2012 CE
Growing up fatherless and with a spendthrift mother did little to improve his prospects at leading a normal life, and at the age of 12 he found employment aboard merchant vessels sailing between the British colonies in [[North America]] and the [[Caribbean|West Indies]]. By the time he was 17 he called [[Jamaica]] his home, where he further honed his skills as a sailor here.
*Subject 17, Desmond Miles, is kidnapped by Abstergo and forced to relive the genetic memories of his ancestor, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.
;8-9 SEPTEMBER 2012 CE
Although he never sailed with the likes of [[Benjamin Hornigold|Ben Hornigold]], [[Edward Thatch|Ed Thatch]], or [[Edward Kenway]], James was among the first sailors to settle in [[Nassau]], and was a central figure in its development as a pirate republic.
*After escaping from Abstergo, Desmond meets with the Assassins. He uses their Animus to relive the genetic memories of his ancestor Ezio Auditore, including the message about the upcoming Second Disaster received from the Isu Minerva.
;21 DECEMBER 2012 CE
|-|Mary Read=
*Defying Minerva, Desmond Miles activates the Eye, dying in the process. He averts the Second Disaster but releases Juno, who had been imprisoned by the Precursors.
Born: Unknown, [[England]]<br>Died: ????
;LATE 2012 CE
Of all the infamous [[Caribbean|West Indies]] [[Piracy|pirates]], [[Mary Read]] stands out as one of the most mysterious and inscrutable. No one is sure when she was born, with most speculation ranging over almost a decade, between 1685 and 1695. According to [[Charles Johnson]]—a frequently unreliable source—her mother began dressing Mary in boy's clothes from a very early age, with the hope of passing her off as another man's son.
*Following Desmond's death, his father William vanishes, leaving Gavin Banks to rebuild the Brotherhood. The remaining Assassin Cells continue to fight the Templar Order from the shadows.
;2013 CE
In her teens, Mary evidently harnessed her skill for disguise to secure a job aboard a [[ship]]. Taking to sea, she worked her way forward until she found a position in the [[Royal Navy|British Navy]]. Still disguised as a man, she saw action in battle, though owing to the conflicting reports of her birth, which battle is uncertain. It was during these skirmishes that Mary met her first husband—so the author of the "General History of Pyrates" claims—a Flemish soldier who had evidently fought beside her.
*Abstergo creates Animus Omega, allowing any user to witness genetic memories. They soon employ the technology as a game console.
*Abstergo Entertainment signs a deal with Indian company Mysore Tech to develop Brahman V.R., a device with the hidden functionality of uploading the genetic memories of its users into the Abstergo Cloud.
;2014 CE
But this union was not fated to remain intact, as Mary's husband was killed soon after their marriage. With few reasons to remain in [[Europe]], Mary sailed for the West Indies. It is unclear what transpired in the years following, but it is almost certain that she resumed the practice of dressing as a man. It is also assumed Mary continued working aboard ships, improving her skills as a sailor and swordsman.
*Helix, a Cloud-based version of the Animus is launched, enabling public users to access carefully edited and curated memories within Abstergo's genetic memory servers. Abstergo secretly mines the user-uploaded genetic memories to find Ancestors who have come into contact with Pieces of Eden or whose bloodlines are associated with the Precursor civilization.
*A group of Assassins hacks the Helix Project to find potential allies.
;2014-15 CE
By 1715 or 1716, it was likely she had visited her fellow sailors in [[Nassau]], though perhaps not for the same reasons...
*A widespread commercial success, the Animus V.R. (a version of the Brahman V.R.) is now available in various models at different prices, ranging from basic to highly sophisticated.
==SEQUENCE BLUEPRINTS==
|-|Opía Apito=
(152-171)
Born: 1695, Cuba<br>Died: Unknown
==The Pieces of Eden==
Born in [[Cuba]], [[Assassin bureau]] leader [[Opía Apito]] was raised Taíno, among her mother's people, never knowing her father, a [[Spain|Spaniard]].
{{Quote|Sometimes I feel so disconnected from everything out there. Nearly a decade of my life gone, searching for those Pieces of Eden|Lucy Stillman}}
In line with the early human belief that the Isu were gods, the Pieces of Eden have often been considered mystical or magical items, or even of alien origin. In fact, they are immensely powerful, technologically sophisticated devices designed by the Precursors.
The main purpose of most of the Pieces of Eden is to control human emotions, thoughts, and behavior. The artifacts are designed to work with humanity's genetically engineered physiology by affecting a network of neurotransmitters in the human brain.
At twelve, her village was [[raid]]ed by the Spanish. Most of her community was kidnapped and killed. But Opía, the lone free survivor, fought and ran. She survived in hiding for close to a decade.
The Templar's goal of unifying the world order under one rule to impose peace motivates their aggressive drive to acquire as many of the Pieces of Eden as possible.
Much of what we know of Opía is inseparable from legend. Her name, possibly self-given, is an amalgam of the Taíno words for "eternity" and "ghost." She claimed to be a direct descendant of the warrior {{Wiki|Hatuey}}, who stood against the Spanish in the 16th Century. She was guided throughout her life by the mantra, ''Aji aya bom''—better dead than a [[Slavery|slave]].
===The Apples of Eden===
In her early twenties, she was hired by the [[Assassins]] as a guide, and was soon [[Initiation into the Assassin Order|adopted]] into their [[Assassin rank|ranks]]. She delighted in a characteristic Taíno approach to strategy: preferring to harm the enemy by taking something from him in battle, that he might live to notice it missing. But as an Assassin she did not shrink from violence.
My fascination with the enigmatic Apples of Eden continues to deepen. Apparently, these remarkable spheroidal artifacts, meticulously crafted by the Precursors, were devised to exert control over humankind, exploiting the intricate genetic composition of our species. Our very nature makes us uniquely susceptible to the profound influence wielded by these objects.
Delving into the annals of time, we journey back to approximately 75,010 BCE when Eve, a unique Isu-human hybrid, harnessed the power of her mixed heritage to resist the mind-altering properties embedded within the Apples of Eden. In a courageous act, Eve and her companion Adam liberated other humans from the clutches of enslavement, igniting the spark of the rebellion against their creators that culminated in the sprawling conflict known as the Human-Isu war. This act of defiance has interlaced with the tapestry of human mythology, giving birth to the legend of Adam and Eve banished from the idyllic Garden of Eden for their audacity to partake in the forbidden fruit.
True to her name, once promoted to Assassin Bureau leader, she built an agile and highly effective "ghost" bureau near the [[Cayman Islands]], with virtually no physical footprint to speak of. We might regard it today as an early example of a terrorist cell, but she left no records and no descendants, and until now, history has held no record of it.
The powers harbored within the Apples of Eden are vast, and capable of reshaping reality through the mere force of thought. Historical records reveal the futile endeavors of the Isu, who sought to exploit this potential by launching an Apple of Eden into Earth's celestial orbit in the grand ambition to manipulate human consciousness, implanting the belief that our world would be shielded from the imminent Toba Catastrophe. However, even the mighty Apples could not alter the course of destiny.
|-|Rhona Dinsmore=
Born: 1688, Scotland<br>Died: Unknown
Beyond their reality-altering capabilities, these artifacts also seem to be invaluable repositories of ancient knowledge, encapsulating an astonishing wealth of Precursor information. Some Apples can also track the elusive fragments of other Isu artifacts scattered across the globe. As the 21st century unfolds, we can confirm the existence of multiple Apples of Eden out there.
Born in [[Scotland]], [[Rhona Dinsmore]] was made for adventure. After suffering the lows of a troubled household–an absent father and a drunkard of a mother–Dinsmore left her home in Glasgow in her mid-teens. At nineteen, she found work amongst [[merchant]]s in [[Bristol]] and remained at that post for nearly two years.
====Apple 2====
By twenty-one, Dinsmore was trapped in a terrible marriage. She fled again and sought refuge in [[Boston]], where she remained for six months, before moving on to the warmer climes of [[Jamaica]]. There she found it exceedingly difficult to find work among farmers, and finally took to the sea, ultimately finding her calling within the [[Assassins|Assassin Brotherhood]].
'''Known Owners:''' Bayek, Al Mualim, Altaïr, Elizabeth I, and Gandhi
'''Current Status:''': Destroyed
|-|Stede Bonnet=
Born: 1688, Barbados
Died: ????
The Apple of Eden was originally recovered from the Order of the Ancients by Bayek, who hid it within Aya's hideout in Alexandria. The former Mentor of the Assassins of Masyaf, Al Mualim, obtained it in the 12th century, but Altaïr exposed his treachery and recovered the Apple. Subsequently, the Apple passed through the hands of Queen Elizabeth I and later Gandhi, who was tragically assassinated by Templar agents seeking the artifact for themselves. The Apple was finally destroyed in 2011 in an accident at an Abstergo facility beneath Denver International Airport.
Born into plentitude and wealth on Barbados, Stede Bonnet seemed destined for a life of pleasure and ease. The son of a successful and influential plantation owner, his early life was marked by tragedy when his parents died suddenly, leaving seven year-old Stede orphaned and in a perpetual state of melancholy.
====Apple 4====
His inheritance of some 400 acres of land softened the blow caused by the loss of his parents, and by the time Stede was in his late teens, he had already restored the sugar plantation to a profitable state. He married young and set about starting a family as soon as possible, but owing to what some called a "disorder of the mind" he never found solace or comfort in these domestic trappings.
'''Known Owners:''' Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Adolf Hitler
'''Current Status:''' Unknown, probably owned by the Assassins
To further complicate his unease, his firstborn son died in infancy, further amplifying his grief and stiming his restlessness. As a means of coping, he dreamed of going to sea and sailing about the world, meeting people, living life as a man free of the obligations thrust upon him.
This ancient and mysterious Apple has been in the possession of history's most infamous visionaries, intriguers, and warmongers, and has remained at the heart of the Templars' pursuit of power. It's existence was first recorded in 10th-century China, but it didn't resurface until the 19th century when it was discovered by Nikola Tesla. Tesla intended to use it as part of his grand vision of harnessing its energy to power the world for free, but the Templar Thomas Edison thwarted his ambition, acquiring the Apple for himself. The Apple ended up in the hands of various influential figures, including Mark Twain and Henry Ford. Ford effectively ensured the triumph of Capitalism by employing the Apple's power to manipulate workers in his factories, before sending it to Adolf Hitler in 1933 at the insistence of the Templars. With the Apple, Hitler was able to seize power and launched a world war that ultimately served the Templar's industrial interests. Later, the Templars kidnapped Tesla to help them create a proto-Animus called Die Glocke. ‘Project Rainbow', in temporary alliance with the Assassins in 1943, was a misguided mission to prevent the worst atrocities of World War II.
When Bonnet's ship was apprehended by the British Navy on suspicion of piracy, he was rescued by the pirate Edward Kenway who, with the help of Blackbeard and others, eventually influenced the affable and impressionable merchant into going on the account himself.
====Apple 7====
|-|Upton Travers=
'''Known Owners:''' Charles Pearson, Cavanagh, and Sir David Brewster
Born: 1688, England<br>Died: Unknown
'''Current Status:''' Destroyed
[[Upton Travers]] was born in [[United Kingdom|England]], in 1688, two years ahead of his brother, [[Vance Travers]]. Together, they traveled to the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] in search of their fortune. There they established a [[smuggling]] business, which they used to fund their growing involvement with the [[Assassins|Assassin brotherhood]].
Cavanagh, a British Templar, sought out this Apple of Eden while building the world's first underground railway in the mid-nineteenth century. Cavanagh was slain and the Apple stolen by his rival, Templar Grand Master Crawford Starrick. At Starrick's behest, scientist David Brewster attempted to unlock its secrets. The Apple was destroyed and Brewster slain when an experiment in his Croydon laboratory backfired in 1868.
Although Vance was the more charismatic of the two Assassin brothers, Upton made up for it with his measured, sensible responses to life's challenges.
===The Staves of Eden ===
However, every man has a breaking point, and Upton found his after Vance took up with the [[China|Chinese]] "Pirate Queen," [[Jing Lang]], a [[Templars|Templar]], and sought to steal the treasure on which they had staked their retirement before finally attempting fratricide.
During my extensive research on the Staves of Eden at Abstergo Industries, I have discovered many fascinating aspects of these artifacts. Resembling scepters, the Staves embody a sense of authoritative power, representing sovereignty in various contexts. Through their unique design, all Staves display the ability to command and govern, exerting control over the thoughts and actions of individuals. The enigmatic properties of the Staves extend further, as they have the potential to conceal the presence of the bearer and even enable levitation. However, the true nature of these effects remains shrouded in mystery, leaving us to ponder whether they are tangible manifestations or intricately crafted manipulations of perception. It is also noteworthy that the tip of a Staff can be utilized as a spear, adding to its versatility as both a symbol of authority and a deadly weapon. Throughout our research, we have encountered only four Staves of Eden, each possessing a captivating history, further deepening the intrigue surrounding these powerful artifacts.
====The Scepter of Alexander the Great====
Depressed, Upton turned to [[alcohol]], which may have been a factor in his retaliation. He ultimately had both Jing Lang and his brother dispatched with the help of Edward Kenway.
'''Known Owners:''' Alexander the Great, Flavius Metellus
'''Current Status:''' Unknown
</tabber>
Alexander the Great used this Staff of Eden, gifted him by the Order of the Ancients, to consolidate power in Macedonia and massively expand his empire over the Middle East and beyond. After his death, the Scepter was interred in his tomb in Alexandria. In 47 BCE the Scepter was stolen by two members of the Order of the Ancients, Flavius and Septimius, who intended to use it to unlock an Isu Vault in Siwa. The Scepter was then taken to Rome, where Septimius presented it to the local Order of the Ancients before being slain by Aya.
<tabber>
|-|Bartholomew Roberts=
Born: 1682, [[Wales]] <br> Died: ????
===The Swords of Eden ===
Originally hailing from Wales, little is known about [[Bartholomew Roberts|John Roberts]], the real name of the man who would come to be known as "Black Bart" long after his death.
In our database here at Abstergo, I've found much information focused on some of the artifacts left by the Precursors that I personally find to be among the most fascinating — the Swords of Eden. We have all the reasons to believe that these remarkable artifacts were originally crafted by the esteemed Precursor scientist Hephaestus, and were explicitly designed to amplify strength during battle and enhance leadership.
As correctly reported by my predecessors, a notable ability associated with these Swords is the capacity to unleash powerful energy blasts. Through analysis and research on the field, we have confirmed the existence of a few distinct Swords of Eden, each with its own intriguing history, often tied to myths about famous heroes and conquerors. Legendary figures such as Attila the Hun and Genghis Khan are believed to have wielded these powerful artifacts, further supporting their historical significance. Through our unwavering search for knowledge, I continue to delve into the puzzles surrounding the Swords of Eden, unearthing their undeniable impact on the course of human history.
Most assume he went to sea at a very young age -- at 13 or so -- but there is no record of him in any historical documents until his noted appearance in 1718 aboard a merchant's ship, [[Barbados|Barbadian]] in origin. Just a year later Roberts was pressed into [[piracy]] by the notorious [[Howell Davis]] while working aboard [[Princess|a slave ship]] under Captain Abraham Plumb. Though Roberts had likely not gone to sea with the intent of becoming a pirate, when the opportunity thrust itself upon him, Roberts was reported to have said 'A merry life, and a short one shall be my motto.'
====Sword of Eden 1 ====
A few months later Davis was killed in an ambush on the [[Portugal|Portuguese]] Island of [[Príncipe]], and Roberts was swiftly and unanimously elected to replace him. This was surely a testament to the man's natural charisma and leadership, for he had been a pirate only a few months. It was at this point he took the name "Bartholomew", likely naming himself for the infamous Bartholomew Sharpe, a pirate of some renown who had disappeared just two decades earlier.
'''Known Owners:''' Jeanne d'Arc, François-Thomas Germain, Arno Dorian,
One of the most intelligent and strategic pirates of the [[Golden Age of Piracy|Golden Age]], Roberts was a sturdy man, known to dress in fine clothes. Handsome, and carrying himself with a dignified but unpretentious air, he had dark hair to match his dark complexion, likely set from the almost two decades he had spent at sea. He often carried numerous pistols, each tied to one end of long silk sashes, which he kept slung over his shoulder.
Before his arrest, the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Jacques de Molay, concealed a peculiar Sword of Eden. The artifact was enhanced by a small red stone known as the Heart, a gem that de Molay was able to hide. Later on, the Heart fell into the hands of Joan of Arc, who wore it around her neck, utilizing its unique energy to amplify the powers of the Sword she eventually acquired. However, following Joan's execution, the Heart was lost when her executioner callously threw it into the Seine. At the time of the French Revolution, the Sword suffered significant damage during a fierce clash involving Grand Master François-Thomas Germain, Arno Dorian, and Élise de la Serre, probably because it was missing the Heart. Many centuries later, the Sword found its place in the office of Alan Rikkin, Master Templar and CEO of Abstergo Industries. Simon Hathaway, an Inner Sanctum member and Head of Abstergo's Historical Research department, employed the Animus to locate and retrieve the Heart from the waters of the Seine, reviving the Sword's dormant power. After Alan Rikkin met his demise at the hands of the Assassin Callum Lynch, the Sword was placed among the collection of artifacts of the Templar Order.
Roberts' tactical ideas were usually radical, but thoughtfully considered. He never jumped into any scheme rashly, though his ideas seemed almost suicidal to those unacquainted with his methods. Ultimately responsible for the theft of around 400 ships in his three-year career, he bested every other pirate of the era by a factor of ten times or more, although it must be said that at least half of these boats were small periaguas and the like.
====Durendal ====
|-|Benjamin Hornigold=
'''Known Owners:''' Roland, Eivor
Born: Mid-1680s, England<br>Died: ????
'''Current Status:'''Unknown
[[Benjamin Hornigold]] was likely born in {{Wiki|Norfolk}}, [[England]]. The first recorded instances of him are of his early exploits as a [[Piracy|pirate]] in the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] around 1713-1714.
This legendary sword was said to be impossible to destroy, and able to carve through solid rock. It was wielded by Roland, the most famous Paladin in the service of Charlemagne.
Hornigold was one of the earliest pirates to emerge after the end of the [[War of the Spanish Succession]], and one of the many hundreds of privateers who were left without gainful employment in the ensuing peace. Like many other British mariners, he spent much of his time in [[the Bahamas]], eventually settling in [[Nassau]]. It was from there he launched his career as a full-fledged pirate, though he likely thought of himself as a privateer--in his earliest years, at least.
====Harpe of Perseus ====
A skilful sailor and strategist, Hornigold lacked some of the ruthlessness required to be a truly successful pirate, and until 1716, refused to attack English ships out of a sense of loyalty to his home country.
'''Known Owners:''' Medusa, Ligeia, Kassandra
'''Current Status:''' Unknown
|-|El Tiburón=
Born: Unknown<br>Died: Unknown
The Harpe was a legendary sword attributed to Perseus, the Greek hero renowned for slaying Medusa and founding the city of Mycenae. It held great significance in the saga of the Writhing Dread. During the tumultuous period of the Peloponnesian War, the Harpe found its way into the possession of Ligeia, the most recent victim to be transformed into the gorgon. When Kassandra emerged victorious over Ligeia she claimed the coveted sword for herself.
Almost nothing is known about [[El Tiburón]] "The Shark" outside of his service as the loyal, mute bodyguard of [[Laureano de Torres y Ayala]], the Grandmaster of the Caribbean Templars and the Governor of Cuba. The Shark's penchant for medieval armor and brutal violence cut a swathe of fear through Havana, leaving citizens and soldiers alike quivering in his blood soaked wake.
===The Shrouds of Eden ===
|-|Hilary Flint=
The study of the groundbreaking work of the Isu scientist Consus on the Shrouds of Eden is considered to be one of the keys to unlocking the secrets of many other Precursor artifacts. Differently from all other Isu creations, the Shrouds resemble pieces of ordinary cloth, possessing extraordinary capabilities of restoration and healing. As we learned, the original Shroud, designed by Consus himself, probably served as a vessel for his consciousness to allow a temporary possession of a living user's body. We also know that several Shrouds were made, although we do not know how many, nor we know much about their powers.
Born: 1682, England<br>Died: 1717, West Indies
The original Shroud used to be contained within a plain wooden box and can be described as a white cloth stained with blood and bearing the faint imprint of a human shape. Its most renowned owner was probably Jesus of Nazareth, who utilized its powers to heal many followers in his time. Other instances of Shrouds recorded in history include the legendary Golden Fleece of Grecian myth, and Joseph's coat of many colors.
[[Hilary Flint]] was born to an aristocratic family, the youngest of three boys. The black [[sheep]] of the family, he sought solitude in his studies. Immersing himself in math and sciences, Flint discovered an abiding interest in [[Bomb|explosives]], earning him the label of "problem child".
All Shrouds are known to be able to mend wounds, reverse defects, and even amplify an individual's healing prowess and strength, as long as a user maintains contact with one of them. However, despite their astonishing capabilities, Shrouds cannot reverse death — while they can temporarily revive and animate deceased bodies, proper restoration of life remains beyond their reach. Finally, it has been reported that using these artifacts can have dire consequences, as individuals who utilize the Shrouds may be driven to madness or experience physical deterioration.
To correct his course, his parents enrolled him in military school, where he quicklyexceeded their expetations, working his way into the hearts of both teachers and students, as well as a few secret societies.
Our research at Abstergo is shedding some light on the way the Shrouds work. When applied to a body, these artifacts scan for damage and initiate cellular-level reconstruction, even in cases of partial decomposition. This intriguing discovery has sparked further investigation into the possibility of reconstructing actual Isu individuals from existing DNA samples. Our ongoing research into the Shrouds of Eden and the groundbreaking work of Consus continues to unravel the mysteries surrounding these artifacts and their profound influence on our understanding of the Isu civilization.
After graduation, his connections and easy manner earned him access to [[Templars|Templar]] ranks where his obsession with [[firearm]]s made him an important asset.
====Shroud of Eden 2 ====
Records reveal an ongoing relationship with [[Assassins|Assassin]] [[Rhona Dinsmore]], the full nature of which is uncertain. She vanishes from record after Flint's death at the age of 35.
'''Known Owners:''' Edward Kenway, Crawford Starrick, Álvaro Gramática
'''Current Status:''' In the hands of Álvaro Gramática
|-|Jing Lang=
Born: 1686, [[China]]<br> Died: 1717, Nassau
This Shroud of Eden was discovered in the early 18th century by Assassin Edward Kenway, who hid it within the Tower of London. Kenway left clues to the Shroud's whereabouts in his journal, enabling it to be found by future Assassins.
Born to Chinese rebels, [[Jing Lang]] came into the world fighting, but survived to become a skilled diplomat with a flair for languages and a taste for discovery.
British Templar Grand Master Crawford Starrick found the Shroud in 1868, using it to render himself nearly invincible, but the Assassins were hot on his heels. Starrick was defeated, the artifact returned to the Tower of London once more.
Ambitious, Lang married the son of a General in the [[Qing dynasty]], joining the [[Templars|Templar order]], but severing ties with her family in the process. She served as a diplomatic advisor, until a shift in political tides provoked her escape into [[piracy]].
The Shroud remained hidden until 2015. Its reappearance sparked a race between the Assassins and Templars.
Over the next decade, she crossed every sea, developing a reputation for brutality that preceded her into most conflicts.
===Precursor Relics ===
In the [[Caribbean|West Indies]], she fell under the spell of a rumored cache of treasure, and feigned a romantic relationship with one-time [[Assassins|Assassin]] [[Vance Travers]] to gain access to it.
Many other Precursor relics exist, from the Memory Seals used to record messages by the Capitoline Triad to the Masyaf Keys, on which Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad encoded his own memories. They don't possess the same powers of influencing and controlling displayed by the Pieces of Eden, yet such artifacts have been researched extensively by Templars and Assassins alike. Lesser still than the Precursor relics are later documentation and transcription of Precursor knowledge and information, which are nonetheless the subject of covetous attention. Both the Assassins and the Templars are convinced that, if they can decipher such writing, it will give greater insight into the Precursor civilisation. The Voynich Manuscript, Nicholas Flamel's two-part book of Abraham, as written by Abraham of Würzburg, are two such examples. All of these man-made relics must be unlocked or translated with some sort of key, such as a Precursor Box.
====Prize of the Medusa ====
She might have been successful had it not been for Travers' brother, [[Upton Travers|Upton]], an Assassin who schemed to have her killed, betraying his brother in the process. She died at the age of thirty.
'''Known Owners:''' Medusa, Ligeia, Kassandra
'''Current Status:''' In the Gateway to the Lost City, sealed alongside Atlantis
|-|Julien du Casse=
{{Quote|… wield fear as a weapon, may our enemies crumble …|An Isu voice that emanated from the artifact
Born: 1682, France<br>Died: ????
when Kassandra took it}}
The Atlantis artifacts were a number of leftover technological devices created as part of the Olympus Project by the Isu Aita and Juno. The Prize of the Medusa was one such object, not only serving as a key to seal the gateway to Atlantis, but also turning its user into the Writhing Dead, a Gorgon capable of petrifying its victims. The Prize of the Medusa was handed from guardian to guardian until seized by Kassandra.
====Prophecy Disks ====
Nephew of the buccaneer [[Jean-Baptiste du Casse|Jean du Casse]], [[Julien du Casse|Julien]] was born in [[Montpellier]], [[France]]. He took after his uncle's example and took to sea at a young age, eventually joining him in a few skirmishes during the [[War of the Spanish Succession]]. Fighting on the side of the French, and by proxy, on behalf of [[Philip V of Spain|King Philip]] of [[Spain]], du Casse's skill as a gunner improved rapidly, even as he grew wildly disillusioned with the monarchy and its obsession with lineage and breeding over raw talent and skill.
The intended use of the Prophecy Disks is unclear. Audio-visual messages can be recorded on these disks, which then separate in two – an amulet is then required to activate the message. The Assassin Aveline de Grandpré discovered both parts of such a disk in the Precursor ruins beneath the Mayan city of Chichen Itza, which were then activated with an amulet, The Heart of the Brotherhood.
====Precursor Boxes ====
In 1704, ordered by his superior officers to join his uncle and hundreds of French troops in what would become known as the {{Wiki|Battle of Málaga (1704)|Battle of Vélez-Màlaga}}, du Casse opted instead to desert his post and seek his fortunes in the New World. At first he threw in with [[Slavery|slave traders]] in [[Africa]], and for a year made a modest profit off the venture. But he was never comfortable with the cruelty and detachment the job required, and so departed for the [[Caribbean|West Indies]] in search of yet another vocation.
Precursor Boxes can be used to activate other Pieces of Eden. When triggered, boxes have been known to exhibit all sorts of different effects, such as projecting holograms of maps, deciphering Precursor writing or even imprinting memories from previous owners onto the user.
Although intended to be used in conjunction with an Isu manuscript or another Piece of Eden, it is possible to activate a Precursor Box with a high enough charge of electricity. However, this does risk damaging the artifact.
For the next 10 years, du Casse roamed the West Indies as a [[Mercenaries|hired gun]], working for whomever had the coin and confidence to pay him. Ever prizing the value of intelligence and skill over mere reputation and breeding, du Casse, eventually found his way into the company of [[Laureano de Torres y Ayala|Laureano Torres]] of [[Cuba]], in whom he found a friend and confidant...
One particular Precursor Box was given by Ezio Auditore to Shao Jun, a Chinese Assassin, when she sought out his advice in 1524. Since then the Box has resurfaced a number of times, in both Assassin and Templar hands, amongst them Shay Cormac. Álvaro Gramática, Templar and scientist, used the Box in 2016 as part of the Phoenix Project, to help him comprehend the Shroud of Eden he had also obtained.
|-|Kenneth Abraham=
Born: 1675, England<br>Died: 1715, Kingston
Many Precursor Boxes have been found, although it is unknown how many have survived.
Born to an upper class family and educated in boarding schools from age five, [[Kenneth Abraham]] learned to fight for himself at an early age. Upon graduation, he entered the [[British Army|army]] and rose through the ranks, finally meeting the rank of Commander.
==Skill cards==
His embrace of order and disciple drew him into the fold of the [[Templars|Templar Order]], which offered him influence beyond that offered by his military career. From the age of thirty, he ascended its ranks in parallel to those of his military career by devoting himself to the [[New World Order|promotion of order]] and peace.
In 1715, the Assassin Anto infiltrated a Ball held by Abraham on his plantation, together with the pirate Edward Kenway. There, Abraham was assassinated by the pair, confronted in his final moments by the nemesis he had tried and failed to defeat.
! width="1%" |'''Skill'''
! width="5%" |'''Description'''
He remained, until his death, determined to rid the world of unpredictable and disorderly elements.
|-
|Alert
|-|Laureano Torres y Ayala=
|When you make a Reaction check, you can reroll up to 2 Abstergo results.
Born: 1645, [[Cuba]]<br>Died: ????
|-
|Animal companion
Born in [[Havana]], but raised in [[Madrid]], [[Spain]], [[Laureano de Torres y Ayala|Laureano]] was of noble stock, the son of Tomas Torres y Ayala and Elvira de Quadros Castellanos. He joined the [[Spanish Army|Spanish army]] in his late teens, and was later appointed as the governor of Spain's territories in [[Florida]], a post he held from 1693 to 1699. He then returned to [[Europe]] to participate in the [[War of the Spanish Succession]].
|Your will and that of your animal's become as one, allowing you to see through its eyes and command its movements. Additionally, the companion can aid you in combat or act as a distraction, diverting people's attention from you.<br>Finally, when you make an Action or Stealth check, you may reroll 1 Abstergo result.
|-
In 1708, Torres was appointed as the governor of Cuba, a post he held for three years until he was accused of and arrested for corruption. He was acquitted of these charges, however, and managed to win a re-election bid in 1713.
|Arm-twisting
|Whenever you make a Social check in a situation where you called upon your intimidation abilities, you can consider up to 2 Action results as 1 additional match each.
During his time in Cuba, he made many lasting improvements to the city, fortifying the island's defenses and introducing the production of tobacco there. He remained Governor until 1716, after which point he retired and devoted his life to charitable functions, such as building hospitals.
|-
|Assassination
|-|Laurens Prins=
|Whenever you make a Stealth check in a situation where you called upon your assassination abilities, you can consider up to 2 Wits results as 1 additional match each.
Born: 1630s, Amsterdam<br>Died: 1717, Kingston
|-
|Brotherhood training
[[Laurens Prins]] (often anglicized as Laurence Prince) was a [[Netherlands|Dutchman]] from [[Amsterdam]] who spent the majority of his life in and around the [[Caribbean|West Indies]]. Operating out of [[Port Royal]], Prins saw an incredible amount of action and adventure in his long life.
|Whenever you use a hidden-weapon, you can consider 1 Creed result as 1 additional match. This is in addition to any match granted by the activation of a Signature Gear (Hidden-weapon).
|-
Sailing as a [[privateer]] in the early days of the [[Golden Age of Piracy]] (1650s) he developed a reputation for courage fighting the [[Spain|Spanish]] on behalf of the [[United Kingdom|British]] crown, sometimes bearing a {{Wiki|letter of marque}}, often without. He even played a pivotal role in Sir [[Henry Morgan]]'s infamous {{Wiki|Henry Morgan's Panama expedition|raid}} on [[Panama City|Panama]] in 1671, for which he was roundly celebrated.
|Charmer
|Whenever you make a Social check in a situation where you called upon your seduction abilities, you can add 1 match. Additionally, whenever you make a Social check, you can use 2 Wits results to get extra info from someone or something involved in the Scene.
Prins eventually retired from privateering and settled in a large acreage of land in [[Jamaica]]. Around this time he entered into the [[Slavery|slave trade]] as a means of bolstering his wealth, an occupation he pursued well into his seventies.
|-
|Cunning
In 1717, his flagship [[Slave ships|slave galley]], The [[Whydah]], was attacked and captured by the [[Piracy|pirate]] [[Samuel Bellamy|"Black Sam" Bellamy]]. He managed to survive the encounter, and fell back into his old occupation until his death some months later.
|Whenever you make a Wits check during a tinkering activity, you have 1 Free Raise.
|-
|-|Lucia Márquez=
|Deceptive movements
Born: 1689, Spain<br>Died: 1715, Pinos Isle
|Whenever you make an Action check in a situation where you called upon your deceptive abilities, you can consider up to 2 Social results as 1 additional match each.
|-
Born in [[Spain]], [[Lucia Márquez]] never knew her father. By the age of twelve she was supporting herself and her sisters on the streets, begging, borrowing, and stealing anything she could, all the while developing the skills of a master [[thief]].
|Eagle Sense
|Eagle Sense heightens your senses to the point where you can detect the heartbeat of your target in the area, or even foresee the target’s next action. Additionally, you can peer into the memories of your targets upon killing them, obtaining all the information they can offer.
At the age of seventeen, she was caught stealing a [[horse]] belonging to a high-ranking [[Templars|Templar]], and wisely opted for training over jail time.
|-
|Eagle Vision
The Templar life gave Marquez the focus she needed and she never found herself at a lack of challenge or adventure.
|Eagle Vision is an extrasensory perception, or "sixth sense", and one of your Isu genes' gifts. You can easily spot allies, enemies, objectives, sources of information, and targets within a short range. Additionally, when you make an Approach check, you can count 1 Wits result as 1 additional match.
|-
She died at the age of twenty-six on [[Isla de la Juventud|Pinos Isle]], wise beyond her years, on the order of the [[Taíno|Taino]] [[Assassins|Assassin]], [[Opía Apito]].
|Free running
|Whenever you are freerunning, you can add 1 match to any related Action check. Additionally, whenever you make an Action check, you can use 2 Stealth results to disappear from sight.
|-|The Sage=
|-
Historic archives contain scattered references to individuals known as "Sages", but they are few and far between. Each citation seems to refer to a different person living in a vastly different time and location.
|Grit
|Whenever you make a Wits check, you can consider up to 1 Action result as 1 additional match.
The earliest example was found in a Sumerian clay tablet in cuneiform script, while the latest survives only as a footnote in one of Laureano Torres's own journals, dated January 1704. In all – according to exhaustive research – seven different "Sages" seem to have graced the world's stage in the past twelve hundred years. But the real number is likely higher.
|-
|Hide in plain sight
Perhaps, the strangest aspect connecting each of these various sightings is the fact that, in every case, visual descriptions of each Sage are remarkably similar. So similar, in fact, that one wouldn't be faulted for assuming they ware talking about a single, immortal man. However, in two of the seven citations, explicit mention is made of their death and burial.
|Whenever you make a Stealth check, you can consider up to 1 Social result as 1 additional match.
|-
Is this therefore some bizarre form of reincarnation? Or some simpler explanation that is presently unknown? More research is required.
|Hypnotic
|Whenever you make a Social check, you can consider up to 1 Stealth result as 1 additional match.
|-|Vance Travers=
|-
Born: 1690, England<br>Died: 1717, Nassau
|Natural born fighter
|Whenever you make an Action check during combat, you have 1 Free Raise.
Born in [[England]], the passionate, creative, yet incredibly gullible [[Vance Travers]], found a life for himself amongst the [[Assassins|Assassin's Brotherhood]] in the [[Caribbean|West Indies]], where he ran a successful smuggling enterprise, with his older brother, [[Upton Travers|Upton]].
|-
|Nimble
Business took a turn for the worse after he met and fell in love with the [[Templars|Templar]], [[Jing Lang]], who persuaded him to divulge knowledge of the location of buried treasure with which he and Upton planned to fund their retirement.
|Whenever you make a Stealth check while infiltrating, you have 1 Free Raise.
|-
Paranoid, Travers developed delusions that his brother plotted to steal his treasure and Jing's heart. He broke from [[the Creed]] and, after a failed attempt at fratricide, was killed by [[Edward Kenway]].
|Observant
|Whenever you make a Wits check in a situation where you called upon your investigation abilities, you can consider up to 2 Stealth results as 1 additional match each.
|Whenever you make a Social check while you are in a deceptive situation, you have 1 Free Raise.
[[Woodes Rogers]] was born into money, to a seafaring family with deep roots in both {{Wiki|Poole}} and [[Bristol]], England. His early life was a picture of industriousness and ambition, and by the age of 18 he was an apprentice Mariner.
|-
|Sapper
Upon his father's death at sea in 1706, Woodes inherited his family's prosperous shipping company, which he took to managing with great passion. Between 1704 and 1707 Rogers' fortunes and family grew, and by the time he was twenty-seven his marriage to Sarah Whetstone had produced one son and two daughters.
|Whenever you are trying to sabotage a device, you can add 1 match to any related Wits check. Additionally, whenever you make any Action or Stealth check, you can use 2 Wits results to create a decoy or distraction in the Scene.
|-
By the end of 1707, however, his business had suffered great losses by [[raid]]ing [[France|French]] forces, giving Rogers the idea to recoup these dreadful losses himself. Knocking about Bristol in search of a partner for this endeavor, he soon found himself in the company of [[William Dampier]], an old friend and unlucky [[Captain]] who suggested setting out on a [[privateer]]ing expedition, one that would range far and wide about the [[Americas|New World]]. In 1708, Rogers made the necessary arrangements and set out as Captain of his own vessel, on a difficult voyage that would last over three years.
|Sleight of hand
|Whenever you are trying to hide a small item or steal it from others, you can add 1 match to any related Stealth check. Additionally, whenever you make any Action or Social check, you can use 2 Stealth results to steal a small item from someone involved in the Scene.
Along this course Rogers met with many successes and failures. In 1709, off the western coast of [[South America]], he found and rescued a marooned sailor by the name of {{Wiki|Alexander Selkirk}}, a sailor who had spent nearly 4 years living in isolation and who would serve as the inspiration for the book "{{Wiki|Robinson Crusoe}}" just a few years later.
|-
|Strategic moves
Soon after Selkirk's recovery, Rogers' fleet engaged an enemy vessel in open combat—a skirmish that earned him a [[pistol]] shot to the left side of his face and a mangled heel. Neither wound was enough to remove him from command however, and he continued serving as captain until his return to England in late 1711. To commemorate this return, he had an operation to remove the offending bullet from his upper palate.
|Whenever you make an Action check, you can consider up to 1 Wits result as 1 additional match.
|}
Now in poor health but high spirits, he set about writing his memoirs. Upon their publication a few years, they were an immediate success, and proved a great source of income. But this brief glory was offset by the sudden death of his son, a tragedy compounded some months later by his wife's decision to leave him. Also at this time, Rogers was sued by former shipmates for allegedly hoarding goods and money plundered from enemy vessels. Rogers assembled a defense, but lost the case.
In 1713, itching to return to sea, he organized passage to [[Madagascar]] claiming to be a [[merchant]] in the [[Slavery|slave trade]], but with the intended purpose of reconnoitering the rumored [[Piracy|pirate]] colonies established there. When he arrived in Madagascar after months of hard sailing, he found that the legends of the pirate town "[[Libertalia]]" had been exaggerated one-hundredfold. The pirates in Madagascar were sickly and few and desperate for help. After spending just a few months here, Rogers set sail for England, a failure in his own mind.
And yet, never one to give up hope, Woodes Rogers reoriented his attentions to the [[Caribbean|West Indies]], eventually lobbying King [[George I of Great Britain|George]] for a commission to hunt pirates in the Caribbean. On this score, he succeeded. After a few diligent years of making his case, King George appointed Woodes Rogers as the Governor of [[the Bahamas]]. Now, at last, he would make his mark, and bring justice to a land where chaos had taken root...
</tabber>
<tabber>
|-|Devils Podcast Fragment=
[[File:Animus Hub DB Image 6.png|thumb|200px]]
An incomplete audio clip from The Devils of the Caribbean Podcast reconstructed from recovered files.
|-|Warning from Ego=
[[File:Animus Hub DB Image 6.png|thumb|200px]]
An audio message from Ego, easily intercepted by the Dark Animus with no need for further decryption.
In it, she warns the nascent Eagle that she knows of his every movement within the mainframe, threatening to pierce him clean from the sky.
|-|Retrieved Audio=
[[File:Animus Hub DB Image 6.png|thumb|200px]]
Audio memory obtained from an Animus memory fragement in which Sebastían Vizcaíno recovers from wounds sustained during a confrontation.
Purchased from any General Store for 1200 Reales<section end="NAME"/>
Spanish Cup-hilt Rapiers<section begin="NAME"/>
Rapier
Common
17
2
N/A
Found in treasure chest in Havana<section end="NAME"/>
Officer's Smallswords<section begin="NAME"/>
Rapier
Common
13
2
N/A
Default swords<section end="NAME"/>
German Rapiers<section begin="NAME"/>
Rapier
Common
22
2
N/A
Found in treasure chest on Crooked Island<section end="NAME"/>
Privateer's Cutlasses<section begin="NAME"/>
Cutlass
Common
25
2
N/A
Found in Treasure Chest on Florida island<section end="NAME"/>
NAME<section begin="NAME"/>
<section end="NAME"/>
Name
Description
Lightserver's Blades
Sleek black blades with gold filigree, hones to deadly edges.
Dragon's Fang Swords
A sword with a light, graceful design featuring a mystic jade edge.
Blades of the Damned
A pair of swords glowing with hellfire and brimstone, fierce and powerful.
Serpent's Fang Cutlasses
A pair of sharp, serpentine swords inspired by sea monster fangs, lit with neon patterns.
The Fortune
A pair of unique swords once used by the infamous pirate, Edward Kenway.
Dual Cleavers
A pair of simple meat cleavers typically used by butchers and made infamous by pirates as weapons of war.
Order of Gold
Adorned with intricate patterns, these blades are a rare and deadly curiosity.
Ezio's Swords
A pair of swords once owned by the legendary Assassin mentor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze.
Altaïr's Swords
A pair of swords once owned by the legendary Assassin mentor, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.
Naoe's Shadowblade
A balanced katana shaped by shinobi combat principles, favoring fluid movement and rapid follow-up strikes. Performs best with evasive tactics.
Dark Animus Corsair Pistol Swords
These blades dance with strange light, like tears in the fabric of the world.
Spring-Steel Swords
A pair of swords that look unremarkable at first glance, but have the strength to deflect bullets if wielded properly.
Blades of Toledo
A sleek pair of swords Edward Kenway acquired in the famous city of Toledo.
Le Bourgeoys Blades
The only pair of pistol swords with a genuine original flintlock attached.
Persian Scimitars
A beautiful and deadly pair of Persian scimitars, replete with embedded diamonds.
Matched Golden Swords
A pair of legendary golden swords, praised far and wide for their exquisite beauty.
Masterwork Blades
A pair of beautifully balanced swords forged by a master craftsman.
Espada Ancha
Versatile soldier's swords, unremarkable in appearance but trustworthy in a fight.
French Court Swords
A pair of swords famous for having a perfect balance between speed and power.
Pirate Scimitars
A pair of devastating scimitars, praised from Barbados to Boston.
British Colonial Cutlasses
A pair of cutlasses popular among the settlers of the British colonies in North America.
Scottish Broadswords
Heavy broadswords that emphasize damage over finesse.
Standard Pistol Swords
A pair of rare pistol swords, capable of firing a gunshot in the right circunstances.
Captain Drake's Swords
A pair of silver broadswords rumored to have been used by the legendary privateer, Sir Francis Drake.
Ferraro's Rapiers
A pair of rapiers that belonged to the Italian diplomat, Ruggiero Ferraro.
Officer's Rapiers
A pair of extremely light rapiers praised for their swiftness.
German Rapiers
A pair of traditional German rapiers typically used by Prussian court officers.
Privateer's Cutlasses
A pair of cutlasses appreciated for their versatility by privateers throughout the West Indies.
British Cutlasses
A pair of light cutlasses made popular by British privateers.
French Dress Swords
A pair of elegant swords made popular by French court officers.
Spanish Cup-hilt Rapiers
A pair of cheap yet efficient Spanish rapiers.
Officer's Smallswords
A pair of small swords popular among officers in the British Army.
Rustborne Swords
Versatile blades with integrated flintlocks, their bronze-hued surfaces worn by time and battle. Perfect for Assassins who strike swiftly, both in melee and from a distance.
bought from secret General Store on unmarked island in the north-west of Gibara region at Coordinates 550, 638 (22000 Reales)<section end="NAME"/>
Rustic Flintlocks<section begin="NAME"/>
Legendary
22
1.20
After a Perfect Dodge, quick shooting immediately does not consume ammunition
obtained from in-game online store for free (on map press Options-Button to access the store).<section end="NAME"/>
Peaceful Means<section begin="NAME"/>
Legendary
20
1.00
Pistol shots are quieter
Purchased from Treasure Dealer for 3 Capuchin Monkey Pelt, 4 Iguana Leather, and 20 Rum Barrels.<section end="NAME"/>
Cannon-Barrel Pistols<section begin="NAME"/>
Rare
21
1.12
N/A
from locked chest in Jiguey (535, 511). It's a locked underwater chest, loot the key from the pirate leader on the beach inside Jiguey, in the same cave as the chest.<section end="NAME"/>
Captain Morgan's Pistols<section begin="NAME"/>
Rare
20
1.50
N/A
Found in underwater treasure chest on Black Island<section end="NAME"/>
Found in treasure chest on Great Inagua<section end="NAME"/>
Spanish Officer Pistols<section begin="NAME"/>
Rare
24
1.00
N/A
Purchased from Level II General Store for 5500 Reales<section end="NAME"/>
Pirate Blunderbusses<section begin="NAME"/>
Rare
20
1.00
N/A
Purchased from Level II General Store for 6000 Reales<section end="NAME"/>
Baldwin's Golden Pistols<section begin="NAME"/>
Rare
26
1.00
N/A
Complete Plantain!<section end="NAME"/>
Standard Wheellock Pistols<section begin="NAME"/>
Common
20
1.12
N/A
purchasable from any General Store (800 Reales)<section end="NAME"/>
Common Flintlock Pistols<section begin="NAME"/>
Common
20
1.00
N/A
Default pistols<section end="NAME"/>
NAME<section begin="NAME"/>
<section end="NAME"/>
Name
Description
Dark Animus Corsair Flintlocks
Truth and thunder in the palm of your hand.
Darkworker's Pistols
Hand-carved ebony with gold-plated iron forming a lethal union.
Dragon's Roar Pistols
Sleek pistols imbued with ornate scrollwork and glowing jade.
Diabolist's Pistols
A set of pistols wreathed in infernal flames, emitting an aura of destruction.
Fury of the Deep Pistols
Silvery, steel pistols adorned with deep-sea patterns and neon highlights.
Golden Flintlock Pistols
A set of legendary, golden flintlock pistols, famed for their extraordinary precision.
Gargoyle's Breath
Monstrous, leering faces adorn the grips of these pistols.
Captain Drake's Flintlocks
A set of flintlock pistols once owned and used by captain and knight, Sir Francis Drake.
Rustic Flintlocks
Firearms with rustic patinas, showing the marks of countless skirmishes. Compact, reliable, and ready for close encounters or unexpected duels.
Peaceful Means
The method by which many disputes can be swiftly resolved.
Cannon-Barrel Pistols
A set of pistols forged to resemble ship cannons.
Captain Morgan's Pistols
A set of flintlock pistols once owned and used by Captain Morgan.
Captain's Wheellock Pistols
A rare set of old wheellock pistols, coveted by soldiers for their sturdiness and sentimental value.
Spanish Officer Pistols
A set of pistols, praised throughout the West Indies for their stability.
Pirate Blunderbusses
A set of bulky blunderbusses, popular among pirates for their brashness.
Baldwin's Golden Pistols
Inextricably tied to the fall of the Baldwin name, these pistols claimed the lives of at least two of their owners' family. They are likely to claim many more.
Standard Wheellock Pistols
A set of wheellock pistols, perfect for reaching targets at great distances.
Common Flintlock Pistols
A set of typical flintlock pistols, found all across the West Indies.
Rendered in miniature, that its gaze might ward the steps of its keeper across land and sea.
Health slowly regenerates while out of combat
Found in underwater chest between pair of unnamed island south of San Ignacio wreck
Stormrunner Pendant
Rare
A lightweight circular pendant painted in striking blue and red pigments. Its design captures the spirit of relentless motion and high adrenaline, carried by travelers who refuse to tire, whether sprinting through crowded markets or scaling towering keeps.
Increases the amount of healing from food, drink, and remedies
Found in underwater chest off the coast of Nassau, at coordinates 615, 767
Hunter's Amulet
Rare
An amulet of good fortune favored by hunters.
Animals' range of detection is reduced
Buried treasure chest on Santanillas
Bloody Spanish Medal
Rare
One of Laurens Prins' trophies from his time as a soldier.
Reduces damage from Spanish soldiers
Inside Laurens Prins' Manor
Anchor Medallion
Rare
A lucky anchor medallion favored by sharp-eyed sailors.
Increases the rewards from floating loot
Found in a treasure chest on Sacrifice Island
Lock of Hair
Rare
A lock of Caroline's hair kept as a lucky keepsake.
Restore some health after a perfect parry
Complete Wayward Souls
Cross Pendant
Rare
A bejeweled cross once worn by the wealthiest citizen in Kingston.
Reduces damage from British soldiers
Complete Tithes Paid
Exotic Sea Shells
Rare
A string of sea shells gathered from around the world.
Increases the wildlife products gained from skinning animals
Found in treasure chest in southeast Havana
Small Goblet
Rare
A sacred grail said to prolong its owner's life.
Increases the amount of healing from food, drink, and remedies
Complete The Other Cheek
Jackdaw Totem
Rare
Carved by an unknown sculptor, it represents protection and gratitude.
Falling from high places no longer damages Edward
Complete A World Without Gold
Lodestone
Rare
A naturally magnetized piece of mineral.
Loots nearby Corpses and Curios automatically
Purchased from a Level II General Store for 7000 Reales
Folded Palm
Rare
A gambler's trinket meant to bring good fortune.
Gain reales after each Takedown
Complete Spiteful Soldier
Found Coin
Rare
A large gold coin turned into a good luck charm.
Increase the amount of Reales gained
Complete Art Lover I
Rabbit's Foot
Common
A lucky charm for warding off misfortune.
Chance of staggering an enemy following a successful parry
The course of the 18th Century saw the British Empire become the world's leading colonial power, with France and Spain as its primary rivals. After siding with the Netherlands and Austria in the War of the Spanish Succession, the British Empire expanded, gaining territories from both Spain and France, and taking over control of the Atlanticslave trade in Spanish America.
For a handful of coin, "Dancers" can be employed to distract guards and interfere with ongoing fights. They might also have some incredible stories of their own to tell, if only you'd bother to listen.
Sailors flush with rum and the heat of the sun, these Drunkards can be useful in a few ways. First as blend groups that allow Edward to hide in plain sight, and secondly as allies in the event of a scuffle. But remember to bring a bit of coin if you want them to fight alongside you, as these pirates won't risk their lives for free.
Already a global power, the Spanish defeated powerful adversaries such as the Aztecs and Incas in the Americas by exploiting existing conflicts and rivalries between tribes and nations between the 15th and 18th centuries.
Acquisitive and protective of the supply of precious metals its new colonies afforded it, the Spanish Empire enthusiastically participated in the Atlantic slave trade and defended its trade routes aggressively.
Even after its defeat in the War of the Spanish Succession, the 18th century was nevertheless one of prosperity for the Spanish Empire, as their trade reputation grew steadily under Bourbon oversight, and continued to grow at an extraordinary rate until the 1780s.
Often used interchangeably, there are a number of important distinctions to make between these different kinds of swashbucklers...
Pirates: Criminals on the open sea who use coercion, intimidation and violence to rob innocent people of their cargo and transport. The term pirate is a catch-all and may be used generally to refer to all who perform acts of larceny on the open ocean. Pirates have been a problem since the advent of long-distance ocean travel; every age has seen its share of pirates, and every age has cursed their name and romanticized their cause. During the so-called "Golden Age of Piracy" (roughly 1650 to 1725), the majority of pirates were from the British Isles. Most were young men in their 20s and almost all had already gained some experience as sailors prior to falling into piracy.
Buccaneers: Though often used as a synonym for Pirates now, the term Buccaneer refers more specifically to a group of pirates who lived and operated in the West Indies in the middle of the 17th century. Best known for attacking settlements and fortifications on land in large groups, the Buccaneers derived their name from the French Boucanier -- an instrument used for smoking strips of meat over an open fire, a favorite sort of sustenance for these terrestrial pirates.
Privateers: Non-commissioned sailors who attack and rob, having been given a Letter of Marque by their King or a royal official such as a Governor. Thus the distance between a Pirate and a Privateer is but a hair's breath of difference -- Pirates simply sail for one monarch fewer.
Taíno refers to a group of related languages and cultures widespread across the Caribbean at the time of European arrival. Broadly speaking, they consisted of the Ciboney or Western Taíno of Cuba, Jamaica and the Bahamas; the Classic Taíno of Hispaniola and Borikén (the indigenous name of Puerto Rico); and the Eastern Taíno of the Antilles.
A Taíno cacique or chief demonstrated rank by carrying an object forged from guanín, a unique indigenous alloy made out of copper, silver, and gold, noted for its lustrous shine. The term "tabaco" from which we also derive from a Taíno word, as tobacco was cultivated on the islands and its usage noted by Spanish explorers. Other English words with a Taíno origin include barbecue, canoe, hurricane, iguana, and potato.
Other, non-Taíno indigenous groups of the island include the Ciguaya, Macorix, and Kalinago or Caribs, for whom the Caribbean Sea is named.
There were several attempts to found a town near the Havana Bay in the early 1500s. A settlement was established by the SpanishConquistadorDiego Velázquez de Cuéllar around 1514. The city sits on a bay that opens to the Gulf Stream and thus became a natural stopping point between Europe and the Americas.
In the earliest stages of the golden age of piracy Havana was burnt to the ground by Frenchcorsair, Jacques de Sores. By the 1700s, Havana had become a large, heavily fortified port city where Spanish treasure ships would dock on their way to Europe. Pirates lurked on the approaches to the city, hoping to capture these same ships.
Originally founded as another Charles-Towne, the city was renamed Nassau in honor of King William III of the house of Orange-Nassau. This city has a particularly colorful past: In 1706 the city's officially appointed Governor skipped town, thus severing the Crown's direct control over the Bahamas.
The islands languished for almost a decade in the hands of Britishcitizens with little or no interest in Statesmanship. By 1713, the entire region had become a haven for pirates and it was in this period that Benjamin Hornigold declared Nassau to be a pirate republic. He proclaimed himself governor and thereafter every pirate of any sense and reputation used Nassau as a base of operation, transforming this small city of barely 1000 residences into a "nest of infamous bastards", according to the Governor of Bermuda.
Dating generally from the MayanClassic period (AD 250 - 900), most Mayan ruins can be found throughout the Yucatán peninsula and Central America. Mayan Temples have steep stone steps and a platform at the top for wooden crowning structures. Mayan architecture is composed with a sophisticated eye to decoration, often using wall paintings and elaborate bas-relief stone carvings. Mayan arches forego the use of a keystone, instead creating a triangle-like arch known as a corbel vault.
A dominating presence on Havana's Plaza de San Francisco, the Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asis dates from 1580s. Originally, a statue of St. Francis of Assisi stood atop the bell tower, but this was blown off in a cyclone in 1846. Baroque features were added to the basilica in 1730.
The Governor's Mansion housed the acting Spanish governor in addition to prison facilities. A new governor's mansion was constructed across the square in 1791.
This drinking spot, named after "The King of Pirates" Henry Avery, was highly popular among gritty seafarers in the early 18th century. Legend had it that Avery himself once had a financial stake in several establishments throughout the West Indies, but that appears to be nothing more than self-promotion.
More of a display of his imaginative and technical skills than an actual historic representation, this dramatic painting by Willem van de Velde II depicts a battle with Barbary corsairs from north Africa.
This painting by Luca Giordano was commisioned by King Philip V of Spain for display in the French court.
Gold-work from the Isthmus, representing a crowned half-human, half-bat figure flanked by four crocodile heads.
Today is my birthday.
Brandish every Cask, Bottle and Barrel of Alcohol. Everyone is to partake and sing my Praises. To ensure that this Do goes splendidly, I will take charge of the Stores and require its Key.
My Father will be most gratified at your swift fulfilment of my Commands.
- Emmerson Beckford
I, Thomas Cecil, hereby report that the following is a true Manifest of all the Goods, Wares and Merchandize, of the Marks, Numbers and Contents of each Package on board the Endeavor which Cargo was received at the Trading Post of Andreas Island from whence the Craft Sailed for the Plantation of Cat Island.
Sugar - 110 Barrels
Molasses - 25 Barrels
Tobacco - 15 Barrels
John,
It is done. Accompanying this Letter you will find the Will, fully notarized by myself and with the old Man's signature. It will survive the scrutiny of any English Court, I assure you.
Arrangements for your Daughter's removal are also underway. My Associates in the Royal Navy tell me she will be apprehended within the Month. In fact, I hear they have solicited the most reputable Pirate Hunter Lieutenant Maynard for the Task.
Courage my Friend. After so many long Years, we are almost there,
Thomas Barehaire Esq.
In the Name of God, I, Theodore Rupert Braddock, being of sound Mind and Memory, do declare this my last Will and Testament, in Manner and Form following, revoking all former Wills by me made.
As touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life, I give, devise, and bequeath all my Goods unto my well-beloved Son-in-Law, John Baldwin, Husband of my late daughter Elizabeth, to have and to hold the same unto him, his Heirs, and Assigns forever.
I do nominate, constitute, and appoint my said Son-in-Law, John Baldwin, to be the sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament, charging him to see this my Will performed according to my true Intent and Meaning.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal, this Second day of January in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Twenty.
Signed, sealed, published, and declared by the said Theodore Rupert Braddock as and for his last Will and Testament, in the presence of us, who, at his Request and in his Presence, and in the Presence of each other, have subscribed our Names as Witnesses hereto.
Theodore Rupert Braddock
Witnessed by:
Thomas Barehaire, Esquire
John Baldwin
Thom,
Don't go getting all uncharitable about this, I did it for your own Good. I knew we might strike some Trouble along the way, so I hid your Share with the original Will in the Likelihood we ever need the old Man's Signature again.
The Locket's here too. I want it kept, no matter what you think. There is no one left to know of it's Significance, at any Rate. I'll recover it from you when all this is over, and include a Crate of Rum for the Inconvenience.
Chin up Man! We're Home free!
John.
Vance,
I had to leave early. My Order requires a Report and there cannot be a Delay. I'll be waiting by the Tavern at the usual Time. Come with both pieces of the Map.
Jing Lang
A letter to Lauren Prins, [sic] congratulating him on acquiring The Sage.
1. Cato, 35 years, superior carpenter and ship caulker.
2. York, 16 years, field hand.
3. Nero, 25 years, stone cutter.
4. Bess, 28 years, field cook, water carrier.
5. Esther, 31 years, midwife.
6. Gracey, 14 years, good house girl and child's nurse.
7. Anthony Morgan, about 30 years, fine engineer and field hand.
8. Sarah Morgan, 32 years, good field hand; tonsils occasionally inflamed.
9. Infant, 2 months.
10. Anthony, 3 years.
11. Stephen, 5 years.
12. Nace, 9 years.
13. Sophy, 12 years, likely.
You, Mr Thomas Stell, Ensign, stand charged for Dereliction of Duty.
On Tuesday last you were tasked to deliver a Prisoner to the Church at the center of Kingston, but were discovered to be in a shameful and drunken State, having abandoned your Post.
You are dismissed forthwith from Service, being no longer entitled to Pay or Protection from the Royal Navy.
Know all, by these Present, that I, Alvin of the Village of Grand Cayman, in consideration of the Sum of Forty-Two Reales in Hand, paid to me by Vargas of the Village of Grand Cayman, the Receipt of where I do acknowledge, have in turn sold and delivered in measured Weight One-Hundred-and-Thirty-Six Pounds of Mutton Snapper unto said Vargas.
In witness whereof I have set my Hand the Fifth Day of May 1716. Signed, sealed and delivered in the present of
All and Sundry, viz.
- Alvin of Grand Cayman
A debonair portrait of Julien Du Casse, the infamous mercenary.
Hangs above the bed in the Mansion at Great Inagua.
A vivid portrait of Laurens Prins, the reprehensible slaver.
Hangs in the hall of the Mansion at Great Inagua.
The schooner was a class of ship used as a general sailing vessel by both navies and civilian operators, providing light firepower and ample speed.
The brig was a class of ship bearing two square-rigged masts, and represented a compromise between larger, more powerful ships, and the faster, but less well-armed ones.
The man o' war was a type of large warship purpose built for warfare, boasting multiple gun decks, and crewed by heavily armed professional soldiers.
El Dorado was a brig that formed part of the Spanish Treasure Fleet.
The fleet was destroyed in a hurricane, with the El Dorado its lone surviving vessel.
The Jackdaw was a brig captained by the pirate-turned-Assassin Edward Kenway, who named it after the small, swift bird of his native Wales.
The ship was known as El Dorado before Edward and his future quartermaster Adéwalé captured it from its fleet.
The Royal Fortune was a man o' war captained by the pirate and Sage Bartholomew Roberts, who elected to keep and renamed it after he captured it as the Nosso Senhor da Compreensão from the Portuguese Navy.
The Ranger was a brig formerly owned by the pirate Benjamin Hornigold before he passed it on to his colleague, Charles Vane.
A miniature ship model of a Spanish Brig.
A miniature ship model of a Spanish Cutter.
A miniature ship model of a Spanish Schooner.
A miniature ship model of a Spanish Frigate.
A miniature ship model of a Spanish man o' war.
A miniature ship model of an English Brig.
A miniature ship model of an English Cutter.
A miniature ship model of an English Schooner.
A miniature ship model of an English Frigate.
A miniature ship model of an English man o' war.
A miniature ship model of the El Dorado.
A miniature ship model of the Jackdaw.
A miniature ship model of the Revenge.
In the Americas, the term ‘black panther’ generally refers to a melanistic jaguar. They are not a separate species, but a color morph of the spotted form. Black jaguars form less than ten percent of jaguars.
Black jaguars can be found in Isla Providencia and Pinos Isle.
The cat is a small carnivorous mammal with a flexible body, sharp claws, and quick reflexes. Cats have long been domesticated, and are favored as pets for their affectionate independence, and playful natures.
Sailors often keep cats aboard ships to deal with rats and other vermin.
The Crocodile is a large, tropical-dwelling tetrapod. Crocodiles can measure up to 15 feet long, weigh 2000 pounds, and live to be 70 years old. This prehistoric-looking predator preys on birds, fish, insects and other reptiles.
Crocodiles have been known to indulge in cannibalistic behaviour. Because of this, they live in groupings of the same size.
Not to be confused with alligators, crocodiles are bigger, lighter in color, and have narrower snouts. Although known to attack humans, the crocodile is more likely to flee than to react aggressively when approached.
Crocodiles are most commonly found in Nassau, Long Bay, and Matanzas.
Deer are large hoofed ruminants notable for having two large and two small hooves on each foot. Males have antlers while the females do not, with the exception of a single species where the females also grow antlers. Deer are selective feeders, eating plant food low in fiber content and high in protein such as young grass, herbs, woody shoots, and bark.
Various subspecies of deer can be found in the Caribbean bioregion. The red brocket deer, for example, is found in Trinidad and Tobago and the Key deer, introduced by colonists, inhabits the Florida Keys.
Deer are most commonly found in Kingston, Salt Lagoon, and Santanillas.
Frigate birds are large seabirds with long wings, forked tails, and slender bodies. They generally inhabit tropical and subtropical oceans, often nesting on remote islands. Frigate birds are skilled fliers, and are known to steal food from other seabirds.
Found across the world in tropical and temperate waters, the hammerhead's unusual head shape gives it increased sensory ability to detect its prey. The hammerhead does not attack humans, although it can be lethal if provoked.
Hammerhead sharks can be found in the Eleuthera and Gibara regions.
Considered one of the loudest animals on earth, the small-sized Howler Monkey generates a siren-like howl that can be heard from a distance of 3 miles (5km). They are not aggressive and are popular as pets in The West Indies.
Howler monkeys are most commonly found in Kingston, Cape Bonavista, and Long Bay.
The hutia is a large rodent unique to the Caribbean basin which varies in size, and can form distinct species from island to island. Hutias are often hunted by locals to be eaten in a spiced stew.
Hutias are most commonly found in Cayman Sound and Long Bay.
Iguanas are large, herbivorous lizards found throughout the Caribbean islands. The common iguana eats only leaves, flowers and fruit. Despite their at times fierce appearance they are not aggressive, and typically flee when threatened. However, they can lash their tails and bite if provoked.
Iguana are found in Great Inagua, Andreas Island, and Abaco Island.
The largest feline in the Western hemisphere, the jaguar is distinguished by its compact and powerful build, its agility, and its unique killing method of biting directly into the skull to pierce the brain. The Mayans believed that the jaguars could carry messages to and from the afterworld.
Jaguars are most commonly found in Cape Bonavista, Long Bay, Tulum, and Principe.
Also called a medusa, the jellyfish isn't technically a fish—it is a free-swimming non-vertebrate found in every sea across the world. Jellyfish consist of a gelatinous bell with trailing tentacles capable of stinging prey. Jellyfish stings are in most cases harmless to humans, but some can be extremely serious, even lethal.
Although related to sharks, manta rays are harmless. They can be quite large (up to 30 ft (9m) wide) and feed on small fish and plankton, funneling food into their mouth using cephalic flaps extending from the eyes. Manta rays, which are found all over the world, have the unique ability to leap from the water into the air to escape attackers.
Monkeys in the Caribbean are primarily an introduced African species called the green monkey, although up to the 17th Century these still shared territory with the now extinct Jamaican monkey. Both species were omnivores that ate a variety of foraged foods including fruit, seeds, flowers, insects, and smaller animals like frogs and birds.
Monkeys were viewed as pests by farmers as they continually raided crops, but were favoured by locals and sailors who adopted them as mischievous, intelligent pets.
The ocelot is a wild cat that typically has yellow fur with dark stripes in the manner of a jaguar. Ocelots are nocturnal and range from the size of domestic cats up to four feet (1.2 meters) in length.
Ocelot hides are coveted by leather workers for their ease of working, patterned fur, soft texture, and durability.
Ocelots can be found in Cumberland Bay and Abaco Island.
The Caribbean basin provides an excellent climate for both land and sea turtles. Turtles are reptiles with a hard, protective upper shell called a carapace. Although they are natural swimmers and can stay submerged for up to 7 hours while resting, turtles breathe air. Despite being awkward and slow moving on land, they go ashore to lay their eggs.
White coats in animals can be due to a specific genetic mutation or albinism. The genetic mutation that yields a white jaguar also results in a more aggressive animal, making them dangerous as well as rare.
White jaguars can be found at Great Inagua.
The wild pig, or boar, is a large cousin of the domesticated pig covered by hairy bristles. They were introduced by Europeans to the Caribbean basin (Columbus himself brought eight pigs with him from Spain). Wild pigs flourished in the island environment and were hunted by sailors and pirates to provide salted pork on their voyages.
Wild pigs are most commonly found in Nassau, Great Inagua, and Cape Bonavista.
So-called because of their short snouts and their tendency to head-butt prey, bull sharks are commonly found in warm, shallow waters. They are extremely aggressive and dangerous to humans. The females are larger than the males, and adults measure well over seven feet (2.15m) long.
Bull sharks can be found in the Dry Tortuga, Gibara, and Punta Guarico regions.
Found throughout Central and South America, capuchin monkeys are small and highly intelligent. They eat almost anything -- nuts, fruits, small birds, frogs, clams, etc. Many pirates favored capuchins as pets.
Capuchins can be found in Matanzas and Misteriosa.
The largest predatory fish in the world, the great white's lethal aspect is due to its nearly 300 serrated teeth arranged in rows. Great whites have been known to attack humans, but usually more out of curiosity than hunger -- "sample biting" and then releasing their victims. The great white reaches an average length of 15 feet (4.6m).
Great white sharks can be found in the Cruz and Serranilla regions.
Known for emitting complex sequences of haunting moans, the humpback is a large whale that reaches up to 62 feet (19 meters) in length. They migrate from the poles to the equator seasonally and travel in pods.
Humpback whales can be found in the Castillo De Jagua and Navassa regions.
Called the Grampus by sailors in the 18th century, the killer whale, or Orca, is part of the dolphin family. Known for their ferociously deadly predation, killer whales feast on seals, sea-lions and even other whales. They hunt in pods in the manner of wolf packs and are found throughout the world's seas.
Killer whales can be found in the Cruz and Conttoyor regions.
Red howler monkeys can be located on Isla Providencia.
Born to enslavedOgoni parents in Yoruba, Adéwalé was sold to the owner of a prosperous plantation before his teens. He remained on this plantation, working the fields, until his mid teens, always scheming of ways to escape his predicament, but uneasy with the prospect of living life as a fugitive.
Then fortune struck, giving Adéwalé the sign he needed. At some point near his 16th birthday, a group of buccaneers raided the plantation, robbing it of raw cane, refined sugar, and as many reales as they could find. Seeing in this an opportunity, Adé grabbed a crate of sugar and hauled it aboard one of the longboats the buccaneers had rowed ashore. Surprised to see a slave among them, the buccaneers were nevertheless thankful for the aid, and welcomed Adé among them.
Adé sailed with this first group of men for many years, quickly learning the ways of a seaman, grateful for the chance to develop his own skills and chase his own passions. And though his life among buccaneers was not free of the usual bigotry of the era, Adé found the prejudice to be more confrontational than restrictive.
In 1715, misfortune struck a cruel blow when the ship Adé was aboard, struck a shallow sandbar near the port of Havana. The buccaneers—mostly British at the time—tried desperately to free the trapped vessel, but after catching sight of an approaching SpanishGalleon, abandoned ship only to be torn apart by schools of circling bull sharks. Adé made peace with his fate, and stood his ground.
Taken to Havana for questioning and inspection, Spanish authorities eventually decided to send Adéwalé to Spain, where they felt he would make an excellent interpreter, owing to his fluent command of Spanish, English, and French. Some weeks later, they loaded him into of the Galleons that made up their perennial treasure convoy, en route to Seville.
Born: 1660s, Yucatan Peninsula
Died: c.1745, Yucatan Peninsula
Named for the Mayan god of hunting, Ah Tabai's given name remains a mystery, and very little is known about his earliest decades. The only child he is known to have fathered died before the age of ten.
What little else we know about him comes from his own mouth; from the stories he told those who knew him. When speaking about his own past, he avoids personal details in favor of abstractions and hints. He frequently speaks of his love and admiration for the tragic history of his people, and used these stories to illustrate the complex intersections of cultures and religions, frequently pointing out the fact that "From within and without come enemies and allies alike. Nothing in life is guaranteed, except surprise..."
It is not known how early Ah Tabai acquired the title of Mentor, nor how large his impact was on the Assassins of the West Indies. However, that he maintained semi-regular contact with the Assassins in the British colonies to the north, in various parts of Europe and Africa, and in China. He was instrumental in opening his branch to men and women from all walks of life - mostly Europeans, Africans, and those Native to the area.
As a native Mayan himself, rumors and stories of the ancient Observatory were not foreign to Ah Tabai. So when in 1713 rumors of a new "Sage" began to surface, Ah Tabai took it upon himself to locate the man, believing the Assassins should be the protectors of the ancient and mysterious place. He sent word far and wide to as many Assassin outposts as possible, hoping their network of spies and informants would lead them to their prize. But after two years, there was no word.
Then, in early 1715, an experienced British Assassin named Duncan Walpole arrived at Ah Tabai's encampment, initially expressing a desire to train under the Mentor directly. Ah Tabai found the request odd but flattering, for Walpole had already achieved a level of Mastery few assassins ever reached. After many months of intensive training, Ah Tabai came to consider Duncan Walpole as one of his most trusted colleagues.
Then in June of 1715, word arrived that the Templars had located and imprisoned the Sage on Spanish lands in the far south. Seeing an opportunity to cripple his arch-enemies, Ah Tabai entrusted Duncan Walpole with the task of rallying various Assassins around the West Indies and leading an assault on the Templar prison ship en route to Havana. Duncan Walpole agreed to this task... and was never heard from again.
It was only after Edward Kenway's disastrous meddling in Havana that Ah Tabai was made aware of the full extent of Walpole's betrayal.
Born: 1702, Ireland Died: Unknown
Anne was barely a teen when she left her native Cork in Ireland for the British colonies, and by sixteen she was en route to West Indies at side of her new husband, Mr. Jack Bonny, a gentle but sturdy young man in his early 20s.
The pair arrived in Nassau in April of 1716, settling down with an unclear idea of what shape their lives might take. Jack eventually found work on one of the small plantations there, while Anne cultivated her ability to loaf and daydream. Unfortunately, her beauty, aloofness, and complete indifference to propriety made her the object of more romantic attention than she had ever known or cared for.
Within a year of arriving in Nassau, the Bonnys' marriage was in shambles, a union only in name. While Jack disappeared further into his work, Anne grew more confident and sociable, eventually taking a job as a barmaid at the popular Old Averytavern in the center of Nassau. And though she took on a few lovers in the next few years, it was mostly out of envy and spite that the rabble of Nassau branded Anne a harlot and a tease. But with no high society to shun or shame her, Anne's desirability only increased on the strength of these rumors.
orn: 1680, England Died: ????
Known variously by different sources as Thatch, Teach, Theach, Tache, Titche, Teatch, Tack, and more, we are fairly certain Edward Thatch was born in or around Bristol and took to the sea at an early age, most likely in his teens. It is also speculated that he arrived in the West Indies quite soon after leaving England.
If this was indeed the case, Ed Thatch would have seen his fair share of the War of Spanish Succession, a protracted fight between most of the Empires of Europe that pitted Hapsburg Austia and its British ally against Bourbon France and Spain. In these early years, from 1700 to 1713, Thatch was a privateer or at the very least a merchant seaman, doing his part for the crown—Queen Anne at the time.
But with the Treaty of Utrecht bestowing peace upon a troubled Europe in 1713, Thatch and his fellow sailors found themselves far from home and out of work. Thus, they turned to piracy as a means of sustaining themselves. In the ensuing years, Thatch befriended a captain named Benjamin Hornigold and soon after joined his crew as quartermaster, at some point between late 1714 and early 1716.
Settling in Nassau, Thatch, Hornigold, and the rest of the "Flying Gang" as these pirates called themselves, began cooking up schemes far larger than most pirates of the era dared dream. Wanting nothing less than a country of their own, they worked to turn Nassau into a place of liberty and freedom for all who desired an escape from the bonds of imperial rule.
Born: 1693, Wales Died: ????
Edward James Kenway was born on the 10th of March in Swansea, Wales, to Bernard Kenway of Manchester and Linette Hopkins of nearby Cardiff. By Edward's 10th birthday, his father had moved the family to a small farm just outside Bristol, a nearby port town in the southwest of England.
This relocation had a depressing effect on young Edward's mood. He grew restless from a lack of contact with old friends and struggled to find an outlet for his limitless energy. By his teens he was spending more and more time in the city away from his farm, where the lure of excitement overrode prudence. By age sixteen, he had substituted a career as a successful farmer for a life of hopeless tomfoolery, frequently shirking his responsibilities to his family in favor of rough company.
In late 1711, at the age of seventeen, Edward met Caroline Scott, a woman of modest but steady means. Their friendship began cautiously, as Caroline's hand had already been promised to the boorish son of a wealthy East India Companyexecutive. But Edward's charms eventually won out, and he and Caroline were married within a year of their meeting; a union that angered her father, and got the whole of Bristol talking.
In the earliest months of their marriage, Edward resolved to do well by his wife and provide for her as he believed a man in his position should. But his grandiose dreams and exaggerated opinion of himself prevented him from taking immediate responsibility for their well-being. And after only a year, he had stumbled back into his worst habits - drinking, fighting and idleness.
It was in this dark period that Edward revived an old idea of joining a privateering fleet sailing for the West Indies, with the aim of making war against the Spanish and collecting unchecked sums of gold and cargo. This, he told his wife, was their path to quick riches. Being a sensible and prudent woman, Caroline discouraged these fanciful ideas.
By the summer of 1712, Caroline understood that her husband's departure was inevitable. She wanted no further part of Edward's reckless plan, and so left him to live with her parents. Stunned by this sudden turn, Edward was determined to earn his fortune fast and prove himself as capable as he always claimed he was. He left for the West Indies barely one month later, where he soon fell in with the privateer Benjamin Hornigold and his quartermaster, Ed Thatch.
Edward spent the first half of 1713 sailing with these two seasoned sailors, on regular sweeps of the windward passage. But that year, fate threw him another upset. With the signing of the treaty of Utrecht, all hostile actions between the major empires came to an end and the prospects of British privateers dried up. Now poor, unemployed, and thousands of miles from home, Edward and his colleagues settled on the island of New Providence in the Bahamas to reconsider their options.
These were fanciful days for Edward. He discovered in the small town of Nassau a life quite unlike that which he had left behind. The atmosphere of wild and noisy freedom in this small stateless encampment overwhelmed and captivated him. The drinking, the gaming, the women, the aimless desire to simply live as one pleased. And yet, as carefree as he was, his beloved Caroline was never far from his mind. If he could make something of himself in the West Indies—working a sugarplantation, perhaps—he might win her back after all his time away.
But in absence of true conviction, habit takes hold fast; and it was only a matter of time before Edward set back out to sea with his mates, to live the life they knew best; no longer privateers—legal and sanctioned—but as pirates now, with nary a whit of loyalty to kin and country, earning his fortune by the sword and pistol, praying his end was never too near.
Born: 1682, Jamaica Died: ????
Of the few infamous pirates to call the West Indies his birthplace, Jack Rackham was born in Jamaica at the height of Port Royal's boom as a den of scoundrels. This would likely explain his atrophied moral compass, for he was frequently drunk, rarely serious about anything, and always chasing women. He used his outrageous and offensive charm to keep out of most trouble. But a strategist and fighter he was not.
Nicknamed "Calico" for his affinity for Indian and Asian prints, he was a terrible sailor and a worse pirate, given to flights of fancy and myopic ideas that served only himself, rather than solid strategic thinking. He was likely drunk for half of his adulthood, and had a weakness for women that trumped all basic needs, such as sleeping or eating. His disarming charm, dashing good looks, and his swift wit carried him far, but parties can only last so long before someone has to clean up after them.
Born: 1691, England Died: ????
Daughter of Emmett and Elizabeth Scott, Caroline was born in Bristol, England, to a prosperous family of merchants and civil servants. Given a modest education by her father, she furthered her own studies in her own way, taking time to read as often as her familiar duties allowed. Splitting her time between this and helping her mother manage her father's affairs, she grew into a confident and level-headed woman with more skill and intelligence than her situation allowed her to exercise.
Caroline first met Edward Kenway outside the Auld Shillelagh, in the aftermath of a drunken altercation. She had arrived to fetch one of her servants and there found Edward escorting the woman from the clutches of one of Bristol's more notorious cads. Thankful for his kindness, Caroline agreed to a second meeting on more equitable terms, hardly thinking a romance possible.
And yet—against all odds—that is just what happened. Edward and Caroline grew quite close, and soon fell in love, quite much to the dismay of her father. Emmett Scott had already promised his daughter to the son of a wealthy East India Companyexecutive, and made his displeasure apparent at every turn. But all his noise was to no avail. Caroline and Edward were married in 1712.
For a time it seemed as though this odd pairing might produce a lasting union. But Edward's deep love for his wife was offset by his uncouth habits and reckless attention to responsibility. Not content to live a life of middle class drudgery, Edward dreamed large, and fixed on the idea that he could sail to the West Indies and fight as a Privateer against the Spanish. Or, barring that, buy some land and sow a sugarplantation. Caroline tried to dissuade her husband, but to no effect.
Born: 1680, England Died: ????
A common refrain in any biography of a Golden AgePirate goes something like this: "Very little is known about this man's early life..." And with Charles Vane it's no different. It is not known where he was born, or where he grew up, or when he first took to sea. But maybe that's just as well, for it further heightens the mystery of this strange, unstable man.
Surely one of the most ornery and unstable of the "Flying Gang", the band of pirates who called Nassau their home for a time, Charles Vane began his career like most pirates of the era--honestly, as a privateer sailing for his King. Likely living in Jamaica in 1715, he was one of many aboard Henry Jennings' assault on a Spanish expedition to recover the gold from their ill fated wreck in 1715 off the coast of Florida.
Barely a year later it had become impossible to keep up honest work as a privateer, as British Governors were skittish about breaking the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht, which called for a cessation of all aggression between the major empires. Having few other options, Vane sailed to Nassau where many of his former colleagues were now living.
Quick to anger and ferociously mean, Charles Vane quickly earned himself a reputation as a difficult captain to sail under. At some point in 1717 or 1718, an old friend, "Calico" Jack Rackham joined his crew as quartermaster. The two remained partnered for some time, living and working out of Nassau with the likes of Benjamin Hornigold, Ed Thatch, and Henry Jennings.
Born: 1695, England Died: ????
Even though not yet out of his teens, James Kidd was a cocky and confident lad with a brashness cultivated to counter his youth. He claimed to be the bastard son of the late William Kidd, the infamous privateer-turned-pirate who was captured and hanged by British authorities in 1701. Although James had no proof of this connection, his mother always insisted on it, claiming that she spent a single "panicked night of passion" with Captain Kidd just before his departure from London in 1695.
Growing up fatherless and with a spendthrift mother did little to improve his prospects at leading a normal life, and at the age of 12 he found employment aboard merchant vessels sailing between the British colonies in North America and the West Indies. By the time he was 17 he called Jamaica his home, where he further honed his skills as a sailor here.
Although he never sailed with the likes of Ben Hornigold, Ed Thatch, or Edward Kenway, James was among the first sailors to settle in Nassau, and was a central figure in its development as a pirate republic.
Born: Unknown, England Died: ????
Of all the infamous West Indiespirates, Mary Read stands out as one of the most mysterious and inscrutable. No one is sure when she was born, with most speculation ranging over almost a decade, between 1685 and 1695. According to Charles Johnson—a frequently unreliable source—her mother began dressing Mary in boy's clothes from a very early age, with the hope of passing her off as another man's son.
In her teens, Mary evidently harnessed her skill for disguise to secure a job aboard a ship. Taking to sea, she worked her way forward until she found a position in the British Navy. Still disguised as a man, she saw action in battle, though owing to the conflicting reports of her birth, which battle is uncertain. It was during these skirmishes that Mary met her first husband—so the author of the "General History of Pyrates" claims—a Flemish soldier who had evidently fought beside her.
But this union was not fated to remain intact, as Mary's husband was killed soon after their marriage. With few reasons to remain in Europe, Mary sailed for the West Indies. It is unclear what transpired in the years following, but it is almost certain that she resumed the practice of dressing as a man. It is also assumed Mary continued working aboard ships, improving her skills as a sailor and swordsman.
By 1715 or 1716, it was likely she had visited her fellow sailors in Nassau, though perhaps not for the same reasons...
Born: 1695, Cuba Died: Unknown
Born in Cuba, Assassin bureau leader Opía Apito was raised Taíno, among her mother's people, never knowing her father, a Spaniard.
At twelve, her village was raided by the Spanish. Most of her community was kidnapped and killed. But Opía, the lone free survivor, fought and ran. She survived in hiding for close to a decade.
Much of what we know of Opía is inseparable from legend. Her name, possibly self-given, is an amalgam of the Taíno words for "eternity" and "ghost." She claimed to be a direct descendant of the warrior Hatuey, who stood against the Spanish in the 16th Century. She was guided throughout her life by the mantra, Aji aya bom—better dead than a slave.
In her early twenties, she was hired by the Assassins as a guide, and was soon adopted into their ranks. She delighted in a characteristic Taíno approach to strategy: preferring to harm the enemy by taking something from him in battle, that he might live to notice it missing. But as an Assassin she did not shrink from violence.
True to her name, once promoted to Assassin Bureau leader, she built an agile and highly effective "ghost" bureau near the Cayman Islands, with virtually no physical footprint to speak of. We might regard it today as an early example of a terrorist cell, but she left no records and no descendants, and until now, history has held no record of it.
Born: 1688, Scotland Died: Unknown
Born in Scotland, Rhona Dinsmore was made for adventure. After suffering the lows of a troubled household–an absent father and a drunkard of a mother–Dinsmore left her home in Glasgow in her mid-teens. At nineteen, she found work amongst merchants in Bristol and remained at that post for nearly two years.
By twenty-one, Dinsmore was trapped in a terrible marriage. She fled again and sought refuge in Boston, where she remained for six months, before moving on to the warmer climes of Jamaica. There she found it exceedingly difficult to find work among farmers, and finally took to the sea, ultimately finding her calling within the Assassin Brotherhood.
Born: 1688, Barbados
Died: ????
Born into plentitude and wealth on Barbados, Stede Bonnet seemed destined for a life of pleasure and ease. The son of a successful and influential plantation owner, his early life was marked by tragedy when his parents died suddenly, leaving seven year-old Stede orphaned and in a perpetual state of melancholy.
His inheritance of some 400 acres of land softened the blow caused by the loss of his parents, and by the time Stede was in his late teens, he had already restored the sugar plantation to a profitable state. He married young and set about starting a family as soon as possible, but owing to what some called a "disorder of the mind" he never found solace or comfort in these domestic trappings.
To further complicate his unease, his firstborn son died in infancy, further amplifying his grief and stiming his restlessness. As a means of coping, he dreamed of going to sea and sailing about the world, meeting people, living life as a man free of the obligations thrust upon him.
When Bonnet's ship was apprehended by the British Navy on suspicion of piracy, he was rescued by the pirate Edward Kenway who, with the help of Blackbeard and others, eventually influenced the affable and impressionable merchant into going on the account himself.
Born: 1688, England Died: Unknown
Upton Travers was born in England, in 1688, two years ahead of his brother, Vance Travers. Together, they traveled to the West Indies in search of their fortune. There they established a smuggling business, which they used to fund their growing involvement with the Assassin brotherhood.
Although Vance was the more charismatic of the two Assassin brothers, Upton made up for it with his measured, sensible responses to life's challenges.
However, every man has a breaking point, and Upton found his after Vance took up with the Chinese "Pirate Queen," Jing Lang, a Templar, and sought to steal the treasure on which they had staked their retirement before finally attempting fratricide.
Depressed, Upton turned to alcohol, which may have been a factor in his retaliation. He ultimately had both Jing Lang and his brother dispatched with the help of Edward Kenway.
Originally hailing from Wales, little is known about John Roberts, the real name of the man who would come to be known as "Black Bart" long after his death.
Most assume he went to sea at a very young age -- at 13 or so -- but there is no record of him in any historical documents until his noted appearance in 1718 aboard a merchant's ship, Barbadian in origin. Just a year later Roberts was pressed into piracy by the notorious Howell Davis while working aboard a slave ship under Captain Abraham Plumb. Though Roberts had likely not gone to sea with the intent of becoming a pirate, when the opportunity thrust itself upon him, Roberts was reported to have said 'A merry life, and a short one shall be my motto.'
A few months later Davis was killed in an ambush on the Portuguese Island of Príncipe, and Roberts was swiftly and unanimously elected to replace him. This was surely a testament to the man's natural charisma and leadership, for he had been a pirate only a few months. It was at this point he took the name "Bartholomew", likely naming himself for the infamous Bartholomew Sharpe, a pirate of some renown who had disappeared just two decades earlier.
One of the most intelligent and strategic pirates of the Golden Age, Roberts was a sturdy man, known to dress in fine clothes. Handsome, and carrying himself with a dignified but unpretentious air, he had dark hair to match his dark complexion, likely set from the almost two decades he had spent at sea. He often carried numerous pistols, each tied to one end of long silk sashes, which he kept slung over his shoulder.
Roberts' tactical ideas were usually radical, but thoughtfully considered. He never jumped into any scheme rashly, though his ideas seemed almost suicidal to those unacquainted with his methods. Ultimately responsible for the theft of around 400 ships in his three-year career, he bested every other pirate of the era by a factor of ten times or more, although it must be said that at least half of these boats were small periaguas and the like.
Born: Mid-1680s, England Died: ????
Benjamin Hornigold was likely born in Norfolk, England. The first recorded instances of him are of his early exploits as a pirate in the West Indies around 1713-1714.
Hornigold was one of the earliest pirates to emerge after the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, and one of the many hundreds of privateers who were left without gainful employment in the ensuing peace. Like many other British mariners, he spent much of his time in the Bahamas, eventually settling in Nassau. It was from there he launched his career as a full-fledged pirate, though he likely thought of himself as a privateer--in his earliest years, at least.
A skilful sailor and strategist, Hornigold lacked some of the ruthlessness required to be a truly successful pirate, and until 1716, refused to attack English ships out of a sense of loyalty to his home country.
Born: Unknown Died: Unknown
Almost nothing is known about El Tiburón "The Shark" outside of his service as the loyal, mute bodyguard of Laureano de Torres y Ayala, the Grandmaster of the Caribbean Templars and the Governor of Cuba. The Shark's penchant for medieval armor and brutal violence cut a swathe of fear through Havana, leaving citizens and soldiers alike quivering in his blood soaked wake.
Born: 1682, England Died: 1717, West Indies
Hilary Flint was born to an aristocratic family, the youngest of three boys. The black sheep of the family, he sought solitude in his studies. Immersing himself in math and sciences, Flint discovered an abiding interest in explosives, earning him the label of "problem child".
To correct his course, his parents enrolled him in military school, where he quicklyexceeded their expetations, working his way into the hearts of both teachers and students, as well as a few secret societies.
After graduation, his connections and easy manner earned him access to Templar ranks where his obsession with firearms made him an important asset.
Records reveal an ongoing relationship with AssassinRhona Dinsmore, the full nature of which is uncertain. She vanishes from record after Flint's death at the age of 35.
Born: 1686, China Died: 1717, Nassau
Born to Chinese rebels, Jing Lang came into the world fighting, but survived to become a skilled diplomat with a flair for languages and a taste for discovery.
Ambitious, Lang married the son of a General in the Qing dynasty, joining the Templar order, but severing ties with her family in the process. She served as a diplomatic advisor, until a shift in political tides provoked her escape into piracy.
Over the next decade, she crossed every sea, developing a reputation for brutality that preceded her into most conflicts.
In the West Indies, she fell under the spell of a rumored cache of treasure, and feigned a romantic relationship with one-time AssassinVance Travers to gain access to it.
She might have been successful had it not been for Travers' brother, Upton, an Assassin who schemed to have her killed, betraying his brother in the process. She died at the age of thirty.
Born: 1682, France Died: ????
Nephew of the buccaneer Jean du Casse, Julien was born in Montpellier, France. He took after his uncle's example and took to sea at a young age, eventually joining him in a few skirmishes during the War of the Spanish Succession. Fighting on the side of the French, and by proxy, on behalf of King Philip of Spain, du Casse's skill as a gunner improved rapidly, even as he grew wildly disillusioned with the monarchy and its obsession with lineage and breeding over raw talent and skill.
In 1704, ordered by his superior officers to join his uncle and hundreds of French troops in what would become known as the Battle of Vélez-Màlaga, du Casse opted instead to desert his post and seek his fortunes in the New World. At first he threw in with slave traders in Africa, and for a year made a modest profit off the venture. But he was never comfortable with the cruelty and detachment the job required, and so departed for the West Indies in search of yet another vocation.
For the next 10 years, du Casse roamed the West Indies as a hired gun, working for whomever had the coin and confidence to pay him. Ever prizing the value of intelligence and skill over mere reputation and breeding, du Casse, eventually found his way into the company of Laureano Torres of Cuba, in whom he found a friend and confidant...
Born: 1675, England Died: 1715, Kingston
Born to an upper class family and educated in boarding schools from age five, Kenneth Abraham learned to fight for himself at an early age. Upon graduation, he entered the army and rose through the ranks, finally meeting the rank of Commander.
His embrace of order and disciple drew him into the fold of the Templar Order, which offered him influence beyond that offered by his military career. From the age of thirty, he ascended its ranks in parallel to those of his military career by devoting himself to the promotion of order and peace.
In 1715, the Assassin Anto infiltrated a Ball held by Abraham on his plantation, together with the pirate Edward Kenway. There, Abraham was assassinated by the pair, confronted in his final moments by the nemesis he had tried and failed to defeat.
He remained, until his death, determined to rid the world of unpredictable and disorderly elements.
Born: 1645, Cuba Died: ????
Born in Havana, but raised in Madrid, Spain, Laureano was of noble stock, the son of Tomas Torres y Ayala and Elvira de Quadros Castellanos. He joined the Spanish army in his late teens, and was later appointed as the governor of Spain's territories in Florida, a post he held from 1693 to 1699. He then returned to Europe to participate in the War of the Spanish Succession.
In 1708, Torres was appointed as the governor of Cuba, a post he held for three years until he was accused of and arrested for corruption. He was acquitted of these charges, however, and managed to win a re-election bid in 1713.
During his time in Cuba, he made many lasting improvements to the city, fortifying the island's defenses and introducing the production of tobacco there. He remained Governor until 1716, after which point he retired and devoted his life to charitable functions, such as building hospitals.
Born: 1630s, Amsterdam Died: 1717, Kingston
Laurens Prins (often anglicized as Laurence Prince) was a Dutchman from Amsterdam who spent the majority of his life in and around the West Indies. Operating out of Port Royal, Prins saw an incredible amount of action and adventure in his long life.
Sailing as a privateer in the early days of the Golden Age of Piracy (1650s) he developed a reputation for courage fighting the Spanish on behalf of the British crown, sometimes bearing a letter of marque, often without. He even played a pivotal role in Sir Henry Morgan's infamous raid on Panama in 1671, for which he was roundly celebrated.
Prins eventually retired from privateering and settled in a large acreage of land in Jamaica. Around this time he entered into the slave trade as a means of bolstering his wealth, an occupation he pursued well into his seventies.
In 1717, his flagship slave galley, The Whydah, was attacked and captured by the pirate"Black Sam" Bellamy. He managed to survive the encounter, and fell back into his old occupation until his death some months later.
Born: 1689, Spain Died: 1715, Pinos Isle
Born in Spain, Lucia Márquez never knew her father. By the age of twelve she was supporting herself and her sisters on the streets, begging, borrowing, and stealing anything she could, all the while developing the skills of a master thief.
At the age of seventeen, she was caught stealing a horse belonging to a high-ranking Templar, and wisely opted for training over jail time.
The Templar life gave Marquez the focus she needed and she never found herself at a lack of challenge or adventure.
She died at the age of twenty-six on Pinos Isle, wise beyond her years, on the order of the TainoAssassin, Opía Apito.
Historic archives contain scattered references to individuals known as "Sages", but they are few and far between. Each citation seems to refer to a different person living in a vastly different time and location.
The earliest example was found in a Sumerian clay tablet in cuneiform script, while the latest survives only as a footnote in one of Laureano Torres's own journals, dated January 1704. In all – according to exhaustive research – seven different "Sages" seem to have graced the world's stage in the past twelve hundred years. But the real number is likely higher.
Perhaps, the strangest aspect connecting each of these various sightings is the fact that, in every case, visual descriptions of each Sage are remarkably similar. So similar, in fact, that one wouldn't be faulted for assuming they ware talking about a single, immortal man. However, in two of the seven citations, explicit mention is made of their death and burial.
Is this therefore some bizarre form of reincarnation? Or some simpler explanation that is presently unknown? More research is required.
Born: 1690, England Died: 1717, Nassau
Born in England, the passionate, creative, yet incredibly gullible Vance Travers, found a life for himself amongst the Assassin's Brotherhood in the West Indies, where he ran a successful smuggling enterprise, with his older brother, Upton.
Business took a turn for the worse after he met and fell in love with the Templar, Jing Lang, who persuaded him to divulge knowledge of the location of buried treasure with which he and Upton planned to fund their retirement.
Paranoid, Travers developed delusions that his brother plotted to steal his treasure and Jing's heart. He broke from the Creed and, after a failed attempt at fratricide, was killed by Edward Kenway.
Born: 1679, England Died: ????
Woodes Rogers was born into money, to a seafaring family with deep roots in both Poole and Bristol, England. His early life was a picture of industriousness and ambition, and by the age of 18 he was an apprentice Mariner.
Upon his father's death at sea in 1706, Woodes inherited his family's prosperous shipping company, which he took to managing with great passion. Between 1704 and 1707 Rogers' fortunes and family grew, and by the time he was twenty-seven his marriage to Sarah Whetstone had produced one son and two daughters.
By the end of 1707, however, his business had suffered great losses by raidingFrench forces, giving Rogers the idea to recoup these dreadful losses himself. Knocking about Bristol in search of a partner for this endeavor, he soon found himself in the company of William Dampier, an old friend and unlucky Captain who suggested setting out on a privateering expedition, one that would range far and wide about the New World. In 1708, Rogers made the necessary arrangements and set out as Captain of his own vessel, on a difficult voyage that would last over three years.
Along this course Rogers met with many successes and failures. In 1709, off the western coast of South America, he found and rescued a marooned sailor by the name of Alexander Selkirk, a sailor who had spent nearly 4 years living in isolation and who would serve as the inspiration for the book "Robinson Crusoe" just a few years later.
Soon after Selkirk's recovery, Rogers' fleet engaged an enemy vessel in open combat—a skirmish that earned him a pistol shot to the left side of his face and a mangled heel. Neither wound was enough to remove him from command however, and he continued serving as captain until his return to England in late 1711. To commemorate this return, he had an operation to remove the offending bullet from his upper palate.
Now in poor health but high spirits, he set about writing his memoirs. Upon their publication a few years, they were an immediate success, and proved a great source of income. But this brief glory was offset by the sudden death of his son, a tragedy compounded some months later by his wife's decision to leave him. Also at this time, Rogers was sued by former shipmates for allegedly hoarding goods and money plundered from enemy vessels. Rogers assembled a defense, but lost the case.
In 1713, itching to return to sea, he organized passage to Madagascar claiming to be a merchant in the slave trade, but with the intended purpose of reconnoitering the rumored pirate colonies established there. When he arrived in Madagascar after months of hard sailing, he found that the legends of the pirate town "Libertalia" had been exaggerated one-hundredfold. The pirates in Madagascar were sickly and few and desperate for help. After spending just a few months here, Rogers set sail for England, a failure in his own mind.
And yet, never one to give up hope, Woodes Rogers reoriented his attentions to the West Indies, eventually lobbying King George for a commission to hunt pirates in the Caribbean. On this score, he succeeded. After a few diligent years of making his case, King George appointed Woodes Rogers as the Governor of the Bahamas. Now, at last, he would make his mark, and bring justice to a land where chaos had taken root...
An incomplete audio clip from The Devils of the Caribbean Podcast reconstructed from recovered files.
An audio message from Ego, easily intercepted by the Dark Animus with no need for further decryption.
In it, she warns the nascent Eagle that she knows of his every movement within the mainframe, threatening to pierce him clean from the sky.
Audio memory obtained from an Animus memory fragement in which Sebastían Vizcaíno recovers from wounds sustained during a confrontation.
