Hendrik

Hendrik (died 1725) was a Dutch explorer working for the Dutch East India Company in the early 18th century. He was a friend to the navigator John Young.

During an expedition to Indochina, Hendrik found the ruins of Angkor, the lost city of the Khmer Empire and an alleged Isu site. He documented his discovery in a series of sea logs, which in 1725 would become the objects of interest of various factions, including the Assassin Edward Kenway and the Templars, who sought to find Angkor for the Pieces of Eden they believed it contained.

History

Early life

Seeking to make a fortune in order to provide for his wife and children, Hendrik left them to join the Dutch East India Company as a sailor, a decision he eventually came to regret. While serving, Hendrik wrote a letter which he sought to give to his family in the event he failed to return. Hendrik also came to befriend a fellow company mate and navigator by the name of John Young.

Discovery of the lost city

"I believe this may perhaps be a clue as to the whereabouts of a local fable... The so-called "Forgotten Temple" spoken of in reverent whispers across Southeast Asia. If anyone reads these words, I advise them to follow in the footsteps of Magellan."

―Hendrik writing about his investigation into Angkor's legend.

While serving in the Dutch East India Company, Hendrik was tasked by its Chief Navigator Jan van Aert to research various legends around Southeast Asia concerning possible treasures and ancient sites that could benefit the company's interests. However, all the information Hendrik managed to uncover was deemed useless by Jan, who did not want to waste company resources investigating what he described as "old fisherman's tales".

Hendrik meeting the monk

At some point during his investigation, Hendrik learned about Ferdinand Magellan's search for Pieces of Eden in the Philippines two centuries prior. Traveling to Cebu, he met a monk at the Basilica del Santo Niño who reluctantly told him about Magellan's discovery of an Isu artifact on Cebu and his subsequent death at the hands of Mactan Island's chief Lapu-Lapu, who wielded another Piece of Eden.

The monk made no mention of what had happened to either of the two artifacts after Magellan's death, so Hendrik resolved to continue investigating by himself, believing the Pieces of Eden to be connected to rumors of a "forgotten temple" located somewhere in Indochina. He also began documenting his search in his personal sea log, which he encrypted using a special cipher that he kept hidden within the log.

Eventually, Hendrik discovered the so-called "forgotten temple" and its treasure in the lost Khmer city of Angkor during a company expedition in the jungles of Indochina. Unable to retrieve the artifact, he wrote down instructions to find Angkor in his sea log, intending to return to the ruins at a later date. At one point while drunk, he also told John Young about his discovery, not knowing that his friend would then steal his story and boast about it.

Hendrik and the monk hiding the second sea log within Magellan's cross

Later, Hendrik, realizing the danger Angkor's artifact posed if it fell into the wrong hands, decided to conceal its location. He split his sea log into two halves, with the first half documenting Hendrik's original research into Magellan's story and concluding with the message "follow in the footsteps of Ferdinand Magellan". This was a clue to the location of the second sea log, which Hendrik and the monk from Cebu hid within Magellan's cross at the Basilica del Santo Niño.

In early 1725, Hendrik came to be based in Macau and approached the affluential Qing merchant Madam Lee, asking her to sponsor an expedition to Angkor. However, she rejected his offer, believing his story about the lost city to be absurd, and Hendrik was thus to forced to put a halt to his ambitious plans. In the meantime, he kept his original sea log in a bank safe in Macau, knowing how valuable the information within the journal was.

Death

"With information like that, it's no wonder people were after him. I'll bet he never imagined he was hastening his own demise."

―Edward Kenway, on Hendrik, 1725.

In February 1725, Hendrik was attacked in his room at the Dutch East India Company's dormitories in Macau, being fatally stabbed in the abdomen by ninja from the Japanese Shimazu clan working for the Templars, who sought to silence anyone who knew about Angkor.

Edward finding the mortally wounded Hendrik

The Assassin Edward Kenway, who was attempting to learn the location to the lost city, entered Hendrik's room moments after the attack, while Hendrik was still conscious. The sailor told Edward a little about Angkor and its "piece" and asked that he deliver a letter to his family before finally passing.

Hearing the commotion, Hendrik's fellow company men entered his room and found Edward standing over Hendrik's body. Mistakenly thinking he was Hendrik's killer, they attacked the Assassin, who fled by jumping out the window. Edward subsequently escaped the harbor with John Young's help, but was declared a fugitive by the Macau authorities, who hanged wanted posters of him around the city.

Legacy

"If anyone reads these words, I advise them to follow in the footsteps of Ferdinand Magellan. In the place where the journey takes you, you will find another clue within..."

―Hendrik's meesage in his sea log.

Following Hendrik's death, his sea log became the object of interest of multiple factions who sought to find Angkor and its treasure. Madam Lee initially purchased it from the bank where Hendrik had been keeping it, but the log was soon stolen by the Templar Shimazu Saito, who entrusted it to her benefactor, Sun. When Sun was later killed by his nephew Xiao Han, the Mentor of the Chinese Assassins, the latter claimed the log for himself and formed an alliance with Lee to find Angkor's treasure.

The Zhang Wei Union members deciphering Hendrik's sea log

Despite losing the sea log, Saito had been able to memorize its contents during the brief time she held it, and later joined forces with Edward Kenway and his Zhang Wei Union, helping them decipher the information. After learning about Hendrik's investigation into Ferdinand Magellan's story, the Union members decided to follow his trail and traveled to the Philippines.

While in Manila, Edward encountered a monk who wielded a crescent amulet, a Piece of Eden which was part of the same set as Angkor's artifact. After being subjected to the amulet's powers, Edward experienced several visions, including one of Hendrik concealing his second sea log within Magellan's cross.

Edward and his fellow Union members later traveled to Cebu to find the cross, but were beaten to their destination by the Visayan chief Rajah, who took the sea log for himself. Rajah entrusted it to his men, who hid the log inside Fort San Pedro, where it was later recovered by Saito. However, she ended up losing the journal to the Chinese Assassins, who deciphered it and learned the whereabouts of two more Pieces of Eden.

In 2023, when Edward's descendant Noa Kim relived his genetic memories in the Animus, Hendrik's dying words about leaving his family reminded him of his own father's abandonment, resulting in a brief synchronization error.

Personality and traits

"I was a terrible father... I left my wife and children behind... B-but... I wanted to make money... So that they'd have a better life... I finally found the ruins... I was gonna make a fortune... And be a good father... I want to tell them... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

―Hendrik expressing remorse over having left his family, 1725.

Hendrik loved his family and sought to provide for them, so he chose to pursue a career as a sailor, though doing so required him to abandon his wife and children. After learning about the legend of Angkor, Hendrik investigated it with the intention of acquiring the lost city's treasure for himself, so that he could return home to his family a wealthy man.

Hendrik giving Edward the letter to his family

As he learned more about the nature of the Pieces of Eden, Hendrik realized the information he possessed was more valuable than he had thought at first, and went to great lengths to conceal it and prevent Angkor's treasure from falling into the wrong hands. Despite his precautions, however, he failed to realize that his investigation had drawn the attention of powerful groups like the Assassins and Templars, and was ultimately silenced by the latter.

In his final moments, Hendrik regretted having abandoned his family for the sake of a treasure he could not claim, but hoped his investigation might help someone else find the artifact so that it could be put to good use. Feeling he could trust Edward Kenway, he gave him the letter to his family and told him what little he could about Angkor's treasure before passing away.

Behind the scenes

Hendrik is a character introduced in Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple, where his sea logs serve as the MacGuffin that drive much of the comic's plot.

Etymology

Hendrik, alternatively spelled Hendrick or Henderick, is a Dutch name which is the equivalent of the English name Henry.

Gallery

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  Close-up of Hendrik
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  Hendrik with his sea log
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  Hendrik writing in his sea log

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple