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{{Era|Technology|Isu}}{{WP-REAL}}
{{Era|Technology|Isu}}{{WP-REAL}}
{{Quote|This cross is like a key which allowed a Traveler to pass through the Gates of Eternity...|Lucius talking about the Ankh to his son.|4={{Cite|19 Sept 2022}}}}
{{Quote|This cross is like a key which allowed a traveler to pass through the Gates of Eternity.|Lucius telling his son Aquilus about the Ankh, 259 CE.|Assassin's Creed 2: Aquilus}}
{{Item Infobox
{{Item Infobox
|name = Ankh
|name = Ankh
|image = AC2A - Ankh.png
|image = AC2A - Ankh.png
|type = [[Pieces of Eden|Piece of Eden]]
|type = [[Pieces of Eden|Piece of Eden]]
|powers = Temporary resurrection, healing
|powers = *Temporary resurrection
*Healing
|current = Unknown
|current = Unknown
|created = [[Isu|First Civilization]]
|period = *Prehistory
*[[Roman Empire]]
*[[Industrial Revolution]]
|created = [[Isu]]
|made = Prehistory
|made = Prehistory
|notable = *[[Isis]]
|notable = *[[Isis]]
Line 14: Line 18:
*[[Caïus Fulvus Vultur]]
*[[Caïus Fulvus Vultur]]
*[[Helena Blavatsky]]
*[[Helena Blavatsky]]
*[[Armen Kazan]]
*[[Art Hennighan]]
}}
}}
The '''Ankh''' is an artifact believed to be a [[Piece of Eden]], though recent research by [[Abstergo Industries]] disputes its authenticity. It was said to have the capability of healing the sick, and temporarily resurrecting the dead. It would also act as a recording device, storing the mannerisms of a living person and being able to return those mannerisms to a corpse.
The '''Ankh''' is an artifact believed to be a [[Piece of Eden]], though recent research by [[Abstergo Industries]] disputes its authenticity. It was said to have the capability of healing the sick, and temporarily resurrecting the dead. It would also act as a recording device, storing the mannerisms of a living person and being able to return those mannerisms to a corpse.


Initially used by the [[Egypt]]ian goddess [[Isis]] to resurrect her husband [[Osiris]] and to help Egyptian pharaohs, the Ankh was later transported to [[Rome]] after having been looted from a pyramid. There, the Ankh wound up around [[Lugdunum]], in the hands of the [[Assassins]], who held on to it despite [[Templars|Templar]] attempts to take it.
Initially used by the [[Egyptian mythology|Egyptian goddess]] [[Isis]] to resurrect her husband [[Osiris]] and to help Egyptian pharaohs, the Ankh was later transported to [[Europe]] after having been looted from a pyramid. There, during the 3rd century, the artifact was discovered by the [[Liberalis Circulum]], a group of [[Assassins|Hidden Ones]] operating throughout the territories of the [[Roman Empire]]. After being transported to [[Lugdunum]], it was briefly stolen by the [[Order of the Ancients]] before being recovered by the Hidden One [[Aquilus]]. Following Aquilus' death, the Ankh was hidden by his wife [[Valeria]].


The Ankh was later rumored to be located in central [[Europe]]. In 2014, [[Juhani Otso Berg]] traveled to [[Essen]] in search of the artifact but, without any reliable evidence of its existence, he and [[Violet da Costa]] dismissed the stories of the Ankh as a hoax perpetuated by the Assassins to send them on a wild goose chase.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Numbskull's personal files]]: The Phoenix Project: "The Ankh"</ref>
During the [[Middle Ages]], the Ankh was rumored to be located in Central Europe, before eventually returning to Egypt during the 19th century, in the possession of the [[Templars|Templar]] [[Armen Kazan]]. Following a skirmish with the [[Assassins]], Kazan's fellow Templar [[Art Hennighan]] managed to escape with the Ankh to [[Paris]], though the artifact would be lost again when the Assassin [[Simeon Price]] killed the Templar [[Lebrun]], who had been tasked with smuggling it out of the city.
 
By 2014, the Ankh was rumored to be located in [[Essen]], Germany. The Templar [[Juhani Otso Berg]] traveled there to search for it but without any reliable evidence of its existence, he and [[Violet da Costa]] dismissed the stories of the Ankh as a hoax perpetuated by the Assassins to send them on a wild goose chase.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[Numbskull's personal files]]: The Phoenix Project: "The Ankh"</ref>


==Owners==
==Owners==
*Isu (? – ?)<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>
*Isu<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>
{{AmbCanon Start}}
*[[Isis]]<ref name="Aquilus">''[[Assassin's Creed 2: Aquilus]]''</ref><ref name="Accipiter">''[[Assassin's Creed 3: Accipiter]]''</ref> (until c. 75,000 BCE)<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Initiates]]'' – Timeline</ref>
*[[Isis]] (? – ?)<ref name="Aquilus">''[[Assassin's Creed 2: Aquilus]]''</ref><ref name="Accipiter">''[[Assassin's Creed 3: Accipiter]]''</ref>
*Roman looters (1st century CE)<ref name="Accipiter"/>
*Roman looters (1st century)<ref name="Accipiter"/>
*Slave trader (1st century CE)<ref name="Accipiter"/>
*Slave trader (1st century)<ref name="Accipiter"/>
*[[Lugos]] (2nd century CE)<ref name="Accipiter"/>
*[[Lugos]] (2nd century)<ref name="Accipiter"/>
*[[Accipiter]] (259 CE)<ref name="Aquilus"/>
*[[Accipiter]] (259 CE)<ref name="Aquilus"/>
*[[Aquilus]] (259 CE)<ref name="Aquilus"/>
*[[Aquilus]] (259 CE)<ref name="Aquilus"/>
Line 34: Line 41:
*Aquilus (259 CE)<ref name="Accipiter"/>
*Aquilus (259 CE)<ref name="Accipiter"/>
*[[Valeria]] (259 CE)<ref name="Accipiter"/>
*[[Valeria]] (259 CE)<ref name="Accipiter"/>
{{AmbCanon End}}
*[[Helena Blavatsky]] (1868)<ref name="Resurrection">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot]]''</ref>
*[[Helena Blavatsky]] (1868)<ref name="Resurrection">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot]]''</ref>
*[[Armen Kazan]] (1869)<ref name="Resurrection"/>
*[[Armen Kazan]] (1869)<ref name="Resurrection"/>
*[[Art Hennighan]] (November 1869–September 1870) <ref name="Resurrection"/>
*[[Art Hennighan]] (November 1869 – September 1870) <ref name="Resurrection"/>
*[[Lebrun]] (September 1870)<ref name="Resurrection"/>
*[[Lebrun]] (September 1870)<ref name="Resurrection"/>


==History==
==History==
{{AmbCanon Start}}
===Egypt===
===Egypt===
The Ankh was originally owned by Isis, who used its mystical powers to protect the kings of Egypt from harm. After Osiris was murdered by his brother Set, Isis used the Ankh to resurrect him for one more night of intimacy; an act that led to the conception of Isis' son, [[Horus]].<ref name="Accipiter"/>
The Ankh was originally owned by the Isu [[Isis]], who used its mystical powers to protect the kings of Egypt from harm. After [[Osiris]] was murdered by his brother [[Seth|Set]], Isis used the Ankh to resurrect him for one more night of intimacy; an act that led to the conception of Isis' son, [[Horus]].<ref name="Accipiter"/>


===Roman Empire===
===Roman Empire===
During the mid-1st century, the Ankh was recovered from a pyramid by Roman looters, who sold it to a slave trader. The Ankh switched hands many times, until it ended up in [[Lugos]]' possession, however, Lugos' ship sank in the [[Mediterranean Sea]], not before he could leave a message stored in the Ankh, revealing his position, and that he carried the [[Scepter of Aset]] as well. Somehow, the Ankh eventually ended up in Germania.<ref name="Accipiter" />
During the mid-1st century, the Ankh was recovered from a pyramid by [[Rome|Roman]] looters, who sold it to a slave trader. The Ankh switched hands many times until it ended up in the possession of the [[Assassins|Hidden One]] [[Lugos]], one of the founders of the [[Liberalis Circulum]], during the mid-2nd century. Lugos also managed to retrieve the [[Scepter of Aset]], but while attempting to transport both artifacts back to Rome across the [[Mediterranean Sea]], a storm caused his ship to sink. Before his demise, Lugos recorded a message with the Ankh, detailing the ongoing events and lamenting the failure of his mission.<ref name="Accipiter" />
 
By 259, the Ankh had somehow ended up in [[Germany|Germania]], where it was discovered by [[Accipiter]], an [[Alemanni]] general and member of the Liberalis Circulum. He later passed it on to his cousin [[Aquilus]], who brought it back home in [[Lugdunum]] and gave it to his father [[Lucius]] for safekeeping. Lucius locked the artifact in a box, but that very same day, he was killed by his associate [[Caïus Fulvus Vultur]], a secret [[Order of the Ancients]] member, who stole the Ankh for himself.<ref name="Aquilus"/>


In 259, the Ankh came into the hands of the [[Alemanni|Aleman]] Assassin [[Accipiter]]. He then passed it on to [[Aquilus]], who brought it back home to his father [[Lucius]]. Lucius locked it in a box, but the very same day, he was killed by his associate [[Caïus Fulvus Vultur]], a secret member of the Templar Order, who stole the Ankh for himself.<ref name="Aquilus"/>
[[File:AC3A - Accipiter & Valeria.png|thumb|250px|Valeria holding the Ankh]]
[[File:AC3A - Accipiter & Valeria.png|thumb|left|250px|Valeria holding the Ankh]]
Aquilus eventually retook the Ankh from Vultur when he assassinated him in Rome. Later, while Aquilus was studying the Ankh with his wife [[Valeria]], they were arrested by Roman soldiers, who took the Ankh from the couple. After an assault on the convoy by Accipiter, Valeria was able to reclaim the Ankh from one of the dead soldiers, though the attack resulted in Aquilus' death. At Accipiter's request, Valeria took the Ankh with her and hid it somewhere safe, due to Accipiter being in the middle of a war and thus unable to look after the artifact.<ref name="Accipiter" />
Aquilus later retook the Ankh from Vultur when he killed him in Rome. Later, while Aquilus was studying the Ankh with his wife [[Valeria]], they were arrested by Roman soldiers, who took the Ankh from the couple. After an assault on the convoy by Accipiter, Valeria was able to reclaim the Ankh from one of the dead soldiers, though the attack resulted in Aquilus' death. On Accipiter's request, she took the Ankh with her and hid it somewhere, due to Accipiter himself being in the middle of a war.<ref name="Accipiter" />
{{AmbCanon End}}


===Germany===
===Germany===
During the 14th century, a Templar organization called the [[Brothers of the Cross]] traveled across Europe to offer protection from the [[Black Death]]. The [[German Brotherhood of Assassins|German Assassin]] [[Lukas Zurburg]] suspected them to be after the Ankh, which was rumored to be located in central Europe at the time. In 1350, the Brothers of the Cross and Lukas both inexplicably disappeared.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations – Discover Your Legacy]]''</ref>
During the 14th century, a [[Templars|Templar]] organization called the [[Brothers of the Cross]] traveled across Europe to offer protection from the [[Black Death]]. The [[German Brotherhood of Assassins|German Assassin]] [[Lukas Zurburg]] suspected them to be after the Ankh, which was rumored to be located in Central Europe at the time. In 1350, the Brothers of the Cross and Lukas both inexplicably disappeared.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations – Discover Your Legacy]]'' – Bloodlines: "Lukas Zurburg"</ref>


===19th century===
===19th century===
In 1868, [[Helena Blavatsky]] met the [[British Brotherhood of Assassins|British Assassin]] [[Simeon Price]] via an out-of-work opera singer who had attached himself to Blavatsky. Desperate for money, Blavatsky sought to offer her mystic services to Simeon, claiming to have knowledge of Simeon's prior return of a stolen heirloom to a family and offered to help him locate things through her supposed connection to the spirit realm. She offered the Ankh but the next day, Helena's face went white when Simeon mentioned it as someone stole it from her.<ref name="CH05">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot]]'' – Chapter 5</ref>
By 1868, the Ankh had ended up in the hands of the [[Russia|Russian]] mystic and author [[Helena Blavatsky]]. That year, Blavatsky met the [[British Brotherhood of Assassins|British Assassin]] [[Simeon Price]] via an out-of-work opera singer who had attached himself to Blavatsky. Desperate for money, Blavatsky sought to offer her mystic services to Simeon, claiming to have knowledge of the Assassin's prior return of a stolen heirloom to a family, and offered to help him locate things through her supposed connection to the spirit realm. She also offered to give him the Ankh but the next day, Helena's face went white when Simeon mentioned the artifact as someone had stolen it from her.<ref name="CH05">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot]]'' – Chapter 5</ref>


In 1869, the Ankh was in the possession of the Templar [[Armen Kazan]], who led a group of fellow Templars into a cave at the end of railroad line made by late Templar [[Albert Hawkins]].<ref>''Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot'' – Chapter 4</ref> Finding a slab matching the Ankh's size, Kazan placed it inside and waited for the Piece of Eden to activate. However, Kazan and most of the Templars were killed by the [[British Brotherhood of Assassins|British Assassin]] [[Pierrette Arnaud]], who was subdued and restrained by her former captor [[Art Hennighan]]. The Ankh was soon active, while at the same time, fellow [[Assassins]] [[Gamal Sabry]], [[Safiya El-Nadi]], and her mentor [[Simeon Price]] came to aid her. Meanwhile, one of the pictures on the cave's wall came to life and it was a horse, which almost ran over Arnaud, Hennighan and Price.<ref name="CH06">''Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot'' – Chapter 6</ref>
In 1869, the Ankh was in the possession of the Templar [[Armen Kazan]], who led a group of fellow Templars into a cave at the end of a railroad line made by late Templar [[Albert Hawkins]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot]]'' – Chapter 4</ref> Finding a slab matching the Ankh's size, Kazan placed it inside and waited for the artifact to activate. However, Kazan and most of the Templars were killed by the Assassin [[Pierrette Arnaud]], who was subdued and restrained by her former captor [[Art Hennighan]]. As Pierrette's fellow Assassins [[Gamal Sabry]], [[Safiya El-Nadi]], and her mentor Simeon Price came to her aid, the Ankh was activated and caused one of the pictures on the cave's wall, that of a horse, to come alive and almost run over Pierrette, Hennighan and Simeon.<ref name="CH06">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot]]'' – Chapter 6</ref>


After their brief quarrel, Hennighan ran from the Assassins' grasp, took the Ankh, and chased after the horse. After injuring the horse, Hennighan had the Ankh and the horse and escaped his enemies by the water.<ref name="CH07">''Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot'' – Chapter 7</ref> By 1870, Hennighan made his way to Paris and found refuge with [[Parisian Rite of the Templar Order|French Templar]] [[Virgile Donat]]. However, their plans to use it with the [[Engine of History]]<ref name="CH11">''Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot'' – Chapter 11</ref> were haltened by the [[Franco-Prussian War|war]] between [[France]] and [[Prussia]].<ref name="CH12">''Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot'' – Chapter 12</ref> At some point, Hennighan left the Ankh with fellow Templar [[Lebrun]] while he fled with other Templars to [[Tours]].<ref name="CH14">''Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot'' – Chapter 14</ref>
After their brief quarrel, Hennighan escaped from the Assassins' grasp, took the Ankh, and chased after the horse. After injuring it, Hennighan grabbed ahold of the horse, restrained it, and escaped with both the horse and the Ankh.<ref name="CH07">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot]]'' – Chapter 7</ref> By 1870, Hennighan had made his way to [[Paris]] and found refuge with [[Parisian Rite of the Templar Order|French Templar]] [[Virgile Donat]]. However, their plans to use the Ankh with the [[Engine of History]]<ref name="CH11">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot]]'' – Chapter 11</ref> were delayed by the [[Franco-Prussian War|war]] between [[France]] and [[Prussia]].<ref name="CH12">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot]]'' – Chapter 12</ref> At some point, Hennighan left the Ankh with fellow Templar [[Lebrun]] while he fled with other Templars to [[Tours]].<ref name="CH14">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot]]'' – Chapter 14</ref>


Advised by Hennighan's former lady, [[Austrian Rite of the Templar Order|Austrian Templar]] Countess [[Konstanze von Visler]] contacted French Templar [[Victoire L'Estocq]] to inform them to smuggle the Ankh out of [[Paris]] as soon as possible.<ref name="CH16">''Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot'' – Chapter 16</ref> By air balloon, Lebrun was tasked to carry the Ankh out of Paris while killing his guest, Simeon Price. However, Price overpowered Lebrun and killed him, but not without throwing him and the Ankh from the basket of the air balloon.<ref name="CH17">''Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot'' – Chapter 17</ref> By 1871, although Lebrun's body was recovered, the Ankh was nowhere to be found.<ref name="CH20">''Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot'' – Chapter 20</ref>
At the advice of Hennighan's former lady, the [[Austrian Rite of the Templar Order|Austrian Templar]] and Countess [[Konstanze von Visler]] later contacted the French Templar [[Victoire L'Estocq]] to tell them to smuggle the Ankh out of Paris as soon as possible.<ref name="CH16">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot]]'' – Chapter 16</ref> While attempting to flee the city with the artifact via air ballon, Lebrun was killed by Simeon Price, though in the process both the Templar and the Ankh fell from the basket of the air balloon.<ref name="CH17">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot]]'' – Chapter 17</ref> By 1871, Lebrun's body had been recovered, but the Ankh was nowhere to be found.<ref name="CH20">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot]]'' – Chapter 20</ref>


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*The Ankh, also known as the Key of Life or Crux Ansata, was the ancient Egyptian hieroglyph representing "eternal life". It was often worn by Egyptian gods and pharaohs.
*The Ankh, also known as the Key of Life or Crux Ansata, was the ancient Egyptian hieroglyph representing "eternal life". It was often worn by Egyptian gods and pharaohs.
*The Ankh was said to carry the Mark of the Messenger inscribed on it.
*The Ankh was said to carry the Mark of the Messenger inscribed on it.
*Although the semi-canonical ''[[Assassin's Creed (Les Deux Royaumes comics)|Assassin's Creed]]'' comics published by [[Les Deux Royaumes]] showed the Ankh emitting a golden light when projecting holographic messages, ''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot]]'' describes the artifact as emitting a blue artificial light when bringing the horse cave painting to life.<ref name="CH06" /> This is one of the few instances in the franchise when an artifact is illuminated with a different color than the usual golden associated with Pieces of Eden.


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" spacing="small" widths="180">
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" widths="180">
Ahnk Powers 01.jpg|The Ankh and its powers
Ahnk Powers 01.jpg|The Ankh and its powers
Ankh Powers 02.jpg|Aquilus speaking with his father
Ankh Powers 02.jpg|Aquilus speaking with his father
LuciusAnkh.png|Lucius speaking through the Ankh
LuciusAnkh.png|Lucius speaking through the Ankh
AC3A - Vultur attacking Aquilus.png|Vultur attacking Aquilus with the Ankh
AC3A - Vultur attacking Aquilus.png|Vultur attacking Aquilus with the Ankh
AC Unity Ankh with other Pieces of Eden.png|The Ankh alongside an [[Apples of Eden|Apple]] and a [[Swords of Eden|Sword of Eden]]
ACFT - Pieces of Eden collection.jpg|The Ankh among other Pieces of Eden (on the right)
</gallery>
</gallery>


Line 80: Line 88:
*''[[Assassin's Creed 2: Aquilus]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed 2: Aquilus]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed 3: Accipiter]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed 3: Accipiter]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations – Discover Your Legacy]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Unity]]'' {{c|cameo}}
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot]]''
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple]]'' {{c|cameo}}


==References==
==References==
Line 93: Line 104:
[[zh:安卡]]
[[zh:安卡]]
[[Category:Pieces of Eden]]
[[Category:Pieces of Eden]]
[[Category:Isu technology]]

Latest revision as of 18:17, 4 December 2025

"This cross is like a key which allowed a traveler to pass through the Gates of Eternity."
―Lucius telling his son Aquilus about the Ankh, 259 CE.[src]

The Ankh is an artifact believed to be a Piece of Eden, though recent research by Abstergo Industries disputes its authenticity. It was said to have the capability of healing the sick, and temporarily resurrecting the dead. It would also act as a recording device, storing the mannerisms of a living person and being able to return those mannerisms to a corpse.

Initially used by the Egyptian goddess Isis to resurrect her husband Osiris and to help Egyptian pharaohs, the Ankh was later transported to Europe after having been looted from a pyramid. There, during the 3rd century, the artifact was discovered by the Liberalis Circulum, a group of Hidden Ones operating throughout the territories of the Roman Empire. After being transported to Lugdunum, it was briefly stolen by the Order of the Ancients before being recovered by the Hidden One Aquilus. Following Aquilus' death, the Ankh was hidden by his wife Valeria.

During the Middle Ages, the Ankh was rumored to be located in Central Europe, before eventually returning to Egypt during the 19th century, in the possession of the Templar Armen Kazan. Following a skirmish with the Assassins, Kazan's fellow Templar Art Hennighan managed to escape with the Ankh to Paris, though the artifact would be lost again when the Assassin Simeon Price killed the Templar Lebrun, who had been tasked with smuggling it out of the city.

By 2014, the Ankh was rumored to be located in Essen, Germany. The Templar Juhani Otso Berg traveled there to search for it but without any reliable evidence of its existence, he and Violet da Costa dismissed the stories of the Ankh as a hoax perpetuated by the Assassins to send them on a wild goose chase.[1]

Owners[edit | edit source]

History[edit | edit source]

Egypt[edit | edit source]

The Ankh was originally owned by the Isu Isis, who used its mystical powers to protect the kings of Egypt from harm. After Osiris was murdered by his brother Set, Isis used the Ankh to resurrect him for one more night of intimacy; an act that led to the conception of Isis' son, Horus.[4]

Roman Empire[edit | edit source]

During the mid-1st century, the Ankh was recovered from a pyramid by Roman looters, who sold it to a slave trader. The Ankh switched hands many times until it ended up in the possession of the Hidden One Lugos, one of the founders of the Liberalis Circulum, during the mid-2nd century. Lugos also managed to retrieve the Scepter of Aset, but while attempting to transport both artifacts back to Rome across the Mediterranean Sea, a storm caused his ship to sink. Before his demise, Lugos recorded a message with the Ankh, detailing the ongoing events and lamenting the failure of his mission.[4]

By 259, the Ankh had somehow ended up in Germania, where it was discovered by Accipiter, an Alemanni general and member of the Liberalis Circulum. He later passed it on to his cousin Aquilus, who brought it back home in Lugdunum and gave it to his father Lucius for safekeeping. Lucius locked the artifact in a box, but that very same day, he was killed by his associate Caïus Fulvus Vultur, a secret Order of the Ancients member, who stole the Ankh for himself.[3]

Valeria holding the Ankh

Aquilus eventually retook the Ankh from Vultur when he assassinated him in Rome. Later, while Aquilus was studying the Ankh with his wife Valeria, they were arrested by Roman soldiers, who took the Ankh from the couple. After an assault on the convoy by Accipiter, Valeria was able to reclaim the Ankh from one of the dead soldiers, though the attack resulted in Aquilus' death. At Accipiter's request, Valeria took the Ankh with her and hid it somewhere safe, due to Accipiter being in the middle of a war and thus unable to look after the artifact.[4]

Germany[edit | edit source]

During the 14th century, a Templar organization called the Brothers of the Cross traveled across Europe to offer protection from the Black Death. The German Assassin Lukas Zurburg suspected them to be after the Ankh, which was rumored to be located in Central Europe at the time. In 1350, the Brothers of the Cross and Lukas both inexplicably disappeared.[7]

19th century[edit | edit source]

By 1868, the Ankh had ended up in the hands of the Russian mystic and author Helena Blavatsky. That year, Blavatsky met the British Assassin Simeon Price via an out-of-work opera singer who had attached himself to Blavatsky. Desperate for money, Blavatsky sought to offer her mystic services to Simeon, claiming to have knowledge of the Assassin's prior return of a stolen heirloom to a family, and offered to help him locate things through her supposed connection to the spirit realm. She also offered to give him the Ankh but the next day, Helena's face went white when Simeon mentioned the artifact as someone had stolen it from her.[8]

In 1869, the Ankh was in the possession of the Templar Armen Kazan, who led a group of fellow Templars into a cave at the end of a railroad line made by late Templar Albert Hawkins.[9] Finding a slab matching the Ankh's size, Kazan placed it inside and waited for the artifact to activate. However, Kazan and most of the Templars were killed by the Assassin Pierrette Arnaud, who was subdued and restrained by her former captor Art Hennighan. As Pierrette's fellow Assassins Gamal Sabry, Safiya El-Nadi, and her mentor Simeon Price came to her aid, the Ankh was activated and caused one of the pictures on the cave's wall, that of a horse, to come alive and almost run over Pierrette, Hennighan and Simeon.[10]

After their brief quarrel, Hennighan escaped from the Assassins' grasp, took the Ankh, and chased after the horse. After injuring it, Hennighan grabbed ahold of the horse, restrained it, and escaped with both the horse and the Ankh.[11] By 1870, Hennighan had made his way to Paris and found refuge with French Templar Virgile Donat. However, their plans to use the Ankh with the Engine of History[12] were delayed by the war between France and Prussia.[13] At some point, Hennighan left the Ankh with fellow Templar Lebrun while he fled with other Templars to Tours.[14]

At the advice of Hennighan's former lady, the Austrian Templar and Countess Konstanze von Visler later contacted the French Templar Victoire L'Estocq to tell them to smuggle the Ankh out of Paris as soon as possible.[15] While attempting to flee the city with the artifact via air ballon, Lebrun was killed by Simeon Price, though in the process both the Templar and the Ankh fell from the basket of the air balloon.[16] By 1871, Lebrun's body had been recovered, but the Ankh was nowhere to be found.[17]

Trivia[edit | edit source]

  • The Ankh, also known as the Key of Life or Crux Ansata, was the ancient Egyptian hieroglyph representing "eternal life". It was often worn by Egyptian gods and pharaohs.
  • The Ankh was said to carry the Mark of the Messenger inscribed on it.
  • Although the semi-canonical Assassin's Creed comics published by Les Deux Royaumes showed the Ankh emitting a golden light when projecting holographic messages, Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot describes the artifact as emitting a blue artificial light when bringing the horse cave painting to life.[10] This is one of the few instances in the franchise when an artifact is illuminated with a different color than the usual golden associated with Pieces of Eden.

Gallery[edit | edit source]

  • The Ankh and its powers
    The Ankh and its powers
  • Aquilus speaking with his father
    Aquilus speaking with his father
  • Lucius speaking through the Ankh
    Lucius speaking through the Ankh
  • Vultur attacking Aquilus with the Ankh
    Vultur attacking Aquilus with the Ankh
  • The Ankh alongside an Apple and a Sword of Eden
    The Ankh alongside an Apple and a Sword of Eden
  • The Ankh among other Pieces of Eden (on the right)
    The Ankh among other Pieces of Eden (on the right)

Appearances[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Rogue – Numbskull's personal files: The Phoenix Project: "The Ankh"
  2. ↑ Assassin's Creed II
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Assassin's Creed 2: Aquilus
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 Assassin's Creed 3: Accipiter
  5. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Initiates – Timeline
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot
  7. ↑ Assassin's Creed: Revelations – Discover Your Legacy – Bloodlines: "Lukas Zurburg"
  8. ↑ Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot – Chapter 5
  9. ↑ Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot – Chapter 4
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot – Chapter 6
  11. ↑ Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot – Chapter 7
  12. ↑ Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot – Chapter 11
  13. ↑ Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot – Chapter 12
  14. ↑ Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot – Chapter 14
  15. ↑ Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot – Chapter 16
  16. ↑ Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot – Chapter 17
  17. ↑ Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot – Chapter 20

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