Charles Gabriel Sivert

"Petty nobles are ripe enough fruits, but the Church has been leeching off the people for centuries. If we crack their vaults, the Grand Master cannot fail to recognize our work."

―Charles Gabriel Sivert, 1791.

Charles Gabriel Sébastien Sivert, Baron de l'Espérance (1725 – 1791) was a brigadier general in the French military, the colonial governor of Saint Pierre and Miquelon before his retirement in 1789, and a member of the Parisian Rite of the Templar Order.

Serving as an advisor to Grand Master François de la Serre, he later joined the excommunicated Templar François-Thomas Germain in overthrowing the former. In 1789, Sivert and his fellow Templar, the Roi des Thunes, assassinated de la Serre during a party at the Palace of Versailles, and framed the Grand Master's adoptive son, Arno Dorian, for the crime. However, two years later, Sivert would be hunted down and killed by a vengeful Arno, who had joined the Assassins.

Biography

Early life

Sivert was born on 1 December 1725 in Louisbourg, New France. His father, Charles-Léopold-Ébérard de l'Espérance, was a lieutenant in the Swiss Régiment de Karrer. Like him, Sivert chose a career in the army, serving in New France and the West Indies. At some point, Sivert joined the Templar Order and ran an artifact smuggling operation. Through this, he funded Grand Master Haytham Kenway's operations in the colonies, and was involved in a disastrous attempt to recover an unknown object.

In 1748, Sivert freed the French naval officer Jean-Jacques Blaise d'Abbadie from British captivity through the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. He then arranged for d'Abbadie to be employed in the naval bureaucracy to serve as his eyes and ears. Writing to the officer and revealing his involvement, Sivert nevertheless refused to reveal who he served, believing d'Abbadie to be "deeply stupid". D'Abbadie obeyed, and his position and prominence grew.

By 1756, Sivert's actions had caught the attention of the Colonial Assassins and, alongside several other high-ranking Templars, he was listed as a target in the Davenport Homestead's manor.

Templar coup

Roi des Thunes: ""The intrigues of rats?" Pompous fool! If I could lay my hands on him..."

Sivert: "My master would be pleased to arrange that. Brother."

—Sivert recruiting the Roi des Thunes for the coup against François de la Serre, 1789.

By 1778, Sivert had become an advisor to the French Grand Master François de la Serre, along with Chrétien Lafrenière, Marie Lévesque, and Louis-Michel le Peletier. Feeling underappreciated by de la Serre, Sivert joined the exiled Templar François-Thomas Germain's extremist faction of the Order along with Lévesque and le Peletier.

Sivert framing Arno for de la Serre's murder

Sivert was responsible for personally recruiting the Roi des Thunes and his enforcer Aloys la Touche into Germain's faction, after the former was denied membership in the Templar Order by de la Serre. Germain subsequently tasked Sivert and the Roi des Thunes with killing de la Serre. After months of planning, they enacted their plot on 5 May 1789, when a party was held at the Palace of Versailles in honor of de la Serre's daughter, Élise, joining the Order.

Sivert lured the Grand Master out to the palace gardens, where he assaulted him. However, de la Serre fought off Sivert, wounding the latter's face and blinding his left eye. Nonetheless, the Roi des Thunes snuck up from behind and struck de la Serre with a poisoned pin crafted by Germain, killing him instantly. As the two Templars made their escape, Sivert called out to a guard and framed Arno Dorian, who had witnessed the murder of his adoptive father.

Death

Arpinon: "Your confidence is infectious, Sivert. My boys will have the wagon ready."

Sivert: "Here are the details—make sure it goes smoothly."

—Sivert conspiring with Arpinon, 1791.

On 4 January 1791, Sivert met up with a fellow Templar named Arpinon to smuggle stolen goods from the Conciergerie. After Sivert's departure, Arpinon was killed by the Master Assassin Pierre Bellec. Fortunately for Sivert, he was not a target of the Assassins at that time.

The following day, Sivert was stalked by Arno, who had escaped imprisonment and joined the Assassins. Arno tailed the Templar to Notre-Dame, where Sivert was supposed to meet one of his accomplices, Duchesneau. Arno assassinated Duchesneau and snuck into a confession booth, where Sivert had arranged to meet his accomplice.

Sivert being assassinated by Arno

Posing as Duchesneau, Arno received information about he smuggling of goods from the church, a more efficient source of obtaining funds than from the nobility. Once Sivert revealed all that he knew, Arno assassinated him with his Hidden Blade, by stabbing him in the cheek through the confessional window. Through Sivert's memories, Arno learned of the Roi des Thunes' involvement in de la Serre's murder. He also claimed Sivert's round axe as a trophy.

Behind the scenes

Charles Gabriel Sivert is a historical character introduced in Assassin's Creed: Unity, where he is voiced by the Canadian actor Alain Goulem. In Assassin's Creed: Rogue, which was released concurrently with Unity, his name appears on a board of Templar targets in the Davenport Homestead.

Historically, Sivert died in Versailles.

Gallery

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  Concept art of Sivert
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  Head renders of Sivert
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  Database image of Sivert
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  Sivert and Marie Lévesque witnessing Germain's expulsion
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  The Roi des Thunes and Sivert reporting de la Serre's death
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  Sivert meeting with Arpinon

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Rogue (first mentioned)
• Assassin's Creed: Unity (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Unity novel