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The Grand Temple's location seen within the Synch Nexus -
The entrance to the Temple in the 18th century -
Desmond, William, Shaun, and Rebecca entering the Temple -
The Assassins by the door to the Temple -
Desmond opening the door -
The barrier sealing off the Temple's inner chamber -
Render of the tetractys in the barrier's lock -
isu script inside the Temple -
The entrance tunnel -
The entryway to the main chamber -
The room above the entryway -
The prototype of the shield pylon -
Isu technology -
The right-side stairs to the upper level -
The first room of the upper chamber -
The second room of the upper chamber
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{{Era|Locations|Isu}} | {{Era|Locations|Isu}} | ||
{{Quote|Each Vault's knowledge was transmitted to a single place.|Jupiter speaking of the Grand Temple to Desmond Miles, 2012.|Assassin's Creed: Revelations|21st century conversations}} | |||
{{Quote|Each Vault's knowledge was transmitted to a single place.|Jupiter speaking of the Grand Temple.|Assassin's Creed: Revelations}} | [[File:AC3 Grand Temple Front.png|thumb|250px|The Grand Temple's main chamber]] | ||
[[File:AC3 Grand Temple Front.png|thumb|250px|Grand Temple's main chamber]] | The '''Grand Temple''', also known as the '''Central Vault''', is a complex built by the [[Isu]], located in modern-day [[Turin, New York|Turin]], [[New York]]. Like other [[Temple (Isu)|Temples]], it served as a storehouse of Isu knowledge, though its purpose was unique in that it held information regarding [[Six methods of salvation|six possible experiments]] that could save the [[Earth|world]] from an impending {{wiki|coronal mass ejection}}. Here, the [[Capitoline Triad]] of [[Jupiter]], [[Minerva]], and [[Juno]] collected and tested the results of other Temples' discoveries in the hopes of finding a viable option to protect them from the cosmic threat. | ||
The '''Grand Temple''', | |||
To maintain its operation, the Grand Temple was buried underground to protect its contents from the [[Human-Isu War|war]] with [[human]]ity and the solar flare, and to act as a containment chamber in case something went wrong with the projects developed inside. It was hidden beneath a statue dedicated to the Capitoline Triad. However, the statue was destroyed during the [[Great Catastrophe]] and the broken head from Minerva's figure eroded over time until it formed a cave leading to the Temple's entrance. Although several humans re-discovered the Temple's location over the centuries, none would learn the site's true purpose or how to access it until [[Desmond Miles]]' revelation in the [[Synch Nexus]] in 2012. | |||
The Grand Temple was also the place where Juno was imprisoned for millennia in order to protect humanity from her plots of destruction, and held the [[Global aurora borealis device|device]] that she had tampered with to simultaneously protect the Earth from a [[Second Disaster|second solar flare]] and set her free. | |||
==History== | ==History== | ||
=== | ===Isu Era=== | ||
{{Quote|It was our duty... mine, Minerva's and Juno's—to sort and sample all that was collected. We chose those solutions which held the most promise, and devoted ourselves to testing their merits. Six we tried in succession, each more encouraging than the last. But none worked. And then the world ended...|Jupiter to Desmond Miles.|Assassin's Creed: Revelations|21st century conversations}} | |||
As an underground complex, the Grand Temple was divided in three well-defined areas, each designed to fulfill a specific function. One of these areas was designated for restrooms, providing a space for rest and recovery for those who resided within. Another section housed a research facility, equipped with laboratories and experimentation rooms. The third and final section was dedicated to house the Isu servers for the management and storage of vast amounts of data, facilitating their analysis.<ref name="AC3OG>''[[Assassin's Creed III: Official Game Guide]]''</ref> The [[Eye]] was also housed within the Grand Temple until Jupiter and Minerva destroyed it once they found out about Juno's betrayal.<ref name="AC3OG/> | |||
[[File: | [[File:Trio 2.png|thumb|250px|left|Jupiter, Minerva, and Juno inside the Grand Temple]] | ||
The | The main objective of the Capitoline Triad and their teams was to analyze all information from the other Temples across the planet and to test these solutions. They did it in succession, "each more encouraging than the last", but all six ultimately ended in failure.<ref name="ACR">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[21st century conversations|Modern day]]</ref> | ||
However, | Following this, the solar flare killed most of the Isu and left less than 10,000 humans alive. However, the two groups worked together, beginning around the remains of the Grand Temple. The few remaining Isu attempted to pass on their gifts to humans through crossbreeding,<ref name="ACR"/> resulting in [[hybrid]]s,<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Infographics]]''</ref> individuals who were more easily able to access [[Eagle Vision]] and use the [[Piece of Eden|Pieces of Eden]].<ref name="ACR"/> | ||
[[ | The Isu later determined a similar disaster would occur again in 2012. Minerva found a new solution from her research. If the [[Towers]] were to be completed, the Isu could use its structure to emit energy rather than absorb it.<ref name="AC3OG/> This, combined with the [[global aurora borealis device]],<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed Origins]]'' – [[Layla Hassan's personal files]]: "The Empirical Truth: Eeyoo Sekedoo Aat"</ref> would effectively protect the Earth from the solar flares. Only an individual with the right genetic material to activate it would be needed. However, before Minerva could test it, she discovered that Juno had tampered with it. While the patterns to save the world still existed, they would also allow Juno to have total control and power. As such, Minerva forced the solution to be abandoned, and Juno's consciousness was imprisoned in the Grand Temple.<ref name="AC3">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[21st century conversations|Modern day]]</ref> | ||
===Norse expedition=== | |||
{{Dialogue|Eivor|What is he digging for?|Olav|That is a mystery he will not tell. But my guess is the best guess. He seeks the door to Jötunheim.|Olav the Unlucky to Eivor Varinsdottir about Gorm Kjotvesson, c. 875.|Assassin's Creed: Valhalla|The Hunting Grounds}} | |||
In the late 9th century CE, the [[Vikings|Viking]] [[Gorm Kjotvesson]] of the [[Wolf Clan]], who served as [[Maegester]] for the [[Order of the Ancients]]' [[Wardens of War]] sect, led an expedition to [[Vinland]] after acquiring a [[Crystal Balls|Crystal Ball]] which allowed him to communicate with Juno. Per the Isu's instructions, Gorm sought to locate the Grand Temple and free Juno from her imprisonment, but despite finding the Temple's entrance, all attempts to open the door proved unsuccessful.<ref name="Hunting Grounds">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[The Hunting Grounds]]</ref> | |||
[[File: | [[File:ACV Hunter of Beasts 9.jpg|thumb|250px|Eivor outside the Grand Temple's entrance]] | ||
Around 875, Gorm's rival [[Eivor Varinsdottir]] of the [[Raven Clan]] tracked him to Vinland and assassinated him at [[Narfljot Camp]], retrieving his Crystal Ball in the process. The artifact then guided Eivor to the Grand Temple's entrance, but after inspecting the strange markings on the door and hearing Juno's voice speaking through the Crystal Ball, the Viking decided not to proceed any further, believing the message was intended for someone else.<ref name="Hunter of Beasts">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[Hunter of Beasts]]</ref> | |||
The | Eivor subsequently entrusted Gorm's Crystal Ball to [[Konwahawíhshon]], a co-leader of the nearby [[Kanien'kehá:ka]] village of [[Karonhiakèn:iate']].<ref name="Hunter's Repast">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[Hunter's Repast]]</ref> The artifact remained in the Kanien'kehá:ka's possession for generations, and through it, the villagers communicated with Juno, whom they believed was a god. The Isu instructed them to protect the "sanctuary" from outside threats, and so the Kanien'kehá:ka became guardians of the Grand Temple, though their duties forced them to isolate themselves from the other [[Iroquois]] tribes.<ref name="Something to Remember">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[Something to Remember]]</ref> | ||
Over time, stories of the tribe's communications with Juno were painted on the Temple door, referring to her as a motherly figure known as the "[[Sky Woman]]" who watched over and protected the Kanien'kehá:ka.<ref name="Braddock Expedition">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[The Braddock Expedition (memory)|The Braddock Expedition]]</ref> | |||
===Renaissance=== | |||
{{Quote|I will open that library, and I will find the Grand Temple. And with the power that is hidden there, I will destroy the superstitions that keep men divided.|Ahmet to Ezio Auditore, 1512.|Assassin's Creed: Revelations|Discovery (memory)}} | |||
In 1499, after accessing the [[Vatican Vault]] in [[Rome]], Ezio Auditore was contacted by a hologram of Minerva via the Eye. Minerva told Ezio about her race's history, their war with humanity and their demise during the Great Catastrophe, and urged an unseen person named Desmond to find the Grand Temple so that humanity could be saved from the Second Disaster. Unbeknownst to Ezio at the time, this message was intended for his descendant Desmond Miles, who would relive Ezio's [[Genetic memory|genetic memories]] through the [[Animus]] centuries later.<ref name="In Bocca al Lupo">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' – [[In Bocca al Lupo]]</ref> | |||
[[File:TToP 7.png|thumb|250px|left|Ezio and Leonardo discovering the Grand Temple's coordinates]] | |||
In 1506, Ezio and his friend [[Leonardo da Vinci]] discovered a [[Pythagorean Vault|smaller vault]] underneath the [[Temple of Pythagoras]], which contained a set of coordinates: 43° 39' 19" N, 75° 27' 42" W. While Leonardo was baffled by the information, Ezio inherently understood that these numbers were intended for Desmond and convinced Leonardo to leave the vault.<ref name="Temple of Pythagoras">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]] – [[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]'' – [[The Temple of Pythagoras]]</ref> | |||
In 1509, the [[Byzantine Rite of the Templar Order|Byzantine Templars]]' [[Grand Master of the Templar Order|Grand Master]] and [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] prince [[Ahmet]] desired the Grand Temple's location in order to end the differences between men and create a [[New World Order|unified world]]. He believed that the famed [[Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins|Levantine Assassin]] [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] knew the Temple's location and had hidden it in [[Library of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad|his library]] beneath [[Masyaf]].<ref name="Discovery">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Discovery (memory)|Discovery]]</ref> With this belief, he organized an excavation to find the library, which Ezio Auditore ultimately discovered.<ref name="Journal">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[A Journal of Some Kind]]</ref> | |||
[[ | In 1512, Ezio prevented the Templars under Ahmet from acquiring the [[Masyaf Key|keys]] to Altaïr's library and subsequently traveled to Masyaf to access the library himself. However, the chamber was empty, except for Altaïr's remains, a sixth key, and Altaïr's [[Apple of Eden 2|Apple of Eden]].<ref name="A Homecoming">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[A Homecoming]]</ref> Weary of his life as an Assassin, Ezio chose not to take the Apple from the library. The Apple then began to glow and Ezio spoke directly to Desmond, asking him to make sense of the questions that had plagued him and to make the suffering he had endured worth something.<ref name="The Message">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[The Message]]</ref> | ||
The | |||
[[ | ===The Templars' search=== | ||
{{Quote|It could contain certain knowledge. Perhaps a weapon. Or something as yet unknown, unfathomable in its construction and purpose. It could be any of these things. Or none of them. They are still an enigma, these precursors. But of one thing I am certain—whatever waits behind those doors shall prove a great boon to us all.|Reginald Birch talking about the Grand Temple, 1754.|Assassin's Creed III|A Deadly Performance}} | |||
In 1722, the [[Piracy|pirate]] [[Bartholomew Roberts]], a [[Sage]] of Juno's late husband [[Aita]], discovered through visions of his past life the existence of the Grand Temple and Juno's imprisonment in it. During Roberts' last moments, he expressed his desire to visit Juno at the Grand Temple, confusing his killer, the Assassin [[Edward Kenway]].<ref name="Royal Misfortune">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[Royal Misfortune]]</ref> These words nonetheless inspired Edward to pursue knowledge of the Grand Temple and other Isu sites, which he documented in a [[Edward Kenway's journal|journal]].<ref name="Forsaken">''[[Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]]''</ref> | |||
In 1735, the [[British Rite of the Templar Order|British Templars]]' Grand Master [[Reginald Birch]] obtained Edward's journal after hiring [[Mercenary|mercenaries]] to kill the Assassin in [[Kenway Mansion|his own home]].<ref name="Forsaken"/> Learning about the Grand Temple's location in the New World, Birch assigned his subordinate [[Lawrence Washington]] to find the site and be his eyes and ears in the [[United States|Thirteen Colonies]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[War Letters]]: "Lawrence of America"</ref> However, after over a decade spent in the colonies, Washington was unsuccessful in his search.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' – [[War Letters]]: "Monro"</ref> | |||
[[File:ACIII-BraddockExpedition 15.png|thumb|250px|Haytham attempting to open the Temple door]] | |||
In 1754, the Templar [[Haytham Kenway]], Edward's son and Birch's protégé, was sent by his master to find the Grand Temple after acquiring an Isu [[Grand Temple Key|key]] from the [[British Brotherhood of Assassins|British Assassin]] [[Miko]].<ref name="A Deadly Performance">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[A Deadly Performance]]</ref> Upon his arrival in the colonies, Haytham assembled an expedition with his fellow Templars in the New World and befriended the Kanien'kehá:ka warrior [[Kaniehtí:io]], who brought him to the Temple's entrance in the Black Creek region of the [[Frontier]]. To his dismay, Haytham found that his key did not open the Temple door and decided to abandon the search for the site.<ref name="Braddock Expedition"/> | |||
Despite this, in 1760, a group of Templars led by [[Charles Lee]] organized another expedition to find the Grand Temple and traveled to the Kanien'kehá:ka village of [[Kanatahséton]] to speak with its elders. En route to the village, the Templars encountered and assaulted a young native boy, [[Ratonhnhaké:ton]], who was secretly Haytham and Kaniehtí:io's son. When Kanatahséton was later set ablaze by the [[British Army]], Ratonhnhaké:ton blamed the Templars for the tragedy and vowed revenge on Lee.<ref name="Hide and Seek">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[Hide and Seek (III)|Hide and Seek]]</ref> | |||
As a teenager, Ratonhnhaké:ton was contacted by Juno through his tribe's Crystal Ball and was tasked with joining the [[Great Purge (1757-1763)|broken]] [[American Brotherhood of Assassins|Colonial Assassins]] in order to prevent the Templars from ever accessing the Grand Temple.<ref name="Something to Remember"/> By 1782, Ratonhnhaké:ton had succeeded in wiping out the [[American Rite of the Templar Order|Colonial Templars]] and, after assassinating Lee, took the Grand Temple Key from him. He subsequently hid it per Juno's instructions,<ref name="Chasing Lee">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[Chasing Lee]]</ref> choosing to bury it in the [[Davenport Homestead]]'s hillside grave for his late Mentor [[Achilles Davenport]]'s son [[Connor Davenport|Connor]].<ref name="Davenport Homestead">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' – [[Davenport Homestead (memory)|Davenport Homestead]]</ref> | |||
=== | ===Modern times=== | ||
{{Quote|That ominous date fast approaches. December 21st, 2012. None of us know what it'll bring—only that this is where they want us to be when it does.|William Miles, on the Grand Temple and the impending 2012 disaster.|Assassin's Creed III|21st century conversations}} | |||
[[File:ACR ending - Juno.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Juno outside the Temple as the Assassins arrived]] | |||
In 2012, Desmond Miles relived Ezio Auditore's memories in the Animus and, upon reaching the moment of Ezio's discovery of Altaïr's Apple of Eden, the artifact triggered a [[Synch Nexus]], allowing Desmond to speak with Jupiter. The Isu further elaborated on his race's history and fate and, similarly to Minerva, tasked Desmond to find the Grand Temple so that he could use the global aurora borealis device to save the world from the Second Disaster.<ref name="ACR"/> | |||
[[File: | |||
In | |||
[[ | |||
Meanwhile, Desmond's comrades in his [[Assassin cell]]—[[Shaun Hastings]], [[Rebecca Crane]], and his father [[William Miles|William]]—discovered the Temple's coordinates from Ezio's memories,<ref name="Temple of Pythagoras"/> and brought a comatose Desmond there so he could access the vault. After awakening from his coma,<ref name="ACR"/> Desmond approached the Temple entrance and opened it by inserting Ezio's [[Apple of Eden 6|Apple of Eden]] into a matching hole in the door, allowing the Assassins to proceed into the Temple.<ref name="AC3"/> | |||
[[File:AC3 Desmond Grand Temple Entrance.png|thumb|250px|Desmond opening the Temple door]] | |||
While investigating the Temple, the group found a large gate made of light that protected the global aurora borealis device, before Desmond passed out as a result of the [[Bleeding Effect]] and Juno's influence and was placed in the Animus. There, Desmond relived the memories of his ancestors Haytham Kenway and Ratonhnhaké:ton in order to find the Grand Temple Key, which could deactivate the gate blocking the path to the Temple's inner chambers.<ref name="AC3"/> | |||
Meanwhile, Shaun realized that the Assassins required three Isu [[power sources]] to fully reactivate the Temple, otherwise opening the gate would be of no use. Over time, Desmond recovered these power sources from across the globe, and with each source plugged in, the Assassin witnessed visions of Juno explaining the six solutions devised by the Isu to save the planet from the solar flare.<ref name="AC3"/> | |||
Through the memories of his ancestors, Desmond eventually learned the Grand Temple Key's location and retrieved it from the Davenport Homestead's remains before returning to the Temple to deactivate the gate. This granted the Assassins access to the global aurora borealis device, though before Desmond could activate it at Juno's urging, Minerva suddenly appeared using a second Eye she had secretly constructed, and told Desmond to do the opposite.<ref name="AC3"/> | |||
[[File:ACIII-GTEnd 5.png|thumb|250px|left|Desmond activating the global aurora borealis device]] | |||
Minerva explained that, if Desmond followed Juno's instructions, the world would be saved, but at the cost of his life and Juno's release from imprisonment. Following this, she showed Desmond that, if he refrained from activating the device, the solar flare would once again destroy the world, but he and many other humans would survive. Additionally, Desmond would become a religious figure that would rebuild the world, but upon his death, his ideals would be mistranslated and spark conflicts, effectively causing history to repeat itself.<ref name="AC3"/> | |||
Believing that humanity had a chance at defeating Juno, Desmond decided to activate the device, telling William, Shaun, and Rebecca to leave the Grand Temple and prepare for the new struggle. The world was indeed saved, but Desmond perished and Juno was freed. Thanking Desmond's corpse for having "played [his] part well", Juno declared that she would enact her plans that she had spend eons crafting.<ref name="AC3"/> | |||
Hours later,<ref name="Initiates">''[[Assassin's Creed: Initiates]]''</ref> [[Abstergo Industries]] located the Grand Temple and dispatched a team, led by [[Case Fisher]]. There, they found and retrieved Desmond's body, stripping him of his backpack and his [[Hidden Blade]], which was broken into pieces and taken to Abstergo along with the rest of his belongings.<ref name="AC4">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[Noob's personal files]]: "Post-Mortem Report: Subject 17"</ref> | |||
==Behind the scenes== | |||
It was possible to visit the entrance while reliving Ratonhnhaké:ton and Haytham's memories, though the door was closed. In ''[[The Tyranny of King Washington]]'', the entrance is absent from the cave. | |||
The shape of the temple from Jupiter's holographic flashback in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' changed from an elevator shaft and a lobby to become much larger and sectioned off in ''[[Assassin's Creed III]]''. | |||
According to ''[[The Art of Assassin's Creed III]]'', the three sections of the Grand Temple are respectively meant to be a computer server, sleeping quarters, and a research facility. | |||
The barrier sealing off the Temple's inner chambers features a symbol consisting of an {{Wiki|ouroboros}} surrounding a {{Wiki|tetractys}}. The Grand Temple Key, which deactivates this barrier, also has a symbol of an ouroboros. | |||
Contrary to popular theories making [[Jötunheimr]] analogous to North America, ''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]''{{'}}s Lead Writer [[Darby McDevitt]] dispelled the notion that Gunnlöð's vault in Jotunheim was actually the Grand Temple.<ref>{{Twitter|DarbyMcDevitt|status/1384877249275518980|Darby McDevitt|quote=@SixKeysUnlocked @TwinsofBoom @lawson_found @ObeseNinjao7 I don't know where that comes from. Jotunheim was definitely not in North America.|image=File:ACV Gunlod Temple in Jotunheim.png}}</ref> | |||
[[ | |||
==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
<tabber> | <tabber> | ||
Screenshots= | |-|Screenshots= | ||
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center | <gallery captionalign="center" position="center" widths="180"> | ||
ACR Grand Temple Map Location.png|The Grand Temple's location seen within the Synch Nexus | ACR Grand Temple Map Location.png|The Grand Temple's location seen within the Synch Nexus | ||
AC3 Grand Temple Entrance Colonial Times.png|The entrance to the Temple in the 18th century | AC3 Grand Temple Entrance Colonial Times.png|The entrance to the Temple in the 18th century | ||
AC3 Assassins entering Grand Temple.png| | AC3 Assassins entering Grand Temple.png|Desmond, William, Shaun, and Rebecca entering the Temple | ||
AC3 Temple Inner Entrance.png|The Assassins by the door to the Temple | AC3 Temple Inner Entrance.png|The Assassins by the door to the Temple | ||
AC3 Temple Inner Opening.png|Desmond opening the door | AC3 Temple Inner Opening.png|Desmond opening the door | ||
AC3 Grand Temple Barrier.png|The barrier sealing off the Temple's inner chamber | AC3 Grand Temple Barrier.png|The barrier sealing off the Temple's inner chamber | ||
AC3 Grand Temple Script.png| | AC3 Grand Temple Gate Tetractys render.png|Render of the tetractys in the barrier's lock | ||
AC3 Grand Temple Script.png|isu script inside the Temple | |||
AC3 Grand Temple Tunnel.png|The entrance tunnel | AC3 Grand Temple Tunnel.png|The entrance tunnel | ||
AC3 Grand Temple Entryway.png|The entryway to the main chamber | AC3 Grand Temple Entryway.png|The entryway to the main chamber | ||
AC3 Grand Temple Upper Entrance Room.png|The room above the entryway | AC3 Grand Temple Upper Entrance Room.png|The room above the entryway | ||
AC3 Grand Temple Lower Left Room.png|The prototype of the shield pylon | AC3 Grand Temple Lower Left Room.png|The prototype of the shield pylon | ||
AC3 Grand Temple Tech.png| | AC3 Grand Temple Tech.png|Isu technology | ||
AC3 Grand Temple Upper Level stairs.png|The right-side stairs to the upper level | AC3 Grand Temple Upper Level stairs.png|The right-side stairs to the upper level | ||
AC3 Grand Temple Orange Chamber 1.png|The first room of the upper chamber | AC3 Grand Temple Orange Chamber 1.png|The first room of the upper chamber | ||
AC3 Grand Temple Orange Chamber 2.png|The second room of the upper chamber | AC3 Grand Temple Orange Chamber 2.png|The second room of the upper chamber | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
|-| | |-|Concept art= | ||
Concept art= | <gallery captionalign="center" position="center" widths="180"> | ||
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center | |||
ACI Temple-03.jpg|Concept art of the Grand Temple as seen in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Initiates]]'' | ACI Temple-03.jpg|Concept art of the Grand Temple as seen in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Initiates]]'' | ||
ACI Temple-02.jpg|Concept art of the interior of the Grand Temple | ACI Temple-02.jpg|Concept art of the interior of the Grand Temple | ||
| Line 140: | Line 115: | ||
AC3 Grand Temple.jpg|Concept art of Desmond Miles entering the Grand Temple | AC3 Grand Temple.jpg|Concept art of Desmond Miles entering the Grand Temple | ||
Underground Temple by WilliamWu.jpg|Concept art of the underground Temple | Underground Temple by WilliamWu.jpg|Concept art of the underground Temple | ||
Grand Temple concept art.jpg| | Grand Temple concept art.jpg|Isu technology within the Grand Temple | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
</tabber> | </tabber> | ||
==Appearances== | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]] – [[The Da Vinci Disappearance]]'' {{1stm}} {{Imo}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' {{1st}} {{c|entrance only}} | |||
*[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations (novel)|''Assassin's Creed: Revelations'' novel]] {{Mo}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed III]]'' | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Forsaken]]'' {{c|entrance only}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Initiates]]'' | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rogue]]'' {{Imo}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' {{c|entrance only}} | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Reflist}} | {{Scroll box|content={{Reflist}}}} | ||
{{Isu}} | {{Isu}} | ||
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[[Category:Isu temples]] | [[Category:Isu temples]] | ||
[[Category:Landmarks in the Frontier]] | [[Category:Landmarks in the Frontier]] | ||
Latest revision as of 14:42, 12 May 2026
The Grand Temple, also known as the Central Vault, is a complex built by the Isu, located in modern-day Turin, New York. Like other Temples, it served as a storehouse of Isu knowledge, though its purpose was unique in that it held information regarding six possible experiments that could save the world from an impending coronal mass ejection. Here, the Capitoline Triad of Jupiter, Minerva, and Juno collected and tested the results of other Temples' discoveries in the hopes of finding a viable option to protect them from the cosmic threat.
To maintain its operation, the Grand Temple was buried underground to protect its contents from the war with humanity and the solar flare, and to act as a containment chamber in case something went wrong with the projects developed inside. It was hidden beneath a statue dedicated to the Capitoline Triad. However, the statue was destroyed during the Great Catastrophe and the broken head from Minerva's figure eroded over time until it formed a cave leading to the Temple's entrance. Although several humans re-discovered the Temple's location over the centuries, none would learn the site's true purpose or how to access it until Desmond Miles' revelation in the Synch Nexus in 2012.
The Grand Temple was also the place where Juno was imprisoned for millennia in order to protect humanity from her plots of destruction, and held the device that she had tampered with to simultaneously protect the Earth from a second solar flare and set her free.
History[edit | edit source]
Isu Era[edit | edit source]
- "It was our duty... mine, Minerva's and Juno's—to sort and sample all that was collected. We chose those solutions which held the most promise, and devoted ourselves to testing their merits. Six we tried in succession, each more encouraging than the last. But none worked. And then the world ended..."
- ―Jupiter to Desmond Miles.[src]-[m]
As an underground complex, the Grand Temple was divided in three well-defined areas, each designed to fulfill a specific function. One of these areas was designated for restrooms, providing a space for rest and recovery for those who resided within. Another section housed a research facility, equipped with laboratories and experimentation rooms. The third and final section was dedicated to house the Isu servers for the management and storage of vast amounts of data, facilitating their analysis.[1] The Eye was also housed within the Grand Temple until Jupiter and Minerva destroyed it once they found out about Juno's betrayal.[1]
The main objective of the Capitoline Triad and their teams was to analyze all information from the other Temples across the planet and to test these solutions. They did it in succession, "each more encouraging than the last", but all six ultimately ended in failure.[2]
Following this, the solar flare killed most of the Isu and left less than 10,000 humans alive. However, the two groups worked together, beginning around the remains of the Grand Temple. The few remaining Isu attempted to pass on their gifts to humans through crossbreeding,[2] resulting in hybrids,[3] individuals who were more easily able to access Eagle Vision and use the Pieces of Eden.[2]
The Isu later determined a similar disaster would occur again in 2012. Minerva found a new solution from her research. If the Towers were to be completed, the Isu could use its structure to emit energy rather than absorb it.[1] This, combined with the global aurora borealis device,[4] would effectively protect the Earth from the solar flares. Only an individual with the right genetic material to activate it would be needed. However, before Minerva could test it, she discovered that Juno had tampered with it. While the patterns to save the world still existed, they would also allow Juno to have total control and power. As such, Minerva forced the solution to be abandoned, and Juno's consciousness was imprisoned in the Grand Temple.[5]
Norse expedition[edit | edit source]
In the late 9th century CE, the Viking Gorm Kjotvesson of the Wolf Clan, who served as Maegester for the Order of the Ancients' Wardens of War sect, led an expedition to Vinland after acquiring a Crystal Ball which allowed him to communicate with Juno. Per the Isu's instructions, Gorm sought to locate the Grand Temple and free Juno from her imprisonment, but despite finding the Temple's entrance, all attempts to open the door proved unsuccessful.[6]
Around 875, Gorm's rival Eivor Varinsdottir of the Raven Clan tracked him to Vinland and assassinated him at Narfljot Camp, retrieving his Crystal Ball in the process. The artifact then guided Eivor to the Grand Temple's entrance, but after inspecting the strange markings on the door and hearing Juno's voice speaking through the Crystal Ball, the Viking decided not to proceed any further, believing the message was intended for someone else.[7]
Eivor subsequently entrusted Gorm's Crystal Ball to Konwahawíhshon, a co-leader of the nearby Kanien'kehá:ka village of Karonhiakèn:iate'.[8] The artifact remained in the Kanien'kehá:ka's possession for generations, and through it, the villagers communicated with Juno, whom they believed was a god. The Isu instructed them to protect the "sanctuary" from outside threats, and so the Kanien'kehá:ka became guardians of the Grand Temple, though their duties forced them to isolate themselves from the other Iroquois tribes.[9]
Over time, stories of the tribe's communications with Juno were painted on the Temple door, referring to her as a motherly figure known as the "Sky Woman" who watched over and protected the Kanien'kehá:ka.[10]
Renaissance[edit | edit source]
In 1499, after accessing the Vatican Vault in Rome, Ezio Auditore was contacted by a hologram of Minerva via the Eye. Minerva told Ezio about her race's history, their war with humanity and their demise during the Great Catastrophe, and urged an unseen person named Desmond to find the Grand Temple so that humanity could be saved from the Second Disaster. Unbeknownst to Ezio at the time, this message was intended for his descendant Desmond Miles, who would relive Ezio's genetic memories through the Animus centuries later.[11]
In 1506, Ezio and his friend Leonardo da Vinci discovered a smaller vault underneath the Temple of Pythagoras, which contained a set of coordinates: 43° 39' 19" N, 75° 27' 42" W. While Leonardo was baffled by the information, Ezio inherently understood that these numbers were intended for Desmond and convinced Leonardo to leave the vault.[12]
In 1509, the Byzantine Templars' Grand Master and Ottoman prince Ahmet desired the Grand Temple's location in order to end the differences between men and create a unified world. He believed that the famed Levantine Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad knew the Temple's location and had hidden it in his library beneath Masyaf.[13] With this belief, he organized an excavation to find the library, which Ezio Auditore ultimately discovered.[14]
In 1512, Ezio prevented the Templars under Ahmet from acquiring the keys to Altaïr's library and subsequently traveled to Masyaf to access the library himself. However, the chamber was empty, except for Altaïr's remains, a sixth key, and Altaïr's Apple of Eden.[15] Weary of his life as an Assassin, Ezio chose not to take the Apple from the library. The Apple then began to glow and Ezio spoke directly to Desmond, asking him to make sense of the questions that had plagued him and to make the suffering he had endured worth something.[16]
The Templars' search[edit | edit source]
- "It could contain certain knowledge. Perhaps a weapon. Or something as yet unknown, unfathomable in its construction and purpose. It could be any of these things. Or none of them. They are still an enigma, these precursors. But of one thing I am certain—whatever waits behind those doors shall prove a great boon to us all."
- ―Reginald Birch talking about the Grand Temple, 1754.[src]-[m]
In 1722, the pirate Bartholomew Roberts, a Sage of Juno's late husband Aita, discovered through visions of his past life the existence of the Grand Temple and Juno's imprisonment in it. During Roberts' last moments, he expressed his desire to visit Juno at the Grand Temple, confusing his killer, the Assassin Edward Kenway.[17] These words nonetheless inspired Edward to pursue knowledge of the Grand Temple and other Isu sites, which he documented in a journal.[18]
In 1735, the British Templars' Grand Master Reginald Birch obtained Edward's journal after hiring mercenaries to kill the Assassin in his own home.[18] Learning about the Grand Temple's location in the New World, Birch assigned his subordinate Lawrence Washington to find the site and be his eyes and ears in the Thirteen Colonies.[19] However, after over a decade spent in the colonies, Washington was unsuccessful in his search.[20]
In 1754, the Templar Haytham Kenway, Edward's son and Birch's protégé, was sent by his master to find the Grand Temple after acquiring an Isu key from the British Assassin Miko.[21] Upon his arrival in the colonies, Haytham assembled an expedition with his fellow Templars in the New World and befriended the Kanien'kehá:ka warrior Kaniehtí:io, who brought him to the Temple's entrance in the Black Creek region of the Frontier. To his dismay, Haytham found that his key did not open the Temple door and decided to abandon the search for the site.[10]
Despite this, in 1760, a group of Templars led by Charles Lee organized another expedition to find the Grand Temple and traveled to the Kanien'kehá:ka village of Kanatahséton to speak with its elders. En route to the village, the Templars encountered and assaulted a young native boy, Ratonhnhaké:ton, who was secretly Haytham and Kaniehtí:io's son. When Kanatahséton was later set ablaze by the British Army, Ratonhnhaké:ton blamed the Templars for the tragedy and vowed revenge on Lee.[22]
As a teenager, Ratonhnhaké:ton was contacted by Juno through his tribe's Crystal Ball and was tasked with joining the broken Colonial Assassins in order to prevent the Templars from ever accessing the Grand Temple.[9] By 1782, Ratonhnhaké:ton had succeeded in wiping out the Colonial Templars and, after assassinating Lee, took the Grand Temple Key from him. He subsequently hid it per Juno's instructions,[23] choosing to bury it in the Davenport Homestead's hillside grave for his late Mentor Achilles Davenport's son Connor.[24]
Modern times[edit | edit source]
In 2012, Desmond Miles relived Ezio Auditore's memories in the Animus and, upon reaching the moment of Ezio's discovery of Altaïr's Apple of Eden, the artifact triggered a Synch Nexus, allowing Desmond to speak with Jupiter. The Isu further elaborated on his race's history and fate and, similarly to Minerva, tasked Desmond to find the Grand Temple so that he could use the global aurora borealis device to save the world from the Second Disaster.[2]
Meanwhile, Desmond's comrades in his Assassin cell—Shaun Hastings, Rebecca Crane, and his father William—discovered the Temple's coordinates from Ezio's memories,[12] and brought a comatose Desmond there so he could access the vault. After awakening from his coma,[2] Desmond approached the Temple entrance and opened it by inserting Ezio's Apple of Eden into a matching hole in the door, allowing the Assassins to proceed into the Temple.[5]
While investigating the Temple, the group found a large gate made of light that protected the global aurora borealis device, before Desmond passed out as a result of the Bleeding Effect and Juno's influence and was placed in the Animus. There, Desmond relived the memories of his ancestors Haytham Kenway and Ratonhnhaké:ton in order to find the Grand Temple Key, which could deactivate the gate blocking the path to the Temple's inner chambers.[5]
Meanwhile, Shaun realized that the Assassins required three Isu power sources to fully reactivate the Temple, otherwise opening the gate would be of no use. Over time, Desmond recovered these power sources from across the globe, and with each source plugged in, the Assassin witnessed visions of Juno explaining the six solutions devised by the Isu to save the planet from the solar flare.[5]
Through the memories of his ancestors, Desmond eventually learned the Grand Temple Key's location and retrieved it from the Davenport Homestead's remains before returning to the Temple to deactivate the gate. This granted the Assassins access to the global aurora borealis device, though before Desmond could activate it at Juno's urging, Minerva suddenly appeared using a second Eye she had secretly constructed, and told Desmond to do the opposite.[5]
Minerva explained that, if Desmond followed Juno's instructions, the world would be saved, but at the cost of his life and Juno's release from imprisonment. Following this, she showed Desmond that, if he refrained from activating the device, the solar flare would once again destroy the world, but he and many other humans would survive. Additionally, Desmond would become a religious figure that would rebuild the world, but upon his death, his ideals would be mistranslated and spark conflicts, effectively causing history to repeat itself.[5]
Believing that humanity had a chance at defeating Juno, Desmond decided to activate the device, telling William, Shaun, and Rebecca to leave the Grand Temple and prepare for the new struggle. The world was indeed saved, but Desmond perished and Juno was freed. Thanking Desmond's corpse for having "played [his] part well", Juno declared that she would enact her plans that she had spend eons crafting.[5]
Hours later,[25] Abstergo Industries located the Grand Temple and dispatched a team, led by Case Fisher. There, they found and retrieved Desmond's body, stripping him of his backpack and his Hidden Blade, which was broken into pieces and taken to Abstergo along with the rest of his belongings.[26]
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
It was possible to visit the entrance while reliving Ratonhnhaké:ton and Haytham's memories, though the door was closed. In The Tyranny of King Washington, the entrance is absent from the cave.
The shape of the temple from Jupiter's holographic flashback in Assassin's Creed: Revelations changed from an elevator shaft and a lobby to become much larger and sectioned off in Assassin's Creed III.
According to The Art of Assassin's Creed III, the three sections of the Grand Temple are respectively meant to be a computer server, sleeping quarters, and a research facility.
The barrier sealing off the Temple's inner chambers features a symbol consisting of an ouroboros surrounding a tetractys. The Grand Temple Key, which deactivates this barrier, also has a symbol of an ouroboros.
Contrary to popular theories making Jötunheimr analogous to North America, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla's Lead Writer Darby McDevitt dispelled the notion that Gunnlöð's vault in Jotunheim was actually the Grand Temple.[27]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
-
Concept art of the Grand Temple as seen in Assassin's Creed: Initiates -
Concept art of the interior of the Grand Temple -
Concept art of the Grand Temple -
Concept art of Desmond Miles entering the Grand Temple -
Concept art of the underground Temple -
Isu technology within the Grand Temple
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood – The Da Vinci Disappearance (first mentioned) (indirect mention only)
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations (first appearance) (entrance only)
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations novel (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed III
- Assassin's Creed: Forsaken (entrance only)
- Assassin's Creed: Initiates
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
- Assassin's Creed: Rogue (indirect mention only)
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (entrance only)
References[edit | edit source]
