Courtesan

For the multiplayer character, see Courtesan.

"You too must learn to blend like us: seen, but unseen."

―Paola's training on Ezio

The courtesans are one of the three factions of Assassin's Creed II helping the main character, Ezio, the other two being the thieves and the mercenaries. Florentine courtesans are led by Paola, while Venetian courtesans are led by Teodora Contanto.

Courtesans can work in many ways. All four can seduce a group of nearby guards, allowing Ezio to slip past, or they can hide Ezio by walking with him in a diamond formation (similar to how Altaïr blended with Scholars). Should Ezio encounter a group of guards while walking with the Courtesans, two of them will distract the guards, while the other two stay with Ezio in order to maintain the blend and help keep Ezio hidden.

Courtesans cannot perform any sort of free-running, and will go down very quickly in a fight. Therefore they should be avoided when looking for assistance in combat.

Courtesans in Venice.

Known courtesans

Florence

• Paola

Rome

• Claudia Auditore da Firenze
• Fiora Cavazza
• Madame Solari - This former head of the Courtesan's Guild was kidnapped and killed by slave traders in 1500. She ran the Rosa in Fiore prior to its take over by Claudia Auditore. She was allied to the Assassins, but was often found to be neglecting her duties by going to parties and giving away Assassin secrets to Templar priests in clergymen, in exchange for bribes.
• Lucia - A Courtesan who worked in the Rosa in Fiore, she was kidnapped by the slave traders, but they sent her back to alert the other girls of the ransom for Solari. It is presumable she remained in the Rosa in Fiore and worked under Maria and Claudia.
• Mina - She was a victim of the Templar Malfatto, who was a rogue doctor that preyed on prostitutes. She is found in a street being mourned by her friend, by Ezio.
• Guilietta - Guilietta worked at the Rosa in Fiore, one of her fellow courtesans reported to Ezio Auditore her suspicions about Guilietta and a client of hers. The suspicions had been proved right and Guilietta had been selling Courtesan's Guild secrets about the Assassins. Ezio followed her to find this man and killed him before her eyes, she tried to deny knowing the man was a traitor, but Ezio sends her away and tells her she is no longer welcome at the Rosa in Fiore brothel.

Venice

• Teodora Contanto
• Lucia

Achievement

The achievement/trophy, "Red Light Addict," can be gained by spending 5000 florins on them. One group of courtesans costs 150 florins, which means approximately 34 groups have to be hired to get the achievement.

Trivia

• A glitch can be found while running around the outside of Forlì. One of the hired Courtesans becomes stuck, separated from the rest of the group, and left behind, but does not officially leave the group as when distracting guards. The remaining three courtesans will not activate any blending effects when surrounding Ezio until he approaches the lost courtesan's perimeter and again enters the 'middle' of the group.
• Should one of the courtesans in a group fall into the water, the remaining three will continue to activate the blending effect without her, indicating that the death of one courtesan is similar to when two leave the group to distract passing guards.
• Courtesans cannot be killed or grabbed by Ezio. However, you can still hurt them with your weapons.
• The appearance of Courtesans has five randomly generated options: hair, face, dress color, necklace, and sleeves.
• In Monteriggioni, after renovating the Brothel, random Courtesans appear to walk in the streets. However you are unable to hire them.
• Attracting attention after distracting guards with a group of Courtesans will cause the guards to attack the group and kill them.
• In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, when Ezio reaches level 5 in the guild, the courtesans are able to poison guards.

• Courtesans in a brothel
  Courtesans in a brothel