Frye family

The Frye family was a British ennobled family who played an important role in the Assassin-Templar War during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

History

Protectors of Crawley

The roots of the Frye family took place in Crawley, a city in the south of England where the British Assassins installed after losing control of London to the British Templars during the mid-18th century. At the dawn of the 19th century, the schoolmaster Ethan Frye became an Assassin and married the Welsh woman Cecily, who also joined the Brotherhood not long after. Working together, they became high-ranking Assassins and recruited George Westhouse, a mill worker in Crawley.

Ethan receiving the Koh-i-Noor from Arbaaz Mir

In 1841, Ethan travelled to India to protect the Koh-i-Noor diamond, a Piece of Eden created by the Isu. In Amritsar, he met the Indian Assassin Arbaaz Mir, who had acquired the Koh-i-Noor from the Templars, and the two became close friends. Arbaaz subsequently entrusted the Koh-i-Noor to Ethan, who hid it somewhere in India.

In 1847, Cecily gave birth to twins, Evie and Jacob, but she died of complications shortly thereafter. Depressed, Ethan couldn't raise his children who had indirectly caused the death of his wife. He sent the twins to live with Cecily's mother, and returned to India to train Jayadeep Mir, the son of Arbaaz and Pyara Kaur. Although the young Assassin was talented, Ethan realized early on that Jayadeep lacked the instict of a killer. As a mentor-pupil bond developed between the two, Jayadeep convinced Ethan to return to England to raise his own children.

Arriving in 1853, Ethan began to train his children in the ways of the Brotherhood, teaching them patience and to never let personal feelings get in the way of the mission. He also instilled in them a sense of social duty, teaching them to help the people achieve freedom rather than simply eliminating oppressors.

Evie followed the lessons of her father and was concerned by the history of the Assassins and the search of the Pieces of Eden, preparing plans and acting stealthily. On the contrary, Jacob preferred exploring Crawley and acting as he pleased, improvising and brawling his way out of delicate situations. Even though his children were different, Ethan thought that each uniqueness could be an asset for the Brotherhood.

Liberating London

Ethan and Jayadeep's efforts

In 1860, Ethan learned that Jayadeep risked being executed by the Brotherhood for failing to kill a target. He saved his apprentice, requesting the Indian Brotherhood to send Jayadeep to London as punishment. Without the permission of the Assassin Council, Jayadeep became Ethan's contact in the city which was under the control of the industrialist Crawford Starrick, the Grand Master of the British Templars.

In 1862, Jayadeep infiltrated the Templars, associating with the Templar Cavanagh. He learned that the Order searched for an Apple of Eden during the excavation of the Metropolitan Railway, but at the same tame, Cavanagh discovered Jayadeep's true allegiance after interrogating the Indian Assassin Ajay. Cavanaugh then attempted to reveal Jayadeep's allegiance, but the Assassin fled before he was able to do so. Ethan, the twins, and Westhouse later cornered Ajay, who confessed to his betrayal before committing suicide.

Realizing that Jayadeep was in danger, Ethan saved him from Cavanagh, but ultimately lost the Apple to the Templars. After learning that his friends had been killed by the Templars, Jayadeep refused to work for the Brotherhood anymore and retired to the sewers. Following a visit from his parents in 1865, Jayadeep resumed his work under Ethan and adopted a new identity: Henry Green. In time, Henry became the leader of the Assassin bureau in London, establishing a network of allies which included street urchins led by Clara O'Dea and police Sergeant Frederick Abberline.

Arrival of the Frye twins

Jacob and Evie with George Westhouse

In January 1868, Ethan died of pleurisy in his home in Crawley. With their father's death, Evie and Jacob's relationship became more than tense than ever, as the former tried to live up to the example set by Ethan and followed his lessons closely while Jacob mocked them and wished to be his own man. Westhouse became the mentor of the twins and in February, the three Assassins went to Croydon to accomplish a mission. Jacob was tasked to kill the Templar industrialist Rupert Ferris, while Evie had to assassinate the Templar scientist David Brewster, who was experimenting on the Apple of Eden recovered by the Order six years prior.

Although the siblings succeeded in killing their targets, Brewster's experiments with the Apple went awry and destroyed both the artifact and the laboratory before Evie could recover the Apple. However, she learned that the Templar Lucy Thorne was searching for another artifact, a Shroud of Eden, in London. The twins asked Westhouse for permission to travel to London and fight the Templars but he refused. After his departure, Evie and Jacob agreed to go to London together without informing the Council.

Jacob and Evie meeting Henry Green

Following their arrival in London, the Frye twins came into contact with Henry Green, who explained that Starrick with his industries controlled every aspect of the city: the medical field, the transports, the politics, and the media. He also used a gang, the Blighters, to control the streets of London. With the information provided by Henry, the siblings assassinated various Templars in the city and helped Sergeant Abberline by arresting several of the Blighters' leader. They also helped Clara O'Dea to save the children who were forced to work in the Templar-controlled factories.

To fight the Blighters, Jacob decided to form his own gang, even if his sister was against the idea. Saving members of the Clinkers gang, the Assassins formed the Rooks and began to take strongholds from the Blighters. They first liberated the borough of Whitechapel from the Templar Rexford Kaylock, taking his train as a hideout and recruiting members of the Blighters into the Rooks. Following this, the criminal businessman Ned Wynert, a rival of the Blighters, entered into contact with the Assassins and offered his support in sabotaging the Blighters' operations. The twins also became associated with Alexander Graham Bell, who crafted for them new weapons and they helped him to sabotage devices from the Starrick Telegraph Company.

Jacob and Evie arguing about their methods

While Jacob assassinated Starrick's lieutenants, Evie and Henry searched for the Shroud of Eden with the indices of Edward Kenway's journal. During her quest, Evie killed Thorne and recovered a key to open the box containing the Shroud. She also developed feelings for Henry, which compromised a mission when she decided to save him rather than follow the Templars, who stole the plans leading to the Shroud's location. Remembering her father's view on personal feelings, she decided to stop working with Henry on the field.

As Jacob brought chaos to the city with each assassination of his targets, Evie was forced to repair her brother's mistakes. The twins later argued about their methods and decided to end their partnership after one last mission to stop Starrick.

Defeating the Templars

During a party at Buckingham Palace, Jacob killed Starrick's henchmen who were impersonating the guards to assassinate Queen Victoria and the heads of Church and State. In the palace, Evie discovered a building plan which revealed that the vault housing the Shroud was located underneath the garden. However, Starrick stole the key to the artifact's box during a forced dance with Evie, and made his way to the vault where he retrieved the Shroud. The Frye twins followed him but struggled against the artifact-empowered Starrick until Henry came to their aid. Ultimately, the siblings were able to separate Starrick from the Shroud and kill him, before deciding to keep the artifact safe within the vault.

The Assassins' induction in the Order of the Sacred Garter

Following their victory, Evie and Jacob reconciled their differences and decided to continue their partnership. Jacob realized the gravitude of his actions' consequences and decided to become less reckless, while Evie concluded that not all of Ethan's lessons may have been correct and chose to pursue her feelings for Henry, who reciprocated them. Leaving the vault, the Assassins were received by the Queen who had been informed by Abberline that they had saved her life. As recognition, she knighted the trio into the Order of the Sacred Garter.

Sometime afterwards, the remaining Templars in London regrouped and planned a series of terrorist attacks in the city. The Frye twins were able to foil their plan to kill the Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli and to bomb the Palace of Westminster. The Queen thanked them and asked for their help to expand the reach of the British Empire, but they refused as it was not in accordance with the Creed.

The Frye twins continued to operate in London, investigating paranormal activities with Charles Dickens and the Ghost Club, protecting the research of Charles Darwin, helping Karl Marx to improve the working class situation, and investigating a series of mysterious murders alongside the young Arthur Conan Doyle. They also protected Duleep Singh, who was targeted by the Templars and the East India Company as he tried to reclaim his throne.

By the end of the year, Henry proposed to Evie, who accepted. The couple subsequently relocated to India, leaving Jacob in London to rebuild the Assassins' presence in the city. During a brief visit to London in 1872, Evie and Henry helped the Pinkerton detective Tommy Greyling, who was tracking an American Templar named Alice. Working together, the Assassins and Greyling discovered that Alice planned to steal pages of the Voynich manuscript from the British Museum and ultimately foiled the plot.

Autumn of Terror

Jacob, Jack, Henry and Evie in India

Under Jacob's leadership, the London Assassins were able to quickly rebuild their former strength, recruiting new apprentices from among the orphans and the prostitutes of the city. One of Jacob's apprentices was a young boy named Jack, who had been psychologically mistreated at the Lambeth Asylum and held a grudge against Jacob for not saving his mother from Starrick's men. Despite this, Jacob considered and treated Jack like his son.

In 1873, Jacob visited India with Jack and other apprentices to learn the fear tactics of the Indian Brotherhood. Jacob saw Evie and Henry one last time before returning to London. There, Jacob later had a relationship with an unknown woman and had at least one child with her.

In 1888, Jack became more extremist about his vision of the Creed, believing that the Assassins must instill fear into the citizens of London. He usurped control of the Rooks and eliminated those who sided with Jacob. Centering his criminal operations in the borough of Whitechapel, the rogue Assassin went on to become infamously known as the serial killer Jack the Ripper.

Jacob confronted by Jack

At some point during the year, Jacob sent a letter to his sister requesting her presence in London, as Jack's actions threatened to expose the Brotherhood's existence to the public. Later, Jacob tried to stop Jack with four Assassin apprentices disguised as prostitutes, but Jack brutally murdered all of them. In September, following the murders of his last two apprentices, Jacob was captured by his former apprentice after a fight.

A month later, Evie arrived in London where Inspector Abberline explained that her brother had disappeared. Discovering the true identity of the serial killer, Evie compromised Jack's plans, eliminating his allies Olwyn Owers and John Billingsworth and closing his personal prison in Deptford Dockyard.

Evie standing over a dying Jack

After Jack killed Mary Kelly, Evie confronted the rogue Assassin at the Lambeth Asylum and killed him in combat. She found Jacob wounded but alive in a cell of the asylum. With the cooperation of Abberline, they decided to keep Jack's identity hidden from the public to prevent compromising the Brotherhood.

World War I

In 1893, the Frye family expanded with the birth of Lydia Frye, Jacob's granddaughter. At first, she was reluctant to join the Brotherhood like the rest of her family, but after discovering the extent of the Templars' influence and losing family and friends in the Assassin-Templar War, she finally joined the Assassins. As her parents were often away on missions for the Brotherhood, Lydia was primarily raised and trained by her grandfather and great-aunt, Jacob and Evie. With the teachings of their two different styles, Lydia became a well-balanced Assassin, preparing precise plans and improvising when needed.

Lydia Frye with Winston Churchill

Lydia later fell in love with a fellow Assassin named Sam Crowder, and the two married in 1914, shortly before the outbreak of World War I. Sam enlisted in the British Army while Lydia stayed in London after securing the elderly Fryes in the countryside. As the only Assassin left in London, Lydia protected the city from any threats.

In 1916, she worked with Winston Churchill to stop a spy ring led by the Master Spy, a Templar Sage who convinced some members of the Order to join the Instruments of the First Will. Lydia located the Master Spy and killed him, ending the threat of the Templars and the Instruments in London, at least for the time being.

Legacy

The actions of the Frye family had a great impact on the Assassin-Templar War in London. During his lifetime, Ethan sought to liberate the city from the Templars' control and, though he passed away before he could succeed, his goal would later be accomplished by Evie and Jacob with the assistance of Jayadeep Mir. This allowed the Assassins to rebuild their presence in the British capital for the first time in over a century, under the leadership of Jacob.

The Frye twins also found the Shroud of Eden hidden by Edward Kenway in London and prevented the Templars from acquiring it. Because of their involvement with the Shroud, Evie and Jacob's DNA would later be retrieved by Abstergo Industries who, in 2015, used it to explore their genetic memories and locate the artifact, which was necessary for the success of their Phoenix Project. The Assassins also managed to acquire the twins' DNA from Abstergo's archives and had a member of the Initiates research it to find the Shroud before Abstergo.

In 1888, Evie helped Frederick Abberline to solve the infamous Whitechapel murders and eliminate the culprit, Jack the Ripper, thus preserving the Assassins' secrecy. Three decades later, during World War I, Lydia was responsible for eliminating a Templar spy network in London which was led by a Sage. This prevented the Templars from rebuilding their presence in the capital and also benefited the British war effort.

The Frye family has several descendants during the modern era, such as Evie's descendant Jackie O'Connell, an Assassin and scientist who was active in London around 2016.

Members

• 
  Ethan Frye
  (c. 1825 – 1868)
• 
  Cecily Frye
  (? – 1847)
• 
  Evie Frye
  (1847 – ?)
• 
  Jacob Frye
  (1847 – ?)
• 
  Jayadeep Mir
  (1843 – ?)
• 
  Lydia Frye
  (1893 – ?)
• 
  Sam Crowder

Family tree

Ethan Frye

Cecily Frye

Jayadeep Mir

Evie Frye

Jacob Frye

Unknown woman

Unknown child

Unknown child

Lydia Frye

Sam Crowder

Trivia

• The surname Frye is a derivative of the English word free. As such, the family's name is indicative of their ties to the Assassins, who typically fight in the name of freedom.
• Although Evie was married to Jayadeep Mir, Jeffrey Yohalem, the lead writer for Assassin's Creed: Syndicate, has revealed that Evie is not an ancestor of Monima Das, a modern-day descendant of Jayadeep's parents, Arbaaz Mir and Pyara Kaur.
  • On a similar note, although Evie conceived at least one child during her lifetime, who became an ancestor of Jackie O'Connell, it is unknown if the child's father was Jayadeep or someone else.
• In the non-canonical Assassin's Creed crossover with Watch Dogs: Legion, Jacob and Evie have two mutual descendants during the 21st century: Darcy Clarkson and her brother Lucas.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Underworld (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Syndicate
  • Jack the Ripper
  • The Last Maharaja
• Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India
• Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Locus
• Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Rebellion
• Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Magus Conspiracy
• Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot
• Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game