Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad

Al Mualim: "Remember… nothing is true."

Altaïr: "Everything is permitted."

—Al Mualim and Altaïr at the Masyaf fortress

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad (الطائر ابن لا أحد in Arabic) (born 1166) was an Assassin during the time of the Third Crusade and later Grand Master of the Assassin’s Order. An ancestor to both Ezio Auditore da Firenze and Desmond Miles, Altaïr was raised to be an Assassin from birth; obtaining the rank of Master Assassin by his twenty–fifth year. However, following his failure to obtain the Apple from Robert de Sable in 1191, and subsequently allowing Robert’s Knights Templar to attack the city of Masyaf, head quarters to the Order of Assassins, he was demoted to the rank of novice and sent on a quest for redemption.

Tasked with the deaths of nine individuals, who unbeknownst to him made up the ranks of the Knights Templar in the Holy Land, Altaïr begun a year long quest to change his ways and liberate the Kingdom from the corruption of the Nine. During his quest however, Altaïr learnt of a plot far more sinister and worrying than originally believed. Completing his quest to kill the Nine, and cleansing the Order of its treacherous leader – Al Mualim – Altaïr rose to the rank of Grand Master, taking the Assassins into a new, more secretive direction.

The Apple in hand, Altaïr changed the ways his Order lived their lives; writing his fabled Codex for later generations of his family to read. His name would continue to resonate through the Order in later years, greatly influencing the lives of his descendants in years to come.

Biography

Early life

Altaïr was born to Assassin parents, a Christian woman and a Muslim father. During his childhood, he was trained and raised by Al Mualim, and quickly rose among his brethren in skill, gaining status with his teacher and eventually becoming a Master Assassin and Instructor. Because of the rules of the Order, as well as his constant training, his parents never showed much love toward Altaïr, though he felt that it was a feeling suppressed. Eventually Altaïr's parents had to leave Masyaf; that was the last time Altaïr ever saw or heard of his parents again.

Quest for the Chalice

During the year 1190 the threat of Crusade looms; by this time Altaïr has reached the rank of Master Assassin and was tasked with recovering an ancient artefact known as the Chalice. Learning that, in order to complete his task, he must obtain three keys from their Templar owners, Altaïr begun his quest; in the process aiding in the defence of Acre and revealing the identity of a traitor to the Assassins' – Harash. Eventually coming across an old associate named Adha, Altaïr astonished her with the information that she was the Chalice. Upon this revelation however, the Templar Lord Basilisk kidnapped her and spirited her to Tyre .

Making his way to the port of Tyre, Altaïr found and killed Lord Basilisk, only to discover that Adha was not with him, but on another vessel. It would be many years before Altaïr found Adha again, and too late to save her. Her death hit Altaïr hard, her death deeply wounding him.

The Crusade

"A small sacrifice to save many. It is necessary."

―Altaïr

By the following year the Holy Land was in the midst of war. Altaïr, along with his fellow Assassins, the brothers Malik and Madar, were sent by Al Mualim to explore the catacombs of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, and to intercept an artifact the Knights Templar are searching for. After progressing through the catacombs, Altaïr broke two of the tenets of the Assassin's Creed, confident in his mastery as an Assassin. Finally, upon seeing the arch–enemy of his Order – Robert de Sable – Altaïr attempted to slay the Templar Grandmaster, but was easily thwarted and thrown from the temple, leaving Malik and Kadar trapped with the Templars. Upon returning to Masyaf Altaïr informs Al Mualim of his failure to acquire the Templar treasure and was lambasted for his failure when Malik returned alive, but with a bloodied arm and artefact in hand; alone. Before any further action could be taken though, the Templars attacked Masyaf, taking the village and besieging the castle; Altaïr led the defence of the fortress, sneaking behind the Templar army and unleashing a torrent of felled tree logs; crushing the Templar army. Once the attack was over, the matters of his actions in the Temple Mount were addressed once again. Altaïr, having broken all three tenets of the Creed, failing to acquire the Templar treasure and causing the death of a brother and the incapacitation of other, was deemed a traitor to the Creed; Al Mualim judged before the whole order, and stabbed him in the stomach with a dagger.

Altaïr woke up from his 'sleep of the dead' and questioned Al Mualim of his survival, the Grandmaster answering only that "…[Altaïr] saw only what [Al Mualim had] wanted him to see–”. Stripped of rank and possessions by Al Mualim, Altaïr was given a chance for redemption; starting as a novice once again and hunting down the traitor within Masyaf who had allowed the Templars entrance. Successful, Altaïr returned to Al Mualim and was rewarded with the return of his Hidden Blade and longsword. Once again officially a member of the Order, Altaïr was offered an exchange; the lives of nine men for the life of his own.

The Nine

Al Mualim: "I hold here a list. Nine men adorn it, nine men who need to die. They are plague–bringers, war–makers... Their power and influence corrupt the lands, ensuring that the Crusades continue. Find them, kill them... In doing so, you will sow the seeds of peace, both for the region, and for yourself."

Altaïr: "Nine lives in exchange for mine..."

Al Mualim: "A generous offer indeed. Have you any questions?"

Altaïr: "Only where I need begin."

—Assassin's Creed

Altaïr strikes Tamir.

Altaïr started his quest, leaving Masyaf and riding through the kingdom on horseback to Damascus, location of the first target, Tamir. Arriving there, he travelled to the local Bureau and requested permission for the assassination. The rafiq denied him, ordering Altaïr to first gather information about his target. Going through the city's poor district, Altaïr interrogated informants, pick-pocketed letters and maps and eavesdropped on conversations around him, acquiring the location of the target. Returning to the Bureau with this info, he received a pass for the kill and a white feather, to be wet in the victim's blood, as proof of the murder. In a plaza of the market district, Altaïr witnessed Tamir slaying a business partner, and then killed him as he explored the market. Returning to the Bureau, Altaïr was told to return to Al Mualim, who rewarded him for this first step on the road to redemption, granting him a part of his equipment back. Altaïr then left to the other cities, Acre and Jerusalem, for his next targets.

In Acre, he met with the Bureau leader and gathered the information about his target, before receiving the feather and permission for the kill. Infiltrating Garnier's hospital, Altaïr watched him make the rounds on his patients and struck him from above. A city wide alert was issued, wherein after finally escaping from the hospital and hiding in the Bureau, Altaïr returned to Masyaf and told Al Mualim of his success.

Garnier's death from above.

Arriving at Jerusalem's Bureau, Altaïr was harshly received by Malik, that Bureau's new leader. Reluctantly, Malik sent him on his investigations, and received him once again when he returned. After receiving the permission and the feather, Altaïr entered the slave complex of his target Talal, but was ambushed by his followers. Dispatching them, Altaïr chased Talal throughout the rooftops and streets, finally catching up to him and putting a hidden blade in his neck. Altaïr returned to the Bureau and reported to Al Mualim once again .

File:Talal chase.jpg

Altaïr chases Talal though the streets.

Gaining another part of his equipment back, Altair once again had to return to all three cities to take out new targets. He returned to Damascus to eliminate Abul Nuqoud, known as “the Merchant King”. After investigating and receiving the feather from the rafiq, he proceeded to the merchant's palace where a party was being held.

Infiltrating the palace, Altaïr arrived shortly before Abul begun his speech, wherein he poisoned his guests, before ordering his archers to eliminate the rest. The assassin scaled the palace walls, killing several archers in the process, before managing to climb onto the roof above Nuqoud. Jumping down and killing the bodyguard, Altaïr chased down and assassinated his target, once again setting the city on full alert before losing his pursuers. Returning to the Bureau, he reported his success, before returning once again to Masyaf.

In Acre, Altaïr was tasked with the death of William of Montferrat, nephew to Richard the Lionheart. Approaching via as William and Richard argue outside the city fort’s walls, he waited for the King to leave, before infiltrating the castle via the fortress walls and killing the Marquese of Montferrat. As usual, Al Mualim was informed and Altaïr left the city for his next target in Jerusalem.

Within Jerusalem, Altaïr found his sixth target, Majd Addin; the illegitimate ruler of Jerusalem, he personally acts as judge, jury and executioner. During one of his public executions, Altaïr made his way through the crowd and onto the stage where Addin stood, killing him and saving the imprisoned Assassin who was mere moments fromd death. Fleeing from the guards, Altaïr returned to Al Mualim, in Masyaf.

Rewarded with another rank and equipment, Altaïr demanded of Al Mualim the truth behind his targets connections; Al Mualim revealed to him that all nine of his targets were members of the Knights Templar, and that the treasure Malik had liberated from Robert de Sable held the power to control the minds of others. Content with this new information, Altaïr left for Acre and Damascus once again. His seventh target was present in Acre; the target, named Sibrand, was Grand Master of the Knights Teutonic and paranoid with fear of the assassin that stalked his Templar brothers.

Reporting to the Bureau and investigating, Altaïr traveled to the city’s ports, where he witnessed Sibrand falsely accusing a passing scholar of being the assassin before cutting him down; he then retired to his ship. Altaïr navigated through the ports and docked boats, arriving on Sibrand's ship and striking him down. Once again, the alert was sounded, though Altaïr managed to escape once more. After giving the dai the feather wet with Sibrand's blood, Altair left for Masyaf like always.

In Damascus, Jubair al Hakim – Saladin’s head scholar – has begun burning every book in the city, in an attempt to wipe the history of the land. Traveling to the Bureau, Altaïr gathered the information, received his feather and moved in for the kill. Jubair stood flanked by many followers, all dressed in identical clothing; fortunately for Altaïr however, his previous investigations had shown him where Jubair would be and what he looked like, and before long the scholar joined his Templar brothers.Altair escaped the city guard, and reported his success to the dai.

Altaïr fights de Sable's impostor.

Returning to Masyaf, Altaïr had only one target remaining; the Grand Master of the Knights Templars himself. Robert had recently arrived in Jerusalem to attend the funeral of Majj Addin, in a show of mutual cooperation between Saracen and Crusader. Gathering intelligence for the strike, Altaïr proceeded to the cemetery, but was ambushed by the Templars, who had anticipated his arrival. Engaging the Templars in battle, Altaïr watched as Robert fled upon the death of his last warrior. In pursuit, Altaïr charged de Sable from behind; preparing to strike, the Templar warrior removed his helmet and revealed a decoy. At first believing it to be sorcery, the shock of the woman standing before him soon wore off. Learning from the woman that Robert had used the time she had given him to travel to Arsuf, in the hopes of uniting the Saracens and Crusaders against the Assassins. Sparing her life for being an innocent and a decoy, Altaïr returned to the Bureau and revealed the deception to Malik, who had recently come to believe that Altaïr had truly repented for his past crimes. Malik informed Altaïr that it was best he return to Masyaf, and enlighten Al Mualim to the development; Altaïr refused, citing time to be lacking. Leaving the city, Altaïr headed directly to Arsuf.

Altaïr kills Robert.

Arriving at Arsuf, Altaïr found the battle between Richard at Saladin to be in full swing. Fighting his way through the lines, engaging Saracen and Christian troops alike, Altaïr arrived at Richard’s camp, only to be mistaken for making an attempt on the King's life. Denying this, Altaïr informed the Christian king of Robert’s treachery, as well as that of his followers; de Sable strenuously denied the accusations, though Richard was unconvinced. Leaving the matter to God, Altaïr fought de Sable and his Templar elites, cutting them down and striking the Grand Master in the throat.

Altaïr faces Al Mualim.

With his dying breaths, Robert revealed to Altaïr that Al Mualim was, in fact, a Templar, and that Altaïr had been an unwitting pawn in his quest to hoard the Apple. Allowed to leave by Richard, Altaïr returned to Masyaf to find the people in a hypnotic trance. Climbing the hill to the fortress, Altaïr was forced to fight and kill many of his fellow Assassins, who had been corrupted by the power of the Apple. Heavily outnumbered, Altaïr was saved by the timely arrival of Malik and a handful of unaffected Assassins. Free to confront Al Mualim, Altaïr continued to the fortress gardens, where Al Mualim lay in wait.

Altaïr strikes the real Al Mualim.

Confronting his former master, Altaïr demanded an explanation from his Master; Al Mualim revealed that he had used the Piece of Eden recovered at Solomon's Temple to control the minds of the people and ensure their obedience, ensuring utter and absolute peace; Altaïr's mission was to wipe out the remaining Templar leaders, and subsequently end the crusades. Ending his explanation, Al Mualim used the Apple to call upon the spirits of Altaïr's assassination targets, who attacked the confused Assassin. Defeating them one by one, Altaïr charged his former master, only to have him vanish in mid air. Chasing down Al Mualim, Altaïr was then forced to confront multiple copies of his Master; striking them as they approached, Altaïr managed to pierce the skin of his Master with his longsword, killing the Grand Master.

Altaïr then listened, as his Master gave his final words, challenging Altaïr’s strength of character and ability to destroy the Apple; the Assassin watched as the Apple rolled from his Master’s lifeless hand, before activating. He stood before the vast holographic image that projected from the orb, a map of the world indicating the location of various other Pieces of Eden.

Grand Master of the Assassin’s Order

After the death of Al Mualim, Altaïr inherited the title of Grand Master. Wanting to tell the tale that his life had been, he began writing his Codex, which would detail his life. The troubles were not yet over though, the Crusade continued to wage and the Templars had not yet been defeated. Fleeing to Cyprus under the leadership of Armand Bouchart, the Templars had secured Acre for their escape. Leading the attack on the city, Altaïr managed to save the life of the very women who had served as de Sable’s decoy, apparently abandoned by Bouchart. Revealing her name to be Maria, the Templar joined Altaïr, and after seeing the events that unfolded, was convinced that the way of the Templars were unjust.

Liberating Cyrprus from Bouchart and his Templar followers, Altaïr, who had previously intended to seal the Apple within the Limassol archives, decided it best that the Apple remain with him, and over the years peered into it often. From it, he gathered much knowledge, most of which went into his Codex; new assassination techniques, new technologies and reference to Those Who Came Before. At some point Altaïr and Maria bore at least two sons; training them to be Assassins. With the rapid approach of the Templar Genghis Khan from the east, whom Altaïr suspected to possess a Piece of Eden, the family headed east to combat the threat.

Legacy

File:Jerusalem.jpg

The Eagle watches.

During the Cyprus' events, Altaïr began working on a Codex, an encrypted journal where he reported his discoveries and thoughts. His relationship with Maria bore at least two children, and his discoveries from the Piece of Eden led to a complete change in the Assassin's ways. Beside the intellectual findings, the Apple's knowledge taught him to upgrade the Hidden Blade mechanism, create a firearm and a nearly indestructible piece of armor, as well as other technological advances.

In 1459, Altaïr’s Codex had passed into the hands of Marco Polo, who had retrieved it from Kublai Khan. The Templars, having learnt about the Codex, hired a contingent of pirates to retrieve it from the Assassin Dante Aligheri, who was transporting it from Venice to Spain; also escorting it was Dante’s apprentice, an ancestor of Altaïr, named Domenico, who had only recently been made aware of his heritage. As the pirates attacked, Domenico broke apart the Codex and hid it from the pirates, though was too late to save the life of his Master and wife .

Eventually, Domenico and his son took the name of Auditore, and constructed the Auditore family Villa in Monteriggioni, beneath which they constructed the Sanctuary; inside of which rested Altaïr's Grand Master robes. These robes later passed into the possession of yet another of Altaïr’s descendants’, the Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze.

Centuries later, in the early 21^st Century the Templar organization Abstergo Industries kidnap a man named Desmond Miles, the latest descendant of Altaïr, in order to “read” his memories that were encoded into his DNA. Using the Animus, Desmond explored Altaïr’s memories, overseen by researchers Dr. Warren Vidic and his assistant, an undercover Assassin named Lucy Stillman, in order to find a specific memory about the Piece of Eden for the Templar's project bent on creating a “New World Order”.

Following his escape from Abstergo Industries Desmond Miles, suffering from a condition known as the “bleeding effect”, received a hallucination of Altaïr’s memories whilst outside the Animus; within the hallucination Desmond watched as Altaïr chased a hooded figure through the castle of Acre. Ending upon the castle’s highest tower, the runner revealed herself to be Maria. After sharing an intimate moment with Maria, Altaïr left; Desmond became shocked when he noticed he was no longer following Altaïr – he had just witnessed the conception of his ancestor.

Characteristics and personality

Altaïr performing free–running.

Altaïr was raised at the Assassin's fortress at Masyaf, and possessed of incredible skills, quickly rising among the ranks of the Order. A cold and objective person, he fully devoted himself to the cause he chose to pursue.

He had a rebellious nature; was impetuous, over–confident, demanding, arrogant, self–centred and impatient. After the failure at Solomon's Temple, being demoted to Initiate and sent after nine targets, Altaïr begun listening to the final words of his victims, their revelations involving them and their justifications for their deeds. As his mission progresses, his attitude changes and he starts to perceive more between the lines and actions of the world while drawing upon the teachings of the Creed, prior a guide, now a way of life. At the end of the conflict, all of his brash and rebellious nature had been put under control, and he became a calm, focused, driven, humble, patient and wise man. Altaïr was one of the most respected and feared Assassins on the Order, second only to the brotherhood's leader, Al Mualim.

Smart and dedicated, his studies and determination to ensure “peace in all things” made sure the order survived to fight for that for as long as it was necessary, as he understood that the new world would have no place for the current ways of the assassins.

Also, his cold personality did not uphold his emotions. Altaïr is known to have fallen in love at least twice, with Adha, who unfortunately died and was avenged subsequently, and Maria Thorpe, de Sable's steward, who became his lifetime partner and was the mother of his children.

Equipment and skills

Altaïr was a master assassin and instructor, capable of extraordinary acrobatic feats, adept of social stealth, and fully apt in the application of deadly arts.

Altaïr finishes a Damas soldier.

Trained extensively, he was able to overcome any obstacle, human or terrain. He was able to get anywhere, climbing the tallest tower and jumping from the highest ledge without a hint of fear. Like other assassins, he was also trained in stealth assassination techniques, hand to hand and weapons combat, blade throwing, climbing, urban acrobatics, eavesdropping, interrogation, pick pocketing and anything else that may help complete a mission. Besides the physical prowess, he also had extensive knowledge of the Holy Land politics and religion, which helped the assassins understand their opponents.

File:Altair in combat.jpg

Talal's follower is impaled.

As a high member of the Order, Altaïr possessed a array of weapons at his disposal, comprised of a one–handed longsword, a short blade, throwing knives and the iconic Hidden Blade. Altaïr also possessed an ability called Eagle Vision, a sort of “sixth sense”, a strong feeling, instinct or intuition that let him see people's true intentions, though this seemed to be a rarity even among the Assassins. On the visual display of the Animus, this sense was translated into a colour based system.

Altaïr's concept art.

Behind the Scenes

The name “Altaïr” is a word in the Arabian language, meaning “The Flyer”/”The Flying One”. In interviews, the game's producer Jade Raymond has stated that in mid–air, Altaïr's shadow resembles that of an eagle, because his attire includes a point at the front of the hood (to resemble a beak) and slits through the back of the outfit (to resemble tail feathers). The second part of his name, “Ibn–La'Ahad”, means “son of no one”, reflecting his mysterious origins.

His face, as Desmond's, is modelled after Canadian model Francisco Randez.

Trivia

• Altaïr also has three different voices throughout three games. His voice in Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles sounded a bit higher and not as deep as the original Assassin's Creed game. His voice in Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines had more of a Middle Eastern accent than the one in the original game. As no information has been revealed about this, the possibility of different sound encoding can't be dis-considered.
• The Altaïr costume can be unlocked in the game Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of Patriots by simply putting in the correct password at the extras screen, or by having alert 50 times or below. It can also be unlocked for Prince of Persia (2009). Users have to register at the Ubisoft Website and then link that account to an Xbox 360 Gamertag or PSN screen name.
• Altaïr's outfit can also be used in Assassin's Creed II by downloading it on UPlay for 30 U–points. Ezio's ring finger will also vanish when this outfit is worn, as instead of “in–Animus real clothing”, it is a virtual visual database skin from the original memories.
  • This is the same model used in the dream sequence where Altaïr chases Maria in Acre. While this model shows Ezio wearing Altaïr's attire from the first game, his face remains the same and doesn't resemble Altaïr's face from the first game. Underneath, you still wear the armor you've equipped and as long as the skin is equipped, it will never be visible, even if the armor changes. It also creates an minor visual glitch in the acceptance to the Order sequence when Ezio receives the seal of the Assassins on his finger, since the finger is not visible.
• By looking at the Codex Pages, it can be seen that Altaïr was a bit of an artist, illustrating several blueprints for Hidden Blade modifications, learning manuals for assassination techniques, some maps, and even a detailed sketch embordered with hand–drawn flowers of his lover, Maria Thorpe.
• Neca manufactured an action figure of Altaïr, it is well articulated and highly detailed. All the weapons have holders, and also can be removed from the holders such as the Hidden Blade, Dagger, Sword, and each individual Throwing Knife.
• The connection between Altaïr and eagles was not coincidental at all. He is named after the brightest star in the constellation Aquila, which is known symbolically as "The Eagle".