Jerusalem

Jerusalem is a city located between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. The city was often visited by Assassins during the time of the Third Crusade and housed an Assassins' Bureau in the city's Rich District.

Jerusalem was the largest city in the Holy Land during the 12th century, housing exquisite mosques and cathedrals, denoting the contrast of cultures here. Two major Templar structures were found here: the Templar Tower, and Solomon's Temple, a structure under the city where the Apple was kept, inside the Ark of the Covenant.

History

Quest for the Chalice

In 1190, the Master Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad visited the city twice. During his first visit, he infiltrated a noble's villa, where he attacked the Templar Grand Master, Basilisk, and captured the third key to the Temple of the Sand. The next part of his quest took him to the Templar Tower, where he infiltrated the tower and killed its Master, and took a map to the Temple of the Sand. During his second visit, he freed the Chalice from Templar control.

Hunt for the Nine

Al Mualim presenting Altaïr with his new quest.

"I hold here a list. Nine men adorn it, nine men who need to die."

―Al Mualim to Altaïr on his new quest.

Altaïr returned to the city in 1191, and during his first visit, he failed to retrieve the Templar treasure from under the Dome of the Rock. He was punished for his failure, and ordered to kill nine men. The third target in Altaïr's quest for redemption was in Jerusalem, where he was sent to assassinate Talal. Talal was an infamous slave trader in Jerusalem, who resided in the Rich District of the city within his slave complex.

After collecting information through an investigation, Altaïr infiltrated the slave complex, encountering captive slaves calling for his help. Upon catching sight of one of Talal's guards, Altaïr called out to Talal, calling him a slaver and telling Talal that he imprisoning innocents. Talal replied to Altaïr's comments by claiming that he was not a slaver, and that he was actually helping these citizens by keeping them safe and "preparing them for the journey that lies ahead."

Talal then exclaimed that he made a mistake in allowing Altaïr into his complex, and that he still would not understand the true meaning of his actions. After their brief discussion, Talal let Altaïr into his complex, with the ordered his guards to kill the Assassin.However, Altaïr overpowered his opponents, and began to pursue a fleeing Talal. After a lengthy chase, Altaïr assassinated Talal in the city streets, ending the slaver's oppression. In his final words, the slave trader informed Altaïr of the strong Brotherhood he belonged to, and gave a warning to the Assassin, claiming that he would soon see the irony of his deed.

Several weeks later in 1191, Altaïr once again visited the city, this time to slay the tyrannical Regent of Jerusalem, Majd Addin, the sixth of his nine targets. Majd was a corrupt ruler, all the while being a sadistic and unlawful executioner. After completing another investigation about the ruler, Altaïr reported back to Malik Al-Sayf, the Rafiq present in the city's Assassins' Bureau. After receiving permission to carry out his assassination, Altaïr departed for an organized execution Majd had organized, where one of his fellow Assassins was set to be executed. Altaïr was ordered by Malik to assassinate Majd Addin, and to let him with his men save the captured Assassin. Majd speeched extensively on every execution target he had, killing all but the Assassin, before Majd himself was killed by Altaïr. In his last conversation, he told the Assassin of what he felt standing in front of the public, trying to clear things up, as he denied taking the oppertunity for power in order to kill innocents.

Robert de Sable

Assassination target decoy of Robert de Sable.

Assassination target decoy of Robert de Sable.

Robert was the last of the nine assassination targets, to be assassinated at the funeral of Majd Addin. However, Maria Thorpe, a female Templar and the assistent of Robert de Sable, was left as decoy for Altaïr to assassinate instead of the real Robert de Sable, who was already on his way to Arsuf. Altaïr fought off the Templar trap, and "assassinated" the decoy, who spent her time conversing with him before she was let free once more.

Map

File:Jerusalem Rich District.png	File:Jerusalem Middle District.png	File:Jerusalem Poor District.png
Rich District	Middle District	Poor District

Gallery

• Concept art.
  Concept art.
• Concept art.
  Concept art.
• Altaïr watches the city of Jerusalem from Solomon's Temple.
  Altaïr watches the city of Jerusalem from Solomon's Temple.