Apples of Eden

"This Apple of Eden will be understood. It must be... Is it a weapon? Is it a catalogue? Is it somehow both?"

―Altaïr's Codex, page 1.

The Apples of Eden are sphere-shaped pieces of technology created by Isu. Having long outlived their creators, the Apples are featured prominently, although cryptically, throughout recorded history as the cause of several 'divine' and 'superhuman' events; these include the Trojan War, the parting of the Red Sea, and Adam and Eve being cast out of Eden.

During ancient times, the Order of the Ancients and the Hidden Ones referred to the Apple of Eden as the Orb.

History

"This... piece of silver cast out Adam and Eve. It turned staves into snakes. Parted and closed the Red Sea. Eris used it to start the Trojan War; and with it, a poor carpenter turned water into wine."

―Al Mualim about an Apple.

Long before mankind existed, the Isu, a civilization of technologically advanced beings inhabited Earth. They created humanity, and enslaved them by modifying their brains to be obedient in the presence of a Piece of Eden. For some time there was a forced peace, until two Human/Isu hybrids, Adam and Eve, stole one of the Pieces, an Apple, and incited the Human-Isu War.

As all were too preoccupied by the war to see any other threat, a major solar flare impacted the Earth, and significantly damaged both mankind and their makers. The Isu slowly became extinct, while mankind grew and populated the Earth, seeing their predecessors as myths and gods.

The Pieces of Eden were not destroyed by the blast, and throughout time humans began recovering them, also causing an ideological divide, resulting in the formation of two groups, now referred to as the Templars and the Assassins. It is the Templars' aim to restore peace in the way the Isu had once done – forced by the Pieces – whereas the Assassins, who fight for freedom and a flawed humanity, put free will above order.

Many decades have gone by as the war continues between Templars and Assassins, both knowing the importance of the Pieces – especially the Apple – to reach their goal.

To date, the Apples are featured as the most recognizable of the Pieces of Eden, being favored by Abstergo Industries in their plan of a New World Order, as some other Pieces were known to be able to create time paradoxes.

Powers and capabilities

"Those subjected to [the Apple]'s glow are promised all that they desire. It asks only one thing in return: complete and total obedience. And who can truly refuse? It is temptation incarnate."

―Altaïr's Codex, page 1.

A projection of humans being controlled with an Apple of Eden

The Apples were designed to be able to project images, conjure realistic illusions, and even turn thought into reality; hence, they were used by many great rulers throughout history, proving the efficacy of their powers.

When the Isu created humanity, they bred within their brains hidden neurotransmitters. The Apples can interface with these neurotransmitters to issue commands to the human brain, thus allowing them mental control over humans. However, humans with traces of Isu genes were not born with the neurotransmitters and thus were immune to the Apple's mental manipulation powers, but they were still susceptible to its physical effects,. At times, those with mixed genes showed immense resistance —ranging from minor resistance to the point of outright total immunity— to physical control after coming into contact with its power. This was seen in the case of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad who, after being restrained by Al Mualim using the Apple, was completely unmoved and unharmed by its effects when it fell into the hands of Abbas Sofian. In modern times, humans themselves had already started research on the brain, comparing them to those of other animals, seeing that they were not like the other animals, but not knowing the reason for why.

The Apple, as exemplified through King Washington's use, was also capable of emitting energy blasts similar to the Sword of Eden, albeit on a weaker scale. The illusions created by the Apple could also cause physical harm on the opponent, stunning them with a blast of energy upon contact. Furthermore, it was capable of influencing people even when no one was using it, an example being an illusion cast by the Apple in an attempt to influence Washington.

One Apple of Eden in particular has even shown the power to imbue objects with mystical power, given as how the Head of Saint Denis's power to cast terrifying illusions came from being empowered by it. During the Mongol assault on Masyaf, Altaïr used the Apple's energy to conjure up golden tangible-holographic apparitions of Assassins to repel the Mongol attack. During the alternative timeline of King Washington, he was able to use the apple to manipulate spherical balls of energy and even project blasts of energy.

All the Apples could presumably be used in conjunction with a Staff of Eden, though there is only one solid example: Ezio's Apple. Ezio Auditore da Firenze used the two Pieces of Eden to open the Vatican Vault, before taking the Apple, and losing the Staff as it was pulled into the ground.

Apples also contained knowledge of technologies used by the Isu. Like many other Pieces, they were able to "communicate" with people, showing them the schematics necessary to make the technology and transferring knowledge about the manufacturing of the shown devices. A good example of this was Leonardo da Vinci, who studied one of the Apples and invented four war machines, and several other weapons of technology far beyond his own time. There were only six known Apples, one of which had been destroyed in the DIA satellite accident.

When Isidora utilized the powers of Akhenaten's Apple for vengeance, the Apple unknowingly activated a curse, causing the bodies of deceased pharaohs to reanimate back to life.

Known Apples of Eden

"Unclaimed" Apples of Eden

Apple of Eden #1

Main article: Apple of Eden 1

Arno Dorian holding Apple of Eden #1

The first known human possessor of this Apple was Suger of Saint-Denis. This Apple was taken by Arno Dorian in Franciade in 1794, who delivered it to the Assassin Brotherhood in Cairo. Napoleon later travelled to Egypt to claim the Apple for himself. With the power of this item, he became the leader of France with the name of Napoleon I, ruling in military and political sense. How he lost the Apple remained unknown.

The second known human owner was Harry Houdini, a magician who used the First Apple to create his "impossible" stunts. He was assassinated by Templars, though his death was commonly known to have been caused by a ruptured appendix.

Later, the Apple was used in the assassination of John F. Kennedy, as a means of producing a "Phantom on the Hill" effect, making the prosecution of Oswald more difficult, and disguising the intentions of the assassination. The current location of this Apple is unknown.

Apple of Eden #2

Main article: Apple of Eden 2

File:FlaviusApple.png

Flavius Metellus holding Apple of Eden #2

This Apple of Eden, also called the Oracle's Relic or the Light of Amun-Ra by Bayek, was initally held by the Order of the Ancients member Medunamun. After finding Medunamun, the Medjay Bayek took the Apple of Eden from him and bludgeoned Medunamun to death with it for mocking the loss of his son Khemu and Bayek's failure to save him.

Bayek would later carry this Apple with him until leaving it in the hands of Apollodorus, who lost it once more to Flavius Metellus, though Bayek retrieved it once more from Flavius after assassinating the Roman at Cyrene's Temple of Apollo. Following this, Bayek later stored it at the Library of Alexandria.

Al Mualim holding Apple of Eden #2

The Apple of Eden was eventually recovered by the Knight Templars and hidden in Solomon's Temple until 1191 when Al Mualim tasked his Assassins to steal the Templar Treasure. Thus, Assassin Malik Al-Sayf, owned it temporarily after retrieving it from Solomon's Temple. For some time after, it was kept by Al Mualim, later using it to control the people of Masyaf. However, the Mentor was overthrown himself by Altaïr, who took the Apple from him. Altaïr then kept the Piece until his death in 1257, using it several times for either his own safety or for its knowledge.

The next known possessor of this Piece was Elizabeth I of England, an English monarch in the 16th century, who favored a Protestant England over the Catholic religion of her forebears, who used the Piece to help reverse the Catholic influences of her predecessor, Mary I.

It eventually passed into the hands of Mahatma Gandhi, who most likely used it to acquire a large religious mass of followers in India. However, the Templars became aware of Gandhi's possession of the Apple and murdered him, themselves taking the Piece of Eden.

By 1960, the Templars had both the First and Second Apple in possession, and used them during the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The Apple was eventually destroyed during the DIA satellite accident, forcing the Templars to track down another Apple.

Apple of Eden #3

Main article: Apple of Eden 3

George Washington holding Apple of Eden #3

The earliest known human possessors of this Piece were the Freemasons, who brought it over from Europe to the New World. General George Washington, a Freemason, recovered the Apple during the American Revolutionary War. It began to give him nightmares of a parallel universe where he used its power to rule America as a king, so he gave it to the Assassin Ratonhnhaké:ton, who dropped it into the sea.

By the 20th century, the Apple had been recovered, and Franklin D. Roosevelt had it in his possession. He teamed up with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin in the fabrication of World War II.

It was then owned by John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated after his driver – under control of the Second Apple – had driven him into a trap, so the Templars could take the Piece from him.

The Third Apple was given to Kennedy's Presidential successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, who was secretly a Templar. Johnson used the Apple to push for the Apollo 11 project, which retrieved the Fifth Apple from the moon without opposition.

Apple of Eden #4

Main article: Apple of Eden 4

Apple of Eden #4 seen in Glyphs

The Fourth Apple was first known to be seen in 10th century Chinese art, as a gold ball held by a small demon, first presumed to be an early grenade.

The first known human to possess the Fourth Apple was Nikola Tesla, who found it in his home country, Croatia. He most likely used it to develop his technology on the availability of electricity worldwide, which the Templars started campaigning against, using Thomas Edison to publicly slander Tesla and to videotape the electrocution of an elephant, to prove the danger of electricity. Some time after this, the Templars broke into Tesla's lab, stealing his Apple and using it to drive him insane.

The Fourth Apple then presumably came into the hands of Mark Twain, which indicates that the Piece came into Edison's possession after the Templars took it from Tesla. Edison later lent it to Henry Ford, who manipulated assembly line workers for profit. Henry, "as per instructions", shipped the Apple to Adolf Hitler, just before the Nazi Party took power in Germany and began World War II. Hitler was eventually eliminated by the Assassins, but what happened to the Apple afterwards is unknown.

Apple of Eden #5

Main article: Apple of Eden 5

The Fifth Apple was recovered from the moon by NASA, after the Templars had taken the Third Apple from John F. Kennedy - who planned on creating a joint space program with the Soviets - and used it for the progression of the Apollo Project.

Apple of Eden #7

Main article: Apple of Eden 7

The Apple being tested in David Brewster's lab

In 1868, one Apple of Eden was in the possession of the British Templars, at an underground laboratory. It being studied by Sir David Brewster in behalf of the British Templars. Upon Evie assassinating Sir David Brewster, the Apple was overloaded and detonated, collapsing the underground laboratory and all that housed it with only Evie left as the sole survivor.

"Claimed" Apples of Eden

Aguilar's Apple

Main article: Aguilar's Apple of Eden

Alan Rikkin holding Aguilar's Apple of Eden

The first known human to possess the Apple was Muhammad XII of Granada, who was forced to hand it over to Grand Inquisitor and Templar Tomás de Torquemada in 1492 when the latter captured Muhammad's son, Prince Ahmed. The artifact did not stay in his possession for very long, however, as Assassins Aguilar de Nerha and Maria immediately launched an attack to take back the Apple.

While Maria died in the ensuing battle, Aguilar was able to escape with the artifact and later gave it to Assassin ally Christopher Columbus, who took it with him as he set sail for the New World. The Apple would stay with Columbus until his death, at which point the Piece of Eden accompanied his remains back to the Seville Cathedral in Spain, where they were buried.

In 2016, the Apple was recovered by the Templars after they used Callum Lynch to relive Aguilar's memories. However, when Alan Rikkin unveiled the artifact in front of the Council of Elders in London, he was assassinated by Callum, who took the Apple and made his escape along with fellow Assassin inmates Moussa and Lin.

Akhenaten's Apple

Main article: Akhenaten's Apple of Eden

Isidora holding the Aten

This Apple of Eden was found by the Pharaoh Akhenaten at some point during his reign. Believed that the relic was Aten himself, he and his wife Nefertiti introduced a monotheistic religion centered around the artifact. After both Akhenaten's and Nefertiti's death, the Apple was handed down to their son Tutankhamun. Refusing to continue the worship of the Apple, the pharaoh handed down the Apple to the High Priests of Amun in Thebes.

By the 1st century BCE, the Apple was left in the possession of the God's Wife of Amun. As a result of numerous tomb robbing during her tenure, the God's Wife of Amun Nitokris attempted to use the Apple to deter the robbers. However, she was killed before she could do so and the Apple was handed down to her daughter Isidora.

In 38 BCE, Isidora, now the God's Wife of Amun, used the apple to conjure the apparitions of the deceased pharaohs as revenge against the ones responsible for her mother's death, which Thebans dubbed as a curse. On Amunet's advice, Bayek, now the Mentor of the Hidden Ones, travelled to Thebes to investigate and was able to uncover Isidora as the perpetrator of the curse. Bayek eliminated Isidora, recovered the Apple and handed it down to Sutekh, a descendant of the pharaoh Ramesses II for safekeeping.

Later however, Sutekh died under unknown circumstances in the Waset Desert. Bayek came across his corpse with the Apple nowhere to be found.

Apple of Eden #6

Main article: Apple of Eden 6

Ezio Auditore holding his Apple of Eden

This Apple was possessed by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II during the conquest of Constantinople. His son Cem subsequently hid it in the Templar Archive on Cyprus, where it came into Templar and then Assassin possession, before falling into the hands of Girolamo Savonarola. The Apple was retaken by Ezio, who used it with the Staff of Eden to open the Vatican Vault, where he spoke to a hologram of Minerva, a member of the First Civilization.

During the Siege of Monteriggioni, Ezio lent the Apple to Mario Auditore, who kept it safe as Ezio protected the village. However, Mario was caught and killed by Cesare Borgia, who would take the Apple and give it to Leonardo da Vinci for study so the inventor could supply him with war machines.

However, the Apple was eventually stolen once more by Rodrigo Borgia, who hid it at St. Peter's Basilica, where Ezio found it and used it to exterminate Cesare's followers before defeating Cesare himself. Later in his life, Ezio stored the artifact in a vault beneath Santa Maria in Aracoeli; the Apple would remain hidden until 2012, when Desmond Miles and his fellow Assassins uncovered its location.

However, upon retrieving the Apple, Desmond was forced by Juno to fatally stab Lucy Stillman in the abdomen. He subsequently fell into a coma, with the artifact being kept safe until his eventual awakening. Desmond and the other Assassins later used the Apple to open the door to the Grand Temple, and then to assault Abstergo's facility in Rome. It remains in Assassin possession.

Other Apples of Eden

• According to Greek mythology, the legendary hero Herakles had to steal the apples from the garden of the Hesperides as the eleventh of his twelve labours. These were hinted to have been Apples of Eden by the Glyphs left behind by Clay Kaczmarek.
• The ancient Greek athlete Kyros of Zarax discovered an Apple in the temple of Aphrodite. He used this to win a race as an older man so as to gain the Arkadian princess Atalanta's hand in marriage.
• The 15th century Assassin Li Tong possessed an Apple, which she protected from falling into the hands of the Yongle Emperor during his purge of the Chinese branch of the Order.
• During the coronation of Charles II of England, he noticed his general George Monck speaking to a man holding a sphere wrapped in a cloth, but had to bow his head to receive his crown before he could look any further.
• In 1839, the Assassin Arbaaz Mir and his servant Raza Soora explored the First Civilization ruins in the caverns beneath Ranjit Singh's summer palace. Amongst these ruins was a statue of Durga holding several Pieces of Eden, including an Apple.

Gallery

• 
  A holographic map projected by an Apple during the Middle Ages
• 
  Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad holding an Apple of Eden
• 
  Altaïr sealing the Apple beneath the fortress in Masyaf
• 
  Leonardo da Vinci observing the designs projected by Ezio's Apple
• 
  Ezio Auditore discovering Altaïr's Apple
• Durga's statue holding an Apple of Eden
  Durga's statue holding an Apple of Eden
• 
  Desmond Miles and the others recovering Ezio's Apple
• 
  Desmond using Ezio's Apple in the Grand Temple
• 
  Torquemada holding (what would eventually become) Aguilar's Apple of Eden
• 
  Aguilar's Apple without its protective shell and opened

Trivia

• The reason for the smaller size of the Apple recovered by Arno Dorian is revealed in the 2016 film, where it is shown that each Apple is actually covered by a protective layer that (when properly illuminated by sunlight) resembles amber, and can be removed without altering or diminishing its functionality.