Spanish Brotherhood of Assassins

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The Spanish Brotherhood of Assassins is the guild of Assassins operating in Spain, who, during the Renaissance and Reconquista, cultivated ties with the royal houses of Castile, Aragon, and the Emirate of Granada.

Much of their operations during the Renaissance revolved around vying for influence with the Christian monarchs against the Templars, resulting in several Assassins such as Raphael Sánchez and Luis de Santángel being appointed as prominent officials. The Templars in turn preyed on the religious zealotry of the Catholic Monarchs through the Spanish Inquisition, and at the peak of that institution, the Assassins across Spain were targeted as heretics. Thanks in part to the intervention of the Italian Assassin Ezio Auditore, the Spanish Assassins survived the purge and became instrumental in putting an end to the Granada War and saving as many civilians as they could from the Inquisition.

Around the same time, the Assassins were also pivotal in securing the Genoese navigator Christoffa Corombo the sponsorship of Queen Isabella I of Castile, personally funding half of the expenses and thereby facilitating his explorations of the New World. The exposure of the continent to European powers would spark a frenzy by the Spanish Empire to conquer indigenous American empires such as the Inca and Aztecs, leading the Spanish Assassins to send secret agents with the conquistadors abroad to keep a watchful eye over their activities.

The Spanish Brotherhood was traditionalist in comparison to other branches, and by the 15th century, they still retained archaic practices such as the amputation of the whole ring finger as part of the induction ceremony, a sacrifice which the redesigning done on the Hidden Blade by the Mentor of the Levantine Assassins, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, made redundant.

History

The Inquisition

In 1489, the Spanish Assassins came upon a former Knights Hospitalier Horacio de Heredia, whose family was executed by Tomás de Torquemada after they refused to support the Inquisition. Travelling to his former estate in Old Castile, the Assassins assisted Horacio in reclaiming the estate and brought him to their hideout in Sierra de Cazorla after he was heavily wounded.

While the knight recuperated, the Spanish Assassins assisted him in tracking down Bordingas, the Inquisition sergeant who was not present at the estate. Locating him at a slum, they eliminated him and as well as the local slumlord Concha. Along the way, the Assassins learned that the sergeant was taking orders from Fort Alphonso, an Inquisition keep. There, they destroyed supply shipments to prepare their infiltration of the fort. In the same timeframe, they also recovered the Heredia family's riches that had been stolen by the Inquisitors and stashed in a remote abbey awaiting transportation to the Fort.

Having weakened Fort Alphonso's defenses, the Spanish Assassins infiltrated the fort and assassinated the executioner Pedrosa and commandant Duran, who were responsible for executing Horacio's family.

Founding of the Headquarter

In 1491, Grand Inquisitor Torquemada, deceived by Rodrigo Borgia, the Grand Master of the Italian Templars, believed the Assassins to be heretics. As a result, the Spanish Inquisitors arrested and executed numerous Spanish Assassins. Luis de Santángel, an Assassin and companion of Corombo, alerted Ezio Auditore da Firenze, an Italian Assassin, about the Inquisition's actions, prompting him to sail to Spain. Upon his arrival, Ezio met Raphael Sánchez, the spokesman for the Spanish Assassins, who tasked him with eliminating several high-ranking Inquisitors. With help from local Assassins, Ezio rescued several captured brethren and killed many Inquisitors. However, he failed to kill Torquemada and, in a moment of clarity, spared him, concluding that Torquemada was not a Templar but simply blinded by his faith.

Meanwhile, Aguilar de Nerha embarked on his first mission for the Spanish Brotherhood of Assassins, infiltrating a secret meeting between Torquemada and Ojeda, the Black Knight. During this covert meeting, Aguilar discovered that King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile had granted Torquemada command of the Spanish army. It was here that Aguilar encountered Ezio, who had come to Spain to investigate the links between the Inquisition and Rodrigo Borgia, with the help of Maria, a fellow Spanish Assassin.

Aguilar was tasked by the two senior Assassins to recruit more members and establish a new base in the abandoned fortress of Sierra de Cazorla. After recruiting Tariq al-Nasr and Hamid al-Jasur and setting up the new headquarters, Aguilar and his fellow Assassins infiltrated a chapter house used by Ojeda as a meeting place to communicate with the corrupt merchant Hassan, who was conspiring with the Templars. Aguilar decided that Hassan needed to be eliminated. The Assassins tracked Hassan to Murcia, where they assassinated him and discovered his accounting books, which revealed payments to a scribe of the Inquisition. After eliminating the scribe in Casas-Ibáñez, they retrieved his journal, which uncovered Inquisitor Gustavo Ramírez’s ties to the Templars.

Aguilar and his team infiltrated the Abbey de la Fuensanta and stole supplies intended for Ramírez’s stronghold. They also learned that the Templars' garrison would soon be relocated. Seizing this opportunity, they infiltrated Ramírez’s fortress but fell into a trap set by the Templars, who had been warned by Ojeda. Although the Assassins managed to eliminate the guards, Ramírez escaped amidst the confusion.

The Assassins continued their pursuit of Ramírez, traveling to Zaragoza and infiltrating an outpost. There, they uncovered documents detailing Torquemada's plan to acquire a Piece of Eden. They also learned that Ramírez had ordered the execution of dozens of innocents. After assassinating the executioner, they discovered with his dying words that Ramírez had found the artifact at St. Rafael Abbey and intended to deliver it to Torquemada. The Assassins investigated the abbey, finding that the artifact was a fragment of a broken Staff of Eden, and they learned that Torquemada was also searching for an Apple of Eden. The Assassins entrusted the Staff fragment to scholars at the University of Salamanca and resumed their battle against the Inquisition. They sabotaged Spanish army supplies to hinder the siege of Fort Baza. Later, they learned that Captain Ordóñez had survived and was expecting reinforcements from Seville. The Assassins intercepted the shipment, eliminated Lieutenant Nuñes, and uncovered Ordóñez’s location.

In Jaén, the Assassins infiltrated Ordóñez’s quarters and mortally wounded him. Before he died, he revealed that his role had been a diversion, and that the Spanish army had already captured Fort Baza, advancing the Templars’ plan to conquer Granada. Over the following months, the Assassins defended Granada by sabotaging supply routes and eliminating a traitorous Royal Engineer who was planning to reveal a secret city entrance to Ojeda. They worked to protect the citizens of Granada and Sultan Muhammad XII, who was safeguarding the Apple of Eden sought by Torquemada.

That same year, Rodrigo Borgia deceived Torquemada into believing the Assassins were heretics. As a result, the Spanish Inquisition arrested and executed many Assassins. Luis de Santángel, an Assassin and companion of Corombo, informed Ezio Auditore da Firenze of the situation, prompting him to sail to Spain. Upon arrival, Ezio met with Raphael Sánchez, the spokesman of the Spanish Assassins, who tasked him with eliminating several high-ranking Inquisitors. With the help of other Assassins, Ezio rescued many captured comrades and killed numerous Inquisitors. However, he failed to kill Torquemada, later sparing him, stating that Torquemada was not a Templar, but simply blinded by his faith.

Protecting the Apple of Eden

The Spanish Assassin's preparing to rescue Prince Ahmed

In 1492, the Apple of Eden was in danger of falling into the hands of the Templars. The Mentor of the Spanish Brotherhood Benedicto led a team of Assassins to a rural village to rescue Prince Ahmed of Granada, the son of Sultan Muhammad XII, to prevent the Sultan from being forced to exchange the Apple for his son's life. The mission ended in failure, and the only survivors were Aguilar, Maria and Benedicto captured. Following their arrest, the surviving Assassins were transported to Seville, where they were denounced as heretics and sentenced to be burned at the stake by Torquemada. In the presence of the King of Aragon and Queen of Castile, Aguilar watched as Ojeda lit the pyre beneath Benedicto’s feet, burning him alive. Despite this, Aguilar was able to escape his bonds and engaged the Templars as they closed in. He also freed María and together, the two Assassins made their escape through the streets of Seville.

Once more pursued by Ojeda and his soldiers, this time across the rooftops of the city, the Assassins made their way to Seville Cathedral, which was under construction at the time. They managed to eliminate many of their Templar pursuers in the process, before finally making their escape by climbing the cathedral’s scaffolding and performing a Leap of Faith into the streets below.

Ojeda dies at the hand of Aguilar

On 2 January 1492, at the urging of Ezio Auditore, Sultan Muhammad XII surrendered Granada to Torquemada's forces. As the Templars entered the city, both Aguilar and María made their way to the Sultan's palace, watching from above as the Sultan reluctantly handed over the Apple in exchange for his son's safety before they made their move. After the attacking and killing most of the Templars, Aguilar succeeded in obtaining the Apple after killing Ojeda. However, Maria sacrificed herself to protect the artifact, allowing Aguilar to complete the mission. Just as Templar reinforcements arrived to safe Torquemada Aguilar made his grand escape. Sometime later, realizing the Apple would never be safe with him, he entrusted the artifact to Christopher Columbus, an Assassin ally, who agreed to protect it until his death.

After the fall of Granada, many allies of Muhammad XII joined the Spanish Assassins to fight the Templars, as Jariya al-Zakiyya, Shakir al-Zahid and Muza ben Abel Gazan.

In 1493, Ezio called for assistance from several Assassins Guilds in Europe, having learned that Templars had returned to Florence and reestablished their presence in the city. In response, Aguilar sent a team of Assassins to the city, aiding Ezio and two other Italian Assassins, Corvo Antonelli and Perina di Bastian. They unvelied Bonacolto Contarini as the one responsible and eliminated him.

In 1495, the Spanish Assassins cooperated with a team led by the Mentor of the Ottoman Brotherhood of Assassins Ishak Pasha to retrieve Niccolò Polo's journal in Spain. As the Spanish Inquisition wanted to give the journal to the Byzantine Rite of the Templar Order, the Assassins decided to take it during the exchange. As the Assassins arrived, they discovered it was a trap and escaped from the Templars.

Downfall of Tomás de Torquemada

By 1498, the Inquisition had killed most of the Assassins, and with the death of Luis de Santángel, the Assassins lost their influence over the Spanish royal family, leaving their branch nearly deserted. That same year, Ezio Auditore, now co-leader of the Italian Assassins alongside Niccolò Machiavelli, sent apprentices to Spain to reorganize the dwindling branch..

Upon searching Santángel’s room, the apprentices discovered his journal and learned that he had been slowly poisoning Queen Isabella. Initially, they believed it was an act of revenge for the slaughter of his family. However, after further investigation, they realized that Queen Isabella was being manipulated by the Borgia to help spread the Inquisition. The apprentices decided to finish what Santángel had started, doubling the poison dosage to ensure her death. With the help of one of the Queen’s servants, who was a collaborator, they administered the fatal dose.

Torquemada in the Forge, incharge of the ''soldiers'' .

Prior to his death, Torquemada, the Grand Master of the Spanish Rite of the Templar Order, discovered an Isu vault beneath the Monastery of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Ávila. There, he used the Forge to restore the Shattered Staff of Eden, a powerful artifact. In 1498, Aguilar de Nerha and other members of the Spanish Brotherhood confronted Torquemada, who had gained control of the Staff and used its power to summon soldiers of light to fight the Assassins. During the battle, Torquemada was killed, and the Assassins seized the Staff. To prevent the Templars from reclaiming it, they destroyed the Staff within the collapsing Isu architecture of the Forge, burying it beneath the Monastery along with the ancient vault.

Despite Torquemada's death, the Assassins knew that the Inquisition would not cease, and that another Grand Inquisitor would soon take his place. Aguilar and his comrades pledged to continue their fight for peace and freedom, remaining steadfast in the name of their Creed.

Age of Discovery

By 1511, the Spanish Assassins had regrouped and occasionally received aid from Ottoman Assassins sent from Constantinople by Ezio Auditore. That year, the Spanish Assassins once again faced problems from the Inquisitors, who were now acting on orders of Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros. With help of the Ottoman Assassins, the Spanish Assassins eliminated the threat.

Age of Enlightenment

By the mid-18th century, the Spanish Brotherhood had allied themselves with the Spanish Crown anew. In 1748, Gaspar Velasquez, a Spanish shipbuilder, had begun the designs of a brig that would serve as the primary fleet of the Colonial Brotherhood. However, as he and his colleagues' work progressed, the British Templars posed an imminent threat to them. Gaspar decided to send the plans to the French Assassin Council in the hope of completing the Aquila which was, by the following year, fully constructed and sent to the Colonial Brotherhood.

The Spanish Civil War

During the Spanish Civil War, five Assassins fought alongside the Republicans: Ignacio Cardona, Dwight Adams, Glaucia Acosta, Miguel Carasso, and Nobby Clarke.

Andre Bolden and Ignacio Cardona working together

During the conflict, Ignacio Cardona encountered Albert Bolden, the current holder of the Black Cross, a high-ranking Templar. Albert revealed that Ignacio's cell had been infiltrated by Rufus Grosvenor, a member of the Instruments of the First Will, who had corrupted his cell. Faced with the truth, Ignacio reluctantly joined forces with Albert to confront his former comrades. After a fierce battle that resulted in the destruction of the cell except Rufus and Glaucia. Ignacio Cardona was rescued by Albert Bolden from the rubble. Ignacio informed him that Grosvenor and Acosta had likely fled to the United States to seek ways to serve their masters. He also revealed that the Ko-i-Noor, thought to be destroyed, was actually still intact—concealed by an illusion—and buried beneath the church ruins. Ignacio then asked Albert what his next steps would be.

Albert explained that, as the protector of the gem, he would remain in Spain to ensure it stayed hidden. He also pledged to continue fighting alongside Ignacio in the civil war. When Ignacio questioned whether Albert had defected from the Templar Order, Albert responded that he would never join the Assassins, but he would not stand with the Templars if they allied with Adolf Hitler or Joseph Stalin.

Members

Emirate of Córdoba

• Farid

Granada War

• Sayyid al-Abbas
• Muza ben Abel Gazan
• Najma Alayza (Libyan Brotherhood)
• Diego de Alvarado (defected)
• Máximo Barrosa
• Benedicto (Mentor, c. 1491)
• Georgios Cardoso
• Angela Carillo
• Luciano Cavazza (Italian Brotherhood)
• Luis Chico
• Andrea Cortés
• Flora de la Cruz
• Mayya al-Dabbaj
• Qasim al-Dani
• Jean Delacroix
• Gershon Deloya
• Jorge Díaz
• Gaspar Donoso
• Álvaro de Espinosa
• Mateo Galan
• Rosa Gallego
• Luisa Gallego
• Lupo Gallego

• Horacio de Heredia
• Hamid al-Jasur
• Baltasar de León
• Ysabel Lomelin
• Tereysa de Lyaño
• María
• Rodrigo de Mendoza
• Inigo Montañés
• Tariq al-Nasr
• Beatriz de Navarrete
• Aguilar de Nerha (Mentor)
• Bartolomé Ortiz
• Alonso Pinto
• Jaime del Rada
• Constanza Ramos
• Raphael Sánchez
• Luis de Santángel
• Magdalena Suárez
• Faris al-Saffar
• Domingo De la Torre
• Shakir al-Zahid
• Jariya al-Zakiyya

Age of Discovery

• Gonzalo Pardo

Age of Enlightenment

• Gaspar Velasquez

Spanish Civil War

• Glaucia Acosta (deserted)
• Dwight Adams (American Brotherhood)
• Miguel Carasso
• Ignacio Cardona
• Rosa Martinez

Allies and puppets

Granada War

• Corvo Antonelli (Italian Brotherhood)
• Claudia Auditore da Firenze (Italian Brotherhood)
• Ezio Auditore da Firenze (Italian Brotherhood)
• Mario Auditore (Italian Brotherhood)
• Perina di Bastian (Italian Brotherhood)
• Lucas Bellini (Italian Brotherhood)
• Luciano Cavazza (Italian Brotherhood)
• Christoffa Corombo

• Diego
• Ferdinand II of Aragon
• Isabella I of Castile
• Girolamo Da Lucca (Italian Brotherhood)
• Niccolò Machiavelli (Italian Brotherhood)
• Muhammad XII of Granada
• Ishak Pasha (Ottoman Brotherhood)
• Yusuf Tazim (Ottoman Brotherhood)
• Aleksei Zima (Ottoman Brotherhood)

Age of Enlightenment

• Achilles Davenport (Colonial Brotherhood)

Spanish Civil War

• Albert Bolden
• Norbert Clarke (British Brotherhood])

Gallery

• Christoffa Corombo, Raphael Sánchez, Luis de Santángel, and Ezio Auditore after the Granada War
  Christoffa Corombo, Raphael Sánchez, Luis de Santángel, and Ezio Auditore after the Granada War
• 
  A team of Spanish Assassins
• 
  Spanish Asssassins Ignacio and Glaucia in the Spanish Civil War

Behind the scenes

Despite keeping the Levantine Brotherhood's practice of amputating the ring finger, it is unknown whether or not the Spanish Brotherhood also kept the practice of performing a Leap of Faith as part of their initiation.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed II: Discovery (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Rogue (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed Volume 2: Setting Sun
• Assassin's Creed: The Movie
• Assassin's Creed: The Official Movie Novelization
• Assassin's Creed: Uprising
• Assassin's Creed: Reflections
• Assassin's Creed: Rebellion