Assassin bureau: Difference between revisions
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The first known bureau was founded in [[Memphis]], [[Egypt]],<ref name="Birth of the Creed">''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]'' – [[Birth of the Creed]]</ref> sometime between 47 and 44 BCE, not long after the [[Medjay]] [[Bayek]] and his wife [[Amunet|Aya]] co-founded the Hidden Ones.<ref name="LastOfTheMedjay">''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]'' – [[Last of the Medjay]]</ref> By 43 BCE, Aya had established another bureau in [[Rome]]'s [[Pantheon]] district.<ref name="Birth of the Creed"/> | The first known bureau was founded in [[Memphis]], [[Egypt]],<ref name="Birth of the Creed">''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]'' – [[Birth of the Creed]]</ref> sometime between 47 and 44 BCE, not long after the [[Medjay]] [[Bayek]] and his wife [[Amunet|Aya]] co-founded the Hidden Ones.<ref name="LastOfTheMedjay">''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]'' – [[Last of the Medjay]]</ref> By 43 BCE, Aya had established another bureau in [[Rome]]'s [[Pantheon]] district.<ref name="Birth of the Creed"/> | ||
By 38 BCE, a third bureau was established in the [[Sinai]] by one of Bayek's first Hidden One recruits, [[Tahira]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]'' – ''[[The Hidden Ones (DLC)|The Hidden Ones]]'' – [[The Hidden Ones (memory)]]</ref> The Sinai bureau had a secret exit that backed onto mountains.<ref name="The Hidden Ones">''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]'' – ''[[The Hidden Ones (DLC)|The Hidden Ones]]''</ref> Unfortunately, the bureau was destroyed by Roman soldiers in a fire attack,<ref name="No Chains Too Thick">''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]'' – ''[[The Hidden Ones (DLC)|The Hidden Ones]]'' – [[No Chains Too Thick]]</ref> and the Hidden Ones of Sinai fled to the mountains of the [[Arsinoe Nome]],<ref name="Greater Good">''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]'' – ''[[The Hidden Ones (DLC)|The Hidden Ones]]'' – [[The Greater Good]]</ref> where they set up a new bureau.<ref name="The Hidden Ones" /> | By 38 BCE, a third bureau was established in the [[Sinai]] by one of Bayek's first Hidden One recruits, [[Tahira]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]'' – ''[[The Hidden Ones (DLC)|The Hidden Ones]]'' – [[The Hidden Ones (memory)]]</ref> The Sinai bureau notably had a secret exit that backed onto mountains.<ref name="The Hidden Ones">''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]'' – ''[[The Hidden Ones (DLC)|The Hidden Ones]]''</ref> Unfortunately, the bureau was destroyed by Roman soldiers in a fire attack,<ref name="No Chains Too Thick">''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]'' – ''[[The Hidden Ones (DLC)|The Hidden Ones]]'' – [[No Chains Too Thick]]</ref> and the Hidden Ones of Sinai fled to the mountains of the [[Arsinoe Nome]],<ref name="Greater Good">''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]'' – ''[[The Hidden Ones (DLC)|The Hidden Ones]]'' – [[The Greater Good]]</ref> where they set up a new bureau.<ref name="The Hidden Ones" /> | ||
At some point before 30 BCE, a bureau was established in [[Alexandria]]. This bureau would be immortalized as the location for the final {{Wiki|synod}} of the Hidden Ones presided by [[Amunet]] as documented in [[The Magas Codex]].<ref name="Magas Codex 1">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[The Magas Codex]] I of VI</ref> | At some point before 30 BCE, a bureau was established in [[Alexandria]]. This bureau would be immortalized as the location for the final {{Wiki|synod}} of the Hidden Ones presided by [[Amunet]] as documented in [[The Magas Codex]].<ref name="Magas Codex 1">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[The Magas Codex]] I of VI</ref> | ||
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===Roman Empire=== | ===Roman Empire=== | ||
[[File:ACV Camulodunum bureau 4.png|thumb|250px|The abandoned Camulodunum bureau in the 9th century]] | [[File:ACV Camulodunum bureau 4.png|thumb|250px|The abandoned Camulodunum bureau in the 9th century]] | ||
The [[Roman Hidden Ones]] that [[British Brotherhood of Assassins|operated]] in the {{Wiki|Roman Britain|province}} of [[England|Britannia]] between the years 100 and 430 CE had six | The [[Roman Hidden Ones]] that [[British Brotherhood of Assassins|operated]] in the {{Wiki|Roman Britain|province}} of [[England|Britannia]] between the years 100 and 430 CE had six bureaus. These were located in [[Leicester|Ratae]], [[London|Londinium]], [[Winchester|Venta Belgarum]], [[York|Eboracum]], [[Colchester|Camulodunum]], and the [[Temple of Ceres bureau|Temple of Ceres]].<ref name="English Locales of Note">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[Layla Hassan's personal files]]: "English Locales of Note"</ref> [[Parisian Brotherhood of Assassins|Another branch]] of Hidden Ones operated in {{Wiki|Roman Gaul}} around the same time and established four bureaus near the [[Seine]], one in the cities of [[Champlieu Ruins|Champlieu]], [[Diodurum Ruins|Diodurum]], and [[Gisacum Ruins|Gisacum]], which were all centered around their main base in [[Paris|Lutetia]] itself.<ref name="Siege Of Paris">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – ''[[The Siege of Paris]]''</ref> | ||
Shortly after the death of the Western [[Roman Empire|Roman Emperor]] [[Honorius]] in 423 CE, ''[[Master|magister]]'' [[Vitus]] wrote to the Hidden Ones stationed at Ratae, warning them that Britain would be imminently unstable due to the local tribes who harbored ill sentiments towards them having filled the power vacuum left by the departing [[Roman army|Roman legions]]. Reasoning that it would be better to restart the branch later rather than suffer the loss of its members to unnecessary bloodshed, he ordered that the letter's recipient immediately evacuate and move their headquarters to the [[Germany|German]] city of [[Cologne]] and join forces with the [[German Brotherhood of Assassins|local chapter]].<ref name="A Brief History">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[A Brief History of the Hidden Ones]]</ref> | Shortly after the death of the Western [[Roman Empire|Roman Emperor]] [[Honorius]] in 423 CE, ''[[Master|magister]]'' [[Vitus]] wrote to the Hidden Ones stationed at the Ratae bureau, warning them that Britain would be imminently unstable due to the local tribes who harbored ill sentiments towards them having filled the power vacuum left by the departing [[Roman army|Roman legions]]. Reasoning that it would be better to restart the branch later rather than suffer the loss of its members to unnecessary bloodshed, he ordered that the letter's recipient immediately evacuate and move their headquarters to the [[Germany|German]] city of [[Cologne]] and join forces with the [[German Brotherhood of Assassins|local chapter]].<ref name="A Brief History">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[A Brief History of the Hidden Ones]]</ref> | ||
Within the year, word of the evacuation reached the Hidden Ones in Gaul who had experienced similar misunderstandings themselves with the local {{Wiki|Gauls|Gallic tribes}}. Seeing the situation was untenable, the ''magister'' known only as "[[C. C.]]" wrote to the surrounding bureaus from Lutetia and ordered all Hidden Ones to hide the three keys necessary to unlock the Lutetia location, seal the rooms, and likewise abandon Gaul until such time had passed that they could safely return and resume [[Assassin-Templar War|their fight]] against tyrants and the [[Order of the Ancients]] | Within the year, word of the evacuation reached the Hidden Ones in Gaul who had experienced similar misunderstandings themselves with the local {{Wiki|Gauls|Gallic tribes}}. Seeing the situation was untenable, the ''magister'' known only as "[[C. C.]]" wrote to the surrounding bureaus from Lutetia and ordered all Hidden Ones to hide the three keys necessary to unlock the Lutetia location, seal the rooms, and likewise abandon Gaul until such time had passed that they could safely return and resume [[Assassin-Templar War|their fight]] against tyrants and the [[Order of the Ancients]]. Before closing their letter, C. C. informed the Hidden Ones that Vitus had extended an invitation from Cologne, adding that they too would join any who were willing to travel to {{Wiki|Germania}}. While the majority of C. C.'s orders were carried out, a few Hidden Ones refused to abandon their posts and decided to stay in Gaul to continue their work on a more individual scale.<ref name="Hidden">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – ''[[The Siege of Paris]]'' – [[Hidden]]</ref> | ||
===Middle Ages=== | ===Middle Ages=== | ||
==== | ====Golden Age of Baghdad==== | ||
[[File:ACMir Harbiyah Bureau 1.jpg|left|thumb|250px|The Hidden Ones bureau in Harbiyah, Baghdad]] | [[File:ACMir Harbiyah Bureau 1.jpg|left|thumb|250px|The Hidden Ones bureau in Harbiyah, Baghdad]] | ||
In the early 860s, the [[Hidden Ones of Alamut]] expanded their | In the early 860s, the [[Hidden Ones of Alamut]] expanded their reach from their [[Alamut|fortress]] into [[Baghdad]],<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage]]'' – [[Baghdad Bound]]</ref> where they established several bureaus to serve as bases of operations in the city while fighting the Order of the Ancients' influence.<ref name="Branching Out">''[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage]]'' – [[Branching Out]]</ref> Initially maintaining only one bureau in the south of the [[Harbiyah]] district, the Hidden Ones soon founded additional bureaus in the [[Abbasiyah]] and [[Karkh]] districts, as well as one in the [[Sharqiyah]] sub-district of Karkh.<ref name="Mirage">''[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage]]''</ref> | ||
Each Baghdad bureau was led by a [[Rafiq]], who | Each Baghdad bureau was led by a [[Rafiq]], who assisted their fellow Hidden Ones with their tasks and were often the ones to sanction an assassination. The bureaus included accommodations for any visiting Hidden One, and a notice board where various [[Assassination contract|contracts]] were posted. They also included a workshop for one of the Banū Mūsā brothers—[[Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Musa|Abu Jafar]], [[Ahmad ibn Musa|Ahmad]], and [[Al-Hasan ibn Musa|Al-Hasan]]—to work on their inventions and gadgets, which were given to the Hidden Ones to aid them during their missions.<ref name="Mirage" /> | ||
By 870, some earlier Hidden Ones bureaus still operated, like in Alexandria and Rome. In [[Constantinople]], the bureau was led by the Alamut Hidden One [[Basim Ibn Ishaq]], while the Frankish Hidden Ones established a new bureau in the ''Bon Berger'', a [[tavern]] in [[Chinon]]. That year, a [[caravanserai]] bureau in [[Antioch]] was attacked by the [[Snake-Eaters]], a group allied | ====Viking Age==== | ||
By 870, some earlier Hidden Ones bureaus still operated, like in Alexandria and Rome. In [[Constantinople]], the bureau was led by the Alamut Hidden One [[Basim Ibn Ishaq]], while the Frankish Hidden Ones established a new bureau in the ''Bon Berger'', a [[tavern]] in [[Chinon]]. That year, a [[caravanserai]] bureau in [[Antioch]] was attacked by the [[Snake-Eaters]], a group allied with the Order of the Ancients. Basim asked the help of the bureaus of Chinon, Alexandria, and Rome, but only the first two could send members. As they routed their enemies from the city, the Antioch bureau was rebuilt while the Frankish and Egyptian Hidden Ones eliminated the Snake-Eaters in [[Chang'an]], where they established another bureau.<ref name="The Silk Road">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Silk Road]]''</ref> | |||
[[File:ACV Ravensthorpe Bureau.jpg|thumb|250px|The Ravensthorpe bureau]] | [[File:ACV Ravensthorpe Bureau.jpg|thumb|250px|The Ravensthorpe bureau]] | ||
In 873, Basim and [[Hytham]] established a [[Ravensthorpe bureau|bureau]] in the [[Norse people|Norse]] settlement of [[Ravensthorpe]] in England | In 873, Basim and his apprentice [[Hytham]] established a [[Ravensthorpe bureau|bureau]] in the [[Norse people|Norse]] settlement of [[Ravensthorpe]] in England.<ref name="To Serve the Light">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[To Serve the Light...]]</ref> Because of Hytham's severe wounding in his attempt to assassinate [[Kjotve the Cruel]],<ref name="Cruel Destiny">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[A Cruel Destiny]]</ref> Basim assigned him to oversee and upkeep the bureau. Inside the office, Hytham kept scrolls detailing missions and members of the Order of the Ancients. To combat the Order's reign in England, Hytham often received letters from a "[[Alfred the Great|Poor Fellow-Soldier]] of [[Jesus of Nazareth|Christ]]", who relayed information on key assassination targets in the cities of Lunden, Jorvik, and Wincestre.<ref name="Intel">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla]]'' – [[More Intel]]</ref> | ||
Later, the Hidden Ones opened an additional bureau in Lunden. Disguised as a tavern called the [[Hawk's Nest]], it was run by the Hidden One [[Marcella]] of Rome.<ref name="ACV SotWH">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Sword of the White Horse]]'' — Chapter 3</ref> Around the same time, [[Adelaïde]] was tasked with re-establishing the old [[Londinium bureau]], where she met and trained two potential Hidden One recruits: the [[Vikings|Viking]] [[Niels Gunnarsson]] and the young copyist monk [[Edward (monk)|Edward]].<ref name="ACV THC">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – The Hidden Codex]]''</ref> | Later, the Hidden Ones opened an additional bureau in Lunden. Disguised as a tavern called the [[Hawk's Nest]], it was run by the Hidden One [[Marcella]] of Rome.<ref name="ACV SotWH">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Sword of the White Horse]]'' — Chapter 3</ref> Around the same time, [[Adelaïde]] was tasked with re-establishing the old [[Londinium bureau]], where she met and trained two potential Hidden One recruits: the [[Vikings|Viking]] [[Niels Gunnarsson]] and the young copyist monk [[Edward (monk)|Edward]].<ref name="ACV THC">''[[Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – The Hidden Codex]]''</ref> | ||
During the 870s, Eivor, at Hytham's request, explored the abandoned Hidden Ones bureaus in England and recovered pages of the Magas Codex, contracts for assassinations, and letters between the members of the bureaus.<ref name="A Brief History" /> After sailing to [[Francia]] in 885 to assist the second Viking [[Siege of Paris (885–886)|siege of Paris]], Eivor took time to visit all the ruined Gallic Hidden Ones bureaus and recovered the keys to the Paris office, where she | During the 870s, the [[shieldmaiden]] [[Eivor Varinsdottir]], at Hytham's request, explored the abandoned Hidden Ones bureaus in England and recovered pages of the Magas Codex, contracts for assassinations, and letters between the members of the bureaus.<ref name="A Brief History" /> After sailing to [[Francia]] in 885 to assist the second Viking [[Siege of Paris (885–886)|siege of Paris]], Eivor took time to visit all the ruined Gallic Hidden Ones bureaus and recovered the keys to the Paris office, where she retrieved [[Charlemagne]]'s short [[sword]] [[Joyeuse]] from a [[Treasure chest|chest]] that had been secreted away. As she left the premises, she indirectly met the Frankish Hidden One [[Abbo Cernuus]] under the alias "AC" by way of a letter he left on the ground after she had entered the building.<ref name="Hidden" /> | ||
====Crusades==== | ====Crusades==== | ||
Bureaus were widely used by the [[Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins]], with | Bureaus were widely used by the [[Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins]], with cities such as [[Acre]], [[Damascus]], [[Jerusalem]],<ref name="AC1">''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref> and [[Tyre]]<ref name="ACAC">''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]''</ref> having one per district. Bureaus acted as sanctuaries for members of the Assassin Order, where they could physically and mentally prepare themselves for assignments, allowing them to replenish their supply of [[Throwing knife|throwing knives]], sleep, or meditate. They also provided Assassins a place to wait for the appropriate moment to strike or for the dust to settle following an assassination.<ref name="AC1" /> | ||
Inside each bureau resided a leader | [[File:AC1 Bureau Side Chamber.png|thumb|250px|left|A Third Crusade bureau's main chamber]] | ||
Inside each bureau resided a leader who held the [[rank]] of either [[Rafiq]] or Dai. These leaders coordinated local intelligence, directing Assassins toward key leads discovered during their investigations. Once the strike had been planned and approved by the bureau leader, an Assassin was given a [[feather]] to soak in the blood of their target as proof of their success.<ref name="Knowledge Tamir"/> The exterior of these buildings was typically discreet, resembling common construction without obvious windows or doors. Access was primarily achieved through an entrance located on the roof.<ref name="AC1"/> | |||
A main chamber served as the entrance hall to the bureau and functioned as a small living area comprised of two fountains, potted plants, and several pillows and carpets. This space allowed Assassins to rest before and after their operations. The walls were decorated with hanging carpets and the [[Assassin insignia]], while the ceiling featured a grated opening that acted as the entrance into the bureau.<ref name="AC1"/> | |||
A main chamber served as the entrance hall to the bureau | |||
Some bureaus | Some bureaus featured additional comforts; the Acre bureau's walls were lined with books, while the Damascus bureau contained a chess set. To maintain the sanctuary's secrecy, the roof entrance was equipped with a grated panel that could be closed to ensure the location remained concealed from city guards, thereby preventing any potential violation of [[the Creed]].<ref name="AC1"/> | ||
[[File:AC1 Bureau Main Chamber.png|thumb|250px|The Bureau leader's chamber]] | [[File:AC1 Bureau Main Chamber.png|thumb|250px|The Bureau leader's chamber]] | ||
The bureau leader's chamber was adjacent to the main chamber. From behind a desk, each leader addressed those who sought their counsel while overseeing the Assassin Order's operations in that respective city. Located behind the desk were bookshelves and closets where registries of assignments were kept. An {{Wiki|agarwood}} burner was often situated on the desk for fragrance. Across the room, a raised walkway held weapons, books, and other items intended to assist Assassins in their work.<ref name="AC1"/> | |||
===Renaissance=== | ===Renaissance=== | ||
Before [[Hülegü Khan]] ordered the [[Fall of Masyaf|destruction]] of Masyaf<ref name="Passing the Torch">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Passing the Torch]]</ref> in retaliation for their part in [[Assassination of Genghis Khan|assassinating]] his grandfather [[Genghis Khan]],<ref name="Reflections">''[[Assassin's Creed: Reflections]]'' – [[Assassin's Creed: Reflections 2|Issue #2]]</ref> the Levantine Assassins' [[Mentor]] [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] sent brothers [[Maffeo Polo|Maffeo]] and [[Niccolò Polo]] to establish new guilds and bureaus around the [[Mediterranean Sea]] such as [[Italy]] and Constantinople where Assassin presence had waned.<ref name="Passing the Torch" /> | Before [[Hülegü Khan]] ordered the [[Fall of Masyaf|destruction]] of Masyaf<ref name="Passing the Torch">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' – [[Passing the Torch]]</ref> in retaliation for their part in [[Assassination of Genghis Khan|assassinating]] his grandfather [[Genghis Khan]],<ref name="Reflections">''[[Assassin's Creed: Reflections]]'' – [[Assassin's Creed: Reflections 2|Issue #2]]</ref> the Levantine Assassins' [[Mentor]] [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] sent the brothers [[Maffeo Polo|Maffeo]] and [[Niccolò Polo]] to establish new guilds and bureaus around the [[Mediterranean Sea]], such as in [[Italy]] and Constantinople, where Assassin presence had waned.<ref name="Passing the Torch" /> | ||
By the late 15th century, the [[Spanish Brotherhood of Assassins|Spanish Brotherhood]] had only one known bureau in the northern part of the [[Spain|country]]. Located outside the city of [[Burgos]], it was headed by [[Diego de Alvarado]],<ref name="Rebellion">''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' – [[The Rescue of a Northern Ally]]</ref> an Assassin who would ultimately betray the Brotherhood for his own gain.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' – [[Sobroso Surprise]]</ref> | |||
In 1512, a team of Assassins established a new bureau in [[Venice]] after taking control of an old Templar stronghold.<ref name="BOV">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice]]'' – [[Forgotten Headquarters]]</ref> In 1519, [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] led a group of Assassins to found new bureaus | In 1512, a team of Assassins established a new bureau in [[Venice]] after taking control of an old Templar stronghold.<ref name="BOV">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice]]'' – [[Forgotten Headquarters]]</ref> In 1519, [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] led a group of Assassins to found new bureaus throughout Europe and beyond following clues left by [[Leonardo da Vinci]].<ref name="Last Quest" /> | ||
===Golden Age of Piracy=== | ===Golden Age of Piracy=== | ||
[[File:AC4 Assassin Bureau.png|thumb|left|250px|The Assassin bureau in Havana]] | [[File:AC4 Assassin Bureau.png|thumb|left|250px|The Assassin bureau in Havana]] | ||
During the early 18th century, the [[West Indies Brotherhood of Assassins|West Indies Brotherhood]] had bureaus spread throughout the major cities in the [[Caribbean]], which varied in size and appearance. The bureaus in [[Havana]] and [[Kingston]] held at least one building and had a surrounding courtyard or walls; the [[Nassau]] bureau consisted of a small collection of buildings; and the [[Cayman Islands]]' "ghost" bureau had no defined buildings or areas to speak of.<ref name="AC4">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''</ref> | During the early 18th century, the [[West Indies Brotherhood of Assassins|West Indies Brotherhood]] had bureaus spread throughout the major cities in the [[Caribbean]], which varied in size and appearance. The bureaus in [[Havana]] and [[Kingston]] held at least one building and had a surrounding courtyard or walls; the [[Nassau]] bureau consisted of a small collection of buildings; and the [[Cayman Islands]]' "ghost" bureau had no defined buildings or areas to speak of. Each bureau was led by a [[Master Assassin]], who was responsible for overseeing all Assassin activity in their respective city.<ref name="AC4">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]''</ref> | ||
After killing the Assassin turncoat [[Duncan Walpole]] in 1715,<ref name="Edward Kenway">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[Edward Kenway (memory)]]</ref> [[Edward Kenway]] | After killing the Assassin turncoat [[Duncan Walpole]] in 1715,<ref name="Edward Kenway">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[Edward Kenway (memory)]]</ref> [[Edward Kenway]] obtained and sold a map detailing the four bureaus' locations to the [[West Indies Rite of the Templar Order|local branch]] of [[Templars]] operating in the region,<ref name="Walpole">''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[Mister Walpole, I Presume?]]</ref> unwittingly putting the Assassins stationed there in danger. Edward eventually traveled to the four bureaus and made amends for disclosing their locations;<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[The Taíno Assassin]]<br>↑ ''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[Bureau Under Attack]]<br>↑ ''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[The Maroon Assassin]]<br>↑ ''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[Oh Brother...]]</ref> in doing so, he assisted the bureau Masters in various ways, in return for a collection of [[Templar key|keys]] that would grant him access to a set of [[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag outfits|Templar Armor]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' – [[This Old Cove]]</ref> | ||
===Seven Years' War=== | ===Seven Years' War=== | ||
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===Russian Revolution=== | ===Russian Revolution=== | ||
[[File:ACC Russia - In Safe Hands (10).png|thumb|250px|Nikolai at the Moscow bureau]] | [[File:ACC Russia - In Safe Hands (10).png|thumb|250px|Nikolai at the Moscow bureau]] | ||
By 1918, the [[Russian Brotherhood of Assassins|Russian Brotherhood]] had a bureau in [[Moscow]]. That year, the Assassin [[Nikolai Orelov]] was sent to the bureau after his retrieval of a [[Precursor box]] and rescue of [[Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia|Anastasia Nikolaevna]], in order to report back to the [[Russian Mentor|Mentor]]. While waiting | By 1918, the [[Russian Brotherhood of Assassins|Russian Brotherhood]] had a bureau in [[Moscow]]. That year, the Assassin [[Nikolai Orelov]] was sent to the bureau after his retrieval of a [[Precursor box]] and rescue of [[Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia|Anastasia Nikolaevna]], in order to report back to the [[Russian Mentor|Mentor]]. While waiting, Nikolai overheard a discussion between two Assassins and learned about the Brotherhood's plans with Anastasia, prompting him to escape from the bureau in order to rescue the girl from the experiments she was about to be subjected to.<ref name="Safe Hands">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia]]'' – [[In Safe Hands]]</ref> | ||
===Modern times=== | ===Modern times=== | ||
By the year 2000, an Assassin bureau disguised as a dry-cleaners was located in [[Philadelphia, United States]] | By the year 2000, an Assassin bureau disguised as a dry-cleaners was located in [[Philadelphia, United States|Philadelphia]] and used photographs of feathers, coupled with the codeword "Rafiq", as proof of identity. Using information from the Assassin turncoat [[Daniel Cross]], the Templars discovered the bureau and raided it, massacring all the Assassins inside.<ref name="The Fall TPB" /> Countless other bureaus across the world were similarly targeted by the Templars, forcing the Assassins to abandon their safehouses and abolish the system of bureaus altogether.<ref name="The Essential Guide" /> | ||
==List of known bureaus== | ==List of known bureaus== | ||
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*[[Tyre]] bureau<ref name="ACAC" /> | *[[Tyre]] bureau<ref name="ACAC" /> | ||
*[[Antioch]] bureau<ref name="The Silk Road" /> | *[[Antioch]] bureau<ref name="The Silk Road" /> | ||
;''Reconquista'' Spain | |||
*[[Burgos]] bureau<ref name="Rebellion" /> | |||
;Renaissance Italy | ;Renaissance Italy | ||
*[[Venice headquarters]]<ref name="BOV" /> | *[[Venice headquarters]]<ref name="BOV" /> | ||
| Line 163: | Line 168: | ||
;Soviet Russia | ;Soviet Russia | ||
*[[Moscow]] bureau<ref name="Safe Hands" /> | *[[Moscow]] bureau<ref name="Safe Hands" /> | ||
;United States | |||
*[[Philadelphia, United States|Philadelphia]] bureau<ref name="The Fall TPB" /> | |||
==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
| Line 191: | Line 198: | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' {{1st}} | *''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' {{1st}} | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]'' | *''[[Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles]]'' | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Fall]]'' | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade]]'' | *''[[Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade]]'' | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' | *''[[Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag]]'' | ||
| Line 200: | Line 208: | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]'' | *''[[Assassin's Creed: Origins]]'' | ||
**''[[The Hidden Ones (DLC)|The Hidden Ones]]'' | **''[[The Hidden Ones (DLC)|The Hidden Ones]]'' | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Rebellion]]'' {{Mo}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice]]'' | *''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice]]'' | ||
**''[[Roma (expansion pack)|Roma]] | **''[[Roma (expansion pack)|Roma]] | ||
| Line 215: | Line 224: | ||
{{AC}} | {{AC}} | ||
{{ACLQLDV}} | {{ACLQLDV}} | ||
[[nl:Assassijnenbureau]] | <!--[[nl:Assassijnenbureau]] | ||
[[ru:Бюро Ассассинов]] | [[ru:Бюро Ассассинов]] | ||
[[uk:Бюро Асасинів]] | [[uk:Бюро Асасинів]]--> | ||
[[Category:Assassin bureaus| ]] | |||
[[Category:Assassin Brotherhood]] | [[Category:Assassin Brotherhood]] | ||
[[Category:Buildings]] | [[Category:Buildings]] | ||
Revision as of 14:26, 4 May 2026
An Assassin bureau, or Haven,[1] was a command center used by the Assassin Order, most often located within cities where they also served as safe houses. Their primary function was to act as bases of operation through which missions could be processed and overseen. Bureaus typically doubled as shops as well. More than mere fronts for the Assassins, these stores would trade in genuine merchandise such as silks,[2] carpets,[3] and pottery,[4] or offer services like tailoring,[5] generating income for the Brotherhood.
A tradition that dated back to at least the 1st century BCE, bureaus were an integral component of the Assassins' operational structure.[6] Throughout the ages, not all Assassin Guilds utilized the bureau as an administrative unit, at times relying on other organizational methods such as dens,[7] but the system remained in use into the 20th century.[5] It was indefinitely rendered obsolete after the Great Purge of 2000 which decimated the Assassins and forced them to rely almost exclusively on mobile cells.[5][6][8]
History
Ptolemaic Egypt
The first known bureau was founded in Memphis, Egypt,[9] sometime between 47 and 44 BCE, not long after the Medjay Bayek and his wife Aya co-founded the Hidden Ones.[10] By 43 BCE, Aya had established another bureau in Rome's Pantheon district.[9]
By 38 BCE, a third bureau was established in the Sinai by one of Bayek's first Hidden One recruits, Tahira.[11] The Sinai bureau notably had a secret exit that backed onto mountains.[12] Unfortunately, the bureau was destroyed by Roman soldiers in a fire attack,[13] and the Hidden Ones of Sinai fled to the mountains of the Arsinoe Nome,[14] where they set up a new bureau.[12]
At some point before 30 BCE, a bureau was established in Alexandria. This bureau would be immortalized as the location for the final synod of the Hidden Ones presided by Amunet as documented in The Magas Codex.[15]
Roman Empire
The Roman Hidden Ones that operated in the province of Britannia between the years 100 and 430 CE had six bureaus. These were located in Ratae, Londinium, Venta Belgarum, Eboracum, Camulodunum, and the Temple of Ceres.[16] Another branch of Hidden Ones operated in Roman Gaul around the same time and established four bureaus near the Seine, one in the cities of Champlieu, Diodurum, and Gisacum, which were all centered around their main base in Lutetia itself.[17]
Shortly after the death of the Western Roman Emperor Honorius in 423 CE, magister Vitus wrote to the Hidden Ones stationed at the Ratae bureau, warning them that Britain would be imminently unstable due to the local tribes who harbored ill sentiments towards them having filled the power vacuum left by the departing Roman legions. Reasoning that it would be better to restart the branch later rather than suffer the loss of its members to unnecessary bloodshed, he ordered that the letter's recipient immediately evacuate and move their headquarters to the German city of Cologne and join forces with the local chapter.[18]
Within the year, word of the evacuation reached the Hidden Ones in Gaul who had experienced similar misunderstandings themselves with the local Gallic tribes. Seeing the situation was untenable, the magister known only as "C. C." wrote to the surrounding bureaus from Lutetia and ordered all Hidden Ones to hide the three keys necessary to unlock the Lutetia location, seal the rooms, and likewise abandon Gaul until such time had passed that they could safely return and resume their fight against tyrants and the Order of the Ancients. Before closing their letter, C. C. informed the Hidden Ones that Vitus had extended an invitation from Cologne, adding that they too would join any who were willing to travel to Germania. While the majority of C. C.'s orders were carried out, a few Hidden Ones refused to abandon their posts and decided to stay in Gaul to continue their work on a more individual scale.[19]
Middle Ages
Golden Age of Baghdad
In the early 860s, the Hidden Ones of Alamut expanded their reach from their fortress into Baghdad,[20] where they established several bureaus to serve as bases of operations in the city while fighting the Order of the Ancients' influence.[21] Initially maintaining only one bureau in the south of the Harbiyah district, the Hidden Ones soon founded additional bureaus in the Abbasiyah and Karkh districts, as well as one in the Sharqiyah sub-district of Karkh.[22]
Each Baghdad bureau was led by a Rafiq, who assisted their fellow Hidden Ones with their tasks and were often the ones to sanction an assassination. The bureaus included accommodations for any visiting Hidden One, and a notice board where various contracts were posted. They also included a workshop for one of the Banū Mūsā brothers—Abu Jafar, Ahmad, and Al-Hasan—to work on their inventions and gadgets, which were given to the Hidden Ones to aid them during their missions.[22]
Viking Age
By 870, some earlier Hidden Ones bureaus still operated, like in Alexandria and Rome. In Constantinople, the bureau was led by the Alamut Hidden One Basim Ibn Ishaq, while the Frankish Hidden Ones established a new bureau in the Bon Berger, a tavern in Chinon. That year, a caravanserai bureau in Antioch was attacked by the Snake-Eaters, a group allied with the Order of the Ancients. Basim asked the help of the bureaus of Chinon, Alexandria, and Rome, but only the first two could send members. As they routed their enemies from the city, the Antioch bureau was rebuilt while the Frankish and Egyptian Hidden Ones eliminated the Snake-Eaters in Chang'an, where they established another bureau.[23]
In 873, Basim and his apprentice Hytham established a bureau in the Norse settlement of Ravensthorpe in England.[24] Because of Hytham's severe wounding in his attempt to assassinate Kjotve the Cruel,[25] Basim assigned him to oversee and upkeep the bureau. Inside the office, Hytham kept scrolls detailing missions and members of the Order of the Ancients. To combat the Order's reign in England, Hytham often received letters from a "Poor Fellow-Soldier of Christ", who relayed information on key assassination targets in the cities of Lunden, Jorvik, and Wincestre.[26]
Later, the Hidden Ones opened an additional bureau in Lunden. Disguised as a tavern called the Hawk's Nest, it was run by the Hidden One Marcella of Rome.[27] Around the same time, Adelaïde was tasked with re-establishing the old Londinium bureau, where she met and trained two potential Hidden One recruits: the Viking Niels Gunnarsson and the young copyist monk Edward.[28]
During the 870s, the shieldmaiden Eivor Varinsdottir, at Hytham's request, explored the abandoned Hidden Ones bureaus in England and recovered pages of the Magas Codex, contracts for assassinations, and letters between the members of the bureaus.[18] After sailing to Francia in 885 to assist the second Viking siege of Paris, Eivor took time to visit all the ruined Gallic Hidden Ones bureaus and recovered the keys to the Paris office, where she retrieved Charlemagne's short sword Joyeuse from a chest that had been secreted away. As she left the premises, she indirectly met the Frankish Hidden One Abbo Cernuus under the alias "AC" by way of a letter he left on the ground after she had entered the building.[19]
Crusades
Bureaus were widely used by the Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins, with cities such as Acre, Damascus, Jerusalem,[29] and Tyre[30] having one per district. Bureaus acted as sanctuaries for members of the Assassin Order, where they could physically and mentally prepare themselves for assignments, allowing them to replenish their supply of throwing knives, sleep, or meditate. They also provided Assassins a place to wait for the appropriate moment to strike or for the dust to settle following an assassination.[29]
Inside each bureau resided a leader who held the rank of either Rafiq or Dai. These leaders coordinated local intelligence, directing Assassins toward key leads discovered during their investigations. Once the strike had been planned and approved by the bureau leader, an Assassin was given a feather to soak in the blood of their target as proof of their success.[4] The exterior of these buildings was typically discreet, resembling common construction without obvious windows or doors. Access was primarily achieved through an entrance located on the roof.[29]
A main chamber served as the entrance hall to the bureau and functioned as a small living area comprised of two fountains, potted plants, and several pillows and carpets. This space allowed Assassins to rest before and after their operations. The walls were decorated with hanging carpets and the Assassin insignia, while the ceiling featured a grated opening that acted as the entrance into the bureau.[29]
Some bureaus featured additional comforts; the Acre bureau's walls were lined with books, while the Damascus bureau contained a chess set. To maintain the sanctuary's secrecy, the roof entrance was equipped with a grated panel that could be closed to ensure the location remained concealed from city guards, thereby preventing any potential violation of the Creed.[29]
The bureau leader's chamber was adjacent to the main chamber. From behind a desk, each leader addressed those who sought their counsel while overseeing the Assassin Order's operations in that respective city. Located behind the desk were bookshelves and closets where registries of assignments were kept. An agarwood burner was often situated on the desk for fragrance. Across the room, a raised walkway held weapons, books, and other items intended to assist Assassins in their work.[29]
Renaissance
Before Hülegü Khan ordered the destruction of Masyaf[31] in retaliation for their part in assassinating his grandfather Genghis Khan,[32] the Levantine Assassins' Mentor Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad sent the brothers Maffeo and Niccolò Polo to establish new guilds and bureaus around the Mediterranean Sea, such as in Italy and Constantinople, where Assassin presence had waned.[31]
By the late 15th century, the Spanish Brotherhood had only one known bureau in the northern part of the country. Located outside the city of Burgos, it was headed by Diego de Alvarado,[33] an Assassin who would ultimately betray the Brotherhood for his own gain.[34]
In 1512, a team of Assassins established a new bureau in Venice after taking control of an old Templar stronghold.[35] In 1519, Ezio Auditore da Firenze led a group of Assassins to found new bureaus throughout Europe and beyond following clues left by Leonardo da Vinci.[1]
Golden Age of Piracy
During the early 18th century, the West Indies Brotherhood had bureaus spread throughout the major cities in the Caribbean, which varied in size and appearance. The bureaus in Havana and Kingston held at least one building and had a surrounding courtyard or walls; the Nassau bureau consisted of a small collection of buildings; and the Cayman Islands' "ghost" bureau had no defined buildings or areas to speak of. Each bureau was led by a Master Assassin, who was responsible for overseeing all Assassin activity in their respective city.[36]
After killing the Assassin turncoat Duncan Walpole in 1715,[37] Edward Kenway obtained and sold a map detailing the four bureaus' locations to the local branch of Templars operating in the region,[38] unwittingly putting the Assassins stationed there in danger. Edward eventually traveled to the four bureaus and made amends for disclosing their locations;[39] in doing so, he assisted the bureau Masters in various ways, in return for a collection of keys that would grant him access to a set of Templar Armor.[40]
Seven Years' War
The Colonial Assassins during the mid-18th century primarily operated out of the Davenport Homestead, but they also maintained a number of bureaus throughout the British and French Colonies, namely in New York, Albany, Lac Eternel, Two Bends, and Halifax. Because the Colonial Brotherhood worked closely with the local criminal gangs, who supplied them with information and manpower, these bureaus doubled as gang headquarters.[41]
During the Seven Years' War, the Assassin-turned-Templar Shay Cormac cleared all of the Brotherhood's gang headquarters with the assistance of the British Army, to put a stop to the gangs' activities and cripple the Assassins' information network.[41]
Victorian era
In the mid-19th century, the British Brotherhood had a bureau in the Whitechapel district of London, which was headed by the only Assassin left in the city, Henry Green. Because of the Templars' strong presence in London at the time, the bureau was disguised as a curiosity shop to avoid detection by the Blighters, a gang allied with the Templars. From the bureau, Henry maintained contact with his allies in the city,[42] as well as the British Assassin Council, whom he petitioned for help against the Templar threat.[43]
Following the arrival of the twin Assassins Jacob and Evie Frye in London in 1868, they helped Henry eliminate the Templar presence in Whitechapel and claimed Rexford Kaylock's train hideout, which became the Assassins' new base of operations.[44]
Russian Revolution
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By 1918, the Russian Brotherhood had a bureau in Moscow. That year, the Assassin Nikolai Orelov was sent to the bureau after his retrieval of a Precursor box and rescue of Anastasia Nikolaevna, in order to report back to the Mentor. While waiting, Nikolai overheard a discussion between two Assassins and learned about the Brotherhood's plans with Anastasia, prompting him to escape from the bureau in order to rescue the girl from the experiments she was about to be subjected to.[45]
Modern times
By the year 2000, an Assassin bureau disguised as a dry-cleaners was located in Philadelphia and used photographs of feathers, coupled with the codeword "Rafiq", as proof of identity. Using information from the Assassin turncoat Daniel Cross, the Templars discovered the bureau and raided it, massacring all the Assassins inside.[5] Countless other bureaus across the world were similarly targeted by the Templars, forcing the Assassins to abandon their safehouses and abolish the system of bureaus altogether.[6]
List of known bureaus
- Egypt
- Imperial Rome
- Roman Gaul
- Roman Germania
- Sub-Roman Britain
- Camulodunum bureau[18]
- Eboracum bureau[18]
- Londinium bureau[18]
- Ratae bureau[18]
- Temple of Ceres bureau[18]
- Venta Belgarum bureau[18]
- Abbasid Caliphate
- Abbasiyah bureau (Baghdad)[22]
- Harbiyah bureau (Baghdad)[22]
- Karkh bureau (Baghdad)[22]
- Sharqiyah bureau (Baghdad)[22]
- Byzantine Empire
- Constantinople bureau[23]
- Carolingian Empire
- Tang Empire
- Anglo-Saxon England
- Crusader states
- Reconquista Spain
- Renaissance Italy
- Venice headquarters[35]
- Rome headquarters[46]
- Palmanova haven[1]
- Pienza haven[1]
- Ancien Régime France
- Venetian Heptanese
- Kythera Island haven[1]
- Ottoman Empire
- Umayyad Caliphate
- Timgad haven[1]
- Tudor England
- West Indies
- Colonial America
- Victorian England
- Whitechapel bureau (London)[42]
- Soviet Russia
- United States
- Philadelphia bureau[5]
Gallery
-
Concept art of a Roman Hidden Ones bureau in Britan -
The Memphis bureau in 1877 -
Aya and other Hidden Ones at the Rome bureau -
The Hidden Ones Klymsa bureau -
The main chamber of the Klysma bureau -
The Hidden Ones Arsinoe bureau -
The Hidden Ones bureau in Abbasiyah -
The Hidden Ones bureau in Karkh -
The Hidden Ones bureau in Sharqiyah -
Concept art of the Ravensthorpe bureau -
The abandoned Hidden Ones bureau in Eboracum, later York -
The abandoned Hidden Ones bureau in Lunden -
The abandoned Hidden Ones bureau at the Temple of Ceres -
Concept art of the Damascus bureau -
Altaïr and the Damascus bureau leader -
Altaïr and Jabal at the Acre bureau -
Altaïr and Malik Al-Sayf at the Jerusalem bureau -
Edward, Anne Bonny, and Antó at the Kingston bureau -
Edward and Upton Travers at the Nassau bureau -
The exterior of Henry Green's curiosity shop
Appearances
- Assassin's Creed (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles
- Assassin's Creed: The Fall
- Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
- Assassin's Creed: Identity (mentioned in Database entry only)
- Assassin's Creed: Rogue
- Assassin's Creed: Syndicate
- Assassin's Creed: Underworld
- Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia
- Assassin's Creed: Origins
- Assassin's Creed: Rebellion (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
- Assassin's Creed: The Silk Road (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Sword of the White Horse
- Assassin's Creed: The Last Quest of Leonardo da Vinci
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – The Hidden Codex
- Assassin's Creed: Mirage
References
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