Template:Portal/Component/FA

<choose>

<option>

Featured Article

"Father, do you not see? I control all of this. If I want to live, I live. If I want to take, I take. If I want you to die, you die!"

―Cesare Borgia to his father, 1503.

Cesare Borgia (1475 or 1476 - 1507) was the son of Rodrigo Borgia and a nemesis of the Assassin Ezio Auditore. Like his father, he was a member of the Templar Order. Eventually, he became Captain General of the Papal armies, though he secretly plotted against his father to take over Rome, and all of Italy afterwards.

Even before his father's death, he claimed the rank of Grand Master of the Templar Order, usurping the title completely when his father eventually died. Although he appeared to be loyal to the Templars, he only desired control of the powers of the the Apple. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

"I have lived my life as best I could, not knowing its purpose, but drawn forward like a moth to a distant moon; and here at last, I discover a strange truth. That I am only a conduit, for a message that eludes my understanding."

―Ezio Auditore da Firenze on his role as "the Prophet."

Ezio Auditore da Firenze (1459 – 1524) was a Florentine nobleman during the Renaissance, and, unbeknownst to most historians and philosophers, the Mentor of the Italian branch of the Assassin Order, a title which he held from 1503 to 1512. He was also an ancestor to Desmond Miles and Clay Kaczmarek.

A member of the House of Auditore, Ezio remained unaware of his Assassin heritage until the age of 17, when he witnessed the hanging of his father and two brothers, Federico and Petruccio. Forced to flee his birthplace with his remaining family members - his mother and sister - Ezio took refuge in the Tuscan town of Monteriggioni, at the Villa Auditore.

After learning of his heritage from his uncle, Mario Auditore, Ezio began his Assassin training and set about on his quest for vengeance against the Templar Order, and their Grand Master, Rodrigo Borgia, who had ordered the execution of his kin. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

"In a few short months my life changed forever. I know my easiest days are behind me, but I don't want them back- not now. My name is Desmond Miles, and I am an assassin. I am an assassin."

―Desmond reflecting on the past in the Black Room.

Desmond Miles (born 13 March 1987) was a traveling hermit, and a descendant to various lines of ancestors who had sworn their allegiance to the Assassin Order, which included individuals such as Aquilus, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad and Ezio Auditore da Firenze.

In September 2012, he was kidnapped and incarcerated at Abstergo Industries, a Templar organization, and forced into a machine called the Animus to relive the memories of his ancestor, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, in order to acquire a map detailing all "Pieces of Eden" spread across the Earth.

Eventually escaping with the aid of Lucy Stillman, Desmond once again used an Animus to explore the memories of Ezio Auditore da Firenze, so as to learn his skills and the ways of the Assassins through the bleeding effect. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

File:Char mario.png

Ezio: "Assassins, Templars, Codex pages...This is a lot to take in."

Mario: "You need to open your mind, Ezio. Always remember: Nothing is true, Everything is permitted."

—Mario, while training his nephew.

Mario Auditore (1434 - 1500) was an Italian condottiero and the ruler of Monteriggioni from 1454 to 1500. He was also the leader of the Italian Assassins until his death.

During his life, Mario worked with his brother, also an Assassin, to gather the Codex pages, as well as fortifying and defending Monterrigioni to prevent invasions. Under his rule, Monteriggioni became a flourishing community again.

He was also responsible for the training of his nephew, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, into a fully-trained Assassin. After the training, he continued to provide guidance and advise, up to his death during the fall of Monteriggioni in 1500. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

"My father wanted this life, Anna, not I. He came to this country with a dream and made the Narodnaya Volya his cause. I do not know if I have the strength to serve the Order of Assassins as he did."

―Nikolai Orelov to his wife.

Nikolai Andreievich Orelov (Russian: Николай Орлов) was a Russian Assassin who lived during the late 19th and early 20th century. A member of the Russian sect of the Assassin Order, the Narodnaya Volya, Nikolai was, notably, closely involved in the hunt for the Imperial Sceptre of the Russian Emperors', a Piece of Eden.

He was also the great-grandfather of Daniel Cross, who would cause the fall of the Assassin Order generations later. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

Assassin's Creed is a sandbox style action-adventure game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. The game was released for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in November 2007 and for PC in April 2008.

The game centers around the use of a machine dubbed "the Animus", which allows its user to view the genetic memories of his or her ancestors, specifically a bartender named Desmond Miles. As Desmond relives the memories of one of his ancestors, the Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad who lived in the Holy Land during the Third Crusade, details of a battle between two ancient sects, the Knights Templar and the Assassins, emerge as both scour for an artifact known only as a "Piece of Eden".

The game received primarily positive reviews, for both its story and its gameplay, and received several awards at the 2006 E3. In November 2009, Assassin's Creed II was released as a sequel. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

Assassin’s Creed II is a sandbox style action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It was released on November 17, 2009 (US), November 19, 2009 (AU) and November 20, 2009 (worldwide) on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The PC version was released on March 6, 2010 (UK) and March 9, 2010 (US).

A direct sequel to Assassin’s Creed, the game is focused again on Desmond Miles after he escapes Abstergo Industries with employee Lucy Stillman. In an attempt to thwart Abstergo and the modern-day Templars, Desmond uses a new Animus to relive the genetic memories of his ancestor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, who lived in Italy during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. The player controls Desmond, to a degree, but primarily Ezio, who becomes an Assassin after his family is betrayed. While controlling Ezio, the player can explore renditions of major Italian regions and cities through a mixture of action, stealth, and economic gameplay.

A direct sequel called Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood was released November 16, 2010. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

"One should always have the freedom to choose."

―Caterina to Ezio Auditore, 1500

Caterina Sforza (1463 – 1509) was the Countess of Forlì and Imola, and the daughter of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, the Duke of Milan. She was engaged to Pope Sixtus IV's nephew, Girolamo Riario, at only 10 years of age, and consummated the marriage at 14.

As countess of Forlì, she became a strong ally of the Assassin Order, meeting the Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze after her husband Girolamo had her trapped on a small island in Romagna. Eight years later, Caterina had her husband killed by the Orsi brothers after finding out that he was working for the Templars and for being a lousy husband.

Offering to keep the ancient artifact, the "Apple of Eden", safe in Forlì, Caterina and the Assassins Ezio and Niccolò Machiavelli found the city taken by the Orsi brothers, who were hired by the Templars. Re-taking the city, Ezio saved Caterina's children from the Orsi and killed the two brothers, though the Apple was eventually taken from him. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

File:Char machiavelli.png

"I am an Assassin. Trained in the ancient ways to safeguard mankind's evolution. Just like you, and each one of us here."

―Niccolò to Ezio Auditore upon their first meeting.

Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (3 May 1469 – 21 June 1527) was an Italian philosopher and writer, and a member of the Assassin Order. Being considered one of the main founders of modern political science, he was a diplomat, political philosopher, musician, and playwright, but foremost, he was a civil servant of the Florentine Republic.

He was most famous for his writing, The Prince, which lays out guides to achieving political power through, among other techniques, the art of deception and manipulation, establishing what would later be known as "Machiavellian ideas."

With the Assassin Order, Niccolò primarily worked with his ally Ezio Auditore da Firenze, and helped him with driving the Orsi brothers from Forlì and with removing the monk Girolamo Savonarola from power in Florence to obtain the "Apple of Eden" - an ancient artifact - from him. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

"It feels like there's something coiled like a snake deep inside of me, and it's waiting to get out..."

―Daniel Cross.

Daniel Cross (1974 - 2012) was a member of the Templar Order who subconsciously infiltrated the Assassin Order as a sleeper agent to kill their Mentor. An ex-convict and recovering drug and alcohol addict, Daniel was the great-grandson of Nikolai Orelov, a prominent member of the Russian Assassin Brotherhood, and the grandson of Innokenti Orelov.

Following a heavy night of drinking, Daniel was spirited away by Hannah Mueller, a member of the Assassins, and introduced to a new way of life. Curious about his constant visions of a past life, Daniel made it his mission to confront the Mentor of the Order, and find some meaning to his life.

For two years, Daniel searched the globe, visiting every major Assassin camp in his quest to meet the Mentor, before he was finally granted an audience. It was during this meeting that a long-dormant trigger, implanted in his mind during his childhood, activated. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

"When I was a child, we were taught that the nobles were just and kind. I believed it, too. Though my father was only a cobbler and my mother a scullery maid, I aspired to be much more. I studied hard, I persevered, but the nobles would never have me."

―Antonio to Ezio, as they near the Basilica

Antonio de Magianis (1443 - unknown) was a member of the Assassin Order and leader of the Thieves Guild located in the Italian city of Venice during the 15th century.

Raised in poverty from birth, Antonio was unable to attain a wealthy lifestyle, eventually resulting in his founding of the Venetian Thieves Guild. Targeting the rich and wealthy of the city's population, Antonio also improved his position in the Assassin Order, realizing that members of the Templar Order had dug their way into Venice's corrupt nobility.

Eventually meeting with Ezio Auditore da Firenze, an Assassin-in-training on a quest for vengeance, the pair worked together to thwart the Templars' plans to take over Venice. After a failed attempt to infiltrate the Palazzo della Seta by the thieves, Ezio eventually managed to do so with their help, resulting in the successful assassination of Emilio Barbarigo. The thieves then took over the Palazzo for themselves, turning it into their new base of operations. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

"We are one. As we share the glory of our victories, so too should we share the pain of our defeat. In this way we grow closer. We grow stronger."

―Malik talking about the event in Solomon's Temple.

Malik Al-Sayf (1165 – 1228) was a member of the Assassin Order in Syria during the High Middle Ages.

Raised to be an Assassin, Malik learned the fighting arts that struck fear into the hearts of their enemies. He was an excellent swordsman and a devoted acolyte to the Creed, as well as a caring adult figure for his brother, Kadar.

Malik nurtured a jealousy of his rival Altaïr, which was fired into rage when Altaïr ignored the tenets of the Creed, and endangered his companions' lives during the events of Solomon's Temple. Malik retrieved the Templar treasure that Altaïr had failed to find, and delivered it to Al Mualim.

Altaïr made Malik his close second-in-command after becoming the Mentor. As such, Malik was eventually appointed as a temporary leader in Altaïr's absence.

Sometime after this, a hated rival of Altaïr's, Abbas Sofian, imprisoned Malik in Masyaf's dungeons for close to two years with false charges of murder, and had him beheaded when Altaïr returned from his quest across the Middle East. Malik's death occurred during 1228. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

Daniel: "Heh... I never thought I'd be getting headshrunk on my own couch by a hot killer ninja."

Hannah: "Assassins aren't ninjas, dumb-ass. And I've never killed anyone in my life. I work with computers mainly."

—Daniel and Hannah about her affiliations to the Assassins.

Hannah Mueller was a member of the Assassin Order during the late 20th century and early 21th century.

Originally working primarily with computers for the Assassins, she was tasked with following the mysterious Daniel Cross, a drug addict who was presumably an Assassin. After having introduced him to the Order, she sympathized with him and became his companion, supporting him during his quest to gain support of the Order and to meet the Mentor. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

"One thing I am not, is a man of violence."

―Leonardo to Ezio Auditore and Niccolò Machiavelli in Valencia, 1505.

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (April 15, 1452 - May 2, 1519) was an anatomist, sculptor, cartographer, painter, botanist, engineer, architect and mathematician of the Italian Renaissance.

Furthermore, he played an important role in the struggle between the Assassins and Templars which raged across his homeland throughout his lifetime, all the while remaining a close friend and ally to the Florentine Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze.

Known for his nearly insatiable thirst for knowledge, Leonardo was a genius and innovator, creating various ideas and concepts, such as his flying machine, and artistic masterpieces, such as the Mona Lisa. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

"The age of Renaissance. A time considered to be the rebirth of man. Yet behind humanity's expanding consciousness, a movement was taking place. A conspiracy by one corrupt family to overthrow the powerful Medici dynasty, and destroy a unified Italy. But there are still some who fought for justice, and followed an ancient creed. And it is with them, that our story begins."

―The opening narration of Lineage - Episode one.

Assassin's Creed: Lineage is a series of three short films based on the universe of the video game Assassin's Creed. The films are made by Ubisoft, the game company itself. The first episode was released on October 26, 2009 via YouTube, and Episode 2 and Episode 3 were released on November 12, 2009 on Spike TV, later uploaded on YouTube for international viewing purposes.

Created as a bridge for Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed II, the film details the time of Giovanni Auditore da Firenze as an Assassin for the Medici, and how he uncovered a conspiracy that threatened the power of the ruling body in Florence.

A DVD of the complete Lineage was later included in some of the special editions of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

"I have traveled a long time, followed many roads and suffered much grief to find him. To learn his secrets before our enemies find us."

―Shao Jun regarding her search for Ezio Auditore.

Shao Jun (1505 - unknown) was an Assassin from the Chinese branch of the Order. A former concubine for Emperor Zhengde, she was rescued by the Assassins after the emperor's death, and had devoted her life into the Order afterwards.

After some years, Zhengde's successor, Jiajing, ordered a purge of those who opposed him, the Assassins being among them. After the order's decline in China, Shao Jun and her Mentor fled west and sought out the Italian Assassin Mentor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option>

Featured Article

"When I was very young, I was foolish enough to believe that our Creed would bring an end to all these conflicts. If only I had the humility to say to myself, I have seen enough for one life, I've done my part. Then again, there is no greater glory than fighting to find the truth."

―Altaïr to his son Darim during the 1257 Mongol attack on Masyaf.

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad (1165–1257) was a Syrian Assassin during the Middle Ages and, from 1191 until his death, the Mentor of the Assassins in the Levant.

Raised to be an Assassin from birth, Altaïr obtained the rank of Master Assassin by his twenty-fourth year. However, following his failure to obtain the Apple from Robert de Sable in early 1191, and subsequently allowing the Templars to attack the city of Masyaf, headquarters 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, unbeknown to him, made up the ranks of the Templar Order in the Holy Land, Altaïr began a quest to change his ways and liberate the Kingdom from the corruption of the nine. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

<option>

Featured Article

"He is Rodrigo Borgia, one of the most powerful men in all of Europe, and leader of the Templar Order."

―Mario Auditore to his nephew, Ezio.

Rodrigo Borgia (1431 – 1503), born Roderic Llançol, later Roderic de Borja i Borja, was a Spanish Cardinal and the leader of the Templar Order during the Renaissance. He was the father of Juan, Cesare, Lucrezia, and Jofré Borgia, as well as grandfather to Giovanni Borgia.

Rodrigo was Pope from 1492 to 1503, and was known as Alexander VI. He was one of the most controversial Popes of the Renaissance, and his surname became synonymous for the corrupt standards of the Papacy in that era. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

File:Rebecca-render.png

"The Templars might have deeper pockets than us, but they've got no ambition, no passion, no competitive edge! That's why, even with all their resources, anything they can do, I can do better. Faster too."

―Rebecca Crane.

Rebecca Crane was a modern-day Assassin and the creator of the Animus 2.0 - which she affectionately referred to as "Baby."

She was a part of Lucy Stillman's team, who concentrated on acquiring the Apple of Eden before Abstergo Industries, as well as training Desmond Miles through the use of the Bleeding effect. She was the person who provided technical support for the other members of the Assassin Order alongside her fellow Assassin, Shaun Hastings. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

File:Almualim-revelationsrender.png

"I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing at the wind. For in much wisdom, is much grief, and he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow."

―Al Mualim.

Rashid ad-Din Sinan (unknown - 1191), also known as Al Mualim (English: The Mentor or The Master) and often nicknamed the Old Man of the Mountain, was the Mentor of the Levantine Assassins during the High Middle Ages until his death in 1191, and mentor to his successor, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.

He was also secretly a member of the Knights Templar. In his desire to obtain the Apple of Eden, he started working with the organization that was once his sworn enemy. Rashid's teachings and work had a positive influence on the Assassins, up until his betrayal of the Order in 1191. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

Mukhlis: "He takes our money and gives us nothing in return, where once the citadel was the heart of the community from which came strength, guidance..."

Altaïr: "And protection."

Mukhlis: "That too. All those things left with you, Altaïr, to be replaced by... corruption and paranoia."

—Mukhlis and Altaïr discussing Abbas' leadership.

Abbas Sofian (1166 – 1247) was a Syrian Assassin during the Middle Ages, and the Mentor of the Levantine Assassins from 1227 until his death. His leadership over the Levantine Brotherhood showed a period of corruption and disregard for the Order's Creed, resulting in the decline of their castle in Masyaf and its villagers fearing and secretly loathing the Assassins.

Raised as an Assassin from birth alongside Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, the two became best friends during their childhood. However, after Altaïr revealed to Abbas that Abbas' father Ahmad had killed himself, rather than leave the Order as Abbas had believed, Abbas labelled Altaïr a liar, and developed a hatred for him that would span a lifetime. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

"I believe there was a book that claimed the world was created in seven days. Best-seller too!"

―Warren to Desmond Miles regarding the Bible.

Warren Vidic was a member of the Templar Order and a scientist employed by Abstergo Industries. He was also the head of research for Abstergo, which put him in charge of the genetic memory research and the Animus project. He was the man responsible for finding new subjects for the Animus, whose genetic memories he would then explore to gain information on both the Assassins and the Pieces of Eden.

Warren was a high-ranking employee of Abstergo Industries, being one of the few members of the Inner Sanctum, a group of Templars with full awareness of the Orders' plans for their New World Order. He also played an important role in those plans, being tasked with finding a Piece of Eden to power Abstergo's satellite. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

"Even when your kind appears to triumph ... Still we rise again. And do you know why? It is because the Order is born of a realization. We require no creed. No indoctrination by desperate old men. All we need is that the world be as it is. And THIS is why the Templars will never be destroyed."

―Haytham Kenway

The Templar Order, also known as the Order of the Knights Templar, were a monastic military order-turned-corporate giant, which was formed during the prehistoric era. The Templars sought to create a perfect world, although the means by which they aimed to do so - through force, control and the destruction of free will - directly contrasted the ideals of their sworn enemies, the Assassin Order.

Because of this difference in ideology, the Templars became involved in a covert war against the Assassins, spanning centuries, with their opposition's motivating belief being that mankind should always have the ability to choose; to have the freedom of liberty, even if it meant accepting that humanity would always be flawed in their ways. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

"The hidden blade has been a constant companion of ours over the years. Some would say it defines us - and they would not be entirely wrong. Many of our successes would not have been possible without it."

―Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's Codex, page 13.

File:Eerste-info-onthuld-over-assassin-s-creed-2 5 460x0.jpg

The iconic weapon of the Assassins, the Hidden Blade was used for both stealth assassinations and regular combat. It was their most versatile weapon, with multiple upgrades and forms of use.

It consisted of a retractable blade, usually in conjunction with a bracer, which could be discreetly extended or retracted; making it a valuable tool for assassinations. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

"Everything I worked for in the Holy Land, I no longer want. And everything I gave up to join the Templars... I wonder where all that went, and if I should try to find it again."

―Maria reflecting on her life after cutting her ties with Templars.

Maria Thorpe (c. 1160 - 1227) was an English noblewoman living during the High Middle Ages, who joined the Templar Order prior to the Third Crusade.

Developing a strong relationship with the Order's Grand Master, Robert de Sable, she was eventually given a high rank in the Order. In 1191, after the Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad killed eight Templar agents spread throughout the Holy Land, she was assigned by Robert to act as his decoy and thus trick the Assassin into assailing the wrong target. The plan was a success, and Altaïr spared Maria's life. However, Robert was ultimately killed shortly thereafter, and Armand Bouchart took over as Grand Master. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

"The more we know about the world, the less we seem to know."

―Sofia Sartor, 1511.

Sofia Sartor (1476 - unknown) was a Venetian-Ottoman bookshop owner, and a literary enthusiast. Though born in the city of Constantinople, Sofia was forced to leave for Venice during 1499, when the Ottoman-Venetian war began.

Sofia eventually returned to her birthplace in 1507 to run a bookstore at the old Polo trading post. During 1511, she met the Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the man who would eventually become her husband, and the father of her two children.

A polylingual, multicultural, and intelligent woman mature beyond her years, Sofia had a passion for literature, which fueled her decision to run her bookstore, in hopes of sharing the democratizing effect she felt in books with others. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option> <option>

Featured Article

Ezio: "Between the Templars and the Ottomans, you must stay busy."

Yusuf: "Ezio, I barely have time to polish my blade!"

—Yusuf, regarding his leadership of the Ottoman Assassins.

Yusuf Tazim (1467 – 1512) was a Master Assassin, and the leader of the Ottoman Assassins, operating primarily in the Empire's capital of Constantinople.

He was involved in the fight against the Byzantine Templars during the early 1510s, and aided Ezio Auditore da Firenze – a Mentor in the Assassin Order and leader of the Italian Assassins – during his stay in Constantinople.

In the process, Yusuf and Ezio managed to form good relations with the Ottoman Prince Suleiman I, and thwarted the Templars' plans to take over the Ottoman Empire. (read more...)

See all Featured Articles - Vote for Featured Articles

</option>

</choose>