Edward Kenway's journal

Edward Kenway's journal

Edward Kenway's journal was a manuscript written by the Master Assassin Edward Kenway, detailing his research into Isu vaults and artifacts, in particular the Grand Temple.

Owners

• Edward Kenway (author; 1720s – 1735)
• Reginald Birch (from 1735)
• Juan Vedomir (until 1747)
• Haytham Kenway (1747)
• Reginald Birch (1747 – 1754)
• Haytham Kenway (1754 – 1757)
• Reginald Birch (1757)
• British Rite of the Templar Order (1757 – 1868)
  • Lucy Thorne (1868)
• British Brotherhood of Assassins (1868 – ?)
  • Evie Frye (1868)

History

Georgian era

Edward first learned of the Grand Temple during his time as a pirate in the West Indies, in 1722, when a dying Bartholomew Roberts vaguely referenced it in his final moments. Following this, Edward began looking into the matter, detailing his discoveries in a journal. During his subsequent travels around the world, the Assassin discovered more Isu temples, including several in Italy and one underneath the ruins of Alamut Castle, which he also documented in his journal.

Haytham Kenway holding the journal

In 1735, Reginald Birch, Edward's business associate and secretly a member of the Templar Order, orchestrated an attack on the Kenway household, during which Edward was killed and Birch's henchmen stole the journal. By 1747, the Templar Juan Vedomir had been given the journal to study and held it at his villa in Altea, Spain. When Birch sent Haytham Kenway, Edward's son and a newly-fledged Templar, to eliminate Vedomir for betraying the Order, Haytham retrieved the journal.

Haytham then gave the manuscript to Birch, who began to decode it alongside John Harrison, both sharing a passionate interest in the Isu. By August 1753, the British Templars were able to determine the existence of an amulet key that would open the door to the Grand Temple, and by 1754, discovered that the amulet was safeguarded by the Assassin Miko. During a performance of The Beggar's Opera at the Royal Opera House in London on 18 April, Haytham assassinated Miko and obtained the amulet.

Birch then sent Haytham to the British colonies in North America with the journal, as Harrison's calculations concluded that the storehouse was located somewhere in New York or Massachusetts. With the help of the Kanien'kehá:ka woman Kaniehtí:io, Haytham found the Grand Temple's entrance, but was unaware that the amulet would only open the Temple's inner chamber.

Concluding that he had found the incorrect site, Haytham had William Johnson make a copy of the journal, but eventually decided to give up their pursuits of the Grand Temple as to not disrupt the Kanien'kehá:ka living in the area. In 1757, Haytham returned to London and gave the journal back to Birch, while lying that the Colonial Templars were still working on finding the Grand Temple.

Victorian era

Evie Frye retrieving the journal

The journal passed through Templar hands, eventually reaching Lucy Thorne in 1868. While Thorne intended to have it and other research notes transported, the journal was stolen by the Assassin Evie Frye. Studying it alongside Henry Green, the two Assassins learned about Edward's discovery of a Shroud of Eden, which he had hidden away. Evie then used her Eagle Vision to find hidden directions to the Kenway Mansion, where she and Henry recovered more documents detailing Edward's research of the Shroud and containing clues to its location.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Forsaken (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Initiates (mentioned in Database entry only)
• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Rogue (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Unity novel (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Syndicate