Hendrik

He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. This article contains spoilers, meaning it has information and facts concerning Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple. If you do not want to know about these events, it is recommended to read on with caution, or not at all. This template should be removed from the article 2 July 2024.

Hendrik (died 1725) was a Dutch explorer working for the Dutch East India Company in the early 18th century. He was a friend to the navigator John Young.

During an expedition to Indochina, Hendrik found the ruins of Angkor, the lost city of the Khmer Empire and an alleged Precursor site. He documented his discovery in his personal sea log, which would become the object of interest of both the Assassin Edward Kenway and the Templars, who sought to find Angkor for the Pieces of Eden they believed it contained.

History

Early life

"I was a terrible father... I left my wife and children behind... B-but... I wanted to make money... So that they'd have a better life... I finally found the ruins... I was gonna make a fortune... And be a good father... I want to tell them... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

―Hendrik expressing remorse over having left his family, 1725.

Seeking to make a fortune in order to provide for his wife and children, Hendrik left them to join the Dutch East India Company as a sailor, a decision he eventually came to regret. While serving, Hendrik wrote a letter which he sought to give to his family in the event he failed to return. Hendrik also came to befriend a fellow company mate and navigator by the name of John Young.

Discovery of the lost city

"I believe this may perhaps be a clue as to the whereabouts of a local fable... The so-called "Forgotten Temple" spoken of in reverent whispers across Southeast Asia. If anyone reads these words, I advise them to follow in the footsteps of Magellan."

―Hendrik writing about his investigation into Angkor's legend.

While serving in the Dutch East India Company, Hendrik was tasked by its Chief Navigator, Jan van Aert, to investigate various rumors around Southeast Asia concerning possible treasures and ancient sites that could benefit the company's interests. However, all the information Hendrik managed to uncover was deemed useless by Jan, who did not want to waste company resources investigating what he described as "old fisherman's tales".

Hendrik meeting the monk

At some point during his search, however, Hendrik learned about Ferdinand Magellan's search for Pieces of Eden in the Philippines. Travelling to Cebu, he met a monk at the Basilica del Santo Niño who reluctantly told him about Magellan's discovery of an Isu artifact on Cebu and his subsequent death at the hands of Lapu-Lapu, the chieftan of Mactan Island, who wielded another artifact.

The monk made no mention of what had happened to either of the two artifacts after Magellan's death, so Hendrik resolved to continue investigating by himself, believing the artifacts to be connected to rumors of a "forgotten temple" located somewhere in Indochina. He also began documenting his search in his personal sea log, which he encrypted using a special cipher that he kept hidden within the log.

Eventually, Hendrik discovered the so-called "forgotten temple" and its treasure in the lost Khmer city of Angkor during a company expedition in the jungles of Indochina. Unable to retrieve the artifact, he wrote down instructions to find Angkor in his sea log, intending to return to the ruins at a later date. At one point while drunk, Hendrik also told John about his discovery, not knowing that his friend would then steal his story and boast about it.

Hendrik writing in his sea log

In early 1725, Hendrik's group came to be based in Macau, then under the Portuguese Empire, and he approached the affluential Qing merchant Madam Lee, asking her to sponsor an expedition to Angkor. However, she rejected his offer, believing his story to be absurd, and Hendrik was thus to forced to put a halt to his ambitious plans. In the meantime, he kept his sea log in a bank safe in the city, knowing how valuable the information within the book was.

Death and post-mortem

"With information like that, it's no wonder people were after him. I'll bet he never imagined he was hastening his own demise."

―Edward Kenway, on Hendrik, 1725.

In February 1725, Hendrik was attacked in his room at the company dormitories in Macau, being fatally stabbed in the abdomen by ninja from the Japanese Shimazu clan working for the Templars, who sought to silence anyone who knew about Angkor. The Assassin Edward Kenway, who was attempting to learn the location to the lost city, entered Hendrik's room moments after the attack, while Hendrik was still conscious. The sailor told Edward a little about Angkor and its "piece" and asked that he deliver a letter to his family before finally passing.

Edward finding the mortally wounded Hendrik

Hearing the commotion, Hendrik's fellow company men entered his room, finding Edward and, thinking he was Hendrik's killer, attacked the Assassin, who fled by jumping out the window. Edward subsequently escaped the harbor with John Young's help, but was declared a fugitive by the authorities, who hanged wanted posters of him around Macau.

Following Hendrik's death, his sea log became the object of interest of multiple factions who sought to find Angkor and its treasure. Xiao Han, the Mentor of the Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins, was the one to ultimately claim the log and formed an alliance with Madam Lee to find the ruins.

However, the former Templar Shimazu Saito, who had briefly held the log and read it, was able to memorize its contents and later joined forces with Edward and his Zhang Wei Union, helping them decipher the information. After learning about Hendrik's investigation into Ferdinand Magellan's story, the members of the Union decided to do the same and travelled to the Philippines.

Personality and traits

Hendrik cared about his family and sought to provide for them, so he chose to pursue a career as a sailor, though doing so required him to abandon his wife and children. After learning about the legend of Angkor, Hendrik investigated it with the intention of acquiring the lost city's treasure for himself. As he learned more about the Isu artifacts, however, he realized how valuable the information he possessed was and chose to encrypt his sea log in an attempt to prevent Angkor's treasure from falling into the wrong hands.

Despite his precautions, Hendrik did not realize that his investigation had attracted the attention of powerful groups like the Assassins and Templars and was utlimately silenced by the latter. In his final moments, Hendrik regretted having abandoned his family for the sake of a treasure he could not claim, but hoped his investigation might help someone else find the artifact so that it could be put to good use. Feeling he could trust Edward Kenway, Hendrik gave him the letter to his family and told him what little he could about Angkor's treasure before passing away.

Gallery

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  Close-up of Hendrik
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  Hendrik with his sea log
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  Hendrik giving Edward the letter to his family

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple