Leading the attack on the harbor castle, Altaïr was confronted by the same woman who had posed as Robert de Sable's decoy at Majd Addin's funeral. The woman, blaming Altaïr for ruining her life by killing De Sable, furiously engaged the Assassin in a sword duel, though was defeated by the Altaïr's greater skill. Revealing her name to be Maria and slowly realizing that she was betrayed by Bouchart, the Templar was taken hostage by Altaïr and was forced to travel along with him to Cyprus.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />
Leading the attack on the harbor castle, Altaïr was confronted by the same woman who had posed as Robert de Sable's decoy at Majd Addin's funeral. The woman, blaming Altaïr for ruining her life by killing De Sable, furiously engaged the Assassin in a sword duel, though was defeated by the Altaïr's greater skill. Revealing her name to be Maria and slowly realizing that she was betrayed by Bouchart, the Templar was taken hostage by Altaïr and was forced to travel along with him to Cyprus.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />
Altaïr temporarily left the control of the Order, saying that he ''"built this Brotherhood to last"'', and left for the island of Cyprus; the island just recently bought by the Templars from King Richard. Arriving in the city of [[Limassol]], Altaïr established contact with the Order's contact, [[Alexander]]; the leader of the resistance against the Templars in Limassol, who then became Altaïr primary ally in Cyprus and also took Maria under his protection.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />
Altaïr temporarily left the control of the Order, saying that he "built this Brotherhood to last", and left for the island of Cyprus; the island just recently bought by the Templars from King Richard. Arriving in the city of [[Limassol]], Altaïr established contact with the Order's contact, [[Alexander]]; the leader of the resistance against the Templars in Limassol, who then became Altaïr primary ally in Cyprus and also took Maria under his protection.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines" />
Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad (Arabic: الطائر ِإبن لا أحد)(born 11 January 1165) was a member of the Assassin Order and, from 1191 until his death, the Order's Grand Master. Raised to be an Assassin from birth, Altaïr obtained the rank of Master Assassin by his twenty-fifth year. However, following his failure to obtain the Apple of Eden 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 Templars. During his quest however, Altaïr learned of a plot far more sinister than originally believed. Completing his quest to kill the nine targets, and cleansing the Order of its treacherous leader Al Mualim, Altaïr rose to the rank of Grand Master, taking the Assassins into a new, more secretive direction.
With the Apple in hand, Altaïr changed the ways his Order lived their lives; writing his fabled Codex for later generations of the Order to read. His name would continue to resonate through the Order in later years, greatly influencing the lives of his descendants in years to come.
Altaïr was born to Assassin parents; a Christian mother and a Muslim father.[1] During his childhood, like all children born into the Brotherhood, he was separated from his parents and he was trained and raised by Al Mualim, quickly rising among his brethren in skill and gaining status with his teacher.[1] Because of the rules of the Order, Al Mualim felt that love would make the Assassins weaker, and his constant training, his parents never showed a great deal of love towards Altaïr, though he felt that they suppressed their true feelings for the sake of the Order and its cause. When they finally died, their son felt no real grief; their deaths were, to him, "like the passing of two strangers". Altaïr felt that Al Mualim was more like a father to him than his real parents, even though Al Mualim's love was "weak and dishonest".[2]
Quest for the Chalice
In the year 1190, the threat of a Crusade loomed; by this time Altaïr had reached the rank of Master Assassin[3] and was tasked with recovering an ancient artifact known as the Chalice. Learning that, in order to complete his task, he had to obtain three keys from their Templar owners, Altaïr began his quest.[3]
Beginning his journey in Damascus, Altaïr met with a rafiq, who told him that the merchant Tamir had close ties to the Templars in the area. Upon having interrogated Misbah, a man with connections to Tamir, Altaïr confronted Tamir and, before killing him, learned that the Chalice was kept in the Temple of the Sand and that three keys were needed to enter it. Altaïr visited the circus dancer Fajera, who was initially unwilling to help, leaving Altaïr to fight a circus brute known as Badr. After defeating the man and catching Fajera, she gave Altaïr the first of the three keys, and told him that a man at the Templar hospital in Tyre could help him find the two other keys.[3]
Later arriving in Tyre, Altaïr sought Hamid – the local rafiq – from whom he learned that Roland Napule, head of the hospital and a Templar, had been questioning someone recently. In order to get into the hospital, Altaïr navigated through the sewer, entered the building from below and proceeded to assassinate Roland. Altaïr was given the second key by a prisoner of Roland; an old man who had been to the mysterious Temple of the Chalice.[3]
Traveling to Jerusalem and speaking with Kadar, a local Assassin agent, Altaïr learned that the leader of the Templar Order, Basilisk, was usually at the Jerusalem royal palace with the king, and that he had the third key in his possession. The king was planning to have a party sometime not too long from then, and in order to get closer to Basilisk, Altaïr logically decided that the location of this party had to be discovered.[3]
Overhearing some of the noblemen's conversations, Altaïr questioned Ayman, a man invited to the party, and found out where the party was to begin. He infiltrated it with the help of one of Kadar's men, and encountered Lord Basilisk for the first time. After a brief battle with him, Altaïr managed to retrieve the key, but had no time to kill the Templar master as he had already ran away, in the process aiding in the defense of Acre and revealing the identity of a traitor to the Assassins' – the Order's second-in-command, Harash.[3]
Hurrying to the Order's fortress of Alep, he confronted the traitorous Harash and the two faced off in a duel. After a brief fight, Altaïr stood victorious and had killed Harash.[3]
Altaïr killing Basilisk.
Eventually coming across an old associate named Adha, Altaïr astonished her with the information that she was the Chalice. Upon hearing of this revelation however, Lord Basilisk kidnapped her and spirited her to Tyre.
Making his way to the port of Tyre, Altaïr once again met Lord Basilisk. They fought each other in a one-on-one fight, ending with Basilisk's death at Altaïr's hands. Consequently, Altaïr discovered that Adha was not located on Basilisk's ship, but being held captive on another vessel.[3]
It would be years before Altaïr found Adha again, but was too late to save her; all he could do was avenge her. In a furious and emotional rage, Altaïr hunted down and killed everyone responsible for Adha's death, though the act brought him no joy, as the deed could neither console him or bring her back.[2]
By the following year the Holy Land was in the midst of war.
In early 1191, Altaïr and the brothers Malik and Kadar A-Sayf were tasked with retrieving an artifact from the Templars in Solomon's Temple. After progressing through the catacombs, Altaïr broke two tenets of the Assassin's Creed, but dismissed his arrogance, confident in his mastery as an Assassin.
Finally, upon seeing the archenemy of his Order – Robert de Sable – Altaïr broke another tenet; risking the safety of the Brotherhood. Having attempted to slay the Grand Master of the Knights Templar after making his presence known, Altaïr was easily thwarted and thrown from the temple after Robert warned him of his arrogance, leaving Malik and Kadar alone with the Templars. Altaïr escaped from the Templars and Jerusalem to report his failure to the Order.
Siege of Masyaf
Upon returning to Masyaf, Altaïr informed Al Mualim of his failure to acquire the Templar treasure and was lambasted for it when Malik returned alive with the artifact, but alone and with a bloodied left arm. Before any further action could be taken though, the Templars attacked Masyaf, taking the village, slaughtering its inhabitants and besieging the castle. Altaïr led the defense of the fortress, sneaking behind the Templar army and unleashing a torrent of felled tree logs, crushing the Templar army.[1]
Altaïr being questioned by Al Mualim.
Once the attack was over, the matters of his actions in Solomon's Temple were addressed once again. Altaïr, having broken all three tenets of the Creed, failing to acquire the Templar treasure, causing the death of a brother and the incapacitation of another, as well as being responsible for all who had died in the Templar attack, was deemed a traitor to the Creed; Al Mualim judged before the whole order, and stabbed him in the stomach with a dagger.[1]
Altaïr woke up from his 'sleep of the dead' and questioned Al Mualim of his survival, the Grand Master answering only that "[Altaïr] saw only what [Al Mualim had] wanted him to see". Stripped of rank and possessions by Al Mualim, Altaïr was given a chance for redemption. Starting as a novice once again, he was tasked with hunting down the traitor within Masyaf who had allowed the Templars entrance. Successful, Altaïr returned to Al Mualim and was rewarded with the return of his Hidden Blade and long-sword. Once again officially a member of the Order, Altaïr was offered an exchange; the lives of nine men in exchange for his own.[1]
Hunt for the nine
Al Mualim: "I hold here a list. Nine names adorn it, nine men who need to die. They are plague-bringers, war-makers... Their power and influence corrupts the land, ensuring that the Crusades continue. Find them, kill them... In doing so, you will sow the seeds of peace, both for the region, and for yourself. In this way, you might be redeemed."
Altaïr: "Nine lives in exchange for mine..."
Al Mualim: "A most generous offer, I think. Have you any questions?"
Altaïr: "Only where I need begin."
—Al Mualim and Altaïr, regarding Altaïr's assignment.[src]
"I am but a piece, a man with a part to play. You'll come to know the others soon enough..."
Altaïr started his quest, leaving Masyaf and riding to Damascus in pursuit of Tamir, his first target. Arriving there, he traveled to the local Assassins' Bureau and requested permission for the assassination. The Rafiq denied him, ordering Altaïr to first gather information about his target.[1]
Altaïr watching Tamir after killing his servant.
Going through the city's poor district, Altaïr interrogated informants, pick-pocketed letters and maps and eavesdropped on conversations around him, acquiring the location of the target. Returning to the Bureau with this info, he received a pass for the kill and a white feather, to be wet in the victim's blood, as proof of the deed.[1]
In a plaza of the market district, Altaïr witnessed Tamir slaying a business partner, and then killed him as he explored the market. Returning to the Bureau, Altaïr was told to return to Al Mualim, who rewarded him for this first step on the road to redemption, granting him a part of his equipment back. Altaïr then left to the other cities, Acre and Jerusalem, for his next targets.[1]
Altaïr: "You truly believe you were helping [your prisoners]?"
Garnier: "It's not what I believe... It's what I know."
Altaïr witnessing Garnier interrogating a prisoner.
Proceeding on to his next target, located in Acre, Altaïr met with the Bureau leader to gather the information about his target - Garnier de Naplouse, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitalier. Learning of Garnier being located in the Hospitalier hospital in the city's Poor District and trafficking men from other cities to Acre for him to experiment on, Altaïr infiltrated the hospital.[1]
There, he found one of Garnier's prisoners running away from his captors. After being captured, Garnier ordered his guards to break the man's legs to prevent him from making another escape and had him brought back to his quarters. Garnier, who went through his usual routine of checking his patients, was struck down by Altaïr.
With his dying breath, Garnier revealed that he had used to Apple of Eden to conduct his experiments, but after its loss his experiments were slowed down. He was also convinced that he was helping the people he experimented on, causing Altaïr to question his own opinion on Garnier's experiments.[1]
Altaïr: "You profit from the war, from lives lost and broken."
Talal: "Yes, you would think that, ignorant as you are. Wall off your mind: they say it's what your kind do best. Do you see the irony in all this? No, not yet, it seems, but you will..."
Arriving at Jerusalem's Bureau, Altaïr was harshly received by Malik, that Bureau's new leader. Reluctantly, Malik sent him on his investigations, and received him once again when he returned. After receiving the permission and the feather, Altaïr entered the slave complex of his target Talal, but was ambushed by his followers. Dispatching them, Altaïr chased Talal throughout the rooftops and streets, finally catching up to him and putting a hidden blade in his neck. Altaïr returned to the Bureau and reported to Al Mualim once again. Gaining another part of his equipment back, Altaïr once again had to return to all three cities to take out new targets. [1]
"You take the lives of men and women, strong in the conviction that their deaths will improve the lots of those left behind. A minor evil for a greater good? We are the same."
He returned to Damascus to eliminate Abu'l Nuqoud, known as "the Merchant King". After investigating and receiving the feather from the Rafiq, he proceeded to the merchant's palace where a party was being held.[1]
Altaïr having Abu in sight.
Infiltrating the palace, Altaïr arrived shortly before Abu began his speech, lambasting his guests for their intolerance and ignorance, before revealing he had poisoned the wine being served, killing a number of the revelers, before ordering his archers to eliminate the rest. The assassin scaled the palace walls, killing several archers in the process, before managing to climb onto the roof above Nuqoud.
Jumping down and killing the Merchant King's bodyguard, Altaïr chased down and assassinated his target, once again setting the city on full alert before losing his pursuers. Returning to the Bureau, he reported his success, before returning once again to Masyaf.[1]
"We'll see how sweet they are... the fruits of your labors. You do not free the cities as you believe, but damn them. And in the end, you'll have only yourself to blame. You who speak of good intentions..."
In Acre, Altaïr was tasked with the death of William of Montferrat, regent of the city and a lieutenant to Richard the Lionheart. Meeting once again with the bureau leader, Altaïr gathered information on his target in the city's rich district, and learned that he was to meet with King Richard later that day.
Approaching as William and Richard quarreled outside the city fort's walls, he waited for the King to leave, before infiltrating the castle via the fortress walls; waiting until William was finished berating his men for their perceived failures and had dismissed his guards, Altaïr struck from above, killing the Marquese of Montferrat. As usual, Al Mualim was informed and Altaïr left the city for his next target in Jerusalem.[1]
"Do you know what it feels like to determine another man's fate? And did you see the way the people cheered? The way they feared me? I was like a god! You'd have done the same if you could! Such power..."
Within Jerusalem, Altaïr found his sixth target, Majd Addin; the illegitimate ruler of Jerusalem. He personally acted as judge, jury and executioner. During one of his public executions, Altaïr made his way through the crowd and onto the stage where Addin stood, killing him and saving an imprisoned Assassin who was mere moments from death. Fleeing from the guards, Altaïr returned to Masyaf.[1]
Rewarded with another rank and equipment, Altaïr demanded of Al Mualim the truth behind his targets connections; Al Mualim revealed to him that all nine of his targets were members of the Knights Templar, and that the treasure Malik had liberated from Robert de Sable held the power to control the minds of others. Content with this new information, Altaïr left for Acre and Damascus once again.
Altaïr: "Freedom!? You worked to overthrow cities, control men's minds, murdered any who spoke against you!"
Sibrand: "I followed my orders, believing in my cause, same as you."
His seventh target was present in Acre; the target, named Sibrand, was Grand Master of the Knights Teutonic and paranoid with fear of the Assassin that had hunted down his Templar brethren. Reporting to the Bureau and investigating, Altaïr traveled to the city’s ports, where he witnessed Sibrand falsely accusing a passing scholar of being the Assassin before cutting him down; he then retired to his ship.
Altaïr navigated through the ports and docked boats, arriving on Sibrand's ship and striking him down. Once again, the alert was sounded, though Altaïr managed to escape once more. After giving the Rafiq the feather wet with Sibrand's blood, Altaïr left for Masyaf as always.[1]
"Am I not unlike those precious books you seek to save? A source of knowledge with which you disagree. Yet you are rather quick to steal my life."
In Damascus, Jubair al Hakim, Saladin's head scholar, had begun burning every book in the city, in an attempt to wipe the history of the land. Traveling to the Bureau, Altaïr gathered the information, received his feather and moved in for the kill. Jubair stood flanked by many followers, all dressed in identical clothing; fortunately for Altaïr however, his previous investigations had shown him where Jubair would be and what he looked like, and before long the scholar joined his Templar brothers in death. Altaïr escaped the city guard, and reported his success to the Rafiq.[1]
"You have laid waste to our plans: first, the treasure, then our men. Control of the Holy Land slipped away, but then he saw an opportunity, to reclaim what has been stolen, to turn your victories to our advantage!"
Returning to Masyaf, Altaïr had only one target remaining; the Grand Master of the Knights Templar himself. Robert had apparently arrived in Jerusalem to attend the funeral of Majd Addin, in a show of mutual cooperation between and friendship between Saracen and Crusader. Gathering intelligence for the strike, Altaïr proceeded to the cemetery, but instead was ambushed by the Templars, who had anticipated his arrival. Engaging the Templars and Saracen guard in battle, he fought them of one by one.
During this fray, Altaïr defeated Robert and removed the helm, however, to his horror, it was instead a decoy.At first believing it to be sorcery, the shock of the woman standing before him soon wore off. Learning from the woman that Robert had used the time she had given him to travel to Arsuf, in the hopes of uniting the Saracens and Crusaders against the Assassins.
Sparing her life for being an innocent and a decoy, Altaïr returned to the Bureau and revealed the deception to Malik, who had recently come to believe that Altaïr had truly repented for his past crimes. Malik suggested to Altaïr that it was best he return to Masyaf, and enlighten Al Mualim to the development; Altaïr refused, citing time to be lacking. Making his departure from the city, Altaïr rode directly for Arsuf.[1]
"You know nothing of schemes. You are but a puppet. He betrayed you, boy, just as he betrayed me. "
―Robert to Altaïr in his dying words, 1191.
Arriving at Arsuf, Altaïr discovered the engagement between the Crusader and Saracen forces had commenced. Fighting his way through the battlefield, engaging Saracen and Christian troops alike, Altaïr arrived at Richard's camp, only to be mistaken for making an attempt on the King's life. Denying this, Altaïr informed the Crusader leader of Robert's treachery, as well as that of his followers; De Sable strenuously denied the accusations, though Richard was unconvinced. Leaving the matter to God, Richard ordered a trial by combat to determine the truth. Altaïr fought de Sable and his Templar elites, cutting them down and striking the Grand Master in the throat.[1]
With his dying breaths, Robert revealed to Altaïr that Al Mualim was, in fact, a Templar, and that Altaïr had been an unwitting pawn in his quest to hoard the Apple. Allowed to leave by Richard, Altaïr hurried to Masyaf.
Arriving at Masyaf, Altaïr found the villagers in a hypnotized trance, acknowledging Al Mualim as the one who "led [them] to the light". Progressing up the hill towards Masyaf, Altaïr encountered a group of hypnotized Assassins who bended to Al Mualim's will attacked him. Left with no other option, Altaïr engaged in battle with them and managed to slay them. However, another wave of Assassins joined this fray. Altaïr, heavily outnumbered barely fought them. To his luck, Malik and several Assassins aided him by throwing knives at the Assassins, causing them to flee. Meeting with Malik, Altaïr requested him to distract the hypnotized Assassins outside of the fortress so that he could reach Al Mualim without much trouble. Agreeing to his request, Malik and his men left Altaïr to infiltrate the fortress.[1]
Confronting his former master in the fortress garden that Al Mualim referred to as "Paradise", Altaïr demanded an explanation from his Master; Al Mualim revealed that he had used the Apple recovered at Solomon's Temple to control the minds of the people and ensure their obedience, ensuring utter and absolute peace; Altaïr's mission to murder the remaining Templar leaders, and subsequently end the Crusades.
Ending his explanation, Al Mualim used the power of the Apple to create a illusion of the nine Templars Altaïr had killed, who attacked the confused Assassin. Defeating them one by one, Altaïr was once again bound by the Apple's power. There Al Mualim confronted Altaïr personally and created multiple copies of himself. Once again engaging his master, Altaïr took the defensive, striking them as they attacked one by one.
Al Mualim bounded Altaïr once again. There he explained to Altaïr he sought peace like Robert, and he wanted the Apple to himself, and the Templar needed to die. Altaïr questioned why Al Mualim had not that used the Apple on him. Al Mualim explained that he had tried, and failed, due to Altaïr's mental strength.
There, Altaïr and Al Mualim dueled for the last time. Though a lengthy battle, Altaïr managed to finally defeat his master.
Altaïr then listened, as his master gave his final words, challenging Altaïr's strength of character and ability to destroy the Apple; the Assassin watched as the Apple rolled from his master's lifeless hand, before activating itself. He, joined by Malik and his men, stood before the vast holographic image that projected from the orb; a map of the world indicating the location of various other Pieces of Eden.[1]
Becoming Grand Master
Altaïr writing the Codex, with the Apple at his side.
"Our duty is to the people, not to custom. [...] We shall be made anew..."
After the death of Al Mualim, Altaïr inherited the title of Grand Master. Wanting to tell the tale that his life had been, he began writing his Codex, which would detail parts of his life.[2][4]
Altaïr drastically started to change the methods and rituals that the Order had followed for generations. The Templars started to make their movements less public, and Altaïr consequently did the same with his Order; abandoning all of the Assassin fortresses in the process. As the Assassins' main motive was the protect the people, he found the removal of the ring finger, a false promise of paradise and the prohibition of using poison to be useless. He redesigned the hidden blade so that it would not need the removal of the ring finger, created a way to use poison via the hidden blade and, together with his right hand-man Malik, discovered new methods of assassination.[2]
Liberating Cyprus
Attack on Acre's harbor
One month after Al Mualim's death, the Crusade continued to wage and the Templars had not yet been defeated. Attempting to flee to Cyprus under the leadership of Armand Bouchart, the Templars had secured Acre's harbor for their escape.[4]
Altair defeats Maria.
Leading the attack on the harbor castle, Altaïr was confronted by the same woman who had posed as Robert de Sable's decoy at Majd Addin's funeral. The woman, blaming Altaïr for ruining her life by killing De Sable, furiously engaged the Assassin in a sword duel, though was defeated by the Altaïr's greater skill. Revealing her name to be Maria and slowly realizing that she was betrayed by Bouchart, the Templar was taken hostage by Altaïr and was forced to travel along with him to Cyprus.[4]
Altaïr temporarily left the control of the Order, saying that he "built this Brotherhood to last", and left for the island of Cyprus; the island just recently bought by the Templars from King Richard. Arriving in the city of Limassol, Altaïr established contact with the Order's contact, Alexander; the leader of the resistance against the Templars in Limassol, who then became Altaïr primary ally in Cyprus and also took Maria under his protection.[4]
Retaking Limassol Castle
Altaïr conversing with Osman.
Altaïr met with Alexander at the local Resistance safehouse, and Alexander revealed that the Templars were holed up in Limassol Castle; though they already started to overrun more areas in Cyprus. Alexander advised Altaïr to kill the captain of the castle guard, who would most likely be replaced by one of Alexander's spies afterwards. Being successful in this task, Altaïr was told to meet the Templar Osman, a secret spy, to tell him that "Alexander wishes his grandmother a joyous birthday". Osman told Altaïr that he had heard of the Templars being interested in some sort of archive located in Cyprus, and that the ranking Templar in Limassol was Frederick "the Red". Osman reduced the castle guard for a short time, allowing Altaïr to sneak into the castle and slay Frederick.[4]
Returning to the Resistance safehouse, he found it surrounded by Templars and set aflame. After killing the Templars outside, he found no sign of any person left inside and left for the Limassol cathedral. There, he overlooked Armand Bouchart giving a speech to the people of Limassol about Frederick's death. Furious, he threatened the Cypriots, but was adviced not to do so by Osman. Bouchart took a moment of thinking and realized Osman was a traitor, and killed him. Additionally, Maria came running to Bouchart and informed him of Altaïr's presence, though Bouchart still would not trust Maria, blaming her for De Sable's death and ordering his guards to lock her up.[4]
Altaïr managed to save Maria, and successfully escorted her back to Alexander near Limassol's port. There, Altaïr was informed that Bouchart had fled to Kyrenia, and Alexander told him to have a sailor named Pasha, who owed Alexander a debt, bring him and Maria to Kyrenia as well. Before leaving, he infiltrated the remaining Templar ship docked in the port to look into its shipping manifest. Leaving for Kyrenia, Altaïr aimed to get in contact with Alexander's associate Barnabas.[4]
Arrival in Kyrenia
As the boat arrived in Cyprus and Altaïr and Maria intended to leave the boat, their identities were discovered by the pirates and turn them in to the authorities. Quickly climbing up, Maria kicked Altaïr from the ladder as they were climbing and fled. Altaïr managed to escape from the pirates and went after Maria, eventually running into her. Caught by Resistance soldiers, Maria was returned to Altaïr's hands and Altaïr made his first contact with the resistance; a man named Markos, who offered to keep an eye on Maria.[4]
Altaïr went on further into the city and eventually found the Resistance's safehouse, meeting the man calling himself Barnabas. Explaining that he was after Armand Bouchart's head, Barnabas explained that he would most likely have gone to Buffavento Castle, a Templar stronghold. Barnabas said he could have him get inside it with no trouble from the Templar guards, in return for killing a man who supposedly betrayed the Resistance. Agreeing to the task, Altaïr left to search for the traitor named Jonas.[4]
Altaïr investigated the city and eventually found Jonas talking with another person. Having dispatched the nearby guards, Altaïr confronted Jonas, though the latter fled before Altaïr could make any action. Altaïr intercepted him in a secluded area, and Jonas tried to explain that a man known as "The Bull" was after him, but his reasoning was in vain. Having killed his target, Altaïr left for the harbor to secure Maria. Altaïr found them surrounded by guards, but managed to save them in time. After Altaïr mentioned "The Bull", Maria revealed that she met him and was in fact named Moloch. Altaïr, afraid of Maria being captured, told Markos to meet them at the Resistance safehouse. Altaïr went ahead of them, and met Barnabas again, who explained that Jonas' death had caused riots in the city. After having explained that there are Resistance members coming to the safehouse, Altaïr left to surpress the riots, which were instigated by Moloch.[4]
Changing the Order
Liberating Cyprus from Bouchart and his Templar followers, Altaïr, who had previously intended to seal the Apple within the Limassol archives, decided it best that the Apple remain with him,[4] and over the years peered into it often.[2]
Altaïr's drawing of his armor.
By peering into the Apple of Eden, Altaïr gained the knowledge to create a form of metal that was lighter and stronger than any other metal known until then. He created an armor set for himself, but decided to erase the formulae to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
In 1209, Altaïr began to expand the Order's sphere of operations significantly, sending out those that had trained under him across the globe; they spread to countries and whole civilizations that were, as yet, unknown to most of his contemporaries during that era. With the discovery that the Templars' were acting in a similar fashion, a race for influence that would eventually split the globe began.[5]
Contrary to what his former mentor strived for, Altaïr allowed the members of the Order to raise their own children and express their love for them. While Al Mualim believed that love would make them weaker, Altaïr thought that love would make it easier for them to make sacrifices for the right cause.[2]
With the usage of the Apple "in small doses, and with a focused mind," Altaïr gained the knowledge to once again redesign the hidden blade so that it could contain an additional device capable of launching small projectiles. Some time afterwards, Altaïr had the Apple locked away in the Templar Archive in Cyprus.[2]
At some point prior to 1227, Altaïr and Maria bore at least two sons,[2] training them to be Assassins. With the rapid approach of Genghis Khan from the east, whom Altaïr suspected to possess a Piece of Eden, the family planned to head East to combat the threat.[2]
Later life
At some other point during his late life, Altaïr hid a secret weapon - one capable of ending the war between the two factions forever - within the library of the fortress of Masyaf, accessible only to one who possessed all five seals. The seals served as keys to the weapon, which Altaïr ordered to be hidden throughout the city of Constantinople.[6]
In the year 1257, a 92-year old Altaïr met with the Venetian explorers Niccolò and Maffeo Polo in Masyaf to discuss his life, and the history of the Order.[7]
During his time in Cyprus, Altaïr began working on the Codex, an encrypted journal in which he detailed his thoughts and discoveries.[4] His relationship with Maria bore at least two children, and his discoveries from the Piece of Eden led to a complete change in the Assassin's ways. Beside the intellectual findings, the Apple's knowledge taught him to upgrade the Hidden Blade mechanism, create a firearm and a nearly indestructible piece of armor, as well as other technological advances.[2]
In 1259, Altaïr's Codex had passed into the hands of Marco Polo, who had retrieved it from Kublai Khan. The Templars, having knowledge about the Codex, hired a contingent of pirates to retrieve it from the Assassin Dante Alighieri, who was transporting it from Venice to Spain; also escorting it was Dante’s apprentice, a descendant of Altaïr, named Domenico, who had only recently been made aware of his heritage. As the pirates attacked, Domenico broke apart the Codex and hid it from the pirates, though was too late to save the life of his Master and wife.[8] Eventually, Domenico and his son took the name of Auditore, and constructed the Villa Auditore in Monteriggioni,[8] beneath which they constructed the Sanctuary; inside of which rested Altaïr's Grand Master robes. These robes later passed into the possession of yet another of Altaïr's descendants, the Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze.[2]
Centuries later, in the early 21st Century the Templar organization Abstergo Industries kidnapped a descendant of Altaïr: one man only known as "[[Subject 16]" in order to "read" the memories that were encoded into their DNA. Using the Animus, Subject 16 was forced into reliving the memories of his ancestors.[2]
A few years later, Abstergo captured another descendant of Altaïr named Desmond Miles, codenamed "Subject 17". Once again using the Animus, Desmond explored Altaïr's memories, overseen by researchers Dr. Warren Vidic and his assistant, an undercover Assassin named Lucy Stillman, in order to find a specific memory about the Piece of Eden for the Templar's project bent on creating a "New World Order".[1]
Following his escape from Abstergo Industries, Desmond Miles, suffering from a condition known as the "bleeding effect", received a hallucination of Altaïr's memories whilst outside the Animus; within the hallucination Desmond watched as Altaïr chased a hooded figure through the castle of Acre. Ending upon the castle's highest tower, the runner revealed herself to be Maria. After sharing an intimate moment with Maria, Altaïr left; Desmond became shocked when he noticed he was no longer following Altaïr – he had just witnessed the conception of his ancestor.[2]
Characteristics and personality
Malik A-Sayf: "I do not accept your apology."
Altaïr: "I understand."
Malik A-Sayf: "No, you don't. I do not accept your apology, because you are not the same man who went with me into Solomon's Temple."
—Altaïr and Malik A-Sayf shortly before the funeral of Majd Addin.[src]
Altaïr free running.
Altaïr was raised at the Assassin's fortress at Masyaf, and possessed incredible skills, quickly rising among the ranks of the Order. A cold and objective person, he fully devoted himself to the cause he chose to pursue.
Altaïr had a rebellious nature; he was impetuous, overconfident, demanding, arrogant, self-centered and impatient.[1] After the failure at Solomon's Temple, being demoted to Novice and sent after nine targets, Altaïr began listening to the final words of his victims, their revelations involving them and their justifications for their deeds. As his mission progresses, his attitude changes and he starts to perceive more between the lines and actions of the world while drawing upon the teachings of the Creed, prior a guide, now a way of life.[1][2] At the end of the conflict, all of his brash and rebellious nature had been put under control, and he became a calm, focused, driven, humble, patient and wise man. Altaïr was one of the most respected and feared Assassins in the Order, second only to the brotherhood's leader, Al Mualim.[1]
Smart and dedicated, his studies and determination to ensure "peace in all things" made sure the order survived to fight for that for as long as it was necessary, as he understood that the new world would have no place for the current ways of the Assassins.[2]
Also, his cold personality did not uphold his emotions. Altaïr is known to have fallen in love at least twice, with Adha,[3] who unfortunately died and was avenged subsequently,[2] and Maria Thorpe, de Sable's steward, who became his lifetime partner and was the mother of his children.[2]
Equipment and skills
Altaïr was a Master Assassin and instructor, capable of extraordinary acrobatic feats, adept in social stealth, and
Altaïr strikes with his infamous hidden blade.
fully apt in the application of deadly arts and possessed great strengh and stamina. Trained extensively, he was able to overcome any obstacle, human or terrain. He was able to get anywhere, climbing the tallest tower and jumping from the highest ledge without a hint of fear. Like other Assassins, he was also trained in stealth assassination techniques, hand to hand and weapons combat, blade throwing, climbing, urban acrobatics, eavesdropping, interrogation, pick pocketing and anything else that may help complete a mission. Besides the physical prowess, he also had extensive knowledge of the Holy Land politics and religion, which helped the Assassins understand their opponents.[1]
As a high member of the Order, Altaïr possessed an array of weapons at his disposal, comprised of a longsword, a short blade, throwing knives and the iconic Hidden Blade. Altaïr also possessed an ability called Eagle Vision, a sort of "sixth sense," a strong feeling, instinct or intuition that let him see people's true intentions,[1] though this seemed to be a rarity even among the Assassins. On the visual display of the Animus, this sense was translated into a color based system. According to Niccolò Polo, Altaïr still retained the same strengh, stamina and skill as he had in his youth at the age of 92.
Romantic life
The earliest information revealed about Altaïr's love interests lies with Adha, who is also known as the Chalice. At first appearance, there only seemed to be a friendly relationship between them, but on a closer inspection of the Codex, there seemed to be more at hand. Her death consumed the young Assassin with hatred, and he swore vengeance on all those who had killed her. He hunted down and killed every man responsible for her death; but this brought no joy or satisfaction, and he was left heavily scarred by her memory. He wrote in the Codex that he felt he would never have the same feelings for any other woman, and that the love he later felt for Maria Thorpe proved him wrong.
Altaïr first met Maria when she was serving her master Robert de Sable as a decoy at the funeral of Majd Addin. However, there was no improvement in their relationship until she became Altaïr's prisoner, just before he traveled to Cyprus to help the resistance against the Templars. During these events, Maria acted very rebelliously against her captor. However, in time, they both grew to know each other; and once Maria learned and accepted the truth of what the Templars truly were, there was hope for both of them. From the Codex, it is revealed they did foster a relationship together, and that Altaïr and Maria had at least two sons. As a side-effect from the bleeding effect, Altaïr's descendant Desmond Miles saw them in a vision chasing each other to the top of a high tower, where they shared an intimate moment, and where Altaïr impregnated her.
Behind the scenes
Altaïr's concept art.
The name "Altaïr" is a word in the Arabic language, meaning "The Flyer"/"The Flying One/The Flying Eagle". In interviews, the game's producer Jade Raymond has stated that in mid-air, Altaïr's shadow resembles that of an eagle, because his attire includes a point at the front of the hood (to resemble a beak) and slits through the back of the outfit (to resemble tail feathers). The second part of his name, "Ibn-La'Ahad", means "son of none", reflecting his mysterious origins. His face, as Desmond's, is modeled after Canadian model Francisco Randez.
Trivia
An image gallery is available for Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
Assassin's Creed
His American voice in Assassin's Creed, completely different from everyone else's, was intentionally done. The reason for this has not been stated by Ubisoft.
Altaïr is seen wielding a crossbow in the E3 trailer for the original Assassin's Creed, though the weapon does not appear until Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Altaïr uses the weapon in the same manner Ezio does, holding it one-handed, and firing single bolts with very little time needed to aim the weapon.
Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines
In Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines, though Altaïr does not have a sheath for his short blade on his back, he will nevertheless both draw and sheathe his dagger as if he did.
Assassin's Creed II
It is interesting to note that in Desmond's memory of Altaïr's chase with Maria in Assassin's Creed II, Altaïr won't drown, should he accidentally fall into water. The player will lose synchronization, but in the remaining seconds, you'll see Altaïr floating in the water.
Also in this memory, Altaïr can kill the Templars using his sword. He is not equipped with his short blade though, and cannot use his Hidden Blade. An interesting note is that he fights like Ezio, not himself from Assassin's Creed.
In the dream sequence, Altaïr will still have the sheath on his back for his short blade, however, the blade itself is missing from it's sheath.
File:Acr5c.jpgAltair in Revelations.In Revelations Altaïr will return, in five seperate memories, each extremely significant to the story.
In Assassin's Creed: Revelations Altaïr outfit has a notable difference; instead of the short blade on his back, he has a leather pouch instead. This leather pouch is very similar to the one seen in the original Assassin's Creed E3 trailer.
Name
The connection between Altaïr and eagles was not coincidental at all. He is named after the brightest star in the constellation Aquila, which is known symbolically as "The Eagle".
Aquila is also Italian/Latin for eagle, which links to Ezio's Italian heritage.
There are different pronunciations of the name "Altaïr." In Arabic, it mostly sounds like "Al-tai-ear" or "Al-ta-'ir," with a subtle pronunciation of the "r" at the end. Inversely, Desmond pronounces the name as "Al-ta-ear" with a clearer "r" at the end, and a hard "t."
By looking at the Codex pages, it can be seen that Altaïr was a bit of an artist, illustrating several blueprints for hidden blade modifications, learning manuals for assassination techniques, some maps, and even a detailed sketch bordered with hand-drawn flowers of his lover, Maria Thorpe.
Altair's face. Notice the scar.Altaïr's robes can also be bought in the Alter Ego store on PlayStation Home for both male or female avatars.
Neca manufactured an action figure of Altaïr, which was well-articulated and highly detailed. All weapons have holders that they can be removed from, including each individual throwing knife. It was not based on the game version, but on the artwork renders of the character.
Oddly, Altaïr has green eyes, whereas Ezio and Desmond both have brown eyes.
It is also interesting to note that Altaïr, Desmond and Ezio share the same scar on their upper lip.
