Mustafa

This article is about the captain from the Zhang Wei Union. For other uses, see Mustafa (disambiguation).

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 28 August 2024.

Edward: "You've got more silver in your beard than the coins that you're worth. In fact, I think that I'll call you Captain Rupiya, a second-rate coin for a second-rate pirate."

Mustafa: "R-Rupiya? The Terror of Malacca they once called me... Now I'm reduced to a mere silver coin..."

—Edward Kenway giving Mustafa his nickname, 1725.

Mustafa, better known by his nickname "Rupiya"and also briefly known as "Hogbeard", was a pirate captain during the early 18th century. He primarily operated in the Strait of Malacca, where he gained notoriety as the "Terror of Malacca".

In 1725, the businessman Sun hired Mustafa to attack merchant ships owned by his rival Lee Huiyin. The attack was thwarted by the Assassin Edward Kenway and the navigator John Young, who defeated Mustafa's crew and took the captain prisoner. Following Edward's establishment of the Zhang Wei Union, Mustafa was recruited into the organization and worked alongside them on several jobs as the captain of their flagship, the Fenghuang.

Mustafa's real name was never revealed to his allies, leading to his being nicknamed early on by Edward, who found it fitting to use the name of a "second-rate coin for a second-rate pirate".

Biography

Life of piracy

"A-as it happens, I know a thing or two that could be worth a pretty penny to fine swashbuckling gentlemen such as yourselves... Not only that, I have a capable crew to call me own! That I do! Just say the word and they'll rally around me like seasoned soldiers!"

―Mustafa trying to convince Edward and John not to turn him over to the authorities, 1725.

In 1725, Mustafa and his crew were hired by Sun, the head of the Hualien Trading Company, to attack the merchant ships of his rival, the businesswoman Lee Huiyin, along the coast of Macau. This was the first time that Mustafa was contacted by Sun, who up until then had relied on a crew of Japanese pirates to carry out similar attacks.

Mustafa taken hostage by Edward

Sun used his connections to make sure the Dutch Navy would not intervene during the attack, allowing Mustafa and his crew to easily capture one of Lee's ships. However, just as they began stealing the ship's cargo, they were confronted by the Assassin Edward Kenway and the navigator John Young, who had come to defend the vessel. After John fired a cannonball at the mast of Lee's ship to immobilize it, Edward boarded the vessel and quickly dispatched half of Mustafa's crew before taking the captain hostage. Upon seeing this, the remaining pirates returned to their own ship and fled, abandoning their captain.

Angered by his crew's lack of loyalty, Mustafa offered to tell Edward everything he knew in exchange for his life, informing him that Sun was his employer. After Edward returned with a tied up Mustafa to John's ship, the two decided to take the pirate captain back to the village where they were staying, believing it was safer than handing him over to Macau's authorities, who would likely execute him on the spot. At the village, Mustafa was imprisoned in a warehouse under the watch of two guards.

Mustafa threatening his crew

Later, Edward and John found a use for Mustafa, who was taken by the latter to search for his former crew. Following Mustafa's directions, John was able to find the place where the crew had been hiding with their ship. Once freed, Mustafa shot one of his former men in the shoulder as payback for the crew's mutiny before threatening them to return to serve under him, or else they would face the wrath of Edward, the "Nightmare of the Caribbean".

Following this, Mustafa and John returned to Macau, where they waited for Edward's signal to open fire on a detained Far East Company ship carrying opium. After Edward set off a firework and leapt off the ship, Mustafa destroyed the vessel and its cargo with his cannons, preventing Lee from getting her hands on the opium.

Working for the Zhang Wei Union

Voyage to Manila

"As of this moment, your days of piracy are over. You are once again honest seafarers, free to sail the seas. You no longer need to prey upon innocent people... nor need you fear pursuit by the navy. Welcome to a new life, lads."

―Edward welcoming Mustafa and his crew to the Zhang Wei Union, 1725.

Mustafa and his crew joining the Zhang Wei Union

Some time later, Mustafa and his crew left their lives of piracy behind, joining the Zhang Wei Union, a legitimate shipping company founded by Edward. It was during this time that Mustafa received his nickname of "Rupiya" from Edward after he complained about the lack of respect everyone in the Union was showing him. Although Mustafa initially disliked his nickname, he eventually came to embrace it and was thereafter only referred to by it.

Eventually, the Zhang Wei Union received their first contract, which was to escort a trading vessel – coincidentally the same one that Mustafa had attacked previously – from Macau to Manila. While returning from Manila, the crew spotted a pirate ship attacking a Dutch East India Company vessel. Unwilling to let such an opportunity go, Edward ordered Mustafa to attack the pirates, intending to take their ship as a prize.

Mustafa deceived the pirates into tailing him to a rock, where Edward made use of a rowboat to board the pirate ship while Mustafa and John provided a distraction. However, during the ensuing battle, the pirate ship suffered heavy damages and soon caught fire, forcing Edward and the crew members who accompanied him to abandon the vessel before it sunk.

Mission to the Paracel Islands

"Are ye sure about this? I've sailed to the Paracels myself and know as well as anoyone... that taking on all the corsairs there with a lone ship is no less than a suicide mission."

―Mustafa voicing his doubts about the mission to Edward, 1725.

Following the crew's return to Macau, Edward accepted a job from Jan van Aert, the Dutch East India Company's chief navigator, to rid the Paracel Islands of pirates. Mustafa expressed his doubts about the mission, claiming that he had sailed to the islands before and that taking on all the pirates there was a suicide mission. However, Edward assured him that the advanced weapons designed by the Zhang Wei Union's engineer, Yun Pyeong-Gyu, would give them the edge over the pirates. Against his better judgement, Mustafa complied and set sail for the islands.

Mustafa meeting with the pirate captain while Zhang poses as his hostage

En route to the Paracels, Edward devised a plan which required Mustafa to distract the pirates whilst the Assassin and John planted explosives around their stronghold. With Zhang posing as his prisoner, Mustafa met up with the pirates' captain, an old acquaintance of his. After dismissing rumors that he had been executed in Macau, Mustafa agreed to go celebrate with the pirates, but claimed that he had sworn off alcohol, leading to the captain offering him tea taken from the ships they had plundered.

That night, after the pirates fell asleep from the alcohol they had consumed, Mustafa got ready to leave and return to his ship for the next step of Edward's plan. However, at that moment the captain suddenly awoke and saw Mustafa grab a bottle of ale. Fortunately, the captain did not suspect a thing and, assuming Mustafa was grabbing the bottle for his crew, told him to take more drinks. Upon returning to his ship, Mustafa ordered his men to ready the hwachas Yun had built for them as they waited for Edward's signal.

However, the plan was botched when Edward freed the pirates' prisoners, who inadvertently alerted the pirates. After Edward, John, Zhang and the prisoners made it back safely to his ship, Mustafa sailed away from the islands. However, in his rush, he inadvertently led them to the "Boneyard of Sails", a patch of the sea infamous for the number of ships that had sunk there. As Mustafa was forced to slow down the ship to avoid meeting the same fate, Edward devised a plan to lure the pirates chasing them into a trap, where they were all ultimately killed by the hwachas.

Captain of the Fenghuang

"It's time to get to work, lads! Let's give the Fenghuang a trial by fire."

―Mustafa to his crew before engaging Jeong's fleet, 1725.

Mustafa with Yun aboard the Fenghuang

When Edward and John infiltrated Sun's floating gambling hall to retrieve a sea log in the merchant's possession, Mustafa was given command of the Zhang Wei Union's flagship, the Fenghuang, acquired from the Paracel Islands pirates. Sailing alongside Yun, Mustafa came to Edward and John's rescue when the pair were attacked by the fleet of Admiral Jeong, hired by Lee to destroy the gambling den. After sinking one of Jeong's ships, the admiral withdrew, allowing Edward, John, Shimazu Saito and Xialun Qing to board the Fenghuang, which then sailed back to the Union's headquarters.

Later, Mustafa and the other members of the Union witnessed an archery contest between Yun and Saito. The captain wasted no time in turning the friendly competition into an opportunity for profit by having people bet on it, much to Edward's annoyance. In the end, Saito emerged victorious, ending Yun's win streak, and Mustafa and the others cheered for her.

Not long after, Yun deciphered the contents of the sea log memorized by Saito, which indicated that they had to follow in the footsteps of explorer Ferdinand Magellan to find the lost city of Angkor and its treasure. With the Philippines set as their destination, Edward, John, Yun, Saito and Qing boarded the Fenghuang before Mustafa excitedly sailed towards their next adventure.

Journey to the Philippines

Edward: "They must have a master navigator at the helm."

Mustafa: "Aye, I've heard tell of her before. She steers her ship like a woman possessed, untouchable by any navy. She plunders and pillages in the South China Sea... Elusive as a ghost, they say!"

—Mustafa telling Edward about Jeong, 1725.

As the Fenghuang approached Manila, it suddenly came under attack by Jeong's fleet, which had followed the ship. Thanks to Yun's latest invention – fire barrels which exploded on impact – the Zhang Wei Union members were able to cause considerable damage to the enemy vessels, sinking a number of them.

Mustafa at the Fenghuang's helm

However, Jeong's ship remained operational and continued to pursue the Fenghuang. When Edward remarked that the admiral must be skilled at the helm if she was able to keep up with them, Mustafa told the Assassin about the stories he had heard regarding Jeong's infamy across the South China Sea.

After Jeong rammed her ship into the Fenghuang, Mustafa was able to perform evasive maneuvers to get the vessel to safety. The crew then celebrated their apparent escape from Jeong, unaware that the admiral's true intentions were to get close enough to the Fenghuang to allow her passengers – Xiao Han, Liu Qing and Xue Yan – to board it. After the Chinese Assassins used their gliders to reach the ship, a battle ensued between them and the crew.

Ultimately, the Fenghuang's crew were able to defeat the Chinese Assassins, forcing them to flee back to Jeong's ship. Edward then ordered Mustafa to sail into an incoming storm to lose their pursuers, though one enemy vessel managed to follow them. Fortunately, it was sunk by a Dutch East India Company ship captained by Jan van Aert, who had learned about Edward's expedition and decided to accompany him.

Arrested in Manila

"Sh-shiver me timbers...! Death comes for us all... even the dashing and intrepid Captain Rupiya...!"

―Mustafa's reaction to seeing the Spanish Men O' War, 1725.

Not long afterwards, both the Fenghuang and Jan's ship came under attack by two Spanish Men O' War, forcing them to surrender. The crews of the two ships were subsequently brought to Manila, where they were arrested by the Spanish authorities due to Jan's alleged involvement in the assassination of the Governor-General of the Philippines, Fernando Manuel de Bustillo Bustamante y Rueda, six years prior.

Mustafa and the others being arrested

While Jan and his men were imprisoned in Fort Santiago's dungeon, the Fenghuang's crew were forced to remain inside their ship, under heavy guard. During their imprisonment, John managed to learn that Governor Bustamante had been killed in a riot by supporters of the Archbishop of Manila, Francisco de la Cuesta, and relayed this information to the others. Edward then decided to take matters into their own hands and had Qing distract the guards by bringing them food, allowing the crew to escape the ship.

After Edward and Saito rescued Jan's crew and the other Union members retrieved their confiscated weapons and supplies from a warehouse, the Fenghuang sailed away from Manila, followed closely by Jan's ship. When the Spanish Navy gave chase, Jan volunteered to distract their pursuers to give the Union members time to flee.

Once they had escaped from the Spanish fleet, Edward told Mustafa and the others about his and Saito's encounter with a monk who wielded a Piece of Eden in the shape of a crescent amulet. The Assassin then ordered the crew to set a course for Cebu.

Voyage to Monkey Island

Chief: "Some even claim to have seen vampires that suck the blood from both men and beasts."

Mustafa: "Ye gods, vampires?!"

—The village chief telling Mustafa and Edward about the rumors surrounding Monkey Island, 1725.

Following their escape from Manila, the Union members discovered that the Spanish authorities had confiscated all of their food rations and decided to attack two passing Spanish schooners to take their supplies. Afterwards, the Fenghuang docked at a nearby village to resupply, where the natives instantly recognized and greeted the Union members, as Zhang had recently begun trading with them.

The village chief telling Mustafa and Edward about Monkey Island

While Edward recruited several of the villagers into the Union, Mustafa decided to plan the crew's course to Cebu. After settling on a route, he showed it to Edward, only to be interrupted by the village's chief. Seeing the route Mustafa had chosen, the chief warned him and Edward that one of the islands in their path, Monkey Island, had recently become the subject of unsettling rumors after several ships went missing near its shores, which terrified Mustafa.

Legacy

By the 21st century, Mustafa's personal sea log had ended up in the archives of the Zhang Wei Union. In 2023, it was retrieved by Nathan Zhang, who later handed it to Noa Kim after a fight, as the latter was attempting to trace Edward's footsteps in the Philippines. Using the information from the sea log, Noa and Shimazu Sei were able to continue exploring Edward's genetic memories in the Animus.

Personality and traits

John: "Don't even think about turning on us while our backs are turned. I would hate to take a life that we so mercifully spared."

Mustafa: "Sigh, curse my fate."

—Mustafa and John Young, 1725.

John Young messing with Mustafa

As a pirate, Mustafa was a greedy individual focused only on his own self-gain. Despite this, he appeared to hold his crew in relatively high regard and was both surprised and furious when they abandoned him following their defeat by Edward Kenway. However, Mustafa was not much braver himself, as he quickly told the Assassin everything he knew in exchange for his life.

Mustafa was somewhat reluctant to join the Zhang Wei Union, as it meant abandoning the excitement of his pirate life. He also took issue with the disrespect he faced from everyone around him, though in time he warmed up to his newfound companions, who in turn started treating him better. He remained loyal to them and accompanied them on their missions, even those he deemed suicidal.

Despite having left his days of piracy behind, Mustafa's greed remained ever prevalent. When Yun Pyeong-Gyu and Shimazu Saito had an archery contest, the captain wasted no time in turning the friendly competition into an opportunity for profit by having people bet on who they thought would be the winner.

Skills and equipment

Likely due to his cowardly nature, Mustafa relied on his crew members to fight for him and did not carry any weapons with him. However, he more than made up for this with his skills at the helm, proving to be an efficient navigator regardless of the ship he sailed.

Behind the scenes

Mustafa is a character introduced in Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple, though his real name was not revealed until Episode 47 of the webtoon and as such he is mostly referred to by his nickname, "Rupiya".

The name Rupiya comes from the Hindustani word rupiyā, which itself is Sanskrit in origin and means "wrought silver, a coin of silver". It shares a similar meaning in Episode 24 when Edward referred to Mustafa's nickname as meaning a second-rate coin. Rupiya, or Rupee, is also a currency used in many countries such as India, Pakistan, and Indonesia.

Gallery

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  John and Edward discussing what to do with a captive Mustafa
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  Mustafa being imprisoned in Zhang's village
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  Mustafa leading John to his crew's hideout
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  Mustafa and John destroying the opium shipment
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  Mustafa and his crew overlooking the Paracel Islands
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  Mustafa "hosting" the archery contest between Yun and Saito

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple