Piece of Eden

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The Piece of Eden used by Those Who Came Before to enslave humans

A Piece of Eden is one of several ancient objects left by Those Who Came Before, each possessing different effects and are known to be capable of bending the thoughts of one or more individuals to the will of the user.

History

Those Who Came Before, an ancient and incredibly advanced race of beings, lived on Earth long ago. Exactly who they were, where they came from or how they died is still largely unknown. What is known, however, is that they created both humanity and the Pieces of Eden.

In Assassin's Creed II, Minerva reveals that her kind created humanity in their own image as a slave race. In order to ensure their acquiescence and loyalty, humanity was engineered to be susceptible to specific hypnotic power. This power was focused specifically through technology later known as Pieces of Eden. Because of this, humans and Those Who Came Before lived peacefully, albeit unequally, for some time. However, two humans, Adam and Eve became resistant to the power of their masters' technology, prompting them to rebel and to steal one of the Pieces of Eden, known only as "the Apple", a story mirrored in the Bible with Eve stealing from the Tree of Knowledge.

When the Knights Templar discovered the existence of the Pieces of Eden, they initially believed that they were apples from the Tree of Knowledge, further cementing the original Biblical story, although not all of the Pieces are necessarily "apples". Believing that all supernatural phenomena have roots in the use of Pieces, the Templar Order committed itself to exposing all religious and spiritual miracles as false, ultimately destroying the concept of religion.

In Assassin's Creed, Al Mualim of the Assassin Order gained a Piece of Eden, the original Apple, and attempted to use it to establish forced peace. However, his plans were thwarted by Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, who then took control of the Apple and the Assassin Order. After doing so, he established a new goal — to hunt down and destroy the last of the Knights Templar and the remaining Pieces of Eden. Altaïr studied the artifact, writing about its powers and his own theories, this collection of writings later became known as "The Codex".

During the events of Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines, when the Cypriots blamed Altaïr for the disasters that struck the island and tried to attack him, he used the Piece of Eden to control their minds, forcing them to hear the truth — that the real culprit was Armand Bouchart, the Templar Grand Master. Altaïr then travels to the Archives in Limassol, his intention being to store the Apple and leave it. However, when he arrives, he decides to keep it instead and its later status is unknown.

In Assassin's Creed II, while decrypting "The Truth" files left by Subject 16, it is revealed that the Apple and other Pieces of Eden have a rather extensive history of changing hands. Many notable figures in history (some Knights Templar and some obtaining the artifacts by pure coincidence) have used the Pieces of Eden for varying purposes. Such individuals include, but are not limited to, Napoleon Bonaparte, George Washington, Gandhi, Houdini, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Tsar Nicholas II, Winston Churchill and even Adolf Hitler. Leonardo da Vinci was able to view an activated Piece very briefly, seeing schematics of planes, tanks, helicopters and other devices. These schematics bore a strikingly resemblance to the designs found in da Vinci's notes, suggesting that many of his well-known designs were not of his own creation, but rather copied from the Piece. Indeed, it is possible that every major historical event and scientific discovery can be attributed to a Piece of Eden, as the Pieces seem to be at the very heart of all of human history.

Characteristics

Abilities

The greatest tools known to man, the Pieces of Eden are capable of warping reality, creating illusions, starting and ending wars, and ushering in forced peace. It is believed by Abstergo Industries and the Knights Templar that the Pieces of Eden were the sources of "miracles" such as the Parting of the Red Sea, the successful use of the Trojan Horse, the miracles surrounding "the Christ-figure" who founded the Christian faith, and the Biblical plagues that ravaged Egypt, among other supernatural happenings.

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Ezio with the Apple

Each Piece of Eden also contains a holographic map of Earth, showing the current locations of all the other Artifacts. Abstergo kidnapped Desmond Miles for this very reason; after the Masyaf Piece of Eden was destroyed during its experimental use at the Denver International Airport, Abstergo was required to access Altaïr's memories to view the map and discover the locations of the other Pieces of Eden.

Each of the Pieces of Eden contain a great deal of energy and the destruction of one causes explosions similar to nuclear blasts, powerful enough to level a major city. According to one of the Truth files, the Tunguska Explosion on June 30, 1908 was caused when a Piece of Eden was destroyed and all of its internal energy was released at once. It is also believed that a Piece of Eden was used in the Manhattan Project during World War II.

Resistance

Adam and Eve are believed to be the first humans that were naturally immune to the Pieces of Eden, with other humans later in history (such as Altaïr and other Assassins) also developing immunity. In an e-mail to Abstergo Industries it is revealed that the company's leaders believe some people may be resistant to the mind control effect of the Pieces of Eden and that other such items must be procured to ensure no one is left to cause trouble in the Templar's planned "New World".

Although there is no concrete explanation for immunity to the Pieces, Subject 16 notes in one of his truth files that scientists had discovered a specific neurological receptor in the human brain that does not seem to react to any known stimuli. The receptor has no counterpart in any other species and thus developed independently in humans. This receptor possibly react with the Pieces of Eden, allowing the possessor of the Piece to control human minds. However, some humans are born without this receptor, though how this mutation occurred is still unknown. Theoretically, natural evolution disposed of it in an effort to make humans more suitable independently rather than being solely reliant on their masters for food and shelter. Another possible explanation, implied in another Truth File, is that the ancestors of Altaïr and Ezio gained their immunity and other abilities from a mixed bloodline, having genetic material from both humans (who have the receptors) and Those Who Came Before (who do not).

Altaïr's resistance to the Pieces is shown when Al Mualim attempts to use the Piece of Eden to control Altaïr, but for some reason could not. However, even though Altaïr is resistant against its hypnotic effect, the Piece of Eden was still able to affect him in other ways such as immobilizing him, causing him to hallucinate and clouding his mind. Ezio's resistance is shown when he finally confronts Rodrigo Borgia in Rome. However, during this confrontation Ezio also has obtained a Piece of Eden and it can be argued that he may not be naturally resistant to the artifacts, but instead his own Piece is protecting him from Borgia's.

The resistance to be genetic in nature, as Altaïr and his descendants, Desmond Miles and Ezio Auditore da Firenze, are all immune to the Pieces. These three individuals are the only people specifically mentioned as lacking these receptors. However, although in an e-mail to Abstergo Industries, an unknown person contacts Dr. Warren Vidic about the DIA incident, declaring "I know what you did" and gives a firsthand account of the artifact's failed experiment. Furthermore, another e-mail by Alan Rikkin shows that Abstergo anticipated that enough people would be immune to the effects of the Pieces following their launch into orbit to pose a threat to Abstergo's domination. Thus, it is likely that a significant portion of the human race has developed an immunity to the Pieces of Eden.

Confirmed Artifacts

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The Staff and the Apple.

01: The First Apple

Use: Designed to create illusions and control men's minds; can be used in conjunction with the Staff.

Status: Destroyed during the Denver Incident. (Mentioned in dialogue with Lucy during the first Assassin's Creed).

Neutral Ownership: Those Who Came Before, Jesus (possible), Muhammad (possible), Solomon's Temple, Girolamo Savonarola, Houdini.

Assassin Associated Ownership: Adam and Eve, Abel, Al Mualim, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, Ezio Auditore da Firenze.

Templar Associated Ownership: Cain, Al Mualim, Napoleon, Knights Templar, Rodrigo Borgia.

02: The Second Apple

Use: Designed to create illusions and control men's minds; can be used in conjunction with the Staff.

Status: Caught in an explosive satellite malfunction. Possibly survived, but, if so, it is impossible to retrieve in the darkness of space.

Neutral Ownership: Those Who Came Before, Elizabeth I of England, Gandhi.

Assassin Associated Ownership: None.

Templar Associated Ownership: Mary I of England, Knights Templar.

03: The Third Apple

Use: Designed to create illusions and control men's minds; can be used in conjunction with the Staff.

Status: Unknown.

Neutral Ownership: Those Who Came Before, George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy.

Assassin Associated Ownership: None.

Templar Associated Ownership: Lyndon B. Johnson.

04: The Fourth Apple

Use: Designed to create illusions and control men's minds; can be used in conjunction with the Staff. Possibly helped in the development of weapons and technology throughout the centuries.

Status: Unknown

Neutral Ownership: Those Who Came Before.

Assassin Associated Ownership: Nikola Tesla, Assassin Order.

Templar Associated Ownership: Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Adolf Hitler.

05: The Fifth Apple

Use: Designed to create illusions and control men's minds; can be used in conjunction with the Staff.

Status: Unknown

Neutral Ownership: Those Who Came Before.

Assassin Associated Ownership: None.

Templar Associated Ownership: NASA.

25: The Sword

Use: Designed to possibly cut through anything and block any attack. It also probably "passed" along an immense knowledge of combat tactics to the wielder, allowing them to take on entire armies. It's said that Attila the Hun's sword had an attack called the "Scourge of Mars". It was so terrifying that none dared to speak of the details...if there were any that survived it, that is. It created illusions that unnerved their opponents. It is quite possible that the Sword could actually be the legendary Excalibur seeing as it was used by King Arthur. This would explain why King Arthur was such an experienced warrior.

Status: Unknown.

Neutral Ownership: Those Who Came Before, Perseus, King Arthur, Sigurd, Joan of Arc.

Assassin Associated Ownership: None.

Templar Associated Ownership: Alexander the Great, Attila the Hun, Knights Templar.

34: The Staff

Use: Designed to control men's minds and bodies; it has a spot in the headpiece where an Apple of Eden can placed to enhance the mind control powers. Its bottom end is sharpened and can be use as a spear in combat.

Status: Either Destroyed in the Tunguska Explosion or blown to an unknown location by the blast.

Neutral Ownership: Those Who Came Before, Egyptian Pharaohs, Moses, Saint Peter, Czar Nicholas II.

Assassin Associated Ownership: Ezio Auditore da Firenze.

Templar Associated Ownership: Alexander the Great, Rodrigo Borgia, Rasputin.

66: The Shroud

Use: Unknown, possible function is to heal any ailment, wound, or even resurrect the dead. The Templars were behind the crucifixion of Christ, in order to gain the Shroud. Somehow, the disciples stole the Shroud back and possibly used it to resurrect their Messiah. After this, traces of the Shroud has disappeared. It was definitely used to heal, as in the story of the lady who was sick, all she did was touch the robe of Christ and was healed to perfect health. Not wanting to debunk Christ as this is an entire alternate universe where all of history has been controlled by these peices of eden. (note the powerful Aliens in the beginning of the world)

Status: Unknown

Neutral Ownership: Those Who Came Before, Jason, Joseph, David, Jesus.

Assassin Associated Ownership: None.

Templar Associated Ownership: Rasputin (possible)

Note: In the twelve trials of Hercules, he was tasked to steal the apples from the garden of the Hesperides, as Perseus did before him. This should indicate that there are either 6 or more apples, or a few of the current ones belonged to him and Perseus.

Possible Artifacts

These artifacts are based on the locations given in Assassin's Creed, and the clues and hints found in all the games.

The Ark of the Covenant

Description: A vessel described in the Bible as containing the Tablets of Stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed, along with Aaron's rod and manna. The Ark is believed to be built at the command of God, in accord with Moses' prophetic vision on Mount Sinai. Supposedly, the Ark can channel the wrath of God to destroy all who oppose his followers. Robert de Sable is said to have obtained this item at the beginning of Assassin's Creed.

Possible Function: Capable of unleashing the "Wrath of God."

Possible Owners: Robert de Sable, Moses, Knights Templar.

The Holy Grail

Description: A sacred object in certain Christian traditions often identified with the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper. While said to possess miraculous powers, the Templars doubt its existence.

Possible Function: Grant eternal life, among other healing abilities.

Possible Owners: Jesus.

The Crystal Skulls

Description: Quartz skulls found in ancient temples in South and Central America. Two are believed to currently exist but the total number is unknown. In an Abstergo Industries e-mail, they are referred to as Mitchell-Hedges communicators.

Possible Function: Telepathic Communication.

Possible Owners: Currently possessed by the Knights Templar, one specifically by Warren Vidic.

The "Philadelphia Experiment" Artifact

Description: Said to have been lost in a failed experiment, according to reports, a Navy destroyer ship disappeared for a few minutes, supposedly having travelled to the future. When it reappeared and was searched, most of the men were gone and those that remained were dead and somehow fused into the metal of the ship. According to the e-mails in Assassin's Creed, it was locked away in a safe location, possibly believed to be Area 51.

Possible Function: Time Travel.

Possible Owners: Knights Templar.

The Golden Fleece

Description: A seemingly weightless and indestructible piece of armor or cloak, Altaïr speculates that it could have truly existed in his Codex. He further articulates that it was actually made of a unique metal compound he created using knowledge derived from the Apple. Most likely identical to Piece 66.

Possible Function: Indestructible and weightless armor.

Possible Owners: Jason of the Argonauts, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad

The Spear of Destiny / Holy Lance

Description: Said to protect its user from death, but causes instant death when lost. Also believed to never miss its target and incapable of being stopped in mid-flight. Supposedly pierced the side of Christ at his crucifixion, although apocryphally the man who pierced Christ was said to live forever, until he found out and killed himself with the spear. Most likely identical to Piece 34. This particualr object was sought heavily by Adolph Hitler during World War II, which makes sense seeing as he was a Templar in the game.

Possible Function: Invulnerability and precision in battle.

Possible Owners: Longinus, Constantine, Charlemagne and other Holy Roman Emperors

The Philosopher's Stone

Description: Legendary alchemical substance and for a long duration of time was the most sought-after goal in Western alchemy. Possibly what started the gold rush in Coloma, California.

Possible Function: Turn any substance into gold, possibly create an elixir of life. It's possible that it has the ability to create any material from another (like the elixir from any liquid, gold from any metal).

Possible Owners: Nicholas Flamel

Note: King Midas was said to have been able to turn any object into gold. So it is possible that he also possessed the Plilosopher's Stone.

Locations of the Artifacts

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The Codex Map

In Assassin's Creed II, upon the complete collection of the scattered pages of The Codex, the use of Eagle Vision reveals a hidden map detailing the locations of the remaining and surviving Pieces of Eden. These locations are similar to the locations provided by the global map displayed by Altaïr's Apple in Assassin's Creed.

According to the Codex Map, forty-eight Pieces of Eden remain in the world. While there are many speculated specific locations, the actual locations have not yet been revealed. Based on the map, not every location of a Piece holds some kind of historical or cultural value; this may be due to migration from human use. Furthermore, the Codex Map was likely copied from the map displayed by Altair's Apple at some point during his possession of it, and thus only shows where the Pieces of Eden were located at a specific time in the late 1100s or early 1200s. As a result, at least some locations on the map are no longer accurate. However these are those out there who theorize that the locations might be sychronized throughout time and space, or omnisynched. This is due in part to the theory that the Pieces are super advanced in technology, and the fact that Those Who Came Before had some ability of being able to see and know the future (evidenced through the fact of Desmond being spoken to through Ezio.)

Here are some of the speculated locations the pieces may remain.

1. Giza, Egypt (home of the pyramids, Sphinx, and the many tombs near them)
2. Lake Victoria, Africa, more on the Kenyan side
3. The Gambia River, Gambia (This is one of the three stops that was part of the slave trade route, 3 million slaves were sent to Europe and the Americas from this spot for 3 centuries, it would make sense if the Templars had used a Piece of Eden on them to make a profit)
4. Timbuktu, Mali (a source of great wealth and knowledge in ancient times and home to the world's first University)
5. Taza, Morocco
6. Canary Islands, Spain
7. the Southern tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, curiously near the volcano of Opala
8. Odessa, Ukraine
9. Kharkiv, Ukraine
10. Rennes-le-Château, France (this is a major site for modern day Templar legends, featured in the Da Vinci Code, it was the supposed origin point of a group called the Priory of Sion)
11. Salisbury Plain, England (The Sword?) (This was supposedly the plain where King Arthur died. Before doing so he asked a squire to take him to the lake that belonged to the Lady of the Lake, where he threw the sword in and she caught it before it even touched the water, then took it back down where it supposedly rests to this day.)
12. Loch Ness, Scotland
13. Maroantsetra, Madagascar
14. Nara, Japan (Isonokami Shrine outside of Nara City is home to one of the three national treasures of japan, Kusunagi, a mythical sword that was supposedly used by the sea and storm god Susanoo to kill the demon serpent, Yamata no Orochi. Supposedly the sword can cut through anything, and can even create wind blasts if swung through the air. The Shinto priests who keep the shrine absolutely refuse to let anyone see or examine their treasure, allowing only the Emperor of Japan to know of it's existence)
15. Somewhere close to Goodhouse, South Africa, near the border between South Africa and Namibia
16. Kuwait
17. Delhi, India or the Taj Mahal in India, just a short distance south of Delhi
18. Persepolis, now mordern day Shiraz, Iran (this is where leaders like Darius and Xerxes ruled the Persian Empire, Xerxes was killed by the first ever hidden blade used by an Assassin)
19. Jerusalem, Israel - (The Apple #1)
20. Somewhere in the jungle near the southern border of Colombia, South America, around the area of the Igara Paranda River
21. Nazca, Perú - (The Crystal Skulls?)
22. Colombo, Sri Lanka
23. Hellissandur, Iceland
24. the area of Sabiene Island, Nunavut, Canada (it's really hard to tell with this one because the map blurs out which peninsula or island it could be on, but basically it is somewhere in the bay where Sabiene Island is, or along the coast of it in that area)
25. Phoenix, Arizona, or somewhere outside the city
26. Washington D.C. (possible locations include the White House, the Washington Monument, the Capital building, although there are probably many others)
27. Juneau, Alaska
28. An area close to Pulau Ratewo, Papua
29. the middle of the South Pacific Ocean
30. the Pacific Ocean, close to the coast of Mexico
31. the South Pacific Ocean, close to the Assassin's temple located at 91 degrees W
32. The Atlantic Ocean, in an area where it was believed that Atlantis was believed to have existed
33. The Atlantic Ocean, a few hundred miles off the coast of Brazil
34. The Antartic Ocean, on the side of Antartica facing up towards the Atlantic
35. The Indian Ocean, almost cross sectioned with the tips of Inda, Africa and the Southwestern tip of Australia
36. The Antartic Ocean, the side of the Antartic ocean that faces up towards the Indian Ocean
37. Archangel, Russia
38. Andorra le Vella, Andorra
39. Imperatriz, Brazil
40. Barrow, Alaska
41. La Rioja, Argentina
42. An area close to Hervey Bay, Queensland, Austrailia
43. An area around South Cross, in Western Austrailia
44. Somewhere in the middle of the Island of Sumatra, Indonesia
45. Beijing, China
46. Somewhere in the Atali Mountains in southwestern Mongolia
47. Somewhere along the northern Coast of Chukotka province, Russia
48. An area close to Tiksi, Russia

The other two that made up the last of the 50 pieces are Destroyed or deactivated. One was the Apple in the Satellite Incident, and the other the Staff that was destroyed in the Tunguska Blast by Nicola Tesla's electricity experiments.

Trivia

• According to the glyphs and Truth files, many legends and myths throughout human history are actually historically accurate. The supernatural or paranormal parts of each can be explained by the protoganist in each having acquired his or her own Piece of Eden, i.e.: the Greek myth of Perseus, King Arthur, et cetera.
• In Assassin's Creed II, during the battle against Borgia in the Sistine Chapel, Ezio creates "clones" much like Al Mualim did against Altaïr. If Ezio is customized, the cloned Ezios will appear with different sets of armor and colors whereas when if he is not customized, each clone will be perfectly identical to the real Ezio.