Qulan Gal

"Such is our role, Nerkaa. The few of us must stand against very many."

―Qulan Gal to Nergüi, regarding the Mongolian Assassins' cause, 1227.

Qulan Gal was a member of the Mongolian Brotherhood of Assassins during the 13th century. He was one of the Order's most renowned members due to his vital role in the assassination of Genghis Khan alongside the Levantine Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's son, Darim.

Biography

Early life

Qulan Gal was a member of the Assassin Order, operating mainly in the Mongol Empire. He was a renowned toxophilite, with his skill in archery later being hailed by the Order. During the early 13th century, the conqueror Genghis Khan caused turmoil in Mongolia, quickly overtaking land thanks to a Sword of Eden in his possession. As a result of Genghis Khan's tyranny, Qulan swore to stand against him and was later integral in the Khan's assassination.

Assassination of Genghis Khan

"I always felt an Assassin's strength lay in independence and self-reliance. Yet seeing how you and your family work together causes me to revise my opinion."

―Qulan Gal to Altaïr and his family, 1227.

At some point between 1217 and 1227, Qulan Gal came into contact with the Levantine Assassins' Mentor Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, his wife Maria Thorpe, and their son Darim. The three had traveled from Masyaf to eliminate Genghis Khan due to the threat he and his empire posed to the Brotherhood. Realizing that they shared a common goal, Qulan decided to work with Altaïr and his family to assassinate the Khan.

In August 1227, the four devised a plan to kill the Khan in his camp in Xingqing in Xia Province. While Qulan Gal and Altaïr went into the camp together, Darim and Maria covered them from a distance, respectively with his crossbow and her bow. However, Altaïr unknowingly allowed himself to be seen and was attacked by a Mongol soldier, though Qulan killed the Mongol before he could raise the alarm. From there, Qulan safely escorted the injured Altaïr out of the camp and also rescued Nergüi, a young Assassin novice who had been captured while scouting the area. Joining Darim and Maria on the nearby hill, the five Assassins proceeded to compose another plan.

The Assassins attacking Genghis Khan's camp

The Assassins devised to flush the Khan out of his tent by setting the Mongol camp ablaze with flaming arrows; the plan was successful, and the Khan fled. Pursuing the Khan and his bodyguards with Darim, Qulan acted quickly, killing the soldiers and shooting the Khan's horse, causing him to fall off, which injured him on impact with the ground. Afterwards, Darim shot the conqueror with his crossbow, ending the great Khan.

Later, Qulan and Nergüi bid farewell to Altaïr and his family as they prepared to ride back to Masyaf. Qulan remarked that although he had initially believed an Assassin's strength to lay in their independence and self-reliance, seeing Altaïr, Maria and Darim work so well together had made him change his mind. To this, Altaïr suggested that Qulan take an apprentice and the Mongolian Assassin agreed, taking the young Nergüi under his wing.

Working with Nergüi

Several years later, Genghis Khan had been succeeded by his third son Ögedei. During this time, Qulan trained Nergüi so that he could be formally inducted into the Brotherhood. Before this could happen however, Qulan instructed his apprentice to travel to Samarkand. Ögedei had sent an entire tumen to reinforce the city, and Nergüi was to assassinate their captain without being detected by the large force. After discreetly killing the captain, Nergüi returned to Qulan and informed him of his success. They then met with the Mentor of the Mongolian Assassins, who inducted Nergüi into the Brotherhood and gave him his own Hidden Blade.

In 1241, Qulan told Nergüi of Batu Khan, the founder of the Golden Horde who was tearing through Russia. In order to slow his advance, Nergüi was tasked with assassinating Ögedei Khan, while Qulan assassinated the Khan's brother, Chagatai. With no ready successor to the throne, Batu would be forced to return to Mongolia. Both of the Assassins proved successful in their endeavors.

Legacy

Qulan Gal's statue in the Sanctuary

Qulan Gal's role in the assassination of Genghis Khan, which allowed the Assassin Order to spread its influence within the Mongol Empire, earned the Assassin great praise amongst his brethren—so much so that he was regarded as one of the most illustrious members of the Order to ever live, alongside the likes of Darius, Amunet, and Altaïr himself.

By the time of the Renaissance, a tomb dedicated to Qulan Gal had been built underneath the Rocca di Ravaldino in Forlì, Italy. The Italian Assassin Ezio Auditore explored the tomb and took the hidden seal from the sarcophagus, which later allowed him to obtain the Armor of Altaïr sealed in the Sanctuary beneath the Villa Auditore in Monteriggioni, where a statue of Qulan, alongside other celebrated Assassins, had been erected.

Behind the scenes

Qulan Gal is a character first mentioned in the 2009 video game Assassin's Creed II, as one of seven legendary Assassins with a dedicated statue in the Sanctuary of the Villa Auditore. Outside of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, each of these Assassins have a unique accomplishment in history pertaining to the assassination of a historical figure. In Qulan's case, it was his shooting of Genghis Khan's horse, which resulted in the conqueror's death.

This event was later depicted in both the 2011 novel Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade and the second issue of the 2017 comic miniseries Assassin's Creed: Reflections, which revealed that Qulan had been assisted during his assassination of Genghis Khan by Altaïr and his family, and that it was Altaïr's son Darim who delivered the killing blow to the Khan.

Etymology

Qulan is a variant of the Mongolian name Khulan, meaning 'wild horse'. Gal is a Mongolian name meaning 'fire'.

Gallery

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  Qulan Gal
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  Qulan Gal riding a horse
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  Qulan Gal aiming his bow
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  Qulan Gal about to fire his bow
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  Qulan Gal's tomb
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  Seal of Qulan Gal
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  Qulan Gal's insignia

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed II (sculpture only)
• Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Initiates (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Memories
• Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Tomb of the Khan (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Reflections

References

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