Richard I of England

Richard The Lionheart is the King of England in 1191. At the beginning of Assassin's Creed, Richard and his army have just taken the port city of Acre. His ultimate goal is to lead his army into the city of Jerusalem so that he can free the holy land in the name of the Christian faith. With a base of operations established in Acre, the Crusaders prepare to march south. However, Saladin, leader of the Islamic army, currently rules the city. Stinging from his army’s defeat at Acre, he will not allow Richard to humiliate him again. The Muslim forces are massing in the ruins of Arsuf, intending to ambush the Crusaders and prevent them from reaching Jerusalem. These war maneuvers have left the rest of the Holy Land wide open. While Richard and Saladin battle one another, the men left to govern in their stead have begun taking advantage of their newfound positions of power. Exploitation, manipulation, and provocation rule the day.