Scholar

File:Scholar blending.jpg

Altaïr blending with Scholars

Scholars are holy men who are usually deep in prayer. They can be Christian Monks, but also Muslim ascetics. All of them wear robes similar to Altaïr's except it covers the legs entirely and they have no assassin gear. Certain groups of Scholars occur naturally in all cities (excluding Masyaf) as they walk through the city, praying. Scholars also have different appearances according to their location. The ones in Jerusalem and Damascus wear turbans on their head, while the ones in Acre are hooded. The player may unlock additional groups of Scholars in and around these cities by saving male citizens in distress.

Types

There are two types of Scholars generally seen in the game; Christian Monks and Muslim Ascetics. Christian Monks look very similar to Altaïr, and come in a variety of styles and colors; such as Acre, where Scholars can be seen with Hospitalier colors. Muslim Ascetics are men with turbans, they do not look much like Altair however they can still be used to blend and to get the "March of the Pious" Achievement.

Functions

If Altaïr joins the scholars, they will walk in a diamond-formation around him. This avoids Altaïr being seen from the front, left, right, and rear. Once blended in the Scholars can assist Altaïr in two different ways.

Hiding Spot

If Altaïr is being chased by guards and manages to break their line of sight, he may blend in with Scholars and fool the guards. To do this, the player must move Altaïr near a group of Scholars and press the Feet button, which is either A (Xbox 360), (Playstation 3), or the Space bar (PC default layout). He will move to the centre of the group, begin walking with them, and will lower his head and pray (or at least appear to be doing so). If Altaïr is outside the guards' line of sight when he begins blending with the Scholars, the guards will give up on the chase in a few seconds. However, if Altaïr is still in sight of guards and approaches a group of Scholars, they will discontinue praying and break formation.

Passing Guard Posts

Scholars have the additional use of getting past entrances blocked by guard posts. Each of the three large cities' entrances and some paths to restricted areas within the cities are blocked by a phalanx of guards who will push Altaïr away if he tries to enter. Scholars will usually be near them so you can blend with them allowing Altaïr to enter the restricted area without alarming anyone and starting a fight. The guards will allow the Scholars go by, thus granting Altaïr easy access without climbing buildings or fighting. Once Altaïr is inside the restricted area, the player may exit the blend by pressing the Feet button again.

Achievement

On the Xbox 360 version of Assassin's Creed, you can get an achievement by using scholar blending 20 times.

Icon	Name	Description	Points	Secret?
	March of the Pious	Use scholar blending 20 times.	5	No

Trivia

• In Bloodlines, you can't blend in areas with no Scholars like Limassol, Kantara Castle, Buffavento Castle, Saint Hilarion Castle and the Archive.
• You cannot kill scholars using any weapons but throwing them to the river can kill them.
• The scholars that you can kill is the one in save citizens, for instance if you saved a scholar after talking to them you can assassinate them.
• Scholars also have access to all areas of the City they are in. You can use them to bypass Guards and get to restricted locations without making a scene.