Scholar

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Altaïr blending with Scholars

Scholars were "holy men" who were usually wandering around the cities in small groups during the Third Crusade, deep in prayer.

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad could take advantage of the similarities between the Assassin robes and the scholars' garb to confuse guards. He could also encourage the appearance of additional groups of scholars in and around cities by saving male citizens in distress.

Types

Though all of the scholars wore white robes that covered their legs entirely, there were differences, depending on where they were. In Jerusalem and Damascus they wore turbans, being Muslim ascetics. In Acre they wore hoods and could be seen sporting Templar colors (e.g. Hospitalier), being Christian monks.

Functions

If Altaïr blended with the scholars, they would walk in a diamond formation around him. This shielded Altaïr being seen from all directions, and like this the scholars could assist Altaïr in two different ways.

Hiding spot

If Altaïr was being chased by guards and managed to break their line of sight, he could blend in with the scholars and trick the guards into thinking he had disappeared. To do this, Altaïr moved to the center of the group and began walking with them, lowering his head and clasping his hands to appear as if he was praying.

If Altaïr was outside the guards' line of sight when he began blending with the scholars, the guards would give up on the chase after a few moments. However, if Altaïr could still be seen by the guards and he attempted to approach a group of scholars, they would stop their prayers and flee in terror, breaking their formation.

Passing guard posts

Scholars had the additional use of getting past entrances blocked by guards. Each of the three large cities' entrances and some paths to restricted areas within them were blocked by a phalanx of guards, who would push Altaïr away if he tried to enter. Scholars were usually situated near them, allowing Altaïr to easily enter the restricted area without alarming anyone and starting a fight by joining them. The reason for this was that guards allowed scholars to pass by unchallenged, granting Altaïr easy access without climbing buildings or fighting.

Trivia

• In Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines, Altaïr could not blend in areas without any scholars, such as Limassol, Kantara Castle, Buffavento Castle, Saint Hilarion Castle (excluding the first area) and the Archive.
• In Assassin's Creed, an achievement could be obtained by blending with scholars 20 times.
• Altaïr could not normally kill scholars using any weapons; however, throwing them into water would cause them to drown.
• Sibrand, a Templar, in Assassin's Creed caught onto Altaïr's method of blending in with the scholars and publicly targeted and maltreated a Christian scholar, accusing the man of working with the Assassins.
• In Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade, it was mentioned that the Saracen leader Salah Al'din had encouraged scholars to visit and spend time in the cities of Damascus and Jerusalem, which was presumably why the city guards always allowed them, and by extension Altaïr, to pass through the city gates unhindered.
• In Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles, Altaïr disguised himself as a scholar in order to enter the camp that besieged Acre.
• Although scholars did not appear in Assassin's Creed II, monks could occasionally be found wandering the streets and countrysides, such as within the Monte Oliveto Maggiore monastery.
• In Assassin's Creed II, though Ezio Auditore da Firenze was able to blend with any crowd, an incident reminiscent of scholars occurred during the Bonfire of the Vanities, wherein he must blend with a group of monks to pass through a guarded city gate.

Reference

• Assassin's Creed