Toussaint Roussillon

Aveline: "Is he your... well--"

Élise: "God no! No, no. Don't get me wrong, I'd pluck my eye out for him... But I wouldn't bed the letch if he were the last man in Nouvelle France (New France).."

—Élise, on her relationship with Roussillon.

Roussillon was a smuggler that, together with his partner Élise Lafleur, ran smuggling operations in the Louisiana Bayou during the 18th century. Meeting Aveline de Grandpré in 1766, he became an ally of the Assassin and occasionally worked together with her to achieve mutual goals.

In 2012, his genetic memories were used as an Animi Avatar by the entertainment branch of the Templar company Abstergo Industries, as part of their geosimulation workspace on the portable version of the Animus console, under the title of the Rogue.

Biography

Early life

"Rousillon saved my life once, long ago. I figured I owed him, so I helped him expand his "business". The Ol' Devil showed me a few tricks too, taught me his trade, if you will."

―Élise, on Roussilon's teachings, 1766.

Little is known of Roussillon's life before he became a smuggler. At one point, he saved the life of a young Élise Lafleur, who felt indebted to him and decided to help him expand his business. Although the two were partners in crime, Élise's driven nature and competence made her eventually assume the leadership of the Louisianan smugglers.

Driving out Mackandal

Roussillon: "They are camped out all over the swamp. They threaten the people of San Danje, and make smuggling a little..."

Aveline: "Dangerous?"

—Roussillon, asking Aveline's help with Mackandal's encampments.

Following governor Antonio de Ulloa's arrival in New Orleans in 1766, a small cult began to cause trouble in the bayou, encroaching on Rousillon and Élise's territory. One day, a small group of thugs was sent to threaten Roussillon and Élise, but the pair's unwillingness to back down resulted in a fight breaking out. Saved by the timely intervention of Aveline de Grandpré, the smugglers agreed to help Aveline locate the cult's leader, a man calling himself François Mackandal, so that she could eliminate him.

Élise and Aveline's investigation led them to discover a voodoo ceremony being held on the Eve of Saint John, though they didn't manage to ascertain its location. Back at the smuggler's hideout, Aveline spoke to Roussillon, who advised her to meet with the houngan of San Danje. After the conflict with Mackandal had been resolved, he tasked Aveline with locating and eliminating the remaining encampments, ensuring the total restoration of the smugglers' control of the bayou.

Vázquez's Troops

"We have been noticing rather a lot of men in Spanish uniforms... although I would question both their manhood and their allegiance!"

―Roussillon, on Vázquez's troops, 1771.

Over the next few years, the smugglers' territory would see an insurgence of Spanish troops, bribed by the Templar Vázquez in an attempt to seize control of the bayou. In 1771, Aveline met with Roussillon and Élise to sabotage one of Vázquez's plans. By disabling the bayou's lighthouse, they made a supply ship, which the Templar had intended to use for his own purposes, run aground and then plundered its contents. Among the goods, Roussillon found documents and gave them to Aveline, who swiftly journeyed back to Mexico to stop more of Vázquez's machinations.

Two years later, Roussillon and Élise found a business opportunity in the American Revolutionary War by transporting valuable supplies to the Patriots. However, troops hired by Vázquez were once again hindering the smugglers' operations, with multiple guards occupying their trade route. Aveline then arrived, asking for their aid in helping her escort an escaped slave named George through the bayou, in return for protecting their cargo from the Vázquez's men.

The smugglers agreed and with Aveline's help, they successfully reached their destination. As Élise handed the supplies over to the Patriots, Aveline asked whether they would allow George to accompany them. They accepted, and welcomed him into their ranks.

Characteristics and personality

"Oh, I try never to think."

―Roussillon, 1773.

In contrast to Élise's gruff personality, Rousillon was a good-natured jokester; he rarely seemed to take situations seriously and did not hesitate to poke fun at his partner, as evidenced by him dubiously referring to her as a "lady" or questioning why she wasn't as fun as she used to be. Despite this, the two smugglers were obviously at ease in each other's company, with Élise jokingly offering to "hit him on the other side" when he complained about being wounded. She was also known to chastise him for his fondness of liquor, calling him a "drunk".

While Élise bore the brunt of Roussillon's more sarcastic quips, Aveline was usually the target of his flirtatious jokes, though the Assassin pointedly ignored any attempted advances. Initially, Roussillon also seemed to try to impress her, as exemplified by him claiming he "spat at danger". Over time, this attitude abated, with him eventually treating Aveline much the same as he did Élise, though the odd inappropriate joke remained.

References

• Assassin's Creed III: Liberation