Assassin bureau

Patience, brothers. Soon we will reveal the secrets of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and Assassin's Creed: The Fall. This article has been identified as being out of date. Please update the article to reflect recent releases and then remove this template once done.

"You must now report to each Bureau leader before carrying out your task."

―Al Mualim.

The interior of the Damascus Assassin bureau

An Assassin bureau was an Assassin-controlled safehouse located in cities during the Third Crusade and the Golden Age of Piracy. They served as a safe haven for Assassins during assassination missions, and were similar to the Resistance safehouses found in Cyprus.

During the Third Crusade, bureaus could be found in Acre, Damascus, and Jerusalem; whereas, during the Golden Age of Piracy, bureaus could be found in Nassau, Havana, Kingston, with a 'ghost' bureau being located around the Cayman Islands.

Function

Bureaus acted as sanctuaries for members of the Assassin Order, where their users could physically and mentally prepare themselves for a mission, allowing them to restock on weapons, sleep or meditate. It also allowed Assassins a place to wait for the appropriate moment to strike, or for the dust to settle after an assassination.

Inside each bureau resided a leader, who held either the rank of Rafiq or higher. They would often give Assassins useful information on where to learn more about assassination targets. Once the strike had been planned and approved by the bureau leader, an Assassin was given a feather to soak in the blood of their target as proof of their success.

Building

A Third Crusade bureau's main chamber

The exterior of the building was typically quite discreet, resembling that of common construction, although they did not have any obvious windows or doors.

The entrance was usually located on the roof, which could be reached by either climbing the walls or via a ladder located in an entry alley, for instance. This was likely to be a measure to prevent curious civilians (or more importantly, the city guards), from stumbling upon it.

Main chamber

The main chamber served as the entrance hall to the bureau, and was a small living area comprised of two fountains, potted plants and several pillows and carpets. This place was intended as a location for Assassins to rest before and after assassinations.

The walls were decorated with hanging carpets and the Assassin insignia, while the ceiling was grated with an opening that acted as an entrance into the Bureau. When the city guards were on alert, the opening was closed with a grated panel.

Leader's chamber

The Bureau leader's chamber

A bureau leader's chamber was adjacent to the main chamber. From behind a desk, each leader addressed those who would come to speak with them, while also studying and attending to the Assassin Order's operations in that respective city.

Behind the desk were bookshelves and closets, where registries of missions were kept. The books and scrolls the leader has access to were also located in this area.

Across the room, a raised walkway held weapons, books, and other items that could assist Assassins in their missions.

Trivia

• Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad may return to a bureau any time to restock on throwing knives.
• A bureau's entrance would be closed when social status was exposed to prevent guards from discovering the Bureau and subsequently violating a tenet of the Creed.
• During the Third Crusade, the Acre bureau was lined with books, while the Damascus bureau was lined with pottery.
  • Accompanying this, there was also a chess board inside the Assassins' bureau of Damascus.

Reference

• Assassin's Creed
• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag