Mustafa

He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. This article contains spoilers, meaning it has information and facts concerning Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple. If you do not want to know about these events, it is recommended to read on with caution, or not at all. This template should be removed from the article 7 February 2024.

They call me many things: Murderer. Cutthroat. Thief. But you may call me Mustafa. This article is about a subject that lacks an official name and is known only by its nickname, title, or alias.

Edward: "You've got more silver in your beard than the coins that you're worth. In fact, I think that I'll call you Captain Rupiya, a second-rate coin for a second-rate pirate."

Rupiya: "R-Rupiya? The Terror of Malacca they once called me... Now I'm reduced to a mere silver coin..."

—Edward Kenway giving Rupiya his nickname, 1725.

Captain "Rupiya", previously called Captain "Hogbeard", was a pirate captain who operated in the Strait of Malacca in the early 18th century, during which time he gained notoriety as the "Terror of Malacca".

Originally hired by the merchant Sun to attack the ships of Sun's business rival Lee Huiyin, he later changed sides after being defeated and captured by Lee's allies, the Assassin Edward Kenway and the navigator John Young. Rupiya would subsequently join Edward's organization, the Zhang Wei Union, and work alongside them on several jobs that required the use of his personal ship.

Rupiya's real name was never revealed to his allies, leading to his nickname by Edward, who found it fitting for the name of a "second-rate coin" to also be the name of a "second-rate pirate".

Biography

Life of piracy

"Hehe... Come now, matey, you wouldn't let that happen to me, would you? A-as it happens, I know a thing or two that could be worth a pretty penny to fine swashbuckling gentlemen such as yourselves... Not only that, I have a capable crew to call me own! That I do! Just say the word and they'll rally around me like seasoned soldiers!"

―Rupiya trying to convince Edward and John not to turn him over to the authorities, 1725.

In 1725, Rupiya and his crew were hired by Sun, head of the Hualien Trading Company, to attack the merchant ships of his rival, the businesswoman Lee Huiyin, along the coast of Macau. This was the first time that Rupiya was contacted by Sun, who up until then had relied on a crew of Japanese pirates to carry out such attacks.

Rupiya taken hostage by Edward

Sun used his connections to make sure the Dutch Navy would not intervene during the attack, allowing Rupiya and his crew to easily capture one of Lee's ships. However, just as they began stealing the ship's cargo, they were confronted by the Assassin Edward Kenway and the navigator John Young, who had come to defend the vessel. After John fired a cannonball at the mast of Lee's ship to immobilize it, Edward boarded the ship and quickly dispatched half of Rupiya's crew before taking the captain hostage. Upon seeing this, the remaining pirates returned to their own ship and fled, abandoning their captain.

Enraged by his crew's lack of loyalty, Rupiya offered to tell Edward everything he knew in exchange for his life, informing him that Sun was his employer. After Edward returned with a tied up Rupiya to John's ship, the two decided to take the pirate captain back to the village where they were staying, believing it was safer than handing him over to Macau's authorities, who would likely execute him on the spot. At the village, Rupiya was imprisoned in a warehouse under the watch of two guards.

Rupiya threatening his crew

Later, Edward and John found a use for Rupiya, who was taken by the latter to search for his former crew. Following Rupiya's directions, John was able to find the hideout where the crew had been hiding with their ship. Once freed, Rupiya shot one of his former men in the shoulder as payback for the crew's mutiny before threatening them into returning to serve under him, or else they would face the wrath of Edward, the "Nightmare of the Caribbean".

Following this, Rupiya and John returned to Macau, where they waited for Edward's signal to open fire on a detained Far East Company ship transporting opium. After Edward set off a firework and leapt off the ship, Rupiya destroyed the ship and its cargo with his cannons, thus preventing Lee from getting her hands on the opium.

Working for the Zhang Wei Union

Journey to Manila

"As of this moment, your days of piracy are over. You are once again honest seafarers, free to sail the seas. You no longer need to prey upon innocent people... Nor need you fear pursuit by the navy. Welcome to a new life, lads."

―Edward welcoming Rupiya and his crew to the Zhang Wei Union, 1725.

Rupiya and his crew joining the Zhang Wei Union

Some time later, Rupiya and his crew left their lives of piracy behind, joining the Zhang Wei Union, a legitimate shipping company founded by Edward. Their first contract was to escort a trading vessel - concidentally the same one Rupiya had attacked previously - from Macau to Manila and back. While returning from Manila, the crew spotted a pirate ship attacking a Dutch East India Company vessel. Unwilling to let such an opportunity go, Edward ordered Rupiya to attack the pirates, intending to take their ship as a prize.

Rupiya deceived the pirates into tailing him to a rock, where Edward made use of a rowboat to board the pirate ship while Rupiya and John Young provided a distraction. However, during the ensuing battle, the pirate ship suffered heavy damages and soon caught fire, forcing Edward and the crew members who accompanied him to abandon the vessel before it sunk.

Voyage to the Paracel Islands

Rupiya: "Are ye sure about this? I've sailed to the Paracels myself and know as well as anoyone... That taking on all the corsairs there with a lone ship is no less than a suicide mission."

Edward: "I supposed it would be, if we were facing them head-on. But with these new armaments, courtesy of Mister Yun, and the plan I've come up with... We'll easily give those pirate rabble a run for their money."

—Rupiya voicing his doubts about the mission and Edward assuring him, 1725.

Following the crew's return to Macau, Edward accepted a job from Jan van Aert, the Dutch East India Company's chief navigator, to rid the Paracel Islands of pirates. Rupiya expressed his doubts regarding the job, claiming that he had sailed to the islands before and that taking on all the pirates there was a suicide mission. However, Edward assured him that the advanced weapons designed by the Zhang Wei Union's engineer, Yun Pyeong-Gyu, would give them the edge over the pirates. Against his better judgement, Rupiya complied and set sail for the islands.

Rupiya meeting with the pirate captain while Zhang poses as his hostage

En route to the islands, Edward devised a plan which required Rupiya to distract the pirates whilst the Assassin and John planted explosives around their stronghold. With Zhang posing as his prisoner, Rupiya met up with the pirates' captain, an old acquaintance of his. After dismissing rumors that he had been executed in Macau, Rupiya agreed to go celebrate with the pirates, but claimed that he had sworn off alcohol, leading to the captain offering him tea taken from the ships they had plundered.

That night, after the pirates fell asleep from the alochol they had consumed, Rupiya got ready to leave and return to his ship for the next step of Edward's plan. However, at that moment the captain suddenly awoke and saw Rupiya grab a bottle of ale. Fortunately, the captain did not suspect a thing and, assuming Rupiya was grabbing the bottle for his crew, told him to take more drinks. Upon returning to his ship, Rupiya ordered his men to ready the hwachas Yun had built for them as they waited for Edward's signal.

However, the plan was botched when Edward freed the pirates' prisoners, who inadvertently alerted the pirates. After Edward, John, Zhang and the prisoners made it back safely to his ship, Rupiya sailed away from the islands, though in his rush he inadvertently led them to the "Boneyard of Sails", a patch of the sea infamous for the number of ships that had sunk there. As Rupiya was forced to slow down the ship to avoid the same fate, Edward devised a plan to lure the pirates chasing them into a trap, where they were all ultimately killed by the hwachas.

Personality and traits

Despite his resentment of his crew for abandoning him following their defeat by Edward Kenway, Rupiya was not much braver himself, as he quickly told the Assassin everything he knew in the hopes of being spared. Even after Edward and John Young decided to spare him, Rupiya was not very grateful to them, instead taking issue with the constant disrespect he faced from everyone around him. He was also somewhat reluctant to join the Zhang Wei Union, as it meant leaving the excitement of his life of piracy behind.

In time, however, Rupiya warmed up to his newfound companions, who in turn started treating him better. He remained loyal to them and accompanied them on their missions, even those he deemed suicidal, though this may be in part due to the fact he knew he would stand no chance if he tried to turn against them.

Behind the scenes

"Rupiya" is a character introduced in Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple. His nickname comes from the Hindustani rupiyā, which itself is Sanskrit in origin and means "wrought silver, a coin of silver". It shares a similar meaning in Episode 24 when Edward referred to Rupiya's nickname as meaning a second-rate coin. Rupiya, or Rupee, is also a currency used in many countries such as India, Pakistan, and Indonesia.

Gallery

• 
  John and Edward discussing what to do with a captive Rupiya
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  Rupiya being imprisoned in Zhang's village
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  Rupiya leading John to his crew's hideout
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  Rupiya and John destroying the opium shipment
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  Rupiya with John
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  Rupiya and his crew overlooking the Paracel Islands

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple