Majd Addin

"Of course not, I killed them because I could. Because it was fun! Do you know what it feels like to determine another man's fate? And did you see the way the people cheered? The way they feared me? I was like a god, you'd have done the same if you could, such power!"

―Majd Addin

Majd Addin (unknown - 1191) was a Saracen, the regent of Jerusalem, and secretly a member of the Templar Order. He was the sixth individual to be assassinated by the Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad. Like his Templar brothers, his death was planned by Al Mualim. Majd Addin was located in Jerusalem's Poor District.

Biography

Rise to power

"Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn's absence left the city without a proper leader and Majd Addin has appointed himself to play the role."

―Malik describing Majd's power.

At some point in his life, not only did Majd Addin become a secret member of the Templar Order, but also became aware of the Apple of Eden and its capabilities. He and nine other individuals closely guarded the secrets and intended to use the Apple to create a new world.

Majd Addin believed that everyone should view the world in his way, and those that did not oblige to this were sentenced to death. He used fear and intimidation to keep the population of Jerusalem in check, often issuing strict and confusing edicts regarding the way people should conduct themselves. This way, he was slowly reversing Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn's long-standing policy of tolerance toward all races, religions, and creeds.

Mock trials were often held for those he perceived to be enemies of the city. In these trial he would either frame them or exaggerate their crimes, in order to make sure the trials would always result in death. This caused people to call the trials "executions" instead. Through these executions, he silenced anyone who would oppose him, and struck fear into the hearts of people who considered an uprising.

He was known to speak with an authoritative edge and insisted that he knew what was best for the people of Jerusalem. However, Majd was a cruel man and his citizens knew he could not be trusted.

Death

"Not so innocent! Dissident voices cut deep as steel. They disrupt order. In this, I do agree with the Brotherhood."

―Majd about the people he attempted to execute.

Majd Addin arrives at the execution.

Altaïr traveled to Jerusalem's Poor District, where he started his investigation into Majd Addin. He soon discovered that there was to be another execution, and that a group of citizens were planning to stand up to Majd Addin in order to save the son of their leader.

During the public execution, Majd judged an alleged prostitute, a thief, a gambler and a heretic. The heretic was in fact an Assassin, and Malik Al-Sayf had tasked Altaïr with killing Majd before the Assassin died. The citizens who had planned to stand up to Majd tried to stop the execution, but they were quickly killed by the archers and the guards.

Majd began his speech about the prostitute, declaring that she had sold her body to several men. She defended herself by stating that she was only there because she had refused to lie with Addin. He then killed the woman, saying that even when she was only moments from her death, she still continued to lie.

The second victim was the gambler, who remarked that he had only played a game of chance. Majd told him that it was not sin that corrupted the city, but the gambler. Majd then killed him and moved on to his next victim.

Majd Addin pleasing the crowd.

The third victim was being accused of stealing the gain of others. To acquire support from the public, Majd convinced the crowd that everyone had been violated by his actions. The man tried to defend himself, saying that he had picked only one dinar which had fallen to the floor. However, Majd Addin rebuked that the crime would rise and begin to affect others more directly, after which he killed the man.

Before Majd could move on to the Assassin, Altaïr made his way to the stage and stabbed Majd with the hidden Blade, allowing Malik's other Assassins to save their imprisoned brother.

During Majd's dying moments, he told Altaïr the reason for his evil deeds, commenting that, while he joined the Templars to help them take control of Jerusalem, in fact, he simply wanted the power and fear such a position granted. Afterwards, Altaïr smeared the feather he brought with his blood, and reported back to the Bureau.

Majd Addin was later buried in a cemetery in Jerusalem, where both Saracen and Crusader soldiers joined together to pay their respects. Altaïr was also present, as he had discovered that his new target, Robert de Sable, would also be present. However, the funeral turned out to be an ambush, as Robert had not planned to attend, knowing that the Assassin would strike.

Personality

"Fear and intimidation get him what he wants."

―Malik on Majd

Majd Addin meets his demise.

Majd Addin was a power hungry individual who thrived off the fear people had for him. It was this lust for power that led him to become a member of the Knights Templar, who offered him power in exchange for his allegiance. He often conducted executions, because he felt that determining another man's fate gave him a god like status. A very proficient speaker, Majd Addin could manipulate the crowd with his words, often making them blindly believe that the executions he carried out were for the good of the city.

Dying at the age of 54, Majd Addin did not claim that what he did was right, instead he confessed that he was doing it not to help his brethren but because it was fun and to gain power and fame, which he did over time. However, the power and fame were also what caused of his death, as he had allowed it to corrupt him.

Final words

Majd Addin's final moments.

• Altaïr: Your work here is finished.
• Majd: No! No! It had only just begun!
• Altaïr: Tell me, what's your part in all this? Do you intend to defend yourself as the others have, and explain away your evil deeds?
• Majd: The Brotherhood wanted the city: I wanted power. There was... an opportunity.
• Altaïr: An opportunity to murder innocents!
• Majd: Not so innocent! Dissident voices cut deep as steel. They disrupt order. In this, I do agree with the Brotherhood.
• Altaïr: You'd kill people simply for believing differently from you?
• Majd: Of course not! I killed them because I could! Because it was fun! Do you know what it feels like to determine another man's fate? And did you see the way the people cheered? The way they feared me? I was like a god! You'd have done the same if you could! Such power...
• Altaïr: Once perhaps, but then I learned what becomes of those who lift themselves above others.
• Majd: And what is that?
• Altaïr: Here, let me show you...

Altaïr stabs Majd in the neck with the Hidden Blade, killing him.

Gallery

• 
  Majd Addin character model by Michel Thibault.
• 
  Majd Addin personal guard character model by Michel Thibault.
• 
  Altaïr delivering the final blow to Majd Addin.

Trivia

• Majd Addin ("glory of the faith") may be very loosely based on a man named Bahā' ad-Dīn ibn Shaddād ("splendor of the faith"), who was close to Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn, and who wrote a biography on the great Saracen military leader and sultan.
• In one of Altaïr's investigations, it was revealed that Majd Addin was once the scribe of the emir, wherein Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn was the Emir or Sultan at this time.
• Malik told Altaïr that Majd Addin had "declared himself Regent in Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn's absence." However, when eavesdropping on some civilians (particularly the father of one of those to be executed), it becomes clear that the people are under the impression that Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn himself had appointed Majd Addin as Regent.
• Majd Addin executed the Assassin in a far more brutal manner than he did to the other three. He executed the first two with a simple slash of his sword. He impaled the third, and when he got to the Assassin, he impaled him and then shifted the blade around inside his body.
• Majd Addin was only one of three targets who requires multiple stabs of the hidden blade to die, once during gameplay, and another in the Animus scene. The other targets were Checco Orsi, in Assassin's Creed II, and Shahkulu in Assassin's Creed: Revelations.
• If the other Assassin was executed, Altaïr would slowly lose synchronization bars until he assassinated Majd Addin, or desynchronizes.

Source

• Assassin's Creed