Crescent amulet
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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. |
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I wanted to ask you something. Which is... what's your name? This article title is conjecture. Although the article subject is canon, no official name for it has been given. |
The crescent amulet was a Piece of Eden created by the Isu that was part of a set alongside two other artifacts. While its exact purpose is unknown, it featured powers similar to those of the Apples of Eden.
Owners
- Isu (? – ?)
- Ferdinand Magellan (April 1521)
- Mad monk (? – 1725)
- Rajah (1725)
Usage
The amulet was a small, crescent-shaped artifact which could be worn like a talisman. Its powers seem to be largely the same as those of an Apple of Eden, including human mind control[1] and creating realistic, tangible illusions.[2] It also granted access to a form of calculations, not just to the wielder, but to anyone who looked into the amulet. While in this state, a person could witness events from both the past and the future, but was temporarily rendered inert, leaving them vulnerable to an attack.[3]
One ability that was seemingly unique to the amulet was its power to resurrect the dead and make them invulnerable to pain.[4] However, this had limitations, as only those who had been killed recently and still had their body relatively intact could be brought back to life. In 1725, Edward Kenway and Shimazu Saito were able to exploit this weakness by dismembering a group of monks to prevent them from being resurrected. Additionally, the revived individuals lacked sentience and acted more like zombies, requiring the amulet's wielder to command them.[5]
The amulet was further capable of granting enhanced physical strength and endurance,[6] negating the effects of Eagle Vision to a degree,[7] and deciphering encrypted texts.[8] However, long-time possession of the artifact could corrupt the wielder, driving them insane and amplifying their negative traits, such as aggression.[9]
According to Shimazu Sei, the amulet contained a vast amount of information accumulated since ancient times. This data was too much for the human brain to handle and could potentially result in the death of anyone who came into contact with the artifact, even indirectly. While reliving Edward's memories involving the amulet, his descendant Noa Kim was rendered unconscious for several minutes due to the artifact's powers.[10]
History
Early history
The amulet was created at some point during the Isu Era alongside two other Pieces of Eden, forming a set.[11] After the Great Catastrophe in 75,000 BCE, which wiped out the Isu civilization,[12] knowledge of the set, its location, and its powers was lost.[11]
Acquisition by Ferdinand Magellan
By the early 16th century, both the amulet and one of its sister Pieces of Eden were located in the Philippines, with the amulet hidden on the island of Cebu and the other artifact in the possession of Lapu-Lapu, the chief of Mactan Island. In 1521, the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived on Cebu to search for its artifact after learning about it during his travels, and converted the island's population to Christianity in the process.[11]
After finding the amulet, Magellan was informed by Cebu's chieftain Rajah Humabon of the other two artifacts that made up the set and attempted to seize the Piece of Eden in Lapu-Lapu's possession. However, Lapu-Lapu used the artifact's power to defeat the Spanish troops under Magellan's command and personally killed the explorer. With Magellan's death, the amulet became lost once again for the next two centuries.[11]
18th century
Usage in Manila
By 1725, a monk in Manila found the amulet and mistook it for a religious artifact. Inspired by a riot that had occurred six years earlier after Governor-General Fernando Manuel de Bustillo Bustamante y Rueda ordered the arrest of Archbishop Francisco de la Cuesta, the monk decided to instigate another riot to remove de la Cuesta's successor, Toribio José Cosio y Campo. To this end, he used the amulet to influence the city's populace and have them create as much chaos as possible in the city.[1]
During the riot, the British Assassin Edward Kenway and the samurai Shimazu Saito cornered the monk and his followers in an alley, seeking to keep the amulet out of the wrong hands. When the monk refused to renounce the artifact, he ordered his acolytes to eliminate Edward and Saito and, after the acolytes were killed, he used the amulet to resurrect them.[4] Realizing that the acolytes were invulnerable to pain, the Assassin and samurai dismembered them to prevent them from being resurrected, then confronted the monk. However, he used the amulet on Saito, causing her to experience visions of her deceased friends.[5]
Edward also fell prey to the amulet's powers shortly after, as the monk conjured illusions of himself and a large oni to battle the Assassin and samurai. While Saito eventually succumbed to the illusions and was defeated, Edward was able to overcome the amulet's powers.[2] However, the monk conjured one last apparition of himself to trick Edward and make his escape.[7]
As he fled, the monk used the amulet to command several civilians in his path to slow down the Assassin, as well as tamper with his Eagle Vision, momentarily preventing Edward from locating him. Despite this, Edward was eventually able to corner his target in another empty alley, though when he attempted to take away the amulet, the monk activated the artifact.[7] This temporarily trapped Edward's consciousness in a void, where he experienced visions of both the past and the future.[3]
While Edward's body was paralyzed, the monk tried to kill the Assassin with a dagger, but was suddenly struck by a spear thrown by Rajah, the leader of a Visayan resistance against the Spanish colonists in the Philippines. After finishing off the monk, Rajah claimed the amulet, believing it rightfully belonged to his people and intending to use it to end the foreign occupation of their lands. Although Edward, who recovered from his trance, tried to fight Rajah to recover the amulet, he was ultimately defeated and forced to escape alongside Saito.[3]
Wielded by Rajah
With the amulet in-hand, Rajah planned to lead his men towards Cebu to begin their campaign to liberate the Philippines from Spanish occupation.[10] En route to Cebu, the Visayan resistance made a stop on Monkey Island, where they occupied the local fort. Rajah used the amulet to forcefully recruit many natives to his cause, placing them under mind control and leaving them in a berserk-like state. These warriors, some of whom were disguised as Manananggals, were then sent out into the island's jungles to eliminate any trespassers.[6]
When Edward and the members of his Zhang Wei Union passed by Monkey Island during their voyage to Cebu, Rajah's men used their fort's mortars to trap them on the island, before the Visayan chief dispatched several of his warriors empowered by the amulet to kill the trespassers.[13] However, despite the enhanced strength granted by the artifact, the native warriors were ultimately defeated.[6]
Around this time, a group of Japanese settlers in the Philippines learned about Rajah's possession of the amulet and sought to acquire the artifact for their own ends. However, the Visayan resistance killed them and subsequently claimed their ships for themselves, which they used to sail to Cebu.[14]
In Cebu, Rajah and his men found an encrypted sea log written by the Dutch explorer Hendrik, which contained information about the locations of the other two Pieces of Eden. Rajah used the amulet to decipher the log's contents, and later employed its powers again to force a group of Spanish soldiers to kill each other.[8]
By the time Rajah's men occupied Fort San Pedro, the amulet had corrupted the Visayan chief, making him increasingly ruthless and deranged. He coldly ordered the execution of all civilians inside the fort and killed all of his men who protested. Later, when Edward and Saito confronted Rajah, the former remarked that the amulet had robbed the Visayan chief of all traces of humanity.[9] The Assassin then decided to face Rajah alone, during which the Visayan chief informed him of the visions shown to him by the amulet.[15]
Determined to prevent his home from being ravaged by future conflicts, Rajah declared his intentions to eliminate all foreigners who would attempt to invade the Philippines. However, Edward disagreed with his methods and fought Rajah to a stalemate, prompting the Visayan chief to use the amulet to summon illusions of Filipino warriors.[15]
Behind the scenes
The crescent amulet is a Piece of Eden introduced in Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple. It appears to combine the powers of several pre-existent Isu artifacts, including the Apples of Eden's mind control and illusion projection abilities,[1][2] the Ankh's resurrection powers,[4] the Crystal Balls' access to the Nexus,[3] and the Memory Seals' memory storage ability.[16]
Gallery
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The mad monk wearing the amulet -
The amulet being used to control a group of protesters -
Edward Kenway trying to take the amulet from the monk -
Rajah donning the amulet -
Rajah corrupted by the amulet
Appearances
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 51
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 54
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 56
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 52
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 53
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 63
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 55
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 66
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 69
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 57
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 41
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Initiates – Timeline
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 59
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 64
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 70
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 71
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