John Young

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John Young was a navigator for the Dutch East India Company in the 1720s. In 1725, he assisted the British Assassin Edward Kenway in his search for the ruins of Angkor, the former capital city of the Khmer Empire and an alleged Precursor site.

Biography

Meeting Edward Kenway

By February 1725, John had made a lot of money, though lost it all gambling in Macau which made the poor man attempt to drown his sorrows by drinking heavily and boasting about discovering the ruins of the lost city of the Khmer Empire.

After arriving in Macau to search for the ruins, which the Assassins believed to house Pieces of Eden, Edward Kenway approached John in Burnt Brian's Pub and tried to question him about his alleged discovery of Angkor. Mistaking Edward for a debt collecter, John caused a brawl and fled the tavern, though he was eventually caught by the Assassin and revealed it had been his friend Hendrik who had discovered the city. The pair were then attacked by a group of ninjas, who sought to silence John, but they were quickly killed by Edward.

John and Edward on the run from the former's company mates

John identified their attackers as pirates from Cipango and took Edward to the Dutch East India Company's dormitory in the city, where Hendrik was staying, so that the Assassin could protect him in case he was similarly attacked. John was told to wait outside and watched as Edward climbed up to his friend's room.

Minutes later, John was startled by Edward, who had jumped out the window and into a cart of hay below. After explaining to a shocked John that Hendrik had been murdered, Edward revealed that there had been a "little misunderstanding," as Hendrik's Dutch East India Company colleagues had mistaken Edward for his killer and were now chasing him. While attempting to escape their pursuers, Edward told John that their time together had come to an end and pushed him into a nearby alley to get him out of danger.

After being abandoned by Edward, John "indefinitely borrowed" a Dutch East India Company ship and headed to the port of Macau, where Edward was fighting another group of ninjas. John fired a cannonball towards them, killing the ninjas, while Edward dived into the water alongside a local man named Zhang whom he had saved from being murdered by the ninjas.

Upon helping Edward and Zhang aboard his ship, John explained that he had decided to continue his adventure alongside the Assassin, feeling that it would be well worth it in the end, and that he could not return to the Company, as he would be executed for the theft of the ship. Edward allowed John to accompany him and the two decided their next course of action would be to retrieve Hendrik's logbook, which could contain useful information to aid their search for Angkor.

Hiding out

John and Edward seeking shelter in Zhang's home

As the port was being patrolled by the navy following the earlier fight, Edward and John found it impossible to dock and were forced to wait and lay low for the time being. Zhang then offered to take them to a safe place where they could hide, as a sign of gratitude for Edward saving his life. Accepting his invite, they traveled to a village south of Macau, where the locals welcomed them and allowed them to stay as guests.

After settling in, Edward took John into the wilderness to hunt for food. There, John watched as Edward shot a deer and used its legs as bait to lure and kill two crocodiles, and was impressed by the Assassin's skills. The pair then returned to the village and shared their gains with the locals to repay their hospitality. However, the feast was interrupted by the worsening health of a local woman suffering from cholera.

After being informed by the villagers that many others were suffering from the same illness, John and Edward became determined to help them in any way they could. Believing that a solution of salt and sugar may ease the people's sickness, Edward decided to return to Macau alone to acquire the resources. John pointed him to a warehouse owned by Madam Lee, an affluential businesswoman, and watched as the Assassin departed the village and made his way back to the city.

Not long after Edward's departure, John, deducing that the Assassin may get into trouble again, took his ship and sailed back to Macau as well, managing to dock into the port at night. There, he watched as Edward was being chased on horseback by Dutch East India Company soldiers until eventually being cornered. Acting the same way he had done the last time Edward was in peril, John fired a cannonball at the soldiers, incapacitating them and allowing Edward to jump with his horse onto John's ship. The pair then sailed back to Zhang's village with the salt and sugar Edward had taken from Madam Lee's warehouse.

Thanks to their remedy, many of the villagers are saved, although it is too late for Zhang's daughter, who was already too sick and ended up passing away. Edward later expresseed his remorse to John, revealing that he also had a daughter. John tried to comfort him, saying that what had happened was fate, but Edward countered that people could change their fates, referencing his decision to leave his pirate days behind him and join the Assassins. John then proceeded to call out Edward for never telling him he was married, but their conversation was interrupted by Zhang and his wife who, alongside the rest of the villagers, wanted to thank them for everything they had done for them since their arrival.

When Zhang offered to repay the favour, Edward initially wanted to decline, but after John told him it would be considered an insult in Chinese culture, he decided to ask Zhang and his fellow labourers to become his informants in Macau, in the hopes of learning more about Madam Lee. After a week, they managed to learn that Lee had acquired Hendrik's logbook and informed John, who in turn later told Edward. With the location of their next target known, Edward and John then prepared to retrieve it.

Personality and traits

Equipment and skills

John was multilingual, being able to speak a variety of languages including Dutch, Portuguese, Mandarin and Khmer.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple