Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins
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- "Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine."
- ―The Creed of the Syrian Assassins.[src]
The Syrian Assassins, also known as Hashashin, were the branch of Assassins located along the Levant.
Primarily fighting their sworn enemies, the Knights Templar, during the Crusades, the Syrian Assassins were a more public organization than the other Assassin branches. Centering themselves in their fortress in the village of Masyaf, the Assassins quite often found their headquarters attacked by both crusaders and Saracens alike.
Under the leadership of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, the Assassin Order was rebuild, with new techniques being created and rules and restrictions were undone. Using knowledge gained from an "Apple of Eden" to do so, the Syrian Assassins were eventually spread to different locations around the globe - an effort to make the Assassin Order a more global organization - with the Syrian Assassins becoming the forebearer to many other Assassin branches in the process.
History
Saracen attack on Masyaf
- "During the delivery of the message, one of Salah Al'din's trusted generals was killed. His Majesty requires reparation. The head of the culprit. [...] His Excellency wishes to inform you that unless you agree to the demand a force will remain here at Masyaf, and that our patience is greater than your store of supplies."
- ―Shihab Al'din to Al Mualim, during the peace offer.[src]
By 1176, the Syrian Assassins where under the strict leadership of their Mentor, an individual only known as "Al Mualim".[1]
In 1176, Masyaf was besieged by the Saracens, in retaliation for a failed assassination attempt on the Saracen leader Salah Al'din. Al Mualim sent Ahmad Sofian as an undercover spy to the Saracen camp, who informed the Assassins of the camp's true location. The Master Assassin Umar Ibn-La'Ahad was then sent to the infiltrate Salah Al'din's tent at night, where he left a message tied to a dagger. However, the Saracen leader was woken up, and alerted the guards. Umar fled, killing a Saracen nobleman in the process.[1]
The next day, Salah Al'din and many of the Saracens had left Masyaf, and Shihab Al'din, Salah Al'din's uncle and second-in-command, had come to Masyaf fortress to form a peace treaty. The Saracens would deliver the Assassins the captured spy Ahmad Sofian - who had been tortured and had revealed Umar's name to the Saracens - and the Assassins would have the Saracens take the life of Umar in retaliation for the nobleman's death. Against Al Mualim's will, Umar agreed on the conditions, and the Saracens left Masyaf with Umar's decapitated head.[1]
1189 Templar attack on Masyaf
- "Your time is running out, old man. Tell me what you know of the artifact! Tell me where you are searching for it. It is a small price to pay to preserve what you have built here, no?"
- ―Haras to Al Mualim during the attack.[src]
By 1189, Al Mualim - secretly also conspiring with the Assassins' sworn enemies, the Knights Templar - was secretly planning to retrieve a "Piece of Eden", an artifact from the First Civilization. This caught the attention of the Templar Haras, who had went undercover in the Assassin Order beforehand. Successful in capturing Masyaf fortress, Al Mualim and several other Assassins, Haras intended to retrieve information on the artifact from Al Mualim. Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, son of the late Umar, rode into Masyaf during the attack, ordering Abbas Sofian - his former friend who had become his bitter rival - to flank the crusader forces in the village and drive them into the canyon, while Altaïr himself went deeper into Masyaf, aiming to save Al Mualim.[2]
Locked outside the castle by Haras, Altaïr climbed the castle walls and made his way towards the traitor, air assassinating him and saving Al Mualim.[2] This event led to Altaïr being elevated to Master Assassin, like his father was. This led to Altaïr's eventual arrogance and disregard of the Assassin's Creed, and fueled the hatred of Abbas Sofian towards Altaïr even more.[2]
Retrieval of the Apple
- "I send you - my best man - to complete a mission that is more important than any that has come before and you return to me with apologies and excuses."
- ―Al Mualim to Altaïr, upon his failure to bring the artifact.[src]
In 1191, Altaïr and the brother Malik and Kadar Al-Sayf were sent to retrieve the "Apple of Eden" from Solomon's Temple. Inside the temple, Altaïr disregarded one of the tenets of the Creed, by killing an innocent man. Progressing further into the temple, the Assassins found Robert de Sable, the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, and Altaïr strayed from their primary objective to obtain the Apple, hoping to kill De Sable. Showing himself to the Templars, Altaïr disregarded yet another one of the tenets; to hide in plain sight. With Altaïr's assassination attempt unsuccessful, Robert threw Altaïr to a wooden beam, causing the main entrance into the temple to be cut off and Altaïr to be routed.[3]
The Al-Sayf brothers were left alone to face the Templars, which resulted in Kadar's death and Malik receiving a severe injury to his left arm, which would later have to amputated. Nonetheless, Malik was able to retrieve the artifact and escape Masyaf, bringing it safely to Masyaf. In the process, Altaïr disregarded the third tenet; to not bring harm upon the Brotherhood.[3]
However, as Altaïr and Malik both returned to Masyaf separately, the Templars followed them back to Masyaf, which resulted in yet another attack on the castle. Altaïr, now responsible for many more deaths, climbed the watchtower outside Masyaf castle and released a wave of tree logs, which crushed the Templar forced and forced Robert to retreat.[3]
Altaïr was punished for his arrogance and disregard of the three tenets of the Assassin's Creed. Stripped off his rank, Al Mualim sent Altaïr on a quest to kill nine Templars around the Holy Land, both from the crusader and Saracen armies.[3]
Al Mualim's betrayal
- Altaïr: "What you plan is no less an illusion. To force men to follow you against their will."
- Al Mualim: "Is it any less real than the phantoms the Saracens and Crusaders follow now? Those craven gods who retreat from this world that men might slaughter one another in their names? They live amongst an illusion already. I'm simply giving them another. One that demands less blood."
- —Altaïr and Al Mualim about the latter's betrayal.[src]
In Altaïr's absence, Al Mualim studied the Apple, slowly becoming corrupted. When Altaïr killed his ninth and final target - Robert de Sable - at the Battle of Arsuf, months after he started his quest, the Templar Grand Master revealed to Altaïr that Al Mualim himself was a Templar too, but had betrayed them.[3]
Simultaneously, Al Mualim had used the Apple to control the minds of the citizens of Masyaf, turning them into mindless followers of Al Mualim. Altaïr, having returned from Arsuf and already making his way towards Masyaf castle, met with Malik Al-Sayf and four other Assassins who had remained unaffected of the Apple's powers. While Malik kept the manipulated Assassins away from Masyaf, Altaïr confronted Al Mualim in Masyaf's courtyard, which the Assassins referred to as "Paradise".[3]
Restrained by the Apple's powers, Al Mualim forced Altaïr to fight clones of the nine Templars. Defeating them one by one, Al Mualim went down to ground level from his balcony to face Altaïr himself with eight clones, summoned with the Apple. Altaïr stood victorious, and Al Mualim revealed more about the artifact's history and powers, before facing Altaïr one-on-one with the Apple. Despite the usage of the Apple's powers on Altaïr, the Master Assassin killed the Mentor. Desiring to destroy the Apple, Altaïr found himself enchanted with the artifact and decided to examine it first.[3] Altaïr sent Malik to Jerusalem to bring new of Al Mualim's death, while Altaïr went on to burn Al Mualim's body to make sure he would not return from death - against the rules of the Syrian Assassins.[2]
Civil war
- "This is no time to quarrel over the past. We must decide what to do with that weapon!"
- ―Altaïr to Abbas during the civil war.[src]
While carrying Al Mualim's body to a wooden pyre on a cliffside right outside Masyaf castle, Altaïr met with Abbas Sofian, who labelled Altaïr a traitor to the Order. Refusing to believe Al Mualim had betrayed the Assassins, Abbas convinced several Assassins to rise against Altaïr after he burned Al Mualim's body. A small civil war broke out, and Abbas shoved Altaïr off the cliff onto the ground before running towards the castle to retrieve the Apple. The two divided groups faced off against each other, with Altaïr not physically attacking any of the Assassins, hoping to win their trust.[2]
Having retrieved the Apple, Abbas climbed the watchtower outside the castle and found himself unable to use the Apple's powers, and the Apple slowly started draining the life from Abbas and hurted many other Assassins in the perimeter. Altaïr, unaffected, climbed the tower and saved Abbas from being killed[2]
Over the next period of time, Altaïr issued orders to the Assassins loyal to him, including Malik, that none of the rebels should be harmed. Instead, Altaïr persuaded them of Al Mualim's betrayal and his own ability to lead the Order, winning the loyalty and hearts of the Assassins in the process. Reciving the title of Mentor, Altaïr became the leader of the Syrian Assassins.[1]