Liberation of London

Evie: "Freeing future generations from a city ruled by Templars. You know, Jacob Frye, you might just be right."

Jacob: "Then, shall we?"

Evie: "Yes, let's. Onward to London!"

— Jacob and Evie Frye discussing their plan to liberate London from the Templars, 1868.

The liberation of London took place during the Industrial Revolution, in which the city of London was freed from the British Rite of the Templar Order led by the industrialist Crawford Starrick by the twin British Assassins Jacob and Evie Frye and their gang the Rooks.

Context

Fall of London under the Templars

During the beginning of the 18th century, the British Brotherhood of Assassins had a strong influence in London's high-society and underworld. Their nemesis, the British Rite of the Templar Order, led by Reginald Birch, ordered the assassination of their leaders, Edward Kenway in 1735 and Miko in 1754. Without strong leadership, the Assassins fled the city and the Templars took control of London for a century.

Starrick Industries

By 1860, London had fallen under the control of the Templar Grand Master Crawford Starrick, who used his network of Templar agents to control the city and oppress the working classes to keep the Templars in power. With Starrick Industries, the Templars had an influence on the industrial sphere of London. Starrick Telegraph Company had a near-total monopoly on telegraph communication throughout the city. The Templars placed Dr. John Elliotson at the head of the Lambeth Asylum, while the Earl of Cardigan influenced the House of Parliament.

Starrick also hired the criminal Maxwell Roth to form a gang for the Templars, the Blighters. Roth trained seven Templars to became the leader of the Blighters in every borough of London. Beginning in Devil's Acre, the Blighters spread in all London, taking down every gang which opposed them. They installed gang stronghold across the city and used child labors in their factories. With his payment, Roth installed himself in the Alhambra Music Hall, using the building as a legal front for his criminal activities.

In 1864, the businessman Malcolm Millner acquired the Greater London Omnibus Company and renaming it the Millner Company. To assure his monopoly, he sabotaged other bus companies using arson and murder.

In 1867, Crawford Starrick bought the Millner Company and inducted his owner in the Order. The same year, the Templar Philip Twopenny became the Governor of the Bank of England with Thomas Hunt Newman. Twopenny was to run things day to day for Hunt, organizing heists in the Bank every fiscal quarter under the named of Plutus.

Assassin's plan to liberate London

The Ghost

In 1860, the Indian Assassin Jayadeep Mir was sent by his master Ethan Frye in the city to spy the activities of the Templars, without the sanction of the Assassin Council. He took the name of Bharat Singh and blend in with the poor taking residence in the Thames Tunnel, becoming the guardian of its residences. To more secrecy, Mir received the name of the Ghost.

In 1862, the Templar Cavanagh was involved in the construction of the world's first underground railway; a cover for his attempts to unearth an Apple of Eden. Mir worked on the site to spy the Templars. As Frye interrogated the Templar's courier Boot, the Templar Robert Waugh shot Boot and killed an innocent girl as he targeted the Assassin. Frye killed Waugh and ordered Mir to dispose of the body on the construction site to infiltrate the Templars.

Later, the Police constable Frederick Abberline came to investigate the body, Mir took the defense of Cavanagh, beginning to ingratiate himself with other Templars as the Hardies and Marchant. Abberline continued to investigate with the constable Aubrey Shaw after Waugh's corpse was stolen by urchin paid by Frye. Shaw was beaten by the Templars as the two policemen were meddling with their plot.

After interrogating the Indian Assassin Ajay, the Templars discovered the true identity of Mir. Cavanagh killed Charles Pearson, the underground railway's solicitor, as he was in possession of the Apple of Eden and tried to frame Mir for the murder. Frye and Abberline saved Mir and Cavanaugh was killed by Marchant on the order of Starrick as Cavanagh planned to take over the British Rite with the Apple. Later, Mir discovered that the Templars killed Maggie, a resident of the Thames Tunnel. Feeling guilty, Mir decided to live isolated from the Brotherhood.

In 1865, Jayadeep received a visit from his parent Arbaaz Mir and Pyara Kaur. His mother gave him his Hidden Blade and convinced him to continue to work for the Brotherhood. Taking the name of Henry Green, he bought a curiosity shop in Whitechapel to serve as the headquarters of his network, becoming the leader and only Assassin in London. Jayadeep officially associated with the then Sergent Abberline. Jayadeep allied with the urchins of Babylon Street led by Clara O'Dea who became his eyes and ears in the city. In the high-society, Jayadeep entered in contact with his great-uncle Duleep Singh and even had a guard of the Tower of London in his allies.Jayadeep also became a friend of the inventor Alexander Graham Bell who tried to break the monopoly of Starrick Telegraph Company.

Creation of the Rooks

By 10 February 1868, the Templar Lucy Thorne acquired Edward Kenway's journal and searched the Shroud of Eden in the city. Jayadeep led his own research but Rexford Kaylock, the leader of the Blighters in Whitechapel, tried to take his studies. At this moment, Ethan Frye's children Jacob and Evie arrived in London to break the control of the Templars on the city. They allied with Jayadeep, while Evie wanted to recover the Piece of Eden, Jacob wanted to form his own gang to fight the Blighters.

The three Assassins began to liberate Whitechapel, killing Templars, liberating child laborers for Clara O'Dea and arresting Blighters for Abberline. The Assassins liberated the gang stronghold of the Clinkers, the last gang resisting to the Blighters. Allying with the Assassins, the gang became the Rooks. As the borough was disputed, a gang war was settled between the twins Frye and Kaylock. As the Templar died, the Assassins took over the Blighters of Whitechapel who joined the Rooks. The Assassins liberated the other boroughs of London, killing the Blighters' leaders.

In the gang fight for Whitechapel, Kaylock's train became the mobile headquarters of the Frye, with its driver and Agnes MacBean working for the Rooks. Later, the teenagers Nigel Bumble joined the crew and even stole from the Blighters a Gatling for the train. As the train was attacked by the Blighters, Jacob used the gun on the Blighters' train before the Gatling exploded. Later, the train went out of control and Evie stopped the train before it could get worse.

The twins worked with Graham Bell to break the monopoly of Starrick Telegraph Company. Evie fixed fuses for the independent telegraph lines of Westminster. Later, the twins recovered cables stolen by the Blighters and took a sample of poisonous gas from them. The Assassins finally end Starrick monopoly by destroying his transmitters.

Jacob and Evie also associated with London underworld figures. The businessman and crime boss Ned Wynert contacted them as the Blighters foiled his operations. The Rooks then attacked the carriages, ships and trains of the Blighters. The Frye also met the bookie Robert Topping who organized fight clubs and street races across the city.

Race for the Shroud

As Thorne searched the Shroud, Evie and Jacob stole to her Edward Kenway's journal. Following its clues, Evie went with Jayadeep to Kenway Mansion where they found a secret room. Inside it, Evie collected a medallion that led her to the Monument which redirected her to the secret room of St. Paul's Cathedral. She was followed by Thorne who fled with the cache's key. The two women went to the Tower of London to collect the Shroud but they didn't find it. Evie infiltrated the building making believed she was captured by a guard who in fact work for Jayadeep. Approaching, Thorne, Evie killed her and took back the key. Later, Evie and Jayadeep tried to recover the plans of the vault in Buckingham Palace but the Templars stole them after they captured Jayadeep. Evie was forced to let the Templars fled as she saved Jayadeep.

Destruction of Starrick's Soothing Syrup

During the year 1868, Starrick Brewing Company began the production of the Starrick's Soothing Syrup, a concoction elaborated by Dr. Elliotson containing distilled opium and datura stramonium, a powerful hallucinogen and deliriant which ravaged the mind of the people who drank it. Jacob investigated the syrup leading him to the Starrick distillery where he met the naturalist Charles Darwin who also investigated the Syrup. Together they sabotaged the distillery, destroying the production. As they discovered that the syrup was sent to Lambeth Asylum, the two interrogated Richard Owen who informed them that it was Dr. Elliotson who produced the syrup. Jacob infiltrated the Asylum, took the place of a cadaver that the Templar used for a public lesson and killed Elliotson, ending the production of the syrup.

Without Dr. Elliotson, the Lambeth Asylum closed to the public with only Florence Nightingale and few doctors running the place. Thieves stole medical supplies from the Asylum and began to sell false syrup in the borough to raise the price of the true syrup. Orphans began to fall ill, as Clara O'Dea. Evie brought her to the Asylum and recovered the medical supplies for Nightingale. The Assassins began to sponsor the Asylum to help the borough.

Rivalry for London buses

Later, Malcolm Millner entered in a ferocious competition against the Templar Pearl Attaway, Starrick's cousin and owner of Attaway Transport. As the Grand Master supported Millner in tactics to sabotage her company, Attaway allied with Jacob Frye, who was oblivious of her allegiance. Jacob sabotaged Millner's buses and stole from him an internal combustion engine for Attaway. As Jacob killed Millner, Attaway negotiated with Starrick to work together, permitting her to keep her company. When Jacob discovered the true nature of Attaway, he infiltrated her train in Waterloo Station, killed her and stole once again the I.C.E. After the death of his cousin, Starrick ordered that the Templar's presence in the city increased to stop the Assassins.

With the death of the two leaders of the omnibus transports in the city, the Blighters took the deed of Attaway Transport and tried to force Edward Bayley to constructed buses for them. Evie saved Bayley and his family and took back the deed, permitting to Bayley and his associates to found the London General Omnibus Company to serve the common good.

The robbing of the Bank of England

As the robbing of the Bank of England continued, Sergent Abberline investigated undercover as Dredge. His actions attired the attention of the Templars and Jacob, who was surprised that Dredge was Abberline. Together they investigated Plutus and discovered that it was Philip Twopenny. Abbeline was ready to arrest them all, but Jacob killed Twopenny against the orders of Abberline. The death of the Governor of the Bank of England led to inflation. In order to counter it, Starrick granted a significant rise to his staff.

With the news of Twopenny's death and the robbing of the currency printing plates, the British economy nearly breakdown as counterfeit money spread in London. Evie burned the false money and recovered the printing plates for Abberline, securing the British economy.

Assassination attempt on Prime Minister

As Prime Minister Disraeli introduced a bill to stop the election rigging in the House of common, the Earl of Cardigan planned to assassinate him and replaced him by William Gladstone to impeach the bill. Jacob discovered the plot and protect the Prime Minister from the Templars by impersonating a bodyguard. As he had no clue about the instigator, the Assassin accepted to escort Disraeli wife Mary Anne in Devil's Acre against information on Brudenell. Later, Jacob infiltrated Westminster Palace and killed Brudenell, permitting the Corrupt Practices Act to pass.

Alliance between the Rooks and the Blighters

As the Rooks began to take control of the boroughs of London, Maxwell Roth sent an invitation to Jacob. The Assassin went to the Alhambra Music Hall where Roth proposed him an alliance to fight Starrick as the leader of the Blighters was bored by the Templars plot to control everything. Jacob accepted and the two gang leaders began their partnership by blowing up a stock of explosives and stealing a train from the Templars. Later, Jacob helped Roth arrested Starrick's associates in the Strand. Their alliance stop when Jacob saw that Roth destroyed a Templar's factory with children in it. Jacob saved the children before receiving a letter from Roth. The crime boss organized a show in the Alhambra Music Hall to serve as the place of his confrontation with Jacob. When the Assassin arrived, Roth set a fire the Music Hall to kill every person in the building. Jacob killed Roth before leaving the place.

Confrontation at Buckingham Palace

As the Queen organized a ball at Buckingham Palace, the Templars and the Assassins used the event to recover the Shroud. Even if the twins were in conflict, they agreed to collaborate one last time. Jacob recovered the invitation and the carriage of the Gladstones while also stole a Royal Guard uniform for Abberline to infiltrate the party and smuggled their weapons and outfits. Evie drove Duleep Singh through London to meet politicians who can help him to defend the rights of his people. The Maharaja informed her that the plans of the vault were hidden in the White Drawing Room of the palace.

During the ball, the Templars infiltrated the palace and captured the Royal Guards to replace them by snipers to eliminated the Queen and other members of the London elite. After he recovered his equipment, Jacob killed the Templars and liberated the guards. As Evie recovered the plans, she was aboard by Starrick who stole her the key of the cache. Entering the vault, the Grand Master wore the Shroud and confronted the twins. As he was healed by the Piece of Eden, the Templar outmatched the Assassins. Jayadeep intervened giving some time to the siblings to separate Starrick from the Shroud before killing him. The Assassins decided to keep the Shroud hid in the vault and were made members of the Order of the Sacred Garter for their actions.

After Starrick's death

Bombing attacks

After the death of their Grand Master, a new faction of the Templars arose, planning to bomb London. The Queen tasked the Fryes to help Alfred Fleming to stop the plot. They arrested their leader who arrived from Boston with dynamite. Interrogating him, the Assassins discovered the Templars planned to explode a train in Southwark. The Fryes detached the locomotive, allowing the bomb to detonate without harming the civilians. Later, the leader escaped from prison. The twins followed him and hijacked a carriage containing explosives. As templars ignited the dynamite, the Assassins drove the carriage in a safe area before it exploded. Later, the Templars infiltrated the Westminster palace, placing bombs and abducting the Prime Minister. The Assassins intervened, saving Disraeli and stopping the bombs.

The BIC conspiracy

Later, another faction of the Templars associated with the British India Company to stop the revendication of Duleep Singh on the throne of India. Brinley Ellsworth, a long time friend of the Maharaja in India, went in London to organize Duleep assassination in Buckingham gardens. The twins Frye protected the Maharaja and decided to help him in his fight against the B.I.C after he discovered that the Templars intercepted his private correspondences. As the Templar robbed the gold of Punjab in the Bank of England, Evie stopped them and the Assassins recovered the gold before sending it back to India.

Later, the Templars organized an attack on the train hideout but the Assassins repeeled them. To counter the Templars, the Maharaja and Jacob went to a party in the Tower of London to steal the Koh-i-Noor, the diamond which was in possession of the Sikh Empire. But The Templars stole the diamond before the Assassins and put on Duleep to frame him of the crime before the Queen. Jacob stealthy retook the diamond before a diplomatic incident could happen and gave the jewel to Evie who was on the roof.

In the curiosity shop, Jayadeep revealed that the jewel they stole was a copy and that the Koh-i-Noor never leave India. The twins later infiltrated a factory where the Templars developed sleeping gas for their conflicts in India. The Assassins destroyed the stock and discovered Ellsworth's implication. As Duleep learned about his friend betrayal, he confronted him at Lambeth's cemetery, where Evie protect the Maharaja against Ellsworth. The Assassin spared the Templar life on the order of Duleep who decided to continue his fight for the independence of India but without the help of the Assassins.

Attack against Charles Darwin

The Templars also targeted Charles Darwin, trying to undo his scientific work in London. The Assassins helped him as Jacob was in debt after the death of Elliotson. They recovered the Berlin Specimen which was stolen by the Templars and destroyed hallucinogenic pots that Templars spread through the parks of Westminster. As the Templars trying to defame Darwin's work through newspapers and posters, the Assassins destroyed the printing shop behind this propaganda campaign. When the Templars abducted Darwin, Nightingale contacted the Assassins who saved his life, ending the Templars threat.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Syndicate
• Assassin's Creed: Underworld