Modern times

"If there is one message Gavin brings with him in his tour around the world, it is this: The Assassins are no longer alone."

―An Initiate spy, 2014.

Buzz Aldrin picking up the Apple of Eden on the surface of the Moon

Modern times refers to the period from the start of the 20th century through the 21st century CE. This era saw the overall decline of the Assassin Order and the ascendance of the Templar Order, including Desmond Miles' capture for use in the Animus Project and the commercialization of genetic memory technologies.

The Templar Order recovered several Pieces of Eden during the modern age. Among the victims of the search were Harry Houdini, Mahatma Gandhi and John F. Kennedy. Nikola Tesla also lost his Apple of Eden to the Templars, an incident which motivated him to help the Assassins in destroying the Imperial Sceptre, one of the Staves of Eden. Additionally, the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon was in fact a Templar expedition to recover an Apple of Eden that was on the lunar surface.