Napoleon Bonaparte

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"Ah, the bane of statesmen and generals everywhere: an individualist. I know the feeling. Men like us have a great advantage over most in the army, you see: we can think for ourselves."

―Napoleon Bonaparte to Arno Dorian, 1792.

Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a Corsican military and political leader who ruled first as the First Consul of France from 1799 to 1804, then as Emperor from 1804 to 1815. He rose to power amidst the chaos and political turmoil of the French Revolution. He was also an acquaintance to the Assassin Arno Dorian.

Biography

Early Life

Born in French owned Corsica, Napoleon Bonaparte's Corsican heritage gave him a bad impression among his fellow students in military school. He was also a known troublemaker due to his long leaves of absence.

In 1791, he aided Pasquale Paoli the Corsican liberator, who later grew up to despise Napoleon's family. Due to exceeding his leave of absence, Napoleon was dismissed from the army.

Nonetheless, he was still appointed as colonel of a batallion to supresss a peaceful demonstration. Against the orders of his superiors, Napoleon's troops took control of the ctadell of Ajaccio.

In mid-1792, Napoleon participated in the Siege of Toulon during the French Revolution. Due to his experience as an artillery master, Napoleon earned the attention of Augustin and Maximillien Robespierre, the former appointing him brigadier general, with the command of the artillery of the French Army in Italy.

Meeting Arno Dorian

"You certainly don't look like a blood-crazed revolutionary. The hood... is a bit sinister though if you don't mind my saying."

―Napoleon, during his first encounter with Arno, 1792.

In 1792, Napoleon infiltrated Palais des Tuileries in order to acquire an Apple of Eden that had been placed in a chest and hidden in a secret vault by King Louis in the latter's study. At the same time, the Palace was under attack by several revolutionary extremists led by Napoleon's subordinate Frédéric Rouille.

Arno Dorian too had infiltrated the palace to search for compromising documents belonging to Mirabeau. As the Assassin entered the office, he was ambushed by Napoleon who held him at gunpoint. Initially hostile towards each other, the pair lowered their guards once they realized that they desired different prizes.

With Arno's Eagle Vision, they discovered the King's hidden vault. Distracted by destroying the documents, Arno failed to notice Napoleon sneaking away the casket containing the Apple of Eden. The pair then escaped the Palace with the help of Bonaparte's soldiers.

Collaboration with Arno

"Life is more valuable than dignity. But this is what happens when you give command of the government to half-starved lunatics, and command of the army to bloodthirsty savages."

―Napoleon, regarding the turmoil of the French Revolution, 1792.

In September 1792, Napoleon was accosted by several revolutionaries, though they let him go once he proclaimed his allegiance to the French Republic. Later on, he assisted Arno in finding Rouille, whom Napoleon had unsuccessfully tried to transfer to a far-off garrison. Thanks to Bonaparte's information, Arno was successful in assassinating Rouille in the Grand Châtelet prison.

Napoleon then became engaged to noblewoman Désirée Clary. During the French Revolution, as Napoleon feared for Désirée's safety, he sent his fellow captain Jean Bernadotte and Arno to protect her from royalist mercenaries. As Arno fought off the attackers, Désirée was struck by Bernadotte's charms, and a mutual romance began to blossom. However, as Désirée was promised to Napoleon, she resisted Bernadotte's advances despite her feelings.

Eventually, Napoleon became aware of the romance, and asked Arno to look into the matter. Finding evidence that Bernadotte intended to ask for Désirée's hand, Arno attempted to stop Bernadotte and spare Napoleon any embarrassment, but arrived too late. As Bernadotte confronted his superior, Désirée demanded he leave her alone.

Arno, sent by a remorseful Désirée, snuck into Napoleon's house and stole love letters sent between him and Désirée. However, Napoleon did not mind the theft at all, as he had begun to lose interest in Désirée, and was instead smitten with another woman, named Joséphine de Beauharnais, who would become his future wife.

Much later, Arno was sent by Thomas-Alexandre Dumas to escort Napoleon as he had a stroll with Josephine. Despite Napoleon's protests, Arno followed the couple. There, Arno eliminated Royalist snipers who were after Napoleon.

Years later, Napoleon accompanied Arno to the Temple, where they discovered the skeletal remains of François-Thomas Germain. The pair then buried his body in the Parisian Catacombs.

Rise to power

"Napoleon's claim to fame was using cannons on the streets of Paris. Outnumbered 6 to 1, he crushed Royalist forces marching on the National Convention."

―Bishop, regarding Napoleon's rise to power.

For the next few years, Napoleon had a successful career during the crushing of the 13 Vendémiaire uprising in Paris, an invasion of Italy and Egypt, and an upsurge in popularity. In 1799, in the Brumaire coup, Bonaparte seized power for himself as the "First Consul", soon to become the Emperor of France.

However, on 24 December 1800, the last remaining royalists of the 13 Vendémiaire coup, led by a one-eyed royalist wounded by cannon fire, plotted to use "The Infernal Machine" against Napoleon. The Assassins were able to kill all of the snipers that fired on Napoleon's carriage as he headed to the opera. However, the plan backfired when the Infernal Machine detonated too early away from Napoleon's carriage. The Assassin tracked down the Royalist leader and assassinated him, preventing any future coup.

Napoleon was First Consul of France during the last few years of the Haitian Revolution as well. He saw Toussaint Louverture as a threat, and sent Charles Leclerc to remove him from power, as well as giving him orders to reinstate slavery in the colony. He succeeded, but later in the war, French troops were forced out of Saint-Domingue.

Personality and Characteristics

"A man of principle."

―Arno's sarcastic remark on Napoleon, 1792.

Napoleon was a eloquent and collected man who rarely lost his temper, only displaying subtle signs of annoyance when pressured. Another instance where Napoleon loses his composure was when conversing with Josephine, frequently stuttering and pausing nervously.

Napoleon has also displayed a habit of speaking in military lingo, when he describes how to 'flank' Josephine while still remaining engaged with Désirée.Napoleon was maintains an upperclass attitude towards those around him, which makes him very intolerable among his colleguess such as Bernadotte and Dumas. A possible reason for his aristocratic mannerisms was likely due to his less impressive Corsican heritage.

Following their first encounter, Napoleon and Arno Dorian have struck up a close friendship, despite their philosophical differences. Napoleon trusts Arno enough to allow him to help run personal errands with Désirée, while Arno seems confident enough to speak out of his personal relationship with Elise de la Serre.

Equipment and Skills

"Better than anyone, he knew how to exploit his victories and cover up his defeats for the sake of public opinion."

―Shaun Hastings, 2014.

Napoleon was a gifted and capable leader, able to come up with military strategies that grant him victory despite the odds against him. This is shown during the 13 Vendémiaire coup, where despite being severely outnumbered, he managed to defeat to Royalists with minimum casualties. His charisma also played a pivotal role in his rise to power, garnering massive popularity in many of his campaigns.

As a commander of artillery, Napoleon was a skilled marksman, equipped with twin pistols on his person. He was capable of shooting down an extremist rebel charging towards him without misfiring. Napoleon was also equipped with a calvary sabre, which was common for men of his rank. He also displayed quick reflexes, being able to catch the Assassin Arno Dorian off guard and hold him at gunpoint.

Following the Palais des Tuileries, Napoleon acquired an Apple of Eden. With the power of the Apple, he was capable of influencing the minds of people, playing a role in his rise as Emperor of France.

Gallery

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  Concept art of Napoleon
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  A painting of Napoleon
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  Napoleon during the 13 Vendémiaire Coup
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  Closeup of Napoleon
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  Napoleon with an Apple of Eden