Antó
Antó (1670 – unknown) was the Maroon leader of the Assassin bureau in Kingston during the early-to-mid 18th century.
Biography
Early life
Antó was born to the Ashanti tribe in the Akon region of West Africa in 1670. Sold into slavery as a young man, he was sent to Jamaica to work on a sugar plantation. However, he managed to escape with the help of the warrior Cudjoe and fled to Kingston, where he founded a Maroon community.[1]
Forging connections with the local traders, Antó began coordinating plantation raids to free slaves and build an army. In 1698, he was inducted into the Assassin Order, trained under the Mentor Ah Tabai and rose through the ranks, eventually becoming leader of the Kingston bureau. Many of the slaves that he rescued became his recruits. Despite being the bureau leader, Antó's first priority was always to free slaves from captivity.[1]
Working with Edward Kenway
In 1716, Antó was approached by the pirate Edward Kenway, who admitted to having sold out his bureau's location to the Templars, and wished to rectify his mistake by assisting him in exchange for a Templar key to a vault on Great Inagua. To facilitate cooperation, Antó and Edward freed a number of Maroons, before defending the bureau from the Templar attack. Subsequently, the pair assassinated the Templar Kenneth Abraham.[1]
By 1721, Antó was still stationed in Kingston, when Edward returned from the Assassin Brotherhood at Tulum, sent to assassinate Woodes Rogers. As Rogers was hosting a party before his return to England, Antó provided Edward with the identity of an Italian diplomat attending the party. Edward assassinated the diplomat and assumed his identity to enter the party undetected. Before setting off, Edward requested Antó to send a letter to his wife, Caroline.[1]
Later life
In 1738, Antó attempted to aid François Mackandal, Mentor of the Haitian Brotherhood in the hope of strengthening the maroon cause. However, Mackandal refused his offer, claiming Antó had been taught by a weak Mentor and could not hope to understand the Creed the way Mackandal did.[2]
Trivia
- Antó's name meant "born after the death of his father".
- The Templar Grand Master Laureano de Torres y Ayala walked right through Antó's bureau in the memory "Traveling Salesman".
Gallery
-
Concept art of Antó
Reference