Protectors of Persia

I wanted to ask you something. Which is... what's your name? This article title is conjecture. Although the article subject is canon, no official name for it has been given.

In the first half of the 5th century BCE, a group comprising of the Persian elite and led by Artabanus opposed the secret rule of the Order of the Ancients over the Achaemenid Empire. The group gathered with the goal of eliminating King Xerxes I of Persia, a puppet of the Order, which they achieved in 465 BCE, when the ruler was assassinated by Artabanus.

Despite meeting a terrible end, with the group splintered and Artabanus on the run under the alias of "Darius" following his failed assassination of Artaxerxes I, their values were transmitted through Darius to the Hidden Ones and, in turn, the Assassin Brotherhood centuries later.

History

In August 465 BCE, Artabanus, Amorges, and Pactyas ambushed King Xerxes I and his entourage as they were travelling. While the group distracted and eliminated the king's guards, Artabanus himself, disguised as one of the guards, assassinated the king using a weapon of his own creation: the Hidden Blade. This would become the first recorded use of the Hidden Blade, centuries before the blade became the signature weapon of the Assassin Brotherhood.

After Xerxes' death, Artabanus sought to prevent the Order of the Ancients from exerting their influence on the king's son and successor, the young Artaxerxes I, and planned to kill the new king before he could be manipulated. However, he faced opposition from Amorges, who instead persuaded the rest of the group to join forces with the Order and use their combined resources to create a better future for Persia. The group completely disbanded when Amorges turned on Artabanus during the latter's attempt on Artaxerxes' life, which forced Artabanus and his family into exile.

Amorges and the Order subsequently spent the next few decades hunting down Artabanus and his family, though Artabanus, who had taken up the alias "Darius", and his son Natakas constantly managed to avoid them. During this time, just like Darius had anticipated, the Order attempted to sway the young king Artaxerxes like they had done with his father. After they were unsuccessful, they made a failed attempt on his life using poison that left the king blind and on the run, and framed Darius for the plot.

For the group's parallels with the later Assassin Brotherhood, their leader Darius came to be seen by the Assassins as one of their early precursors, with him being honored posthumously among other illustrious members of the Brotherhood.

Known members

• Artabanus (founder)
• Amorges
• Pactyas

Gallery

• 
  The group attacking Xerxes' convoy
• 
  One of the group's members
• 
  Artabanus assassinating Xerxes
• 
  Amorges confronting Artabanus
• 
  Amorges stopping Artabanus from killing Artaxerxes

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Initiates (first mentioned)
• Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Legacy of the First Blade: Hunted (flashback only)