Scholar
Scholars are "holy men" who are usually deep in prayer, and can be Christian Monks, or Muslim ascetics. All of them wear robes similar to Altaïr's except that it covers their legs entirely, and they possess no assassin gear or weapons. Groups of Scholars can be seen walking and praying in all cities (excluding Masyaf) during the Third Crusade. However, they have slightly different appearances, according to their location. Those in Jerusalem and Damascus wear turbans, while the ones in Acre are hooded. The player may also unlock additional groups of Scholars in and around cities by saving male citizens in distress.
Types
There are generally two types of Scholars seen in the game; Christian Monks and Muslim Ascetics. Christian Monks look very similar to Altaïr, most notably the hood, though they come in a variety of styles and colors; such as in Acre, where Scholars can be seen with Hospitalier colors. Muslim Ascetics are men with turbans, and though they do not look much like Altaïr, they can still be used to blend with, as well as to get the "March of the Pious" Achievement.
Functions
If Altaïr joins the scholars, they will walk in a diamond-formation around him. This avoids Altaïr being seen from the front, left, right, and rear. Once blended with, the Scholars can assist Altaïr in two different ways.
Hiding Spot
If Altaïr is being chased by guards and manages to break their line of sight, he may blend in with Scholars and fool the guards. To do this, the player must move Altaïr near a group of Scholars and press the Feet button. He will move to the center of the group, begin walking with them, and lower his head to appear as if he was praying. If Altaïr is outside the guards' line of sight when he begins blending with the Scholars, the guards will give up on the chase in a few seconds. However, if Altaïr is still in sight of guards and attempts to approach a group of Scholars, they will stop their prayers and flee, breaking their formation.
Passing Guard Posts
Scholars have the additional use of getting past entrances blocked by guard posts. Each of the three large cities' entrances and some paths to restricted areas within the cities are blocked by a phalanx of guards, who will push Altaïr away if he tries to enter. Scholars will usually be situated near them, thus you can blend with them to allow Altaïr to enter the restricted area without alarming anyone and starting a fight. The guards will allow the Scholars to go by, thus granting Altaïr easy access without climbing buildings or fighting. Once Altaïr is inside the restricted area, the player may exit the blend by pressing the Feet button again.
Achievement
On the Xbox 360 version of Assassin's Creed, you can get an achievement by using scholar blending 20 times.
| Icon | Name | Description | Points | Secret? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
March of the Pious | Use scholar blending 20 times. | 5
|
No |
Trivia
- In Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines, Altaïr cannot blend in areas without any Scholars, like Limassol, Kantara Castle, Buffavento Castle, Saint Hilarion Castle (except the first area) and the Archive.
- You cannot kill Scholars using any weapons, however throwing them into the river will cause them to drown.
- Altaïr is able to kill a Scholar directly after saving them.
- In Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade, it is mentioned that the Saracen leader Salah Al'din has encouraged scholars to visit and spend time in the cities of Damascus and Jerusalem, which is a possible explaination as to why the city guards always allow them, and by extention Altaïr, to pass through the city gates unhindered.
- Although Scholars do not appear in Assassin's Creed II, monks can occasionally be found wandering the streets and countrysides, such as within the Monte Oliveto Maggiore Monastery.
- In Assassin's Creed II, though Ezio is able to blend with any crowd, an incident reminiscent of Scholars occurs during the Bonfire of the Vanities, wherein he must blend with a group of monks to pass into a guarded city gate.
- In Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles, Altaïr disguises himself as a scholar in order to enter the camp that besieges Acre.