Vance Travers

"I'll tell you this: I will marry her. I will kill you if I must, I will have your half of the map. And then the world will see which brother has more honour."

―Vance to his brother, regarding Jing Lang, 1717.^[src]

Vance Travers (1690 – 1717) was, alongside his brother Upton, the head of the Assassin bureau in Nassau.

Biography

Vance was born in England in 1690, two years after the birth of his brother, Upton. Seeking fortune, the brothers traveled to the West Indies, where they established a smuggling enterprise. They eventually joined the Assassin Order, and were appointed leaders of the Assassin bureau in Nassau, funded by their smuggling operation.

At some point, the brothers bought a map to a treasure from a pirate. They decided that each would keep one half of the map, and would claim the treasure when they retired.

In July 1715, the location of the bureau was revealed to the Templars, who had received maps - made by Assassin turncoat Duncan Walpole - from the pirate Edward Kenway.

Around this time, the Chinese pirate and TemplarJing Lang arrived in Nassau. Vance and Jing soon became inseperable, the former falling in love with the latter.

Exploiting Vance, Jing persuaded him to reveal the location of the brothers' treasure. In truth Jing had already stolen the halves of the map and sent them to her husband, while having replaced them with forgeries.

With Vance intending to marry her, Jing convinced him to kill Upton in order to take his half of the map. In 1717, Edward arrived at the bureau, wishing to protect Vance in order to acquire a Templar key. Against Jing's advice, Vance contracted Edward to assassinate Upton, claiming him to be a Templar, and not mentioning their relation.

As Edward was about to kill Upton, the latter revealed that he was Vance's brother and his fellow bureau leader. At Upton's suggestion, Edward tailed him as he met with Vance. As the brothers conversed, several thieves paid by Vance attempted to steal Upton's part of the map, but were killed by Edward.

Vance failed to convince Upton to hand over his part of the map. As the conversation turned to the subject of Jing, Vance accused his brother of jealousy, and angrily bid him farewell, assuring Upton that he would acquire the half of the map one way or another.

Vance then met with Jing, informing her that he had sent a man to kill Upton. Unbeknownst to them, Edward had eavesdropped on their conversation, and was able to kill the assailant.

Eventually, Upton decided that Vance had to die for his betrayal of the Assassins, tasking Edward to assassinate Vance and Jing. In his dying words, Vance accused Edward of being a traitor, causing him to reply simply, "It takes one to know one". After Vance expired, Edward took his half of the map, only to discover from Jing that it was a forgery.