Main – Talk – Sandbox I – Sandbox II - Sandbox III - Sandbox IV
While working at Abstergo Entertainment, a research analyst had multiple conversations with their coworkers and superiors.
| Welcome to Abstergo Entertainment |
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| A Small Favour |
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| Corporate Pressure |
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| The Bunker |
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| A Face from the Past |
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Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad was born into the Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins to a Muslim father, Umar, and a Christian mother, Maud. His mother died from complications during childbirth, leaving Altaïr to be raised by his father alone.
After two attempts on his life, Saracen leader Salah Al'Din raised a force of ten thousand soldiers and marched on the Assassin fortress at Masyaf, determined to end their threat to his life once and for all. His uncle Shahib failed to convince him to join forces with the Assassins, but Al'Din was not swayed from his ardent desire for revenge.
While the Saracens constructed siege engines, the Assassins weighed their options. While some recommended killing Salah Al'Din, Assassin Mentor Al Mualim preferred a more subtle approach. He sent Umar Ibn-La'Ahad to infiltrate the Saracen camp with the mission to lay a feather upon the sleeping body of the Saracen leader. He hoped this would send a crystal-clear message that Al'Din was vulnerable at any time. While Umar successfully delivered the feather, he was discovered and was forced to kill a nobleman.
After a few days of fighting with casualties rising on both sides, Shahib approached the fortress to negotiate with Al Mualim.
Shahib presented his terms to the Assassins: Give up Umar to find peace. If not, face a prolonged siege leading to inevitable destruction. Al Mualim refused so Shahib revealed they had captured an Assassin spy, Ahmad Sofian. The spy would be the first to die in the renewed conflict.
Umar convinced Al Mualim to let him take Ahmad's place and accept responsibility for his failure. The Mentor reluctantly agreed and Umar walked calmly towards his executioners as his son Altaïr cried out for him. Umar's dying wish was that Al Mualim take Altaïr as his disciple so he could be trained as an Assassin.
For two days, Altaïr was tortured by the fevered cries of Ahmad Sofian, the man he held responsible for his father's death. Wracked with a fever from his treatment at the hands of the Saracens, Ahmad could only cry out the name of Altaïr's father, Umar, as he was attended to by his son Abbas.
One night, Altaïr woke in the middle of the night to find a gaunt, pale Ahmad standing over him. The man simply said, "I'm sorry," before drawing a dagger across his own throat. Terrified, Altaïr ran to Al Mualim, who swore him to secrecy. The mentor decided to tell the Brotherhood that Ahmad had fled, so that Abbas would not be tainted with the shame of his father's suicide. Altaïr wondered why Abbas could not know the truth, but promised Al Mualim to keep the secret.
The next day, Altaïr and Abbas were placed in quarters together and began their training as Assassins. Abbas was confident that he would be reunited with his father soon, but Altaïr was reunited with Ahmad for many nights to come, as he suffered from nightmares about Ahmad and the red smile at his throat.Altaïr and Abbas trained together in the ways of the Assassins and grew very close. However, Altaïr began to notice his friend had become withdrawn, lost in despair about whether or not his long-lost father would return. Altaïr believed that if Abbas knew the truth about his father's death, then it would bring him short-term pain but a lasting sense of peace. One night, Altaïr finally revealed that Ahmad had committed suicide in his room, but Abbas said nothing.
The next day, Abbas demanded that he and Altaïr be allowed to train with real swords instead of the wooden training ones. In a fury of tears, Abbas viciously attacked Altaïr, knocked him down, held a knife to his throat, and demanded that he take back the lies he had told the night before. Left with no other choice, Altaïr conceded and told Abbas that he had lied. Both boys were thrown into Masyaf's cells for a month, but when they emerged, Abbas was punished again, as his training was extended for another year.
Abbas grew to hate Altaïr, and in turn, Altaïr began to pity Abbas, and the two were never friends again.Returning from travels to find Masyaf overrun by Templars, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad fought his way up to the fortress stronghold, killing Templar soldiers and rescuing villagers along the way. He was greeted at the gates by Haras, a traitor who had facilitated the Templar attack, who was holding Al Mualim, the Brotherhood's mentor, hostage.
Altaïr climbed his way into the fortress, assassinated the traitor from above, and saved Al Mualim. In return, Al Mualim elevated him to the rank of Master Assassin at the age of 25, making Altaïr the youngest Assassin to attain that rank.Altaïr, an arrogant Master Assassin of the Levantine Brotherhood, was sent to Solomon's Temple by his mentor Al-Mualim to investigate a recent Templar discovery. He was joined by the brothers Malik and Kadar Al-Sayf.
Altaïr killed an elderly man near the entrance to the tunnels that led beneath the Temple Mount. While such a gesture impressed the young Kadar, Malik chastised the Master Assassin for not following the first tenet of the Brotherhood, "Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent."
As the three Assassins entered deeper into the underground passageways leading to the Temple, they came upon a large chamber displaying a golden chest. The Assassins wondered if it was the fabled Ark of the Covenant.
Several Templars entered the chamber, led by Robert de Sable, the Grand Master of the Knights Templar. Altaïr, ignoring Malik's warnings and breaking cover, confronted the Templars. He failed to kill de Sable and was thrown through a damaged portion of the Temple. Its collapse blocked him from helping the brothers fighting for their lives against the Templars.
Left with no other options, Altaïr fled Solomon's Temple and returned to Masyaf in failure.Altaïr returned to Masyaf and was met at the village gates by Rauf, a fellow Assassin, who directed him to the fortress to report to their mentor Al Mualim. At the fortress gates, Altaïr had a short meeting with a less-friendly face, his bitter rival Abbas Sofian.
Al Mualim was eager to hear of Altaïr's mission, but quickly became angry when he was presented with excuses instead of the treasure. As Altaïr informed the mentor of the deaths of Malik and Kadar, an injured Malik made a surprise entrance by staggering into the room.
Malik vehemently accused Altaïr, stating that the mission would have been successful had the Master Assassin not broken all three tenets of the Assassin's Creed. Malik also revealed that he managed to retrieve the treasure, at the cost of his brother Kadar's life.
Before Al Mualim could administer any punishment, a Templar force that had followed Malik from Solomon's Temple began to lay siege to Masyaf. Al Mualim ordered his Assassins to drive the invaders from their home.Altaïr headed to the village to confront the Templars invading Masyaf. Rauf asked him to keep them occupied while he organized a rescue for trapped village citizens. Altaïr fought his way to the gates of the village, killing Templars until he heard Abbas relay Al Mualim's order to retreat into the fortress.
Altaïr returned to the fortress gates and saw the villagers huddled in the courtyard. Rauf beckoned him to join him in the fortress's tower and told him to stand upon a wooden platform high above a rocky landscape below.
Robert de Sable emerged from the Templar force and demanded that Al Mualim return the artifact stolen from him. Al Mualim refused, and answered de Sable's threat of a prolonged siege with proof that the Assassins had no fear of death.
On cue, Altaïr, Rauf, and a third Assassin executed a Leap of Faith off the platform and landed in bales of hay placed below. The third Assassin missed his jump and broke his leg, forcing Rauf to tend to his wounds and silence his screams of pain to avoid discovery.
Altaïr crossed a series of wooden beams placed across the gorge that led to a tower behind the Templar force. He climbed to the top of the tower and used his sword to loose a pile of heavy logs that crashed down into de Sable's army, forcing them to retreat.Despite having successfully routed the Templar attack that followed from the ill-fated investigation of Solomon's Temple, Altaïr was chastised before the entire Brotherhood by Al Mualim. Judgment was passed on the Assassin and Al Mualim stabbed Altaïr in the stomach with a dagger.
When he awoke from the "sleep of the dead", Altaïr was stripped of his rank and possessions as further punishment. However, Al Mualim offered him a chance at redemption.As a novice again, Altaïr had to prove his abilities to Al Mualim once more. As a Master Assassin, Altaïr had others track his targets for him, but now had to carry out his own investigations. His first mission was to find the traitor in Masyaf who opened the gate for Robert de Sable and the Templars and bring him to the mentor for questioning.
Altaïr was met at the fortress gates by a Masyaf informer, who instructed him to begin his investigation at the village market where they first spotted the traitor. The Assassin eavesdropped on a conversation during which he discovered that a man named Masun was the one who opened the gates for the Templars, but he did not act alone. Masun exchanged letters to his accomplices, using the village's basket weaver as a courier.
Altaïr found the nervous basket weaver who had just received a new letter. He followed the weaver and pickpocketed the letter. The Assassin found Masun, the herald, near the cypress tree in the village. Masun was blaming the attack on Al Mualim, claiming that their mentor had betrayed them all. Altaïr trailed the herald to a secluded spot and then beat a confession out of him. Masun admitted to serving the Templars and opening the gates at the request of a man named Jamal.
Altaïr brought Masun before Al Mualim, who gave the herald a last chance to repent. When Masun refused, Al Mualim executed him with his sword.Altaïr rode to Damascus and met the Rafiq of the local Assassin bureau. He then worked through the Poor District of Damascus to gain information on his first target, Tamir, a black market merchant who sold weapons to Crusaders and Saracens alike.
Altaïr discovered that Tamir planned a meeting with his merchants in the Souk Al-Silaah to discuss an important sale, the largest he'd ever arranged, with enough weapons to arm nearly a thousand men. To meet this order, Tamir pushed the merchant's guild to produce the arms through both violence and bribery. This prompted some of the merchants to reach out to Abu'l Nuquod, the Merchant King of Damascus, to explain their predicament.
Altaïr decided that the meeting would be the ideal time to strike, as Tamir would be too preoccupied with his work to notice his approach.Altaïr waited for Tamir to appear at a courtyard in the Souk Al-Silaah, and watched while his prey berated an old merchant for not being able to deliver a shipment of weapons on time. When the merchant suggested Tamir was asking for too much, Tamir responded by stabbing him repeatedly and leaving the body in a fountain as a warning to the other merchants.
As Tamir wandered the Souk to bully the other merchants, Altaïr found his moment to strike and killed his target. As he lay dying, Tamir cursed Altaïr and his kind and warned him that he was but one of many, who were working for a cause higher than mere profit.
Altaïr returned to the Rafiq at the Damascus Bureau, who praised him for his success and lamented that the other Assassins still held him in such poor regard before suggesting that he report back to Al Mualim in Masyaf.Al Mualim was impressed with Altaïr's first success. Altaïr spoke of Tamir's last words and asked if there was more information that he needed to know. Al Mualim replied that Altaïr's mistake was knowing too much, and would withhold information until he decided that he needed to know more.
He returned Altaïr's short blade and gave him two new targets, one in Acre and one in Jerusalem.Altaïr traveled to Acre and reported to the aging Rafiq at the local Assassin Bureau. His target was the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitalier, Garnier de Naplouse. During his investigation, he learned that Garnier hid behind the walls of the Hospitalier fortress, tending his patients one by one. Naplouse had a reputation for being a madman and a butcher, as witness claimed that his patients were not sick when they entered, but were made to suffer once under his care. Several of de Naplouse's guards had abandoned their posts and no one was allowed to enter the Grand Master's personal work space save for scholars.
The Assassin found a puzzling connection between de Naplouse and Tamir, the arms merchant he killed in Damascus, and a second man in Jerusalem who was sending him patients. Altaïr found the connection to Jerusalem particularly odd, because the two cities were occupied by opposing forces.Altaïr made his way to the entrance of the Hospitalier Fortress and saw a patient attempting to escape, screaming for help. Garnier de Naplouse emerged from the hospital and attempted to soothe the struggling man. The patient accused de Naplouse of stealing the souls of the other patients. De Naplouse calmly ordered his guards to break the man's legs to prevent another escape.
Altaïr entered the hospital and killed the doctor. Before dying, Garnier lamented that his work to help his unfortunate patients would be undone with his death. Although his patients were grown adults, their minds were not, and he had hoped to repair that mental damage, though his progress was slowed when the Assassins stole the Piece of Eden from them. De Naplouse died believing that he was helping the people under his care.
Altaïr tried to talk about de Naplouse's attitude towards his work, but the elderly Rafiq was not interested in analyzing the situation any further and ordered the Assassin to return to Masyaf.Altaïr reported the death of Garnier de Naplouse to his mentor Al Mualim and expressed his doubts that the doctor was a torturer as they first believed. Al Mualim replied that leaders would resort to any tactics to gain the support and loyalty that they needed and suggested that de Naplouse was drugging his victims into servitude.
Altaïr regained the use of throwing knives and set out towards Jerusalem.Altaïr went to Jerusalem and was surprised to find a bitter Malik Al-Sayf posted to the Jerusalem Bureau. They exchanged harsh words before Altaïr set out to learn more about his next target, a slave master named Talal.
The Assassin learned that Talal was the leader of a group of slavers who operated out of a barbican in the north of Jerusalem's Rich District. He kept to the shadows and used his men to bribe guards to turn a blind eye to his activities. Talal held his slaves in a warehouse and inspected them daily before sending them off to Acre. The slaver was known to flee at the first sign of trouble, with his loyal men covering his escape, so that he could put distance between himself and any attackers and fight with his bow and arrows.Altaïr decided to strike before Talal could send his next caravan of human livestock. He entered Talal's warehouse and was taunted by his prey as he ventured further into it. The Assassin made his way deeper into the warehouse, past cages of pleading captives, while Talal insisted that these people were not captives, but being prepared for a journey.
Altaïr finally came face-to-face with Talal, who was disappointed that he could not convince the Assassin of the nobility of his work. His guards attacked Altaïr, who killed them before following his prey up to the roof of the barbican before chasing him through the streets of Jerusalem. Altaïr managed to catch up to Talal and end his life.
Talal was confident that his so-called "Brotherhood" would survive his death and died before revealing any more about his allies. Instead, Talal lamented that the "lepers, addicts, and whores", who he said were unfit for slavery, would no longer be cared for, and insisted that he was not selling them, but saving them.
Altaïr returned to the Assassin Bureau and was confronted by Malik who was furious that the death of Talal had raised alarms all over the city. Altaïr attempted to remind Malik that they were on the same side and then returned to Masyaf.Altaïr reported the death of the slaver to Al Mualim. The Assassin asked his Mentor why Talal would use people unfit for service as slaves and soldiers. The old man replied that although training weaker people takes more time and effort, they would be rewarded with loyalty.
Altaïr thought about this perception as he made his way towards his next target.Al Mualim expressed gratitude that three of the nine targets were dead, but warned Altaïr that his work had just begun. He informed his pupil that King Richard was moving south towards Jerusalem, and that Salah Al'Din was stationed at Arsuf to wait for him. Altaïr asked if he should kill them both and end the Crusades once and for all. Al Mualim dismissed the idea, stating that killing the two leaders would unleash thousands of aimless, bloodthirsty soldiers onto a helpless populace.
Instead, Al Mualim gave Altaïr three new targets: Abu'l Nuqoud, the wealthiest man in Damascus; Majd Addin, the regent of Jerusalem; and William de Monteferrat, the Liege Lord of Acre.Altaïr entered Abu'l Nuqoud's palace and mingled with the happy guests at the party. Soon their corpulent host revealed himself to the crowd on a large balcony that looked over the courtyard. The Merchant King greeted his guests and encouraged them to drink the wine he had provided. Abu'l praised the generosity of his guests to Salah Al'Din's war campaign, and wished that they be given everything that they deserve.
But Abu'l Nuqoud's kind words quickly soured and he began to call out his guests for their hypocrisy. The Merchant King claimed to have abandoned the Saracen cause for a new one which would allow everyone to live together in peace. Just then, a guest died from the poisoned wine and Abu'l gave the order to his archers to kill anyone who tried to escape.
Panic gripped the crowd and Altaïr used the chaos to scale the walls to reach his target. Altaïr accused Abu'l Nuqoud of stealing money from the people of Damascus and sending it away to unknown places. Abu'l refused to finance a war for a people and faith who would label him as an abomination. Altaïr demanded to know the identity of his new cause. Abu'l refused to divulge that information, and only offered that he and Altaïr were the same, willing to take lives for a greater good and told the Assassin that he could not stop them from attaining their new world.
Altaïr left Abu'l's body and returned the Assassin Bureau.Al Mualim praised Altaïr's success and was sure that they were healing the nearby cities as they cleansed them of corruption. Altaïr was less sure, as all his targets died without regrets and confident of their success. Altaïr was convinced that there was a link between the men he had been sent to kill.
Al Mualim praised Altaïr's perception, but then advised him to silence all questions and obey him, leaving a frustrated Altaïr with no other choice but to proceed to his next target.Altaïr returned to the Assassin Bureau in Acre and asked the Rafiq what he knew about his next target, William de Montferrat. The Rafiq stated that William was named Regent of Acre while King Richard fought his war. Many thought it was an odd choice, given that William's son Conrad frequently clashed with the King over many matters, to the point where many believed that each man secretly planned to do the other harm. The Rafiq believed that William was placed in Acre, not as a promotion, but as a hostage to prevent Conrad from acting out
Altaïr quickly began an investigation in the Rich District of Acre and discovered that William's army was large, but that he still had enemies, thanks to his rivalry with the King. The Assassin planned to use King Richard's visit as a cover to infiltrate the Crusader Citadel and strike while William brooded over another miserable encounter with his king.Altaïr watched King Richard depart the Citadel, scolding William for executing Saracen prisoners of war. William defended his actions, but Richard was not interested in his excuses, and returned to his Crusades. A frustrated William retreated into the citadel, intent on taking out his mood on his soldiers.
Altaïr infiltrated the Citadel and found William angrily berating his soldiers. The Assassin took advantage of William's distraction and ended his life. As he lay dying, William denied any attempts to claim Acre for his son Conrad. Yet he did not claim to hold the city for Richard, stating that he only sought to keep Acre for his people. Altaïr accused him of stealing food from the citizens and drafting soldiers into his army. William countered that he was hoarding food for the lean seasons and not teaching the people arts of war, but rather discipline and order. Before he died, William mocked Altaïr, informing him that he was not freeing the cities as he believed, but rather damning them.
Altaïr escaped from the Citadel and returned to the Assassin Bureau and tried to discuss William's final words with the Rafiq. The old man was not interested in hearing them, and suggested Altaïr take it up with Al Mualim.Al Mualim sensed Altaïr's frustration and gave him permission to speak his mind. Altaïr spoke of the cryptic dying words of his targets and Al Mualim's choice to withhold information from him and demanded answers. Al Mualim warned against the insubordinate tone that Altaïr confronted him with, but the latter held his ground. The Mentor, angered, grabbed a sword and threatened to find a more obedient replacement. However, Altaïr knew that there was no one else capable of the tasks, and again demanded to know the connection between his targets.
Al Mualim relented and revealed that the men who needed to die were bound by a blood oath not unlike that of the Brotherhood. All of Altaïr's targets were members of the Templar Order, serving under their Grand Master, Robert de Sable. Their goal was pure conquest and neither King Richard nor Salah Al'Din would be enough to stop them. Al Mualim revealed that this was the reason for the existence of their Brotherhood, to keep the world free of such tyranny.
Al Mualim declared he regretted withholding the truth from Altaïr, but felt that the young Assassin needed to find this knowledge on his own, and prove himself worthy of it. Altaïr asked about the treasure Malik retrieved from Solomon's Temple, which was so desperately sought after by Robert de Sable. Al Mualim refused to answer, stating that just as Altaïr discovered the truth about the Templars, he would also have to wait for the truth about the treasure.Altaïr returned to Jerusalem and discussed the forthcoming death of Majd Addin with Malik Al-Sayf. Majd Addin had appointed himself the ruler of Jerusalem in Salah Al'Din's absence and Malik warned Altaïr against overconfidence, as he was well-protected. Altaïr asked for Malik's help, which impressed the bitter Rafiq.
Altaïr's investigations revealed that Majd Addin was planning to perform a public execution and the Assassin was sure that he could handle any guards present. Malik again chastised Altaïr for his overconfidence, warning him that there were no certainties in their line of work. To prove his point, he informed Altaïr of a twist: One of the men scheduled to be executed was a fellow Assassin who Al Mualim wanted saved. Altaïr promised that Majd Addin would not get the chance to take the life of their brother.Altaïr arrived at the public execution in time to watch Majd Addin emerge to the roar of a bloodthirsty crowd. The regent of Jerusalem whipped the crowd into a frenzy but was interrupted by a pair of desperate men trying to save one of the accused. They were brutally cut down by the guards and served as an example of Majd Addin's power.
Altaïr struck Majd Addin before his Assassin brother could be put to death. Altaïr expected Majd Addin to defend his actions as righteous as the others had, but his victim confessed that he sought only power and enjoyed the thrill of controlling the lives of the men beneath him, and that the Templars merely presented him with an opportunity. Altaïr wasted no time in delivering a final blow to the neck with his hidden blade.
Altaïr returned to Malik and was surprised that the latter didn't have words of scorn waiting for him. However, Malik was merely curt and noted that while Altaïr shouldn't expect praise for doing his duty, he had performed adequately in his task.Altaïr was ready for his remaining trials, but had questions for his mentor Al Mualim. He wondered why his targets betrayed their leaders. Al Mualim replied that the Templars desired control, and each target attempted to claim their cities in the name of the Templar Order. However, the old man said he was confident that they would not succeed as long as the Assassins held the treasure from Solomon's Temple.
Al Mualim revealed a small silver globe and dubbed it "a piece of Eden". He claimed that it cast out Adam and Eve, parted the Red Sea, and performed other miracles. Altaïr noted that it was rather plain for such a powerful artifact. Al Mualim claimed that anyone holding it could command the hearts and minds of those who looked upon it. Altaïr realized that the Templars were conspiring to use the piece of Eden to enslave the entire population of the Holy Land.
Al Mualim gave Altaïr two more targets, Sibrand in Acre and Jubair in Damascus. The Mentor urged Altaïr to hurry, as he suspected Robert de Sable would be more cautious because of the Assassin's continued success.Altaïr found Sibrand at the docks, terrorizing a monk, accusing him of being an Assassin. Sibrand refused to listen to the monk's pleas and eventually cut him down. He demanded his guards stay on the lookout for Assassins before retreating to his ship.
Altaïr made his way through the docks, boarded Sibrand's ship, and found his target firing arrows wildly, demanding to know why no one was helping him against the unseen Assassin. Altaïr fatally wounded the man, urging him to seek comfort with his God. Sibrand replied that the Templars had proven to him that God does not exist. Sibrand sought to free the Holy Land from the tyranny of faith, following his orders and believing in his cause.
With Sibrand dead, Altaïr left the docks and made his way to the Assassin Bureau. There, the Rafiq attempted to soothe the Assassin's doubts, claiming that sympathy, regret, and uncertainty were the emotions that would keep him human in the midst of his grim work.Altaïr returned to Al Mualim at Masyaf and asked his Mentor why Jubair and Sibrand were chosen as targets. The Mentor replied that if the two men were allowed to continue their work, they would undo all that they have worked for, and that the Templars were like a hydra, quick to replace any members that were lost.
Now it was Al Mualim's turn to ask Altaïr a question, and he asked his disciple the nature of the truth and the world. Altaïr replied that it was their duty as Assassins to recognize that nothing is true and everything is permitted, and that the world was an illusion. While the Assassins sought to dispel the illusion, the Templars would use the illusion to rule the world.
Al Mualim encouraged Altaïr to kill the final man on his list, so that they could strike at the Grand Master, Robert de Sable.Altaïr found Jubair and his scholars tossing books into a large fire. One of the scholars attempted to dissuade Jubair from burning the books, claiming that they saved people from ignorance. Jubair replied that their reliance on words made them weak, and that accepting written words without question was dangerous. The scholar insisted that the books gave the gift of knowledge, which prompted Jubair to throw the scholar into the fire before commanding the remaining scholars to seek out all the books in Damascus.
As Jubair wore the same uniform as his scholars, the Assassin was forced to track down the correct target. Altaïr stabbed Jubair and scolded him for destroying sources of knowledge that he disagreed with. Jubair countered that he himself was a source of knowledge that the Assassin disagreed with, and by killing him, he was committing the same sin.Altaïr met with Malik at the Jerusalem Assassin Bureau to confirm Robert de Sable's presence in Jerusalem. Altaïr informed the one-armed Rafiq that all of Altaïr's targets, Crusader and Saracen alike, were Templars seeking to control the Holy Land. The two Assassins parted ways to investigate further.
Altaïr's investigations revealed that Robert de Sable planned to attend the funeral of Majd Addin in an attempt to smooth relations between Crusaders and Saracens. Altaïr planned to attack the Templar Grand Master during the procession. Before he left, Altaïr apologized to Malik for causing the loss of his arm and the death of his brother. Malik refused to accept the apology, and stated that the Assassin before him was not the same man who went with him to Solomon's Temple, and therefore owed him nothing.Altaïr entered the cemetery at David's Citadel as an imam was eulogizing Majd Addin, with Robert de Sable standing nearby. After the prayer was over, the Templar Grand Master whispered something to the imam. Suddenly additional Templar guards entered the funeral and the imam pointed at Altaïr in the crowd. Altaïr killed the guards and struck at Robert de Sable, pinning him to the ground.
Altaïr ripped off Robert de Sable's helmet and was shocked to discover a woman beneath the armor. She revealed that Robert de Sable planned to use Altaïr's killings of the other Templars as an excuse to unite the Crusader and Saracen forces against the Assassins at Masyaf.
Altaïr refused to kill the woman and fled the scene, returning to the Assassin Bureau to inform Malik of the chaos. Malik urged Altaïr to return to Al Mualim, but the Assassin felt the need to pursue Robert de Sable immediately to stop his plan of uniting King Richard and Salah Al'Din against them. Malik urged Altaïr to obey the Creed and not act without Al Mualim's blessing, but Altaïr replied that their master was keeping important information from them. He vowed to return to Masyaf for answers after he was done with Robert de Sable. In the meantime, he urged Malik to either return to Al Mualim himself, or walk among the citizens of Jerusalem to see what he could learn.Altaïr rode from Jerusalem to Arsuf and made his way through waves of Saracen and Crusader soldiers until he came to the Crusader camp. He confronted King Richard, who mistook the Assassin for a Saracen. Altaïr revealed that he was not there to kill King Richard, but the traitor Robert de Sable. Robert dismissed the accusations, but the king was conflicted. He decided that the truth would be revealed through combat, and that God would favor the winner.
Altaïr fought through ten Crusader guards before Robert de Sable joined the fight. After a pitched battle, Altaïr killed the Templar Grand Master. In his final moments, Robert revealed that ten men had found the Piece of Eden, not nine as Altaïr originally believed. The tenth man was the Assassin mentor Al Mualim, who used Altaïr to eliminate the other Templars to keep the treasure for himself.
Before taking his leave of the King, Altaïr urged him to make peace with Salah Al'Din for the sake of the people of the Holy Land. Altaïr rode to Masyaf for a final confrontation with his master.Altaïr returned to Masyaf, only to find it empty. A deranged citizen muttered that everyone had gone to see the Master. Altaïr made his way past other dazed villagers, but was ambushed by a mob of frenzied Assassins. Malik and a team of his followers arrived and cut down the brainwashed attackers with throwing knives.
Malik revealed that he had returned to Solomon's Temple and discovered Robert de Sable's journal that detailed Al Mualim's involvement with the Templars and the treasure. Altaïr ordered Malik to create a distraction while he went after Al Mualim and urged his friend not to kill the Assassins, whose minds were not their own.
Altaïr entered the courtyard of the fortress and carefully navigated through the mass of stunned citizens. He went through the castle and emerged in the rear gardens where he was suddenly seized by glowing energy. Al Mualim, Piece of Eden in hand, revealed himself on a balcony above.
Al Mualim used the artifact to create phantoms of Altaïr's nine targets and the Assassin was forced to kill them all a second time. Al Mualim paralyzed his pupil again, who challenged his mentor to face him. Al Mulaim leapt down from the balcony, angry and unafraid, and used the Apple of Eden to split into nine copies of himself. Altaïr used his Eagle Vision to find the real Mentor and quickly attacked him. Finally, Al Mualim dueled Altaïr one-on-one, but was no match for his former student.
As he lay dying, Al Mualim could not believe that the student could defeat the master. Altaïr swore to destroy the Apple of Eden, but Al Mualim died doubting his ability to follow through on that promise. Altaïr approached the Apple, which opened slightly and emitted a holographic display of the Earth.Altaïr sent Malik to Jerusalem to carry news of the Mentor's death and sent another Assassin to Acre to do the same. He also ordered the creation of a pyre and carried Al Mualim's body towards it.
Altaïr was confronted by his rival, Abbas Sofian, who demanded proof of Al Mualim's betrayal to the Templars. Altaïr explained the conspiracy surrounding the Apple of Eden and attempted to convince a suspicious Abbas about the artifact's power. Altaïr placed his Mentor's body upon the fire and burned it to make sure that it was not another phantom.
Enraged, Abbas accused Altaïr of continuing to mock their Creed and left his rival to the mercy of Assassins who sought to subdue him. Altaïr fought them off but was interrupted when Abbas emerged on a tower brandishing the Apple of Eden. Abbas accused Altaïr of murdering their beloved Mentor. Altaïr attempted to put the past behind them and decide what to do with the artifact. Abbas felt that Altaïr was unworthy to wield it but quickly lost control of it. Altaïr scaled the tower and wrestled the Apple away from Abbas.Altaïr returned to Masyaf to reclaim his position as Mentor, which was taken in his absence by Abbas Sofian, who also murdered Altaïr's son Sef and framed Malik Al-Sayf for the crime.
With the help of the Assassins who had remained loyal to him, and Tazim (Malik's son), Altaïr made it to the castle fortress without the loss of a single life. There, he killed the usurper with his Hidden Gun and became Mentor once again.Late one night, Ezio, a proud and unruly young man from an affluent banking family, gathered a group of his loyal friends and allies. Making a rallying speech, he decried the slandering of his family name by Vieri de' Pazzi, another youngster from a rival banking family. The speech was cut short by the arrival of Vieri and his band of henchmen. After exchanging verbal jabs, Vieri threw a rock that hit Ezio in the face, setting off a brawl. Ezio and his cohorts managed to beat Vieri's thugs into a retreat, in part because of the timely arrival of Ezio's older brother, Federico.
Seeing that his little brother had received a cut on the mouth, Federico urged Ezio to pilfer money from some fallen thugs to pay for a physician's care.After beating his brother Federico in a race to the top of the Santa Trinità church, Ezio decided to delay his return home to pay a night time visit to Christina Vespucci, his current flame.
After spending a few hours in his lover's arms, Ezio was chased away by Christina's father, Antonio Vespucci. His shouts of rage roused a mob of guards to chase Ezio through the streets of Florence. He managed to lose them by climbing to the top of a building and laying low for a while. Then he made his way safely back home.After a very busy night, Ezio joined his father, Giovanni Auditore, expecting to be admonished for his behavior. Surprisingly, his father went easy on him and reminisced about his own youth before sending his son on an errand to deliver a letter to Lorenzo de' Medici. Ezio learned from a servant that de' Medici was out of town, so he returned. As he entered his father's office again, he found him conversing with Gonfaloniere Uberto Alberti, a friend of Giovanni's. After a cordial exchange, Giovanni bade his son check on the rest of the family until he called on him again.
Ezio's sister Claudia moodily recounted her romantic relationship with Duccio de Luca, whom she suspected of being unfaithful. Ezio promised to have words with him and left to track him down. He found de Luca passionately courting another woman. Ezio accosted him, traded insults and delivered a thorough beating, warning de Luca to stay away from his sister.
As he returned home, Ezio met with his younger, sickly brother Petruccio. As he gently chided his little brother for being out of bed, Petruccio asked for some Eagle feathers scattered over the area's rooftops. When Ezio asked what they were for, his brother refused to say. Ezio, humoring him, bargained he would get the feathers if Petruccio agreed to go back to bed right after. He accepted and Ezio retrieved the feathers as promised. As he returned them, Petruccio promised he'd reveal what they were for, in time.
Ezio's mother, Maria Auditore, asked her son to accompany her on an errand. As Ezio and his mother traded banter about Ezio's nightly antics, she revealed that Francesco de' Pazzi had been arrested for murder. After a short walk, Maria brought Ezio to Leonardo da Vinci's studio to pick up paintings for the Auditore household. Maria introduced the young men to each other before making Ezio return home with the paintings.Following his father's instructions, Ezio scrambled once again back to his family home. Dealing with guards as best he could, he returned to his father's office. There, using his innate talent to spot hidden objects, he found Giovanni's secret room. Inside it, he found the chest containing the letter and documents he had to bring to the Gonfaloniere Uberto Alberti.
He also found a hooded, intricately detailed set of cloth armor, a sword, a vellum scroll, a leather bracer and a cracked dagger blade connected to a strange mechanism. Ezio equipped on the armor and sword, stored the rest, and set out to bring the document to Uberto.
As soon as he stepped out of his home, he was assaulted by two sword-wielding guards. They announced their lethal intentions, forcing Ezio to kill them. He made his way to the Gonfaloniere's home and, out of breath, shared his family's plight with Alberti. As he took the documents from Ezio, the Gonfaloniere made assurances that everything was a misunderstanding and would be cleared the next morning. He explained that the documents contained evidence of a conspiracy against both the Auditore family and the city of Florence. He promised Ezio he'd present them at his family's hearing at the Piazza in the morning.
As night fell, Ezio made his way to the house of his love, Cristina Vespucci. When she let him in her room, Ezio told her everything and entrusted her with the broken dagger and the vellum scroll. He spent the night with her, waiting for morning.The day after his father and brothers were arrested and imprisoned for treason, Ezio made his way to the Piazza della Signoria. He was surprised to find a crowd of people gathering around a gallows. On it stood his father and brothers, in chains, with nooses around their necks. Gonfaloniere Uberto Alberti accused Giovanni Auditore and his "accomplices" of treason and asked if he had any evidence to prove his innocence. Giovanni said his son Ezio had given them to Uberto the night before. Feigning ignorance, Uberto sentenced all three to death by hanging. Before Ezio could react, the hangman activated the trapdoors, felling all three.
As Ezio rushed the gallows, screaming in fear and rage, Uberto named him a traitor too and called guards to kill him on sight. Ezio drew his sword but a heavily armored guard disarmed him and guards converged on him. Weaponless, Ezio had no other resort but to flee for his life, a wanted man.Late at night on the day his father and brothers were falsely accused of treason and publicly executed, Ezio made his way to Christina Vespucci's family mansion to recover the satchel containing the broken hidden blade and vellum scroll he had taken from his father's secret room. Intent on ensuring a decent burial for his father and brothers, he asked Christina join him in exile with his remaining family. Torn between her love for Ezio and her duties to her family, Christina refused. The lovers parted ways.
Ezio made his way back to the Piazza della Signoria where the bodies of his father and brother laid. Being careful not to awaken the sleeping guards, he recovered the bodies and made his way to the nearby river. He prepared a funeral pyre on an open boat and set it ablaze, watching it drift slowly toward the sea.Once Ezio mastered how to hide in plain sight and move around undetected, Paola, an ally of the Auditore family and owner of La Rosa Colta, returned the broken blade she pickpocketed from him. She instructed him to visit Leonardo da Vinci's workshop to get it repaired. Before he left, Ezio inquired why Paola had helped him, a stranger. Showing gruesome scars on her right arm, she said she too had known betrayal.
Once at da Vinci's workshop, Ezio handed over the broken blade and bracer as well as the encoded scroll found with them. Leonardo deciphered the scroll and fixed the weapon. As Ezio set out to exact his vengeance, they were interrupted by a bullying guard who threatened and beat da Vinci to force him to reveal his association with the Auditores. Ezio saved his new friend by creeping up to the guard and killing him with his new weapon. They hid the body in Leonardo's cellar, which already contained several donated by the city for da Vinci's anatomical studies.With his father's hidden blade freshly repaired by his friend Leonardo da Vinci, Ezio returned to La Rosa Colta, Paola's brothel, where his remaining family members were hiding. Ready to strike, Ezio inquired where he could find Uberto Alberti, the city official who betrayed his family. Paola told him he would be attending the unveiling of Verrochio's latest painting at the Santa Croce cloister. Ezio tracked Uberto in the streets and overheard him arguing with Lorenzo de' Medici, gloating over his alliance with the de' Pazzi and making veiled threats against his old friend.
Hidden in crowds, Ezio approached the heavily guarded entrance of the cloister. Once inside, Uberto spotted him but Ezio stabbed his enemy multiple times before he could react. With his dying breath, Uberto told Ezio he would have done the same to save the ones he loved. Ezio answered he had done that very thing and shouted to all in attendance that the Auditore were not beaten.
As guards converged on him, Ezio made his escape through streets and rooftops.Returning from avenging the death of his father and brothers by killing Uberto Alberti, Ezio returned to La Rosa Colta where his sister and catatonic mother were hiding. As the owner, Paola, greeted Ezio, he said he was leaving Florence with his sister and mother. He would head for Monteriggioni where his uncle Mario Auditore resided.
Paola told him such a plan would be much easier if Ezio took to the streets to curtail his local infamy so the city guards would stop chasing him. He ripped some wanted posters off walls, bribed town heralds, and killed a city official . After that, the city calmed down.
As he returned once more to Paola's, his sister Claudia rushed to his side. Nervous and afraid, Claudia inquired about the fate of their father and brothers. Ezio's silence confirmed Claudia's worst fears and she collapsed in tears. Ezio asked her to calm down and focus on the next task at hand: get everyone out of Florence to safety.
Ezio escorted them to the city gates. Once there, he hired courtesans to distract the amassed guards on the lookout for him. While they were distracted, Ezio and his family left Florence behind them.On their way to Monteriggioni, Ezio, his sister and his mother were waylaid by Vieri de' Pazzi. Not content to see the Auditore family decimated and forced to leave Florence, Vieri called for Ezio's head.
As Ezio tried to keep Vieri's men from harming his family, his uncle Mario arrived with a band of mercenaries to join the fight. They dispatched Vieri's men, and forced de' Pazzi to flee. Mario then escorted Ezio and his family to Monteriggioni.On the way to the Villa Auditore, a 200-year-old mansion in Monteriggioni, Mario asked his nephew about the recent events in Florence. Ezio said he did not understand the purpose of the plot against his family. All he had was a list of people he took from the body of Uberto Alberti, the man responsible for the death of his father and brother.
Once at the Villa, Mario urged Ezio to settle in and get ready for training. Ezio countered he'd planned to lead his family further away than Monteriggioni. Mario insisted; Ezio had to finish the work his father had started. Confused, Ezio asked what work a banker had to finish that was so important. Taken aback by Ezio's ignorance of his father's true identity, Mario sent him off, promising to tell him later.
After purchasing some armor, weapons, and medicines as required, Ezio returned to his uncle's study. Mario repeated his offer to train him, pointing out Ezio's recent inability to hold his own against Vieri's men. He implored his nephew to do it for the sake of his mother and sister's safety. Ezio agreed.Ezio spent several weeks training for combat. Throughout his sparring session, Mario revealed that Ezio's father was an Assassin, a member of a secretive order determined to counter the plans of conquest and domination of their arch-rivals: the Templars. Mario explained that Uberto Alberti, Vieri de' Pazzi, and probably the entire Pazzi family were Templars. He also told him Giovanni had been collecting pages from a book called The Codex, a treatise of techniques, tools, and rules governing the Assassin Order. Mario said his brother believed the Codex would reveal the location of something powerful enough to change the world.
Once his training was completed, Ezio faced his uncle in one final battle in which the young man bested the grizzled warrior. As Ezio thanked his uncle, Mario mistook such gratitude as a willingness to stay. Ezio denied it, saying he was sailing out to Spain with his family. Furious, Mario deplored Ezio's lack of commitment to continue his father's work and accept his heritage. He stormed off.
Later, when Ezio went to Mario's office, he was informed his uncle had taken a group of mercenaries to confront Vieri de' Pazzi at San Gimignano. Vieri had been harassing his troops ever since Ezio and his family had arrived. Before leaving, Ezio checked on his mother, who still hadn't said a word since the loss of her husband. Worried, Ezio tried to comfort his sister Claudia.
Determined to help his uncle and to once again face his enemy, Ezio set out of Monteriggioni on horseback.When Ezio re-joined Mario and his men near San Gimignano to face Vieri de' Pazzi, he announced he was ready to take on the responsibility of facing his enemy. Mario shared their battle plan, namely striking at the undermanned southern gate of the city.
Sneaking near the city's gate, Mario and his men set out to create a diversion while Ezio snuck into town by climbing the city's wall. After he used throwing daggers to take down the archers patrolling the rooftops and nearby buildings, he opened the closed gate to let Mario and his troops inside the city walls.
Ezio took a few men with him to dispatch a group of guards without raising the alarm while Mario made his way to Vieri. Once done, Ezio joined up with his uncle and the rest of the soldiers who were deadlocked fighting Vieri's soldiers. Mario told Ezio where Vieri could be found so he could be dealt with.Shortly after entering San Gimignano, Ezio made his way to the city's palazzo at the northern edge of town. Sneaking up on a roofttop, Ezio overheard Vieri, Francesco, and Jacopo de' Pazzi consorting with the hooded Spaniard he'd seen at the execution of his father and brothers. The conspirators were discussing the consolidation of positions and forces in San Gimignano and Florence, alluding to an imminent takeover. As the group broke off, Vieri was called upon by one of his mercenaries, who warned him that Mario Auditore had invaded the city. Making for one of the city wall's highest towers, Vieri ordered his men to face the invasion.
Ezio made his way to the tower and climbed to its top to face Vieri and some of his soldiers. After Ezio mortally wounded Vieri, he tried to extract the meaning of the conspiracy from his dying enemy. Spiteful to the end, Vieri died without revealing anything.
Enraged, Ezio was calmed by his uncle who voiced a short prayer out of respect for Ezio's fallen foe. He gave his nephew a letter to read and told him to return to the Auditore Villa in Monteriggioni. The letter was addressed to Vieri's father and had been written by a friar who'd been charged to observe Vieri. It concluded that the youngest de' Pazzi's brashness and unbridled violence was most likely caused by parental neglect and a desire to be noticed.When Ezio returned to Monteriggioni after successfully slaying Vieri de' Pazzi, Mario explained that the hooded stranger consorting with the de' Pazzi family was Rodrigo Borgia, a powerful man and leader of the Templar Order. Mario confirmed he was the man responsible for the death of his father and brothers. When asked what he was planning as his next move, Ezio responded he would soon return to Florence to end Francesco de' Pazzi's life.
Later, Ezio met his uncle in his study at the Villa Auditore. Mario was contemplating a framed wood panel with several Codex pages pinned to it. Mario explained that Ezio's father had found and translated a few before his death. Ezio added his own, recently translated by Leonardo da Vinci. The Codex pages were arranged to form a map, with many pieces still missing. Mario believed they held the secrets to a prophecy. They were written several hundred years in the past by Altaïr, an Assassin who held a Piece of Eden. Altaïr referred to a powerful and ancient artifact hidden beneath the land. Ezio vowed to complete his father's work and seek out more pages to solve Altaïr's mystery.Two years after leaving Florence with the remnants of his family, Ezio returned with the grim intention of continuing his father's work. Before pursuing his vendetta, Ezio visited his friend Leonardo da Vinci to have the Codex page he found from Vieri de' Pazzi deciphered. Leonardo enthusiastically set to the task, uncovering what seemed to be advanced assassination techniques and plans for an armored bracer which could be paired with Ezio's original one. While Leonardo worked on the Codex, Ezio set out to master its new techniques. Once done, he returned to the workshop and took possession of the new hidden blade bracer Leonardo had built.
Ezio asked his friend about finding a mysterious character his uncle had instructed him to seek, a person who could not be approached publicly and was known only as La Volpe, The Fox. Leonardo whispered he might be found in the Mercato Veccio, where many of the city's thieves roamed.Shortly after returning to Florence, Ezio paid a visit to his old flame, Cristina Vespucci. While happy and relieved to see him alive, she informed him that she'd been engaged to a man named Manfredo. As they were discussing, news came that Manfredo was being assaulted by men trying to collect on gambling debts.
Ezio offered his help and found Manfredo in the grips of his assailants by the Arno river. After chasing them away, Ezio threatened to end Manfredo's life unless he promised to abandon his gambling habits. Manfredo desperately professed his love for Christina and promised to be a good husband.Following the advice of Leonardo da Vinci, Ezio reached the Mercato Vecchio to find La Volpe, a notorious yet mysterious thief. Dodging troubadours and other sources of harassment, Ezio used his special vision talent to spot his target from the market square's bustling crowd. As he was about to accost him, someone bumped into Ezio and stole his coin pouch. Ezio chased the thief and tackled him. As Ezio berated the thief, a finely dressed, polite gentleman interrupted him. The man identified himself as La Volpe. He made it clear he knew who Ezio was as well as everything going on in Florence.
Ezio asked how and where he could track Francesco de' Pazzi. La Volpe mentioned a recently arrived Caravan from Rome and a midnight meeting Francesco would attend. When Ezio asked where the meeting was to be held, La Volpe asked to follow him.Following the instructions of La Volpe, Ezio snuck into the eastern garden of the Santa Maria Novella cathedral and spotted an Assassin Order symbol carved into an alcove's wall. Pulling on the skull motif found in the middle of the symbol, Ezio activated a secret door into the church's catacomb.
Ezio negotiated its dusty passages by activating levers and overcoming various obstacles and guards through climbing, jumping, activating counterweights and performing assassinations.
After dealing with the soldiers guarding the area, Ezio came to a portal featuring a carved Assassin's symbol. Activating it opened another secret door leading to an area where Ezio could overhear people in conversation.Having infiltrated the Santa Maria Novella catacombs, Ezio was able to eavesdrop on a secret Templar meeting. Among the conspirators, Ezio saw the two remaining de' Pazzi with Rodrigo Borgia discussing the last details of an imminent strike against the de' Medici family. After the conspirators left, Ezio found a sarcophagus bearing the Assassin's symbol. Activating a hidden opening mechanism, Ezio retrieved one of the seals needed to unlock Altaïr's armor.
Ezio made his way out of the catacombs and met with La Volpe again, trying to make sense of what he had overheard. They surmised that the Templars would likely strike directly against Lorenzo and Giuliano de' Medici during High Mass, in front of all of Florentine society. Ezio decided he would use the crowd to blend in and try to prevent it from happening.Shortly before High Mass, Ezio arrived in front of Il Duomo, intent on finding both de' Medici brothers. As he spotted them about to enter the basilica, Ezio saw Francesco de' Pazzi and his fellow conspirators go after them. Before the Assassin could react, the Templars killed Guilianio de' Medici and stabbed Lorenzo. Francesco engaged Lorenzo, promising that the de' Medici family would not live to see another day. Ezio jumped into the fray, intent on protecting his family's long-time ally.
After Ezio defeated numerous enemies and forced Francesco de' Pazzi to flee, Lorenzo thanked Ezio and asked him to escort him back to safety. Ezio, wanting to chase Francesco, accepted nonetheless.
They ran through the chaotic streets of Florence, as Templar troops battled those loyal to Lorenzo. They made it safely to the de' Medici residence after dispatching enemies that directly threatened them. When Lorenzo asked why Ezio helped him, the Assassin replied that he too had lost a brother because of the de' Pazzi family, and that he was an Auditore.
As Lorenzo praised Ezio's family, a soldier arrived, announcing that de' Pazzi's forces had regrouped and were assaulting the Palazzo Vecchio to take over the city's government. Too weak to intervene, Lorenzo asked Ezio to kill Francesco de' Pazzi and put an end to the coup.Informed by Lorenzo de Medici's men that Francesco de' Pazzi was trying to take the Palazzo Della Signoria with his troops, Ezio ran to intercept them. As Ezio surveyed the vicious battle being fought in front of the Palazzo, Francesco spotted him from the palace's roof and called upon his men to kill him.
Ezio climbed to the roof of the Palazzo and killed Francesco's guards. When Francesco saw Ezio approach, he jumped down from the Palazzo and fled. Ezio chased him down through streets and rooftops until he tackled his enemy and killed him. Remembering his blind rage and lack of respect for his foe when he had killed Vieri, Ezio said a short prayer for Francesco's soul.
A short time later, Jacopo de' Pazzi tried to rally a mob in front of the palazzo with shouts of "Liberty!". His rabble-rousing was brutally interrupted when Francesco's body was hung from the top of the palace, a gruesome display of vengeance. Seeing his nephew's dead, Jacopo fled the plaza, under the watchful eye of Ezio.Still tracking down the Pazzi conspirators, Ezio Auditore tailed Jacopo de' Pazzi to a meeting with Emilio Barbarigo and Rodrigo Borgia at the Antico Teatro Romano, where he witnessed the Grandmaster of the Templar Order stab Jacopo as punishment for his family's failings.
Ezio was discovered and fought through a barrage of guards before assassinating Jacopo and ending his suffering. During the scuffle, Rodrigo and Emilio managed to flee.Ezio Auditore da Firenze spent ten years hunting down the Templars who killed his father and brothers. Along the way, his uncle Mario revealed their family history as Assassins, and their mission to track down pages of Altaïr's codex, which talked about a prophecy involving Pieces of Eden.
When the Templar Grand Master Rodrigo Borgia brought an Apple of Eden to Venice from Cyprus, Ezio was there to steal it. Although he was not able to kill Rodrigo, Ezio kept the Apple of Eden and was welcomed into the ranks of the Assassin Brotherhood.
Ezio and his allies convened in Venice to try and discover the secrets behind the Piece of Eden. Ezio touched the artifact and activated it, resulting in a staggering display of energy and glyphs.Following his arrival in Rome, Ezio Auditore confronted Pope Alexander VI, otherwise known as Rodrigo Borgia, the Grand Master of the Templar Order, during a mass in the Sistine Chapel. During a ferocious battle between the two, the papal staff Rodrigo inherited was revealed to be another Piece of Eden, a powerful artifact of First Civilization origin. Rodrigo was able to use the Staff to best Ezio and gain access to the vault beneath the Basilica.
The Assassin followed the Pope below and defeated him before he could enter another chamber within the structure. Ezio spared Rodrigo's life and entered the chamber. There, he saw a mysterious apparition named Minerva, who spoke not to him, but to an unseen person named "Desmond" before showing images of a tragedy that would befall mankind hundreds of years in the future.In his cups at the Auld Sheillagh pub, Edward noticed that three of his enemies, Tom Cobleigh, his son Seth, and a man named Julian, were happily getting a young maid very drunk, with less than honest intentions. When they dragged her out of the pub, Edward followed them and confronted them in the street.
While he knew he was outnumbered, Edward spotted a rider approaching in the distance, and attempted to stall for time in the hopes that the stranger would come to his aid. Although he landed the first strike, Edward was quickly overwhelmed by the three men and received a sound thrashing. As expected, the rider arrived and intervened, but it was not a man, rather a woman of some social stature. She quickly sent the Cobleighs running, and introduced herself as Caroline Scott, whose family lived on Hawkins Lane in Bristol. She thanked Edward for looking out for the young woman, who was her family's maid, Rose.
Edward asked if he could see her again when he was more presentable, but Caroline informed him that her father wouldn't approve. However, it was too late, Edward Kenway was already smitten with Caroline Scott of Hawkins Lane.Edward Kenway's marriage to Caroline Scott was the scandal of Bristol, as she had spurned a life of luxury for a common farmer. Caroline's parents attended the wedding, though only her mother seemed truly happy.
Edward and his new bride moved to an outbuilding on the family farm. The shack had a badly-thatched roof and walls made of packed mud. Dismayed at his lack of prospects to take care of his new bride, Edward began to frequent the inns again, but rather than reliving the mischievous days of his youth, he sank deep into despair and deeper into bottles.
Edward felt that his only hope to provide the life he felt Caroline deserved was to become a privateer, but Caroline was not keen on the idea.Caroline Scott asked her husband Edward Kenway if privateering was dangerous. Edward confirmed the danger, but stressed that the rewards were worth it, vowing that it would elevate their lives from their current modest conditions, in a way that service in the King's Navy would not.
Caroline reluctantly allowed Edward to pursue this dream, but made him promise that he wouldn't be away for longer than two years.Against Blackbeard's advice, Edward decided to serve on a ship under the command of Captain Bramah. They were attacked by the Royal Navy, and Edward spotted a mysterious hooded figure on one of the British ships.
Edward returned fire, and managed to destroy some of the attacking vessels, but the hooded stranger appeared on deck and killed Captain Bramah with a blade mounted on his wrist. The man made for Edward, but before they could clash, the ship's magazine caught fire and exploded, sending Edward into the water.Edward surfaced among flaming wreckage and swam to the beach and collapsed, exhausted but happy to be alive. He was also amused to see the hooded attacker also washed ashore, nursing a wound in his stomach.
The wounded man asked Edward to take him to Havana, offering money. Edward mocked him, and the man pulled a gun, but it misfired due to wet gunpowder. The man ran away into the jungle, and warned Edward that he would kill him if he followed.
Edward chased him through the island and caught up to him in a clearing. After a brief sword fight, Edward killed the man.Edward searched the corpse of the hooded man and found a satchel containing a crystal cube, several strange maps, and a letter. The letter was addressed to a Duncan Walpole from the Governor of Cuba, Laureano Torres y Ayala, and stated that although Torres wouldn't recognize Walpole by sight, he would know him by his distinctive clothing, made famous by Walpole's secret order. Torres also promised a reward, if the items in Walpole's possession were delivered in order to further his own secret cause.
Edward decided to assume Walpole's identity to collect the reward. He gathered up Walpole's belongings into the satchel, but tossed the damaged wrist blade into the sand. Edward set out for Havana in the dead man's clothes.Edward saw a schooner in a nearby bay. He also saw British soldiers who were accusing a merchant of piracy, threatening to commandeer his ship. One of the merchant's crew tried to make a run for it and was shot dead.
Edward leapt into action, killed the soldiers and saved the merchant. While grateful, the merchant lamented the death of the ship's captain, as he had no clue how to sail his own vessel.
Edward introduced himself as Duncan, a man on a secret mission from King George, and offered to pilot the vessel. The merchant's name was Stede Bonnet, who was relieved to learn that “Duncan” was not a pirate as he first suspected.
Both men were bound for Havana, and Edward was soon behind the wheel of Stede's schooner. The merchant told Edward that he owned a small plantation and made a living selling sugar cane, molasses, and rum, and wondered if he would attract attention from pirates. Edward chided him, saying that no pirate alive would turn his back on a keg of rum.
As they made for the open sea, Stede marveled at Edward's natural ability for sailing and combat.Haytham Kenway was born in London, England. He was the son of Edward Kenway, a rich and inscrutable man with an enigmatic past. His mother, Tessa Stephenson-Oakley, came from a good family who shunned her when she married Edward.
Haytham had an older half-sister, Jenny, who was Edward's daughter from a previous union. Haytham suspected Jenny knew the truth about their father, but refused to tell her little brother.Haytham began to suspect that his family was different. Although he was looked after in every way, he had no contact with other children. The neighboring children were forbidden from even looking up into the windows of the Kenway house.
Shortly before Haytham's eighth birthday, he spoke to Tom Barrett, a neighbor boy, through a hole in their fence. Tom asked if the stories about Haytham's father were true, but Tom was called away before Haytham could learn just what those stories were.For his eighth birthday, Haytham's family took him to White's Chocolate House for cake and hot chocolate. Haytham met his father's property manager, Reginald Birch, who made a show of courting his half-sister Jenny. As they left White's, the group was accosted by aggressive beggars.
One of the beggars broke through the crowd and lunged at Tessa and Edward sprang forward to defend her. Haytham was surprised to see that his father carried a sword hidden in his cane, however, it remained sheathed. His father shoved the beggar into Reginald who threw the attacker to the ground and pulled a knife on him. Edward demanded that the beggar be spared and threatened to end his business associations with Reginald if he did not comply, and the beggar was reluctantly spared.Haytham overheard an argument between his father and Reginald Birch. A few nights later, the Kenway house was attacked in the middle of the night by masked men. Haytham killed one of the attackers to save his mother's life. However, he was too late to save his father. Reginald Birch eventually arrived and rescued Haytham.
One of the attackers, a man with pointy ears, took Jenny as a hostage. He threw her in a carriage, but as she was taken away, she uttered a single word: "traitor".On the day of Edward Kenway's funeral, Reginald Birch revealed to Haytham that he was a member of the Templar Order, a society of people striving to maintain peace in the world through structure and discipline.
Birch revealed that his Templar connections suspected that Jenny was taken to Europe. To Haytham's surprise, he was to accompany the family friend on the search.Reginald Birch introduced Haytham to Edward Braddock, a gruff Templar Knight in charge of finding Jack Digweed. Edward Kenway's former gentleman, Digweed, was the suspected traitor who facilitated the attack on the Kenway house.
Haytham and Braddock took an instant dislike to each other.For five years, Haytham and Birch scoured Europe for signs of Jenny. All the while, Birch tutored Haytham in Templar lore. Haytham discovered that while both Birch and his late father taught him to question everything, Birch's philosophies were more rigidly black and white. Haytham found comfort in this absolute approach.
At the end of five years, having found no clues to Jenny's whereabouts, Birch and Haytham settled in a chateau near Troyes, France.Haytham matured to become a full-fledged member of the Templar Order. His first mission was to kill a greedy merchant in Liverpool.
He soon gained a reputation as an efficient killer.Haytham killed Juan Vedomir, a merchant who betrayed the Templar Order. Vedomir was suspected of collaborating with the Assassin Brotherhood.
Haytham obtained Vedomir's journal, which included phrases of Assassin philosophy that Haytham recognized as being remarkably similar to the words of his late father. Most of the journal was in code, however, and Haytham could not decipher it.Haytham met with Reginald Birch, who revealed that Haytham's mother had suffered a fall and died from her injuries. Birch offered his condolences, assuring him that the Templars were his family now.
With some hesitation, Haytham gave Birch Vedomir's journal. Birch was convinced that it contained clues to the location of a First Civilization storehouse. Those Who Came Before had long been an obsession for Birch, but Haytham remained skeptical of Birch's theories.Haytham returned to London to interrogate Betty, his former nursemaid in the Kenway house, and, he now realized, Digweed's secret lover. Betty claimed that Digweed was blackmailed by an unknown man with a West County accent and denied any knowledge of his whereabouts.
The next day, she attempted to send Digweed a warning letter. Haytham intercepted the letter only to discover that the man he sought was hiding in Germany.Haytham and Birch tracked Digweed to Germany. The address on Betty's letter, which Haytham intercepted in London, led to the St. Peter General Store. Haytham threatened the shopkeeper's son for Digweed's location and the shopkeeper confessed that Digweed had a cabin in the Black Forest. He also revealed that two British soldiers had just asked after Digweed.
Just then, Haytham saw one of the soldiers riding away. It was "Pointy Ears", Jenny's kidnapper. When they reached Digweed's cabin, Haytham and Birch found Digweed about to be murdered by the other soldier. Haytham chased the soldier and discovered that he was the man with the West County accent who blackmailed Digweed and orchestrated the attack on the Kenway house.
Haytham fatally wounded the soldier, who revealed that Edward Kenway was an Assassin and had been killed for something in his possession. Papers Haytham found on the soldier's body revealed that he served under Edward Braddock.Digweed succumbed to his injuries and died before Haytham could question him. Instead, Haytham lashed out at Birch, accusing Braddock of being in league with his father's killers. He set off to chase "Pointy Ears", leaving Birch behind.
After days of pursuit through countryside and battlefields, Haytham caught up with "Pointy Ears". Before Haytham could extract any information out of him, they were both apprehended and knocked unconscious by Braddock's soldiers.Braddock refused to help Haytham with his investigations, but invited him to join his men in battle at the Siege of Bergen op Zoom. After the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, Haytham left his service with the Coldstreams, but remained with Braddock's unit on several peacekeeping missions.
Meanwhile, Haytham began to make inquiries among the ranks of the Coldstreams, trying to uncover a connection between "Pointy Ears" and Braddock. He met Private Jim Holden, whose brother was hanged on the day Haytham arrived. Holden exposed Braddock's cruelty and corruption, and Haytham began to see that Braddock was turning his back on the Templar Order.Haytham snuck into the compound and saw Lucio among the Corsican rebels. He also noticed Lucio's bodyguard, an Assassin known as Miko.
Haytham orchestrated a conflict between the rebels and the Genoese military, taking advantage of the chaos to abduct Lucio. Miko attacked, but Haytham managed not only to escape, but to steal Miko's hidden blade. He spared Miko's life, but both promised to meet again.
Haytham left the boy with Birch's associates, who took him to France.Haytham arrived unannounced at Reginald Birch's chateau to check up on Lucio and his mother, only to find both of them shackled in a dungeon. Birch revealed that the journal pointed to the existence of an amulet that could open a First Civilization storehouse.
Haytham and Birch argued over the treatment of the prisoners. Haytham threatened Reginald into guaranteeing their survival.The Templars believed that the amulet was a key that would open a storehouse built by Those Who Came Before. They did not know what was inside it, whether it was weapons, knowledge, or some object of unfathomable purpose. But they knew that its contents were powerful, and wanted to reach it before the Assassins.
The Templars' research concluded that the precursor site was somewhere in the British colonies around Boston or New York. Haytham, now promoted to Grand Master of the Colonies, was dispatched to find it.While onboard The Providence, Haytham noticed the crew engaging in suspicious activities. The captain called him aside to investigate, fearing a possible mutiny. In particular, Haytham noticed that every night, a crew member dropped a painted barrel into the water. He realized that they were leaving a trail behind.
Finally, 33 days into the voyage, a ship appeared and fired at the Providence. It was a warning shot; boarding was imminent.Despite there being no signs of mutiny or damage to the ship, the captain ordered Haytham to take cover in the lower decks. There, he was confronted by Mills, a crew member who revealed he'd been tracking him since the killing at the Opera House. At Haytham's request, the man offered him a sword so that he might fight back with honor.
After killing Mills, Haytham confronted the captain with the truth: there was no mutiny, the attacking ship was just following Mills' instructions. At first, the captain said he would give Haytham up, but Haytham convinced him to sail into a storm to evade his pursuers. With Haytham's help, they managed to escape safely.Aveline frequently dreamt of her long lost mother. One night, after a particularly disturbing nightmare, she was woken by Madeleine de L'Isle, her stepmother. Wondering about her mother's fate and too wired to sleep, she waited for Madeleine to leave, donned her Assassin outfit, and went to the pigeon coop that served as a dead drop for Assassin messages.
Gérald Blanc, a family friend and Assassin informant, had left a letter revealing that slaves were vanishing from a nearby plantation. Though the owner reported them missing, Gérald's network found no trace of them. Aveline decided to investigate.In order to find out more about missing slaves at a nearby plantation, Aveline went to a special dressing chamber that had been prepared for her and dressed herself as a slave. There she received further intelligence that a delivery was scheduled for the plantation, so she hid herself in a wagon to gain access to the grounds.
Once inside the plantation, Aveline blended with the other slaves to avoid attention from the guards. She found a slave who told her that the slaves were not escaping, but were being taken, the most recent being his sister, Thérèse.
Aveline used her Eagle Vision to track Thérèse's movements and found the young, pregnant slave in a nearby barn. She learned that slaves were being treated fairly by the owner, but that his son was responsible for kidnapping – and possibly murdering – several slaves.
The two women were discovered and attacked, forcing Aveline to kill the owner's son and his men. Aveline then guided Thérèse to safety.Having no other recourse, Aveline brought Thérèse – a pregnant slave she had liberated – to her family mansion, where her worried stepmother, Madeleine de L'Isle, was waiting for her.
Aveline lied to her about the exact circumstances of her meeting with Thérèse, but asked for her help in securing the slave's freedom. Although Madeleine was annoyed with Aveline's impulsiveness at bringing a slave to their mansion, she agreed to help.
While Madeline saw to Thérèse's medical needs, she ordered Aveline into town to fetch her new traveling clothes. When she returned home, she found her parents eating lunch. After her father Philippe excused himself from the table, Madeleine assured Aveline that she had taken care of Thérèse and that she would be safe. She also offered to help should similar situations arise in the future.Aveline went to her father's warehouse to meet Gérald Blanc. There, she spied on a conversation between him and her father, Philippe, who was frustrated over shipments disappearing. Gérald insisted on investigating the matter.
Aveline stealthily followed Gérald through the city, until he met with a supplier, Monsieur de Saint-Maxent. De Saint-Maxent was furious that his shipments were being stolen from him, and blamed the captain of his supply ship, suggesting that he was corrupt and taking bribes.
Aveline took the initiative, located the ship in question, and bribed the men guarding it. Once onboard, she charmed Captain Carlos Dominguez, and discovered that he had diverted de Saint-Maxent's shipment to another buyer. While Dominguez was distracted, Aveline stole some of his paperwork and discovered that the goods were being kept in two nearby warehouses.Aveline searched the docks for the two warehouses that contained the goods stolen from her father's business partner, Monsieur de Saint-Maxent. She made her way past the guards and located the right crates using her Eagle Vision.
Aveline returned to Monsieur de Saint-Maxent to give him the good news about the recovered cargo, and he promised that her father would receive a considerable discount as thanks.Aveline returned to the Grandpré Warehouse in time to see Gérald deliver the news about the recovered shipments to her father Philippe. After the elder de Grandpré took his leave, the two Assassins discussed the documents that Aveline had stolen from Captain Dominguez. They contained the name Rafael Joaquín de Ferrer, a known Templar.
Gérald did not know de Ferrer's purpose in Louisiana, but he received word that he would be attending a social event at the Governor's mansion later that evening. Aveline agreed to enter the mansion discretely. Gérald mentioned that a house near the mansion was for sale, which would provide an ideal spot for a dressing chamber where she could switch between guises.
Aveline scouted the governor's mansion and followed a butler to a meeting with a man who would supply food for the event. From him, she stole a key that would give her access to the kitchen near the south entrance of the Governor's mansion.Aveline entered the mansion of the French governor of New Orleans, Jean-Jacques Blaise d'Abbadie. She made her way to his office and spied on a conversation between the French governor and the Spanish Templar Rafael Joaquín de Ferrer. They were discussing plans to send slave labor from Louisiana to a Templar work site in exchange for d'Abbadie remaining governor of the colony.
De Ferrer left and Aveline killed d'Abbadie. As he lay dying, the Governor confessed that he did not regret his deal with the Templars, as he desired nothing more than to keep the colony under French control. Aveline asked about de Ferrer's plans and d'Abbadie told her that he knew nothing of the Templar plans, only that he was to provide them with slaves and vagrants for labor.
Aveline escaped from the mansion.Aveline found a member of Dominguez's crew who informed her that the Captain could be found at the pub. She made her way across town and found Dominguez, who was quite drunk. Aveline asked him about his connection to de Ferrer, and Dominguez admitted that he transported goods to and from New Orleans, but did not know anything more.
Aveline returned to her father's mansion. Philippe thanked Aveline for her help in sorting out the family's business affairs and gave her a page of her mother Jeanne's diary.Aveline joined her mentor Agaté at his new hideout. He informed her that a man was posing as his deceased mentor François Mackandal, and that this imposter was beginning to wield a dangerous influence in the Bayou. Agaté wanted Aveline to discover the False Mackandal's true identity and motivations.
Before Aveline left to track the imposter, Agaté gave her a blowpipe that once belonged to the real Mackandal, who was an expert in poisons. After some practice with her new weapon, Aveline felt ready to continue her mission.Agaté revealed that the False Mackandal was gaining followers and that they were attempting to take over smuggling operations in the Bayou, but their final goals remained unclear. He suggested that Aveline contact a smuggler named Élise Lafleur, who was well versed in the swamp's underworld.
Aveline crossed the Bayou and located the Smuggler's Hideout. She arrived to see some of the False Mackandal's followers threaten a defiant Élise Lafleur. Aveline silently killed some of them before joining the fight in a more public manner.
Élise and her partner Roussillon demanded to know Aveline's identity and purpose. Aveline told her that she sought only to bring the False Mackandal to a final end and offered to help restore the smuggler's control over the Bayou in exchange for their help uncovering their camps spread out through the swamp.Aveline met Élise in the swamp and they traveled by canoe towards one of the camps controlled by the False Mackandal. Élise mentioned that she started to have trouble with the imposter's men at the same time the new Spanish governor arrived.
When they exited their canoe, the two women were attacked by an alligator. Aveline managed to kill the beast and claim its egg as a prize.
Élise revealed that there were two bases, the first was near a wrecked ship, with the second one further along the river. Aveline killed all the followers in the first base. Inside the wrecked ship, she found a letter from the False Mackandal that talked about a "sacred ceremony" and his desire for more men to join his ranks.Aveline found the smuggler Élise near Mackandal's second camp. Élise spotted two of Mackandal's followers and recognized them as escaped slaves from San Danje, a shanty town located in the Bayou.
Élise decided to return to her base of operations but asked Aveline not to hurt the men from San Danje. The Assassin followed one of Mackandal's acolytes to a secluded area of the camp and killed him. She searched his body and found another letter from the False Mackandal which stated that the Voodoo ceremony was scheduled for the Eve of Saint John.
Aveline returned to the Smuggler's Hideout and talked to Élise's business partner Roussillon. She knew when Mackandal's ceremony was going to take place, but not where. Roussillon suggested that she consult a witch doctor in San Danje. Élise had gone ahead to deliver supplies to him but had forgotten a small package. Roussillon assured the Assassin that by earning the witch doctor's trust, she would receive the secrets of the Bayou. He also asked to see her when her mission was complete, as he had some more work for her.Aveline, disguised as a slave, and Élise traveled to Lake Pontchartrain by canoe and arrived at the False Mackandal's camp, where they saw the imposter talking to the Templar Rafael Joaquin de Ferrer. The False Mackandal, otherwise known as the renegade Assassin Baptiste, had a plan to poison the nobles of New Orleans and avenge the slaves, fulfilling his late Mentor's ultimate goal, which in turn would see control of the river fall into Templar hands. De Ferrer promised that if the plan succeeded, Baptiste would be inducted into the Templar Order. After de Ferrer left, Mackandal began the ceremony.
Aveline slipped into the ceremony site undetected and joined the dancing acolytes. She attempted to hit Baptiste with a dart from her blowpipe but before it could connect, Baptiste hit her with a dart from his own. He recognized Aveline's weapon as being the one that Agaté had stolen from him.
Baptiste admitted to usurping the identity of his deceased Assassin mentor and using it in a plan to force Agaté out of hiding. Thanks to the antidote, Aveline survived the poison attack and killed Baptiste's bodyguards, forcing the Voodoo leader to confront her himself. After a fierce duel, Aveline assassinated Baptiste.
As he lay dying, Baptiste recognized the locket around Aveline's neck, claiming to know a woman from his shared past with Agaté who wore an identical one. But before Aveline could get the woman's name, Baptiste perished.After France's defeat in the French-Indian war, Spain gained control of Louisiana and established a Spanish governor in New Orleans. Answering a summons to her family's warehouse sent by her ally Gérald Blanc, Aveline encountered a riot as the citizens of New Orleans rebelled against their new masters. Aveline defended the citizens from Spanish soldiers, whom she dispatched. When she was finished, Aveline questioned some citizens about the reasons for the uprisings. She learned they were upset about the surge of kidnappings following the Spanish takeover.
Aveline met Gérald at the warehouse, where he presented her with new headquarters for her Assassin activities. He also provided a place to manage her father's trading empire, as well as a room to change outfits and store her weapons and tools. As a final surprise, he gave her a parasol that also doubled as a dart gun.
His gifts to Aveline graciously accepted, Gérald turned to new business. A rival, Mr. Bouché, had set up a stall in the market, claiming that de Grandpré's coffee eroded the nerves of those who drank it. This slander had already started damaging sales. Aveline promised to cut Mr. Bouché's campaign of lies short.Seeking to stop a campaign of slander against her family's coffee business, Aveline sought one of Gérald's informants and followed him to Mr. Bouché's stall in the market. One of Bouché's employees was spreading lies about the dangers of de Grandpré coffee and urging the citizens of New Orleans to drink East India tea instead. Aveline confronted the merchant and demanded an explanation, but all the poor illiterate employee could do was plead ignorance, asking that she seek his employer in his warehouse.
At Bouché's warehouse, Aveline dispatched a guard with her new parasol dart gun and confronted Bouché. She demanded he stop slandering her family's reputation and issue a public apology. Having no intention to apologize, Bouché claimed that his profits were declining because he was losing too many slaves. Having no sympathy for the down-on-his-luck merchant, Aveline left.
She reported back to Gérald, who surmised that Bouché's financial trouble made him sell off his shops. Aveline decided to buy him out so she could pay his slaves a proper wage and set them on the path to freedom. Gérald promised to look out for similar opportunities in the future.
After Aveline bought one of Bouché's shops, she returned to Gérald. She believed that she had put an end to the problem of vanishing slaves when she killed Governor d'Abbadie. However, the problem had only gotten worse because now laborers and the poor were being abducted as well. Aveline decided she wanted to investigate the problem further. Gérald suggested she begin her investigations at San Danje, in the Bayou. Accordingly, she went to the docks, met Gérald again to have the company settle travel costs, then set out for the Bayou.Aveline arrived at San Danje and met with the Houngan she'd helped years earlier. She informed him she was investigating a new series of disappearances and asked if anyone had gone missing in the vicinity. The witch doctor replied that so many people traveled through San Danje that it was difficult to keep track. He suggested she talk to their mutual acquaintance Elise, who might have a better idea. He then gave Aveline a new type of poison for her blow gun darts.
Aveline reunited with Elise and immediately brought up the missing slaves. Elise confirmed she'd seen convoys of people being carted off. While Elise didn't know where they were being sent, she knew the convoy originated from the Fort in the Bayou.
The next day, both women met along the convoy's path and raced to catch up with it. Aveline eliminated the guards and Elise recognized some of the prisoners. She called out to a slave named Chrisfait, who replied he didn't need rescuing because he was being taken to a work site in the south where he had been promised freedom. Aveline and Elise were skeptical and decided to investigate the Spanish fort where the convoy originated.After intercepting a convoy full of slaves heading to an undisclosed destination in the south, Aveline and Elise approached the Bayou Spanish fort. Aveline voiced her frustration about having failed to stop the abduction of slaves the last time.
Aveline silently eliminated the fort's guards. Once inside its walls, Aveline chased the ranking officer in charge while Elise provided cover fire. After killing the officer, Aveline opened the fort's cells to free the prisoners. Once again, the women were met with no gratitude, as the laborers were visibly upset that they would not get to board the work ship. Elise escorted the workers back to San Danje while Aveline returned to New Orleans.After raiding the Spanish fort and liberating slaves in the Bayou, Aveline reported back to Gérald in New Orleans. She knew that the Spanish were behind the kidnapped slaves but she didn't know where they were headed, or why the slaves seemed so eager to go. Gérald said the order must have come from Governor Ulloa, who was hiding out of reach in La Balize.
The two Assassins hatched a plan to draw Ulloa out. The Spanish governor's restrictive laws had put the predominantly French population of New Orleans on edge. There were protests and unrest in the streets regularly. Aveline, disguised as a slave, followed Gérald to a demonstration and incited a riot.
While the citizens rioted against the soldiers, Gérald informed Aveline they had an opportunity to intercept a delivery of gunpowder. Aveline quickly changed into her Assassin gear and silently eliminated the guards surrounding the gunpowder-laden carriage.
Aveline and Gérald stole the carriage and raced it through the streets of the city, chased by Spanish soldiers. They crashed the carriage into a wine storehouse, causing a giant explosion. She noticed soldiers were preventing people from escaping the burning building. She cleared the way by charging into the building and killing the blocking soldiers.
Afterwards, an exhausted Gérald suggested that they regroup at the warehouse.After starting a riot and triggering a large explosion, Aveline and Gérald reconvened at their warehouse headquarters. To cause further disturbances to draw governor Ulloa out of hiding, Gérald suggested she sabotage Spanish ships harbored at the docks.
Aveline departed for the docks, where she boarded a ship and killed the guards onboard. She cut it loose from its anchor and was ambushed by a squad of soldiers led by her old acquaintance Captain Carlos Dominguez. After Aveline killed his men, Dominguez begged for his life. She showed him mercy but told him to save himself as she set explosives to completely destroy the vessel.Aveline received a letter from her mentor Agaté, summoning her to the city's cemetery. At their meeting, Agaté asked for a show of loyalty. He requested she kill Antonio de Ulloa, the Spanish governor. The riots Aveline and Gérald incited had forced the governor out of hiding in La Balize.
Aveline prepared an ambush along the governor's route into the city. She killed nearby guards and blocked exits by crashing water towers into them. The governor's convoy arrived and quickly found themselves trapped in the town square. Aveline launched her ambush by blowing up a powder keg, killing a large number of soldiers, before eliminating the survivors.
With no one left to defend him, Governor Ulloa begged Aveline to spare his wife and child. Aveline showed little sympathy but stopped when the governor revealed that the slaves were being taken to Mexico. He couldn't say why because he had no idea. Ulloa bargained for his life by offering what limited information he possessed. He suggested the workers were perhaps excavating relics of importance to the Templars from that region. In addition, he offered Aveline a special decoding lens that was given to him by the Templar Order. Aveline accepted the trade, and told the governor to take his family away from the continent and never return. Ulloa showed clear relief at her mercy, until Aveline informed him the Templars were likely to kill him sooner or later.
Aveline returned to Agaté in the cemetery and presented him with the lens. However, Agaté's pleasure quickly melted into outrage when he discovered that Aveline had disobeyed him and allowed Ulloa to live. Aveline attempted to calm her mentor, reminding him of their shared goals to free the slaves, defeat the Templars, and deliver justice. She wanted to pursue the Templars' trail to Mexico. Agaté forbade her to go, but Aveline insisted, drawing a warning from her mentor that she would live to regret her insubordination.Aveline arrived in the Mayan city of Chichen Itza where the Templars had opened an excavation site near some ruins. The site was supervised by the Templar Rafael Joaquin de Ferrer. Aveline mingled with other members of the community to learn more about her new surroundings. De Ferrer welcomed the newcomers to what he says will be a free and peaceful life in which they can work hard and prosper.
Aveline met a slave she had freed years earlier, who explained that while they weren't paid a wage and didn't own the land, they were allowed to participate in their new community and enjoyed comfortable homes and good food. She said she enjoyed this new life and compared the settlement to Eden.Now that she was sufficiently armed, Aveline trailed the work site's overseer and the Templar Rafael Joaquin de Ferrer. She overheard de Ferrer state that the Company Man was displeased with the progress of the excavation site, and that a Templar named Vazquez was going to New Orleans to continue the Order's mission after Baptiste's failure. She followed the two men until they came to a member of the community who had attempted to escape. De Ferrer told the overseer to "educate" him and left.
Aveline killed the soldiers who were attacking the captive, then killed the overseer and stole his whip, which she used to eliminate reinforcements. The captive was grateful for Aveline's help. He pointed out that the locket she wore around her neck looked like one he had seen before, worn by a woman named Jeanne, one of the first workers to arrive at Chichen Itza. He did not know where Jeanne was, only that she lived in a private residence in the south of the camp.Aveline explored the ruins of a First Civilization Temple and found half of a mysterious artifact known as the Prophecy Disk.
Immediately after finding the artifact, Aveline was surprised by Rafael Joaquín de Ferrer, the high-ranking Templar agent who had plotted with Governor Jean-Jacques Blaise d'Abbadie and former Assassin Baptiste. De Ferrer now threatened to steal the artifact from her, but Aveline killed him and his men before he had the chance.After finding the first half of an artifact called the Prophecy Disk, the First Civilization Temple began to crumble around Aveline. During her escape, she was briefly reunited with her mother, Jeanne.
Jeanne wondered if Agaté had sent Aveline to Mexico to kill her and warned her daughter that the disk should never fall into Agaté's hands. To Aveline's dismay, her mother fled in terror before she could explain further.Aveline returned from Mexico and reunited with Gérald Blanc. She informed him that de Ferrer would no longer trouble them. However, their warm homecoming was cut short, as new business was waiting for her. Gérald reported that Spanish soldiers were causing havoc in the Bayou. One of his informants saw a man bribing Spanish soldiers in New Orleans. Aveline promised to investigate.
Aveline located the recruiter in town and followed him as he bribed soldiers in the city. She chased him down until he hid in a fort.Aveline infiltrated the military camp in New Orleans where the Templar recruiter was hiding. After killing him, she found a letter on his body. Aveline escaped the camp, read the letter, and discovered it was from Vazquez, who mentioned a need for more soldiers to control the Bayou.
Aveline recalled that de Ferrer mentioned Vazquez in Chichen Itza and wondered if he could be the elusive Company Man. She decided to warn Agaté and the smugglers in the Bayou.Aveline traveled to the Bayou to warn Agaté about the Templar Vazquez. However, her mentor was not pleased to see his wayward pupil and even less pleased to see the Prophecy Disk when she presented it to him. He demanded that she remove it from his sight. Aveline obeyed and was careful not to mention her mother's involvement.
Agaté was already aware that Vazquez was bribing Spanish troops. To disrupt their morale, he devised a plan to use their superstitions against them. Aveline offered to help him as proof of her loyalty. Agaté had placed signs along the Templar's patrol route, and Aveline tailed the soldiers and eliminated them silently, creating the illusion of a Voodoo curse.
Aveline doubted that Agaté's plan would be enough to stop Vazquez from recruiting more soldiers, but followed his orders nonetheless.Aveline reunited with her smuggler friends Elise and Roussillon to warn them of Vazquez's plots. Roussillon heard rumors that Vazquez planned to divert a supply ship.
Aveline climbed the lighthouse at the fort on Lake Pontchartrain and shut it down.After Aveline sabotaged the lighthouse, the Templar supply ship ran aground. The Assassin returned to her smuggler allies and escorted them to the ship, killing the guards that attempted to stop them.
The smugglers were overjoyed with their prize. Although Vazquez wasn't on board, Roussillon found a letter that prompted Aveline to return to Chichen Itza.Realizing that the First Civilization artifact she discovered in Chichen Itza was only half of a larger disk, Aveline de Grandpré returned to the ancient Mayan city to recover the other fragment. Upon entering the site, she met her mother, Jeanne. Having gotten over her initial fear, Jeanne now greeted her daughter warmly. When Aveline asked her mother if she felt free, she hinted that she would only be at peace when someone removed the rest of the artifact.
With her mother's help, Aveline acquired the second fragment from a hidden chamber within the caves.Aveline returned home from Chichen Itza to find her father Phillipe suffering from an illness, despite being administered a tonic by her step-mother Madeleine de L'Isle. Her visit with her father was cut short when Madeleine requested her assistance in helping a slave named George flee to the north. Aveline promised to provide discreet help.
Aveline found George hiding from Spanish soldiers, escorted him to the city gates, and told him to find safety in the Bayou.At the request of her stepmother, Madeleine, Aveline helped an escaped slave named George flee north. She introduced him to her smuggler friends in the Bayou, who were attempting to deliver supplies to the Patriots fighting in the American Revolution.
In exchange for her help in delivering the supplies, Aveline demanded the Patriots escort George to freedom. They agreed, provided he fight for their cause. After delivering the supplies, Aveline learned that Vazquez was back in Louisiana, and planned to resume her hunt for the Company Man.After seeing George to safety, Aveline returned to New Orleans to inform Gérald of Vazquez's return to the city. Gérald suggested that their Templar target might attend the Captain's Ball.
Aveline located her target and charmed Vazquez into dancing with her, before luring him away from the other party guests and then stabbing him. As he lay dying, Vazquez revealed that the Company Man was in fact a woman, but died before revealing her name.
As Aveline left the party, she was confronted by her stepmother Madeleine, who informed her that her father had passed away.Several years after the death of her father, Aveline learned from Gérald's expanded network of informants that a loyalist officer called Davidson of Lord Dunmore's Ethiopian Regiment would be able to unmask the elusive Templar known as the Company Man. Aveline headed north to New York to meet up with her local counterpart, an Assassin named Connor.
Aveline and Connor tracked Davidson to a fort. Connor distracted the guards while Aveline found Davidson, who turned out to be George, the slave she had helped free years earlier. Aveline pursued George and prevented his escape. Before he died, he revealed that Aveline already knew the identity of the Company Man.Aveline returned to her family's mansion and confronted her stepmother, Madeleine de L'Isle, otherwise known as the Company Man. Madeleine, in turn, revealed that she knew Aveline was an Assassin, and that the only reason Aveline still lived was to serve Madeleine's plans.
Aveline fled the mansion. Madeleine followed her to the courtyard and explained that she had manipulated Aveline into eliminating undesirable elements from the Templars as an invitation for her to leave the Assassins and join the Order.After confronting her stepmother, Madeleine de L'Isle, Aveline de Grandpré sought counsel from her estranged mentor, Agaté. However, believing that she had joined the Order, he attacked her. Aveline was victorious, but chose not to kill Agaté.
Overwhelmed with guilt about failing his disciple, Agaté took his own life by leaping from his tree-top den.Aveline returned to New Orleans with Agaté's necklace as proof of his death. She returned to her stepmother Madeleine de L'Isle, head of the Templars in New Orleans. Aveline gave up the Prophecy Disk and declared that she was ready to join the Order.
Aveline was inducted into the Templar Order at St. Louis Cathedral. As soon as the ceremony ended, Madeleine attempted to activate the Prophecy Disk but was unable to make it work.Aveline attacked and killed the assembled leaders of the New Orleans Templars. After years of frustration, Aveline took her revenge for the murder of her father and the exile of her mother.
After killing Madeline de L'Isle, Aveline took the Prophecy Disk and inserted her mother's pendant. The Disk activated and Aveline witnessed a cryptic message from members of the First Civilization.Haytham Kenway was sent by his London masters to North America with a mission to find a First Civilization Temple. To accomplish this, he gained the trust of Kaniehtí:io, a Kanien'kehá:ka woman, who revealed that the Precursor site he sought was considered sacred ground. Over the course of their partnership, they grew closer and conceived a child.
Shortly after showing him the site, Kaniehtí:io discovered Haytham's connections to the Templars and their desire to use the Precursor site to shape the world based on the Order's interests.
Stung by the betrayal, she kept her pregnancy a secret and ordered Haytham to leave. Despite knowing the father's affiliations, the villagers allowed Kaniehtí:io to raise her son in their community.When he was four years old, Ratonhnhaké:ton and his friends ventured into the woods outside their village. While playing hide and seek, he was grabbed and thrown to the ground by a stranger. Soon, he was surrounded by a group of Englishmen.
Ratonhnhaké:ton tried to run, but the men stopped him. One of the group remarked that he looked familiar. The man then grabbed the boy by the throat and asked him questions, but he refused to answer. He insulted Ratonhnhaké:ton and his people, saying they were worthless and should surrender what they had if they knew what was good for them. Ratonhnhaké:ton demanded to know the name of his attacker, and the Templar Charles Lee identified himself before one of his men knocked the boy out.Shortly after his confrontation with the Englishmen, Ratonhnhaké:ton regained consciousness only to find the forest full of smoke. He immediately made his way back to his village, Kanatahséton, only to find it on fire.
His mother, Kaniehtí:io, was trapped in a burning longhouse and though he tried his best, the young boy was unable to save her.
In the years that followed, Connor became convinced that Charles Lee was the man responsible for the destruction of his village and death of his mother.Ratonhnhaké:ton wondered why his village did not join the other native communities in pushing the outsiders out of their territory. The Clan Mother revealed that their village was built on sacred ground, and it was their duty to protect it and keep it hidden. She opened a box and revealed a sphere, which she handed to him.
The moment he touched it, Ratonhnhaké:ton experienced a vision. In it, an ethereal woman appeared to him and introduced herself as Juno, saying they were both now in a place called The Nexus. She transformed him into an eagle and guided him through a series of potential futures, not only of his village, but also of North America and the world. She warned that maintaining the status quo would not save anything, but instead would give the Templars time to master First Civilization technology and lay waste to the planet.
Ratonhnhaké:ton was shown Assassin symbols and told to follow them to find training.
These visions instilled Ratonhnhaké:ton with a sense of personal responsibility to prevent the Templars from achieving their goals. The Clan Mother realized that to save their village from annihilation, she had no choice but to let the boy pursue his destiny. She advises him to go to the east and seek the symbol to find a man who had helped his mother.Following his visions of Assassin symbols, Ratonhnhaké:ton arrived at a crumbling manor belonging to a man named Achilles Davenport, who at one time was the mentor of the North American Assassin Brotherhood.
Ratonhnhaké:ton asked Achilles to instruct him, but the old man wanted nothing to do with the boy and warned him against following the path of the Assassin. Undeterred by the refusal, Ratonhnhaké:ton camped out in the stables next to the mansion, where he was attacked by thieves. Achilles came to his aid and after killing the thieves, he allowed the boy inside his home to discuss his purpose.Ratonhnhaké:ton convinced Achilles to tell him about the Brotherhood and their eternal struggle against the Templar Order. Achilles revealed the Templar conspiracy to dominate the world, and spoke about the rise of the American Templars and the fall of the Assassins during the Seven Years' War in North America.
The boy came to realize that his visions were referring to the conflict between the Assassins and the Templars, and he started to show a serious interest in the Assassins' cause. During these history lessons, Ratonhnhaké:ton noticed that Achilles had created charts tracking the movements and important players along his basement walls. He recognized Charles Lee's portrait on the wall as well as that of his father, Haytham. He understood that all the Templars had to be eliminated, including his father.
The boy's fierce determination and unlimited potential began to restore Achilles' faith in the Assassins and their mission.To stop the Templar Order's advancement in North America, Achilles agreed to train Ratonhnhaké:ton in the ways of a true Assassin.
Ratonhnhaké:ton not only learned how to use various weapons and hand-to-hand techniques, he also received lessons in philosophy, language, arts, and other liberal disciplines. He was to be a complete Assassin, knowing not only the arts of assassination, but understanding the history and philosophy of the Order.After several months of Assassin training, Achilles decided to restore his manor. Accordingly, he brought his protégé Ratonhnhaké:ton – whom he renamed Connor – to Boston to get the supplies for the renovations.
Although he was initially excited about the action and the opportunities available in the city, Connor quickly picked up on the anxiety and tense atmosphere that permeated the streets.
While he did not yet understand the context, Connor overheard citizens arguing over the treatment of the colonies by the British Parliament.After purchasing items needed to renovate the Manor, Connor returned to Achilles and together they noticed a commotion in the streets of Boston. People were rushing towards the Custom House. Demonstrators were yelling anti-British slogans, and some were being restrained and beaten by Redcoats.
Connor and Achilles arrived near the Massachusetts Town House and found a crowd of citizens confronting British soldiers in a tense standoff. Achilles grabbed Connor and directed his attention towards Connor's father, Haytham Kenway, who was speaking with a Templar sniper. He asked Connor to stop the sniper, who he suspected was going to set off the crowd like a powder keg.Connor followed the sniper through the streets and up to a rooftop. Meanwhile, the commotion in the crowd continued, forcing the British soldiers to form a firing line to confront the citizens. Connor stopped the sniper, but was too late to notice Charles Lee on another rooftop, who fired into the crowd.
The Redcoats believed that shot came from the crowd and returned fire, hitting several citizens with their shots. This event, which resulted in several deaths and injuries, would later be known as the Boston Massacre. Haytham Kenway pointed out Connor to a British soldier, suggesting that he fired the first shot.Connor was on the run from the Redcoats who had mistaken him for a sniper who fired into the crowd near the Massachusetts Custom House. Connor tried to find Achilles but was called aside by Samuel Adams, a colonial activist. Adams revealed that he and Achilles were old friends and he offered to help Connor escape Boston.
Adams suggested that Connor remove "Wanted" posters calling for his arrest to reduce his notoriety. Meanwhile, Adams set up a ruse with a town crier to divert the attention of the citizens away from Connor.Samuel Adams realized that British troops were still searching the city for Connor. After giving British patrols the slip, Adams showed Connor a secret entrance that led them to an underground labyrinth of tunnels and chambers that had been built by the Freemasons.
After briefly losing their way, Connor found a door which led to the printer's shop responsible for the "Wanted" posters. Adams negotiated with the printer to clear Connor's name.
Although Connor questioned Adams' dishonest tactics, he realized the complexity of the situation required a certain amount of scheming to escape trouble.Connor escaped Boston and made his way back to Achilles' homestead. Connor was so frustrated about having been abandoned by Achilles that he didn't realize the value of the experience he gained from his activities in the city. Connor was also upset that his father had been able to flee the scene without punishment.
Achilles talked Connor down and highlighted the importance of being patient before confronting Haytham and the Templars. Achilles then offered Connor the Hidden Blades, signature weapons of the Assassin.Connor heard a noise outside Achilles' manor and opened the door to find a man named Godfrey. The frantic man, who had been calling for help, immediately started running towards the river. Godfrey explained to Connor that his partner Terry had fallen into the river while wrangling logs and was swept away by the current.
Connor leapt into action, grabbed Terry, and pulled him out of the river. Afterwards, Connor asked both lumberjacks to come work on the manor which needed a lot of wood to restore it. Terry, Godfrey, and their wives settled near the manor and began to work on the renovations.
This was only the first of many tasks Connor would perform as the keeper of the Davenport Homestead. Colonial America was a harsh and dangerous place for settlers, and Connor found himself using his Assassin skills to rescue many of them. Several moved onto the homestead, either out of gratitude, business sense, or both; it was a safe area with many resources to harvest and prepare. Skilled craftsmen, farmers, and hunters were among those Connor invited to live on his mentor's land.Achilles met Connor at the shoreline near his manor to show him the husk of an old, decrepit ship. They met with Robert Faulkner, who was obviously proud of the ship, and who said he could repair "her" if only he had some supplies. This flagship of the Assassin navy, named the Aquila, later became Connor's ship.
Achilles also showed Connor a ledger representing the homestead's income and resources and taught him how to manage it all.With the Aquila restored and ready to sail once more, Robert Faulkner taught Connor how to handle the ship. The Aquila set out on the Atlantic Ocean and they dropped anchor near Martha's Vineyard to buy guns and recruit gunnery officers.
Faulkner led Connor to a tavern where he met up with the brothers David and Richard Clutterbuck, whom he intended to hire as gunnery officers. Meanwhile, Connor spotted the Templar Benjamin Church, who was chatting with British naval officer Nicholas Biddle, and asked about the location of Charles Lee. After a tense confrontation, Connor, Faulkner, and the Clutterbucks left the tavern and returned to the Aquila.After leaving Martha's Vineyard, Faulkner ran Connor through some target practice, using British shipwrecks as targets. In particular, he showed Connor how to use the Aquila's swivel gun to explode powder barrels and cause major damage.
The exercise turned serious when a British patrol turned hostile and targeted the Aquila. Three schooners and then a frigate attacked Connor's vessel. Connor and his crew managed to eliminate them and continue on their way back to Davenport Manor.After months of intense training in combat, philosophy, and naval tactics, Connor's mentor Achilles was content. He presented Connor with the traditional Assassin robes and gear and officially welcomed him into the Assassin Brotherhood.
As a full member of the Brotherhood, it was now Connor's responsibility to confront the Templars. But first, he needed to uncover details regarding their involvement in North America's increasingly unstable political environment.Connor continued to train and hone his skills, knowing a confrontation with the Templars was fast approaching. One day, Achilles gave Connor a new weapon that had been left by an Assassin named Shao Jun.
Before he could practice further with the rope darts, Connor received a surprise visit from a familiar face. His childhood friend, Kanen'tó:kon, was now a full-grown warrior and a leader of their home village.
Their happy reunion was cut short by the news that their village was about to be sold and the villagers were being forced to leave. The purchase was even approved by the Iroquois Confederation.
Connor learned that the Templar William Johnson was responsible for the deal to oust his fellow villagers. He slammed a hatchet into one of the pillars of the mansion, explaining to Achilles that it was a symbol of his war with the Templars.Connor journeyed to Boston to locate William Johnson, to stop him from buying up lands and pushing the indigenous people further west. Connor sought out colonial activist Samuel Adams, asking for help finding Johnson. Adams agreed, saying he was heading to a meeting with some men who could help.
While walking the streets of Boston, Connor once again took notice of the chaos in the city as citizens protested the current state of affairs in which the British could compel them to board soldiers or provide supplies for little or no recompense.Connor and Samuel Adams discussed the unrest in Boston. The tension started when new taxes were raised against the colonies, in particular a high tax imposed on British tea. The citizens found the taxes unfair and began to fight back against the Redcoats who were charged with enforcing British law.
Connor helped the colonists fight the tax collectors. In particular, Connor helped Stéphane Chapheau, a Boston militiaman who worked at William Molineaux's restaurant. Connor was disturbed by the tax collectors' violent actions, and did not hesitate to oppose them.
The Assassins also discovered that the Templar William Johnson was taking advantage of the high price of tea and colonial boycotts of British products to engage in a lucrative tea smuggling operation. Connor was convinced that Johnson was using the tea smuggling revenue to purchase the land under his home village.
Connor, along with Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty, vowed to put an end to it. Exploring the docks, Connor located three smuggling operations and destroyed their stockpiles of tea.Connor returned to Molineaux's restaurant, only to find Samuel Adams missing and Chapheau complaining he'd been robbed. He followed Chapheau around Boston while the chef riled up people against the injustices committed by the British.
Connor tried to calm him, but the chef was furious. The Assassin had to defend him as he rampaged through the streets and picked fights with Redcoats. Finally, he managed to teach Chapheau to control his rage and choose his targets carefully. After successfully assassinating a man working for Johnson, the chef agreed to join Connor in his cause. He would be one of many recruits Connor would bring to the side of the Assassins.Connor continued to search for his ally Sam Adams. He eventually made his way to the Old South Meeting House, where he overheard Bostonians discuss returning tea to Great Britain to avoid paying the high taxes placed upon the product. The resentment from the citizens was growing, as was their willingness to physically resist the British.
At the Old South Meeting House, Connor heard Samuel Adams declare: "This meeting can do nothing further to save this country," a statement that doubled as a covert signal for the Sons of Liberty to destroy the merchandise. He confronted Adams, demanding more information before he would assist with his plans. Adams proudly explained that by dumping British tea in Boston harbor, Connor would not only be aiding the cause of liberty, but also depriving Johnson of his source of revenue and keeping him from purchasing Connor's home village. Adams suggested that Connor lead the "party" to keep them out of trouble, and Connor agreed.Connor and his allies approached three ships anchored in the harbor and loaded with tea: the Beaver, the Eleanor, and the Dartmouth. Connor dispatched the guards, allowing his allies onboard to begin their work. They smashed three hundred and forty chests of British East India Company tea, and dumped approximately forty-six tons of it into the water. Redcoats arrived, and Connor defended his allies (in particular Paul Revere and William Molineaux) as they destroyed the tea. They saved the last crate for him, which he dropped in the water as Templars William Johnson, John Pitcairn, and Charles Lee looked on.
The Templars could only watch, powerless, as their smuggling income sank in front of them, and with it, any plans to use that money to purchase native lands.After the Boston Tea Party, Connor reported back to Achilles. He assumed Connor had killed William Johnson, and was disappointed to hear otherwise. Connor believed that by destroying Johnson's tea smuggling operation, he had stopped the Templars' ability to buy indigenous lands, including his home village. However, by sparing Johnson's life, he gave the Templars a chance to create other sources of income and continue their plans.
Six months later, Kanen'tó:kon returned to the Davenport Homestead to tell Connor that Johnson had raised the money to buy their village out from under them. Achilles reminded Connor of how resourceful the Templars were. Connor headed out with his friend, determined to stop Johnson.
Ultimately, Connor realized that his only chance to stop the purchase of his village was to kill Johnson. Kanen'tó:kon showed him Johnson Hall, Johnson's cliff-top meeting place, and Connor set off alone to infiltrate it. He found Johnson there in discussions with some natives. They accused Johnson of lying, saying he did not provide the support he promised. Johnson announced he'd tried to solve things peacefully, before telling his armed guards to attack his visitors. Connor assassinated Johnson, who declared with his dying breath that he was only trying to stop more violence.Connor went to Philadelphia with Samuel Adams and John Hancock to attend the Continental Congress ceremony where George Washington was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army.
Connor was introduced to Washington, who was already aware of the young Assassin's achievements at the battles of Lexington and Concord.Hoping to locate John Pitcairn, Connor searched for a patriot camp on Bunker Hill, but realized that the patriot troops were located on Breed's Hill, where they were fighting the British for control of the area surrounding Boston. The patriots never caught sight of Pitcairn, as he had never arrived on the frontline.
During the battle, the patriots suffered heavy cannon fire from the British. In order to draw Pitcairn out, Connor moved towards the British ship in the Charlestown Peninsula, to stop the heavy artillery being launched at the patriots. After fighting Redcoats and disabling their cannons, Connor replaced the British flag on the ship with the flag of Bunker Hill to signal to Israel Putnam's command that the naval threat had been eradicated.After recovering a letter from the body of the Templar agent John Pitcairn, which revealed a plot to kill George Washington, the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, Connor returned to Achilles' manor. There, he met with Benjamin Tallmadge who provided crucial details of the conspiracy. The Templars had tasked Thomas Hickey with the kill.
Tallmadge and Connor set out for New York to find and stop Hickey.After eliminating Thomas Hickey, Connor set out to find George Washington in order to prevent any other Templar attempts on his life.
Connor found Achilles in the hall of the Pennsylvania State House. He counselled Connor that Washington did not need to know about the Templar threat. Connor restrained himself and attended the formal ceremony of the Declaration of Independence.
The signing of the Declaration of Independence dealt a severe blow on the Templars' goals to control the growing Revolution.Connor and his father, the Templar Grand Master Haytham Kenway, traveled to Valley Forge to inform George Washington that the British were marching from Philadelphia towards New York.
While Connor tried to report to Washington, Haytham forced the Commander-in-Chief to admit to having ordered military operations against allied native communities who were collaborating with the British. Haytham also forced Washington to admit that he ordered similar attacks during the Seven Years War, suggesting that Washington was partially responsible for the destruction of Connor's home village, which claimed the life of his mother in 1760.
After hearing this shocking information, Connor became disillusioned with the Patriots' sense of justice and freedom. Though he continued to fight for the Patriot cause, Connor cut his ties with Haytham and Washington alike.Connor sailed to the Chesapeake Bay and joined forces with the Comte de Grasse to fight alongside the French Navy. Despite the lack of reinforcements and severe enemy bombardment, Connor was able to hold the bay.
In the heat of the battle, Connor left the wheel of the Aquila to Robert Faulkner and worked his way across the enemy's man-of-war, damaging the ship and killing many of its crew. He returned to the Aquila after sinking the enemy's ship. After an exchange of heavy cannon fire, the French Navy emerged victorious in the Battle of Chesapeake Bay. This battle coupled with the siege of Yorktown, marked the end of the Revolutionary War, as Great Britain could no longer afford to support the conflict.Tasked with the assassination of Tsar Alexander III, Nikolai Orelov infiltrated the Russian Imperial train as it journeyed from Crimea to St. Petersburg. During a struggle with his target, the train derailed.
The Tsar emerged unscathed and found Nikolai among the wreckage. He taunted and beat the Assassin, but chose to spare his life. In the process, Alexander revealed himself to be in possession of a Piece of Eden known as the Staff.Acting on rumors of Templar experiments on the Staff of Eden using technology stolen from Nikola Tesla, Nikolai Orelov led a team of Assassins on an assault on a facility in Tunguska, Siberia. The Assassins failed to retrieve the artifact before it was activated, prompting their ally – Tesla – to launch a powerful electrical weapon from his laboratory in the United States. Tesla's attack destroyed the Staff, creating an enormous explosion.
Nikolai was the only survivor.In the dying moments of the Revolution, Nikolai Orelov infiltrated the home of Tsar Nicolas II at the request of Vladimir Lenin. Although tasked with taking the Tsar's life, Nikolai was secretly hunting the Royal Staff. This Piece of Eden had been destroyed in Tunguska years before, but now appeared to be in the Tsar's possession.
After realizing that the staff held by Nicolas II was a mere replica of the Piece of Eden, Nikolai decided to spare him. During the encounter, the Tsar revealed that a surviving fragment of the Staff destroyed at Tunguska had been in the possession of his deceased former advisor, Grigori Rasputin.Before searching the location of Grigori Rasputin's burial site and the fragment of the Staff he hoped it would contain, Nikolai Orelov traveled to Krasnoyarsk. There, he scaled the walls of the asylum and liberated Khioniya Guseva, a former disciple of the royal advisor who had attempted to murder him in 1914.
Guseva revealed the power witnessed from Rasputin's wielding of the fragment of the Staff of Eden, including her own involuntary self-mutilation. Granting her a final wish, Nikolai ended the woman's life and with it, her suffering.Nikolai Orelov unearthed the corpse of Grigori Rasputin and recovered the splinter of the Staff of Eden. Ordering his underlings to burn the Mad Monk's body, he entered a carriage with his wife and daughter.
Alone with his family, Nikolai announced that his debts to his friend Ulyanov and his father had been paid, and renounced his allegiance to the Assassin Brotherhood. Though Russia's borders were closed, Nikolai vowed that they would cross them and start anew.Shortly after their arrival in the United States, Nikolai Orelov and his family were ambushed during the Palmer Raids – an operation to arrest and deport foreign leftist radicals. Though he resisted, Nikolai was separated from his wife and daughter, and barely managed to evade capture with his infant son, Innokenti.
Nikolai spent the next few years searching for his wife and daughter, but never found them.After the Palmer Raids, Nikolai Orelov retreated to a remote cabin in the woods with his son Innokenti.
However, their solitary life was interrupted when an elderly Assassin named Sergei appeared. An old acquaintance of Nikolai, he urged the former Assassin to return to the Brotherhood and share the secrets he had learned. When Nikolai refused, Sergei grabbed Innokenti, brandishing a knife. In retaliation, Nikolai knocked the weapon from the Assassin's hand and strangled him to death.Following a period of intense training, Nikolai Orelov and his son Innokenti were tracked down by a group of Assassins wishing to return them to the Brotherhood. Nikolai refused to comply and proceeded to kill numerous Assassins, but was shot in both legs in the process.
In a desperate bid to ensure his son's escape, Nikolai grasped the last of their attackers and prompted his son to shoot the man, realizing the implications. Although initially resistant, the boy pulled the trigger. The bullet passed through both Nikolai and the Assassin, killing both men.Gunpowder is thought to have been discovered by accident by Chinese alchemists around 850. However, this interpretation is contested. Some evidence suggests the black powder was discovered by the Arabs. In any case, the Chinese scientists were trying to invent an elixir that would render whoever took it immortal, but instead discovered the first explosive.
The Sung dynasty in China quickly understood the power of the explosive and used it for military purposes for protection against the Mongols in the early part of the tenth century. By 1304, the Arabs had developed the first gun, and by the fourteenth century, black powder in firearms was common in Europe, as evidenced by the presence of primitive gunpowder cannons on the battlefield becoming mandatory in the French and English military.During the height of the Islamic Golden Age, Thābit ibn Qurra emerged as a leading visionary in the fields of mathematics, mechanical engineering, medicine, astrology, and astronomy. He was instrumental in ushering in many of the scientific reformations of that period; including the Ptolemaic system and the founding of statics.
Thābit also belonged to the Sabians of Harran, a sect of Hermeticists and celebrated a life of study and progression led by his beliefs. Although born in Harran, he moved to the intellectually thriving city of Baghdad, and occupied his years with teaching, study, and innovation until his death in 901AD.
Thābit's legacy did not end with his passing. His son, Sinan, became one of the most important physicians in Baghdad, who played a major role in the upkeep and development of the city's public hospitals during that era. His grandson, Ibrahim, went on to become a distinguished mathematician; studying the curves required to make sundials and advancing the theory of integration.