Council of Elders
The Council of Elders is one of the Templars' guiding bodies.[1] It operates as a separate entity to maintain the Templars' integrity by influencing and guiding the other governing structures. It does not exert direct control over these structures, such as the Inner Sanctum, and exists outside of the traditional Templar hierarchy, similarly to the Black Cross.[2]
History[edit | edit source]
During the earliest years of the Black Cross' existence, the Council may have had a significant impact on their assignments.[2]
In 2013, Álvaro Gramática and Alan Rikkin led a discussion at the Council's annual strategies meeting, debating on how much information to share with the public about humanity's origins. While it sparked lively discussion, the Council concluded that they felt it was better the public remain blind to such matters, and so they would wage disinformation campaigns on any attempts to expose the truth by dismissing them as unfounded conspiracies. Before parting ways, the Council advanced their next meeting 6 months forward to 6 June 2014, both to allow for initial progress reports on the media campaigns, and to coincide with the 40th G7 summit in Brussels, Belgium, which most Council members would be attending.[3]
By 2016, the Council was led by Ellen Kaye and possessed discretionary powers over the funding of Abstergo Industries and its various subsidiaries. In December, the Council was present at a Templar gathering in London to celebrate the successful acquisition of an Apple of Eden, during which Alan Rikkin was killed and the Apple was stolen by the Assassins.[1]
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
The Council's members appear to have a higher rank than the Guardians, as exemplified by Ellen Kaye giving orders to Alan Rikkin.[1] However, earlier sources stated that only the General of the Cross, the supreme head of the Templar Order, is above the Guardians in authority, with the Guardians reporting directly to the General.[2][4] As of 2017, the Council of Elders' exact position and role in the Templar hierarchy remains unclear, save only that it is not ranked above the General of the Cross.[5]
In Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Laureano de Torres y Ayala mentioned that he had been tasked by "the Counsel" with locating the Observatory.[6] It is unknown if this "Counsel" is the same as the Council of Elders, one of its predecessors, or a different organization altogether.
In Assassin's Creed: Shadows, it is revealed that both the Inner Sanctum and the Black Cross were already well-established by the late 16th century, making the positions much older than previously thought to be.[7][8] Since the Council of Elders was closely involved in the Black Cross' missions during the first years of the rank's existence,[2] this implies that the Council had also been created by this time, if not even earlier.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
-
Alan Rikkin reporting to Ellen Kaye -
Kaye and Rikkin in the meeting room
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed: Unity (first mentioned) (mentioned in Database entry only)
- Assassin's Creed film (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: The Essential Guide (2nd edition)
- Animus Hub (mentioned in Database entry only)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Assassin's Creed film
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Assassin's Creed: The Essential Guide (2nd ed.)
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Unity – Database: 08. Public Relations Primer
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Unity – Database: 10. Reconnaissance Memo
- ↑ "AymarMtl" and "Sorrosyss" (21 March 2017). I am Aymar Azaizia, Head of Content for Assassin's Creed, Ask Me Anything!. Reddit. Archived from the original on 26 March 2017. Retrieved on 27 March 2017. "Sorrosyss: Are the Elders ranked above the General of the Cross within the Templar Order. Is Ellen Kaye the General?
AymarMtl: No and no :)" - ↑ Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Mister Walpole, I Presume?
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Database: Rift 3 - Shadows Without Light
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Shadows – Man Behind the Curtain
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||