Oscar Kane

This article is about the man with the alias "Magus". You may be looking for a rank in the Order of the Ancients.

Oscar Kane (c. 1810s – 1862) was a 19th century Irishman who joined the Assassins before defecting to the Templars. A prominent Victorian era figure, Kane led an Assassin cell that operated in Austria. Hiding his later desertion from his team, he used their resources and information to orchestrate many political assassinations across Europe under the pseudonym of Magus. He was also responsible for spearheading the development of a highly-advanced analytical method called the Engine of History.

Biography

Early life

Born to Assassin parents, Kane was orphaned at a young age in Ireland and witnessed the riots and famine effecting the country. Escaping the chaos, he made his way to Germany, but sadly found the same events happening there. As a young adult, he made his way to Vienna, Austria and made a fortune within the railroad business. There, he hoped to continue his work and drive a new course for himself and his fellow constituents. Kane served as a liaison for the Assassin branches based in Northern Europe, including the British and French branches. Working on his affairs, he found his way back to Ireland and met a stationed and inebriated soldier, Simeon Price, and theorized he could become a future apprentice.

Working as the Magus

By 1851, he had turned to the Templars in hopes to garner their advancements in exchange for information of the Assassins. Yet, he was still in contention with them as he wanted to obtain an upper hand, no matter the cost. One of the first steps was his order to his former Assassin comrade Henri Escoffier to first find and assassinate a target and also recruit Price aboard the HMS Birkenhead.

Kane was also in correspondence with Countess Ada Lovelace under his alias of the "Magus" and they soon developed the invention, the Engine of History. Yet, their letters stopped once he was cut off by Ada, due to her strong feelings against their dangerous machine. In response, he sent thugs to kidnap Ada, but to no avail thanks to the interference of the acrobat Pierrette Arnaud. Meanwhile, he maintained his business affairs in Vienna until he received a visit from Simeon Price, using the alias "Jack Straw," who deserted his post after HMS Birkenhead sank.

Training Price

Kane started to educate Price in combat skills and secret surveillance, while introducing him to Hungarian tailor, János Libényi. Unknown to Price, Kane started to influence Libényi against the Austrian Empire for their role in the revolution in Hungary in order to test out devices he recalled from his work with Ms. Lovelace. After Price succeeded in his spying task, Kane issued him to climb down the St. Stephen's Cathedral from the outside. Once Price completed the descent, he offered his apprentice breakfast as a reward before learning of Countess Lovelace's death.

Kane and Price later attended a winter party, hosted by Baron Julius Jacob von Haynau. Inside, they met with the baron, his lawyer Karl Mayr, and Countess Konstanze von Visler as they discussed past war stories and the baron's work against tearing down Libényi's shop. However, Kane had revealed Price's real identity at some point, while Price remained in the dark. Kane was soon brought alone with Karl Mayr, who met with him privately away from the party. Their discussion quickly turned sour after Kane was soon strangled from the back by Mayr. Luckily, he was saved by Price, who went and slit Mayr's throat with a razor.

After the party, Kane and Price later reconvened as he told his apprentice that the baron and Mayr were Templars. Kane later instructed Price to inform Libényi about Mayr's death. After some time, he and Simeon were invited to von Visler's home to attend a presentation on her new drill, powered by Kane's power cell. Telling Price that they were hiding in plain sight, Kane worked with the countess as a means to an end. Nevertheless, he stayed with the party as his befuddled apprentice left quickly afterwards.

However, by 1853, Kane's plan with Libényi was miscalculated as the tailor took matters into his own hands by attempting to kill the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I. After the attempt, Kane aided his apprentice to try and save the tailor from his impending execution. However, they failed as Price was arrested while Libényi was hanged. After a year passed, Kane admitted that the Brotherhood had no part in the assassination attempt but later saw his apprentice uneased. Even after telling him about the Isu and their relics, Kane saw Price leave while he slipped up by revealing he knew of Price's real identity.

Working both sides

Working with the Templars, Kane investigated and went through Pierrette Arnaud's belongings using the Templars' henchman Art Hennighan while her troupe was in Vienna. With no luck, he set his eyes on a new experimental subject, Felice Orsini, whom he broke out from prison. By 1857, he worked secretively with Orsini by creating and providing bomb casings for Orsini's plot, even though he only wanted to see his inventions work regardless of the political statement.

To make sure his plan worked, Kane arrived in Paris, France at the same time as Orsini's bombings against Emperor Napoleon III. Luckily, he met the French Assassin Michel Moulin as they worked to recover an Eye within Paris, but to no avail. After the bombings, Kane traveled to London as he set to find any links from Ada's friends, like Lizzie Siddal. At one point, he knew he may be caught and reveals Simeon's survival and desertion to the English press.

By 1861, at the British Museum, Kane went to find the Eye within the Assyrian section and soon found Price, who was tracking him. Kane admitted to his part in both Orsini and Libényi's attacks but wanted to prove to the Assassins of a new, incoming future and gave Price an ultimatum: join or be arrested. Simeon refused, attacking and injuring Kane, who still managed to escape. Price soon spotted him hiding among museum attendees, but police arrested his former apprentice before he could act.

The Magus' death

Within the next year, he remained in correspondence with the Countess von Visler, who informed him about Arnaud's reluctant info about a possible artifact in Bath. From that information, he readied his men and took a cab, driven by Fanny Eaton's husband, to the city. Upon his investigation, he and his men found a bunker within an alley near Bath Abbey and entered it. Kane investigated the bunker room and its walkways, but found no evidence of a present Eye.

There, Kane was confronted by Price again and offered an alliance once more. Being refused, Kane and his men opened fire on Price. Fights broke off between Kane's forces and Price's allies. Losing men, Kane was cornered within the bunker room but maintained to survive, especially severely incapacitating Ada's son, Bryon Ockham. About to shoot Arnaud's friend, Tillie Wallin, he failed as his gun was unloaded. From behind, he was stabbed by Pierrette but gained an upper hand by holding her hostage atop the walkway. In a split second, he was soon lassoed by Hugh Robinson and Ariel Fine, but was temporarily freed by a surviving henchman.

However, Kane was tied again by Arnaud, who pushed him and herself off the walkway, destroying the room's constitution. Bloodied and dying, he was motionless as most began to leave quickly from the crumbling room. Yet, he was seen by Simeon as he told him, "Don't be weak." Without a thought, Kane died from Price's blade as his body was left to be buried by the room's rubble.

Legacy

Before his death, he met with Templar Countess Konstanze von Visler and gave her an Apple of Eden he acquired during his years as an Assassin.

Personality and traits

Oscar Kane was described as a Caucasian man in his 40s with a bulky build. He also donned an eccentric brown goatee and moustache, along with a exquisite crimson and gold striped waistcoat. Born into poverty in Ireland, he used his wits to build himself up in the railroad industry by acquiring patents to a crucial manufacturing process which he never fully elaborated on. Oscar Kane was obsessive about science and dedicated most of his time to educating himself further, inventing new devices, and performing scientific experiments. As the Magus, Oscar Kane has shown himself to be a master of manipulating people to the point where it was akin to brainwashing. He revealed that he sought out Simeon only because of his connection of Ada. He was even responsible for radicalizing people like Libényi and Orsini to commit acts of terror.

He held strong connections in the world of Assassins and the world of the Templars, but was never fully integrated with either of them. Kane never fully trusted the Templars and even went as far as to state to Simeon that he only used with them for their innovations. However, it became clear to him and Simeon that even the Templars were using him as well by feeding him some false information. Oscar Kane went on to rant about how his grand scheme was about forcing people to rise up against their masters and so that the working people will never be under the rule of a tyrant ever again.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Magus Conspiracy (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot (mentioned only)