Assassin ring

"An Assassin's ring... She must have tossed it away during the struggle—a desperate act to protect the Brotherhood."

―Evie Frye, during her investigation of Mary Ann Nichols' murder.

An Assassin ring

An Assassin ring was an adornment worn by initiates of the British Brotherhood of Assassins during the late Victorian era. The repeating Assassin insignia around its band signified their membership in the Order.

History

In 1888, the Assassin Evie Frye was summoned from India to London by her brother Jacob, only to find that he had gone missing during Jack the Ripper's reign of terror in the borough of Whitechapel. The Metropolitan Police Service's Inspector Frederick Abberline brought Evie up to speed and escorted her to the murder scene of a woman publicly believed to have been the prostitute Mary Ann Nichols. During her investigation there, Evie discovered an Assassin ring, thrown far away by the initiate so as to not compromise the Order, as their Creed dictated.

Further investigation into the Ripper's subsequent murders uncovered another three rings, worn by initiates posing as Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, and Catherine Eddowes. The rings had been intentionally left by Jack for Evie to find, seeking to lead her into an ambush.

Behind the scenes

The Assassin rings serve as a continuation of the various marks used by the Brotherhood's members in their initiations over the centuries, beginning with finger amputations during Antiquity and the Middle Ages, and continuing with burn marks during the Renaissance. They can also be seen as a parallel to the Templars' own rings. However, as only a few of the British Brotherhood's members were recorded to have worn this jewelry, it is unclear whether this practice was unique to the Guild or if other Guilds around the world also adopted it.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Syndicate – Jack the Ripper