Cormac family

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The Cormac family originally hailed from Dublin, Ireland before settling in America. They are particularly known for their significant role in the Seven Years' War and the eradication of the Colonial Brotherhood during the early 18th century, as well as their long-standing affiliation with the American Rite of the Templar Order. Their involvement in the Assassin-Templar War further solidified their influence in the long annals of it's history.

Two members of the Cormac line are connected to the Ascendence Event, a series of events orchestrated by the Isu scientist Minerva. These events were designed to bring together multiple family bloodlines, either knowingly or unknowingly, to determine the fate of the Prongs of Eden.

By the early 21st century, the Cormac line still exists through non-patrilineal descent, with Javier Mondragón, his brother, and their mother, although they remain unaware of their family's connection to the Assassins and Templars.

History

Immigration to America

Shay Cormac was born on 21 September 1731, in New York City to a family of Irish immigrants from Dublin. His mother died during childbirth, and his father was often absent due to his employment in the merchant marine, leaving Shay to be raised by his aunt. Living in a rough part of the city, Shay often found himself in trouble but was taught how to protect himself by his friend, Liam O'Brien, whom he had met while visiting his father at the docks one day.

By the time he was eight years old, Shay had already earned a reputation as quite the fighter on the streets. That same year, he joined his father at sea to start earning his own wages. He was enthusiastic about the prospect of adventure and was taught basic self-defense skills with a sword and pistol in case of a pirate attack. These attacks occurred more than once, and on one occasion, Shay managed to save his father's ship by shooting a pirate captain in single combat. Nonetheless, tragedy struck in 1747 when a fierce storm claimed the lives of Shay's father and much of their crew.

Shay drifted through New York in despair until he reunited with his friend Liam, who introduced him to Mentor Achilles Davenport. Over four years, Shay trained alongside Liam, Hope Jensen, Kesegowaase, and Chevalier de la Vérendrye, though he frequently clashed with the latter.

Seven Years' War

Shay at the helm of the Morrigan

As the Seven Years' War broke out, Shay had become a skilled and dedicated Assassin under Achilles' leadership. However, his faith in the Creed began to waver as he questioned the missions he was assigned. He assisted the Brotherhood in recovering the Precursor Box and the Voynich manuscript, working alongside fellow Assassins Hope Jensen and Liam O'Brien.

The Assassins sought the help of Benjamin Franklin to decipher the Precursor Box, as the Templars had misled him into believing the script was related to ancient Egyptian knowledge. Franklin, unaware of the true significance of the artifacts or the ongoing war between Assassins and Templars, conducted experiments on the Box while unknowingly surrounded by both factions. Shay and Hope, posing as Franklin’s assistants, maintained the deception, ensuring he remained oblivious to their true allegiances. When the experiment succeeded, the Precursor Box activated, projecting a holographic image of the Earth that revealed the locations of several Isu temples, including one in Lisbon, Portugal.

Shay get's shot in the back

In Lisbon, Shay was sent to retrieve an artifact from an underground Isu temple. Upon removing it, the artifact disintegrated, triggering a catastrophic earthquake that devastated the city. Shocked and enraged, Shay confronted Achilles back at the Homestead, accusing him of ignoring the potential dangers. When his concerns were dismissed, he attempted to steal the Precursor Box and the manuscript, but he was caught and shot in the back as he tried to escape. Falling into the sea, he was presumed dead by the Brotherhood.

Shay was rescued by British general George Monro, who helped him recover and introduced him to efforts aimed at restoring stability in New York City. Initially unaware of Monro’s true affiliations, Shay assisted him in dismantling criminal gangs and rebuilding the city. Over time, he came to respect Monro’s pragmatic approach, contrasting it with the Brotherhood’s growing recklessness. Eventually, Monro revealed his Templar ties, and Shay, disillusioned with the Assassins, accepted their philosophy.

Shay becoming a member of the Templar Order

When Liam attacked Monro, stealing the Precursor Box and manuscript, Shay attempted to save him but arrived too late. Monro, mortally wounded, entrusted Shay with his Templar ring before dying. This final act of trust solidified Shay’s allegiance, and he was later inducted into the Templar Order under Grand Master Haytham Kenway.

Recognizing Shay’s value, Haytham acknowledged him as a key figure in shaping the New World. Shay then revealed what he had learned: the Isu temples did not contain powerful artifacts but instead maintained the world's stability. When disturbed, they triggered devastating earthquakes.

Shay allied with the Royal Navy under Captain James Cook during the Siege of Louisbourg, where he helped thwart a French-Assassin alliance led by Adéwalé. After the battle, the Templars intensified their campaign against the Colonial Brotherhood. In New York, Shay uncovered a plan by the Assassins to replicate Franklin’s experiment to locate more Isu temples.

Shay and Hope Jensen in the Memory Corridor

As the Assassins sought to repeat his experiment, Shay, Haytham, and Jack Weeks weakened Hope Jensen’s control over the city and infiltrated her mansion, where he witnessed the experiment succeed. Hope attempted to kill him, but Shay outmaneuvered her and ended her life.

Liam and Achilles before confrontation

Shay Cormac and Haytham Kenway traveled to the Arctic Temple to stop the Assassins' expedition. They navigated ice caves, evading Achilles and Liam's followers. After an ice bridge collapsed, Shay reached the Temple first, with Haytham following. They confronted Achilles and Liam, who had activated the Temple's artifact, mirroring one Shay had encountered in Lisbon. Achilles admitted mistakes, while Liam accused Shay of betraying the Brotherhood. Shay retaliated, reminding Liam of his betrayal at Davenport Homestead, but Liam clarified it was Chevalier de la Vérendrye who shot Shay that day. Achilles attempted to stop Liam from shooting Shay and as the two struggled, they accidentally removed the artifact triggering an earthquake. As the caverns collapsed, Shay pursued Liam, with Haytham tracking Achilles outside.

Shay and Liam fell from a precipice, and Shay used Liam to break his fall, fatally wounding him. On his deathbed, Liam questioned Shay's betrayal, but Shay justified it as a way to save the world. Liam, dying, wished the Templars' new world would be a good one. Shay then took the Voynich manuscript from Liam's body and found Haytham and Achilles in combat. Shay convinced Haytham to spare Achilles, who was crippled to prevent him from fighting again. Haytham then tasked Shay with retrieving the Precursor Box which he accepted.

Retrieving the Precursor Box

Shay assassinates Charles Dorian

By December 1776, Shay tracked the Precursor box to Paris, where he learned it was held by the local Assassins and would be passed to Charles Dorian at the Palace of Versailles. To gain entry, Shay enlisted the help of Benjamin Franklin, now the U.S. ambassador to France. After protecting Franklin from criminals, Shay was granted access to the palace

Inside, Shay located the Assassin meeting and, after Charles left, assassinated him with his Hidden Blade, seizing the box. The dying Charles revealed that Master Assassin Ratonhnhaké:ton and the American Revolution had thwarted the Templars' influence on the American colonies, undoing Shay's and Haytham's work. Shay responded that the Templars could start their own revolution before escaping the palace. After successfully retrieving the Precursor box, Shay continued traveling around the world in search of more Isu artifacts for the Templar Order.

From father to grandson

At some point in his life , Shay had conceived a son who became a member of the American Rite of the Templar Order in the 19th century. His father personally trained him as an Assassin Hunter, imparting skills in freerunning and Eagle Vision, which he inherited from Shay. Shay not only taught his son about the Templar ideals and there ancient war with the Assassin Brotherhood, but also passed down his air rifle to his son, a weapon that had originally been stolen from Master Templar Lawrence Washington when Shay was still an active Assassin, over a century earlier.

At some point later, Shay trained his grandson, nicknamed "Cudgel", in his youth. Cudgel mastered freerunning and Eagle Vision, continuing the family legacy of Assassin Hunters. Like his father and grandfather, he joined the Templar Order, fighting in their ongoing war against the Assassin Brotherhood. He too inherited the Cormac family' air rifle, further cementing his connection to the Templar legacy. Shay remained loyal to the Order until his death, never betraying their cause.

The American civil war

By July 1863, Cudgel was a feared barman of one of New York City's pubs, where he was acting as the Templar contact with the gangs, being a trusted agent of Grand Master William M. Tweed. As such, he was tasked to convince the other gangs to participate in the riots organized by the Templars to turn the tide of the American Civil War in their favor. The night before the riots were scheduled to start, a letter of Tweed was delivered to Cudgel, instructing him to stop an Assassin from stealing a Piece of Eden rumored to be hidden in the Aztec Club and to bring the artifact to his house.

Later, the Templar ambushed the Assassin Varius as he was leaving the Aztec Club with a Dagger of Eden, seizing the artifact from his paralyzed foe but sparing his life. He then left as the riots were starting in the city to watch the chaos from afar on a church's bell tower, prudently staying out of trouble and determined to bring the artifact to his master after sunset. While he agreed that the black citizens of New York were a necessary, yet sad, casualty of the Templar agenda, Cudgel nevertheless decided to save the children of a black orphanage after it was set ablaze by rioters.

Eventually, as he reached Tweed's estate, the Templar discovered that having been guided by one of Tweed's servant, Eliza, Varius was also in the house, and the two resumed their fight. They freeran on the roofs of the city while brawling until Cudgel inadvertently used the power of the artifact on Varius while ranting about his Templar ideals, throwing a knife at the confused Assassin, which hit him in the stomach.

However, as Cudgel was about to finish the critically injured Assassin, Eliza, who had followed them, used the rifle that Cudgel lost during the fight to shoot a paralyzing dart at the Templar. Enraged by the death of her father who was beaten to death during the riots, Eliza threatened the powerless Templar with the Dagger to his throat, knowing he was responsible. She nevertheless spared him, promising to return for him and Tweed later, before vowing to join the Assassins and complete Varius' mission by delivering the Dagger to General Ulysses S. Grant.

Modern Times

Trojan horse

While the Cormacs had long since departed from the scene of the colonial conflict, their legacy continued to influence key Templar operations into the modern era. In November 2014, a research analyst at Abstergo Entertainment in Montreal accidentally activated a virus embedded in the genetic memories of Shay Cormac, triggering security protocols that led to the evacuation of all but high-ranking Abstergo employees.

Under orders from Violet da Costa, the analyst was tasked with resolving the situation. Juhani Otso Berg viewed Shay as a representation of Templar ideals and instructed the analyst to review his memories. The collected footage was later altered and disseminated, emphasizing the brutality of the Colonial Assassins while omitting Shay’s remorse for killing his former comrades.

Although Berg’s video did not immediately cause major disruptions, the Assassins were forced to abandon several safehouses and strengthen their digital security. However, their operative in Montreal was quickly identified and killed. This escalation led William Miles to implement a protocol severing communication between the Initiates and the Assassins to mitigate further risks.

The Trident of Eden

Cudgel Cormac fathered at least one child, that continued the bloodline into the early 21st century, the family though its members were largely unaware of their heritage. By late 2016, American teenager Javier Mondragón discovered his connection to the Cormac family when he and his estranged friend, Owen Meyers, became caught in the ongoing war between the Assassins and the Templars. Their DNA, it turned out, was the key to locating the modern resting places of the Prongs of Eden.

While hiding in Sebastian Monroe's safehouse, Javier met Sean Molloy, Natalya Aliyev, and the Collin siblings, Grace and David, all of whom shared ancestors whose paths had crossed multiple times throughout history. Monroe explained the basic foundations of the Assassin-Templar war through a series of holograms and by pointing out the edvidence of an Assassin tracking Owen and him, who they had to lose to not compromise the location. Monroe suggested that both factions would lose interest in their DNA and leave them in peace once he discovered the resting place of the Piece of Eden so he can hide it again, making there DNA a death end. Javier and the other teenagers agreed with this plan and decided to work together in a joint simulation to locate the artifact so that Monroe could re-bury it elsewhere.

After exiting the Animus, Javier found that he had acquired some of Cudgel's skills, such as combat proficiency and Eagle Vision, though his vision was not as strong as that of his friend Owen Meyers. He also developed a temporary resentment toward Owen as his friend was a descendant of Varius, who had actively meddled in Cudgel's affairs during the riots. As they made there way out, a Templar squad attacked the safehouse, Javier instinctly used his new abilities against one Templar agent and was able to escape with Owen on Monroe's motorbike.

Legacy

The actions of Shay Cormac led to the extermination of the Colonial Brotherhood during the Seven Years' War, allowing the Templars to expand their influence and strengthen their control over the region. It was only when Ratonhnhaké:ton was recruited by Achilles Davenport, trained, and later became involved in the American Revolution, that Shay's actions were undone, breaking the Templar influence in the United States and enabling Connor to rebuild the Brotherhood.

In 1776, Shay's assassinated Charles Dorian, leaving the latter’s son, Arno, an orphan. Arno was soon adopted by François de la Serre, the Grand Master of the French Templars Rite in Paris, and would later become embroiled in the Assassin-Templar conflict, eventually joining the French Brotherhood.

The Cormac family remained in the service of the Templars. In the 19th century Shay trained both his son and grandson—nicknamed "Cudgel"—to become Assassin hunters. Cudgel later assisted Templar Grand Master William M. Tweed in inciting the New York Draft Riots in July 1863. These riots caused massive destruction and chaos in the city, allowing the Templars to rebuild the city in their vision for New York.

By the 21st century, much of the Cormac family's history had been lost or forgotten. Despite their deep involvement in the Assassin-Templar War, particularly during the Seven Years' War and the New York Draft Riots, their name became obscure. Templar and self-proclaimed historian Violet da Costa was unaware of who Shay Cormac was or his significance. However, her colleague Juhani Otso Berg, who had a fascination with Assassins who defected to the Templars, recognized Shay’s name and expressed interest in further investigation—suggesting he did not have complete knowledge of Shay's history. During her research, Violet later noted that she could not find any reference to Shay in Haytham Kenway’s journal. The reason for Haytham’s omission and why the Cormac name is so mysterious remains unknown.

In February 2014, Shay Cormac’s Precursor Box fell into the hands of Abstergo Industries. The Assassins managed to steal the artifact from an Abstergo facility in Rotterdam but were ultimately forced to abandon it to evade Sigma Team and Juhani Otso Berg.

In November of that same year, Berg exploited Shay’s genetic memories to lure the Assassins into the open, making them easier targets for elimination. He uploaded these memories to the Assassin network, spreading altered footage that cast Shay in a favorable light while portraying the Colonial Assassins as ruthless. While the footage itself did not cause immediate large-scale damage, at least one operative was identified and eliminated by the Templars. This prompted William Miles to sever communication with the Initiates to prevent further civilian casualties.

Shay Cormac also served as a key inspiration for Berg. He maintained extensive records on influential figures such as Grand Master Haytham Kenway, Mentor Al Mualim, Robert de Sablé, and Assassin defectors like Duncan Walpole and Daniel Cross. By analyzing their strengths, weaknesses, and the downfall of key Templar leaders, Berg sought to refine Templar strategy, expose vulnerabilities within the Assassin Order, and prevent his predecessors’ mistakes from being repeated.

In 2015, Templar Master and Inner Sanctum member Laetitia England briefly mentioned Shay to Berg while assigning him the task of delivering the Precursor Box to Álvaro Gramática’s secret laboratory in Australia for the Phoenix Project.

By late 2016, teenager Javier Mondragón uncovered the Assassin-Templar War and relived the memories of Cudgel Cormac during an Animus simulation of the New York riots. While Cudgel was unaware of his role in the Ascendence Event, Javier discovered, along with other teenagers, that they were all connected to this event. Multiple family bloodlines, knowingly or unknowingly, converged around the fate of the Trident of Eden. Over the following weeks, Javier learned more about his lineage and the history of both organizations. As he unraveled the truth about his heritage and the ongoing conflict, he began to understand his place in the struggle. After helping to stop the rogue Templar Isaiah, who had obtained all the Prongs of the Trident, Javier ultimately chose to join the Assassin Brotherhood.

Genealogy

Shay Cormac's father

Shay Cormac's mother

Shay Cormac's aunt

Shay Cormac

Shay Cormac's son

Cudgel Cormac