Ibn-La'Ahad family

The Ibn-La'Ahad family was a 12th and 13th-century Levantine lineage which played a major role in the reformation of the Assassins Brotherhood from a public organization to a secret society, particularly through the actions of its most notable member, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.

History

The eagle rising

"Some days I miss my family... Or at least the thought of them. I never knew my parents well, despite them both having lived within these walls. It was our way. Perhaps they were sad, though they showed no sign—it was not allowed."

―Altaïr's thoughts on his family.

The first known member of the Ibn-La'Ahad family was Umar Ibn-La'Ahad, a Muslim Assassin of the Levantine Brotherhood based in Masyaf during the late 12th century. He was married to Maud, a Christian Assassin. In January 1165, Maud gave birth to their son, Altaïr, but died from complications shortly thereafter. Umar raised his son alone but, due to the strict rules of the Brotherhood, he was forced to act more like an Assassin than a father.

In August 1176, during the Siege of Masyaf, Umar sacrificed his life to save a fellow Assassin, Ahmad Sofian, and was executed by the army of Saladin. Later, a guilt-ridden Ahmad, who had betrayed Umar's name to the enemy to save himself, committed suicide before Altaïr. This event created animosity between Altaïr and Ahmad's son, Abbas.

Altaïr speaking with Al Mualim

Following his father's death, Altaïr was personally raised and trained by Al Mualim, the Mentor of the Brotherhood, whom he came to see as a second father figure. In 1189, he saved the Mentor's life during an attack on Masyaf by the Templars, the sworn enemies of the Assassins. This act saw Altaïr be promoted to the rank of Master Assassin, as Al Mualim remarked that the young Assassin had exceeded all his expectations and lived up to his late father's legacy.

Two years later, in July 1191, Altaïr and the Al-Sayf brothers were sent to the ruins of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem to recover an Apple of Eden, one of the Pieces of Eden sought by the Templars. However, the mission went awry due to Altaïr arrogantly confronting the Templar Grand Master, Robert de Sablé, who had also arrived to retrieve the Apple. In the resulting fight, Kadar Al-Sayf lost his life, but his brother Malik managed to grab the Piece of Eden and return with it to Masyaf. He and Altaïr were followed by the Templars, who laid siege to Masyaf but were ultimately forced to retreat after Altaïr activated a trap on Al Mualim's instructions.

As punishment for breaking the tenets of the Assassins' Creed during his mission, Altaïr was demoted by Al Mualim, who offered him a chance to regain his honor and rank by eliminating nine Templars across the Holy Land. As Altaïr hunted down his targets, he slowly discovered that each of them had been involved in the search for the Apple.

Altaïr confronting Maria

When Altaïr attempted to kill his final target, Robert de Sablé, in Jerusalem, he discovered that he had been tricked with a decoy: an English crusader and Templar named Maria Thorpe. The Assassin spared Maria's life as she was not his intended target, and she informed him of de Sablé's plan to unite the Crusaders and Saracens against the Brotherhood. Altaïr subsequently traveled to Arsuf, where de Sablé was meeting with King Richard I of England, and ultimately assassinated the Grand Master after exposing his betrayal.

However, with his dying breath, de Sablé told Altaïr that Al Mualim had betrayed the Assassins by helping the Templars in their search for the Apple. Returning to Masyaf to verify this claim, Altaïr found his Mentor using the Apple's powers to control the village's populace, as part of his grand plan to establish global peace. Disagreeing with Al Mualim's belief that free will needed to be sacrificed to achieve peace, Altaïr fought and killed the Mentor.

Altaïr holding the Apple of Eden

Following Al Mualim's death, the Levantine Brotherhood was left without a Mentor, and Altaïr volunteered for the position. However, he faced heavy opposition from Abbas Sofian, who believed that Altaïr had staged a coup to seize control of the Brotherhood, and attempted to steal the Apple from him. This caused a minor civil war among the Assassins, which came to an end after Altaïr took back the Apple from Abbas, who had been nearly killed by the artifact's power.

In the end, Altaïr was able to convince his fellow Assassins of his ability to lead the Brotherhood and was formally appointed Mentor. He also decided to keep the Apple and study its secrets, believing the artifact could greatly benefit the Assassins.

Journey to Cyprus

Altaïr: "I want to meet the best minds, explore all the libraries of the world, and learn all the secrets of nature and the universe."

Maria: "All in one lifetime? It's a little ambitious...."

Altaïr: "Who can say? It could be that one life is just enough."

—Altaïr and Maria, prior to their departure from Cyprus, 1193.

Altaïr writing in his Codex with Maria at his side

A month after the death of Al Mualim, in October 1191, Altaïr led an Assassin attack against the remaining Templar forces in Acre. There, he once again encountered and defeated Maria Thorpe, who sought revenge on the Assassin for the death of her master, Robert de Sablé. Taking Maria as his hostage, Altaïr traveled with her to Cyprus to pursue the Templars and their new Grand Master Armand Bouchart, the successor of de Sablé.

At first reluctant to help the Assassin, Maria eventually became an ally of Altaïr after seeing the wrongdoings that the Templars were committing against the citizens of the island. Together, they helped the Cypriot Resistance by killing Bouchart's lieutenants. In 1193, they duelled Bouchart in the Templar Archive beneath the Limassol Castle and killed him. After liberating Cyprus from the Templars, Altaïr decided to return to Masyaf, with Maria at his side.

Altaïr and Maria sharing a romantic moment

Altaïr and Maria grew closer and, in 1195, returned to Limassol and got married. Later that year, Maria gave birth of their first son, Darim. Two years later, after a visit to the Acre Citadel, the couple had another son, Sef. Altaïr's new family life did not distract him from leading the Brotherhood and studying the Apple. Through his research, the Mentor discovered new technologies which changed the way the Assassins operated, and he began writing a Codex to document all of his findings, as well as his personal thoughts on his life and the Brotherhood.

At some point during the 1210s, Sef started a family of his own, having a wife and two daughters who lived with him in Masyaf.

Fighting the Mongols

"A dark tide rises to the east—an army of such size and power that all the land is made quick with worry. Their leader is a man named Temujin, who has adopted the title Genghis Khan. [...] It is time she and I spoke with our sons. We will travel there together, that they may be tested and that this threat might be stopped."

―Altaïr thinking of traveling with his family to Mongolia to stop Ghengis Khan.

In 1217, Altaïr decided to travel east to fight the growing threat of Genghis Khan and his Mongol Empire. While Maria and Darim accompanied Altaïr, Sef decided to stay in Masyaf with his family. Nine years after their departure, Sef was killed by the Assassin Swami on the order of Abbas Sofian, who framed Malik Al-Sayf, Altaïr's second-in-command, for the crime and had him imprisoned. With Altaïr away from Masyaf and Malik in prison, Abbas usurped the position of Mentor, forcing Sef's widow and daughters to flee to Alamut.

Altaïr, Maria, and Darim working with the Mongolian Assassins

In 1227, Altaïr, Maria, and Darim met the Mongolian Assassin Qulan Gal. Together, they planned to infiltrate Genghis Khan's camp in Xingqing, assassinate the Mongol leader, and recover the Sword of Eden in his possession. Altaïr and Qulan snuck into the camp while Maria and Darim covered them from a distance. They did not find the artifact but saved Nergüi, a young Mongolian scout captured by the Khan's troops. The four Assassins and Nergüi proceeded to attack the camp with flaming arrows, which forced the Khan to flee.

Qulan and Darim chased him on horseback, and Genghis eventually fell after his mount was shot by Qulan. Darim then finished off the Mongol leader with his crossbow before he and Qulan escaped from the Khan's reinforcements. After the success of their mission, the Ibn-La'Ahad family decided to return to Masyaf, leaving Qulan and Nergüi to continue the search for the Sword of Eden and the fight against the Mongol Empire.

Exile and return to Masyaf

Darim: "Where is mother?"

Altaïr: "She is gone, Darim. I'm sorry..."

—Altaïr informing Darim of Maria's death before fleeing Masyaf, 1228.

Maria dying in Altaïr's arm

In 1228, Altaïr, Maria, and Darim arrived in Masyaf, where Swami greeted them and told them that Malik had been imprisoned and that Sef was in Alamut. Darim decided to leave and meet with his brother while Altaïr and Maria stayed in Masyaf. Eventually, the couple learned the truth about Abbas' coup and Sef's death from Malik himself, who was executed by Swami not long after. Abbas subsequently accused Altaïr of killing Malik out of revenge to ruin the Assassins' trust in him, prompting the former Mentor and Maria to confront Abbas directly.

During their meeting, Abbas tried to obtain the Apple from Altaïr, who vengefully used the artifact on Swami after learning he had killed Sef. Maria tried to stop her husband but, in the confusion, she was fatally stabbed by Swami. After killing his wife's murderer, Altaïr fled from Masyaf with the help of a recently-arrived Darim, who was informed of his mother's death. The father and son subsequently took refuge in Alamut, alongside Sef's widow and daughters.

Shortly after their arrival in Alamut, Altaïr fell into a deep depression due to the loss of his wife and youngest son. Sef's widow, unable to bear Altaïr's suffering, decided go to Alexandria with her daughters. A year later, Darim also left his father due to Altaïr's renewed obsession with the Apple, and traveled to England and France to warn the Assassins there of the Mongol threat. In Alamut, Altaïr continued his studies of the Apple and developed the Hidden Gun. He also discovered an ancient vault under the fortress, from which he retrieved six Memory Seals, using them to record important moments of his life.

Altaïr confronting Abbas

In 1247, an elderly Altaïr returned to Masyaf and discovered that the Brotherhood had nearly crumbled under Abbas' leadership, oppressing the people it had once sworn to protect. Allying with Malik's son Tazim and other Assassins that had remained true to the Creed, Altaïr took back control of the Brotherhood and killed Abbas with the Hidden Gun. Darim returned to Masyaf not long after and reconciled with his father.

Reforming the Brotherhood

"When I was very young, I was foolish enough to believe that our Creed would bring an end to all these conflicts. If only I had possessed the humility to say to myself, I have seen enough for one life. I have done my part. Then again, there is no greater glory than fighting to find the truth."

―Altaïr reflecting on his life shortly before his death, 1257.

During the following decade, Altaïr decided to decentralize the Brotherhood, spreading the Assassins through the world by installing guilds in different countries. He also constructed a library under Masyaf Castle, which was in reality a vault meant to protect the Apple of Eden after his death. The Mentor used five of his Memory Seals as the keys for his library.

In 1257, Darim traveled to Constantinople and met the Venetian explorers Niccolò and Maffeo Polo. Together, they went to Masyaf, where Altaïr trained the Polo brothers. After they were inducted into the Brotherhood, Altaïr tasked them to establish Assassin guilds in Constantinople and Venice. The old Mentor also gave them most of the books from his library, as well as his Codex in order to spread the Brotherhood's teachings. As Masyaf came under attack by the Mongols, Altaïr used the Apple to repel the assault and escort the Polo brothers to safety. Before they left, Altaïr gave them the five keys to his library, instructing the Venetians to guard them with their lives, and hide them if they had to.

Farewell between father and son

Knowing that the Mongols would return to Masyaf and that the village was unable to withstand another attack, Altaïr ordered its evacuation. He then gave the last of his books to Darim and bid his son farewell before locking himself and the Apple inside his library. After hiding the artifact behind a wall, to remain safe until it delivered its message to the right person, the old Mentor imprinted the last Memory Seal with his memories and passed away. Meanwhile, Darim left Masyaf with his father's books and went to Alexandria to rejoin his brother's widow and children.

Leading the Egyptian Brotherhood

By the early 16th century, the Assassin Iskender, a descendant of Altaïr, had risen to the position of Mentor of the Egyptian Brotherhood. In 1511, he managed to locate two Memory Seals hidden in Alexandria and sent his Assassins to retrieve them. Later that same year, Iskender was arrested and detained in Alexandria, but was saved by Ottoman apprentices sent by Ezio Auditore, the Mentor of the Italian Brotherhood.

Legacy

During his lifetime, Umar was among the most respected members of the Levantine Brotherhood, and continued to be held in high regard for years after his death, with his fellow Assassin Faisal later describing him as a man of honor in 1189. His sacrifice secured a peace treaty between the Saracens and Assassins that lasted throughout the Third Crusade, though it also indirectly led to the feud between his son Altaïr and Abbas Sofian, which would have far-reaching consequences.

The most famous member of the Ibn-La'Ahad family was Altaïr, who was regarded as one of the most important Mentors to ever live due to his vast contributions to the Brotherhood. Through his actions, Altaïr saved the Assassins from corruption under both Al Mualim and Abbas' rule, and ensured their continued survival as a secret organization following the conquest of their fortresses in the Levant by the Mongols. His study of the Apple of Eden also led to the development of new technologies and assassination techniques that would be used by future generations of Assassins.

Following Altaïr's death, Niccolò and Maffeo Polo managed to hide the five Masyaf Keys entrusted to them by the Mentor in Constantinople, though they lost his Codex to the Mongols. It would eventually be retrieved by Niccolò's son Marco and then passed to Dante Alighieri and eventually Domenico Auditore, who deliberately broke it apart and scattered its pages to prevent the Templars from acquiring them.

Ezio Auditore finding Altaïr's remains

In the late 15th century, Domenico's descendant Ezio Auditore would find and assemble all the Codex pages, allowing the Italian Assassins to learn the location of the Vatican Vault, where Ezio was contacted by a hologram of Minerva, warning his descendant Desmond Miles of the Second Disaster. Several years later, Ezio would also find all the Masyaf Keys and eventually unlock Altaïr's library after a skirmish with the Byzantine Templars, who sought the library's secrets for their own ends.

In the library, Ezio found Altaïr's skeleton and witnessed the final moments of the Mentor's life through the Memory Seal he held. He also found Altaïr's Apple of Eden, but decided to leave it in the library and retire from his life as an Assassin, having been inspired by Altaïr's memories to give up his fruitless search for answers and accept his role as a conduit for a message to Desmond. This message, displayed by the Apple, told Desmond how to find the Grand Temple, ultimately allowing him to prevent the Second Disaster in 2012.

The Ibn-La'Ahad family has several descendants during the modern era, most notably Desmond Miles, a descendant of Sef through his maternal line; and Noa Kim, a descendant of Altaïr.

Members

• 
  Umar Ibn-La'Ahad
  (died 1176)
• 
  Maud
  (died 1165)
• 
  Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
  (1165 – 1257)
• 
  Maria Thorpe
  (1161 – 1228)
• 
  Darim Ibn-La'Ahad
  (born 1195)
• 
  Sef Ibn-La'Ahad
  (1197 – c. 1226)
• 
  Iskender
  (fl. 1511)

Family tree

Umar Ibn-La'Ahad

Maud

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad

Maria Thorpe

Peter Hallaton

Darim Ibn-La'Ahad

Sef Ibn-La'Ahad

Unknown daughter

Unknown daughter

Behind the scenes

Ibn-La'Ahad is a patronymic name meaning "son of no one". However, the fact that it was used by at least three different generations of the family suggests that it serves more as a surname.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles
• Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines
• Assassin's Creed II (flashback only)
• Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade
• Assassin's Creed: Revelations
• Assassin's Creed: Revelations novel
• Assassin's Creed: Recollection
• Assassin's Creed: Memories
• Assassin's Creed: Reflections
• Assassin's Creed: Rebellion – The Eagle's Shadow
• Assassin's Creed: Escape Room Puzzle Book
• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple
• Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game