Ning

"Family? The word has no meaning. The notions even more so. Only the self hears the deepest whispers of your soul and accepts you whole."

―Ning, 860s.

Ning (died 860s), also known as Al-Pairika (English: The Enchantress), was a Chinese merchant and collector based in Baghdad, where she held the title of the Abbasid Caliphate's Treasurer. A member of the Order of the Ancients, she used her position to control all trade in and out of Baghdad from her seat of power at The Bazaar.

Biography

Early life

"When I first arrived in Baghdad I was one of many seeking my fortune. Now, I have even the East wrapped around my fingers. I clawed my way here when many gave up, preferring to spare their nails. But me, I don't mind a few scratches, a bit of blood."

―Ning recounting her past, 860s.

Ning was born in China during the Tang dynasty and was sold by her parents to repay her family's debt. Growing up alone, her experiences taught her to trust no one and that she could only rely on her own skills to survive. After arriving in Baghdad, she joined The Ivory Coin as a merchant and relied on her calculating and cunning techniques to rise to the very top of the organization, becoming known as "the Treasurer".

By the 860s, Ning had joined the Order of the Ancients and became one of its five leading members in Baghdad, answering directly to the Ra's Al-Af'a, Qabiha, and overseeing the Order's operations in the Karkh district. Her position as the Treasurer granted her dominion over all commerce in Baghdad, which benefited the Order's interests. However, Ning remained an enigmatic figure even to her new allies, as she continued to armor herself in solitude.

Meeting the Caliph

Ning and her Order brethren meeting Al-Mutawakkil

On 11 December 861, Ning and the other Order leaders in Baghdad – Qabiha, Mas'ood Al-Ya'qoob, Fazil Fahim al-Kemsa and Wasif al-Turki – convened at the Winter Palace in Anbar, where the caliph Al-Mutawakkil awaited them with a chest containing a Memory Seal. After verifying the artifact's authenticity and ordering the caliph to guard it until their return, the masked Ancients left.

However, it was all for naught, as shortly after the meeting, Al-Mutawakkil was killed by a young thief, Basim Ibn Ishaq, who had broken into the Winter Palace to retrieve the Memory Seal on the Hidden Ones' behalf. The caliph's death robbed the Order of a powerful puppet, but Ning and the others remained undeterred in their work and moved forward with their respective plans.

Activities in Karkh

"I have never been one to extol the virtue of modesty. Yet there is something to be said for subtlety when it is critical to one's survival. Our brother's recent demise makes it clear that we have drawn attention from unwelcome quarters. Temper your shows of wealth and stop bidding publicly before more blades spring from the shadows."

―Qabiha's letter to Ning, 860s.

Following the caliph's death, Ning ordered her subordinates Javed, also known as Al-Kulullû, and Suhail, known as Al-Anqa, to seize all foreign goods in Karkh and to raise the taxes for foreign merchants at the Bazaar, respectively. However, Ning grew infuriated at her lackeys due to their failures and even threatened their lives for their errors. Ning was especially distraught at the fact she was unable to acquire a precious Chinese hairpin, which was put up for auction at the Da'irat Al-mal.

After Mas'ood was killed by the Hidden Ones, Qabiha wrote to Ning, warning her not to showcase herself too publicly as to avoid meeting the same fate. However, Ning ignored Qabiha's advice and, unaware that the Hidden Ones had become aware of her own operations and assassinated Javed and Suhail, planned to attend the Da'irat Al-mal in person to acquire the hairpin.

Death

Basim: "No one lives alone."

NIng: "But we die lonely. In the end, we are absolutely, simply, truly alone."

—Basim and Ning during the latter's final moments, 860s.

Basim assassinating Ning

During the grand auction, Ning appeared when the call for the hairpin came and made her bid for the item. In the end, however, she lost the hairpin to another buyer and reclused herself back in her office. There, she welcomed several merchants from the Ivory Coin who came bearing gifts, including a collector who brought a vase and a plate. While she accepted the vase, she dismissed the plate as being of inferior quality and instructed the collector to give it to "the dogs in the souq".

Shortly after, another merchant came bearing the hairpin she desired. Upon seeing the item, Ning ordered her guards to leave the room and allow her to speak in private with the merchant, who was secretly the Hidden One Basim Ibn Ishaq. As she admired the hairpin, Ning went over her life and the lessons she had learned, including the fact that one could only rely on oneself to achieve their goals. Having deduced Basim's identity, she then tried to attack him with the hairpin, but the Hidden One assassinated her, ending the Order's influence in Karkh.

Behind the scenes

Ning is a fictional character created for and appearing in the 2023 video game Assassin's Creed: Mirage.

Etymology

Ning (寧) is a Chinese name meaning "peaceful".

Her Order cryptonym, Al-Pairika (البيريكا), is a reference to the Parī, a type of creatures in Persian mythology described as winged human-like beings of immense beauty. The Persian word parī (پَری) comes from the Middle Persian parīg, itself derived from the Old Persian *parikā-.

Gallery

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  Ning in her Order outfit and mask
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  Close-up of a masked Ning
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  Ning arriving at the grand auction
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  Ning making her bid for the hairpin
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  Ning's final moments

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Mirage