#masyaf brotherhood

[teecupangel]

Concept: Imagine if Altaïr had a habit of adopting birds of prey and stuff.

Ezio did the same thing except with cats (including a lion cub, if you know the reference to Da Vinci you'll get it)

Connor adopted canines constantly.

Desmond inherits all of these and takes in every single stray animal he finds. It doesn't matter if it's even safe to keep as a pet. He just adopts every single animal in sight.

In other words, through genetic manipulations, the Isus have created the ultimate savior of humanity:

A Disney Princess.

And it all started with Altaïr accidentally turning one of the towers in Masyaf as an aviary that only housed Birds of Prey.

No one knows how he did it.

They were pretty sure he started doing it after his father died and no one had the heart to tell a grieving child to stop adopting birds as a coping mechanism.

By the time Altaïr had been initiated, the aviary and its occupants have become just another staple in Masyaf.

Is it weird that they only listen to Altaïr?

Is it weird to hear Altaïr have a full blown conversation with them?

Very much so.

But it was Altaïr.

He was as weird as he was talented.

So people just left him be.

Time passed and Altaïr became a legend in the Brotherhood.

There were whispers that he could command any kind of birds of prey to do his bidding.

Perhaps he could.

Perhaps he could not.

No one found out the truth.

Ezio, on the other hand, was known as a hoarder of cats.

He gives food to even the dirtiest stray cats that could be found scurrying in the streets.

And they would follow him back to the Brotherhood’s hideout where some poor servant or recruit would have to bathe the cat, suffering the scratches and bites.

Only to be rewarded by the cat purring contently when it is presented to Ezio who holds it in his arms and calls it bella or bello.

And then… Ezio managed to get a hand on an illegally smuggled lion cub who grew up to be quite… large.

A very spoiled large cat who always loved it when Leonardo would come to visit because he would give the lion treats so it would let Leonardo study it.

Now, Ratonhnhaké:ton didn’t plan to adopt any animals. It just so happened that he joined a wolf pack in taking down preys once and now he was considered a… ‘kindred spirit’. They would join Ratonhnhaké:ton whenever he was off hunting and wouldn’t take his kills.

When he left the village, he saved a dog being mistreated by Red Coats and the dog just followed him to the homestead.

While he was sleeping the barn, he saw another dog, all skin and bones, rummaging the containers where the old man keeps the horses’ food for any scraps it might eat and he felt sorry for it so he would throw it a bit of the meat he would prepare for him and the first dog that kept following him.

By the time, Achilles finally agreed to train him, the wolf pack that he had hunted with near his village came to the homestead and… just followed him around.

Achilles thinks it’s a gift.

That there have been Assassins that had a close kinship with animals like Altaïr with his birds and Ezio with his cats.

The wolf pack stayed in the homestead when Ratonhnhaké:ton went with Achilles to Boston. The dog that Ratonhnhaké:ton fed also stayed because they learned that he was already quite an old dog.

Achilles didn’t say anything but the grief in his eyes made it clear that the old dog’s owner had been one of the many dead Assassins that Achilles knew.

When Ratonhnhaké:ton returned from Boston…

Not only was he accompanied by the first dog he adopted, he apparently adopted 3 more dogs along the way.

Achilles has himself to blame for that one.

And so, time moves on and Desmond Miles is born.

The window to his nursery was always close because birds and squirrels would come inside an open window and surround his cradle.

His mother had been worried that those squirrels and even some of the birds might carry something that would make a baby sick.

When he grew older, his friends were the animals in the woods surrounding the Farm and the guard dogs that Farm used.

The other children thought he was weird because of his affinity to animals.

Many adults found it to be a bit disturbing but also a sign of the greatness that Desmond would achieve.

Why else would he have the same ‘skill’ as Altaïr and Ezio, after all?

Then Desmond showed… to be lacking in training.

He wasn’t bad.

He was even better than a lot of the other kids.

The problem was…

Everyone expects him to be more than that.

And Desmond couldn’t take it.

So he ran away.

And the animals ran away with him.

And Desmond finds an abandoned farm where he finally carves out a place of happiness for himself and his friends.

… Desmond has no idea where the bear came from but he became docile after Desmond scolded him for destroying the trash bin and eating spoiled food.

[fanworldbuildingfun]

I’ve been pondering the question of loyalty in Assassin’s Creed. Specifically, loyalty and how it works with Eagle Sight

See… We do know that different parts of the brotherhood can and do coexist – but that doesn’t make them outright allies. A prime example being Masyaf and Alamut. To a point, one can say it’s the same with Italian and Spanish branches during Ezio’s time

So will the ally-blue be the same for both branches?

Why my brain decided to bring this up: what if the team (Shaun, Lucy, Rebecca, and definitely William) did NOT show up as allies in Desmond’s vision? He had, after all, grown used to Altaїr’s Brotherhood in AC1. They would have been the “branch” his mind would have pegged as allies. Later, same would happen with Ezio’s brotherhood – and, to a point, possibly the Constantinople branch.

And Ratonhnhaké:ton? Yeah, taught him to question things, greatly

But they way they interacted and functioned is completely different from modern times. So there was always just enough nagging doubt in the back of Desmond’s mind to paint the team as neutral-white at first. And as the Bleeding Effect got worse, the white started to bleed into red – because they still wanted him to go into the Animus. Despite the damage it was causing to Desmond. Despite it having killed people in the past

And the more red he sees, the more Desmond doubts, and the more red he sees. It’s a closed circle. So, by the time he wakes up from Revelations, he knows he has to prepare. Because the team can’t possibly have his wellbeing as part of equation

It’s hard. It takes maneuvering. It gets Desmond to practice being extremely sneaky. And by the time the choice at Temple rolls around? He has contingencies

His choice to turn on the Aurora Borealis device wasn’t just altruism. IT also got everyone out of Temple so he can try to *survive*

And he does

And then, Desmond leaves. He doesn’t let anyone know – because this is a new level of anonymity that he feels he has earned. It gives him a certain freedom to not just re-orient himself, but to take a step back and dig into who he can go to and what he will be doing

…And when Origins rolls to an end, it’s not William Miles that finds Leila

[tamiisnthere]

Okay, here are many ideas for the AC1 Remake fangame I wrote since I was bored! (^ ω ^)

Of course I have to say that even if Ubi$oft would have decided to do an AC1 Remake, the most important thing is the execution, because it could end up being a flop/cashgrab.

Another important thing, no fangame is in development and I'm not programmer/developer, these ideas are just written for fun!

Feel free what you could add more or change ideas, or even remove some. Constructive criticism is welcomed. <3

The game could be called Assassin's Creed: Mentor (lame name, I know). It would be a retelling of Altaïr's story.

The genres would be action-adventure-stealth like the first game, but it would be kinda similar to the Hitman games where there will be creative freedom in assassinating the target.

Altaïr has a sync bar instead of health, just like in AC1. And he wouldn't have any money.

The world would be semi-open and not so enormous. Nevertheless, the cities and wilderness would be very much alive.

The maps are Masyaf, Damascus, Acre, Jerusalem, Arsuf, Cyprus, Alamut and Mongolia. Possibly Kingdom too, which would be mostly wilderness. Each map would have its own coloured tone.

The original voice actors would return and this time they would have accents. Like for example Altaïr will be voice acted by Phillip Shahbaz.

Freerunning and parkour would be like the first game, but with differences like climbing will be faster but still realistic + some parkour moves from AC Unity. The mechanics will mainly be character puppetry (that means for instance when the player wants to change direction, for example, the animation doesn't have to be finished unlike in newer AC games; I hope I've made it clear somehow).

The soundtrack would be similar from the first game and AC Revelations.

Elijah would be the main modern protagonist who he will be experiencing Altaïr's life through visions. There would be an option to skip modern segments for players who are not interested.

The story will be mainly based on The Secret Crusade novel + other works where Altaïr was canonically present.

Sequences will be divided into campaigns: Prologue (his birth, Umar's execution, Ahmad's suicide and The Mentor's Keeper (Altaïr's first memory from AC Revelations); has the option to skip for creating new save), Third Crusade (from AC1 and The Mentor's Wake (Altaïr's second memory from AC Revelations)), Liberating Cyprus (from AC Bloodlines), The 10-year Journey in Mongolia (from AC Reflections comic), The Divided Brothers (from AC Revelations) and Epilogue (his last day of life, passing and legacy).

A few memory side quests would be from Altaïr's Chronicles (similar to Cristina's missions in AC Brotherhood), where for example show Altaïr's relationship with Adha and how he lost her.

In the Prologue, first we see how Altaïr was born and shortly after his mother passed away. Then we would play as Umar in one mission before his execution. After that, There will be a cutscene as Ahmed slits his throat in front of the 11 years old Altaïr, later the boy was trained under Al Mualim and we get a sequence where Altaïr (as 24 years old) saved Al Mualim from the Templars and got promoted as the youngest Master Assassin.

The Third Crusade campaign is very similar to AC1 and it ends when Altaïr becomes a Mentor. Of course there remains his character development from being an arrogant jerk to a wise man and questioning the Creed.

Of course the structure of the missions would have to be changed so that they weren't too repetitive.

Sometimes there would be flashbacks about Altaïr and Abbas's friendship and it would end with a betrayal, at which point we'd play as the younger Altaïr fighting the enraged Abbas.

Liberation of Cyprus campaign is based on AC Bloodlines. Altaïr went to Cyprus to stop the Templars and "simped" for Maria, even she was his enemy. He began to write his Codex for the first time. The campaign would end with their wedding and having family. <3 (tbh I can't think of anything more for this one)

The beginning of The 10-year Journey in Mongolia campaign would be a showcase of how Altaïr influenced the new ways of the Assassin's Order and travelled the Old World to spread the Creed, but was not successful in Constantinople, which was besieged by the Crusaders.

Altaïr, Maria and Darim said goodbye to Malik, Sef and his family and travelled to Mongolia to assassinate Genghis Khan and teamed up with the Mongolian Brotherhood. There would be missions through which we would learn more about the Mongolian Brothehood and their culture. The campaign ends with we playing as Darim, who assassinate Genghis Khan and the trio returns home to Masyaf.

The Divided Brothers campaign would be more based on The Secret Crusade novel than AC Revelations. It would begin when Altaïr, Maria and Darim return to Masyaf, which is now under the rule of Abbas and destroyed everything Altaïr had built.

There would have been a mission where Altaïr rescues Malik from the dungeon whom Abbas convicted of murdering Sef, but Malik reveals that it was in fact Abbas.

After rescuing Malik, Altaïr and Maria arrived into castle to confront Abbas, who shows Malik's severed head and accused Altaïr of murder. Maria was killed by Swami when she tried to calm Altaïr using the Apple of Eden. Abbas ordered his loyal assassins to kill Altaïr, who had met Darim while fleeing, and the two escaped to Alamut, as a self-exile.

After all this, Altaïr fell into a depression as Maria, Malik and Sef were dead and consumed by hatred of the Apple, but several years later he recovered and continued to research it and write the Codex. There might be a few mini side quests, but I have no idea.

19 years later Altaïr left Alamut and rescued a tradesman named Mukhlis from bandits (kinda a mini-boss fight?). Later, Altaïr meets Tazim, Malik's son.

The campaign's conclusion would be like The Mentor's Return (Altaïr's fourth memory from AC Revelations), but way cooler. Altaïr would be accompanied by Tazim, Mukhlis, other Assassins, but also Masyaf civilians opposed to Abbas and his loyalists, but they weren't allowed to kill anyone.

When Altaïr walked through Masyaf, he would have visions/memories of his loved ones. Eventually, Altaïr shot Abbas with a hidden gun.

The Epilogue would be almost the identical like Passing the Torch and Lost Legacy (Altaïr's last two memories from AC Revelations), where Altaïr as a 92 year old man gave his Codex and Masyaf Keys to the brothers Niccolò and Maffeo Polo.

Later, Altaïr said goodbye to Darim and barricaded himself in empty library . He would still listen to the voices of Al Mualim, Maria, but also Malik, his sons and other people he knew: both friends and enemies. In the end, Altaïr locked the Apple, took a seat, gazed at the last Masyaf Key and passed away peacefully.

Then hundreds of years later Ezio walked into the empty library, where he finds Altaïr's skeleton and tells him: "No books… no wisdom… Just you, fratello mio. Requiescat in pace, Altaïr."

And the finale featured Altaïr's legacy, scenes of the Assassins (especially the protagonists) from multiple eras fighting the Templars, and finally there would be Desmond.

The ending of the modern segment and game, Elijah would be found by Desmond's mom (somehow idk + she's divorced William, lol).

Malik, Maria, Darim, Sef, Sef's family and Tazim would have more screentime and they can have side quests that show their personalities and relationships with Altaïr more.

Of course there would be other NPCs who would have some side storylines and Altaïr would help them or something.

Also I thought of side quests where Altaïr would help the eagles like for instance an eagle chick fell out of the nest and Altaïr would return it there. For completing the eagle story line he would get a legendary outfit called "Guardian of the Eagles".

There would be Database like in classic games. Maybe even a Discovery Tour! And may be a Photo Mode too!

When the game is finished, we can freeroam the world. There would be also an option to replay all the memories, even the side ones and black box missions.

The only collectibles would be outfits and weapons. There would be also challenges and easter eggs. Plus we could pick Altaïr's ages (young and old) to play as.

And the most important thing: NO MICROTRANSACTIONS, ADS, SEASON PASSES, DLCs AND LOOTBOXES!!!!! THAT'S ALL! NOTHING MORE!

And also of course the game has to be developed with passion and without generative AI!

[ff7-has-taken-me-over]

I’m thinking something like that fic ‘The Double Edged Sword’ by AuRon_Scaleless where Ezio and Altaïr are being manipulated by the apple of Masyaf to hate Desmond.

Difference is, the apple of Rome is also there because Ezio brought it with him by mistake so now it sits with Malik for safe keeping. The Masyaf one sits with Altaïr because the man studies it.

Anyway! The two are mistreating Desmond and he’s slowly falling apart with the mixture of bleeding effects and the after math of using the eye to save the world. With the added words and jabs at his apparent ‘betrayal’ it just deteriorated him more.

Malik is just as distrustful of the young man as anyone but at the same time he can feel that there is something more going on here. He just can’t figure out what.

This is until the Rome Apple decides to show him just what Desmond had gone through before popping up here. He sees the farm, the way he grew up, the borderline abuse disguised as training, the years of running and constantly looking over the shoulder, the eventual capture.

He sees Desmond fighting tooth and nail against the modern templars and he sees them drug him, forcing him into the animus to do their bidding. Then there’s the assassins doing pretty much the exact same things to him, his time in the machine growing longer and more frequent as his symptoms get worse and worse and worse.

And when Malik thinks it’s finally all over, that this used and abused young man can finally get a break from everything the ones who promised him a painless death and swift passing on do the exact opposite.

Malik can feel the wisps of pain that Desmond experiences and even that is almost too much for him. He sits there and watches Desmond scream and writhe for what felt like hours but must have been mere seconds.

Then Desmond is transported here, a few months after his second ancestor mind you, only to receive treatment just as bad as his original life.

Malik is practically thrown out of the memories, breathing turned ragged and tears that he didn’t event notice before streaming down his face. The apple in his hand pulses gently, as if it is saddened by the memories he had just witnessed, imploring him to do something to save the young man.

Before he can even move there is a hesitant knock on his door, a familiar head of brown accompanied by a face that is much too gaunt popping through the doorway with a hesitant smile. Despite everything the man still tries to smile at everyone and gain their trust, a feat he has not quite achieved with everyone sadly.

Desmond opens his mouth to speak, Malik hasn’t a clue as to what he’s about to say because he’s already up and across the room. He pulls the young man into a firm yet gentle hug, mindful of his still tender arm and trying to convey every single jumbled emotion he feels in that moment. God, Malik’s sure he has never despised missing an arm more than in this moment.

“I’m so sorry Desmond… you didn’t deserve… any of this. But you worked so hard for the brotherhood, for us and I am so proud of you.” There’s a moment where the young assassin doesn’t move, frozen in his arms before his chest suddenly hitches, body collapsing against Malik’s own as he lets out a quiet, bitten back sob.

The sound just makes the pain radiating through the Dai even worse. God the man couldn’t even cry freely without fear of something happening to him. He ignores the thoughts though, bringing Desmond to the pile of cushions he has set up in the corner of his office for those late nights he can’t quite make it back to his sleeping quarters.

They collapse into the mound together, Desmond burying his head deep into Malik’s chest and clutching his robes as he shudders and silently cries against him. The Dai can feel the young man’s mouth opening against his chest, as if he wanted to scream and sob aloud, but no sound escapes. Just ragged breaths and quiet sniffles.

They lay there for several long minutes, Malik keeping his arm looped around Desmond and running the tips of those fingers up and down what little of his spine he can reach. The young assassin doesn’t seem to mind though, relishes in it even as he slowly begins to calm down.

Before either of them realise it Desmond’s fast asleep, face looking peaceful and form more relaxed than Malik’s ever seen. He can’t help but plant a tender kiss on the younger’s forehead, breathing him deep as he tries to think on what to do next.

Apparently today is a day for interrupting him since there is another knock on the door, the noise loud and startling in the now quiet room. Desmond doesn’t even flinch at it though, an apparent testament to how exhausted he is.

Before Malik can get up the person enters, pleasant greeting on his tongue dying before it fades into an annoyed and angry scowl at the sight that greets him.

The Dai feels his own annoyance and anger rise at the sight of it, all those previous moments over the last few weeks suddenly springing to the forefront of his mind. Malik growls lowly at his longtime friend, glaring at him in a way that he knows the other is somewhat scared of, though the man would never admit to it.

“Get out Altaïr. I will speak with you later.” The mentor isn’t as easily cowled apparently, already opening his mouth again before stopping when Malik suddenly shoots to his feet. He had been extracting his arm and Altaïr hadn’t even noticed until now.

“I said leave novice. Do not make me say it again or I will make sure you regret it.” The mentor looks down at the still sleeping form of Desmond with one last glare before turning on his heel, walking out of the room and slamming the door behind him.

Malik huffs out an annoyed breath at his antics, turning around only to be met with wide and frightened eyes, scanning over everything as if looking for an escape route.

Also I suddenly thought of this. Desmond goes to the poor districts to help treat the sickly people (he has first aid knowledge because of his need for survival while he was on the run. Nothing like surgery but basic shit like how to prevent an outbreak and set a bone sort of stuff) and as a result the people there love him. It’s the only place he can feel like he’s doing something right and feel as if he belongs.

Nobody else knows of this for obvious reasons. They’d either spread the rumours there and make everyone hate him or they’d do something equally as bad. But that’s where he escapes to when things get to be too much for him in the bureau.

He’s not allowed to leave either because they have to ‘make sure he isn’t a threat to the people’ even though they don’t spare him a single thought the second he goes missing.

Malik follows him one day and when he sees just what the man does in order to help people he can’t help but feel even more anger toward Altaïr and Ezio. How could they treat a man so broken and pure like that? How could they hate him so when he smiles that reassuringly toward a child who has merely scraped his knee? It makes no sense.

[eagle-of-siwa]

For those who are wondering why Ezio in AC Nexus looks like a cheap knockoff or wearing an A.I. generated outfit, it turns out he’s wearing another outfit since it takes place in 1509, two years after killing Cesare Borgia and two years before his journey to Masyaf. He is somehow back in Venice still completing missions for the Italian Brotherhood. The outfit does resemble both his father’s robes and the one from Brotherhood.

[esamastation]

Some Assassin's Creed Cultivation fic ideas...

1 Desmond Miles transmigrates into Yue Qingyuan's body the same time as Shen Yuan transmigrates into Shen Qingqiu's. No one notices. Mostly because they're too busy trying to figure out if Shen Qingqiu is possessed, but also because Desmond's ability to roll with things looks a lot like Yue Qingyuan's habit of rolling over.

2 Wei Wuxian figures that, as a Demonic Cultivator, he should do some Demon Summoning. Unbeknownst to himself, his way of controlling Resentful energies of very much like programming when you break it apart into its basic components. Desmond has no idea why he's a demon all of sudden - but it's better than being dead.

3 Experimenting with the Apple of Eden, Ezio and Leonardo break into another reality and decide to go on adventure because, hey, magic. Minerva sends Desmond after them.

4 Altaïr figured out Cultivation through the Apple of Eden and cultivated into immortality and possessing various reality breaking powers - and was promptly kicked out of Earth by Isu. Technically Ezio is his first disciple, despite the fact that they never met - he also was kicked out and into another reality, to keep him from spreading his knowledge. Yeah. Desmond is having a very confusing time in the Animus.

5 The Assassin's Brotherhood of Masyaf was actually a cultivation sect, though no one has the frame of reference to really recognise it as such. Least of all Desmond who, while in the Animus, assumed most of Altaïr's abilities and his cultivation, and is now proceeding along the same tracks utterly unaware of what he's doing. By the time he starts learning about Ezio's life, Desmond already has cultivated his core to the point of inedia, staying in the Animus days at a time without eating or drinking. Somehow, no one notices. Not until the Grand Temple tries and fails to kill by then Immortal Desmond Miles - the Ignorant Master of Cultivation.

[etherealsdreaming]

Her Rejected Confession ~ Part 1 💕

Altair Ibn La’Ahad

💕 Riding to Masyaf after a mission with your mentor, you couldn’t help but let your mind drift back to your friend’s words. Was it true? You never thought about your feelings or the way he acted around you. Until now… He always seemed softer rather than the stoic show he put on in front of others. No matter what it was; training, asking for your help in his library, or simply requesting your presence on missions; he always wanted you around. The past few months left you realizing your feelings and questioning his. Are you both so dense not to know this until commented by another? When he asked about your silence you stopped your horse causing him to follow. You looked anywhere but at him and hesitated. “I love you.” The worry sewed in like a weed at the difficulty in reading him. For a second he gave a contemplative look before glancing away, “How long?” “A few months” He sighed, “YN… I do not-“ “Then why act so different? Why treat me any different from the others?” Giving a scrutinizing look he plainly laid it out, “I trust you, that is all.” He said, strutting his horse away. “We are merely… allies, nothing more.” A soft whimper escaped your lips. Moving forward home in silence became unbearable and you only hoped not to be joined on anymore with him. You were so stupid for being hopeful.

Ezio Auditore

💕 You both attended the Carnevale to get the Doge’s golden masked invitation to his party. Ezio, the one competing, and you helping. But when you lost sight and searched for him, you found him with a beautiful dark haired woman. Deep down you knew he knew her and perhaps loved her. Later that evening when he returned to Teodora’s Brothel he asked why you left and your silence. He was his usual cheerful self. Until you admitted your feelings. He stood there quiet as if contemplating his rejection. Heartbroken by his silence you walked away. He barely said “I’m sorry Y/N.” Ignoring him, you knew you have been a difficult person to know but you weren’t sure about anything more than this but he left you and didn’t even attempt to come looking for you. The pain of his rejection stayed with you even when you left the Italian brotherhood to Spain.

Connor Kenway

💕 You loved him but never told him and that bothered you. The fear of rejection stung but would he? Some small bits of hope still lingered despite the difficulty in contemplating by his actions if he felt the same or was just nice. After Myriam’s wedding reception, Connor asked what has been troubling you all week. Yet again, no answer for what your feelings hold. But tonight after the many offers of drinks relaxed you and made you more carefree. So much to the point you blurted out the truth. He froze and stopped walking. Turning on your heel with a bit of stumble in your step he said, “I’m sorry Y/N. I can’t. Not right now. I… have a job to do. I do not have the luxury of seeking any relationships.” It hurt more than you imagined especially how he put it, but you didn’t want to cry in front of him. So you said nothing as he was so stupidly kind enough to walk you back to your house. But the moment you entered and shut the door with a soft click, you landed onto your bed and cried yourself to sleep at the rejection and embarrassment. You got your answer, he was too nice.

Arno Dorian

💕 For a while you were left with these feelings you’ve obtained. But you swore to never speak to a soul of this. You thought you could simply enjoy his presence and love him from afar. To sacrifice your own love for him so he could be oblivious, happy with Elise and to never lose a friendship. But when you helped him reorganize his library you couldn’t help but let your gaze rest on him. In that moment despite your promise you felt a longing to tell him. Saying his name in a soft whisper sent butterflies yet fear in your stomach when he looked your way. “What is it?” He said, you swallowed and slowly let out the very feelings you’ve kept hidden. You almost hoped when he gave you those soft eyes but clearly mistaken with the sigh of breath and lay of a book. “Y/N you are my dearest friend. One I could not bear to lose but I cannot return these… feelings. I love Elise. You know this…” He looked away from his book to you. You felt like you just got stabbed in the heart by the man you love. And despite your friendship you avoided him at all costs and it ended up not being hard because of his focus on Elise. But that didn’t stop your heart clenching every time you saw him or the hopeful consideration he might have after Elise left him.

[gaymer-hag-stan]

On the 15th of November, twelve years ago, Assassin's Creed: Revelations was released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

The plot is set in a fictional history of real-world events and follows the millennia-old struggle between the Assassins, who fight to preserve peace and free will, and the Templars, who desire peace through control. The framing story is set in the 21st century and features the series protagonist Desmond Miles who, after falling into a coma during the events of Brotherhood, must relive the memories of his ancestors through the Animus device in order to awaken and find a way to avert the 2012 apocalypse. The main story spans the years 1511–1512 and follows an aged Ezio Auditore da Firenze (the protagonist of the trilogy) as he travels to Constantinople to find five keys needed to unlock a library built by Altaïr Ibn-LaʼAhad (the protagonist of the first game in the series). In Constantinople, Ezio becomes caught in a war of succession for the Ottoman throne and must unravel a conspiracy by the Byzantine Templars, who are attempting to reclaim control of the city and acquire the keys to Altaïr's library themselves.

Revelations features an open world and is played from the third-person perspective, with a primary focus on using Ezio's and Altaïr's combat, climbing and stealth abilities to eliminate targets and explore the environment. Ezio, who the player controls throughout the majority of the game, can freely explore Constantinople and complete side missions unrelated to the main storyline. Altaïr is playable in a smaller capacity, as he is featured only in a series of flashback missions set in Masyaf from 1189 to 1257. In the modern-day, the player controls Desmond in a series of first-person platforming levels within the Animus. The multiplayer mode returns from Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, and has been expanded with additional maps, characters, and game modes.

Upon release, Revelations received largely positive reviews, with praise directed at the world design and narrative, although some reviewers noted that the gameplay of the series was getting overly familiar and the newly introduced features felt lacking in comparison to the ones introduced in previous titles. The game was a large commercial success, outperforming the sales of its predecessors.

[thefangirlthatwaited]

Eden (Chapter 8) - An Assassins Creed Syndicate Story

Jacob Frye x OC

“So where is the Shroud that is keeping you alive?” Evie requested.

I rose to my feet and pointed to myself, “I am the Shroud.” The room fell into an eerie silence, the tension palpable. To maintain my composure, I studied the three assassins, trying to anticipate their next move. Jacob’s eyes were filled with a mix of awe and confusion. My words seemed to have little effect on him. Evie and Henry, on the other hand, wore expressions of doubt. After all, they were scholars and wouldn’t believe anything without concrete proof.

“You are the Shroud? How is that possible?” Evie eventually asked, her voice filled with disbelief as she stared at me.

I walked over to the stove and put a kettle on. “It is a very long story, one that I think we would need some tea for.” I took my time preparing the cups, my hands trembling with the weight of my secret. Once my secrets were out, I was at the mercy of the three Master Assassins, and I didn’t know what that would lead to.

I placed the cups down with a few cookies before taking a deep breath and beginning my story. “Let’s start at the beginning; I was born on December 25th, 1490. My parents were Ezio Auditore and Caterina Sforza. I was after the pieces of Eden everyone was chasing around. Sadly, I didn’t know my mother since she held a seat of power back then. She admits that she had an illegitimate child with a known killer. So, after I was born, my father took me to live at the Auditore villa in Monteriggoni with his mother, uncle, and sister.

I didn’t see much of my father because he was busy dealing with Borgia and the fallout in Firenze with the Apple of Eden. Instead, my grandma raised me as a normal Italian girl, oblivious to my family secrets. That all changed when the Borgia attacked the Villa in January 1502. From there, my father sent my grandmother, aunt, and me back to Firenze while he went to Roma.

At the tender age of twelve, I was confronted with a truth that would shape my destiny. My father, a man I barely knew, was an assassin. At that moment, I felt a deep sense of duty and a calling to follow in his footsteps.

From then on, I started my rigorous training as an Assassin. I learned the art of stealth, the use of various weapons, and the history and philosophy of the Brotherhood. My father tried to put his foot down, stating it was dangerous, but since he was busy dealing with Borgia, he was powerless to stop me.

The following year, I joined the Brotherhood as a recruit and began moving up the ranks quickly. My grandmother and aunt were amazed at my rapid progress. Even when my father would take the time to visit, he would express how happy he was that I joined.  

When I turned sixteen in 1506, my dad took me to train with him. I travel with him as a veteran throughout Italia, cleaning up the rest of the Borgia mess. I loved it. It was the first time I got my father’s full attention since I could walk. I got the chance to learn everything my father had to offer.

Right before I turned twenty, my father again left, this time without me to travel to Masyaf. I begged to go with him, but he said that he had to do this on his own. 

Instead of sulking, I focused my attention on completing my training. Over the next few years, I finished training under my aunt and the other Assassins in Roma, eventually earning the title of Master.

Full chapter on Ao3

[caernua]

so i have many thoughts regarding mirage

1.AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

2. OH MY GOD OH MY GOD FUCK SHIT FUCK OH MY GOD HOLY SHIT FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK

3. the trailer took me by surprise in the best way possible, bc i’ve never seen a trailer look more like a love letter to its franchise. it was BEAUTIFUL. the homage to the ezio venice trailer, them reiterrating the tenets of the brotherhood, the imagery on what i think was alamut where basim and rohan are training that looks SO MUCH like masyaf in the revelations trailer, THE EAGLE! there’s something about it that reminds me of unity as well, even though it looks Nothing like unity. this whole trailer could have been different, usually they take this opportunity to showcase the uniqueness of a setting and how cool it can be yet they took this time to show something we are familiar with (the ceremony) bc they know how important it is ugh. i have so many issues with ubisoft and overall it’s such a shitty company but it truly feels like this time, they listened to the fans. they really brought together in this one trailer everything we love about assassin’s creed I HATE THIS STUPID FRANCHISE I HATE HOW MUCH I LOVE IT

4. i remember back in 2015 i was really into video games honest trailers and they released one for unity and i was excited to see it as my fave at the time was revelations and unity looked amazing and i was hooked on it. they called it ‘the most assassin’s creed ass asssassin’s creed game since revelations’ and i was like ‘oh yea. that’s why i’m so obsessed with it’. MIRAGE LOOKS LIKE THE MOST ASSASSIN’S CREED ASS ASSASSIN’S CREED SINCE UNITY

5. can i please breathe. did they Need to make basim that pretty???? HOW am i supposed to sleep at night????????????????

6. ALAMUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT

7. the setting looks MAGNIFICENT holy fuck. the colors are breathtaking

8. 💞 SHOHREH AGHDASHLOO 💞

9. how am i gonna manage to play this game when i’ll be barking all throughout

10. roshan’s super hot. i’m sorry

11. i’m gonna miss carlo rota as basim but i’m so excited to see lee majdoub in the role!! they never miss when casting gifted voice actors

12. i am so excited. holy shit. crying shitting screaming throwing up, i’ve never been so excited over a video game in my life.

[teecupangel]

So I had the thought of Desmond becoming a MLP: fim changeling queen. Why a changeling? You may ask, because they are very cool.

If you don't know changelings are these horse-like bugs that can shape shift into pretty much anything even inanimate objects (or many that one is an illusion). They use this ability to collect love from other creatures since that's their main source of energy, seems like they need to eat normal stuff but in smaller quantities.

But for the sake of this Au let's say they can feed on the other emotions as well but the closer to love the emotion (example: happiness) the more energy they get. With love giving out the most energy.

So Desmond wakes up at Solomon's temple and sees he is some kind horse-bug and cause he is a queen changeling he is really big. Like draft horse big, even bigger than the Clydesdale. But still thin and spindly cause you know, bug. He wouldn't be like Chrysalis starved hive but also he wouldn't be rainbow colored like Thorax's. I see Desmond being desert colored for camouflage (dark red, brown, pale, black, sand) while having some white and red mixed in for the colours of the brotherhood.

Desmond curses his luck and wanders around trying to get used to his new body until Altaïr and company come for the apple. He discovers that he is completely armored and his carapace is really resistant and though, he is really strong capable of shatter stone with a kick, he is very flexible and can climb on surfaces like Spiderman, he can lift things with telekinesis through his horn (solves the issue of no hands), has this big bug mandibles that can come from his snout, his fleshy tail is very flexible and has a pair of stingers with a paralyzing venom, he has wings under his carapace like a beetle open it and fly, and he is pretty much an omnivore but absolutely loves flower nectar, honey, bee wax, and other insects.

One night while sneaking in a city he complains about not being at least a normal horse to not catch so much attention and then fiuussh he transforms into one of the smaller horses he saw in the stables he passed, smaller size and everything. He practices his new shape shifting ability and even figures out how to change color and become invisible. For now he can only shape shift into other quadrupeds, horses, dogs and even something as small as a cat. And that's how he discovers his new emotion based diet. Now that he can spend more time in the cities he doesn't feel as hungry and when some kids tried to pet him and play with him while disguised as a dog he felt an energy boost from feeding off the affection they were giving him.

So to kick off plot once the general date of the expedition to the temple comes Desmond comes back to the temple and waits. He turns invisible and when the fight for the apple comes he drops the invisibility and everyone sees his him in his big insect glory, they think Desmond is some Demon/guardian of the apple.

He manages to run off the templars, save Malik and Kadar and with his telekinesis gives Altaïr the apple.

From here I must clarify that Desmond can speak human languages perfectly he just chooses not to at the moment. And mainly uses this bug language of clicking, chittering, buzzing, crooning and hissing.

From here Desmond either goes back to being invisible and sneaks to Masyaf or just follows outright along with them outside the cave and transforms into a normal horse in front of them to travel back to Masyaf. With the second it allows for more interactions, Al Muslim gets to see Desmond at the beginning and they think the guardian of the apple is following them around and chose their faction as worthy of the treasure.

Al Muslim tries to order him around but Desmond just gives him the stink eye and follows Altaïr around. Using his shape shifting ability to help sneak around and get information, eventually learning how to transform into non-quadrupeds, humans and even inanimate objects. Every once in a while Desmond speaks like a human in public but everyone thinks he is just a very clever parrot except Altaïr who spends the more time with Desmond whose Desmond speaks more and more to everyday.

After Al Mualim is defeated Desmond makes Masyaf the place to put his hive without knowing, at this point everyone knows Desmond can speak and it's fully sapient.

When things calm down Desmond gets the surprise of his life when he lays his first clutch of eggs, he is not a Changeling Queen for nothing. And when the eggs hatch among the grubs is Clay (once Altaïr dies he will be reborn like this too).

The other changelings (changeling workers/soldiers) are also sapient and can do everything Desmond can but Clay becomes a sub-queen of sorts. Clay is a changeling whose function is to be the main Queen (Desmond) right hand, therefore Sub-Queen (princess). While the workers are regular horse sized Clay as Sub-Queen is somewhere in the middle is bigger than the workers but smaller than Desmond. Also Clay doesn't lay eggs (to Desmond's complains).

So now the brotherhood is composed of humans and changelings, who can infiltrate pretty much everywhere, their venom is widely used by the assassins and they make the templars incredibly paranoid of everything even their own pot plants.

If anyone in the brotherhood dares to even look at any of Desmond's hundred children wrong both Altaïr and Desmond will make their lives miserable.

(Now I see Altaïr with a handful of grubs who crawl all over him)

Masyaf becomes the main changeling hive and Clay goes on to make a second one in the nearest assassin headquarters (then he begins to lay eggs).

When Altaïr dies he is reborn as a grub that becomes another Sub-Queen. A lot of brotherhoods around now have a changeling hive with a Sub-Queen and all respond to Desmond (the main Queen).

Changelings feed on surrounding emotions and when they go infiltrate but they mostly feed on the affection of each other's and their fellow brotherhood members.

So when it's Ezio's turn he is just surrounded

By this three giant bug-horses and their million children/niblings.

There was a man who visits their home often. He would always be accompanied by a strange bunch. People in hoods and animals of various sizes…

All of them would call him ‘mother’.

Ezio swears the people with hoods and the animals would change at times, even when they had already entered their home.

It was strange.

Sometimes they would visit with one brown dog but leave with no dogs at all but the number of people would rise.

Other times, he would visit with butterflies on his hair and leave with no butterflies at all but cats walking behind him.

He never stays long, talking to Ezio’s father the longest then taking the time to talk to everyone else for a bit.

Ezio liked it when he visited.

He always gave them new toys they had never seen before. Sometimes, he would bring books that sounded interesting and would be read and borrowed between the siblings.

As Ezio grew older, the more he understood who the man he only knew as ‘Desmond’ was.

He was royalty.

The mother queen.

Ezio still didn’t know what that was supposed to mean and why he was called 'mother queen' instead of 'father king'. All he knew was that Desmond was the ruling matriarch of a kingdom they do not know about.

And House Auditore was part of that kingdom.

Ezio always thought they were nobles of Firenze.

But no.

They were spies.

He still remembered the conversation he had unintentionally eavesdropped on while Desmond was visiting them.

“I’ve warned you about being too close to Lorenzo de’ Medici, Giovanni.”

“I am loyal to the Brotherhood.”

“I do not doubt your loyalty. Just as I know that Clay is loyal to me, I also know Clay will do what he believes is right. The same can be said to you.”

“I am honored to be compared to the princess-”

“Clay would tell you that it’s meant to be an insult. But it’s not. I’m just telling you this to make you understand that just because you are loyal to the Brotherhood, it does not mean you are not compromised.”

“I can assure you-”

“If I order you to return to Monteriggioni with your family and to not return to Monteriggioni even if Lorenzo de’ Medici begged you to, would you do it?”

“Ezio Auditore.”

Ezio stepped back from the door and turned to face the unfamiliar voice who called out to him.

He looked a lot like Desmond but with golden eyes.

“I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s fine.” The golden-eyed man said, “You will hear what Desmond has ordered your father to do later anyway. Walk with me.”

“Uuuhh…” Ezio didn’t really have any reason to say no so he began to follow the strange man.

As they exited the hallway and made their way to the main room, a cat meowed and nuzzled the man’s legs before following after him, glancing at Ezio curiously only once.

By the time they reached the inner courtyard, five cats were following the man.

“Uuhhh…”

“Altaïr.”

It took a moment before Ezio realized that the man had introduced himself. He was unsure if he could just call ‘Altaïr’ or if he was a noble of higher standing than them so he just asked, “These cats…”

“My children.” Altaïr answered.

Oh.

He was one of those people.

“Sef.” Altaïr called out and a white cat with black fur on his legs and paws meowed as he sat in front of Altaïr, “Stay with Desmond and tell him that I’ll be training Ezio Auditore until he’s done with Giovanni Auditore.”

Ezio opened his mouth to speak but the cat’s meow was loud enough to stop him. Ezio watched the cat quietly make his way back inside before he turned to face Altaïr as he asked, “Training?”

A hooded man that Ezio swore was not there before handed Altaïr two blunt swords used for training and Altaïr threw the other sword to Ezio who caught it easily.

“Uh- merda!” Ezio shouted as Altaïr suddenly charged him, easily disarming him with enough force to stagger him off his feet.

“Get up faster. You’d be dead if I had followed up on my first attack. Again.” Altaïr ordered as he took a few steps back.

Ezio growled and stood. As soon as he grabbed the sword, Altaïr charged once more. Ezio managed to keep hold of his sword but fell on his ass when Altaïr smacked his cheek with the back of his hand.

“You’re too focused on my sword. If I had a hidden weapon on my left hand, you’d be dead. Again.”

Ezio growled once more.

This bastardo was asking for it.

.

.

Training only ended when a hooded man who looked too much like Desmond and Altaïr that Ezio had to take a doubletake, giving Altaïr an opening to hit him on the side with the pommel of his sword, announced that lunch was ready and Desmond would like Altaïr to eat with him and the rest of the Auditore.

As Ezio wheezed as he held his poor bruised side, Altaïr handed the sword to the hooded man who could have been mistaken as Altaïr and Desmond’s son as he said, “Very well. Check the perimeter before scheduling everyone’s meal time, Sef.”

“Darim is already on it, father.”

Wait.

Sef?

Did Altaïr named a cat after his son???

[fanworldbuildingfun]

So… yandere!Altaïr x Desmond… where Altaïr has the social grace of a cat when it comes to romantic gestures and believes that killing people he thinks are annoying Desmond or a threat to his safety is a good sign of his affection. Since he can’t just give Desmond a feather stained in blood (that would be ‘tacky’), he gives him gifts that once belonged to his targets. (1/2)

(2/2) Desmond knows they’re from people he killed but mistakes them as actual sanctioned kills from the Brotherhood because everyone Altaïr kills are bad people anyway. Desmond knows Altaïr is giving him gifts that came from his targets but he just assumes it’s Altaïr’s way of giving gifts since Masyaf doesn’t give him extra money, only enough for travel expenses. Until Altaïr presents him a very familiar dagger. Al Mualim’s favored dagger.

So… Let’s start it off with the premise that Altaїr begins his courtship without informing Desmond of it

And that Desmond is not within the Brotherhood, or, indeed, had any direct contact with them

In the moment between touching the Eye and awaking, the only thing that Desmond felt was heat. Searing, piercing, all-encompassing heat that set every single nerve in his body ablaze. It left little space for anything but feeling it crawl through his body. He didn’t think he even had a chance to scream. But…

It softened, eventually. Concentrated on one side. Slid across his arm and clothing like a warm, unwanted blanket. A blanket he was… Laying on?

It took a few moments for Desmond to realize he was no longer in the Temple. He wasn’t even standing

And the ground beneath his body scorched

It takes a while for Desmond to reach a city, any city, and he is in no hurry to move on. So… He starts settling in. Find himself a place to stay. Makes nice with the locals. Avoids the guards. Rests.

Takes odd jobs here and there, from helping to carry things to a one-off where he penned a letter for someone and got paid for it

It takes him weeks before he even realizes the city he is in is Damascus, and even that comes because he overhears a merchant complaining about something or other being too expensive there. That makes Desmond realize just where he is, if not when. The when comes when Desmond goes out to do some recon on his own and almost manages to run into an Informant

(But that, is another story entirely… Suffice to say, the informant shook his tail – but left Desmond be the one to have to deal with them)

That… Complicates things, for Desmond. Because now that he no longer has the bliss of ignorance on his side, he has to be careful. Careful to avoid not just the guards and Templars, but to stay boring enough to remain off Brotherhood’s radar. He is just settling in, and he doesn’t even know if he wants to do more than keep himself in shape and run his slowly flourishing scribe business.

In the end, it was his decision to stay anonymous that did him in

Desmond developed a reputation for being a reliable, discreet scribe – and at some point, he ended up penning a letter for someone who would end up passing it on to the local Bureau. Where it would raise questions – because the hand it is written in mirrors Altaїr’s hand. What luck, then, that the man is in town – and can be sent to investigate the oddity?

And this is how Desmond and Altaїr meetTo the end of his days, Desmond would not be able to explain how he managed to keep a straight face when the door (and yes! He finally had a door!) to his house/office opened and in walked his ancestor. 

* * * 

From there I see Desmond managing, somehow, to play himself off as a civilian to Altaїr, and one Altaїr takes a liking to visiting. Mixing business with pleasure, as it were - because Desmond still has the habit of monitoring his surroundings, and with his livelyhood literally consiting of writing down information...

Sometimes, he is able to share more information with Altaїr than even the Bureau can provide. He just makes sure to wrap it out as part of casual conversation - sometimes as gossip, sometimes worded as an anecdote. A straight warning, when he can get away with it. Somehow, this ends up with him writing letters to Malik whenever Altaїr stumbles into his shop dead on his feet

(yes, I am using this as an excuse for Malik and Desmond being penpals. Altaїr even names Malik as his sibling, in what Desmond supposes is an attempted moment of discretion)

And that is where I can see Altaїr starting to go yandere. At first it’s well meaning - keeping away undesirables to keep one of his better informants safe. Then, as the talks grow longer and stray away from work matters - because he doesn’t want to see Desmond hurt

It’s not that he intended to start bringing Desmond gifts - it was something more of an... Overcorrection. See, one time during a friendly argument Desmond ended up throwing a feather at Altaїr, that somehow managed to get stuck in his hood. And it was somewhat of a reflex to use it the next time Altaїr had to get rid of a guard that paid a littlee too much attention to Desmond’s shop. And with Desmond acting just close enough to how a Dai’s role - it was as much of a reflex to present him with the bloodied feather when they next met

Altaїr took the panic on Desmond’s face as an aversion (it wasn’t; but Desmond went through several cycles of “oh shit he knows” in the few brief minuted it took for Altaїr to speak again) - and next time, it was a trinket he snatched instead

It takes a few gifts before Desmond’s belief that he managed to play incognito melts away like fog under morning sun

A set of cups he recognized from one of the assassinations he remembers Altaїr performing in the rich district

A sash from a particularly noisy merchant in the local souk

A bracelet he had once seen on a... Particularly lingy lady who would not leave him be whenever they crossed paths on the city square

And the hoard keeps growing, to the point Desmond is cautiously making sure everything is stashed out of direct line of sight. No need for someone else to recognize what these were, right? But it’s difficult, because Altaїr is visiting often these days - and Desmond doesn’t realize that the information he has been leaking to him is speeding things along Too fast, even. Because someone among Dai makes a note of this in their report to Masyaf. And Dsmond becomes a person of interest - to either be recruited, or removed Which... Doesn’t go nearly as seamlessly as it would have for any other person. Why? Because Desmond is known. And he left enough hints around people started questionin Al Mualim - Malik being chief of them. When Altaїr brought his own doubts to Malik? That was one of the last nails Naturally When Altaїr brought Al Mualim’s blade to Desmond Desmond finally had his full blown freak out

[tamiisnthere]

Crossover Universe – The Lonely Eagle

Summary: Altaïr's life and losing his beloved before he entered into Crossover Universe… Trigger Warnings: Violence, death and depression

I just want to point out that Altaïr is from an AU took place before the AC1 events (which eventually won't happen), Adha is not the Chalice, and Umar cared for his son as much as he could because of Al Mualim's ban love. And I don't know how to describe the fights well and the ending kinda sucks. Sorry... 😅

Enjoy! 💗

The sun was setting behind the walls of Damascus, the sun's rays were slowly being absorbed by the shadow. In the bureau, the young Master Assassin brought Rafiq a bloody feather as proof of the target being killed.

"Excellent work, Altaïr," playful Rafiq complimented, "You can rest here so you can gain your strength to return to Masyaf tomorrow."

Altaïr waved his hand, "I don't need to," he replied, "I'd rather go." "But it's getting dark." "You don't have to be worried. It's not my first, nor last journey. Safety and peace, Rafiq." Rafiq nodded, bid him farewell and continued his work.

Altaïr left the bureau and ran across the rooftops until he reached near the gate of the city in the Rich District. But he had no plans to go there. Instead, he jumped into one of the balconies where a young woman was arranging flowers. She noticed his shadow and looked behind.

"Safety and peace, Adha," Altaïr smiled warmly, and the woman ran in excitement towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Altaïr! You've arrived!" "I promised, remember?" he laughed softly and returned her hug, "I always keep my promises." They stayed in a long embrace until Adha kissed his scarred lips. Altaïr glady kissed her back.

The two first met a few years ago on a Damascus street. Adha was harassed by a drunken guard and Altaïr saved her from him. Since then, they liked to meet each other secretly, even Altaïr trained her to defend herself and eventually they fell in love.

After the kiss, they took a breath and looked into each other's eyes. "Let's go inside," Adha suggested, "It's getting cold."

Altaïr happily followed her into her bedroom. He took off his weapons, gloves, and hood so he could lay on the pillows and cuddle with her. The couple started making out and showed so much love and passion to each other.

"I love you, habibi," Adha whispered these sweet words that caressed Altaïr's heart and he played with her beautiful long black hair while gazing at her gorgeous face. "I love you too, habibti."

As they snuggled together, Altaïr wondered if he could change his life. He had never felt happier than when he was with Adha. Would he take her into Masyaf so they could live there together? But what would Al Mualim say about it? He was opposed to love. He always told Altaïr and the rest of brothers that love, both parental and romantic, is a weakness and a distraction to emotions from focus and logic.

Altaïr never understood why because he felt being stronger thinking about Adha and his late father Umar. He remembered when he was eight years old boy, once he was playing with Malik and Kadar and accidentally dropped a pile of papers from the table. It angered the master and wanted to punish him by beating him. Thankfully, Umar stopped Al Mualim at the right time and took Altaïr away from him. His father only reprimanded Altaïr, but still he knew he was only a child and hugged him comfortingly.

However, after his father's death, Altaïr experienced physical punishments from Al Mualim more frequently when he said something inappropriate or disobeyed his master. It got worse when Abbas turned his back on him and began to hate him because of the truth about his father's suicide, thinking Altaïr wanted to shame him in front of the whole brotherhood. And later Altaïr was running back and forth on missions like an obedient dog, even though he had attained the rank of Master Assassin. He was getting mentally tired and had enough of the killing.

He wondered if he had not been born into a brotherhood, but if he had been born as a merchant or a farmer. If since childhood he would have held a mattock instead of a sword. Instead of fighting to the death, he would have plowed the fields and sold goods. What would it be like to live as an ordinary civilian living a peaceful life with his family? He had never known this life, but it fascinated him.

"Altaïr?" Adha's voice roused him from his thoughts, "Are you alright? You're quiet." She kissed his cheek and he smiled softly. "I'm sorry, dear. I was just… Thinking…" "About what?" Her curious sweet voice tickled his ears and she snuggled against his chest while Altaïr petted her head.

"Whether I would… I would I leave the brotherhood and live with you forever." Adha's smile disappeared and she was unpleasantly surprised. "What? But you can't just tell your Mentor you're going to leave! He won't let you!"

"I know. And that's why we'd rather run away from the Holy Land together." "But they will pursue and kill us for treason!" Altaïr cupped her cheeks and kissed her forehead to comfort her.

"You don't have to panic, my love," he whispered with a smile, "I have a plan… The next time I have another mission in Damascus, I will complete it, then come to you and we will escape together at night." "But where?"

He thought for a moment while cuddling his beloved. Then an idea hit him: "We'll go south to Alexandria and find a new home there."

"And aren't there assassins as well?" "Yes, but they won't recognize me." "And what if they notice your ring finger is missing?" "I'll tell them I lost my finger while fighting a bandit."

Adha became sad, tears appeared in her eyes. "What's wrong?" Altaïr asked concerned. "Sorry Altaïr," Adha sniffled, "I'm only worried about us. I never went so far from home-" "Shh… You don't have to worry, habibti. I will protect you. I promise."

Adha calmed down as Altaïr snuggled closer and kissed her. "As you wish, Altaïr. I'll follow you to Alexandria." "Trust me, Adha. Next time I come to you, we'll leave the Holy Land and start over. We'll have a beautiful life together…"

One month later, Altaïr was given the mission in Damascus, packed his most valuable belongings and took one last look at Al Mualim and Abbas with a frown. Then he walked slowly through Masyaf like saying goodbye to his home. He jumped on his horse and looked at Masyaf Castle for the last time.

"Ma'a salama…" he quietly said farewell and galloped away. He reached Damascus after less than two days, then he completed the mission and in the evening went to Adha. He knocked on the balcony door and she opened it.

"Altaïr…" They hugged again and kissed each other's lips. "So are we leaving today?" Adha inquisitively asked. He nodded and stared lovingly at his beloved while she started packing. "Let me help you, dear," Altaïr asserted and helped her find the important things, which made Adha giggle. Later together they left Damascus at night.

Both of them traveled through deserts for several days. They have managed to avoid conflicts and bandits. They arrived at Tyre, where they boarded a ship bound for Alexandria. Altaïr hoped that no Assassins or Templars had found and followed them. Fortunately, everything went according to his plan and he relaxed.

The ship sailed on the Mediterranean Sea under the night sky, while the passengers slept in the berth. Altaïr sat while hugging the sleeping Adha, keeping an eye on everyone around them, ready to defend his beloved. Adha murmed something quietly and opened her eyes.

"Is everything alright, Adha?" Altaïr breathed with slight concern. "And you're not sleeping?" muttered Adha playfully. "I'm just guarding you. I don't trust anyone here." "I understand, but you could use some sleep." Altaïr chuckled and kissed her cheek. "I'll sleep later, don't worry about me." "By the way, Altaïr?" "Yes, love?"

Adha placed her hands on his cheeks and gazed into his mysterious golden eyes. "When you told me you always keep promises… Promise me one thing: if something happens to one of us, we'll find someone else to be happy with.''

Altaïr didn't understand what she meant by this. "Why? I love only you, Adha. Nobody else!" "Don't worry, I love only you as well, but if-" "No if, dear. Nothing bad is going to happen to us, alright?"

Adha sighed and cuddled closer to him. "Alright. Sorry." "Don't apologize, habibti. I know you're just scared," Altaïr smiled warmly, "Tomorrow we will be in Alexandria and we will begin a new beautiful life. Trust me."

Later in the early morning before dawn, Altaïr and Adha slept together with the other passengers. They were suddenly awakened by a scream from outside.

"The crusaders! The crusaders are attacking!" shouted one panicked passenger. Altaïr didn't hesitate and pulled out his dagger. "Shit… Templars must have found us!" he cussed, "Adha! Hide!" Adha fearfully attended at him and quickly kissed him hard on the lips passionately.

He kissed her back and they immediately stared at each other. "Please… Be careful…" Adha spoken in low voice and then hid. Altaïr heard the screams of the slain passengers and the clanging of metals. Hiding in the shadows, he waited for his prey.

The three crusaders were heading to the berth and that's when Altaïr struck, stabbing one of them in the neck. "An assassin! Kill him!" and the fight began. Altaïr taunted the crusaders confidently, fighting agaist two was a piece of cake for him.

He deflected their swords away with his dagger and stabbed another man several times in the chest. The last younger crusader started to panic, which gave Altaïr an advantage.

But the young crusader began to shout: "Help! Assassin is here! He wants to kill me!" Altaïr could not afford it and was about to kill him, but three more crusaders caught up and the fight continued. Being an experienced fighter, Altaïr was now at a disadvantage. One of the taller crusaders punched him into face until he fell to the ground.

The enemy was about to give him a fatal blow, but Adha jumped up and stabbed with a sword that belonged to the slain foe. "Adha!" Altaïr panicked, quickly getting to his feet and fighting on, now side by side with his beloved. "I can't let you fight alone!" she screamed. Altaïr focused on the fight and killed another crusader. The last two remained and managed to defeat them.

The couple looked at each other, panting from exhaustion, and proudly smiled. Suddenly, Adha stiffened, the young crusader was about to stab Altaïr from behind. "Altaïr! Behind you!" she yelled. Altaïr dodged but the crusader managed to stab Adha into chest.

"ADHA! NO!" Altaïr cried, knocking the crusader to the side and holding his beloved in his arms. "Adha! Don't worry! I'll get you out of this somehow-"

"Altaïr…" Adha stopped him, "It's the end of me…" she coughed up blood and was breathing heavily. Altaïr shook his head in disbelief, tears started streaming from his eyes. "No… NO! Don't leave me, Adha! Please! Stay with me, my love!" Adha weakly placed her left hand on his cheek, her thumb gently caressing his lip scar. "I love you, Altaïr…" she whispered weakly with a sad smile. Then her hand fell to the ground and her soul departed with a final sigh.

More Altaïr's tears slid down his cheeks. He was looking into her now dead eyes. He couldn't believe it was reality… He has lost his beloved forever… Just like he lost his parents forever… With an aching heart, he gently closed her eyes with his fingers, hugged her body tightly and cried.

"Adha… I'm so sorry… This wasn't supposed to happen… It's all my fault… Please forgive me… My love…"

As he mourned, he heard the wounded young crusader crawling across the floor. Altaïr's face changed from sadness to rage. He raised his dagger and lunged at him. "You… Will… SUFFER!" he growled viciously and began stabbing the crusader's shoulder several times, causing his victim to scream in pain until he died.

Altaïr left the berth and went outside. The ship became a deadly battleground. He ran and bloodthirsty killed every crusader he saw. However, rage blinded his perception of his surroundings. One brute ran at him and hit him so hard that Altaïr fell overboard into the sea.

He could use the rest of his strength to swim up, but he lost the motivation…

There was nothing to fight for anymore…

He slowly closed his eyes and accepted his fate…

Adha…

My love…

I failed to protect you…

My plan was a terrible idea…

Darkness…

Silence…

Only darkness and silence…

Is it the end?

Am I in the afterlife?

Is there finally peace?

If so, please forgive me when we meet again…

Please…

Forgive me, habibti…

Wait a minute?

I'm breathing…

No water?

Wait?

The voices?

I don't understand a word, but I can hear them…

I'm starting to understand them now…

I must open my eyes…

Altaïr slowly opened his eyes, seeing the room in a blur. "Look! He's waking up!" an unknown female voice heard. He noticed two people in front of him, but couldn't see them properly.

"You're alive, neb!" the man's voice rejoiced. Altaïr blinked and finally saw the persons much better: a middle-aged man and woman, both with similarly long black dreadlocks and wearing robes and weapons. They realized they were assassins, but they didn't seem to be from the Levantine Brotherhood. He had no idea if it was the afterlife or a dream or they saved him and made it to Alexandria.

The first thing he asked was: "Where is Adha?" Pain could be heard in his voice. The couple looked at each other incomprehension. "Where is Adha!?" he cried plaintively, "Where is my beloved?!"

The woman grabbed his shoulders, "Calm down! Breathe!" Altaïr took a deep breath and exhaled, to calm himself down. "What is your name, young man?" she asked him.

"Al… Altaïr…" he introduced himself wearily, "Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad." The older pair couldn't believe their ears, "That famous Mentor Altaïr?" the man asked in disbelief. "What?" Altaïr didn't understand, "No, not a Mentor. I'm only a Master Assassin… Or was… And who are you?"

"My name is Bayek of Siwa and this is Amunet," an older man introduced, "We are the Mentors of the Assassin Brotherhood." "Wait? Amunet? Shouldn't you live a thousand years ago?!" Altaïr was shocked. He heard about her in the legends, how she killed Cleopatra thanks to the cobra.

"That's not possible… This is just a dream! It's all just a dream! I must wake up!" "It's not a dream, Altaïr," Amunet replied sadly. "So I'm actually dead?" "Not even this," Bayek shook his head, "Our scouts found you lying unconscious on the beach near the hideout."

"And Adha?" Altaïr asked with hope. "Only you, neb," Bayek added glumly, "We're so sorry about your lost." Altaïr's heart ached from his words and he felt hollow. "Then… Where am I?"

"You are now in Accipiteria, in the Island of Eagle," Amunet answered, "In other words, in the island of Assassins." "Never heard about it before," Altaïr said confused.

"Because this isn't Earth, this is Thansuokria," Bayek continued, "A planet where several alternate timelines and worlds merge into a single universe."

"What is this sorcery?! Impossible!" Altaïr trembled, "I don't belong here! I have to go back!"

Bayek and Amunet just stared pitifully at the poor Master Assassin. "None of us belong here as well. We were also stunned when we found ourselves on this world," Bayek said trying to encourage him, "But we are Assassins who always stick together and stop Templars from at least defiling this world. Join us, brother… And let's make the world a better place." Altaïr knew he had no other choice and agreed with a shaking hand.

Later, Altaïr rested in bed as he was slightly injured from the fight. He kept thinking about Adha and his soul felt empty. He looked up at his robes, which had originally belonged to his father, remembering the first time he had put them on himself, thus bearing the honor of Umar. This made him feel ashamed and turned to other way.

He kept replaying the scene in his mind of him losing Adha, which made his heart break. What would happen if he didn't dodge? He should have stabbed that bastard with a hidden blade. But instead, he let his beloved being stabbed by a Templar.

Now Altaïr was in another brotherhood of assassins, where several assassins were from different time periods. He had the feeling that this was all a punishment for trying leaving his Order. Tears stung his eyes and he sobbed quietly into the pillow, constantly whispering Adha's name and apologies.

And since then, he decided never to fall in love, so no one else would lose their life because of him. He became much colder and crueler, devoting himself to the Creed fully.

And that's why the Assassins called Altaïr: The Lonely Eagle…

[bakumatsu-assassin]

Personal Head Cannon - Tragedies and Failures

Within the lore of Assassin's Creed, it becomes evident that many of the main protagonists endure significant hardships and personal losses throughout their respective journeys. These unfortunate events are frequently connected to the operational strategies and core principles of the Assassin Brotherhood. Unlike organizations aligned with governments or societal hierarchies, the Assassins maintain their status as a clandestine and autonomous group, guided by their unique principles and objectives.

Frequently, Assassins are portrayed as assuming the roles of judge, jury, and executioner in their pursuit of justice, often sidestepping conventional legal systems and procedures. This tendency of the Assassins to act as unofficial arbiters of justice, bypassing traditional legal processes, contributes to a sense of distrust among the general population. The term "Assassin" typically does not inspire trust or confidence in the eyes of many.

As a result, the Assassins have often found themselves in a disadvantaged position when pitted against the Templars, who hold recognized positions within society. This has led to many Assassins experiencing significant personal losses and numerous defeats.

For instance, Altair Ibn-La'Ahad endured the loss of his wife and eldest son. Additionally, he confronted the daunting challenge of reclaiming leadership of the Brotherhood from Abbas. His final days were spent in solitude, succumbing to old age within the forgotten crypt beneath Masyaf.

Ezio Auditore, after delving into Altair's memories using the memory disks in "Assassin's Creed: Revelations," made the decision to retire from his role as an Assassin. He chose to dedicate his remaining years to the pursuit of peace, free from the conflicts and burdens of his former life.

However, the good fortune that Ezio enjoyed did not extend to future generations within the Assassin Brotherhood.

Edward Kenway, who transitioned from a life of piracy to become an Assassin, devoted himself to raising his son. Tragically, his journey took a harrowing turn when he fell victim to Reginald Birch, a former ally from their privateer days who later became a formidable adversary. Following Edward's demise, his son, Haytham Kenway, was kidnapped and groomed within the Templar Order.

Ratonhnhaké:ton, also known as Connor, embarked on a mission to support the American Revolution with the primary aim of safeguarding his village and its inhabitants. Yet, his path was fraught with heart-wrenching trials. One of the most profound betrayals he endured was at the hands of the very Founding Fathers he sought to assist, a betrayal that added to his growing burden of sorrow.

Connor also grappled with the loss of his mentor and father figure, Achilles Davenport, whose guidance had been a guiding light in his life and an integral part of his Assassin training. This loss left a void that Connor struggled to fill. Perhaps the most agonizing ordeal he faced was the painful necessity of confronting and ultimately ending the life of his own father, Haytham Kenway, who had chosen a path in opposition to Connor's ideals. Additionally, he had to cope with the tragic loss of his best friend, Kanen'tó:kon, in a harrowing confrontation. In the end, he found himself with nothing.

Jacob and Evie Frye, after successfully getting rid of the Templar influence in London, had a goal to create a new generation of Assassins to ensure the city's future safety and success. Unfortunately, things took a dark turn when Jack the Ripper, a notorious figure, started causing chaos in London.

What made this situation even more upsetting was the revelation that Jack the Ripper had once been trained by the Brotherhood, meaning he was a former member who had abandoned their principles, choosing violence and terror instead. The fact that someone who was once an ally had become a ruthless serial killer added complexity and moral dilemmas to the situation.

Confronted with Jack the Ripper's reign of terror, the London Assassins faced an extremely tough situation. They had to make a hard and morally complicated decision to hide the fact that Jack had been a member of their organization in the past. This choice was driven by several factors, including the desire to protect the Brotherhood's reputation and the fear of potential consequences from the authorities.

Just before the 21st century, a significant event in the world of Assassin's Creed brought about a dangerous time for the Assassin Brotherhood. They were trying to adapt to the modern world and fit into contemporary society while seeking new ways to pursue their ideals. Unfortunately, this effort went terribly wrong, leading to serious consequences.

During the Purge of 2000, the Assassins became the targets of a carefully planned global campaign orchestrated by the Templars. This relentless operation aimed to systematically locate and eliminate Assassin members all over the world, with the ultimate goal of erasing their presence and wiping out their influence.

Tragically, the Assassin Brotherhood's trust in certain individuals turned out to be a double-edged sword. What was meant to be a source of support and cooperation became a fatal weakness. Sadly, the people they had devoted themselves to protecting started to develop fear and suspicion toward them, eventually turning against the Assassins. This erosion of trust and the resulting backlash presented an immense challenge to the Assassins and their fundamental mission.

This is why the Assassins are frequently at a disadvantage. In the world of Assassin's Creed, choosing the life of an Assassin typically leads to a constant struggle, where you're either evading the law for the rest of your days or, ultimately, facing a tragic end.

[spocktheestallion]

saw someone make a post about ezio being on cocaine. while i appreciate the spirit it would’ve been impossible. that’s why i’ve been inspired to make a list of some assassins and what drugs they could have plausibly and likely taken in their lifetimes!

altaïr: weed! it’s believed to have originated in the middle east and was VERY common. there are actually contemporary accounts that comment on the real life assassins of masyaf that the brotherhood and whole franchise is based of it smoking SO MUCH weed that some people think the name of that real life order (the hashashins, which is what the modern word assassin comes from) is derived from the word hashish which is weed. it was a very common recreational and medicinal drug :)

ezio: technically possible he could’ve smoked weed, and there are records of weed being used in ancient rome/greece but i can’t find many referring to it in the renaissance period. when he went east though i would say definitely he would’ve gotten a chance to. he almost CERTAINLY had opium it was a very common medicine in that period.

connor, edward, aveline, arno and the rest from that general period: possible they could’ve done opium, tobacco. weed wasn’t really introduced in western medicine til mid 19th century unfortunately :(

evie n jacob: they lived in victorian times! good for them bc it was EASY AS HELL to get FUCKED UP. cocaine, opium, weed, you name it they probably took it with their cough medicine as kids! shrooms would’ve been technically possible by this period but i don’t think they would’ve been common in victorian england

kassandra: opium and weed were both possible baby! bayek and aya also could’ve done opium or weed! i hope they got to they deserve it

eivor: very likely did shrooms!

also desmond is a weed guy i know he is.

that’s all i can think of for now. it is 4 am good night.

[mocosa-media]

my AC1 rant

Okay but Malik had a son duh, Tazim. Yes, but imagine Tazim going to Masyaf as a mid-teen (like 16 or 17 whatever) right? Right, so he’s recruited easily because he’s a scrappy kid who knows how to fight dirty (note: dirty, not as an assassin yet) and the order’s standards have fallen since Altair left. Not much is done. I personally think of a frat house, lot’s of pretty buff looking dudes but only a small handful actually have brains while the rest just want to party. 

Anyway, Tazim who gains friendships and finds out about his father’s death the hard way. Through this all, Tazim keeps his background a secret. No one knows he is Malik’s son. He first came to Masyaf to find answers. He found them. Dead dad. Possibly revenge? No, he has lost any energy to do that because Abbas’ power seems ridiculously big. Tazim mourns for his father alone while still training in secret with his new friends.

Tazim gets cocky years later because he’s a pretty darn good fighter now. He still trains in secret but it’s sorta like an afterschool club. After his job at the stables, he goes to hangout at their hidden training grounds, etc. etc. He betrays his friends, but when he gains them back they give him a major ass kicking he absolutely deserved. 

They get their hidden blades. 

The gang have their own “bureau” which is just an abandoned home on the edged of the city where they hangout; It’s their clubhouse where they plan and drink and gossip. They are like 17-20 year olds come on. 

Abbas searches for another piece of Eden. Tazim and his gang join in on this race. Bad stuff happens. Death. Depression. Reminiscent to AC1 opening scene/mission. In turn, Tazim is sad (maybe hurt in a similar fashion as his father; history repeats itself) and it seems that the only reason he was staying in the brotherhood has died.

Tazim says, “Fuck the loyalists. Fuck Altair and fuck Abbas.” He hates everything and everyone so his ‘traitor’ begins to show. So much so that he’s sent to Abbas and when Abbas is like “Are you a traitor as so and so claims?” Tazim is like, “Fuck you, maybe. I miss my home.” (Home as in the OG old Masyaf of when Altair was there. 

Tazim is stripped of his title and sent back home. No- like he’s sent back to Jerusalem where he grew up. Inspiring things happen and he hears the rumors of Altair returning. He’s like “Not these bullshit rumors again.” 

But guess what? Not a rumor. 

He goes back! 

He is like “Yeah I gotta finish the shit I started and help an old man out.” so he does! When he goes back, his old crew is extremely happy and they give him all updated info. He’s like omg me too I have updated info, my dad is badass Malik and I have Altair behind me now too.

Yes, they all freak (in a good way)

They take over Masyaf again. All is well. Sorta. Okay thanks.