Age: 14
sex:female
Height: 4'5"
"An imposing castle of many turrets, surrounded by shimmering rivers, it presided over the bustling village below, the settlement a high point within the Orontes Valley. An oasis of peace. A paradise." ―Niccolò Polo describes Masyaf.
Masyaf
Political information:Sovereign state
Independent city-state
Ruling body: Assassins (c.1176-1257)
Masyaf is an isolated mountain municipality located in the Orontes Valley in Western Syria, which once served as a base of operations for the Assassin Order during the High Middle Ages.
~~History~~
~Saracen siege~
In 1176, the fortress came under siege from Saladin, who hoped to prevent the Assassins from making a third, more successful attempt on his life. On the second night of the siege, Master Assassin Umar Ibn-La'Ahad infiltrated the Sultan's tent, and left a knife in Saladin's sleeping pallet. However, Saladin awoke and raised the alarm, and Umar was forced to kill a Saracen general during his escape.
Heeding the warning, Saladin left Masyaf, his only condition being that he was brought the head of the one who had killed the nobleman. At first the Assassins refused, however, Saladin's advisor threatened the life of the Assassins' spy they had captured, Ahmad Sofian. Umar then volunteered to forfeit his life in exchange for Ahmad's, and was executed by Shihab Al'din. Afterwards, the siege concluded and the Saracens left Masyaf.
~Skirmish with the Crusaders~
In 1191, Al Mualim came into possession of an Apple of Eden, an object the Templars sought as well. Therefore, the Templars, then led by Robert de Sable, attacked Masyaf in an attempt to regain the Apple.
A battle in the village ensued, and the Assassins were able to fend off the Templars long enough for the citizens to escape. Once the citizens had escaped, Al Mualim called the Assassins back to the fortress. Robert soon arrived with a large force of Templars, demanding Al Mualim give him the Apple.
However, the Assassins sprang a trap, utilizing several logs of timber to eradicate the Templar forces who had been at the fortress gate. With much of his force killed in the trap, Robert retreated from Masyaf.
Struggle for the Apple
Later that same year, in September of 1191, Al Mualim used the Apple to enslave the population of Masyaf. He was able to mesmerize the citizens so that they were under his command. However, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad was able to thwart his former Mentor's plan, assassinating Al Mualim. With the death of the corrupted Mentor, the Assassins and the citizens of Masyaf returned to their original state of mind.
Shortly following this however, many Assassins refused to accept Al Mualim's betrayal and rebelled against Altaïr. His fellow Assassin and longtime rival, Abbas Sofian, threw Altaïr from a cliff, and recovered the Apple in one of the fortress' towers. However, Abbas became overwhelmed by the power of the Apple, and surrendered to Altaïr.
Later, sometime before 1227, Abbas staged a coup d'état and was able to gain control of the Order. Losing control of the Assassins in Syria, Altaïr fled the city, and entered a self-imposed exile.
~Decline of Masya~
During Abbas' two decade reign, Masyaf went through large amounts of change; the members of the Order no longer trained daily, and the overall discipline was lost within the Brotherhood. Taxes were collected from the people, but nothing was provided in return.
~Altaïr and his supporters in Masyaf.~
However, two decades later in 1247, Altaïr returned to Masyaf, with the intention of gathering allies and eliminating Abbas. He was able to recruit four Assassins who shared his dislike of Abbas, and had been standing guard at the city gate.
Armed with his new allies, Altaïr moved through the city, eliminating the Assassin Captains and eventually reaching the fortress. There, Altaïr had a brief argument with Abbas over the Apple Altaïr had maintained, which resulted in Altaïr shooting Abbas with his newly constructed hidden gun. With the death of Abbas, Altaïr regained the title of Mentor of the Levantine Assassins.
~Visit from the Polo brothers~
A decade later, in 1257, the fortress was visited by Niccolò and Maffeo Polo, who were guests of the Order, invited by Altaïr's eldest son, Darim. The two men had been chosen to spread the Creed of the Assassins in their homeland, where Altaïr had failed to do so. However, during the six month stay of the Polos', Masyaf was besieged by Mongolians seeking revenge for the Assassins' role in Genghis Khan's death.
~Altaïr leading the Polo brothers out of Masyaf castle.~
Though limited in number after the disbandment of the Order, the remaining Assassins kept the Mongols at bay long enough for the Polo brothers to escape through an escort from Altaïr and Darim. Before the Polo brothers left, however, Altaïr bequeathed his personal journal, five keys imbued with a message, and many of his library books to Niccolò.
Immediately following the siege, Altaïr ordered that the remainder of the Brotherhood should be spread throughout the world, effectively ending the reign of the Assassins in Masyaf. He bid farewell to his son Darim, and locked himself inside his library with the Apple, leaving the artifact for posterity, before perishing peacefully on his throne.
~Arrival of Ezio Auditore~
More than two and a half centuries after the fortress was abandoned, a battalion of Byzantine Templars had taken control of Masyaf. The Byzantines patrolled throughout the city and fortress, while a worker attempted to break open the door to Altaïr's library. A Templar captain named Leandros oversaw the Byzantine forces, and ensured that the city remained in their control.
In March of 1511, the Mentor of the Italian Assassins, Ezio Auditore, traveled to the mountain castle in order to learn more about his Order's history, and to discover the contents of Altaïr's library. This quest came about after Ezio discovered a letter from his father concerning a library hidden beneath the Masyaf fortress containing invaluable wisdom.
Upon arrival, however, Ezio was attacked by a large group of Byzantine forces, and was eventually captured after becoming distracted by a vision of Altaïr. Ezio was dragged to a beam on one of the fortress' towers, and Leandros placed and tightened a noose around the Assassin's neck. However, Ezio was able to overpower Leandros, and threw the noose over his neck, before jumping down from the beam, landing safely on a ledge jutting out from the fortress.
Ezio then made his way around Masyaf, eventually learning of Niccolò Polo's journal, an object the Templars possessed. After leaving the fortress, Ezio tailed a Templar Captain through the village, eventually arriving at the city gates. Ezio spotted Leandros in his carriage, and began to pursue the Templar, ultimately being forced to cling to a rope hanging from Leandros' carriage.
Ezio managed to cling to the rope for a while, before killing a Byzantine and taking a carriage of his own. Ezio chased Leandros, eventually arriving at a nearby village. However, one of Leandros' men threw a bomb at Ezio's carriage, sending him into the canyon below.
The Assassin recovered from his wounds, however, stealthily assassinating Byzantine arquebusiers while making his way into the village. There, Leandros taunted Ezio, before retreating farther into the village, ordering his men to kill the Assassin. Ezio overpowered the Byzantines, eventually cornering Leandros in a small section of the village, and closing the gate behind him.
The Byzantines attacked Ezio, but were bested by the Assassin. After slaying them, Ezio obtained some medicine, and used it to dull the pain of his severe wounds. Revitalized, Ezio then made his way up the tall tower Leandros was on top of. Eventually reaching the apex of the tower, Ezio cornered Leandros, and stabbed the Templar with his hidden blade.
In his final words, Leandros gave Ezio the journal of Niccolò Polo, but informed him that the Templars had already located one of the keys to Altaïr's library, and were closing in on the rest. Before perishing, Leandros also spoke cryptically of a Grand Temple, passing away before he was able to tell Ezio more about the subject. Armed with Niccolò Polo's journal, and knowledge of the Masyaf Keys, Ezio departed from Masyaf.
~Accession of Altaïr's library~
Later, in 1512, Ezio returned to Masyaf with love interest Sofia Sartor, and the five Masyaf Keys. Ezio and Sofia made their way through the village up to the fortress, and during this walk, Ezio explained the meaning of the Creed to Sofia. The two eventually arrived at a small passageway leading to the library, and Sofia bid Ezio farewell, telling him that he "had better come out of there alive.
After successfully opening the large door to the library, Ezio walked through a passageway into the library, but was shocked to find no books, only a decaying skeleton of the late Mentor, Altaïr. Ezio spotted one last Memory Seal clutched in Altaïr's hand, and took it off the late Mentor's body. Accessing the memory seal, Ezio witnessed as Altaïr bid farewell to his son Darim, and locked himself in the library with an Apple.
Once he had activated the memory seal, Ezio found Altaïr's Apple, but decided to leave the Apple in its place, claiming he had seen too much for one life. Ezio then called out to a man named Desmond, who he had heard of before, and allowed him to access his nexus of time. Before leaving, Ezio laid his equipment down in the library, symbolically ending his life as an Assassin
~Layout~
Masyaf was constructed into a mountaintop nestled over the Orontes Valley, with a village at its base and a walled fortress at its peak. A palisade wall, and several Assassin guards that patrolled the interior and exterior of Masyaf protected the base. The sides of the site were protected by immensely high and sheer mountain walls, with a low lake below that could be seen from the entire left-hand side of the fortress and village.
Concept art of the Masyaf city walls.
A second mountainous valley and river could be seen on the opposite side of the fortress, but not from the village. Over the second valley on the right-hand side of Masyaf lied a series of wooden beams with ropes overhanging them, criss-crossing until they reached the back of a high tower that appeared impossible to scale from the front.
~Village~
The village was composed of several dozen small mud brick cottages at the far end of the small Masyaf valley and several were built into the edge of the left-hand side canyon. The village market was designated at the lowest end of the valley, a location in which the local people could barter for belongings and food or simply converse each day. Another marketplace, smaller and less extensive, was located just below the fortress' long, winding entrance.
FortressEdit
At the peak of the mountain lay the Assassin fortress. Within the high stonewalls, Assassins practiced combat in the training ring, patrolled the walls and grounds, or educated themselves amongst the libraries of the Mentor.
The fortress in Masyaf.
KaloneousAdded by Kaloneous
A beautiful garden was situated behind the intimidating tough face of the central stone rooms in which women happily lay about in leisure, grass and thriving plants all about the four-leveled space. In the center of the garden courtyard, situated in a fountain, was a statue of the First Civilization goddess Minerva.[4] Inside the fortress library, scholars browsed the shelves, constantly maneuvering among them.
The fortress housed all Assassins that resided within Masyaf, as well as the Mentor's private chamber at the very top of the fortress' highest tower. Watchtowers surrounded the walls, each with expert archers that observed the nearby valleys and central village for approaching danger.
Canyon walkway and trap towerEdit
On the southern side of Masyaf, an Assassin was able to leap into haystacks arranged along a wide stone platform that jutted out from the mountain wall. From these haystacks, several wooden beams criss-crossed the void over the river far below. Ropes were also strung over the wooden beams to aid with crossing the dangerous pathways.
At the end of the twisting path over the valley floor a lofty tower reached into the sky, perfectly blending with the stone mountain wall. An Assassin could have climbed this tower, eventually finding themselves in a room with a grated floor. Piles of logs were kept there in case of invasion, upon which an Assassin would activate the trap by slashing a latch with their blade, sending the logs into the enemy's army.
----------------------------------Weapons--------------------------------------------
"The hidden blade has been a constant companion of ours over the years. Some would say it defines us - and they would not be entirely wrong. Many of our successes would not have been possible without it."
―Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's Codex, page 13.[src]
Front and back of the hidden blade.
Vatsa1708Added by Vatsa1708
The iconic weapon of the Assassins, the Hidden Blade was used for both stealth assassinations and regular combat. It was their most versatile weapon, with multiple upgrades and forms of use.
It consisted of a retractable blade, usually in conjunction with a protective bracer. The blade could be discreetly extended or retracted, making it a valuable tool for assassinations.
Contents
[show]
DesignEdit
"The blade is designed to ensure the commitment of whoever wields it."
―Leonardo da Vinci, regarding the hidden blade.[src]
The use of the hidden blade initially required the removal of the user's left ring finger, both as a means of more easily extending the blade, and to show the commitment of the one wielding it.[1] As such, many of the early Levantine Assassins could be recognized by their missing fingers.[2]
Ezio Auditore with his father's hidden blade, 1476.
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However, the blade's mechanism was modified in the 13th century - as outlined in the Codex of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad - so as to no longer require such a sacrifice, and keep Assassins from being identified so easily.[3]
Despite this, the tradition was not forgotten. From the Renaissance to at least the early 20th century,[4] Assassins branded their left ring fingers during their initiation into the Order, as a sign of their devotion to the Creed.[3]
The exact release mechanism of the hidden blade is unknown, and while there is a rotating wheel atop the rear portion of the mechanism's housing (one which turns upon the release or retraction of the blade), its function has not yet been identified.[5]
HistoryEdit
High Middle AgesEdit
Altaïr's hidden blade.
GuardDogAdded by GuardDog
The Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad initially wielded a hidden blade, however, due to his failure in retrieving the Apple of Eden, and his breaking of all three tenets of the Creed, he was demoted to a Novice by Al Mualim, and was stripped of his hidden blade and other weapons. At his first promotion to the second rank however, he earned back his hidden blade, along with his sword.[1]
Aside from assassinations, the hidden blade was also used in a variety of investigations. For missions given by informants, wherein an Assassin was asked to stealthily assassinate a number of targets, he could only make use of his hidden blade or throwing knives in order to remain undetected.[1]
Additionally, after successfully interrogating a target, Altaïr would usually kill them so that they could not reveal his plans, and did so by burying his hidden blade into their abdomen.[1]
Although the hidden blade was used mainly for stealth, it could also be used in open conflict, but only for countering enemy attacks.[1]
RenaissanceEdit
"Despite its age, the construction is rather advanced. I've never seen anything quite like it."
―Leonardo da Vinci studying the hidden blade.[src]
Giovanni's (later Ezio's) hidden blade.
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In his own time as an Assassin, Giovanni Auditore also wielded a hidden blade, albeit one that had been adapted to the change of the times, and thus did not require the removal of his ring finger.[3][5]
The mechanism did not require a wrist "flick" to release the blade, thus the user could extend or retract the blade without any wrist or hand movement. Additionally, as pictured, the weapon could be used with a clenched fist, although Giovanni is one of the few known Assassins to use it in that manner.[5]
The Codex Page for the hidden blade's design.
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Ezio Auditore inherited the hidden blade from his father the night before the Auditore execution. However, the blade was broken due to Giovanni's last fight in Rome against Rodrigo Borgia and his men, thus Paola suggested that Ezio ask his ally Leonardo da Vinci to repair it. Leonardo was able to do so, though only with the aid of the schematics detailed in the Codex.[3]
Through other Codex pages, Leonardo was able to provide Ezio with a variety of upgrades; such as the addition of a second hidden blade. Ezio made use of these innovations for the majority of his assassinations, and was also able to wield them in battle.[3]
Though Ezio possessed the same two hidden blades until 1500, during the Fall of Monteriggioni, he lost most of his weapons, and was only able to salvage the blade and bracer of his father.[6]
The second hidden blade.
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Upon his arrival in Rome, Ezio was equipped with a single hidden blade, though its bracer had been replaced. Later on, however, Leonardo was again able to reconstruct a secondary hidden blade from memory, with Ezio providing him with the money necessary for the raw materials.[6]
Aside from using them in combat, Ezio also made use of his hidden blade to pick the locks of certain Lairs of Romulus, and operate the mechanisms within the Temple of Pythagoras.[6]
Additionally, Ezio's apprentices were each equipped with a single hidden blade, as the right to use two hidden blades was only reserved for the most trusted of Assassins, or those who had earned the rank of Master Assassin. However, upon reaching the rank of Assassino, the apprentice was given a hidden blade with a bracer much like Ezio's. The apprentices were capable of all of the standard assassination techniques.[6]
Modern timesEdit
Nikolai Orelov's hidden blade.
Master Sima YiAdded by Master Sima Yi
During the late 19th and early 20th century, the hidden blade was still part of standard Assassin attire, and continued to be commonly used. Though the Assassins were already using guns, during close combat, the iconic hidden blade was occasionally utilized. The Russian Assassin Nikolai Orelov used his hidden blade during a battle with Tsar Alexander III, with which he was able to stab the Tsar in the abdomen.[7]
By the late 20th century, hidden blades were less commonly used, and were mostly preserved for ceremonies. However, a few high-ranking Assassins still wore one for traditional purposes, such as Paul Bellamy. Daniel Cross was gifted with a ceremonial but functional hidden blade by the Mentor, which he swiftly put to use, killing the Mentor.[7]
During the escape from the Assassin Hideout, Desmond Miles obtained a hidden blade and bracer that was almost identical to Ezio's first hidden blade. He later used that hidden blade to fend off the Abstergo guards who had come to capture him, led by Warren Vidic.[3]
Upon traveling to Monteriggioni, Desmond began using a bare hidden blade without a bracer, making it less visible on his arm, though at the cost of some defensive ability. He also used it to operate mechanisms in the tunnels underneath the Sanctuary, as Ezio had once done.[6]
Additionally, in the Animus Virtual Training Program developed by Rebecca Crane, Desmond was given the chance to hone his skills with the hidden blade. Such challenges included Stealth Assassinations and Flawless Kill Streaks using only the hidden blade.[6]
CombatEdit
High Middle AgesEdit
Altaïr performing a counter with the hidden blade.
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As it was mainly used for stealth assassinations, the hidden blade could only be used in combat under certain conditions, and could not block any attack. Altaïr was only able to assassinate a guard who had fallen on the ground, or had become momentarily distracted.[1]
Altaïr could use the hidden blade in a counter-attack; however, the time frame was extremely small, especially in comparison to that of the sword and short blade. Successfully intercepting an enemy attack enabled one of several different – and always lethal – counter-attacks, in which Altaïr stabbed his opponent in the chest, head, abdomen, foot, base of the skull, or spine.[1]
RenaissanceEdit
"Now I can kill double the guards."
―Ezio Auditore receiving the second hidden blade.[src]
Ezio facing an enemy with his hidden blade drawn.
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The hidden blade eventually became vastly more useful in combat due to several upgrades. The mounting of a metal plate on the opposite side of the blade allowed the hidden blade to be used defensively. In terms of offense, when used together, the dual hidden blades were a fast but low damage weapon, making them useful for suppressing enemy attacks.[3]
Unlike other weapons, every counter-attack with the hidden blades resulted in an instant kill, with only the narrow timing window as a disadvantage. Unlike the sword or short blade, the hidden blades could counter attacks from nearly all types of guards, including Brutes, Seekers, and Papal Guards.[3][6]
~Ezio using his dual blades in combat.~
The hidden blade also gave Ezio more freedom in movement than any other weapon. For example, Ezio could easily strafe to either side while in combat, which was barely possible (except from very close range) with the sword or dagger. It also allowed Ezio to quickly flee from a battle without having to take the time to sheathe his weapon.
By his arrival in Rome, Ezio had gained a greater aptitude with the hidden blades. Aside from being able to perform more counter-attacks (due to his improved reaction time) he was now able to perform multiple instant kills after killing a single guard. To continue this "execution streak," each kill needed to be quickly followed up with another, without Ezio being hit in turn.
Upgrades
Codex
"The [hidden blade] has begun to show its age – and so I have been researching improvements beyond ending the need to remove one's finger to wield it."
―Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's Codex,
In his studies of the Apple of Eden, Altaïr envisioned several upgrades for the hidden blade, which he wrote into his Codex, and some of which he used himself. Throughout Ezio's travels, he would acquire these Codex pages, and Leonardo da Vinci would build the improvements detailed within them for him.
~The blade with the pistol and poison upgrades.~
The first of these improvements was the addition of a secondary hidden blade, which was attached to the user's other arm, allowing Ezio to kill two guards at once, either on the ground or from the air. The second was a metal plate on top of the primary blade's bracer that allowed one to safely deflect enemy attacks with the blades.
Other Codex upgrades included the Poison Blade and Hidden Gun. The poison blade allowed Ezio to stab an enemy and leave them to die slowly, granting both a low-profile assassination as well as a distraction to kill or bypass other enemies, while the hidden gun allowed Ezio to make a loud but assured kill from a distance.
Additionally, both blades could be supplemented with various vambraces, which acted as protective armor.
~Da Vinci~
"I ask if he can arm a crossbow bolt beneath my wrist. He ponders for a moment and declares it possible, but expensive."
―Francesco Vecellio asking Leonardo to create the Hidden Bolt.
Upon his arrival in Rome, Leonardo envisioned further improvements to the hidden blade, such as the Poison Dart launcher, which allowed the use of the poison blade from a distance.
Leonardo also designed and built the Hidden Bolt, a weapon that could fire small crossbow bolts, upon the request of Francesco Vecellio. As Francesco was only an apprentice at the time, Ezio had not allowed him to use the hidden gun, and thus Francesco had devised a similar, though lighter, alternative.
Others
~The hookblade's design.~
The Hookblade was a modification of the hidden blade that was adopted by the Assassins Guild of Constantinople. Unlike the other hidden blade advancements, it was attached to the user's secondary hidden blade, instead of the primary.
Upon his arrival in the city, Ezio also made use of it in both battle and travel. Primarily, it could be used during navigation in conjunction with ziplines, as well as allow one to perform "hook-and-runs" over enemies, and generally extend one's reach when climbing and leaping.
The hookblade also aided in combat by allowing a wider variety of attacks or counters, as well as permitting one to "counter-steal" or trip an enemy.
~Replicas~
"The assassin leaps! As he lands upon the senator, a weapon protrudes from his wrist. Pierces his victim's neck!"
―Fiora Cavazza observing an Assassin's technique.
In their study of the Assassins' methods and weaponry, several members of the Templar Order created their own variations of the hidden blade, though the mechanism and appearance often differed.
~Il Lupo's switchblade.~
The first known instance of this was in the early 16th century, when Fiora Cavazza and Baltasar de Silva tailed the Assassins of Rome, in order to take note of their techniques. They eventually trained Il Lupo in the Assassins' ways, and equipped him with a Switchblade, a hidden blade variation whose blade was split into two parts, folding forward only when in use.
Lia de Russo also wore her own hidden blade, and though its mechanisms seemed to match that of the Assassins, it was worn on top of her forearm, rather than underneath.
In modern times, during the simulations hosted by the Animus Project of Abstergo Industries, every recruit was given access to a variation of the hidden blade. The virtual weapon was also worn under the left forearm, but its blade folded along two circular joints when not being used.