Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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VI. Speculation
Contents:
1. The Ones Who Came Before
A. Speculation on Nature
B. Speculation on Origins
C. Speculation on Members
2. The Event
A. What Might Have Happened
B. When It Might Happen Again
3. Humans
A. Origins
B. Inherited Legacy
4. Assassins
A. Known Assassins
B. The Assassin Bloodline
C. Links to Adam and Eve
D. Half-Gods
E. The Assassin Order
F. Motives of the Assassins
5. Templar
A. Known Templar
B. Organizations and Influence
C. Ultimate Goals
6. Artifacts
A. Known Artifacts and Timelime
B. Artifact Powers
C. Present State of Things
D. Deeper Meaning Behind the Artifacts
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1. The Ones Who Came Before
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===A. Speculation on Nature===
The Ones Who Came Before. We know so little about them . . . we don't even
have a convenient name for them. Minerva's imbedded AI scoffed at the use
of the word "God" to describe them, indicating without a doubt that they
worldy and mortal. It is clear that they are of significant potency, but
it seems as if much of this power comes from technology. What, amongst
their clearly vast repertoire of abilities, were actually natural powers,
and which were technological? It seems that, at the very least, they had
extended lifespans. If Assassins are the result of a hybrid between them
and humans (See VI/4/C), then some semblance of an Assassins powers likely
originate from Those Who Came Before. This would mean that Eagle Vision
(better said as a form of ESP that included subtle form of emotion
reading) was derived from them, as well as enhanced agility and learning
aptitude. It also seems that the Pieces of Eden may not respond fully to the
touch of a human; whether this is a design of the Pieces of Eden, or if it
requires a special ability natural to the Ones Who Came Before, it is not
said.
Either way, it is clear that they are a massively advanced, human-like race,
who possessed technology so powerful that early humans could not comprehend
them as anything but Gods. They seemed to be few in number (possible
hundreds or thousands? It is not clear, but Minerva makes it clear that
they were far fewer than humans), and possibly had a low birth rate.
Their minds, while intelligent and more capable than those of humans,
still function in a manner similar to humanity, complete with some level
of emotion, as well as being susceptible to emotions clouding their
judgement. While I will discuss it more in a bit, it seems that in most
ways, they were extremely similar to humanity, but that humanity at the
time could not see past their powers, granting them a divine nature.
===B. Speculation on Origin===
The discussion with Minerva's embedded AI does not reveal anything about the
origins of Those Who Came Before. However, there are two clues that indicate
two different possibilities.
The first is that they were somehow extraterrestrial. The heavy use of space
symbolism in Minerva's chamber may imply that they came from another planet.
It would certainly make sense; they had the technological prowess to
potentially engage in interstellar travel.
The second, and the theory that I personally believe, is a bit more
complicated and contrived. The Ones Who Came Before imply that their
primary difference from humanity is that they "came before". Furthermore,
they created humanity by using their technology to accelerate the
evolution of apes to create humans. Ultimately, the resultant humans were
very similar to the Ones Who Came Before, who stated that they created
humans in "their image". Additionally, they seem to have been capable of
crossbreeding the two species, indicating that they had similar genetic
lineage. In my opinion, this indicates that The Ones Who Came Before
were merely a primate to evolve into civilization far earlier than we
did. If this logic is a bit hard to follow, allow me to put it this way.
A. The Ones Who Came Before created Humans.
B. They did this by advancing the evolution of Apes.
C. Humans (with a genetic template based in Earth primate DNA) were able to
crossbreed with The Ones Who Came Before.
D. For the genetic material of the two species to be close enough to
crossbreed, Those Who Came Before would have to be of a similar genetic
template (with a template based in Earth primate DNA).
E. This would exclude the possibility that they were extraterrestrials.
There are possible arguments against this theory. The most prevalent of
which is that if Those Who Came Before had such advanced technology,
they could FORCE their DNA and human DNA to be compatible. A second
argument against would be that it would be extremely unlikely that two
parallel evolutionary lines descending from different parent ape species
would be able to crossbreed anyway, however I counter this with Minerva's
claim that they made humans in their image. While clearly the two species
are distinct, Those Who Came Before made have used their own evolutionary
path and applied it to early hominids, advancing humans in a way very
similar to their own, resulting in a viable crossbreed potential.
===C. Speculation on Members===
We know of at least three members of the species to which Minerva belongs.
Minerva herself indicates she had many names in her lifetime. She then lists
two others of her kind.
Minerva - Previous names, Merva and Mera
Juno - Previous name Uni
Jupiter - Previous name Tinia
To those with knowledge of ancient Gods, these names should ring many bells.
Allow me to summarize this information.
Jupiter, Juno and Minerva are part of a trio of Gods that were considered
the most important in worship in Ancient Rome. They are equivalent to
the Greek Gods Zeus (the King of the Gods), Hera (Queen of the Gods,
sister and wife of Zeus) and Athena (Zeus' daughter, and an influential
member of his court). Amongst the Romans, Greeks and proximally located
Etruscans, there was a vast overlap of religion. These same dieties find
their counterparts in Etruscan mythology as Tinia, Uni and Merva/Mera.
Minerva's explanation of this solidifies the nature of these religions
as worshiping the same dieties.
Due to the fact that three of these individuals are the classic
"Greek/Roman" Gods, it may be likely that more of their number represent
other Godlike individuals throughout mythology. At least one image in
Minerva's chamber indicates a a member of their species in Egyptian style
art, reminescent of Horus or Ra, but without the characteristic orb above
the head which Ra possesses. Given this, it is likely that other members
of the species may later come to be associated with Gods from other
pantheons, such as:
- Other Greek/Roman Gods
- Egyptian Gods
- Norse Gods
- Mesoamerican Gods (Notably, Quetzalcoatl of this pantheon was mentioned in
Assassin's Creed 1)
- Sumerian/Mesopotamian Gods (Sumerian mythos being referenced in the
Puzzles)
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2. The Event
-------------------------------
===A. What Might Have Happened===
We know, now, from Minerva, that some sort of apocalypse occured which
scorched the Earth, killing a vast majority of both Those Who Came Before
and humanity. She does not say what it was, but there are a lot of hints
indicating what it might have been. She first says that while distracted
by the war on Earth, they failed to "look to the heavens". At this point,
a picture of the solar system appears, and a blast of energy, possibly a
solar flare, bursts out of the sun, coursing over the inner planets in
the solar system. She then stated that it left the world covered in
nothing but ash, implying the visuals are probably exactly what happened.
In Puzzle 19, there are a lot of hints towards this. The entire puzzle
revolves around the sun, saying it was, at one time, worshipped, but is
not anymore. This would make sense. Minerva speaks of how humanity could
not understand that the powerful Ones Who Came Before were NOT Gods.
Similarly, it is likely that following the apocalypse, humanity would not
be able to understand that the sun was merely a natural phenomenon, and
that they worshipped it as something they feared, hoping to avoid its wrath.
In the puzzle, Subject 16 says that "End. Almost the End. It happened
before.", implying again that this was what caused the apocalypse. Hidden
against the Sun are four messages; two are from Hopi folklore, describing,
in a symbolic, scripture like manner what sounds like massive destruction.
The other two say "They died in the fire from the heavens." and, more
importantly, "Toba, 75ka was not a volcano". This not only makes it clear
what happened, but gives us a when as well. Possibly, 75,000 years ago,
the fire apocalypse occured, resulting in an ash layer that, found today,
indicates a massive explosion.
Finally, at the end, Lucy speculates on the idea of a geomagnetic reversal.
She says that one theory indicates that a sufficiently large solar flare
could cause the magnetic poles to shift, temporarily weakening the
Earth's magnetic field (which provides protection from stellar radiation
and energy). Once weakened, the massive solar flare would pour through
and incinerate the now undefended Earth. Given the depictions shown
by Minerva, this may very well be exactly what happened, and that it
will happen again.
===B. When It Might Happen Again===
Since Assassin's Creed 1, the end of the Mayan Long Count Calendar has been
posited as being relevant to the game's universe. The predicted date of the
Templar's satellite mind control scheme, the ultimate culmination of their
plans, would occur on the same day as the end of the Mayan Long Count.
Furthermore, a barcode written by Subject 16 showed the numerical
representation of this date.
For those who are not aware, the Mayan Long Count Calendar is a complex
calendar system that is not at all like the one used by the modern world.
It used a base of 18 and 20, rather than a base 10, and it had an
internal limit to how far it could go (akin to a counter reaching 99:99
and going no further). According to the math, this "limit" will be
reached on December 21, 2012, which is indicated in Assassin's Creed 1
to be the day the Templar would launch their satellite. As of AC1, it
was believed this represented the coming "end of the world" that many
associate with the Mayan Long Count. However, one of the previously existing
apocalypse theories about this date was of a geomagnetic reversal triggered
by a solar flare. So now, this has become the forefront expected occurance
on that date, in game. That does not change the fact that this is still
the date for the launch of the satellite. That makes for an interesting
literary plot climax; with days to go until December 21, 2012, Desmond
and Co. strive to do what they need to do, knowing full well that both
a worldwide fire apocalypse AND a mind control apocalypse were about to
occur. They will have to stop both; if they fail to stop either of the
two, all is lost . . . god I can't wait for Assassin's Creed 3.
-------------------------------
3. Humans
-------------------------------
===A. Origins===
Through the puzzles and the speech by Minerva at the end of the game, it is
very clear that humans were engineered by Those Who Came Before. Humans were
"made in the image" of Those Who Came Before, paralleling the famed concept
that the Judeo/Islamic/Christian God created man in his image. Thus, humans
look very much like Those Who Came Before.
Humans were created, it seems, by causing accelerated evolution of apes into
the modern day humans through the use of Pieces of Eden. The Templar
discuss how there is an incomplete fossil record; this indicates that up to
a certain point, apes were evolving naturally, but the process was
accelerated many years, possibly millions, in an effort to make humanity.
The Templar seem to find this concept disgusting.
Humanity was not created out of kindness or generosity, however. We were
intended as slaves/servants to Those Who Came Before, providing manual labor
for a group that seemed to have a low birth rate, hencing providing the
necessary work force. While it does not sound as if Those Who Came Before
had a particular sense of malice towards humanity, this master/servant
relationship was non-negotiable. To this end, humanity was created with
a failsafe to prevent uprisings. The human brain was installed with a
unique neurotransmitter that is activated only in the presence of a
Piece of Eden, allowing complete mental domination of a human. This
neural pathway is not present in other animals, and likely not in Those
Who Came Before.
Humanity was unable to understand how Those Who Came Before were so much
more powerful than they, and attributed Godlike qualities to them, not
understanding that Those Who Came Before were merely technologically
advanced mortals. This seems to have been met with a slight bit of
amusement from Those Who Came Before, but it likely served their
purposes well, as it would keep humanity even more firmly subjugated.
At some point humanity was able to rebel against Those Who Came Before. In
"The Truth" video, two early humans named Adam and Eve are shown stealing
a Piece of Eden. It is also possible that Adam and Eve were crossbreed
humans, giving them enhanced resistance to mind control. It also is
possible, with evidence from the games, that Pieces of Eden grant
resistance to the effects of other Pieces of Eden. Through this initial
theft, a resistance may have sprung up. While Minerva and her kind were
far more powerful than humanity, they had much fewer numbers, and with
the stolen technology, humanity was able to actually put up a fight. Who
would have won is not necessarily implied; in the distraction caused by the
war, the Earth was subject to an apocalypse which crippled both sides
severly. Humanity survived because, as Minerva said "we were built to
survive", inciting again the idea that humans were made in their image.
Humanity, made in their image, inherited some of their traits. Apparently,
one trait shared by both species was a desire for strife. Despite their
advanced knowledge and technology, Those Who Came Before were not above
war, and it was this weakness that allowed them to be distracted into
missing the signs of the coming apocalypse. Faced with the knowledge that
hatred/war had blinded them and almost cost both species their lives,
the few survivors of both sides banded together to rebuild the Earth.
Living in harmony, rather than in a master/servant relationship, they
worked together to recover scraps of civilization and restore the Earth,
which had been completely burned by the vague apocalypse.
===B. Inherited Legacy===
A small fraction of both sides survived; humans, being far more numerous,
had more survivors and were able to recover. However, Those Who Came
Before were far fewer in number, and seem to have had a low birth rate.
For this or other such reasons, they could not maintain a viable
population and slowly died off, despite having extraordinarily long
lifespans. Knowing that they would not survive, and rather than hold a
grudge against humanity, they ensured the proper defenses were in place
to resist against another such apocalypse, and seem to have left the
Earth to humans.
However, humanity never really got over their deification of Those Who Came
Before (at least not while they still existed), and traded logic and
understanding of this gift/responsibility for myth and legend. Those Who
Came Before went down in history as Gods, insubstantial, distant, and all
powerful, while the memory of their reality was forgotten. The Pieces of
Eden, left on Earth, have come to be regarded as items of godly power,
used for selfish gain, their original purpose forgotten in the legends.
Meanwhile, Templars (refered to by Minerva as "the cross") were selfish
humans who sought to take the legacy of Those Who Came Before for
themselves. They wished to use it to rule the remaining humans, and
evidently were a source of worry for Those Who Came Before. As Those Who
Came Before died out, the Templar slowly gained power, forgetting the
gift left to humanity that might one day allow them to avoid another
apocalypse. This is a shame, as the Templar are the most likely
organization to understand and be able to use defenses put in place, but
this seems to be a lost cause.
Hope remains however; Minerva implies that the factions of humanity tasked
with guarding these defenses might not have forgotten the value of peace, or
their original purpose. If the Assassins, particularly those of the Assassin
Bloodline (the last remaining descendents of Those Who Came Before), can
harness this, the Earth might yet be saved.
-------------------------------
4. Assassins
-------------------------------
===A. Known Assassins===
Aside from the main characters, such as Altair, Ezio, Desmond, and those in
the present, a number of historical figures are also revealed to have been
assassins, or people who were assassinated by them. These include:
Pre-Rennaissance:
Darius - Assassinated Xerxes
Amunet - Assassinated Cleopatra
Iltani - Assassinated Alexander the Great (Who had the Staff, PoE 34)
Wei Yu - Assassinated Qin Shi Huang
Leonius - Assassinated Caligula
Qulan Gal - Assassinated Genghis Khan
Rennaissance:
Bartolomeo d'Alviano
Niccolo Machiavelli
Dante Alighieri
Marco Pollo
Leonado Da Vinci - Aided the Assassins, but may not have actually been one.
Post-Rennaissance:
Nikola Tesla* - May have been an Assassin, but it seems more likely that he
was merely an ally of the Assassins, in a way similar to Leonardo Da Vinci.
===B. The Assassin Bloodline===
It becomes clear in Puzzle 14 that the Assassin Order is not just an
organization. There may actually be a genetic basis for certain Assassins.
However, much of this is theoretical, so the following will be mostly
speculative.
In Puzzle 14, images are shown with Gods and Mortals procreating, a message
above indicating that Assassins are the children of two worlds. If this is
to believed, it may indicate that The Ones Who Came Before and humans could
crossbreed, resulting in a hybrid being. The Ones Who Came Before were
certainly technologically advanced, but we do not know if the vast majority
of their powers came from their technology, or if they were innate. They
were certainly different in some way from humanity, but if they could
produce viable offspring, it would mean that on a physical level, they
were just advanced humans, or the other way around, that humans were an
inferior version.
Evidence, however, indicates that if this is the case, they may have had
physical powers beyond that of humanity. The puzzle seems to portray
Assassins as something unique and distinct from humans AND Those Who Came
Before. If Those Who Came Before had no powers, there would be nothing
differentiating these groups. However, we do know that there is something
more than just human abilities. Altair, Ezio, and Desmond all seem to be
in possession of abilities beyond human capabilities. Foremost is the
most blatant, Eagle Vision. There is no human equivalent to the ability,
and furthermore, not all members of the Assassin Order possess it. For
instance, Lucy Stillman seems unaware of the fingerprints on the keypad
in the beginning of Assassin's Creed 2, or of the writing on the walls.
This would indicate that, despite being an Assassin, she does not possess
Eagle Vision.
In addition to this, who are the most agile characters between the games?
Altair, Ezio, and Desmond. No one seems able to quite match their nimble
abilities, even other members of the Assassin Order. Why is it that Altair
rose to become the most skilled Assassin in his time? Or that Ezio, a
fledgling member by some standards, was chosen to fulfill the goals set
forth by the other Renaissance Assassins? It seems as if they were, on
some level, physically superior, both in natural aptitude and ability to
learn. Keep in mind that an untrained Ezio and his brother Fredericho
casually climbed dangerously tall buildings for fun, with no training,
but abilities on par with that of Altair.
To me, this indicates that Desmond's ancestry, unlike most Assassins, is a
direct line from an original hybrid between humans and Those Who Came
Before. For the sake of definition, this means that there are now two
types of Assassins.
1. Members of the Order of Assassins - These are individuals who are part of
the organization of Assassins. These include the likes of Lucy Stillman
or Shaun Hastings. Highly trained, they possess no supernatural abilities.
2. Members of the Bloodline of Assassins - These are individuals who are not
quite human, possessing some genetic ancestry going back to a different
species, Those Who Came Before. These include Altair, Ezio, and Desmond.
They are also members of the Order of Assassins, but they are distinct
from normal humans.
Henceforth, I will refer to those displaying the hybrid blood as members of
the Assassin Bloodline, rather than the Assassin Order.
What other abilities could this genetic variant possess? For one, what is it
that makes Altair different from all of his Assassin brethren, which Al
Mualim points out? He is able to resist the Apple's mind control. This
stunned Al Mualim, who had not yet encountered this phenomenon. This
would make sense. Humans were genetically designed to be subject to the
controlling powers of the Apple, and it is unlikely that Those Who Came
Before were subject to these effects. Having a hybrid ancestry possibly
allows Altair to resist these effects, in a way that other highly trained
and disciplined Assassins could not. However, he is not entirely immune
to some effects. This could be due to dilution, or only hybrid status, or
it is possible that some of the artifacts powers would indeed influence
Those Who Came Before.
Another possibility is that these artifacts were not designed to be used by
humans. Some, or all, of their abilities may not be usable by a normal
human. While Al Mualim was able to trigger the mind control effects of
the Apple, it was only Altair who was able to first access its database
(initiated by the display of the Earth covered in markers for other
artifacts). As he used it, he also gained access to possible visions of
the future, an ability mentioned by Those Who Came Before. Later, Ezio was
able to open the door to the Vault, whereas Rodrigo Borgia had not been
able to. While it sounds as if Ezio was "chosen", this could merely be a
roundabout way of saying that he had the correct genetic structure to
activate the artifacts.
And why not? The artifacts were extremely powerful in the hands of a human.
A logical, advanced society would likely include such safeguards, preventing
rogue humans from making full use of their tools. This, and the fact that
Assassins seem more agile than other humans leads me to my next topic.
===C. Links to Adam and Eve===
Adam and Eve. After viewing "The Truth", we know they were real, and we know
they stole a Piece of Eden. If they were a "first" of some kind, it was
obviously not the first humans, but possibly the first to rebel. But how was
it that they were able to rebel, when so many before had not? What made them
different? Well, we know that they were extremely agile. Somehow, they were
able to steal a Piece of Eden, and it is likely that such attempts in the
past were prevented through the Piece of Eden's mind control abilities.
Well, based on our previous conclusions, we know that members of the
Assassin Bloodline can resist the mind control, and have exceptional
agility. This might well mean that Adam and Eve, or even just one of
them (likely Eve, if such is the case) were of this hybrid Bloodline.
This would explain a lot, and it is quite possible that through Adam and
Eve, the first resistance to Those Who Came Before developed.
Why would Those Who Came Before crossbreed with humans? The answer may not
be as complex as one would think. Minerva's assertion that humans and her
own kind were both susceptible to a craving for war and strife indicates
that they share more than physically similar bodies, but a similar mindset
as well. It would not be out of the ordinary to think that passion could
get the best of such an advanced race, given that rage did the same thing.
Even in human history, when one group enslaves another, there are instances
where the master may fall in love with a slave, or even just use them for
sexual gratification. If Those Who Came Before are as similar to humans as
I believe they may be, this is likely what happened.
===D. Half-Gods===
So we may not reasonably speculate that the offspring of a cross between
humans and Those Who Came Before would result in a semi-superhuman being,
stronger than a human, but not so powerful that they became omnipotent.
Well, what does that sound like? For me, it reminds me of half-God
individuals from mythology, such as Hercules. He was extraordinarily
strong, but not quite on the level of the Gods. Gods that we now know
are symbolic, overpowered images representing individuals who truly existed.
Hercules is a great example, actually. His father was Zeus, or Jupiter in
Roman mythology. Jupiter was one of the listed "others" that Minerva
mentioned. If the true Jupiter is in anyway similar, personality wise,
to his mythological counterpart, it would mean he too had a slight
*cough* EXTREME *cough* problem with fidelity. Zeus/Jupiter of mythology
was the father of dozens of half-human individuals, the result of unions
he engaged in for nothing other than personal pleasure. Extrapolate that
mythological reputation back to the fact that we have an advanced race
(who the Gods were modeled after) with the possibility of hybrid offspring,
and we have what might be a fairly clearcut solution.
Zeus was the father of both Hercules and Perseus, individuals shown in
puzzles. Hercules was displayed in the Garden of Hesperides stealing
Golden Apples of Power (Huh? Piece of Eden what?), and Perseus was a hero,
favored by many Gods, gifted with a large number powerful items including
a divine sword, pictured in the puzzle showing Piece of Eden 25, the Sword.
It might even make sense that Perseus was favored by Those Who Came Before.
If we are to assume that they possessed normal human emotions (Minerva
herself expressed sympathy, hope, and annoyance), then love of each other
and for offspring might also be part of their psyche. If Jupiter sired
an Assassin who later went on various "human" quests of his own, and
Jupiter actually gave a damn about his son, he might just have done him a
few favors to help him out. Its not uncommon for parents to help their
kids cheat a little. It would not be extremely out of the ordinary to see
Jupiter asking Minerva (his daughter, in the mythology) to keep an eye out
for little Persey. Minerva, along with a few other Gods, granted Perseus
possesion of a number of enchanted items for his quest, and Minerva herself
kept a close eye on him, keeping him out of trouble. While this is all
speculation, I will point out that none of it is all that unlikely. And
this is the speculation section, afterall.
Why would Those Who Came Before willingly aid a human by giving one their
covetted artifacts? We do know that after the rebellion and the apocalypse,
humanity and Those Who Came Before did actually collaborate, neither one as
slaves, but as equals. It was likely some time before all of Those Who Came
Before met their end, so its possible they charged select humans with taking
care of tasks that they did not have the time to do themselves. At this
point, it is likely that humans were governing themselves, and Those Who
Came Before may have made minor strategic moves through chosen humans
(or Assassins, their favorites!), without getting too involved.
Another good example of this is the story of Jason and the Argonauts.
Ignoring all the irrelevant parts, it basically came down to Jason trying
to get the Golden Fleece (Piece of Eden 66 - The Shroud), and going on a
dangerous journy, while Hera (The Greek version of the Roman Jove) watched
over him, granting him favors and advice in his mission. In my opinion,
it all ties together very nicely. While I am sure much of the original
myths had been changed, they reveal an underlying theme of humans or
half-humans being assisted by the Gods, often with powerful artifacts in
play.
===E. The Assassin Order===
As opposed to the Assassin Bloodline, the Assassin Order's origins are
somewhat mysterious. It is implied in the Codex of Altair that the Order
which he belonged to had been created by Al Mualim, but he muses that
perhaps Al Mualim merely stumbled upon a previously existing concept.
This would imply that, prior to Al Mualim's Order, there was no existing
Assassin presence on Earth, but Altair discusses the idea that ideas cannot
be killed, and all ideas will inevitably be rediscovered. The Order itself
may harken back to the Bloodline, which may have been an organization many
thousands of years prior to the events of Assassin's Creed 1.
It is worth noting that several of the six Assassins in the Assassin's
Sanctuary were indicated as having been members of the order. The oldest
of these is over 1500 years prior to the events of Assassin's Creed 1.
The statues are clearly contemporary, however, so it is unknown whether
the Assassin order merely "claimed" these famed Assassins as members of
their fold, if they truly were of the same order.
The Order itself has been shifting back and forth from being the dominiant
member of the feud with the Templar. This timeline is worth noting.
~1150: The Assassin Order seems to no longer exist; it is refounded by Al
Mualim.
1191: The events of Assasin's Creed 1 begin. The Assassins start at a
disadvantage, with the Templar and their manipulated factions potentially
poised to destroy Masyaf.
1191: With the defeat of Robert de Sable and many of his highest ranking
agents, as well as Al Mualim (not to mention gaining an uneasy alliance
with King Henry), the Assassin Order seems to have the upper hand,
especially with their possession of the Piece of Eden.
~1191-1250?: Over the course of Altair's life, he pursues the Templar, but
they going into hiding.
~1296: Over 100 years later, Ezio's great great grandfather is trained as an
Assassin. His benefactors, several Assassins, are killed by the Templars, as
the Templar attempt to retake Altair's Codex. This shows the Templar
coming back out of hiding into a position of power.
1476: The events of Assassin's Creed 2 begin. The Templar have put a
significant number of individuals into positions of power, and have
orchestrated plots to allow these individuals to gain even more power.
By the end of the game, their leader himself becomes Pope, possibly the
most powerful individual in the world at that time in history.
1476-1499: Ezio learns the Assassin way and eliminates these Templar one by
one. He eventually kills all except for their leader, but takes two Pieces
of Eden which the Templar spent centuries trying to obtain, depriving them
of victory and dealing them harsh blow to their number.
1500-1900: Over the next few hundred years, the Templar seem to find their
way into positions of power world wide, particularly that of the newly
founded American Presidency.
1900-1950: The Templar manipulate technological advances and politics in
their favor, obtaining a number of Pieces of Eden in the process. They
start World War II, with several of the main factions on either side under
their control, utterly controlling the course of the war, and ending it
when they pleased. Once finished, this leaves them with an extremely
strong foothold in the world's power scheme, controlling the victors and
the losers of Earth's largest war, but at the cost of a single Assassin
reprisal; the possible loss of one of their ranking members and a Piece
of Eden.
1950-2010: The Templar find themselves virtually controlling the developing
world. Mention is made of illegal connections in the United States
government, and the Templar control major technological advances, slowly
approaching their goal of world domination. They begin to systematically
track down and eliminate groups of Assassins across the world, overpowering
them with numbers and greater resources. A few Assassin counterattacks are
made, slowing, but not stopping, the advance towards their ultimate goal.
2012: The present day events concerning Desmond occur. Warren Vidic, though
at least partially incorrect, indicates that all of the Assassins have been
wiped out. Though we later find a few groups remain, a serious blow has been
delivered to their organization. A rescue mission to save Desmond fails,
resulting in the loss of even more Assassins. At the end of Assassin's
Creed 1, the Templar extract the knowledge they desire from Desmond.
Late 2012: Lucy Stillman escapes with Desmond from Abstergo. She attempts to
train him in the ways of the Assassin, by allowing him to experience the
events of his ancestor, Ezio. This is successful, though he suffers some
side effects. Lucy believes that all it takes is one person sometimes to
win a war, and her hope is that Desmond will be that one person. She also
identifies that the Templar are not the most significant threat, and the
stakes suddenly become much higher.
===F. Motives of the Assassins===
The Assassins have several motives. While the Assassins seem concerned with
countering Templar activities, they also concern themselves with politics
unrelated to the feud. Similarly, while the Templar have an ultimate goal
that, once reached, would bring about their victory, the Assassins have
no such possible victory; their goal is to counter the Templar indefinitely,
and simultaneously maintain peace through strategic assassination. More
specifically . . .
The Assassins believe in the concept of freedom, particularly, freedom to
choose one's own path and actions. While the idea of slavery goes against
their creed, even worse an offense is enforcing ignorance on the masses.
They believe that decisions are key to human life, and that these decisions
must be educated ones, even if the knowledge gained in the process is
painful to the person. The supression of knowledge and wisdom is a popular
tactic of tyrants (not to mention the Templar), and so the Assassins believe
that by eliminating these individuals, freedom of knowledge and choice can
be granted to the masses. The Templar, too, would seek to subjugate humanity
by removing free will, or by manipulating human knowledge to come to the
same result (if you mind control all of humanity into thinking a decision
is the right one, you effectively choose for them). To this end, the
Assassins fight for freedom of knowledge and choice on two fronts, that
of humanity in general, and that of the Templar.
-------------------------------
5. Templar
-------------------------------
===A. Known Templar===
I will start with a chronological list of known Templar. Speculated Templar
will be marked with an asterisk.
Prehistory:
Cain - First "Templar", killed Abel for the Piece of Eden. May be Templar in
behavior only. Later Templar use his symbol as their own.
Crusades:
1190 - AC: Altair's Chronicles
Basilisk - Grand Master of the Templar during AC:AC
Master of the Tower
Alaat
Roland Napule
1191 - Assassin's Creed 1
Robert de Sable - Grand Master of the Templar during AC1
Maria - Robert's assistant. Eventually joins the Assassins?
Tamir
Garnier de Naplouse
Talal
Abul Nuqoud
William V of Montferrat
Majd Addin
Jubair al Hakim
Sibrand
Masun - Assassin traitor
Al Mualim - Traitor to the main Templar body, forming his own sect
1191-1192? - Assassin's Creed Bloodlines
Armand Bouchart - Grand Master of the Templar during AC:B
Frederick the Red
Moloch
Shahar
Shalim
1390
Freemasons - Earliest known Masonic text originates from this time.
Freemasons seem to be a Templar organization.
1480 - Assassin's Creed II
Rodrigo Borgia - Grand Master/Leader of the Templar during ACII
Uberto Alberti
Jacopo de' Pazzi
Francesco de' Pazzi
Vieri de' Pazzi
Antonio Maffei
Francesco Salviati
Bernado Baroncelli
Stefano de Bagnone
Emilio Barbarigo
Carlo Grimaldi
Marco Barbarigo
Dante Moro
Silvio Barbarigo
1700s
George Washington - Member of the Freemasons
1800s
Joseph Smith Jr. - Possible Freemason, translated Templar text. Founded
Mormon faith.
1900s
Rasputin - Served as Templar agent, influencing Czar Nicholas II
Thomas Edison
J.P. Morgan
Henry Ford
Harvey Firestone* - Close ally of Ford and Edison
Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Member of the Freemasons
Adolf Hitler - Worked for the Templar. Started WWII for Templar ends.
C (Possibly Churchill) - Was supposed to meet with Hitler after WWII.
O (Probably Oppenheimer*) - Worked under Templar, doing atomic research
Lee Harvey Oswald - Commit JFK assassination under Templar Orders
Z (Possibly Abraham Zapruder*) - Assisted in JFK assassination
Lyndon B. Johnson - Templar agent, president of the U.S.
Buzz Aldrin* - Cryptic message "the bees drone too" may reference Aldrin.
2012 - Modern Day
Allan Rikken - Highest known ranking member of modern Templar
Warren Vidic - Abstergo scientist
===B. Organizations and Influence===
The Templar are an ancient organization, using many names over the millenia.
The name "Templar" itself seems to be a recent name, as they have been
active at least since the time of Jesus, using the red cross as their
symbol, but the Templar organization did not arise until more than a
millenium later. As opposed to the Assassins, the Templar M.O. tends to
be to create influential organizations, use these organizations to put
members into positions of power, and then use this power to work towards
Templar means. Usually, these organizations have a publicly known goal;
this helps draw attention away from their true purposes, while not causing
suspicion as to why they seek power. Sometimes this goal can be used as a
diversion; enemies of the organizations will seek to undermine the public
goal, allowing the organization to achieve its true purposes without
opposition.
These influence has spread to include a large number of powerful groups over
the years. These include:
The Knights Templar
Several other Crusader Organizations
The Ruling Bodies of Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus
The Freemasons
Possibly the Mormon Faith (likely only at upper levels of the Faith)
Possibly NASA
A significant number of American Presidents
Various circles of scientific entrepreneurs
Several of the world leaders during WWII (U.S., Germany, and England?)
Abstergo Industries
The Assassin Order
I would like to draw attention to the last group. Yes, the Templar actually
controlled the Assassin Order. Furthermore, it seems as if they may have
even created it, as Al Mualim was the founder and father of the Assasin
Order. It is not likely he inherited his role, so it is possible the
entire order was founded for the whims of a rogue Templar. However, it
is worth noting that Altair muses on the idea that Al Mualim merely
revived a concept that had existed far longer than the Order itself.
This may refer to the difference between the Assassin Order and the
Assassin Bloodline. Ultimately, however, Assassin Creed 1's Order was
technically founded by the Templar, even if this were not to last.
===C. Ultimate Goals===
At face value, the Templar Order seems to have two goals. First, is the
aquisition and monopoly of power, especially the artifacts of Those Who Came
Before. Subjugation and control of the masses, particularly those who would
oppose them, through any means necessary. The first goal, in a sense, is
merely the means for accomplishing the second goal. Furthermore, the
second goal is done with the ultimate purpose of instilling world peace
and stability.
When asked, the Templar state that their goal is bringing peace and
happiness to the world, whatever the consequences. This would be an
ultimate philosophical goal for their order, giving them their moral
highground from which they can comfortably do what they need to do
without remorse. This is extremely effective, as virtually no Templar
throughout the games shows any guilt for the actions they have done,
truly believing they are doing good. This is important form of
psychological conditioning; with it in place, turnover and betrayal is
greatly reduced (important in a secret society), and a zealous morality
strengthens and focuses the drive to serve the order.
In this sense, the Templar are not, nor do they consider themselves, evil.
They merely differ from the Assassins in one key point; the Templar
believe that peace is more important than free will, that removing the
element of choice is a necessary sacrifice to ensure survival. The
Assassins believe that peace is a worthy goal, but it is empty and
meaningless if not chosen. Their "sacrifice" in the name of peace is
the belief that taking a few, key lives is worth the benefit if it
allows freedom and free will.
This binds the orders on another level. They are both practitioners of the
political/philosophical policy of Utilitarianism, which is to say, they both
seek to attain the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people,
recognizing that there must be sacrifice, or a few unhappy people, to attain
a "greater good". Both Assassins and Templar believe it is okay to take the
lives of others to gain this goal (though the Assassins seem less liberal
in the use of death for their goals. Ironic, that Assassins are hesitant
to kill, in this sense). The only true difference is that Assassins believe
it is NOT okay to sacrifice free will for this end. This policy is further
cemented when Altair takes over the Assassin Order, removing certain rules
and restrictions that hindered or blinded free will and thought. An
interesting example of this is in Altair's use of his Piece of Eden. The
only time he used it to manipulate others was so he could show them the
truth, clearing their minds of the propaganda that clouded their judgement
and free will.
I digress, however, from this lengthy comparison. The ultimate goal of the
Templar, taking into consideration the artifacts, is to use a Piece of
Eden's mind control abilities to entirely enslave mankind, forcing an
unprecedented era of peace and "happiness". Accomplishing this goal is
expensive, complicated, and requires political power, so certain parts of
their organization aim not to collect the artifacts, but to maintain power
and resources. As stated by Vidic, many of the technological advances
throughout history were made by the Templar, either with the intention
of aiding their ultimate goal (space travel and satellite technology) or
to help strengthen their position of power (atomic weaponry) and resources
aquisition (developing electricity and charging money for it).
Even as far back as the Crusader Templar, there was the immediate goal of
"the new world order". It is possible that the Templar may have been able
to subjugate the world with a Piece of Eden, even if it had to be carried by
hand to various parts of the world. But Al Mualim's loss to Altair
demonstrated one thing; the Piece of Eden is only part of the solution. You
cannot subjugate everyone with the Piece of Eden's power, and you must also
be able to defeat those who can resist it. To this end, gaining government
power and a technological advantage serve a double purpose, helping to
achieve their ends in the now, and ensuring victory against those who resist
the mind control. Additionally, more Pieces of Eden might possess powers
that could be used to defeat those who resisted the mind control.
However, as the years passed, it became obvious that just manually carrying
a Piece of Eden would not be exactly efficient, so research was put towards
finding ways of gaining more power, or making said power more convenient.
Rodrigo Borgia sought the Vault, hoping to find within power more potent
than that of the Apple (he would have been disappointed). Meanwhile, in the
present, the idea of using the Apple in a satellite was developed, and as
of AC1, the day of this launch is quickly approaching.
The Templar are not stupid, however, and they seem to recognize that certain
types of power are just too dangerous. The Philadelphia Experiment,
seemingly performed by the government and NOT the Templar, showed that a
certain Piece of Eden could allow time travel, if brief. The Templar show
a strong interest in understanding and controlling this phenomenon, but
once in control, they promptly secured the Piece of Eden and are conducting
no more research. They fear the concept of a Temporal Paradox, a potentially
disasterous outcome of time travel, and even they find that much power to be
too risky to meddle with.
One trait the morally minded Templar seem to ignore is their own selfish,
immorality. Many of the Templar, though convinced of their moral highground,
partake of extremely violent, greedy, and weak-minded behaviors. Individuals
such as Tamir the Merchant give into a blind rage, mercilessly and brutally
murdering people who anger them, with no real moral reason for doing so.
Others, such as Marco Barbarigo, attempt to brutally murder their own loyal
retainers for selfish greed, in this situation, ordering a hit on his
guard captain Dante Moro so he could have Dante's wife for his own. There is
no possible reason for this to be done "for the sake of mankind", but the
supposedly moral Templar seem to overlook such blatantly evil behavior. For
some reason, the Templar heirarchy does not seem to believe that this sort
of evil, perpetrated by their own number, is an issue. In this sense, their
grand scheme of providing "the greater good" is more of a grand farce. They
cannot even control their own evil behavior, so why should they be granted
the right to subjugate other such deviants.
Rodrigo Borgia, like many individuals of the Rennaisance, might have been
one of the best examples of a Templar corrupted by his own desires.
Ignoring the other such disturbing implications shown in his video, or his
willingness to kill, he infiltrated one of the largest religions on Earth,
and expressed a belief that the entire religion was a sham (while
maintaining his position and doing nothing to show its followers the
truth). Furthermore, he did believe that a God of sorts existed, and
desired to enslave God's power for his own selfish purposes. This act is
associated with one other important figure in Religion; Satan. In Dante's
Inferno, at the bottom of hell lies the imprisoned Satan, the most despised
of all of the sinners, for committing so greivous and arrogant a sin as
"Treachery against God". If Dante had played Assassin's Creed 2, Rodrigo
Borgia would probably be right there next to him. Of course, Dante
Alighieri was a member of the Assassin Order, so he fits into this
comparison quite nicely.
-------------------------------
6. Artifacts
-------------------------------
===A. Known Artifacts and Timeline===
First off, I would like to document the known artifacts.
Known artifacts:
Piece of Eden 1 - Apple
Piece of Eden 2 - Apple
Piece of Eden 3 - Apple
Piece of Eden 4 - Apple
Piece of Eden 5 - Apple
Piece of Eden 25 - Sword
Piece of Eden 34 - Staff
Piece of Eden 66 - Shroud
Piece of Eden X - Unknown (Capable of limited time travel)
Altair's Apple - Piece of Eden Unknown
Now, I would like to document a timeline for each.
If labeled with a (TC) it is under Templar Control.
PE1
1812 AD - Owned by Napoleon Bonaparte
1913 AD - Owned by Houdini
1915 AD - The Templar have Houdini killed, taking it (TC)
1963 AD - Confirmed to still be in Templar possession (TC)
PE2
1559 AD - Owned by Queen Elizabeth
1930 AD - Owned by Gandhi
1946 AD - The Templar have Gandhi killed, taking it (TC)
1963 AD - Confirmed to still be in Templar possession (TC)
~2012 AD - Destroyed in the DIA Event
PE3
X-1781 AD - Brought to America by the Masons (TC)
1781 AD - Owned by George Washington (TC)
1944 AD - Owned by Franklin Roosevelt (TC)
1963 AD - Owned by John F. Kennedy (TC?)
November 22, 1963 - Taken from JFK during Assassination (TC)
PE4
~900 AD - In the possession of an unknown Chinese warrior
~1900 AD - Found in Croatia by Nikola Tesla, who kept it
~1900-1908 AD - Stolen by Thomas Edison (TC)
~1914 AD - In the possession of Henry Ford, lent by Edison (TC)
~1914-1945 AD - In the possession of Adolf Hitler (TC)
1945 AD< - Unknown, possibly in the possession of the Assassins
PE5
>1969 AD - Apparently, in the dirt on the moon
1969 AD - Found on the moon, retrieved during Apollo 11 (TC)
PE25 - The Sword
Pre-history - In the possession of Sigmund the Nordic hero
Pre-history - In the possession of Perseus the Nordic hero
~420-450 AD - In the possession of Attila the Hun
~480-900 AD- In the possession of King Arthur at some point
1431 AD - In the possession of Joan of Arc
1431 AD+ - Taken by the Templar, killing Joan in the process (TC)
PE34 - The Staff
~1200 BC - In the possession of Moses and his brother Aaron
700 BC - In the possession of Shabataka
330 BC - In the possession of Alexander the Great
30 AD - In the possession of John the Baptist
31 AD - Passed to the possession of St. Peter, the first pope.
31 AD - 1492 AD - In possession of the popes, as the Papal staff.
1492 AD - 1499 AD - In the possession of Rodrigo Borgia, Pope Alexander (TC)
~1903 - In the possession of Czar Nicholas II of Russia
~1904-1908 - Taken by Rasputin, Nicholas' mystic, to Tunguska (TC)
1908 - Tunguska is utterly destroyed in the Tunguska Event
PE66 - The Shroud
Pre-history - In the possession of Jason the Greek Hero
>1700 BC - In the possession of Jacob, father of Joseph?
1700 BC - In the possession of Joseph, of Jewish/Biblical Scripture
970 BC - In the possession of David, of Jewish/Biblical Scripture
30 AD - In the possession of Jesus of Biblical Scripture
30 AD and later - In the possession of the Templar (TC)
PEX - Time Travel Device
1943 - Philadelphia Experiment "works", but causes damage to artifact (TC)
2012 - Original artifact is repaired, but kept in isolation (TC)
Altair's Apple
Altair's Apple is likely Piece of Eden 1, 2, or 3, but it is not clear which
one it is.
1191 - In Solomon's Temple
1191 - Taken by Malik from the Temple and given to Al Mualim
1191 - Taken from the now revealed Templar Al Mualim, by Altair
1191+ - Altair studies the artifact, and takes it to Cyprus for safekeeping
14xx - Retrieved from Cyprus by Rodrigo Borgia
1499 - Used by Ezio to open the Vault in the Vatican
===B. Artifact Powers===
Next, I using the ingame demonstrations, and the consistancy shown between
mythology, I will create a list of definite and speculative abilties of each
one.
The Apples
1. Mind control over humans - This can include complete domination and
(temporary?) mind cleansing, or it can be more subtle, inducing
hallucinations, convincing individuals of a fact, or even insanity.
Functions by activating an otherwise dormant neural pathway, specifically
found only in humans. Possession of another artifact seems to negate or
limit the effects, as does being a member of the Assassin bloodline.
Altair was able to resist the direct mind control effect, but the
hallucinations still seemed to influence him, though he fought through them.
2. Immobilization - A seemingly non-neural ability to immobilize a target.
Strange bursts of light appear on the body of the afflicted target,
indicating that it is purely physical. Resistance to the mind control
effect does not seem to help in resisting the immobilization.
3. Duplication - The Apples seem to possess the ability for an individual to
duplicate him or herself, and potentially bestow a different appearance upon
the duplicates, which are capable of independent behavior. It is possible
this is just a use of the hallicination ability, but it seems that
duplicates are physical beings and can cause physical harm, indicating
that this is an independent power. Loss of a duplicate does not seem to
harm the original.
4. Storage of Data - The Apples seem to not only be an item of control, but
also a library of data. Altair regularly mentions delving into the depths
of his Apple to find information, but it seems it is not a simple task.
His records indicate it requires a strong mind, and that care should be
taken when using them, and he expresses a fear of losing oneself to it.
It is possible that the Apples were not intended for use by humans, and
that this ability is only somewhat accessible by them. It also can track
the location of other artifacts in its database.
5. Foresight - It seems that Those Who Came Before had a limited form of
foresight which required significant effort on their part. Altair seems able
to tap into this ability through the apple, in a limited manner, indicating
that the Apples themselves were the device through which the foresight was
accomplished.
6. Opening Vaults - By combining the Staff (PoE 34) and an Apple, it was
possible to open a vault. It is not shown if all of the vaults require the
same combination, or if other combinations are possible.
7. Extended Life (Speculated) - In a number of the Apple related myths
indicated in the puzzles, the Apple in question carried powers, and the
most common of these powers was eternal/extended life/youth. Altair
himself muses on the idea of extending his own life through the use of
the Apple, but whether he succeeded is not known.
8. Temptation/Resisting Destruction (Speculated) - It seems as if something
about the apples causes humans to desire them, but in a sense that also
limits their desire to destroy them. Like the One Ring of Lord of the
Rings, when it comes time to destroy the Apple, it takes phenomenal
willpower to do so, and many people crave possessing it. It takes Altair
several years to muster up the will to destroy it (which he was unable to
do physically anyway), but at the end of Assassin's Creed 1, he was unable
to destroy the Apple as he swore to do, choosing rather to use it for
study. If the Apples were designed to control humans, then it would be
logical to instill a safeguard within them preventing humans from destroying
them willfully. Altair's ability to do so after years of effort may be a
side-effect of his Assassin bloodline. It is also worth noting that the
Apple of the Garden of Eden is nearly synonymous with Temptation, and the
Apples in the various myths are also highly coveted (and well guarded by
non-human methods).
The Staff
1. Area of Effect Attack - One ability of the Staff that is definitively
demonstrated is a sweeping area of effect strike, used to knock over nearby
opponents. Once downed, some sort of energy seems to physically weaken
victims of the attack, causing them to fall prone to the ground for some
time. Like the Mind Control, it is possible to resist this ability. Ezio
indicates that his possession of an Apple allows this, but it is also
possible his Assassin bloodline granted him this ability as well. The
physical wave still seems to hit him, but the weakening status effect has
limited use on Ezio (though not entirely non-existant).
2. Short-range Telekinesis - The Staff demonstrates the ability to provide a
short range "force push" of sorts, knocking Ezio over, allowing Borgia to
use his disabling Area of Effect ability. It seems to work well on Ezio,
despite his Apple and Assassin Bloodline.
3. Cloaking - Using the Staff seems to allow its users to temporarily cloak
themselves. The limitations and duration of this ability are not shown.
4. Opening Vaults - By combining the Staff with an apple, it was possible to
open a vault. It is not shown if all of the vaults require the same
combination, or if other combinations are possible.
5. Mind control over humans (Speculated) - Like all of the Pieces of Eden,
it seems that those in possession of the Staff had an extraordinary large
number of followers. This indicates that it is possible it too was capable
of the mind swaying abilities shown by the Apple. Similarly, it also seems
possible it was capable of the hallucination inducing abilities, as it was
used numerous times in the Moses myth to perform otherwise supernatural
feats.
6. Other Apple Abilities (Speculated) - Ultimately, it seems that there is
some overlap between the Apples and the other Pieces of Eden. How many of
the abilities shown by the Apples are possessed by the Staff is unknown,
if any, but it is a possibility that it too has the Data Storage abilities.
Rodrigo Borgia seemed suprised at the Duplication and Immobilization
capabilities of the Apple, so it is unlikely that the Staff had these
abilities as well.
The Sword (Entirely Speculative)
1. Combat Prowess - All five individuals who possessed the Sword in the
puzzle are known for being, in one way or another, particularly skilled
in melee combat. Like the Apple, it is possible that the Sword bestows
enhanced combat knowledge upon its user, or guides/enhances the abilities
of the user to the point that they are notably more skilled than their
opponents.
2. Physically Strong Cutting Edge - Several of the myths include the Sword
being made of supernatural material that was unsusceptible to wear and
tear, and capable of cutting through extremely hard substances. For
example, being shoved deep into a stone (Arthurian legend) or a tree
(Sigmund's legend). Given the nature of those legends, it is also possible
that only certain people could activate the weapon, or that its activation
required a certain action unknown to most, and that only when activated
did its special powers work (hence, being unable to be drawn from its
place, as its edge was not active).
3. Knowledge of War - Several of the owners of the Sword were also skilled
tacticians, notably Joan of Arc (who was the LEAST combat skilled of the
five), leading their people on successful campaigns, sometimes when
completely outmatched or where others had failed.
4. Limited Foresight - Like the Apple, it is possible that the Sword offers
some form of combat foresight, accounting for the successful military
campaigns led by some of its owners. Joan of Arc's legacy specifically
mentions divine inspiration providing her with the advanced knowledge of
her enemy's movements, especially significant given that there is no way
she could have made the complex military predictions on her own (she
had less than a year's veterancy in the military, and was an uneducated
farm girl).
5. Other Apple Abilities - Like the Staff and the Apples, the users of the
Sword often had a large number of loyal followers, and some were powerful
leaders and kings. It may have possessed the same, or a limited form of,
mind control abilities as the Apples. Possibly the same with stored
knowledge.
The Shroud (Entirely Speculative)
1. Resistance to Harm - The Golden Fleece had a number of capabilities,
including being highly resistant to attack. When in the possession of David,
he chose to wear it to combat a veteran giant soldier, turning down a King's
personal suit of armor. If it is preferable to a high quality suit of armor,
and given the outcome of David's battle, it may be likely that the Shroud
protects against physical harm while being worn.
2. Healing Abilities (Possibly Resurrection) - The Golden Fleece was capable
of healing the wounded or just-recently killed, and Jesus (in possession of
the shroud) healed a number of disabled or wounded individuals. Jesus healed
a variety of ailments, included fresh wounds, injury induced disabilities,
birth defects, and mental disorders. He also was known to have revived a
recently dead man. He himself was also well known for being revived after
death, possibly through long term exposure to the Shroud (As it was taken by
the Templar after he died). Hence, the Shroud may be designed so that it
can repair natural and unnatural wounds and physical defects, as well as
curing mental disabilities and reviving the recently dead.
3. Strange/Changing Color - The Golden Fleece was supposed to be amazingly
brilliant in color, but it was definitely gold. In the puzzle, all of the
later owners wore a red cloak, and Joseph's beautiful cloak was well known
for being "techni-color". It is possible it could change color at the whim
of the owner, but still possessed a consistant beauty.
4. Other Apple Abilities - Like the Staff and Sword before, the wearers of
the Shroud had large groups of loyal followers, indicating the possibility
of the mind control abilities present in the Apples.
===C. The Current State of Things===
With that concluded, let us look at the present state of the Assassin's
Creed universe. In Desmond's time, to the best of our knowledge, the templar
are in possession of a large number of the known artifacts. At their last
known sightings, the Templar possessed 3 of the 5 Apples. They also had the
Shroud and the Sword in their last known sightings (2000 and 600 years ago,
respectively). The last known artifact, the Staff, seems to have been
destroyed. They have a reconstructed version of Artifact X, the time control
artifact. Given this, it also seems the Templar have a limited understanding
of the technology of the Artifacts, indicating the possibility of them being
able to make them some time in the future. They also have knowledge of the
location of many more artifacts.
Meanwhile, the Assassins, while losing ground, are not entirely out of the
ballgame. They seem to be responsible for the destruction of 2 artifacts,
and may be in possession of an Apple.
===D. Deeper Meaning Behind the Artifacts===
It is speculated by Altair that the Artifacts are merely discarded
playthings, given divine significance by humans. He may have been closer
to the truth than anyone things. While it is clear the artifacts are not
merely trinkets, and that they are truly powerful for humans, they seem
to have been a tool of everyday use for Those Who Came Before. The Apples,
specifically, seem to have been some sort of multi-tool/PDA of sorts, from
which the user could access a vast library of knowledge, see the location
on Earth of other users, potentially see the future, and control one's
human slaves. Powerful by human standards, certainly, but seemingly not
so much within the context of the extremely powerful Those Who Came Before.
The artifacts, however, seem to have been limited in their creation. They
are not so abundantly plentiful that they were mass produced; rather,
given the limited number of the Ones Who Came Before, it is possible that
there was just 1 artifact created for each, though possibly more, given
that different artifacts had different uses. This may have been partly
due to fear of them falling into the wrong hands; through their use, humans
would gain several advantages in rebeling against their masters. In addition
to gaining resistance to some of the powers of the artifacts, humanity
would also gain access to the technological knowledge stored within the
artifacts, as well as use of its combat abilities, and an extended lifespan
(In the Bible, Adam was supposed to have lived for 930 years).
In this sense, it seems that ultimately, Altair is correct in his analysis
of the artifacts as far more trivial than the millenia spanning fued
between Templar and Assassins would dictate. However, Puzzle #19 reveals
something more, implying that the artifacts may have had a much more
significant purpose. After hinting at the end of the world almost happening
in the past, Subject 16 says "The pieces were once part of a whole."
Minerva's statements at the end of the game indicate that there is still
hope if the other Temples can be found, possibly bearing more artifacts.
It seems that through the combined power of a large number of artifacts,
the apocalypse which devastated the Earth the first time might be
mitigated enough to allow humanity to survive, a gift from the Ones
Who Came Before to their creations.
*******************************
VII. Personal Musings
I have a few topics I would like to talk about, just for my own personal
indulgence and interest.
1. The Mottos
Nothing Is True. Everything Is Permitted.
May The Father Of Understanding Guide Us.
These mottos reflecting the Assassin and Templar orders are stated time and
time again throughout the games. However, I find them ironic. Ultimately, I
believe that they correspond to the wrong groups.
Take the Templar's motto, for instance. "May The Father Of Understanding
Guide Us" . . . this indicates a strong sense of reverence for knowledge,
enlightement, and guidance by such traits. Knowing the facts, unclouded by
propaganda and enforced uneducation . . . this sounds very much like an
Assassin philosophy. The Templar, who seek to subjugate humanity by
clouding judgement, or ultimately removing judgement entirely, do not
seem to be the foremost authority to speak on the nature of understanding.
Similarly, the Assassin's motto only halfway represents them. "Nothing Is
True. Everything Is Permitted." Ultimately, the first half makes sense.
One of the Assassin's foremost ideas is that rulers create myths to
control the people, and that one can never take these ideas (or any ideas)
completely to heart. At the same time, Altair muses in his codex that the
Templar are painfully aware that nothing can be completely, and ultimately
true, and it is this fact that leads them to create their own reality and
truth. Hence, the fact that "Nothing Is True" is the driving belief behind
the Templar's goals. Next, "Everything Is Permitted." The Assassins
believe that sacrifices must be made, usually in the form of key
individuals, for the sake of the greater good. However, they draw the line
in many things, refusing to kill innocents, and respecting free will above
all else. It is the Templar who truly believe that anything can be
sacrificed in the name of their ultimate goal. There is nothing so immoral
or so catastrophic that it is not worth doing if it will allow them to be
one step closer to realization of their new world order. The Templar live
by the policy that "Everything Is Permitted".
I suppose it could be argued either way, but I found it interesting that
these two mottos seem almost reversed.
2. Artifacts of Legend!
I cannot wait until Assassin's Creed 3. You know what I am waiting for most
of all? More Pieces of Eden. The revelation of the Sword, the Staff and the
Shroud, and the association between them and mythological items just
struck a chord with me, and I find myself considering other such
possibilities. I have always been a fan of mythology, and magical weapons
and the like have always been my favorite. So, I would love to see more
of these items brought into the series. A few I would personally
love to see:
The Spear - Athena (Minerva) wielded a spear, and Odin, King of the Norse
gods, weilded an enchanted spear (Gungnir) which could not miss its target.
One spear, now regarded in a mythological context, is the Spear of Longinus
(also known as the Spear of Destiny), a lance used to pierce the side of
Jesus while he was on the cross.
The Helmet - Athena/Minerva in mythology seemed to always were a helmet of
some sort; however, we now see that Minerva wore some sort of headpiece
that did not seem particularly special. However, helmets do come into
play in other respects. In the legend of Perseus, he was granted several
gifts, one of which was the helmet of Hades/Pluto, which allowed him to
turn invisible. The Staff was already depicted as offering a cloaking
ability, so this is not outside the realm of realistic.
The Boots - Another item in the Perseus myth were Hermes/Mercury's enchanted
sandals. They were made of gold, and had wings which allowed the user to fly
at tremendous speeds. Within the context of an artifact, they could merely
be some sort of propulsion device worn on the feet, yet still an
interesting item.
*******************************
VIII. Legal Somesuch
This file is written and copyrighted by me, Irvine Tomoe. That being said,
much of this is interpretation of facts that are merely implied already in a
game. I would appreciate not passing off the document as one's own creation,
but realistically, none of this is mine. I just made the connections that
anyone can, with enough effort and research. If you would like you put it on
a website, go ahead, though an email sent my way would be appreciated at
DarkerCompanion@gmail.com. Thanks, and I hope you will be respectful, and
spread this information to as many players of Assassin's Creed 2 as
possible.
*******************************
IX. Credits
Credits go to four.
Ubisoft, for making this game. All the connections I made over the past few
days were not invented: they were found. The makers at Ubisoft must have had
to scour history for ways to tie all of this in, and they have done an
incredible job. How they found all of these coincidences is uncanny . . .
and I am impressed.
Gamefaqs, for hosting this guide, and for hosting the sharing of information
on their forums.
Wikipedia, for being my one-click guide to the world's information. Tesla
would be proud.
And last, Gamefaqs user Failbaddon who pointed out for me that Abraham
Zapruder is a significant Z named individual in the JFK assassination. I
would NOT have found that one on my own.