Assassin's Creed Initiates: The Reformer - Altair's Story
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 | 23 -DAMASCUS // SYRIA // 1191 - A COWARD'S TOOL
Altaïr entered Abu'l Nuqoud's palace and mingled with the happy guests at the party. Soon their corpulent host revealed himself to the crowd on a large balcony that looked over the courtyard. The Merchant King greeted his guests and encouraged them to drink the wine he had provided. Abu'l praised the generosity of his guests to Salah Al'Din's war campaign, and wished that they be given everything that they deserve.
But Abu'l Nuqoud's kind words quickly soured and he began to call out his guests for their hypocrisy. The Merchant King claimed to have abandoned the Saracen cause for a new one which would allow everyone to live together in peace. Just then, a guest died from the poisoned wine and Abu'l gave the order to his archers to kill anyone who tried to escape.
Panic gripped the crowd and Altaïr used the chaos to scale the walls to reach his target. Altaïr accused Abu'l Nuqoud of stealing money from the people of Damascus and sending it away to unknown places. Abu'l refused to finance a war for a people and faith who would label him as an abomination. Altaïr demanded to know the identity of his new cause. Abu'l refused to divulge that information, and only offered that he and Altaïr were the same, willing to take lives for a greater good and told the Assassin that he could not stop them from attaining their new world.
Altaïr left Abu'l's body and returned the Assassin Bureau.
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 | 24 - MASYAF // SYRIA // 1191 - WHAT WE SEE TO BE TRUE
Al Mualim praised Altaïr's success and was sure that they were healing the nearby cities as they cleansed them of corruption. Altaïr was less sure, as all his targets died without regrets and confident of their success. Altaïr was convinced that there was a link between the men he had been sent to kill.
Al Mualim praised Altaïr's perception, but then advised him to silence all questions and obey him, leaving a frustrated Altaïr with no other choice but to proceed to his next target.
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 | 25 - ACRE // ISRAEL // 1191 - A POLITICIAN IN HIS OWN WAY
Altaïr returned to the Assassin Bureau in Acre and asked the Rafiq what he knew about his next target, William de Montferrat. The Rafiq stated that William was named Regent of Acre while King Richard fought his war. Many thought it was an odd choice, given that William's son Conrad frequently clashed with the King over many matters, to the point where many believed that each man secretly planned to do the other harm. The Rafiq believed that William was placed in Acre, not as a promotion, but as a hostage to prevent Conrad from acting out.
Altaïr quickly began an investigation in the Rich District of Acre and discovered that William's army was large, but that he still had enemies, thanks to his rivalry with the King. The Assassin planned to use King Richard's visit as a cover to infiltrate the Crusader Citadel and strike while William brooded over another miserable encounter with his king.
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 | 26 - ACRE // ISRAEL // 1191 - THE WORDS OF A SNAKE
Altaïr watched King Richard depart the Citadel, scolding William for executing Saracen prisoners of war. William defended his actions, but Richard was not interested in his excuses, and returned to his Crusades. A frustrated William retreated into the citadel, intent on taking out his mood on his soldiers.
Altaïr infiltrated the Citadel and found William angrily berating his soldiers. The Assassin took advantage of William's distraction and ended his life. As he lay dying, William denied any attempts to claim Acre for his son Conrad. Yet he did not claim to hold the city for Richard, stating that he only sought to keep Acre for his people. Altaïr accused him of stealing food from the citizens and drafting soldiers into his army. William countered that he was hoarding food for the lean seasons and not teaching the people arts of war, but rather discipline and order. Before he died, William mocked Altaïr, informing him that he was not freeing the cities as he believed, but rather damning them.
Altaïr escaped from the Citadel and returned to the Assassin Bureau and tried to discuss William's final words with the Rafiq. The old man was not interested in hearing them, and suggested Altaïr take it up with Al Mualim.
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 | 27 - MASYAF // SYRIA // 1191 - KNOWLEDGE PRECEEDS ACTION
Al Mualim sensed Altaïr's frustration and gave him permission to speak his mind. Altaïr spoke of the cryptic dying words of his targets and Al Mualim's choice to withhold information from him and demanded answers. Al Mualim warned against the insubordinate tone that Altaïr confronted him with, but the latter held his ground. The Mentor, angered, grabbed a sword and threatened to find a more obedient replacement. However, Altaïr knew that there was no one else capable of the tasks, and again demanded to know the connection between his targets.
Al Mualim relented and revealed that the men who needed to die were bound by a blood oath not unlike that of the Brotherhood. All of Altaïr's targets were members of the Templar Order, serving under their Grand Master, Robert de Sable. Their goal was pure conquest and neither King Richard nor Salah Al'Din would be enough to stop them. Al Mualim revealed that this was the reason for the existence of their Brotherhood, to keep the world free of such tyranny.
Al Mualim declared he regretted withholding the truth from Altaïr, but felt that the young Assassin needed to find this knowledge on his own, and prove himself worthy of it. Altaïr asked about the treasure Malik retrieved from Solomon's Temple, which was so desperately sought after by Robert de Sable. Al Mualim refused to answer, stating that just as Altaïr discovered the truth about the Templars, he would also have to wait for the truth about the treasure.
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 | 28 - JERUSALEM // ISRAEL // 1191 - A PUBLIC EXECUTION
Altaïr returned to Jerusalem and discussed the forthcoming death of Majd Addin with Malik Al-Sayf. Majd Addin had appointed himself the ruler of Jerusalem in Salah Al'Din's absence and Malik warned Altaïr against overconfidence, as he was well-protected. Altaïr asked for Malik's help, which impressed the bitter Rafiq.
Altaïr's investigations revealed that Majd Addin was planning to perform a public execution and the Assassin was sure that he could handle any guards present. Malik again chastised Altaïr for his overconfidence, warning him that there were no certainties in their line of work. To prove his point, he informed Altaïr of a twist: One of the men scheduled to be executed was a fellow Assassin who Al Mualim wanted saved. Altaïr promised that Majd Addin would not get the chance to take the life of their brother.
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 | 29 - JERUSALEM // ISRAEL // 1191 - THOSE WHO LIFT THEMSELVES ABOVE OTHERS
Altaïr arrived at the public execution in time to watch Majd Addin emerge to the roar of a bloodthirsty crowd. The regent of Jerusalem whipped the crowd into a frenzy but was interrupted by a pair of desperate men trying to save one of the accused. They were brutally cut down by the guards and served as an example of Majd Addin's power.
Altaïr struck Majd Addin before his Assassin brother could be put to death. Altaïr expected Majd Addin to defend his actions as righteous as the others had, but his victim confessed that he sought only power and enjoyed the thrill of controlling the lives of the men beneath him, and that the Templars merely presented him with an opportunity. Altaïr wasted no time in delivering a final blow to the neck with his hidden blade.
Altaïr returned to Malik and was surprised that the latter didn't have words of scorn waiting for him. However, Malik was merely curt and noted that while Altaïr shouldn't expect praise for doing his duty, he had performed adequately in his task.
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 | 30 - MASYAF // SYRIA // 1191 - THE PIECE OF EDEN
Altaïr was ready for his remaining trials, but had questions for his mentor Al Mualim. He wondered why his targets betrayed their leaders. Al Mualim replied that the Templars desired control, and each target attempted to claim their cities in the name of the Templar Order. However, the old man said he was confident that they would not succeed as long as the Assassins held the treasure from Solomon's Temple.
Al Mualim revealed a small silver globe and dubbed it “a piece of Eden”. He claimed that it cast out Adam and Eve, parted the Red Sea, and performed other miracles. Altaïr noted that it was rather plain for such a powerful artifact. Al Mualim claimed that anyone holding it could command the hearts and minds of those who looked upon it. Altaïr realized that the Templars were conspiring to use the piece of Eden to enslave the entire population of the Holy Land.
Al Mualim gave Altaïr two more targets, Sibrand in Acre and Jubair in Damascus. The Mentor urged Altaïr to hurry, as he suspected Robert de Sable would be more cautious because of the Assassin's continued success.
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 | 31 - ACRE // ISRAEL // 1191 - WAITING FOR HIS SHIP TO COME IN
Altaïr returned to Acre to find and kill Sibrand. The Rafiq was familiar with the man, who was recently named the leader of the Knights Teutonic and ran Acre's port. Altaïr investigated the area and discovered Sibrand was terrified of the Assassins and hidden within Acre's port, mad with paranoia, waiting for his ship to arrive.
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 | 32 - ACRE // ISRAEL // 1191 - POISONED BY HIS OWN FEAR
Altaïr found Sibrand at the docks, terrorizing a monk, accusing him of being an Assassin. Sibrand refused to listen to the monk's pleas and eventually cut him down. He demanded his guards stay on the lookout for Assassins before retreating to his ship.
Altaïr made his way through the docks, boarded Sibrand's ship, and found his target firing arrows wildly, demanding to know why no one was helping him against the unseen Assassin. Altaïr fatally wounded the man, urging him to seek comfort with his God. Sibrand replied that the Templars had proven to him that God does not exist. Sibrand sought to free the Holy Land from the tyranny of faith, following his orders and believing in his cause.
With Sibrand dead, Altaïr left the docks and made his way to the Assassin Bureau. There, the Rafiq attempted to soothe the Assassin's doubts, claiming that sympathy, regret, and uncertainty were the emotions that would keep him human in the midst of his grim work.
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 | 33 - MASYAF // SYRIA // 1191 - THE ILLUSION OF THE WORLD
Altaïr returned to Al Mualim at Masyaf and asked his Mentor why Jubair and Sibrand were chosen as targets. The Mentor replied that if the two men were allowed to continue their work, they would undo all that they have worked for, and that the Templars were like a hydra, quick to replace any members that were lost.
Now it was Al Mualim's turn to ask Altaïr a question, and he asked his disciple the nature of the truth and the world. Altaïr replied that it was their duty as Assassins to recognize that nothing is true and everything is permitted, and that the world was an illusion. While the Assassins sought to dispel the illusion, the Templars would use the illusion to rule the world.
Al Mualim encouraged Altaïr to kill the final man on his list, so that they could strike at the Grand Master, Robert de Sable.
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 | 34 - DAMASCUS // SYRIA // 1191 - A STRANGE CHOICE OF TARGET
Altaïr's final target was Salah Al'Din's chief scholar, Jubair al Hakim. Jubair was obsessed with destroying all written works in Damascus, and was gathering more and more people to his cause. He held daily meetings in the Madrasah Al Kallasah to speak with his students. Altaïr vowed to end his madness.
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 | 35 - DAMASCUS // SYRIA // 1191 - THE GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE
Altaïr found Jubair and his scholars tossing books into a large fire. One of the scholars attempted to dissuade Jubair from burning the books, claiming that they saved people from ignorance. Jubair replied that their reliance on words made them weak, and that accepting written words without question was dangerous. The scholar insisted that the books gave the gift of knowledge, which prompted Jubair to throw the scholar into the fire before commanding the remaining scholars to seek out all the books in Damascus.
As Jubair wore the same uniform as his scholars, the Assassin was forced to track down the correct target. Altaïr stabbed Jubair and scolded him for destroying sources of knowledge that he disagreed with. Jubair countered that he himself was a source of knowledge that the Assassin disagreed with, and by killing him, he was committing the same sin.
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 | 36 - MASYAF // SYRIA // 1191 - DREAMS OF PEACE
Robert de Sable was now the only Templar left standing in the Holy Land and Al Mualim was eager to get rid of him, so that the knowledge of the treasure could once again be hidden. Although Al Mualim shared Robert de Sable's goal of peace, he disagreed with the Templar's methods to achieve it by robbing mankind of their free will with the Piece of Eden. The Mentor sent Altaïr to Jerusalem to finish his mission.
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 | 37 - JERUSALEM // ISRAEL // 1191 - THE FUNERAL OF MAJD ADDIN
Altaïr met with Malik at the Jerusalem Assassin Bureau to confirm Robert de Sable's presence in Jerusalem. Altaïr informed the one-armed Rafiq that all of Altaïr's targets, Crusader and Saracen alike, were Templars seeking to control the Holy Land. The two Assassins parted ways to investigate further.
Altaïr's investigations revealed that Robert de Sable planned to attend the funeral of Majd Addin in an attempt to smooth relations between Crusaders and Saracens. Altaïr planned to attack the Templar Grand Master during the procession. Before he left, Altaïr apologized to Malik for causing the loss of his arm and the death of his brother. Malik refused to accept the apology, and stated that the Assassin before him was not the same man who went with him to Solomon's Temple, and therefore owed him nothing.
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 | 38 - JERUSALEM // ISRAEL // 1191 - THE DECOY
Altaïr entered the cemetery at David's Citadel as an imam was eulogizing Majd Addin, with Robert de Sable standing nearby. After the prayer was over, the Templar Grand Master whispered something to the imam. Suddenly additional Templar guards entered the funeral and the imam pointed at Altaïr in the crowd. Altaïr killed the guards and struck at Robert de Sable, pinning him to the ground.
Altaïr ripped off Robert de Sable's helmet and was shocked to discover a woman beneath the armor. She revealed that Robert de Sable planned to use Altaïr's killings of the other Templars as an excuse to unite the Crusader and Saracen forces against the Assassins at Masyaf.
Altaïr refused to kill the woman and fled the scene, returning to the Assassin Bureau to inform Malik of the chaos. Malik urged Altaïr to return to Al Mualim, but the Assassin felt the need to pursue Robert de Sable immediately to stop his plan of uniting King Richard and Salah Al'Din against them. Malik urged Altaïr to obey the Creed and not act without Al Mualim's blessing, but Altaïr replied that their master was keeping important information from them. He vowed to return to Masyaf for answers after he was done with Robert de Sable. In the meantime, he urged Malik to either return to Al Mualim himself, or walk among the citizens of Jerusalem to see what he could learn.
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 | 39 - ARSUF // ISRAEL // 1191-09-07 - THE BATTLE OF ARSUF PLAINS
Altaïr rode from Jerusalem to Arsuf and made his way through waves of Saracen and Crusader soldiers until he came to the Crusader camp. He confronted King Richard, who mistook the Assassin for a Saracen. Altaïr revealed that he was not there to kill King Richard, but the traitor Robert de Sable. Robert dismissed the accusations, but the king was conflicted. He decided that the truth would be revealed through combat, and that God would favor the winner.
Altaïr fought through ten Crusader guards before Robert de Sable joined the fight. After a pitched battle, Altaïr killed the Templar Grand Master. In his final moments, Robert revealed that ten men had found the Piece of Eden, not nine as Altaïr originally believed. The tenth man was the Assassin mentor Al Mualim, who used Altaïr to eliminate the other Templars to keep the treasure for himself.
Before taking his leave of the King, Altaïr urged him to make peace with Salah Al'Din for the sake of the people of the Holy Land. Altaïr rode to Masyaf for a final confrontation with his master.
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 | 40 - MASYAF // SYRIA // 1191-09 - THE EAGLE AND THE APPLE
Altaïr returned to Masyaf, only to find it empty. A deranged citizen muttered that everyone had gone to see the Master. Altaïr made his way past other dazed villagers, but was ambushed by a mob of frenzied Assassins. Malik and a team of his followers arrived and cut down the brainwashed attackers with throwing knives.
Malik revealed that he had returned to Solomon's Temple and discovered Robert de Sable's journal that detailed Al Mualim's involvement with the Templars and the treasure. Altaïr ordered Malik to create a distraction while he went after Al Mualim and urged his friend not to kill the Assassins, whose minds were not their own.
Altaïr entered the courtyard of the fortress and carefully navigated through the mass of stunned citizens. He went through the castle and emerged in the rear gardens where he was suddenly seized by glowing energy. Al Mualim, Piece of Eden in hand, revealed himself on a balcony above.
Al Mualim used the artifact to create phantoms of Altaïr's nine targets and the Assassin was forced to kill them all a second time. Al Mualim paralyzed his pupil again, who challenged his mentor to face him. Al Mualim leapt down from the balcony, angry and unafraid, and used the Apple of Eden to split into nine copies of himself. Altaïr used his Eagle Vision to find the real Mentor and quickly attacked him. Finally, Al Mualim duelled Altaïr one-on-one, but was no match for his former student.
As he lay dying, Al Mualim could not believe that the student could defeat the master. Altaïr swore to destroy the Apple of Eden, but Al Mualim died doubting his ability to follow through on that promise. Altaïr approached the Apple, which opened slightly and emitted a holographic display of the Earth.
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 | 41 - MASYAF // SYRIA // 1191-09 - THE MENTOR'S WAKE
Altaïr sent Malik to Jerusalem to carry news of the Mentor's death and sent another Assassin to Acre to do the same. He also ordered the creation of a pyre and carried Al Mualim's body towards it.
Altaïr was confronted by his rival, Abbas Sofian, who demanded proof of Al Mualim's betrayal to the Templars. Altaïr explained the conspiracy surrounding the Apple of Eden and attempted to convince a suspicious Abbas about the artifact's power. Altaïr placed his Mentor's body upon the fire and burned it to make sure that it was not another phantom.
Enraged, Abbas accused Altaïr of continuing to mock their Creed and left his rival to the mercy of Assassins who sought to subdue him. Altaïr fought them off but was interrupted when Abbas emerged on a tower brandishing the Apple of Eden. Abbas accused Altaïr of murdering their beloved Mentor. Altaïr attempted to put the past behind them and decide what to do with the artifact. Abbas felt that Altaïr was unworthy to wield it but quickly lost control of it. Altaïr scaled the tower and wrestled the Apple away from Abbas.
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 | 42 - MASYAF // SYRIA // 1247 - RECLAIMING THE BROTHERHOOD
Altaïr returned to Masyaf to reclaim his position as Mentor, which was taken in his absence by Abbas Sofian, who also murdered Altaïr's son Sef and framed Malik Al-Sayf for the crime.
With the help of the Assassins who had remained loyal to him, and Tazim (Malik's son), Altaïr made it to the castle fortress without the loss of a single life. There, he killed the usurper with his Hidden Gun and became Mentor once again.
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 | 43 - MASYAF // SYRIA // 1257 - ALTAÏR’S DEATH
Having sent away the Polo brothers and his son Darim during the Mongol siege of Masyaf, Altaïr sealed himself, along with the Apple of Eden, in a library under the castle. Before passing away, he recorded one final memory onto the sixth of the Seals.
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