Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad

Origin

Altair Ibn-La'Ahad was born in 1165 AD, his mother was a Christian and his father was a Muslim; both were assassins. During the course of his childhood he learned the to hone the skills and techniques of the Assassins from the Al Mualim, the Grand Master of The Assassin Order and the greatest assassin of his time until Altair. He quickly rose through the ranks, gained respect from brethren, and became a teacher to new assassins and was given rank of Master Assassin. Al Mualim as a teacher was strict adherent to the rules of the order and believed that love made the Assassins weaker and had Altair's parents never show him love or kindness in order to strengthen him. Even in their deaths Altair showed no grief and said that their deaths felt like "The passing of two strangers". Even though Al Mualim never showed compassion or love to Altair he always felt that he seemed more like a father to him than his real one ever did.

In 1190 Altair rose to the rank of Master Assassin as the assassins were preparing the impending arrival of The Third Crusade, during that time he was tasked with retrieving an artifact called The Chalice. To complete the task he would have to retrieve three keys that belonged to three Templars. He began on the quest while defending the city of Acre, Syria and uncovering the identity of the traitor who sold the Assassins out to the Knights Templar. On his travels he was surprised to see an old associative of his-Adha, he was even more surprised when she revealed that she was The Chalice he was seeking. She was kidnapped by Lord Basilisk, a Templar who took her to the port of Tyre. Altair made his way to Tyre, killing Basilisk while he was there but as he searched Basilisk's boat Adha was nowhere to be found, It would be years before Altair would fin Adha again only when he did he was too late.

Character Evolution

Altair at first was a cold assassin but developed into more a philosopher or Monk like in his later years. He started a family, wrote the codex pages detailing new assassination techniques and new weapons.Following the death of Al Mualim, Altair was named Grand Master of the Assassin Order;under Altair's leadership the Order would become more secretive, no longer operating in the public eye. he began work on the Codex pages, a story of his life and adventures. The crusades however disrupted those plans as The Templar order had not still not been defeated despite losing many of their top men.They were now under the leadership of Armand Bouchart and fled to Cyprus. Leading an attack on Acre, Altair saved the life of de Sable's decoy, she had been abandoned by Bouchart. She revealed her name to be Maria and she joined Altair on his quest after deciding that the Templar's actions were unjust. The two grew closer, and impossibly fell in love. After liberating Cyprus from Templar control, he decided to the Apple with him in order to study it. He learned much from it, writing much of it in his codex. He learned of new assassination techniques, new technology, and of the mysterious civilization known as Those who Came Before. Altair and Maria had two sons, both were trained in the ways of the Assassins, during this time Asia was being conquered by a man called Tamujin or as he was more commonly known Genghis Khan. Altair suspected he he was in possession of a Piece of Eden and together he and his family headed east to stop Khan from conquering the rest of the world.

Major Story Arcs

Changing the Order

Liberating Cyprus from Bouchart and his Templar followers, Altaïr, who had previously intended to seal the Apple within the Limassol archives, decided it best that the Apple remain with him, and over the following years, he peered into it quite often.

In 1193, Altaïr and Maria married in Limassol, Cyprus, out of respect to the Cypriots for offering the island as a base to the Assassins. Among the guests of honor was Markos. Upon returning to Masyaf, their first son Darim was born. Around 1204, Altaïr personally began to promote the way of the Assassin Order in various cities and regions. However, this came to an end when he made an attempt to do so in Constantinople, as the Fourth Crusade was causing chaos among the population, thus forcing Altaïr to retreat.

By studying the Apple of Eden, Altaïr gained the knowledge to create a form of metal that was lighter and stronger than any other metal known until then. He created an armor set for himself, but decided to erase the formula to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. Contrary to what his former mentor strived for, Altaïr allowed the members of the Order to express love for their children.

While Al Mualim believed that love would make them weaker, Altaïr thought that love would make it easier for them to make sacrifices for the right cause. With the usage of the Apple "in small doses, and with a focused mind," Altaïr gained the knowledge to once again redesign the hidden blade so that it could contain an additional device capable of launching small projectiles.

Fall from grace

Journey to Mongolia

In 1217, Genghis Khan rapidly approached from the east, and was preventing the Assassin Order's progression. Altaïr also suspected that he possessed a Piece of Eden. Thus, Altaïr, Maria and Darim, who was an accomplished crossbowman, left for Mongolia. Their son Sef was left behind to take care of his wife and two children, and Malik was placed in temporary control of the Order.

In Mongolia, they liased with the Assassin Qulan Gal, and the four of them traveled to near Xing-ging in Xu province, which was being besieged by the Mongols. Darim found a vantage point to look over the Mongol encampment, disposing of any guard who might notice them, while Altaïr and Qulan Gal infiltrated the camp. However, Altaïr had lost some of his stealth in his old age, and was detected by a guard.

The guard was able to wound Altaïr, but he was killed by Qulan Gal before he could raise the alarm. Qulan Gal managed to bring Altaïr out of the camp to safety, thus saving his life. Qulan Gal and Darim proceeded to formulate a plan to flush Khan out of his tent. After realizing the danger, Khan tried to escape on horseback, but his horse was quickly shot by Qulan Gal. Right afterwards, Khan himself was finished by a shot of Darim's crossbow. Successful, the family headed back home, ten years after they had left Masyaf.

Return to Masyaf

When they arrived in Masyaf, in 1228, they were greeted by Swami, a former apprentice who was only eager to fight. Altaïr asked the man why he had not been greeted by Rauf as he had requested in his letters, but Swami explained that Rauf had died of fever during his absence. Swami also explained that Malik had been thrown into prison, and that without anyone to lead the Order, a council had been formed; with Abbas Sofian at its head. Altaïr and Maria, not trusting the situation, asked where Sef was, to which Swami responded that he had fled to Alamut.

Darim thus headed off for Alamut to retrieve his brother. Altaïr and Maria continued onwards towards the castle, where they found it half-abandoned, stripped of the life it had had under Altaïr's rule. They were directed to a room in the right wing of the castle, despite Altaïr expecting his residence to be in the Master's tower. The next day, they went to the Master's tower to meet the council, but were intercepted by Swami half-way through to lead them the rest of the way himself. Arriving there, Altaïr saw that the council consisted of the most-weak minded of the Order.

Abbas had puppeteered the whole council in his favor. Altaïr told the council of their travels in Mongolia, after which Abbas explained what had happened to Sef. He claimed that Sef had been killed by Malik, after Sef supposedly found out about Malik wanting to keep control of the Order for himself. Altaïr, furious, demanded that control of the Order be returned to him, as the Creed would decree it. Abbas, with a smile on his face, replied that the Creed no longer did.

Finding the truth

Altaïr and Maria returned to their residence, where Altaïr began reflecting on the pain he had caused Malik in his life. Maria managed to persuade him that Malik would never betray him, and thus Altaïr decided to infiltrate the prison in Masyaf's dungeon. He evaded the patrolling guards until he finally came to the room where the prisons were located. The prison guard was asleep, to both Altaïr's rage and relief, allowing him easy entrance to the prison cell. He found Malik in the cell's corner, skinny to the bone and with his hair long and his beard overgrown.

Altaïr physically knocked the guard unconscious before lifting Malik's arm over his shoulder and taking him back to his residence. There, Malik revealed that Abbas had staged a coup two years before, and had Sef killed, before putting the blame on Malik. Malik regretted that he had not been a better leader, and that this would not have happened to Altaïr. Altaïr and Maria waited until he was asleep before going to confront Abbas about the truth.

Together, they faced Abbas, who greeted them. He was joined by Swami not too soon afterwards, who delivered him a burlap sack. Abbas took a look in it, before giving the sack to Altaïr. Upon opening it, he found out that it contained the head of Malik, who had been quickly killed by Swami after being left alone. Abbas publicly asked Altaïr why he had infiltrated the prison, which caused the other present Assassins to doubt Altaïr's motives.

Abbas said that Altaïr was not in a state to control the Order, and demanded of Altaïr that he give the Apple of Eden to him. For some reason, Altaïr agreed to this and took the Apple out of his robes. Swami was sent to take the Apple, and when he approached Altaïr, he whispered to the former leader that, before Sef's death, he been told that his own father had ordered his death. Altaïr became furious, and his rage was sent into the Apple. When Swami touched it, his eyes started popping out and his mouth became wide open, with a golden glow erupting from it.

Maria yelled at Altaïr that he had let his rage take over and used the Apple to control the Assassin. Swami started to bring his dagger to his throat, but as Altaïr stopped, he accidentally stabbed Maria in the spine, who was standing right next to him. Altaïr hurried to Maria, who died in his arms, and then stabbed Swami in the neck with his Hidden Blade out of anger. Altaïr returned to confront Abbas, and the other Assassins present were afraid that Altaïr might use the Apple again.

In a moment of insecurity, Altaïr decided to flee the castle and village, which he managed to do successfully after rejoining his son Darim in the village. He traveled to Alamut, where he spent the next twenty years with his son, former daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. Altaïr began to show remorse from his actions, and completely focused his studies on the Apple of Eden, creating new designs, tactics and medicine. After some time, Sef's wife and children left Alamut, and they apparently settled in Alexandria, Egypt.

Driven away by his father's remorse and obsession with the Apple, Darim had also left Alamut for France and England to warn them of the emerging Mongol threat. On one occasion, the Apple directed Altaïr to six artifacts that he retrieved and hid. He was told that they were a message for someone; however, Altaïr did not know for whom.

Reclaiming his title

Eventually, he was wounded in both legs and dropped to his knees, after which Bayhas tried to finish him off. Before he could do so, however, Mukhlis - who was hung upside down by the bandits in a tree - swung and held onto Bayhas. Altaïr quickly thrust his sword upwards into Bayhas' stomach and Mukhlis took Bayhas' dagger in mid-air as it dropped. He cut his rope and stood next to his savior, facing Long Hair.

Long Hair found himself outnumbered and fled on horseback. Mukhlis brought Altaïr home with him, and his wife Aalia and daughter Nalia tended to his wounds. For two days, he grew dangerously pale, but on the third day he regained his color. Mukhlis, who had been speaking to him for the past three days, hoping that the old man would regain consciousness, mentioned that Master Altaïr would not have allowed Abbas, who was an inadequate leader, to take care of the Order.

The moment that Mukhlis mentioned his name, Altaïr woke up and revealed his identity. Mukhlis brought the bad state of the Order to Altaïr's attention, who went on to show the people the right ways of the Order, through example. He settled disputes in the town, and had the tradesmen in the city make new tools and medicine for him. As he traveled across the village, he noticed a shadow - an Assassin - following him. When he got to the fountain, he noticed that the man was standing behind him and addressed him.

The Assassin said that he was one of few that remained loyal to the old codes, and revealed himself to be Tazim Al-Sayf, who was also called Malik; the son of Altaïr's late friend. Altaïr revealed to him that he planned to take control of the Order to restore it back to its former glory and before Fahad, the father of Bayhas, came to Masyaf, and thus asked Tazim to rally all the Assassins that were loyal to Altaïr. Altaïr waited outside the castle gates and was met by the young Malik and a group of about twenty Assassins.

He explained that there was to be no killing; the Assassins should respect the Creed, and that no Assassin, loyal to Abbas or Altaïr, should kill a Brother. One of Abbas' followers heard this and charged at Altaïr, hoping to kill him and stop the uprising. Despite his old age, Altaïr, with great speed, dodged the incoming attack and killed the Assassin with his sword. The Assassins loyal to Abbas, who fought without enthusiasm, were all easily captured or knocked unconscious.

However, a second wave of them arrived, including Assassin archers, who readied their bows at the ramparts. Altaïr hoped that the archers would be of good heart and lower their bows once they saw that Altaïr's men did not intend to kill. As Abbas and Altaïr caught sight of one another, the archers lowered their bows, and the Abbas Assassins surrendered as well, quickly noticing the turn of events. The castle gates were opened by surrendering Assassins, and Altaïr and Abbas came face to face.

Abbas still hated Altaïr, and would not believe the truth about his father. Abbas, slowly beginning to be aware of the tide of battle turning against him, sent his remaining men to attack Altaïr; daring his rival to take back the Order without any loss of Assassin life.

Altaïr raised his arm and pointed it towards Abbas. Then an explosion was heard, and smoke erupted from Altaïr's hand, he finally used his hidden gun for the first time. Abbas fell to the ground, and Altaïr crouched over him. Abbas said that he still would not believe what Altaïr had said about his father, and that he would find the truth soon, in the afterlife. At this, Altaïr was the Master once again.

Two days later, Fahad arrived with his force. However, Altaïr managed to persuade him to back down, saying that they would only cause the downfall of their own communities should their forces fight one another.

Later life

Altaïr began building a library in Masyaf on the location where Al Mualim's garden once was, where he would store thousands of his books containing knowledge gained from the Apple. The five seals he had obtained while residing in Alamut were used as keys for this library. After it was completed by 1257, Altaïr sent Darim to invite the Venetian explorers Niccolò and Maffeo Polo to Masyaf. After they had arrived, Altaïr told Niccolò stories about his life, which Niccolò would later pass on to his son, Marco, in the form of a journal

Additionally, Altaïr began to dissolve the Order from Masyaf, saying it should be spread throughout the world. He thus intended to have Assassin Guilds created in new countries, a task which he thought the Polo brothers could be useful in. In late 1257, Masyaf came under siege by Mongols, and Niccolò and Maffeo were forced to leave. Before they did, Altaïr gave his Codex to the explorers, relying on them to start Assassin Guilds in other countries. He also gave them his seals, which they later hid throughout Constantinople. Altaïr then personally escorted the two out of Masyaf, fighting off the Mongols with his Apple of Eden. Standing in front of Masyaf's gates, Altaïr lastly handed Niccolò five of the six Memory Seals he had previously found,asking him to hide them and prevent them from falling in the wrong hands. Unfortunately, the brothers lost the Codex to the Mongols on their way back home.Altaïr returned to Masyaf castle and, once he was sure everyone else had been evacuated, locked himself into his library, which was previously emptied of books by Darim on Altaïr's orders. Saying farewell to his son before the library door, Altaïr entered it armed with the Apple, making his way towards the far end of the library. There, he placed the Apple on a pedestal and sealed it behind the wall. Desiring to sit and rest for a while, he sat on the center chair in the library. Altaïr then imprinted a memory into his sixth and last key while seated, right before passing awa

Legacy

In 1269, Altaïr's Codex had passed into the hands of Marco Polo, who had retrieved it from Kublai Khan. The Templars, having knowledge about the Codex, hired a contingent of pirates to retrieve it from the Assassin Dante Alighieri, who was transporting it from Venice to Spain.

Dante was also escorted by his apprentice, a man named Domenico, who had only recently been made aware of his Assassin heritage. As the pirates attacked, Domenico broke apart the Codex and hid it from the pirates, though he was too late to save the life of his Master and his wife.

Eventually, Domenico and his son took the name of Auditore, and constructed the Villa Auditore in Monteriggioni.Beneath the villa, they constructed the Sanctuary; inside of which rested the unbreakable armor of Altaïr. These robes later passed into the possession of one of Domenico's descendants: the Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze

Ezio Auditore - the fabled 'prophet' - would use Altaïr's codex (which was taken back from powerful Italian Templars) to construct the weapons with the help of Leonardo da Vinci and locate the hidden vault, later revealed to be underneath the Vatican. After the eventual defeat of the Templars in Rome, Ezio traveled to Masyaf to learn more about the order, but found it overrun by Templars. Traveling to Constantinople, Ezio searched for the seals left behind by Altaïr to see into moments of Altaïr's life, gained access to the library underneath Masyaf and ultimately reveal the future.

Centuries later, in the early 21 Century the Templar organization Abstergo Industries kidnapped a descendant of Altaïr, Desmond Miles as "Subject 17 ," in order to "read" the memories that were encoded into his DNA. Using the Animus, Desmond was forced to relive the memories of his ancestors, his time in the Animus was overseen by researchers Dr. Warren Vidic and his assistant, an undercover Assassin named Lucy Stillman. Throughout his sessions, they strove to find a specific memory about the Pieces of Eden, to use for the Templar's project bent on creating a "New World Order

Following his escape from Abstergo Industries, Desmond, suffering from a condition known as the "bleeding effect", received a hallucination of Altaïr's memories whilst outside the Animus. Within the hallucination Desmond watched as Altaïr chased a hooded figure through the castle of Acre.

Ending upon the castle's highest tower, the runner herself to be Maria. After sharing an intimate moment with her, Altaïr left; leaving Desmond shocked upon realizing that he was no longer following Altaïr – he had just witnessed the conception of his ancestor Sef Ibn-La'Ahad.

After entering a comatose state, Desmond was linked up to the Animus 2.0 and in the hope of repairing his splintered subconscious and revealing the future, he searched his genetic memories for a specific memory connecting himself, Altaïr and his Renaissance ancestor, Ezio Auditore together. Altaïr's Apple and Ezio's knowledge of the future enabled Desmond to enter a Sync Nexus and receive the location of the Grand Temple

Skills & Abilities

Altair, as a Master Assassin was extremely skilled, highly trained and greatly experienced in acrobatics, adapting techniques, assassination tactics and techniques, climbing, eavesdropping, escape arts, interrogation, marksmanship, pick locking, pickpocketing, stealth, swordsmanship and unarmed combat. By using his training as an Assassin he was able to overcome anything in his path whether it be human or an object.

He was also a master at performing a Leap of faith off a tower or high building without showing any fear, he was one of the few Assassins of his time who could perform and achieve a feat like this.

Like his Assassin Brethren Altair was extremely skilled in various assassination techniques using stealth or/and combat.

Altair was an intelligent man with a gifted mind like memorizing Maria's face easily and putting it into his codex, having an extensive and near-unrivaled knowledge about religions and politics, using different strategies and tactics to overcome his assassination missions, fights, stealth situations and more proves his skills and abilities as a great strategist and tactician. Altair's skills and abilities remained legendary to this day to a point that even the modern-day Templars show respect toward him.

Altair was a highly skilled artist too, his heavy usage of illustration in his codex includes: blueprints and hints for hidden blade modifications and other weapons, manuals for assassination combat/stealth techniques, maps of several regions and as mentioned above a very detailed sketch of Maria with some bordering flowers.

Altair also proved to be skilled at crafting evident by his inventions which upgraded his hidden blade like hidden gun and poison blade.

Altair also possessed a sixth-sense like ability called Eagle Vision which allowed him to see a person's true alliance and intentions, though this can be fooled by likes of Al-Mualim which Altair saw as an alley and friend at first. Eagle Vision also enhance his other senses and make him to focus better on situations.

Romances

The earliest information about Altaïr's love interests lay with Adha, who was also known as the Chalice. At first appearance, there only seemed to be a friendly relationship between them, but on a closer inspection of the Codex, more of Altaïr's feelings for her were revealed. Her death consumed the young Assassin with hatred, and he swore vengeance on all those who had killed her. He hunted down and killed every man responsible for her death; but this brought no joy or satisfaction, and he was left heavily scarred by her memory. He wrote in the Codex that he felt he would never have the same feelings for any other woman, and that the love he later felt for Maria Thorpe proved him wrong.

Altaïr first met Maria when she was serving her master Robert de Sable as a decoy at the funeral of Majd Addin. However, there was no improvement in their relationship until she became Altaïr's prisoner, just before he traveled to Cyprus to help the resistance against the Templars.

During these events, Maria acted very rebelliously against her captor. However, in time, they both grew to know each other; and once Maria learned and accepted the truth of what the Templars truly were, there was hope for both of them. From the Codex, it was revealed that they did foster a relationship together, and eventually got married. Altaïr and Maria had at least two sons, who they named Darim and Sef Ibn-La'Ahad.

Equipment

As a high member of the Order, Altaïr possessed an array of weapons at his disposal, comprised of a longsword, A short blade, throwing knives, and the iconic Hidden Blade. Altaïr also possessed an ability called Eagle Vision, a sort of "sixth sense" or intuition that allowed him to see people's true intentions, though this seemed to be a rarity even among the Assassins.

During his 80s, Altaïr was probably less skilled than in his youth, due to his age and for being inactive from the Order for so long and/or lack of training. However, according to Niccolò Polo, Altaïr still retained the same strength, stamina and skill he had in his youth at the age of 92, possibly due to the Assassin retraining and regaining his old skills once reclaiming title of leader.

Due to his gift of Eagle Vision, Altaïr had heightened intuitive abilities and senses, along with his sharpened fighting skills. Altaïr's abilities made him one of the most deadly and adept members in the Assassin Order's history.

As a Master Assassin, Altaïr has a pair of long white robes with a red sash, leather armor, and sheaths to store his weaponry and pouches. At 92, Altaïr wore long white robes with patterns imprinted on them and a black cape. Despite his age, Altaïr still continued to wield two Hidden Blades, though he carried no other weapon

Personality

Altaïr was raised at the Assassin's fortress at Masyaf and possessed incredible skills, quickly rising among the ranks of the Order. A cold and objective person, he fully devoted himself to the cause he chose to pursue. Altaïr had a rebellious nature; he was impetuous, demanding, arrogant, self-centered, and impatient. However, after the failure at Solomon's Temple and being sent after the nine, Altaïr began listening to the final words of his victims, and their justifications for their deeds.

As his mission progressed, his attitude changed, and he began to perceive the lines and actions of the world, as well as draw upon the teachings of the Creed: prior a guide, now a way of life. At the end of the conflict, all of his brash and rebellious nature had been put under control, and he became a calm, focused, driven and wise man. Even in his early life as an Assassin, Altaïr was one of the most respected and feared in the Order, second only to the Brotherhood's leader, Al Mualim.

Smart and dedicated, his studies and determination to ensure "peace in all things" ensured that the Order survived to fight for as long as was necessary. He understood that the new world would have no place for the current ways of the Assassins and thus changed its practices accordingly. Also, his cold personality did not impede his emotions: Altaïr was known to have fallen in love at least twice, with Adha, who unfortunately died and was avenged subsequently,and Maria Thorpe, de Sable's steward, who became his wife and the mother of his children.

Altaïr, although remaining often calm and controlled, sometimes allowed his anger to get the better of him, such as almost using the Apple to force Swami to kill himself. By his 80s, Altaïr became a very isolated individual, as Maria's death drove him into deep depression. During this time he began to hate the Apple and spend nights staring at it. By the time he reclaimed his title as leader of the Levantine Assassins and rebuilt the Order, Altaïr was able to put his grief behind him.

Altaïr was also a natural leader and strategist. Even at 24, during the Assault on Masyaf, he was able to quickly take control of the situation and devise a plan, which resulted in saving Al Mualim and the Assassins winning the battle. As Mentor, he was believed to have done more for the Order than any Mentor before him, including his predecessor

Personal Information

Physical Attributes

Eyes: Hazel (again it was rendered by Desmond's genes as gold but in animus 2.02 his real face revealed his eyes' real color)

Hair: Brown

Height: 6' / 183 or 184 cm (this may be untrue since early versions of animus rendered an ancestors model by the descendant who is using animus, he may be taller or shorter)

Weight: 170 lbs / 77 kg

Status:

Identity: Public (among assassins and high ranking Templars)

Occupation: Mentor of Assassin Order, formerly Assassin

Citizenship: Holy Land

Place of Birth: Masyaf, Syria

Education: Private and Self-Taught assassin training

Marital Status: Widowed

Known Relatives: Umar and Maude (parents, deceased), Maria Thrope (wife, deceased), Darim Ibn La Ahad (Elder son), Sef Ibn La Ahad (Younger son, deceased), Unnamed daughter-in-law, Unnamed grand children, Ezio Auditore Da Firenze (Possible descendant, deceased) Desmond Miles' Mother (descendant), Desmond Miles (descendant, deceased), Elijah (Desmond Miles' son, descendant)