Assassin's Creed Initiates: The Reinassance
------------------------------------------------------
 | 1 - Shangdu // China // 1275 - RETRIEVING THE CODEX
Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant who travelled extensively in Asia. Accompanied by his father Niccoḷ and his uncle Maffeo, Marco left in 1271, for a diplomatic mission which led them to Kublai Khan's Mongol court.
Kublai Khan's acceptance of the Polo family gave them unprecedented access to his empire. Khan appointed Marco as a special envoy, which allowed the young man to enter places never before explored by Europeans. In 1275, Marco was able to retrieve the lost Codex of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, which was located in the Mongol summer capital of Shangdu. Marco Polo brought the Codex back to Venice and became the patron of a member of the Assassin Brotherhood.
| |
|
 | 2 - // Mogadishu // 1417 - EXPEDITION ALONG THE AFRICAN COAST
Zheng He was captured by the Ming Dynasty at an early age and served as a court eunuch. After contributing to the defeat of the Yuan Dynasty, Zheng was offered a governmental position and became an admiral and a diplomat. He was appointed to lead a large fleet to the Western Sea and embarked on several expeditions which led him to Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
On his fifth voyage, Zheng headed for Africa and the Arab Peninsula. Upon reaching Mogadishu, he and his crew did not receive a warm welcome, as the people of the city attacked them but quickly surrendered to the Chinese official.
Zheng made several other voyages and brought back many goods to China. His expeditions happened more than half a century before those of the more famous European navigators.
|
 | 3 - Rouen // France // 1431-05-30 - SWORD AND SMOKE
During the 14th and 15th century, The Hundred Years War between France and Britain saw a heroine emerge from the French side: Joan of Arc. Born a peasant, she led her country to many important victories against their enemies, but her claim of being led by divine guidance piqued the interest of the Templar Order.
The Templars discovered that the inspiration behind Joan's battles was in fact a First Civilization artifact known as the Sword of Eden. In order to take possession of the Sword, Joan of Arc was arrested, put on trial for heresy, and burned at the stake at the tender age of 19.
|
 | 4 - // Strasbourg // 1439 - THE PRINTING PRESS
Although paper first appeared in China, the printing press emerged in Europe. Johannes Gutenberg and his associates apparently invented and constructed their wooden press in Strasbourg in 1439. Gutenberg had started to work on his printing press around 1436. The invention, which evolved greatly in the following years, allowed the mass production of printed books. In 1455, Gutenberg printed an estimated two hundred copies of the Bible. Accordingly, the printing press allowed the circulation and distribution of ideas and propaganda alike.
|
 | 5 - Anghiari // Italy // 1440-06-29 - QUICK AT SIX
During the Battle of Anghiari, a six-year-old Mario Auditore alerted the condottiero Micheletto Attendolo of a surprise Milanese attack. The information he provided helped ensure a Florentine victory.
|
 | 6 - Monteriggioni // Italy // 1454-10-01 - EYE, EYE
Acting on information extorted from an enemy spy in the city, Mario Auditore ventured into an excavated chamber beneath the Villa. Although some of his men were killed by traps and Mario himself was injured, losing an eye, he managed to locate a First Civilization artifact, known as the Shroud.
|
|
 | 7 - Florence // Italy // 1469-05-03 - BEFORE THE PRINCE
Niccoḷ di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, an Italian writer, philosopher, politician and member of the Assassin Brotherhood was born in Florence. Although his family was relatively wealthy, his early life was far from easy, with hardships brought on by debts inherited by his father. Niccoḷ wanted to sustain the rich intellectual atmosphere that he was raised in and so he devoted himself to his studies and gradually built up a library full of classical works.
| |
|
 | 8 - Rome // Italy // 1498-03-03 - CHILD OF ROME
Giovanni Borgia, the probable son of Lucrezia Borgia and Perotto Calderon, was born. Heinously malformed and dangerously ill at birth, the child was not expected to live past a few days.
| |
|
 | 9 - Wittenberg // Germany // 1502 - FUNDING FRIEDRICH
The Assassins discovered a Templar plot to bribe the German elector Friedrich der Wiese to prevent him from establishing a University dedicated to religious reform.
Dressed as shabby bandits, the Assassins headed to intercept the money on the outskirts of Wittenberg. There, they scared the driver, causing him to overturn the carriage. The Assassins quickly cut down the cart's defenders and seized the bribe. They left the driver alive to ensure that the bandit ruse would spread.
Soon after, the university received a tremendous contribution from an anonymous donor.
|
 | 10 - London // England // 1503 - HELPING HENRY
During King Henry VII's reign over England, the country enjoyed peace and stability. However, the Assassin Brotherhood worried that the King might become a victim of Templar manipulation.
In 1503, a team of disguised Assassins arrived in London to aid Henry in eliminating any usurpers affiliated with the Templars. After consulting with the King, members of the Brotherhood assassinated a powerful conspirator, Margaret of York, by poisoning her food. This ensured the appearance of a natural death and removed any suspicion from the King.
Following Margaret's death, her co-conspirators took to the streets hoping to ignite an uprising against Henry. The Assassins rushed to douse the flames of rebellion only to discover it to have been an elaborate distraction. The Templars had infiltrated England's secret court, the Star Chamber, Henry's method of trying powerful public figures without any public knowledge of the proceedings.
After an investigation, the Assassins discovered the identities of the Templars within the court and turned them over to the King. To show his appreciation for their assistance, Henry kept a seat open on the Chamber for a representative of the Brotherhood.
| |
|
 | 11 - Calicut // India // 1503 - RESISTING MANUEL
King Manuel I of Portugal sent a fleet commanded by Pedro Alvares Cabral to Calicut, India. While the alleged purpose of the trip was to trade spices, the Assassin's Guild in Calicut felt that it was a threat against them and requested the aid of the Brotherhood in Italy.
Travelling to the Indian trade hub, the Assassins prepared to combat the Portuguese King's secret Templar agenda. Posing as workers, the Assassins rallied the citizens against Cabral and eliminated his commanders before driving him out of the city.
Furious over the defiance his forces experienced in Calicut, Manuel commissioned a ruthless response in the form of a large fleet led by Vasco de Gama. Unprepared to deal with the impending attack, the Assassins were forced to clear out the guild, hide their relics and documents, and help evacuate family and friends. When Gama's fleet arrived, their assault was relentless. He demanded the expulsion of Muslims, incited violence, and slaughtered hundreds of innocent men, women, and children.
Presuming the operation a success, de Gama returned to Portugal, leaving his most trusted generals to continue his work in the city. Despite the violence, the Brotherhood endured. They stealthily eliminated their oppressors with the help of the local population, crippling Manuel's efforts to remove the Assassin presence.
| |
|
 | 12 - Moscow // Russia // 1503 - FOOLING IVAN
The Italian Brotherhood was worried about the lack of information coming from Moscow and the welfare of Pietro Antonio Solari, their spy in the Kremlin. A team of Assassins travelled north to seek answers.
After arriving in Moscow, they established that Solari had been murdered. His killer was allegedly a fellow spy named Ridolfo Fioravant, a man thought to have died twenty years previous. After an investigation, the Assassins located Fioravant and, after questioning him, established that he had not taken Solari's life. The truth, however, was far more worrying.
Fioravant revealed that Ivan III had discovered their deception and had ordered Solari's execution, forcing him into hiding. Although he had confirmed their identity as spies, Ivan had not yet established for whom they worked, but had dedicated years to discovering the truth.
With Ivan dangerously close to discovering the existence of the Brotherhood, they drafted a plan to send the Russian ruler on a wild goose chase. They posed as members of the long-dissolved Strigolniki Sect and lured many of Ivan's men to their deaths, giving the impression of a wild conspiracy within the Kremlin. This shift in focus eased the pressure on the Brotherhood and allowed them to tactically re-establish a subtler presence in Moscow.
| |
|
 | 13 - Barcelona // Spain // 1504 - ENDING ISABELLA
Following the death of Luis de Santángel, the Brotherhood was left without eyes inside the Spanish Royal court. Concerned about the unmonitored activities of Queen Isabella I and her history with the Templars, a group of Assassins journeyed from Rome to Spain in an attempt to infiltrate the Queen's inner circle.
After arriving in Barcelona, the Assassins visited Santángel's quarters in the hopes of collecting any remaining intelligence on their enemies. Although the Templars had ransacked his chambers, the Assassins discovered what the Templars could not: a journal hidden in a hollowed-out wall. It revealed that Santángel was slowly poisoning the Queen with the help of a servant woman working for Isabella.
The Assassins studied their royal target and confirmed her strong ties to the Templars and Cesare Borgia. The Assassins decided to finish what Santángel had begun. They found his accomplice and convinced the hesitant servant to continue poisoning Isabella until her eventual death.
| |
|
 | 14 - Beijing // China // 1505 - JOURNEY TO THE WEST
In 1505, Shao Jun was born in royal captivity during the Ming Dynasty. She spent her teenage years as one of Emperor Zhengde's many concubines. After the Emperor died, she and some other concubines were freed by the Assassin Brotherhood. Shao Jun immediately devoted herself to their cause and began to train in their ways.
Years later, Shao Jun and her Mentor attempted to free the concubines that were still in captivity. She was horrified to discover that most of them were tortured to death by Zhengde's successor, Emperor Jiajing. The new Emperor sought to eliminate any who opposed him and ordered the destruction of the Chinese Assassins.
Shao Jun began a long journey west, to seek out the help of the legendary mentor Ezio Auditore.
| |
|
 | 15 - Agnadello // Italy // 1509-05-14 - BATTLE OF AGNADELLO
DDS Transcript from the genetic memories of Bartolomeo d'Alviano:
The world bleeds red as I struggle to open my eyes. Steel bites steel in the distance, chased by labored shouts. I have fallen in battle. The enemy ignores me; they have left me for dead. I soon will be if I do not act!
I shudder as I shift my weight onto one leg. I have been stabbed at least twice, and my bleeding brow makes it difficult to see. I must tend to these wounds before I bleed to death!
It's just a scrap, but it will do!
This should help stop the bleeding!
It's dirty, but I have no time to be picky!
This should hold for now!
That stung!
I manage to stop the bleeding! I remove my slashed helm and dress my head wound with the tattered remnants of an enemy flag.
|
 | 16 - Tenochtitlan // Mexico // 1520-06-20 - UNTHINKABLE
DDS transcript taken from the genetic memories of Giovanni Borgia:
The Spaniards have begun to slaughter the unarmed nobles of Tenochtitlan! I move towards the priest, who gapes at the attack, confused. He still holds the skull aloft. The Spaniards have not seen it yet. My time to act dwindles!
The Aztecs hesitate. They must wonder ... why are their gods attacking them? Today they are celebrating in our honor! Have we come to reclaim the debt owed?
The Spaniards pluck jewelry from their victims, causing outrage in the Aztecs. The illusion falters! Some of them find their courage and attack, only to die at the ends of Spanish swords!
I approach the priest from behind. I cannot risk the Spaniards seeing the skull. I unsheathe a hidden blade and pierce the man's spine. I catch the skull before it hits the temple floor and quickly tuck it into my cloak.
I urge the Spaniards to retreat. There are too many Aztecs! Everyone in Tenochtitlan is here for the Festival of Toxcatl. They outnumber us by thousands! Several of our Tlaxcalan allies fall to Aztec spears! The Spaniards order them to block our escape.
Though I have my prize, I do not see how we will survive this mistake. The Spaniards grab Moctezuma, force him to follow us. A captive in his own chambers. Yet, still he apologizes to us for the actions of his people. I feel ashamed.
|
|
 | 17 - // India // 1576-06 - BATTLE OF GOGUNDA
The Battle of Gogunda, also known as the Battle of Haldighat, pitted the Rajput chief Pratap Singh against the Mughal Army. The Mughals sought to put down one of the last independent areas not under their control in the region of Rajasthan. Akbar, the Mughal ruler, pursued an aggressive policy to crush the Rajputs.
Even though the Mughals were victorious, Pratap Singh mounted an impressive opposition to the assault. In the aftermath of the war, he even continued his resistance from the surrounding hills and refused to recognize Mughal rule until several years after his army was defeated.
|
 | 18 - Worcester // England // 1651-09-03 - THE KING'S WAR
DDS transcript taken from the genetic memories of Charles II:
The men are exhausted after such a long march, but none complain. I look at them with no small amount of pride. We are ready to face the Roundheads. I will soon take my rightful place!
Most of my soldiers are battle-hardened Highlanders, but the Welsh Royalists and Gloucestershire Presbyterians will make good additions to our ranks. They fought bravely under my father's banner. I am glad to have them on my side.
The battle begins. We are vastly outnumbered, but my men fight for every hedgerow around the city! Alas, Cromwell's troops are too numerous. They force us back! I send two sorties to break the Parliamentarians' advance to the east. I lead my men and storm Red Hill, thinking about my father. Their cries bolster my spirit.
It is difficult to fight in this heat, but the Roundheads retreat and we hold them back. Unbelievable! Cromwell sends more troops! How much reinforcement can the rogue muster? Our retreat becomes a rout. We flee inside the city.
Curse this heat! I begin to remove my armor and a Highlander rushes to help. The wounds he bears tell me he fought hard. I smile at him and his crooked smirk reveals he has not yet lost hope. I find a fresh mount, but I am unable to rally my men. We will not win this day.
"Save the king!" I recognize the voice, and then notice the speaker, the Earl of Cleveland. He salutes me and storms down High Street, leading a desperate cavalry charge. This is the only chance we are going to get. We escape through St. Martin's Gate.
| |
|
 | 19 - Dover // England // 1660-05-25 - STEPPED ASHORE AS KING
George Monck was an English general who was instrumental in the Restoration of the Stuart monarchy in 1660. After having fought in Ireland, Scotland, and the First Anglo-Dutch War, Monck was appointed Governor of Scotland.
Monck was part of the Parliamentary government installed by Oliver Cromwell and fought for them. However, after Cromwell's death, he took advantage of the Parliament's weak authority and of the confusion in London. On January 1, 1660, his army marched from the Scottish border towards London. Monck used his military power to stabilize the city.
The new Parliament proclaimed Charles II as the new king of England, and Monck travelled to Dover, Kent, to greet the new sovereign upon his return to the country, on the morning of May 25, 1660. From Dover, the new king marched toward London to secure his throne.
| |
|
 | 20 - Tyburn // England // 1661-01-30 - EXECUTED AFTER DEATH
Oliver Cromwell was the leader of the parliamentary forces against Charles I in the English Civil War, and contributed to the dismantling of the Stuart monarchy. After helping to establish the British Isles as a republic, Cromwell served as the first chairman of the Council of State during the republican Commonwealth period.
Cromwell was also a major player that helped the First Anglo-Dutch War. Despite his political and military successes, Cromwell faced the difficult task of appeasing both the Royalist and republican sides in Parliament. He refused to be a king and was careful to keep his republican officers satisfied. Cromwell attempted a new constitutional arrangement, but provoked an intense republican reaction.
During the late 1650s, Cromwell's health deteriorated rapidly. He contracted malaria and died on September 3, 1658. After his death, the Stuart monarchy began to restore itself in the country. The new Parliament ordered Cromwell's posthumous execution and a corpse who may or may have not been Cromwell's was hung up at Tyburn in London as a symbolic end to Cromwell's Parliamentary reign and the return of the Stuart monarch in England.
| |
|
 | 21 - London // England // 1661-04-23 - MONARCHY RESTORED
King Charles I was executed at the height of the English Civil war, and the Scots proclaimed his son Charles II to be the new King of England. However, the forces of Oliver Cromwell advanced into Scotland and the young Charles II was forced into exile.
In the aftermath of Cromwell's death, the monarchy began to restore itself. Charles II was proclaimed king in May 1660, and set out for Dover, Kent, to re-enter England. After a settlement between Royalists and Parliamentarians was reached in the Parliament, on April 23, 1661, Charles II headed for Westminster Abbey to be crowned.
|
 | 22 - Lowestoft // England // 1665-06-03 - THE BATTLE OF LOWESTOFT
The Restoration period was also marked by Anglo-Dutch wars. The Dutch and British navies collided on June 3, 1665, near the town of Lowestoft. Britain sent 109 men-of-wars and 28 war ships to square off against the Dutch's 103 men-of-war and 11 fireships.
The Dutch formation began to crumble, the British advanced. However, the Battle of Lowestoft proved to be a rare triumph for the English side, as the Dutch were able to recover and impose their conditions for peace two years after the battle.
| |
|
| 23 - London // England // 1666-09-02 // 02:00 - SUSPICIOUS FIRE IN LONDON
In the 1660s, Great Britain was caught up in political and religious upheavals, as well as constant wars with the Dutch and the French. Moreover, in London, because of the close proximity of buildings made primarily of timber, the city was vulnerable to fires, and the city officials were certainly aware of it.
At 2 am, on September 2, 1666, the house of Thomas Farynor, the king's baker, caught fire. It started in the house located on Pudding Lane, near London Bridge, and quickly spread across the whole city. The fire lasted several days and was extinguished on September 5. In total, it destroyed 373 acres of the city. Fearing a rebellion among dispossessed refugees, King Charles II encouraged an evacuation of the city to resettle elsewhere.
The tension of the era allowed for the development of several conspiracy theories to explain the source of the fire. A Parliamentary Committee was set up to investigate the fire. A French watchmaker confessed to having deliberately started the fire and was convicted and hanged on September 28, 1666. However, his testimony was inconclusive and there was proof that he was not even in the city when the fire began. The Great Fire of London contributed to the political and religious tensions during the Restoration.
| |
|
|
FOLLOW US ON
