Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad

"When I was very young, I was foolish enough to believe that our Creed would bring an end to all these conflicts. If only I had possessed the humility to say to myself, I have seen enough for one life, I've done my part. Then again, there is no greater glory than fighting to find the truth."

- Altaïr to his son Darim during the Mongol attack on Masyaf, 1257.

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad (1165 – 1257) was a Syrian-born member of the Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins and served as their Mentor from 1191 until his death in 1257. During his tenure as Mentor, Altaïr made several discoveries and inventions that greatly helped the Order's progression. His leadership saw to the spread of the Assassins' influence in the.

Raised to be an Assassin from birth, Altaïr obtained the rank of Master Assassin by the age of 24. He failed to recover an Apple of Eden from Robert de Sable in early 1191 and subsequently allowed the Templars to attack the city of Masyaf, headquarters of the Assassins. For this, he was demoted to the rank of novice and sent on a quest for redemption.

Tasked with the deaths of nine individuals who, unbeknownst to him, made up the ranks of the Templar Order in the Holy Land, Altaïr began a quest to change his ways and liberate the Kingdom from the corruption of the nine. During his quest however, Altaïr learned of a plot far more sinister than originally believed. In completing his mission to kill the nine targets, he cleansed the Order of its treacherous leader Al Mualim. Altaïr rose to the rank of Mentor, taking the Assassins in a new, more secretive direction.

With the Apple in hand, Altaïr changed the way members of his Order lived their lives, writing the details in his fabled Codex for later generations of the Order to read. Altaïr's vision of the Assassin Order was for them to be spread across the world, living among the people, to which he began establishing many more Assassins Guilds during his tenure as Mentor. Throughout his travels, Altaïr strengthened his Order, stopping various Templar plots over the years as well as halting the inexorable march of Genghis Khan. Altaïr is an ancestor to Desmond Miles, through the maternal line.

Training as an Assassin
Altaïr was born to Assassin parents: a mother, Maud, and a Muslim father, Umar Ibn-La'Ahad.

While Maud died in childbirth, Umar was executed by the Saracens during the First siege of Masyaf in retribution for him killing a nobleman of their kind, with Altaïr being 11 years old at the time. Moments before the execution, Altaïr frantically called out to his father before he was killed, leading to a sight that would cause Altaïr much grief from that point on. Ahmad Sofian, the Assassin who had revealed Umar's name to the Saracens under torture, felt responsible for Umar's death. Some time after the event, he infiltrated Altaïr's quarters, apologized to Altaïr for his weakness, and committed suicide with a dagger.

Altaïr ran to Al Mualim's quarters with haste, informing him of what had occurred. Al Mualim advised Altaïr not to disclose any information that the two had discussed – not even to Ahmad's son Abbas, especially since Altaïr and Abbas would start their training under him together. Altaïr considered Al Mualim as more of a father figure to him than his biological father, even though he was aware that Al Mualim's love was "weak and dishonest." Altaïr and Abbas grew up alongside each other, studying together and becoming best friends, always at one another's side.

One day, after noticing Abbas' continued grief over his father's death, Altaïr told him the truth in an effort to console him. Upon hearing it, Abbas turned around in his bed, not saying a word. The following day, the two didn't speak to each other until Abbas asked their combat instructor Labib if they could fight with real swords, instead of the wooden practice ones. It was then that Abbas revealed his hatred of Altaïr, believing he lied about Ahmad, before attacking him in a rage.

As the battle between Abbas and Altaïr entered into a struggle, with the two of them laying in the mud, Abbas held his knife to Altaïr's throat; Abbas yelled that Altaïr had lied about his father, with the commotion catching the attention of the other Assassins, the villagers and Al Mualim himself. Trying to quell Abbas' anger, Altaïr falsely admitted that he had lied. The two were then brought to Masyaf's dungeon, where they spent a month in confinement before resuming their training. With his crimes deemed more severe, Abbas was forced by Al Mualim to spend an extra year in training, whilst Altaïr graduated to the rank of Assassin.

Elevation to Master Assassin
"I have watched you grow from a boy to a man in so short a time. It fills me with as much sadness as pride. You fit your father's shoes as if they have been tailored to your feet."

- Al Mualim talking to Altaïr, after the latter saved him, 1190.

When Altaïr was 24 years old, Masyaf was attacked and overrun by Templars, aided by a double agent named Haras who had pretended to be an ally of the Assassins. Riding his horse into the village and rescuing a fellow Assassin from the Templars, Altaïr led the injured man to a bench before meeting with Abbas. Abbas claimed that the Assassins had to fall back and could do nothing for Al Mualim, who was detained in the fortress alongside several other Assassin hostages. Altaïr, however, gave Abbas orders to flank the Templars and lead them into the canyon while Altaïr himself rescued Al Mualim, insisting that Abbas make "no mistakes".

Altaïr made his way to the fortress, killing Templar soldiers and rescuing villagers along the way. Upon arriving at the fortress' gates, Altaïr was greeted by Haras. Taunting the Assassin, Haras closed the gates behind him as he went to execute the captured Assassins inside the courtyard with a crossbow.

Locked out of the fortress, Altaïr managed to climb up some scaffolding on the outside to get onto the walls. From there, he ran along the battlements and jumped onto the tiled roof of a balcony, before he assassinated Haras from above, saving Al Mualim. This act earned Altaïr Al Mualim's respect, and he was thereafter elevated to rank of Master Assassin. Upon hearing this, Abbas spat on the ground near Altaïr's feet, whereas Altaïr only sneered at him. This event was the first time Altaïr began to display arrogance, which would cause his downfall a year later.

Return to Alep
In the year 1190, while returning from a journey, Altaïr discovered that a village near the city of Alep was under attack. As he ran to the village, Altaïr came across an Assassin guard who told him that Templars were responsible for the assault, and gave him a sword with which to defend himself. Fending off many Templars along the way, Altaïr came across an enemy archer who revealed the Templars' plans: they had been tasked with attacking the village by the Templar leader, Lord Basilisk, in order to gain valuable information that was possessed by a member of the Brotherhood.

Altaïr dispatched the Templar and continued on, assassinating a Templar captain before he was informed by another Assassin that Al Mualim requested his presence. On meeting up with Al Mualim, Altaïr was tasked with retrieving an ancient artifact named "the Chalice", and he left for the city of Damascus to slay Tamir.

Research in Damascus
In Damascus, Altaïr located a Rafiq who seemed to be selling clothes and other wares. As he approached, Altaïr accidentally blurted out the Assassins' password with inappropriate timing; once in a secluded area, the Rafiq began to question Altaïr's skills, before explaining how Altaïr had acted stupidly. The Rafiq then tasked Altaïr to take the life of an enemy, and once the job was complete, he would give Altaïr the information he sought. Forthwith, Altaïr did as he was asked and took the man's life with his Hidden Blade.

Altaïr then explained his situation regarding the Chalice to the Rafiq, and was given the information he needed. Although the Rafiq's explanation didn't go into exact detail on a specific location, Altaïr was told to look for a man by the name of Mishbah who had close connections to Tamir. Once Altaïr had left and located Misbah, he interrogated the man, but a nearby city guard caught wind of the altercation and intervened.

As Misbah fled the scene, Altaïr took down the guards, and he soon found Misbah desperately hanging onto a rope after a beam had broken. Altaïr requested information in return for safety, and Misbah reluctantly accepted. After telling Altaïr what he needed to know, Misbah requested help, but Altaïr left him for dead.

Altaïr then made his way to Tamir's house and utilized some nearby torches to light the merchant's house on fire, flushing him out. Grieving over the loss of his belongings, Tamir told Altaïr of an ancient temple that contained the Chalice. Tamir also told the Assassin of a dancer named Fajera who held one of three keys to the temple. With the information acquired, Altaïr ended Tamir's life.

Acquiring the first key
After he left the Bureau, Altaïr ventured to the circus that Fajera performed at and confronted her, asking if she had the key. Stubbornly, she refused to cooperate and called one of her circus friends, a brute by the name of Badr. Altaïr fought Badr off but, before he could defeat him, Fajera left the tent. Shortly afterwards, the tent began to cave in, though Altaïr managed to escape in time, leaving Badr's fate unknown. Altaïr chased Fajera across the city, dodging civilians and guards alike. However, the Assassin lost her trail as a bridge collapsed, leaving him behind.

On spotting her again, Altaïr made his way to Fajera, who was by a well. She was impressed by Altaïr's abilities and gladly gave him the key. When Altaïr expressed confusion at her actions, Fajera explained that she had actually been testing him. She continued that, through her cards, she had foreseen his arrival and thought that she had best prepare herself to aid the Assassin. Fajera then requested Altaïr to dispose of a man named Alaat, who was within a bathhouse not far from where they were.

Venturing through old sewer tunnels, Altaïr made his way into the bathhouse. Although Alaat let out a cry for help, he was too late to save himself as Altaïr plunged his blade into the man and escaped. As a thanks, Fajera told Altaïr of another key holder in Tyre.

Infiltrating the hospital
"Find the one who is in charge of the hospital: Roland Napule, 1191."

- Hamid to Altaïr.

Arriving in Tyre and recollecting on past events, Altaïr met up with a man named Hamid, who informed him that Roland Napule had confined the holder of the second key inside his hospital. With this information, the Assassin made his way through old passageways inside a sewer, which were heavily patrolled by Templar guards.

Altaïr soon found Roland interrogating the key holder, and promptly assassinated him. However, the key holder was convinced that Altaïr himself was a Templar and asked the Assassin for proof that suggested otherwise. Altaïr was convinced that he had none until the man asked to see his left hand. With this, the key holder knew that Altaïr was one of the Assassins, due to his missing ring finger. After giving him the key, the man bid Altaïr farewell and told him that the location of the next key was in Jerusalem, with Lord Basilisk himself.

Confrontation in Jerusalem
After arriving in Jerusalem, Altaïr met up with the Rafiq Kadar, asking him where he could find Lord Basilisk. Kadar remarked that the man's fierceness and feral bravado in battle had earned him the trust of the King, meaning Basilisk was frequently idling in the King's audience. As the Assassin pondered on a way to get closer to his target, Kadar informed him of an upcoming party hosted by the King himself, which meant that he would be sending invitations to some citizens. With this in mind, Altaïr eavesdropped on several citizens to learn of the party's location.

Kadar then told Altaïr of some city gardens in Jerusalem. From there, Altaïr learned of a man known as Ayman, who appeared to be walking on the other side of the garden. Confronting Ayman, Altaïr drew the location of the party out the man despite his resistance. Altaïr then left for the party and traveled through a secret passage, gaining entry inside. Once there, the Assassin confronted Basilisk, took the key, and fled.

The Temple of the Sand
"Looking for something, Assassin? This game of ours is amusing, but it's getting old rather quickly..., 1189."

- Lord Basilisk, upon meeting Altaïr at the Temple.

Altaïr arrived at a tower and navigated his way to its master, an Assassin-like figure who was actually a high-ranking Templar. Altaïr fought his way up the tower, killing the master's guards and his student. At the top of the tower, Altaïr confronted the master, who tried to convince him to join the Templar Order. Altaïr refused the offer, killed the master, and took the map to the Temple of the Sand.

Altaïr arrived at the Temple of Sand and searched the upper areas, dispatching patrolling guards as he did so. Through the crumbling structure and the falling debris, Altaïr finally managed to make his way to the Chalice's antechamber. There, he saw the shrine of the Chalice, wrought in gold and placed upon a stone pillar with four bridges stretching in four different directions. Altaïr carefully made his way to the center, cautious of the fire below the bridge. He discovered Basilisk inside and was then told of the Chalice's true nature: she was no artifact, but a woman. The temple then collapsed and Altaïr found himself in rubble.

As he climbed to his feet, Altaïr was dumbfounded to see a powerful sandstorm ravaging the rubble, slowly making its way towards him. The Assassin fled the scene and avoided the obstacles formed by the fallen rubble of the temple. After a long sprint and some trouble with fleeing guards, Altaïr managed to escape the area. As he recalled what Basilisk had said at the temple, he remembered the man mentioning that he had some business in the city of Tyre. Wasting no time, Altaïr quickly left the area and made his way back to the city.

Hunt in Tyre
Upon arriving in Tyre once more, Altaïr was greeted by Hamid, who asked if he knew of Basilisk's location. The Assassin said he was inside one of Tyre's forts, hidden within its solid walls. Hamid suggested an alternate route, which required Altaïr to navigate through beams and crates above deadly waters.

Altaïr was forced to take the alternate route, but before doing so, Hamid told him of the existence of two members of the Brotherhood imprisoned within the fort. Keeping this in mind, Altaïr made his way across the beams and platforms, avoiding the water. After a long journey and some brief battles with guards and patrols, Altaïr was able to traverse further into the fort.

As he did, Altaïr discovered the missing agents of Hamid: one was trapped near him, and another was trapped on the other side of the fort. After freeing the first agent, Altaïr navigated through multiple obstacles in order to reach the second. When the two were set free, Altaïr was able to progress further into the fortress with the agents' help.

Inside the fortress, Altaïr dueled with Basilisk. As he was about to kill the Templar, Basilisk told him that the Chalice was in Jerusalem and that the Templars planned to poison the water supply of Acre to end the costly siege. In exchange for this information, he demanded that Altaïr spare him. Altaïr did as requested, but burnt Basilisk's ships to ensure that he wouldn't leave Tyre any time soon.

Siege of Acre
Altaïr hurried to Acre to stop the Templar plan. He fought his way through the burning city, dodging catapults and falling debris. He went to the walls and destroyed Templar siege equipment, then climbed down a ladder and took on the disguise of a soldier to infiltrate a Templar camp. He reached a point where only higher ranked soldiers could enter, but the Assassin was able to maintain his disguise.

At the next checkpoint, only scholars could enter. Altaïr took the disguise of a scholar and continued onward, breaking siege equipment along the way. He found the Templar commander giving orders to other soldiers, and was then beckoned to bless him and the operation. When Altaïr tried to finish him off, the commander saw through the disguise and dueled with him. Altaïr defeated the commander and escaped the camp by launching himself from a catapult.

Rescuing the Chalice and killing Harash
Altaïr went to Jerusalem and found Templars escorting the Chalice through the streets. He recognized the Chalice as Adha and tailed the group before confronting her escorts and killing them by opening a sewer next to them. Adha and Altaïr navigated the sewers together, and at the end of their journey, Adha told Altaïr about the betrayal of Harash, Al Mualim's second-in-command. She told him to kill Harash and gave him a special sword.

Altaïr was taken aback but nonetheless went back to Alep. He infiltrated the city and stealthily moved towards Harash. Guards, however, occasionally noticed him, forcing the Assassin to kill or incapacitate many. At one point the guards cornered him inside a building and told him to come out. He fought his way through and disguised himself as a guard to sneak past those who remained. He then found Harash consorting with a Templar captain and, angered at his betrayal, killed Harash in a long duel.

Confrontation with Basilisk
"Assassin, this battle will be our last!"

- Basilisk to Altaïr before their duel, 1189.

When Altaïr returned to Jerusalem, he was stopped by Templars who questioned whether he could fight through the Templar army that stood between him and Basilisk. Despite their numbers, the Templar forces were taken down by Altaïr. Altaïr then traveled deeper into the fortress, fighting through the guards that lied in wait and charging through obstacles. There he saw Adha being dragged down Tyre's ports and ran to help her.

He was then confronted by Basilisk, who challenged him to a battle. Altaïr accepted and fought long and hard before eventually overpowering Basilisk and killing him. Boarding Basilisk's ship to rescue Adha, he found that she was not there, and that the ship bearing her was already leaving the docks. Basilisk's ship was set on fire and Altaïr quickly fled the scene, emerging from the water to watch the other ship sail away from the harbor.

It would be months before Altaïr found Adha again, but he was too late to save her and only recovered her body. In a furious and emotional rage, Altaïr hunted down and killed everyone responsible for Adha's death, though the act brought him no joy, as the deed could neither console him nor bring her back.

Confrontation in Solomon's Temple
By the following year, the Holy Land was in the midst of war. In early 1191, Altaïr and the brothers Malik and Kadar Al-Sayf were tasked with retrieving an artifact from the Templars in Solomon's Temple. After progressing through the catacombs, Altaïr broke two tenets of the Assassin's Creed, but arrogantly dismissed Malik's warning against his actions, confident in his mastery as an Assassin.

Finally, upon seeing the archenemy of his Order, Robert de Sable, Altaïr broke another tenet of the Creed: risking the safety of the Brotherhood, he confronted De Sable directly. Attempting to slay the Grand Master after making his presence known, Altaïr was easily thwarted and thrown from the temple, leaving Malik and Kadar alone with the Templars. Altaïr escaped from the temple and returned to Masyaf to report his failure to the Order.

Siege of Masyaf
Upon arriving in Masyaf, Altaïr was kindly greeted by Rauf, who told him Al Mualim was waiting to hear a report on the mission. At the fortress gates, Abbas and Altaïr exchanged insults before Altaïr proceeded to Al Mualim's study, informing the mentor of his failure to acquire the Templar treasure. Soon after, Malik returned with the artifact, alive but alone, and with a heavily injured left arm. He shouted at Altaïr, blaming him for Kadar's death. However, before any further action could be taken, the Templars attacked Masyaf.

While the Templars were assaulting the village, slaughtering its inhabitants, and besieging the castle, Altaïr and several other Assassins ran to engage them. Altaïr killed many attacking Templars and thought of staying and fighting until he was defeated, thereby redeeming his actions at Solomon's Temple. However, thinking it would be a waste, he retreated to the fortress along with the other Assassins when Templar forces overwhelmed them.

While Al Mualim distracted De Sable, Altaïr, Rauf and another Assassin each performed a Leap of Faith off a tower and sneaked behind the Templar army. Altaïr dropped a supply of felled tree logs on the soldiers, crushing many of them and driving them away from Masyaf.

Once the attack was over, the matter of Altaïr's actions in Solomon's Temple were addressed once again. It was decreed that in breaking all three tenets of the Creed, failing to acquire the Templar treasure, and causing death and injury to his brothers, Altaïr was marked as a traitor to the Assassins. Al Mualim declared this judgement before the entire Order, before stabbing Altaïr in the stomach with a dagger.

Altaïr awoke from his "sleep of the dead" and questioned Al Mualim about his survival, with the Mentor answering that Altaïr had only seen what he had wanted him to see. He then stripped Altaïr of his rank and possessions before offering him a chance for redemption. Starting as a novice once again, Altaïr was tasked with hunting down the traitor within Masyaf who had allowed the Templars entrance. Once he successfully completed the mission, Altaïr returned to Al Mualim and was rewarded with the restoration of his Hidden Blade and sword. Once again officially a member of the Order, Altaïr was offered a trade: the lives of nine men in exchange for his own.

Hunt for the nine
"I am but a piece, a man with a part to play. You'll come to know the others soon enough..."

- Tamir to Altaïr, 1191.

Altaïr started his quest, leaving Masyaf and riding to Damascus in pursuit of Tamir, his first target. Arriving there, he traveled to the local Assassins' Bureau and requested permission for the assassination. The Rafiq denied him, ordering Altaïr to first gather information about his target. Going through the city's poor district, Altaïr interrogated informants, pick-pocketed letters and maps, and eavesdropped on conversations around him, ultimately acquiring the location of his target. Returning to the Bureau with this information, he received a pass for the kill and a white feather to be dipped in the victim's blood, as proof of the deed.

In a plaza of the market district, Altaïr witnessed Tamir slaying a business partner and killed him as he examined the nearby stalls. Returning to the Bureau, Altaïr was told to return to Al Mualim, who rewarded him for this first step on the road to redemption and granted him a piece of his equipment back. Altaïr then left for the other cities, Acre and Jerusalem, to pursue his next targets.

Proceeding on to Acre, Altaïr met with the Bureau leader to gather the information about his target – Garnier de Naplouse, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitalier. Learning that Garnier was located in the Hospitalier hospital in the city's Poor District and was trafficking men from other cities to Acre for him to experiment on, Altaïr infiltrated the hospital.

There, Altaïr found one of Garnier's prisoners running away from his captors. After the fleeing man was caught, Garnier ordered his guards to break the prisoner's legs to prevent him from making another escape and had him brought back to his quarters. Garnier then returned to his usual routine of checking his patients and was struck down by Altaïr. With his dying breath, Garnier revealed that he had used the Apple of Eden to conduct his experiments, but after its loss, his progress had slowed. He was also convinced that he was helping the people he experimented on, causing Altaïr to question his own opinion on Garnier's experiments.

Arriving at Jerusalem's Bureau, Altaïr was harshly received by Malik, the city Bureau's newest leader. Reluctantly, Malik sent him on his investigations and received him once again when he returned. After obtaining the permission and the feather, Altaïr entered the slave complex of his target Talal but was ambushed by his followers.

Dispatching them, Altaïr chased Talal across the rooftops and through the streets, finally catching up to him and putting a Hidden Blade in his neck. Altaïr returned to the Bureau and reported to Al Mualim once again. Gaining another piece of his equipment, Altaïr once again had to return to all three cities to take out new targets.

"You take the lives of men and women, strong in the conviction that their deaths will improve the lots of those left behind. A minor evil for a greater good? We are the same."

- Abu to Altaïr, 1191.

Altaïr returned to Damascus to eliminate Abu'l Nuqoud, known as "the Merchant King." After investigating and receiving the feather from the Rafiq, he proceeded to the merchant's palace where a party was being held. Infiltrating the palace, Altaïr arrived shortly before Abu'l Nuqoud began his speech, lambasting his guests for their intolerance and ignorance, before revealing he had poisoned the wine that was being served. As a number of the revelers fell to the poison, Abu'l Nuqoud ordered his archers to eliminate the rest.

Through the panic of the crowd, the Assassin scaled the palace walls, killing several archers in the process, and managed to climb onto the roof above his target. Jumping down and killing the Merchant King's bodyguard, Altaïr chased down and assassinated his target, once again setting the city on full alert, before losing his pursuers. Returning to the Bureau, he reported his success, before returning once again to Masyaf.

"We'll see how sweet they are... the fruits of your labors. You do not free the cities as you believe, but damn them. And in the end, you'll have only yourself to blame; you who speak of good intentions..., 1191."

- William of Montferrat to Altaïr.

In Acre, Altaïr was tasked with the death of William of Montferrat, regent of the city and a lieutenant of Richard the Lionheart. Meeting once again with the Bureau leader, Altaïr gathered information on his target in the city's rich district and learned that he was to meet with King Richard later that day. Approaching as William and Richard quarreled outside the city fort's walls, he waited for the King to leave, before infiltrating the castle via the fortress walls. Waiting until William had finished berating his men for their perceived failures and had dismissed his guards, Altaïr struck from above, killing the Marquese of Montferrat. As usual, Al Mualim was informed, and Altaïr left the city for his next target in Jerusalem.

"Do you know what it feels like to determine another man's fate? And did you see the way the people cheered? The way they feared me? I was like a god! You'd have done the same if you could! Such power..., 1191."

- Majd Addin to Altaïr.

Within Jerusalem, Altaïr found his sixth target, Majd Addin; the illegitimate ruler of the city, who personally acted as judge, jury, and executioner. During one of his public executions, Altaïr made his way through the crowd and onto the stage where Addin stood, killing him and saving an imprisoned Assassin who was mere moments from death. Fleeing from the guards, Altaïr returned to Masyaf.

Rewarded with another rank and equipment, Altaïr demanded Al Mualim of the truth behind connections between his targets. Al Mualim revealed to him that all nine of his targets were members of the Knights Templar, and that the treasure Malik had liberated from Robert de Sable held the power to control the minds of others. Content with this new information, Altaïr left for Acre and Damascus once again.

Altaïr's seventh target was present in Acre. The target, named Sibrand, was the Grand Master of the Knights Teutonic and paranoid with fear of the Assassin that had hunted down his Templar brethren. Reporting to the Bureau and investigating, Altaïr traveled to the city's ports, where he witnessed Sibrand falsely accusing a passing scholar of being the Assassin before cutting him down. Afterwards, he retired to his ship.

Altaïr navigated through the ports and docked boats, arriving on Sibrand's ship and striking him down. Once again, the alert was sounded, though Altaïr managed to escape once more. After giving the Rafiq the feather marked with Sibrand's blood, Altaïr left for Masyaf as always.

"Am I not unlike those precious books you seek to save? A source of knowledge with which you disagree? Yet you are rather quick to steal my life, 1191."

- Jubair al Hakim to Altaïr.

In Damascus, Jubair al Hakim, Saladin's head scholar, had begun burning every book in the city in an attempt to wipe the history of the land. Traveling to the Bureau, Altaïr gathered the information, received his feather, and moved in for the kill. Jubair stood flanked by many followers, all dressed in identical clothing; fortunately for Altaïr, however, his previous investigations had shown him where Jubair would be and what he looked like. Before long, the scholar joined his Templar brothers in death, and Altaïr escaped the city guard to report his success to the Rafiq.

"You have laid waste to our plans: first, the treasure, then our men. Control of the Holy Land slipped away, but then he saw an opportunity, to reclaim what has been stolen, to turn your victories to our advantage!, 1191."

- Maria to Altaïr.

Returning to Masyaf, Altaïr had only one target remaining; the Grand Master of the Knights Templar himself. Altaïr discussed this with Al Mualim, where he explained that the Piece of Eden was essentially temptation given form. Al Mualim explained that Robert did seek peace like the Assassins, though through means of force by using the Apple. Altaïr concluded that Robert's death was the only way to end the Templar's quest for control.

Robert had apparently arrived in Jerusalem to attend the funeral of Majd Addin, in a show of mutual cooperation and friendship between Saracen and Crusaders. Gathering intelligence for the strike, Altaïr presented this to Malik, who now realized Altaïr was a changed man and altered his attitude towards him. Arriving at the cemetery, Altaïr hid among the crowd, though he was instead singled out and ambushed by the Templars, who had anticipated his arrival. Engaging the Templars and Saracen guards in battle, he fought them off one by one.

During this fray, Altaïr defeated Robert and removed the helm; however, to his horror, he discovered the person to be a decoy. At first believing it to be sorcery, the shock of seeing the woman standing before him soon wore off. He soon learned from her that Robert had used the time she had given him to travel to Arsuf, in the hopes of uniting the Saracens and Crusaders against the Assassins.

Sparing her life as she was not his target, Altaïr returned to the Bureau and revealed the deception to Malik, who had recently come to believe that Altaïr had truly repented for his past crimes. Malik suggested to Altaïr that it was best he return to Masyaf, and enlighten Al Mualim to the development, but Altaïr refused, citing time to be lacking. He accused Malik of hiding behind the Creed, and refusing to see what he did not wish to see. Suggesting Malik search for answers in Solomon's Temple, Altaïr made his departure from the city and rode directly to Arsuf.

Battle of Arsuf
"You know nothing of schemes. You are but a puppet. He betrayed you, boy, just as he betrayed me."

- Robert to Altaïr in his dying words, 1191.

Arriving at Arsuf, Altaïr discovered that the engagement between the Crusader and Saracen forces had commenced. Fighting his way through the battlefield, combating Saracen and Christian troops alike, Altaïr arrived at Richard's camp, only to be mistaken to have appeared in order to make an attempt on the King's life. Denying this, Altaïr informed the Crusader leader of Robert's treachery, as well as that of his followers. Though de Sable persistently denied the accusations, Richard was unconvinced.

Leaving the decision to God, Richard ordered a trial by combat to determine the truth. Altaïr fought de Sable and his Templar elites, cutting them down and striking the Grand Master in the throat. With his dying breaths, Robert revealed to Altaïr that Al Mualim was, in fact, a Templar, and that Altaïr had been an unwitting pawn in his quest to hoard the Apple, and eliminate the others who knew of its existence. After this, Richard congratulated the Assassin on his success. As the two discussed their views on peace, Richard allowed Altaïr to leave Arsuf, and Altaïr hurried to Masyaf to discover the truth about his master.

Retaking of Masyaf
Arriving at Masyaf, Altaïr found the villagers in a hypnotized trance, who acknowledged Al Mualim as the one who had "led [them] to the light". Progressing up the hill towards Masyaf, Altaïr encountered a group of hypnotized Assassins who, bent as they were to Al Mualim's will, attacked him. Left with no other option, Altaïr engaged in battle with them, and managed to slay them all. However, another wave of Assassins entered the fray, heavily outnumbering and threatening to overwhelm him.

To his luck, Malik and several unaffected Assassins aided him by throwing knives at the Assassins, killing some and causing the rest to flee. Meeting with Malik, Altaïr requested him to distract the hypnotized Assassins outside of the fortress so that he could reach Al Mualim without much trouble. Agreeing to his request, Malik and his men left Altaïr to infiltrate the fortress.

Searching for his former Master in the fortress garden that Al Mualim referred to as "Paradise," Altaïr only found himself caught and bound by the Apple's power. Seeing Al Mualim on a balcony overhead, he demanded an explanation from him. Al Mualim then revealed that he had used the Apple recovered at Solomon's Temple to both end the Crusades by eliminating the leaders, and to control the minds of the people to attain their obedience; ensuring utter and absolute peace.

Ending his explanation, Al Mualim used the power of the Apple to create an illusion of the nine Templars Altaïr had killed, who attacked the confused Assassin. Defeating them one by one, Altaïr was once again bound by the Apple's power. By this point, Al Mualim confronted Altaïr personally, and created multiple copies of himself to aid in his fight. Faced with this second illusion, Altaïr took the defensive, striking them as they attacked one by one.

As Altaïr finally singled his Master out, Al Mualim bound him once again. There, he explained to Altaïr that though he sought peace like Robert, he wanted the Apple to himself, thus the Templar needed to die. Altaïr questioned why Al Mualim had not that used the Apple on him, and Al Mualim explained that he had tried and failed due to Altaïr's mental strength.

At this, Altaïr and Al Mualim dueled for a final time. Despite a lengthy battle, Altaïr managed to finally defeat his Master and mortally wound him with his Hidden Blade. Altaïr then listened as his Master spoke his final words, challenging Altaïr's strength of character and ability to destroy the Apple. As Al Mualim died, the Assassin watched as the Apple rolled from his lifeless hand, before activating itself. Altaïr was eventually joined by Malik and his men, who stood before the vast holographic image that projected from the orb alongside him: a map of the world indicating the location of various other Pieces of Eden.

The rebellion
"Have you anything to teach us, or would you lead us all to ruin?"

- Altaïr regarding the Apple of Eden, 1191.

Almost immediately after killing his former mentor, Altaïr carried Al Mualim's body through the fortress and a shocked crowd. Subsequently, Altaïr held a small funeral for his former mentor. Altaïr was suspicious the Apple may have some way of ensuring Al Mualim's return from the dead, so he decided to burn the body. Abbas arrived outraged at Altaïr's actions. Several Assassins and Masyaf villagers were also enraged with this even though Altaïr attempted to explain.

However, the Order was divided into two groups: those who were loyal to Altaïr and those who believed that Altaïr staged a coup to gain the position of Mentor. Several of the Assassins attacked Altaïr still believing him a traitor and outraged for burning Al Mualim's remains. As Altaïr was distracted, Abbas was somehow able to take the Apple and flee. As Abbas climbed to the watchtower and used the Apple, it proved too much for him and began draining the life from him and several other Assassins.

Altaïr was eventually able to confront Abbas, defeat him and reclaim the Apple. As Abbas lay defeated muttering for forgiveness. Altaïr stared at the Apple, asking the ancient artifact if it would teach people knowledge or lead them to destruction. Altaïr stayed true to the Creed: ensuring that none of the rebelling Brothers were killed or harmed. After managing to subdue them, he persuaded the rebels of Al Mualim's guilt and his own suitability to lead the Order. Successful in his attempts, Altaïr won the hearts of the Assassins for him.

Accepted as Mentor
"Our duty is to the people, not to custom. [...] We shall be made anew..."

- Altaïr, after becoming Mentor, 1191.

Having earned the loyalty, respect and faith of almost the entire Order, Altaïr desired to tell the tale that his life had been. He began writing his Codex, which acted as a personal journal detailing segments of his life. Altaïr started to drastically change the methods and rituals that the Order had followed for generations. The Templars started to make their movements less public, and Altaïr consequently did the same with his Order; abandoning all of the Assassin fortresses in the process.

As the Assassins' main motive was to protect the people, Altaïr found the removal of the ring finger "a false promise of paradise" and the prohibition of using poison to be useless. He redesigned the Hidden Blade so that it would not need the removal of the ring finger. He created a way to use poison via the Hidden Blade and, together with his right-hand man, Malik, discovered new methods of assassination.

Attack on Acre's harbor
One month after Al Mualim's death, the Crusade continued to wage, and the Templars had not yet been defeated. Attempting to flee to Cyprus under the leadership of Armand Bouchart, the Templars had secured Acre's harbor for their escape. Leading the attack on the harbor castle, Altaïr was confronted by the same woman who had posed as Robert de Sable at Majd Addin's funeral.

The woman, blaming Altaïr for ruining her life by killing de Sable, furiously engaged the Assassin in a sword duel, though she was defeated by Altaïr's greater skill and calm state of mind. Revealing her name to be Maria, and slowly realizing that she had been betrayed by Bouchart, the Templar was taken hostage by Altaïr. She was forced to travel along with him to Cyprus.

Altaïr temporarily left the control of the Order, saying that he "built this Brotherhood to last" and left for the island of Cyprus. The island just recently bought by the Templars from King Richard. Arriving in the city of Limassol, Altaïr established contact with Alexander; the leader of the resistance against the Templars in Limassol. He became Altaïr's primary ally in Cyprus, and also took Maria under his protection.

Retaking Limassol Castle
Altaïr met with Alexander at the local Resistance safehouse, and Alexander revealed that the Templars were holed up in Limassol Castle; though they were already starting to overrun more areas in Cyprus. Alexander advised Altaïr to kill the Captain of the castle guard, who would most likely be replaced by one of Alexander's spies afterwards.

Successfully completing this task, Altaïr was told to meet Osman, a man spying upon the Templars and to tell him that "Alexander wishes his grandmother a joyous birthday." Upon receiving the password, Osman told Altaïr that he had heard of the Templars being interested in some sort of archive located in Cyprus and that the ranking Templar in Limassol was Frederick "the Red". Osman reduced the castle guard for a short time, allowing Altaïr to sneak into the castle and slay Frederick.

Afterwards, upon returning to the Resistance safehouse, Altaïr found it surrounded by Templars and set aflame. He killed the Templars outside but found no sign of any person left inside. He left for the Limassol cathedral, where he witnessed Armand Bouchart giving a speech to the people of Limassol about Frederick's death.

Furious, Armand threatened the Cypriots but was advised not to do so by Osman. Armand paused for thought and, upon realizing that Osman was a traitor, killed him. Shortly after this, Maria came running up to Armand and informed him of Altaïr's presence, though he refused to trust Maria, blaming her for de Sable's death and ordering his guards to lock her up. Altaïr managed to save Maria, and successfully escorted her back to Alexander near Limassol's port.

There, Altaïr was informed that Bouchart had fled to Kyrenia, and Alexander told him to ask a sailor named Pasha, who owed Alexander a debt, to bring him and Maria to Kyrenia as well. Before leaving, Altaïr infiltrated the remaining Templar ship docked in the port to look into its shipping manifest. Upon departing for Kyrenia, Altaïr aimed to get in contact with Alexander's associate, Barnabas.

Arrival in Kyrenia
As the boat arrived in Cyprus and Altaïr and Maria made to leave, their identities were discovered by pirates, who sought to turn them in to the authorities. Quickly climbing up, Maria kicked Altaïr off the ladder they were using to escape, and fled. Altaïr eventually managed to evade the pirates and went after Maria, eventually discovering her caught by Resistance soldiers. Maria was then returned to Altaïr's hands, and Altaïr made his first contact with the resistance; a man named Markos, who offered to keep an eye on Maria.

Altaïr went on further into the city and eventually found the Resistance's safehouse, meeting the man stationed there, who called himself Barnabas. Explaining that he was after Armand Bouchart's head, Barnabas explained that he would most likely have gone to Buffavento Castle, a Templar stronghold. Barnabas said that he could help him enter it with no trouble from the Templar guards in exchange for killing a man who had supposedly betrayed the Resistance. Agreeing to the task, Altaïr left to search for the traitor named Jonas.

Altaïr investigated the city and eventually found Jonas talking with another person. Having dispatched the nearby guards, Altaïr confronted Jonas, though the latter fled before Altaïr could make any action. Altaïr intercepted him in a secluded area, and Jonas tried to explain that a man known as "The Bull" was after him, but his reasoning was in vain. Having killed his target, Altaïr left for the harbor to secure Maria.

Altaïr found Maria and Markos surrounded by guards but managed to save them in time. After Altaïr mentioned "The Bull", Maria revealed that she had met him once, and he was in fact named Moloch. Altaïr, afraid of Maria being captured, told Markos to meet them at the Resistance safehouse. Altaïr went ahead of them, and met Barnabas again, who explained that Jonas' death had caused riots in the city. After having explained that there were Resistance members coming to the safehouse, Altaïr left to suppress the riots, which had been instigated by Moloch.

Infiltration of Kantara Castle
By taking down Moloch's fanatics throughout Kyrenia, Altaïr managed to calm the riots and prevented a disaster from occurring. When Altaïr returned to the safehouse, Markos questioned him about the riots, and Altaïr confirmed the death of Jonas as having been the cause. Altaïr focused on his new goal; locating and assassinating Moloch. Maria revealed that he resided in Kantara Castle, and Altaïr subsequently made his departure from the safehouse towards the castle. As he proceeded to scale its walls while evading the guards' attention, Altaïr found a chapel and entered via the rooftops.

With Moloch at the altar, Altaïr stealthily approached from behind and lunged at the giant man to perform the assassination. However, Moloch, having detected Altaïr's presence, turned to grab Altaïr by the throat, right before the Assassin's blade could reach him and threw him away to the floor. Acting quickly, Moloch grabbed his flail and the two men engaged in battle. Using Moloch's large size to his advantage, Altaïr grabbed Moloch's own flail, and strangled him with it. As he met his inevitable end, Moloch spoke a warning to Altaïr that his will would expand far beyond the ideals of both the Templars and the Assassins.

Upon being discovered, Altaïr was immediately attacked by Templar guards and Moloch's followers. Traveling through the immensely fortified castle once again, Altaïr eventually managed to make his way to the top of the castle. However, he found himself cornered there by several of Moloch's fanatics and guards. Turning around to face the guards advancing upon him, Altaïr managed to counter their attack, throwing two of Moloch's fanatics over the edge of the castle in the process. Subsequently, Altaïr did a backwards Leap of Faith into a hay bale and returned to the safehouse.

Aiding the Resistance
At the safehouse, Markos informed him that the Templars had attacked the safehouse during the Assassin's absence, and while Markos was hiding, they had taken Maria and a few Resistance members captive. Markos feared that one of the Templars' prisoners, the Dark Oracle, was responsible for revealing the safehouse location. However, Altaïr reasoned that it could have been Barnabas who had betrayed them to the Templars instead. Shocked, Markos informed Altaïr that Barnabas had been executed on the day before Altaïr's arrival in Kyrenia.

The Resistance members' executions were about to take place, and Markos requested Altaïr save them. Altaïr obliged and proceeded to scout the city. Upon finding several Resistance members, Altaïr dispatched the executioner and the surrounding Templar guards and set the members free. Altaïr quickly returned to the safehouse and reported his mission a success, to which Markos replied that the remaining prisoners would be located in either the harbor or Buffavento Castle.

First going to the harbor, Altaïr spotted a prison guard and tailed the man to a secluded area, where he swiftly defeated him. Then, impersonating a drunk, he tricked another guard into revealing the location of the imprisoned Resistance members in the harbor as well as the location of the key to their prison. Having served his purpose, the prison guard was given a quick death.

Altaïr then infiltrated the Crusader Outpost and retrieved the keys, before proceeding to free the remaining Resistance members. Questioning them if a woman had accompanied them, one affirmed this and revealed that Moloch's son Shalim had taken her with him. Fending off the attacking Templars at the harbor, Altaïr returned to the safehouse.

Infiltration of Buffavento Castle
Altaïr informed Markos of the freed Resistance members. Additionally, Altaïr warned Markos of another possible Templar attack. While Markos believed the Oracle was responsible for revealing the safehouse's location, Altaïr believed it was the man posing as Barnabas.

Believing that the real Barnabas had revealed too much about the Resistance under torture, Altaïr prepared to infiltrate Buffavento Castle in order to confront the Dark Oracle. Infiltrating the castle under the cover of dusk, Altaïr made his way through the fortress' dungeons, stealthily killing any Templars he encountered. Subsequently, Altaïr witnessed a conversation between Shalim and Armand Bouchart.

Armand lectured Shalim about his weakness for women, which had led to Maria's escape. Promising to find her, Shalim was presented with a package by Armand, which he ordered to be delivered to Alexander in Limassol. Altaïr, hearing this, was shocked and immediately came under the impression that Alexander was a Templar spy.

Making his way further into the castle, Altaïr dispatched the warden and his guards to gain a key to a barred door and eventually arrived at the prison cells. There, Armand exited the Oracle's cells, warning his men of her hostility. After Bouchart left, Altaïr entered the Oracle's prison.

With shrill screams, the Oracle appeared and aggressively attacked the Assassin. Despite the Oracle being aided by several prisoners who had lost their sanity, Altaïr eventually defeated her. Altaïr questioned what had led to her insanity, though she only responded with twisted ramblings and claims of being an "instrument of God." Altaïr concluded to put her out of her misery and ended her life with his blade. The Assassin immediately fled the fortress to return to the safehouse.

Liberating Kyrenia
As Altaïr returned to the safehouse he questioned Marko about information on Shalim. Marko claimed Shalim was not as vile as his father, Moloch. Stating that Shalim has been seen consorting with Bouchart on several occasions, Markos tasked Altaïr with gathering intelligence on Shalim and share what he learned in the Market District afterwards. Scouting the city for Shalim, Altaïr witnessed him abuse the civilians and rob them.

As Shalim eventually reached a Brothel he instructed his men to "have fun". Left to their own devices, Shalims men began to abuse the civilians further, robbing them and attacking them. However, the Assassin dispatched all Shalim's abusive henchmen throughout the districts. Rendezvousing with Markos, Altaïr informed him of Shalim's violent and brash actions. Markos acknowledged Shalim's constant confessions at church and suggested Altaïr search for one of the Scholars there.

Subsequently, witnessing Shalim addressing the people, promising rewards through hard work, Altaïr asked the Scholar about Shalim's attitude change. However, the Scholar suggested they discuss in a secluded location. Approaching the Scholar at the rendezvous, a crate of materials collapses on the Scholar, killing him. Altaïr noticed a Templar above, with his face hidden. Pursuing the killer from the rooftops, the Templar eventually escaped despite Altaïr's efforts. Returning to the safehouse, Markos directed Altaïr towards the harbor.

As he arrived at the harbor, Altaïr noticed a carriage of female dancers, Maria among them. Concluding the Templars would attempt to inspect the carriage and recognize Maria, Altaïr dispatched the Templar soldiers as the carriage passed through the city. As the carriage safely left the city, Altaïr followed it, with the intention of discovering Maria's destination.

"You dishonor our father, Assassin! But you will not dishonor his cause!, 1192."

- Shalim and Shahar to Altaïr.

As the carriage came to a halt, at the Saint Hilarion Castle Altaïr watched from afar as Maria entered the castle. Scaling the wall and stealthily killing off any guards he encountered, Altaïr finally located Shalim at his quarters. However Maria then entered his quarters and demanded answers, asking whether the Templars intended to use the Apple for tyranny and stating that she believed the Templars wanted liberty instead. Shalim replied the people were to be led like sheep and those who defied the Templars were to be disposed of.

When Maria denied this, Shalim became more persistent. Altaïr revealed himself, calling out to Shalim. However the Templar revealed himself to be Shahar instead, Shalim's twin and the man who Altaïr saw speaking to the civilians.

Shalim himself arrived at the scene as the twins prepared to duel. Maria however, after disarming guards present, fled the feud and left the Assassin to fend for himself. After a long battle, Altaïr eventually proved the victor and killed both twins.

Returning to the safehouse, Markos joyfully welcomed Altaïr and informed him of the Templar's abrupt departure from Kyrenia. Concluding the Templar Archive was not in Kyrenia, as they would not leave it unprotected so willingly, Markos claimed the Templars sailed for Limassol instead. Concluding the Archive was there, Altaïr bid Markos farewell, claiming he had served his country well. Altaïr sailed towards Limassol to confront the remaining Templars in Cyprus.

Routing the Templars
Returning to Limassol, Altaïr subsequently entered the new safehouse to find Alexander horrified by his presence, accusing Altaïr of being a traitor to the Resistance. Altaïr, however, asked if he had received a package from the Templars. Alexander then exclaimed it contained the head of Barnabas. Altaïr, after inspecting the package, claimed it was different man from the Barnabas he met. Altaïr explained that the real Barnabas was executed before his arrival and the other man was a Templar spy.

Alexander added the Templars had done the same in Limassol: using their Propaganda to turn several Resistance members to the Templar cause. Tasking himself with dispatching the Templar soldiers in order to prevent any further conflict, Altaïr noticed one of the Templar's contacts at the harbor consorting with pirates and Crusaders. Tailing him to an obscured area, Altaïr posed as a messenger for Bouchart himself.

Questioning the Templar on Bouchart's location, the contact admitted he was unable to say; however, he informed Altaïr that several of his men were murdered the previous night be a Templar sergeant. Asking where the Templar was, the contact directed Altaïr to the Cathedral. Once at the Cathedral, the Templar sergeant fled. However, Altaïr pursued him and used his throwing knifes to injure and stop him. Questioning the Templar, he directed Altaïr to Demetris.

Arriving at the home of Demetris, Altaïr stealthily entered Demetris's from the rooftop, whilst avoiding confrontations with guards. Entering to find Demetris, Altaïr made his presence known and began interrogating Demetris. After being beaten down, Demetris finally confessed that he was responsible for the murder at the harbor. However, Demetris was then killed with a throwing knife from above. Noticing the same Templar agent from Kyrenia, Altaïr attempted to pursue him; however, after reaching the rooftops, the Templar was gone.

Returning to the safehouse, Altaïr found it abandoned and a note from Alexander requesting he meet him at the Limassol castle courtyard. Though expecting a trap to be in place, Altaïr proceeded to the courtyard disregarding his suspicions. Once at the courtyard, however, Altaïr found the dead body of Alexander. Saddened by his friend's death, Altaïr looked up to the balcony above only to find the Templar Agent. Sneering at Altaïr, a enraged mob of citizens arrived at the courtyard, convinced Altaïr was the enemy. Though failing to calm then, Altaïr reluctantly used the Apple against them. Telling them that Bouchart and the Templars were the true enemy, the civilians left the courtyard, under the Apple's effect.

The Agent continued to mock the Assassin. However, he was stabbed from behind, then kicked from the balcony. Maria revealed herself and revealed they stood directly above the Templar Archive. Preparing to enter it together, a group of Templars attacked. Though Maria fled inside the Archive, Altaïr fought off the Templar soldiers. After dispatching them all, the Assassins proceeded and entered the Archive.

Progressing further into the Archive, Altaïr dispatched any Templars guarding the way forward. Eventually he witnessed a duel between Maria and Bouchart, however, the Templar eventually left her unconscious. Bouchart explained that because of Isaac Comnenus the Archive was almost exposed to the public. When Altaïr challenged this statement, Bouchart merely replied that they were forced to buy what they already owned, to prevent Richard from discovering it. Revealing they moved the contents of the Archive in the Assassin's absence Armand drew his sword preparing to duel his nemesis.

Both skilled swordsmen, Bouchart and Altaïr attacked each other with skill and speed. Eventually, however, Altaïr gained the upperhand, dodged Bouchart's attack and impaled him with his sword. In his dying moments, Bouchart respectfully credited Altaïr for his superior skill. Warning the Assassin regarding the Piece of Eden's safety and keep it hidden. With Bouchart dead Altaïr came to Maria's aid. Suddenly, the Archive became to fall apart from Templar cannon fire, planning to leave no evidence.

The two ran off immediately. The two were able to climb through the almost-destroyed structure and successfully escape. Walking on the harbor, Maria then confirmed her official retirement from the Templar Order, instead intending to travel East or to India. Asking Altaïr of his plans, he claimed to travel the world and meet the most intelligent minds, continuing to learn while expanding the Assassin Order. Altaïr remarked that he would travel East and make his departure from Cyprus with Maria at his side.

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 1195, 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. In 1204, Altaïr traveled to the city in hopes of spreading the Creed to Europe. However, his plans were thwarted when he discovered waves of Roman Catholics that laid siege to the city and burnt most of it to the ground. Altaïr returned to Masyaf in bitter disappointment.

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. Seeing the danger such invulnerability could present, he 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.

Journey to Mongolia
In 1217, Genghis Khan was rapidly approaching 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 had left 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 halfway 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, 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 had 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, avenging the loss of his love. 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.

During Altaïr's quiet contemplation over the Apple, he discovered that the fortress of Alamut was built upon the remains of a First Civilization temple. Upon venturing into these remains, Altaïr unearthed a series of Memory Seals, ancient artifacts capable of recording genetic memory. Altaïr took six of these seals and recorded his most significant memories on five of them, keeping the final one for later use. 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 the six artifacts that he had retrieved. He was told that they were a message for someone, though Altaïr did not know for whom.

Reclaiming his title
"There will be no killing in the name of this old man."

- Altaïr shortly before his return as leader of the Levantine Assassins.

One day circa 1247, Altaïr was sleeping beside a well located near Masyaf, when he was woken up by a local merchant by the name of Mukhlis. Not too long afterwards, Mukhlis was attacked by a group of bandits, consisting of Bayhas and two henchmen of which one was nicknamed Long Hair. Altaïr, who was around 81 years old at the time, faced the bandits and managed to kill the first henchman with ease. However, when he faced the other two men, he realized that because of his old age, his combat skills had significantly diminished.

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 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 incapacitated the Assassin. 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 Assassins loyal to Abbas 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 Mentor 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 underneath the Masyaf fortress, where he would store thousands of his books containing knowledge gained from the Apple. From there, 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, stating that it should be spread throughout the world. Thus, he 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.

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, which the Polo brothers concealed throughout Constantinople. Unfortunately, however, the brothers lost the Codex to the Mongols on their way back home.

Following this, Altaïr returned to Masyaf castle and, once he was sure everyone else had been evacuated, locked himself inside the 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, Altaïr seated himself on a chair in the center of library, where he then imprinted a memory onto his sixth and last key, right before passing away.

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.

Although Ezio was able to locate Altaïr's hidden Apple, he chose instead to leave it be, claiming that he had "seen enough for one life". The Apple was eventually removed from the library and was next seen in the hands of Queen Elizabeth I of England some time after she gained the throne in 1558. One of Altaïr's descendents, Iskender, was the Mentor of the Egyptian Assassins in Alexandria in 1511 while Ezio was in Constantinople.

Centuries later, in 2012, 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 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 Templars' project bent on creating a "New World Order".

Following his escape from Abstergo Industries, Desmond, suffering from a condition known as the Bleeding Effect, relived a memory of Altaïr while outside of the Animus. Desmond watched as Altaïr chased a hooded figure through the Acre Citadel. Upon the castle's highest tower, the runner revealed herself to be Maria Thorpe. 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 placed in the Animus 2.03 in the hope of repairing his splintered subconscious and revealing the future, where 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 Synch Nexus and receive the location of the Grand Temple from Jupiter, a member of the First Civilization.

Characteristics and personality
Altaïr was raised at the Assassins' 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 spent 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. 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.

Equipment and skills
Altaïr was a Master Assassin and instructor, capable of extraordinary acrobatic feats, adept in social stealth, and fully apt in the application of deadly arts, possessing great physical and mental strength and stamina. Trained extensively, he was able to overcome any obstacle, human or terrain. He was able to get anywhere, climbing the tallest tower and jumping from the highest ledge without a hint of fear.

Like other Assassins, he was also trained in stealth assassination techniques, hand to hand and weapons combat, and blade throwing. His noncombat skills included climbing, urban acrobatics, eavesdropping, interrogation, pickpocketing and anything else that would help complete a mission. Besides physical prowess, he also had extensive knowledge of the Holy Land politics and religion, which helped the Assassins understand their opponents.

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 less skilled than in his youth, due to his age and for being inactive from the Order for so long and 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 the 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. Altaïr's fighting skills became legendary through the Assassin Order, even after his death.

As a Master Assassin, Altaïr wore 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 an emerald cape. Despite his age, Altaïr still continued to wield two Hidden Blades, though he carried no other weapon.

Romantic life
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.

Trivia
Assassin's Creed
 * Altaïr was the youngest Assassin to attain the rank of Master Assassin.
 * Altaïr's American accent in Assassin's Creed was an intentional design choice. Philip Shahbaz stated in an interview that Altaïr was originally going to have a Middle Eastern accent, but the voice directors thought Shahbaz had an "awesome-sounding voice".
 * Altaïr was seen wielding a crossbow in the E3 trailer for the original Assassin's Creed, though the weapon did not appear until Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Altaïr used the weapon in the same manner Ezio did, by holding it one-handed and firing single bolts in a short span of time.
 * In promotional artwork, Altaïr wore only a glove on his left hand. In the game, he wore gloves on both hands.
 * Lucy Stillman once mentioned an error with the Animus 1.28 software which caused ancestors to drown, explaining Altaïr's inability to swim.

Assassin's Creed Bloodlines
 * Though Altaïr did not have a sheath for his short blade on his back, he would nevertheless draw and sheathe his dagger as though he did.

Assassin's Creed II
 * During Desmond's vision of the chase between Altaïr and Maria Thorpe, Altaïr would not drown should he fall into the sea surrounding the Acre citadel.
 * During the vision, Altaïr could only kill Templars using his sword, and only use his Hidden Blade for aerial and ledge assassinations.
 * Altaïr also fought in a similar manner to Ezio, and Templars would only react to him by pushing him away, rather than attacking.
 * Altaïr, Ezio and Desmond shared exactly the same face in Assassin's Creed II, except for the beard that Ezio grew when he became older, along with other minor differences.
 * Altaïr's robes were available as an outfit for Ezio for 20 Uplay points.

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
 * In 2012, Desmond could interact with the statue of Altaïr in the Monteriggioni sanctuary, saying "Hey, wassa-matta-you, Altaïr?" Rebecca responded that it was "racist" for him to refer to the Assassin that way.
 * If Desmond interacted with the statue once more, he would say the same line with no response from Rebecca.
 * Altaïr's robes were available as an outfit for Ezio to wear for 20 Uplay points.

Assassin's Creed: Revelations
 * Although Altaïr was born in 1165, he was noted as being 25 years old in 1191 in the game manual.
 * Altaïr's voice differed from the one in Assassin's Creed, gaining a Middle Eastern accent.
 * Revelations was the only installment where Altaïr was seen with his hood down, during his final moments with his son, Darim.
 * Altaïr was able to air and ledge assassinate in an early memory contained within one of the seals, though he did not officially record those techniques until later in his life. Developers Darby McDevitt and Falko Poiker confirmed that he was able perform these techniques due to the dangerous situation he was placed in.
 * As with Assassin's Creed II and Brotherhood, a leather sheath for a short blade could be seen on Altaïr's back, despite the fact that he did not have the appropriate weapon.
 * When replaying "The Mentor's Keeper" and "The Mentor's Wake" memories, there was a glitch that would make Altaïr appear as he did in "A New Regime".
 * Another glitch during these memories caused Altaïr's low profile stance to slowly shift into high profile when standing still, even if the high profile button was not held down.
 * Altaïr's robes were available as an outfit for Ezio to wear. They could be obtained as a pre-order bonus or through purchasing the Lost Archive DLC.

Assassin's Creed III
 * Altaïr's robes were available in Assassin's Creed III as an outfit for Connor to wear. They could be unlocked by attaining full synchronization in all DNA sequences. The robes appeared as they looked in Revelations.

Multiple Entries
 * Altaïr was six feet tall and weighed 170 pounds.
 * Altaïr voice changed four times throughout the games. His voice in Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles sounded slightly higher than that of the original Assassin's Creed while maintaining the same accent. He had a Middle Eastern accent in both Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines and Assassin's Creed: Revelations, with a distinct voice for each.
 * Altaïr was a skilled artist, illustrating in his Codex blueprints for Hidden Blade modifications, manuals for assassination techniques, maps, and even a detailed sketch bordered with hand-drawn flowers of his wife, Maria.

Name
 * Altaïr's connection to eagles was not coincidental; he was named after the brightest in the constellation, known as "The Eagle."
 * There were different pronunciations of the name "Altaïr." In Arabic, it was pronounced "Al-tai-ear" or "Al-ta-'ir," with a subtle pronunciation of the "r". Inversely, Desmond pronounced the Assassin's name as "Al-ta-ear", with a clearer "r" at the end and a harder "t."
 * In Assassin's Creed II Desmond pronounced it as "Al-tai-air."
 * Strictly, due to Arabic grammar, the name "Altaïr" would normally be pronounced as "At-air" with no "l".

Other Appearances
 * Altaïr appeared as a guest character in Ubisoft's , along with several other characters that they had created.
 * Altaïr's robes could be unlocked as a skin in the 2008 Ubisoft game Prince of Persia.
 * Altaïr's robes could be bought in the Alter Ego store on  for both male and female avatars.
 * In the game , there was a car named Altaïr, which was also nicknamed "The Flying Eagle".
 * In the game , Altaïr's outfit was available for use by Solid Snake after unlocking the "Assassin" emblem or by entering a password.