Vigilantes

"Sorry, am I in your way?!"

- A vigilante grabbing a guard.

Vigilantes were groups of men that would aid the Assassins by distracting or grabbing guards pursuing them.

They were often recruited by saving certain citizens, or by reclaiming a Roman city district from the Borgia.

High Middle Ages
Vigilante groups were usually made up of the friends or family members of female citizens, who had been rescued from harassing guards. The rescued citizen would often thank the Assassin, and assure him that their husband (or friends or neighbors) would be sure to hear of his kind deed.

Should the Assassin pass by the group of vigilantes when not being pursued, they would greet him, and say such things as "Thank you for saving my daughter," or "If you need me, I am here."

Renaissance
During Ezio Auditore da Firenze's attempts to retake Rome, several vigilantes began to support his actions. After he destroyed Borgia Towers, small groups of vigilantes would gather in the district, shouting insults at nearby guards, and ready to aid Ezio at any time.

Aside from directly assaulting the guards, they could also hide him from them. After successfully helping Ezio against an attack, they would disperse from the area, and only gather again at a later time.

Though vigilantes did not address Ezio should he walk past, they would often speak complaints against the Borgia, and praise for the Assassins.

In Constantinople, when Ezio stirred a riot at the Harbor of Theodosius, several vigilantes chose to fight against the Janissaries. Though unarmed, or wielding only pitch forks, many risked their lives to protest the tyranny of the guards.

Once the rioters had broken through the gate and into the Arsenal itself, Vigilantes could be seen fighting both the Elite soldiers and Janissaries inside.

Trivia

 * A guard held by a vigilante could not move or defend himself, allowing Altaïr or Ezio to easily kill or shake the pursuers.
 * Vigilantes could hold guards for around five seconds before the guard broke free, although it was possible for the guard to be grabbed again immediately afterward.
 * Any guard, regardless of health or type, could be grappled by vigilantes. Even some assassination targets were vulnerable to them.
 * If all of the pursuers were killed with the assistance of vigilantes, the group would disperse, and could not be used again until the area was revisited.