Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad (Arabic: الطائر بن لا أحد) (born 1165) was an Assassin living during the Third Crusade and later Grand Master of the Assassin Order. An ancestor to Ezio Auditore da Firenze, Desmond Miles and Subject 16, Altaïr was raised to be an Assassin from birth, obtaining the rank of Master Assassin by his twenty-fifth year. However, following his failure to obtain the Apple from Robert de Sable in 1191, and subsequently allowing the Knights Templar to attack the city of Masyaf, head quarters to the Order of Assassins, he was demoted to the rank of novice and sent on a quest for redemption.

Tasked with the deaths of nine individuals, who ,unbeknown to him, made up the ranks of the Knights Templar in the Holy Land, Altaïr began a year long quest to change his ways and liberate the Kingdom from the corruption of the nine Templars. During his quest however, Altaïr learned of a plot far more sinister and worrying than originally believed. Completing his quest to kill the Nine, and cleansing the Order of its treacherous leader – Al Mualim – Altaïr rose to the rank of Grand Master, taking the Assassins into a new, more secretive direction.

With the Apple in hand, Altaïr changed the ways his Order lived their lives; writing his fabled Codex for later generations of his family to read. His name would continue to resonate through the Order in later years, greatly influencing the lives of his descendants in years to come.

Early life
Altaïr was born to Assassin parents; a Christian mother and a Muslim father. During his childhood, he was trained and raised by Al Mualim, and quickly rose among his brethren in skill, gaining status with his teacher and eventually becoming a Master Assassin and Instructor. Because of the rules of the Order, Al Mualim felt that love would make the assassins weaker, and his constant training, his parents never showed a great deal of love toward Altaïr, though he felt that they suppressed their true feelings for the sake of the Order and its cause. When they finally died, their son felt no real grief; their deaths were, to him, "Like the passing of two strangers". Altaïr comments in later life that Al Mualim felt more like a father to him than his real parents, even though Al Mualim's love was "weak and dishonest".

Quest for the Chalice
During the year 1190 the threat of Crusade looms; by this time Altaïr has reached the rank of Master Assassin and was tasked with recovering an ancient artifact known as the Chalice. Learning that, in order to complete his task, he must obtain three keys from their Templar owners, Altaïr began his quest; in the process aiding in the defence of Acre and revealing the identity of a traitor to the Assassins' – Harash. Eventually coming across an old associate named Adha, Altaïr astonished her with the information that she was the Chalice. Upon this revelation however, the Templar Lord Basilisk kidnapped her and spirited her to Tyre.

Making his way to the port of Tyre, Altaïr found and killed Lord Basilisk, only to discover that Adha was not with him, but on another vessel. It would be years before Altaïr found Adha again, but was too late to save her; all he could do was avenge her. In the Codex, Altaïr remarks that he hunted down and killed all of Adha's killers, but commented that the act brought him no joy, as the deed could neither console him or bring her back.

Third Crusade
"A small sacrifice to save many. It is necessary."

- Altaïr

By the following year the Holy Land was in the midst of war. Altaïr, along with his fellow Assassins; the brothers Malik and Kadar were sent by Al Mualim to explore the catacombs of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, and to intercept an artifact the Knights Templar are searching for. After progressing through the catacombs, Altaïr broke two tenets of the Assassin's Creed, confident in his mastery as an Assassin. Finally, upon seeing the archenemy of his Order – Robert de Sable – Altaïr attempted to slay the Templar Grand Master, but was easily thwarted and thrown from the temple, leaving Malik and Kadar trapped with the Templars. Upon returning to Masyaf Altaïr informed Al Mualim of his failure to acquire the Templar treasure and was lambasted for his failure when Malik returned alive with the artifact, but alone and with a bloodied arm. Before any further action could be taken though, the Templars attacked Masyaf, taking the village, slaughtering its inhabitants and besieging the castle; Altaïr led the defense of the fortress, sneaking behind the Templar army and unleashing a torrent of felled tree logs, crushing the Templar army. Once the attack was over, the matters of his actions in the Temple Mount were addressed once again. Altaïr, having broken all three tenets of the Creed, failing to acquire the Templar treasure, causing the death of a brother and the incapacitation of another, as well as being responsible for all who had died in the Templar attack, was deemed a traitor to the Creed; Al Mualim judged before the whole order, and stabbed him in the stomach with a dagger.

Altaïr woke up from his 'sleep of the dead' and questioned Al Mualim of his survival, the Grand Master answering only that "&hellip;[Altaïr] saw only what [Al Mualim had] wanted him to see–”. Stripped of rank and possessions by Al Mualim, Altaïr was given a chance for redemption. Starting as a novice once again, he was tasked with hunting down the traitor within Masyaf who had allowed the Templars entrance. Successful, Altaïr returned to Al Mualim and was rewarded with the return of his Hidden Blade and long-sword. Once again officially a member of the Order, Altaïr was offered an exchange; the lives of nine men for his own.

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, acquiring the location of the target. Returning to the Bureau with this info, he received a pass for the kill and a white feather, to be wet 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 then killed him as he explored the market. Returning to the Bureau, Altaïr was told to return to Al Mualim, who rewarded him for this first step on the road to redemption, granting him a part of his equipment back. Altaïr then left to the other cities, Acre and Jerusalem, for his next targets.

In Acre, he met with the Bureau leader and gathered the information about his target, Garnier de Naplouse, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitalier, before receiving the feather and permission for the kill. Infiltrating Garnier's hospital, Altaïr watched him make the rounds on his patients and struck him from above. A city wide alert was issued, wherein after finally escaping from the hospital and hiding in the Bureau, Altaïr returned to Masyaf and told Al Mualim of his success.

Arriving at Jerusalem's Bureau, Altaïr was harshly received by Malik, that Bureau's new leader. Reluctantly, Malik sent him on his investigations, and received him once again when he returned. After receiving 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 throughout the rooftops and 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 part of his equipment back, Altaïr once again had to return to all three cities to take out new targets. He returned to Damascus to eliminate Abul 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 Abul began his speech, lambasting his guests for their intolerance and ignorance, before revealing he had poisoned the wine being served, killing a number of the revellers, before ordering his archers to eliminate the rest. The assassin scaled the palace walls, killing several archers in the process, before managing to climb onto the roof above Nuqoud. 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.

In Acre, Altaïr was tasked with the death of William of Montferrat, regent of the city and a lieutenant to Richard the Lionheart. 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 was 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.

Within Jerusalem, Altaïr found his sixth target, Majd Addin; the illegitimate ruler of Jerusalem. He 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 of Al Mualim the truth behind his targets connections; 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. His seventh target was present in Acre; the target, named Sibrand, was 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; he then 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 wet with Sibrand's blood, Altaïr left for Masyaf as always.

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, and before long the scholar joined his Templar brothers in death. Altaïr escaped the city guard, and reported his success to the Rafiq.

Returning to Masyaf, Altaïr had only one target remaining; the Grand Master of the Knights Templar himself. Robert had recently arrived in Jerusalem to attend the funeral of Majd Addin, in a show of mutual cooperation between Saracen and Crusader. Gathering intelligence for the strike, Altaïr proceeded to the cemetery, but was ambushed by the Templars, who had anticipated his arrival. Engaging the Templars in battle, Altaïr watched as Robert fled upon the death of his last warrior. In pursuit, Altaïr charged de Sable from behind; preparing to strike, the Templar warrior removed his helmet and revealed a decoy.

At first believing it to be sorcery, the shock of the woman standing before him soon wore off. Learning from the woman 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 for being an innocent and a decoy, 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 informed Altaïr that it was best he return to Masyaf, and enlighten Al Mualim to the development; Altaïr refused, citing time to be lacking. Leaving the city, Altaïr headed directly to Arsuf.

Arriving at Arsuf, Altaïr found that a epic battle between the forces of Richard and Saladin was raging. Fighting his way through the lines, engaging Saracen and Christian troops alike, Altaïr arrived at Richard's camp, only to be mistaken for making an attempt on the King's life. Denying this, Altaïr informed the Christian king of Robert's treachery, as well as that of his followers; de Sable strenuously denied the accusations, though Richard was unconvinced. Leaving the matter 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. Allowed to leave by Richard, Altaïr returned to Masyaf to find the people in a hypnotic trance. Climbing the hill to the fortress, Altaïr was forced to fight and kill many of his fellow Assassins, who had been corrupted by the power of the Apple. Heavily outnumbered, Altaïr was saved by the timely arrival of Malik and a handful of unaffected Assassins. Free to confront Al Mualim, Altaïr continued to the fortress gardens, where Al Mualim lay in wait.

Confronting his former master, Altaïr demanded an explanation from his Master; Al Mualim revealed that he had used the Apple recovered at Solomon's Temple to control the minds of the people and ensure their obedience, ensuring utter and absolute peace; Altaïr's mission was to wipe out the remaining Templar leaders, and subsequently end the crusades. Ending his explanation, Al Mualim used the Apple to call upon the spirits of Altaïr's assassination targets, who attacked the confused Assassin. Defeating them one by one, Altaïr charged his former master, only to have him vanish in mid air. Chasing down Al Mualim, Altaïr was then forced to confront multiple copies of his Master; striking them as they approached, Altaïr managed to pierce his Master's heart with his longsword, killing the traitorous Grand Master of the Assassins.

Altaïr then listened, as his Master gave his final words, challenging Altaïr's strength of character and ability to destroy the Apple; the Assassin watched as the Apple rolled from his Master's lifeless hand, before activating. He stood before the vast holographic image that projected from the orb, a map of the world indicating the location of various other Pieces of Eden.

As Grand Master of the Assassin Order
After the death of Al Mualim, Altaïr inherited the title of Grand Master. Wanting to tell the tale that his life had been, he began writing his Codex, which would detail his life. The troubles were not yet over though, the Crusade continued to wage and the Templars had not yet been defeated. Fleeing to Cyprus under the leadership of Armand Bouchart, the Templars had secured Acre for their escape. Leading the attack on the city, Altaïr managed to save the life of the very woman who had served as De Sable's decoy, apparently abandoned by Bouchart and blaming Altaïr for ruining her life by killing De Sable. Revealing her name to be Maria, the Templar joined Altaïr, and after seeing the events that unfolded, was convinced that the ways of the Templars were unjust. As their quest continued, the pair went from being mere allies of convenience to beginning to feel affection for one another.

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 years peered into it often. From it, he gathered much knowledge, most of which went into his Codex; new assassination techniques, new technologies and reference to Those Who Came Before. At some point Altaïr and Maria bore at least two sons, training them to be Assassins. With the rapid approach of Genghis Khan from the east, whom Altaïr suspected to possess a Piece of Eden, the family headed East to combat the threat.

Legacy
During his time in Cyprus, Altaïr began working on the Codex, an encrypted journal in which he detailed his thoughts and discoveries. His relationship with Maria bore at least two children, and his discoveries from the Piece of Eden led to a complete change in the Assassin's ways. Beside the intellectual findings, the Apple's knowledge taught him to upgrade the Hidden Blade mechanism, create a firearm and a nearly indestructible piece of armor, as well as other technological advances.

In 1259, 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; also escorting it was Dante’s apprentice, a descendant of Altaïr, named Domenico, who had only recently been made aware of his heritage. As the pirates attacked, Domenico broke apart the Codex and hid it from the pirates, though was too late to save the life of his Master and wife. Eventually, Domenico and his son took the name of Auditore, and constructed the Villa Auditore in Monteriggioni, beneath which they constructed the Sanctuary; inside of which rested Altaïr's Grand Master robes. These robes later passed into the possession of yet another of Altaïr's descendants, the Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze.

Centuries later, in the early 21st Century the Templar organization Abstergo Industries kidnapped a man named Desmond Miles, the latest descendant of Altaïr, in order to "read" the memories that were encoded into Desmond's DNA. Using the Animus, Desmond explored Altaïr's memories, overseen by researchers Dr. Warren Vidic and his assistant, an undercover Assassin named Lucy Stillman, in order to find a specific memory about the Piece of Eden for the Templar's project bent on creating a "New World Order".

Following his escape from Abstergo Industries, Desmond Miles, suffering from a condition known as the "bleeding effect", received a hallucination of Altaïr's memories whilst outside the Animus; within the hallucination Desmond watched as Altaïr chased a hooded figure through the castle of Acre. Ending upon the castle's highest tower, the runner revealed herself to be Maria. After sharing an intimate moment with Maria, Altaïr left; Desmond became shocked when he noticed he was no longer following Altaïr – he had just witnessed the conception of his ancestor.

Characteristics and personality
Altaïr was raised at the Assassin's fortress at Masyaf, and possessed incredible skills, quickly rising among the ranks of the Order. A cold and objective person, he fully devoted himself to the cause he chose to pursue.

Altaïr had a rebellious nature; he was impetuous, overconfident, demanding, arrogant, self-centered and impatient. After the failure at Solomon's Temple, being demoted to Novice and sent after nine targets, Altaïr began listening to the final words of his victims, their revelations involving them and their justifications for their deeds. As his mission progresses, his attitude changes and he starts to perceive more between the lines and actions of the world while drawing 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, humble, patient and wise man. Altaïr was one of the most respected and feared Assassins 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” made sure the order survived to fight for that for as long as it was necessary, as he understood that the new world would have no place for the current ways of the Assassins.

Also, his cold personality did not uphold his emotions. Altaïr is 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 lifetime partner and was the mother of his children.

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. 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, blade throwing, climbing, urban acrobatics, eavesdropping, interrogation, pick pocketing and anything else that may help complete a mission. Besides the 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," a strong feeling, instinct or intuition that let him see people's true intentions, though this seemed to be a rarity even among the Assassins. On the visual display of the Animus, this sense was translated into a color based system.

Romantic Life
The earliest information revealed about Altaïr's love interests lies with Adha, who is 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, there seemed to be more at hand. 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 is revealed they did foster a relationship together, and that Altaïr and Maria had at least two sons. As a side-effect from the bleeding effect, Altaïr's descendant Desmond Miles saw them in a vision chasing each other to the top of a high tower, where they shared an intimate moment, and where Altaïr impregnated her.

Behind the scenes
The name "Altaïr" is a word in the Arabic language, meaning "The Flyer"/"The Flying One/The Flying Eagle". In interviews, the game's producer Jade Raymond has stated that in mid-air, Altaïr's shadow resembles that of an eagle, because his attire includes a point at the front of the hood (to resemble a beak) and slits through the back of the outfit (to resemble tail feathers). The second part of his name, "Ibn-La'Ahad", means "son of none", reflecting his mysterious origins. His face, as Desmond's, is modeled after Canadian model Francisco Randez.

Trivia

 * Altaïr has three different voices throughout three games. His voice in Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles sounded a bit higher than that of the original Assassin's Creed game, while his voice in Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines had more of a Middle Eastern accent.
 * His American voice in Assassin's Creed, completely different from everyone else's, was intentionally done. The reason for this has not been stated by Ubisoft.
 * The connection between Altaïr and eagles was not coincidental at all. He is named after the brightest star in the constellation Aquila, which is known symbolically as "The Eagle".
 * Aquila is also Italian/Latin for eagle, which links to Ezio's Italian heritage.
 * There are different pronunciations of the name 'Altaïr.' In Arabic, it mostly sounds like 'Al-tai-ear' or 'Al-tai-air', with a subtle pronunciation of the 'r' in the back of the name. Inversely, Desmond pronounces the name as 'Al-ta-ear' with a clearer 'r' at the end, and a hard 't' but in Assassin's Creed II he pronounces is 'Al-ta-air'.
 * By looking at the Codex pages, it can be seen that Altaïr was a bit of an artist, illustrating several blueprints for Hidden Blade modifications, learning manuals for assassination techniques, some maps, and even a detailed sketch bordered with hand-drawn flowers of his lover, Maria Thorpe.
 * It is interesting to note that in Desmond's memory of Altaïr's chase with Maria, Altaïr won't drown, should he accidentally fall into water. The player will lose synchronization, but in the remaining seconds you'll see Altaïr floating in the water.
 * In Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines, though Altaïr does not have a sheath for his short blade on his back, he will nevertheless both draw and sheathe his dagger as if he did.
 * Altaïr is seen wielding a crossbow in the trailer for the original Assassin's Creed, though the weapon does not appear until Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Altaïr uses the weapon in the same manner Ezio does, holding it one-handed, and firing single bolts with very little time needed to aim the weapon.


 * The Altaïr costume can be unlocked in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots by simply inputting the correct password at the extras screen, or by having finishing the game with a minimum of 50 CQC uses and 50 knife kills and with less than 25 alerts. It can also be unlocked for Prince of Persia (2009). Users have to register at the Ubisoft Website and then link that account to an Xbox 360 Gamertag or PSN screen name.
 * Altaïr's Robes are available in UPlay for both Assassin's Creed II (for 30 U-points) and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (for 20 U-points).
 * In both cases, Ezio's ring finger will vanish when this outfit is worn, as instead of “in-Animus clothing,” it is a virtual database model from the original memories of Altaïr, instead of Ezio.
 * It is the same model used in the dream sequence where Altaïr chases Maria in Acre during Assassin's Creed II.
 * Altaïr's robes can also be bought in the Alter Ego store on Playstation Home for both male or female avatars.
 * Neca manufactured an action figure of Altaïr, well articulated and highly detailed. All the weapons have holders, and also can be removed from the holders such as the Hidden Blade, Dagger, Sword, and each individual Throwing Knife. It was not based on the game version, but on the artwork renders of the character. They also released two versions of a Ezio figure, both based on renders.
 * In Assassin's Creed II, when Desmond views Altaïr's memory (without using the Animus), Altaïr can kill the Templars using his Sword. He is not equipped with his Short Blade, and cannot use his Hidden Blade during this time. An interesting note is that he fights like Ezio, not himself from Assassin's Creed.

Notes and references
Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad