Decline of the Levantine Assassins

"I am sorry, Altaïr. [...] But until certain matters are resolved it will not be possible for you to resume leadership of the Order."

- Abbas, taking leadership of the Order.

The decline of the Levantine Assassins occurred during the High Middle Ages, in which Abbas Sofian gained control over the Levantine Assassins after his coup d'état circa 1227, overthrowing and sending into exile his rival Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad. For the twenty years he reigned, the Order fell into disrepair, until Altaïr eventually reclaimed his control.

Abbas' insurrection
"Altaïr suspected that Genghis Khan's progress might have been helped by another artifact, similar to the Apple. Perhaps the Sword."

- Niccolò telling Maffeo the reason behind Altaïr's travel East.

In the early 13th century, Altaïr traveled to the East, accompanied by Maria and Darim, to confront Genghis Khan and to put an end to his inexorable march. He put Malik in charge and left Sef behind also, to help take care of his wife and daughters.

Changes
In the meantime at Masyaf, Abbas had set up and executed his plans. Firstly, he had Swami, Abbas' right hand man, kill Sef, leaving the bloodied knife in Malik's room, so that on accusation, people would believe Abbas and not Malik. Following this, Malik was thrown into prison, succeeded in leadership by a council - in line with the statutes of the Order - that was led by Abbas as chairman.

There, with the Master absent, his replacement imprisoned and his close followers removed, Abbas' tyranny left the Order and Masyaf to decay; bringing fear to the people and the Assassins, putting a stop to all training, and setting up Altaïr's downfall.

Arrival
After being successful in killing Genghis Khan in 1227, Maria and Altaïr, both in their mid-sixties, slowly rode home on their horses, followed by Darim. Once inside the village, the atmosphere started to become eerie; the younger children who did not recognize the Master rushed around excitedly, while the older villagers watched the three warily. The first to welcome them was Swami, who was still an Apprentice when Altaïr left. When Rauf, who Altaïr had initially requested to greet them in his letters, was mentioned, Swami told them he had died of a fever some years ago, at which Altaïr asked why he hadn't been informed; however, no explanation was given.

Assuming that their quarters had already been prepared, Swami responded again, negatively; instead, he directed them to a cabin on the western side of the fortress, telling them they would be accommodated there for the time being. Inside the citadel, even the guards acted like the villagers; keen to avoid all eye-contact, instead of welcoming them. When Maria asked where Sef was, Swami told them he had to travel to Alamut. Then, as Altaïr snapped and told Swami to get Malik at once, he informed them that Malik had been imprisoned, thus he could not.

He also let them know of the council that had been formed to replace Malik. A meeting with this council had been planned for the next day. Altaïr, worried about Sef, told Darim to head for Alamut as soon as Swami had left. This was according to Abbas' plans; leaving Maria and Altaïr unprotected, as Sef was dead, not at Alamut.

The council meeting
The council was composed of ten men including the chairman, all of whom were on Abbas' side. The main reason for this council was to hear Altaïr's account of his journey to the East, an opportunity used by Abbas to humiliate the Assassin. During the meeting, Altaïr was informed of the reason behind Malik's imprisonment, being that he had supposedly killed the Master's son, Sef. This was a lie, however, to set the Assassin against Malik and to set him off, so that the council would believe Abbas as he told them that the supposedly mentally unstable Altaïr was unable to resume his leadership of the Order.

Rescuing Malik
Later, after the meeting was concluded, Maria and Altaïr were huddled together in their room, reviewing everything that had happened and questioning what to believe. Then Altaïr went to the dungeons, driven by curiosity of whom was guilty of Sef's murder. There, he found Malik, emaciated and neglected in a cell, kept under watch by a sleeping guard. Altaïr brought him to the safety of his room, knowing finally that his old friend wasn't the killer.

Confrontation with Abbas
After finding his answers, Altaïr thought it was time to confront Abbas, to dispute the accusation made against Sef's murder. Of course, everything went in accord with Abbas' plans: when Altaïr and Maria were heading off to defy the accusal, he had Swami kill Malik, who had been left unprotected. At the courtyard, Altaïr and Abbas faced each other, joined by Maria and a group of Assassins. Moments later, Swami arrived with a sack. Abbas then showed its contents; Malik's severed head.

Altaïr was then accused of this murder, as he was the last person who had been with him, and he was seen killing Malik, according to the guard at the dungeon. Abbas used this to claim leadership of the Order, then, as he took Maria and put a blade to her throat, he provoked Altaïr to use the Apple. However, Altaïr did not know what mistakes he would make by revealing it. Swami reached out to the Apple in eagerness, before the artifact took control of him, powered up by Altaïr's rage, who was still connected to it.

Following this, the bewitched Swami took his dagger and used it to maul himself frantically, hitting Maria in the neck with it as she reached out for Altaïr, both falling to the ground, dying. The Apple dimmed, Maria spoke her final words to Altaïr, and before the Assassin could be caught by Abbas' guards, he was already fleeing, reaching safety at the top of the tower he had jumped off a lifetime ago.

Decline
A dark era had begun for Masyaf and the Order, when Abbas' became its ruler. Right after the shift of power, a rebellion had erupted that consisted out of the Assassins that were still loyal to Malik and Altaïr. The new ruler sentenced all the ringleaders to death, fearing a repeat of the insurrection. Abbas' paranoia made him stay in his tower day and night, imagining plots and planning who to put to death next, the tenets of the Creed crumbling around him just as the fortress itself fell into disrepair.

The training of Assassins had been stopped completely, and the protection the Order once gave to the area was neglected, leaving the trade routes unguarded and open to criminal influences. Abbas had also been ruthless in demanding taxes from the villagers, often sending his Assassins to force people to pay; those who did not were either beaten up or cast out of the gates.

Many people loathed their leader secretly, hoping for someone to save them and return the Order to the state it once was. Deeply concealed within the village and the fortress, some people still learned the ways of the Assassins, one of whom was Malik's son, known as both Malik and Tazim.

Return to Masyaf
Mukhlis was a tradesman on his way home to Masyaf, but exhausted by his journey, he reluctantly found a place to sleep by a well, unknowingly accompanied by a bandit, Bayhas. The next day the tradesman woke up with a blade to his throat, as he was then hauled up a tree, upside down, by a group of bandits, who were about to murder him. Luckily for Mukhlis, Altaïr had seen the commotion and took out one of the criminals, then fighting the other two, Long Hair and Bayhas.

The Assassin, being around eighty years old and not exposed to fighting for almost two decades, had lost his agility and stamina, almost being killed by the bandits, but was eventually saved by Mukhlis. Altaïr, bleeding heavily from his wounds, lost consciousness, but was quickly hauled over to a horse with which Mukhlis brought him home, where the old Assassin would be kept to restore his health.

Building the rebellion
Altaïr had been unconscious for a week, his wounds tended by Nada and Aalia, the family of Mukhlis. Word had spread amongst the people of the village, that their former leader had returned. Slowly but surely the old Master gained the trust of the villagers, using his knowledge and giving them hope for change. There, in the days that followed, Altaïr went to blacksmiths and weavers, telling them to make the devices he had seen in the Apple, one of which was the Hidden Gun. After Altaïr had met young Malik, they built up a small army out of the people inside the fortress that secretly favored Altaïr over Abbas.

Regaining leadership
Altaïr told his army not to kill anyone if not absolutely necessary as they were on their way to the fortress, where Abbas' loyalists had already been stationed. There, inside the walls of the fortress, the fight erupted, which was quickly, and non-lethally, won by Altaïr's side. Following his example, the archers that were placed on the ramparts, where Abbas also was, dropped their bows in protest, so that the small army had an easy entrance into the citadel.

Inside, most of Abbas' people immediately gave in and switched sides. Abbas, however, didn't give up yet, ordering the remnants of his loyalists to attack Altaïr, who at that moment, lifted his arm, and shot Abbas with his Hidden Gun. Frightened by such an unexplainable act, even the toughest of Abbas' loyalists surrendered and joined Altaïr's side. There, Abbas shared his final words with his rival. Altaïr was once again leader of the Order.

Source

 * Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade