Quest for the Chalice

"We have a mission for you, one that is of utmost importance to our cause."

- Al Mualim to Altaïr after the village's siege.

The Quest for the Chalice was an event that occurred during the year 1190 wherein the Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad conducted a search for the Chalice, originally rumored to have been an object of mysterious powers capable of uniting the factions in the Third Crusade and housed in the secret Temple of the Sand.

Village massacre
With the completion of a recent assignment, the Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad traveled back to the Assassin fortress, Alep. En route to his destination, Altaïr passed through a settlement as he neared Alep, relieved to find a reprieve from his arduous journey. Here, he cautiously evaded the attention of the city's guards, as the settlement was under the control of the Knights Hospitalier.

When he arrived at the far end of the city, however, Altaïr learned that the city gates were closed. Scouring his surroundings, he spotted a nearby merchant that was absorbed in a conversation with another man. Altaïr, correctly presuming that the merchant had free access to the gate, pickpocketed a key from the man's pouch and used it to unlock the gates.

As Altaïr neared Alep, he was alarmed to discover smoke and fire emitting from the village near the citadel. He soon came across a mortally wounded fellow Assassin who informed Altaïr of the Templar attack on the village and with his dying words, gave his sword to Altaïr, asking him to avenge them.

Altaïr hurried to the village but arrived too late to find its populace almost utterly massacred with a contingent of Crusaders still in the midst of razing the settlement. The Crusaders, having expected no survivors, were taken aback by the sudden appearance of the Assassin, who began the process of slaying every knight he encountered.

As Altaïr made his way deeper into the village, he soon found himself on the rooftops, scouting for a way through the burning ruins. There, he spotted a Templar crossbowman, of whom he demanded the reason for the brutal assault on the village. The crossbowman declared his resolve to die before speaking, but his claim proved false when he was unable to endure the Assassin's abuse of his pressure points. Nevertheless, the Templar was ignorant beyond the knowledge that his captain was under orders by Templar Grand Master Basilisk to hunt down a man of interest. The crossbowman then perished, and Altaïr continued the rest of the way through the village, killing more Crusaders that he encountered.

At the village gate, he sighted the commanding officer of the Templar detachment who was unaware of the Assassin's presence. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Altaïr assassinated the captain from behind with his Hidden Blade, in the process saving the life of a woman that had been hiding nearby. The woman expressed her relief and gratitude for Altaïr's arrival before urging him to make haste to Alep and alert the Mentor Rashid ad-Din Sinan to the attack.

The assignment
"Something that powerful must be kept away from the dealings of men. Altaïr, find it. Bring it here."

- Al-Mualim telling Altaïr of the task.

Arriving at the fortress of Alep, Altaïr rushed to Al-Mualim's study to notify him of the attack. Though Al-Mualim reassured Altaïr that the situation was under control, he regretfully informed him that the Templars had succeeded in hunting down their "man of interest," an Assassin with vital information on a relic known as the Chalice. This legendary artifact, currently in the Templars' possession, was rumored to possess the power to unite all factions in the Holy Land under one banner. Asserting that such an object must be hidden away from the temptations of humankind, Al-Mualim then instructed Altaïr to retrieve the Chalice for the Assassins before the Templars can abuse it.

The Rafiq's challenge
Arriving at Damascus, Altaïr located the Assassins' Keeper of the city, a merchant by the name of Rafik who was in the midst of advertising silk to a group of women. Altaïr approached Rafik conspicuously, bluntly addressing him as "old man" while uttering the Assassins' password in front of the patrons. Reprimanding Altaïr for his improper timing, Rafik excused himself from his would-be customers and ushered the young Assassin into his store.

Inside the shop, the Keeper began his tirade, berating Altaïr for not only his indiscretion but also his disrespect. Thus doubting the young Assassin's abilities as well as deeming him to be, in his words, a "howling brat," he assigned Altaïr a preliminary task to test his skills. The challenge was simple: kill the man at the end of the street in front of the large gate and survive to meet the Keeper at the Assassin bureau.

With his new orders, Altaïr traversed the rooftops along the street to approach the man from above. Upon arriving near the gate, he promptly identified his target idling in solitude but stalled his assassination when he perceived a crossbowman on the roof overlooking the gate square. Aware that this guard could alert the adjacent barrack, he stealthily disposed of him with his Hidden Blade. Now presented a window of opportunity, he lowered himself down onto the street behind his target and plunged his Hidden Blade into the man's neck, killing him. The task thus accomplished, he escaped the area just as soldiers by the gate detected his deed.

Although Altaïr had alerted the guards, Rafik was impressed nonetheless and, convinced that he had misjudged the young Assassin, accepted him into the bureau to discuss Altaïr's mission.

Greed's end
Within the bureau, Altaïr told Rafik of his primary objective to find the artifact known as the Chalice. Rafik expected as much, for Altaïr was not the first man sent by Al-Mualim to find the artifact, but he cautioned that with the exception of the man hunted down by the Templars near Alep, all other Assassins assigned this task had returned empty-handed.

With regards to Assassin's first lead, Rafik suggested a wealthy oddities merchant by the name of Tamir who had recently moved into Damascus. This man had close ties to the Templars and therefore may have knowledge of the Chalice. Rafik warned, however, that Tamir's residence was well-guarded, prompting Altaïr to suggest a way of circumnavigation. Praising Altaïr for his insight, Rafik supplied him with a grappling hook and advised him to seek a man named Misbah on Lowend Street who has had dealings with the merchant.

On Lowend Street in the Poor District, Altaïr found that the grappling hook was indeed convenient for navigating the often dilapidated buildings of the slums. After bypassing a locked building with a key stolen from a watchtower guard, Altaïr managed to locate Misbah in a small market. Confronting Misbah, he claimed to have been directed by a mutual friend. This failed to dissolve Misbah's suspicions and when the man demanded to know the stranger's identity, Altaïr replied that he required information on Tamir. Without waiting for Misbah's response, Altaïr grappled him and began to abuse his pressure points.

Before Misbah could capitulate, however, nearby Crusader guards were alerted to the struggle and attempted to apprehend the Assassin. Misbah seized this opportunity to escape via the rooftops, but the soldiers failed to subdue Altaïr who soon enough was in hot pursuit of his target. The chase took Misbah to the roof of a decaying four-story building which crumbled as he tried to flee across a narrow beam. As the structure collapsed, Misbah desperately grabbed hold of a rope that dangled high off the ground. Faced with his fear of heights, he pleaded for Altaïr's assistance who complied on the condition that Misbah provided him with a means of bypassing the security around Tamir's house.

Misbah adamantly denied any knowledge of such means but upon further intimidation by Altaïr, realized that he was quite literally at the end of his rope. Thus acquiescing, Misbah, though insisting that he had never visited Tamir's home, suggested that Altaïr could flush Tamir out of his house by igniting the oil barrels on his terrace. Though grateful for his assistance, the Assassin retracted his end of the deal, leaving Misbah to his fate.

Now notorious owing to his conflict with Misbah, Altaïr was compelled to travel through the Rich District via the rooftops. Though he took care to avoid a large outdoor market, he was detected by civilians in a small square with a gazebo. He escaped them as they threw stones at him, eventually reaching Tamir's residence. True to Misbah's words, a shipment of pots filled with oil sat on the terrace of the house, and most conveniently, alongside a small box of fire torches. Infiltrating the terrace, Altaïr alighted the oil pots with the torches, setting the entire house ablaze as the barrels combusted.

As Tamir ejected himself from the burning building, his Hospitaller guards left the vicinity in search of water and people to assist. In the midst of grieving over his lost possessions, Tamir was confronted by Altaïr who demanded for information on the Chalice. Though startled by the sudden appearance of the Assassin, Tamir initially proved unyielding until Altaïr pointed out that Tamir was alone and utterly vulnerable. Resigning solemnly to his ordeal, Tamir divulged his understanding of the Chalice. He revealed to Altaïr that while he was oblivious to the nature of the Chalice, he was aware that it lied in an ancient temple in the midst of a desert. In order to gain access into the temple, one would require three keys, but of that, he claimed, he too possessed little knowledge. Consequently, he referenced Fajera, a dancer he mused believed herself "a butterfly." Although Tamir had honestly divulged all that he knew concerning the Chalice, Altaïr closed their conversation by killing the merchant just as the guards returned to the scene. Altaïr, after escaping the guards, returned to Rafik seeking information on his new lead, Fajera.

Circus act
Returning to the bureau, Altaïr consulted with Rafik, asking him if he knew of a dancer named Fajera. Apparently finding this humorous, Rafik specified that Fajera was a circus dancer and thus would be located in the circus on Market Street. Arriving at the circus tent, Altaïr confronted Fajera, who claimed that her cards foresaw the coming of the Assassin. Insisting on the futility of Altaïr's efforts, the dancer called for the attention of one of her circus friends, a brute named Badr. Badr warned Altaïr to disturb Fajera no further, but despite being overshadowed by the towering man, Altaïr was unyielding and a conflict became inevitable. Though the Badr's strength far eclipsed that of Altaïr, the Assassin employed his superior mobility to his advantage, allowing him to defeat the giant by smashing him against a support pillar.

Altaïr escaped the tent as it collapsed, leaving Badr under the rubble. Outside, he sighted Fajera on the rooftop and proceeded to give chase across the district. Though the nimble Assassin was swift on foot, his progress was retarded by hails of stones from angry civilians. After a long chase, Fajera traversed a river via a fragile, wooden bridge that promptly crumbled with her crossing, leaving Altaïr behind. Now seemingly out of her pursuer's reach, Fajera taunted the Assassin from across the river, before passing through a gated checkpoint. Altaïr, however, quickly found a solution in his grappling hook, which he used to swing himself across the river, killing a crossbowman as he landed on the opposing rooftop.

Bypassing the guarded checkpoint from the rooftops, Altaïr located Fajera by a well. Though Altaïr initially believed that he had cornered the dancer, Fajera calmly revealed that the scenario had been forecasted. Impressed by the Assassin's skills, the Romani explained to the confused Altaïr that she had merely been testing his resolve. She further clarified that, through her cards, she had foreseen his coming and therefore knew beforehand that the Assassin sought the Chalice. Voluntarily giving a key to the desert temple to Altaïr, she only requested that in return, the Assassin dispose of a man named Alaat, who was at that moment engaged in the baths of the Noble District.

Consenting to her request, Altaïr was escorted by Fajera into the Noble District to a sewer entrance. Before parting, the dancer advised Altaïr to later seek a man in the hospital of Tyre who had once journeyed to the desert temple. As planned Altaïr navigated his way through the sewers, infiltrating the bathhouse of Upper Street from below. There, he identified Alaat, resting within the warm waters alone. Initially mistaking the Assassin for a beggar, Alaat began to catch on too late to the stranger's nature. As he desperately cried for help, he was swiftly killed by the Assassin before the guards could arrive.

As soldiers filed into the bathhouse, their captain ordered them to slay the Assassin. In this, they failed when their swordsmanship proved inferior to that of Altaïr. When the Assassin had dispatched the Crusaders, he met back up with Fajera, who acknowledged Altaïr's success before reminding him that his next step was to travel to Tyre to find the old man in the hospital. Bidding him good luck, the two parted ways as Altaïr departed for his journey to Tyre.

Underground navigation
Altaïr arrived at Tyre, and recollected on his past endeavors in this city. The only difference he noticed was the increase of guards, which led him to make his way through the city on the rooftops. He first decided to meet up with the rafiq of Tyre, Hamid. After a long travel through the city, and a brief civilian conflict, Altaïr managed to locate Hamid, who was spying on the city hospital from afar.

Hamid informed him that a man named Roland Napule was keeping the key holder captive within his own hospital. He also remarked that one of his men who had tried to gain entrance into the Hospital, but had never returned. When asked for a way in, Hamid told him of the sewer system that lay beneath the city, that provided a way into the hospital. By stealing the key of the keeper, who was stationed nearby, Altaïr managed to get inside the locked sewer.

As he progressed through the old passageways, Altaïr encountered Templar guards who were patrolling the area. After dispatching them, Altaïr presumed that Roland knew of the secret entrance, for he had posted guards all across the sewers.

The Templar Hospital
As it turned out, Altaïr's assumptions were true, with more Templar soldiers barring his way. Navigating through the complex sewers and the dangerous obstacles that lay before him, Altaïr stumbled upon an old crypt with the Templar's insignia embedded upon its stone fireplace. Disposing of the nearby guards that caught sight of him, Altaïr solved the crypt's puzzle, and triggered an old mechanism that opened the way into the hospital.

Making his way through the passageway, Altaïr managed to locate Roland, who was interrogating the key holder, and demanding the old man for the key. As he did, his guards caught sight of the Assassin, and drew their weapons in order to combat Altaïr. The Assassin, with his sword in hand, successfully fought off the Templar men. Roland, who tried to escape, met his end at the hands of the Assassin. Altaïr then returned to the first chamber and confronted the prisoner.

Altaïr introduced himself as a member of the Assassins, and asked if he could have the key to the Temple. The man doubted the Assassin's appearance, and presumed that he was a Templar. The man wanted proof that he was of the Assassin Order, but Altaïr remarked that he had none. The man, seeing a way to prove Altaïr's allegiance, asked for his left hand. Seeing the hidden blade mounted on the Assassin's wrist, the man knew where Altaïr's loyalty lay.

The man then handed Altaïr the key to the temple, and as Altaïr thanked him, the man revealed that the final key was in the possession of Lord Basilisk himself, whom he had last seen in the city of Jerusalem. After freeing the man, Altaïr bid him farewell and made his way to Jerusalem, in order to confront Basilisk.

The City Gardens
Altaïr arrived at the bureau in Jerusalem, and met up with the local 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 over 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 of the citizens. In order to locate the location of the party, Altaïr needed to eavesdrop on some citizens.

Kadar then told Altaïr of the city gardens located in Jerusalem, where gossip was often exchanged. Learning the location, Altaïr headed off to the gardens. After dealing with the city guards, and crossing the rooftops of Jerusalem, Altaïr managed to make his way into the garden, which was filled with people. After listening in on a few conversations, he eventually caught information regarding one of the king's guests. One man made mention of someone named Ayman, who had been invited to the king's party. Based on the civilian's words, Ayman was walking nearby, on the other side of the gardens. Learning what he needed, Altaïr crossed the small, curved stream that served as the gap between the two sides of the garden, evading the falling boulders that rolled down the path. Managing to avoid all the obstacles, he began to scour the area, until finally he located and confronted Ayman. The man, who was at first hesitant, eventually cracked, and told Altaïr of the party's location, which was at a villa north of the gardens. Upon gaining this information, Altaïr walked away as if nothing had happened. After making his way out of the gardens, Altaïr arrived at the front of the villa.

Confrontation with Basilisk
As he inspected the villa, Altaïr noticed that the only way in was through the front entrance, which was guarded by several soldiers. With no other option, he fought his way past the front gate. After handling the guards and navigating through the rooftops of the villa, Altaïr fell through an unstable wooden platform that caused him to plummet down into the building. The guards that were stationed in the building caught sight of him, but were all quickly routed by the Assassin. As he inspected the area, Altaïr made contact with one of the king's men, who also happened to be one of the rafiq's own.

The man told the Assassin of a secret passage that was built for those who needed a concealed way in and out of the villa. He continued, telling Altaïr of an old mechanism that lay somewhere up ahead, which revealed the entrance to the passage after four floor panels were pressed down at the same time. Altaïr told the man that Kadar was looking for him, but he only replied that he could not leave for the time being. The man told Altaïr to assure Kadar that he is safe, and that he would return shortly. After this, the two parted ways, and Altaïr made his way further into the villa.

Seeing the way in from afar, which was submerged in water, Altaïr found a way to activate the mechanism by placing nearby wooden crates upon the four panels. After dispatching the guards and placing all of the crates, Altaïr made his way inside the secret passageway. Upon finding another mechanism, Altaïr needed to use a throwing knifeinorder to activate the structure's trigger. Altaïr eventually arrived at a rotating stone wall at the end of the passageway and, triggering the hidden doorway, came out of the darkness. Here, he caught sight of the man he sought: Lord Basilisk. Seeing a challenge within the Assassin, Basilisk drew his weapon and prepared to duel Altaïr. The Assassin, on the other hand, was not so eager to fight, as he only sought the key. Regardless, Basilisk engaged the Assassin in combat. Altaïr, barely holding Basilisk off, just managed to climb onto Basilisk's back and steal the key that was wrapped around his neck. The Assassin then fled, leaving Basilisk to watch him escape, and call desperately for the guards.

Into the Tower
As Altaïr set his foot onto the streets of Jerusalem once more, he made his way to the bureau in order to seek out the rafiq. However, he was greeted by the sight of Templars on the verge of murdering the rafiq. The soldiers told him to back off, and as they left, Altaïr came to aid of the rafiq, who was barely alive from his injuries. The man told him of a map that detailed the way to the Temple of the Sand that had been found by one of his men, but had just been taken by the Templars by force. He told the Assassin of their destination, a tall tower located somewhere in Jerusalem. Taking responsibility, Altaïr set off and searched the city for the Templars that had taken the map he needed.

Locating the men, he eavesdropped on them from the rooftops as they discussed their next step. One of them decided that it was best to leave the map to the care of the fastest soldier among the three of them, while the other two took care of the Assassin. With a knight taking responsibility over the delivery of the map to the tower, Altaïr quickly fled the scene in order to intercept him. Fending off more of the guards, and evading a few violent civilians, Altaïr managed to catch up with the knight through the rooftops, but proved moments too late, for the knight managed to make his way into the heavily guarded military compound that lead to the tower.

As the knight warned his men of the Assassin's presence, Altaïr managed to sneak inside the compound undetected, but was soon spotted by several crossbowmen from afar. The knight managed to deliver the map as Altaïr made his way across the compound's winding passes, all the while evading the traps set by the soldiers. After dispatching the knight who took the map, and the soldiers with him, Altaïr made his way into the tower. There, he confronted the master of the tower.

The master, who was hugely impressed by Altaïr's skills, tried to persuade the Assassin into joining their ranks, stating that they shared the same Creed. Altaïr refused, much to the man's disappointment. Figuring that the Assassin would eventually change his mind, the master left Altaïr alone to deal with his men. After dispatching the guards, Altaïr confronted the master, who asked again if the Assassin was interested in joining, to which Altaïr reconfirmed his answer. Disappointed, the master faced Altaïr in a sword fight. Unable to fend off Altaïr, the master ran outside of the room's balcony in order to escape the area. After dealing with more of the guards, the Assassin pursued the master.

After scaling the side of the tower, and navigating through its complex structure, Altaïr soon found himself inside the tower's dungeon, filled with prisoners. As he scouted the area, he was greeted by the the master's disciple. Mocking the Assassin, the student engaged Altaïr in combat, with some Templar soldiers in tow. After a hard-fought duel, Altaïr was able to defeat the student. By passing through more obstacles, Altaïr met up with the master for a third time, who once again engaged Altaïr in combat. After another brief duel, the master again fled in order to save his life. Altaïr followed, but was hindered by a trap set by the master. This, however, was not enough to stop him, for it did not take him long to bypass the obstacle.

Altaïr confronted the master for a final time in the room that held the map he sought, sealed within a stone casing and covered in glass. After a brief conversation, and a difficult duel, Altaïr managed to defeat the master, and took the map with him. After thoroughly reading the map, the Assassin set off to the Temple of the Sand.

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

- Lord Basilisk, upon meeting Altaïr at the Temple

Leaving Jerusalem, Altaïr made his way through the desert, and managed to locate the entrance to the temple. He navigated through the temple's obstacles, all the while evading the guards that were posted around the area, until he reached the upper areas, quite unscathed. However, he was stopped in his tracks upon finding the entrance barred with a lock that could only be opened after triggering the temple's unique mechanism. After interrogating the local patrol, Altaïr learned how to work the mechanism, and successfully did so. After this, he made his way further into the temple.

Arriving at the upper areas, Altaïr continued to search the temple, dispatching the guards that were patrolling the area 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.

To his surprise, the shrine was empty, devoid of all but dust. Here, a confused Altaïr was greeted by Lord Basilisk, who had grown tired of their recent encounters. Basilisk, feeling he owed the Assassin an explanation, told him of the Chalice's true nature; that it was no artifact, but was in fact a woman, flesh and blood. Mocking the Assassin, Basilisk abruptly departed, ordering his men to finish off Altaïr within the chamber. Cornered, Altaïr fended off the soldiers, careful not to fall into the fire. Successfully doing so, Altaïr was blinded by the dust that enveloped the collapsing chamber, and soon found himself standing outside the rubble of the temple.

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

Basilisk in Tyre
Upon arriving in Tyre once more, Altaïr was again greeted by Hamid. The assassin asked him if he knew of Basilisk's current location. Hamid told him he was inside one of Tyre's forts, hidden within its solid walls. As he told him of Basilisk's location, Hamid pointed him to an alternate route, which needed Altaïr to navigate through wooden beams and crates all above the deadly waters.

Altaïr was forced to take the route, but before doing so, he was told by Hamid 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, all the while evading the water. After a long path, and brief conflicts between guards and patrols, Altaïr was able to make his way deeper into the fort.

As he did, Altaïr discovered the missing agents of Hamid, one trapped where the assassin was, and one trapped at the other side of the fort. After freeing the first agent, Altaïr navigated through the multiple obstacles in order to reach the other agent. After the last agent was set free, Altaïr was able to progress further into the fortress, with the agents' help.

Duel on Lord Basilisk's ship
"Do you think you can take on an army all by yourself, Assassin?"

- A Templar guard to Altaïr.

When Altaïr entered the fortress, he was stopped by Templars who questioned whether he would be able to fight through the Templar army that came between him and Basilisk, though they were quickly dispatched by Altaïr. Altaïr then ventured deeper into the fortress, fighting through the guards that lied in wait and traversed through the obstacles. Altaïr witnessed Adha being dragged down Tyre's ports, she screamed for him, and he ran to help her. However, he was confronted by Basilisk, who challenged him to a battle. Altaïr accepted this and fought long and hard, eventually overpowering Basilisk and killed him. Unknown to Altaïr at the time, the ship which Adha was on was leaving the docks. Altaïr tried to rescue her but did not make it in time; Basilisk's ship was set on fire and Altaïr quickly fled from the scene. Though the ship left the docks and Altaïr watched as it departed from the harbor.

Reference

 * Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles