Teodora Contanto

"I find that men are more... open, to religious change when it comes to women like me."

- Sister Teodora

Teodora Contanto, also known as Sister Teodora, (1450 - unknown) was the leader of the Venetian courtesans and a member of the Assassin Order.

She spent five years of her life in a convent, but found herself disagreeing with the beliefs of the other nuns. After leaving the convent, she founded La Rosa Della Virtù, her own brothel, which was staffed by women with a similar belief to her own.

She assisted the Assassin Ezio Auditore during his quest to assassinate Marco Barbarigo, the Templar Doge of Venice. With the help of Teodora and her girls, Ezio was able to infiltrate the Doge's Carnivale party, where he assassinated his target.

She was also one of the Assassins that were present during Ezio's fight with Rodrigo Borgia, though they had come to claim the Apple of Eden. Teodora, Paola and Niccolò Machiavelli remained at the sidelines while the others joined the fight, and only revealed themselves after Rodrigo's departure.

Early life
"Like many young women, I was drawn to the church, but grew disillusioned by the "believers" of this city"."

- Teodora on joining the church.

Teodora was born in Venice to a family of jewelers that had their own shop, and was apprenticed to her mother as a shop girl. Visitors to the shop noticed Teodora's beauty and charm, and in 1462, one man buying diamond earrings for his wife, Margarita, noticed the twelve year old Teodora and left wishing he had never married. Five years later, court records show that on 26 November she was caught having an affair with a married man at the age of 17. The man's wife found out and alerted the authorities. To avoid legal action her parents sent her to the Santa Maria degli Angeli convent as a punishment, so that she could live out the rest of her days in peace and prayer.

Becoming a courtesan
"Men hold God as an idea in their heads, not in the depths of their hearts and bodies. Men must know how to love in order to reach salvation. My girls and I provide that to our congregation."

- Teodora

In 1473, at the age of 23, Teodora grew tired of convent life and the way it conflicted with her own personal beliefs. She left the convent, leaving behind a statement nailed to the door in which she spoke about life as a nun being "earthly" and sterile. She concluded her letter with a brief description of her own beliefs: "only in partnership with another can one truly enter the arms of God".

That very same year, Teodora opened La Rosa Della Virtù, "The Rose of Virtue", a bordello situated in Venice's Dorsoduro District, the festival center of Venice. It was staffed solely by former nuns with similar ideals to those of Teodora. The Pope would frequently try to force the Venetian Council to shut it down, but it would remain open until 1516. Although she was no longer a part of the Catholic Church, Teodora considered herself a nun, worshipping in her own idiosyncratic brand of faith. Additionally, Teodora was somehow introduced to and inducted into the Assassin Order.

Helping Ezio
"You'll need a golden mask for entry. And before you think of forging one, keep in mind, each mask is numbered. Fortunately for you, I have an idea. Let's see if we can't win you a mask."

- Teodora informing Ezio of their situation.

In 1486, Teodora was introduced to Ezio Auditore by fellow Assassin, Antonio de Magianis. Teodora guided Ezio in his objective to kill the Templar Doge Marco Barbarigo by informing him that he could win a golden mask, which would grant him access to Marco's personal Carnevale party. Ezio participated in the contest to win the mask, but even though Ezio fairly won all the matches, the mask was given to Marco's bodyguard Dante Moro. Teodora and Antonio instructed Ezio to use Teodora's courtesans to distract Dante, which would allow Ezio an opportunity to steal the mask. Ezio entered the party and met with Teodora, who offered him her girls to help Ezio stay out of the guards' sight, who had been informed of Ezio's presence. After Marco appeared, Ezio assassinated him and returned to La Rosa Della Virtù, where he tried to win himself a night with Teodora. She cut him short and commanded her girls to attend to him.

Acquiring the Apple of Eden
"Do you really, now? Or are you here for another reason, my son?"

- Teodora's response when Ezio wasnt to follow Rodrigo.

In 1488, Teodora joined the other Assassins in Venice, where they hoped to acquire the Apple of Eden from the Templar Grand Master Rodrigo Borgia. However, when they arrived, they found Ezio already fighting the Templar and his guards. Paola, Teodora and Niccolò Machiavelli remained on the sidelines as the other Assassins assisted Ezio in the fight. When the guards were killed and Rodrigo had fled, leaving the Apple behind, they revealed themselves to be Assassins, a fact which had previously been unknown to Ezio. Ezio was then inducted in the Assassin Order, a ceremony where Teodora was also present, after which they all took a Leap of Faith from a tower.

Finding the Vault
In 1499, Ezio had acquired the remaining Codex pages, and Teodora and the other Assassins met again, this time in Monteriggioni. They hoped to locate the Vault that the prophecy spoke of. Once it had been determined that the Vault was in Rome, she agreed to "cause trouble in the city", along with the others, while Ezio infiltrated the Vatican. After this, she returned to Venice, where she remained as the head of the courtesans.

Later life
In 1516, La Rosa Della Virtù was burned in a fire started by a disgruntled bishop who wished to lie with one of the girls for free. The Roman Catholic Church publicly cited that the fire was an act of God. Teodora's fate remained unknown, although she would have been 66 at this time.

Trivia

 * Early Teodora Contanto Concept art.jpg name Teodora is Italian for Theodora, the feminine form of Theodore, which in Greek means "God's Gift".
 * Teodora's design bore a strong resemblance to the Ridolfo Ghirlandaio painting, The Nun.
 * During the mission "Having a Blast", if Marco was killed before Teodora leaves, guards may chase and kill her, allowing her body to be looted.