Ratonhnhaké:ton

"In the name of liberty, I will fight the enemy regardless of their allegiance. While men of courage write history of this day, the future of our land depends on those who are truly free."

- Ratonhnhaké:ton

Ratonhnhaké:ton (1756 - unknown), also known by the adopted name of Connor, was a Native American Assassin of the Kanien'keha:ka tribe during the American Revolutionary War.

He was the son of a British Assassin-turned Templar, Haytham Kenway, as well as an ancestor of Desmond Miles.

Early life
"On this land, I am torn. Part of me wants to fight and repel all outsiders. The other part of me is the outsider."

- Ratonhnhaké:ton reflecting on his parentage.

Born to Templar Grand Master Haytham Kenway and Kaniehti:io, Ratonhnhaké:ton was raised among his mother's tribe in Kanatahséton. His childhood was spent in the company of the other children in his tribe, including Kanen'tó:kon, whom he remained close friends with into his later life.

When Ratonhnhaké:ton was five, he was assaulted by several members of the Templar Order, who were seeking the Precursor site rumored to be near Kanatahséton. He demanded to know the name of the leader of the group, and Charles Lee answered him, amused why he wanted to know. Ratonhnhaké:ton promised that he would find him, but the Templar only brushed off his statement.

Ratonhnhaké:ton's life was spared, though he was knocked unconscious, and woke to find his village in flames; an attack that he mistakenly assumed that Lee and his Templar brethren had been responsible for. The event took Ratonhnhaké:ton's mother from him, and would later prompt him to seek justice for his people and fight tyranny wherever he saw it.

Joining the Assassins
Ratonhnhaké:ton remained in his village until 1769, but would always question why his people were not allowed to leave the valley they inhabited. When he was 14, he finally gained some answers from the Clan Mother, who met with him in private to explain.

She showed Ratonhnhaké:ton a Crystal Ball, and told him that their people had been tasked with guarding a secret on their lands. Upon holding the Piece of Eden, Ratonhnhaké:ton heard the voice of Juno, and found himself standing in the Nexus.

Juno led him on a "spirit journey", giving him the form of an eagle as she led him through a foggy landscape. She told him that the path he was currently taking would allow the Templars to gain premature access to the Grand Temple, and bring the world into ruin. She instructed him to seek out a certain symbol that would lead him to the right path.

Upon regaining consciousness, Ratonhnhaké:ton found himself at the edge of the valley by a river. As he drew the symbol he had been shown into the sand on the river bank, the Clan Mother came up behind him, and asked where he had seen it. He explained that a spirit had shown it to him, and the Clan Mother understood what was being asked of him.

She directed him to a homestead that lay in the east, where she claimed to have seen the symbol before, and formally gave him permission to depart the valley. Ratonhnhaké:ton crossed the Frontier, and eventually arrived at a run-down manor.

He knocked on the door, and was greeted by an elderly man. Ratonhnhaké:ton hesitantly stated that he had been told to come here for training, but the man only denied him and shut the door in his face. After spending a night in the nearby stables, the young Mohawk tried again the following morning, but the man only yelled at him to get off his land.

He persisted stubbornly, banging on the manor's back door, and climbing up onto the balcony to try to gain entrance there, but the man intercepted him. He threw Ratonhnhaké:ton to the ground and sternly insisted that he move on, as the world already had. Ratonhnhaké:ton returned to the stables, angrily calling back that he would not leave until the man agreed to train him.

That night, bandits infiltrated the homestead, and passed by the stables as they discussed their attack. Ratonhnhaké:ton, woken by their voices, asked them what they were doing there. The bandits attacked him, though he was able to fend them all off.

However, the leader of the bandits hit him from behind, knocking him to the ground and questioning him whether he was working for the owner of the homestead. At that moment, the old man came to Ratonhnhaké:ton's rescue, stabbing the bandit leader in the back.

He bade Ratonhnhaké:ton to clean up the mess, then follow him into the manor so they could talk. There, the man finally told him about the conflict between the Assassins and Templars, and revealed himself to be a Master Assassin named Achilles Davenport. He also showed him a hidden room in the basement of the manor, which held an Assassin's uniform and a pair of Hidden Blades.

Achilles then led him a wall that held the names and portraits of the Templar Leaders of the colonies, namely William Johnson, John Pitcairn, Thomas Hickey, Benjamin Church, Charles Lee, and Connor's father, Haytham Kenway.

Boston Massacre
Achilles continued to train Ratonhnhaké:ton for the next few months at the homestead. In March of 1770, he invited Ratonhnhaké:ton to come with him to Boston, where they could purchase supplies for repairing the manor. There, in order for Ratonhnhaké:ton to more easily move through colonial circles, Achilles suggested that he take on the name "Connor"; after Connor Davenport, who had died a few years previously.

Connor was awed by the sights and life of the city, so much so that Achilles needed to scold him for staring at passing townspeople. Achilles then directed him to a nearby general store to buy lumber and other construction material, and have them brought back to their carriage.

After purchasing the items on Achilles' list, Connor passed by a rioting crowd, who were yelling at the local British Army soldiers to leave their city. Connor returned to Achilles' side as they observed the uproar, until they spotted Haytham Kenway speaking with another man in the crowd. Achilles, worried that the Templar would worsen the already delicate situation, sent Connor to discover what Haytham and his associate were planning.

Despite wishing to approach his father, Connor obeyed Achilles' instruction to follow the other man instead. Connor tailed him up onto the rooftops, and was able to stop the man from firing a shot into the crowd. However, Charles Lee, who had standing on a rooftop on the opposite side of the street, fired his pistol into the air and caused the British soldiers to attack Boston's citizens in a violent massacre.

In the confusion, Haytham approached one of the guards and pointed out Connor, prompting several soldiers to pursue him through the city, and later accuse him of firing the first shot. Upon managing to escape the guards, Connor was approached by a man, who instructed him to seek out someone who could help him, Samuel Adams.

Samuel aided Connor in clearing his name by teaching him to remove Wanted posters, and to bribe either Heralds or printing shops to announce false propaganda. Afterwards, Samuel led Connor to Boston's port, where Connor could safely sail back to the Davenport Homestead.

After returning to the homestead, Connor angrily confronted Achilles, accusing him for abandoning him in Boston, but Achilles only calmly remarked that the day of experience had been more valuable than months of training. In acknowledgement of his achievements, Achilles finally entrusted Connor with two Hidden Blades.

Restoring the Homestead
Shortly after their return from Boston, Connor and Achilles were alerted by a man banging on the window of the manor and calling for help. Connor immediately followed him to the nearby river, and saw a second man clinging to an adrift log, which was rapidly heading towards a waterfall. Connor chased him along the riverbank, before jumping into the water to save him.

After finding out that the two, Godfrey and Terry, were loggers that were seeking a place to build a mill, Connor offered them a good location on the homestead. Grateful, the two men and their families set up their homes on the property, marking the first of many residents of the homestead to come.

A little after this, Achilles instructed Connor to meet him by the homestead dock, in order to look over something that he simply called "an asset". Upon arriving, Connor saw the remains of a ship in disrepair, as well as a small shack overlooking the bay.

He and Achilles entered the shack and met with Robert Faulkner, the previous Captain of the ship in the harbor, the Aquila. Connor offered to pay for the ship's repairs, and Robert gladly agreed to gather a crew for her, and restore her to sailing capability. After the repairs had been made, Robert invited Connor along to have the ship fitted with cannons.

Connor joined him without hesitation, and the two were out at sea for weeks, where Robert taught Connor to both sail the ship and fire her cannons. When they finally docked again at the homestead, Connor returned to the manor, where he was berated by Achilles, who accused him of leaving for so long without so much as a goodbye.

Nevertheless, that day, Achilles led Connor down to the manor basement, in order to bestow on him the Assassin robes there. Though Achilles admitted that the Order usually had a ceremony for such an occasion, neither he nor Connor seemed the type for such things. Instead, after Connor had donned the robes, Achilles simply verbally welcomed him into the Brotherhood of Assassins.

Hunting the Templars
"My enemy is a notion, not a nation."

- Connor, on his sporadic involvement in the Revolutionary War

Declaration of war
Three years later, Kanen'tó:kon came to visit Connor at the homestead, bringing news that William Johnson was attempting to lay claim on their tribe's land without their consent. Outraged by the thought, Connor immediately decided to seek out Johnson.

Though Achilles tried to keep him from acting hastily, Connor argued that he had made a promise to protect his people. Connor took a tomahawk from Kanen'tó:kon and buried its blade into one of the manor's columns, explaining that doing such signified the start of a war, and that the hatchet would not be removed until the danger had passed.

Kanen'tó:kon led Connor to Monmouth, where Johnson was attempting to negotiate with the local natives. Though Johnson promised them protection, the natives firmly told him that his words were empty, and that they would not sell their land to him. As Johnson decided to try convincing them with violence instead, Connor swiftly assassinated him. In his last words, Johnson told Connor that he had not wished to own the lands for profit, but to ensure peace and protection for all the tribes.

A year afterward, a messenger arrived at the homestead, bearing a request for Connor to aid a man named Paul Revere. Connor politely refused the offer, frowning on the fact that the Patriots mistook him as one of their own. However, when Achilles pointed out that the Templar John Pitcairn was mentioned in the letter, the Mohawk relented.

Though he met with Paul Revere, Connor was disappointed to find that Pitcairn was not present. Instead, Revere recruited his help in riding to warn the inhabitants of Lexington and Concord about the incoming British army; with the promise of later locating Pitcairn.

After the ride, Connor joined the Continental army at Lexington, where a bloody battle ensued. Pitcairn was present at the fight, but Connor chose instead to help in the defense of the town, rather than pursue his true target.

Later, Connor accompanied Samuel Adams to George Washington's induction as Commander In Chief. Midway through Washington's speech, Connor heard the voice of Charles Lee, who had been sitting behind him. He stood to confront Lee, but Samuel quickly intervened, pulling him away and attempting to distract him by introducing him to Washington. Washington greeted him warmly, and Connor admitted that the man before him would be the one to lead the country into freedom.

Connor was later directed to Bunker Hill, where the forces of Israel Putnam were engaging the British troops of Pitcairn. Connor offered Putnam his help in disabling the ships that were pinning the Continental forces down with cannon fire, as destroying the artillery would drive Pitcairn out of hiding.

After Pitcairn and his troops retreated to a more secure position outside of the city, Connor infiltrated the camp and managed to assassinate him from above. Pitcairn gave the same justifications for his actions as Johnson, and as he died, Connor recovered a letter from his body that gave evidence of an attempt on George Washington's life.

Connor traveled to New York in search of Thomas Hickey, who had been running a trade in counterfeit currency. When Connor arrived at Hickey's operation, he drew his Hidden Blade, revealing himself to be an Assassin. Hickey commented that he had thought his kind had been wiped out, before escaping out of the building.

Though Connor chased Hickey through the streets and caught him, the two were apprehended by the guards. Connor attempted to explain that he was not involved in the operation, but he was knocked unconscious, and he and Hickey were thrown into Bridewell Prison on charges of counterfeiting.

Protecting George Washington
When Connor awoke in Bridewell Prison, he discovered that Hickey had been placed in the cell next to him, much to the latter's amusement. Connor spoke that at least Washington would be safe with Hickey imprisoned, but Hickey only pointed out the two Templars approaching his cell.

Charles Lee and Haytham Kenway released Hickey, though told him that he was only moving to a larger cell; due to the on-going investigations for his involvement in a plan to assassinate Washington. Just as the Templars were about to leave, Hickey asked them what was to be done with the Assassin, and pointed out Connor in his cell. Haytham instructed Charles to deal with the problem, and the latter promised Connor that he had a plan for him, which would kill two birds with one stone.

As the Templars departed, Connor eavesdropped on his fellow inmates and found that a prisoner had crafted a key identical to the prison warden's. Connor confronted the prisoner, and found him to be cooperative after he mentioned that Washington was in danger, since the prisoner was a strong believer in Washington's role in the country's independence.

Though the man said that he intended to escape, the key he had been crafting over the past few months had just been stole by another of the inmates. Connor agreeably stole the key back, but found that it did not open his cell. The next day, he confronted the man again, who told him that the key was not meant to work, and that it was meant to be swapped with the warden's real key, so he would not notice the theft.

However, the only way to get near the warden was to end up in the Pit, a solitary confinement area of the prison. Thus Connor started a fight with several prisoners, causing an uproar in the common area until the guards were forced to restrain him, and throw him into the Pit.

There, Connor switched his and the warden's keys and sneaked into the higher end portion of the prison, where Hickey and other important prisoners were being held. Upon reaching Hickey's cell however, Connor only found the body of the warden, and turned to find Lee and Hickey at the doorway.

Holding him at gunpoint, the Templars explained to him that Connor would be brought to trial for plotting to assassinate Washington, and that they were considering pinning the murder of the warden on him as well. Connor attempted to disarm Lee, but the Templar only grabbed him by the throat and pinned him against the wall.

Lee finally realized that Connor had been the young boy he had threatened years ago, and was gleeful about the irony that Connor had kept his promise to find him. Lee knocked Connor unconscious, and he was dragged back to his cell.

Connor awoke the following day and was transported to his execution site, where he was met by Hickey. Though Connor stated that he had thought he would be put on trial, Hickey cheerfully told him that trials were not permitted to those accused of treachery.

Connor was marched towards the gallows as dozens of spectators denounced him from all sides, and as Washington, Lee, and Hickey looked on. However, as he neared the front of the crowd, he noticed several of his fellow Assassins killing the guards overlooking the event, and, after being punched to the ground by one of the spectators, Connor found himself being helped up by Achilles. The old man advised Connor to simply give a signal the moment he wanted to be freed.

Though Lee spoke out Connor's supposed crimes to the crowd and placed the noose about his neck, the Assassin gave a whistled signal just as the trapdoor under him was opened. The noose was severed before it could strangle him, and Achilles pulled Connor to his feet under the gallows and handed him his tomahawk.

Connor ran through the disordered crowd as his Assassin recruits faced off against Hickey's mercenaries, heading towards Washington, who was standing at the back with his bodyguards. Hickey rushed to Washington in a desperate attempt to assassinate him, but Connor caught up and struck down Hickey first. In his last words, Hickey confessed that he had not cared for the Templars' cause, and had simply followed them since they held the money and power.

Connor then found himself surrounded by several raised muskets, but Putnam arrived in time to order the Continental soldiers to stand down, irritably pointing out that Connor had just saved Washington's life. Connor asked where Washington had gone, but found he had already left for Philadelphia.

He and Achilles traveled there, where Connor decided that he would tell Washington about the conflict between the Assassins and Templars, in order for the man to better understand about what he was up against. Achilles attempted to stop him, insisting that the Assassins worked quietly and did not go announcing conspiracies from the rooftops, but Connor went to speak with Washington nevertheless.

Working with Haytham
Connor met with Washington in his camp by Monmouth, who confided in him that a large amount of supplies meant for his troops had just been stolen. Washington concluded that Benjamin Church, a Continental traitor who had recently been released from prison, was likely behind it, and thus sent Connor to investigate an abandoned church nearby, where suspicious activity had been reported.

Connor arrived to find the church house seemingly empty, but as he walked inside, he was ambushed from above by his father, Haytham. The Assassin managed to slip from his grasp, and the two circled each other, with Connor accusing Haytham of coming to check whether Benjamin Church had stolen enough supplies for their British army brothers.

However, Haytham corrected his disillusionment that the Templars were working for the British, and admitted that Benjamin Church had turned against the Templars as well as the Continental army. Haytham then suggested a momentary truce, as the two of them wished to punish Benjamin Church.

The two hunted Church's men through the frontier, and were eventually led to a warehouse in Boston. Haytham's reputation permitted him free passage, though Connor insisted that he not enter alone; saying that they were to go on together, or not at all. Thus, in order for him to pass unquestioned, Haytham instructed Connor to disguise himself as a mercenary, and openly introduced the Assassin to the guards as his son.

Inside, Haytham casually asked Connor about his mother, as Kaniehti:io had cut all ties with Haytham shortly after Connor's conception. However, Connor only hotly answered that she had been murdered under his orders, much to Haytham's shock and claims that he had ordered no such thing. Connor ignored his father's protests, and only stated that he had run out of forgiveness.

They moved forward to confront Church, but the man inside the warehouse revealed himself to be a decoy, and signaled an ambush. Assassin and Templar fought back the mercenaries successfully, and questioned one of them to discover that the Continental troop supplies and Church himself had just left on a ship called the Welcome. Shortly afterward, riflemen shot nearby barrels of gunpowder and set the building ablaze, forcing Connor and Haytham to escape into the water.

Connor employed the Aquila to chase down Church's vessel, and after cornering the other ship, they were able to break down its masts with chained shots. As they drew near, Haytham pushed Connor from the wheel and rammed the Aquila into Church's ship; sparking a fight between both crews.

Connor killed the officer on board, before following his father below decks. There, Connor found Haytham violently beating Church, and berating him for his betrayal of the Templar Order. Connor managed to restrain his father's temper, and he crouched by Church to question him himself. At Church's refusal to speak, the Assassin stabbed him with his Hidden Blade, and Church revealed that the supplies had been deposited at an island nearby.

Heartened after this event, Connor began to believe that there was a possibility that Assassins and Templars might be able to unite, due to their similar ideals and beliefs.

Abandoning the Patriot cause
Connor and Haytham then went to meet up with Washington, though Haytham insisted on meeting up with Lee instead, a notion Connor stonely refused. Meeting up with Washington, Haytham found a note recently written by the general to burn down Connor's Mohawk village to make way for land to fight the British in. Enraged, Connor cut off ties with Washington, much to Haytham's approval. However, Connor also rejected his recent partnership with his father, as he realized that Haytham was trying to convert him into favoring Lee.

Connor then rode off to stop the messengers, threatening to kill the two men should they try to follow or stop him. Killing the messengers, Connor rushes to his village to find it fine. But the clansmother informed him that Lee has already negotiated the Mohawks for their participation in aiding the British against the Colonists. Realizing that several of his fellow natives are already outside preparing to kill the incoming Continental Soldiers, Connor dispatched the Mohawks ready in an ambush before confronting Kanen'tó:kon, who has come to believe Lee's lies of Connor joining the Colonists to destroy their people. After a struggle, Connor was forced to kill his friend.

Connor traveled to Monmouth, where a band of patriots scout the area. Lafayette told Connor that they will bear witness to their glorious victory. Connor asked where Charles Lee was and the Lafayette told him that the "bastard" showed up in their preparations and took charge, screamed at everyone to advance, and rode away. A large group of Redcoats surrounded the area. Connor was forced to use the cannon together with the Patriots while Lafayette called for reinforcements. In short time, the patriots Connor was leading ran low on ammunition, forcing him to call for a retreat, and while retreating, Connor saved patriots that were about to be executed by Redcoats. Connor met up with Lafayette who congratulated him on saving many lives. Connor then saw Washington, and told Washington of Lee's betrayal, backed up by Lafayette. Washington said he would look into the issue, much to Connor's disapproval, saying that Charles Lee is the enemy, but Washington would not budge on the issue, causing Connor to abandon the patriots' cause.

Personality and characteristics
"[Connor]'s one of those people that has an inbuilt sense of right and wrong... He isn't a grey area kind of guy."

- Alex Hutchinson, Creative Director of Assassin's Creed III.

Connor was an honorable warrior with a strong sense of morality and heroism. He appeared thoughtful and intense, and the words he did not speak were just as meaningful as the ones he did. His movements resembled those of a predator, always staying low to the ground and moving under enemy attacks.

He strongly believed in defending both his Native American heritage and country from European involvement, who he considered to be "outsiders". However, he also recognized the fact that, due to his parentage, he was a part of the issue that he sought to solve.

Equipment and skills
Connor was a capable free-runner, able to climb trees and swing from one to another, as well as scale cliff faces or other natural elements. He could move through the cityscape just as easily, and was able to slide under or vault over obstacles within urban environments.

Accompanying his capacity to move fluidly, Connor was able to wield several different weapons – including a tomahawk, bow, flintlock pistols, rifle, rope darts, and Hidden Blades. He could dual-wield various combinations of these weapons, with his ambidexterity helping him to do so proficiently. He was of a strong and heavy build, giving him an advantage in combat, but causing him to make an effort when free-running.

Connor was a skilled forager, and often hunted animals similarly to assassination targets; tracking and trapping several kinds that he encountered across the Frontier. He also possessed a rare extra-sensory ability known as Eagle Sense.

In terms of clothing, Connor was most often garbed in a hooded white jacket with blue lining, as well as a thin red sash fastened with an Assassin insignia, and brown boots with leggings that extended past his knees. However, during his voyages on the Aquila, Connor wore a blue overcoat and tricorne hat.

Trivia

 * Contrary to several known Assassins (including Aquilus, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, Aveline de Grandpré, and Nikolai Orelov) who possessed connections to eagles, Connor was more closely likened to a wolf.
 * "Ratonhnhaké:ton" (pronounced Ra-doon-ha-kay-doon) means "life that is scratched"; referring to a struggle to survive.
 * Since every Mohawk name is unique, at the advice of their Mohawk cultural consultants, Ubisoft agreed not to trademark the name "Ratonhnhaké:ton".
 * Unlike some of Desmond's other ancestors, Connor had no scar on his lip, similar to Aquilus.
 * Connor's initial character design displayed him with a slender build, while his final character model was altered to show him with a significantly more muscular appearance.
 * Lead Game Designer Steven Masters mentioned that Connor could originally scalp his opponents, but it was removed from the game since Ubisoft's Mohawk consultants felt that it was an unusual thing for their ancestors to do.

Gallery
Development=

Customization=  File:Connor_Outfits_by_Okmer.jpg|Concept art of various outfits for Connor. File:621796_20121030_screen002.jpg|Concept art of the Captain of the Aquila outfit; front and back view. Captain Aquila PA=HR.png|Promotional art of the Captain of the Aquila outfit. Native Assassin Connor concept.jpg|Concept art of the Native American Assassin outfit. Colonial Assassin PA-HR.png|Promotional art of the Colonial Assassin outfit. Colonial_Assassin_in-game.jpg|Alpha-stage render of the Colonial Assassin outfit in-game. Connorkenway_early_concept.JPG|Concept art of a traditional Mohawk armor. Screenshots=  AC3 SC SP 54 HD Homestead RiverRescue.jpg|A young Connor free-running. File:AC_III_Connor_Traps.jpg|Young Connor setting a trap. AC3 SC SP 17 Frontier CombatTomahawk ONLINE.jpg|Connor facing a Redcoat patrol. AC3_SC_SP_52_HD_Frontier_RopeDart.jpg|Connor fighting a Continental soldier. Assassin's Creed 3 combat.jpg|Connor performing an assassination. ACIII-GI (6).jpg|Connor observing a camp in the Frontier. AC3 AnvilNext Connor.png|Connor without his hood. Connor steering ship.jpg|Connor steering the Aquila. AC_III_Connor_Homestead_Game.jpg|Connor playing at the Homestead. AC_III_Trinity_Church_Entrance.jpg|Connor at the entrance to the Trinity Church. AC_III_Connor_Rooftop_Chase.jpg|Connor being chased across the rooftops of New York. AC_III_Frontier_Log_Run.jpg|Connor traversing the woods of the Frontier.