Aveline de Grandpré

"I stand with those who stand with me. I lure my prey through the guise of a lady. I escape unnoticed through the veil of a slave. And though I may conceal my identity, one thing is certain: commit injustice in this world, and I'll send you to the next. I am Aveline de Grandpré, I am an Assassin, and I fight for liberation."

- Aveline de Grandpré.

Aveline de Grandpré (1747 – unknown) was an Assassin of French and African heritage, who lived in the area of New Orleans during the middle of the 18th century. She is an ancestor to "Subject 1".

Born to the wealthy French merchant Philippe de Grandpré and an African slave by the name of Jeanne, Aveline was raised in a comfortable and privileged environment. After her mother disappeared in 1757, Aveline was cared for and brought up by her stepmother, Madeleine de L'Isle, whom her father had married five years prior.

Shrewd by nature, Aveline noticed the contrasts present within the society she lived in and, at the age of twelve, resolved to act against this injustice. Following an attempt to rescue a man from enslavement, she met the Assassin Agaté, who was impressed by her dedication to pursuing freedom. He decided to take Aveline under his wing, training her to become an official member of the Brotherhood.

Aveline subsequently grew into her role of an Assassin, fighting to defend the oppressed slaves of New Orleans. At the age of eighteen, she became aware of a slave trafficking enterprise being run in New Orleans by a high-ranking Templar, known only as the "Company Man". Hunting down several of his subordinates, Aveline sought to shut down the Templar's operations and eventually discovered the slaves' destination, a work camp in Chichen Itza.

After she liberated said slave community from Templar influence, procuring a valuable First Civilization artifact in the process, Aveline returned to New Orleans to resume her hunt for the Company Man. Several years later, she journeyed to New York to pursue a lead that would allow her to uncover the Templar's true identity. In this, she was aided by the Kanien'kehá:ka Assassin, Ratonhnhaké:ton, known by his adopted name of Connor.

With his help, Aveline discovered the Company Man had been her own stepmother all along. Following a short confrontation at the de Grandpré mansion, Aveline fled to the Louisiana Bayou to inform Agaté, with disastrous consequences. She then returned to Madeleine, pretending to go along with her induction into the Templar Order, before she assassinated all the members present, thus finally ridding New Orleans of Templar influence.

In 2012, her genetic memories became the basis of a publicly released video game titled Liberation, which was developed in partnership by Abstergo Entertainment and Ubisoft.

Early life
"On seeing her, he falls to his knees. He says he is ashamed. He begs forgiveness for keeping me enslaved all this time. He vows to grant us both our freedom."

- Jeanne reflecting in her diary about Philippe's reaction to the birth of his daughter Aveline, 1747.

Aveline was born in New Orleans on 20 June 1747 to Philippe de Grandpré and his African bride, Jeanne. Granted freedom along with her mother at birth, Aveline grew up in a caring and considerate environment, protected by her father's wealth and influence within the city. However, when her father's business began to suffer, he married Madeleine de L'Isle, the daughter of one of his investors, in 1752.

While this act put a strain on the relationship between her parents, both Aveline and her mother Jeanne were permitted to stay at the de Grandpré mansion, with Madeleine becoming responsible for the young girl's education. In 1755, Aveline found a childhood companion in Gérald Blanc, an orphan from that had been hired by her father as an errand boy.

Aveline's carefree life as a youth was cut short two years later, when Jeanne inexplicably vanished, leaving a void in the girl's life. Despite the fact that Madeleine quickly adopted the role of doting stepmother, Aveline continued to be troubled by the loss of her mother. As a result, she frequently had nightmares about the events surrounding Jeanne's disappearance.

Simultaneously, Aveline's feelings and observations regarding the prevailing contrasts present within her city eventually spurred her into action. In 1759, she attempted to free a slave, but was caught in the act and set upon by sailors employed by the slave's owner. Thanks to an intervention from the African Assassin Agaté, Aveline and the slave managed to escape unharmed. Deciding her commitment to freedom and justice was beyond compare, Agaté took Aveline, as well as Gérald, under his wing.

Following a few months of intense training, Aveline was officially inducted into the Assassin Brotherhood, with Agaté becoming her Mentor. From then on, Aveline would act as his agent in New Orleans, using her skills to help people in need and rid Louisiana of the Templars.

Investigating the disappearing slaves
"My brothers have vanished. Then my aunt [...] They ain't escaped as you say. They're taken."

- A slave informing Aveline of the recent disappearances, 1765.

In 1765, Aveline set out during one night, a nightmare having ruined any chance at further sleep, and went to the pigeon coop in the garden, where she received word from Gérald, who served as the Order's information officer. His letter alerted her to a plantation from which slaves were reportedly escaping, prompting Aveline to investigate. After ascending the Saint Louis Cathedral to scout out a dressing chamber, she hid inside a cart that would take her to the estate.

Dressed as a slave, Aveline managed to infiltrate the plantation's grounds and discovered that the slaves were being taken by somebody, rather than escaping by themselves. She subsequently climbed to the highest point of the estate, in the hopes of finding clues that led to Thérèse, a young slave that had been the latest to disappear. Led to a barn, Aveline found and freed Thérèse, but the duo were quickly intercepted by the plantation owner's son and his guards.

After overpowering them, Aveline escorted her companion out of the plantation, following which she returned home to seek the aid of her stepmother. Managing to convince the initially cross Madeleine, Aveline was then sent to buy traveling clothes while Thérèse was being tended to. After the young slave had been brought to safety by Madeleine's contacts, Madeleine assured Aveline she would aid her if similar situations ever arose in the future.

Assassination of Governor d'Abbadie
"The Order... is... the... future. The... the Templars will keep our colony... French."

- Governor d'Abbadie's final words, 1765.

That same year, Aveline visited her father's warehouse, where she overheard him complaining about disappearing shipments to Gérald, and resolved to uncover the cause. After Gérald's meeting with Gilbert-Antoine de Saint Maxent, her father's business partner, proved fruitless, Aveline decided to bribe her way aboard the ship from which the goods had disappeared and met the vessel's captain, Carlos Dominguez. In her guise of a lady, Aveline easily charmed the captain and, while he was distracted, managed to slip away with some paperwork detailing the location of the merchandise.

Aveline then recovered the shipments, before informing de Saint Maxent and subsequently securing a considerable discount for her father. A few days later, she met with Gérald, who told her that some of the documents she had stolen mentioned a known Templar, Rafael Joaquín de Ferrer. Additional information revealed that he was present in Louisiana and was working with its French governor, Jean-Jacques Blaise d'Abbadie.

Intent on discovering what the two men were up to, Aveline stole a servant's key so that she could discreetly infiltrate the governor's estate via the kitchen. After navigating the mansion's hallways, Aveline reached the governor's office, where she overheard de Ferrer and governor d'Abbadie talk about the plans of a mysterious individual referred to as the "Company Man". The pair had also made a deal to ensure d'Abaddie remained as governor, provided he smoothed the hand-over of the colony to the Templars and supplied de Ferrer with workers for a secret Templar operation. Deciding to end their practices, Aveline waited for de Ferrer to leave, before attacking the governor and assassinating him with a musket.

As he lay dying, the governor claimed the Templars would keep the colony under French influence, which Aveline denied, following which she demanded to know why de Ferrer required workers. However, d'Abbadie could not answer her question and succumbed to his wounds, prompting Aveline to hurriedly escape the estate. With the city's guards on high alert following the governor's death, Aveline chose to hide in the bayou until the commotion died down.

Conflict in the Louisiana Bayou
"Deep in the bayou, a dangerous imposter spreads real roots [...] Who is this imposter, and what are his affiliations? This, you will need to uncover."

- Agaté informing Aveline of the imposter's arrival, 1766.

The next year, Aveline received word from Agaté and traveled to his hideout in the Louisiana Bayou to meet him. There, she was informed that a man impersonating the deceased François Mackandal, an Assassin and Mentor to Agaté, was attempting to overtake smuggling operations in the bayou. After receiving additional training in the use of a blowpipe, Aveline set out to uncover the imposter's identity and his affiliations.

On the advice of Agaté, Aveline traveled to the settlement of the smugglers Roussillon and Élise Lafleur, arriving just in time to save them from some of Mackandal's followers. In return, Élise reluctantly helped Aveline navigate the bayou in search of Mackandal's men. After eliminating two of his followers' encampments, Aveline and Élise uncovered a sacred ceremony being held by Mackandal on the Eve of Saint John, though the exact location remained unknown.

Consulting Roussillon, Aveline was told to seek the help of the houngan of San Danje, a shanty town where escaped slaves gathered. After she arrived there, Aveline met with Élise and the witch doctor, who was sympathetic to the Assassin's cause and divined the ceremony's location. With the additional threat of Mackandal's poisons, the houngan had Aveline drink an antidote as a precautionary measure.

Aveline and Élise then journeyed to, the supposed site of the ceremony, where they found Mackandal and discovered that he was actually called Baptiste, a former Assassin that was in league with de Ferrer. Hidden nearby, the two women overheard his plans to poison the nobles of New Orleans and thus avenge the slaves that had perished on Saint-Domingue. His real goal, however, was to force Agaté out of hiding and deliver him to de Ferrer, who had promised Baptiste membership into the Templar Order in return.

With the aid of Élise, who distracted some of Baptiste's underlings, Aveline snuck closer as the ceremony began. Blending in with the followers, she attempted to silently eliminate him with a poison dart, but was detected and hit with one of Baptiste's own darts. However, thanks to the houngan's antidote, Aveline was able to recover, causing Baptiste to send his followers after her, though they proved to be no match for the Assassin.

Coming down to face her himself, Baptiste was defeated in a one-on-one battle with Aveline, who, in doing so, freed the bayou of his machinations and sabotaged de Ferrer's plans once more. In his final words, Baptiste revealed that he had personally known both her mother Jeanne, and her Mentor, Agaté. Upon returning to Agaté, however, Aveline did not mention what she had discovered, as she did not fully trust her Mentor, given that he had kept this information hidden from her.

Louisiana Rebellion
"This Spanish "gouverneur" has placed so many restrictions on trade, even plantation owners are practically "begging" for an excuse to riot."

- Gérald on the laws implemented by governor Antonio de Ulloa, 1768.

That same year, Spanish governor and Templar adviser Antonio de Ulloa arrived in New Orleans. In 1768, he placed strict trade laws and restrictions over the colony in order to benefit the Templar Order. In response, French Creoles rebelled against de Ulloa's regime, openly challenging his authority and creating discontent in New Orleans.

While the unrest in the streets grew, Aveline set out to find and question Carlos Dominguez on his ties with de Ferrer, hoping to find out more about the Templar's plans. After speaking to a crew member of Dominguez, she was led to a tavern, where she found the inebriated captain. Although she interrogated him, Dominguez was revealed to possess scant information of value, being little more than a transporter of goods. Aveline then returned home, where her father gifted her a page from her mother's diary.

Later, Aveline went to the family warehouse at the request of Gérald, but encountered a commotion along the way. Rebelling against their new masters, a group of civilians had gotten into a fight with Spanish soldiers, leading Aveline to step in. After she saved them from the better-armed soldiers, Aveline spoke with the rioters and learned of the number of slaves and vagrants that had vanished since the arrival of the Spanish.

Unsettled, Aveline continued on her way to the warehouse, where she discovered that Gérald had turned it into the Order's new headquarters, making room for her weapons and guises. She was also given a special parasol that functioned as a dart gun, following which she was informed of a business rival, monsieur Bouché, that had been slandering the de Grandpré's reputation. With the business' sales already dropping, Aveline quickly set out to cut Bouché's campaign of lies short.

Threatening Bouché into submission, Aveline saw his bankruptcy as an opportunity to provide his slaves with honest, better-paid labor and bought one of his shops. She then returned to her headquarters, where she discussed the increase in kidnapped slaves with Gérald and decided to travel to San Danje to investigate. There, she consulted the houngan, who advised her to speak with her friend Élise, a frequent employer of San Danje's denizens.

Doing so, Aveline found out about the convoys of slaves that were departing from Fort Saint-Jean, a fortress occupied by the Spanish. Aided by Élise, the Assassin attempted to uncover where the workers were headed, first intercepting a convoy and then infiltrating the fort itself. Despite their efforts, the pair discovered little information, apart from the fact that the slaves they had liberated were strangely upset at not being able to board the work ship that would transport them to their destination.

Back in New Orleans, Aveline met with Gérald and voiced her frustration about failing to find out where the slaves were going, even though she had confirmed the involvement of the Spanish. Gérald posited the directive must have come from governor de Ulloa and offered to help Aveline in drawing him out of La Balize, where he had hid since coming to Louisiana. The two Assassins then went to the Place d'Armes, where Aveline, disguised as a slave, used the tense crowd to incite a massive riot.

While the French citizens rioted against the soldiers, Aveline and Gérald intended to cause further disturbance by stealing a gunpowder-laden carriage. After quietly eliminating the guards, the pair took control of the rig, but were spotted and fired at upon their departure. With the docks as their destination, Aveline and Gérald rode at high speeds through the cluttered streets of New Orleans, but found their carriage to be set on fire en route.

Forced to abandon their ride, the pair watched as the rig crashed into a wine storehouse, causing a huge explosion. Noticing civilians being trapped inside by Spanish soldiers, Aveline entered the burning building and killed the soldiers, so that the civilians could escape. Afterwards, Aveline and Gérald decided to regroup at the warehouse.

The Assassins quickly hatched another plan, targeting two Spanish military vessels that were anchored at the docks. After Aveline took out the guards aboard one of the ships, she planted some explosives, but was interrupted before she could set them to detonate. Carlos Dominguez, this time sober enough to recognize her, ordered his men to stop her, though they posed little challenge to the Assassin. After warning Dominguez to save himself, Aveline activated the explosives and swam back to the shore, from which she watched the vessel being destroyed.

As the Spanish governor finally prepared to leave La Balize, Agaté called Aveline to Saint Peter's Cemetery, where he gave her the order to kill de Ulloa, to prove her loyalty. Aveline then set up an ambush, barricading several streets so that the governor's convoy would march into a blocked off town square. By blowing up a powder keg, Aveline took out the majority of de Ulloa's soldiers and, after finishing off the survivors, forced the governor out of his carriage. Upon interrogating him, the Assassin learned that the slaves taken from New Orleans were being transferred south, to a work camp in Mexico.

Against Agaté's orders, however, Aveline chose not to kill de Ulloa, allowing him, and his pregnant wife, to flee the city in return for a lens used to decipher encoded Templar documents, a map leading to the work site at Chichen Itza and the promise of de Ulloa to go into exile. This merciful act continued to harm Aveline's already damaged relationship with her Mentor. He subsequently forbade her to travel to Chichen Itza, but Aveline ignored this, receiving a warning from her Mentor that she would live to regret her insubordination.

Aveline then went to depart for Mexico, but was met by Gérald before she could do so. Worried for her, Gérald confessed how much she meant to him, but ultimately realized there was little he could do or say to make her stay. After being given some last advice, Aveline handed Gérald her weapons for safekeeping and thanked him for his aid, before leaving to join a group of slaves that would board a ship bound for Mexico.

Expedition to Chichen Itza
"You find pieces of the Prophecy Disk, saving me the effort... If you weren't my enemy, I would take you for my friend! Our aims must not be so different for all the help you give me."

- De Ferrer explaining the similarity of his and Aveline's goals, 1769.

Arriving in the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza in 1769, Aveline discovered the excavation site was being supervised by de Ferrer and listened to one of his welcoming speeches. Afterwards, she mingled with the people at the camp, in order to unravel the mysteries of her new surroundings. To her surprise, she encountered Thérèse, the slave Aveline had rescued from captivity about four years ago, who, along with various other slaves, seemed to be perfectly happy at the worksite. Before continuing her investigations, Aveline collected material around the camp and crafted two makeshift Hidden Blades to defend herself.

Now sufficiently armed, Aveline sought out de Ferrer and followed him to a meeting with the camp's overseer. There, she overheard that not all workers were enthusiastic about their situation, with a few even attempting to escape. Tailing them, Aveline was led to one such slave, who was to be "educated" for his mistake. After de Ferrer left, the overseer and his guards attacked the captive, but they were killed by Aveline before they could hurt him.

After taking out additional reinforcements with the overseer's whip, Aveline talked to the runaway slave, who spoke of a woman named Jeanne that had been stationed at the camp. Convinced it was her mother, the Assassin scoured the work site for clues, finding evidence that her mother had indeed been there at some point. Among pages found from Jeanne's diary, Aveline discovered a map detailing the location of an ancient artifact deep within a nearby cenote.

With this in mind, Aveline traveled to the cenote's entrance, navigated the underground cave system and uncovered ruins from the First Civilization. There, she solved a puzzle that functioned as a defense mechanism, causing a fragment of the Prophecy Disk, an ancient artifact, to be revealed. Moments after obtaining the relic, Aveline was met by de Ferrer, who had reached the ruins by blasting through a rock wall.

Intending to steal the artifact, de Ferrer and his guards engaged Aveline in battle, though she killed them all, with de Ferrer himself being thrown into the depths of the cavern. The Assassin then quickly made her escape, as the cave was rapidly collapsing due to de Ferrer's explosives. Having reached a safe area, she happened upon her mother, Jeanne. However, this reunion was short-lived, as Jeanne, realizing that Aveline was an Assassin, believed Agaté had sent her daughter to come and kill her. Refusing to disclose any information, she then fled the mines, leaving Aveline with more questions about her Mentor.

Tracking Vázquez
"Perhaps you underestimate the vast, winding, expanse of the bayou. I will repeat: I need enough men to control all of it. Recruit the entire Spanish Army if you must."

- Vázquez to his recruiter about controlling the bayou, 1771.

After her escapades at Chichen Itza, Aveline returned to New Orleans in 1771 and continued her search for the identity of the Company Man. Heading to the warehouse, she reunited with Gérald, who informed her that the Spanish had put new laws in place during her absence, which would ease their efforts in helping the slaves. Despite this, a rogue faction of Spanish troops had also sprang up and was raising havoc in the bayou. Having gotten back her weapons, Aveline set out to chase down a lead, a recruiter that was bribing guards, in the hopes of uncovering who these soldiers were working for.

Finding the recruiter, Aveline then tailed him to a meeting with two Spanish soldiers, who had agreed to join the recruiter's cause. As she neared to apprehend him, the man spotted her and took off, with the Assassin quickly giving chase. Despite her efforts, the recruiter managed to reach the city's fort and hid within its walls, prompting Aveline to then infiltrate it.

Locating the man with her Eagle Vision, Aveline followed him to a quiet spot within the fort, where she eliminated him. Aveline then looted the recruiter's corpse, finding a message from his employer. After escaping the military barracks, Aveline read the letter and discovered that a man by the name of Vázquez was using the bribed troops to seize control of the bayou. Fearing he would eventually learn the location of Agaté's hideout, Aveline hurried to the bayou to warn her Mentor of the danger.

Upon her arrival there, she found the hut empty, leading her to track Agaté down, who was less than pleased to see her and grew even more bitter when she presented him with a piece of the Prophecy Disk. After some bickering, Aveline agreed to hide the fragment, following which she attempted to warn Agaté of the new threat. Her Mentor then revealed he was already aware of Vázquez's troops and begrudgingly accepted Aveline's offer to help him.

Upon hearing his plan, Aveine doubted it would put a permanent stop to Vázquez's efforts, but nonetheless carried it out. By silently poisoning enough of the troops as they passed the voodoo signs set up by Agaté, Aveline made the survivors believe they had fallen under a curse, causing them to flee. She then journeyed to the headquarters of her smuggler allies.

There, Aveline spoke with Élise and Roussillon, who confirmed that they too had noticed the increase in Spanish troops. Upon mentioning Vázquez, Roussillon informed her that the Templar was attempting to divert a supply ship for his own purposes. In response, Aveline disabled the lighthouse on Lake Pontchartrain, causing the ship to run aground on a nearby island.

Afterwards, Aveline and the smugglers traveled to the trapped ship, intent on stealing its supplies. Defending her allies from Vázquez's guards as they transported the cargo, the Assassin was disappointed upon discovering that Vázquez himself had not been on board. However, among the supplies that the smugglers had stolen, Roussillon found documents containing orders to reclaim the worksite in Chichen Itza, leading Aveline to hurriedly journey back to Mexico.

Return to Chichen Itza
"I traded one enemy for another. And they will not rest until they have what they seek."

- Jeanne on the Templars' pursuit of the Prophecy Disk, 1772.

In 1772, Aveline arrived in Chichen Itza to ascertain whether or not her mother's safety had been jeopardized, as well as to locate the missing half of the Prophecy Disk. To Aveline's surprise, her mother, having decided her love was stronger than her fear, was no longer afraid of her and greeted her warmly. Having made peace with one another, Jeanne then asked her daughter to retrieve the second piece of the artifact, so that she might finally be free from the prying eyes of the Templars.

Aided by a map from her mother, Aveline found her way to a lone canoe that would allow her to navigate the cenote's rapids. After abandoning her mode of transportation, Aveline explored the underground cave system, eventually happening upon the entrance to another chamber constructed by the First Civilization. There, she solved the puzzle to an ancient defense mechanism, which allowed her to acquire the final piece of the Prophecy Disk.

Afterwards, Aveline returned to her mother with the artifact and offered to take her back to New Orleans. However, Jeanne decided it was best to stay behind and take care of the community in Chichen Itza, which had been freed of Templar influence, thanks to Aveline's intervention. Promising to remain in contact, Aveline then returned to New Orleans.

Aiding George
"Futile murder... beautiful death. She... will make you suffer."

- Vázquez on the identity of the Company Man, 1776.

Having returned to New Orleans, Aveline found that her father had become bedridden due to an illness. Despite her worries for his health, she continued her quest to uncover the identity of the Company Man, infiltrating slave trader organizations and, with Gérald's help, expanding her network of contacts. During one of her visits to her father in 1776, Aveline was called upon by Madeleine, who asked her to help a slave named George escape New Orleans.

Carrying out her stepmother's request, Aveline sought out George and, after saving him from a couple of guards, escorted him out of the city. She subsequently contacted her smuggler allies, in the hope that they could provide George safe passage through the swamp. Although Élise and Roussillon were not opposed to the idea, as they were also tasked with delivering supplies from the Spanish to American Patriots fighting in the Revolutionary War, rogue Spanish soldiers were once again opposing their activities.

Seeing an opportunity, Aveline decided to help Élise and Roussillon in transporting their wares, so that they might convince the Patriots to take George to the North. Navigating the bayou's trees, the Assassin, aided by musket fire from George, took out the Spanish troops before they could inflict damage on the smugglers' raft. As a result, Élise and her men managed to safely reach their destination, where they met with Hopton and the other Patriots.

After the goods were transferred, Aveline discussed the Spanish attacking them, prompting Hopton to mention Vázquez, who hadn't been very keen on the arrangement between the revolutionaries and the Spanish governor. Surprised to hear that he was back in New Orleans, Aveline decided to resume her hunt for the Templar, believing him to be the Company Man. Before leaving, she asked the Patriots if they would allow George to accompany them to the North, to which they agreed, provided he fight for their cause.

From there, Aveline returned to New Orleans and spoke with Gérald, hoping to learn more information on where to find Vázquez. However, several of Gérald's informants had been recently poisoned by the Templar's men, giving the pair little to go on. They decided to attend the Capitán's Ball, a prominent soirée held at a luxurious plantation, in the hopes of finding Vázquez there.

Mingling with the guests, Aveline managed to locate Vázquez using her Eagle Vision and approached him under the pretense of wanting to dance. After charming the Templar, the Assassin led him to a quiet balcony away from the party, where she then assassinated him. With his dying breath, Vázquez revealed that he was not the Company Man, with Louisiana's head Templar being, in fact, a woman.

Unsure of what to do with this information, Aveline went to leave the party, but found Madeleine waiting for her at the plantation's gates. After receiving a scolding, she learned that her father, whose illness had worsened despite her stepmother's tonic, had passed away during her absence. Shaken, Aveline later met with Gérald and Madeleine at Philippe's grave in Saint Peter's Cemetery. Although she cared little about her lack of inheritance, Gérald assured her that he considered the de Grandpré business to be hers, even if it had officially been left in his name.

Journey to New York
"Who do you serve? And do you really think yourself free? "Charity should begin at himself," Miss Aveline."

- Officer Davidson about Aveline's position as an Assassin, 1777.

Feeling defeated, Aveline's resolve to discover the identity of the Company Man nevertheless stayed strong. However, without any leads, she struggled to find a trace of the Templar. Thanks to Gérald being in contact with the Colonial Assassins, Aveline learned of a Loyalist officer named Davidson, who was working for the Company Man, and subsequently headed north to find him.

Arriving in the winter of 1777, Aveline met up with her Assassin ally Connor, who had agreed to aid her, in the New York Frontier. After catching and interrogating a sentry, the two Assassins discovered Davidson was based in a nearby fort. They then made their way to the stronghold, battling various Loyalist troops along the way, before deciding to split up.

While Connor distracted Davidson's guards, Aveline discreetly infiltrated the fort and confronted the Templar in the watchtower. To her shock, she discovered that his true identity was George, the slave she had helped flee north the year before. Questioning her motivations for coming to New York, the Templar and his men then engaged Aveline in battle, though she easily dispatched the latter. However, a sudden explosion, set off by Connor, caused George to flee, locking Aveline inside the watch tower and forcing her to climb all the way up and escape through the broken roof.

Despite the obstruction, Aveline managed to foil George's escape, blowing up the wagon on which he attempted to flee and mortally wounding him. Regretting the outcome, Aveline asked George who the Company Man really was, prompting him to say the "answer had been in her own backyard all along", before he succumbed to his injuries. Shortly thereafter, Aveline spoke with Connor on the Assassin Brotherhood's means and ways, her own belief in the cause having faltered due to recent events. Receiving the advice to "trust her own hands", Aveline then returned home with a heavy heart.

Severing ties with Agaté
"Oh, what have I wrought? I should have stayed with your mother. You should have been my child. Raised as a daughter, not twisted into this... monster!"

- Agaté reflecting on his relationship with Aveline's mother, 1777.

Having realized that the Company Man had been none other than her own stepmother, Madeleine de L'Isle, Aveline went to the family mansion and confronted her. Madeleine did not deny her accusations and admitted that she had known all along that Aveline was an Assassin. Furious, Aveline refused Madeleine's order to stay and ran outside, but was quickly intercepted by her stepmother's guards.

Brandishing her parasol, Aveline waited for Madeleine to reappear, who attempted to dissuade her stepdaughter from further resistance and lamented the fact that they had to argue. Following this, Madeleine insisted that she genuinely loved Aveline, especially since she wasn't able to bear children herself. She continued, stating that Aveline had been kept alive in order to eliminate the unethical elements of her Templar circle, such as de Ferrer. Pointing to the broken relationship between Aveline and her Mentor, Madeleine argued that their aims were the same and asked Aveline to join the Templar Order, to "finish what she started".

After this, Aveline journeyed to the bayou to seek Agaté's counsel and test her own faith in the Brotherhood. However, her Mentor could not accept his failure to protect his student, and, believing that Aveline had aligned herself with the Templars, attacked her. Having a bomb filled with poisonous gas thrown at her, Aveline unwittingly inhaled the vapors and subsequently began to hallucinate, believing she was being assailed by the Templars she had slain.

Even so, Aveline eventually realized she was fighting against mere, poison-induced illusions, and ascended the treehouse, attempting to get through to Agaté. However, her Mentor refused to listen to reason and, when cornered at the top of his treehouse, bitterly lamented that he should have stayed with Jeanne. Refusing to listen to his raving any more, Aveline angrily told Agaté to leave Louisiana and never return. Unable to live with the humiliation, he dove from the platform, to his death.

Confrontation with Madeleine
"It does not work! [...] All these wasted years... A lifetime of sacrifice and – We have all the pieces, I am certain of it. Unless..."

- Madeleine realizing she had fallen for Aveline's ploy, 1777.

Traveling back to New Orleans, Aveline went to the Saint Louis Cathedral, where she gave Agaté's necklace, which she had obtained when she unsuccessfully attempted to save him, to Madeleine, as proof of his death. Madeleine then asked for the two halves of the Prophecy Disk, before inducting Aveline into the Templar Order. However, upon the artifact failing to work as Madeleine had expected it to, she grew frustrated, allowing Aveline to strike, as her induction was merely a ruse to destroy the Templars from within.

Aveline assassinated all of the Templars present, leaving Madeleine for last. As she lay wounded, Madeleine asked her "daughter" why she would betray her as she had. Aveline coldly retorted that she had two parents whom she truly loved, and that Madeleine was not one of them. She then blamed her for killing her father with her "care" and her tonic, secretly, for enslaving her mother, and for her intention of making Aveline a slave to the Templar cause.

To this, Madeleine insisted that it was for the greater good of humanity, as work had always been the "divine purpose" for which they had been created. In response, Aveline defiantly claimed that she would never be forced to serve another and assassinated Madeleine afterwards. Following this, she recovered the Prophecy Disk and used the locket her mother had entrusted her with to activate it. Aveline then witnessed a hologram of beings from the First Civilization, who briefly spoke about electing Eve as the official leader of humanity's rebellion against their creators.

Recruiting Patience Gibbs
"A friend sent me – Connor. He will offer you safety and training."

- Aveline attempting to recruit Patience into the Brotherhood, 1784.

In 1784, Aveline was contacted by Connor, who had been attempting to recruit an escaped slave by the name of Patience Gibbs into the Brotherhood. Due to Aveline's reputation among the slaves, he hoped she might have more success in this endeavor, as the young girl had refused to establish contact. Accepting, Aveline traveled to Goat Island to start her search for Patience's rebel camp.

Along the way, Aveline came across a slave being harshly interrogated by a pair of guards, whom she swiftly dispatched. From the worker, she learned that Patience's camp had been discovered and subsequently taken over by her former master. Aveline then infiltrated the camp, eliminating the guards and freeing the captured slaves to gain information on Patience's whereabouts.

On the advice of one of the workers, Aveline tracked down the Patriot captain, who promptly fled when he spotted her. After a lengthy chase, the Assassin caught up to him and, following a short fistfight, demanded to know where Patience was. Under pressure, he revealed Patience had been taken to a nearby fort for interrogation on the orders of her former master, a Templar doctor named Edmund Judge. Upon reaching the outskirts of the fort, Aveline witnessed Patience being taken in and sent to jail after she refused to hand over her mother's charm, a mysterious artifact.

Aveline then infiltrated the stronghold via a set of underground tunnels, following which she made her way to the cells and freed Patience. However, the latter refused her help and attempted to escape the fort on her own, only to be recaptured by Judge, who forced her to give up the charm. With the artifact in his possession, the Templar departed, leaving his men to dispose of Patience, though she was rescued by Aveline. Once more, Patience ran, with a worn Aveline eventually cornering her at a cellar where Judge had fled to. After explaining her intentions, Aveline agreed to help Patience recover her charm in exchange for her allegiance.

The two women subsequently descended into the tunnels leading to Newport Tower, learning to work together to overcome various obstacles. Although Aveline and Patience managed to intercept Judge on his way to the tower, his men managed to deter them, allowing him to escape. Eventually the pair reached the tower, where they heard the Templar reciting a hymn in an attempt to activate the artifact, to no avail.

Choosing to flank him, Aveline landed a killing blow on Judge while he was distracted by Patience. After Patience had retrieved her charm from the Templar's body, the Assassin learned that Patience had outwitted Judge by keeping a crucial piece necessary to activate the artifact. After demonstrating the charm's function - it allowed its user to "see into all things" - Patience agreed to accompany Aveline to the Davenport Homestead.

Legacy
Aveline's actions allowed the Assassins to gain the upper hand in New Orleans, with the city having been purged of Templar influence by the late 18th century. As well as this, her continuous efforts to help slaves led her name to become very well-known amongst them, with her fame eventually extending as far as Newport. However, due to the nature of her exploits, some workers, such as Patience Gibbs, doubted Aveline was a real individual, instead seeing her as a figure of legend. In the 20th century, one of her descendants would become the first subject of Abstergo Industries' Animus Project. He was assigned to relive Aveline's genetic memories, with his experiences being oft-discussed in interviews with Dr. Warren Vidic. During one of his Animus sessions in 1981, "Subject 1" passed away due to a seizure, though Aveline's memories were preserved via recordings.

In early 2012, these recordings were subjected to a market analysis by Abstergo Entertainment, one of Abstergo's subsidiaries, to see whether or not they could be used in one of their multimedia productions. Released in the form of a video game titled Liberation, Aveline's memories were edited to serve as a tool of propaganda for the Templars, portraying her as a traitor to the Assassin Order. However, Erudito, a hacking collective, managed to breach the Templars' security systems and break into the game.

Erudito then used the Animus technology to show the truth to some viewers, revealing segments of Aveline's memories that had been edited out. These included the cruelty shown by de Ferrer against the slaves of the Chichen Itza camp, as well as the assassination of Madeleine. In spite of these actions, Liberation would go on to become a commercial success, prompting Abstergo Industries to expand their entertainment branch to Montreal and hire research analysts for their next project.

Personality and characteristics
Even as a young girl, Aveline noticed the prevailing contradictions present in New Orleans society, where slavery and freedom evolved side by side. As she grew, she found herself torn between the values she had inherited from her parentage, which compelled her to form her own core beliefs. With these ideals matching up with those of the Brotherhood, Aveline soon joined the Assassins, striving to rid Louisiana of the Templars and fight against injustice.

A gifted actress, Aveline was able to present herself in different ways, by altering her dress, bearing and speech. In doing so, she was able to convincingly appear in the guises of both a charming noblewoman and a submissive slave. This allowed Aveline to infiltrate slave traders' organizations and smugglers' networks as well as mingle with nobles or government officials.

However, despite the effectiveness of the personas she adopted, neither the nobles nor the slaves truly accepted Aveline as one of their own. Workers could react warily, seeing her as a potential troublemaker, while high society would tolerate her presence, but judge her for her complexion. Aveline's own disinterest in the pastimes of the nobility, such as frivolous tea parties and potential husbands, further set her apart from her wealthy peers. As such, she was most at ease when away from or on the fringes of society, where social pressures were close to non-existent.

In the company of trusted friends and allies, Aveline was able to disengage her public persona; her humorous side shone through a little bit more and her charm was genuine, rather than artificially constructed to serve as a means to an end. For the most part however, she retained a serious and confident air. Aveline was also selfless, readily offering her help to the disenfranchised, as evidenced by the frequency with which she promised to "take care" of something. In some sense, she felt like she owed this to the slaves, who faced terrible treatment every day while she had been given the opportunity to live a life of wealth and freedom.

However, Aveline's selflessness could veer into recklessness at times. In 1769, her desire to uncover and dismantle the operations of her enemies led her to journey to a remote Templar-controlled settlement on her own, without weaponry to defend herself with. Aveline's tendency to, at times, act without sufficient forethought seemed to persist throughout her lifetime, despite her Mentor's efforts in curbing it.

Further compounding the problems between Mentor and student was the latter's habit to keep information to herself, rather than openly discuss it. This was largely a consequence of her mother's disappearance, which had damaged Aveline's initially trusting nature. When she discovered that Agaté had known her mother, Aveline became wary of her Mentor, but did not confront him about his secrecy, instead becoming more distant towards him.

In turn, Agaté's faith in Aveline faltered, causing the relationship between the two to deteriorate further. Her core beliefs and headstrong nature eventually drove Aveline to disobey a direct order from her Mentor, which drove them apart entirely. Although she would later try to convince Agaté of her loyalty, he proved to be too embittered to give her another chance, leaving Aveline to pursue the Templars without his help.

Due to Agaté's subsequent cruel treatment and mistrust, Aveline began to doubt whether fighting as an Assassin was the right thing to do or not. While in New York, she asked her fellow Assassin, Connor, if he ever questioned their ideals; he responded without taking the side of either faction, but rather explained that he believed in his own abilities to distinguish right from wrong. Taking his advice to heart, Aveline trusted her moral compass and remained loyal to the Assassins, in spite of Agaté's failure and Madeleine's attempts at recruiting her into the Templar Order.

Equipment and skills
"I always get the shivers when I review Aveline's life. She had the grace of a tigress and the intensity of a snake."

- An Initiate on Aveline's skills, 2013.

Aveline was a skilled freerunner, able to climb trees and swing from one to another, as well as scale cliff faces or other natural elements. She could move through the cityscape just as easily, and was able to slide under or vault over obstacles within both urban and natural environments. After acquiring a whip in Chichen Itza, Aveline was able to cross even larger gaps, using it to swing from beams that were out of reach.

Accompanying her capacity to move fluidly, Aveline was able to wield several different weapons - including a whip, firearms, swords, knives and axes, and Hidden Blades. Her ability to dual-wield various combinations of these weapons allowed Aveline to take out multiple enemies in a short amount of time. In spite of her slender build, she could match any male opponent in battle, being capable of surprising feats of strength.

Barring physical prowess, Aveline was shown to be quite dexterous, as she could construct rudimentary yet effective Hidden Blades out of knives, belts and wooden planks. Aveline also possessed the extra-sensory ability referred to as Eagle Vision, allowing her to identify enemies, allies, targets, hiding spots and clues. By 1784, she was able to "tag" certain individuals, allowing her to see them through obstacles when out of Eagle Vision, much like other experienced Assassins such as Adéwalé and Edward Kenway.

Aside from her weapons, Aveline possessed three distinct guises that she could make use of, composed of the Assassin, Slave, and Lady, all possessing their own advantages and disadvantages. Dressed as an Assassin, Aveline was automatically notorious to some extent, making the Assassin outfit unfit for missions that required infiltrating forbidden areas, as guards would be quick to notice her. However, it was the most suited to navigation, as well as combat, giving Aveline access to her entire arsenal of weapons.

In her Slave outfit, Aveline was able to blend into the poorer masses of New Orleans and remain undetected by executing menial tasks, such as moving boxes or sweeping the floor. Her ability to incite riots compensated for her lack of armor and weaponry, which made her weaker in combat. Accompanying this, Aveline was able to freerun in her guise of a slave, though her notoriety would automatically rise every time she did so, making the persona more suitable for ground-based missions.

Finally, the Lady outfit allowed Aveline to use charm and bribery to achieve her goals, though it severely limited her weaponry and prevented her from freerunning. Aveline later received a parasol designed by Gérald that had the ability to shoot small poison darts from its tip, similar to her blowpipe. Compared to the other two guises, the Lady persona's notoriety would also raise far slower, as her status largely protected her from the repercussions of illegal acts. As the daughter of a nobleman, Aveline had also been taught to dance and play the piano.

Trivia

 * Name
 * The name Aveline is a diminutive form of the name Avila, the origin of which is thought to be either the Germanic avi, "desired", or the Latin avis, "bird"; in the latter case, Aveline could be seen as meaning "little bird". Aveline is also an old French word for "hazelnut". "Grandpré" is a name formed of the French words grand, meaning "great", and pré, meaning "meadow".


 * Voice and character design
 * Voice actress Amber Goldfarb deliberately shifted her cadence when voicing Aveline's different personae. As the Assassin, she would use a low tone of voice and speak in an honest and direct manner. By contrast, the Lady used a noticeably higher tone of voice and spoke much more diplomatically, with her vocabulary being fancier.
 * The inspiration for Aveline's character came from several real life women of color living in 18th century New Orleans, who used the financial backing and love they received from their parents to attain even more wealth, power and respect.
 * One of Aveline's Hidden Blade bracers was adorned with the symbol of . In-game models depict said bracer as being on Aveline's left arm, but promotional art is generally inconsistent, with some showing it strapped around the left arm, while others show it strapped around the right arm.
 * Aveline was described by Jeanne as having "her father's eyes". While concept art depicts her as having green or hazel eyes, they appear to be dark brown in-game.


 * Other
 * Aveline possessed similar characteristics to Desmond Miles and his ancestors, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad and Ezio Auditore da Firenze, namely the same scar on their upper lip, and the ability to use Eagle Vision almost effortlessly. Despite this, she had no known biological connection with Desmond or his lineage.
 * Aveline is the first female protagonist in the Assassin's Creed series and one of two playable characters to have worn a hat instead of the symbolic white hood of the Assassins, the other being Haytham Kenway, though it retained a beak-shaped tip. However, an Assassin hood could be purchased from tailors and equipped on Aveline's Assassin persona. It is also possible for Edward Kenway to wear a hat instead of a hood if the player equips specific sets of clothing for him, but his default suit still has a hood instead of a hat.
 * According to Jonathan Cooper, the Animation Director on Assassin's Creed III, Aveline shared more animations with Connor than Edward Kenway did.
 * This causes a discrepancy regarding the way Aveline's Hidden Blade operated. Officially, it is meant to be a standard Hidden Blade, but in-game combat animations have it pivot much like Connor's.
 * Aveline's swordfighting animations were instead borrowed from Haytham Kenway.
 * The developers toyed with the idea of making Aveline be Connor's love interest in The Tyranny of King Washington, but the idea was dropped as the characters' motivations and personalities were considered to be too different.
 * Aveline shares her birthday with Jill Murray, the scriptwriter of Assassin's Creed III: Liberation and the additional DLC content for Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.
 * Aveline's database entry in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag erroneously states that her mother disappeared when Aveline was just ten years old. In truth, Aveline would still have been nine, as her mother disappeared on the first of May, whereas her birthday is on the 20th of June.
 * In Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants is heavily implied that Aveline grandson is the Mentor of the American Brotherhood during the draft riots