Temple (Isu)

"We built vaults within which to work, each dedicated to a different method of salvation. They were placed underground to avoid the war which raged above, and also as a precaution, should we fail in our efforts."

- Jupiter to Desmond Miles regarding the Temples.

Temples, also referred to as Vaults, were underground locations constructed by the First Civilization in an attempt to discover a way to prevent the First Catastrophe. These Temples were placed throughout the world, with the Grand Temple being located in upstate New York in the United States.

Creation
"Built by those who knew to turn away from war. They worked to protect us - to save us from the fire. If you can find them... If their work can be saved... so too might this world."

- Minerva to Desmond Miles through Ezio Auditore in the Vatican Vault in 1499.

The Temples were built by members of the First Civilization who knew to turn away from the war raging between humans and their own kind. They functioned as a way to protect the world and its people. The Temples were established underground, as a way both to protect them from the battle present on the surface, and to preserve them as a precaution in the event that the catastrophe could not be averted.

First Catastrophe
"Six we tried in succession, each more encouraging than the last. But none worked. And then the world ended..."

- Jupiter to Desmond Miles in the nexus of time.

Each Temple researched a different way to prevent the disaster, and that research was transmitted to the Grand Temple, located underneath a First Civilization municipality in modern upstate New York. From there, three members of the First Civilization; Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, sorted the solutions most possible to succeed. The three tested six possible solutions in succession, with each being more promising than the last. However, all six solutions ultimately failed, and before any further solutions could be tested, a catastrophe decimated the planet, nearly wiping out the entire First Civilization.

Modern Times
"You must go there. To the place where we labored... labored and lost. Take my words. Pass them from your head into your hands. That is how you will open the way."

- Jupiter informs Desmond he must go to the Grand Temple.

In 2012, Minerva and Jupiter spoke to Desmond Miles while in a machine known as the Animus through the memories of Ezio Auditore da Firenze. When Ezio accessed a vault under the Capella Sistina in 1499, Minerva explained to Desmond that a war had destroyed the earth, nearly killing all the members of the First Civilization. She also briefly told Desmond about the history of the Temples, before telling him to guard against the cross.

Several weeks later, on 10 October 2012, Desmond and his fellow modern-day Assassins drove to a vault located beneath the Colosseum in Rome. There, Juno spoke to Desmond as he free-ran around the vault, attempting to access the pedestal of the vault. Juno informed Desmond about the history behind confrontations between humans and the First Civilization. Later, once Desmond had activated an Apple on the pedestal, Juno reappeared and forced Desmond to stab his fellow Assassin, Lucy Stillman. After impaling Lucy in the abdomen, Desmond fell down onto the pedestal, unconscious, with his subconscious splintered.

After Desmond accessed Ezio's nexus of time from 1512, another member of the First Civilization, Jupiter, spoke to Desmond. Jupiter informed Desmond about the catastrophe that occurred, and also explained the Temples more in-depth to him. Lastly, Jupiter told Desmond that he needed to go to the Grand Temple in order to stop the impending cataclysm. However, Jupiter warned Desmond that he was unsure as to whether the Temples could successfully prevent the disaster.