Al Mualim

"The only difference between your master and I is that he did not want to share."

- Robert de Sable to Altaïr.

Al Mualim (Arabic: المعلم (The Teacher or The Master)), was the Grand Master of the Assassins Order's Syrian sect during the Third Crusade and mentor to his successor, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad. He secretly was a member of the Knights Templar.

Quest for the Chalice
In 1190 AD, Al Mualim tasked Altaïr to find the Chalice (revealed to be Adha) after he returned from another assignment. During this year, Al Mualim resided in Assassin's stronghold in Alep. His beard in this game is also much shorter and has a black color.

Later life


In 1191, Al Mualim sent Altaïr to retrieve a treasure beneath Solomon's Temple and bring it back to Masyaf. Altaïr brought along two fellow Assassins on his journey, Malik A-Sayf and his brother Kadar. Inside the temple, Altaïr broke one of the tenets of the Creed by killing the Old Man who was guarding the entrance. Once inside, Altaïr spotted the Grand Master of the Knight's Templar, Robert de Sable, entering the Temple with his guards. Altaïr broke another tenet by trying to assassinate Robert, but the Templar deflected his blow. In the following moments Robert and his guards attacked the Assassins, killing Kadar and Malik losing an arm. Altaïr managed to escape and return to Masyaf.

When Altaïr reported his failure to Al Mualim, he was angered, but his anger quickly turned to fury when Malik returned, bloody and wounded. Then to make matters worse, Robert and his Templars attacked Masyaf. Al Mualim kept Robert talking while Altaïr released a trap onto the Templars. Even though Altaïr saved Masyaf, Al Mualim demoted him from Master Assassin to Novice, removing most of his equipment and his authority at the order. Al Mualim decided to give Altaïr a chance to redeem himself, his rank, and authority in the brotherhood by sending him to kill nine men who were orchestrating events of the Third Crusade from both Christian and Muslim sides.

Altaïr traveled through the Holy Land, hunting and killing the men. After killing the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Robert de Sable, the dying Templar stated that Al Mualim was once a Templar himself. The treasure at Solomon's Temple was, in fact, a Piece of Eden and the Templars were planning to use its unimaginable power to control the minds of the population. However, Al Mualim didn't want to share that power.

Altaïr then returned hastily to Masyaf to find that the people in the city had been put under a hypnotic trance by Al Mualim, and that he and a few of his fellow Assassins were unaffected by the mind control, and made their way to the fortress. After reaching the stronghold, Altaïr confronted Al Mualim after discovering that his former Master had used the Piece of Eden retrieved from Solomon's Temple to control the populace of Masyaf.

After fighting nine guards changed into copies of his nine assassination targets by the Apple, and replicas of Al Mualim himself, Altaïr finally managed to plunge his hidden blade into Al Mualim, ending the cause of the hypnotic trance. As he died, the leader of the Assassins said that he did it all to ensure absolute peace in the world, and claimed that Altaïr, as him, would not be able to destroy the Piece of Eden. After his death Altaïr took his rank as the Grand Master Assassin of Masyaf.

Characteristics and personality
Al Mualim, though known for being a wise and soft-spoken leader, at times shows himself to be mysterious and unpredictable. He never talks about anything too personal or suspicious about himself, and always changes the subject or gives an unexpected answer when people start questioning him; Or as Altaïr says, "digging deeper". He shrouds not just his order, but himself in a great cover of secrecy; he reveals little about himself and almost nothing is known about his early life, let alone anything beyond his duty as the Master of the Assassins. Masyaf, a discreet city in the mountain that acts as the fortress and headquarters of the Syrian sect of the Assassin Order, is where Al Mualim spends most of his time studying.

By his efforts, the Order has become a well-known, yet obscure faction, inspiring fear and uncertainty throughout the land and spreading rumors that increase the already legendary reputation of the brotherhood. This has been accomplished by the murdering of important, and sometimes "unreachable" public figures, in both public and silent assassinations, which made men of power aware of the constant danger.

Al Mualim does not just stress political assassination but education as well. He has a thorough understanding and knowledge ranging from philosophy to science. This wisdom he employs constantly for the people of the Holy Land and his order. In addition to preaching the Creed as the only way to achieve the brotherhood's goal of peace in all things, he emphasizes that the Creed pushes for peace within as well, on one occasion advising Altaïr not to demonize his enemies: "Never harbor hate for your victims, for such things are poison...". The leader of the Assassins often employs his "children" as political warriors, directed to fight as the voice of the people throughout the Holy Land, suppressing those who use their power and influence to commit impious acts against society. He rewards success richly, but despises failure and doesn't abide traitors, being ironic since he is a traitor.

Appearance
Al Mualim is a middle-aged man in his 50s. In Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles, Al Mualim has a short black beard. In Assassin's Creed, set one year after Altaïr's Chronicles, Al Mualim's beard is much longer and has grayed considerably. He wears the black robes of the Grand Master of the Assassin Order. He is also blind in one eye.

Final Words
(Al Mualim collapses. The Piece of Eden falls from his hand and rolls away).

Al Mualim: Impossible! The student does not defeat the teacher!

Altaïr: (Arabic:) Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine. (English: Nothing is true, everything is permitted.*)

Al Mualim: So it seems. You have won, then. Go and claim your prize.

Altaïr: You held fire in your hand, old man. It should have been destroyed!

Al Mualim: Destroy the only thing capable of ending the Crusades and creating true peace?! Never!

Altaïr: Then I will!

Al Mualim: We'll see about that...

*The actual translation would be "Nothing is absolute; rather everything is possible."

Trivia

 * Al Mualim is likely based upon a real life figure named Rashid ad-Din Sinan, a.k.a. The Old Man of the Mountain, who led the Syrian Assassins and died within Assassin's Creed's time-line. However, this is unconfirmed.
 * Despite being Grand Master of the Assassins, Al Mualim appears to have all ten fingers. The same is true of all other Assassins in the game, apart from Altaïr.
 * In Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles, set one year before the events of the original game, Al Mualim appears to be much younger, with a short black beard. He also wears different clothes, and his name is often spelt in dialogue as Al-Mualim.
 * He is around his 50s during the events of the first game.
 * When he teleports around the field and decreases your sync bar, you can easily distract him with a throwing knife and move in for the kill.
 * When he first attacks in the game, Altaïr can easily run up a wall and then drop down, assassinating Al Mualim with the hidden blade, or by simply countering him when he first swings his sword.
 * In the Penny Arcade Assassin's Creed comic, the target that Altaïr hunts implies that some Assassins, including Altaïr, were fathered by Al Mualim. This is shown when he tells Altaïr, "For I think I see his (Al Mualim's) face in yours." However, no evidence is given to relate any such connection between Altaïr and Al Mualim; in the Codex in Assassin's Creed II, Altaïr's parents are referred to separately from Al Mualim.
 * There seems to be a pattern in the Assassin's Creed series where the mentors of the primary Assassins are blind in one eye. Just as Al Mualim, mentor of Altaïr, is blind is his right eye, Mario Auditore, mentor of Ezio Auditore, is blind in his left eye.
 * Al Mualim also shares a trait with a future Templar, Rodrigo Borgia, as they both never have their heads uncovered throughout the entirety of their respective games. They also have a similarity in the robes that they wear.
 * Despite betraying the Assassin Order, Al Mualim appears blue in eagle vision until his battle against Altaïr.
 * It is possible that Al Mualim had acquiredd a Piece of Eden before his final battle with Altair, since Altair saw himself being stabbed by Al Mualim

Reference
Al Mualim