Giovanni Borgia

"I have lived a full life. I survived the disgrace of my family and their corruption of the church. I have seen, and survived, the dangers of the New World and much more."

- Giovanni Borgia, 1542.

Giovanni Borgia (1498 – 1548) was a member of the Assassin Order, and was known to his Brothers as one who was particularly receptive to Pieces of Eden.

He was the illegitimate son of Lucrezia Borgia and Perotto Calderon.

Early life
"Lucrezia is pregnant! This is a complication we did not need!"

- Perotto discovering Giovanni's conception.

Giovanni was secretly born in Rome to Lucrezia Borgia, the illegitimate daughter of Pope Alexander VI, and Perotto Calderon, an undercover Assassin acting as a Borgia messenger.

Upon his birth, Giovanni was discovered to be malformed, and he was expected to die within a few days. In a drastic attempt to save his assumed child's life, Perotto broke out of prison (in which he was being held due to the discovery of his affair with Lucrezia) and escaped to Agnadello. There, he knew the Assassins were guarding the Piece of Eden known as "the Shroud," which Perotto thought would be able to heal his son.

Upon arriving there, having slain both his brother Assassins and Borgia soldiers along the way, Perotto asked the Shroud to heal his son, which it did, despite its initial protests. The child would live, but would forever be mentally altered.

Since Perotto was executed by his Brothers for having broken all three tenets of their Creed, Giovanni wound up in the hands of Cesare Borgia, who he came to know as his father.

Giovanni was trained to be cruel by both Cesare, and the latter's friend, Micheletto Corella; though he rejected many of their teachings, and grew to fear and hate them. Since Cesare was often away, Giovanni was allowed to spend time with his "aunt" Lucrezia, who enjoyed their bonding, but was saddened by seeing her son raised in such a harsh environment.

Apple of Eden
"Nonno is going to let me play with the Apple today! He says it is not a toy, but I think it is a toy. It glows. It makes noises. Sometimes it talks to me like Consus does."

- Giovanni, regarding the Apple.

At times, Giovanni's grandfather would allow him to "play" with the Apple of Eden, and would take notes when he discovered that Giovanni had the ability to turn his thoughts into reality with the power of the Apple. Simply by willing it, he was able to create the image of an eagle out of thin air.

Giovanni made use of this skill as a means of defending himself once, when he was five. Upon being taken out for a "lesson" with Micheletto, he witnessed Micheletto kill an old man, simply to teach Giovanni the cruelties of the world. Afraid, Giovanni used the Apple (which he had taken from his grandfather in secret) to create an illusion of Cesare to scare Micheletto. However, when Cesare discovered this, Giovanni was punished.

Giovanni also made use of another of the Apple's power, albeit accidentally, when he stumbled upon Fiora Cavazza sneaking around his home, seeking to steal the Piece of Eden for the Assassins. Thinking she had come to play, Giovanni snatched the Apple and gleefully ran with it, calling for Fiora to catch him.

Fearing that he would alert the guards of her presence, Fiora told him to stop and attempted to take the Apple from him. However, she was frozen in place by its power, and was ultimately caught by Cesare, who had been woken by the commotion. Giovanni fearfully asked Cesare what he would do with her, but he simply sent the boy from the room and told him he would hurt her.

Becoming an Assassin
"I hate Papà. Nonno only cares about the Apple. Zia is always sad. I want to run away from them! I want to live somewhere else."

- Giovanni, contemplating on running away from home.

Eventually, in 1503, Giovanni planned to leave his life of fear behind. After he received a letter from a courier pigeon, sent by an unknown individual, he was even more encouraged to do so. Making sure that he wasn't seen, he went to the meeting place by a fountain, and, as instructed, used his "other eyes" to recognize the individual from the crowd.

Giovanni followed the individual running across the rooftops, until he finally reached an alleyway, where he was abruptly halted by two thieves, who attempted to rob him. The individual leapt down from above and plunged his hidden blades into both men, rescuing the boy. The individual then introduced himself as Francesco Vecellio, who turned out to be the former understudy of Perotto.

Giovanni happily agreed to Francesco's offer to bring him "to live with his Brothers", and was thus taken in and trained into the Assassin Order.

Journey to Mexico
"I have studied these relics from our past, these Pieces of Eden, and I have even wielded them on rare occasion. I have spent my life theorizing and mapping, but never before have I had the opportunity to hunt one."

- Giovanni, as he travels to the New World.

In 1519, Giovanni was secured a position aboard Hernán Cortés ship, which was to sail towards the New World. Though posing as a chronicler and astrologer, Giovanni had been tasked by the Brotherhood to identify and recover a Piece of Eden from the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan.

After examining several idols and artifacts, Giovanni finally sensed the presence of the Piece of Eden, recognizing the same "hum" he remembered from the Apple of Eden. He pinpointed the artifact to be a Crystal Skull in the possession of an Aztec priest, who used it as part of a human sacrificial ritual.

During the uproar that followed the Spaniards' witnessing of such a brutal sacrifice, Giovanni killed the priest and stole the relic.

The Skull's Purpose
"Maria protests how much time I spend with the skull. At least an hour each day. Gazing into it, listening. The hum has grown louder over the years. It feels as if something is coming."

- Giovanni, regarding his study of the Skull.

Upon returning to Europe in 1520, Giovanni brought the Crystal Skull to Bombastus, a member of the Assassin Order, to discover its purpose. Bombastus was confident that they would successfully uncover its secrets, referring to Giovanni as "the one who talks to these things."

Despite much examination, however, they were unable to discover how to use the Skull. After this, the other members of the Order began to doubt Giovanni's abilities, and merely dismissed the Skull as little more than an ornate treasure.

Nevertheless, Giovanni persisted in studying the Skull for about twenty years, and in 1542, received some answers. Upon discovering the Skull glowing with a faint light, he shook it and began to hear words in a foreign language, as well as see visions of a man dressed in Chinese garb. Though he could not understand the speech, he realized the man's intent, and hurried to alert the Brotherhood of this revelation.

Completing the Book
"The book is incomplete. For the answers you seek... you will need the other half."

- Bombastus to Giovanni.

In 1527, some time after accidentally reading the mysterious tome that Bombastus owned, and using it to help craft the Philosopher's Stone, Giovanni confronted Bombastus to ask him further questions. However, the Professor only proclaimed that he could help him no longer, and that the Book held no more answers as it was incomplete.

Thus, Giovanni began to research a means of finding the other half of the Book, with the help of one of Bombastus' apprentices, Maria Amiel. The two found that the tome was entitled "Divine Science," and had been written by a French alchemist named Nicolas Flamel. They thus traveled together to Paris, France.

They tracked a grimoire down to the nephew of Perenelle Flamel, but found that the manuscript was only a translation. However, the grimoire contained Pythagorean symbols, and notes of Hermetic practices, thus reminding Giovanni of an ancient Pythagorean temple found by fellow Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze in 1506.

Return to Basel
"Giovanni's mood continues to darken. When we enter Troyes, he calls it "the Vipers' Nest." It is only a whisper. I do not dare question him."

- Maria observing Giovanni as they visit Troyes.

On their way back to Basel, Giovanni insisted that they pass by Troyes, though he did not tell Maria why. As Maria lingered by a clothier near Troyes' cathedral, Giovanni vanished from her side, and soon after, she was approached by a man in a tunic marked with a red cross.

As he began to ask her peculiar questions, Giovanni appeared behind him and ended his life with his hidden blade. Though he at first accused Maria of "conspiring with the Viper," upon seeing her tears, he realized his mistake, and the two returned their attention to their travels.

Since Giovanni had discovered a report containing their descriptions, he and Maria fled Troyes. In a nearby wood, they were attacked by "Minions of the Cross," though Giovanni was able to drive them off; and afterwards, the two were able to avoid further trouble.

Upon arriving in Basel, they found that Bombastus had gone mad, and had begun burning books and accusing doctors of unholy practices. Giovanni was forced to restrain him, and later, he and Maria retrieved the first half of the Book from Bombastus' laboratory.

Pythagorean Temple
"We must go to this place, Maria. I know there is something there. I know it! Trust me!"

- Giovanni, after finding a map to the temple.

Some time after, Giovanni discovered a map to the Pythagorean temple, and asked that Maria accompany him. Though he admitted that the previous visitor to the temple had found nothing, he insisted that he knew there was something that still lay hidden within it. Trusting him, Maria agreed, and the two traveled together down into the catacombs.

Giovanni opened the way for them, rearranging bricks and lighting an urn that lit the room with a trail of fire. Finally, as they entered the last chamber, it became illuminated with eerie patterns, numbers, and glyphs.

At that moment, Giovanni fell unconscious, and when he woke, his face had been altered, startling Maria. He then spoke in a distant voice that was not his, but appeared to be from an entity far older; one that called itself "Consus, the Erudite God."

Modern times
"The "Child of Rome" has long baffled historians. But even more perplexing is Giovanni's insignificant life that followed. How does one stand right in the center of the hurricane and remain untouched?"

- The DDS' description of Giovanni.

Centuries later, Giovanni would come to be known as the Infans Romanus, or "Child of Rome."

Interested in the mystery of his parentage, as well as the events of his supposedly insignificant life, Abstergo Industries would later have their recruits analyze large sections of Giovanni's memories, including the circumstances of his birth, much of his childhood, and his search for the Pieces of Eden.

Personality and characteristics
Giovanni was a very gracious and confident nobleman, who often spoke lightheartedly, and teased his friends. Despite his cheerful nature, he also had something of a temper, once shouting at and threatening Bombastus for not answering his questions.

He was also quite serious in his work as an Assassin, often becoming withdrawn and moody when concentrating on his assignments. Though protective of his allies, he once assaulted Maria, merely out of the suspicion that she had been conspiring with the Templars.

From an early age, Giovanni suffered several bleeding effect-like symptoms, likely as a result of being healed by the Shroud. He would often dream of the memories of Assassins past, including those of Perotto, and Marcus Junius Brutus. Because of these hallucinations, he once almost stabbed Cesare while sleepwalking, thinking himself to be Brutus, and his uncle to be Gaius Julius Caesar. However, he was caught and subsequently punished by Micheletto.

For possibly the same reasons, throughout his childhood, Giovanni would speak to a mystical being called Consus, whom no one else could see. Consus acted as his guardian, encouraging him to join the Assassins, and eventually seeming to "possess" him in the Pythagorean Temple.

Romantic life
"For a long time, Giovanni gazes into my eyes, his fury gradually melting. His hold upon me remains strong, but I stop trembling. We kiss, passionately."

- Giovanni and Maria finally sharing a romantic moment.

After meeting each other in 1527, Giovanni and Maria became inseparable, growing close over their travels to Paris and back to Basel. He protected her from brigands who once attempted to rob them, as well as Templars who attacked them as they fled Troyes.

After Maria accidentally spoke with one of Giovanni's assassination targets in Troyes, he began to suspect her, holding a blade to her throat and demanding to know why she was conspiring with his enemy. When she began to cry, he realized his mistake, and after a moment, the two kissed, and admitted their feelings for one another.

Several years afterwards, Giovanni married her. Though Maria only later found out about Giovanni's allegiance to the Assassin Order, she nevertheless supported him in his assignments, even accompanying him through the catacombs into the Pythagorean Temple.

They remained together at least until 1542, when Maria protested against Giovanni's obsession with studying the Crystal Skull.

Trivia

 * Giovanni has come in contact with at least three Pieces of Eden; the Shroud, the Apple, and the Crystal Skull. This is the greatest variety of Pieces of Eden that any one character has been known to encounter, and is tied only by Ezio Auditore.
 * Giovanni and his wife Maria share the names of Ezio's parents, Giovanni and Maria Auditore da Firenze.
 * Frater V.O.V. often thought of Giovanni and Maria, once even confusing Giovanni's memories with his own.