Cipriano Enu

"I ask Enu if he can guarantee every shot he takes. He nods and demonstrates, killing a man four buildings away with one shot! Until now, Perotto was the best marksman I'd seen, but even my master's skill pales next to this man."

- Francesco Vecellio.

Cipriano Enu was an African member of the Italian sect of the Assassin Order. He was apprenticed to Ezio Auditore da Firenze, and later became a member of a team that included Francesco Vecellio, and Tessa Varzi.

His skills in archery were renown, and he was described as the best of the Order during his time.

Arrival in Italy
"Cipriano Enu. His ebony skin marks him as a foreigner. The gleaming cross around his neck likely protects him from religious persecution in Roma."

- Francesco, upon first meeting Enu.

While immigrating from his home country to Italy, Enu was sheltered by a kind old man, who not only welcomed him as a guest, but also taught him seven other languages, which he could speak perfectly without giving his true identity away.

His connection with this old man, who was also a skilled forger, later allowed Enu and his fellow Assassins to gather new "identities" for themselves, in case they were ever in need of a disguise.

Apprenticeship in Rome


Between 1501 and 1503, Enu was trained in Rome under Ezio Auditore. He finished his studies at the same time as Francesco Vecellio, who he first met during a Free Running exercise set to them by their mentor.

During this exercise, Francesco noticed that Enu's shots were accurate but slow, due to the blunted training arrows he was using, which he was apparently unaccustomed to. Enu soon learned to compensate though, and was able to hit Francesco twice with the padded arrows as he approached, one to the shoulder and another to the forehead.

Later, upon being assigned as the leader of a team of Assassins, Francesco selected Enu as the first of those under him.

Missions with the Team
"Enu's marksmanship continues to impress me. Ezio has given me several tasks that will make use of the African's skills."

- Francesco, upon accepting Enu into his team of Assassins.

Enu went on to participate in many missions alongside his teammates, such as the sabotage of Cesare Borgia's merchant ships in Romagna, and the protection of the Massa Marittima alum mine. However, three in particular were assigned to the team, as they required Enu's archery skills.

The first mission was the protection of the astronomers Novara and Nicolaus Copernicus. Due to the two coming dangerously close to a scientific breakthrough that could threaten the Papacy, a crossbowman had been sent by the Borgia to eliminate them as they studied the stars on their balcony.

Though Francesco spotted the assassin first and fired upon him, his shot missed, and the other turned to return fire. However, before he could, Enu brought the attacker down with two arrows fired in quick succession, rescuing his team leader.

The second mission was the protection of the Venetian ambassador, Antonio Giustinian, who had recently "pushed Rodrigo Borgia too far." In "apology" for losing his temper, the Pope had arranged a dinner between Antonio and a lady of the court.

Suspecting the lady to be a Templar agent, Francesco dressed as a Venetian noble and went in Antonio's place, with Enu pacing the rooftops above as lookout. When the lady saw Francesco, she realized the trap, and threw a knife at him as she fled. Enu managed to injure her in the leg with an arrow, allowing Francesco to catch and interrogate her.

The third mission was the defense of Camerino, and of Abbot Bernardino, who had been speaking out against the Borgia rule. Enu and Francesco personally inspected the cannons that had been set along the road as an ambush, with Enu also coordinating the diversion from atop the city walls, where he and his fellow archers fired upon the advancing armies.

Fire at the Inn
"Enu fires his arrows in rapid succession. He takes down a half-dozen men, but we face ten times that many on the rooftops alone!"

- Francesco and Enu cornered on the roof of the inn.



In 1503, Enu and his teammates moved to sabotage the friendly competition between the armies of Cesare, and the French forces of his fellow Templar, Charles de la Motte. Together, the Assassins dusted poison on the French soldiers' equipment, causing them to underperform, and forcing Cesare to unwillingly humiliate his ally.

However, later that same year, Charles' forces returned, receiving no interference from the local guards as they began to terrorize the citizens of Rome. Francesco and his team were dispatched to intercept them, and Enu personally killed each of the riflemen stationed on the rooftops, as the team could not risk a missed shot falling into the crowd below.

Though their efforts appeared to be successful, the team had unknowingly made their presence known, giving Cesare an excuse to send in his troops as well. Unable to withstand the combined forces, Enu and his teammates were forced to take refuge inside an inn.

Even as they built barricades to keep out the enemy guards, Enu fired arrows through the shattered windows, retaliating the shots being sent into the room. However, a shower of flaming arrows soon set the inn ablaze, forcing the Assassins to flee to higher ground.

Though they lost Tessa and several others as the floorboards of the second floor broke through, Enu pulled Francesco forward, insisting that they could mourn them later. However, upon reaching the roof, they found that there was no cover, and that they were surrounded by several marksmen.

Enu took down a half-dozen men before he was brutally injured by a gunshot to the neck. Francesco attempted to drag him to safety and treat his injury, though he too had been wounded. He eventually gave up, and the two simply sat back to back as they waited for the enemies to finish them.

At this point, an explosion cut the air. Though Francesco was allegedly rescued, Enu's fate after the attack, and whether or not he survived, is unknown.

Personality and characteristics
"Enu walks above the street, pacing from building to building. I know he is up there but even I have a hard time keeping track of him."

- Francesco observing Enu during a mission.

Enu was a rather calm and silent character, who was skilled in both archery and speaking in tongues. He was a kind man, and once apologized to Francesco for bruising him during one of their training exercises, despite his own skill fairly exceeding Francesco's.

When on missions with his team, Enu would commonly observe and protect them from above, coordinating their movements with signals and animal cries. He also commanded a division of his own archers, and would often be the one to assign them their individual targets.

Enu was quite protective of his teammates, many times saving their lives with his arrows, or called out warnings. He also remained level-headed under pressure, and held his calm during the fire at the inn, despite being faced with the overwhelming number of enemies, as well as the deaths of so many of his comrades.

Trivia

 * "Cipriano" derives from the Latin "Cyprianus," meaning "originally of the Cyprus island."
 * Francesco once describes the longbow that Enu uses as "unusual." Indeed, in Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy, Enu is the only one shown to use a type of recurve bow.

Source

 * Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy - Chapter 3 - Francesco Vecellio