Niccolò Machiavelli

"I am an Assassin. Trained in the ancient ways to safeguard mankind's evolution. Just like you, and each one of us here."

- Machiavelli to Ezio upon their first meeting

Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (3 May 1469 – 21 June 1527) was an Italian philosopher, writer, and is considered one of the main founders of modern political science. He was a diplomat, political philosopher, musician, and playwright, but foremost he was a civil servant of the Florentine Republic.

Description
Niccolò was in secret a member of the Assassin's Order, and the leader of the Florentine Mercenaries[1]. This was perhaps why he was such a secretive person, to not reveal too much about himself. Niccolò and the other Assassins were to attack Rodrigo Borgia, who was at that point in possession of the Apple of Eden. Unbeknown to them, Ezio Auditore da Firenze also knew about Rodrigo having the Apple and had already attacked him. The other Assassins went to help him fend off Rodrigo's guards. Eventually, Rodrigo ran away, leaving the Apple behind. Niccolò revealed himself along with the other Assassins, who had helped Ezio assassinate the Templars before.

At the age of 27, Niccolò was present at Ezio's initiation into the Assassin Brotherhood, performing a Leap of Faith along with the other Assassins in 1488.

Eventually, Niccolò helped Ezio defend Caterina Sforza and the city of Forlì. He also aided him during the Bonfire of the Vanities, in which Girolamo Savonarola acquired the Apple of Eden.

In 1500, Niccolò, at the age of 31, accompanied Ezio to Rome. They renovated Tiber Island and turned it into the headquarters of the Assassins. While Ezio went out undermining the Borgia's rule over Rome, Niccolò stayed on the island, training new Assassin recruits sent by Ezio. Machiavelli also set up means of communication between Ezio and the guild via pigeon coops.

Trivia

 * In real life, Machiavelli witnessed the execution of Girolamo Savonarola, and wrote about it the night of the event. The location, or even the name of these writings are unknown today.
 * The debate over Machiavelli's true intentions are often distorted due to the fact that many people concentrate on "Il Principe" (The Prince), which was one relatively short book, written in a few months. The Prince was written for a specific reason during a specific time in Italian history (a period when the Medici family had the opportunity to build a strong Italian state in central Italy and drive out the 'barbarians').
 * Machiavelli also wrote a thesis called the "Discourses on Livy". This thesis (which was written over a significant period of his life) reflected Machiavelli's more republican notions of government, and is a far more comprehensive thesis than the Prince. Together the Discourses and the Prince show us that, in real life, he was an individual who preferred a republican government, but was prepared to accept a principality if it ensured the survival of the state.
 * The facts that the fictional Machiavelli was the leader of Florence's Mercenaries doesn't match with his real-life counterpart. In real life, Machiavelli was against the use of Mercenaries, because he believed they were unreliable. However it is possible that Mercenaries are meant to represent the Florentine militia that Machiavelli commanded in real life. This is supported by the fact that he made complaints about Mercenaries in Bonfire of the Vanities.
 * Historically Machiavelli had good relations with the Borgia family. In 1502, he was sent on a diplomatic mission to Cesare Borgia. He called Rodrigo Borgia/Pope Alexander VI a very successful politician, because he was the prototype of a leader who has no scruples to reach his target.