Courtesan

"You too must learn to blend like us: seen, but unseen."

- Paola to Ezio.

The Courtesans were one of the three factions allied to the Assassin Order; the other two being the thieves and the mercenaries. They usually aided by collecting information from clients, or by acting as distractions by allowing allies to slip into restricted areas.

Florentine courtesans were led by Paola, Venetian courtesans were led by Teodora Contanto, and Roman courtesans were led by Claudia Auditore, who took over after the death of the previous owner of the brothel, Madonna Solari.

History
Though courtesans were mainly based in brothels within a city, many were known to stand along the streets - usually in groups of four - to entice customers. Each possessed a standard style of dress and hairstyle, as was deemed appropriate for those in their profession at the time.

After the execution of his father and brothers, Ezio Auditore da Firenze sought sanctuary with Paola and her courtesans, who taught him how to conceal himself in a crowd, and be "seen, but unseen" as they were.

Afterwards, Ezio often hired courtesans he met in the city, usually instructing them to seduce a group of nearby guards in order to allow him to slip past unseen. Alternatively, they would follow Ezio along the streets, concealing him among them by walking around him in a diamond formation (similarly to how Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad blended with scholars).

Upon traveling to Rome, Ezio aided the courtesans by funding the renovations for their main brothel, the Rosa in Fiore, as well as renovating smaller brothels throughout the city. After his sister took over administration, he volunteered to teach the girls several skills.

Characteristics
Courtesans could not perform any sort of free-running, and were usually unarmed. If armed at all, they carried knives and bladed fans. Should they be discovered aiding Ezio in attempting to infiltrate a guarded area, the courtesans were usually attacked mercilessly, and killed very quickly in the fight.

If Ezio encountered a group of guards while walking with the courtesans, two of them would leave the group to distract the enemies, while the other two stayed with Ezio in order to maintain the blend and help keep him anonymous. This behavior was very helpful in assassination missions where the target walked among civilians.

The courtesans in Rome acted much as they did in other cities, however, after Ezio had allied himself to their guild for some time, the girls he hired were able to poison any enemies they were instructed to distract.

Florence

 * Main article: La Rosa Colta


 * Paola

Venice

 * Main article: La Rosa della Virtù


 * Teodora Contanto
 * Lucia - a courtesan who was attacked and robbed just outside her brothel.

Rome

 * Madonna Solari - the previous owner of the Rosa in Fiore.
 * Fiora Cavazza - a courtesan working for the Solari, who eventually entered the service of Cesare Borgia.
 * Giuletta - a traitorous courtesan who traded information about the Assassins to a Borgia contact.
 * Lucia - a courtesan who was kidnapped by slave traders alongside Madonna Solari. She was sent back to alert the other girls of the ransom for Solari.
 * Mina - a victim of the Templar Malfatto, a rogue doctor that preyed on courtesans. Ezio Auditore found her being mourned by her friend in a back alley of Rome.
 * Agnella
 * Sarghina

Achievement
The achievement "Red Light Addict" can be gained by spending 5000 florins on courtesans. One group of courtesans costs 150 florins, which means approximately 34 groups must be hired.

Trivia

 * A courtesan's appearance has five randomly generated options: hair, face, dress color, necklace, and sleeves.
 * A glitch can be encountered with a group of courtesans outside of Forlì. One of the hired courtesans becomes stuck and separated from the rest of the group, and the remaining three will not activate any blending effects until Ezio approaches the lost courtesan's perimeter, and again enters the middle of the group.
 * Should one of the courtesans in a group fall into the water, the remaining three will continue to activate the blending effect without her, indicating that the death of one courtesan is similar to when two leave the group to distract passing guards.
 * Courtesans cannot be killed or grabbed by Ezio.
 * The Assassin's Creed II memory "Fitting In" is the only one where you can beat up, pickpocket and grab courtesans.
 * During the memory "Carnevale," courtesans appear in the streets wearing masks.
 * In Monteriggioni, after renovating the brothel, random courtesans appear to walk in the streets. However, you are unable to hire them.
 * These no longer appear during the early scenes of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, except for one who appears behind Ezio as he is leaving the hidden tunnel from Monteriggioni.
 * In Brotherhood, if a civilian you stole from prepares to have a fistfight with you, the courtesans you have hired will sometimes go and fight him instead, knocking him out with only two punches.
 * In Assassin's Creed: Revelations courtesans are replaced by the Romani, as they were not accepted in Ottoman-Byzantine society.