Kesegowaase

Kesegowaase (1730 – 1757) was an Abenaki member of the Colonial branch of the Assassin Order.

Early life
Kesegowaase was born in 1730 in the territory of the tribe, around modern day. During his youth, he lived in a walled village surrounded by agricultural land, and practiced hunting, fishing and other methods.

As tensions arose between the British and his people, Kesegowaase and other members of his tribe became mercenaries for the French Army. Around this time, Kesegowaase began corresponding with Achilles Davenport, the Mentor of the Colonial Assassin Brotherhood. He would receive letters through Achilles' protégé, Liam O'Brien.

In 1746, Kesegowaase met Achilles and Liam as they were fighting for the French on behalf of the Brotherhood. Impressed by Kesegowaase's determination, the two invited him to join the Assassin Order. In 1749, Kesegowaase met Shay Cormac and would serve as one of his instructors. He would also gain the loyalty of warriors from every French-aligned tribe, as well as several trappers, hunters and scouts, providing the Brotherhood with a valuable force.

Finding the Pieces of Eden
In March 1752, Kesegowaase taught Shay the finer points of hunting and how to craft holsters for his pistols, while also criticizing him for his tardiness. Kesegowaase would later meet with his fellow Assassins to discuss the Templars' progress on the Precursor box, noting that they had sought information about the artifact from many tribes. Around this time, Kesegowaase also reported that the Templar James Wardrop had evicted several tribes from their original homes.

In early 1756, Shay returned from Lisbon, having unintentionally caused an earthquake there while attempting to recover a Piece of Eden. Determined to keep the Assassins away from any Precursor sites, Shay stole the Manuscript in Achilles' possession. With Shay being caught in the act, Kesegowaase and the other Assassins of the Davenport Homestead attempted to kill the former. Although Shay was eventually cornered, he jumped off a cliff, leading the Assassins to believe him dead.

The Assassins initially believed the Manuscript lost, but learned that it was in the hands of the Templar George Monro. Seeking to take it back, Achilles sent Liam and Kesegowaase after Monro.

Siege of Fort William Henry
"The Abenaki are restless. They don't understand the terms of surrender and refuse to heed Montcalm. The Colonel and his men were released this morning. They're walking into an ambush..."

- Weeks regarding Monro's surrender, 1757.

In August 1757, the French Army under Louis-Joseph de Montcalm and a large force of native warriors under Kesegowaase's command besieged Fort William Henry. After several days of bombardement, and no sight of reinforcements from William Johnson, the British garrison under the command of Monro surrendered to Montcalm. Thanks to the latter, the British were allowed to surrender while keeping their arms and colors. The natives did not understand the terms of the surrender. Exploiting this, Kesegowaase planned to ambush the British, kill Monro and take the Manuscript back.

On the morning of 10 August, Kesegowaase and the native warriors under his command ambushed Monro's column. However, Shay, now a Templar ally, arrived to rescue Monro and the remainder of his men after being informed of the events by Jack Weeks. Surprised by Shay's survival, Kesegowaase ordered his men to attack the British soldiers. The column fought off the attackers, and continued onwards to Shay's ship, the Morrigan, while he scouted ahead eliminated the potential ambushers along the way. As the British boarded the ship, Kesegowaase and his men attempted to follow, but Weeks threw a powder keg at them, while Shay detonated it with a pistol shot. The explosion severely scarred Kesegowaase's face, and his men pulled him away.

Attack on Albany
After learning of Shay's survival and defection to the Templars, Achilles made him a target of the Brotherhood. Having failed to kill Shay and Monro at William Henry, Kesegowaase prepared to attack Albany. He sent his men to threaten the British-aligned Oneida village of Orenda in order to acquire an ancient set of native armor and deter them from further assisting the British. In anticipation of the attack, Shay managed to defeat the French troops attacking the British in the area and also liberated the Oneida village from Kesegowaase's men.

On 3 November, Kesegowaase and his men attacked Albany, plundering the town and attacking the nearby Fort Frederick. Shay arrived in time to defend the fort from the attacking Assassins, and instructed Monro to take the Manuscript to the Morrigan while he defended Fort Frederick.

As Liam set off to assassinate Monro and retrieve the Manuscript, Kesegowaase infiltrated the fort in order to distract Shay. Shay was able to mortally wound Kesegowaase with a Puckle gun, and after a brief struggle he held the Assassin up against a wall. In his dying words, Kesegowaase scolded Shay for having betrayed the Assassins, and told him that he was too late to save Monro, with Liam already on his way to kill him. As Kesegowaase died, an enraged Shay tried to rescue Monro, but true to the former's word, he was too late.

Personality and characteristics
"Killing should not be meaningless. We must use what nature gives us."

- Kesegowaase on his view of hunting, 1752.

Having grown up close to nature, Kesegwaase was a stoic individual, keeping a calm demanour at most times and rarely speaking much. Because of his Abenaki roots, Kesegowaase also held a deep respect for nature, reminding Shay not to waste hunting spoils.

However, Kesegowaase could also be cunning and ruthless. After the British had surrendered at Fort William Henry, Kesegowaase and his men ambushed and massacred them, breaking the terms of the surrender. Afterwards, he sent his men to hold an Oneida village hostage in order to acquire a set of ancient armor, and they would later pillage Albany during their attack on the town. Despite the brutality of Kesegowaase's actions, his fellow Assassins did not intervene, believing them necessary towards the completion of their goals.

Kesegowaase strongly believed in the Assassin cause, obeying Achilles without question. Upon learning of Shay's defection to the Templars, he was determined to kill him. Even in the face of death, Kesegowaase attempted to attack Shay, scolding him for his betrayal and mockingly insinuating Monro's imminent death.

Equipment and skills
Even before joining the Assassins, Kesegowaase was highly skilled in hunting and fishing, as well as other survival methods. He had also gained experience from working as a scout and mercenary for the French, and was a skilled freerunner, navigating the trees of North America with ease. He was also capable of performing the traditional Assassin's Leap of Faith.

Kesegowaase's Assassin outfit consisted of traditional Abenaki clothing, and he wore a buckskin leather hood and shawl adorned with feathers. He also wore leather boots and a red Assassin sash, as well as red face paint. Kesegowaase was equipped with Hidden Blades, and was capable of various assassination techniques. In combat, he wielded a tomahawk and a pistol with great skill, making him a highly dangerous opponent.

Trivia

 * Kesegowaase is an Algonquin name meaning "swift".