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He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. This article contains spoilers, meaning it has information and facts concerning Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple. If you do not want to know about these events, it is recommended to read on with caution, or not at all. |
The Fenghuang (Chinese: 鳳凰; English: Phoenix) was the flagship of the Zhang Wei Union that operated in the South China Sea during the early 18th century.
History[]
Acquisiton by the Zhang Wei Union[]
The Fenghuang was originally a Chinese junk owned by a pirate band operating from the Paracel Islands. In 1725, it was captured by Edward Kenway and his organization, the Zhang Wei Union, while on a mission for the Dutch East India Company to cleanse the islands of pirates.[1]
After being brought back to Macau, Edward was allowed to keep the ship due to a promise made by the company's chief navigator, Jan van Aert. Making use of the loot gained from the pirates, the Zhang Wei Union were able to purchase a plot of land by a harbor to operate and store their ship.[1]
Yun working on the Fenghuang's armaments
Repairs and upgrades to the ship then began under the direction of the Union's engineer Yun Pyeong-Gyu, who installed a number of new armaments such as European-style cannons used in Joseon modified by Yun himself, swivel guns that had increased caliber, and several hwachas. The Union members also settled on their flagship's name of "Fenghuang", the Chinese word for phoenix, the legendary bird known for its ability to be reborn from its own ashes.[1]
The Fenghuang sailed under the Zhang Wei Union for the first time when it was used by Yun and Rupiya to rescue Edward, John Young, Shimazu Saito and Xialun Qing from the fleet of Admiral Jeong following the events at Sun's floating gambling hall. It easily sunk one of Jeong's ships, causing the admiral to decide against battling it and allowing Edward, John, Saito and Qing to board the Fenghuang and escape to safety.[2]
Voyage to the Philippines[]
The Fenghuang would later be used by the members of the Zhang Wei Union when they sailed to the Philippines to investigate a lead to the location of Angkor, which was rumored to house Pieces of Eden.[3] As it neared Manila, the ship came under attack by Jeong's fleet, but thanks to Yun's latest invention—fire barrels which exploded on impact—the crew were able to cause considerable damage to the enemy ships.[4]
The Fenghuang being attacked by Jeong's fleet
Using the advanced weaponry built by Yun, the Union members were ultimately able to sink most of Jeong's fleet, but unbeknownst to them, the admiral's true intentions were to get close enough to the Fenghuang to allow her passengers—the Chinese Assassins Xiao Han, Liu Qing, and Xue Yan—to board it. After the trio used gliders to reach the ship, they dropped several bombs onto its deck, setting it on fire.[5]
In the resulting chaos, the Chinese Assassins managed to kill several of the Fenghuang's crew, until Yun realized that the bombs were filled with Greek fire, which water was useless against, and insturcted the crew to use sand to extinguish the flames. Upon spotting Yun, Xiao Han attempted to kill him, but was stopped by Edward, who engaged him in a duel. Meanwhile, the crew members managed to gain the upper hand and surround Liu Qing, holding him at gunpoint, and Saito faced off against Xue Yan.[5]
After Saito defeated Xue Yan and Edward overpowered Xiao Han, the latter ordered his Assassins to retreat and they all fled back to Jeong's ship using parachutes. With the admiral's fleet still on their tail, Edward ordered Rupiya to sail into an incoming storm to lose the enemy ships. Although one of Jeong's ships managed to follow the Fenghuang through the storm, it was soon sunk by a Dutch East India Company vessel captained by Jan van Aert.[6]
After Jan revealed his knowledge of the purpose of the Union's expedition to the Philippines, Edward reluctantly allowed him to accompany them. Meanwhile, Yun recreated the formula for Greek fire used by the Chinese Assassins, and Edward decided to make a stop on Java Island to acquire petroleum that would allow them to produce more of the substance. Before they had the chance to do so, however, both the Fenghuang and Jan's ship were attacked by two Spanish Men O' War, forcing them to surrender.[7]
Escape from Manila[]
The crews of the two ships were subsequently brought to Manila, where they were arrested by the Spanish authorities due to Jan's alleged involvement in the assassination of the Governor-General of the Philippines six years prior.[7] While Jan and his men were imprisoned in the dungeon underneath Fort Santiago, the Union members were forced to remain inside the Fenghuang, under heavy guard, though they soon managed to escape.[8]
The Fenghuang and Jan's ship sailing away from Manila
After Edward and Saito left to rescue Jan's crew, the remaining Union members engaged in a fight with the Spanish soldiers at the harbor to retrieve their confiscated weapons and supplies. In the process, they discovered a warehouse filled with barrels of petroleum, which Yun promptly ordered to be loaded onto the Fenghuang.[9]
Once Edward and Saito returned to the ship after an encounter with a monk who wielded a crescent amulet, a Piece of Eden, the Fenghuang set sail away from Manila, followed closely by Jan and his men. When the Spanish Navy gave chase, Jan volunteered to lure away their pursuers to give the Union members time to escape. The distraction worked and, once the Fenghuang had lost the Spanish fleet, Edward ordered the crew to set a course for Cebu.[10]
En route to their destination, the Union members discovered that the Spanish had confiscated all of their food rations and attacked two passing Spanish schooners to acquire the provisions they carried. They also docked at a village which Zhang had begun trading with in order to resupply and recruit new crew members, but while there they were informed of unsettling rumors concerning Monkey Island, which was in their path to Cebu.[11]
Trapped on Monkey Island[]
As the Fenghuang passed Monkey Island, it was bombarded with mortar fire from a nearby fort, which had been occupied by Rajah and his native resistance fighters. Rupiya was able to steer the ship to safety and Edward instructed him to take cover behind some rocks, but the crew quickly realized that they were trapped until they could locate the fort. Fortunately, Xialun Qing offered a solution and revealed an invention she had been working on alongside Yun: a hot air balloon,[12] which they dubbed the Celestial Chariot.[13]
Using the balloon, Qing was able to survey Monkey Island and determine the locations of all enemy encampments, allowing the Fenghuang's crew to fire on them. However, the Celestial Chariot then suffered a malfunction mid-flight and caught fire.[13] After Qing parachuted to safety and landed on Monkey Island, the crew went looking for her. As they approached the island's fort, the Fenghuang engaged it as a distraction to allow Edward, John Young and several other crew members to reach the island via rowboat.[14]
The Fenghuang's crew fighting the "Manananggals"
Once Edward's group arrived on the island, the remaining Fenghuang crew members retreated and went into hiding in a swamp to await the expedition's return. However, while they were waiting, they were found by Rajah's men,[14] who took advantage of a downpour of rain to board the ship. Led by Saito, the crew members fought off the native warriors, who disguised themselves as Manananggals to try and intimidate them.[15]
Thanks to several multi-barreled muskets built by Yun, the crew was ultimately victorious, though they were later forced to escape when more native warriors attempted to board the Fenghuang. Saito ordered the crew to sail into the open sea, where they managed to lose their assailants.[16] They then went to pick up Edward's group after they had destroyed the resistance's fort, and the Union members left Monkey Island, resuming their voyage to Cebu.[17]
Confrontation in Cebu[]
In Cebu, the Fenghuang docked behind some rocks, out of the Spanish Navy's sight, while Edward and Saito ventured into the city to search for a sea log containing clues to Angkor's location.[17] While the crew awaited Edward and Saito's return, John spotted the native resistance's fleet approaching Cebu and decided to attack it.[18] After sinking the fleet, thwarting Rajah's plan to escape from the harbor, the Fenghuang went to pick up Edward and Saito, who had jumped into the water to escape from the Spanish soldiers pursuing them.[19]
As Rajah had managed to flee with the sea log, the Union members followed him to Fort San Pedro, which had been taken over by the resistance. There, Yun introduced a second Celestial Chariot he had built, which Edward, Saito and John used to infiltrate the fort while the remaining Fenghuang crew stayed behind to create a distraction and facilitate their mission.[19]
The Fenghuang surrounded by Jeong's fleet
However, while the crew were waiting for the return of Edward's group, Jeong's fleet arrived in Cebu and attacked the Fenghuang. The ship was able to sink a number of enemy vessels, but with more ships approaching the Fenghuang, Yun decided to unveil his latest invetion: Greek fire bombs.[20]
Using the bombs, the Fenghuang's crew were able to halt the advance of Jeong's fleet by creating a wall of fire on the water's surface. Yun then ordered Rupiya to bring the ship closer to Fort San Pedro so that they could pick up Edward, Saito and John and make their escape.[21] Upon doing so, however, the crew noticed Edward's strange condition, as the Assassin was struggling to resist the influence of the crescent amulet in his hand.[22]
At a loss without their leader, Yun asked John if Edward had mentioned anything about their next destination. At that moment, the Assassin briefly recovered from his trance and uttered the words "south" and "Sulu", reminding John that Jan van Aert had asked them to meet him in the Sultanate of Sulu. With that, he ordered that Edward be taken below deck to recover while the Fenghuang set sail towards Sulu.[22]
Armaments[]
Even prior to its acquisition by the Zhang Wei Union, the Fenghuang had earned a reputation as the ship that "wreaked havoc in the Paracels", according to Jeong.[2] Following its upgrades by Yun Pyeong-Gyu, the ship became even more powerful, being equipped with modified European-style cannons from Joseon, swivel guns with an increased caliber, mortars, and hwachas that functioned as volley guns, launching a volley of fire arrows at the enemy.[1]
Prior to its voyage to the Philippines, the Fenghuang was also equipped with a special type of fire barrels created by Yun that exploded on impact.[4] Later, while in Cebu, the engineer supplied the crew with another one of his inventions: Greek fire bombs. After being fired, these projectiles created thick flames that covered the water's surface, preventing ships from sailing through them.[21]
Crew[]
- Edward Kenway – Commandant
- Rupiya – Captain
- Yun Pyeong-Gyu – Engineer
- John Young – First mate
- Shimazu Saito – Lookout and second-in-command
- Xialun Qing – Doctor
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
References[]