Raza Soora

"When this is all over, you'll go free. That much and nothing more do I promise you."

―Arbaaz to Raza, 1839.^[src]

Raza Soora was a mute Indian servant that served Hamid, the Mentor of the Indian Brotherhood of Assassins, before being purchased by Arbaaz Mir. He is an ancestor to MysoreTech programmer Jot Soora.

Biography[]

Early life[]

"Mongrel! That plate was worth three of you! I'll have your hands next time!"

―Hamid's abuse of Raza, exemplifying his status of low birth, 1839.^[src]

Raza Soora was born and raised in the slums of India sometime during the 19th century and served as a slave to Hamid, the leader of the Indian Brotherhood of Assassins. Suffering much abuse by the Assassin Mentor due to his clumsiness, Raza was eventually saved from his predicament in 1839, when Hamid was visited by his old friend Arbaaz Mir.^[1]

Bought for one gold Mohur, Raza was promised freedom in exchange for helping Arbaaz acquire the Koh-i-Noor, a First Civilization artifact. By posing as a Muslim servant, he would make the Assassin's impersonation of a Kashmiri emissary more credible, thus facilitating their entry into the summer palace.^[1]

Search for the Koh-i-Noor[]

"We will infiltrate the palace posed as a Kashmiri emissary and his servant [...] At no time are you to open your mouth, stray too far from my side or touch anything. You will do exactly as I say without hesitation or both our lives may be forfeit."

―Arbaaz regarding their plan to steal the Koh-i-Noor, 1839.^[src]

ACBM-Summer Palace — Raza and Arbaaz in the summer palace

Since Arbaaz believed Ranjit Singh to be wearing a fake Koh-i-Noor on his person when appearing in public, their goal was to locate the Maharaja's Tosha Khana, a treasure room of sorts where the real diamond would be kept. Thanks to their cover, the pair were able to enter the palace and, following a conversation with William Hay Macnaghten and General Francis Cotton, witnessed the Maharajah handing over the fake Koh-i-Noor to his treasurer Bustee Ram.^[1]

While Raza followed the treasurer to Ranjit Singh's treasure room, Arbaaz Mir met with and spent a moment of intimacy with the Maharajah's grand-daughter Pyara Kaur. Later on, Raza and Arbaaz reunited, following which Raza led Arbaaz to the hidden chamber beneath the palace. Although the room initially looked to be a dead end, Raza activated a water-based mechanism, revealing an underground passage hidden beneath a fountain.^[1]^[2] ^[3]

Having arrived in the Tosha Khana, the pair found a chest containing the diamond, but Arbaaz quickly dismissed it to be a worthless replica, prompting the pair to continue searching. After stumbling upon illusionary walls and the statues of Hindu Gods, Raza discovered the real Koh-i-Noor in a pool of water held in the hands of a statue of Durga.^[1]

As the young boy reached for the artifact, he was suddenly beset upon by a luminescent tiger, though Arbaaz quickly reassured Raza that it too was a mere illusion. The pair took the Koh-i-Noor and made their way back, unaware of the fact that General Cotton, a Templar, had spied upon them from a ceiling passage of the catacombs.^[1]

ACBM-Raza and Pyara — Pyara lamenting her naïvety to Raza

Upon their return to ground level, Arbaaz was arrested by Singh's men, who had been alerted by Cotton and Macnaghten. Still, the Assassin was able to swap the Koh-i-Noor with the fake diamond, allowing Raza to escape with the real artifact. While running, the young boy encountered the princess Pyara Kaur, who was saddened by the realization that her lover had been a mere thief. Dazzled by her beauty and moved by her tears, Raza tried to console her by giving her the Koh-i-Noor.^[1]

With the diamond in her possession, the princess went to confront the imprisoned Arbaaz, Raza following close behind. The Assassin managed to convince Pyara into freeing him, claiming he could save her grandfather, who was in danger of being killed by the British. As soon as he was freed, however, Arbaaz revealed that he had no intentions of protecting the Maharajah as the man "[was] the Lion of the Punjab" and could "look after himself", all while still believing Raza to be in possession of the Koh-i-Noor. Upon the whimsical discovery that this was not the case, Arbaaz sent a scolding look in Raza's direction, before begrudgingly agreeing to save Ranjit Singh.^[1]

Fight at the summer palace[]

"You people are like rats. And there's only one sure way to deal with vermin."

―Cotton about to kill Raza, 1839.^[src]

While Arbaaz berated Raza on their way across the rooftops, he nevertheless stopped behind to save Raza's life as the latter stepped on a broken roof tile; from this point on, the two split up and Arbaaz went into the palace's interior alone. Despite his efforts however, Arbaaz failed to prevent Ranjit Singh from drinking the poisoned tea. While the Assassin was engaged in conflict with the Maharajah's guards, who had been led to believe Arbaaz was the true culprit, Raza made his way to the palace's exterior. There, he witnessed the princess being grabbed by Cotton and rushed to her aid.^[1]

ACBM-Koh-i-Noor destruction — Raza and Arbaaz emerging from the water

Scratching at the general's face, Raza's intervention allowed Pyara to free herself, though he was soon overpowered. Before Cotton was able to kill Raza, Pyara activated the Koh-i-Noor, causing her to become possessed by a member of the First Civilization and deliver a message.^[1]

Horrified by the being that had manifested itself, Cotton drew his gun and fired upon it several times, hitting the precious jewel in the process and causing it to shatter into pieces. Reacting quickly, Arbaaz managed to save Raza's life by diving with him into a nearby pool, thus avoiding the subsequent energy blast that took place, killing all those situated around Pyara.^[1]