The Hidden Ones of Alamut, also known as the Alamut Brotherhood,[2] was the guild of Hidden Ones based at the stronghold of Alamut in Persia during the 9th century.
During the 860s, the Alamut Hidden Ones were led by the council of Mentor Rayhan, Eagle-Master Fuladh Al Haami, and Master Assassin Roshan, and were the principal opponents of the Order of the Ancients based in the Abbasid capital of Baghdad. In addition to fighting the Order's influence, their main goal was to protect an Isu temple beneath Alamut and keep the secrets it held from the Order.
A decade later, two of the Brotherhood's members, Basim Ibn Ishaq and Hytham, would be responsible for expanding the Hidden Ones' influence to England and purging the last remnants of the Order, thus bringing a temporary end to their conflict. At some point before the 11th century, the Alamut Hidden Ones were reformed as the Persian Brotherhood, whose leader, Hassan-i Sabbāh, transformed the organization into a public state as the Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins in 1090.
History[]
Establishment[]
Alamut Castle
The Hidden Ones of Alamut took their name from the castle, which began construction by the order of the Daylam ruler Wahsudan ibn Marzuban around 840.[3] After discovering that the castle had been unknowingly built atop the ruins of a small Isu temple, the Hidden Ones continued the foundations laid by Wahsudan, seeking to make the fortress their main base and protect the temple from the Order of the Ancients.[4]
Early activities[]
At some point in the early 9th century, Fuladh Al Haami was discovered by a Hidden One while hunting in the wilderness and was recruited into the Brotherhood.[5] In 824, Fuladh assembled a group of mercenaries, including the thief Roshan, whom he had rescued from a prison in Fustat, and enlisted their help to recover a case containing an artifact which was safeguarded by the Martyrs of Agaunum, a cult allied with the Order of the Ancients.[6]
However, one of the mercenaries, Francis, secretly served the Martyrs and sabotaged the group's mission, resulting in most members' deaths. Eventually, the last surviving mercenaries – Roshan, Azadeh and Dias – ambushed the Martyrs while they were meeting with an Order member in Baghdad and killed them with Fuladh's help, securing the case. Fuladh then brought the case to Alamut and recruited Roshan into the Hidden Ones.[6]
During construction of the Alamut Castle, the Hidden Ones set up a camp in the surrounding valley to serve as their base. They also formed an uneasy alliance with the Tahirids, who governed over the lands their fortress was being built on.[1] By the 860s, the Alamut Brotherhood had expanded their influence to Baghdad, establishing several bureaus, and were planning to head further west towards the Levant, as there were rumors of an Apple of Eden hidden in Jerusalem.[7]
Struggle in Baghdad[]
In 861, Roshan, by now a Master Assassin, brought a new recruit to Alamut, the young thief Basim Ibn Ishaq, who had become a fugitive in Anbar after inadvertently killing the caliph Al-Mutawakkil while attempting to steal a Memory Seal for the Hidden Ones.[8]
Basim and Nur informing the Alamut Council of the mercenaries
Following the caliph's death, the Order strengthened their control over the Abbasid Caliphate and attempted to find the Hidden Ones' camp, sending a contingent of mercenaries to Alamut. The mercenaries were dispatched by Basim and Nur, who informed the Alamut Council of the intrusion. Consequently, Mentor Rayhan decided to send Nur to Baghdad to investigate the Order's presence and gather the support of Ali ibn Muhammad, leader of the Zanj rebels.[9] However, Nur was attacked during his investigation and was forced to return to Alamut.[1]
Realizing that the Order held more power in Baghdad than they initially suspected, Rayhan dispatched a contingent of Hidden Ones led by Roshan, Fuladh, and Basim, who had just recently completed his initiation into the Brotherhood, to continue Nur's investigation.[1] In time, Basim uncovered the Order's plans in Baghdad and assassinated its members, who had infiltrated the Caliphate's highest levels of power and were exploiting it in order to excavate and rebuild ancient Isu artifacts.[10]
During a confrontation with Qabiha, the Ra's Al-Af'a of the Order, Basim was disturbed to learn that the Hidden Ones had been hiding certain things from him and was encouraged to seek out the Alamut Temple. After Qabiha was assassinated by Roshan, Basim accused his mentor of preventing him from understanding his true nature and disobeyed her when she ordered him to stay away from the temple, which was forbidden ground.[11]
Captive Hidden Ones being interrogated during the attack on Alamut
Around this time, the Alamut Brotherhood came under threat when a Tahirid force led by Kabeer Al-Jund launched a surprise attack on their camp and captured or executed many Hidden Ones.[4] This came as a result of governor Muhammad ibn Tahir making a deal with the Order to remove the Tahirids' protection of the castle grounds.[12] When Basim returned to Alamut to investigate its Isu temple, he became caught in the attack and was nearly killed by Tahirid soldiers before being saved by a mortally wounded Nur.[13]
Ultimately, the Hidden Ones were able to fend off the Tahirid attack after Basim killed Kabeer and freed the captured members of the Brotherhood. However, Roshan later chose to leave the Hidden Ones after a confrontation with Basim, who had been granted permission by Rayhan to investigate the Alamut Temple, believing the knowledge inside could give the Brotherhood an advantage in their war against the Order. Instead, Basim became aware of his nature as the reborn form of Loki and decided to seek revenge on the reincarnations of his fellow Æsir Isu.[4]
Later activities[]
In 867, Basim and his apprentice Hytham were sent to the Byzantine capital of Constantinople to foil an assassination plot by Emperor Basil I and the Order of the Ancients against the prince Leo. Allying with the Varangian guard and Eagle Clan leader Thyra, the Hidden Ones saved the prince and killed the leader of the Ancients, Isaac.[14]
By 870, Basim had become the leader of the Hidden Ones bureau in Constantinople,[15] until he eventually left for Northern Europe two years later alongside Hytham to start a new brotherhood and eliminate the last remnants of the Order.[16] In 879, Fuladh, following his promotion to Mentor of the Hidden One brotherhood in the Justanid region, was set to host a council within the newly constructed fortress of Alamut. Rayhan invited Hytham to attend the council in order to give a full account of Basim's betrayal during their time together in England.[17]
Members[]
- Tabid Al-Nubi (Rafiq)
- Fuladh Al Haami (Eagle-Master; Hidden One council)
- Hytham
- Basim Ibn Ishaq (Master)
- Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Musa
- Ahmad ibn Musa
- Al-Hasan ibn Musa
Allies and puppets[]
- Itamos (Greek Brotherhood)
- Kong
- Murjana
- Tahirids (betrayed)
- Zanj rebels
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (first mentioned) (indirect mention only)
- Assassin's Creed: The Golden City (mentioned only)
- The World of Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Journey to the North – Logs and Files of a Hidden One (indirect mention only)
- Assassin's Creed: Mirage (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Daughter of No One
- Assassin's Creed: Mirage – A Soar of Eagles
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Taking Flight
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Database: Rayhan
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Database: Alamut
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – In Pursuit of Truth
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Blood and Shadows
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Daughter of No One
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Notes from Basim's travels: "A New Home for the Hidden Ones"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – The Master Thief of Anbar
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – A New Beginning
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – The Serpent's Nest
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – Judge and Executioner
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – The Last Journey
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: The Golden City
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: The Silk Road
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla - The Prodigal Prince
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Breaking the Order
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