Jehan Sorhaindo

Jehan Sorhaindo was the Lieutenant-General of the Bayonne militia. In 1609, he was assigned to Pierre de Lancre's protection by one of his relatives, the mayor's first advisor. Jehan was, essentially, a spy for his family in the witch-hunt court.

Biography

The Sorhaindo clan was most powerful family in Bayonne, with ties to many spheres of power, from the prestige of the mayor's office to the underworlds of extortion and espionage. Jehan eventually became the head of the Bayonne militia and, with his family learning that King Henry IV was establishing a witch-hunt, he was assigned to the entourage of head inquisitor Pierre de Lancre. He would keep his family informed of everything that he learned while part of the tribunal, though, since he paid little attention to the security of the transmitted information, the Assassin Nicodemus always managed to intercept the messages before it reached the Sorhaindo family elders.

One night, François Ascair overheard a couple speaking of a healer who could be a witch, Catherine. He had the couple inform the inquisitor and Jehan was later tasked with retrieving her. In the attack to the woman's home, he also managed to capture one of her daughters, Ermeline, but let the other one, Margaux, escape, telling de Lancre only the two had been at the house. With the pair imprisoned, Jehan lead them to the interrogation chamber, being dismissed by the judge before the questioning began. Instead of leaving, however, he stood guard outside the room, though de Lancre knew Sorhaindo had been pressing his ears against the door to listen in.

When de Lancre demanded Catherine's execution, Jehan went to the dungeon she was being kept in to let her and Ermeline know. Though he greatly disapproved of the state of affairs, he was powerless to do anything to change it, as de Lancre's powers as royal judge were absolute.

As part of a Templar plot to wipe out the Assassins in Bayonne, de Lancre had let slip to Jehan that he was losing control of the docks and some were questioning his leadership, as a way to force the lieutenant to change the routes of his men to focus on the port. In late September, the judge sent Sorhaindo to capture an alleged sorcerer in Queyran, even though he had no jurisdiction there. Though Jehan did not know, he was being used by the Templar against the Assassin Nicodemus.

Afterwards, with the travelling court already at Saint-Jean-de-Luz, de Lancre desired to make a show of force and have a procession for an execution. At this point, the relations between Jehan and the judge were almost completely strained, with Jehan's warnings that the people's patience were diminishing with every execution meeting deaf ears. During the procession, a riot erupted, led by a group of sailors recently arrived from Newfoundland. In the chaos that followed, Jehan ignored de Lancre's direct orders to escort him to the Castle of Saint-Pée, telling him that even if he wanted to obey the orders, he would not take the risk of battling the numerous riots over town so that the judge could reach his "precious castle".

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Fragments – The Witches of the Moors