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Eden 2 v

Humans being controlled by an Isu with an Apple of Eden

A Piece of Eden is a type of technologically sophisticated device created by the Isu which reacts with the network of neurotransmitters engineered into human brains. With the notable exception of the Shrouds of Eden, the majority of Pieces of Eden were designed for the primary purpose of mentally and physically controlling human thoughts, emotions, and behaviour. They were therefore the main instrument by which the Isu forced the humans to serve as slave labour.

The powers of the Pieces of Eden have mystified humanity over millennia, enough for them to conflate them with "magic" throughout history. The extinction of the Isu civilization following the Great Catastrophe only reinforced this, as memories of the Isu for the humans faded into legends and myths. Since humans lack the technological expertise to reproduce these devices, they have long been the subject of innumerable conflicts between rival humans seeking them for their own ends. In particular, they are a central obsession of the Templar Order, which has devoted much of their resources for millennia searching and seizing these artifacts in their quest for world domination.

Description

Although the main classes of Pieces of Eden, such as the Apples and Staves of Eden, were utilized as tools by which humanity could be controlled, others deviated from this purpose. The Swords of Eden are primarily weapons capable of emitting energy blasts while the Shrouds of Eden are medical in nature, designed for healing even the most mortal of wounds. The diverse functions of the devices extend further: many are capable of bending the thoughts of one or more individuals to that of the user, projecting illusions or concealing the user's presence. The Precursor boxes, powered by other Pieces of Eden, can imprint the memories of its users onto others and decode examples of Isu script, like the Voynich manuscript. Other functions are more mundane relative to modern human technology, such as the projection of holograms or the Crystal Skulls which act as long distance communication devices, but these nevertheless appeared supernatural to ancient peoples.

Since the end of the Isu civilization, these devices, appearing sporadically in the hands of humans, have acquired a status as legendary relics of phenomenal properties. Greatly eclipsing the technological level of human civilization, even into modern times, the Pieces of Eden bestow tremendous power over society to those who come to possess them. Their employment has therefore had immense impacts on human history; some of the most influential leaders such as Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Mahatma Gandhi were aided by their use of a Piece of Eden.

Recognizing their significance, the Pieces of Eden have been at the forefront of the Templar Order's goals for centuries as they hope that by exploiting the artifacts, they could achieve their vision of a New World Order. The contest for the Pieces of Eden between the Templars and their archenemies, the Assassins, who traditionally seek to safeguard them, has been a hallmark of their millennia long war.

History

Isu era

Adam: "Eve, what is this device?"
Eve: "Touch, Adam, and you will know."
—Adam and Eve examining the Apple of Eden.[src]-[m]

The Pieces of Eden have a long history that punctuates the tales of humanity. During the War of Unification, the Isu Hephaistos created Swords of Eden for the conflict. His apprentice Consus created a Shroud of Eden to heal the soldiers.[1] He later put his consciousness in the artifact. The Apples of Eden were used to control humans, who were created by Phanes during the Project Anthropos to work as slaves for the Isu.[2] Humans react to the effects of the Pieces of Eden through a unique network of neurotransmitters implanted in the brain.[3]

The Isu Juno and her husband Aita used Atlantis artifacts on humans creating hybrids monster for the Olympos Project. When Poseidon learned this, he banished them from Atlantis, but they continued their experiments in secret.[2]

Eden 3 v

Eve holding an Apple of Eden

However, interbreeding between humans and members of the Isu led to the creation of a hybrid race, which was immune to the hypnotic effects of the Pieces of Eden. In 75,010 BCE, two of these hybrids, Adam and Eve, stole one of the Apples from their masters and escaped from captivity in Eden. Soon after, war broke out, pitting humanity against their creators.[3]

While the rest of the Isu were preoccupied with battling the humans, Jupiter, Juno and Minerva were tasked with finding a way to guard against the threat of an impending solar flare. They relocated to the Grand Temple in what is now Turin, New York[4], a facility which could only be entered using an Apple of Eden. Opening the Temple's inner gate required another Piece of Eden, namely the Grand Temple Key.[5]

By that time, the Isu were already able to generate small magnetic fields through the Shards of Eden, which were worn as rings. Using similar technology, they hoped to create a large magnetic field to protect the Earth from the sun's flare. However, they lacked the resources to do so, and though they attempted to create fields to protect small portions of the Earth, they were ultimately unsuccessful.[5]

AC3 Juno Enthrallment Solution

A projection of Jupiter controlling humans with an Apple of Eden

The Isu soon discovered that when enough humans sat in thrall of the Pieces of Eden and were forced to believe, their thoughts became reality. Jupiter, Juno and Minerva considered the possibility that they could use an agglomeration of focused human imagination to save the planet. This attempt was also deemed unsuccessful.[5]

As their third option, they sent an Apple of Eden into the orbit, and when it was placed, uttered the words "make us safe". When their first attempt failed, they resolved to send a dozen more after. This act was also met with failure as there was no way to direct the beams of energy emitted by the Pieces down to the Earth.[5]

Only ten years after the human rebellion began, the solar flare destroyed most of the Earth's surface and population, leaving roughly ten thousand humans alive and far fewer of the Isu.[4] The remaining members of the Isu came to be revered as gods by the humans; knowing that extinction awaited them, they began to aid the humans and guide their culture in turn, attempting to help them in the case another disaster struck.[6]

Greek mythology

Jason

Jason retrieiving a Shroud of Eden

Many mythological legends and events have been linked to the Pieces of Eden. In Greece, the hero Perseus used a Sword of Eden against a Writhing Dread, a creation of the Project Olympos who is known in myths as the gorgon Medusa.[7] One of the twelve labours of Herakles involved the retrieval of Apples of Eden, and the central focus of Jason's quest with the Argonauts was the recovery of a Shroud of Eden called the Golden Fleece.[8] Some of these heroes fought the hybrids of the Project Olympos, as the Minotaur was slain by the king Theseus, the Cyclops was blinded by Odysseus, and the Sphinx was outsmarted by Oedipous.[7] An Apple of Eden was also the cause of the Trojan War.[9]

Biblical mythology

In the Hebrew Bible, many figures realized miracles with Pieces of Eden. Joseph, son of Jacob, was in possession of a Shroud of Eden. The prophet Moses used a Staff of Eden to create an illusion that he parted and closed the Red Sea. The King David used a Shroud of Eden during his fight with Goliath.[8]

Ancient Egypt

A long time ago, the Isu known as Isis used the Ankh of Eden to resurrect her husband Osiris and shared an intimate moment with him before he died a second time.[10]

ACO CotP Nefertiti Aten

Queen Nefertiti holding an Apple of Eden

During the 14th century BCE, the Pharaoh Amenhotep IV acquired an Apple of Eden. Believing it was the god Aten itself, he took the name Akhenaten and, with his wife Nefertiti, introduced a new monotheistic religion to Egypt.[11] When he died, his son Smenkhkare created the Order of the Ancients with the aim of identifying and exploiting the Pieces of Eden.[12] After his death, his brother Tutankhamun restored the traditional polytheistic religious system in Egypt and gave the Apple to the High Priests of Amun in Karnak.[11]

At the end of the 8th century BCE, the Pharaoh of Egypt Shabataka possessed a Staff of Eden.[8]

Classical Greece

Hermes Trismegistus

Hermes and his staff

During the 6th century BCE, the Greek scholar Pythagoras was contacted by the Isu Hermes Trismegistus who gave him his Staff, granting him immortality. One of his disciples, Kyros of Zarax met the Isu Aphrodite and received an Apple of Eden that he used to win a race against Atalanta and marry her.[13]

Later, Pythagoras found the Cult of Hermes, a group dedicated to the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus. A faction of Hermeticists led by Agamemnon broke away to form the Cult of Kosmos. Under the Sanctuary of Delphi, they uncovered a pyramidal Piece of Eden which could share memories and visions of the future. With its power, the Cult forced the Pythia to serve as their puppet and sow discord across Greece for their own interests.[7]

During the invasion of Greece by King Xerxes I of Persia, King Leonidas I of Sparta, led the Spartans into war against the Persians with an Isu spear in his hand. When he made his last stand at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BCE, the shaft of the spear was broken, but the spearhead was recovered and given to his daughter Myrrine who in turn passed it onto to her daughter, Kassandra. Kassandra which grow up to become a legendary misthios at the height of the Peloponnesian War, using the Spear of Leonidas in all her military escapades. Conversely, the Sword of Damokles, a Sword of Eden, found its way into the hands of her half-brother Alexios who was abducted by the Cult of Kosmos, renamed Deimos, and indoctrinated into becoming their most powerful warrior.[7]

With the Spear, Kassandra fought and destroyed the Cult of Kosmos, defeated Alexios, and destroyed the Pyramid. She also recovered the Atlantis artifacts by killing the hybrids of Olympos Project and sealed the Atlantis with it. After that, the Isu Aletheia sent a message to her father Pythagoras asking him to give her the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus. Kassandra became immortal and learned how to use the Staff through Aletheia's simulations. When the power of the spear faded away, Kassandra gave it to her friend Herodotos who was buried with it.[7]

Hellenistic Age

Conquests of Alexander the Great

During the 4th century BCE, the Order of the Ancients entrusted to the King Alexander the Great the Trident of Eden, a Staff of Eden combined with three prongs which had different powers: Faith, Fear and Devotion. With the Trident, Alexander conquered Egypt and Persia.[14] After his assassination by Iltani, Alexander was buried in his tomb at Alexandria with the staff while the prongs were shared between his generals.[12] Ptolemy I Soter received the Faith prong while Seleucus I Nicator received the Fear prong, and the Macedonian people received the Devotion prong.[14] Two Memory Seals were also hidden under the Library of Alexandria at the time of Alexander.[15]

Twilight of Ptolemaic Egypt

By 49 BCE, the Order of the Ancients had acquired an Apple of Eden. A group led by the proconsul of Cyrenaica, Flavius Metellus, went to the remote Egyptian village Siwa and kidnapped the Medjay Bayek and his son Khemu to force him to open a Isu vault under the Temple of Amun. They had hoped that the mysteries within the vault would grant them with more power or access to other Pieces of Eden. As the Medjay resisted, Flavius Metelluskilled his son before leaving Bayek for dead. After that, the Oracle of Amun and Ancient Medunamun kept the artifact and tyrannized the village of Siwa. A year later, Bayek returned and beat to death Meduamun with the Apple. He subsequently journeyed to Alexandria, where he passed the Apple to his wife Aya who in turn entrusted the artifact to Apollodorus, a loyal follower of the Pharaoh Cleopatra.[12]

Origins Quest22TheFinalWeighing Part17

Flavius using the Staff to open the Siwa Vault

During the Alexandrine Civil War, the Ancients recovered the Staff of Alexander the Great and convinced Julius Caesar and Cleopatra to ally with them, lending the Staff to Cleopatra for a time after the end of the civil war. The Order seized back the Staff and murdered Apollodorus to recover the Apple. Returning to Siwa, Flavius Metellus opened the vault by combining the Apple and the Staff. Within the vault, he discovered a holographic map revealing the locations of other Pieces of Eden. This map was downloaded by the Apple. After that, the Ancient Lucius Septimius took the Staff to Rome where he gave it to the Order while Flavius Metellus kept the Apple and used its power to mentally enslave the people of Cyrenaica. When he was confronted by Bayek at the Temple of Mars, he again relied on the device to try to defeat the Medjay, but it was all for naught as his nemesis managed to slay him anyways. Later, the Medjay hid the Apple under the Library of Alexandria.[12]

In the meantime, Septimius himself had in his possession the Flails of Eden. Adopting these as his signature weapon, he wielded them in personal combat against Aya at the Theatre of Pompey, but like Flavius Metellus before him, his advantage proved inadequate, and he was killed by Aya. Not long afterwards, Aya and Bayek founded the Hidden Ones to counter the Order of the Ancients, and she rallied a group of Roman senators to assassinate Julius Caesar.[12] When these senators, chief among them Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus, perished in the ensuing war against Caesar's adopted son Octavian, the Hidden Ones desperately tried to resurrect Brutus with the original Shroud of Eden. They were devastated to find that at most, they could only reanimate him for a brief moment.[16]

Curse of the Pharaoh

ACO Isidora Apple

Isidora using the Apple

In 38 BCE, the God's Wife of Amun Isidora used the Akhenaten's Apple of Eden against the tomb robbers of the Valley of the Kings to avenge her mother's death. The power of the Apple created illusions of undead pharaohs who attacked the citizens of Thebes, causing them to believe that there was a curse.[11] Bayek, having heard rumors of golden light on the road to Thebes, reached the Seth-Anat Tomb and fought undead soldiers. In the tomb, he met a man who tasked him to recover a stone which was in the tomb. After returning the stone, the man disappeared and Bayek was defeated by undead soldiers. When he woke up, a woman explained that he was found in the desert. As he tried to tell his story, the woman thought he had only been hallucinating. Bayek decided to investigate the city.[17]

Bayek received a letter from Aya who explained to him that a Piece of Eden was hidden in Thebes. Just when he arrived, he was attacked by a vision of Nefertiti. While investigating the city to find the Piece of Eden, Bayek met Isidora, who hid the truth and told him that he must fight the curse by appeasing the pharaohs in the afterlife, that is the Aaru and the Aten. When Bayek uncovered the truth, he killed Isidora and tasked to the robber Sutekh to hide the Apple. Later, Bayek found the corpse of Sutekh, not knowing if he accomplished his mission.[11]

Beginning of Christianity

During the 1st century CE, a man known as Jesus Christ came to possess a Shroud of Eden in RomanJudea and became a prophet. He was baptized by John the Baptist, a man who in turn had a Staff of Eden. As the Order of the Ancients wanted the Shroud, they crucified Jesus to recover the artifact but his disciples recovered his body and used the Shroud on him in the hopes of reviving him. Three days later, his corpse disappeared.[8]

One of Jesus' disciples, Saint Peter possessed a Staff of Eden and became the leader of the Christian community in Rome. Later, the Staff was passed to every leader of the community, who in time came to be known as the pope, the highest authority in Christendom.[8]

During the Roman Empire, the Caesars recovered the Faith and Devotion prongs. They were later given to the popes.[14]

During the 3rd century CE, the bishop of Paris Denis seemed to have in his possession an Apple of Eden which was encased in a lantern.[18]

Germanic & Hunnic invasions

During the 1st century CE, the Ankh of Eden was found by Roman looters in a pyramid before being sold to an Egyptian slave trader. The Roman Hidden Ones Lugos acquired the artifact and also the Scepter of Aset. During his journey on the Mediterranean Sea, Lugos' ship sank. Before he died the Hidden Ones recorded a message with the Ankh to detail the location of the Scepter.[19]

By 259 CE, the Alemanni Hidden Ones Accipiter was in possession of the Ankh. He gave the artifact to his cousin Aquilus who was also a Hidden Ones from Lugdunum. Aquilus entrusted the Ankh to his father Lucius but he was killed by the senator and member of the Order of the Ancients Caïus Fulvus Vultur, who took the Ankh with him to Rome. [10]

Later, Aquilus killed Vultur and took back the Ankh. When he tried to use it, a hologram of his father appeared but it was stopped when Aquilus and his wife Valeria were arrested by Roman soldiers. Aquilus was executed but Valeria was saved by Accipiter who tasked her to hide the Ankh.[19]

During the 5th century CE, Attila the Hun came to possess a Sword of Eden which permitted him to conquer the most part of Europe. A century later, the proto-Templar Arthur also possessed a Sword of Eden known as Excalibur which he used to fight the Saxon invaders.[8]

Scandinavia

ACII-Idun and the Apples

Idun and the Apples of Eden

In Norse mythology, the goddess Idun was the keeper of apples which gave eternal youth. In reality, these were Apples of Eden. The god Odin plunged a Sword of Eden into the tree Barnstokkr which was pulled out by the warrior Sigmund.[8]

During the 10th century, the emperor Otto I was in possession of the Devotion prong. In 965, he passed the artifact to the bishop Poppa who evangelized Denmark and baptized the Templar and King of Denmark Harald Bluetooth. For two decades, Harald kept the prong, using its power to subtly turn foes into allies. Until 984, when Harald was forced into an alliance by his brother-in-law, Styrbjörn the Strong, who was immune to the power of the prong. During their war campaign against Styrbjorn's uncle, Eric the Victorious, the Prince took Harald's prized prong as a guarantee to prevent the Danish King from betraying him. Harald nevertheless decided to flee, and Styrbjorn kept the artifact, unaware of its true power. Styrbjörn later offered, what he believed to be a Christian relic, to the gods during his wedding to Thyra Haraldsdottir.[20]

Sent by Eric to assassinate the Prince, the Assassin Thorvald Hjaltason witnessed the wedding and took the "Aesir blade" from the shrine after their departure. After the Battle of Fyrisvellir during which Styrbjörn was defeated, Thorvald then entrusted the farmer and soldier Östen Jorundsson with hiding the prong where no one could find it. Östen buried the artifact on his lands where it remained for almost a thousand years.[20]

High Middle Ages

"What of these artifacts? Messages in a bottle? Tools left behind to aid and guide us? Or do we fight for control over their refuse, giving divine purpose and meaning to little more than discarded toys?"
―Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's Codex, page 5.[src]

During the 12th century, the Knights Templar participated in the Crusades, aiming for the conquest of the Holy Land. By the time of the Third Crusade, they were led by Grand Master Robert de Sable and had focused their efforts on obtaining a particular Piece of Eden: the Apple of Eden of Bayek which was hidden in the ruins of Solomon's Temple beneath the city of Jerusalem.[9]

Almualim-poe-study

Al Mualim showing an Apple of Eden to Altaïr

Seeking the Apple to aid them in their mission and ensure their rule, the Templars used the cover of the Third Crusade to infiltrate the temple. However, one of their own betrayed them; Al Mualim, the leader of the Assassin Order who had secretly been allied to them, had sent his best agents to procure the device. Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, Malik Al-Sayf, and Kadar Al-Sayf intercepted the Templars, and the two parties engaged one another. While the Templars were able to eject Altaïr from the battle and kill Kadar, Malik successfully captured the Apple and spirited it back to the Assassin fortress in Masyaf.[9]

Over the following year, the Assassins and Templars fought one another for control of the artifact until the conflict was ended with the deaths of both Robert and Al Mualim at the hands of Altaïr. Originally intending to destroy the Apple, Altaïr found himself unable to do so, and instead decided to seal the Apple in the Limassol Archives. Circumstances worked against this plan however, and he decided to keep the Apple for himself, not just to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands but also as a vital object of research.[21]

Over the course of his life, Altaïr gazed into the Apple frequently, basing new weaponry and assassination techniques on information gleaned from it. He recorded some of what he learned from the Apple in his Codex, which he would later entrust to Niccolò and Maffeo Polo. In addition to knowledge useful for the Order's purposes, Altaïr witnessed visions of the past and future within the Apple, some of which greatly disturbed him.[3] At the end of his life, he secured the Apple within a wall of the Masyaf library, which could only be accessed by an individual bearing all of his recorded Memory Seals.[4]

Around 1250, Altair's son, Darim Ibn-La'Ahad, gave an Apple of Eden to the Mamluks and in 1257 the Scepter of Aset was entrusted by an Egyptian Assassin to the Mamluks. In 1341, the Templars tried to recover the scepter while the Assassin Numa Al'Khamsin impeded their efforts. His disciple Ali Al-Ghraib hid the scepter in a well where it stayed for centuries.[22]

At the beginning of the 14th century, the Grand Master Templar and Sage Jacques de Molay was in possession of the Sword of Eden 1 and the Heart. During the Persecution of the Templars in 1307, the two artifacts were hidden, and a century later, Jeanne d'Arc used them during the Hundred Years' War. After the arrest of Jeanne, the Templars recovered the Sword while the Heart was thrown in the Seine.[23]

During the 14th century, the Templar Geoffroy de Charny possessed the Shroud of Eden 1 and in 1356 the Italian Brotherhood of Assassins stole the Piece of Eden before hiding it under the Villa Auditore in Monteriggioni.[24]

Ming dynasty

At the beginning of the 15th century, the Chinese Assassin Li Tong was the keeper of an Apple of Eden against the Yongle Emperor.[25]

Ottoman Empire

By 1454, an Apple of Eden had fallen into the hands of Sultan Mehmet II of the Ottoman Empire. Using its powers, Mehmet was able to conquer Constantinople and subdue the Byzantine Empire, taking Constantinople as his new capital.[26] Mehmet II died in 1481 and he was succeeded by his oldest son, Bayezid II. Bayezid's brother Cem, a secret Templar, discreetly took his father's Apple of Eden for himself, hoping to use it to further the Templars' goals. However, to his dissatisfaction, the Apple refused to communicate with him despite his attempts to use it.[26]

Cem eventually decided to leave the Apple for European Templars to retrieve later. While on his way to meet the Knights Hospitalier on Rhodes, Cem made a stop in Cyprus and hid the Apple in the Templar Archive in Limassol, where the western Templars could find it.[26]

Modern times

By 2012, Templar front group Abstergo Industries was in the midst of a project to recover the remaining Pieces of Eden. The Animus Project was set up with the sole intention of locating the Pieces of Eden through the use of the Animus, a device based on Isu technology which allowed an individual to relive the genetic memories of their ancestors.[9]

The Templars sought to manipulate the neurotransmitters that made humanity susceptible to the Pieces' hypnotic effects. To accomplish this goal, they devised the Eye-Abstergo project, which would end in the launch of an "all-in-one telecommunication" satellite into orbit around Earth. However, unbeknownst to the rest of humanity, the satellite would contain an Apple of Eden, and spread its power across the globe.[9]

Retrieval 18

Desmond killing Lucy

On 10 October 2012, an Assassin team of Lucy Stillman, Desmond Miles, Shaun Hastings, and Rebecca Crane located the Apple of Eden hidden by Ezio Auditore beneath the Santa Maria Aracoeli in 1506, discovered by Desmond as he relived Ezio's memories in the Animus. When Desmond touched the Apple, Juno gained access to his nervous system for a brief time. Under Juno's control, Desmond killed Lucy,[27] who was secretly a Templar agent.[28]

Upon release from Juno's control, Desmond fell into a coma, but was able to regain consciousness through achieving a Synch Nexus.[4] Desmond, his father William, Shaun and Rebecca later arrived at the entrance of the Grand Temple in New York, where Desmond used the Apple to open the central chamber gate. It was only then that the Assassins discovered the Grand Temple Key was needed to open the inner gate.[5]

AC3 Abstergo Suicide Squad

Desmond using the Apple in Abstergo

After William was captured by Templar agents in Cairo while looking for a power source for the Grand Temple, he was brought to Abstergo's Rome facility. Warren Vidic, a member of the Inner Sanctum of the Templar Order and head of the Animus Project, proposed a deal with Desmond to exchange William for the Apple. Desmond travelled to Rome and entered the facility, killing the Abstergo agents and Daniel Cross. Arriving at Vidic's office, Desmond used the Apple to force the facility's guards to shoot Vidic and themselves, then released his father from confinement. Due to Vidic's death and failure to retrieve the Apple of Eden, the Eye-Abstergo project was put on hold indefinitely.[5]

Characteristics and attributes

"This... piece of silver cast out Adam and Eve. It turned staves into snakes. Parted and closed the Red Sea. Eris used it to start the Trojan War; and with it, a poor carpenter turned water into wine."
―Al Mualim, speaking to Altaïr about the Apple.[src]-[m]
Phrenology

Bombastus observing a Crystal Skull

Amongst the greatest tools known to man, the Apples of Eden can control the human mind by interacting with a neurotransmitter located deep in the human brain. Other Pieces of Eden are capable of warping reality, creating illusions, ensuring total obedience and healing physical injuries.[3][29] Both Templars and the Assassins believe that the Pieces of Eden were responsible for many historical tales and miracles, such as the Parting of the Red Sea, the Trojan War, the miracles enacted by Jesus Christ, and the Biblical plagues that ravaged Egypt.[9] According to Dr. Álvaro Gramática, all Pieces of Eden are made of an unknown metal resembling gold or silver that Abstergo dubbed 'Pathorica'. [citation needed]

Abilities of the Pieces

Some Pieces of Eden were known to interact with and change the passage of time, possibly creating paradoxes. Others were able to "speak" to those who wielded them, as was the case with Ezio Auditore, Perotto Calderon and Giovanni Borgia, who spoke with Ezio's Apple and the Shroud.[29][30]

When activated, Apples of Eden are capable of extending a pulse of energy that can drive those in the surrounding area to insanity and death. Doing so has a detrimental effect on the physical health of the wielder if they are unskilled in the Apples' use, but a capable user is not as easily afflicted.[27] Altaïr, for example, was able to use Apple #2 for a limited duration without adverse affects at age 92.[4] Using the Pieces' powers in short bursts can also minimize the negative effects dealt by the artifacts, though to what extent is unknown.[3]

Destruction of a Piece

Following the destruction of Apple of Eden #2 during an experiment at the Denver International Airport, the Templars found themselves in need of another artifact with similar properties. Seeking access to a map that indicated the location of all Pieces of Eden, Abstergo kidnapped Desmond Miles in order to view the memories of his ancestor, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad. This would allow them to see the very same map that Altaïr discovered in 1191.[9]

Tungaska Explod v

The Tunguska explosion

Each of the Pieces of Eden contained a great deal of potential energy, and the destruction of one could cause an explosion on the scale of a nuclear blast. One such explosion occurred in 1908, in the region of Tunguska, Russia. The Imperial Sceptre, one of the Staves of Eden, was seemingly destroyed when Nikola Tesla fired at the Tunguska facility with his wireless electric weapon, attempting to strike a blow against the Templars.[3][9][31]

However, the blast failed to totally destroy the Staff, and at least one shard remained.[32] The Staff shard still possessed powers of mind control, as demonstrated by Grigori Rasputin. While he was in possession of the shard, he brainwashed Alexandra Feodorovna, the wife of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, as well as several disciples like Khioniya Guseva.[29]

Resistance

"I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING. I KNOW WHAT YOU DID. I SAW HIM. HE HAD A METAL BALL. IT OPENED. THEY WENT CRAZY. SHOOTING. STABBING. TORE EACH OTHER TO PIECES. I KNOW IT WAS YOU PEOPLE. SAW THE LOGO. HEARD THE NAME. I'M GOING TO TELL. ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN. YOU'LL BE EXPOSED. THEY'LL KNOW THE TRUTH. AND THEN YOU WILL PAY. YOU CRAZY BASTARDS. YOU'LL PAY."
―An unidentified individual's e-mail to Dr. Warren Vidic.[src]
Mentor's wake 13

Altaïr deactivating an Apple

Although the Isu created humanity to be susceptible to the Pieces of Eden, eventual cross-breeding between them and their slaves led to the birth of a hybrid species. These new humans possessed some of the natural abilities of their creators and were free of the neurotransmitter necessary for the Pieces of Eden to control them.[3]

The first two known hybrids were Adam and Eve, who later stole one of the Apples of Eden and instigated the Human-Isu War.[3] Members of their lineage inherited these natural abilities and immunity to the Pieces, although the Pieces' ability to physically manipulate them remained.[9] These traits were passed down through generations to the likes of Altaïr, Ezio and Desmond.[3]

By the early 21st century, the Templars were aware that some humans were immune to the Pieces' mind control. On at least one occasion, Dr. Warren Vidic received an email from an individual unaffected by the Apple's power, who threatened to expose what they had seen when an Apple was used on others.[9]

Confirmed Pieces of Eden

White2

Niccolò di Pitigliano using the Shroud

After seeing the Apple's projection indicating the location of all Pieces of Eden as of 1191, Altaïr copied the map and hid it within his Codex so that only his descendants might find it.[9]

Apples of Eden are all capable of controlling the hearts and minds of humanity, creating illusions and, to a degree, permitting control over physical bodies.[9] The Apples can be used in conjunction with a Staff, which increases the power of both the Pieces of Eden. Other Pieces include the Shroud, which heals the wounds of those it touches on a cellular level; the Ankh, capable of resurrecting the dead; and the Sword, a Piece which can project energy blasts and enhance the charisma of its welders. It was possessed by many great rulers through the centuries, including King Arthur, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun.[3] A Sword was also in possession of the Knights Templar by 1307, and was subsequently entombed beneath the Temple in Paris. Centuries later, it was recovered by the Grand Master and Sage François-Thomas Germain.[33]

File:Connor CryB 1.png

Ratonhnhaké:ton using a Crystal Ball and wearing the Grand Temple Key

The Crystal Skulls were Pieces scattered throughout Central and Southern America which allowed for unassisted telepathic communication between their owners. At one point, a Crystal Skull came into the possession of Giovanni Borgia, who made use of its power in 1542.[29] Similar artifacts known as Crystal Balls allowed users to access the Nexus and communicate with members of the Isu.[29][5] One of the Crystal Balls was notably used by the Assassin Ratonhnhaké:ton to communicate with Juno.[5] In addition, the Assassin Aveline de Grandpré discovered a Prophecy Disk in the Isu Temple of Chichen Itza, which showed her the election of Eve as the leader of humanity's rebellion against the Isu.[34]

In North America, William Kidd discovered a Ring of Eden, which creates a magnetic shield around the user and repels all metallic objects, creating the myth of his "invincibility". There was also the Grand Temple Key which, when combined with three ancient power sources, allowed the holder to open the gate to the inner chambers of the Grand Temple.[5]

ACII Codex Eagle V

The Codex Map of the Pieces

During the Golden Age of Piracy, an unidentified Piece of Eden in possession of the Templars was stolen by the Assassin Samuel Bellamy, with the help of fellow pirates Olivier Levasseur and Alonzo Batilla. Later, during a confrontation with Templar Christopher Condent, Batilla used the artifact, which increased his ship attacks and defenses, imbuing it with a golden aura, and allowing him to easily sink Condent's significantly more powerful vessel. [35]

According to emails read by Desmond Miles in 2012, at least one Piece of Eden existed that granted the ability to manipulate time. Concerns over possible paradoxes, however, led to Abstergo Industries locking it away.[9] Warren Vidic had a prototype Piece of Eden of his own design, which he used to brainwash Daniel Cross with an impulse to become a high ranking Assassin, so as to get close enough to kill their Mentor. Sebastian Monroe's team discovered the existence of the powerful Trident of Eden, which could manipulate the emotions of individuals -- fear, devotion and faith. [citation needed]

Trivia

Apple of Eden

One of the Apples of Eden

  • According to the Glyphs and Truth files, many legends and myths throughout human history are actually historically accurate. The supernatural or paranormal parts of each legend can be explained by the protagonist in each having acquired their own Piece of Eden (i.e. the Greek myth of Perseus, King Arthur, etc).
  • During his battle with Rodrigo Borgia in the Sistine Chapel, Ezio created copies of himself, much like Al Mualim did against Altaïr. If Ezio's robes are customized, or if the Armor of Altaïr is worn, his copies appeared with different sets of armor and colors. If he was not customized, each copy would be perfectly identical to the real Ezio, besides his weapon.
  • Both the Codex map and the map projection show that there were only fifty Pieces of Eden at that time, though Subject 16 said the Shroud was Piece of Eden 66.
    • In the French and German version of Assassin's Creed II, the Shroud was referred to as number 36, not 66. This however, was an oversight.
  • The Chalice was initially thought to be a Piece of Eden; however, besides the Shroud, all other artifacts linked to the Christ-figure were confirmed to be merely literary tools.[9]

References

  1. Assassin's Creed: Syndicate
  2. 2.0 2.1 Assassin's Creed: OdysseyThe Fate of Atlantis: Judgment of Atlantis
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 Assassin's Creed II
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Assassin's Creed: Revelations
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Assassin's Creed III
  6. Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 AC2Glyphs
  9. 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 Assassin's Creed
  10. 10.0 10.1 Assassin's Creed 2: Aquilus
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Assassin's Creed: OriginsThe Curse of the Pharaohs
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Assassin's Creed: Origins
  13. Assassin's Creed: Project LegacyDivine Science: Chapter 2 – Kyros of Zarax
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants
  15. AC: RVMediterranean Defense
  16. AC: PLHolidays: Chapter 1 – Ghosts of Christmas Past
  17. ACOLights Among the Dunes
  18. Assassin's Creed: UnityDead Kings
  19. 19.0 19.1 Assassin's Creed 3: Accipiter
  20. 20.0 20.1 Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Fate of the Gods
  21. Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines
  22. Assassin's Creed 6: Leila
  23. Assassin's Creed: Heresy
  24. Assassin's Creed: Project LegacyHolidays: Chapter 1 – Ghosts of Christmas Past
  25. Assassin's Creed: Revelations – Discover Your Legacy
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 Assassin's Creed: Recollection
  27. 27.0 27.1 Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
  28. Assassin's Creed: Revelations - The Lost Archive
  29. 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy
  30. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel
  31. Assassin's Creed: The Fall - Issue #2
  32. Assassin's Creed: The Fall - Issue #3
  33. Assassin's Creed: Unity
  34. Assassin's Creed III: Liberation
  35. Assassin's Creed: Pirates

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