Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad is a male video game character who features in Assassin's Creed.

Biography

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad (Arabic: الطائر ابن لا أحد‎, meaning "The Bird, Son of None") was a male human born in 1165 where he was the son of an Arab-Muslim father named Umar Ibn-La'Ahad and his wife Maud. His mother was noted to had died due to complications in the childbirth and his father was later executed by forces of Saladin after it was revealed that he participated in a disastrous mission to assassinate the ruler. This saw Umar killing a nobleman who had caught him and he allowed himself to be executed where he came to hear the voice of his son crying for him. However, he was prevented from seeing his father's death by Ahmad Sofian, the Assassin who had revealed Umar's name to the Saracens under torture. Crushed by guilt over Umar's death, he infiltrated Altaïr's quarters some time later, apologized to Altaïr for his weakness, and committed suicide with a dagger. Altaïr ran to Al Mualim's quarters with haste, informing him of what had occurred. Al Mualim told Altaïr not to disclose anything about the incident to anyone, not even to Ahmad's son Abbas, who would be shamed by the truth of his father's death. Altaïr considered Al Mualim as more of a father figure than his own biological father, though he was aware that Al Mualim's love was 'weak and dishonest'. It was then that he agreed to do as the Mentor had commanded. Altaïr and Abbas joined the Order as novices soon after, grew up together and became good friends, always at each other's side. One day, after noticing Abbas' continued grief over his father's death, Altaïr told him the truth in an effort to console him. Upon hearing it, Abbas turned over in his bed, not saying a word. The following day, the two didn't speak to each other until Abbas asked their combat instructor Labib if they could fight with real swords, instead of the wooden practice ones. It was then that Abbas revealed his hatred of Altaïr, believing he lied about Ahmad, before attacking him in a rage. As the two grappled, Abbas held his knife to Altaïr's throat and yelled that Altaïr had lied about Abbas' father to shame him. The commotion caught the attention of the other Assassins, the villagers and Al Mualim himself. Trying to quell Abbas' anger, Altaïr falsely admitted that he had lied, and the two were taken to Masyaf's dungeon. There they spent a month in confinement before resuming their training. With his crimes deemed more severe, Abbas was forced by Al Mualim to spend an extra year in training, whilst Altaïr graduated to the rank of Assassin.

In 1189, Masyaf was attacked and overrun by Templars, aided by their double agent Haras. Riding his horse into the village and rescuing the fellow Assassin Faisal, Altaïr led the injured man to a bench before meeting with Abbas. Abbas claimed that the Assassins had to fall back and could do nothing for Al Mualim, who was detained in the fortress along with several other Assassin hostages. Altaïr, however, gave Abbas orders to flank the Templars and lead them into the canyon while Altaïr himself rescued Al Mualim. Altaïr made his way to the fortress, killing Templar soldiers and rescuing villagers along the way. Upon arriving at the fortress' gates, Altaïr was greeted by Haras. Taunting the Assassin, Haras closed the gates behind him and went to execute the captured Assassins inside the courtyard with a crossbow. Locked out, Altaïr climbed some scaffolding and reached the top of the fortress walls. From there, he ran along the battlements, jumped onto the tiled roof of a balcony, and assassinated Haras from above, saving Al Mualim. This act earned Altaïr Al Mualim's respect, and he was thereafter elevated to the rank of Master Assassin. Upon hearing this, Abbas spat at Altaïr's feet, whereas Altaïr only sneered back in his first true display of arrogance. In 1190, while returning from a journey, Altaïr discovered that a village near the citadel of Alep was under attack. He came across an Assassin guard who told him that Templars were responsible for the assault and gave Altaïr a sword with which to avenge their comrades. Fending off many Templars along the way, Altaïr came across an enemy archer who revealed the Templars' plans: they were ordered to attack the village by the Templar leader, Lord Basilisk, in order to gain valuable information possessed by a member of the Brotherhood. Altaïr dispatched the Templar and continued on, assassinating an enemy captain before meeting with Al Mualim. Altaïr was then tasked with retrieving a powerful artifact called 'the Chalice' that could bolster the power of whatever faction held it. Mission clear, he left for the city of Damascus.

In Damascus, Altaïr located a Rafiq posing as a merchant and bluntly said the Assassins' password in public. Leading Altaïr to a secluded area, the Rafiq admonished him for his indiscretion, then tasked him with taking the life of an enemy to prove himself. Once the job was complete, he would give Altaïr the information he sought. Altaïr did as he was asked and assassinated the target with his Hidden Blade. Altaïr then mentioned his search for the Chalice to the Rafiq and was directed to Tamir, a merchant whose close association with the Templars made him a suitable target for interrogation. However, because Tamir's residence was heavily guarded, the Rafiq suggested Altaïr start with a man named Misbah. Once Altaïr had left and located Misbah, he interrogated the man, but a nearby city guard noticed and intervened. As Misbah fled the scene, Altaïr took down the guards and chased him onto the roof of a building, where a plank collapsed beneath Misbah's feet and he was left hanging from a rope. Altaïr requested information in return for safety, and Misbah reluctantly accepted. After telling Altaïr about a shipment of oil barrels stored atop Tamir's home, he requested help, but Altaïr left him hanging. Altaïr made his way to Tamir's house and used some nearby torches to set the oil barrels and house on fire, flushing the merchant out. Grieving over the loss of his belongings, Tamir told Altaïr that the Chalice was located in a desert temple that could only be accessed via the use of three keys. He then told the Assassin of a dancer named Fajera who held one of three. With the information he sought acquired, Altaïr ended Tamir's life.

After he left the Bureau, Altaïr ventured to the circus where Fajera performed and confronted her. She refused to cooperate and called one of her circus friends, a brute named Badr. Altaïr fought Badr off, but Fajera fled and the tent began to cave in. Managing to escape, Altaïr chased Fajera across the city, dodging civilians and guards alike. However, the Assassin lost her trail as a bridge collapsed, leaving him behind. On spotting her again by a well, Altaïr confronted Fajera, who immediately gave him the key. When Altaïr expressed confusion at her actions, Fajera explained that she had actually been testing him, and that through her cards, she had foreseen his arrival and prepared herself to aid him. In return for her assistance, she requested Altaïr dispose of a man named Alaat, who was at a bathhouse not far away. Venturing through old sewer tunnels, Altaïr made his way into the bathhouse. Although Alaat let out a cry for help, he was too late to save himself as Altaïr plunged his blade into the man and escaped. In thanks, Fajera told Altaïr of another key holder in Tyre. Arriving in Tyre and recollecting on past events, Altaïr met up with a man named Hamid, who informed him that Roland Napule had confined the holder of the second key inside his hospital. With this information, the Assassin made his way through old passageways inside a sewer, which were heavily patrolled by Templar guards. Altaïr soon found Roland interrogating the key holder, and promptly assassinated him. However, the key holder was convinced that Altaïr himself was a Templar and asked the Assassin for proof that suggested otherwise. Altaïr believed he had none until the man asked to see his left hand. With this, the key holder knew that Altaïr was one of the Assassins, due to his missing ring finger. After giving him the key, the man bid Altaïr farewell and told him that the next key was in Jerusalem, with Lord Basilisk himself. After arriving in Jerusalem, Altaïr met up with the Rafiq Kadar, asking him where Lord Basilisk could be found. Kadar remarked that the man's fierceness and feral bravado in battle had earned him the trust of the King, meaning Basilisk was frequently idling in the King's audience. As the Assassin pondered how to get closer to his target, Kadar informed him of an upcoming party hosted by the King himself, to which some citizens would receive invitations. Kadar then told Altaïr of the City Gardens in Jerusalem, where he could eavesdrop on citizens to learn of the party's location. In the gardens, Altaïr learned that a man named Ayman had received an invitation to the party. Confronting Ayman, he drew the location of the event out the man despite his resistance. Altaïr then left for the party and travelled through a secret passage, gaining entry inside, where he encountered Basilisk. Battling with the Templar leader, Altaïr stole the key and fled.

When Altaïr returned to Jerusalem, he found the keeper being attacked by Templar agents who stole a map to the desert temple which held the Chalice. The keeper charged him with infiltrating the Templars' tower base to retrieve it. Altaïr arrived at the tower and navigated his way to its Master, an Assassin-like figure who was actually a high-ranking Templar. The Master tried to convince him to join the Templar Order, but Altaïr refused, killed the Master, and took the map to the Temple of Sand. Arriving at the temple, Altaïr searched the upper areas and made his way to the Chalice's antechamber, dispatching guards as he did so. He soon found the shrine of the Chalice, wrought in gold, at the center of a stone pillar accessible by four bridges. He made his way to the shrine before coming face-to-face with Basilisk, who explained the Chalice's true nature: she was no artifact, but a woman. As Altaïr defeated Basilisk's guards, the shrine opened, creating an exit. Jumping down, Altaïr landed in rubble and found the temple beginning to collapse around him. He fled an approaching sandstorm and avoided obstacles formed by falling debris to escape the area. Upon reaching safety, he recalled that Basilisk had mentioned business he had in the city of Tyre and, wasting no time, quickly made his way back to the city. Upon arriving in Tyre once more, Altaïr met with Hamid and told the keeper he was searching for Basilisk. Hamid said that while the Assassins once had two agents with access to the fortress, they had been kidnapped some time ago. He suggested to Altaïr that he navigate through a series of obstacles above deadly waters, which would eventually lead him to them. Altaïr made his way across the beams and platforms, avoiding the water. He soon discovered one of Hamid's missing men trapped in a cage and released him. The agent said that his brother, held captive on the other side of the fort, would be able to help him access the Templar's Hold. Navigating another complex route, Altaïr freed the second agent, who directed him to the gate that would grant him entry to the Hold. Traversing the roofs of the buildings within the fortress, Altaïr found and duelled Basilisk. Outmatched, the Templar fled, forcing Altaïr to give chase, engage and defeat him once again. In return for his life, Basilisk gave Altaïr two pieces of information: the location of the Chalice at the villa of Don Carvaggio in Jerusalem, and the revelation of a Templar plot to end the costly siege in Acre by poisoning the city's water supply. Altaïr spared Basilisk, but burnt the Templar's ships to ensure that he would not be able to leave Tyre.

Altaïr hurried to Acre and fought his way through the burning city, dodging falling debris and destroying Templar siege equipment. As he reached a Templar camp, he took on the disguise of a soldier, then a scholar to access restricted areas. Setting fires, releasing prisoners and destroying weaponry as he went, he came upon the Templar commander giving orders to his men. Beckoned to bless him and the operation, Altaïr tried to attack, but the commander saw through his disguise and dueled him. Altaïr defeated the commander and escaped the camp by launching himself over the barricades with a catapult. Upon arriving in Jerusalem and seeking out Carvaggio's villa, Altaïr found Templars escorting the Chalice through the streets and recognized her as a woman named Adha. He then tailed the group before confronting her escorts and killing them by opening a large sewer grate nearby, pelting them with debris. Adha and Altaïr navigated the sewers together, and she told him about the betrayal of Harash, Al Mualim's second-in-command. Doubtful of her claim, Altaïr said he could not accuse Harash without proof of the man's crimes, and asked Adha to flee the Holy Land with him. Claiming she could not accompany Altaïr while Harash lived, she gave the Assassin a special sword and said that once the deed was done, she would run away with him. Traveling to Alep, Altaïr stealthily infiltrated the city in search of Harash. Eliminating the guards who noticed him and stealing a disguise to sneak past others, he found Harash consorting with a Templar captain. The captain claimed that the Chalice had been discovered in Tyre, hidden on a ship, and they suspected she was waiting for Altaïr. The captain departed and Altaïr, angered by Harash's betrayal, killed him in a long duel. When Altaïr returned to Tyre, he discovered that a Templar army stood between him and Basilisk. Despite their numbers, Altaïr managed to battle his way through to the docks, and spotted Adha being escorted onto a Templar ship. Boarding a nearby vessel to reach her, Altaïr was confronted by Basilisk, who challenged him to a fight. Altaïr accepted and eventually overpowered the Templar leader, killing him. However, a ship was set ablaze and forced between Basilisk's ship and the one bearing Adha, forcing Altaïr to jump overboard. Reaching the safety of the docks, he watched the remaining ship sail away from the harbor, swearing he would find Adha and rescue her. It would be months before he found her again, and by then he was too late to save her and only recovered her body. In an emotional rage, he hunted down and killed everyone responsible for her death, though it was an empty act that brought him no joy.

Overview

Personality and traits

Altaïr was raised at the Assassin fortress at Masyaf and quickly rose through the ranks of the Order to become one of the most respected and feared Assassins in the Brotherhood, second only to its leader, Al Mualim. A cold and objective man, Altaïr fully devoted himself to whatever course he chose to pursue. He had a proud nature, and was often impetuous, demanding, arrogant, and impatient. However, after his failure at Solomon's Temple and commencing on a mission to redeem himself, Altaïr began pondering the motivations of his targets after listening to their final words.

As his mission progressed and he began to observe the connections between his victims, Altaïr's mindset gradually changed, and he started drawing more heavily on the teachings of the Order. By the time he confronted Al Mualim, he had become a calmer, wiser, and more focused man, although he still occasionally let anger get the best of him.

Intelligent and dedicated, Altaïr was passionate about the pursuit of knowledge. He understood that future eras would have no place for the traditions of Masyaf and changed their practices accordingly. His wisdom and leadership would prove instrumental in ensuring the continuation of the Assassin Order.

Powers and abilities

Altaïr was also a skilled artist, and his Codex was heavily illustrated. In it he drew blueprints for Hidden Blade modifications, manuals for assassination techniques, maps, and even a detailed sketch of his wife, Maria, bordered with hand-drawn flowers

Altaïr also possessed Eagle Vision, a 'sixth sense' or intuition that allowed him to see a person's true intentions. Due to this gift, Altaïr had heightened intuitive abilities and senses, along with his sharpened fighting skills. Altaïr's skills made him one of the most deadly and adept Assassins in the Order's history, and they were legendary even after his death.

Altaïr was a Master Assassin, capable of extraordinary acrobatic feats and versed in the application of deadly arts. Trained extensively, he was able to overcome any obstacle, human or terrain, climb the tallest towers and leap from the highest ledges without a hint of fear. Like other Assassins, he was also trained in stealth assassination techniques, hand-to-hand and weapons combat, and blade throwing. His noncombat skills included climbing, urban acrobatics, eavesdropping, interrogation, and pickpocketing. He also had extensive knowledge of Holy Land politics and religion, which helped him better understand his opponents. According to Niccolò Polo, at the age of 92 Altaïr retained the same strength, stamina, and skill he had in his youth, possibly due to renewed training when he reclaimed the title of Mentor.

Notes

• Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad was created by Ubisoft where he made his first appearance in Assassin's Creed (2007)

In other media

Video games

• In Prince of Persia, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad appeared as an unlockable outfit for the Prince in the setting of the 2008 video game.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: (2007)

External Link

• Assassin's Creed Wiki Entry
• Comicvine Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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