information. revamped: 2011-2012.
Feb. 1st, 2012 02:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
foolnornovicePlayer Information
Name: Angel
Age: 17+
Personal LJ: not available.
Contact: PM or comment on HMD
Timezone Pacific coast, PST.
Character Information
Canon: Assassin's Creed series
Add. Info Site: click.
Canon Point: Before the battle for Masyaf.
Year: 1190s AD.
Journal Name:foolnornovice
Full Name: Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
Age: Late 20s
Gender: Male
Items On Hand: Short blade, longsword, throwing knives (15), hidden blade.
Physical Appearance: front | side | back | movement
Skills: Well-versed in Arabic, English, the works of politics. Also capable of reading maps, horseback riding, and stealth movement / killing. Experienced in climbing structures that the average person does not--conditioned for endurance and strength. Adept with close quarter combat, both armed and unarmed. In possession of a skill called 'eagle vision' by his fellow brethren; it allows him to interpret emotions and intentions of others, whether they are for corrupt reasons or not. It also permits him to seek out his target, whether it be a person to kill or gain information from; someone helpful.
Character History: Born to parents of different beliefs, Umar and a woman unknown, Altaïr grew up in Masyaf, Syria, which also served as the base of operations for the Assassin Order during the high middle ages. His mother died at childbirth and his father was executed when he was barely eleven as part of negotiations that resolved the Siege of Masyaf, an attack committed by Saladin and his Saracen army. The man who had given Umar's identity came to Altaïr one night after the siege, admitted his fault in doing so, and then murdered himself in front of him. As a result, Altaïr left his chambers to seek guidance from the master of the order, Al Mualim.
He was told not to say a word of what happened to anyone, especially the man's son, Abbas. Soon after, Altaïr would be raised and trained towards becoming an assassin under Al Mualim's tutelage. Despite the command, his knowledge of how Abbas' father died would be brought up and due to it, would cause a rift and inspire a long lasting hatred of him from Abbas. During this time he made allies with others in the order, learned of some more notable comrades such as Rauf and Al-Sayf brothers, Malik and Kadar.
As he grew, Altaïr regarded Al Mualim as a more prominent father figure in his life than Umar had been, even if he recognized the affect as 'weak and a lie'. It may have been because he was brought up under the hand of the leader specifically, or because Umar had died at an early point of his life. It may been because as an assassin, his father did not want to raise weakness in his son in the form of kindness, a familial bond--it might have interfered with his training, his skills and Altaïr recognized that. Whatever reason there was, it was Altaïr's own.
Rising through the ranks quickly, Altaïr learned quick and picked up on skills that others seemed to struggle with. Despite that, he kept a level head and drew closer to the coveted title of 'master'. Once he was finally bestowed the title, something changed within him. He sneered openly at a comrade because of his accomplishment. It was a motion that was not filled with merely pride, but arrogance. This would begin the turning of his back on what he believed in. The after-effects were large.
Rumors of an artifact known as the chalice emerged. It was claimed that whoever had the chalice could unite the lands thus giving victory over all, and allowing them to rule the land. The danger was recognized, and Altaïr was sent out to recover it. During this journey however, he encountered that feeling of love, adoration, found it in Adha, a woman whom he had met years before. Fate was not kind. Anything was permitted and Adha was revealed to be the artifact. The Templars were quicker than he was; they stole her and he was neither able to complete the quest he'd been given nor quell the tightening of his chest. With that, he made the choice to distance himself further, and so another part of the assassin had been shut off to the world. Even with this, Altaïr would never stop looking for her on his own time.
Time passed.
The task was the same again: retrieve an item before the Templars were able to. Altaïr was given the assignment and sent alongside the Al-Sayf siblings. They traveled to Solomon's Temple, where the artifact was rumored to be, with hopes of arriving before their enemies.
One of Altaïr's first mistakes on this mission was taking the life of an innocent at the entrance of the temple. This broke one of the tenants, as Malik took care to point out to him, already infuriated with the other. The second strike happened when he tried for the head of Robert de Sable, leader of the Templars, even when it meant turning away from his task. Another tenant was broken, as he refused stealth and made himself known. No match for the leader, Altaïr was separated from the Al-Sayf siblings and unable to aid them. Accepting this as a loss, he returned to the headquarters of the Order at Masyaf, empty handed. His string of consequence did not stop there, as his rumors of death had been exaggerated.
Malik had returned, left arm heavily injured and his younger brother Kadar, dead. Altaïr watched as Malik confirmed that he had been able to do what Altaïr had not, even with his losses. The artifact, known as a Piece of Eden (or the Apple) had been retrieved. Even with this information bestowed upon him, Altaïr turned the other cheek, unaware of the resentment he was provoking in who would later on be one of his closest and few confidants. He regretted none of his actions, not even when he broke the third tenant, and compromised the brotherhood. There was no claim to fault or an apology much to the outrage of Malik, but soon Altaïr would learn the full impact of his actions. It was time for the assassin to face punishment.
For breaking all tenets of the Creed, he was deemed a traitor by Al Mualim. His life should have been taken, but his talents were too great, even at the request for his life to even out the loss of Kadar's, from Malik. Instead, he was stripped down to the rank of a Novice and forced to build his way back up again. Nine lives for his own was the offer, all men who were called corrupt; their lives needed to be ended if peace was to be brought to their lands. All Altaïr wanted to know was where he had to start. Rank was what held importance in his mind and he still kept his attitude as he started.
Damascus, Jerusalem, Acre. He was to work at three cities, and move from there. Arriving in Damascus first for the head of Tamir, he attempted to use his skill as a means of gaining permission from the rafiq in the city for the kill, as it was protocol in the Order. As predicted, Altaïr was denied permission to go after Tamir as he knew too little about the target, so he took to the streets. He gained what was needed and he was given approval soon after listening, gaining information. He soon took Tamir's life but caught his last words.
"Such pride. It will destroy you, child..." It began to sink in that pride had brought him down, and it would ruin him if he continued.
Moving through the Holy Land, Altaïr killed who was necessary, no more and no less (as he had been punished for breaking the Creed, he reminded himself of what it meant to be an assassin). As he continued and rose towards the rank he had lost, the assassin found himself questioning more than he had been before. He wondered why he had been allowed to live if his arrogance had nearly cost them so much, how his targets seemed to be doing more good than the evils he had been informed of once they were on their death beds. The people he killed all had something to say, they all had justification for their actions, and each of them had him wondering who was the fool: himself, or them.
Venturing into Jerusalem was a further blow to his pride. Malik Al-Sayf had been promoted to the rank of dai, and was transferred to the bureau in Jerusalem, ensuring that their paths would cross over the duration of his quest. Hostility was Altaïr's welcoming, and to it he exchanged barbs with the dai. Despite his success when he stole the life of his target, Malik saw nothing more than a novice and Altaïr left with irritation, ignorance to why the other scorned him so.
He continued on, and the journey began to change him immensely with the more he learned, experienced, remembered. He saved the lives of innocents done wrong in the streets of the districts he visited, in the cities he was ordered to aid. By helping others, he began to view a change in himself - he was growing more concerned with not the idea of rank or power, or even skill, but what the assassins worked and fought for: free will, peace. With his experiences, Altaïr began to repairs to ties that had been severed as a result of his pride.
Abbas would continue to hate him for what he had done ('lied' about his feather). There was no changing that, but Altaïr had not seen it as hostile as another who he had done by worse. Altaïr had allowed his ego to consume, and for it, Malik suffered when he had no need to once push came to a very literal shove.
Amends were painful and slow, but they were present. He began to appreciate Malik's wisdom, instead of simply brushing off what the other had to say. For his ninth target, he attended a funeral to catch the man who had helped him to fall, Robert de Sable, off-guard. Before leaving for his head however, Altaïr finally and sincerely apologized, unable to take the elder's tolerance when he had not paid a single word. Malik took none of it however, claiming that the one in front of him was not the one who had been at the temple the day that his brother had been lost. In turn, Altaïr was at a loss of words to the change within Malik more so than himself. He left to catch the final target, more focused than he had been coming into the bureau.
He was deceived at the funeral; a woman had been playing as Robert's decoy in order to buy the Templar time to escape. The assassin refused to kill her, claiming her gender and position as an innocent despite how she spoke the opposite (this woman would return to his life later on). Altaïr returned to Malik with the news. Once there, tensions escalated when the Creed and the truth became the basis of their conversation - he regained some composure and withheld any resentment that was to be had for their argument and breathed in. He left after convincing the dai to take to the streets, to follow him for once without risk of being reprimanded, of doing the wrong thing. It was up to them to take matters into their own hands.
The assassin took after Sable. Their conflict took place at the campsite of the English army - sir Richard had said to leave it to God, and the assassin turned victorious. Such a win however was empty, because Robert revealed then that, Al Mualim, his master and leader of the Assassin's Order, was a Templar himself. He had not been trying to do right, he had been trying to gain the glory for himself, to go against everything the Order had done. His teacher sought to enslave man, not allow them free will as they had preached, much to his disappointment.
He returned to Masyaf, not wanting to but ready to face the man he had believed in all this time.
Character Personality: The development of Altaïr's character during this point in his life is best, quite a story.
In his youth, he respected and upheld THE CREED, regarded its words without a second thought. He held faith in mankind and he was ambitious but merciful, considerate of others. As soon as he was promoted to the rank of master assassin however, things changed.
His pride began to nurse arrogance and soon it swelled. Praise grew to feed his ego, and on his own, he began to hold himself with a certain air, one that others would look down upon. With that, the man that some had at least tolerated, changed for the worse. This immense amount of confidence affected decisions that were made, it created distances between himself and others that had not existed before hand. He gained new enemies, ruffled the feathers of his comrades, and moved himself further away from those he may have gotten along with had this pride not been allowed to blossom. As a result, he placed himself higher than others, thought he was better than them and believed that he was the better one, no matter the situation. He listened to advice from no one, went at things his own way, even if they interfered with another's methods. Attempts to hold authority over him were met with blunt comments, a shrug of the shoulder. He questioned everything not for the sake of curiosity, but because it was not the way that he wanted things to go. This pride would work to dethrone him, and with that fall, he would come back to the ground, slowly but surely.
Faced with his failure at Solomon's Temple, Altaïr initially does not hold himself at fault. He is enraged with his punishment (demoted to the rank of novice and forced to work his way back up), believing that he deserves none of it and that he is still part of the order, better than everyone even when he has broken all of the tenants upheld by the assassins. He only grits his teeth and accepts the consequences of his actions under the pretense that he will become a master once more. After all, his skills are the best and he will gain the rank in no time at all.
As he goes through this journey of self discovery however, the assassin begins to remember things he once believed in, pushed through challenges he had forgotten. His beliefs are challenged and he realizes what is truly important to him; the Assassins and what they stand for, to protect those who cannot fight for themselves, to seek the truth, and so on. He wants to ensure that others have the choice to do what it is that they wish, so long as it is their own choice. He works to tone himself down, realizing that he has become a person that even he himself would not deal with. If he can fix the problems he has within himself, then he will be do the order a world of good as they will no longer have to worry about him. Altaïr recognizes somewhere along this journey of self-discovery that his pride can be a liability when he lets it get the best of him. When that happens, those around him get put at risk as he is more prone to mistake, less keen to listen to reason and because of that, he can compromise people, get them hurt for his mistakes. For that, he attempts to keep himself composed, level-headed when possible because he has seen the results of his pride when it consumes, in the death of Kadar, the few close ties he has in the order.
Even when Altaïr fell to pride, some of his traits stayed, adapted to fit this arrogance he had. These same traits only became stronger when he reformed himself, became humble. These include his loyalty to the Assassin Order, his moral compass (for the free will of people), his desire for truth, and his honesty. Even his stubbornness and tenacity stayed, along with that tendency to use as fewest words as possible. He is a serious man more often than not, as an assassin must keep himself in check in order to uphold the creed and do what is needed to be done. He speaks only when needed, and when he does, believe it is something of importance. Depending on the person however, idle banter is a possibility based on the level of comfort that is found with the mentioned. This does not mean however, that Altaïr is incapable of holding conversation or defending himself through speech. He has proven that time and time again, such as when he questions those around him, speaks to those whose lives he takes. The topics range from information to philosophy, politics, morals. If it is important, the chances that he knows about it are high.
Because of environment he was raised in and the actions he was exposed to, he finds little use in words. He believes that they are not as effective at times, especially with his line of work. He also holds a difficulty in expressing himself in ways that are not anger or apathy due to his own suppression of his emotions. His emotions are kept neat and untouched without interference from anyone; death and obedience take place in the stead of understanding and compassion, affections. How he was raised and the beliefs of those around him (his father and Al Mualim with their ideas of 'love' and 'caring') may be the cause as to how he recognizes things such as affection be weakness. There is a severance in his understanding of the concept of love and its relatives. These things, coupled with the fact that Altaïr works to keep his composure, make him to be more a man of action.
As he has grown and been humbled once more, he is beginning to realize that things such as compassion and mercy are not weakness, but strength. That change is something that is necessary as time passes, that not all traditions are permanent, no matter how long they have been upheld. He realizes his faith in mankind - the Creed helps him to recognize that not all are hopeless and people can be redeemed no matter their actions, if they are willing to change. He has become wise, fights for peace no matter the contradiction. He knows and wishes to protect the freedom for one to do what they wish, even if it means choosing their own demise. Altaïr values truth and wisdom, always curious and willing to ask questions. He considers things from all angles, not just one side. He has learned that the straight path is a narrow one, a way that leaves a person vulnerable, close-minded and unable to accept things, no matter how they turn out. Truth can be in anything, wisdom is in action.
Such concepts have allowed him to reform himself, step away from the pride that had once made him horrid. In turn a wiser man stands, one willing to do what is needed for the good of the assassins, be it change and going against what has been known.
Samples
First person:
Sample 1
Sample 2
Third Person: He sees perfectly, even when no one else can tell where he is.
From the man closing shop to the woman hurrying along with a basket of fruit tucked beneath her arm, both of which prove no interest to him. Perched upon the edge of a rooftop he scours the streets, eyes lit up with gold when he turns at just the right angle. He is restless and it shows from how he holds himself. Fingers tapping alongside the stone, he moves quickly as soon as something gives way, not wanting to waste time. This is the third night he has been out on this mission, but it feels as if this will be the right time, the only moment and he cannot afford to miss this. And to miss something like this would certainly be a great shame.
Suddenly there is something in the corner of his eye; he turns to catch it, sees the glimmer of gold and quickly he moves, rushes to follow. The rest of the color in the world fades away, hazed over with darkness, faint outlines and brief flashes: some blue, red, white, but his focus is on the gold. The footfalls are light and help to hide him. His clothing barely wrinkles with the actions and soon he is standing above the target. No word this time, no warnings.
He jumps, and lands, the man beneath him collapsing in a heap, no time to even breathe. The blade withdraws with a quick noise and he straightens up, takes a glance around. With another breath he is gone, a parchment in one hand and the body is left behind for someone to find, take fear in. His job for the night is finished, but there is still much that needs to be done.
Busy, busy.
Name: Angel
Age: 17+
Personal LJ: not available.
Contact: PM or comment on HMD
Timezone Pacific coast, PST.
Character Information
Canon: Assassin's Creed series
Add. Info Site: click.
Canon Point: Before the battle for Masyaf.
Year: 1190s AD.
Journal Name:
foolnornoviceFull Name: Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
Age: Late 20s
Gender: Male
Items On Hand: Short blade, longsword, throwing knives (15), hidden blade.
Physical Appearance: front | side | back | movement
Skills: Well-versed in Arabic, English, the works of politics. Also capable of reading maps, horseback riding, and stealth movement / killing. Experienced in climbing structures that the average person does not--conditioned for endurance and strength. Adept with close quarter combat, both armed and unarmed. In possession of a skill called 'eagle vision' by his fellow brethren; it allows him to interpret emotions and intentions of others, whether they are for corrupt reasons or not. It also permits him to seek out his target, whether it be a person to kill or gain information from; someone helpful.
Character History: Born to parents of different beliefs, Umar and a woman unknown, Altaïr grew up in Masyaf, Syria, which also served as the base of operations for the Assassin Order during the high middle ages. His mother died at childbirth and his father was executed when he was barely eleven as part of negotiations that resolved the Siege of Masyaf, an attack committed by Saladin and his Saracen army. The man who had given Umar's identity came to Altaïr one night after the siege, admitted his fault in doing so, and then murdered himself in front of him. As a result, Altaïr left his chambers to seek guidance from the master of the order, Al Mualim.
He was told not to say a word of what happened to anyone, especially the man's son, Abbas. Soon after, Altaïr would be raised and trained towards becoming an assassin under Al Mualim's tutelage. Despite the command, his knowledge of how Abbas' father died would be brought up and due to it, would cause a rift and inspire a long lasting hatred of him from Abbas. During this time he made allies with others in the order, learned of some more notable comrades such as Rauf and Al-Sayf brothers, Malik and Kadar.
As he grew, Altaïr regarded Al Mualim as a more prominent father figure in his life than Umar had been, even if he recognized the affect as 'weak and a lie'. It may have been because he was brought up under the hand of the leader specifically, or because Umar had died at an early point of his life. It may been because as an assassin, his father did not want to raise weakness in his son in the form of kindness, a familial bond--it might have interfered with his training, his skills and Altaïr recognized that. Whatever reason there was, it was Altaïr's own.
Rising through the ranks quickly, Altaïr learned quick and picked up on skills that others seemed to struggle with. Despite that, he kept a level head and drew closer to the coveted title of 'master'. Once he was finally bestowed the title, something changed within him. He sneered openly at a comrade because of his accomplishment. It was a motion that was not filled with merely pride, but arrogance. This would begin the turning of his back on what he believed in. The after-effects were large.
Rumors of an artifact known as the chalice emerged. It was claimed that whoever had the chalice could unite the lands thus giving victory over all, and allowing them to rule the land. The danger was recognized, and Altaïr was sent out to recover it. During this journey however, he encountered that feeling of love, adoration, found it in Adha, a woman whom he had met years before. Fate was not kind. Anything was permitted and Adha was revealed to be the artifact. The Templars were quicker than he was; they stole her and he was neither able to complete the quest he'd been given nor quell the tightening of his chest. With that, he made the choice to distance himself further, and so another part of the assassin had been shut off to the world. Even with this, Altaïr would never stop looking for her on his own time.
Time passed.
The task was the same again: retrieve an item before the Templars were able to. Altaïr was given the assignment and sent alongside the Al-Sayf siblings. They traveled to Solomon's Temple, where the artifact was rumored to be, with hopes of arriving before their enemies.
One of Altaïr's first mistakes on this mission was taking the life of an innocent at the entrance of the temple. This broke one of the tenants, as Malik took care to point out to him, already infuriated with the other. The second strike happened when he tried for the head of Robert de Sable, leader of the Templars, even when it meant turning away from his task. Another tenant was broken, as he refused stealth and made himself known. No match for the leader, Altaïr was separated from the Al-Sayf siblings and unable to aid them. Accepting this as a loss, he returned to the headquarters of the Order at Masyaf, empty handed. His string of consequence did not stop there, as his rumors of death had been exaggerated.
Malik had returned, left arm heavily injured and his younger brother Kadar, dead. Altaïr watched as Malik confirmed that he had been able to do what Altaïr had not, even with his losses. The artifact, known as a Piece of Eden (or the Apple) had been retrieved. Even with this information bestowed upon him, Altaïr turned the other cheek, unaware of the resentment he was provoking in who would later on be one of his closest and few confidants. He regretted none of his actions, not even when he broke the third tenant, and compromised the brotherhood. There was no claim to fault or an apology much to the outrage of Malik, but soon Altaïr would learn the full impact of his actions. It was time for the assassin to face punishment.
For breaking all tenets of the Creed, he was deemed a traitor by Al Mualim. His life should have been taken, but his talents were too great, even at the request for his life to even out the loss of Kadar's, from Malik. Instead, he was stripped down to the rank of a Novice and forced to build his way back up again. Nine lives for his own was the offer, all men who were called corrupt; their lives needed to be ended if peace was to be brought to their lands. All Altaïr wanted to know was where he had to start. Rank was what held importance in his mind and he still kept his attitude as he started.
Damascus, Jerusalem, Acre. He was to work at three cities, and move from there. Arriving in Damascus first for the head of Tamir, he attempted to use his skill as a means of gaining permission from the rafiq in the city for the kill, as it was protocol in the Order. As predicted, Altaïr was denied permission to go after Tamir as he knew too little about the target, so he took to the streets. He gained what was needed and he was given approval soon after listening, gaining information. He soon took Tamir's life but caught his last words.
"Such pride. It will destroy you, child..." It began to sink in that pride had brought him down, and it would ruin him if he continued.
Moving through the Holy Land, Altaïr killed who was necessary, no more and no less (as he had been punished for breaking the Creed, he reminded himself of what it meant to be an assassin). As he continued and rose towards the rank he had lost, the assassin found himself questioning more than he had been before. He wondered why he had been allowed to live if his arrogance had nearly cost them so much, how his targets seemed to be doing more good than the evils he had been informed of once they were on their death beds. The people he killed all had something to say, they all had justification for their actions, and each of them had him wondering who was the fool: himself, or them.
Venturing into Jerusalem was a further blow to his pride. Malik Al-Sayf had been promoted to the rank of dai, and was transferred to the bureau in Jerusalem, ensuring that their paths would cross over the duration of his quest. Hostility was Altaïr's welcoming, and to it he exchanged barbs with the dai. Despite his success when he stole the life of his target, Malik saw nothing more than a novice and Altaïr left with irritation, ignorance to why the other scorned him so.
He continued on, and the journey began to change him immensely with the more he learned, experienced, remembered. He saved the lives of innocents done wrong in the streets of the districts he visited, in the cities he was ordered to aid. By helping others, he began to view a change in himself - he was growing more concerned with not the idea of rank or power, or even skill, but what the assassins worked and fought for: free will, peace. With his experiences, Altaïr began to repairs to ties that had been severed as a result of his pride.
Abbas would continue to hate him for what he had done ('lied' about his feather). There was no changing that, but Altaïr had not seen it as hostile as another who he had done by worse. Altaïr had allowed his ego to consume, and for it, Malik suffered when he had no need to once push came to a very literal shove.
Amends were painful and slow, but they were present. He began to appreciate Malik's wisdom, instead of simply brushing off what the other had to say. For his ninth target, he attended a funeral to catch the man who had helped him to fall, Robert de Sable, off-guard. Before leaving for his head however, Altaïr finally and sincerely apologized, unable to take the elder's tolerance when he had not paid a single word. Malik took none of it however, claiming that the one in front of him was not the one who had been at the temple the day that his brother had been lost. In turn, Altaïr was at a loss of words to the change within Malik more so than himself. He left to catch the final target, more focused than he had been coming into the bureau.
He was deceived at the funeral; a woman had been playing as Robert's decoy in order to buy the Templar time to escape. The assassin refused to kill her, claiming her gender and position as an innocent despite how she spoke the opposite (this woman would return to his life later on). Altaïr returned to Malik with the news. Once there, tensions escalated when the Creed and the truth became the basis of their conversation - he regained some composure and withheld any resentment that was to be had for their argument and breathed in. He left after convincing the dai to take to the streets, to follow him for once without risk of being reprimanded, of doing the wrong thing. It was up to them to take matters into their own hands.
The assassin took after Sable. Their conflict took place at the campsite of the English army - sir Richard had said to leave it to God, and the assassin turned victorious. Such a win however was empty, because Robert revealed then that, Al Mualim, his master and leader of the Assassin's Order, was a Templar himself. He had not been trying to do right, he had been trying to gain the glory for himself, to go against everything the Order had done. His teacher sought to enslave man, not allow them free will as they had preached, much to his disappointment.
He returned to Masyaf, not wanting to but ready to face the man he had believed in all this time.
Character Personality: The development of Altaïr's character during this point in his life is best, quite a story.
In his youth, he respected and upheld THE CREED, regarded its words without a second thought. He held faith in mankind and he was ambitious but merciful, considerate of others. As soon as he was promoted to the rank of master assassin however, things changed.
His pride began to nurse arrogance and soon it swelled. Praise grew to feed his ego, and on his own, he began to hold himself with a certain air, one that others would look down upon. With that, the man that some had at least tolerated, changed for the worse. This immense amount of confidence affected decisions that were made, it created distances between himself and others that had not existed before hand. He gained new enemies, ruffled the feathers of his comrades, and moved himself further away from those he may have gotten along with had this pride not been allowed to blossom. As a result, he placed himself higher than others, thought he was better than them and believed that he was the better one, no matter the situation. He listened to advice from no one, went at things his own way, even if they interfered with another's methods. Attempts to hold authority over him were met with blunt comments, a shrug of the shoulder. He questioned everything not for the sake of curiosity, but because it was not the way that he wanted things to go. This pride would work to dethrone him, and with that fall, he would come back to the ground, slowly but surely.
Faced with his failure at Solomon's Temple, Altaïr initially does not hold himself at fault. He is enraged with his punishment (demoted to the rank of novice and forced to work his way back up), believing that he deserves none of it and that he is still part of the order, better than everyone even when he has broken all of the tenants upheld by the assassins. He only grits his teeth and accepts the consequences of his actions under the pretense that he will become a master once more. After all, his skills are the best and he will gain the rank in no time at all.
As he goes through this journey of self discovery however, the assassin begins to remember things he once believed in, pushed through challenges he had forgotten. His beliefs are challenged and he realizes what is truly important to him; the Assassins and what they stand for, to protect those who cannot fight for themselves, to seek the truth, and so on. He wants to ensure that others have the choice to do what it is that they wish, so long as it is their own choice. He works to tone himself down, realizing that he has become a person that even he himself would not deal with. If he can fix the problems he has within himself, then he will be do the order a world of good as they will no longer have to worry about him. Altaïr recognizes somewhere along this journey of self-discovery that his pride can be a liability when he lets it get the best of him. When that happens, those around him get put at risk as he is more prone to mistake, less keen to listen to reason and because of that, he can compromise people, get them hurt for his mistakes. For that, he attempts to keep himself composed, level-headed when possible because he has seen the results of his pride when it consumes, in the death of Kadar, the few close ties he has in the order.
Even when Altaïr fell to pride, some of his traits stayed, adapted to fit this arrogance he had. These same traits only became stronger when he reformed himself, became humble. These include his loyalty to the Assassin Order, his moral compass (for the free will of people), his desire for truth, and his honesty. Even his stubbornness and tenacity stayed, along with that tendency to use as fewest words as possible. He is a serious man more often than not, as an assassin must keep himself in check in order to uphold the creed and do what is needed to be done. He speaks only when needed, and when he does, believe it is something of importance. Depending on the person however, idle banter is a possibility based on the level of comfort that is found with the mentioned. This does not mean however, that Altaïr is incapable of holding conversation or defending himself through speech. He has proven that time and time again, such as when he questions those around him, speaks to those whose lives he takes. The topics range from information to philosophy, politics, morals. If it is important, the chances that he knows about it are high.
Because of environment he was raised in and the actions he was exposed to, he finds little use in words. He believes that they are not as effective at times, especially with his line of work. He also holds a difficulty in expressing himself in ways that are not anger or apathy due to his own suppression of his emotions. His emotions are kept neat and untouched without interference from anyone; death and obedience take place in the stead of understanding and compassion, affections. How he was raised and the beliefs of those around him (his father and Al Mualim with their ideas of 'love' and 'caring') may be the cause as to how he recognizes things such as affection be weakness. There is a severance in his understanding of the concept of love and its relatives. These things, coupled with the fact that Altaïr works to keep his composure, make him to be more a man of action.
As he has grown and been humbled once more, he is beginning to realize that things such as compassion and mercy are not weakness, but strength. That change is something that is necessary as time passes, that not all traditions are permanent, no matter how long they have been upheld. He realizes his faith in mankind - the Creed helps him to recognize that not all are hopeless and people can be redeemed no matter their actions, if they are willing to change. He has become wise, fights for peace no matter the contradiction. He knows and wishes to protect the freedom for one to do what they wish, even if it means choosing their own demise. Altaïr values truth and wisdom, always curious and willing to ask questions. He considers things from all angles, not just one side. He has learned that the straight path is a narrow one, a way that leaves a person vulnerable, close-minded and unable to accept things, no matter how they turn out. Truth can be in anything, wisdom is in action.
Such concepts have allowed him to reform himself, step away from the pride that had once made him horrid. In turn a wiser man stands, one willing to do what is needed for the good of the assassins, be it change and going against what has been known.
Samples
First person:
Sample 1
Sample 2
Third Person: He sees perfectly, even when no one else can tell where he is.
From the man closing shop to the woman hurrying along with a basket of fruit tucked beneath her arm, both of which prove no interest to him. Perched upon the edge of a rooftop he scours the streets, eyes lit up with gold when he turns at just the right angle. He is restless and it shows from how he holds himself. Fingers tapping alongside the stone, he moves quickly as soon as something gives way, not wanting to waste time. This is the third night he has been out on this mission, but it feels as if this will be the right time, the only moment and he cannot afford to miss this. And to miss something like this would certainly be a great shame.
Suddenly there is something in the corner of his eye; he turns to catch it, sees the glimmer of gold and quickly he moves, rushes to follow. The rest of the color in the world fades away, hazed over with darkness, faint outlines and brief flashes: some blue, red, white, but his focus is on the gold. The footfalls are light and help to hide him. His clothing barely wrinkles with the actions and soon he is standing above the target. No word this time, no warnings.
He jumps, and lands, the man beneath him collapsing in a heap, no time to even breathe. The blade withdraws with a quick noise and he straightens up, takes a glance around. With another breath he is gone, a parchment in one hand and the body is left behind for someone to find, take fear in. His job for the night is finished, but there is still much that needs to be done.
Busy, busy.
