From NeoTokyo MUCK
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Full Name: Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
Series: Assassin's Creed
Class: Assassin
Alignment: True Neutral
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Age: 28
Birthdate: January 11
Height: 6'
Weight: 180 lbs
Short Description: Death in White Robes
Skills
- Furusiyya: Literary translated Way of the Knight. The Hashshashins differ greatly from your common rogue and thief in that they do not shy away from a hand to hand open confrontation. Unlike their European counterparts, Arabian knights rely a lot more in skill and the ability to use many different types of weapons instead of focusing only in sword and shield. Altair is an expert swordmaster, archer, knife thrower, brawler, grappler, hidden weapons specialist, horseman, mounted archer and tactician, knowledgeable in many weak points of the body which he brutally exploits in fights. Because of his knightly training he also knows how to read and write as well as proper etiquette in court, though the last he loathes to employ if not actively in pursuit of an assassination. It should be said that while Altair has extensive training in the ways of the knight, he does not fight very honorably. Kicks to the crotch, eye gouging and blade parries with hidden metal padding he has on his gloves should all be expected when facing him in an all out fight, including his signature hidden blade stabs. He is also not against using his environment to assist him; fencers seeking an honorable fight might feel greatly offended (and injured) when Altair slams their faces against walls.
- Parkour: Knowing how to fight is all well and good but it is meaningless if you can't reach your target. This is the bread and butter of any Hashshashin, their ability to easily overcome any terrain through acrobatic maneuvers. This skill yields Altair a great amount of dexterity and he is thus capable of doing impressive somersaults and flips, allowing him to vault over buildings repeatedly with no problems. As a side effect of his training, he also has far more stamina than even the most hardened warriors, he can maintain a brutal running pace for much longer than most people, in par with most Olympian athletes. Seeing as his best time is six miles in nine minutes, fleeing targets on foot usually don't get very far.
- Eagle Vision: A trained sixth sense, taking the form of sharp senses and observational skills. It allows Altair to track people and things in his environment, and sense impending attacks. He must be able to physically perceive someone or something, and far-away targets may be impossible to read. While Eagle Vision can assist with detecting illusions or invisibility, it can't pierce them outright and comprehensive invisibility or illusions can't be detected. Sensing hostility is also reliant on reading body language, making it ineffective against beings with subtle or drastically nonhuman physical tells. (Consent where applicable.)
- Resourceful: While most of the Multiverse's technology and magic goes right over Altair's head, he has found that blacksmiths here far surpass those from his time, aside from simply giving him greater accessibility to weapons. Swords that don't break? Repeating crossbows? Explosive throwing daggers? Armor that stops bullets? Ah, if only they had this in his time the Crusades would have ended much more quickly.
Weaknesses
- Insidious: Altair is vengeful and proud, harm him in anyway and he will forgive you, but he will not forget you and he will probably never trust you again. He will bide his time letting his negative emotions build up within him, waiting for just the right time to strike and when he does, it will be at the worst moment possible for his target. This is absolutely fatal for group missions as Altair is most definitely /not/ a team player. If he has had trouble with someone in the past and they have the misfortune of getting paired with him, hell shove them out of the way, rush forward to hog all the glory and otherwise make himself an obstacle. In the past this has even cost Altair the death of a few comrades due to his behavior. He is getting better, but he just doesnt seem to learn his lesson. Spite mixed with arrogance is truly a terrible combination.
- Cold: While he does speak his mind when he feels like it, Altair maintains his emotions in check like the professional assassin that he is. Some would say that he does this too well, he never cracks a smile, hes always hiding his face with a hood of some sort and he doesnt go out of his way to meet new people, not unless hes supposed to kill them. In short, hes not very friendly and is thus terrible at parties. He has been known to warm up to some people in the past if he is forced to work with them, however this has always taken a monumental effort from all parties involved, most notably himself.
- Ruthless: No Remorse. No Hesitation. No Mercy. Altair kills and he kills well, many people will undoubtedly be surprised by his level of ruthlessness as his cruelty can sometimes rival that of supposed villains. Altair doesnt care what other people think though, if its for the good of the mission, he will steal, he will kill and he will eliminate his target at all costs. Even if he does spare the innocent as part of the Assassins Creed, his willingness to kill indiscriminately and utter contempt for the sanctity of life may put him at odds with more law abiding team mates such as Paladins. It is ill advised to put younger or more impressionable heroes under the tutelage of Altair, not unless they want to lose their innocence and get lots of gravel in their guts fast.
- Medieval Man: Altair hails from the Middle East in the the time of the Great Crusades. Although he is quick to adapt to any situation as all Hashshashins are trained to do, suddenly plunged into the Multiverse has turned his world upside down revealing his very outdated ideals. Though he has become highly proficient with firearms, driving vehicles and operating heavy machinery still eludes him, he can also come off as sexist and highly intolerant. In the time where he hails from, he was considered by all to be fairly moderate in his beliefs, but in comparison to the open minded view of the Multiverse he can come off as backwards and crass. Thankfully, he is very cultured due to the extensive educational system of the Hashshashins, but from time to time his controversial thoughts do tend to show and can lead to some very awkward faux pas moments.
- The Three Tenets:
Stay your blade from the flesh of an Innocent.
Hide in Plain Sight.
Never compromise the Brotherhood. This is the code of the Hashshashin and the most effective way of keeping Altair in line. Reminding him of the Creed is a certain way of putting him under control if it looks like he's about to jump off the deep end and slay people indiscriminately.
Background
Personality
A member of an ancient order of Syrian Assassins formed by the venerated Hassan-I Sabbah, Altair ibn la Ahad has mastered the art of professional murder. Arguably the most skilled member of his organization, he is an expert in anything ranging from mundane pick pocketing, stealth, tracking and information gathering to outstanding feats of dexterity to avoid capture and a multitude of fighting styles.
Not without his own flaws, Altair doesn't quite fit the typical assassin profile; he is impulsive, overconfident and often chooses to ignore his extensive training of hiding in the shadows to engage his target in open combat. Altair is aware of the dangers that come from his recklessness however, he does this merely because of his sense of urgency to vanquish the seed of evil wherever it may take root.
Somewhat of a walking contradiction, Altair comes off as someone who grudgingly sticks to protocol only because he is forced to, always holding back from executing far more brutal solutions than to what he is allowed. His motives are blurred in the intricacies of the Assassins making it impossible to tell when he's being sincere about his ideals and when he is just pretending to be your friend to accomplish some ulterior goal. Whatever inner conflicts he may have, one fact remains true; targets stalked by Altair are almost always as good as dead.
