- "When I was very young, I was foolish enough to believe that our Creed would bring an end to all these conflicts. If only I had the humility to say to myself, I have seen enough for one life, I've done my part. Then again, there is no greater glory than fighting to find the truth."
- ―Altaïr to his son Darim during the 1257 Mongol attack on Masyaf.
Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad (1165–1257) was a Syrian Assassin during the Middle Ages and, from 1191 until his death, the Mentor of the Assassins in the Levant.
Raised to be an Assassin from birth, Altaïr obtained the rank of Master Assassin by his seventeenth year. However, following his failure to obtain the Apple from Robert de Sable in early 1191, and subsequently allowing the Templars to attack the city ofMasyaf, headquarters to the Order of Assassins, he was demoted to the rank of novice and sent on a quest for redemption.
Tasked with the deaths of nine individuals, who, unbeknown to him, made up the ranks of the Templar Order in the Holy Land, Altaïr began a quest to change his ways and liberate the Kingdom from the corruption of the nine. During his quest however, Altaïr learned of a plot far more sinister than originally believed. Completing his mission to kill the nine targets, and cleansing the Order of its treacherous leader Al Mualim, Altaïr rose to the rank of Mentor, taking the Assassins into a new, more secretive direction.
With the Apple in hand, Altaïr changed the ways his Order lived their lives; writing the details in his fabled Codex for later generations of the Order to read. Altaïr's vision of the Assassin Order was for them to be across the world living among the people and started setting up Assassins Guilds during his tenure as Mentor. During his adventures Altaïr strengthened the Order, stopped the Templars various times and was able to prevent the uprising of Genghis Khan.
His name would continue to resonate through the Order in later years, greatly influencing the lives of his descendants and other Assassins in years to come. His bloodline would go on to contain an important figure in the Assassin Order, Desmond Miles.
Appearance
Altair's outfit consists in a plain sleeveless white robe with a stripped hoodie. The hoodie has an eagle beak shaped in front. Underneath the robes, there is a white-grayish additional blouse, along with a holder for his short blade and additional throwing knives tied up in 3 leather straps. Altair also wears a wide leather belt who is holding his throwing knives and tied up with his primary sword seathe. Underneath the belt, there is a red sash and also reveals a red cloth. Like most Assassins, Altair is wearing vanbraces: In his right hand, he has a leather vanbrace tied in 3 straps. And in is left hand, he holds a leather vanbrace additionaly holding 4 metal plates for combat protection and also hides his Hidden Blade.