app; scorched
Out of Character Information
player name: Heather
player livejournal: slantways
playing here: None.
where did you find us? A post on dear_mun.
are you 16 years of age or older?: Yes.
In Character Information
character name: Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahd
Fandom: Assassin's Creed
Timeline: After defeating Al Mualim and claiming the Apple of Eden.
character's age: 26ish? Assassin's Creed 1 isn't as good as 2 about clearly stating years. ;; Altaïr was born in 1165 and Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles, which is a prequel to AC1, takes place in 1190, so he has to be older than 25, but probably not by much.
powers, skills, pets and equipment:
powers; A curious power known as 'Eagle Vision' (which could generally be called "specialized sight" or "informative sight" maybe?) allows Altaïr to see things other people cannot see. With Eagle Vision, Altaïr can tell who is on his side and who isn't - people glowing blue are allies, white is an informant, red is an enemy, and yellow/gold is an assassination target. Eagle Vision also allows Altaïr to easily find places to hide glowing white-blue while being pursued, and could potentially see special, hidden messages (for example, something written in blood but then cleaned up, or perhaps something written in a sort of invisible ink) or doors. This ability is not 'on' all the time but rather something Altaïr must consciously turn "on" and "off". It doesn't tire him or provide any kind of mental exhaustion, but Altaïr finds it difficult to move while using it. (In the game you can't move at all with Eagle Vision on but I think this is more something Ubisoft's changed their mind about and kind of retconned? I could give him this limitation if desired though!)
skills; Parkour (FREE RUNNING WHOO), pickpocketing, eavesdropping, interrogation techniques, assassination techniques, sword fighting, escape, blending with the crowd, stealth, moving quietly, creeping around like a creeper, climbing around like a monkey, leaps of faith
pets; None.
equipment; A set of sturdy leather armor, his Assassin clothes, a hidden blade bracer, about five throwing knives, a long sword, a short sword, boots, and a very small amount of money. It would make sense for him to have the Apple of Eden with him at this point (because he's loathe to be doing anything but "studying" it) but I'd be willing to have the Apple either completely non-functional, severely powered down, or dysfunctional so that it doesn't seem to do anything Altaïr wants it to (similar to magic effects due to the fog?) if that would be necessary.
The Apple has a pretty big range of some crazy powers - it can cause mass "hallucinations" (when Al Mualim stabs Altaïr, presumably killing him, Altaïr felt the pain and felt himself die, and many people witnessed it happen, but it did not actually - this is because Al Mualim used the Apple to force Altaïr and the spectators to "see what [he] wanted them to see". Obviously, this is a game-breaking ability. It can also force people to obey the holder's will without making them even realize they're doing something they don't wish to be doing - also something difficult to incorporate into a game without abuse. But the Apple can also cause paralysis (for example, if Altaïr didn't want someone to move, they suddenly would be unable to), allows for the creation of "clones" or "doubles" controllable by the will of the user, and the ability to see into the future - not so much what will happen as the knowledge and technology that is to come (for example, at the end of Assassin's Creed, the Apple shows a large global map like the one we know today - certainly not like the one they knew in the early 12th century). How this would be powered down is beyond me, I'd be interested in the Apple perhaps not working at all or only allowing Altaïr to look through "information" on it (the last thing I described) rather than any of its more wacky and breaking powers. I do think it would be strange for him not to come with it, so I'd prefer him to have it if at all possible.
canon history: Linked!
personality: Altaïr's personality makes drastic changes throughout the game, and in order to talk about the man he is, it's important to also talk about the man he once was.
During the beginning of Assassin's Creed, Altaïr is over-confident, self-important, rude, arrogant, impatient, and uncaring - about other people, about rules, about other's advice or directives, about anything. It wasn't until this behavior impacted him that he realized he needed to change - but it was a slow, slow process. Altaïr was knocked to the bottom of the totem pole and made a novice again, and as he worked hard to reclaim his title of Master Assassin, he began to see that he needed others and their advice and hard work in order to aid in his own successes. Gradually, Altaïr began to ask others what their thoughts were and take these things into consideration, showing not just a new side but an entirely new person emerging from within.
Still, although Altaïr has mainly hidden his pride, he still suffers from its effects. He has a very difficult time listening to or taking the advice of others, believing his plan of action to be the best one. Whereas Altaïr previously would have had no problem rudely communicating this to someone, he now keeps this certainty to himself, continuing to mentally justify why his plan is best. An example of this is his continuing to study the Apple when common sense and many other people (including Malik) dictate that stopping would be the best option. ("The others come from time to time - offering food or distraction. They say I should separate myself from these studies... Malik has even suggested I abandon them entirely.") Altaïr seems to even partially realize this himself, but justifies his actions, saying, "The Apple has a tale to tell. I sense the flickers of something - great and dangerous... We are all at risk. It is my duty to do something about it. I must not - cannot - turn away until I've found the truth". Although this is something of an extreme case due to the Apple's drawing powers, it does go to show that Altaïr may still have progress to make to abandon the overly self-confident man who disregarded the wise advice of others that he once was.
Along with these changes came more - Altaïr began to take Al Mualim's saying of "peace in all things" more seriously, realizing he needed to turn inside and calm the violence inside himself just as much as the violence outside himself. Altaïr became more serious and devoted to studying the Creed and its meanings, as well as the meaning of the Assassin phrase, "Nothing is true; Everything is permitted". This study has made him much more wise - a man whose advice is actually worth listening to. Rather than the brash and hasty decisions he would come to before, Altaïr would now think everything through quickly but carefully, deciding on the best course of action accurately.
Some traits didn't change, nor did they really need to - Altaïr is emotionally distant and difficult to get close to, a coldness that has only been broken by few friends and two lovers. He also remains passionate and driven, although perhaps through a different sort of dedication, to the Assassin Order. Instead of working to please and raise his name, Altaïr now works to spread peace and the Creed, a way of life.
why do you feel this character would be appropriate to the setting? Altaïr is a fighter and very strong-willed - a horror setting would be unlikely to terribly upset or be physically dangerous to him, as he easily survived dangerous missions during the Third Crusade.
Writing Samples
Network Post Sample: I should record what I know here in case it will help me later.
I recall being in Masyaf. It was nighttime. That's the last thing I can remember. I must have lost track of time, lost myself studying the artifact.
Now I'm in an unfamiliar place surrounded by unfamiliar things and people, objects I'd only dreamed about thanks to the Apple before. And the Apple itself isn't working at all, its shine is dimmed as if tarnished. Could this be an illusion? But surely it cannot control itself.
No. Surely there is another explanation. I won't sit idly by. I will go out and discover the answer for myself.
Third Person Sample: To a lesser man, the situation Altaïr now found himself in would be terrifying.
He was in a strange place surrounded by things he didn't even have the words to describe - English vocabulary he'd picked up from the Apple flitted through his head quick but had only vague, misunderstood meanings attached to them. Electricity, power, coal, steam, engines--
"Out of the street!" someone called, and Altaïr was certain it wasn't in Arabic but he understood it as if it was his native tongue, dodging quickly to the side as two horses side-by-side quickly passed by, encumbered with leather strappings that attached them to some kind of large, wooden chamber on wheels. Altaïr gaped, thinking he'd seen a silhouette beyond the curtains of the chamber - were people inside, riding? Why would they not simply ride the horse? It made no sense.
He watched them go, trying to understand what he'd seen. His hand slipped to the Apple hanging in a pouch at his belt. Perhaps it could explain everything... later. Right now, things hung on Altaïr's shoulders to handle.
This wasn't Masyaf, or anything surrounding it. But surely he'd remember a travel to anywhere farther away? Why, when he searched his memories, was nothing coming up?
He needed to go back to the room he'd woken up in and look at the device he'd left there. Perhaps it had the answered he sought.
Turning, Altaïr moved down the alleyway and into the building he'd stepped out of, past anyone inside and up the stairs. His door was wide open just as he'd left it, but he took care to close it behind him, pulling the Apple from its pouch and setting it on the small desk beside the device.
For a moment, Altaïr expected some kind of reaction - but there was none. Instead, the Apple looked unusually dark, the strange ever-present light that normally enveloped it cold and dim. Altaïr touched it experimentally, but there was no effect - no rush of energy, no intensifying light, no surge of information. Nothing.
Teeth gritting, Altaïr quickly turned his attention to the other device on the desk. Had this had some effect on the Apple?
Turning it over in his hands, Altaïr frowned towards it. This device had its secrets, but without the Apple's help, it would be up to Altaïr to figure them out himself.
Anything else? Nothing!