Middle East, Central Asia, as well as medieval Europe, in the IX-XI centuries experienced an acute political crisis. In this region of the planet, the mass migration of peoples was much larger than on the European continent. political map redrawn at kaleidoscopic speed. Following the Arabs, who managed to conquer vast territories, Turkic tribes came to these lands. Some empires and states disappeared, and much more powerful state formations appeared in their place. The political struggle had a clear religious connotation and sometimes took the most unexpected forms - conspiracies and coup d'état alternated with endless wars.
Political assassination is becoming a favorite tool of Eastern politics. The word assassin is firmly included in the everyday life of the political elite, personifying a merciless and tough hired killer. Not a single ruler of the East, a political figure, could guarantee himself complete security. At any moment, one could become a victim of an insidious killer. It was during this historical period that the most mysterious and closed religious-state formation, the Order of the Assassins, flourished.
The Order was a small public education, which became the most radical branch of Islam and was distinguished by extremely radical views. For the next whole century, the Assassins kept the entire Middle East at bay, personifying the most brutal methods of political pressure.
Assassin - who is it? A brief excursion into history
It has already been said above that the Middle East in the 10th-11th centuries was a boiling socio-political cauldron, in which sharp political, social, social and religious contradictions were combined.
The epicenter of an acute socio-political crisis was Egypt, where political struggle reached highest point boiling. The ruling Fatimid dynasty could not cope with other political opponents. The country plunged into civil armed confrontation. Do not sit idly by, and aggressive neighbors. The Ismailis, the Shiite branch of Islam, found themselves between a rock and a hard place under such conditions, risking becoming a victim of an acute social, social and religious conflict. One of the branches of the Ismailis, the Nizari, was headed by Hassan ibn Sabbah. It was under his leadership that a large group of Nizari was forced to leave Egypt, going to seek refuge. The end point of long wanderings was the central, hard-to-reach mountainous regions of Persia, which at that time was part of the Seljuk state. Here Hassan ibn Sabbah, together with his companions, decided to found a new Ismaili Nizari state.
The fortress of Alamut, captured by the Ismailis in 1090, became the stronghold and center of the new power. Following Alamut, other neighboring cities and fortresses of the Iranian Highlands quickly submitted to the new owners. The birth of a new state coincided with the beginning of the Crusades, which plunged the entire Middle East into a long bloody confrontation. Using his influence, Hassan ibn Sabbah managed to bring into the structure government controlled new form- a religious order based on the religious cult, rituals and traditions of the Nazarites. Hasan-ibn-Sabbah headed the order, who received the title of sheikh, and the Alamut fortress became the symbol of the new order.
The rulers of the neighboring principalities and the central government of the Seljuk state treated the newcomers with disdain and looked at them as rebels and rebels. Companions of Hasan-ibn-Sabbah, the population of the new state and the Nazarites in general, were casually called by the ruling Seljuk and Syrian elite the mob - hashshashins. Subsequently, with the light hand of the crusaders, the Sunni name assassin came into use, which no longer meant a person’s class affiliation, but his professional qualities, social and social status, and religious and ideological worldview.
Sheikh Hassan I, thanks to his personal qualities, was well versed in the political situation. As a result of his foreign policy the state of the Ismailis and the order of the Assassins not only managed to withstand the confrontation with the central government. The internal political strife that engulfed the Seljuk state after the death of Sultan Malik Shah contributed to the rise of the order and the political influence of the Assassins on the politics of the world order. The Order became an unspoken political subject of foreign policy, and the Assassins themselves began to be considered religious fanatics who were capable of taking the most extreme measures for ideological motives, of course, for material and political gain.
The state of the Nizari existed for a century and a half, until 1256, having managed during this period to unite under its command the vast territories of modern Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Iran. This was facilitated by a fairly rigid system of governance, built on unquestioning obedience to Sharia law, and a communal system of social and public relations. There was no division into classes in the state, and the entire population was united in communities. The supreme power belonged to the supreme spiritual and religious mentor - the leader.
The centralized state of the Assassins was defeated by the Mongols who came to Iran from the east. The Middle Eastern possessions were under the rule of the Assassins for the longest time, which were lost in 1272 as a result of the military campaign of the Egyptian Sultan Baybars I. However, the loss of statehood did not mean the end of the existence of the Assassin order. Since that time, a new stage in the life of this organization begins, which completely and completely switched to conducting subversive, sabotage and espionage activities.
The origins of the real strength and power of the Assassins
At the peak of their power, the state and the order represented a real political force in the Muslim world. Assassin is not just a name for radical religious fanatics. Just one mention of them terrified the ruling and political elite. The Assassins, not without reason, were considered masters of political terror, professional killers and, in general, a criminal organization. The influence of the order was not limited to the borders of the Muslim world. The Europeans also faced the cunning and power of the order to the fullest extent.
Such a policy was the result of a well-thought-out ideological and political move. Hassan I, being the supreme leader of the Nazarites, realized that without a powerful army, any defense strategy is doomed to failure. An ingenious way out of this situation was found. Unlike neighboring states and principalities, which invest huge amounts of money and resources to maintain the army, Hassan created an order - a secret and closed organization, a kind of special forces of that time.
The task of the new intelligence service was to eliminate political opponents and opponents, whose decisions could negatively affect the existence of the state of the Nazarites. Political terror was put at the forefront of the politics of the Assassin Order. The methods and methods used to achieve results were chosen as the most radical - political blackmail and the physical elimination of the enemy. The main driving force of the order was the fanatical devotion of the members of the organization to their spiritual and religious mentor. This was facilitated by the technology of vocational training, which was mandatory for every member of the order.
The main conditions for membership in the order were the following aspects:
- complete indifference to own life, disregard for death;
- fostering a sense of self-sacrifice and devotion to religious ideals;
- unquestioning obedience to the will of the leader of the order;
- high moral and physical qualities.
In the order, as in the whole state, heavenly rewards were promoted in exchange for unquestioning obedience to the will of the religious leader. In the usual view of that time, an assassin is a young man of strong physique, selflessly devoted to the ideas of Sharia and sacredly believing in the high divine position of his patron. Teenagers of 12-14 years old were recruited into the order, who underwent the most severe competitive selection. From day one, recruits were instilled with a sense of being chosen to achieve lofty goals.
It is generally accepted that the ideological and religious aspects are the main aspects of the solid structure of the order. However, its real strength rested not only on the high moral qualities of its members. Professional training, which the Assassins practiced from morning to evening, during breaks for prayer, gave excellent results. The warriors of the medieval special forces were fluent in any weapon and hand-to-hand combat techniques. The assassin was excellent at riding, could accurately shoot a bow, was distinguished by endurance and good physical strength.
In addition, the training program included practical and theoretical knowledge in the field of chemistry and medicine. The art of the Assassins in the use of poisons has reached perfection. There is a theory that Catherine de Medici, being a skilled master of poisoning, received lessons in this craft from the Assassins.
Finally
In a word, the training of spies and professional assassins from Sheikh Hassan I was put on stream. The results of such a thorough and comprehensive preparation were not long in coming. Notoriety about the power of the order quickly spread throughout the world. Thanks to his servants, Hassan I, nicknamed in the Islamic world and far beyond the Mountain Elder, managed not only to achieve his goals, but also to put political terror on stream. The Nizari state managed to exist for quite a long period, successfully playing on the political contradictions of its stronger neighbors.
As for the Order of the Assassins, this organization has become not only an instrument of Nizari foreign policy, but also a significant source of income. The rulers and politicians of different countries and states did not disdain to use the services of professional assassins and spies, solving their political issues in order to achieve certain goals.
Assassins(hashishins, hashashins, hashishins, hashashins) is a fairly popular topic in modern world. This is facilitated not only by the identification of a member of the order with the word Assassin, but also by the relevance of the plot of the Arab killers in show business. part from the same developer. The theme of the Assassins is also touched upon in the film "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" (Disney 2010). This quite naturally aroused the interest of many viewers and gamers in an ambiguous historical phenomenon - the existence of the Order of the Assassins. “Okay, let them learn history,” you say?
Alas, everything is not so simple: the superficial knowledge of most fans gives rise to a lot of dogmas and prejudices that spread like cockroaches in the kitchen of a cheap Chinese restaurant. The most striking example is probably the common mistake that the word "assassin" comes from the word "hashishin", which in turn comes from the name of the drug: hashish. The mistake is that the Arabic word "Hashishin" means "herbivore, a person who eats plants." It was just a hint at the poverty of the members of the order, and it has nothing to do with drugs. In addition, the order of the Assassins used opium poppy for rituals, not hashish. In an effort to avoid possible errors of pseudo-historical neologisms, I will try to reveal the theme of the history of the order.
To begin with, Muhammad was dead. There was no doubt about it.
After the death of the legendary prophet, the Islamic world split into Sunnis and Shiites. Without going into details, the Sunnis seized power and in fact, the Shiites were outlawed in the Islamic world. Their communities have become so carried away with the conspiracy that they completely forgot about maintaining ties with each other. The result was the formation of a whole cascade of sects - sometimes funny and ridiculous, and sometimes bloody and terrible. One of these religious sects from the Ismaili movement was headed by Hasan ibn Sabbah. Without a fight, having occupied the fortress of Alamut (this fortress is mentioned in the film "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" as sacred), the innovator Hassan ibn Sabbah founded a theocratic state.
Having abolished all previous taxes and, in fact, prohibiting luxury, he understood that he would not be able to maintain a large army in a mountain fortress. Following the call of reason, Hasan ibn Sabbah is looking for new ways to solve political and military issues. According to legend, he was led to the decision to create an order of murderers by chance. In 1092, in the city of Sava, located on the territory of the Seljuk state, the preachers of the Hashashin killed the muezzin, fearing that he would betray them to the local authorities. In retaliation for this deed, on the orders of Nizam al-Mulk, the chief vizier of the Seljuk sultan, the leader of the local Ismailis, was seized and put to a slow painful death. After that, Hasan ibn Sabbah climbed the tower and shouted: "The killing of this shaitan will anticipate heavenly bliss!"
And as he descended, a crowd had already gathered at the foot of the walls, from which a group of fanatics stood out, led by a man named Bu Tahir Arrani, who, kneeling down, said that he was ready to fulfill the will of the ruler, even if he had to pay for it with his life. Omitting details, Bu Tahir Arrani fulfilled his task, and the vizier died surrounded by his bodyguards. Nearby lay the body of that same Bu Tahir Arrani. This is the story of the first assassin, from which the concept of the order originates: the will of the sovereign is equated with the most sacred law, you can get to heaven only by dying for a sacred cause. Yes, it definitely sounds very loud, but let's see why Hasan ibn Sabbah was surrounded by a crowd of fanatics, at first glance insane, ready for any sacrifice.
The secret lies not only in the careful selection of members of the order, but also in the psychology of that time and region. It is worth noting that religious wars then they were conducted precisely from religious motives, in other words, people really believed that they were going into battle for a sacred cause (unlike the European crusades, which were clearly predatory in nature). As for preparation, this is a separate issue.
Well, one more?.. Drug myths about the training of assassins.
There are enough different dogmas in conversations about the training of assassins. First of all, they are associated with the use of narcotic drugs: there is an opinion that assassins are killers who go to their death under the influence of psychotropic substances. This is a delusion, in fact, the situation was different.
At first, those wishing to join the order gathered at the gates of the fortress, waiting for permission to enter the courtyard. Sometimes their wait lasted up to several weeks, but no one kept the young men, they could go home at any time. Under the same conditions in the courtyard, they awaited permission to enter the house. Of those who did not go home, they chose the most persistent (one of the legends says that Hasan ibn Sabbah adopted this system from Chinese monasteries - the similarity is obvious). They gave preference to orphans, because the future assassin had to devote his whole life to the order.
The initiation ceremony was extremely simple and ingenious: the recruit was drugged with opium, after he lost consciousness, he was transferred to a special "Garden of Eden", where he was expected by exquisite food, luxury and many beautiful women. A few hours later, they again gave him the drug, and carried him back, informing him later that he could return to paradise only by giving his life for the sake of a sacred cause. It should be understood that before that the young man lived in poverty, because wealth and luxury were prohibited by law, but women were the greatest luxury, because not every young man could afford a bride.
Here lies the mistake of most of the "experts" in the history of the order of the Assassins, since in later life, the killer will no longer touch alcohol, drugs, or women. So, in contrast, reinforced by opium withdrawal, a member of the order embarked on brutal training. He was taught not only the use of weapons and acrobatics, at least the assassin had to own acting skills and the art of disguise. All this made an almost perfect killer out of a student, for whom it was not necessary to think over an evacuation plan.
But the inventive Hassan ibn Sabbah did not stop at the preparation of the assassins. He understood that for the effective operation of the Assassins, a developed network of informants and scouts was needed. He created a special "agency", whose duties, in addition to intelligence, also included a new means of obtaining information - bribery. So, along with a huge number of preachers who reported to him about the general events and moods in the cities, he also had his people in the palaces and fortresses of the influential people of the East. After a series of murders, the entire political elite realized that neither the army nor the bodyguards would help them in the fight against the Assassins. It was with this that the "Old Man of the Mountain", as the members of the order called the ruler, achieved the absolute inviolability of mountain Alamut.
Hasan ibn Sabbah himself was a very curious person. In addition to collecting knowledge from around the world, kidnapping learned doctors and alchemists throughout Europe and Asia, he was also an avid hoaxer. In pursuit of the loyalty of his subjects and international prestige, he was very fond of different kind performances and tricks. For example, the trick with a severed head, popular for a long time, according to legend, was invented by him. With the help of make-up, the correct placement of the background and a system of mirrors, he created a very talented performance with a “severed” head predicting paradise for all dead assassins. There was only one difference from the modern focus - the ending. The actor was cut off his head and hung for several days on the main square of the fortress. For the sake of realism. The self-immolation trick was also popular. Its essence was no less cruel - they really burned a person, a double of Hassan ibn Sabbah. Demonstrating the loyalty of his subjects to the ambassadors, the Alamut ruler with a wave of his hand ordered the guards on the walls to rush into the abyss.
In conclusion, one more myth can be revealed - the opinion that all the killers died while performing the task. Often there was an order to return, since this task is only preparation for the transition to paradise. This was dictated by the fact that even in the commune of the order a hierarchy was necessary. After all, someone had to arrange a “paradise” for the students, play with a severed head, and teach the students.
Paid killers
Another misconception is that assassins are contract killers. Most likely, it got its start from the history of the alliance of the Crusaders and the Assassins. Such an alliance took place after the death of Hassan ibn Sabbah. The new rulers of Alamut were not so ascetic in their desires - there was an urgent need for finances, and the lords generously paid in Jerusalem gold for the services of the assassins directed against Salah ad-Din. But, it is impossible to call the hashish order a society of hired killers, since not ordinary performers, but their owners took payment for work. In addition, the killings of these figures can be seen as loyalty to the alliance.
But, it was money that led to the fact that the order lost its influence. Seeing the strong stratification of society inside the fortress, those who wanted to die for the sake of a dubious sacred cause became less and less. This posed the need for reorganization within the system, which led to virtually everything that Hasan ibn Sabbah denied when he built the state. The commune turned into a monarchical system with its own nobles and nobility. All this made the Alamut state easy prey for the Mongols who invaded Persia.
On the origin of myths
In conclusion, I will try to explain some of the myths about the order of assassins. These legends were born after the events in Alamut. The initiators of the “first” wave of legends about assassins in the 14th century were the Venetian Marco Polo, who in his writings writes about the country of Mulect, where the Elder of the Mountain lives, sending young men to death, drugging them with drugs. A new, stronger wave of myths took place in the middle of the 19th century in France. Hashish became a very fashionable drug at the time, along with the use of thujone from Egyptian wormwood. This is probably why novelists were sure that the Assassins used hashish as a means to open the gates to paradise.
And some people believe that the order of assassins exists to this day, and its members remove objectionable people. Such thoughts are quite understandable, because many people want to see the world more complex than it really is. Many people see secrets, riddles, mysticism... Are they right? Who knows?..
Many mistakenly believe that it was the modern Taliban and Palestinians who created the first specialized suicide camps, but this is not so. The gloomy events associated with the death of people began many centuries ago. At that time, the owners of other people's lives were the Assassins - a religious organization of hired killers, which consisted of Ismailis.
Its founder was Sheikh Hassan I ibn Sabbah, known from historical pages as the creator of the state called "Alamut". It included the mountainous territory of Persia (modern Iran), Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. The center of power was a fortress built on the peak of the rock Alamut ("Eagle's Nest").
How did the power of the Assassins begin?
For thirty-four years, the sheikh ruled on the territory of his possessions. He was a fairly tough and merciless ruler, instilling fear in his subjects. At that time, under his care, people lived in harsh conditions. However, despite his severity, he himself lived very modestly, he had a wife and children.
For the ruler, the unquestioning obedience of everyone and everyone was important. He did not spare even his children if they were guilty. He executed his first son because he drank wine, and killed his second heir because suspicion fell on him for participating in the murder of a preacher.
Hassan I ibn Sabbah was a heartless and strict ruler for everyone, but it was these features that attracted more and more supporters to him. Soon he had more than 60,000 loyal servants at his disposal, who later became hired killers. They say that the Mountain Elder, as the sheikh was popularly called, decided to create a sect after the leader of the Savvay Ismailis was sentenced to death by the Sultan's vizier Nizim el-Mulk.
The sheikh believed that an innocent person was deprived of life. After the execution, he climbed the tower and began to express dissatisfaction with the behavior of the vizier and received massive support from the observers, who very quickly turned into real fanatics who wanted to kill Nizim el-Mulka.
The most active among the crowd was a man named Bu Tahir Arrani, who became the first hitman appointed by the sheikh. In fact, the founding date of the Assassin sect is considered to be 1092, when during the celebration of the religious holiday of Ramadan, the Sultan's vizier was killed by a hired killer. Bu Tahir Arrani plunged his dagger into his chest and, with a satisfied smile, awaited his inevitable fate.
Naturally, he was executed, and Hasan I ibn Sabbah ordered to hang memorial plaque with the name of the first assassin who became a holy maker of revenge. Over time, they began to enter the names of representatives of princely, royal and sultan blood killed by mercenaries, high-ranking officials, scientists, writers, etc. In a fairly short period of time, in just a couple of years, there were already forty-nine names on the list.
Ticket to the next world
Feeling a pleasant "taste" of power after the death of the vizier, the sheikh realized what incredible power he possessed, because the fanatics around him, like fighting dogs, ready at any time to rush to the victim and destroy it. However, he did not recruit everyone into the ranks of hired killers; he gave particular preference to orphans. The detachment he created was called "Fidayins", which means "those who sacrifice themselves in the name of faith."
He was an excellent manipulator and orator. He promised his "dogs" paradise after death, and in order to reinforce their desire to serve, the sheikh gave them this paradise, but only on Earth. To do this, on his orders, an incredibly beautiful garden with fruit trees and fragrant flowers was created. In its center stood a majestic palace, adorned with the finest gold.
There were springs near the palace walls, from which milk, wine and honey flowed. In the garden and in the palace there were true beauties who played various musical instruments, pleased the eyes with their plasticity during dances, and also had incredible vocal abilities. In fact, the sheikh created an earthly paradise, well, at least he told his followers about such an Eden, and, in addition, he called himself a prophet, capable of sending anyone who wishes to a heavenly place at any time. And he did it periodically.
The young men were put to sleep, and after that they were transferred to Eden, leaving for a few days, then back to the fortress. When young people woke up, they were ready to kiss the feet of their master and do whatever he ordered. Naturally, the news about "paradise" spread very quickly, and every time more and more people wanted to get into the sect.
Assassin training
The training of hired killers was carried out with the utmost care. Each assassin had to own absolutely all types of weapons that existed at that time, understand poisons, and also have the utmost stamina and endurance. To do this, the young men were forced to stand motionless at the wall of the fortress for several hours, regardless of weather conditions.
Patience is one of the main qualities that characterize mercenaries, as they must hatch a plan of revenge for as long as it takes, whether hours, days or years pass, and patiently wait for the right moment to strike a killing blow.
Also, each supporter of the sect had to be able to transform, and they had this talent for the highest level. A distinctive and at the same time unique feature of the Assassins can be considered the presence of a smile on their faces during torture and execution - they, thus, seemed to mock those representatives of high society who live believing in impunity and their unquestioning power.
The sect was created strictly according to the hierarchy:
- “Fidayins” is the lowest bar that carried out death sentences, that is, contract killings.
- "Rafiki" - senior privates.
- "Dai al-kirbali" - the generals who obeyed the Mountain Elder, who was always in the shade from prying eyes. That is why only the elite knew about him, and his people did not even suspect that their ruler was the founder of the religious sect of the Assassins.
Peak development and prosperity of the sect
The Assassins quickly caught up with fear throughout the Muslim world, creating many mountain fortified fortresses on the territory of Syria and Iran. Every year there were more and more secret political deaths on their account. However, over time, the efficiency of fulfilling orders began to fall - it is likely that the reason for this was the bribery of mercenaries by the eastern rulers, who gave a new task - the elimination of European officials.
In 1145, the sect received an order to kill the son of the Tripolitan Count Raymond II of Toulouse. He was killed in a church where he was trying to find his salvation. Naturally, the count was not going to leave the act of the Assassins unpunished and gathered an army of the Templars, but the leader of the sect was able to agree with him and literally bought forgiveness from him for 2,000 gold coins. But still, the peaceful lull did not last long and a disagreement arose between them.
Since that time, European kings have been in fear of the power and dexterity of the Assassins. Only flattering things were said about the Mountain Elder, and those who allowed themselves excesses in his direction were mysteriously killed. An excellent example was the death of Count Bohemond, who was stabbed to death in broad daylight in a crowd of people. The same fate awaited Conrad of Montferrat, who was a contender for the Jerusalem crown.
On account of the sect were the murders of four caliphs, forty-eight city rulers and regional governors, seventeen representatives spiritual world, as well as the great scientist of Iran - Abu-l-Mahasin Ibn Taghri-berdi - and this is not the whole list. However, despite the impunity and strength of the Assassins, in 1256 their rule came to an end thanks to the hordes of the Mongols, led by Khan Hulagu. They destroyed the center of hired killers - the fortress of Alamut and killed representatives of the religious sect of the Mountain Elder.
Does the Assassin sect exist today?
There is an opinion that after the attack of the Mongols, a small part of the mercenaries were able to escape to the territory of India. Such an assumption has the right to exist, because in the XIII century the Syrian lands were close to this country. In addition, irrefutable evidence is that it was during this period that the sects of Fansigars and Taga, existing at that time, rapidly increased their indicator of influence in Indian lands.
Therefore, it is likely that the Syrian assassins have become part of them. Also, given that main fortress Since the sect was located on the lands of Iran, which is located next to Iraq and Afghanistan, it is likely that Osama bin Laden himself and Saddam Hussein may be associated with the Assassins or even be their leaders.
Osama bin Laden
Saddam Hussein
After all, it is no secret to anyone that these people were accused of organizing a large number terrorist acts. In addition, martyrs, like assassins, firmly believe that they will certainly go to heaven after their “heroic” death.
However, doing their actions today, they are in a trance, the cause of which is drug intoxication. Shaheeds, just like the Assassins, believe that by taking people's lives, they learn the truth and fulfill their destiny. Are there any similarities? But despite some answers, there are still more questions.
- Medium, Humanoid, Any alignment except Good
- Armor class: 15 (riveted leather)
- Hits: 78 (12d8 + 24)
- Speed: 30 ft.
- Damage resistance: I
- Saving Throws: LOV +6 , INT +4
- Skills: Acrobatics +6 , Attentiveness +3 , Deception +3 , Stealth +9
- Feelings: Passive Mindfulness 13
- Languages: All thieves jargon
- Danger: 8 - 3900 op.
- Source: « Monster manual»
Capabilities
Languages. The hired killer knows up to two any languages in addition to Thieves' Jargon.
Murder. On its first turn, the assassin has advantage on attack rolls against creatures that haven't yet taken their turn. All hits hit by an assassin against flat-footed creatures are critical hits.
evasiveness. If the hitman is affected by an effect that allows him to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, the hitman instead takes no damage if he succeeds on the saving throw, and takes only half damage if he fails the saving throw.
Sneak attack (1/turn). The assassin deals an extra 14 (4d6) damage if it hits the target with a weapon attack that has advantage on the attack roll, or if the target is within 5 feet of it. from an able-bodied ally of the hitman, and the hitman made the attack roll without disadvantage.
Actions
Multiattack. The assassin makes two short sword attacks.
Short sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 24 (7d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Light crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 80/320 ft., single target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 24 (7d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Description
Assassins who know how to use poisons work ruthlessly for the nobility, heads of guilds, rulers, and by the way, anyone who can pay for their services.
- The material is taken from the pdf version of the translation "Monster Manual" from the studio
Assassins are medieval mercenaries, immigrants from the East, outcasts among their fellow tribesmen, later romanticized by Western folklore. Since ancient times, assassins have been called assassins who commit atrocities for political reasons. Recently, the legend of the Assassins received its second birth: after studying historical sources, telling about hired killers, the company "Ubisoft Montreal" released the game Assassin's Creed.
Origins of the Assassins
For the first time on the European continent, the Assassins were heard during the Crusades. Stories about assassins were written by the enemies of Muslims - the crusaders, and have long since become legends. Initially, the Assassins were used by politicians of the Muslim faith to achieve their goals, later they "retrained" as Christian killers and began to fight the incursions of the crusaders. It is known that in 1256 the Tatar-Mongols captured the headquarters of the Assassins, located in the city of Alamut.
In their work, the assassins used various methods adopted in the Middle Ages. One of these methods was the killings carried out in crowded places in order to intimidate potential opponents. However, unlike modern terrorists, assassins never killed civilian population, they directed their actions only against real, aggressive enemies. The Assassins had their own code, they were trained in the art of war, strategy, linguistics, equestrianism, the art of disguise.
Assassins today
Modern people learned about assassins after the appearance of the game Assassin's Creed. This is an adventure game with a historical plot, which takes place during the Third Crusade. The player participates in events as main character– modern man Desmond Mealy. Mili, using a machine called the Animus, resurrects the genetic memory and restores in his mind the identity of one of his ancestors, the assassin Altair.
The essence of Assassin games
The goal of Assassin's Creed is to carry out a series of contract killings on behalf of the leader of the Assassins. To complete the mission, the player must travel from the headquarters of the brotherhood through the Holy Land to one of three cities - Acre, Jerusalem or Damascus, and find the Brotherhood of Agents. Agents provide the player with the necessary information and require the completion of additional missions: eavesdropping, interrogation, theft, information transfer.
Having joined the game, the user finds himself in an open world for research. He can take part in side missions, protect the people he needs, climb to the top of the towers and inspect the situation from there. After completing the task, the player returns to the Brotherhood, receives a new weapon and a new goal. The character's health depends on the synchronization that occurs between Desmond's memory and Altair's. When Altair suffers injuries, it is perceived as an aberration from reality rather than physical damage.
The game Assassin's Creed after its appearance received a lot of positive feedback and ratings. The project has gained popularity among players on all continents, it has been awarded as one of the best action games with excellent graphics, famously twisted plot and addictive gameplay.
Assassin games are not limited to the above game, they are many and varied. All of them are distinguished by an exciting storyline, addictive gameplay and excellent graphics. We have collected the best of them for you on this page.
