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Description

Name: Iolair Barclay
Born: March 25, 1275; Berwick-upon-Tweed, Kingdom of Scotland
Died: November 24, 1363; Edinburgh, Kingdom of Scotland (age 88)
Allegiance: Assassins

Bio: Iolair was born on the edge of Berwick-upon-Tweed to an old Scottish knight and an Irish mother who died in childbirth. Most of his early life was relatively normal. He lived and worked on his father's land, met a beautiful young lass named Maisie Murron and proposed to her, and over all lived in the peaceful quiet of the highlands. However, political turmoil threatened to tear his good life apart. When King Alexander III of Scotland died in 1286, and his successor Margaret died in 1290, the Scottish throne was left with no clear heir. Many Scottish noble families, particularly those of John Balliol and Robert the Bruce, began to squabble over their claim to the crown. With Scotland threatening to descend into civil war, the government called in Edward I of England to manage the situation. However, Edward only agreed to do so if the nobles gave into many demands that would grant Edward immense power over the Kingdom of Scotland. The meetings ended in November 1292, with Balliol coming out as the winner of the crown. But Balliol proved to be a weak king who was nothing more than a puppet of Edward's, much to the dismay of the oppressed Scottish people. In an attempt to regain favor with his own government, Balliol agreed to form an alliance with France when England went to war with Philip IV of France in 1296. This outraged Edward, and it only made things worse when the Scots led a failed attack on Carlisle. Edward rallied his troops in retaliation and sacked Iolair’s hometown of Berwick-upon-Tweed in March. The land was ravaged, and Iolair watched in horror as his father and fiance were slaughtered before his eyes. The English left the town, and Iolair, in shambles.

After a couple weeks, sulking turned into rageful vengeance. Iolair took up his father's sword and rushed to join the Scottish army to fight against the English. He participated in the Battle of Dunbar, where the Scots were absolutely crushed. Iolair barely made it out alive, and would've died at an Englishman’s sword had it not been for the aid of a mysterious hooded man who seemed to magically appear in the chaos to save him. The two rushed into the forests and fled to Annandale, where Iolair was introduced to an organization known as the Assassins, the same group who had allegedly been wiped out in the Middle East by the Mongol invasion in 1257. He met their Mentor, a burly noble warrior named William Wallace, who told him that Edward I and his allies were secretly members of the Templar Order, an organization bent on gaining total power. When Wallace offered, Iolair agreed to join the Assassins in their fight to free Scotland.

One of Iolair’s first missions was helping Wallace kill the English Templar sheriff of Lanark, William Heselrig, in May 1297. Iolair later followed Wallace and his ally Andrew Moray to the Battle of Stirling Bridge, where he killed a Templar named Hugh de Cressingham. While the battle was a major victory, things quickly fell apart afterwards. In 1298, Philip IV arranged to make peace with Edward I, and the agreements seemed to cast aside the Scottish cause. With the loss of French support, Scotland's fight for independence was crumbling. Wallace and Iolair fought at the Battle of Falkirk and lost miserably to the English forces. Scottish moral taking a dive bomb, Robert the Bruce fell in with the Templar king in 1302 in hopes of securing his own well being. Many Scottish nobles began to submit as well, and Wallace stood alone with his Assassins and supporters. Wallace was eventually captured and executed in 1305, leaving the Assassins and the rebels without a figurehead.

All seemed lost, and after some time brooding, Iolair decided he had to kill Robert the Bruce for his treachery. However, when the two confronted each other in 1306, Bruce explained that he had been working to support the Assassin cause from the inside out, buying time and stealing information on the Templar movements and plans. Iolair reluctantly agreed to accept this new ally, and things began to kick up again when a Scottish noble named John Comyn joined the Templars because of his hatred of Bruce. Comyn ratted Bruce out to Edward, which earned him a stabbing from the Assassins. Bruce, cover blown, fled back to Scotland and rallied his supporters. He was crowned king and commanded the army against England. And when that happened, things started looking better and better. Iolair killed Edward I in 1307, and in 1314, Philip IV had the Templar Grand Master in France, Jacques de Molay, burnt at the stake along with the remainder of the Templar Order. The few survivors left were forced underground and the Assassins were able to score major victory after major victory, especially at the famed Battle of Bannockburn. Scottish victory was practically inevitable. In 1320, the Scottish nobles sent a declaration of independence to the pope. Iolair killed Edward's successor, Edward II, in 1327, and the war was finally won in 1328 when Robert the Bruce was crowned king and the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton secured Scottish independence once and for all.

Things seemed peaceful for a few years, but in the 1330s, a second war was triggered by Edward Balliol, whom the Templars offered to help take the throne of Scotland if he agreed to help them take over the country. The war lasted for years, going until 1357, when Robert the Bruce's successor David II finally secured his spot on the throne with the help of Iolair and his Assassin resources. Scotland was left in poverty, but at least it was free. Iolair eventually settled down in Edinburgh with a woman he had met a few decades back and began a family, whom he lived with and raised in the Assassin ways until he passed away in 1363.

He is an ancestor of Ava Arlie.

Description

Name: Iolair Barclay
Born: March 25, 1275; Berwick-upon-Tweed, Kingdom of Scotland
Died: November 24, 1363; Edinburgh, Kingdom of Scotland (age 88)
Allegiance: Assassins

Bio: Iolair was born on the edge of Berwick-upon-Tweed to an old Scottish knight and an Irish mother who died in childbirth. Most of his early life was relatively normal. He lived and worked on his father's land, met a beautiful young lass named Maisie Murron and proposed to her, and over all lived in the peaceful quiet of the highlands. However, political turmoil threatened to tear his good life apart. When King Alexander III of Scotland died in 1286, and his successor Margaret died in 1290, the Scottish throne was left with no clear heir. Many Scottish noble families, particularly those of John Balliol and Robert the Bruce, began to squabble over their claim to the crown. With Scotland threatening to descend into civil war, the government called in Edward I of England to manage the situation. However, Edward only agreed to do so if the nobles gave into many demands that would grant Edward immense power over the Kingdom of Scotland. The meetings ended in November 1292, with Balliol coming out as the winner of the crown. But Balliol proved to be a weak king who was nothing more than a puppet of Edward's, much to the dismay of the oppressed Scottish people. In an attempt to regain favor with his own government, Balliol agreed to form an alliance with France when England went to war with Philip IV of France in 1296. This outraged Edward, and it only made things worse when the Scots led a failed attack on Carlisle. Edward rallied his troops in retaliation and sacked Iolair’s hometown of Berwick-upon-Tweed in March. The land was ravaged, and Iolair watched in horror as his father and fiance were slaughtered before his eyes. The English left the town, and Iolair, in shambles.

After a couple weeks, sulking turned into rageful vengeance. Iolair took up his father's sword and rushed to join the Scottish army to fight against the English. He participated in the Battle of Dunbar, where the Scots were absolutely crushed. Iolair barely made it out alive, and would've died at an Englishman’s sword had it not been for the aid of a mysterious hooded man who seemed to magically appear in the chaos to save him. The two rushed into the forests and fled to Annandale, where Iolair was introduced to an organization known as the Assassins, the same group who had allegedly been wiped out in the Middle East by the Mongol invasion in 1257. He met their Mentor, a burly noble warrior named William Wallace, who told him that Edward I and his allies were secretly members of the Templar Order, an organization bent on gaining total power. When Wallace offered, Iolair agreed to join the Assassins in their fight to free Scotland.

One of Iolair’s first missions was helping Wallace kill the English Templar sheriff of Lanark, William Heselrig, in May 1297. Iolair later followed Wallace and his ally Andrew Moray to the Battle of Stirling Bridge, where he killed a Templar named Hugh de Cressingham. While the battle was a major victory, things quickly fell apart afterwards. In 1298, Philip IV arranged to make peace with Edward I, and the agreements seemed to cast aside the Scottish cause. With the loss of French support, Scotland's fight for independence was crumbling. Wallace and Iolair fought at the Battle of Falkirk and lost miserably to the English forces. Scottish moral taking a dive bomb, Robert the Bruce fell in with the Templar king in 1302 in hopes of securing his own well being. Many Scottish nobles began to submit as well, and Wallace stood alone with his Assassins and supporters. Wallace was eventually captured and executed in 1305, leaving the Assassins and the rebels without a figurehead.

All seemed lost, and after some time brooding, Iolair decided he had to kill Robert the Bruce for his treachery. However, when the two confronted each other in 1306, Bruce explained that he had been working to support the Assassin cause from the inside out, buying time and stealing information on the Templar movements and plans. Iolair reluctantly agreed to accept this new ally, and things began to kick up again when a Scottish noble named John Comyn joined the Templars because of his hatred of Bruce. Comyn ratted Bruce out to Edward, which earned him a stabbing from the Assassins. Bruce, cover blown, fled back to Scotland and rallied his supporters. He was crowned king and commanded the army against England. And when that happened, things started looking better and better. Iolair killed Edward I in 1307, and in 1314, Philip IV had the Templar Grand Master in France, Jacques de Molay, burnt at the stake along with the remainder of the Templar Order. The few survivors left were forced underground and the Assassins were able to score major victory after major victory, especially at the famed Battle of Bannockburn. Scottish victory was practically inevitable. In 1320, the Scottish nobles sent a declaration of independence to the pope. Iolair killed Edward's successor, Edward II, in 1327, and the war was finally won in 1328 when Robert the Bruce was crowned king and the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton secured Scottish independence once and for all.

Things seemed peaceful for a few years, but in the 1330s, a second war was triggered by Edward Balliol, whom the Templars offered to help take the throne of Scotland if he agreed to help them take over the country. The war lasted for years, going until 1357, when Robert the Bruce's successor David II finally secured his spot on the throne with the help of Iolair and his Assassin resources. Scotland was left in poverty, but at least it was free. Iolair eventually settled down in Edinburgh with a woman he had met a few decades back and began a family, whom he lived with and raised in the Assassin ways until he passed away in 1363.

He is an ancestor of Ava Arlie.