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Description

The Huns were a nomadic group of people originating from somewhere near central Asia. Around 370, they began to move into Europe and established an enormous empire there, rivaling the collapsing Roman Empire that controlled the Mediterranean at the time. The Hunnic Empire had several kings and leaders over its existence, but one of the most famous was a man named Attila. Attila was born c. 406 and became the ruler of the Huns with his brother, Bleda. Attila eventually killed Bleda around 445, however, and took power for himself. His army quickly gained a reputation as being violent, brutal warriors and conquerors, especially to the Templar-backed Romans, who saw Attila and his men as a threat to their power.

Attila had no love for the Romans or the Templars, which ordinarily would gain him favor with the Assassins who were trying to liberate the people from Roman tyranny. And for a while, it did. Attila had close ties with the Roman Assassin, Flavius Aetius, and the two men were usually able to negotiate fairly. However, Attila’s ambition got the best of him. After the Romans refused to hand over the Emperor's sister, Honoria, who supposedly wrote to Attila to ask for his assistance and his love, Attila planned to lead his army into Rome and conquer its people. The Assassins saw that such an invasion would put hundreds of innocent lives at risk, and they were forced to cut their ties to Attila. But something else also triggered this schism.

During his reign, one of Attila’s men (whom some believe could have been a Sage) had found a Sword of Eden. This man took the Sword and gave it to Attila, knowing he'd use it to crush the Huns’ enemies. Now Attila wielded unbelievable power, and the Assassins would not approve of this threat to the liberty and justice of the people. Attila was a threat to the Templars, an enemy of the Assassins, and a wielder of a Piece of Eden. This guy might as well have had a bullseye painted on his chest.

Aetius led the Roman and Visigothic armies against Attila, and eventually managed to push him back a bit. Attila returned to continue his conquest in 452, ravaging Italy in the process. The city of Venice was founded around this time, as several citizens fled to the seas and built the city on the water to avoid any further Hunnic forces. The hard harvest in Italy became even worse when Attila’s men ravaged the landscape, destroying so much as they went. The Assassins knew they had to fight back, and thankfully, they eventually turned the Huns around. Attila returned to his lands and began planning another attack on Constantinople. However, during a party in 453, the Assassins poisoned Attila, killing him. They took his Sword of Eden and hid it away where no one would find it until it eventually wound up in the hands of Charlemagne a few centuries later.

Attila’s sons squabbled over control of the empire for years, and the political chaos that resulted from it ultimately destroyed the empire. The death blow for the Hunnic Empire was their defeat by Germanic tribes in the Battle of Nedao in 454. The Assassins got to work on dismantling the shredded remains of the empire, returning the power to the people. However, several, much bigger threats remained. The Romans still posed a threat, and though the Western portion had collapsed in 476, the Eastern half, what would eventually be called the Byzantine Empire, still stood tall and powerful and dangerous.

Description

The Huns were a nomadic group of people originating from somewhere near central Asia. Around 370, they began to move into Europe and established an enormous empire there, rivaling the collapsing Roman Empire that controlled the Mediterranean at the time. The Hunnic Empire had several kings and leaders over its existence, but one of the most famous was a man named Attila. Attila was born c. 406 and became the ruler of the Huns with his brother, Bleda. Attila eventually killed Bleda around 445, however, and took power for himself. His army quickly gained a reputation as being violent, brutal warriors and conquerors, especially to the Templar-backed Romans, who saw Attila and his men as a threat to their power.

Attila had no love for the Romans or the Templars, which ordinarily would gain him favor with the Assassins who were trying to liberate the people from Roman tyranny. And for a while, it did. Attila had close ties with the Roman Assassin, Flavius Aetius, and the two men were usually able to negotiate fairly. However, Attila’s ambition got the best of him. After the Romans refused to hand over the Emperor's sister, Honoria, who supposedly wrote to Attila to ask for his assistance and his love, Attila planned to lead his army into Rome and conquer its people. The Assassins saw that such an invasion would put hundreds of innocent lives at risk, and they were forced to cut their ties to Attila. But something else also triggered this schism.

During his reign, one of Attila’s men (whom some believe could have been a Sage) had found a Sword of Eden. This man took the Sword and gave it to Attila, knowing he'd use it to crush the Huns’ enemies. Now Attila wielded unbelievable power, and the Assassins would not approve of this threat to the liberty and justice of the people. Attila was a threat to the Templars, an enemy of the Assassins, and a wielder of a Piece of Eden. This guy might as well have had a bullseye painted on his chest.

Aetius led the Roman and Visigothic armies against Attila, and eventually managed to push him back a bit. Attila returned to continue his conquest in 452, ravaging Italy in the process. The city of Venice was founded around this time, as several citizens fled to the seas and built the city on the water to avoid any further Hunnic forces. The hard harvest in Italy became even worse when Attila’s men ravaged the landscape, destroying so much as they went. The Assassins knew they had to fight back, and thankfully, they eventually turned the Huns around. Attila returned to his lands and began planning another attack on Constantinople. However, during a party in 453, the Assassins poisoned Attila, killing him. They took his Sword of Eden and hid it away where no one would find it until it eventually wound up in the hands of Charlemagne a few centuries later.

Attila’s sons squabbled over control of the empire for years, and the political chaos that resulted from it ultimately destroyed the empire. The death blow for the Hunnic Empire was their defeat by Germanic tribes in the Battle of Nedao in 454. The Assassins got to work on dismantling the shredded remains of the empire, returning the power to the people. However, several, much bigger threats remained. The Romans still posed a threat, and though the Western portion had collapsed in 476, the Eastern half, what would eventually be called the Byzantine Empire, still stood tall and powerful and dangerous.