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The Ottomans first popped up as a major power in the history books in 1302, after Sultan Osman I and his army victoriously beat the Byzantines at the Battle of Bapheus. And ever since, the Ottomans had become the sworn enemies of the Templar-influenced Byzantines. Over the next 150 years, the Ottomans grew unbelievably strong and influential, and in 1453 Sultan Mehmet II and his forces finally annihilated every last trace of the Byzantine Empire after claiming their capital at Constantinople. The Ottomans then moved their capital to the city, and renamed it Istanbul. Why they changed it, I can't say. People just liked it better that way. After that, Istanbul exploded as the center of culture and trade for all of Eurasia. Thousands of people from all over the known world flocked to the city, especially since the Ottomans, by both tradition and law, were respectful and tolerant of all creeds and cultures. Muslims, Christians, Jews, Romanis, all were welcome. As you can imagine, this made the Ottomans really good friends with the Assassins, who soon recovered from the purge set upon them by the Byzantine Templars.

The Assassins wormed their way deep into the Ottoman culture, helping them slay their enemies and the Templars helping them. A famous example is when the Turkish Assassin Mentor, Ishak Pasha, led his army into Wallachia in 1476 and defeated and killed the tyrannical Templar ruler, Vlad Tepes, better known as Vlad the Impaler. However, this would cause the Assassin, Vali cel Tradat, to betray the order due to his admiration of the Impaler. Nonetheless, the Assassins carried on strongly throughout the Ottoman Empire.

Another famous Assassin story from Ottoman history actually starts back in Italy. In 1509, after sending Cesare Borgia to his end, the legendary Mentor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, found a letter from his father to his uncle, detailing his discovery of Altaïr’s Library underneath Masyaf Castle, a hidden chamber full of invaluable wisdom. Ezio decided to take up the quest to find the Library, and arrived in Masyaf in March 1511. However, Ezio discovered that it had been taken over by the scrambling remains of what was the Byzantine Empire: the Templar kind of remains. Ezio fought them off and found the Library, but found it locked behind a door that required five special keys. And so, Ezio traveled to Istanbul in May and met the local Assassins there, including Yusuf Tazim, the leader of the Turkish branch of the Brotherhood.

Over the next few months, Ezio met and worked with several valuable allies, such as the famous Prince Suleiman (who later later become the legendary Sultan Suleiman “The Magnificent”), the Prince's uncle Ahmet, the Assassin Piri Reis, and a beautiful young bookstore owner named Sofia Sartor, who would eventually become Ezio’s lover. They all aided Ezio in finding the Masyaf keys across Istanbul, and he found that each key was actually an Isu relic that Altaïr had used to imprint his most important life memories onto. During his quest, Ezio also worked to eliminate the Byzantine conspirators, such as Manuel Palaiologos and Shahkulu.

He eventually learned that Ahmet himself had thrown in with the Templars, and the Prince stole Ezio’s keys with the intent of using them for his own power. Ezio gave chase with Sofia, and cornered Ahmet in the countryside. After being rescued by Suleiman’s father, Sultan Selim (who killed Ahmet), Ezio and Sofia took the keys back to Masyaf in 1512, and opened the Library. Within, Ezio found only the skeleton of Altaïr, and the Apple of Eden that had been hidden away. Ezio left the Apple behind, believing it best if it stayed underground, but not before he uncovered a message from the Precursor, Jupiter, to an unknown phantom simply called “Desmond”. Ezio then officially retired from the Assassins, believing his work was done and that it was time to settle down at last. He and Sofia returned to Italy, got married, and had two smiling children. Ezio died peacefully in Florence in 1524.

The Ottoman Empire remained a major power for centuries, reaching its peak in politics and cultural diversity after Suleiman became Sultan in 1520. Suleiman realized that the only way to keep the land stable was to allow the people to be free to live their lives as they wished to live them. And so, with the help of his Assassin friends, he brought the Empire into a golden age that lasted throughout his 50 years as Sultan. The Empire remained a major power until the Allied Powers took it over during World War I, and the Empire was fully disbanded in 1923. What remained of the territory became what is today the country of Turkey.

Description

The Ottomans first popped up as a major power in the history books in 1302, after Sultan Osman I and his army victoriously beat the Byzantines at the Battle of Bapheus. And ever since, the Ottomans had become the sworn enemies of the Templar-influenced Byzantines. Over the next 150 years, the Ottomans grew unbelievably strong and influential, and in 1453 Sultan Mehmet II and his forces finally annihilated every last trace of the Byzantine Empire after claiming their capital at Constantinople. The Ottomans then moved their capital to the city, and renamed it Istanbul. Why they changed it, I can't say. People just liked it better that way. After that, Istanbul exploded as the center of culture and trade for all of Eurasia. Thousands of people from all over the known world flocked to the city, especially since the Ottomans, by both tradition and law, were respectful and tolerant of all creeds and cultures. Muslims, Christians, Jews, Romanis, all were welcome. As you can imagine, this made the Ottomans really good friends with the Assassins, who soon recovered from the purge set upon them by the Byzantine Templars.

The Assassins wormed their way deep into the Ottoman culture, helping them slay their enemies and the Templars helping them. A famous example is when the Turkish Assassin Mentor, Ishak Pasha, led his army into Wallachia in 1476 and defeated and killed the tyrannical Templar ruler, Vlad Tepes, better known as Vlad the Impaler. However, this would cause the Assassin, Vali cel Tradat, to betray the order due to his admiration of the Impaler. Nonetheless, the Assassins carried on strongly throughout the Ottoman Empire.

Another famous Assassin story from Ottoman history actually starts back in Italy. In 1509, after sending Cesare Borgia to his end, the legendary Mentor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, found a letter from his father to his uncle, detailing his discovery of Altaïr’s Library underneath Masyaf Castle, a hidden chamber full of invaluable wisdom. Ezio decided to take up the quest to find the Library, and arrived in Masyaf in March 1511. However, Ezio discovered that it had been taken over by the scrambling remains of what was the Byzantine Empire: the Templar kind of remains. Ezio fought them off and found the Library, but found it locked behind a door that required five special keys. And so, Ezio traveled to Istanbul in May and met the local Assassins there, including Yusuf Tazim, the leader of the Turkish branch of the Brotherhood.

Over the next few months, Ezio met and worked with several valuable allies, such as the famous Prince Suleiman (who later later become the legendary Sultan Suleiman “The Magnificent”), the Prince's uncle Ahmet, the Assassin Piri Reis, and a beautiful young bookstore owner named Sofia Sartor, who would eventually become Ezio’s lover. They all aided Ezio in finding the Masyaf keys across Istanbul, and he found that each key was actually an Isu relic that Altaïr had used to imprint his most important life memories onto. During his quest, Ezio also worked to eliminate the Byzantine conspirators, such as Manuel Palaiologos and Shahkulu.

He eventually learned that Ahmet himself had thrown in with the Templars, and the Prince stole Ezio’s keys with the intent of using them for his own power. Ezio gave chase with Sofia, and cornered Ahmet in the countryside. After being rescued by Suleiman’s father, Sultan Selim (who killed Ahmet), Ezio and Sofia took the keys back to Masyaf in 1512, and opened the Library. Within, Ezio found only the skeleton of Altaïr, and the Apple of Eden that had been hidden away. Ezio left the Apple behind, believing it best if it stayed underground, but not before he uncovered a message from the Precursor, Jupiter, to an unknown phantom simply called “Desmond”. Ezio then officially retired from the Assassins, believing his work was done and that it was time to settle down at last. He and Sofia returned to Italy, got married, and had two smiling children. Ezio died peacefully in Florence in 1524.

The Ottoman Empire remained a major power for centuries, reaching its peak in politics and cultural diversity after Suleiman became Sultan in 1520. Suleiman realized that the only way to keep the land stable was to allow the people to be free to live their lives as they wished to live them. And so, with the help of his Assassin friends, he brought the Empire into a golden age that lasted throughout his 50 years as Sultan. The Empire remained a major power until the Allied Powers took it over during World War I, and the Empire was fully disbanded in 1923. What remained of the territory became what is today the country of Turkey.