The plot is set in a fictional history of real-world events, taking place primarily during the Third Crusade in the Holy Land in 1191. The player character is a modern-day man named Desmond Miles who, through a machine called the "Animus", relives the genetic memories of his ancestor, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad. Through this plot device, details emerge about a centuries-old struggle between two factions: the Assassin Brotherhood, who fight for peace with free will, and the Knights Templar, who desire peace through control. Both factions seek an artifact called the "Apple of Eden", which can be used to control minds, with the Assassins wishing to destroy it before it can be used for evil. The 12th century portion of the film follows Altaïr, a high-ranking member of the Assassins, who after breaking the tenets of the Brotherhood during a botched mission, must assassinate a select group of targets to regain his lost honor. The game includes an open world comprising four cities—Masyaf, Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus
