Derinkuyu

Template:WPlocations

Derinkuyu
Political information
Government	Templars
Factions	Byzantines Ottomans
Historical information
Date founded	Late Bronze Age
Additional information
Assassination targets	Shahkulu Manuel Palaiologos

Derinkuyu was a hidden underground city in Central Anatolia, Cappadocia.

After the Byzantine Templars reasserted their presence in the Ottoman Empire in 1509, they took over the city of Derinkuyu and made it their headquarters, serving as the base of operations for their activities in the Empire.

In 1512, the Assassin Ezio Auditore visited the city, following his search for the final key to Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's library, which resided at Masyaf.

History

Templar headquarters

During the early 16th century, the Templars set up their headquarters in Derinkuyu, after having been driven from their previous base in Rome by the Assassins. There, the Templars set up prisons and installed themselves as the rulers of the city, filling the streets with Byzantine Templars.

The one in charge of the Masyaf expedition, Manuel Palaiologos, resided in Derinkuyu for some time after his family lost their hold on the Ottoman throne. He, along with his bodyguard and fellow Templar, Shahkulu, governed much of the city and held power within its walls. The two also negotiated the purchase of armanents for their Templars with the Captain of the Janissaries, Tarik Barleti, in 1511.

Assassin infiltration

File:Ezio-cappadocia-arrival.png

Ezio arriving in Cappadocia.

By 1511, the Janissary Captain, Tarik Barleti, had Ottoman spies active in Cappadocia and Derinkuyu. These spies were meant to observe the Templars' activity in the city and report it back to the Janissaries, and while their information was being collected, Tarik prepared to attack the Templars where they felt safest: Cappadocia.

File:Ezio-eavesdrop.png

Ezio eavesdropping on Manuel and Shahkulu.

When the Assassin Ezio Auditore arrived in Derinkuyu via ship in March of 1512, he met with one of these spies, who was a woman by the name of Dilara. After meeting with Tarik's undercover operative, Ezio made his way around the city, where he overheard Byzantine Templars discussing the fate of Dilara. They conversed about Manuel's bodyguard Shahkulu, and how he was preparing to kill her, before they met with the man himself.

Unfortunately for them, neither the guards nor Shahkulu had the key to Dilara's prison cell, as it was at the city market, possessed by an off-duty Byzantine. Making his way to the market, Ezio pickpocketed the key from the guard, before he quickly hurried back to Dilara's cell. Following this, Ezio immediately liberated the spy, but Dilara left abruptly and informed him that she was going to kill Shahkulu.

File:Shakulu-choking-ezio.png

Shahkulu choking Ezio.

The Assassin eventually caught up with Dilara, who was observing Shahkulu as he beat one of her fellow spies, a man named Janos. While Dilara worried about Janos, Ezio free-ran around the area and made his way to a small platform, directly above where Shahkulu stood, as he surmised that the Templar's armor was too thick for bullets. Afterwards, he leapt from the beam and air-assassinated Shahkulu with his Hidden Blade.

Peculiarly however, Shahkulu feigned death and began to strangle Ezio as he was delivering last rites, to which the Assassin responded by stabbing him once more in the shoulder to make the man release his grip on his throat.

Unfazed, the Turkmen renegade shrugged off the blade wound, and attempted to fight the Assassin alongside his reinforcements. After a brief skirmish, Ezio finally dispatched Shahkulu before reuniting the two spies, before he left to find Manuel Palaiologos.

Hunt for Manuel

While navigating the city in a search for Manuel, Ezio spotted a depot where the Templar armanents were being stored. With this in mind, Ezio made his way through the depot and eventually ignited the gunpowder that the rifles came with, creating a large explosion which blazed through the depot.

File:Cappadocia-arsenal-explosion.png

The destruction of the arsenal.

Upon seeing and hearing the loud explosion of the weapons depot, Manuel rushed out from his heavily guarded area to an elevated position, where he had a clear view of the entire city. From there, Manuel began making a speech that called for calm, before he was forced to flee at the sight of Ezio moving towards him.

As Manuel ran, he called out for his guards to kill the Assassin, while he eventually made his way to a large gate in the corner of the city, believing he was safe from the Assassin.

File:Ezio-cornering-manuel.png

Ezio cornering Manuel

However, Ezio scaled the closed gate and began pursuing Manuel in another chase. Once he reached a set of docks, Manuel was forced to confront the Assassin, of which he challenged Ezio to a duel. Despite his best efforts, Manuel was bested, and was subsequently killed in the confrontation.

Following this, Ezio recovered the final Masyaf Key from Manuel, though he was confronted by Prince Ahmet on a boat offshore, who manifested himself to be a Templar as well. Ezio conversed briefly with Ahmet, and the Ottoman prince commanded his men to kill the Assassin, before departing from the city.

Fire

File:Ezio-cappadocia-escape.png

Ezio, having escaped from the fire.

Once Ezio had managed to kill his attackers, he began to make his way out of the city. However, upon climbing back over the gate, the Assassin noticed that the fire he caused had spread to a large portion of the city, engulfing the entire depot, as well as observing that its smoke was slowly killing citizens and hindering others from leaving.

Throughout the duration of Ezio's escape, Derinkuyu's alarm bell rang loudly, and explosions periodically rocked the entire city. Despite the raging fire and deafening blasts though, Ezio managed to escape Derinkuyu and left Cappadocia by boat, commanded by his ally Piri Reis.

Trivia

• In an interview with CVG, Alexandre Amancio noted that parts of the city were reminiscent of Petra.
• While in the city, Ezio could not gain or lose notoriety.
• Since Derinkuyu was never freed from Templar control, the unique items sold there contained Templar taxes, which raised the stores' prices by 10%.
• After Ezio's journey was over, it was possible for him to take a boat to Cappadocia from the Eastern Galata District docks, enabling him to explore Derinkuyu again. Oddly however, the city appeared the same as it was upon his first arrival.
• There was only one viewpoint in the whole of Derinkuyu.

Gallery

Cappadoccia ezio gamescom.jpg

Ezio running through Derinkuyu.

Ezio in Derinkuyu.

Cappadocia concept illustration by Raphael Lacoste.

Concept art of Cappadocia by Martin Deschambault.

Cappadocia concept art.

Ezio-cappadocia-outside.png

Ezio outside Derinkuyu.

Ezio overlooking Derinkuyu from the viewpoint.

Sources

• Assassin's Creed: Revelations
• Assassin's Creed Revelations (novel)