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- "An excellent kill. Fortune favors your blade."
- ―Kadar complimenting Altaïr, 1191.[src]
Kadar Al-Sayf (died 1191) was a member of the Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins during the 12th century, the younger brother of Malik Al-Sayf, and the uncle of Malik's son Tazim Al-Sayf.
While not ranked highly above a novice of the Order, he was among the Assassins sent to recover the Templar treasure in 1191 at Solomon's Temple. Unfortunately, due to a conflict that arose there, Kadar lost his life.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Born as the son of Faheem Al-Sayf, a Master Assassin, Kadar was brought up in the Assassin fortress of Masyaf with his older brother Malik, training from an early age to become a member of the Assassins, so that he could be sent out on missions.[1]
Kadar saw Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad as the epitome of skill and power of the Brotherhood, which led to him attempting to emulate Altaïr, infuriating his elder brother.[1]
Malik disliked Altaïr for his arrogance, but Kadar ignored his brother's warnings and followed Altaïr's teachings, rather than his sibling's far more cautious ways.[1]
At the time of 1191, Kadar had proven proficient with his weapons, and was deemed capable of being sent on quite dangerous missions. He carried a Hidden Blade, several throwing knives and a sword at the time of his death, weapons only granted to Assassins that had proved their abilities and risen in the ranks.[2]
Solomon's Temple[]
Malik and Kadar witnessing Altaïr kill an innocent man beneath the Temple
Kadar was ordered to complete a mission with two other Assassins; his brother Malik, and the Master Assassin Altaïr. However, he was not informed of the mission's details, so he asked Altaïr about what the three of them were meant to be doing inside Solomon's Temple.[3]
This lack of information meant that, at the time, Kadar was not yet of high enough rank to be given important or confidential information.[3]
A short while after, Altaïr assassinated an innocent man close to the entrance of the Temple and incurred the wrath of Malik, as the lower-ranked Assassin berated him for dishonoring the Creed.[3]
This warning to his idol went over Kadar's head though, as he ignored his brother and praised Altaïr for his skill with the Hidden Blade. Following this, as Malik was frustrated by the turn of events, he left to scout ahead out of exasperation, while Kadar further flattered his role model.[3]
The three Assassins continued through the tunnels, leaping over pits in the ground and killing one guard that stood in their way without raising an alarm. Eventually, they found themselves on a stone, earthen ledge overlooking a large room.[3]
The walls were held back by beautifully carved pillars and a highly-decorated golden box was shown above an excavated entrance on the opposite side of the room. Accompanying this, several scaffolds had been left about the place, as the chamber had only just been dug out by workmen from Jerusalem.[3]
Malik pointed out the decorated box and claimed that it must be the treasure they were looking for, to which Kadar hesitantly asked if it was the Ark of the Covenant, but was lightly chastised by Altaïr as being silly, as the Ark was nothing but a fairy-tale.[3]
Suddenly, a group of Knights Templar walked into the room below, unaware of the Assassins above them. One of these was Robert de Sablé, Grand Master of the Templar Order and a sworn enemy of the Assassins.[3]
Altaïr immediately declared that the life of Robert was his, despite Malik arguing that their mission was to retrieve the treasure, not to kill Robert. However, Altaïr called him a coward and approached his target nonetheless.[3]
Making himself known, the Assassin openly challenged Robert, going against the second tenet of the Creed which ordered Assassins to always be discreet. However, Robert seemed unfazed to see the three Assassins and easily fended off Altaïr's attack, separating him from Malik and Kadar by throwing him through a wall, with the intention of sparing him on purpose so that Altaïr could deliver a message to Al Mualim.[3]
Death[]
- Malik: "Gone... because of you!"
- Altaïr: "Robert threw me from the room. There was no way back, nothing I could do."
- Malik: "Because you would not heed my warning! All of this could have been avoided! And my brother... my brother would still be alive!"
- —Malik accuses Altaïr of negligence.[src]
The Assassins look towards the Ark of the Covenant
For some time, the two brothers fought against the five Templars present, including the highly-skilled Robert. During this, Malik was able to save the Templar treasure and flee with it to Masyaf, as their mission demanded.[3]
Unfortunately, Kadar was not experienced enough in battle to survive the onslaught of so many enemies at once and perished, although it was unclear whether Malik fled before or after this event. He did not leave unscathed however, as Malik's arm was injured severely enough to need amputation upon his return to Masyaf.[3]
Personality and traits[]
- Kadar: "The Ark... of the Covenant?"
- Altaïr: "Don't be silly, there's no such thing. It's just a story."
- —Kadar views the Ark with astonishment.[src]
Kadar was an excitable person in his youth, always ready to go and take the fight to the enemy rather than skulking around in the shadows, waiting for the danger to pass. As such, he was a better follower of Altaïr's methods in practice than his brother's more careful tactics. This was to the frustration of Malik, as he was more of a rival than a friend to Altaïr in their early days of being Assassins.[2]
Kadar was younger than Malik, yet was at a higher rank than novice, despite his youth; meaning he had some ability and skill with his weapons and in his fighting style. It is likely that Kadar would have worked very hard to keep up with his brother in the matters of the Order, looking up to him and to Altaïr in all things.[2]
Kadar was obedient to the Creed of the Assassins, and though admiring of Altaïr's arrogant and reckless ways, he seemed to display the humility and patience that an Assassin needed to fulfill their deadly tasks.[2]
Due to his birthplace, Kadar was quite tanned, as was Malik, and appeared to have light stubble on his lip and chin. His eyes were an oddly light color, as opposed to the far more common dark brown eyes of Middle-Eastern people. His head was mostly hidden from view by a gray hood, and his dark gray sleeves portrayed his low rank in the Order.[2]
When it came to his Assassin robes, the signature triangle-shaped buckle was strapped across his chest and a red sash was tied around his waist. Throwing knives were kept on his belt and a sword hung from the left side of his waist, and though he was endowed with a Hidden Blade, Kadar had all of his fingers, which was uncommon amongst his Assassin brethren.[2]
Trivia[]
- In Arabic, "Kadar" (from Qadir, قدير) means "powerful" or "strong", while "Al-sayf" means "the sword".
- Al-Qadir is also one of the 99 attributes of Allah.
- Kadar wore the short robes and dark hood common to the lower-ranked Assassins and guards in Masyaf.
Appearances[]
References[]
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