Achilles Davenport

Achilles Davenport was the leader of the Colonial Assassins during the 1700's, more specifically from the Seven Years' War (1754 - 1761) and the American Revolution (1765 - 1783). He appears in Assassin's Creed III as the deuteragonist and in Assassins's Creed: Rogue as a assassination target and the true main antagonist.

Start of career
Achilles was recruited in the mid-1730s and trained by Ah Tabai, the Mentor of the Caribbean Brotherhood of Assassins. In 1746, Achilles himself became the Mentor of the Colonial Assassin Brotherhood, as he had a gift for both recruitment and organization. Under his leadership, the Assassins established their base of operations in the Davenport Homestead, and spanned across the colonies and most of the Frontier, while Achilles also strengthened relations with the Iroquois tribes. He was married to a woman named Abigail and fathered a son, Connor Davenport. However, both died of typhoid fever in 1755.

Manuscript and Box and Shay's betrayal
During this time, the assassins acquired a manuscript that allowed them to locate Precursor sites. Achilles sends the assassin Shay Cormac to recover an artifact but unknown to them the artifact was not a traditional Piece of Eden and when disturbed it caused a devastating earthquake causing the deaths of thousands of innocent people. Shay returns to Achilles traumatized and angrily tells him what happened. Achilles refused to believe Shay despite being aware of a similar incident occurring at Haiti, so Shay who was desperate to prevent yet another earthquake occurring betrays the brotherhood and tried to steal the manuscript, Achilles and the rest of the Assassins tried to kill him. By the time Achilles learned that Shay had indeed been telling the truth, Shay was fully committed to the Templar cause and helped to kick off the 1763 Colonial Purge.

Temple in the Atlantic
By 1763, the Assassins were hunted down and eliminated by the Templars, during the aftermath of the French and Indian War, with Achilles being the sole survivor. In 1761, while Achilles and his ally Liam were in the Atlantic looking for a Precursor temple, Shay and Haytham fought through and confronted the two Assassins. Achilles and Liam were told that the artifacts in these temples were to stablilize the world, not a weapon to save it or control it. Achilles was convinced by Shay's words, but Liam didn't care and attempted to kill Shay, Achillies tries to stop him and they accidentally disturb the artifact and cause another earthquake, the four fled and while Shay would fight against Liam, Haytham pursued the fleeing Achilles. Shay kills Liam. Haytham wanted to kill Achilles, but with a lack of opposition, the Templar Order grew more powerful and was able to cripple the last Assassin. However, confident that he was no longer a threat (and realizing that someone had to tell the Assassins about the pillars), the Templars decided to show mercy, and allowed Achilles to live if he resigned his role as an Assassin and told the Assassins about the Pillars. Following this, Achilles went into exile in the wilderness of the Frontier, residing alone at the Davenport Manor for the next six years.

He later died in 1781, in his home and buried by his apprentice Connor, the Assassin who un-does all of Shay's work.

Personality and characteristics

 * "Let me tell you something, Connor. Life is not a fairy tale and there are no happy endings!"
 * ―Achilles to Connor.

As a result of losing his family and for failing the Assassin Order under his leadership, Achilles lost his will to fight and became stoic and disillusioned in the Assassins' cause. When first meeting and training Ratonhnhaké:ton, Achilles was a strict, insensitive, and somewhat short-tempered man. He was quick to reprimand, discourage, and correct his naive and brash apprentice.

Connor possessed a highly romanticized and idealized view of the Assassins and his mission, believing that destroying the Templars would grant freedom to all of mankind. This was a strong contrast to Achilles' cynical but rational view of the world. As a result, Achilles often lectured Connor to warn him that his views and actions, while noble, were misguided and potentially dangerous. Connor would argue in disagreement and the two criticized each other on occasions.

Despite this, Achilles was not without heart, as he genuinely cared for Connor and took pride in his accomplishments; so much so that Achilles became an important father figure and mentor. Over the years, Achilles watched as the Homestead flourished into a thriving and loving community, giving Achilles a sense of hope for America's future.

Trivia

 * A deleted dialogue has Achilles telling Connor about his family and their deaths, and how he contemplated suicide after losing them.
 * Achilles' nickname, "the Old Man on the Hill," is reminiscent of the moniker given to another Mentor in the Order, Rashid ad-Din Sinan: "the Old Man of the Mountain."
 * Achilles is the only villain in Assassin's Creed: Rogue who you never actually battle or injure.