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Little is known about the First Civilization, or “Those Who Came Before,” but they were native to Earth. Like humans, they were the product of evolution, a process that undoubtedly took hundreds of thousands of years. This ancient race, now extinct, was so advanced that modern-day scientists—at least the few fortunate enough to come across their technology—have not yet begun to fathom their knowledge.

Characteristics

Those Who Came Before were anatomically similar to humans, although they were taller and their skulls were approximately 30% larger. It is theorized that their larger skulls housed bigger brains, which could explain why they possessed six senses, allowing for a more sophisticated perception of space and time. Those Who Came Before also had a longer lifespan, and evidence of their passing can be found throughout the planet, not only in the ruins of their lost civilization, but also in ancient myths and legends. One theory is that skulls from archeological sites around Boskop, South Africa, give fossil evidence of their existence.

History

It is impossible to tell when the origins of Those Who Came before begin, nor how long they have existed, but archaeological findings suggest that at its height, their civilization spanned the entire globe. Although they have been extinct for millennia, these beings possessed highly developed technology and their scientific advancements far exceeded the level which modern-day science has thus far reached.

It is through their sophisticated knowledge that these entities were able to create human beings in their own image, transforming a preexisting species and radically altering its genetic makeup as well as accelerating its natural evolutionary process. However, through this genetic manipulation, Those Who Came Before also deprived humans of abilities that they themselves possessed. Compared to them, humans were somewhat lesser beings, limited to five senses and a shorter lifespan.

Evidence suggests that Those Who Came Before purposefully limited the potential of mankind to ensure it would remain enslaved. Indeed, the First Civilization created humans to serve them, and used the Pieces of Eden—complex technological devices—to ensure obedience. Yet, despite their many flaws, humans eventually freed themselves and survived, while Those Who Came Before perished. It has been hypothesized that this was in part due to the fact that, over the course of several generations, certain human beings became a crossbreed between humans and the First Civilization. These humans who had First Civilization DNA could somehow resist the effect the Pieces of Eden had on their brethren.

After centuries—if not millennia—of enslavement, early generations of humans eventually revolted against their masters, and war broke out. While Those Who Came Before had superior technology, humans were more numerous, and many of the First Civilization were killed during the conflict. Eventually, a great catastrophe—the advent of which went unnoticed during the conflict—struck Earth, putting an end to the war.

Known as the Toba catastrophe, which occurred between 69,000 and 77,000 years ago, this cataclysm affected both mankind and Those Who Came Before. However, few members of the First Civilization survived, and as a result, they gradually became extinct. What remained of humankind scattered across the planet, gradually growing in numbers with each passing generation. It took tens of thousands of years for Those Who Came Before to completely disappear from the face of the Earth, but the Toba catastrophe undoubtedly destroyed their society and ushered mankind into a new age.

After the Toba catastrophe, the First Civilization survivors continued to interact with mankind, influencing many aspects of most societies around the globe. Ancient pantheons—such as the Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Indian and Mesoamerican, to name a few—were largely influenced by Those Who Came Before, as humans undoubtedly mistook these beings possessing incomprehensible technology for gods. The fact that myths and deities from different cultures share so many similarities only strengthens this hypothesis.

Recent research also provides indisputable evidence that beings calling themselves Consus, Juno, Jupiter and Minerva were members of the First Civilization. It is yet unknown how these beings were able to do so, but they evidently continued to influence mankind even years after their passing.

Technology

Pieces of Eden

Although extremely rare, these artifacts are immensely powerful. In the old days, people believed these objects magical in nature. Some even imagined they were of alien origin. Pieces of Eden are actually ancient, yet very advanced technological devices, which predate the earliest historical records of human civilization. While little is known about them, some Pieces of Eden have been designed to react to—and manipulate—human physiology. The remnants of this complex technology continued to shape the course of human history until modern times.

Apples

Among the most coveted Pieces of Eden, Apples are artifacts of First Civilization technology designed to ensure humanity’s subservience, potentially allowing the control of a subject’s thoughts, emotions and behavior. Humans were predisposed to influence by Apples of Eden, as their genetic structure was tailored specifically to respond to the artifacts in order to facilitate humanity’s obedience to Those Who Came Before. Many throughout history held one of the Apples, and those who possessed such a relic inevitably changed the world.

Ironically, the Apples were likely responsible for the end of humanity’s subservience to their masters. Adam and Eve, believed to be among the first humans to revolt against Those Who Came Before, retrieved an apple and used it to spark a rebellion between humans and the First Civilization. The Apples remained prominent throughout history, attributed to catalyzing major events, such as the Trojan War in the 12th century BCE.

The power of the Apples to control the minds of men was recognized by a small group of individuals who by 1129 CE would be known as the Templar Order. The Templars’ desire to unify the world under one ruling body motivated a hunt for the Pieces of Eden—the Apples in particular—which continues to this day. In 1191, the Assassin-turned-Templar Rashid ad-Din Sinan temporarily seized control over the citadel of Masyaf using the power of an apple. His defeat at the hands of his apprentice Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad marked the beginning of a period of intense conflict between Assassins and Templars for control over these particular Pieces of Eden.

The Apples are versatile tools, which can also function as archives stored with First Civilization knowledge. Both the Assassins and Templars have explored this hidden knowledge, although the Templars were particularly aggressive in obtaining and capitalizing on the information contained within. Study of the Apples and similar Pieces of Eden led to several scientific breakthroughs and technological advancements. In particular, the Apples are capable of tracking and projecting the locations of every other Piece of Eden on an illusory map of the world. This map, rediscovered in 2012 via the Animus, proved essential to the efforts of both Templars and Assassins in the hunt for the remaining Pieces of Eden.

The Templars took the lead in this hunt and by the 21st century were aware of at least five Apples. However, one of these artifacts was destroyed at Denver International Airport—an event which postponed the planned launch of the Eye-Abstergo satellite to December 21, 2012. Since then, the search for the Apples has intensified.

Known to have possessed Apples of Eden

Swords and Staffs

Pieces of Eden conferred great power to their wielders. Myths from across the world contain references to the Sword and Staff of Eden as icons of martial, political and divine authority. Although it is impossible to tell how many such swords or staves have been created or retrieved, the presence of such artifacts generally coincided with the rise of powerful leaders, many of whom were immortalized in legend. The Greek hero Perseus was among the first to wield a Sword of Eden, and such an artifact no doubt became the basis for Excalibur, the sword of Arthurian legend. It is believed that Attila the Hun also used a Sword of Eden to unify his empire, and that in the hands of Joan of Arc, the Sword helped galvanize French forces during the Hundred Years War.

The Staff, developed into a consistent symbol of authority, embodied sovereignty and dominion, and individuals who wielded it quickly rose to positions of preeminence. One of the earliest known uses of a staff’s power is described in the Old Testament, when the prophet Moses wielded it to create an illusion of parting the Red Sea. Where the Sword of Eden was a weapon of conquest, the illusory powers of the Staff made it an ideal instrument in the maintenance and administration of power, as illustrated by its consistent appearance in the hands of kings, administrators and prophets. One of these extraordinary Pieces of Eden helped Alexander the Great become the mightiest conqueror the world had ever seen. Another eventually became the Papal staff, and a Staff of Eden also found its way to the court of the Russian Tsardom. Although this staff had been destroyed in 1908, a splinter of it—which still held great power—has been uncovered. The latest known possessor of this splinter was the Russian Assassin Nikolai Orelov, who stole it from the grave of Grigori Rasputin before journeying to the United States of America.

Known to have possessed Swords of Eden

Known to have possessed Staffs of Eden

Memory Seals

Those Who Came Before relied on various recording devices. While thousands of these have undoubtedly been made, five—dubbed the “Masyaf Keys”—are well known, having been used by Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad as memory seals to lock his secret library.

Known to have possessed memory seals

The Shroud

The Pieces of Eden have long been an axis around which revolves the interminable conflict between the Assassins and Templars. During the Renaissance, both factions fought over ownership of the Shroud, an artifact with mysterious healing capabilities. The earliest appearance of the Shroud can be traced back to Greek mythology, and evidence suggests the artifact had been used on Marcus Junius Brutus. The Shroud was moved to Agnadello by the Assassins to prevent it from falling into Templar hands. It was also used to save the life of the boy Giovanni Borgia, the bastard son of Lucrezia Borgia, with strange consequences on his mind.

Known to have possessed the Shroud

Crystal Skulls

In 1520, the Assassins discovered a crystal skull in South America, a Piece of Eden which allowed for telepathic communication over great distances. Exactly how many of these devices have survived throughout the ages remains to be determined.