- "We are nothing but pawns in a violent game of chess, where the ethics and rules of the game have been discarded in favor of bloodshed and brutality against their fellow man."
- ―Isabelle Allard, describing warfare and the secret Assassin-Templar War, October 1959.
| Isabelle Miranda Allard | |
|---|---|
 Isabelle Miranda Allard Mentor of the French Brotherhood of Assassins c. March 1962 Art done by SophiaEA16 on Twitter | |
| Biographical information | |
| Born |
May 9th, 1920 |
| Died |
December 22nd, 2013 |
| Political information | |
| Affiliations |
Assassins
French Armed Forces (1945-1954)
|
| Real-world information | |
| Appears in |
Battle of Britain |
Isabelle Miranda Allard (1920-2013) also known by her nickname of The Magpie as well as her married names Isabelle Miranda Andreu from 1952 to 1961, and Isabelle Miranda Allard- Monet from 1963 to her death in 2013, was a French Master Assassin of the British Brotherhood of Assassins who operated out of London from 1939 to 1945 during World War II and from Paris with the Parisian/French Brotherhood from 1945 to 1954 as a Master Assassin before being appointed Mentor in 1954, serving in the position until 1983, eventually retiring in 1986. As Mentor, she was known for revolutionizing the Parisian Brotherhood, bringing them up to modern standards and rechristening them as the French Brotherhood of Assassins.
Isabelle is a member of the legendary Dorian family of Assassins, and the only female in the family to serve in the French Military when she served in French Indochina in 1945. She is a descendant of Master Assassins Arno Dorian and Elise de la Serre, through the line of their son, Francois Charles Dorian and his daughter, Gabrielle Elise Dorian. Francois is Isabelle's great-great-grandfather. Isabelle is of British, French, Austrian, Norwegian, and Danish descent.
She also went by the name Miranda Allard while living in West Berlin, and was dubbed Morrigan by German Templar Grand Master Stefan Klein in his journals.
Early Life
Isabelle Miranda Allard was born in the Village of Vimy, France, on May 9th, 1920 to Robert Allard, a retired medic, and Alexandra Dorian, a banker as well as a Master Assassin who was active in Paris during the Belle Epoque era of the Third Republic of France. She was the only child born to the couple, as she would have had a twin brother named Louis, who died upon delivery. When Isabelle was five months old, her father passed away from liver failure due to excessive alcoholism caused by PSTD from the Great War. Isabelle cried for three days and nights, shouting that she wanted her father back. Alexandra looked Isabelle in the eye one night, and told her that they would navigate the harsh waters of life together, and that no one would stop them. It was around this time that Isabelle first met Lydia Frye, her mother's closest friend, who helped Alexandra and Isabelle get back on their feet. Isabelle and her mother would relocate to the Saint-Denis commune in Paris to live with her grandmother Annabelle. This was so that her mother could focus on her duties as a banker as well as connect with her fellow Parisian Assassins.
When she was five, Alexandra gifted Isabelle with a necklace of four hearts, all pointed inwards, as a way to commemorate her father and brother, and the resilience of the Dorian family. Isabelle would wear this necklace for the rest of her career as an Assassin as a memento as to who she was fighting for.
Growing up, Isabelle was more of a tomboy, hanging out with boys after school and getting into fights with them at times, often winning. She hated wearing dresses and 'flowery headbands' for family photographs. Isabelle succeeded in school, graduating in 1938, with an incredible will to learn new things. It also spread to her home, where she learned how do finances with her mother, and how to keep her household afloat. When she was fourteen, Isabelle got a job as a tailor at her home, repairing suits and dresses. Alexandra wanted Isabelle to become a nun at the convent in Paris, but Isabelle outright refused, saying she would much rather join the military, which she would later do when she was twenty-six. Isabelle was sewing her mother's jacket, where she noticed the Assassin insignia on the collar of her jacket. When she got home, she asked her mother about what the symbol meant. Her mother sat her down, and told her about her heritage. She told Isabelle about the origins of the Assassin and Templar Orders, the Assassin-Templar War, and her lineage, ranging from Arno Dorian and Elise de la Serre, as well as Francois Charles Dorian and Gabrielle Elise Dorian. After learning so much through this conversation with her mother, Isabelle agreed to train as an Assassin under her mother's wing. Both Isabelle and Vivian's families traveled to Liverpool in 1932, where the two young girls had the opportunity to meet Alana Rose Dorian, and got to hear the legendary British Mentor speak to them about the Creed, as well as share her tactics and theories, which would later inspire Isabelle in the future. Isabelle, along with her mother and grandmother, attended the funeral of Alana in Paris in 1935.
Early Assassin Years
Isabelle began her training under her mother in the spring of 1934, beginning with how to free run, and learning more about the Assassins, the Creed, and their motivations. In 1935, Isabelle began her combat training, learning how to use a kukri, a pistol, and her Hidden Blade in combat scenarios. Alexandra would take both Isabelle and Vivian to Liverpool in England to further train themselves under the eye of Cavan Richardson, who unbeknownst to Isabelle, was the great Alana Rose Dorian's son. In 1936, after a training session, Isabelle and her mother went to Vimy Ridge to witness the unveiling of the Vimy War Memorial. Here she got to meet King Edward VIII, who was the King of England, as well as a fellow Assassin and friend of her mother's. After shaking his hand, he wished Isabelle well in her training. Later in life, Isabelle would criticize the former King, due to the rumors of him being a Nazi sympathizer. Alexandra and Isabelle left Vimy and returned to Paris to continue her training, not only as an Assassin, but as a medic too, as Isabelle wanted to keep the legacy of her father alive.
Along with training with her mother, Isabelle would train alongside her best friend Vivian Cadieux under the tutelage of her parents, Michel and Marianne in their home. Isabelle and Vivian were known for racing each other in climbing and freerunning challenges throughout the nights of training in Paris.
Master Assassin
In the spring of 1939, Isabelle was bestowed the rank of Master Assassin by her mother. A couple of months later, Isabelle came from her work room one day to witness her mother lying unusually on the couch. She examined her mother, and noticed a Templar Cross on her mother's forehead. Removing the Cross from her forehead, she was shocked to see a bullet hole where the Cross was. Looking in her mother's hand, she discovered a note underneath a her broken finger, which detailed that her mother was murdered at the hands of thugs in league with German Templar Grand Master Stefan Klein. Isabelle mourned, and laid her mother to rest beside her ancestors in the Dorian Family Crypt in Pere Lachaise cemetery by herself, all while plotting how to bring Stefan Klein to an end. In the spring of 1939, Isabelle visited the Vimy War Memorial once more to honor the memory of her father. Upon her return to the family home in Paris, Isabelle came home to discover that her home was torn to shreds, with everything to do with her mother covered up and destroyed, much to the heartbreak of Isabelle. Among the ruined furniture, Isabelle discovered a letter, stating Klein’s intent to remove the Dorians from France by his desire to kill Isabelle. She couldn’t go to Vivian’s, as she was studying law in Lyon. Having nowhere else to go, Isabelle would bounce in between homeless shelters and the streets, defending herself against those who would be a threat to her with her mother's hidden blade, which she claimed as her own. At the homeless shelters, Isabelle would often beg for money, resorting to panhandling, which got her into a bit of trouble with the police, which led to her serving a few days in jail. While doing this, she received money from a young worker from the shelter. That young girl would be Irina McCall, who Isabelle would later recruit to her incarnation of the French Brotherhood as an archivist and bookkeeper later on in the future.
World War II
In 1939, World War Two broke out when the Nazis annexed half of Poland. The war didn't catch Isabelle's attention until word reached her that the Nazis were making their way towards Paris. On June 3rd, Isabelle chose to flee Paris with her best friend Vivian, who had just returned from Lyon, to Dunkirk. After hotwiring a car, Isabelle and Vivian drove out of the city to Dunkirk. Getting out of the vehicle (which she illegally drove halfway to Dunkirk) after it was hit by a bomb from an airstrike, Isabelle and Vivian managed to cope with the stench of the dead and travel on foot, managing to evade gunfire from both Nazi and Allied troops in the city to to witness the last ship leaving Dunkirk. On board was her childhood friend Xavier Andreu. As Isabelle and Vivian were wading through the water, Isabelle could hear soldiers telling Xavier to leave them for dead. Furious with this, Xavier went against their orders and threw out a rope towards the two women. Isabelle and Vivian on board the ship. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw an Assassin pin on his collar. Later on, Isabelle spoke with Xavier, informing him that she came from a family of Assassins as well, and that she was traveling up to London to meet with Lydia Frye. Xavier suggested that him and Isabelle keep in touch. Isabelle replied with a smile, planting a kiss on his cheek as they arrived at the port of Dover.
Working with Lydia Frye
Upon arriving in Dover, Isabelle and Vivian made their way to London. When they arrived in London, she was greeted by a man named Isaac Crowder, who told her to meet up with his mother Lydia Frye, Mentor of the British Assassins, in her flat by St. Paul's Cathedral. The two women thanked Isaac, and made her way over to Lydia's flat. Arriving at the flat, she was greeted by Lydia, who welcomed her into the flat. Isabelle would stay at the flat with Lydia for several months, whereas Vivian was sent to Manchester on a mission of her own. It was at Lydia's flat where Isabelle would hear that France had fallen to the Nazis, and that Stefan Klein was back in Paris. Isabelle was so enraged, she wanted to go back to Paris and avenge her mother. Lydia calmed her down, and told her that it would be too dangerous with the Nazis running amok there. Instead, Lydia and Isabelle remained in London, looking for rumors of a Nazi spy ring within the city. While they were waiting, Isabelle continued her studies in the field of medicine.
In September 1940, Isabelle and Lydia caught wind of a spy ring in London. At Lydia's flat, they contacted Lydia's husband Sam Crowder at the RAF Base outside of London. He informed the pair that there is an Aryan courier between a small base and a telecommunications center somewhere in the city. Lydia said that they will begin their search tomorrow, Following their conversation with Sam, the two of them went to bed.
Isabelle witnessing the ghost of Elise de la Serre, her ancestor, at the Tower of London, September 1940.
The next morning, Isabelle was awoken by the loud drone of an air raid horn. She quickly got dressed, and rushed outside to see Lydia watching the RAF and Luftwaffe combat each other in the skies of London. After watching for a few moments, Isabelle and Lydia set off to find this mysterious courier. Walking towards St. Paul's Cathedral, Isabelle and Lydia stopped in front of a pharmacy. Lydia told Isabelle that the flat belonged to Juliette Dorian, and that she was born and would train with Sam in the flat as well. As Lydia was continuing the chase, she caught wind of the Aryan courier. Isabelle tailed the courier with Lydia, until he caught wind of them, leading to a chase towards the cathedral, which ended with the courier locking himself inside a courtyard within the cathedral. Through the help of Lydia's Eagle Vision, they managed to locate the courier. Isabelle and Lydia ambushed the courier within the courtyard, where he revealed the location of the telecommunications center before committing suicide. After his suicide, Isabelle and Lydia learned that the courier had been employed by Abstergo Industries. Just as the pair were leaving, Isabelle witnessed the ghost of Elise de la Serre in the courtyard. Clearing her mind, she accompanied Lydia on the walk to the Tower of London.
Arriving at the Tower of London, Isabelle noticed that it was oddly empty, making their infiltration seemingly easier. Isabelle free-ran her way over towards the White Tower, while Lydia used her rope launcher to meet Isabelle over at the White Tower. Through the unguarded main entrance, Isabelle and Lydia made their way into the Tower, and eavesdropped on the Nazi spies in the Chapel of St. John's. After eliminating the spies in convincing fashion, Isabelle and Lydia received word from Sam that the main headquarters of Nazi spy ring was located in the eastern side of the Victoria Train Station. Isabelle and Lydia made their way out of the Tower of London, and hopped on a tugboat up the River Thames to docks not far from Victoria Station. The pair stopped at a shop owned by Elliot, a close friend of Sam's, and picked up a couple of trench coats, which they would use to infiltrate the spy ring headquarters. Isabelle and Lydia managed to infiltrate the spy headquarters, thanks to Isabelle using a thick German accent. While all of the German spies were asleep, Lydia located proof that the spy ring had infiltrated London, and relayed information to Luftwaffe Commander Hermann Goring. As Lydia picked up the proof, Isabelle could hear the sound of a plane spiraling out of control. Isabelle and Lydia escaped the spy headquarters, returning to Lydia's flat and making Isabelle's first mission as a Master Assassin a success. Vivian would return from Manchester, informing her that Hans Wagner, an associate of Klein's, had been dealt with. Lydia informed the two women that two of Klein's associates were executed for treason, but told them to keep low and survey the situation. Lydia rewarded Isabelle for her contributions to the mission by giving her the bracer that belonged to her mother, reuniting it with her mother’s blade.
Hunting down Stefan Klein
Confrontation in Stalingrad
On Christmas of 1942, Isabelle found a telegram from a Soviet general within Lydia's paperwork. It stated that among the German 6th Army was a man who went by the name of Stefan Klein, and that he intercepted a telegram from him with her name on it. Isabelle decided to travel to Stalingrad to confront Klein, and end him, much to Lydia's chagrin once she found out. She quietly left Lydia's flat and began a month long journey to Stalingrad, even leaving Vivian in the dark as to where she went.
Isabelle arrived in Stalingrad and navigated the bloody battlefield, only sustaining a bullet to her right arm. She carried on with her wound bleeding through her trench coat. She eventually encountered the Grand Master in a high rise apartment building. While the violence raged on outside the building, Klein gloated about how he killed her mother, and how it sent a message to the Assassins in France, Britain, and the Soviet Union. He would also inform Isabelle that the German Templars would never fall, and that killing Isabelle would end the Dorian family in France and bring their plans into fruition. Isabelle and Klein got into a lengthy fight, where Isabelle dislocated her left shoulder after slamming into a wall by way of Klein tackling her, an act that would concuss her. Klein broke Isabelle’s ring finger as a result of a fall from him throwing her around. Her bone would be partially stickling out after the impact. He broke her Hidden Blade after jamming it into a wall and kicking her injured arm, eventually throwing her into a china cabinet, which cut off the top half of her finger. Isabelle got back up to her feet rather quickly after catching her breath, only to get knocked out by a hard punch, opening her forehead wound even further. He took off her family necklace and her Assassin necklace and took them as trophies. After posing with a limp, unconscious, and bloody Isabelle laying before him for a photo, Klein made his escape through the smoke of the battle, leaving Isabelle to succumb to her injuries in a pool of her own blood. She would wake up thirty minutes later. Failing to assassinate the Grand Master, a wounded Isabelle fled the chaotic battleground in Stalingrad in a daze, and looked to return to London, angry with herself for failing to assassinate Klein.
Stefan Klein posing with an unconscious Isabelle after defeating her in hand to hand combat at Stalingrad, February 1943.
Outside the city, Isabelle was spotted by a Soviet squadron as she was about to pass out, and they escorted her to Sochi over the span of a week. Thanking the soldiers for popping her dislocated shoulder in place, Isabelle wished them well in Stalingrad. She went down to the docks and found a merchant ship that could take her to Istanbul. Paying the fee, Isabelle boarded and took a bunk in the lower deck. A day later, she would arrive in Istanbul.
Arriving in Istanbul, Isabelle quickly sent out a telegram to Vivian saying she went to Stalingrad to assassinate Klein, but she failed and was returning home, also telling her about how she had to amputate her ring finger. After sending the telegram, Isabelle immediately began to look for a ship with a British ensign. Luckily for her, she found a British merchant ship with no flag, keeping its allegiance a secret from the Nazis and their allies. The captain allowed Isabelle to board free of charge. Over the course of the trip, Isabelle wondered what her Mentor Lydia was going to say upon her return as the merchant ship set sail for London. The only hiccup in the trek back to London was that it had to stop in Lisbon for repairs, which set back the return date a week and a half. While in Lisbon, Isabelle sought treatment for her wound and received a plastic thimble to cover her stub while it healed. She also sent another telegram to Vivian, saying that she was on her way home.
When Isabelle returned to Lydia's flat in London a few weeks later, Lydia sat her down immediately, chastising her about going through her paperwork and warned her about her brash decision making, along with her personal vendetta against Klein, as well as how it could have gotten her killed in the line of battle, which violated the third tenet of the Creed. Isabelle asked how she knew, to which Lydia replied by saying that she found out through the telegrams she sent to Vivian. She even brought up Isabelle's amputated finger as a cost for her indiscretion. Isabelle informed Lydia that she couldn't remember a thing about going to Stalingrad due to her concussion, but apologized for her actions and attitude, as well as accepting her punishment of not partaking in any Assassin related activities for a year. Lydia told Isabelle that she is lucky that she wasn't exiled from the Brotherhood and sent back to France. Again to pass time, Isabelle continued her studies in the field of medicine. Despite being annoyed with Vivian giving Lydia her telegrams, she understood why she had to and served her punishment. Isabelle would later recall that she had no recollection of the events in Stalingrad due to her concussion, and what she remembers was through information passed to her by Lydia and Vivian, and that it was the ‘lowest point in her life.’
Upon her return, Isabelle would get her hidden blade repaired, with her mother's blade being welded back together and reinforced with stainless steel.
Assassination
Isabelle, this time with permission from Lydia, joined up on the mission to assault the Germans at Normandy on June 6th, 1944, thus opening another front. Isabelle fought along with the British at the Sword landing area. Isabelle after the war described the events as ‘very traumatizing and saddening’, as well as even thinking that she wasn’t going to survive. After dismantling the Germans at Normandy, Isabelle pressed on through the war torn land, eventually making it to Paris a month after the Normandy landings. After living in her former home for almost a month and a half, on August 19th, 1944, she left her home with the sole intent on bringing German Templar Grand Master Stefan Klein to an end. Isabelle was directed to meet up with General Philippe Leclerc, who was stationed outside of Paris, as he was planning the assault on the Nazi Garrison, held by Commander Dietrich von Choltitz. He told her to meet up with General Raymond Dronne, who was entering with the La Neuve, which consisted of French soldiers and Spanish Republicans.
Isabelle after her confrontation with Stefan Klein in the Eiffel Tower, August 1944.
Isabelle, after being informed by Assassin informants that Klein was up in the Eiffel Tower, Isabelle set out for the tower. She confronted Klein atop the tower after a long climb. After a long, bloody fight, Isabelle propped Klein up against the wall, and chained him to it. She slowly wedged a shard of broken glass into his forehead, carving a hole into his skull, wanting him to feel the pain her mother felt all those years ago. After assassinating Stefan Klein, Isabelle reclaimed her two necklaces taken from her and fled the Eiffel Tower by way of parachute, eager to tell Lydia Frye the news about the avenging of Alexandra Dorian's death. She would meet up with Vivian at her home, where Vivian immediately laid Isabelle down in her bed, stitch her up, and let her rest. She would wake up the next day to a telegram that Vivian had intercepted a telegram telling her that von Choltitz was at the Hotel Majestic. She immediately set off to meet up with Dronne.
Activities in Paris and Germany
Bringing Choltitz to Justice
A day after assassinating Klein, Isabelle scoured the Hotel Majestic for Choltitz on behalf of Dronne. She found him in his office, and cornered him, demanding him surrender. Initially he refused, but Isabelle instructed him to look out the window, seeing that the French Free Forces were on the doorstep of the Hotel. He agreed to surrender to Isabelle and the Allies, and escorted him out of the building, handing him over to Dronne. Isabelle was present when Choltitz signed the Surrender. Isabelle received The Order of Légion d'Honneur from Charles de Gaulle for her efforts in the Liberation of Paris.
The Assassination of Adolf Hitler
Vivian informed Isabelle of a telegram she received from Lydia Frye, requesting Isabelle meet up with Soviet Commander Andropova for a special assignment in Berlin. She bid Vivian a quick farewell and set off for Berlin, where she was present near the end of the war, hoping to hunt down the man who was responsible for plunging the world into darkness: Adolf Hitler.
Isabelle was approached by a Soviet soldier, who informed him that Soviet Commander Cassandra Andropova wished to speak with her. He led her to the barracks, where Cassandra was waiting for her. After sitting down, Cassandra informed Isabelle that Lydia had written to her requesting that she has an audience with Isabelle. Cassandra shared with Isabelle that Hitler had retreated into his Fuhrerbunker with his wife, and that she could find him there. Isabelle thanked Cassandra and set off for the Fuhrerbunker. Arriving at the bunker just ahead of a squad of Soviet soldiers, Isabelle infiltrated the bunker, careful to not arise any suspicion. While navigating her way through, she saw a bright light emanate from one of the rooms. Isabelle darted to the entrance of the room and just outside the entrance, where she saw Eva Braun commit suicide. Isabelle witnessed Hitler clone himself with an Apple of Eden, and shoot his clone. Hitler turned for the exit, only to meet his end at Isabelle's Hidden Blade.
Isabelle left Hitler's body where it lay, hiding while a group of people led by Hitler's valet saw what had happened, fleeing on site. Once they left, Isabelle exited the bunker. Upon her exit, she was held at gunpoint by Soviet soldiers, thinking that she was a Nazi. Isabelle informed her that she had assassinated Adolf Hitler on behalf of Commander Cassandra Andropova, and that his body was still inside. She showed a soldier the blood on her Hidden Blade as proof as the soldiers brought out the bodies. Isabelle watched as the soldiers burned the bodies of Hitler and Eva Braun. Afterwards, Isabelle returned to Cassandra and informed her that Hitler had been assassinated. She also informed Cassandra that she did not want to be remembered as the one who brought Hitler to an end, keeping the identity of who did a mystery. Andropova promised she wouldn't tell a soul. Upon her return to Portsmouth, Isabelle was greeted by Vivian, who knew what Isabelle had down, gave her a large side hug, to which Isabelle replied with one of her own. Isabelle and Vivian would celebrate at a pub before heading back to London.
Post-War
In May 1945, Lydia, Sam, Vivian, Isabelle, and Xavier watched the end of the war, and witnessed the Victory Speech of Winston Churchill. After the end of the war, Isabelle and Xavier returned to Paris, and helped Charles de Gaulle get the city of Paris back on its feet, and re-joined the Parisian Brotherhood of Assassins, beginning to train initiates in the shadows of Paris. On September 26th, 1946, Isabelle and Xavier traveled to the city of Nuremberg and viewed the sentencing of the Nazi War Criminals with Lydia, Sam, Elizabeth Baudin and her husband, Pierce Bythesea at their home. Upon their return home, Isabelle would constantly study her books about medicine and the human body to hone her skills even further, and maintain a diary of her career as a Master Assassin. Lydia, as a suggestion to improve Isabelle's resolve and discipline, suggested she enlist in the French Military, a suggestion to which she heeded, enlisting in the French Military as a combat medic.
Military Career
Early Career
In October of 1945, Isabelle was a part of the French Military forces that were deployed to French Indochina to put down the uprising of socialist forces in the northern half of the country. On the flight to the Asian country, Isabelle began to wonder if she would come back from her first assigned duty. Arriving in the city of Saigon by way of parachute, Isabelle met up with General Leclerc and got set up with her team, where the most they would do with the wounded men is give them sutures. Isabelle was relieved that the conflict didn't lead to anything serious, and she was sent back on a plane to France. She would dye her hair brown during her time in the military.
Dog Tags belonging to Isabelle Allard
In July of 1947, Isabelle was sent to the island of Madagascar to assist the French forces in putting down an uprising led by the Malagasy people, who were tired of French Colonial rule. Isabelle was stationed outside of the city of Moramanga, where Isabelle and her squadron were harassed by guerilla warfare from the Malagasy forces. During one of these skirmishes, while she was dragging the wounded off of the battlefield, Isabelle was wounded by a bayonet twice, first on her upper thigh and the second one in her lower abdomen on her right side. Isabelle passed out from the pain of her wounds. She was quickly stitched up back in the city, and recovered over the span of four months. While recovering, Isabelle fashioned herself a makeshift Hidden Blade, in order to better handle herself in combat, and continued studying her textbooks. Also during her recovery, Isabelle heard about atrocities that were committed by her own military, such as rounding up Malagasy women and throwing them out of airplanes. Over the course of her time, Isabelle performed her duty, all while questioning the actions of the military of her country. Once the resistance was put down in February 1949, Isabelle returned to Paris in order to move into their home in the Le Marais district and focus on earning her Bachelor's in nursing from the University of Paris, which she would earn in 1957.
Korean War
Isabelle was called back into service in 1950, where played a minor role in the Korean War, serving as a combat medic, due to her experience in the field. Enlisting with French Battalion of the United Nations Organization (BF-ONU) alongside her fiancé, she packed her Hidden Blade as well, just in case she had to defend herself, or if she caught wind of a notable Templar target among the North Korean armed forces. In Korea during the summer and autumn, Isabelle didn't wear her long trench coat, instead she wore tight beige pants tucked into her brown boots, with a holster on her right thigh supplying her military grade pistol to accompany her Hidden Blade during to the hot summer months. She would even wear her outfit when she was in the field of duty and wear her trench coat buttoned up during cold days only. Isabelle was present for the allied recapture of Incheon in September 1950, and would remain there for the rest of her time in Korea. Over the course of a few months, Isabelle would work with other nurses around the clock to take care of the wounded allied soldiers. Out in the field, Isabelle would give emergency first aid to wounded soldiers and help drag bodies off of the battlefield in the heat of battle. In January of 1951, Isabelle caught wind of General Kim Chaek, who was a renowned North Korean Templar, being present among the soldiers stationed outside Incheon. During a relatively nice evening weather wise and under the cover of darkness, Isabelle assassinated him in the midst of an American air raid outside Incheon, not far away from his base, dealing a severe blow to the North Koreans and their armed forces. Isabelle didn't escape unharmed, however, as a Korean soldier shot her in the left arm as she was escaping. Despite this, Isabelle succeeded in her mission.
Official Military Portrait of Isabelle Allard. September, 1951.
Isabelle was treated for her injury with surgery to remove the bullet from her arm at an American post in Incheon the next day, and was given an honorable discharge from her duties as a nurse, thus bringing Isabelle's brief involvement in the Korean War to an end, as she was on a ship back to France a less than a day after her treatment. Isabelle would spend the rest of her career in the military in the reserves.
Post-Korean War Career
After her involvement in the Korean War, Isabelle would settle down in the Le Marais district of Paris with her fiance/husband Xavier Andreu, accepting a spot in the French Armed Forces reserves. Even after settling down and being a part of the reserves, Isabelle was still fiercely dedicated to the Brotherhood, still recruiting Master Assassins and training initiates in the ways of the Brotherhood alongside her husband. She ascended to the rank of Mentor in 1954, succeeding former Mentor Olivier R. Abadie after his death. She would move back to the Cafe Theatre and renovate it extensively, and modernized the Assassin Headquarters to 'catch it up with the times'. Isabelle would train her children Alexandre and Margaux in the ways of the Brotherhood, earning their Master Assassin rank in 1974 and 1975 respectively. On top of training her children in the ways of the Brotherhood, she was employed as a registered nurse a year after earning her Bachelor's in nursing at Hotel-Dieu in 1958, and retired from her profession in 1985.
Isabelle would maintain correspondence with the likes of French President Charles de Gaulle, British Assassin Mentor Lydia Frye, and West German Assassin Mentor Elizabeth Baudin on a regular basis upon her return from Korea and eventual retirement from the military in 1954, due to her rising to the rank of Mentor within the Brotherhood and her commitment to Xavier and her children.
Post WWII/Military Career
Role in the Berlin Airlift
Disgusted by the actions of Joseph Stalin, who was preventing food and essential supplies from being brought into the city of Berlin, Isabelle and Vivian met up with Lydia Frye and West German Mentor Elizabeth Baudin at the behest of Olivier Abadie in April of 1949 to help unload food and supplies to the people of West Berlin.
Speaking at the United Nations
After Isabelle, Irina, Vivian, and Xavier were finished assisting villages in Africa in November 1959, Isabelle was invited to speak at the United Nations on behalf of France, Isabelle brought up the pivotal issue of poverty around the world, and that each of the wealthiest countries in the world should do everything in their power to combat it. Isabelle went on to speak about the issue for half an hour, earning praise from countries such as China, Cuba, and the Soviet Union, and to her surprise, the United States, and Canada. Isabelle was commended for her speaking skills, and many world leaders agreed to look into the issue.
Four years later, Isabelle would comment on how the countries lied, and that she wasted a 'half an hour only to have my words fall on deaf ears'.
Hunt for the Gauntlet in Saskatchewan
Isabelle Andreu, c. 1960-61
In early May of 1961, Isabelle was going through her mother’s correspondences and reports, and came across a letter written to her mother from former British Mentor Vienna Victoria Dorian informing her mother of a legendary battle that occurred on a rainy July night at St. Paul’s Cathedral involving Alana Rose Dorian and her godson Xavier Baudin, over the mythical Gauntlet of Eden, and that the Gauntlet was buried somewhere on the shores of a lake in southeastern Saskatchewan. Peaking her curiosity, Isabelle began to research the Gauntlet, finding out that it can conjure up premonitions of the future and alternate realities. Taking her mother’s correspondences, she informed Vivian that she was taking the next flight out of Paris to the city of Regina in Saskatchewan. Vivian adamantly told Isabelle that she was going with her, to which she replied that she needed to do this alone, and that she would link up with the Saskatchewan Branch of the Canadian Assassin Brotherhood. Vivian would be the leader of the French Brotherhood in her absence. Later on in the night, she would bid her husband and children farewell for now, and that she would update him on her progress. The next morning, Isabelle quickly packed a bag and traveled to the Paris Airport and purchased a ticket for a flight to Regina, a flight that took fourteen hours.
Arriving in Regina, Isabelle departed from the plane and immediately felt pain in the region above her right hip. Isabelle dismissed it as her bayonet wound reopening. In the terminal, the pain got worse, forcing Isabelle to a knee, which led her to vomit and collapse on the ground in pain. An ambulance arrived and took Isabelle to Pasqua Hospital where she had emergency surgery to remove her inflamed appendix. Three days later, Isabelle was visited in her room by a man with brown hair dressed rather sharply, who introduced himself as John Ell. John informed Isabelle that she could stay at his place while she recovered. Isabelle checked out of the hospital and accompanied John to his home on Broader Street, where she was greeted by John’s wife Doreen. Sitting down in the living room, Isabelle chatted with Doreen, meeting their young children, Vernon, Randal, and Terry. John entered the living room with a cup of coffee for both Doreen and Isabelle, John asked Isabelle about what brought her to Regina. Isabelle handed John the research left behind from her mother. After skimming over the research, John asked Isabelle to accompany him down to the basement, which earned him a scolding from his wife about trying to steal ice cream from the freezer again. Brushing off the scolding, John informed Isabelle that he was a part of the Branch of Canadian Assassins in Saskatchewan, and said that he would help her find the Gauntlet. Isabelle thanked the young man, and asked him where B-Say-Tah Point was. John informed Isabelle that it was not at B-Say-Tah, but on the shores of Mission Lake not far from a small chapel, and that she was welcome to drive his car out to the town of Fort Qu’Appelle, handing her a map on how to get there. Isabelle set out that evening, completing the drive in an hour and a half, checking into the Fort Hotel. Peeking out her window, she recognized the presence of Abstergo foot soldiers in the town. Ignoring their presence, Isabelle went to sleep.
Isabelle woke up and began her journey to the small chapel. Walking down the Main Street of Fort Qu’Appelle where she caught wind of Abstergo agents asking the locals if they had seen a short, ill-tempered woman with black hair, matching Isabelle’s description. Quickly getting into John’s car, Isabelle began to drive out of the city, on the lookout for a small chapel. On her way, she couldn’t help but notice the beauty of the valley. Up ahead she could see the small chapel. Isabelle turned into the small village of Lebret, parked John’s car and made her way across the road. She followed the path of the crosses, and noticed that at each station she noticed the apparitions of Alana Rose Dorian and Maria Williams, each at different stages of their lives, with a man she did not recognize. Arriving at the chapel, Isabelle pried open the door. She looked up and down and through every nook and cranny. The Gauntlet was nowhere to be found. Isabelle slammed down on the altar in anger, only to trigger a hidden door on the floor, leading down. Hesitantly, Isabelle walked down the tunnel, noticing the grey walls were lined with a golden light. At the bottom was a large chamber with a small pedestal in its centre. On the pedestal was the Gauntlet, last used by Alana Rose Dorian in 1903. Isabelle examined the Piece of Eden, before grabbing it and placing it on her hand, in which she was frozen in time, in a trance-like state.
Before her was an alternate universe, she watched as her mother was still alive, training her twin brother Louis in combat with a Hidden Blade. Tears rolled down Isabelle’s face as both Louis and her mother looked over to her, asking her to join them in the training. Isabelle would playfully spar with her brother before he successfully upended her, Isabelle yielding before he helped her up. Her mother would comment that the two of them still have much to learn before the Gauntlet pulled her from the simulation.
Awaking from her trance, she was greeted by Abstergo agents who had followed her. The agents demanded that Isabelle hand over the Gauntlet, to which Isabelle refused, stating that a relic such as this is to remain unused for the duration of time. The agents refused and engaged Isabelle in close quarters combat. Isabelle managed to fend them off, but one of the agents sliced her lower right abdomen, re-opening her surgery wound, causing it to bleed profusely. Fueled by a sudden surge of adrenaline after being momentarily stunned, Isabelle evaded both attackers and finished them off with her hidden blade. Isabelle turned around to see the pedestal holding the Gauntlet of Eden slowly descend into the earth. Isabelle, through pain, muttered ‘better in the hands of the earth, than in the hands of man.’ before making the long journey back up to the surface. She made her way back to the surface and sealed the vault. Looking down to see that blood was seeping through her hand, she slowly began to descend down the hill. She was losing blood fast. Luckily for her, she found a piece of metal on the ground, and raided an Abstergo vehicle for a lighter in the glove compartment. Returning to John’s car in Lebret, Isabelle sat in the driver’s seat, lifted up her shirt. She heated up the metal tip, and once it was hot enough, she cauterized her wound. The pain was severe, but a sudden sensation of relief flooded over her once her wound was sealed. Cleaning up after herself, Isabelle began the long drive back to Regina.
Arriving back at John’s house in Regina, Isabelle informed John that the Gauntlet was in a vault underneath a small chapel on a hill near the village of Lebret. John was amazed to hear the rumors of an Isu site near his home being true. He would promise Isabelle that he would keep a watchful eye over the site, a promise he would keep until his death in 2002. The next day, John would schedule a flight for Isabelle to go to Paris. Before boarding the plane, Isabelle bid John, Doreen, and their three children Vernon, Randal, and Terry. Isabelle would arrive back in France the next day, and resume her activities with the Brotherhood on a lighter schedule.
Operation Rabbit's Foot
In the early afternoon of June 5th, 1961, Isabelle approached Irina’s desk in the archives to ask her about the Isu Script translation to find her not at her desk. Curious to her whereabouts, Isabelle asked both her husband Xavier and fellow Assassin Diane Laurent if they had seen her, and they both told her the same thing: they only saw her go upstairs to Cafe Theatre for her morning coffee.
Curious, Isabelle went upstairs to the cafe to see a disaster. Isabelle asked if anyone had seen Irina, where one man informed her that a company from Italy named Abstergo with their own police arrested Irina. Thanking the man for his courtesy, Isabelle made her way back down to the hideout, poured herself a cup of coffee, and called Diana and Xavier into her office, where they began to draft up a rough plan of their new operation.
All three Assassins knew that a standard infiltration would be rather unwise, as the staff would immediately recognize and arrest them. Diane suggested that they use a disguise of sorts to infiltrate the facility, suggesting they pose as scientists eager to work on the next project. Isabelle agreed, and then suggested that Xavier, due to his connections as a pilot, could charter a vehicle to get them to a private plane so that he could fly the three of them back to Paris. Diane and Xavier agreed to the plan, and began to get themselves ready. As they were about to leave in the evening, Xavier asked Isabelle what she was going to do since she wasn’t taking part in the mission. Her reply was ‘Watch over the operation from afar and look after our children while you're away. You know, be a mother.’
Isabelle would dub the mission ‘Operation Rabbit’s Foot’, due to her belief that both Xavier and Diane needed all the luck in the world to get Irina out of the Abstergo facility. She would continue to monitor the mission from her home in Le Marais while spending time with Alexandre and Margaux, helping them with activities such as their homework. Two weeks later, the three Assassins returned to Isabelle’s home, with Irina looking a little worse for wear. Isabelle brought Irina into her office, where the younger Assassin informed her Mentor that they ran several studies on her body to see if they could ‘harness her inner spirit’, believing her to be a Sage. When that failed, they attempted to implant her with a chip that would trigger her to kill an Assassin Mentor on sight, but Diane and Xavier rescued her before they could try. Irina would thank her fellow Assassins for rescuing her, as well as asking Isabelle to send out a telegram to all Brotherhoods warning of Abstergo’s treachery. Isabelle agreed to do so, as well as write a letter to President de Gaulle to look into her capture being considered a violation of her human rights.
Isabelle also gave Irina permission to take a sabbatical for as long as she needed to recuperate.
The mission itself earned Isabelle and the French Brotherhood much praise, with many European Brotherhoods stating that they went above and beyond to bring one of their fellow comrades back from Abstergo. Isabelle herself said that. 'Looking back at my first operation I led, I was scared as all hell that it would fail, that the blood would be on my hands. But once I received word that it succeeded, I heaved a sigh of relief and knew that my military experience paid off. ' While monitoring the mission, Isabelle found out that smoking marijuana helped ease her stress for its duration.
Visit to the United States and Arrest
In March of 1963, Isabelle and her family briefly moved to St. Louis, Missouri to help American Mentor William Samuelson establish an Assassin presence in the Civil Rights movement. Before she left, Isabelle left Vivian in charge of her Council in France, along with Vivian and fellow Council members Irina McCall and Diane Laurent. William would take Isabelle on a tour of cities where there were protests happening, sometimes igniting the protests themselves. Isabelle herself would evade arrest four times over her time in the United States. The fifth time she was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama for plotting and participating in a riot, and spent a week in jail, only being released after Samuelson posted $5,000 for Isabelle's bail. Isabelle spent her 43rd birthday in jail. She was later cleared of all charges. Isabelle smiled sarcastically in her mugshot, which would later gain infamy in the United States. Isabelle would later state that her mugshot was a protest of the United States justice system, and that it shouldn't be a crime for people to protest. The smirk earned her criticism from Elizabeth, who stated that Isabelle was 'brave but foolish', while it earned her praise from Lydia, who was 'proud that Isabelle was taking a stand against corruption'. Even Vivian said that Isabelle's smirk was 'the best shithousery she had ever seen.'
Isabelle, Edouard and her children, along with William and his family took part in the March on Washington DC on August 28th, 1963 and witnessed Martin Luther King Jr's famous 'I Have a Dream' speech. A week later, Isabelle would make a visit to Detroit, Michigan to visit with Rosa Parks, who was commended by Isabelle for her bravery and standing up for what she believed was right.
After a brief stay in Canada, where she and Edouard helped set up bureaus in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, as well as Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and in Winnipeg and Gimli, Manitoba, Isabelle and her family were present in Dallas, Texas on November 22nd, 1963, watching the motorcade of American President John F. Kennedy pass by. Isabelle was startled when she heard the sound of a gun, turning around to see a second bullet go through the head of the President. Isabelle and Edouard shielded them from the same passers-by and from any potential bullets. She got up to see the car stopped, and the President's lifeless body sitting in the back of the convertible. Isabelle was so scarred by what she had seen after the assassination, Isabelle and her family left Dallas for Paris, hoping to never return to the United States after the horrible events of that day.
Protest of 1964
Isabelle and her cell were known for their fierce advocacy for women’s rights in France. She was appalled with how men were still controlling women in many aspects of life, from their family lives to what was done with their bodies, with France’s mayor doing nothing. Disgusted by this, Isabelle sat down with her cell in May of 1964 and began to draw up plans of a protest outside of Hotel de Ville. They knew what they were going to protest about, but weren’t sure how they were going about it. They knew that they would have to get the mayor’s attention. Vivian suggested that they bare their chests and paint a slogan on their stomachs. Isabelle agreed with the idea, and a couple of days later the four women arrived at the Hotel de Ville, with a large group of women behind them. They unfurled a banner which said ‘A woman’s body is not yours to control’ before unbuttoning their shirts and revealing their breasts, with two words of the slogan painted on each woman’s stomach. Diane and Irina led chants of protest while Isabelle and Vivian stood looking upwards to the sky. The protest garnered the attention of the police, who stood in front of the crowd. A famous photo was taken on that day of Isabelle and Vivian standing defiantly in front of the police. Two of the policemen intentionally bumped into Isabelle and Vivian, which resulted in all four women being thrown to the ground and forcibly arrested. Their Assassin activities were placed on hold temporarily as all four women were charged with indecent exposure, which was later dropped in an out-of-court settlement. Isabelle would later have a talk with the mayor, who would later consider more reforms for women in France.
Later on, a photo was taken of the four women, this time wearing only wearing underwear, and the banner from the protest covered their chests. The protest would garner some praise and criticism. Feminists in Paris praised them for their will to fight for what they believed in, whereas many conservatives viewed Isabelle's protest as 'disgusting and indecent.' Their protest earned them praise from both Lydia and Elizabeth, with Lydia calling her former pupil and her cell as 'champions of women's rights', whereas Elizabeth was proud that 'Isabelle and her cell will stop at nothing to get women more rights to what they can do with their bodies.'
Isabelle’s protest played a role in the establishment of the Neuwirth Act of 1967, which authorized contraception, and the Veil Act in 1975, which legalized abortion.
Breach of the Dorian Family Crypt
On December 19th, 1966 Isabelle and Vivian were informed by Diane Laurent that the Dorian Family Crypt had been breached and that they were looking to procure a sample of Alana Rose Dorian's DNA. Isabelle and Vivian rushed over to Pere Lachaise and entered the crypt, which began a long skirmish between the agents from Abstergo and Assassins began. Isabelle was separated from Vivian by a single agent, with whom Isabelle was evenly matched until the agent got the upper hand on Isabelle, slamming her into a pillar. Once Isabelle was incapacitated, the agents handcuffed Vivian and threatened to kill her if Isabelle didn't let them through. Isabelle let them pass, only to ambush them from behind. Isabelle was knocked unconscious when a fist to her forehead connected, knocking her back into a pillar that concussed her before slumping to the ground. Isabelle and Vivian would later dedicate their time bringing the crypt back to its former glory after the breach of the crypt. Isabelle's second concussion would force her into more of a teacher role within the Brotherhood, and would rarely partake in fieldwork afterward.
Later Years
Divorce from Xavier
After Operation Rabbit's Foot, Isabelle and Xavier began to grow distant from each other, with Xavier telling Isabelle that he was slowly losing faith in the Assassin's mission anymore. As a result of this, Isabelle allowed him to not participate in fieldwork. A few weeks later, there were rumors that Xavier was having an affair behind Isabelle's back. Upon hearing these rumors, Isabelle was distraught and felt betrayed. Later on in the evening, Isabelle confronted Xavier and asked if the rumors were true. After several excuses, Xavier told Isabelle the truth about the rumors and confirmed that he was seeing another woman while still being married to her, and began seeing her when Isabelle was in Canada. Xavier also added that he was jealous that Isabelle showed more affection for Vivian due to them being 'blood sisters'. Isabelle verbally chastised Xavier, stating that he could have done so much better, and just told her that they should separate. Xavier tried to reason with her but to no avail. Isabelle told him to grab his things and get out, and that they were finished as husband and wife.
Over the next few weeks, their divorce was made official. Her marriage had ended after just nine years. Isabelle got the children whereas Xavier got the property. Isabelle would revert to her maiden name, Allard. Isabelle would later state that the divorce was a tough spot in her life, but was thankful for the help of her friends to get through it.
After their divorce, Xavier would continue to be hostile towards his ex-wife and her fellow Assassins, calling Isabelle a 'greedy, power-hungry bitch', and calling her a 'chaser of clout'. Xavier would go on to call her comrades 'ungrateful little bitches.'
The divorce was highly conversed about in several Brotherhoods across Europe, stating that Xavier's behavior was 'disrespectful and imprudent.' towards Isabelle and her Assassin cell. Xavier lost a lot of respect among Assassins in Europe for his actions against Isabelle.
Assisting Vivian in liberating East German families
Vivian talking to Isabelle about what happened under the Berlin Wall, April 1968.
In 1967, Isabelle heard that Vivian was traveling to West Berlin to meet up with Elizabeth Baudin to discuss a matter of liberating East German families. Along with Vivian and her family, Isabelle, Edouard, and her children traveled to West Germany to assist Vivian in the liberation of several East German families. Living out of Elizabeth and Pierce's residence in West Berlin for two years, Isabelle and Vivian helped several East German families start life anew in West Berlin, all while evading the eyes of the Stasi, the secret East German police. She would also maintain the affairs of the French Brotherhood from West Berlin. There was an altercation between the two groups, which resulted in Vivian being wounded due to being shot in the shoulder. Due to Isabelle's inaction and the Stasi being aware of their presence, earning her a lecture from Vivian in Elizabeth's backyard. Isabelle had to use a different tunnel, which was not far from Elizabeth's house. Once Vivian returned after a month and a half away, Vivian assisted her once again, liberating several families through the second tunnel. Despite being honored for her efforts, Isabelle wanted no credit for the families she helped liberate. Helping Vivian liberate East German families was the last act of fieldwork that Isabelle would participate in until her permanent retirement in 1986.
In 1969, shortly before they left West Berlin, Isabelle, Edouard, Vivian, and Elizabeth would later meet a young American Assassin named William Miles, who was seeking knowledge from wiser European Assassins on how to organize his own Assassin Cell. Based on the advice given to him by Elizabeth, Edouard, Isabelle, and Vivian, he would later take inspiration from them to form his own Assassin Cell in the Black Hills of South Dakota, called 'The Farm'.
Retirement and Later Years
Isabelle would eventually step down from the Mentor role in 1983, shortly after the death of Lydia Frye, passing the French Brotherhood of Assassins’ leadership over to Vivian. Isabelle would travel to London to attend her funeral, serving as a pallbearer and reading a eulogy. She would later cite the injuries she sustained in he career as an Assassin and in the Military as her retirement. Due to her being so injury prone, she's gotten a broken arm, dislocated shoulder, torn ligaments in her knee and shoulder, strained back muscles, concussions, and several cuts and scrapes on her body over the years. She would develop patellar tendonitis in her left knee in her late thirties, and she wore a knee brace for the rest of her career as an Assassin. Her son moved to the city of St. Louis in 1982, much to her surprise. She would later fully retire from the Assassin Order on her 66th birthday, out of protest for the Brotherhood being taken over by a new, more enigmatic figure called the Mentor. Isabelle would live on an acreage outside of Paris near Versailles with Edward after her retirement. Isabelle and Vivian were present at the fall of the Berlin Wall, and reenacted their famous hug from Portsmouth in front of Vivian's portrait on the Wall, and would celebrate with the German people. Isabelle would travel to Cornwall to attend Elizabeth Baudin's funeral, and read a eulogy at her funeral as well. With the deaths of Lydia and Elizabeth, Isabelle was the only member of the Iron Sisterhood living. She would be present for the births of her grandchildren Irene in 1973 and Christian in 1976. Irene served in the French Brotherhood, but abandoned the Brotherhood after the Great Purge, following in her grandmother's footsteps in serving in the French Military. Christian would join the French metal band Gojira as a lead guitarist. Isabelle was also present when Margaux's daughter Irene gave birth to her granddaughters Anastasia in 1995 and Megan in 1997 respectively.
In the year 2000, The Mentor was struck down by Daniel Cross in Dubai, initiating a worldwide purge of Assassin Cells across the world. Before parting ways, Isabelle's Brotherhood got together to meet up one final time before parting ways. Upon hearing this, Alexandre flew from St. Louis to meet up with his sister Margaux in Paris to make sure Isabelle and Edouard were content in their home outside of Versailles, where they spent the rest of their lives. Margaux, Irene, and her grandkids would visit whenever they could. She would drastically change her appearance, letting her hair go grey. She would need a cane to walk at the age of 86. Edouard would pass away at the age of 92. She would pass away quietly in her sleep a year later on December 22nd, 2013, at the age of 93. She was cremated a few days later, the first member of the Dorian family to be cremated. On the way to Pere Lachaise, a Raven landed on top of the hearse and remained motionless on the way to the cemetery. The Raven flew on top of the Dorian Family Crypt, standing guard as the procession entered the crypt. Many people in attendance speculated that it was Vivian paying her final farewell to Isabelle from Manchester. Isabelle was interred in the crypt alongside her ancestors and beside her mother and father, with full military honors, alongside Edouard.
Isabelle's Council
Isabelle's Brotherhood, often known as her 'Council', consisted of herself as Mentor and four fellow Master Assassins:
- Vivian Cadieux-Foden, Second-in-Command/Public Speaker
- Xavier Andreu, Correspondent/Diplomat (until 1961)
- Edouard Monet, Correspondent/Diplomat
- Irina McCall, Archivist/Banker
- Diane Laurent, Tech Specialist (until 1970 in Paris, assisted from Italy until 1999)
Isabelle Andreu holding the Assassin Banner. May 1962.
Once Olivier R. Abadie, the only Master Assassin in France passed away in 1954, he appointed in his will that Isabelle become the next Mentor of the Parisian Assassins. She was officially sworn in as Mentor of the Parisian Assassins on April 5th, 1954 and immediately got to work. Under Isabelle, the Assassins began to prosper and recover from the Second World War and the wars that followed. To help her lead the change, Isabelle recruited four fellow French Master Assassins who were in exile. She brought Vivian Cadieux, her closest friend and advisor, her husband Xavier Andreu as a correspondent and diplomat, Irina McCall, a French Master Assassin with a British heritage serving as the lore keeper and Diane Laurent, who served as the Brotherhood’s tech specialist. She rechristened the five of them as the French Brotherhood of Assassins and based themselves out of the former Assassin Headquarters used during the French Revolution. Using funds from the careers of Vivian and Irina, Isabelle and her council renovated the dilapidated Cafe Theatre and restored it to its former glory. Underneath the building was what remained of the Assassin Headquarters on Ile-de-la-Cite ever since it was abandoned after François stepped down as Mentor in 1869. Isabelle and her council moved in early 1955 and refurbished the abandoned headquarters with enough equipment to keep their operation afloat.
French Assassin Cell c. 1960-61. L to R: Diane Laurent, Vivian Cadieux-Foden, Isabelle Andreu, and Irina O'Reilly.
Many male members of the Parisian Brotherhood were growing strongly disillusioned with how Isabelle was leading the Assassins during her early leadership, stating that Xavier should be in charge and that no woman should lead. When Isabelle rejected their ideas, they left the Brotherhood altogether. With the more conservative Assassins out of the Brotherhood, she returned her focus to the redevelopment of the Assassin Headquarters and Cafe Theatre. Isabelle and Vivian would conduct interviews with French media during its reconstruction. From here, Isabelle and her council would forge key alliances with Brotherhoods in England, West Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Wales, and the Netherlands over the course of the Cold War. Xavier was cast out from the Brotherhood in 1961 and Diane Laurent would leave, returning to Italy in 1970, but continuing to assist Isabelle's cell from Italy expanding their reach. In 1983, upon Isabelle stepping down from the Mentor role, Vivian took over the cell until 1986 when it was collectively used by each Assassin’s child before the Great Purge of 2000. The archive, meticulously worked on over the years by Irina McCall, was destroyed with the rest of the cell, but most of the documents were recovered by Irene Andreu afterward, with most texts by Francois Dorian, Alana Rose Dorian, Herve Quemar, and Sophie Trenet surviving the assault by Abstergo Industries.
Weaponry and Talents
As a Master Assassin, Isabelle was very specific with what she carried with her on each mission. She had plenty of tools and weapons at her arsenal. Isabelle was known to use her Hidden Blade in combat, as well as a short blade similar to that of a kukri if it was at close range. Isabelle also used throwing knives for ranged combat and the Pistol of Elise de la Serre, an heirloom that ran through down the line of women in the Dorian family. She was known for carrying it with her during her service.
Isabelle was also an incredibly gifted speaker, using her incredible charisma to get people to listen to what she had to say. She was known for her speeches at Assassin conferences as well, which always garnered a reaction. Isabelle at times would not speak, due to a constant fear of people ridiculing her for her height. In these cases, she would let Vivian do the speaking and she would write the speeches.
Isabelle was also known as a skilled climber and freerunner, using her skills considerably throughout her career as an Assassin, using them to navigate through cities, unaffected or affected by war, and through the jungles of French Indochina. She was known for her skills to blend in with crowds, especially during her infiltration of Hotel Majestic to apprehend von Choltitz. Her ex-husband Xavier said that due to Isabelle's climbing skills and her flexibility, she was able to climb the towers of Notre Dame Cathedral in ten minutes.
Legacy
Isabelle Allard was painted as a champion of humanity, as the people of France and Europe have praised her for all of her hard work in the effort to combat poverty in France and in countries in Africa, being honored on multiple occasions by her home country of France as well as the United Nations. She was also recognized for her bravery in the military, with several soldiers stating that Isabelle was the 'best nurse in the entirety of the French Military.' due to her incredibly fast but accurate methods of stitching up wounds and administering vaccines. A statue of Isabelle stands in Vimy, her place of birth, and the Saint-Denis district in Paris, where she grew up.
Several world leaders praised and criticized her, whom she met on her diplomatic tours. Fidel Castro, upon her visit to Havana in 1964, called Isabelle a 'champion of the people' and 'a vital asset to the world'. Her visit to the White House in 1982 went less favorable, and was quite controversial, with her and Ronald Reagan getting into a heated argument which ended in Isabelle being escorted out of the White House by Secret Service agents. Reagan would later say that Isabelle was a 'cranky woman with a fiery outlook on life.'
Her legacy as a member of the Assassin Brotherhood was more of a positive impact. Upon her ascension to Mentor in 1954, Isabelle took the crumbling Parisian Brotherhood and revitalized it, improving everything from training regiments and diplomacy between Brotherhoods across the world. She was also known for the extensive renovation of the old Parisian Assassin Bureau and Cafe Theatre, which she would later use as the headquarters of the French Assassin Cell.
Isabelle's assassinations of Stefan Klein and Adolf Hitler, as well as her commanding of Operation Rabbit's Foot, earned her a lot of praise for her bravery and she commanded a lot of respect when she visited fellow Assassins and world leaders in different countries.
Isabelle's legacy among more conservative Assassins is largely negative, as they claimed that they were largely purged from the Order upon Isabelle's ascension to the rank of Mentor. Conservative Assassins claim that Isabelle's social changes to the Brotherhood would make them the laughing stock of all the European Brotherhoods because it was led by Isabelle, a woman. Isabelle said that their fears of change were the reason why they left the Brotherhood and that she didn't purge them, they all left on their own accord.
Isabelle has been called the greatest Mentor the French/Parisian Brotherhood had ever seen, alongside her ancestors Arno and Francois Dorian, and Comte de Mirabeau.
Personal Life
Isabelle was an incredibly gifted individual who had a passion for learning, even in old age. Her mother described her in her journal as a "talented young woman who is willing to fight for everyone and everything."
Growing up, Isabelle was extremely extroverted, frequently doing homework and playing around Paris with multiple groups of friends. Isabelle would help her mother around the house and would finish every task her mother would give her. In her adulthood, Isabelle would continue being extremely extroverted. After serving in the military, Isabelle would develop more of a stern attitude and more of an ambivert personality, one which was more prevalent when she was training initiates. Vivian would describe Isabelle as an individual 'with a hardened resolve fitting of a leader.'
As Mentor of the French Brotherhood of Assassins, Isabelle was viewed as an exceptional trainer, teaching the initiates every aspect of the Creed, no matter what the task was. Whether it was written theory or combat with various weapons, Isabelle excelled at passing on her knowledge to those around her. She was also known to be strict in her training and at times quick tempered, often yelling to get everyone's attention. Her yelling wasn't all negative all the time, as some of her initiates were motivated to push themselves harder under Isabelle's training regime.
In the early 1960's, Isabelle often served as a diplomat of France. Isabelle, alongside Vivian, traveled to countries such as the United States, Canada, Cuba, and China. The duo used their linguistic skills to project their points across to leaders such as Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, John Diefenbaker, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Mao Zedong on the behalf of France. In China, which her and Vivian would visit in 1964. The two women spoke with Mao Zedong, where Mao expressed some of his criticisms of how her home country was run, to which Isabelle and Vivian replied with some of their own criticisms of his rule in China, in particular citing the Great Leap Forward. Mao informed the two women that he didn't agree with what she was saying, but that he respected their opinion, handing them each a copy of his Little Red Book as they parted ways. Isabelle would later say that her conversation with Mao was one of the 'most nerving conversations she ever had' due to the fact that she was fearing for her life. Vivian said the conversation was nerving, due to the presence of armed guards outside of the room.
Isabelle had a really strong friendship with her closest friend, fellow Master Assassin Vivian Cadieux. The two women met each other in Paris in 1926 and immediately became friends. They would do schoolwork together, hang out together, and train as Assassins together. Vivian assisted Isabelle all over Europe in the hunt for Stefan Klein, and was the first to hear the news that Adolf Hitler had been slain. Upon Isabelle's return to England, Vivian gave her a big hug without saying a word because of how happy she was, and celebrated with her the end of the European theatre of the war in London. When Isabelle arose to the rank of Mentor in 1954, Vivian became Isabelle's right-hand woman, and was at Isabelle's side whenever there were meetings between Mentors of the English and West German Brotherhoods. Isabelle and Vivian were both known for their beliefs of humanitarianism. During the 1950's, Isabelle, Xavier, Irina and Vivian would travel to the Congo, Niger, Sudan, and Ethiopia, providing several villages with food and water, and assisted in helping them grow their own grains and plants to use for food. Their acts of humanitarianism earned them several awards, as well as recognition from the United Nations for their efforts to combat poverty in Africa. Isabelle considered Vivian to be 'the younger sister she never had', and would become blood sisters through a pact in 1959.
Isabelle rarely took time off from her duties as an Assassin. In her twenty-nine years as Mentor, Isabelle only took a year and eight months off from her duties, working through many injuries over her career. The first instance was when she discovered a lump in her right breast in June of 1956, which was later revealed to be breast cancer. She got the tumor surgically removed and recovered over the span of three months before she returned to active duty as an Assassin. The second time was in 1961 where she underwent an emergency appendectomy in Regina, Saskatchewan to remove her inflamed appendix. Isabelle would late say that she was incredibly thankful for Canadian healthcare. She recovered from the surgery for five months before returning to the field, due to her surgery wound reopening during a fight with Abstergo agents inside the Qu'Appelle Valley Vault. The third time was the concussion she suffered inside the Dorian Family Crypt, which was worse than the one she suffered in Stalingrad, due to added whiplash. Isabelle was forced to sit out on all fieldwork for over a year, due to her not being able to focus, difficulty remembering things, and chronic headaches. While Isabelle was away, Vivian took charge of the Brotherhood on a temporary basis.
After attaining the Rank of Mentor in 1954, Isabelle, the French Mentor, alongside British Mentor Lydia Frye and West German Mentor Elizabeth Baudin were known for their strong leadership of their respective Brotherhoods behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War, being dubbed the 'Iron Sisterhood' by Allied Assassin Brotherhoods. Isabelle was the youngest of the Mentors. At the formation of the Iron Sisterhood in 1955, Lydia was 62 years old, Elizabeth was 51 years old, and Isabelle was only 34 years of age.
Isabelle was also a people person, often engaging with crowds of people whenever she would give speeches at elementary schools and universities during her career as a motivational speaker. Many young children loved Isabelle whenever she spoke and admired her for her military heroics during World War 2 and in Korea, as well as her humanitarian efforts in Africa. She would frequently pose for photos with the children as well. Children have spoken about how Isabelle inspired them to do good in the world, some even called her a 'true hero of France', which Isabelle called a 'great honour.'
Romantic Life
After the Second World War, Isabelle would return to Paris, and marry her childhood friend and fellow Assassin Xavier Andreu in August 1952, in a ceremony within the Basilica of Saint-Denis, taking his last name in marriage. She would give birth to the couple's first child, a son named Alexandre Christian Andreu on November 25th, 1953. Isabelle would later welcome a second child into the world, a daughter named Margaux Alexandra Andreu on December 15th, 1954. Isabelle would always find time to spend time with her children in their youth, often traveling with them to take in the sights and sounds of the countries of Canada, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales while visiting the countries. Isabelle and Xavier would remain married until 1961, divorcing him after he cheated on her while she was in Canada on a mission.
In March of 1962, Isabelle would begin a relationship with Edouard Monet, a fellow French Master Assassin. The two immediately hit it off and began dating. What came as a shock to everyone, Edouard proposed to Isabelle eight months later, and the couple would marry in an intimate ceremony at Isabelle's acreage on July 10th, 1963, and take his name in marriage, becoming Isabelle Allard-Monet. Vivian was her maid of honor for the ceremony. After the wedding, Vivian would comment on Isabelle's second marriage, saying that Isabelle was a much happier woman with Edouard than she ever was with Xavier. The couple would remain married until Edouard’s death in 2012.
Assassination Targets
- Stefan Klein (1943)
- Adolf Hitler (1945)
- Kim Chaek (1951)
Quotes
- "It was at her flat on the twenty-fifth of June where I had heard the terrible news: France had fallen to the Nazis. The homeland of my family, fallen into corrupt hands. My family would not stand for this. I will not stand for this."
- ―An excerpt from Isabelle's journal, July 5th, 1940
- "I'd much rather be a Master Assassin than a nun in a convent."
- ―Isabelle commenting to Vivian about where they could have ended up, July 1945.
- "Rot in hell, you murderous tyrant."
- ―Isabelle after assassinating Adolf Hitler, April 30th, 1945.
- "There are times where I think of how my life would be if my father hadn't died and my mother wasn't murdered, had she not miscarried...I often wonder what I would be doing if events in my life went a different way."
- ―An excerpt from Isabelle's journal, 1951.
- "The yellow bikini was something I normally didn't wear. The only time I wore it was on our honeymoon in Santorini, as it was a gift Xavier gave me while we were there. Those were some of the happiest days of my life, and I was at my peak when it came to fitness. It felt good to show off my body at the time. Now? You wouldn't catch me wearing one."
- ―Isabelle commenting on a photo from her honeymoon in Santorini in 1952, May 1957.
- "I wonder what would happen if the worker bees rose up and revolted against their queen. Only one way to find out."
- ―Isabelle, before participating in a protest, May 1963.
- "It's sad to see such a prosperous country being torn apart over the wish of every person wanting to live in harmony and solidarity with one another."
- ―Isabelle to American Mentor William Samuelson as they witnessed a Civil Rights protest in Birmingham, Alabama, April, 1963.
Trivia
- Isabelle is a name that means "God's promise", while Allard can be traced back to the Anglo-Norman word Adelard, meaning "Noble and brave."
- Isabelle was given the name 'Izzy' when she was a girl and when she served in the military. She only liked it when her mother called her it, and not even Vivian was safe from getting a lecture from Isabelle when it slipped out of her mouth. As a rebuttal, Isabelle would jokingly call her 'Vivvy' each time she called Isabelle by her nickname.
- All of the most vital documents pertaining to the Dorian Family were in Isabelle's possession by 1955.
- Isabelle wasn't taught much about Juliette Dorian or her daughter Alana when she was younger, because the French Brotherhood had no documents about her after she left for Britain.
- Isabelle's jacket had a metal plate on her left sleeve, protecting her Hidden Blade in close quarter combat.
- Isabelle's Hidden Blade possessed a rope launcher, one which she barely used.
- During an important or while in the field, Isabelle had her long black hair tied up in a ponytail.
- Isabelle was the godmother of Vivian's daughter, Valerie.
- Isabelle and her sisterhood were feverishly against aparthied in South Africa.
- Isabelle was inspired as an Assassin by the likes of her Mother, Elise de la Serre, Arno Dorian, and Francois Dorian.
- Isabelle was multilingual. She could speak and write in French, English, German, and Russian. Her strongest languages were English and French, followed by German.
- After her mother's passing in 1938, Isabelle considered Lydia Frye to be her Mentor. Isabelle would speak at her funeral in London.
- Isabelle stood at 5'4 tall.
- Isabelle was a great public speaker, but she let Vivian handle the public speaking duties, out of the fear of people not taking her seriously as Mentor due to her height.
- Isabelle's wedding ring could still fit on her ring finger, even after she amputated it.
- From time to time, Isabelle would wear a prosthetic finger.
- Isabelle would wear a nose piercing from time to time.
- On her left wrist she had a tattoo of the Norse runes for strength and courage, and on her right wrist she has the Norse runes for love and protection, honoring her Scandinavian heritage.
- Isabelle would wear glasses from time to time, due to her eyesight being a bit blurry due to her history with concussions.
- Isabelle said that the Vietnam War "sickened her" and considered the entire war to be a war crime, with "all the blood on America's hands"
- Politically, Isabelle identified herself as a left-leaning libertarian in her youth, but tended to become more of an anti-fascist after the events of World War II.
- When it came to religion, Isabelle identified herself as an atheist.
- Isabelle kept a journal, detailing the events of her life as an Assassin, which fell into her daughter Margaux's hands after her death.
- The Assassin bureau Isabelle helped form in Saskatoon in 1963 was in the basement of Hotel Senator, and after it was abandoned in 2000, it would later become a brewpub going by the name of 21st Street Brewery.
- Isabelle's looks and appearance were inspired by Canadian curler Kerri Einarson.
- Her character theme song is 'The Chant' by Gojira.
- The artworks on this page were created by Timaeus (timayonnaise on Instagram), and i_am_the_vigilante_, also on Instagram, as well as SophiaEA16 on Twitter.