- Bullion: "What is all the noise!"
- Guard: "The citizens of Paris have entered the yard, monsieur (sir) Marquis, but it is nothing to worry about"
- Bullion: "I told you to keep those dogs out of the courtyard. Take care of this, or I will use your head as a pisspot"
- —Bullion's last moments, 1790
Louis-Dominique François | |
---|---|
Marquis de Bullion | |
Biographical information | |
Born |
28 February, 1747 |
Died |
22 July, 1790 (aged 43) |
Political information | |
Affiliations |
Templars (1773–death) French aristocracy (birth–death) French Army (1769–1773) Officer in Le Loroux (1776–1788) |
Real-world information | |
Appears in | |
Voice actor |
Pierre Colldoir |
Louis-Dominique Serd-Croix François, marquis de Bullion was a French aristocrat and Templar who operated during the French Revolution. His role was to find and kill the royalist men and women for Louis Philippe II.
He became the marquis of Bullion early, and with his power, he managed to murder Mélanie Chimen-Étienne (a Master Assassin) and her husband Jacques Étienne. It was all supposed to go smoothly with killing them: give them trouble with the help of Robert LaGouze, make a death penalty on their family, hang them. But this hit back on him when the Revolution was a fact: Pierre Étienne and Louis la Mort with one or two other unnamed Assassin, infiltrated the Palais du Luxembourg with the help of the revolutionary Théroigne de Méricourt. The palace was stormed by the citizens, and they attacked the marquis.
Under the attack of Palais du Luxembourg, Pierre, Louis and the other Assassins threw the aristocrat out of a window. The people grabbed his body, and punched him before they beheaded the man. His head was placed on a stake to derision.
Early life[]
- "It is a well-created boy, marquess."
- ―A doctor at the birth of Bullion, 1747
At the eve of the last day in February, Bullion was born by marquess Quintina and Andrés François. He was later the younger brother of one sister, Madeleine, and the older to tow other siblings: Geoffrey and Élise. He was born in wealth, and had no problems when he was born – and during his lifetime. He was a stoic aristocrat, and belonged to the French nobility. He and his sisters played often with a girl who was called Charlotte LeFay. Later he would also become a member of the French Army.
Bullion had many friends, and at the age of 22, he entered the French Army with them. For the fear of his life, Quintina placed him in an Amiens-station. With the help of her husband, Quintina could soon make her son to a sergeant – money was no problem in France, if you had them. In the Army, he become known with an attractive French-Austrian man who said that he had joined the Army to seek for revenge over the Austrians – who killed his parents and sisters one time when they were on holiday in Wien.
As a 26-year-old, in 1773, Bullion was taken out of the Army. His father had died of an illness, which made Bullion into the new marquis. His friends followed him – out of the Army; Quintina did soon found them as lickspittles, and dispatched them as soon as they came to the estate to ask for alms. Élise had been married earlier that year, to a poor count. Bullion's sister refused any man who gave her a good offer – the only person she trusted with her life, was her old childhood-friend: Charlotte LeFay. LeFay had been married to duke, but never lived with him – she preferred to live with Madeleine. Bullion himself preferred the company of men – even young boys – instead of a lady's; he never married, instead he walked in the gardens or at banquets with "girl-colors".
Templar-affaires []
The same year when Bullion became the new Marquis, he was recruited into the Parisian Rite of the Templar Order.
Callum Kerr[]
- "A promise is a promise. And my promise duty before pleasure. The Order's benefits are the only thing that matters. "
- ―Bullion upon his arrival in Boston, 1774
In 1774, Bullion was tasked to travel to the colonies – where he was supposed to meet a Templar member named Callum Kerr. The Templar had so far only had one task: kill a Native American with close affiliations with the Assassins Order. Bullion's task was to teach Callum about what to do right now. Boston had recently been lost tea – and other values – in the sea. Bullion owned a plantation in Port-au-Prince, where Callum was supposed to travel to – where Madeleine now lived, as a concubine with her lover: Charlotte LeFay (the duke she had been married to, had divorced with her and was now married to an Austrian princess). Madeleine – a Caribbean Templar – owned her own company, which Callum would be tasked to execute diverse contracts.
Upon the arrival in Boston, Callum wanted to know what all this was about, and the Marquis simply replied that he had come to teach Callum in what it meant to serve the Templars; it was the Templars' task to make sure that men and women could make their future come true. So far, Callum had been given one target: to kill a man that had close affiliations with the Assassins; now Callum was tasked by Bullion to sail to the Caribbean, where he was supposed to find mixtures for the people in Boston. To get to the Caribbean, he was given the ship La Grande Gazelle – ship that would later be used in the Knights Fleet. La Gazelle was the Bullion's own ship, but he would not need for the time being: he had other business of his own.
The Colonial Grand Master, Haytham Kenway, was not pleased to see that his pet had been sent to the Caribbean – without his consent. Bullion pointed at that Haytham should be pleased that his father, Edward Kenway or his former quartermaster Adéwalé, did not manage to kill all Templars – so some of the Templars' former grip still remained. Bullion did not got along with the Grand Master: Haytham did not know that Boston was in desperate need for exclusive food, and mixtures and medicines, after the Boston tea party. Madeleine had the necessarily resources at the Bullion-plantation, and the Gazelle would certainly make progress in the West-Indies.
Bullion sorrowed for a short time; Callum was so attractive. He would like to follow Callum to the Caribbean, but he had to do something of personal affaires.
The Sharpshooter[]
- "I met an Assassin once before; I killed him, and he was just as naive as you."
- ―Bullion to Pierre Étienne, talking about Caleb Garret, 1790
While Callum was in Port-au-Prince and was learned the pedagogic of the Templar Order by Madeleine and her concubine, Bullion tried to locate an Englishman: Caleb Garrett. The man had killed an important ally of the Colonial Tempalr Order: Victor Wolcott. Wolcott was a man who managed to keep the Templars from dying – needful with Assassins around every corner. (He was also a close friend from when Bullion was in the Army) Colcott had burned some pioneers and robbers on the order of Haytham. The victims was killed due to their broken affiliations with the colonial Templars; they were former Templars themselves, but had broke the Order's code. Wolcott killed them by first giving them hallucinogenic poison – which made them go berserk at each other – before they collapsed of exhaustion. Afterwards some of their limbs was removed from their body – as evidence for the Grand Master. Later that month, Caleb Garrett had shot Wolcott in New York's streets.
Caleb Garret was to be located close to Fort George in New York. Bullion traveled to New York where he established a company which was supposed to collect food and resources from the Natives; this would undoubtedly make him a target, for the Natives location was also the place where Caleb came from. A few months afterwards, Bullion noticed a shadow at the rooftops. The trap was completed: Caleb had taken the bait and eaten it whole. Bullion placed himself in a chair in the study with a book in his hands, and a pistol by his side. A rope was hidden the closet; Bullion would use this to capture the Assassin. He placed a branding iron into the fireplace, and waited. Caleb would undoubtedly kill him with his hidden blade.
Suddenly Bullion heard a squeak. He turned and saw the Assassin ready to attack. Bullion grabbed the pistol and shot. Caleb dodged, and Bullion threw the book in the head of the Assassin. Caleb was stunned for a few seconds, and then Bullion grabbed the branding iron and flanged it into the Assassin's eye. The man was helpless, and Bullion placed the branding iron into Caleb's other eye too. Bullion felt the adrenaline pump. He sat down on knees, and used his pistol to shoot the arm of Caleb (the hand which carried the hidden blade). Afterwards he took the rope from the closet and trammeled the Assassin on hands and feets. Caleb's vein pumped faster and faster. The Marquis' lust was greater than his rank as a nobleman. He took of his clothes and then he forced of the Assassin's clothes … Caleb died of hemorrhage during the night.
In 1776, Bullion was tasked to come back to France, on the order of François de la Serre. Marquis de Bullion was sad over this, because he felt a tie to his apprentice, Callum Kerr. He found the Templar extremely attractive, and would like to live the rest of his life with Kerr – but Bullion never learned if the feelings was mutual. Duty before pleasure. Maybe one day – one day! – Bullion could relocate Kerr and they could live together for all eternity. Bullion's ship, La Grande Gazelle, did not followed its master back to France – the marquis did however bought another ship for himself; the Gazelle was given to Callum.
French Revolution[]
- "I am a Templar; I work for peace, prosperity, and freedom for all of mankind."
- ―Bullion to Pierre Étienne at his deathbed, 1790
January 1776, Bullion did soon learned that of François de la Serre, the Grand Master, needed to make sure that the control of Le Louroux was secured. In doing so, he set Bullion to take care of this. Bullion was made the public officer of the little city of Le Louroux, and with the help of a fellow-Templar, named Robert LaGouze, Bullion managed to find and kill a Master-Assassin named Mélanie Étienne d'Le Louroux and her husband.
Bullion served as the public officer from 1776 to 1788. As the officer, he was also the executioner, and now he could control people more and more. He did soon learned that the Assassin-family Étienne had two children; two orphans was exactly what he needed: an heir to follow in his footprints. When he arrived at the estate, there was no one there: a tragedy.
Late 1788, François-Thomas Germain arrived in Le Louroux to recruit Bullion to his growing companionships. He was about to form a new Templar Order. Bullion found this strange, but he traveled to Paris with him however. The citizens in Le Louroux had began to think rebellious thoughts. The Treasury was in need of money, and the King meant that the nobility, the clergy and the third estate was supposed to pay it back; therefore Bullion left the area, and gave the control to an administrator. Germain talked so goodly about the New Order, and the Templar Order that De la Serre led was conservative and orthodox – old and in need of a reform; Bullion was not disagree, but he thought that murdering De la Serre would not be so clever as it sounded. "Death solves anything these days, my dear Marquis." was Germain's response.
With the death of De la Serre in 1789, the New Order was established itself, with Germain as Grand Master. His second-in-command was Robespierre, but the duke of Orléans was also a close ally – whom Bullion was tasked to work for. Madeleine had arrived in Paris to swear her allegiance to the reformed Parisian Rite, and lived at the Palais-Royale with her brother. Charlotte, Madeleine's concubine, still lived in Port-au-Prince to serve the Bullion-plantation. The two women had a child who they had named Marie-Jean LeFay du Port-au-Prince. In the Palais-Royale, the two siblings made their way into the high society. They become known with the count de Gambais and his son – which feared the Austrians. Bullion recalled his old friend in the Army. What had happend to him? Was he still alive, was he dead? Bullion never saw him again, but for the meantime he worked for a commandant named Bonaparte.
As a reformed Templar, Bullion's task was to hoard the food from the citizens of Paris. Germain's thoughts was to starve the people. Through famine and fury they would see their masters for what they were. Bullion served under the duke of Orléans however, and he was of the opinion that Bullion should hoard food for bad times. When the people needed food, the Templars would give them this. Gradually, the Templars would have control over the citizens. Germain wanted chaos, the duke of Orléans wanted secret control.
Death[]
- "We hold the power, citizens. Our time is now, citizens! "
- ―Méricourt to the people before storming the Palais du Luxembourg.
Eve of Bullion's death[]
Bullion's task to hoard the food from the people was easy enough. He cooperated with Mme. Flavigny, her associate and Marie Lévesque to hoard the food, and this was placed in two different locations: under the Palais du Luxembourg, and in Flavigny's shop in Les Halles. One day during the revolution Bullion and his sister held a party at the Palais du Luxembourg to ensure their amity with the politicians in the Jacobin Club. At some point, a large crowd charged into the courtyard of the palace. They wanted food, and Théroigne de Méricourt and other revolutionaries – with the help of some Assassins – had located the food, and now the revolutionary de Méricourt wanted vengeance: she wanted to eliminate the man who was portrayed often in the Journal de Paris as a food-hoarder; no man needed so much food. To quote de Méricourt:
"That bounty could feed a hundred starving poor, or one nobleman."
The crowd threw rocks inside the palace and killed Madeleine François de Bullion first; a rock hit her in the head and killed her immediately. The aristocrats fled in a hurry: no one told them of murdering! The guards took their muskets and rifles to protect the marquis. Four Assassins entered the room – two of whom were Pierre Étienne and Louis la Mort – and killed the guards before walking up to the marquis. Pierre took out his sword and sliced the chest of the aristocrat, and afterwards another of the Assassins threw Bullion out to the people who waited eagerly to see the man killed. They chopped of his head, and put it on a stake, along with other aristocrats' heads.
Final words[]
Bullion: "Cowards! Get back here. [guards run away from Bullion. Bullion turns to the Assassins] We can work together, spare me – please! – they're only peasants! [Bullion being shot by Pierre. In memory corridor:] Meurtrier (murderer)!"
Pierre: "So says the fool!"
Bullion: "The fool here are you and all of your friends! Why? You and your acolytes have just destroyed a political feast, and for what? For food, for killing me?"
Pierre: "You are a Templar! You have killed, murdered and butchered people!"
Bullion: "Of course! I am a Templar; I work for peace, prosperity, and freedom for all of mankind. Me and my Templar-connections seek a world where no one – no one! – talking lies and giving up trust in another person. We seek a world where everyone can live side by side, with no fear for new things. I have killed men and women who stand in my way to achieve that goal."
Assassin: "The Templars wish to corrupt humanity. You steal the people's freedom."
Bullion: "Freedom, freedom, and more freedom. You Assassins only think of freedom; freedom is an inviting to chaos; through chaos, comes death; through death, comes collapse; through collapse, comes the apocalypse. The Templars holding the people in their bare hand, yes, but we created this world. We have puppets in all of the world, because we created the world; we have made sure that the world have been given wealth and prosperity. I do not see why all of you Assassins kill us, when we have given you everything!"
Louis la Mort: "You and your Templar-acolytes have stolen the food that was brought into Paris, and hidden it form the people who deserve it!"
Bullion: "I took the food for harder times. Those dogs [the people] squander their food without even thinking about spare it for harder times. With all the food that have been brought into Paris, it would only last for a few hours before less than one quintic of Paris' citizens had eaten it. Alas, that the Marquis de Bullion should not die in bed with a lover by his side, but to four naive Assassins who think that they can solve all of the world's problems with a flick of a blade. I met an Assassin once before; I killed him, and he was just as naive as you."
Pierre: "What does 4th of July 1776 tell you?"
Bullion: "Nothing!"
Pierre: "That was the date you killed my mother and father in Le Louroux. And now, your fate is sealed, monsieur de Bullion! For what you did that day, you will feel what I felt: Despair, sorrow, and emptiness! I am going to execute these feelings by doing this!"
Pierre took out his sword and sliced the stomach of Bullion. Afterwards he took the Marquis to an open window, where he threw him out to the people. Afterwards, the Assassins sneaked their way to the rooftop of the palace, where they saw Bullion's head on a stake, to all of the citizens of Paris' pleasure.
Trivia[]
- The first name Louis-Dominique can be translated to "Warrior of the Lord".
- The surname François is thought to mean "free"; ironically: Louis-Dominique was a man who suppressed men and women, who had the surname of "free".
- The reference that Bullion preferred the company of a man instead of a lady, his choice of colors, that he found Alexandre François attractive, hints to the Marquis's sexual orientation as gay; this is to be confirmed in the paragraphs of Callum Kerr and Caleb Garrett
- Bullion's mother found a new husband when Bullion traveled to America.
- Élise, Bullion's youngest sister, moved to New France with her husband, but Bullion never visited her while he was in America.