- "The Caribbean are rotten to the core, and it's in the Templars' duty to restore order. If our enemies rule as they pleases, the West Indies have only one fate: anarchy."
- ―Siliva Moreno to lady Concord, 1767
| Silvia Nicolás Moreno | |
|---|---|
| |
| Biographical information | |
| Born |
4 April 1719 |
| Died |
19 March 1778 |
| Political information | |
| Affiliations | |
| Real-world information | |
| Appears in |
Zachariah Oneco's diary |
| Voice actor | |
Silvia Nicolás Moreno was a Spanish Templar that operated briefly during the Caribbean Purge of Assassins. During the Orpheus-conspiracy, she sided with the Radical Caribbean Templars. She was the daughter of Felicia Moreno and Renardo Aguilar, both Templars – though she never met her father, and lost her mother at a very young age.
Biography []
Early life []
Born on the palace of Portobelo to Felicia Moreno, Silvia was looked on as a girl that would be the death of the Puppeteer. The latter was born to a family of thieves that taught her various tricks as she grew up, turning her into a master of disguise and sleight-of-hand. While Felicia's crimes as a child were relatively petty, she soon advanced to more serious thefts, robbing stagecoaches and pilfering jewelry from princesses and nobles. She could use her charm to manipulate anyone, but she cared for her little child. This was the reason – many believed so, at least – would be the beginning of the end. And it was – sort of.
When Silvia was nothing but a mere 3-year-old when the palace was infiltrated with a group of Assassins. She was out in the gardens when a soldier told to bring the girl out of the Templars' stronghold. The men did so, and took her to the docks, where a Native-born Templar used the schooner to flee the stronghold. She was then sent with a ship to a Templar-family in Spain.
With the years, Silvia later learned the people that had killed her mother was four Assassins: Kumi Berko, Manuel Mendoza, Ferreira de Ortega and Parry Crowther. When Silvia was recruited into the Spanish Templar fold in 1742, she wanted to find the Assassins and kill them. However, her mentor told her that Parry had killed himself because of grief of his family; Ferreira had been tortured to death by the Cutthroat; Kumi had died after being attacked by a group of Nicolas Rueda's mercenaries; Manuel was still loose however. He still operated in Caribbean.
Templar-affaires []
The Caribbean-task[]
Padre del Entendimiento
Being chosen to the leader of a new Templar branch that would be stationed in Santo Domingo, Silvia was given a ship named Padre del Entendimiento. Her task was to establish a new headquarter – with the help of a man named Eugiène Blaise – for the Spanish Templars, and in this way a new Caribbean Rite. Meanwhile, she was also tasked to hunt and kill Manuel Mendoza, the Wayfarer.
Arriving in Sant Domingo in January 1743, Silvia and her little army of – approximately 30 – Templars met with Templar Blaise. He had been a Templar over 20 years, and had served under Laureano Torres and Juana Puíg. He was now 46 years himself – and was ready to establish the new Caribbean Templar Rite. Silvia and the little army of Templars had decided to spread themselves across the city. Silvia, five trusted Templars and Blaise established themselves at a tavern: La Loco Daga. At the tavern, Blaise ordered some drinks brought up to him. The seven Templars sat down and began to talk: Blaise told that the Templars' position had been reduced drastically the last twenty years – and today it was most likely they only controlled three percentage of West Indies' land and trading. Blaise also informed that Ah Tabai – the Mentor of the Caribbean Assassins – used an Assassin only known as the Wayfarer to hunt down a new threat: the Dane-Norwegian Templar Rite. The Danes had existed in Caribbean since the mid-1600s. The Assassins had already killed several of the leaders of the Danish Templar Rite, but in return they had established themselves on three islands, and had control of big parts of the trading with Danish ships. Also, Blaise did not hid that he had personally helped with ending a slave-rebellion on the island of Saint John in 1734.
Silvia said that was good and all, but that she wanted to know what could be done in order to establish a new Rite. Blaise said the key was to ally themselves with the Danes – they had resources and soldiers enough to help the Spaniards create their own Rite. Silvia asked why the Danes not had expanded themselves. Blaise explained it with stating that a Norwegian Templar-couple (the men was members of the Dane-Norwegian Rite, but came from Norway) named Hans and Christian Kristoffersen had been transported to St. Croix to train new Templar agents to become worthy ambassadors or hitmen – much time was spent on this, and sending Templar ships with cargo to destinations to obtain money. Also, it was not in the Scandinavians' culture to obtain more land – they were usually peacekeepers. "In addition to this," Blaise continued, "it's not wrong to have a strong capital before expanding your own borders."
The Gunner
The Swordsman
Manuel Mendoza []
Manuel Mendoza
In 1746, Silvia and her five trusted Templars had expanded their little Rite – though only on the island of Hispaniola. They had decided to ally themselves with the Dane-Norwegian Rite for the time being. It seemed to be a good choice, because the Grand Master of the Danish branch of the Knights Hospitaller, Johanne Nesbo, had supplied them with an amount of not less than 2,000 soldiers to fight for their Rite.
But in March 1746, news of Templars' deaths reached the ear of Silvia. A survivor described the attacker as tall, suntan, carrying a club, and a wide-brimmed hat. This was a perfect description of Manuel Mendoza. Silvia now remembered that she had come to Caribbean for the personal goal to kill a man that had been responsible for her mother's death. Silvia told the survivor to retreat to their allies at the Virgin Islands while she would create a trap to kill Mendoza. Blaise had left her to help the Danes with a problem in Africa, so Silvia was alone in this fight – the five trusted Templars had been reduced to two, the three others had been murdered by Manuel. The two remaining was Guadalupe Rosario Huerta and Eufemia Fonseca, but they were more than happy to help in the defeat of the Assassin.
Silvia decided to arrange a ball for Templar at Fortaleza Ozama; it did not take much time before Templar spies reported of a hooded man had entered the city of Santo Domingo. When the night came for the ball, Silvia and her fellow-Templars had told the guards – Templars and soldiers of the Knights Hospitaller – to be aware for bushes, rooftops, ledges, small cabinets, wells, carts, corners. Manuel Mendoza was not to move a single place without being noticed. Silvia, Guadalupe and Eufemia would be stationed on a little terrace with a roof over them. When the time came for the ball to start, the three Templars took place on the terrace; Silvia noticed the provisional roof was not made of wood that she had wanted, but of fabric – she hoped there would be no complications despite it.
The ball started, and the hired orchestra began to play a minuet. The Templars that was present at the party took each others' hands and began to dance. All of the Templars knew it was all a play to capture the Assassin. This was the reason all the male Templars carrying a sword, while the females carried daggers – both of them had a flintlock as an alternative weapon. Silvia chose to use a cane-sword and a pistol – hidden under her dress; with a cane-sword, there was the possibility to walk around in socially places without being neglected. Eufemia used a cane-sword too, but she used it inside her umbrella. Guadalupe had a rapier hanging in his belt. While the Templars was dancing – and the hours was ticking by – Silvia's senses was being tired out. She almost fell asleep standing when she suddenly saw and heard the dancing Templars screaming. Smoke bombs had been thrown on the dancing-floor. The orchestra stopped up and was shocked over what was going on. Silvia had not counted on this. She saw Assassins jumping from the trees and palms, preforming air assassinations on the Templars and the guards. Silvia drew her sword from the cane and prepared herself for a battle. The uniforms of the Knights Hospitaller fell from the rooftops and broke their necks. Assassins jumped down and killed other soldiers. Suddenly Silvia heard the fabric over her being ripped. Eufemia and Guadalupe turned up, but their sight was soon blocked by the blades that entered their heads – and the fingers then closing their eyes. Silvia recognized the Assassin from the description of Manuel Mendoza. "So, finally we meet," Silvia said. "Have you longed to see me?" Manuel asked. "You can bet your life on I have. You were at the Portobelo in 1722, where you – along with three other Assassins – killed Felicia Moreno." Manuel was distracted for a moment: he tried to figure out how Silvia knew Felicia. Silvia used this moment to fall out on the Assassin.
Silvia had the sword in her left hand and the cane itself in right. She meant to stab the Assassin through the head, but the man managed to avoid it with a hairbreadth. He bowed down and extended his hidden blade. He took one step in front of him before rising up and slice the external oblique muscle (of the abdomen) before turning around facing Moreno from her back. The Templar yelled in pain; hoping him to still stay close enough back her, Silvia turned with the sword first. She missed, of course. Mendoza took one step back just to make sure he was not hit. Silvia noticed it, and said: "You're scared." This triggered something in the Assassin, because he took out his club and swung it on Silvia; she did not expect it and was therefore not abel to doge the blow. She was hit at the same place she just was cut. Silvia fell over to the ground. The sword fell out of her hand, but she tried to take it. She was not going to die yet. She placed one arm in front of another, dragging herself to the sword. She had just grabbed the hilt was to lift it, but Mendoza's club destroyed her left hand with a power that also destroyed the hilt itself. The Assassin sneered at Silvia and said: "When will this fight end, Templar? First Torres, then the Danes, now you and your acolytes. When will it stop?" Silvia led her right arm over her waist, but in a movement that could look she tried to stop the bleeding from the deep wound. "How long time will it take before the Templars understand the Assassins will never stop?" Silvia looked down on her right hand. The pistol. In a quick move, she shot Mendoza in the chest. He fell to the floor, and Silvia thanked herself that the weapon had two pistol barrels. She walked on all four up to Mendoza. He was bleeding fast, and the wound was deep and deadly. "The fight will end when the Assassins are gone – and when the inhabitants of Caribbean are liberated from your anarchy," she said. Silvia lifted her pistol and aimed on Mendoza's head. She pulled the trigger.
Question of a purge []
Background[]
Since the incident in 1746, Silvia had allied herself with Frey Furaha and the Knight Hospitaller Grand Master Johanne Nesbo. The three of them had received news from a Templar ally – and a member of the Caribbean Assassins – that had told them of the new Mentor: Claude Dimanche. Because of this, they began to plan their move. With a new Mentor, the Brotherhood needed to adapt the new leader's behavior: take him down now, and the Brotherhood will fall in chaos – arguing over a new leader. This was the opportunity they needed. So, they lay a plan to create a gathering: they would stage something similar to the ball in Santo Domingo. The plan was simple, create a social party at a plantation – but the guests are not to be affiliated with the Templar Order, only private-invited guests are to be. In this case, the Templars would be themselves, Alejandro Torres, Juan Antonelli, Margarida Estanyol, El Cazador, and Eric Johnson. This would not be a repeat of the Santo Domingo – where Templars had been butchered. The Templars was going to be placed inside a study of a plantation-mansion while the gathering was going to go on outside.
The party []
Orpheus-conspiracy []
Trivia[]
- Silvia is a feminine form of Silvius – meaning "wood, forest".
- Moreno is a word used by the Spanish and the Portuguese to refer to a (male) person with a deeply-tanned skin. Morena would be the female variant; from mora, meaning "blackberry, mulberry", but also "Moorish".
- Silvia had ambidexterity