- "Frye. Allard. Baudin. Three intimidating women. Those names alone strike fear in the hearts of many on our side."
- ―American Abstergo Agent Frankie van Haal on the Iron Sisterhood, December 1962.
The Iron Sisterhood was a coalition of Assassin Mentors on the western side of the Iron Curtain, standing firm against all forms of authoritarianism and totalitarianism and advocating for democracy and reforms in the Eastern Bloc states during the Cold War, as well as calling for the end of the tense conflict. Consisting of the European Assassin Mentors Lydia Frye (1893-1983), Elizabeth Baudin (1904-1990), Isabelle Allard (1920-2013), and later American Mentor Erika Petersen (1934 - ), and later Master Assassins Margaux Allard (1954 - ) and Prudence Bythesea (1936 - 2023) in the second incarnation, the coalition sought to get their views across in peaceful manners such as diplomacy with political leaders, speeches, and protests. The Sisterhood would last from 1955 to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Pre-1955[]
Before the formation of the Iron Sisterhood, Lydia became Mentor of the British Brotherhood of Assassins in 1933, taking over from Vienna Victoria Dorian, who stepped down, ending 74 years of Dorian Family leadership while Elizabeth became Mentor of the German Assassins in 1939 just before the onset of World War 2. Once the war broke out, Elizabeth and Lydia formed an alliance between the two brotherhoods to find out who was picking off their Assassins and would frequently meet to discuss the current events of the war. During one of these meetings, they would meet another Assassin, a young Frenchwoman named Isabelle Allard. Going against Lydia and Elizabeth’s wishes, she would eventually track down Stefan Klein, the Templar Lydia and Elizabeth had been tracking for the past four years, and pay for it severely by losing her ring finger and suffering a major concussion. Upon her return, Lydia and Elizabeth chastised the young Assassin for her reckless and impulsive behavior that could have gotten her killed. As a punishment, Isabelle was forbidden from participating in Assassin activities for a year and served her time away from the Assassins in Caen. Isabelle would return a year later to active Assassin duty, this time with Lydia’s permission. Isabelle joined the Sword regiment and landed on Normandy. She would fight her way back to Paris and successfully kill Stefan Klein a day before Paris was liberated.
Liberating Vivian Cadieux from Auschwitz[]
Sometime in the late week of June 1944, Elizabeth met up with Assassin informant Sergiusz Lewandowski under the request of the Polish Mentor Aleksy Wysocki, claiming that they’ve collected information regarding the concentration camp in Auschwitz.
Sergiusz informs the German Mentor that the Nazi doctors had been conducting inhumane medical experiments in the camp while their soldiers were raping, beating, and killing the women trapped there in an alarming rate. Given the authority by the Polish Mentor, Elizabeth requested a small reconnaissance group of their assassins to survey the camp’s grounds and track their schedules in order to find an opening.
Two days into their surveillance period, Sergiusz returns with their notes as well as several photographs as evidence. While Elizabeth and Alesky were reviewing the documents, Elizabeth saw a familiar face in one of the pictures. Recalling the Stalingrad Incident two years prior, she confirmed that it was Vivian Cadieux; French Assassin and Isabelle Allard’s best friend.
Elizabeth Baudin, July 1939.
Alesky sends a telegram to Olivier regarding the matter whilst Elizabeth requested that Sergiusz to infiltrate the camp and assist the prisoners to escape. She also requested that he find Vivian and request to meet up with the German Mentor in the outskirts near the area. By July 15th, Vivian and the other Polish prisoners had successfully escaped as Elizabeth patiently awaited Vivian’s appearance. After sending their regards to Sergiusz, the two women traveled to Danzig and ensured Vivian’s secure passage by providing her with a fake passport and a fool-proof disguise. Elizabeth hugs the younger assassin and sees her off before rendezvousing with Blythe Clauer in Prague, Czechia and they return to Berlin together.
End of the War[]
In February 1945, Lydia had received word that Adolf Hitler was in possession of an Apple of Eden from a Soviet commander named Cassandra Andropova, who insisted that Lydia send one of her Assassins to Berlin to retrieve it. Lydia agreed and sent Vivian a telegram in Paris telling her to send Isabelle to Berlin.
Isabelle would make it to Berlin on the 29th of April, meeting up with Commander Andropova, who gave her Hitler’s location. Arriving at the Fuhrerbunker just ahead of a Soviet squadron, she descended down and discovered that Hitler was hiding in the bunker with his wife Eva Braun. From around a corner, Isabelle watched as Hitler cloned himself with the Apple and shot his clone, mumbling to himself that he had to get to W. He would fail, as he met his end at Isabelle’s blade. Afterward, Isabelle would travel back to London with the Apple of Eden where it would be studied briefly by Lydia.
Shortly after, Lydia suggested that Isabelle join the military to harden her resolve and learn the concept of strict discipline. Isabelle would agree, and serve seven years in the French military as a foot soldier/combat medic.
Formation[]
In 1954, Olivier R. Abadie, Mentor of the Parisian Assassins, passed away after a battle with a severe illness. In his will, he named Isabelle Allard his successor. During her first year as Mentor, Isabelle recruited several Assassins to her cause and issued several reforms. Lydia and Elizabeth were pleased with the maturity that Isabelle was showing, and the two women suggested they form a coalition of Assassin Mentors on the western side of the Iron Curtain.
At the 1955 Assassin Conference in Dortmund, West Germany, Isabelle, Elizabeth, and Lydia all pressed that the Assassins should be monitoring the ongoing tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, because the result of total war could result at the end of the world. Isabelle would state that an' Iron Sisterhood' would be formed between West Germany, France, and England, and they would do everything in their power to help ease tensions between the two ideological enemies.
The Iron Sisterhood was born.
Late 1950's[]
Lydia, Elizabeth, and Isabelle were fiercely against American Senator Joseph McCarthy and his words about communism. Elizabeth would travel to Washington DC and hold talks with President Eisenhower, informing him that the senator’s words are just going to escalate the conflict and make things worse. Eisenhower agreed with her words, but would later renounce them upon sharing the thought that Baudin was a communist. Frustrated, Elizabeth left the White House under the watch of the Secret Service and returned to West Germany. They would not make an attempt to communicate with the United States, leaving that up to American Mentor William Samuelson.
Over the course of two years (1958-59), Isabelle would travel to Africa with members of her cell to assist in providing villages with food, clothing, and clean drinking water.
Early 1960's[]
Isabelle Miranda Allard, September 1961.
With the Cold War beginning to intensify, so did the non-aggressive actions of the Iron Sisterhood. The three Mentors continued to press their beliefs onto other Assassins at multiple conferences, with Isabelle and her friend Vivian even speaking at the United Nations in 1962 during the heights of the Cuban Missile Crisis, with both reiterating the fact that if an all-out war were to happen between the two countries, neither countries will be the victim, but the world will be. Shortly afterward, all three women heaved a sigh of relief as the Soviets removed their missiles from Cuba and the Americans removed their missiles from Turkey, lowering the tensions for now.
In 1964, Isabelle and her Assassin cell staged a women’s rights during a presidential visit in Paris, with Isabelle and Vivian baring their breasts during the protest, which resulted in Isabelle and Vivian serving eight-month house arrest sentences. Lydia was proud of her former pupil and respected her fight for women’s rights. In contrast, Elizabeth nodded her head in approval but warned Isabelle to be cautious as a protest with a magnitude such as this could compromise the Brotherhood.
Attempted Assassination of Isabelle Allard[]
A wounded Isabelle after the shooting, August 9th, 1965.
On August 9th, 1965, after finishing a fiery speech about the state of the Vietnam War, Isabelle was shot in the gut and left shoulder by a sole gunman who was immediately restrained in the crowd. Isabelle was immediately transported to the hospital where she was operated on for nearly nine hours, where the bullets were removed, her fractured collarbone, and she was given a blood transfusion. While Isabelle was in the hospital, She was visited in the hospital by Quin Williams and Elizabeth Baudin and by Lydia on her last day in the hospital, where Isabelle would travel to her cabin north of Aix-les-Bains to work on recovering the feeling and function of her left arm, which was due to severe radial neuropathy. Thanks to an intense physiotherapy regimen, Isabelle recovered the feeling and function a full year after the event happened. She would again pose topless, with all her wounds on full display. Lydia once again praised Isabelle for showing off her wounds, whereas Elizabeth shared her approval of her decision and said that it showed off Isabelle’s resilience.
Liberating East German Families[]
In 1967, Isabelle heard Vivian was traveling to West Berlin to meet up with Elizabeth Baudin to discuss 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. An altercation between the two groups resulted in Vivian being wounded 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, 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, 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'.
While Isabelle was in West Berlin assisting Elizabeth and Vivian, Lydia traveled to both the United States and the Soviet Union, actively calling for politicians on both sides to make a push toward peace.
1970's[]
In 1970, newly appointed Mentor Erika Petersen joined the Sisterhood on the recommendation of Elizabeth, which irked Isabelle a bit due to past relations with the American Brotherhood. She promised the European Mentors that she would monitor the actions of the US Secretary of State and Templar affiliate Henry Kissinger, and operated with a more heads-on approach. Lydia’s talks with politicians led to a detente between Nixon and Brezhnev, culminating with visits from Brezhnev and Nixon to Washington DC and Moscow respectively. The first SALT treaty was signed on May 26th, 1972 with Isabelle and Elizabeth in attendance to witness the signing in Moscow.
Around this time, Canadian Mentor and friend of Isabelle Rachelle Petrosa was invited to join, but politely declined.
In 1972, Lydia stepped down from her role as an Assassin and Mentor, citing health reasons. Despite stepping down from her role within the Sisterhood, Lydia would continue to monitor the tension up until her death in 1983.
A year later, much to Isabelle’s delight, US troops began to pull out of Vietnam. Isabelle was quoted as saying: “It’s about time the senseless bloodshed in Vietnam has been brought to an end.” and “The disposable ‘heroes’ can finally be disposed of.”
In 1979, after serving as German Mentor for forty years, Elizabeth Baudin stepped down from her post and her role in the Iron Sisterhood. Isabelle chose to step down alongside her hero as well, stating that it was an honor to work alongside two women she considered to be her heroes and maintained hope that the Soviets and Americans will make peace in her lifetime.
Second Incarnation and the End of the Cold War[]
In 1981, the Iron Sisterhood was revived when offers were extended to Isabelle’s daughter Margaux and Elizabeth’s daughter Prudence by American Mentor Erika Petersen, which were accepted, this time with a new threat.
Prudence Bythesea, November 1981.
Margaret Thatcher was elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1979 and Ronald Reagan was elected President of the United States in 1981, and both of them were known for their scathing views on the Soviet Union and communism in general. Margaux and Isabelle traveled to the United States and held talks with Reagan, where they informed the President that his words and actions toward the Soviet Union were pushing away any form of peace. The argument escalated so much that Isabelle was escorted out of the White House due to telling Reagan to look in the mirror. Margaux left on her own accord.
Prudence visited Thatcher at 10 Downing Street in 1983 with the same message as Margaux. The conversation was surprisingly peaceful. But Thatcher stuck to her beliefs, much to Prudence’s dismay. Prudence did warn Thatcher that her words will have consequences. Thatcher would later say that despite Prudence’s linguistic skills, her words didn’t phase her.
Shortly after the visit, Lydia Frye would pass away from a short battle with ovarian cancer. Isabelle and Elizabeth would give eulogies at her funeral.
Margaux was present when the INF treaty was signed between Gorbachev and Reagan on December 3rd, 1987.
Margaux Allard, December 2021.
In the late 1980’s, the Iron Sisterhood watched as Eastern Bloc countries continued to fight for democracy inspired by the actions of the Sisterhood, and were present for the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 alongside Elizabeth, Isabelle, and Vivian, celebrating along with the reunited German people.
A year later, Elizabeth Baudin would pass away from the viral A (H3N2) influenza on February 25th, 1990 at the age of 86. Isabelle, Vivian, Margaux, and Prudence would all give eulogies at her funeral.
A year later, the Soviet Union collapsed, bringing an end to the Cold War. Watching from Dortmund, all living members of the Iron Sisterhood hugged one another, knowing that their work had contributed to its end, although many members wished the two states could have coexisted with one another.
Post-Cold War[]
Isabelle, as the only living woman from the original incarnation, lived quietly in retirement, operating a winery on her acreage with her second husband Edouard in Versailles, keeping out of the public eye until her death in 2013 from a short bout of pneumonia at the age of 93.
American Mentor Erika Petersen stepped down after twenty-nine years of service to the American Assassins due to the Great Purge in 2000 at the age of 66, and has disappeared from public view, with rumors of her living somewhere near Rockport, Massachusetts, where the former Davenport Homestead once stood.
Isabelle’s daughter Margaux would continue to lead her mother’s famed Women’s Liberation Front for another nine years until the Great Purge in December of 2000, and would go into hiding for four years until 2004, where she formed the phoenix cell, dubbed the Eagles of Europe, alongside her cousin Mariana and best friend Valerie Cadieux-Foden, who are still active to this day.
Prudence Bythesea, daughter of Elizabeth Baudin, would continue her career in law enforcement until she stepped down as precinct leader at the Southwark in 2010, ending her career after 52 years of service. She would retire from the Assassin Order at the age of 65 and live in her manor out in Berkshire. She would take the title of the 14th Countess of Berkshire from her mother’s cousin Felix Williams-Farias upon his death in 1997, a title she would hold until 2010, passing the title onto her nephew Harlan.
Legacy[]
The Iron Sisterhood, as they had originally intended, left behind a positive legacy, with many of the modern Assassin Brotherhoods and cells around citing all the members for giving them the confidence to make the transition into more diplomatic approaches with handling their affairs and handling them out of the public eye.
According to the Templars and Abstergo Industries, all six women in both incarnations of the Sisterhood were seen as a threat to a new world through order, which was why Abstergo targeted Isabelle first in 1965. After it failed, they waited until the digital age to sabotage the likes of Margaux Allard and Prudence Bythesea by hacking into the Eagles of Europe’s network archives and spreading propaganda about the Iron Sisterhood themselves, which could have been catastrophic on the legacies of everyone involved with the coalition.
All members of the Iron Sisterhood were hailed as 'the women who saved the world'.
Trivia[]
- All artworks on this page were painted by Timaeus (@timayonnaise on Instagram) and Melanie (@i_am_the_vigilante_) on Instagram.
- Isabelle and Elizabeth would exchange banter with each other about what they liked to call 'curious fashion choices'
- Upon her retirement in 1972, Lydia commissioned a cane sword for each woman in the Sisterhood. Isabelle's was shaped like a magpie's head and she would use hers to walk in her late 80s, whereas Elizabeth's was shaped like a crow's head and she rarely used hers.