Romani

The Romani are a traditionally itinerant ethnic group, living mostly in Europe and the Americas.
During his time in Constantinople, the Mentor of the Italian Brotherhood of Assassins Ezio Auditore da Firenze could hire Romani dancers in order to distract guards.
==History==
===Origins===
The Romani are semi-nomadic, stateless people, originally from the eastern reaches of Persia and South Asia, most notably modern India and Pakistan. Over many centuries, their population migrated west, eventually reaching as far as Eastern Europe and northern Africa.Assassin's Creed: Revelations – Database: Romanies
The Romani were a fiercely independent culture who refused to assimilate to their host nations. Although these difficult relations did cause them to endure hardship, they were able to retain a rich and varied culture all of their own.
The Romani were referred to in much of the English-speaking world as Gypsies, a corruption of the name "Little Egyptians," from the mistaken belief that they came from Egypt. While they generally considered this term offensive, they would call themselves Romani, coming from the word "Romanes" in their language, for 'the people'. Many ethnicities existed within the group, including the Roma that most likely occupied the Middle East.
===Byzantine theft===
In 1511, six month's worth of profit was stolen from the Romani by Byzantine Templars. While in deep melancholy, the Romani received a visit from Ezio Auditore da Firenze. Ezio offered to help the Romani as they attempted to gain infamy in the city, claiming it was better than being overlooked.Assassin's Creed: Revelations – Curse of the Romani
The Romani leader explained their plan to Ezio, in which he would have to stealthily assassinate each guard who held the chest containing their gold, to present the idea that it was cursed. Ezio agreed, and left the headquarters to rendezvous with a group of Romani in the streets.
After he met up with the designated group, Ezio tailed each guard around the city, poisoning each guard as they carried the chest, to maintain the myth that the chest was cursed. Weaving his way around the city with his group of Romani, the Assassin took care of each guard, though he made sure to remain unseen. Eventually, the guards fled, confused and scared at the mysterious deaths. Following this, Ezio picked up the chest and returned it to the leader of the Romani.
As Ezio walked the Romani leader back to their headquarters, she informed the Assassin of the origins of her people. Once they reached the headquarters, Ezio set the chest of profits down and the Romani thanked him, telling him the faction was available to him if he needed their help.
===Internal conflict===
Later that same year, a heated internal conflict began to form amongst the Romanies. A group of Romani wanted to exile a fellow Romani named Mirela Djuric, for they believed she was stealing from the poor. One of the members of this group then decided to confront Mirela at a small meeting.Assassin's Creed: Revelations – The Trickster, Part 1
On the Romani's way to the meeting, they were attacked by numerous Byzantine assassins. However, Ezio Auditore and one of his Assassin apprentices followed the Romanies, and warded off the attackers when they attempted to strike.
Once they had reached the meeting, the Romani confronted Mirela about her deeds, yelling at her loudly. However, Mirela discreetly threatened the group of Romanies, before brushing past and stealthily poisoning the one who had confronted her.
Observing the killing, a group of soldiers then rushed to the scene and attempted to arrest the group of Romani women charged of murder. From there, Ezio and his apprentice then emerged and disarmed the soldiers, preventing them from harming the Romanies.
Some time after, Mirela was spotted by Ezio's apprentice buying datura, a deadly poison. The recruit then met with Ezio and informed him of the situation, before Ezio left to flush out Mirela and assassinate her. Once he had located Mirela, she used a thunder bomb to obstruct the Assassin's sight and escape. Though hindered briefly at first, Ezio was able to hunt down and assassinate Mirela after a lengthy chase through the city, poisoning her whilst his apprentice held her arms still.Assassin's Creed: Revelations – The Trickster, Part 2
==Characteristics==
For 150 Akçe, Ezio could hire a group of four Romani, who could assist him similar to the courtesans of Italy. He found these groups randomly throughout the streets of Constantinople, where they were available. When not with him, they acted as street performers who danced and played music, breathed fire, and provided other sources of entertainment.Assassin's Creed: Revelations
However, the Romani could not perform any methods of freerunning, and were unarmed. Whenever combat arose, they quickly fled from the area, which meant that they were unable to assist Ezio if he engaged in a fight, though they could distract guards. However, they would fight against civilians, should Ezio steal from them and get caught.
When distracting a guard, a Romani often flirted with them and gestured with her hands and clothing. This also attracted the attention of any nearby guards and caused them to abandon their posts in order to approach the Romani. The Romani were also able to remain with Ezio and help him blend in with the local crowd, making them useful whenever Ezio needed to access a restricted area.
==Behind the scenes==
As prostitution was not accepted in Ottoman society, the Romani replaced courtesans in Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and so could gain the ability to poison guards as courtesans did through the completion of guild challenges.
Despite appearing in Revelations, Roma wagons and the word "Romani" are anachronisms, as the wagons were not common until the 19th century, making their presence an anachronism.
Roma in the Byzantine Empire, and later Greek-speaking regions were referred to as "Athíganoi" a name derived from a 9th century heretical sect. How the two came to be associated is unknown. It is uncertain what Roma in 16th century Constantinople would have called themselves, but a 14th century account refers to the inhabitants of a Romani settlement outside of Modon (Methoni) as Romniti.Soulis, George C. "The Gypsies in the Byzantine Empire and the Balkans in the Late Middle Ages." 15 (1961): 141–65. https://doi.org/10.2307/1291178.
Though more or less free in Ottoman society, contemporary Romani living in Hungary, Moldovia and even in the sometime Ottoman vassal principality of Wallachia, were hereditary slaves of the church and the nobility until the emancipation of the Roma in the mid-19th century.
Romani, along with other ethnically-related nomadic societies such as the Lom in the Caucasus and the Dom in the Middle East and North Africa, originate from the region of Rajasthan in north-western India. The ancestors of the Romani are considered to have first left the region during the 11th century. Their first appearance in western sources was in the Byzantine Empire. Christian pilgrims stopping in the Venetian colony of in Greece reportedly met and traded with a foreign people living in encampments outside the city, whom they believed to be "Egyptians".
==Gallery==
Romani Camp.jpg|Concept art of the Romani headquarters
ACR Romani.png|A group of Romani
==Appearances==
*Assassin's Creed: Revelations
==References==
Category:Assassin-affiliated groups