Francois-Thomas Germain

**Francois-Thomas Germain** (1726-28 July 1794) was a French silversmith who was a silversmith and sculptor for European royalty, including back home in his native France. In 1765 he broke guild regulations by dealing with financiers to pay off his debts, as he was only allowed to deal with other smiths. He died out of the public eye in 1791.

## Biography

Francois-Thomas Germain was born in 1726 to Thomas Germain and Anne-Denise Gauchelet in Paris, Kingdom of France. Germain was trained as a silversmith, but was also trained in the Templar Order. Like Bartholomew Roberts from the Golden Age of Piracy, he was a "Sage", a man who was born with memories of the First Civilization in times immemorial. Germain became a high-ranking member of the French rite, but he had conflicting ideas with Grand Master Chretien Lafreniere and he was expelled from the order in the 1770s by Germain. Only Marie Levesque objected to the decision, but her vote was cast aside and Germain was exiled. Back in 1765, his career as a silversmith ended when he broke guild regulations.

In 1789, Germain began to scheme the downfall of the old guard of the Templars under Germain and Chretien Lafreniere with Levesque and new followers such as Charles Gabriel Sivert and Louis-Michel le Peletier. He recruited Le Roi des Thunes after he overheard that De la Serre had refused his offer of giving him all of the Cour des Miracles spies, saying that he did not want to hear "the intrigues of rats". It was Le Roi des Thunes who struck the killing blow against De la Serre in 1789 at his daughter's Templar initiation ceremony. Lafreniere became the new Grand Master, but Germain's faction grew. Elise de la Serre sided with Lafreniere in the conflict, and Germain's plots grew.

In January 1791, the Assassin Order made their first moves against the Templars. Arno Dorian killed Sivert in the Notre Dame Cathedral and Le Roi des Thunes in the sewers, eliminating the two men who personally assassinated De la Serre. However, he found out that the poisoned pin that Le Roi des Thunes used to kill De la Serre was crafted by Germain, so he headed to his shop. He killed many of the guards there and met Germain, who claimed that he was being held prisoner for months by the Templars. Germain told Dorian that he crafted the pin for use by Chretien Lafreniere, and that the drop-off location was La Halle aux Bles. Arno destroyed the armory there and killed Lafreniere in Les Halles, but found out from his memories that he was on De la Serre's side.

Germain's plotting behind the scenes resumed as Dorian continued investigating the murder of De la Serre, and Levesque succeeded in igniting the Les Halles Food Riots of summer 1792. In September, Captain Frederic Rouille perpetrated the September Massacres at Le Grand Chatelet, and Levesque continued to hoard food later that month. However, Dorian had assassinated both of them by October 31. Germain was not found at his shop when Elise de la Serre and Dorian arrived there, and they found out that he was the Templar Grand Master.

In early 1793, Dorian killed Le Peletier, and attempted to assassinate Germain at the execution of King Louis XVI of France, which Le Peletier had caused. Germain called the guards on Dorian after explaining that he was liberating France from tyranny, and Dorian was forced to flee. In time, Dorian assassinated Aloys La Touche, but was expelled from the Assassins for his recklessness.

However, on 27 July 1793 he was persuaded to return to Paris and the Assassins by Elise, who told him that Paris was in trouble. Templar Maximilien Robespierre stepped up the Reign of Terror, so the National Convention declared Robespierre, the Paris Commune, and the Jacobin Club outlaws and besieged them in the Hotel de Ville. Before Robespierre could be arrested, Arno and Elise entered the hotel and found out from him that Germain was in the "Temple", where the royal family was buried. Robespierre was executed a day later.

With haste, the two made it to the Temple, where they encountered Germain. Germain drew the Sword of Eden, a weapon used by Jacques de Molay and the Templars before 1307 and hidden in the vault by a French Templar when the Templars were hunted down by the French king's men. Germain's sword was damaged while fighting Arno, and while he fought Elise, it exploded. Elise was killed and Germain was mortally wounded, and Arno finished Germain off with his hidden blades. With Germain dead, much of the Templar Order was gone. However, Arno had yet to finish off the Jacobins and the Templars in Paris, a task that would take many years.