Immediately after the events of the previous game, assassin Desmond Miles,
his father William, with allies Rebecca Crane and Shaun Hastings find the Temple of the First Civilization
in a cave in New York and access it using their Apple of Eden, an ancient artifact of immense power.
After partially activating the temple, Juno uses it to communicate with Desmond.
Desmond is placed in the Animus where Juno's influence causes him to experience the life of his ancestor in 1754 England: the Templar Grand Master, Haytham Kenway.
Haytham assassinates a patron at the Royal Opera House and steals a medallion; the Key to the Temple's inner chamber. Haytham is dispatched to the American Colonies to locate the Temple. While in Boston, he kills a slave trader, freeing a group of Mohawks including a woman named Kaniehti:io, who asks Haytham to refer to her as Ziio after he proves unable to pronounce her full name. She helps Haytham find the Temple in exchange for him killing General Braddock. Haytham and Ziio find that the Key is not able to open the temple itself. The pair develop a romantic relationship during their time together, which results in a son, Ratonhnhaké:ton. The perspective then shifts to Ratonhnhaké:ton's childhood in 1760. His mother dies during an attack on his village which Ratonhnhaké:ton believes was led by the Templar Charles Lee. Years later, the village Elder informs a teenage Ratonhnhaké:ton that their tribe's duty is to prevent the Temple's discovery. The Elder gives him a transparent Sphere which allows Juno to communicate with him; she tells him of his importance and shows him the Assassins' symbol. The symbol leads him to the retired Assassin Achilles Davenport, who reluctantly begins training him as an assassin,"CONOR".