In the original Assassin's Creed, the playable Assassin from Masyaf is Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.
Altaïr is a Syrian Assassin and the central character experienced through the Animus by Desmond Miles. At the beginning of the game, he is a highly skilled but overconfident member of the Assassin Brotherhood. After a failed mission, his rank and equipment are taken away, and he must rebuild his status by completing investigations and assassinations.
The game is set mainly in the Levant during the Third Crusade, with major locations including Masyaf, Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus. Altaïr's story explores the conflict between the Assassins and Templars and introduces the series' recurring themes of freedom, control, and historical memory.
Altaïr is sometimes confused with Ezio Auditore, the protagonist of several later games. Altaïr also appears in Assassin's Creed Revelations, which connects his life to Ezio's story.