What artifact, shaped like a golden apple, is central to Assassin's Creed lore?

The Apple of Eden is the golden-apple-shaped artifact central to Assassin's Creed lore.

Apples of Eden are Pieces of Eden, advanced relics created by the Isu, the precursor civilization that existed before recorded human history. They can influence minds, create illusions and project energy, giving their possessors extraordinary power. Templars generally seek them to impose order, while Assassins try to prevent any group from controlling humanity through them.

The first game's plot revolves around Altaïr and the Templars' struggle over an Apple. Later games show different Apples, so the term does not refer to one unique object with one continuous owner. The relic is inspired by religious and mythological imagery but is presented in the series as Isu technology. It should not be confused with the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus or the Sword of Eden, which are separate Pieces of Eden with different forms and abilities.