The Codex 6: Made anew

Robert de Sable may be dead, but his brotherhood survives. Though less conspicuous in appearance, I fear they remain a threat. Where once they proudly walked the streets – making for easier targets – now they retreat into the shadows. It grows difficult to track them. What wicked things will they weave in the darkness? Our work will be all the more complicated for it. Already there are rumors of a movement on Cyprus. I will have to investigate...
It's made me realize that our tactics, too, must change. It means an end to our fortresses. To our penchant for spectacular displays of public assassinations. We must weave our webs quietly. And we must do so differently than we have in the past.

Though I ask my brothers now to abandon their rituals, I do not ask that they abandon the creed. THIS is what makes us assassins. Not the removal of a finger. Not a false promise of paradise. Not the prohibition of poison. Our duty is to the people, not to custom. If we must sneak, we shall sneak. If we must use poison, we shall use poison. If our blades can be used without removing fingers, we shall not demand they be taken. And we shall not manipulate our initiates with lies and parlor tricks. We shall speak plainly and honestly. We shall be made anew...

Commentary: Here Altair reforms the Assassins as has been done time and time again throughout history, so we are led to believe. Altair does away with any superfluous tradition and creates a more pure Order. At its core is the creed: nothing is true, everything is permitted and the tenets: stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent, hide in plain sight and never compromise the brotherhood. If you understand nothing is true and everything is permitted, you are essentially an Assassin.
Then there are the Templars. Altair describes their more subtle approach. It seems they are in the process of retreating from public life. It is a sensible tactic, given the Assassin's approach. We learn later about the true nature of the Templars...