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ROME
Chapter 3: FRANCESCO VECELLIO
Protagonista: Francesco Vecellio
Ambientazione:Italia
Periodo storico: 1501 - 1503 d.C.
introduction video of the chapter: "Now synching the DDS system. We're going to take a moment to test your emotional range. Please focus on a fond memory. Good. Now focus on a painful memory. Perfect.
"Just prior to the death of Pope Alexander VI, Cesare Borgia began to lose his grip on Rome. Though you won't find any mention of it in the history books, we suspect a powerful underground movement worked to overthrow the corrupt dynasty. See what you can learn."
First memory group FINELY TUNED
Since my master's death, I have been sent to train under Ezio Auditore. He is a skilled Assassin from Firenze who has come to lead the Brotherhood in Roma. We struggle to oppose Cesare Borgia, who, with his wretched family, controls the Church as well as the city.
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Memory 1 DANCE |
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Ezio has taught me the basics of passing through a crowd unnoticed. How to drift with the ebb and flow of traffic. Today, he asks me to interact. He has sent several of his thieves into the streets and marked them with green badges. I am to steal their coin pouches without drawing attention to myself. The task sounds easy enough...
I spot the first mercenary, a green crest pinned to his cap. I begin to stalk him, drifting from group to group, each time gaining a bit of ground. Finally, I move towards him and push his cape aside. He does not notice me, but I cannot find a coin pouch! Is this part of the lesson?
Another mercenary without a pouch! I look to the rooftops for Ezio, seeking an explanation. I do not find him.
There! Another thief! She is so fast! I barely saw her swipe the pouch from her victim! I follow her.
I see my rival eying her next target. I am closer! I push myself hard to beat her to him and I am rewarded with a coin pouch! I slip back into the crowd before either realizes what I have done.
I glimpse the other thief as she dashes past me. She is returning to Ezio, no doubt. Another student? I take what little comfort I can in the fact that I have spoiled her perfect game.
I return to Ezio, eager to present what little spoils I have recovered. I reach for the one pouch. It is gone. Ezio laughs and apologizes, but asks me what I have learned. I tell him that I cannot always be the predator. He nods.
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| Memory 2 THE HIGH ROAD |
 | Ezio will teach me to scale walls quickly and to leap across Roma's rooftops. I have practiced some, but I cannot move at nor anywhere near the speed of my new master. While I am still asking questions, he scrambles up a wall! I struggle to keep up with him!
Ezio grabs the lip of the roof and pulls himself to the top! I try to mimic his movement and nearly lose my footing!
I watch Ezio as he navigates three rooftops. His head is always moving, always scanning for the easiest route to the next landing. He knows his next move before he even lands! I follow his path, imitating his choices. I am clumsy, but I begin to develop a feel for the technique!
An arrow strikes my shoulder! I scoop it up and duck behind a structure to avoid further fire. The arrow is padded. Blunt. A training arrow? I poke out to find my attacker he sends another arrow straight into my forehead. I curse at him! Ezio shouts for me to keep moving!
I stand again, careful to watch my path as I dash to the next rooftop. I scout for the archer and find him two buildings over. I charge!
His shots are accurate, but slow! The weight of the padding interferes with his precision, forcing him to hesitate before firing, but he has learned to compensate. Still, I am able to read his shots and move accordingly.
I leap between buildings, finally reaching the same rooftop as my attacker. He shoots an arrow into my knee, interfering with the balance of my landing and I tumble! Ezio climbs up the side of the building and then helps me to my feet. He is grinning.
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| Memory 3 RENAISSANCE MAN |
 | Ezio has taught me to use several of our more complex gadgets, but I have been begging him to allow me access to the firepower he keeps hidden within his sleeve. He tells me I am not ready yet, but he will send me to a friend who can craft me something similar, for a price of course. A very large price.
I wait on a bench, unseen and hooded. A man arrives, also masking his identity from the crowd. I tell him I am Francesco. He identifies himself as Leonardo da Vinci! A well-respected name in Roma!
He asks me what I expect him to craft. I tell him I would like a hidden pistol for my sleeve, but he shakes his head and tells me Ezio warned him I might ask for one.
I ask if he can craft something similar. Lighter. More silent. He suggests a hidden blade, but I already have one.
I ask if he can arm a crossbow bolt beneath my wrist. He ponders for a moment and declares it possible, but expensive. He will need to create special bolts. The range will be small. I will have to reload it. I ask if he can make two.
I ask about other devices. Leonardo says he has a few for sale. Discreetly, of course.
Leonardo wishes me a safe evening and departs. What a strange man, interested in art and invention more than politics. Someday I will take the time to create, to paint, but not now. For now, I am a soldier on the front lines.
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| Memory 4 STACKED DECK |
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It has taken weeks and my body still aches, but my training is finished. Ezio tells me I must learn more by experiencing. From today on, he will begin to give me tasks across Italia! I am eager to begin! Every day I spend in training, Cesare Borgia grows stronger.
I will not go alone. Ezio tells me each mission will be carried out by a group of recruits. I will be assigned to a core team, leading the missions. I am to pick the other members of my core team.
My first choice is the archer who brutalized me atop the roofs. Cipriano Enu. His ebony skin marks him as a foreigner. The gleaming cross around his neck likely protects him from religious persecution in Roma. He runs his fingers across the bruise on my forehead and apologizes.
As I walk past the line of recruits, a woman tosses me a coin pouch. She tells me it was mine to begin with. I ask for her name. Tessa Varzi. She does not wait for an invitation; she takes her place beside Enu.
Some of the recruits avoid eye contact. It is a sign to me that they are not ready for a real mission. I spare them the humiliation.
I do not doubt that several of these men are already more skilled than I. It is not a contest. I assemble the best team I can.
We are ready. Though we will not use the entire team for every mission, we have a solid number ready to assist us when needed. Ezio is impressed by my choices and says he would have chosen the same. He reminds us of the creed. Thanks us for standing for what is right.
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Second memory group WE HAVE OUR WAYS
Our Brotherhood has many means to equip it's soldiers. What we do not have we take from our enemies or gain by aiding our allies. As Ezio wages war upon the Borgia here in Romagna, we must prepare ourselves, bolster our supplies while crippling theirs.
| Memory 5 DOWN WITH THE SHIPS |
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Cesare continues to displace nobles, claiming their lands. We can make these conquests much less profitable. Iacopo Appiano, Lord of Piombino was ejected from his port city. He tells us that Cesare loads his spoils on several merchant vessels, set for Roma. We will sabotage them.
We reach Piombino's port without incident. We approach the ships under night's cover.
The Borgia mercenaries are overconfident! They have received no opposition here, so there are few guards awake. Fortunate.
I signal Enu to eliminate the guards silently. He nocks long, deadly arrows into his unusual bow and shoots four times. Four hits! Four kills! We wait several minutes just to be sure, then advance to the first boat.
Enu stands watch on the ship's deck as Tessa and I head below. She is lethal! She walks from cot to cot and slits throats! Each dies within seconds as I hold them down and keep them silent.
I signal the rest of our men to help. We take what valuables we can carry and leave the ship. Enu tosses a torch into the hold and we haul our spoils back to the carriage!
We reclaimed what bounty we could from Piombino's ships and sank the rest. There is still much for the Borgia to plunder, but we have left them an awful mess in the port to hamper their progress.
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| Memory 6 IMMIGRATION |
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Our contracts will soon take us to the furthest reaches of Italia and beyond. We will need disguises, documents, and foreign coin. Though we will know every detail about our targets and their locations, we require a skilled forger to handle the rest. Fortunately, we have one in our employ.
The old man greets us as we enter his home. Enu smiles and pushes past me. The way they shake hands, the gratitude on the African's facethere is history here. I suspect the forger helped Enu transition to Roma.
The forger asks us to come up with several names for various documents. He scolds us for choosing titles too complex or difficult to pronounce. Finally we settle on commonplace, forgettable names for the characters we will play.
He gives us a short lesson on the coins of the world. He lets us hold the different currency, test its weight, recognize it by color. A citizen of any city would not struggle to recognize his money before paying for services. Small details are crucial to creating a convincing illusion.
The old man asks us about our upcoming travel and advises us on hair style, beards, and clothing. That type of shoe would never been seen there! Hair in your eyes? Unheard of! Stand up straight, poor posture marks you as lower class!
He tests our skills at foreign languages. All of us know several. Enu has learned to speak seven languages without accent under the old man's tutelage.
Transformed, we depart the forger's home, each of us with several new identities and each of us eager to practice further. I have realized the importance a flawless disguise, one that relies on more than just a hood.
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| Memory 7 DIGGING GRAVES |
 | Massa Marittima has long struggled with the Church over its invaluable alum mine, its defiance prompting the Church to excommunicate the city's citizens. As Cesare bolsters his war effort, he sends his soldiers to claim the mine. We will stand in their path.
Cesare has sent inexperienced mercenaries, a ragtag bunch of merchants and field-hands looking for a share of the Borgia coffers. They are not expecting any resistance.
We prepare an ambush. There is a blind pass on the road to Massa Marittima. We climb to the top of it and ready our archers.
The mercenaries are nervous. Some of them have never seen battle outside of a training ring. They are loud! We hear their conversations as they approach.
Enu readies our archers. He peeks over the edge and describes each man's target. Fat man, tiny hat. Pointed beard. Purple cloak.
We strike! Every man falls, each one expertly plucked from his horse! A couple have managed to survive, so Tessa climbs down and silences them with her spear!
We bury the men far from the road. Cesare will never receive a report, nor will he gain access to the mine. The citizens of Massa Marittima generously rewarded us with ore and we believe we will be able to negotiate a long term supply deal with them.
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| Memory 8 HANDLE WITH CARE |
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Tessa has a disturbing love for venom. She is so precise in her work that she can paralyze a man, put him to sleep, cause him to go mad, fake his death, or, of course, kill him in various horrible ways. Her components are not easy to collect, but it is worth the effort.
We visit Roma's doctors, who charge excessive prices for excessive doses of medicine. Tessa insists they are worth every coin.
We traverse the most putrid tunnels in Roma, where Tessa plucks dung-colored mushrooms from the walls.
We spend time plucking wildflowers. Though they are beautiful, they are also deadly once broken down into their poisonous components.
I watch Tessa sort through various nuts and beans, separating them by potential effect. I suggest she may have found a better life as a cook, but she reminds me that her food would not sit well in my stomach.
We purchase minerals and Tessa begins to grind them into dust. She wears a scarf over her face and suggests that I do the same.
I have a very small understanding of poisons, but Tessa assures me she has everything she needs for the days ahead. She carefully wraps several sinister blades and tucks vials into her pack.
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| Memory 9 TRUCE |
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After my master's death, several of his friends left the Order. They do not trouble us, yet we do not know their ambitions. Perhaps they see the danger in letting Cesare Borgia continue his conquests. Perhaps we can draw them back.
We track the Assassins to Agnadello, where my master chose to end his life. I feel stinging regret as we enter the town.
We question the locals and uncover a familiar name. Rinaldo Vitturi. The Shroud's keeper.
It takes less than an hour for Vitturi to find us. I ask him why he has left the Order. He believes that we are too reserved. Too unwilling to use the power we have found. He speaks with a Templar tongue and I let him know it. He hesitates, but finally acknowledges my point.
Vitturi's men begin to surround us. Though they are not hostile, the threat is obvious. He gestures them to back away. A reliefthese are elder, experienced Assassins. I doubt my band can match them.
Vitturi asks about the Shroud. Wonders where we have taken it. I do not have the answer. I sense that he has lost his purpose. That all of these men have lost their purpose. I suggest that they help us battle the Borgia. Return to us and perhaps old wounds can be healed. Old duties restored.
I do not know if Vitturi will accept my offer. I hope he does; I can think of no safer place for the Shroud than with these men.
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Third memory group LONGSHOT
Enu's marksmanship continues to impress me. Ezio has given me several tasks that will make use of the African's skills. As we continue to goad Cesare, his responses grow faster and more dangerous. Not only must we strike and move, we must strike again before he can predict our next action.
| Memory 10 SPACEMEN |
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Novara and his assistant Niccolς Copernico observe the stars. They are nearing a breakthrough which could harm the papacy. We are assigned to protect them as they study the stars.
We know Cesare has employed a crossbowman to kill the astronomers. He will find a higher position and will likely attempt to shoot them on their balcony as they study the stars.
Enu takes position on a rooftop, hidden in shadow. He is to watch for rooftop movement and take no interest in the astronomers. I scout the area around Novara and his assistant.
Hours pass with no sign. Perhaps our information was wrong. Wait! I see a shadow crawling across a nearby balcony!
Does Enu see him? I can't be sure! I draw my own bowstring, take aim, and shoot! My arrow penetrates the wall next to the Borgia assassin! He stands and points his crossbow at me!
Two arrows appear in the assassin's chest, the second almost instantly after the first! He falls from the balcony and crashes hard into the street below! Enu peeks over the edge and I signal to him. We need to leave.
I leave some of my men to protect Novara from any further interference from the Borgia.
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| Memory 11 DINNER DATE |
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Ezio has found a way to catch one of the Borgia's skilled agents. The Venetian ambassador Antonio Giustinian recently pushed Rodrigo Borgia too far. As an "apology" for losing his temper, Rodrigo has arranged a dinner between Antonio and a lady of the court, whom we suspect to be the murderess. I will go in Antonio's stead.
I am dressed as a Venetian noble, expensive garb and a fancy hat. Tessa says I am enjoying this too much. I bring only my hidden blades. Anything else may alert my prey.
Enu walks above the street, pacing from building to building. I know he is up there but even I have a hard time keeping track of him.
She arrives! She is older than I expected, but not unattractive. She stares at me a moment, reading my expression. I answer with a smile and a joke. The disguise appears to be working!
No! She throws a knife at me! I roll to the side but it slices my arm! I curse myself for the carelessness! What if it is poisoned?
The woman runs down the marketplace, pushing through the crowd! Enu shoots! It is an impossible shot! He does not kill her, but he does sink an arrow into her leg! She tumbles and I am there to sweep her away into an alley!
I interrogate the assassin. As expected, Rodrigo intended her to murder Giustinian. I have spoken with the ambassador, warned him to keep his guard high. Giustinian assures us he will continue to cause trouble in Borgia's court as long as we protect him from retaliation.
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| Memory 12 HARSH WORDS |
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As Cesare sets his eyes upon Camerino, we must fight to protect her. Abbot Bernardino actively works against the Borgia in Camerino, but the Church has grown suspicious. Mercenaries have been sent to restrain Bernardino. They will meet us instead!
We meet with the Abbot and ask for his assistance in our ambush. He offers us every resource available, and I hold him to it.
The mercenaries will be expecting defense at Camerino's wall. They will meet it, but it will be light. Enu assures me he will create a convincing show to divert them from our real attack.
We transport cannons out to the sides of the main road and hide them behind bushes. Enu and I ride down the road to make sure none are visible.
They have arrived! Enu and his men fire upon them, killing a good number of men before they are forced to duck the return fire! All attention is on the wall!
We fire the cannons into the army's flanks, ripping through man and horse alike. The mercenaries are confused! They scatter and retreat! Enu kills at three of them as they flee and we ride down the rest.
Abbot Bernardino is safe for now. He will continue to send us information from Camerino and we will try to hold it for as long as we can.
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Fourth memory group TOXICITY
Ezio has given us several tasks which will require Tessa's specialties. They will be perilous, some of them placing us right in the heart of Borgia power. Now is my chance to prove my worth to the Brotherhood. We will become a thorn in Cesare's side.
| Memory 13 BODY SWAP |
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Cesare enjoys a disgusting sport each month, lining up Borgia prisoners in a courtyard and ravaging them with his crossbow from the balcony above. We will intercept his escorted prisoners and free them. We will also deliver a small surprise to Cesare.
I ask Ezio why we cannot send an arrow into Cesare's heart as he steps onto the balcony. It is not that simple. We need to enrage Cesare, force him to make mistakes. Topple his empire. We are dealing with the Church's army and it will not crumble with the death of one man.
Tessa has prepared packages of a fine brown powder for each of us. We are not to open them until we are ready to attack. I have learned not to question her on such things.
The guards have cleared a path through the streets to prevent attack. Fortunate for us because no one will see us approach! Moving without noise, we dive from the rooftops and into the alley behind the procession.
I shout to turn the guards! Coordinated, we deliver our dust into their faces! Each guard falls to the ground, convulsing! We untie the prisoners and instruct them to flee without making noise.
Enu cuts the tongues from the paralyzed guards. We strip them and some of us wear their uniforms. Tessa assures us that they will be able to walk soon, so we wait. Finally, we march the weeping guards right into the Borgia courtyard, leaving the rest of the work to Cesare.
Cesare's guards scream and weep while Cesare, true to his cruel reputation, laughs and makes a game of it! He is an excellent shot and quickly slaughters the entire group! He will not be amused when he discovers their identities.
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| Memory 14 DEFENDING THE DUCHESS |
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Urbino's Duchess, Elisabetta Gonzaga risks her life to attend Borgia's Jubilee. No doubt Cesare views her presence here as an insult and he will not let it go unanswered. We are to ensure that the Duchess exits Roma unharmed.
We easily find Elisabetta wandering Roma's streets with her small entourage. A bad sign. The Borgia will find her just as easily. We ask her to follow us, but she only sees our worker disguises. She declares that she will remain on the streets, in public!
Her protests begin to attract attention! Several of Borgia's guards approach! The captain recognizes the Duchess and points!
I throw a smoke bomb and Tessa follows my cue. She pricks Elisabetta with a poisoned blade. The Duchess protests and screams, but soon falls unconscious.
We drag her from the crowd and load her into a cart. We are gone long before the smoke clears. On our way out of the city, we pass a group of Borgia guards. They do not spare us a glance.
We place Elisabetta in a carriage bound for Mantua. She will not be pleasant when she wakes, but we have paid the driver well to see her arrive safely.
The Duchess survived her trip to Roma and her family will continue to struggle against Cesare's greed. Elisabetta Gonzaga will surely be a valuable ally in the years to come.
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| Memory 15 THE CHALLENGE OF BARLETTA |
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The Frenchman Charles de la Motte questions the courage of Italia and has called a tournament to prove his men are superior. He questions our chivalry. While our knights will certainly fight with honor, we will not. We cannot afford to give France this victory.
Ezio does not wish us to enter the tournament, but to use whatever means necessary to weaken the enemy before it begins. As expected, Tessa steps forward with several ideas.
I question the necessity of our mission. Ezio believes that it will hurt Cesare's relationship with France, that he will be forced to applaud his Italian champions in the face of his French allies. Charles de la Motte, who is participating in the contest, is a fellow Templar.
Only one guard watches de la Motte's army as they sleep. They have ridden hard and he is as tired as the rest. His attention wanders, giving us the opportunity to sneak into their camp.
We pick through their supplies, lightly dusting them with small doses of poison. Tessa assures me that the French will receive the sufficient dose and will certainly under-perform at the tournament.
The guard paces back towards the camp before we are out! The whole plan threatens to collapse but Enu draws the guard's attention with a bizarre animal cry!
The Italians trounced their French challengers. Our knights fought with such vigor that they were favored to win regardless of the poison's effect on their opponents. The victory was deemed fair and the French soon retreated.
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| Memory 16 PROMISE UNKEPT |
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With the death of Marco Barbarigo, the Brotherhood left Venice in the care of Agostino Barbarigo, who swore to avoid his brother's path of corruption and his link to the Borgia. He has failed. He secretly courts the Borgia and has become known for his greed, extortion, and for selling justice. He must answer for it.
In order to send a very real threat to Agostino's successor, we aim to create panic. We will destroy his security and let him make an example of himself.
The first letter Tessa delivers is a simple insult. Anonymous. We follow Agostino through the city as he questions his friends, tries to make sense of the message.
The second letter warns him that "old friends" have come to settle a debt. Panicked, he visits several moneylenders and mercenaries around the city. He pays his outstanding debt and apologizes for his tardiness.
The third letter is a direct threat. It advises him to watch the sky because it will soon fall upon him. He stays indoors for two days before venturing outside, screaming at the rooftops, though he does not see us. Rumor spreads. He is being hunted.
The final letter is simple farewell.
Tessa has poisoned Agostino in several small doses, powder on each letter. He will soon grow horribly ill and eventually die. We will make sure his successor receives a warning about his allegiances.
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Fifth memory group UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Together we have crippled many Borgia operations in Italy. In addition, we have created fear in those who might have sided with Cesare. Retaliation is given. We prepare for the Borgia response.
| Memory 17 FLASHBACK |
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Charles de la Motte has entered Roma with a band of mercenaries! His distaste for Italia is legendary, why is he here? Cesare. If the Church and its army turn their heads, there is no telling what harm de la Motte will cause here! We must tail them!
As we feared, Cesare's men allow the captain and his French knights to pass without incident! They have been invited to Roma!
They assault people along the city streets and spit insults! They are looking for a fight! They seek to draw us out.
Several of Roma's mercenaries challenge de la Motte's men! Cesare's guards threaten them with arrest and they back down!
The knights enter an inn, violently expelling those who have already paid for rooms! The owner is brutalized for his protest!
An angry crowd begins to amass outside the inn, the innkeeper at the head of the rally. There are few soldiers among them; they will be slaughtered!
We are nearly forced to intervene before the Borgia guards arrive and disperse the crowd. It seems no more blood will be shed tonight, but we will plan our response while they sleep.
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| Memory 18 CHERRY PICKING |
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The French knights have divided into squads, each sent to a different section of Roma and forcing us to divide as well. I take Tessa, Enu, and a small band of our most skilled recruits. Charles de la Motte will regret his decision to bring the fight here.
The group stays tight, apparently aware of our tactics. It does not save three men from arrows to the back as Enu takes his shots! We remove the bodies before the rest of the Frenchman can realize they are under attack!
Tessa passes through the crowd in civilian garb, offering flowers to the visiting knights. They treat her poorly, insulting her dirty blood. She takes the insults and slips away, knowing four men have only minutes left before they collapse in agony.
A group of three drags a merchant into an alley, preparing to steal the coin he carries. I am waiting! They laugh at me and mock my cowl!
I shut the mouth of the loudest with a bolt to the throat and marvel at the destruction caused by Leonardo's wicked device!
The other two advance, but one man's skull is punctured by an arrow. His eyes drift apart before he drops. I signal my thanks to Enu above and unsheathe my rapier!
I spill the last man's bowels onto the stone walkway and signal my Assassins to regroup. Courier pigeons bring messages to the rooftop. The other groups met with similar success. Charles de la Motte should have heeded our warning at Barletta!
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| Memory 19 COVER FIRE |
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Enu calls us with an animal noise, his signal for trouble. We scramble to his position and he quiets us, pointing to the other rooftops in the distance. French riflemen are spreading across the city and scouting the streets below.
We draw our bows but Enu halts us! He gestures to the crowd below. He is right; any missed shot could send our arrows over the edge and into Roma's streets.
I ask Enu if he can guarantee every shot he takes. He nods and demonstrates, killing a man four buildings away with one shot! Until now, Perotto was the best marksman I'd seen, but even my master's skill pales next to this man.
I drop to the balconies below and work my way along the sides of the buildings. Unseen, I pull a man from the ledge and break his neck on the stones below!
I am spotted! The Frenchman fires his gun, shattering the wall near my hands! I lose my grip and fall, but I manage to catch a beam!
People in the crowd scream and disperse! With my free arm, I aim up at the rifleman! The range is too great and my hidden bolt misses its mark, sinking between his legs! It is not a kill, but I have momentarily crippled the man!
Enu finishes the rest of my targets before I even regain my footing on the rooftop. We have won this fight, but now de la Motte knows we are present!
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Sixth (hidden) memory group FIRESTORM
We have played right into Cesare's trap! He knew de la Motte's forces would be prey to us, but they drew us out from the shadows, allowing him to hunt us with his own army! I am a fool!
| (Hidden) Memory 20 CRUSH |
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The combined might of the French and Borgia soldiers is too much! We retreat into the Inn! Outside, we see the enemy lines forming and they soon block our view of anything beyond the street.
We start piling chairs and tables against the door! A barricade will only serve to buy us a few extra moments to think, but we will need them!
An arrow shatters a window and skims across my face! Enu retaliates, maiming the archer who nearly killed me!
I hold a broken table up to the window to prevent any more surprises! The innkeeper appears with a hammer and nails and helps me secure the makeshift barrier!
The door begins to buckle under the axes of our pursuers. They see us through the holes they have cleaved, but there is enough debris in the way to hold them back!
Tessa fires her crossbow into their front line, piercing a couple of men. The bolt's damage is not severe, but the men begin to wretch and soon collapse!
We try to agree on a plan, but our options are few and the noise of the assault is almost unbearable. How can we get word to Ezio? Would he be able to respond in time?
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| (Hidden) Memory 21 SMOKEOUT |
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The door collapses! Several archers send flaming arrows into the room! The innkeeper cries out as he realizes what we do the smoke will kill us long before the flames!
The fire ravages the room, tearing through the walls and buckling the foundations! We flee to the stairs!
Our eyes sting and we gasp for air! We cover our faces with scarves, but the innkeeper has nothing. I give him mine and hold my breath!
The floor beneath us collapses, taking several Assassins with it! They shriek as they disappear into the blaze below! A woman's scream! Tessa? Tessa!
Enu pulls me forward! We will mourn her later. I cannot think! How did I let this happen?
We reach the top floor! Arrows continue to crash through the windows, adding to the conflagration!
We have no access to the roof! We can exit the window and climb up the side, but the innkeeper is an elderly, weak man. As the first Assassins go out, he quickly understands. I try to work out how we will carry him up, but we both know it is impossible. He tells us to leave him.
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| (Hidden) Memory 22 MARATHON |
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The sunlight stings our eyes! As I reach out of the window and hoist myself up the side of the Inn, I am nearly struck by gunfire! I glance over my shoulder and find the rooftops around us are covered in Borgia marksmen! No!
I hit the rooftop and immediately scout for cover. Nothing! A shot tears into my side!
Enu fires his arrows in rapid succession. He takes down a half-dozen men, but we face ten times that many on the rooftops alone! He is shot in the neck!
I hobble to Enu's side and put his scarf to the wound! His blood soon soaks through the cloth!
I drag Enu without aim. We have no way to escape. We are both dying!
I trip over the bodies of my fallen Brothers. So many dead! I have failed.
Enu and I sit back to back, each of us fighting to stay conscious. We are done. Cesare's guards move in to finish us. And then... a terrible noise!
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FOLLOW US ON
