- "There is no book or teacher to give you the answers, to show you the way. Choose your own way! Do not follow me, or anyone else."
- ―Ezio after Savonarola's death[src]
Having returned from Spain, Ezio immediately continued his quest to find the Apple of Eden. He returned to his hometown of Florence in 1492, and bumped into a monk who was running from Borgia guards, saying they were asking about "apples." Ezio, realizing the Borgia knew Savonarola had the Apple, rushed to the Santa Maria and found a monk whose surname was Savonarola being harassed by Borgia guards. After watching the scene unfold, Ezio jumped down from atop the church and rescued Savonarola. Ezio realized the monk had all ten fingers, and he introduced himself as Marcello Savonarola; Girolamo's cousin. Marcello, in favor to Ezio, revealed that his cousin was in Venice at the time, and Ezio set off once again.[4]
Ezio was greeted by Teodora in Venice, and asked her where he could find the fire-and-brimstone-preaching monk. She replied that she did not know where Savonarola was, but did know where to find a Herald who preached similar things. Additionally, she revealed that Lorenzo de' Medici had died and that Rodrigo Borgia had become Pope, taking the name of Alexander VI. Teodora led Ezio to the square where the Herald was preaching, and Ezio blended in with the crowd. Convincing the Herald that he was a true believer and asking him about Savonarola's location, Ezio concluded that the Herald was completely blinded by faith.[4]
Eventually, a young man screamed at the preacher, saying that he had just escaped from Florence, which was taken over by Savonarola. He explained that the Signoria were either behind Savonarola or powerless against him, and that people like Botticelli were joining him in starting bonfires, burning writings and arts related to the Renaissance. The young man revealed himself to be Piero de' Medici, son of the late Lorenzo. Ezio walked up to him, saying that he was a friend of his father. After the Herald ordered their deaths, Ezio revealed his name to Piero and the two men faced off against their attackers. The Herald himself pulled out a dagger and stabbed Ezio, but Piero saved him by slicing the Herald's legs, after which Ezio finished the Herald off. While Piero went to warn Agostino Barbarigo of Savonarola's preachings, Ezio left Venice.[4]
Added by Ezio returned to Florence in 1497, and made his way to the Oltrarno district, hearing stories about Savonarola's dictatorship and the desire for the Assassin's return and eventually meeting with Machiavelli on a bridge. While making their way to thePalazzo Pitti, finding a group of killed Borgia guards along the way, Ezio devised a plan to overthrow Savonarola's rule; he would kill Savonarola's lieutenants, and Machiavelli, Paola and La Volpe would rally the citizens to stand up to Savonarola's rule. Ezio set off to finish off each of Savonarola's nine lieutenants.[8]
Ezio ran intoManfredo Soderiniagain, where he found him barely alive after being attacked by Savonarola's men. Ezio rushly asked where Cristina was, and Manfredo replied that the men chased after her. Ezio successfully managed to kill Cristina's attackers, but she was heavily wounded. She admitted to Ezio that she would have liked for them to have had a second chance before dying in his arms.[5]
Soon after Ezio killed Savonarola's followers, the rioters formed an angry mob and went to the Palazzo Pitti, where Savonarola resided, demanding an end to the bonfires. Savanarola tried to use the Apple to quell the riot, but before he could, Ezio threw a knife at him, knocking the Apple out of his hand. In the ensuing chaos, the Apple was picked up by a guard in service to the Borgia, who had also been trying to recover the Apple from Savonarola. Ezio followed him, killed him and recovered the Apple. Savonarola was then sentenced to be executed in the same way he had dealt with the city's knowledge: burned at the stake on the Piazza della Signoria. However, Ezio decided that no one should have to die in such agony.[8]
The Assassin leapt onto the execution platform and put Savonarola out of his misery. He then looked at the stunned mob and gave a speech to them, urging them to follow their own path and rely on their own thoughts, not what they were told by the ones in power. He then left with Mario, Niccolò, Paola and La Volpe, ready to uncover the answers hidden within the Apple.[8]
Dealing with the Borgia
Edit
Confrontation in the VaticanEdit
- "I thought... I thought I was beyond this. But I'm not. I've waited too long, lost too much."
- ―Ezio to Rodrigo Borgia during his first assassination attempt[src]
The following year saw the Assassins come together once more at the Villa Auditore, with the Piece of Eden and the completed Codex in hand. Using the two objects, they discovered the location of the Vault to be in Rome - specifically, beneath the Vatican. Unfortunately, Rodrigo Borgia had become Pope in 1492, although Mario believed he had only done so to gain access to the Papal Staff, another of the Pieces of Eden. Undeterred, Ezio went to assassinate Rodrigo Borgia.[1]
Fighting his way along the entire length of the Passetto di Borgo, Ezio snuck into the Sistine Chapel and struck at Rodrigo from above. As he was about to deal the killing blow, Rodrigo surprised him by using the Staff to blast him away and drain the energy of those in the room. Since Ezio held the Apple, he was immune to the Staff's effects, and the two engaged in a duel.[1]
Ezio created multiple illusional copies of himself with the Apple. For a while, it seemed that Ezio had bested Rodrigo, but the Pope overcame him. Rodrigo then took the Apple and stabbed Ezio in the abdomen, leaving him to die before fleeing into the Vault. However Ezio soon regained consciousness and, following his nemesis to the outside of the Vault, Ezio watched as Rodrigo tried in vain to open it. Laying down his arms, Ezio challenged and defeated Rodrigo in a final brawl, obtaining possession of both the Apple and the Staff, but refusing to take the Borgia's life, having realized the futility of revenge.[1]
- "Killing you won't bring my family back... I'm done."
- ―Ezio spares Rodrigo's life[src]
Added by Entering the Vault, Ezio stood in shock as he was confronted by a hologram of an individual naming herself "Minerva" and claiming to be one of Those Who Came Before. Ezio was further confounded when the hologram sought to speak to an unseen figure namedDesmond, and started showing holograms of an event that would befall the world hundreds of years from then. Minerva disappeared abruptly, leaving Ezio with many unanswered questions.[1] Ezio left the Vault, meeting up with Mario, and the two fought their way out of Saint Peter's Basilica. The two climbed a tower where Ezio was about to drop the Apple of Eden in the Tiber, though, upon realizing his insecurity, Mario took the Apple and kept it safe until Ezio could make a decision. The two proceeded their way back home to Monteriggioni.[5]
Siege of MonteriggioniEdit
During their journey, Ezio imparted onto his uncle what he had learned from Minerva, but soon found solace in the fact that his own battles were finally at an end. That evening, Ezio once again retold the events of his encounter in the Vault, this time to Machiavelli, his sister, and mother. Machiavelli in turn criticized Ezio for his failure to kill Rodrigo Borgia. That night, unconcerned with Machiavelli's outburst, Ezio returned to his bedchamber to share an intimate night with Caterina Sforza. He soon learned however, that the Borgia threat was far from over.[5]
On January 2, 1500, Cesare Borgia, the son of Rodrigo, Commander of the Papal armies and a high-ranking Templar in his own right, laid siege to Monteriggioni. Taking the Assassins by surprise, Cesare's forces were quickly able to level half the city before Ezio managed to reach the cannons above the wall ramparts and return fire, destroying many of Cesare's own siege weapons.[5]
This was a futile effort on Ezio's behalf in order to get the citizens to safety, however, as Cesare's forces managed to breach the city gates, despite the defense put up by Ezio and his uncle. Entering the city, Cesare brought a mortally wounded Mario Auditore and captured Caterina Sforza before him. Seeing his uncle lying on the ground, Ezio ran across the rooftops in a vain effort to reach them but was shot by arquebusiers upon the city walls. At the same time Cesare "invited" Ezio to come to Rome with a shot of his own firearm; the shot killed Mario.[5]
Ezio, having soon regained consciousness as two of Mario's mercenaries were dragging him, continued to partake in the battle, which had by now spilled into what was left of the city streets. Retreating to the Sanctuary, Ezio and the fleeing civilians fled through a secret passageway that had been hidden behind the statue of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, the Mentor of the Levantine Assassins. After ensuring his mother and sister were safe, Ezio then made his way for Rome. An undetermined amount of time later, Ezio passed out off of his horse however, his wounds having not been treated.[5]
Moving to RomeEdit
- "There will be no peace until we rise up against the entire Borgia family and the Templars who serve them."
- ―Ezio discussing his motives for staying in Rome.[src]
Added by Ezio eventually awoke to find his wound being treated by a stranger, Margherita dei Campi,[9] who told him that he had simply been dropped off at her doorstep. The man who had brought him there had also supplied him with a new set of robes. After leaving the house Ezio had his wounds tended by a practiced doctor before setting out to make contact with Machiavelli in the center of the city.
His attention was soon caught, however, by the discussion of a group of guards who were set on injuring an innocent civilian for "causing the Borgia guards trouble."[5]
Following the guards and aiding the distressed civilian, whose wife had recently been executed by a Borgia ally known as Il Carnefice, Ezio got his first taste of life in the city. Making his way up to Il Carnefice's abode, Ezio assassinated him and continued on his way to meet with Machiavelli. From him, Ezio discovered that, under the Borgia, Rome had fallen into a state of disrepair and that its citizens were being oppressed by them. Machiavelli also told him of Cesare Borgia, the son of the Templar Grand Master and the man responsible for the death of Mario Auditore.[5]
Together, Ezio and Machiavelli met with Fabio Orsini, an ally of Bartolomeo d'Alviano who had been forced into serving Cesare Borgia. Fabio lent to the Assassins an old storehouse of his onTiber Island, in the hope that they would find a better use for it. From here, Ezio traveled to the Rosa in Fiore in an attempt to gather the support of the city's courtesans. When he arrived however, he learned that Madonna Solari, the head of the brothel, had been kidnapped by the Cento Occhi, Cesare's hired thugs, and was being held for ransom.[5]
Gathering the funds necessary, Ezio made his way to the kidnappers' location only to be double crossed. Madonna Solari was murdered and Ezio attacked. Ezio survived the ambush and returned to the Rose in Fiore to discover his mother and sister there. With no-one to lead them, the courtesans turned to Claudia Auditore to act as their Madonna; Ezio agreed to her appointment, albeit with great reluctance. Ezio then moved on to gather the support of both La Volpe's thieves, who were suffering at the hands of the Cento Occhi, and d'Alviano's mercenaries.[5]
Aiding CopernicusEdit
- "If the Borgia are involved, then so am I."
- ―Ezio, after noticing the guards attack Copernicus.[src]
Meanwhile, in 1500, while on the Campidoglio, Ezio noticed a scholar by the name of Nicolaus Copernicus giving a strange speech to the Roman citizens. After having asked another spectator about the man's identity, he learned that the man came from the Vatican; however, he soon saw a battalion of Borgia guards attack Copernicus, and joined in the fight. Ezio managed to safely defend Copernicus from the attacking Borgia guards. The two men introduced themselves to one another, with Copernicus admitting to having been a Templar himself, until he disagreed with the other Templars on keeping the findings of his scientific experiments hidden from the public.[10]
Added by Upon hearing that more Borgia guards were looking for Copernicus, they quickly left the Campidoglio and went looking for a hideout. Evading the Borgia guards, Ezio found shelter for Copernicus in a small house in the countryside around the Colosseum. Once there, Copernicus realized that his fellow scholars would be in danger as well, and asked Ezio to deliver them several letters in order to bring the threat to their safety to their attention. Despite being insecure on whether to trust Copernicus or not, Ezio agreed on delivering the letters.[10]
Ezio traveled across the Centro District, delivering letters to several scholars located there and managed to save most of them. He returned to Copernicus in the countryside, who told him that the Master of the Sacred Palace, a priest appointed by the Pope to ensure that the Roman religious philosophy remained pure, was most likely the person responsible for the attacks. Ezio followed a cardinal roaming nearby, who eventually led him to the Master of the Sacred Palace. Eavesdropping on their conversation, Ezio found out that the Master of the Sacred Palace had sent his best men to kill the scholars whom Ezio delivered the letters to, and quickly rushed to save them. Rushing to prevent the murders of the scholars, Ezio successfully managed to assassinate all of the hired men, and returned to Copernicus.[10]
He informed Copernicus that his suspicions were right. Nonetheless, Copernicus wanted to chronicle an eclipse, not caring for the Master's attempts to kill him. Ezio set off once again, with the intention to kill the Master of the Sacred Palace. Ezio found him and killed him with his hidden blade, and in his dying breath, the Master revealed that he had already sent his best men to kill Copernicus. Ezio quickly set off to where Copernicus would research the eclipse, and arrived just in time, as Ezio and Copernicus managed to kill the assassin. Looking at the eclipse together, Copernicus revealed to Ezio that the sun was most likely the midpoint of the universe, contrary to common believe that it is the Earth. Copernicus thanked Ezio for his aid, and they went their separate ways.[10]
Infiltrating the Castel Sant'AngeloEdit
- "Do not worry. [The Borgia] will die. You have my word."
- ―Ezio, after agreeing on killing the Rodrigo and Cesare.[src]
After receiving intelligence reports from Claudia, La Volpe and Bartolomeo indicating that Caterina Sforza was being held in the Castel Sant'Angelo Ezio departed to rescue her, though not before Machiavelli demanded that, should he get the opportunity, he kill Cesare and Rodrigo.[5]
Infiltrating the castle, Ezio scaled the fortress' double walls and apprehended Lucrezia Borgia, who was holding the keys to Caterina's cell. From there they escaped, making sure they remained undetected until they had procured a mount. Fleeing across the Ponte Sant'Angelo, Ezio ordered Caterina to ride on whilst he dealt with the pursuing guards—only a timely explosion from within the Castel prevented him from being overwhelmed. Returning to his base of operations, Ezio decided that in order to free Rome from its Borgia oppression, he must involve those who were being oppressed. Despite Machiavelli's reservations, the two agreed to begin recruiting citizens of Rome into Ezio's new Brotherhood, so that the liberation of Rome could begin.[5]
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar
Tetep kunjungin The Worlds And Games Yaaa :)