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Colosseum Vault

2011-05-23T16:23:06Z

121.223.84.62: /* Trivia */

{{era|pl|Brotherhood|Bbook|twcb}}
{{conjecture}}
[[File:Santa_Maria_Aracoeli_7.png|thumb|250px|The entrance to the Colosseum Vault.]]
{{quote|...Or you might cause this room to turn into an alien spaceship and fly away. Think about it!|[[Shaun Hastings]] to Desmond while he pulls the Vault's levers.|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
'''The Colosseum Vault''' was a chamber created by [[Those Who Came Before]] located beneath the [[Santa Maria Aracoeli]], but accessed from a secret entrance beneath [[Colosseo|the Colosseum]]. The Vault was created to store an [[Pieces of Eden|Apple of Eden]] on an [[Vault pedestal|erected pedestal]] at the center of a large chamber, and also contained a projection of one of Those Who Came Before, the "goddess," [[Juno]].<ref name="ACPL">''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]'' - [[Chapter 2 - Giovanni Borgia]]</ref><ref name="ACB">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

To enter the Vault's central chamber, one must speak aloud the number "[[72]]." To reach the higher tier where the Piece of Eden may be placed, the correct series of levers must be pulled. Upon activating a Vault pedestal, one must cross a series of thin platforms to reach the levers spread out around the circular room. After activating all, a set of stairs rises to form an easy path up to the Piece of Eden.<ref name="ACB"/>

The pedestals and levers within the Vault may only be activated by the touch of one who is descended from Those Who Came Before.<ref name="ACB"/>

==Visitors==
===Brutus===
[[File:02022011620.jpg|thumb|left|225px|Brutus' sketch of the Vault.]]
{{quote|We have found traces of whatever pulled us towards this place. Whispers. Lights flickering through cracks in the earth. A doorway that is also a puzzle. We must find the solution.|Brutus, regarding the Colosseum Vault.|Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy}}
The earliest known visitor of the Vault was [[Marcus Junius Brutus]], as evidenced by the [[Scrolls of Romulus]]. While in the Vault, Brutus saw visions of what would happen after [[Gaius Julius Caesar|Julius Caesar]]'s death, and was inspired by them. He and his fellow [[Assassins]] (all of whom were also Senators) would go on to plot Caesar's downfall within its chambers.<ref name="ACPL"/><ref name="ACB"/>

Brutus also made a drawing of the Vault, as well as of the pedestal that would later hold one of the Apples of Eden.<ref name="ACB"/>

===Ezio Auditore===
The next known visitor was [[Ezio Auditore]], who once passed the entrance hall while seeking out the scroll hidden within one of the [[Lairs of Romulus]]. Upon securing the [[Sixth Apple|Apple of Eden]], he entered the Vault and left it upon the pedestal. Upon his entrance, he knew the password to enter, although how he knew the password is unknown.<ref name="ACB"/>

Some time afterwards, he inscribed the password to the Vault upon the wall of the [[Villa Auditore]]'s [[Sanctuary]].<ref name="ACB"/>

===Desmond Miles===
[[File:Welcome_to_the_Vault.JPG|thumb|225px|[[Desmond Miles]] and his team of Modern [[Assassins]] in the Vault.]]
The latest known visitors were the Assassin team composed of [[Desmond Miles]], [[Lucy Stillman]], [[Shaun Hastings]] and [[Rebecca Crane]], who had figured out the password from the writing Ezio had left in the Villa Auditore.<ref name="ACB"/>

While making his way towards the Vault, Desmond met with Juno, who spoke to him four times during his attempt to acquire the Apple of Eden. Out of all the Assassins present, Desmond was the only one able to see and hear her.<ref name="ACB"/>

[[File:Modern_Assassins_Inside_the_Vault.JPG|thumb|left|225px|Desmond, Shaun and Rebecca standing before the Apple.]]
After Desmond activated the stairs and walked up to the Apple of Eden, symbols appeared around all of them. Upon touching the Apple, the other Assassins appeared to be frozen in time and Desmond lost control of his body. Juno took over his actions and forced him to stab Lucy in the abdomen, after which both Desmond and Lucy collapsed to the floor, unconscious.<ref name="ACB"/>

{{-}}
==Trivia==
[[File:72triangle.jpg|thumb|225px|The Vault door that opens only by speaking "72" aloud.]]
*Shaun remarks on two of the symbols that appear when the Apple is activated, the [[wikipedia:Phrygian cap|Phrygian cap]] and the [[wikipedia:Eye of Providence#Freemasonry|Masonic Eye]]. He begins to say ''"Now those two come together in only one place-"'' before being frozen.
**The above symbols only appear together on the [[wikipedia:French Revolution|Revolutionary France]] "[[wikipedia:Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen|Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen]]," which was written in August 1798.
*Of the symbols that appeared, the [[Abstergo Industries]] Logo is one that appears quite frequently.
*Most of the symbols are the same ones found in [[Subject 16]]'s [[Glyphs]].
*The number "72" can be seen in the arch of the bridge in the background of [[Leonardo da Vinci]]'s ''"Mona Lisa"'' painting. However, this is only visible under magnification, as the numbers are very small.
*By using [[Eagle Vision]] at the entrance of the Temple of Juno, the symbol of the [[wikipedia:Lorenz Attractor|Lorenz Attractor]] can be seen on the gate of the Vault. This is also one of the glyphs in Desmond's bedroom in Abstergo, which had been painted with Subject 16's blood.
*By using Eagle Vision on the platform between the entrance to the Vault and the central platform where the Apple sits, the blue-lined symbol on the floor turns red, showing the correct free running path around the central platform. The correct path can also be seen with Eagle Vision by looking at the switches on the pillars; the ones steadily illuminated in white, not pulsing in gold, are the correct switches.
*When using Eagle Vision on one of the platforms in the circular room after completing the free running segment, some glyphs turn red. The reason for this is unknown.
*The interior architecture and layout of the vault bears striking similarity to the 11,000 year old ancient monolithic site of 'Gobekli Tepe' situated in the modern country of Turkey.

==Gallery==
[[Video:Assassin's Creed Brotherhood - Ending part 1|thumb|300px|left]]
[[Video:Assassin's Creed Brotherhood - Ending part 2|thumb|300px|right]]

{{-}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Rome]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Locations]]
[[Category:Vaults]]
[[Category:First Civilization technology]]

Isu

2011-05-23T16:06:49Z

121.223.84.62: /* Trivia */

{{era|AC1|AC2|Brotherhood|Renaissance|bbook|twcb|Featured}}
[[File:Zw-Minerva-3.png|thumb|[[Minerva]], a representative of "Those Who Came Before"]]
{{quote|We simply came… before.|[[Minerva]]|Assassin's Creed II}}
'''Those Who Came Before''',<ref name="Assassin's Creed">''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref> also known as '''the First Civilization''',<ref name="Assassin's Creed II">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref> were an ancient and advanced species on Earth who created the [[Pieces of Eden]], as well as the [[Humans|human race]] itself. Exactly who they were, where they came from and when they disappeared is largely unknown.

With early humans unable to comprehend the First Civilization for what they truly were, they were looked upon as gods.

==Knowledge==
Though various religious beliefs seem to have been based on aspects and misinterpretations of Those Who Came Before, their existence was largely unknown to [[Humans|humanity]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/> As early as the 12th century, both the [[Assassins]] and the [[Templars|Knights Templar]] knew that the focus of human religions, the gods, did not truly exist, and that miracles and other supernatural occurrences were simply manifestations of the powers of the [[Pieces of Eden]], devices created by Those Who Came Before to control the Human race.<ref name="Assassin's Creed"/><ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/> However, it is unclear if the Assassins and Templars understood the origin of the Pieces at that time. By the 15th century, at least one Templar, [[Rodrigo Borgia]], was aware of the existence, if not the nature, of Those Who Came Before; he mistakenly believed that the [[Vatican Vault]] hidden beneath the [[Capella Sistina]] housed a living God.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

The first known instance of a human becoming aware of their existence following their disappearance was that of [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]], who made mention of them in his [[the Codex|Codex]]. However, it would not be until the year 1499 that humanity would encounter Those Who Came Before again, when the Assassin [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]] encountered a hologram of a being calling herself [[Minerva]] in The Vault. Even though Ezio told his fellow Assassins of Minerva, they still did not understand her true nature; Ezio himself showed great difficulty in understanding [[Minerva]]'s explanation of her existence.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

By 2012, the Templars in [[Abstergo Industries]] had a greater understanding of the true nature of Those Who Came Before. However, none of the Assassins seen in this time period indicated that they had previous knowledge of the existence of Those Who Came Before until Desmond relived Ezio's memories.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/> Through the memories relived by Desmond, the Assassins were aware of three separate beings: Minerva, [[Juno]] and [[Jupiter]].<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

==History==
===Creation of humanity===
{{Quote|We built you in our own image, we built you to survive.|Minerva|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:Eden-Slaves-Workshop.png|thumb|350px|One of Those Who Came Before; using a [[Piece of Eden]] to control humans.]]
The origins of the First Civilization are unclear; Minerva simply stated that they "came before". They were responsible for the creation of humanity, creating them in their own image to be a docile workforce. While Minerva notes that they built humanity to survive, Juno asserts that they were not intended to be wise; thereby ensuring obedient and resilient cattle to suit their needs.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/><ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref> Research by [[Subject 16]] seemed to suggest that Those Who Came Before radically altered the genetic make-up of a preexisting species on the planet to create humanity, fashioning them to be similar to their "gods", and therefore leaving a large gap in terms of transitional species between archaic [[Wikipedia:Hominidae|hominids]] and modern humans. By 1997, the Templars had taken note of this and arranged for fake skeletons to be planted in Ethiopia, so as to limit human exposure to the possibility of the existence of Those Who Came Before.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Control of humanity was assured through use of the Pieces of Eden, which tapped into a neuro-transmitter located deep within the human brain. However, there were some humans born without the neuro-transmitter, hypothesized by Subject 16 to be hybrids of the First Civilization and humans, and could subsequently live without being controlled through such means.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

===War and catastrophe===
{{Quote|When we were still flesh, and our homes still whole, your kind betrayed us. We who made you, we who gave you life.|Minerva|Assassin's Creed II}}
Eventually, despite humanity and the First Civilization living in peace for some time, war broke out between the two species. The war involved the theft of a Piece of Eden by [[Adam and Eve]], though how this related to the conflict is unclear. While Those Who Came Before were more technologically advanced and powerful, humanity had the advantage of numbers; most likely outnumbering their creators by the millions, far too much for the Pieces of Eden to effectively handle.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

The war did eventually end, although with casualties greater than the First Civilization could have ever anticipated. The distraction of war had blinded them to all else, and their preoccupation prevented them from seeing the signs of an impending danger from the "heavens". By the time they had noticed it, it was too late. [[Shaun Hastings]] and [[Lucy Stillman]] later hypothesized that this danger could have been a massive solar flare that flipped the Earth's weakening magnetic field, reversing the polarity and making the planet geologically unstable. This hypothesis was supported by evidence found by [[Subject 16]]:
*"Near the day of purification, there will be cobwebs spun back and forth in the sky. - Hopi"
*"A container of ashes might one day be thrown from the sky, which could burn the land and boil the oceans. - Hopi"
*"They died in the fire from the heavens."
*"[[Toba catastrophe|75ka was not a volcano]]."<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

===Aftermath===
{{Quote|You may not comprehend us, but you will comprehend our warning. […] And as life returned to the world, we endeavored to ensure that this tragedy would not be repeated.|Minerva to [[Desmond Miles]], through the memories of [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]]|Assassin's Creed II}} While both races survived the catastrophe, few of either species remained. Working together, they rebuilt their world, though humanity continued to view Minerva's kind as gods. Despite their survival, Those Who Came Before were unable to fully recover and began heading toward extinction. They knew however, that the catastrophe that had burned their world before would eventually reoccur and so they took steps to prevent it, recording a holographic, yet interactive, message to serve as a warning to those who entered [[the Vault]]. In it, Minerva warned of the impending doom, and spoke of the [[Temples]] that could save Earth from destruction, built by those who "knew to turn away from war."<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Delivering their message to the Assassin Desmond Miles, who was viewing the memories of his ancestor [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]], Minerva warned that time was short, and that "[[Templars|the Cross]]" would stand in their way. With the deliverance of that message, one of the last remaining vestiges of the First Civilization died away.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

==Legacy==
{{Quote|They're gifts, Mr. Miles. From those who came before.|Dr. [[Warren Vidic]]|Assassin's Creed}}
Despite the mark they left behind on Earth, the First Civilization faded into obscurity rapidly after their decline; the inability of humans to comprehend their creators as anything but Gods did however allow their names at least, to live on. The lack of evidence for their existence did not prevent all humans from learning about them however, and by the 21st Century, the Knights Templar had a limited understanding of the nature of those who had lived before.<ref name="Assassin's Creed"/> Indeed, the technology used to view the genetic memories of ones ancestor – the [[Animus]] – was based off technology utilized by the First Civilization.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

The Templars also knew of the existence of the Pieces of Eden, and regarded them as gifts left behind by the First Civilization for them to utilize.<ref name="Assassin's Creed"/> This situation was in significant contrast to the situation in the 15th Century, where it had been the Assassins who knew explicitly of the existence of Those Who Came Before, whilst the Templar Grand Master [[Rodrigo Borgia]] merely believed the Vault to be the location of God himself. This changed however, and five hundred years later, the Order of Assassins knew next to nothing of the First Civilization's existence.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

==Characteristics==
[[File:Juno.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Juno]] was highly opinionated over humanity.]]
{{Quote|The rest is up to you, Desmond.|Minerva to Desmond Miles, through the memories of Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Assassin's Creed II}}
The First Civilization were a technologically advanced and powerful race, who seemed to possess precognitive abilities; either natural or technological. This was proven during Minerva's conversation with Ezio Auditore, within the [[Vatican Vault]] in [[Rome]]. Minerva revealed that Ezio was simply a conduit which allowed Minerva to speak to [[Desmond Miles]], who was viewing his ancestor's memories. Furthermore, [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] mentioned in the [[Codex]] that his Piece of Eden not only possessed a catalogue of past events, but also future events, implying that the Pieces contain predictions made by Those Who Came Before.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Those Who Came Before also have connections with many of Earth's religions, and likely influenced their developments directly. During her warning to Desmond, [[Minerva]] made mention of her former names, as well of those of her fellow "gods"; Merva, Uni and Tinia, who later became known as Minerva, [[Juno]] and [[Jupiter]], respectively. The former names correspond to the Etruscan Triad of Deities, while the latter are the names of their Roman counterparts, who make up the [[Capitoline Triad]]. This shift in names may be indicative why various religions have numerous similarities, as they are all based on the story of Those Who Came Before.<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/>

Unlike the human creations, who were created with only five senses, members of the First Civilization possessed six; the sixth being "knowledge". Following the catastrophe that set the First Civilization on the path to extinction, a concerted effort was made to pass on this sixth sense to humanity, their "final, faultered hope." Ultimately however, they failed; though humanity could ''"''[…]''see the blue shimmer ''[and] ''hear the words,"'' they did not fully possess the "knowledge" of their creators, convincing some, like [[Juno]], that humanity should have simply been left as they were.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood"/>

===Bloodline===
{{Quote|Why do we have these gifts, these abilities? Because it's in our blood! […] The seeds were planted as two world became one. Behold the Assassins, the children of two worlds!|[[Subject 16]]|Assassin's Creed II}}
The individual known only as [[Subject 16]] at one point theorized that the true reason behind the [[Eagle Vision|abilities]] of some Assassins was genetic, suggesting a lineage including both human and creator blood. 16's own [[The Truth|genetic memories]] indicated him to be a direct descendant of both [[Adam and Eve]], suggesting that his bloodline, if not many more, would all have access to these abilities. Indeed, Subject 16, Altaïr, Ezio and Desmond Miles all possessed [[Eagle Vision]], while Ezio and Altaïr both showed themselves resistant to the effects of the Apple.<ref name="Assassin's Creed"/><ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/> In addition, Ezio was able to use [[the Staff]] and [[Sixth Apple|the Apple]] to open the [[Vatican Vault]], while [[Rodrigo Borgia]] could not,<ref name="Assassin's Creed II"/> and Altaïr had previously used the Apple to enlighten the people of [[Cyprus]] to [[Armand Bouchart]]'s lies.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines]]''</ref> When Desmond touched the Apple, Juno informed him that his DNA had "commune[d]" with, and activated it.<ref name="Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood"/>

==Trivia==
*Though they play an important part in the plot of ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'', Those Who Came Before are first mentioned briefly, by [[Warren Vidic]] in ''[[Assassin's Creed]]''. When talking to Desmond, Vidic claims that the Knights Templar are responsible for all major human technological advances in history, though he denies that they invented them, calling them "gifts… from those who came before."
*The story of Those Who Came Before (creating humanity as a docile workforce and subsequently being viewed as gods by humanity) bears striking similarity to the Ancient Astronaut Theory, the idea that extraterrestrials visited the earth in ancient times and genetically altered an existing hominid species to create humanity in their own image. As a result, extraterrestrials were responsible for influencing early human civilizations, cultures, and religions; and perceived as gods by their human creations.

==Notes and references==
{{reflist}}

{{ACII}}
{{ACBH}}

[[es:Aquellos Que Vinieron Antes]]
[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Species]]
[[Category:Those Who Came Before| ]]