Assassin's Creed Wiki - User contributions [en-gb]

Easter eggs

2012-01-03T20:14:36Z

88.7.158.22: /* Transformers */

{{Era|AC|AC2|ACB|ACR}}
{{revamp}}
'''Easter eggs''' are intentional hidden extras found within games; usually jokes or references. The [[Assassin's Creed (series)|''Assassin's Creed'' games]] have their own Easter eggs, and many other games contain Easter eggs related to the series within them.

==Carl Jung==
Psychologist [[Wikipedia:Carl Jung|Carl Jung]] is referenced throughout the series:
*The [[Animus]] is named for Jung's [[Wikipedia:Anima and animus|anima and animus]].
*Women in the series such as [[Adam and Eve|Eve]], [[Maria Thorpe]], [[Maria Auditore da Firenze]] and [[Sofia Sartor]] (mostly wives of the male Assassins) share their names with stages of anima development, a male's inner feminine personality.
*Furthermore, in the [[Abstergo files]], it is stated they believe their research will put an end to the debate over the existence of Jung's [[Wikipedia:Collective unconscious|collective unconsciousness]].

==''Assassin's Creed''==
===Transformers===
[[File:Optimus Prime.jpg|thumb|right|Altaïr hanging down on "Optimus Prime".]]&nbsp
An arrangement of windows seen on certain buildings form the face of Optimus Prime in truck mode from the ''Transformers'' franchise.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUHufgPSddk Optimus Prime Easter Egg]</ref>

===Jamal===
Upon leaving [[Masyaf]] for the first time, one of the [[Assassins]] in the Kingdom is marked as an enemy (glowing red when seen through [[Eagle Vision]]). He can be silently assassinated with no consequences, but openly attacking him will prompt the other Assassins to attack you.

This Assassin is actually [[Jamal]], the traitor inside the order that, along with [[Masun]], opened the gates for the [[Templars|Templar]] [[Siege of Masyaf|attack at Masyaf]]. He was originally set to be a mission target to be assassinated, but the mission was cut, and the character remained as a minor Easter egg. {C}{C
{{-}}
==''Assassin's Creed II''==
===Mario===
[[Video:Assassin's Creed 2: It's a-me, Mario!|250px|thumb|right|Mario greeting Ezio.]]
At the beginning of the third sequence, Ezio's uncle [[Mario Auditore da Firenze|Mario]] says ''"It's-a-me! Mario!"'' when he greets Ezio which is a reference to Super Mario Bros. To further support this is Mario Auditore's Italian nationality, like Mario of Super Mario Bros.

{{-}}

===Giant Octopus===
[[File:Zw-easteregg-2.png|thumb|250px|left|Ezio about to dodge one of the octopus' tentacles.]] {C}{C
A giant octopus can be found in the [[Assassin's Tombs|Assassin's Tomb]] of [[Santa Maria Della Visitazione]].

To find the giant octopus, the player must first pull the lever that activates the swinging poles for progressing further into the Tomb, but instead looks down into the water near the lever for one minute. Once a minute or so has passed, a cutscene plays, showing a large octopus swimming by.

A second cutscene can be activated if the player pulls the lever once more and looks down again, or attempts to jump into the water. The cutscene shows Ezio narrowly dodging one of the octopus' tentacles, before it swims away. There is however, no sound for the cutscene.

{{-}}
===Ghosts of the Past===
[[Video:Ghosts of the Past - AC2 Bonfire on the Vanities Easter Egg|thumb|250px|left|Ghosts of the Past.]] {C}{C
By downloading the [[Bonfire of the Vanities (DLC)|Bonfire of the Vanities DLC]], Ezio is briefly able to see a vision of his whole family.

After meeting up with [[Niccolò Machiavelli]], return to [[Palazzo Auditore]] and step into the center of the courtyard. Ezio will enter a mode similar to his Eagle Vision, and be able to see the figures of his parents and all of his siblings around the palazzo. Once you leave, the vision will disappear and you will not be able to see it again. (The vision cannot be viewed if you have completed Bonfire of the Vanities, so make sure to do this beforehand).

{{-}}
===Dummy Keys===
In the missions "[[Knowledge Is Power]]" and "[[Assassination Contracts#Hunting the Hunter|Hunting the Hunter]]", the player may loot any of the dummy targets and find keys. The keys have no effect whatsoever in the game.

===Batman===
Occasionally, while freerunning or climbing a building, a male bystander can be heard saying ''"Another capering crusader."'' This is a reference to the DC Comics superhero Batman, who uses stealth and has a tendency to run on rooftops. Batman is sometimes referred to as the Caped Crusader.

===Money===
When throwing coins amongst the crowd, female bystanders may cry "[[wikipedia:Money (That's What I Want)|Money! That's what I want!]]", a reference to the classic [[wikipedia:Motown|Motown]] song.

==''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood''==
===''Project Legacy''===
In the [[Sanctuary]], if you look at one of [[Lucy Stillman]]'s monitors, you see the Memories menu of ''[[Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy]]'' set to the [[Chapter 3 - Mario Auditore|memories of Mario Auditore]].

===''Castle Crashers''===
The first memory in the [[Castel Sant'Angelo]] is called "[[Castello Crasher]]." This can be translated into "Castle Crasher," which is close to the PS3 and Xbox 360 downloadable game, ''Castle Crashers''.
===''Grand Theft Auto''===
The achievement "Grand Theft Dressage" is a clear reference to the Grand Theft Auto series of games.

===''Metal Gear Solid''===
Just before reuniting with [[Leonardo da Vinci]], Ezio will come across an [[Wikipedia:Anachronism|anachronistic]] factory-made cardboard box, though he looks away when Leonardo comes around the corner. This is a reference to the ''[[Wikipedia:Metal Gear|Metal Gear Solid]]'' series, as the signature stealth move of [[Wikipedia:Solid Snake|Solid Snake]] (the series' protagonist) is to hide in a box or crate.

A second tribute is the [[Raiden Skin|Raiden suit]], available to all who complete every challenge in the [[Animus Virtual Training Program]] with at least a bronze medal, a reference to how the character Raiden was trained in only virtual simulations.

===Mario References===
In the mission "Femme Fatale", after Ezio kills all the guards and drags Lucrezia, Lucrezia says "Rescuing princesses from castles now?". This is a reference to the Super Mario Bros. games where Mario rescues princess Peach from Bowser's castle. {C}{C
[[File:Plumber.png|right]] {C}{C
One of the ''Brotherhood'' achievements is entitled "Principessa in Another Castello." This translates to "Princess in Another Castle," which is what would be told to Mario in the original Mario games when he defeats Bowser's minions in their castles.

Another Mario reference is the "Plumber" [[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Achievements|achievement]], which shows the picture of a Mario World Warp Pipe.

===Montreal===
During the memory "[[Trojan Horse]]," whilst escorting [[Bartolomeo d'Alviano]] and his [[Mercenaries]] disguised as French soldiers, a French guard asks Ezio Auditore which region of France he hails from, to which he replies "Montréal." This is likely a reference to the location of [[Ubisoft|Ubisoft Montreal]], the main developers of the ''Assassin's Creed'' series. Montreal is the largest city in the French-speaking province of Quebec in Canada.

Alternatively, it could be a reference to the birth-place of [[Francisco Randez]] - the character model after whom Desmond Miles was designed.

===Machiavelli's Works===
Shortly after Ezio successfully enlists the help of the three other guilds, Niccolò Machiavelli asks Ezio how he had managed it. Ezio simply answers that it was "[[Wikipedia:Virtù|Virtù]]", a concept about the spirit of leadership that Machiavelli was later known to have theorized.

Also, at the end of Sequence 7, Machiavelli states that ''"I intend to write a book about you one day"'' to Ezio, who then responds with ''"If you do, make it short."'' This is clearly a reference to Machiavelli's famous (and brief) book, "[[Wikipedia:The Prince|The Prince]]."

Finally, an achievement entitled "Il Principe" (which translates to "The Prince") can be unlocked by achieving 100% [[Synchronization]] for all the memories in ''Brotherhood'', including [[The Da Vinci Disappearance]] memories.
==''Assassin's Creed: Revelations''==

===Monty Python===
In the mission [[The Brawler]], after having been defeated three times in a row, the encountered citizen will say <span style="font-style: italic;">"</span>''Ah... we will call it a draw, alright?". ''This is a reference to the movie ''Monty Python And The Holy Grail'' in which The Black Knight challenges King Arthur to a fight and, after both his arms and legs are cut off, says <span style="font-style: italic;">"</span>''Alright. We'll call it a draw"''.

===Hello World===
In the very first sequence Subject 16 talks to you about the place in the machine that was the first test world where you currently are and afterwards he proclaims ''"Hello World!",'' A reference to the the first test program that programmers make, called a ''Hello World'' project.

==''Assassin's Creed'' (French comic)==
===Prince of Persia===
[[File:ACGN Prince EasterEgg.jpg|thumb|270px|right]] In the first tome of the [[Assassin's Creed (French comic)|novel]], during Desmond's flashback, the Prince of Persia, the main protagonist of the famous Ubisoft's game, appears on the screen of the arcade game monitor at the "L'Horizon" bar. {{-}}
==''Assassin's Creed'' in other media==
The characters, gameplay elements, and plot of ''Assassin's Creed'' are also featured in various other media.

===''Adventure Quest''===
In ''Adventure Quest'', the Assassin job class has a level 10 guardian skill called "''Finishing Blow''!" After clicking this, it has another button called "''Assassin's Creed.''" Additionally, the armor "Whispering Raiment" has two [[Hidden Blade|hidden blades]] on the left arm.

In ''AdventureQuest Worlds'', there are two outfits available for purchase at the suggestion shop in Yulgar's inn, the "Hashashin Armor", priced at 500,000 gold for free players, and the "Armored Hashashin Armor", priced at 300,000 gold for upgraded members of the game.

The Hashashin Armor includes two hidden blades, though located on top of the player's wrist, rather than on the bottom.

===''Abduction (2011 film)''===
Towards the conclusion of the film the protagonist talks with his father via mobile phone. The camera shows a facial scar on the speaking father, identical to Desmond's and his ancestors'. After a few seconds he blends with the crowd and becomes invisible.
===''Dead Island''===
In ''Dead Island'' there is a knife named "''Assassin's Greed''".

===''Ctrl+Alt+Del''===
This "Two Gamers on a Couch" webcomic has made several references to ''Assassin's Creed''. {C}{C
[http://www.cad-comic.com/cad/20071112 The first reference] shows Altaïr explaining the Creed to one of his targets. In [http://www.cad-comic.com/cad/20071122 the second reference] Ethan (one of the comic's main characters) is dressed as Altaïr, using a hidden fork to stealth steal a Thanksgiving turkey drumstick.

===''Dragon Age II''===
Varric's crossbow is called Bianca, like Bartolomeo d'Alviano's sword. Also, the brothel in Hightown is called the "Blooming Rose", a direct translation of the [[Rome|Roman]] [[Courtesans|courtesan]] headquarters, the [[Rosa in Fiore]].

===''Gaia Online''===
[[File:H2k11 halloween edmund.png|thumb|Edmund as Ezio.]] During the Halloween event 2011 in ''[http://www.gaiaonline.com/ Gaia Online]'', Edmund, the shop owner for H & R Wesley, was dressed as Ezio.

===''Grand Theft Auto IV''===
After completing a set of assassination missions for a mysterious figure called the Fixer, the player will receive an achievement called ''Assassin's Greed,'' which is a direct play on the ''Assassin's Creed'' name.

Moreover, the requirement for the achievement is the completion of nine assassination missions, which parallels the first ''Assassin's Creed'' game, in which Altaïr was tasked by [[Al Mualim]] to [[Hunt for the Nine|kill nine Templars]] in exchange for his reinstatement as a [[Master Assassin]].

===''Hero Smash''===
Within ''Hero Smash'', the antagonist is known as [http://herosmashwiki.com/index.php/Luigi_DaVinci Luigi DaVinci], who has a laser blade attached to his left arm. The laser blade performs much like the hidden blade, but is positioned on top of the arm.

===''inFAMOUS 2''===
[[File:Croppedagain.png|thumb|270px|The theater, depicting the parody title.]] Located in ''inFAMOUS 2'''s fictional city, New Marais, several cinemas and theaters feature movie titles that are direct puns of popular video game names. Among them was ''Assassin's Creed'', which was parodied as ''"Assassin's Need (Love Too)"''. These cinemas are located in the very first district of the city.

Also, one of the negative karmic missions available in the game was named ''"Assassin's Greed"'', another play on the ''Assassin's Creed'' name.

Another Easter egg found in the game's downloadable content, ''[[w:c:infamous:Festival of Blood|inFamous 2: Festival of Blood]]'', can be seen again on the cinemas' featured movie titles. The new parody title is ''"Assassin's Bleed"'', which is also a reference to the download content's central theme of vampires.

===''Invictus Games''===
In the iPhone games ''Froggy Jump'' and ''Froggy Launcher'', there is a torso item called "Assassin armor," which looks just like Ezio's armor in ''Assassins Creed II'', that can be bought for 2 Diamonds.

===''Killzone 3''===
[[File:525 large.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Capture Troopers.]] In ''Killzone 3'', the Helghast Capture Troopers wield knives attached to their right forearms, which work like hidden blades. They also bear a variation of the Helghast insignia that resembles the Assassins' and their helmets resemble the Assassins' beaked hoods. {C}{C
{{-}}
===''L.A Noire''===
In the case, "A Marriage Made in Heaven" in the first crime scene there's an [[Assassin's Logo]] scratched onto the dumpster directly above where you can find the hidden knife in the trash can in the alleyway, implying the victim was assassinated.

===''LittleBigPlanet''===
As a part of their promotion for ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'', Ubisoft released Ezio's Assassin Costume as a downloadable costume for the PS3 exclusive ''LittleBigPlanet'' on 8 December 2009.

On the day ''Revelations ''was released, ''LittleBigPlanet ''released a new costume of Ezio.

{{-}}

===''Metal Gear Solid 4''===
[[File:AltairSnake.png|150px|right|The Altaïr costume in Metal Gear Solid.]] On April Fools' Day 2008, it was revealed that an Altaïr costume for Old Snake could be unlocked in the game ''Metal Gear Solid 4''. [[Wikipedia:Hideo Kojima|Hideo Kojima]] (from Konami, the creators of Metal Gear Solid 4) later announced that this was no joke, and that the costume would really be unlocked if the player did "something special." In order to unlock the costume, the player must either acquire the "Assassin Emblem" (a nod to the game's title), or input a password in the Extras section.

The costume can be used as an alternative disguise early in-game and works exactly like the Middle East Militia costume (unlike Altaïr's robes, the Militia costume is lost early in-game, having the player find another set of disguise) and can cause the Middle Eastern faction to be friendly to the player (as opposed to working to gain their trust). When the costume is worn, the protagonist will bend his ring finger back to his palm, which is maintained so long as he wears the costume. This is a reference to Altaïr's missing ring finger.

Specifically, the password has been revealed to be ''aottrykmyn''.<ref>[http://twobrothersandasister.com/?p=2365 Two Brothers and a Sister]</ref>

===''Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker''===
[[File:LeapOfFaithMGS.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Big Boss performing a Leap of Faith into the straw box.]] {C
{{quote|Back in the time of the Crusades, members of the order of Assassins used what is called the Assassin's Straw Box to hide and get close to their enemies.|Kazuhira Miller, commenting on the newly procured item.|wikipedia:Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker}}

In one of the game's missions (namely ''Main Ops 16''), a unique box made of straw dubbed the ''Assassin's Straw Box'' can be obtained. To do so, the player must ensure there's a vacant slot in the equipment section, climb onto the roof of the shack above where the straw box is, then perform a "[[Leap of Faith]]" into it. The Leap is accompanied by an eagle's screech, similar to its mechanism in the ''Assassin's Creed'' series.

Right after you obtain the straw box, one of the main protagonists, Kazuhira Miller, will mention its use during the [[Third Crusade]] (the time period of ''Assassin's Creed''), and how it was used by the Assassins. After the aforementioned mission is completed, the Assassin's Straw Box will be available in the inventory.

The box can hold two people simultaneously, and includes a special function not found in other box items; namely knocking out guards while hiding in the box, and recruiting the knocked-out soldier using Fulton Recovery (if another player is present). Continued use can damage the item, to the point where the box will be destroyed completely. {C}{C
{{-}}

===''Naruto: The Broken Bond''===
Completing all the bounty hunter missions in the game will award you with the achievement "Naruto's Creed."

===''Prince of Persia''===
[[File:FS ezio costume.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The Prince wearing Ezio's Assassin robes in ''The Forgotten Sands''.]] {C}{C
In ''Prince of Persia (2008)'', Altaïr's costume is available as a free DLC for use by The Prince. Additionally, an achievement entitled "Assassin's View" can be unlocked by standing on a [[View Point]] upon the Martyr's Tower.

Similarly, in ''Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands'', Ezio's costume can be purchased via Uplay for 30 points.

Altaïr's Costume also can be purchased at ''Prince of Persia:Prodigy'', via Uplay

===''The Saboteur''===
The main protagonist Sean Devlin earns a racing car with white stripes named Altaïr, which is nicknamed "The Flying Eagle."
===''The Simpsons''===
[[File:Assassinscreedsummoeroflove.png|thumb|238px|The poster for the fictional ''Assassin's Creed'' sequel.]]In the fifth episode of season 23 of The Simpsons, "The Food Wife", besides some other game parodies, a poster can be seen in the back of the fictional games convention E4 featuring a hippie with two hidden blades and the title "Assassin's Creed - Summer of Love".

===''The Witcher 2''===
[[Video:The Witcher 2:|thumb|250px|right|Geralt discovers the body of an Assassin.]] {C
During one mission, Geralt can walk up to some haystacks underneath a [[View Points|view point]]-like structure, and find the body of a white-robed man, who looks suspiciously like an Assassin, who appears to have died when his leap of faith failed.

If the player examines the body, Geralt will say, ''"Hmm... Guess they'll never learn."'' The player will then be granted a hidden ability called "Assassin."

===''VG cats''===

The comic [http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=249 Stealth is required] features Leo (one of the main characters of these comics) wearing Altaïr's costume showing him poking his nose just to get stabed with his hidden blade by accident.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{ACSeries}}

Battle of Forlì

2012-01-02T19:46:27Z

88.7.158.22: /* Planning the Protection */

{{era|AC2|Renaissance}}
{{WPtimeline}}
{{youmay|the event|the [[Battle of Forlì (DLC)|downloadable content]]}}
{{Campaign
|1={{{width|660px}}}
|2={{{c1|#000000}}}
|name=[[Quest for vengeance]]
|battles= [[Auditore execution]] – [[Birth of an Assassin]] – [[Pazzi Conspiracy]] – [[Hunt in Venice]] – Battle of Forlì – [[Corombo in Venice]] – [[Discovery in Spain]] – [[Bonfire of the Vanities]] – [[Confrontation in the Vatican]]
}}
{{Battle
|prev = [[Hunt in Venice]]
|next = [[Corombo in Venice]]
|name = Battle of Forlì
|image = [[File:Bodyguard 3.png|300px]]
|date = 1488
|place = [[Romagna]], [[Italy]]
|result = *Orsi Brothers' death.
* The Apple is taken by Savonarola.
* Retaking of Forlì by Sforza
|side1 = [[Templars]]
|side2 = [[Assassins]] & [[Caterina Sforza]]'s city guards
|commanders1 = *[[Checco Orsi]]
* [[Ludovico Orsi]]
|commanders2 = *[[Niccolò Machiavelli]]
* [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]]
|forces1 = Unspecified numbers of:
* Militia
* Brutes
* Agiles
* Seekers
* Elites
* Leaders
|forces2 = Unspecified numbers of:
* Forlì militia
* Forlì brutes
* Forlì leaders
* Forlì seekers
* Forlì archers
|casual1 = *Checco Orsi
* Ludovico Orsi
* Unknown number of soldiers
|casual2 = *[[Girolamo Riario]]
* Unknown number of soldiers
|civilian = Unknown numbers}}
The '''Battle of Forlì''' was a military conflict fought between the [[Templars|Templar]] forces of [[Rodrigo Borgia]], commanded by the [[House of Orsi|Orsi brothers]], and troops of [[Caterina Sforza]], Countess of [[Forlì]], supported by [[Assassins]] during the year 1488.

==Shelter in the Wetlands==
===Planning the Protection===
{{Dialogue3|Mario|Take this to Forlì. The citadel is walled, protected by cannons -- and our ally controls it|Ezio|Who is this ally?|Her name is Caterina Sforza.|You don't say... I think I might enjoy this mission.|Mario to Ezio on where to take the Apple, Venice 1488.|Assassin's Creed II}}
After [[Hunt in Venice|procuring]] the [[Ezio's Apple|Apple of Eden]] from the [[Templar]] [[Rodrigo Borgia]] in the city of [[Venice]] and the [[Initiation to the Assassin Order|induction]] of [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]] into the Assassin Order, Ezio, [[Mario Auditore]] and [[Niccolò Machiavelli]] met with the inventor [[Leonardo da Vinci]] at his workshop, with the hope that he might be able to shed some light upon the nature of the artifact. Leonardo, fascinated by the Apple, explained he knew little more of it than the Assassins themselves.

Leonardo derived that it was fabricated with materials that shouldn't exist, and yet was an ancient artifact. Mario then claimed that the [[Codex]] refers to it as a "[[Pieces of Eden|Piece of Eden]]". Ezio then interrupted, stating that Rodrigo referred to it as "the Apple". Leonardo then speculated that this might be referring to [[Adam and Eve|Adam and Eve's]] Apple. A forbidden knowledge, Leonardo asked Ezio if he was suggesting they were connected. Neither confirming nor denying this, Ezio placed his hand over the Apple and touched it.
[[File:Leo work 4.png|thumb|250px|Leonardo astounded from the images revealed by the Apple.]]
The Apple immediately reacted with his DNA and cause the entire room to be filled with a blinding light, and images of the future. Causing confusion and pain to everyone except for Leonardo, Ezio stopped it once more with the touch of his hand. After inadvertently witnessing the Apple's power, Leonardo proclaimed that if the artifact fell into the wrong hands, the results could prove evidently disastrous. Mario, however, knew it had to be protected. He thought it best to hide the Piece of Eden within the city of Forlì, where a powerful ally of the Assassins reigned; Caterina Sforza, an old acquaintance of Ezio. Informing Ezio of this plan, he explained the city was walled and protected by cannons. Ezio expressed his joy with this plan, and prepared to depart for Forlì.

===Escort to the conflict===
{{Dialogue3|Civilian|They came as soon as you left the city walls, Signora. The city is under attack!|Caterina|What!? By who!?|The Orsi brothers, Signora.|Aw, sangue di Giuda! (God damn it!)|A civilian informing Caterina of the attack, Romanga 1488.|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:BOF2.png|thumb|250px|Ezio with Machiavelli and Caterina.]]
Accompanied by Machiavelli, Ezio met up with Caterina, who was surprised to hear of Ezio's allegiances to the Assassins, even claiming she knew there was something special about him when they first met. Escorted by the city [[guards]], Caterina, Machiavelli and Ezio made their way to the city. As they did, Caterina claiming that the Apple would be safe in Forlì. As they walked Ezio complimented Caterina on ruling her own city, remarking it was very impressive. Caterina agreed, but reminded him it was once [[Girolamo Riario|her husband]], before he passed away. Ezio offered his condolences, however Caterina simply told not to, as she had him killed.

Surprised by this, Machiavelli explained that Girolamo was affiliated with the Templars, and was making a map on the remaining codex pages. Caterina then expressed her loathing for her ex-husband, pointing out various flaws. As they made their way towards the city however, they found the townspeople fleeing from an unknown hostile force. When Caterina asked one of the fleeing civilians who was attacking, she was given the names [[Checco Orsi|Checco]] and [[Ludovico Orsi]], the men she had hired to kill her husband. They had invaded and taken control of much of the city.

[[File:BOF1.png|thumb|left|250px|Forlì as the battle begins.]]Fearing the worst for her children, the party made their way to the city with haste, but was blocked from entry, for the city gates were locked. Ezio asked if there was another way into the city, and Caterina replied that there was a secret entrance. She instructed Ezio to swim under the city drain and open the gates once he got inside. As he made his way into the city, Caterina threw insults at the Orsi brothers, shouting and screaming at them with vulgar taunts. After making his way through the city, avoiding open conflict, Ezio managed to scale the walls, and dispatch any Borgia invaders that challenged him, and eventually opened the gates for Caterina and her bodyguards, allowing them to retake the city.

==Defending the Citadel==
===Open Battle===
{{Quote|Reinforcements from the mountains! They are breaching the citadel!|One of Caterina's guard screaming of the Orsi's reinforcements, 1488.|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:Holding 2.png|thumb|250px|Caterina enquiring about the missing children.]]
Ezio, opening the gates with Machiavelli and Caterina, made their way to the citadel. Ezio then performed a [[Leap of Faith|leap of faith]] to join the skirmish. There they fought off the Templars attacking. Though several times they were ambushed Ezio and Machiavelli both managed to protect Caterina. As they reached the inner citadel, Caterina went on to check on her children. She noticed that two of her children, [[Ottaviano Riario|Ottaviano]] and [[Bianca Riario|Bianca]] were missing. The servant informed her that the two were playing outside during the attack, and feared the worst. Before Caterina spoke, a guard posted on the city walls bellowed that the Orsi were bringing reinforcement from the mountains, and are breaching the citadel.

===Defensive===
{{Quote|Caterina! Caterina Sforza! I know you're in there! I have something you may want back… Are you missing any children?|Checco Orsi calling out to Caterina.|Battle of Forlì (DLC)}}
Caterina told Ezio to stop them from breaching the citadel. Preparing for combat, Ezio, Caterina and Machiavelli fought off the invaders as they made their way into the citadel. After fending off most of the attackers, Caterina heard some very familiar voices. Looking outside the citadel, Caterina saw it was the Orsi brothers, accompanied by their infantry of Borgia soldiers. Checco then claimed that he had something she may want back, informing her that the children were with them. The two were also surprised to see Ezio, and introduced themselves to the Assassin. Caterina insulted them and demanded her children be released, and the Orsi brothers claimed that they would be freed once Caterina handed over her husband's map. During this exchange, [[Girolamo Savonarola|an unknown monk]] watched from the back of the Orsi's armed band.
[[File:Godfather 5.png|thumb|left|250px|Ezio rescuing Bianca.]]
Caterina refused to surrender the map, and even went as far as to say that the Orsi can have her children, stating that she has'' "the instrument to make more". ''Knowing that Caterina would inevitably change her mind, the Orsi brothers claimed that she had one hour before they killed them. After this, the brothers and their men retreated to the countryside. Caterina cried out of concern for her children. Ezio told Caterina that he couldn't let her make that sacrifice, and Caterina replied that there would be no sacrifices and asked Ezio get them back for her. Ezio agreed and gave Caterina the Apple of Eden, stating that it needed to remain safe in the citadel. He then departed to rescue her children.

==Dealing with the Orsi==
{{quote|The Maestro gains his prize, because of me...|Ludovico Orsi's last words after Ezio slays him.|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:Assassins-creed-2-forli-2.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Ezio assassinating Checco Orsi on horseback]]
With two of Sforza's children still in Orsi hands, Ezio was tasked with their liberation. The Assassin overpowered the guard detail assigned to imprison Bianca, who directed Ezio to her brother Ottaviano. As Bianca fled back to the city, Ezio made his way the lighthouse upon which Ottaviano was being held by Ludovico himself. Climbing the tower, Ezio dispatched the Orsi brother, and rescued Ottaviano, though not before learning that the distraction of the captured siblings had allowed the brothers to steal the Apple. Hurrying back to the citadel, Ezio learned that Ludovico's jeering had been true, and that Checco had acquired the Apple; Ezio swiftly tracked down and killed the remaining Orsi brother.

Retrieving the Apple, Ezio failed to notice that Checco had stabbed him in the abdomen. Injured, Ezio collapsed to the floor, the Apple rolling from his hand. Before losing consciousness Ezio saw a monk with a missing finger pick up the Apple and walk away, despite Ezio's warnings against doing so. The battle was over, and the city remained within the hands of Caterina Sforza.

==The Hunt for the Monk==
===Woken in a daze===
{{Quote|He wore a black robe. Like a monk... And I think... a missing finger? Si! Caterina, I have to go - right away!|Ezio after waking up.|Assassin's Creed II}}
[[File:62550 orig.jpg|thumb|250px|Ezio waking up after being stabbed by Checco Orsi]]
In the battle's aftermath, Forlì guards scouting the area found Ezio, barely alive. They brought him back to the city, where Caterina personally nursed him back to health.

When Ezio regained consciousness, he told her what had happened, and she suggested that he head for an abbey in the wetlands where he might find some clues to the monk's identity, and also gave Ezio the map, since he would need to find it to find the remaining [[Codex]] pages in order to determine the location of [[Vatican Vault|the Vault]]. With that, Ezio thanked Caterina for her help, and departed.

===Search for the Monk===
{{Dialogue2|Abbot|Unholy demon! Get away!|Ezio|What's wrong?|You're the one who killed Brother Stefano! Brothers! The killer of the monks has returned!|Abbot expressing great fear when Ezio arrived.|Assassin's Creed II}}
Ezio headed to the abbey, where he found an Irish priest, [[Darby O'Callahan|Brother O'Callahan]] being roughed up by Borgia thugs. After helping the priest defeat his attackers, Ezio was able to inquire as to the identity of the monk with the missing finger. O'Callahan replied that he didn't know, but suggested that Ezio might gain more information at [[Abbazia di San Mercuriale|the abbey within Forlì]].
[[File:From the tree 4.png|thumb|left|250px|The frightened Monk cornered and questioned.]]
Returning to the city, Ezio went to the Abbey and was about to make inquiries when one of the priests present recognized him as [[Stefano da Bagnone]]'s killer nine years previous. The man fled, but Ezio caught up and tackled him. Ezio managed to convince the monk that Stefano's death had been justified, since Ezio only slew those who deserved death, then asked for the identity of the monk. The priest identified the monk as [[Girolamo Savonarola|Brother Savonarola]], but insisted that he had retired to a hermitage. Ezio replied that Savonarola had left and asked where he might have gone; the priest suggested he might have returned to the place where he studied; [[Santo Spirito]], in [[Florence]].

==Source==
* [[Assassin's Creed II]][[Battle of Forlì (DLC)|'' - Battle of Forlì'' DLC]]
* [[Assassin's Creed: Renaissance]]
{{Timeline}}

[[Category:Battles]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II events]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II DLC]]
[[Category:Timeline]]