Cryptic Messages

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File:Crypticmessages.jpg

The message on Desmond's bedroom wall.

So, you've finished Assassin's Creed then? All gone a bit Da Vinci code hasn't it? Don't worry we are here to guide you through it...

When Warren Vidic and Lucy Stillman leave the building at the end of the game, Desmond Miles is able to use the Eagle Vision, much like Altair in the past. There are messages scribbled all over the floor and walls. All of these can be decoded and tell us something. Subject 16, the patient before Desmond, wrote these with his own blood to warn Desmond of what is happening.

Messages

• The Eye of Providence: Also called 'The all-seeing eye' or 'Eye of the World'. It's on the ground in front of the door Lucy and Dr. Vidic always leave. The Eye of Horus, also a sign of this, can be found.
  • Explanation: The Eye of Providence is always related to the "New World Order" conspiracy. Abstergo Industries is planning on instituting a "New World Order", which is why they are extracting information from Desmond Miles. They want to use the Piece of Eden to control the world.

• 12212012: This is the barcode found before the pyramid of letters.
  • Explanation: 12/21/2012 is known in different prophecies, such as in the Mayan calendar, for the day the world ends. This is three months after the events of Assassin's Creed and is the date of the release of the modern Templar Satellite.

• Barcode: This is 13:16-18, a reference to the bible, specifically the book of Revelation. This piece in the bible reads: "He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no-one could buy or sell unless he had the mark which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom, if anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a person and it's number is 666."
  • Explanation: The number 666 is widely known as the "Number of the Beast", and the beast is the Devil as depicted in the Bible.

• Pyramid: The Pyramid of letters means, written backwards from top to bottom, from right to left: "They drained my soul and made it theirs. I drain my body to show you where I saw it". Found after the Eye of Providence, more to the Animus.
  • Explanation: "They drained my soul"- this is what the Animus is used for. They [the Templars], took the information and used it. "I drain my body" - Subject 16 used his blood to write all of these messages.

• Three Intertwining Circles: Symbol of the Holy Trinity. Found at the Animus at the side where you lay your head.
  • Explanation: Yet another reference to the bible. It relates back to the "New World Order" conspiracy.

• Square: The Square of Letters means, written backwards from top to bottom, from right to left: "Artifacts sent to the skies to control all nations to make us obey a hidden crusade. Don't help them"
  • Explanation: "Artifacts sent to the skies" - The Piece of Eden is an artifact. The Templars sent it in a Satellite to control the world.

• Nazca Lines: The famous Nazca lines are drawn by subject 16. They can be found near some computers on a the left platform.
  • Explanation: These may point out the location of another Piece of Eden, or maybe a Crystal Skull, which are said to possess miraculous powers.

• I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End: This is referenced to in Desmond's room.
  • Explanation: This is a well-known phrase from the bible. It means that God is all-powerful. This yet again links back to the "New World Order" conspiracy.

• In Desmond's room there are three more types of writing: Hebrew, Arabic and Chinese.
  • Explanation: Hebrew-העולם הבא: The writing in Hebrew means "The World to Come"
  • Explanation: Arabic- الزلزال: The writing in Arabic means "The Earthquake" which is the 99th Sura of the Qu'ran and tells of Judgement Day and one of the signs of the end of the world.
  • Explanation: Asian Texts-Several quotes relating to the game and its key protagonists.
    • "You reap what you sow."
    • "One who wants to read into his future simply needs to write his own past."
    • "A man without far sight, must have near worries."
    • "Hearing is better than not hearing, observing is better than hearing, knowing is better than observing, and doing is better than knowing."
    • "As a human being, if you want to know the spiritual realm of Buddha, you have to observe, you have to know that everything you see in the world comes from your own mind."

Question and Answer

Q. Who is Subject Seventeen? A. That would be you, Desmond.

Q. Is Desmond actually Altair? A. No, Desmond is a descendent of Altair, and by using the Animus he's able to locate Altair's memories that are hidden in his DNA. This means that Altair had at least one child after the events of Assassin's Creed - otherwise Desmond would not have Altair's memories locked away inside him.

Q. What is the drawing in the middle? A. It is most likely the Lorenz attractor. Mural

Q. Okay, so why can I not see it until the end of the game? A. Abstergo washed the messages off of the walls and the floor, but Desmond is able to spot the messages by using his Eagle Vision.

Q. Wait a second. You said that Desmond wasn't Altair! What gives? A. He's not, at least, not yet... Read through Vidic's emails and you'll stumble across one that mentions 'The Bleeding Effect.' Vidic reports that, after using the Animus for a given length of time, some previous subjects were unable to distinguish between their ancestors' lives and their own. Their genetic and real-time memories have literally 'bled' into one another, which is why Desmond is able to use the Eagle Vision power at the end of the game.

Q. Why only the one power? A. Be patient! Assassin's Creed is the first part of a trilogy. By the end of the third game Desmond will have a lot more moves to play with...

Q. Who are Abstergo? A. Modern Templars. Abstergo are a company intent on world domination. Their 'aim' is for world peace, but the methods with which they wish to achieve this can be considered mad. They think that by controlling mankind, and killing those that aren't influenced by their power, they can achieve peace. Even their name betrays this secret: it's Latin for 'cleanse'.

Q. Who is Lucy? A. Lucy Stillman is an employee of Abstergo, but is actually an undercover operative working with the Assassins. She is the one that passes on the door code to Desmond, and is trying to delay the project. In a series of emails to a person known only as '??' she asks for aid. The final message is coded, but reads, "We will be there soon." Vidic has his suspicions of Lucy. Alan Rikkin sent him an email regarding the fluoride leak: "Makes me wonder if the fluoride leak was internal after all... And if it was, are we dealing with a whistle blower or something worse?" It's highly reasonable to assume that Lucy was this leak. Square words

Q. What about 13.0.0.0.0? A. This refers to 21/12/2012 again. To be more precise, it is the date written in long count form and marks the beginning of the thirteenth Baktun.

Q. What is Yonaguni? A. Yonaguni is the westernmost island in Japan, and a likely setting for the next game (or at least part of it). It is widely believed that an ancient and advanced civilisation once lived on Yonaguni, and that they suffered a similar fate to Atlantis' people. Buildings found submerged around Yonaguni predate any other known buildings in the world, so expect any Japanese ancestor tales to take place before Assassin's Creed 1.

Q. What is 22:13? A. Revelations 22:13. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." There are also a few alphas and omegas scrawled on the giant mural. Yonaguni

Q. Emperor Ji... Jing...? A. "Within Emperor Jiajing'[s] sin and Quetzcoaltz's hunger lies the Answers." Emporer Jiajing was the Emperor of China from 1521 to 1567, and the 11th emperor of the Ming dynasty. He was not a kind emperor, and an internal plot to assassinate him was planned although ultimately failed (note: a possible 'level' in a future Assassin's Creed). He built the Temple of the Sun (notice a theme about the Sun in the paintings around the two rooms) and collected rare materials from around the world. One of these rare materials is almost certainly an artifact. Quetzcoaltz isn't familiar, but is a likely misspelling of Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec sky and creator God and another reference to the Sun. Although primarily an Aztec deity the Mesoamerican influences are strong, and the Mayans had their own version: Kukulkán. His 'hunger' refers to the ritual animal sacrifices that were made to appease him, and an artifact is probably lying within one of his temples. it may also refer to cortez, who impersonated quetzalcoatl to gain admission into the aztec world, thus using this opening to take over mexico. so the hunger may refer to his lust for land and gold.

Q. What is the significance of the door code? A. It's the date of the Philadelphia Experiment. Date

Q. Can you please explain the email on the final computer? A. Sure thing. We'll look at it piece by piece: Email: "The others and I have finished reviewing the Animus recordings from Subjects 12-16. While the Piece of Eden remains our priority, we must continue working to locate and understand the remaining artifacts. I am sure you can understand our reasoning behind this. Although satellite is accomplished to a fair portion of the work for us, we will certainly need to deal with those who are either immune to - or protected from - its effects. Explanation: There are multiple artifacts that Abstergo want to possess in order to control the world, and they all have different powers. Once the satellite is in orbit most of Earth's population will be under their control, but some people will be immune to its effects. They need to secure other artifacts to help deal with these people, otherwise their plans will be exposed and Abstergo will be under attack from rebels. Email: "Piece of Eden (no. 3) - We applaud your continued efforts to locate an alternate artifact with the loss of no. 2 in the DIA Satellite Accident. We understand Subject Seventeen is having trouble interfacing with the Animus, leading to delays. As a result, we estimate another 24 hours before your next critical update. In the meantime, we'll prepare an extraction team and set them to standby. We're relying on you to obtain the additional information we require. He knows where the other objects are - even if he doesn't realize it. You MUST unlock that final memory or all of this will have been for nothing." Explanation: The company is frantically trying to locate another Piece of Eden. They were about to launch a satellite with the second piece but an accident occurred and 20 people were killed. Desmond is being used to find another Piece of Eden with which Abstergo can launch another satellite and control the world. Hills Email: "Philadelphia Project - Data provided from Animus Subject Twelve indicates that the ship briefly manifested in a future state for approximately 18 minutes. It is unclear whether the timeline is consistent with or parallel to our own. Although we have recovered enough data to reconstruct and repair the original artifact used in the experiment, Administration has refused to move forward on the project, citing paradox concerns. Corporate policy remains in place: any objects found to interfere with or manipulate time must be contained. Artifact will be moved to secure storage." Explanation: According to an email in Lucy's inbox the door code is 10281943 - the date of the alleged Philadelphia Experiment. It is rumoured that on 28 October 1943 the US destroyer escort USS Eldridge was subject to a top-secret experiment and became temporarily invisible. It has been suggested that it also underwent both teleportation and time travel, and that its crew never recovered. Many went mad, and some were even fused to the ship's bulkhead. This email confirms that the experiment took place and that the Templars were behind it. Abstergo have the ability to manipulate time and space with the artifact, but dare not try in case of triggering paradoxical events. It's possible that Desmond will use such an artifact to stop Abstergo before they even begin their operation. Email: "Tunguska Incident - Now believed to be the direct result of assault by Assassins. Research station destroyed as was artifact. Alternate wave generation devices have been located in storage, but we have insufficient data at the moment to initiate research. The risk of accident is too high. Lineage Discovery and Acquisition Division should attempt to locate descendents of any attack survivors (either Assassin or Brotherhood) in order to continue research. Resurrecting this particular type of technology will aid us greatly with any holdouts following the Satellite's activation. We're putting together a team to push research in this area." Japanese buildings Explanation: On 30 June 1908 a massive explosion rocked the world. The incident, near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Tunguska (now Krasnoyarsk Krai of Russia) is believed to have occurred when a meteorite burst above the Earth's surface, flattening trees and causing widespread destruction. The email states that it was caused by a group of Assassins destroying a Templar base and the artifact at that location. Abstergo obviously believe that there is a great need for alternate wave generation artifacts to help deal with (ie destroy) resistance following the satellite's launch. Think of this as a powerful weapon, such as a neutron bomb that can be harnessed and aimed at certain targets. Email: "Grail - We are removing the Grail from our list of objectives. There is insufficient evidence to confirm its existence. Current examination of Subject Seventeen indicates that aside from the Piece of Eden, all other artifacts related to Christ-figure are literary devices (or derived from Piece of Eden) and not actual objects. Even if the object is real, its use to us at this stage is negligible. Our resources are better used elsewhere." Explanation: In what's likely to be Abstergo's biggest mistake they decide to stop searching for the Holy Grail. Why is this a mistake? It's likely that this artifact does exist, and that Desmond and the Assassins will track it down and use it against Abstergo in the future. It's possible that Subject Sixteen knew the location and provided clues for Desmond to follow - knowing that Abstergo wouldn't look for its locations while they were so focused on the Piece of Eden. If this is true then Abstergo have underestimated the Grail's significance - 16 obviously believed it was a key artifact in the battle against Abstergo. Email: "Mitchell-Hedges Communicators - Analysis of the objects is complete. The good news is that they work. As a result we now have a safe and secure communication channel for use after the launch. However, they are severely limited in number, and so we will be providing them only to our most essential facilities. You will obviously retain possession of the one you have." Pentagram Explanation: The Mitchell-Hedges communicators are possibly the most interesting items mentioned. Found in a ruined Mayan temple in Belize at around 1926 the 'communicators' are ancient crystal skulls, and there are believed to be only 13 skulls worldwide. The origin of these skulls is unknown, but they are rumoured to bestow the holder with scrying powers - ie the ability to communicate psychically. Abstergo have located these skulls, and it will allow their top facilities to communicate with one another without fear of the Assassins listening in. The mythology of these skulls is interesting: some claim it originated from Atlantis (remember Yonaguni?) at that the Knights Templar carried one about during the crusades. If so, it's likely that it was passed down through the Templars and is now the one in Vidic's possession. That does, however, leave the Mayan relevance in some doubt... Email: "Warren, I cannot stress how important it is that you wrap things up with Subject Seventeen as soon as possible. We're obviously relieved that you seem to be closing in on the target memory, but you need to step it up. Everything we're working towards depends on your retrieving these locations. Without them, we've got nothing. May the Father of Understanding guide you to success." Explanation: The target memory in question is the final boss fight, and the revelation of multiple artifact locations. Obviously they're keen to get the information as quickly as possible so that Abstergo's retrieval teams can locate the artifacts.

Q. What are these Pieces of Eden? A. (spoilers ahead) The pieces of eden were created by a hyper-advanced race that created humanity; they were used to keep humanity a slave race. Each piece of eden appears to have a different effect, with the third being the most important to the templars. The third has the ability to make people believe anything. The peices of eden also appear to be keys to the vaults, the vaults were built by "those who knew to turn away from war". Physically the pieces of eden look like all kinds of objects, swords, staffs, and apples to name a few. The staff of the pope was a piece of eden, Books

Q. Explain the Achievements please! A. There are two. After using Eagle Vision in the bedroom you'll unlock 'Visions of the Future', which is self-explanatory. The Eagle and the Apple -1191 Achievement isn't as obvious. The Eagle is Ezio (main character in the second game)- The Apple? That would be the Piece of Eden that Altair viewed at the end of his adventure - the third Golden Apple.