|
|
| Line 52: |
Line 52: |
| </tabber> | | </tabber> |
|
| |
|
| ==Notables NPCs== | | ==Behind the scenes== |
| ;João Machado
| | ===Notables NPCs=== |
| | <tabber> |
| | |-|João Machado= |
| A young man dressed like a [[priest]], wearing a large, gilt cross decorated with green enamel around his neck. He's a Commander of the Knights of Aviz, and apprentice to the Templar Seneschal Gaspar Vilela (Grand Cross of the Knights of Aviz). | | A young man dressed like a [[priest]], wearing a large, gilt cross decorated with green enamel around his neck. He's a Commander of the Knights of Aviz, and apprentice to the Templar Seneschal Gaspar Vilela (Grand Cross of the Knights of Aviz). |
| ;The Knights of Aviz
| |
| These elite Knights of the Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz blindly serve their Commander João Machado and are ready to protect his life with their own. They are probably among the best sworders [''sic''] Aviz has ever seen, and they have mastered specific, exceptional tandem tactics to fight together against their enemies.
| |
|
| |
|
| ==Piece of Eden== | | |-|The Knights of Aviz= |
| ;PRECURSOR BOX
| | These elite Knights of the Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz blindly serve their Commander João Machado and are ready to protect his life with their own. They are probably among the best sworders [''sic''] Aviz has ever seen, and they have mastered specific, exceptional tandem tactics to fight together against their enemies.<br><br>Dueling with two or more Knights at once will prove extremely challenging. All Action checks made to oppose them in combat require 1 Raise. |
| '''Known Owners:''' Ezio Auditore, Shao Jun, [[Zhang Yong]], João Machado, [[Shay Cormac]], [[William Sleeman]], [[Ulysses S. Grant]], [[Anastasia Nikolaevna]]<br>'''Current Status:''' In the possession of [[Álvaro Gramática]] | | </tabber> |
| | |
| | ===Piece of Eden=== |
| | <tabber> |
| | |-|PRECURSOR BOX= |
| | '''Known Owners:''' Ezio Auditore, Shao Jun, [[Zhang Yong]], João Machado, [[Shay Cormac]], [[William Sleeman]], [[Ulysses S. Grant]], [[Anastasia Nikolaevna]]<br>'''Current Status:''' In the possession of [[Álvaro Gramática]]<br><br>For more information about this Piece of Eden, see page 188 of the ''Assassin’s Creed'' – ''[[Animus Handbook]]''. |
| | </tabber> |
|
| |
|
| ==References== | | ==References== |
Latest revision as of 01:34, 8 March 2025
|
You cannot know anything. Only suspect.
This article contains content from pre-release sources that may or may not be reflective of canon upon release. This article therefore likely contains spoilers.
|
The Lost Box was a genetic memory.[1]
The Spanish missionary Francis Xavier arrived in China to spread the Jesuit doctrine, but finds himself trapped on Shangchuan Island, 14 km south of the mainland. The island serves as a refuge for Chinese smugglers and a hub for Portuguese traders, offering Xavier a possible means to reach mainland China. Unfortunately, no one has been willing to assist him thus far. To complicate matters further, Xavier gets robbed, with most of his possessions taken by a smuggler who has since fled to Macau.
As rumors about the event start circulating, Shao Jun receives word of a peculiar golden box that the priest fought tooth and nail to protect and was able to keep from his robbers. Believing that this might be the same Precursor box that her mentor Ezio Auditore entrusted her with more than three decades before, she immediately gathers a crew and sets sail for Shangchuan. But Shao Jun is not the only one seeking the relic: A small contingent of Knights from the Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz, led by a prominent member of the Portuguese Rite of the Templar Order, is also hot on the trail of Francis Xavier. Upon reaching the small chapel where the priest had sought refuge, the Witnesses are met with a grim sight. The chapel has been ransacked, and Francis Xavier lies mortally wounded, surrounded by the lifeless bodies of his fellow missionaries. To their dismay, there is no sign of the artifact they sought; the Knights of Aviz have beaten them to it. An informant brings word that the Knights are leaving for Nagasaki at dawn, aboard a Black Ship. There isn't much time—the Assassins must be quick.
Underneath a sliver of moonlight piercing through the cloudy winter sky, a dense mist drifts across the tranquil waters of Shangchuan's harbor. The sea lies calm and undisturbed beneath the silent glide of your rowboats. The soft glow of dawn begins to illuminate the horizon, so it won't be long before the sailors of the Templars' ship will clamber aboard their rowboats to return aboard and prepare to leave. Time slips away, and Shao Jun recalls the wisdom of her master Zhu Jiuyuan: "Pluck flowers as they bloom, wait and you will have only the twigs." Approaching the Black Ship, the only audible sounds are the gentle lapping of waves and the faint creaking of rigging.
The Black Ship, a carrack, is at anchor off the coast of the Shangchuan Island. The Portuguese will leave for Nagasaki, Japan, soon, and so the Witnesses have little time to board it and fulfill their mission. They must decide whether to hide on the carrack's lower decks and wait for the right moment to stealthily steal the Precursor box, or to immediately engage the crew and Templars.
- Challenges
- Deck Guards: Although tired from the long watch of the night shift, a few ordinary seamen still patrol the ship's main deck. Two are equipped with loaded arquebuses.
- Suspicious Boats: If the Witnesses don't think to hide their rowboats—for example, by scuttling them before climbing onboard—they automatically trigger the We Have Company Setback when the Portuguese sailors arrive from the docks.
- Stowaways on Board: If the characters prefer to sneak aboard, they will have to take care not to be spotted either by the crew, or by the Knights—João Machado's three bodyguards who guard his cabin. Because of the elite training of Machado's bodyguards, all Stealth checks made to escape their surveillance require 1 Raise.
- Weaknesses
- Portuguese Sailors (minor): The Witnesses could opt to change their strategy and retreat to the docks, where they blend in among the inebriated sailors still on leave. In this case, the Witnesses overcome the Deck Guards and Suspicious Boats Challenges. However, characters might have to make Social checks to keep up the charade.
Once onboard, the Witnesses discover that below deck, hidden amongst crates of Portuguese wine and rapiers, Chinese silk and porcelain, Japanese lacquerware and katanas [sic], are a dozen crates containing arquebuses, bullets, and gunpowder sacks. Nearby, João Machado sleeps in a locked cabin at the ship's stern; two of his bodyguards stand guard outside in the corridor, while a third rests on an Indian sofa inside the cabin.
In the meantime, the sky has brightened and the thick fog has dissipated, allowing the Witnesses to spot an approaching vessel—a huge junk bearing down on the Black Ship. It's hard to tell if it's the Chinese navy, or a pirate ship, but either way it is clear that it is approaching with hostile intent. The crew of the Black Ship springs into action, scrambling to their posts and hastily arming themselves in preparation for the impending confrontation.
- Challenges
- Through the window: A Witness can reach João Machado's room by climbing the ship's keel and railings. However, the room's windows are sealed shut, and the only way in is by crashing through them, alerting the Templar inside.
- I don't know you: With sailors running to their stations, somebody might become suspicious of the Witnesses, especially if they are not in disguise. In the latter case, any Social check made to deceive the counterpart requires 2 Raises.
- Weaknesses
- Exploiting the Chaos (minor): If the Witnesses act quickly enough, they can take advantage of the chaos caused by the approaching ship and surprise the knights at the door, or the third knight with João Machado inside the cabin. In this case, any Approach check made to assassinate them has 1 Free Raise.
- Bombing (major): The firearm crates and gunpowder sacks are right below Machado's room. The Witnesses might choose to blow up the Black Ship and the Templars all in one. However, if the Witnesses use such an approach before stealing the Precursor box from the Templars, they automatically trigger both the Make it Burn and Lost Treasure Setbacks.
The Precursor box currently in João Machado's possession is destined for his superior, Gaspar Vilela, who awaits the artifact in Nagasaki. It is crucial that the Witnesses recover the relic and leave the ship before it is sunk during the battle.
An explosion rocks the Black Ship. The assault has begun. A cacophony of shouting voices and clanging blades combines with the sound of bullets hissing past you in the air like angry bees. The wooden planks of the main deck creak under the weight of Chinese sailors as they board the carrack. The Precursor box must be rescued from the Knights of Aviz, and you have no time to spare.
- Challenges
- Runaway: Once the assault has begun, João Machado and his bodyguards block the door to the cabin with the furniture, before escaping through the window and climbing down to the captain's jolly boat.
- The Brotherhood Won't Have It: The Commander of the Knights of Aviz is willing to let the box sink to the bottom of the sea rather than let the Witnesses take it, while he's still clutching it if necessary.
- Weaknesses
- Aye Captain (major): If a character successfully pretends to be a ship's officer, he can offer to escort Machado to safety (see the Runaway Challenge), and then calmly take care of him once he's separated from his bodyguards. In this case, the Templar remains paralyzed by the sense of defeat and does not resist.
A young man dressed like a priest, wearing a large, gilt cross decorated with green enamel around his neck. He's a Commander of the Knights of Aviz, and apprentice to the Templar Seneschal Gaspar Vilela (Grand Cross of the Knights of Aviz).
These elite Knights of the Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz blindly serve their Commander João Machado and are ready to protect his life with their own. They are probably among the best sworders [sic] Aviz has ever seen, and they have mastered specific, exceptional tandem tactics to fight together against their enemies.
Dueling with two or more Knights at once will prove extremely challenging. All Action checks made to oppose them in combat require 1 Raise.
