Venetian conspiracy

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After learning from a letter taken from one of the Pazzi Conspirators, Ezio Auditore da Firenze learns that the Templar's presence was not limited to Florence only, for the letter made mention of the city of Venice. This, paired with the fact a man from Venice was present during the meeting at the countryside of Tuscany, proves that the Templars intend ill upon the city. With the intention of stopping the Templar's plans, Ezio makes his way to the floating city.

Side-Trip to Forli

Trouble at the Mountains

Leonardo: "Venezia! Such a beautiful city! So many sources of information! Ponte di Rialto, Piazza San Marco, L'Arsenale..."

Ezio: "Shh!"

Leonardo: "What's wrong?"

Ezio: "We're not alone"

—Ezio, detecting the presence of Borgia's men

Ezio made his way to the Apennine Mountains, where he managed to catch up with Leonardo da Vinci, who was having trouble with his carriage. Ezio helps him by lifting the carriage as Leonardo fixes the wheel. As he did, Ezio sees from the back of the carriage, a bat-like contraption made of wood. When he asked Leonardo, he revealed that it is an invention that can make man fly. Laughing about the subject, Ezio climbs aboard the carriage along with Leonardo, and then made their way to Venice.

File:EzioLeo1.jpg

Ezio and Leonardo at the Apennine Mountains

While Leonardo was fantasizing the beautiful sites of Venice, Ezio hears a faint noise. Just then, the silence was broken by soldiers on horseback attacking the carriage, presumed to be Borgia's men who was searching for Ezio. Leonardo hides in the carriage as Ezio tried to fend off the attackers by trying to maneuver the carriage into shaking them off.

As he continued to make his way out of the countryside, soldiers light the small, wooden bridge along the way, but it wasn't enough to hinder Ezio's progress, as he managed to make it through the burning bridge unscathed. Continuing onward, as the soldiers tried to further damage the vessel, Ezio asks Leonardo to go on without him, and tells him that he will catch up.

Taking command over the vessel, Leonardo leaves the mountains, as Ezio fended off the attackers. After a tedious fight, Ezio successfully dispatches all of them. After this, Ezio made his way out of the countryside, and soon found himself in Forli.

Damsel in Distress

Leonardo

': "Be careful, Ezio. Do you know who that was? "

Ezio

': "My next conquest? "

Leonardo

': "I don't think so, Ezio! That's Caterina Sforza, daughter of the Duca di Milano… "

—Leonardo, informing Ezio on whom he just met

Making his way through the city and out at the countryside, Ezio managed to reach the harbor where Leonardo was waiting for him. Expecting a simple passage to the boat, he was stopped on his tracks by the ferry man, saying that he needs a pass to enter the boat since Leonardo couldn't provide one. Just then, Ezio hears a call for help by a woman who was stranded at a small land form. He gets a hold of a gondola and rowed it to the woman's direction. Taking her back to the harbor, she revealed her name to be Caterina Sforza. Caterina, returning the favor to Ezio, talked to the ferryman to grant Ezio safe passage on to the boat.

File:EzioLeo2.jpg

Ezio and Leonardo, en route to Venice, with Caterina Sforza still visible at the background

Leonardo informed Ezio on who she was after he boarded the boat. He reveals that Caterina Sforza was the husband of Girolamo Riario, the count of Forli, and also the Duke of Milan, Galeazzo Maria Sforza. Leonardo continues, and says that it is best that Ezio should refrain from doing anything that he might regret. Ezio only replied a faint chuckle, and remarked that she is his type of lady. After this, the boat continued en route to Venice.