You decide to continue your investigation of this incredible giant snake. You tell the villagers in nearby towns about the location of the crossing and ask them about the snake. Although the name Sesha is mentioned in ancient legends and matches the description you give them, no one has ever seen this creature before.
You continue to explore the area and eventually come across a wandering pilgrim whose talkativeness is matched only by his vast knowledge of all things Hinduism. Your own knowledge of this religion being very limited, you have more difficulty understanding his ramblings than making him speak. You still manage to understand that Sesha is the name of a snake demigod. Although it is more often depicted as a many-headed serpent, its attitude and size match what you have seen previously.
As the old man looks through documents from his large leather bag, you can see what look like ancient texts as well as depictions of many snakes and Hindu deities. In these texts, it is said that Sesha will appear with his hatchlings at the “end of the world” and that they will give birth to a new kingdom where peace and harmony will reign. It is also mentioned that his offspring are in fact a part of himself and that anyone who attacks them will weaken Sesha and be punished for it.
Many people worship Sesha in one form or another, but he is almost never a threatening or evil deity.
When you ask the man if he found a reference to Colubra, he flips through the pages for a long time, but shakes his head negatively.
You thank him and continue on your way.
- Monkey Bridge
You are standing at the edge of a gorge. At the bottom flows a wide river in which two crocodiles are fighting. On the other side lies a peaceful village which matches the description of one of the places crossed by the Assassins of the first expedition.
An old rope bridge connects the two sides, about one hundred and fifty feet apart. Some planks are hanging in the air and the ropes don't look very strong, but the bridge seems to be holding up...
Choose an option:
A: No time to waste! Shao Jun volunteers to lead the way. Your group follows her cautiously.
B: You attempt the crossing one by one, being very careful where you jump.
A: The bridge creaks under your weight. Suddenly a board gives way! Shao Jun barely catches herself and shouts: "We are too heavy, throw everything you can!" Discard as many Equipment cards as there are Assassins (except Shao Jun). Read 2
B: The crossing seems to take forever, but the bridge holds firm! After a few cold sweats, you reach the other shore with relief. Read 1
'1 You were probably right to err on the side of caution, even if it cost you time. Tick 1 box on the Threat Gauge, pause, then read 2.
2: You finally make it to the village. The inhabitants are assembled in the center as if they were waiting for you. [Read Location 21]
- On the Edge of the Abyss
The villagers, scantly dressed, remain motionless and stare at you. You can see the fear in their eyes.
The leader advances towards you, escorted by two men armed with bows. He speaks: "Your friends are no longer there. They were looking for Evil... and they found it." He pauses and continues: "And you, what are you looking for?"
Choose an option:
A: "We are looking for our friends. Where did they go?"
B: "We are looking for a woman named Colubra."
A: The man replies: "they have brought corruption here. Many souls perished because of them. They went that way and were never seen again." He points to location 22 on the Map of the Region. Do you want to leave without delay [Read 1] or investigate before you leave? [Read 2]
B: The man can't manage to hide his terror. "Colubra is a corrupt being, she is both everywhere and nowhere. Your friends have gone this way." He points his finger towards location 22 on the Map of the Region. One of his men brings him a package. [Read 3]
'1 The villagers seem relieved to see you leave. They give you items. Draw 2 Equipment cards.
2: You find things that belonged to the Assassins! Take small card A#11 and draw 2 Equipment cards.
3: The leader gives you the things the Assassins left behind. Take small card A#11 and draw 1 equipment card.
You can see green hills in the distance. To reach them, you must cross a portion of jungle which sinks into a valley dotted with clearings.
A few columns of smoke, traces of human activity, break the monotony of the intense green of the vegetation.
You follow a path that seems endless. The cries of the monkeys become moreand more piercing and aimost threatening.
After taking several breaks, at a bend in the path, you come face to face with a small group of macaques. You are not used to these wild animals and caution prompts you to observe them for a moment.
That's when you see a reflection in the hands of one of them. Looking closer, you are convinced that it is a weapon. And not just any...
This is undoubtedly a hidden blade!
Ignoring your caution, you set off in pursuit of the monkeys who seem to take your actions as a sort of game. The small troop taunts you by backing away and climbing the trees.
You chase them, trying not to scare them. The game becomes a grueling and sometimes frightening pursuit as the cries of the macaques deafen you.
There are many af them and they are way too agile. Out of breath and completely lost, you pace through a curtain of dense leaves. Suddenly you realize you're on the edge of an abyss! You stop dead in your tracks! As you sigh with rebel, your gaze falls on a crowd of monkeys at the bottom of the cliff. Four ripped backpacks lie on a blood-stained rock. You understand that the Assassins who preceded you did not have the same reflexes as you and that they fell into the trap set by the macaques.
You look away, realizing that you can do nothing for these unfortunate people whose lifeless bodies have undoubtedly been dragged into the surrounding crevices from which eyes are spying on you.
You leave the scene before fear or rage puts you in danger.
Now you know how the Assassins from the first expedition disappeared.
You decide to go upstream to try to understand wh at is behind its strange behavior. The course narrows as you progress, the treetops eventually coming together and obscuring the harsh light of the burning sun.
Higher up, the river joins a lake where there is a small island. The water is strangely stagnant. A few perfectly aligned stones allow you to reach the shore of this island. The air, thick and humid, hinders your breathing. Little black dots flutter in front of your eyes. You try to chase them away like gnats, but you quickly realize that it's your eyes that are playing tricks on you.
As you set foot on the island, you suddenly plunge into darkness. The sounds of the jungle fade away. You no longer see your Assassin brothers and sisters. The ground beneath your feet is strangely hard and even.
Filaments of white light swirl around you. Fragments of unintelligible conversation, alternating between whispers and shouts, attack your hearing.
Progressing blindly, your gaze is drawn to an increasingly bright yellow dot. it forms a globe whose brilliant light pulses slowly, then faster, and finally harmonizes with the rhythm of your heartbeat.
Luminous lines emerge from the sphere, their anarchic trajectories drawing evanescent images before your incredulous eyes.
You can't repress a gasp as the images come to life and you make out the silhouette of a young female Assassin, like an animated painting whose realism grips you.
Your amazement prevents you from concentrating or analyzing anything. It's only when the images finally fade that you decide to engrave in your memory the scene you've just witnessed: The very lively conversation between the young woman and an older man, obviously a notable of the Brotherhood, their incomprehensible words, uttered in a language foreign to you, and Isabel's name, the only word that came through clearly.
You also engrave in your memories the anger of the young woman against the notable, his air full of disdain, similar to that which certain men have towards women, whatever their merits. A feeling of injustice overwhelms you...
As you continue to progress Northeast, you enter swampy terrain. Mosquitoes attack you, the air is humid and the walking is exhausting. Suddenly, you experience blurred vision again, your heart beats faster, darkness falls and a flash of white light makes you lose all your bearings.
Isabel is there, in front of you! At first, you cannot tell if it is reality or just a daydream...
The young woman has her hands tied behind her back. She is on board a Venetian ship and seems to be a prisoner of the Templars. Wounded in the face, she was undoubtedly the victim of their legendary brutality.
You can see the coast In the distance, it Is strangely similar to the one you landed on a few weeks ago.
The images freeze, swirl and disappear into a great white light before crystallizing again.
The jungle IS all around you, deep and wild. Isabel is tied up, led on a forced march by the Templars, who constantly harass her. They want to know the location of some Artifact. Several women follow her, also visibly exhausted and bruised. You can't help but feel the pain and burden that each of these women carries under the rule of the Templars.
Suddenly, an arrow splits the air with a sinister whistle.
The young woman's guardian collapses, struck in the heart. The screams rise, the men become restless, panic seizes them as they fall one after the other. The woman's face lights up before your eyes, a broad vengeful smile on her lips.
The vision ends abruptly, leaving you breathless, heart racing and sweat beading on your forehead.
You explore a vast desolate plateau. Everything here exudes the corruption that you have heard about from the locals you encountered. The air is almost unbreathable, the sunlight is blinding and the stifling heat weighs like a lead weight on your shoulders.
The vegetation is reduced to a few low grasses and stunted and deformed shrubs. The only animals you come across are insects and snakes that appear out of nowhere and whose hisses make your blood run cold.
It is as if a plague had fallen on the entire region.
According to the information you have collected, this is not a natural disaster, but rather a phenomenon linked to the presence of Colubra. The only explanation that comes to mind is that this place is under the influence of the same power as the Renegade Assassin, that of the Apple of Eden.
Everything around you is desolation. The stunted trees have lost their foliage. Animal carcasses stink up the air, which has become almost unbreathable.
You approach a large cliff, its sheerness beneath your feet makes your head spin.
Suddenly, here comes the white light again, it grips your temples and projects you into another reality.
The woman is no longer young, her features are marked, her breathing heavy, her eyes darkened. She sits on an ancient stone throne, surrounded by hundreds of women and girls. The peace in their eyes washes over you and Slows the rhythm of your heart, making the dull thump in your chest stop. You feel like them, full of serenity.
The Apple of Eden is in her hand. You feel how its power transforms the fear, anguish and hatred that these women have accumulated after years of mistreatment and sometimes slavery at the hands of the Templars or other merciless men. She shapes them, unmakes them, sublimates them into a feeling of strength, self-confidence and love.
The Apple is her tool for erasing suffering. You can understand the adoration these women have for the one they call Colubra, whose real name Is Isabel.
You can't help wondering what right you have to kill her. Who issued this order? Something tells you that the Brotherhood official you saw in your first vision is no stranger to that decision.
Will you serve as the arm of Justice or that of the Brotherhood?