Colosseum Vault
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He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. This article contains spoilers, meaning it has information and facts concerning recent or upcoming releases from the Assassin's Creed series. If you do not want to know about these events, it is recommended to read on with caution, or not at all. |
The Colosseum Vault was a chamber created by
Those Who Came Before located beneath the Santa Maria Aracoeli, but accessed from a secret entrance beneath il Colosseo. The Vault was created to store the Apple of Eden on an erected pedestal at the center of a large chamber, and also contained a projection of the One Who Came Before, the "goddess," Juno.
To enter the Vault's central chamber, one must speak aloud the number "72." After this, the tall pedestal can only accessed by jumping on a series of thin platforms and levers that only appear to activate when a person such as Desmond Miles or Ezio Auditore, touches them. This is implied to be because of their being descendants of Those Who Came Before and the human race's crossbreeding, which would therefor allow them access to the technology through their DNA. After activating all platforms, a set of stairs rise to form an easy path to the Piece of Eden.
Visitors
The earliest known visitor of the Vault was Marcus Junius Brutus, as evidenced by the Scrolls of Romulus. While in the Vault, Brutus saw visions of what would happen after Julius Caesar's death and was inspired by them. Brutus also made a drawing of the Vault, as well as of the pedestal which would later hold one of the Apples of Eden.
The next known visitor was Ezio Auditore, who knew the password to enter, although how he knew the password is unknown. Upon his visit, he placed the Apple of Eden on the pedestal for safe keeping, although the reason for why Ezio did this is unknown.
The latest known visitors were Desmond Miles, Lucy Stillman, Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane, who figured out the password from the writing Ezio had left in the Villa Auditore that could only be seen with Eagle Vision. While making his way towards the Vault, Desmond met with Juno, who spoke to him four times during his attempt to acquire the Apple of Eden. Out of all the Assassins present, Desmond was the only one able to see and hear her.
After Desmond activated the stairs and walked up to the Apple of Eden, symbols appeared around all of them. Upon touching the Apple, the other Assassins appeared to be frozen in time and Desmond lost control of his body. Juno took over his actions and forced him to stab Lucy in the abdomen, after which both Desmond and Lucy collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
Trivia
- Shaun remarks on two of the symbols that appear when the Apple is activated, the Phrygian cap and the Masonic Eye. He begins to say "Now those two come together in only one place-" before being frozen.
- The above symbols only appear together on the Revolutionary France "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen," which was written in August 1798.
- Of the symbols that appeared, the Abstergo Logo is one that appears quite frequently.
- The number "72" can also be seen in the arch of the bridge in the background of Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" painting.
- By using Eagle Vision at the entrance of the Temple of Juno, the symbol of the Lorenz Attractor can be seen on the gate of the Vault. This is also one of the glyphs in Desmond's bedroom in Abstergo, which had been painted with Subject 16's blood.
- When using Eagle Vision on one of the platforms in the circular room after completing the free running segment, some glyphs turn red. The reason for this is unknown.
- After completing the power up of the platform, if you use Eagle Vision near the altar at the bottom of the steps to the Apple some lines become red making a glyph of some kind with a symbol similar to the sonice batarang symbol in Batman: Arkham Asylum.
- When playing the Romulus mission set in the Colloseum, the entrance to the vault can be seen at the end. Ezio and Desmond also follow mostly the same routes.