My sandbox.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Grenadier Hanger | This officer’s claymore is a modern day descendant of the two-handed broadsword. The sword’s name comes from the Gaelic word "claidheamh". The blade is straight and very strong. Its handle is made of wire binding. The basket hilt of this English made sword is called "incomplete" because it is not fully rounded, not because it is unfinished! |
| Hanger Claymore | Basket-hilt claymores have been popular since the 17th Century in Scotland and England. Every city makes a distinguishing hilt and the swords are known by their fabrication cities’ names, such has Glasgow or Stirling. This sword’s finely crafted hilt is made of steel and is covered with brass. A prominent pommel proudly sits on top. |
| Silver Claymore | This claymore shows better maneuverability, duration and protection than most other models. Silver covers the brass hilt. |
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Rope darts | These ropes are equipped with a lethal grappling knife at the end, allowing you to pull a single opponent from a group and bring them to melee reach. It can also be used to pull an enemy into the air and hang them above ground. |
| Smoke bombs | Smoke bombs release a dense smoke screen that blinds anyone standing in it. Made from gunpowder and phosphorous, they can give you the upper edge during a fight and can help you escape pursuers. |
| Trip mines | Inspired by the German Fladdermine this pressure-operated mine is smaller and more subtle. Its ceramic shell contains 2 pounds of an explosive mixture. Shards of glass and metal are mixed with the gunpowder to enhance the casualties. Stepping on the wire sets off a Dutch snaphaunce detonator for an instant explosion. |
| Poison darts | These highly toxic darts have their tips dipped in extract of Cicuta virosa - also known as Water Hemlock. This plant’s poisonous effects directly attack the nervous system, causing paralysis, loss of consciousness, and even death. |
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Blowpipe | A smaller version of the hunting blowpipes used by the pre-Columbian Mayan peoples of the Yucatan peninsula. |
| Rope dart | The rope dart, or sheng biao, first appeared in China during the Teng dynasty between the 7th and 10th centuries AD. Its current design was first distributed among the Assassins by the 16th century Assassin, Shao Jun. |
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Over Under Pistol | A small, sneaky pistol that still packs quite a punch. |
| Parade Pistol | A ceremonial sidearm, this pistol is nonetheless useful in a tight spot. |
| Arno's Dueling Pistol | Crafted with the duelist in mind, this pistol is light, accurate, and powerful. |
| French Cavalry Pistol | A longer-than-average pistol designed specifically for use from horseback. |
| Silver-Plated Pistol | A sleek, finely crafted pistol, it is understated but quite deadly. |
| Pepper Shot | One of the first multi-shot pistols, this gun is quite effective... when it doesn't explode. |
| Arno's Pistol | This pistol denotes Arno's status in the Assassin Brotherhood. |
| Three-Shot Duck Foot | A strange, innaccurate weapon, but useful when you're not sure which of your targets you want to kill first. |
| Gold-Plated Pistol | This gold-plated beauty is the epitome of pistol-making in 18th-century France. |
| Five-Shot Duck Foot | When shooting in three random directions at once isn't enough, reach for this thing. |
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Flint Musket | A common musket. |
| Flintlock* | A standard-issued flintlock. |
| National Guard Musket | A solid musket used by the National Guard. |
| Maple Hunting Rifle | A beautiful rifle with a stock made of Canadian maple. |
| Solid Long Rifle | While plain looking, this is a solid, reliable weapon. |
| Rifle | A nicely-made rifle. |
| Sharpshooter Flintlock | A rifled flintiock, this weapon is more accurate than most. |
| Officer's Blunderbuss* | The delicate, hand-carved detail work belies the stopping power of this blunderbuss. |
| The Iron Dragon - NOT IN FIREARM PAGE | A large-bore rifle, named for its tremendous roar and gouts of flame. |
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| The Guillotine Gun | A deadly combination of an axe and a mortar. |
| The Surgeon | A powerful Guillotine Gun, the Surgeon provides enhanced close combat efficiency. |
| The Artillery | The Artillery launches devastating explosives while still retaining some of the Guillotine Gun's close combat abilities. |
| The Dancer | The Dancer is a lightweight Guillotine Gun that allows for better parrying. |
| The Eagle | The ultimate Guillotine Gun. A perfect combination of a brutal axe and a deadly mortar. |
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Razorhead Spear | This long spear sees equal use in hunting and in war. |
| Hooked Impaler | The design of this weapon would later inspire the invention of the bayonet. |
| Spear | A combat spear, designed for thrusting. |
| Lance of the Strong Arm | The lance of the legendary raider known as “The Strong Arm." |
| Lance of Saint Denis | The lance of the Roman soldier who executed Saint Denis. |
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Wooden Hammer | A humble craftsman's tool, it can still break bones in a pinch. |
| Armorsplitter Axe | This massive axe can open a suit of plate like a tin can. |
| The People's Bardiche | An improvised weapon, this bardiche was forged by a village blacksmith to arm the local Revolutionaries. |
| Executioner's Double-Bladed Axe | Heavy and awkward, this axe is nonetheless capable of dishing out punishing blows. |
| Heavy Cleaver | Inspired by a butcher's tool, this cleaver has all the perks of a sword and an axe. |
| Round axe | Prior to the guillotine, this was the official tool for the execution of noblemen. |
| Long Sword | A two-handed weapon only the strongest can wield effectively. |
| Tanner's axe | Used for tanning human skin. |
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Back Sword | An unusual sword used by Swedish soldiers during their war against Russia. |
| Basket-Hilted Sword | This type of sword was issued to new recruits in the Mousquetaires de la garde. |
| Messer | The thicker blade on this sword allows it to hold an edge without sacrificing chopping power. |
| Heavy-Hilted Sword | This sword's handguard provides extra protection, allowing the wielder to take greater risks in battle. |
| Spanish Cup-Hilt Rapier | Imported from Spain, this Rapier is feared for its swift and precise blows. |
| Pappenheimer Rapier | An innovative German design, this sword is both flexible and sharp. |
| Arno's French Rapier | This sword has been in the Dorian family for generations. |
| The Fleur-de-Lys | This prestigious sword was only awarded to the greatest heroes of France. |
| The drumstick - IN BLUNT WEAPON PAGE | A drumstick with a heavy metal piece at the top. |
| The Lion's Saber | Only the most trusted of the King's Garde du corps were awarded these blades. |
| A sculpted human bone - IN BLUNT WEAPON PAGE | Human matter carved to kill. |
| Light Cavalry Saber | This is the standard sword issued to soldiers of the Guard. |
| Foil | A lightweight sword, perfectly balanced for speed and precision. |
| Scimitar | Rare in France, this curved blade is common in North Africa and the Near East. |
| Rapier | This officer's sword is largely ceremonial, but still quite effective in a pinch. |
| Mace - IN MACE PAGE | Essentially a spiked club made entirely of steel, the mace can knock even the sturdiest man to the ground. |
| Officer's Saber | This saber is issued to officers of the Guard. |
| Sword of the Convention | The personal sword of a Deputy of the Convention. |
| Cutlass | A short sword with a slightly curved blade, formerly used by sailors. |
| Cinquedeas | The Cinquedeas is a civilian weapon dating back to the Italian Renaissance. |
A sphinx was originally meant to be a personification of the king.
The human head, wearing pharaonic regalia, was fused with the body of a lion, thus sharing the qualities the powerful animal possessed. Namely its power, the swiftness of its attack, and its majestic authority.
By these very virtues, it was also considered a symbol of protection. Unsurprisingly, statues of sphinxes coutd be found along the dromos, protectors of the path taken by the gods to reach the temples.Over the centuries, enthusiasts and historians alike have wondered... Who built the Sphinx? For what purpose? And who does it represent? These questions remain unanswered. Several theories do exist however, some more credible than others. One theory supposes that Djedefre chose to pay homage to his father, Khufu, by building the Great Sphinx of Giza. The stone temple on the eastern face of the Sphinx would have been added later on by his brother and successor, Khafre, in order to strengthen the divine worship of their father. It would be the first Egyptian temple oriented with the sun.
Another theory suggests that the Sphinx was built by Khafre, and was meant to represent him. The arguments to support this hypothesis are based on the fact that the limestone beds used for the main work of the temple of the Sphinx are geographically and architecturally similar to the Valley Temple of Khafre. Some believe that Khufu himself built the Sphinx, which was later finished under his successors, Djedefre and Khafre. These arguments are based on the stylistics of the engraving, the typology of the nemes, and the absence of a beard at the time of construction.
While ancient Egypt, as a whole, leaves a rather monochrome vision of its monuments and statuary, it is vital to understand that in ancient times, absolutely everything was painted. The sun eating away at the pigments of the colors, the sand, the climate and the implacable impact of time unfortunately destroyed the glorious colors of the Sphinx of Giza. Documents from an Arab Egyptologist of the 12th century Abd al-Latif al-Baghdadi, indicate that traces of red were still visible in his time. Today, however, the only color that remains are traces of red close to the ears of the Sphinx, as well as hints of blue and yellow on the nemes, traditional colors for that type of headdress. The pigments for the color red was manmade, obtained by mixing different products such as clay, quartz sand and very finely crushed hematite.
(Behind the Scenes) Red had a strong symbolism in ancient Egypt. It was both the color of life and the color of death. It could represent the sands of the desert, or the brilliance of the sun. Red was also associated with the god Seth, vengeful and destructive. The Egyptian word for red, dSr, is also the word which was used to signify the desert, or the royal crown of Lower Egypt. In art, red was also the color used to paint the bodies of men, while the yellow was used for women. It is possible that there were also color restoration efforts during the Saite Period about 600 years before Cleopatra's rule, as indicated by notes on the Inventory Stele, discovered in 1858 by Auguste Mariette. Itis because of this that the Team made the decision to display it with its full range of colors, even though the Sphinx's colors would have likely faded by Cleopatra's time.
Dating from the 4th dynasty, approximately 2600-2500 BCE, the Great Sphinx of Giza is the oldest and largest sphinx that we know of. Carved from a natural limestone outcrop, the Sphinx measures 19.8 meters in height, 73.2 meters in length and 14 meters in width.
(Behind the Scenes) In order to bring polish to the imposing monument, several blocks of limestone were added after the initial construction phase. Since then, there have been numerous attempts at preservation. The polish present in the game integrates some aspects of modern restoration attempts. The team made this choice to present a more iconic version of the Sphinx of Giza to the player. Today the Sphinx is called The Terrifying One. This appellation is translated from its Arabic name, Abu'l Hôl, which in turn was derived from Balhouba, in Coptic.
The Sphinx as a whole was carved in situ, from a natural stone promontory. Its head was built in a limestone peak of the Mokattam plate, and the body was sculpted in the underlying rock layer where it is located. The degradation of the Sphinx is due in particular to wind erosion and the different quality of limestone used in its construction. The level of sodium contained in the groundwater which abuts the stone is also a contributing factor.
The natural bedrock is seen through the oblique natural strata of the Sphinx's body that are similar to the surrounding limestone.
Since Antiquity people have always believed there was a hidden tomb deep within the Sphinx. It is thought that attempts to plunder the Sphinx began as far back as the First Intermediate Period. Since then, numerous attempts to pierce the Sphinx's secrets have been carried out, leaving indelible scars upon the monument.
(Behind the Scenes) Twelve meters long and cut during pharaonic times, another entrance in the back of the Sphinx aroused curiosity. Although Thutmose IV attempted to seal it off, it was possibly reopened by treasure hunters. It was rediscovered by Howard Vyse, and mapped more recently by Mark Lehner. This entrance at the back of the Sphinx leads to different cavities of a few meters each, in directions going inside the statue's body and under the surface. The team has used this opportunity to extrapolate a little more.
While there have been no major discoveries pertaining to the Sphinx of Giza in recent years, theories and hypotheses continue to emerge. Without validation provided by archeological sources, however, they remain unsubstantiated.
The first of the main theories as to the Sphinx of Giza's meaning posits that the sphinx was originally a massive representation of the god Anubis. lts principal arguments are that that the head of the sphinx is disproportionate compared to the size of its body. The second theory believes that the representation of two sphinxes on the stela of Thumosis IV would indicate that another stone sphinx had existed on the site itself, possibly even in paired symmetry on the other side of the Nile. However, neither of these theories can be verified in any way.
(Behind the Scenes) Several scientific projects using new technologies have been put in place in the past decades. The most important was led by Mark Lehner and his team, who specialize in the study and survey of the Giza plateau, including the Sphinx site. The mapping made it possible to see the materials used to construct the Sphinx, analyze the different layers of erosion, and figure out the most fragile areas to protect. After a few attempts at giving the Sphinx artistic proportions, the team instead decided to use photogrammetry mapping to faithfulty reproduce the proportions of the Sphinx.
What the Sphinx of Giza represented during its construction, and how the sphinx was perceived by the Egyptians of the New Kingdom are two very different matters. Originally a representation of the king imbued with the power of the lion, the sphinx was eventually viewed as a direct representation of the most divine. It is theorized that kings of the New Kingdom believed that the Sphinx of Giza was the one who recognized and legitimized the ruler of Egypt. Thus, despite the fact the Sphinx of Giza was partially buried under the sand during his reign, Amenhotep Il knew that the monument was of great importance.
Amenhotep II built a second temple dedicated for the Sphinx-as-Horemakhet, to pay homage to Khufu and Khafre, his predecessors. It became a common habit for this dynasty to spend time with their royal courts at the Sphinx. Its sanctuary became known as Setepet; The Chosen.
Egyptologist Mark Lehner believed that Amenhotep Il built a statue of himself anchored between the paws of the Sphinx, likely to legitimize his reign, alongside a stela, found by Selim Hassan. Many other pharaohs of this dynasty, such as Tutankhamun and Ramses II, also left marks of their passage in a similar fashion, sometimes even stripping the stones of nearby temples and pyramids to do so. Amenhotep II's son and successor, Thutmose IV, was a frequent offender.
While sleeping between the Sphinx's paws, the future Thutmose IV saw in a dream the god Horemakhet proclaiming his coming accession on the throne of the Two Lands. This was, of course, on the condition that he remove all of the sand covering the Sphinx, which stood guard as the personification of the god, and should thus never be engulfed by the sands of the desert.
The 15-ton dream stela built by Thutmose IV to commemorate his dream was discovered by an Italian Egyptologist, Giovanni Battista Caviglia in 1818, when he undertook the task of freeing the Sphinx from the sand which had, yet again, covered it. Cavigilia was looking for an entrance into the structure of the Sphinx, but instead, he discovered an open-air chapel and stelas between the paws. Ashes from a ceremony were still present. Protected by sand, they quite possibly were from the last ceremonies in Roman times.
That same year, Cavigilia discovered fragments of the Sphinx's beard that had probably been added during the New Kingdom. If many of these pieces are held by museums in Cairo, a fragment is displayed at the British Museum, along with a piece of the uraeus that was on the Sphinx's headdress. It is believed this fragment of beard was possibly kept in place thanks to the statue of Amenhotep II, which was supposed to be located under the head of the Sphinx.
A popular cultural Legend purports that the nose of the Sphinx of Giza was lost during the time of Napoleon Bonaparte, to the cannon fire of French soldiers in training. However, engravings from before the time of that campaign already depicted the Sphinx without a nose, indicating that it had been removed before the French campaign.
The most plausible hypothesis is based on the research of the German historian Ulrich Haarmann. During the 1980s, Haarmann compiled medieval sources written by Arab authors. In doing so, he discovered that the sphinx was once perceived as a favorable omen, a deity supporting sediment-nurturing floods and crops. Around 1378, a Sufi by the name of Mohammed Sa'im al-Dahr could not stand this vision of the monument and in an iconoclastic act, broke the nose of the Sphinx. According to the texts, he was then hanged and burned between the legs of the Sphinx for his crime.
At the entrance of the ascending passage are three granite flagstones estimated to weigh up to 25 tons each. They were used to protect the Great Pyramid from thieves. Undaunted by the granite blocks, the thieves simply dug into the softer limestone around them, thus creating the Robbers' Entrance.
(Behind the Scenes) While in reality the Robbers' Entrance is one single cavity which leads to both passages, in the game, the team created individual accesses to either passage. As such, in the game, one entrance leads to the ascending passage, while another leads to the descending passage.
The ascending passageway of the Great Pyramid provides a direct path into the Grand Gallery, and is accessed 30 meters from the entrance along the descending corridor. Both corridors have similar dimensions and are designed with the same 26-degree incline.
The ascending corridor has smooth masonry on its walls, and the layout includes many trapezoidal stones. Bath the ftoor and ceiling of the passageway indicate that the passage was enlarged, possibly during or after the funeral, to allow workers room to move granite blocks meant to plug the corridor.
The Grand Gallery's purpose is still debated among experts. It may have been intended to align with the stars, act as a buffer to protect the King's Chamber or simply to facilitate the transport of the granite blocks used inside the pyramid. Access to the Queen's Chamber was at the beginning of the Grand Gallery.
Though this room is referred to as the Queen's Chamber, it is believed that there was no queen buried here. Based on their knowledge of earlier pyramids, Egyptologists believe it was more likely intended as the king's serdab, a chamber meant to contain the ka statue, which would in turn house the king's spirit.
Situated exactly within the pyramid's center, on the east-west axis of the pyramid, the chamber has a vaulted ceiling and measures 5.7 by 5.2 meters. In the eastern wall there is a niche, tucked away in a small corbelled archway, which may have originally held the ka statue. Behind this niche is another smaller hole, possibly dug out by thieves in search of further treasure.
In the 19th century, two shafts were found running through the north and south walls. They each run in a horizontal line for 2 meters before sloping upward, and both are closed off with limestone blocks fitted with copper handles. Whether they were intended as ventilation shafts for workers or a celestial connection for the pharaoh's spirit is unconfirmed.
A recent scan of the room indicated the presence of an unknown cavity hidden behind the north face of the walls over the descending corridor. Further investigation is still ongoing, to ascertain the nature of the anomaly so as to avoid risking damage to the monument.
Khufu's architects were possibly influenced by earlier rhomboidal pyramids when designing the Gallery. Itis the longest corbelled vault ever built, measuring 47 meters Long and 8.60 meters high. The walls were made to taper inward, allowing for better distribution of weight. As a result, the ceiling measures just over a meter wide at its highest point. Though this construction technique is present in other pyramids, few have the same precision and stability.
While the space is visually dramatic, the Gallery seemed to serve a practical function, though what exactly remains uncertain. Stilt, the wall design was undoubtedly meant to contribute to the stability of the structure, and its floor may have helped workers move the materials. A channel runs along the middle of the room. A movable floor originally rested in this central recess. The raised benches on either side are equipped with slots that may have been used to help position the granite blocking stones.
Atthe end of the Grand Gallery is the entrance to the antechamber leading to the King's Chamber. Directly above, there is another narrower horizontal passage that connects to the top of the King's Chamber, and allowed the workers access to the weight relief rooms.
The far end of the Grand Gallery leads to a small antechamber, with a portcullis preventing access to the King's Chamber. The portcullis was composed of three separate granite slabs. They were designed to be lowered into place, and seal the chamber after the burial of the king. The grooves dug out to hold the slabs in place are still clearly visible to this day. The elaborate locking system was composed of a series of grooves for the ropes and pulleys that dropped the stones into place, like the notches on a key.
(Behind the Scenes) For the purposes of the game, the team elected to remove the portcullis slabs in order to grant the player access to the King's Chamber. In reality, workers would've backed out of the room after the funeral, Lowering each slab into place behind them one at a time. Each of the three stones were smashed by looters centuries later, and evidence of their break-in is still evident.
The King's Chamber is built entirely out of red granite. The King's Chamber measures 5.8 meters in height. It has an imposing cover of five stacked levels above, with granite beams weighing 25 to 40 tons each. The uppermost Level is surmounted by a vault of stones, arranged in chevrons to bear the enormous structural load.
As in the Queen's Chamber, two shafts extend out from the room towards the north and south faces of the pyramid. They measure nearly 64 meters until they are blocked by copper-handled granite plugs. Some experts in the culture of the Old Kingdom believe that the shafts were thought to lead the king's soul to the stars, with the incarnation of the pharaoh as the god Ra represented by the northern well, and the god Horus by the southern well.
There is a granite sarcophagus at the west end of the room, but it is the concealed construction inscriptions left by workmen on the roof's stones which verify this as the resting place of Khufu. The sarcophagus was recorded as being empty when it was discovered, and its design indicates that there was once a lid in place. It's possible that this sarcophagus is only a cenotaph in memory of the Pharaoh, but was never actually meant to recieve the body.
Khufu's mummy was never found. It is hoped that as of yet undiscovered hidden rooms and shafts of the pyramid may provide an answer as to its location.