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.
Houston City Shuffle was an Assassin mission that took place in 2016.[1]
After the Descendants retrieve the pommel of the Sword of Mars, they return to the motel in preparation for their flight back to London. It's almost night. Moments before they leave, however, black SUVs arrive at the motel.
The last light of the day vanishes behind the red horizon as you finish packing. Suddenly, five black SUVs screech into the motel parking lot. Over two dozen Abstergo agents swarm out of them and begin a coordinated search of the place, ignoring the protestations of the motel manager.
The Descendants must find a way to evade the Abstergo agents, who are heading towards the PCs' location, kicking down doors. The PCs have but a few moments to grab their belongings—and the Shard of Eden—and escape before getting captured.
Challenges
Set traps in the room: The Descendants can use what they have in the motel room to build a rudimentary trap. Whether it is effective or not, it doesn't matter, so long as it delays the Abstergo agents.
Face the agents: There are too many agents to overwhelm, but a well-executed attack might lead them into a tactical retreat.
Disappearing: The PCs must leave their motel room without alerting the nearby agents. Whether they climb through the small bathroom window in the back, onto the structure's roof, or sneak through the shadows, there are so many agents that any Stealth check made to overcome this Challenge requires 1 Raise.
Weaknesses
Blackout (minor): A character can try to create a short circuit to cause a blackout, throwing the motel into complete darkness. In this case, every Stealth check made to overcome the Disappearing and Face the Agents Challenges has 1 Free Raise.
Anthony, an Assassin who belonged to a local long-defunct Brotherhood cell, makes an unexpected appearance. He helps the characters escape the motel and reach the Mexican frontier. There's a small plane waiting at a safe aerodrome just beyond the border, near a remote town overlooking the serene Laguna Madre: a last resort plan that Anthony always kept in working order. There, the PCs can regroup, fly back to England and safeguard the artifact.
Just as you think you've made it out, you stumble into a couple more Abstergo agents. Clad in dark suits and equipped with earpieces and flashlights, they pull up their automatic weapons and move swiftly to block your path to freedom. Before anybody can move a muscle, a loud "zzzap" fills the air. Both agents collapse to the ground, unconscious. A hooded man missing his ring finger and dressed in a worn-out Assassin vest stands behind the agents. Strapped to his forearm is a shock blade. He retracts the blade with a quick, calculated move. "I'm Anthony, and I'm a Brother! C'mon, we gotta move quick, those bastards arrived in numbers!" He urgently gestures for you to follow him to a nearby pickup truck.
Challenges
Dusty Pursuit: The pickup is going full throttle, but it doesn't take long for a couple of Abstergo SUVs to catch up with them, attempting to ram the PCs' vehicle off the road. The PCs must outmaneuver the agents on the dusty Texas roads. Given the high speed, any Approach check made to overcome this Challenge requires 1 additional Raise.
Aim and Fire: Anthony's got some firearms in the back of the pickup. The characters can open fire at the approaching vehicles.
Pit Stop Heist: Since Abstergo might have registered the model, color, and plate of Anthony's pickup, the PCs must make a pit stop to "obtain" a new vehicle. The PCs must get a new car without drawing attention.
Weaknesses
Smoke Bomb (minor): A PC that has or creates a smoke bomb can throw it on the road to block the pursuers' view. They'll need to find the right materials to create the smokescreen or something similar. This could involve tampering with machinery to release steam or triggering a small chemical explosion. In this case, any Approach check made to overcome the Dusty Pursuit and Aim and Fire Challenges have 1 Free Raise.
After hours of intense driving and heart-pounding adrenaline, you, Anthony, and the stolen pommel of the Sword of Mars finally arrive at the secluded aerodrome a few miles across the Mexican border. Anthony tells you he has been waiting for a good excuse to use his escape plan for over a decade, and now it's time. The old rusty plane is waiting in a tiny hangar. With a collective sigh of relief, you abandon the car and get ready to jump onboard. Anthony nods in silent acknowledgment of your success as he tries to start the aircraft's engines. It takes a couple of minutes, but eventually, with the grumble of an old wreck, it sets in motion. "It's alive! Alive!" yells Anthony as he drives to the dark runway.
However, while you take your seats, Anthony gives a worried look back at the empty aerodrome. "They'll come for us... they always do. But we'll be ready, right?" A mixture of excitement and concern settles over the cockpit as the plane starts to accelerate up the runaway, your minds race with questions about the next steps.
With the precious Shard of Eden securely in their grasp, the PCs and Anthony effectively reach out to Ziggy, who promptly arranges their return to the hideout in the UK. Initially wary of the Crew's newfound partner, Ziggy conducts a series of thorough background checks. Upon finding nothing suspicious, the technician cautiously accepts the unexpected assistance. Continuing with the mission, Ziggy utilizes his expertise to analyze the Shard of Eden and extract valuable information.
"Finally! I'm gathering new data from this fragment you've recovered, and it's proper incredible. I managed to locate the moment when another of your Ancestors crossed paths with the sword. That means we can skip right to that instant. Get ready, you're going to visit Britain in the ninth Century!"
Anthony, the last Assassin of a long-defunct Brotherhood cell based in Texas, is a tall and athletic man in his late forties, with a rugged appearance that makes him effortlessly blend into a number of environments. He has a strong jawline, long brown hair, and a pair of piercing dark eyes.
Anthony is a double agent, working secretly for Abstergo. Yet, driven by a fervent desire for a world unburdened by the ancient feud between Assassins and Templars, he's not loyal to the Templar cause either, and he pursues his own agenda. He has been monitoring the Crew since they landed in Houston, and plans to help them until he gains their trust and eventually exploit the secrets hidden in their genetic memories to take the Sword of Mars for himself, with which he plans to transcend the ancient feud and free the world from the factions perpetuating the clandestine conflict (this will come to pass in Chapter 3, in the Abstergo Raid! Modern Day Sequence).
Right after framing the scene, the Reader can give the Shard of Eden Piece of Eden card (from the Animi Network Card Deck or via the Assassin’s Creed RPG App) to the players. From now on, one of the PCs can select this Piece of Eden card and activate it at will.
If the Reader wants to weave a more intricate plot concerning Anthony, he can be made more than just a double agent. Here follow an interesting option:
Anthony is a Descendant of Mordred
Anthony is a direct descendant of the legendary Mordred, and has always been haunted by premonitory dreams of an Avalon reborn and his role wielding Excalibur to achieve such a purpose. The Templar Order and the Assassin Brotherhood are mere pawns in the grand design he envisions. His allegiance to either faction is transient, a means to an end that involves the rising of Avalon as a dominant force in the modern day world.
