Assassin's Creed: The Last Quest of Leonardo da Vinci
Assassin's Creed: The Last Quest of Leonardo da Vinci is a board game published by Hachette Heroes. It was released on 5 October 2022.[1]
Description[edit | edit source]
EXPERIENCE THE LAST QUEST EZIO AUDITORE DID FOR HIS FRIEND LEONARDO DA VINCI
Amboise, 1519. In his deathbed, Leonardo da Vinci writes his last desires. And they are addressed to you! Play as Ezio Auditore and his disciples, and follow the clues left by the famous artist and inventor across Europe. Will you be able to find all the Havens destined to train new Assassins?
In this box, find:
- 3 replayable scenarios for 9 possible endings
- 9 cities to discover while travelling through Europe
- 200 cards to progress through the story and solve the enigmas
- 2 booklets to guide your adventure[2]
Summary[edit | edit source]
The inciting incident[edit | edit source]
After moving to Amboise, France, Leonardo da Vinci turned his attention to researching ideal cities and, with the aid of English author Thomas More, uncovered nine locations he thought conducive to the construction of Assassin refuges meant to train and initiate apprentices, which he remarked were ancient and some even mythical. Afraid of possible interception, he hid encoded information with trusted friends scattered around Europe under express instructions to destroy it should the Assassins not be able to contact them within a month of his death. He then sent Ezio Auditore da Firenze a letter with the first hints needed to arrive at the havens.[3]
First phase of the quest[edit | edit source]
Florence[edit | edit source]
Leonardo's letter about Florence informed the Assassins that his famous painting, Annunciation, had been fragmented and its pieces scattered. He tasked the Brotherhood with reconstructing it in order to find the clue to the havens hidden in the Assassin Tomb inside the Santa Maria Del Fiore.[4] Having received the quest, the local chapter sent agents to five landmarks to investigate.
At Leonardo's oldest atelier,[5] a day of intense search yielded a type of matrix meant to hold different parts of a painting.[6] One of the sections of Annunciation was located in the nearby ruins of the Palazzo Auditore,[7] having been hidden there a short time prior.[8] Investigation into the Ponte Vecchio[9] did not garner any new pieces of the puzzle, but did lead to a skirmish against a group of bandits that had been attacking passers-by.[10] After they had been driven off,[11] two would-be-victims, Flora[12] and Alessio,[13] offered to join the Assassin in their quest, helping out with their experience as a thief and sharp mind, respectively.
One of the Assassins' informants tracked down other fragments of the painting to a merchant[14] operating in the Mercato Vecchio,[15] leading the Brotherhood to retrieving two pieces from his locked chest.[16] A doctor walking quickly through the market intrigued the Assassin and they followed the doctor[17] to the Ospedale degli Innocenti.[18] At the hospital, they talked to the head doctor, learning that he had worked as Leonardo's personal assistant, accompannying him during his last year at Amboise before being called back to Florence some weeks prior to his death. He had been gifted with both the final section of the painting and with some instructions to solve the riddle, which he relayed to the Assassin.[19]
Infiltrating the Duomo, the Assassins find that the entrance to the Tomb does not open as it once did.[20] Figuring out Leonardo's enigma, they manage to trigger the new mechanism,[21] and inside found another note from him as well as a map of Europe and the Mediterranean.[22]
Venice[edit | edit source]
Leonardo's letter about Venice informed the Assassins that he would leave his ally unnamed, for any information given would risk compromising him, instead leaving clues to his name scattered around the city for the Brotherhood to find.[23] Having received the quest, the local chapter sent agents to five landmarks to investigate.
At Leonardo's former atelier,[24] inspection returned a letter with a hint[25], old inscriptions on a wall,[26] and some letters carved onto stone.[27] One Assassin infiltrated the officers' quarters at the Arsenale di Venezia,[28] where they located a chest containing all items aprehended by the officials.[29] Picking the lock,[30] they located another clue to the ally's name.[31] More perilous was the investigation into the Ponte di Rialto,[32] where the guard patrols had been reinforced.[33] Though they managed to fight off the guards, they had to spend some hours recuperating before continuing their search.[34] Taking a closer look at the sign[35] for the typographer's street revealed another fragment behind it.[36]
The bustling market stands erected at the Piazza San Marco also commanded attention.[37] A slave merchant settled near the Campanile boasted about the people he had for sale,[38] and one Assassin purchased and immediately freed Slav fighter Milosz[39] and Japanese acrobat Akiko,[40] both of whom offered to join in their quest as thanks. A stall for printed items near the Torre dell'Orologio[41] held the final fragment.[42] Unscrambling the letters in all small clues led to the name "Aldus Manutius". Consulting the register for all of the printers in Venice also available at the market stall, the Assassins located the address to his press.[43] At the location, the printer in charge told them that Aldus, his father, had passed away some years ago and he, along with his uncle and grandfather, took over the press. He continued, revealing that Leonardo had forewarned him of the quest, handing the Assassins a piece of paper bearing the typography mark for Aldine Press.[44]
At the Palazzo Ducale,[45] the Assassins tailed a steward to a room where he kept a record of affairs tha most worried the Doges, with the current topic on vogue dealing with the printing of licentious works by modern typographical techniques.[46] In the room, there were a number of incunables, including a copy of Hypnerotomachia Poliphili that had the mark for Aldine Press.[47] Recognizing the mark and flipping through the book revealed a note from Leonardo as as well as a map of Europe and the Mediterranean.[48]
Rome[edit | edit source]
Leonardo's letter about Rome informed the Assassins that the clue to the havens was left in a hidden compartment behind the Sistine Chapel's ceiling, but getting it to open would require outwitting the Papal Guard and uncovering a riddle.[49] Having received the quest, the local chapter sent agents to five landmarks to investigate.
At Leonardo's former atelier,[50] after a full day searching through the bric-a-brac he had left behind, an Assassin uncovered a small clay tablet with a riddle.[51] An ally of Leonardo's was located at the Colosseum,[52] waiting for the Assassin atop the tallest pillar[53] in order to hand them a reproduction of one of the scenes painted on the Sistine Chapel's ceiling.[54] Seeking further help in Tiber Island,[55] they followed an Assassin to a hideout[56] and, after convincing those inside they were part of the Brotherhood, two of them, Arturo[57] and Esteban,[58] offered to join in their quest.[59]
Incursion into the Vaticano District began with the Castel Sant'Angelo,[60] where the Assassins infiltrated the administrator's study, where important items intercepted by the Papal authorities were kept.[61] Searching through the writing desk,[62] they found another reproduction among many licencious images.[63] Climbing down the stairs towards the dungeon led to a skirmish with the guards,[64] which, in turn, allowed the Assassins to retrieve the cell keys from the guard captain.[65] They then freed two prisoners, a man who ran away in tears[66] and a woman who thanked them for liberating her. She claimed she had been arrested because she had been hiding something, handing a small reproduction to her savior, mentioning that Leonardo had been correct in trusting them.[67]
Reaching the Sistine Chapel,[68] they dealt with the guard captain stationed ther taking another of the reproduction from his belongings.[69] Cleared to approach the ceiling without interruptions, they climbed up.[70] In the borders of some of the scenes of the fresco, they located buttons,[71] which they pushed according to the riddle, revealing the secret compartment mentioned by da Vinci. Inside, they found another note from him as well as a map of Europe and the Mediterranean.[72]
Second phase of the quest[edit | edit source]
Grenoble[edit | edit source]
Leonardo's letter about Grenoble informed the Assassins that the ally holding the clue to the havens, Sir Pierre Taillard, chevalier de Bayard, was a cautious man and not easily approached. He then taked them with winning over his trust by reconstructing his coat of arms.[73] Having received the quest, the local chapter sent agents to four landmarks to investigate.
At the Tour de l'Isle,[74] an Assassin ovearheard someone yelling for help through a locked door and promptly picked the lock,[75] releasing a man who had been in the dark cellar.[76] Jean, an inspector, thanked his saviour and explained that he had entered the tower to investigate a fire on the roof and ended up locked, offering his services as an investigator to the Assassin.[77] Climbing the tower up to the roof,[78] the Assassin found a plaque detailing that a fire inspection had been recently undertaken there by Bayard himself.[79] They also retrieved a piece of fabric with an embroidered red lion found near the plaque.[80]
One Assassin went to the fortified mansion at Ferme de Vaulnaveys,[81] infiltrating the location and blending in with the workers[82] by disguising as a servant. Having followed a team of workers attending to a group of dignitaries on vacation[83] and learning through subtle interrogation that these aristocrats were known friends and allies of da Vinci,[84] the Assassin talked their way into being the one serving them tea.[85] While alone with the three dignitaries, Clément Marot, Marguerite de Navarre and François Rabelais, the Assassin revealed themselves, though was met with some skepticism, leading to the trio testing them with a riddle each.[86] Being able to answer correctly pleased the dignitaries, who collectively agreed to allow the Assassin to meet with Bayard, handing them a fragment of the coat of arms they would need to do so.[87]
Seeking to gather information at the Place de la Granaterie, the Assassins investigated three leads.[88] An old man at the square mentioned that Bayard's coat of arms featured a red lion, which he states represented Taillard completely.[89] His feelings towards the town's protector was not shared by all, however, as a nearby wall seem to make fun of Bayard. His coat of arms was included in the inscribings at one point, to be used as a base for parodies, but had since been erased, probably by the authorities.[90] A drunk soldier on a break also proved to be a good source of intel, with the Assassin directing the conversation to the right places.[91] From him, they learned not only more about the coat of arms, receiving a fabric fragment similar to it,[92] but also heard that Bayard had dislocated his right soldier while supressing a mutiny some days prior, but kept on fighting.[93]
Having uncovered the complete picture of Bayard's coat of arms, the Assassins went to Église Saint-Laurent.[94] There they located a secret mechanism inside a panel in a wall under a discreet niche.[95] Reconstructing the coat of arms in the mechanism, they unlocked a door leading down[96] into the Crypte Saint-Oyand, where Bayard awaited to test them.[97] Before the Assassin could even speak, Bayard lunged into combat.[98] Exploiting Bayard's injured soldier allowed the Assassin to keep up with the French military leader and he eventually stopped the fight, satisfied with the Assassin's performance.[99] Bayard revealed that though Leonardo had mentioned the Assassin was a worthy opponent, he believed that words should be proven with actions. Finally convinced, he then handed them the translucid sheet with a line Leonardo had given him for safe keeping.[100]
Brussels[edit | edit source]
Leonardo's letter about Brussels informed the Assassins that after Hieronymus Bosch's death some years prior, his most famous work, The Garden of Earthly Delights, was bought and is being kept in Brussels. His ally in the city, a great traveller staying near the main town square of Grand'Place, is awaiting the answer of a riddle involving the painting.[101] Having received the quest, the local chapter sent agents to four landmarks to investigate.
The seat of the House of Orange, the Palais de Nassau,[102] proved well-guarded,[103] though the Assassins prevailed in combat. After waiting for the commotion to die down, they explored the palace further[104] and found Bosch's painting, preparing a sketch of it for later use.[105]
Sent to the Cathédrale Saints-Michel-et-Gudule,[106] an Assassin's investigation into da Vinci's quest was temporarily put aside when they caught a priest violently beating children. Quickly killing the abusive man, they heard from the children that they were orphans who had been taken in by the priest only for him to use them as a way to release his rage.[107] One of the orphans, Peter, thanked the Assassin and offered to become an informant for the Brotherhood.[108] Returning to their original purpose, they searched a room to right, locating a confusing manuscript containing a reproduction of Bosch's painting with an attached riddle fragment.[109]
The inspection at the church of Notre-dame du Sablon[110] was calmer. Examination of the holy scriptures near the altar revealed some annotations made by the priest that could help in figuring out the riddles[111] and one of the monks in the church subtly motioned for the Assassin to follow him,[112] leading him to a stained glass window and pointing to a swan, another hint.[113]
At the bustling Grand'Place, the Assassins had a number of possible leads to follow.[114] At a fabric shop off the square, one Assassin overheard a merchant boasting that his artisans had been inspired by the The Garden of Earthly Delights for their latest creation,[115] and managed to retrieve a fragment of the riddle from the location.[116] In the open air market, another boasting merchant was claiming to have figured out the secret behind the painting, with his information being kept in a nearby wooden chest.[117] Picking the lock on the chest[118] allowed the Brotherhood to acquire another riddle fragment.[119] A hustler playing dice proposed a gamble where he would give information if the Assassin managed to win his game, having mentioned he knew about the painting at the Palais de Nassau.[120] Impressed by the Assassin's skills, the hustler hands them a piece of paper witht the missing enigma fragment.[121] Climbing up the tower of the town hall for a better look at the Grand'Place,[122] allowed for the Assassin to locate a building with a swan adorning its façade.[123]
The Assassins headed to the Maison du Cygne, where they finally met da Vinci's ally, the theologian Desiderius Erasmus.[124] Erasmus congratulated the Assassins on locating him, but required them to tell him the secret of the painting to prove that Leonardo had been correct in placing his trust on them.[125] Puzzling out the solution based on the information they had collected,[126] they tell Erasmus the answer. Nodding in agreement with the explanation, he disappeared into the building and quickly returned, handing them the translucid sheet with a line Leonardo had given him for safe keeping.[127]
Augsburg[edit | edit source]
Leonardo's letter about Augsburg informed the Assassins that the city is still resonating with the 95 theses that dissident theologian Martin Luther had plastered on the door of its churchs to encourage a Reformation and, though the Brotherhood usually did not involve itself in matters of religion, one of the theses could correspond to the Creed and they should discuss it with Luther.[128] Having received the quest, the local chapter sent agents to five landmarks to investigate.
Considering it relevant to the affair, Assassins visited two of the churches in the city, Dom Mariä Heimsuchung[129] and the Basilika St Ulrich und Afra.[130] For the former, they entered through an open window and, during their search, noted something fixed against a wall in the room beneath the spire.[131] A closer inspection revealed these to be a section of the theses, containing some of the most controverse among them.[132] At the Basilika, the Assassin picked the lock to a side door[133] leading to a study, where another section of the theses previously affixed to the church's door was being kept.[134]
At Atelier Holbein,[135] an Assassin spoke to Hans Holbein the Elder, who did not see eye to eye with Luther's views and claimed that he and his son have been "fighting" against the reformation in their own way, slipping in their demands into some of their paintings.[136] Examining some of the completed paintings by the Holbein family more closely[137] led the Assassin to notice that a panel in the background of the Portrait of Bonifacius Amerbach showed some of the thesis.[138] Greta, an illuminator who worked as an assistant to Holbein, overheard the dialogue and, having both recently finished her apprenticeship and a wish for adventure, offered to join the Assassin in their quest.[139]
One Assassin elected to go to the Wassertürme,[140] one of the water towers serving the city, where they located old inscriptions left behind by the Brotherhood quite some time before. Surmising that the intention had been to show that the location of the many water towers had a specific meaning,[141] they decided to check a diagram of the water management system,[142] being led to a point in town where they located a plaque adorned with the Creed under a tree.[143]
Tracking down Martin Luther to Die Fuggerei,[144] a recently-opened public housing complex, the Assassins paid him a visit. Luther had been aware of the Brotherhood, but seemed surprised to hear that their philosophies were compatible, requesting proof that the Creed could be conciliated with his Reformation.[145] Matching the last sentence in the plaque found following the water towers ("By protecting the weakest, we become stronger.") to Luther's 44th thesis ("By the very exercise of benevolence, benevolence grows and man becomes better."),[146] the Assassins were able to convince the theologian that the modern preocupations of the Reformation and the Creed were compatible, and handed them the translucid sheet with a line Leonardo had given him for safe keeping.[147]
Third phase of the quest[edit | edit source]
London[edit | edit source]
Leonardo's letter about London was more direct than the others, reflecting the gravity of the situation: Thomas More, who had aided him in researching the havens, had been arrested and taken to the Tower of London. Da Vinci requested that the Brotherhood locate More within the complex and free him.[148] Having received the quest, the local chapter sent agents to five landmarks to investigate.
One Assassin infiltrated Ebury Manor,[149] whose inhabitants had strong ties with the organization of detentions and guards at the Tower of London, and located a number of papers of interest,[150] including a fragment of the complex's floor plans.[151] A secret document, that was difficult to decipher, detailed that More was being kept in a building between Legge's Mount and Develin Tower.[152]
Seeking allies of More, an Assassin travelled to Peterhouse, Cambridge,[153] where they attended a talk by Richard Croke, a disciple of Desiderius Erasmus.[154] Croke, a friend of More, had spent the last few weeksdoing his own investigation on the matter, managing to figure out that he was being kept somewhere between Martin Tower and Well Tower, which he relayed to the Assassin.[155] While still at the university, the Assassin interacted with a group of students, collecting information on everything related to More's enprisonment and discussing the Tower of London with a specialist on urban planning,[156] acquiring another section of the floor plans.[157]
The center of government in England, Westminster Palace,[158] would also yield a section of the tower's plans,[159] acquired by following an intendant responsible for urban matters to the building register office.[160] A compartment just under the spire[161] of Old St. Paul's[162] held an orientation table with a section detailing some of the characteristics of the Tower of London,[163] and was also collected.[164]
With the collected information, the Assassins went to the Tower of London.[165] From a vantage point at the tallest point in the prison complex, they prepared a precise map of the area[166] to fine-tune their plans.[167] Locating More within the Salt Tower,[168] the Assassins released him and, in thanks, received the translucid sheet with a line Leonardo had given him. He also encouraged them, saying to "make good use of it, and carry out our great utopia."[169]
Seville[edit | edit source]
Leonardo's letter about Seville informed the Assassins that alongside his work on ideal cities that led to the discovery of the havens, he had also been working on designing a device meant for use in a naval capacity, under the request of his friend Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. Having been fascinated with the charm of azulejos, decorated ceramic tiles, that had also captivated Spain, he had etched his designs onto a number of them and scattered them throughout Seville to prevent discovery by unsavory elements, asking the Brotherhood to collect the tiles and help Magellan construct the device.[170] Having received the quest, the local chapter sent agents to four landmarks to investigate.
Incursion into the military tower of Torre del Oro[171] led to a skirmish with a group of guards,[172] though they were driven back by exploiting their weaknesses, such as one guard with an unprotected shoulder. With ample time to inspect the recently affixed tiles,[173] the Assassins uncovered one fragment of the diagram.[174]
Hoping to get a better view of the city,[175] one Assassin decided to scale the Giralda,[176] the minaret repurposed as the bell tower of Seville Cathedral. Up high, they noticed tiles in the tower's parapet,[177] an unusual location for them to be added,[178] and further examination did confirm another diagram fragment.[179] They also took note of a nearby building that was of interest, and left for the Alcázar,[180] where a wall of azulejos also yielded a fragment.[CV3]
An Assassin elected to investigate the Estudio General de Sevilla,[181] where they met with Ignatius of Loyola, one of the most eminent members of the university and a Brotherhood ally. The theologian listened to the Assassin's description of their quest and motivations and informed him of two artists living in Seville and frequenting the Estudio that may have known da Vinci.[182] The Assassin then tracked down[183] both Alonso Berruguete and Nicoluso Pisano. Berruguete, Michelangelo's pupil, revealed that he had traded letters with Leonardo through his master, since his big plan was to introduce Florentine painting to Spain, and he had been entrusted with half a tile.[184] Pisano, who claimed to be responsible for introducing azulejos to the Iberian Peninsula, had been friends with Leonardo and was deeply saddened by his death. He had discussed the ceramic techniques required for crafting azulejos with da Vinci and had also been entrusted with a half tile.[185] After recognizing da Vinci's prudence in dividing the clues among his allies in Seville, the Assassin received both halves from the artists.[186]
Ferdinand Magellan was easily tracked down to the Palacio de las Dueñas,[187] where he asked the Assassin's for help in completing da Vinci's device, since it was meant for his upcoming circumnavigation voyage. He handed them the purchase list of final items Leonardo required,[188] which the Assassin cross-referenced with the completed design,[189] receiving in thanks the translucid sheet with a line Magellan had been keeping.[190]
Lisbon[edit | edit source]
Leonardo's letter about Lisbon informed the Assassins that he had lost contact with his ally, the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, in the last few years. He managed to discover that da Gama has retired and moved to a village near Lisbon, but could not uncover where exactly, leaving that task up to the Brotherhood.[191] Having received the quest, the local chapter sent agents to four landmarks to investigate.
An Assassin infiltrated the Torre de Belém,[192] a fort that served as the main point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers,[193] and searched the place for documents related to da Gama's passage through the city,[194] finding a note with his name and a map of Portugal with Lisbon and the main surrounding villages marked.[195] At the Convento do Carmo,[196] they uncovered a couple of recently painted nautical frescos, and copied over two fragments of a map with a trajectory inscribed upon them.[197][198]
In the city's main fort of Castelo de São Jorge,[199] an Assassin following a group of actors disguised themselves as an extra for a few days and joined their troupe without raising suspicions, with the aim of getting closer to the theatre director, Gil Vicente, one of the main playwrights of Portugal, assuming he would have a lead into da Gama.[200] Vicente was forthcoming with information, saying that da Gama had been an avid theatre goer, but had stopped watching plays some time ago. He also mentioned that after being quite impressed with one of his plays, the old explorer had given Vicente a piece of a map with the trajectory of his fabled trip to Calcutta in thanks, which he handed to the Assassin.[201]
The investigation into the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos[202] had some difficulties, as their locks were difficult to pick, thanks to the Hieronymites' tendency for secrecy,[203] and the Assassin was surprised by one of the monks in the study,[204] who would not calm down[205] and had to be silenced permanently to avoid further discovery.[206] The search was, however, fruitful,[207] leading to the discovery of another map fragment[208] as well as a register containing the distances between Lisbon and the main nearby villages.[209]
By superimposing the map fragments atop the map of Portugal, the Assassins discover the location of da Gama: Vidigueira, and set off immediately for the village.[210] There, da Gama received the Assassins warmly, mentioning that though Leonardo had told him someone would come for the item he was guarding, he did not expect they would find them in Vidigueira. He then handed the Assassins the translucid sheet with a line Leonardo had given him for safe keeping.[211]
The outcome[edit | edit source]
Combining the information retrieved from each city, the Assassins located the nine havens discovered by da Vinci.[212]
References[edit | edit source]
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