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You cannot know anything. Only suspect.
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.
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Echoes of Betrayal was a genetic memory.[1]
It's the year 724 since the foundation of Rome, and the Republic is facing its last civil war. Following the victory at the Battle of Actium, the Roman army led by the adopted son of Julius Caesar, Octavian, reaches Alexandria, in pursuit of Marcus Antonius and his remaining forces. The city is swarming with Octavian' red-clad soldiers. Cleopatra and Antonius' remaining troops are deserting or being overpowered, and the walls of the Royal Palace will not keep Octavian at bay for much longer.
Wisps of smoke drift towards the purple sky, which reflects the incandescent glow of the fires that have started burning in the city where the clashes are fiercest—the troops of Octavian are capturing Alexandria. The Queen's militia and Antonius' troops are succumbing. The sound of conflict is getting closer and closer, and you don't have much time to complete your mission. You stealthily enter the Royal Palace looking for the Queen, to put an end to her Roman lover's life.
Cleopatra has drunk her vial of poison in the great hall before she can reveal where Marcus Antonius has fled to. The Witnesses must track Antonius down, both to avenge the murder of the Hidden One Brutus, and to recover the Sword of Damokles, a powerful weapon in his possession. Then, they must escape the palace.
The body of Cleopatra lies lifeless on the floor of the great hall, a poison vial lying next to her bejeweled hand. The Queen is dead, and she has taken all she knew about Antonius' escape plan to the grave. The renegade triumvir is your target—he has too-long escaped his fate. You can't let him go this time, or you will lose your last chance to avenge the death of Brutus and eliminate a servant of the Order of the Ancients.
- Challenges
- Cleopatra's Militia: Most of the Queen of Egypt's guards are busy watching the walls and perimeter of the Royal Palace. However, some soldiers still patrol the interior rooms to ward off unwanted intrusions. Cleopatra's militia will attack the Witnesses on sight.
- Antonius' Tracks: Evidence of Antonius' hasty flight can be traced across the hall's tiled floor to Caesarion's room, the teenage son of Caesar and Cleopatra. To do that, a Witness must make a Wits check with 2 Raises.
- Weaknesses
- Eagle Vision (minor): A Witness can activate their Eagle Vision Skill to enhance their chances of following the tracks in the hall. In this case, any Wits check made to approach the Antonius' Tracks Challenge requires no Raise.
- Eagle Sense (major): A Witness can activate their Eagle Sense Skill to notice that Cleopatra's heart has not quite taken its last beat. The Witness can inflict the coup de grace to peer into her last memories, thus witnessing the final dialogue between her and Antonius—he intends to reach Caesarion's room, to claim for himself Caesar's Sword of Damokles, one of the real causes of the conflict between the two triumvirs. However, exploiting this Weakness triggers the Queenslayer Setback automatically.
- Old Friends (minor): If Bayek or Aya are among the Witnesses confronting Cleopatra's Militia, the characters can exploit their renown as former allies of Cleopatra. If they do so, any Social check made to overcome the Cleopatra's Militia Challenge has 1 Free Raise.
The Witnesses reach Antonius in Caesarion's room, as he recovers something from a hidden compartment under the bed. It's a wonderful sword, a Piece of Eden that once belonged to the Greek warrior Deimos, perhaps one of the most powerful weapons ever created by Hephaistos! The triumvir and Caesarion intend to escape on a boat that is waiting for them at the Pharos lighthouse.
In Caesarion's room, a delightful aroma of essential oils wafts through the air, mingling with the soft, orange glow emanating from finely crafted braziers. Marcus Antonius holds a peculiar sword, its blade lacking a crossguard, swathed in a sheet of luxurious silk. Meanwhile, Caesarion is halfway out of the window, poised to flee into the courtyard.
- Challenges
- Caesarion: If the Witnesses are unaware of Caesarion's presence and try to take Marcus Antonius by surprise, the boy shouts out a warning. Then, khopesh in hand, he sides with Antonius to confront the Witnesses. Caesarion's blade is a Viper's Tooth, a legendary weapon coated with a powerful poison. If a Witness fails an Approach check while crossing blades with Caesarion, they are wounded by his poisonous blade—for the rest of the Sequence, any Action check requires 1 additional Raise.
- Force Shield: Antonius brandishes the Sword of Damokles, a formidable weapon that generates a protective force shield around him, seemingly impenetrable. Consequently, overcoming Antonius requires a minimum of 3 distinct Approach checks.
- Shockwave: Once Antonius is defeated, the Sword of Damokles releases a shockwave that knocks over everyone in the room. Each Witness must make a Reaction check.
- Weaknesses
- Old Friends (major): If Bayek or Aya are among the Witnesses confronting Antonius and Caesarion, the characters can remind the boy how the two helped his mother become Queen of Egypt and how she held them in high regard. In this case, the characters overcome the Caesarion Challenge.
With his dying breath, Antonius tells the Witnesses that he respects the honorable end he has been granted. Then, he reveals that a trusted ally of Cleopatra is waiting at the Pharos lighthouse with a boat, ready to set sail to India with Caesarion. Antonius implores the Witnesses to safeguard the boy and the Sword of Damokles, ensuring they do not fall into Octavian's clutches.
The thunderous sound of Octavian's troops battering down the large doors to the great hall echoes through the chamber. Escaping to the boat waiting at the Pharos lighthouse across the Great Harbor offers the best chance of fleeing the city, provided you can reach it in time.
- Challenges
- Crossing the City: Crossing the City. The Witnesses can reach the lighthouse overland, escaping over the palace walls. In this case, they must cross the tumultuous city, risking dangerous encounters with Octavian's soldiers along the way.
- Reach the Palace Docks: If the Witnesses choose to reach the lighthouse by sea, they can head to the palace's docks to take one of the boats moored there. However, a group of Antonius' guards is watching over the boats, waiting for their general. As soon as the Witnesses are in sight, the soldiers unsheathe their weapons, ready to fight. Should a Witness fail an Approach check on the docks, it triggers the Prey Setback.
- Weaknesses
- The Traitors are Dead! (minor): The Witnesses can explain to Octavian's soldiers that they killed both Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra, but they need to support the claim with some evidence—for example, they may have Caesarion in custody, or be carrying Antonius' sword. In this case, any Social check made to overcome the Crossing the City Challenge has 1 Free Raise.
- They're with Me (minor): The Witnesses can intimidate or otherwise convince Caesarion to vouch for them to Antonius' guards. In this case, any Social check made to overcome the Reach the Palace Docks Challenge has 1 Free Raise.
A Roman general and politician, Marcus Antonius first joined forces with Caesar's designated successor, Octavian, to hunt down the rebel senators who had plotted the assassination of Caesar with Amunet. Marcus Antonius' troops tracked down the Hidden One Brutus in his hideout in Greece, triggering a sequence of events that apparently ended with the conspirator's death.
Later, Antonius found himself entangled in a struggle for control of Rome alongside his lover, Cleopatra, against his former ally, Octavian. The pivotal naval Battle of Actium, off the west coast of Greece, saw Antonius and Cleopatra's forces defeated. They sought refuge in Alexandria, only to face the relentless advance of Octavian's forces closing in on them.
Formally known as Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar, Caesarion was the son of Queen Cleopatra and the Roman dictator Gaius Julius Caesar. Caesar didn't officially acknowledge him, but allowed him to use his name. This created conflict when Julius Caesar later adopted Octavian as his son, especially after Caesar fell victim to an assassination plot orchestrated by the Hidden Ones, a faction led by Amunet, Marcus Junius Brutus, and Gaius Cassius Longinus.
By the year 30 BCE, Octavian emerges victorious in the war against Cleopatra and Marcus Antonius. Ultimately convinced that self-sacrifice is the best route to safeguard Egypt's future, Cleopatra chooses to end her own life by means of poison, leaving Caesarion on his own in Alexandria.
Known Owners: Deimos, Kassandra, Marcus Antonius
Current Status: Unknown
Forged by the Isu scientist Hephaistos during the War of Unification, the sword possessed extraordinary capabilities, granting formidable powers in battle and augmenting the leadership qualities of its wielder. During the late 5th century BCE, it ended in the possession of the enigmatic Cult of Kosmos. They entrusted this legendary weapon to one of their champions, Deimos, grandson of Spartan King Leonidas and a direct descendant of the Precursors. Due to his unique lineage, Deimos was able to harness the sword's potential to its fullest extent. When Kassandra defeated him in combat, the sword fell from the height of Mount Taygetos, apparently losing parts of its immense power.
While wielding the sword, you have 2 Free Raises on every Action check made to fight your enemies. Additionally, you gain the ability to hurl beams of energy and protect yourself with an energy shield.
