"I have lived
my life as best I could, not knowing its purpose, but drawn forward
like a moth to a distant moon; and here at last, I discover a strange
truth. That I am only a conduit, for a message that eludes my
understanding."
―Ezio Auditore da Firenze on his role as "the Prophet", 1512.
A member of the House of Auditore, Ezio remained unaware of his Assassin heritage until the age of 17, when he witnessed the hanging of his father and two brothers, Federico and Petruccio. Forced to flee his birthplace with his remaining family members - his mother and sister - Ezio took refuge in the Tuscan town of Monteriggioni, at the Villa Auditore.
After learning of his heritage from his uncle, Mario Auditore, Ezio began his Assassin training and set about on his quest for vengeance against the Templar Order, and their Grand Master, Rodrigo Borgia, who had ordered the execution of his kin.
During his travels, Ezio managed to not only unite the pages of the Codex, written by Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, Mentor of the Levantine Assassins, but also to save the cities of Florence, Venice, and Rome from Templar rule.
He ensured the future travels of Christopher Columbus to the New World, liberated Rome from Borgia rule, and prevented the rise to power of Ercole Massimo's Cult of Hermes, helping spread the Renaissance and Assassin ideals of independence and free will throughout Italy.
In the years that followed, Ezio began a quest to rediscover the lost history of the Order. Traveling to the aged fortress of Masyaf in order to learn more of the Assassins before him, he discovered it overrun with Templars and made his way to the city of Constantinople to uncover the location of the Masyaf keys which, as he discovered, would unlock the fortress's fabled hidden library when brought together.
A decade later, Ezio had retired and resided in a Tuscan villa with his wife, Sofia Sartor, and his two children; Flavia and Marcello. Some time after helping teach the Chinese AssassinShao Jun the ways of the Order, Ezio died of a heart attack at the age of 65, during a visit to Florence with his wife and daughter.
Early life
Ezio was born in Florence on 24 June 1459, as the second son of
Giovanni and Maria Auditore. He appeared to be stillborn, but, after
some words of encouragement from his father, he began to cry, leading
his father to call him a "fighter".
Up until the age of 17, Ezio lived a life of luxury amidst the
members of the Florentine noble class; he was apprenticed to the
renowned banker Giovanni Tornabuoni, who worked alongside Giovanni Auditore's banking business, but was all the while unaware of his father's allegiance to the Assassin Order.
In the year 1476, Ezio, his older brother Federico, and friends of the family fought with Vieri de' Pazzi
and his gang. Just before the fight, Ezio received a gash down across
his lip – caused by Vieri throwing a stone – which would scar, and
remain for the rest of his life.
Ezio obtaining the scar on his lip
During the brawl, Ezio pummeled several members of the opposing gang,
but Vieri managed to flee the scene before Ezio could do anything to
him. After looting
several people left unconscious by the fight, the two brothers ran
across the rooftops to find Ezio some medical help for his injuries.
After the doctor
tended to his wound, a church nearby caught the eye of the brothers,
and Federico suggested a race. Ezio won, as he managed to reach the top
quickest, and together the two looked out over the city. Despite
Federico's disapproval, Ezio made his way to the home of Cristina Vespucci and spent the night with her.
Though caught by Cristina's father the morning after, Ezio fled from a group of pursuing guards before meeting with his father at the Palazzo Auditore.
Giovanni scolded him, but later softened, admitting that his son's
actions reminded him of his own youth. He then asked Ezio for his
assistance in an errand later in the day.
Ezio's initial meeting with Leonardo da Vinci
Once Ezio had returned home, Ezio's little brother Petruccio asked him if he could collect eagle feathers
from the rooftops, with the promise to return to bed afterwards, as he
was ill. After a tiring search for feathers, Ezio returned them to his
younger brother, though Petruccio was secretive about their purpose.
Later, Ezio found his sister Claudia in a distraught state, crying on a bench in their home after discovering her boyfriend, Duccio de Luca,
had been unfaithful. After obtaining his whereabouts, Ezio tracked down
and beat Duccio, before warning him to stay away from his sister.
Upon returning to the palazzo once more, Ezio's mother secured
his services in picking up some paintings from a young artist that she
patronized, Leonardo da Vinci.
On the walk home, Leonardo struck up a conversation, beginning a
friendship between the two young men that would last throughout their
later lives.
Auditore execution
"I'll kill you for what you've done!"
―Ezio to Uberto Alberti after watching his family's execution in 1476.
Ezio uncovering his father's equipment
After finishing the errand for his mother, Ezio returned to Giovanni,
who requested that he deliver two letters to contacts of his in the
city, before retrieving a third letter from a pigeon coop not far from the house.
Ezio agreed, and after two odd encounters with the people he'd
delivered the letters to, Ezio retrieved the note from the pigeon coop
only to witness guards running across Florence.
Ezio returned home to find his home ransacked, his father and
brothers missing, and his mother and sister hiding. Learning that city
guards had been ordered to arrest Giovanni and all of his sons, Ezio
made his way to the Palazzo della Signoria, where his father and brothers were being held.
Climbing the building and speaking to his father through his cell
window, Ezio was instructed to find a chest hidden in his office, take
everything out of it, and deliver a sealed letter to Uberto Alberti,
Gonfaloniere of Florence and a close friend of the Auditore family.
Doing so, Ezio found his father's Assassin robes, a broken Hidden Blade, and a letter containing details of a plot against the city of Florence and the Auditore family.
Ezio brought the incriminating documents to Uberto, and was
assured that his family would be released the following day, when the
information was presented as evidence of their innocence.Ezio then
traveled to the home of Cristina Vespucci, where he spent the night once
again.
Guards restraining Ezio at the execution
The next day, Ezio returned to the Piazza della Signoria to find Uberto presiding over the execution of his family.
Giovanni declared their innocence, citing the information given
to Uberto as evidence, but the Gonfaloniere denied any knowledge of such
information. Ezio shouted that Uberto was lying, but his efforts to
prevent the execution were ultimately in vain.
Ezio could only watch helplessly from the crowd as his father and
brothers were hanged. When he attempted to charge the gallows to avenge
his kin, Uberto ordered the city guards to kill him.
At the urging of one of Giovanni's friends, a thief, Ezio fled the Piazza della Signoria and sought shelter in a brothel run by the sister of the Auditore housemaid, a courtesan named Paola.
Exacting revenge
"The Auditore are not dead! I'm still here! Me! Ezio! Ezio Auditore!"
―Ezio, upon killing Uberto.
Paola, who – unbeknownst to Ezio – was an Assassin herself, agreed to
assist Ezio in his quest for vengeance, teaching him how to survive in
the city as an outlaw through pickpocketing and blending
in crowds. She further directed Ezio to Leonardo da Vinci to repair
Giovanni's Hidden Blade, though she did not notice that Ezio was being
watched.
After Leonardo repaired the blade, a guard banged on the door and
ordered Leonardo outside before trying to beat Ezio's location from
him. Ezio realized something was wrong and crept up behind the guard,
assassinating him.
Ezio stabbing Uberto Alberti
After Leonardo had thanked him, Ezio sought out and assassinated Uberto in the courtyard of the Basilica di Santa Croce, during Andrea del Verrocchio's latest exhibit.
Once he had made his way into the courtyard, Ezio attacked Uberto
in a frenzied rage, stabbing him multiple times in the chest, before
proudly proclaiming the survival of the Auditore family, through him.[1]
After killing Uberto, Ezio took the documents that the
Gonfaloniere had concealed from him and his father, as well as a letter
from Uberto meant for his wife and son. Ezio decided that he would see
to it that she received the letter, not wanting to sink to Uberto's
level.
Early years as an Assassin
Discovering his heritage
"All this talk of Assassins and Templars... it reeks of fantasy."
―Ezio trying to understand his heritage.
Mario throwing a sword to Ezio
Now the most wanted man in Florence, Ezio fled the city with his mother and sister in the hopes of making their way to Spain, stopping beforehand at the Auditore family's villa in Monteriggioni for shelter.
As they neared the town, the three were accosted by Vieri de'
Pazzi and his followers, but were saved by the timely arrival of Ezio's
uncle, Mario Auditore, and his mercenaries.
Mario informed Ezio of the existence of the Assassins, in an
obvious attempt to induct him into the Order. He spent some time
teaching Ezio swordplay, and revealed that many of his ancestors, including Giovanni, were members of the Assassin Order.
However, Ezio refused his ancestry, wishing only to continue his
journey to Spain for his mother's and sister's safety, with the help of
the skills Mario had taught him.
Enraged, Mario left Monteriggioni for the city of San Gimignano,
where Vieri had been located, in an attempt to relieve Monteriggioni of
continual assaults by the Pazzi's minions. Guilt-ridden and knowing his
presence was a primary reason for the ongoing attacks, Ezio traveled to
San Gimignano to accept Mario's offer.
Ezio assassinating Vieri
When Ezio arrived outside the city, he joined Mario and his
mercenaries in their assault, and they waited until nightfall to storm
the city. After witnessing a brief meeting between Rodrigo Borgia, Jacopo de' Pazzi, Francesco de' Pazzi and Vieri, Ezio made for his target.
While Mario and his mercenaries kept Vieri's men distracted, Ezio
challenged and fought Vieri for the last time, eventually overpowering
and killing him after a brief duel.
Ezio tried to extract a confession from his old enemy, though
Vieri chose to be snide to the very end. Infuriated by this, Ezio flew
into a rage and insulted Vieri's corpse, continuing until his uncle
calmed him down and reminded him of a tradition of the Assassins:
showing respect to those they have killed.[1]
Pazzi conspiracy
"I've been sent from Firenze by Il Magnifico to attend to some unfinished business; I'm looking for Jacopo de' Pazzi."
―Ezio after dealing with Francesco de' Pazzi.
Ezio visiting Cristina
Following Vieri's death, Ezio returned to Florence in 1478 to gather information on a conspiracy against the Medici,
who had been family friends to the Auditore. However, Ezio chose to
visit Cristina first, who was quite surprised to see him. She also
admitted that she was to be married, as she thought she would never see
Ezio again.
Suddenly a woman screamed from outside that a man named Manfredo
was in trouble with several gamblers. Ezio asked who Manfredo was, and
Cristina confessed that he was her fiancé. Ezio ran off and found
Manfredo in a fight with several gamblers he was indebted to.
After defeating the gamblers, Ezio, enraged by Manfredo's
actions, demanded that Manfredo be a good husband to Cristina or he
would kill him. Ezio then met Cristina in an alleyway afterwards and
kissed her, promising that he had made sure her husband would be good to
her.
Ezio later had Leonardo construct him a second Hidden Blade, and with information provided by Leonardo, Ezio was able to find La Volpe,
who aided him in discovering the Templar conspiracy against the Medici.
La Volpe directed Ezio to an underground catacomb where a Templar
meeting was being held.
Ezio was subsequently able to eavesdrop on the meeting, discovering that the Pazzi planned to kill the Medici at the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore and place their own people in government under the orders of their master, Rodrigo Borgia.
The next day, Ezio arrived at the Duomo to try and prevent the
public assassination, but he was unsuccessful. Francesco de' Pazzi and Bernardo Baroncelli were able to kill Giuliano de' Medici and injure Lorenzo.
Ezio defending Lorenzo
Ezio came to Lorenzo's aid and fended off Francesco. However, the
Pazzi had already succeeded in their plan, and brought the city into a
state of civil war. After escorting Lorenzo to the safety of his palazzo, Ezio revealed his identity, prompting Lorenzo to remark that he knew Ezio's father.
Lorenzo's lieutenant, Poliziano,
told Ezio that Francesco had been sighted at the Piazza della Signoria.
As Pazzi and Medici troops battled in the streets below them, Ezio
chased down and slew Francesco, although Jacopo de' Pazzi and several
other conspirators were able to escape the city.
Shortly afterward, Ezio met up with Lorenzo at the Ponte Vecchio. Lorenzo reminisced that as a child he had fallen into the Arno
and would have drowned, had he not been saved by Giovanni Auditore.
This act of kindness kindled a close friendship between the Auditore and
the Medici families.
When Ezio asked of the conspirators, Lorenzo explained that they
had fled the city. With this, the Medici publicly cleared the name of
the Auditore family, and provided Ezio with the names of the
conspirators who had escaped.
Learning that the Pazzi conspirators had fled to San Gimignano,
after gaining information from Mario, Ezio tracked down and killed Antonio Maffei, Stefano da Bagnone, Bernardo Baroncelli and Francesco Salviati, extracting from each man information on Jacopo de' Pazzi's whereabouts.
Rodrigo Borgia confronting Ezio
Using the information, Ezio located his quarry and tracked Jacopo to an ancient Roman theater. Once there, Ezio eavesdropped on a meeting between Jacopo, Rodrigo Borgia and a Venetian merchant and Templar, Emilio Barbarigo.
After fatally wounding Jacopo for his failure to capture
Florence, Rodrigo revealed that he was aware of Ezio's presence. While
Rodrigo and Emilio fled, Ezio was apprehended by Templar guards, but he
overpowered and killed them before swiftly putting the dying Jacopo out
of his misery.
Hunt in Venice
Carlo Grimaldi: "It's the Assassin you should be worried about!"
Emilio Barbarigo: "Why? Is... Is he in Venezia?"
―Carlo Grimaldi and Emilio Barbarigo discuss Ezio minutes before the latter's assassination.
Ezio meeting Leonardo in the Apennine Mountains
With the Pazzi conspiracy ended, Ezio returned to Lorenzo in 1480 and
declared his success. Before leaving the city for Venice, Ezio was
granted a gift; the Medici cape, that would keep the city guards' attention from him.
Ezio then made his way to Leonardo's workshop, only to find that the artist had just left for Venice himself. Meeting with Leonardo in the Apennine Mountains and helping him repair his carriage, Ezio caught his first glimpse of Leonardo's Flying Machine.
Accompanying him to the city of Forlì, Ezio narrowly avoided the attacking Templar horsemen and archers
Rodrigo Borgia had sent after them. Drawing closer to their
destination, Ezio left Leonardo to proceed on his own, while he took
care off the remaining Templars. Ezio made his way into the region of Romagna, and met Leonardo just outside the city of Forlì.
Eventually the two made their way to the city docks, where Ezio
was refused permission to board, as he lacked a pass. Behind them, the
two heard the screams of a noble lady stranded in the city's wetlands.
Ezio hastened to her rescue in a boat, and was able to row the woman
back to shore. The lady introduced herself as Caterina Sforza, and coerced the dockman into granting Ezio passage to Venice as a sign of thanks.
Once in Venice, Ezio and Leonardo were given a brief tour of the city by Alvise da Vilandino, before Ezio began to seek a way into the Palazzo della Seta of Emilio Barbarigo, although this effort initially proved to be in vain.
Ezio bringing Rosa to Ugo
Suddenly pushed aside, Ezio watched as a gang of thieves attempted
and failed to breach the Palazzo, leading Ezio to aid the thief Rosa, who had been shot through the leg with an arrow.
After successfully escaping the city guards, Ezio was introduced to the leader of the Venetian Thieves' Guild, Antonio de Magianis, and together they concocted a new plot to kill Emilio Barbarigo and liberate the merchant district.
The plot, perfected over four years, was successful and gave Ezio the name of another Templar conspirator – Carlo Grimaldi. A government official and member of the Council of Ten, Carlo was close to Giovanni Mocenigo, the Doge of Venice, and hoped to turn him to the Templar cause.
Overhearing another meeting between Rodrigo and Carlo, Ezio uncovered a plot to poison the Doge and replace him with Marco Barbarigo. Realizing the urgency, Ezio and Antonio sought a way into the Palazzo Ducale, examining the front gates, the rear walls and even passing over the Basilica di San Marco; but they were hampered at every turn.
As they returned to the piazza below, an enraged Antonio remarked
that only birds could get into the Doge's palace, reminding Ezio of
Leonardo's flying machine, which he had seen on the way to Forlì. After a
somewhat unsuccessful test flight, Leonardo came up with a way to
ensure that Ezio reached his destination.
Ezio flying towards the Palazzo Ducale
After removing the city guards at four separate locations, Antonio's
thieves proceeded to light massive bonfires throughout the city, giving
Leonardo's flying machine enough lift for Ezio to make it to the Palazzo
Ducale. The plan worked, and Ezio breached the Palazzo Ducale, although
too late to save the Doge.
Carlo quickly fled the scene, crying out that Ezio had
assassinated the Doge, only to meet his own end at Ezio's hands moments
later. However, Ezio was now the most wanted man in Venice, and was
forced to flee the city guards.
Returning to Leonardo's workshop for help in 1486, Ezio was directed to Sister Teodora's brothel, where Antonio was hiding. Under the cover of Carnevale,
Ezio made his way to the brothel and began planning the death of Marco
Barbarigo, competing in the four games of the Carnevale to win the Golden Mask that would gain him entrance to Marco's private party.
Ezio was successful, but found that Marco's cousin, Silvio Barbarigo, and Marco's personal slave-bodyguard, Dante Moro, had intimidated and bribed the judges into denying him his prize.
Ezio aiming the Hidden Gun at Marco Barbarigo
However, Ezio was successful in stealing the mask from Dante and
managed to infiltrate the Doge's personal party and assassinate Marco
with an ingenious new weapon. This left the way open for Agostino, a Barbarigo not involved with the Templars, and an ally of Antonio's, to legitimately become Doge.
With his quest for the nine nearly at an end, Ezio tracked down Silvio Barbarigo and Dante Moro, who had occupied the Venetian Arsenal with an army of mercenaries.
Needing a force of his own, Ezio was directed to the mercenary leader, Bartolomeo d'Alviano, only to find Silvio's thugs had attacked Bartolomeo's headquarters, capturing him and a number of his soldiers in the process.
Ezio swiftly liberated Bartolomeo and his soldiers, and once
Bartolomeo learned of Ezio's purpose, he was more than willing to assist
in Silvio's destruction.
Ezio with Bartolomeo after liberating the Arsenal
Having tracked the Templars down to the Arsenal, Ezio managed to
storm the building with the help of Bartolomeo and his men, and kill
Dante Moro and Silvio Barbarigo in the ensuing battle.[1]
However, he was astonished to learn that the plot to remove the
Doge was merely a distraction, so that the Templars could move their
vessel to Cyprus, although the reasons for this would remain unknown to Ezio for some time.
First years as a formal Assassin
Induction into the Order
"It's been over ten
years since I watched my father and brothers die. Ten years hunting the
men responsible. I'm close to the end now, but no closer to knowing
what any of it was for!"
―Ezio discusses his life as an Assassin.
Ezio's friends revealing themselves as Assassins
Two more years passed before word of the Templar vessel reached Ezio
once again on his twenty-ninth birthday when Rosa brought him a shipping
manifest detailing the return of the ship that very day. Leonardo
approached Ezio, explaining that he had discovered that all the Codex
pages put together a message, saying "The Prophet will appear when the
second piece is brought to the floating city." Ezio recalled the
prophecy his uncle recited to him, about the prophet being able to open
the fabled Vault that is said to contain a great power. He then realized
that the entire Templar conspiracy was just a distraction for Rodrigo
Borgia to find the Vault.
Sneaking into the Arsenal, Ezio watched as a Templar guard carrying a Piece of Eden disembarked from the ship, and made his way to a Templar base in the city.
Ezio assassinated the guard, impersonating him and carrying the
Piece of Eden to a meeting with Rodrigo Borgia himself. Finally able to
confront the man ultimately responsible for the deaths of his father and
brothers, Ezio criticized the Templar Grand Master for the
non-appearance of the supposed "prophet".
Rodrigo responded, proudly naming himself the prophet before
engaging Ezio in battle. The duel was short, and Ezio easily bested the
Templar. Rodrigo called upon the city guards and taunted the Assassin,
saying that "his people" had failed to show up.
Ezio being initiated into the Brotherhood
At that very moment, Mario Auditore, along with Antonio, Paola,
Teodora, La Volpe and Bartolomeo appeared, driving off Rodrigo and
revealing themselves to Ezio as Assassins.
With the arrival of Niccolò Machiavelli,
it was revealed to Ezio that he was in fact the Prophet, and that all
present had worked together the past decade to induct Ezio into the
Assassin Order.[1]
That night, they all met again and Ezio was formally inducted into the Order. He received a brand on his left hand's ring finger, and performed the ceremonial Leap of Faith.[1]
Battle of Forlì
Niccolò: "As soon as you left, they attacked again. Checco Orsi - he has the Apple!"
Ezio: "What!? No! Where is he!?"
―Ezio and Niccolò, upon Ezio's return to Forlì.
Ezio and the others examining the Apple
Shortly after his induction, Ezio met with Mario and Niccolò, and
traveled to Leonardo da Vinci's workshop in Venice, hoping that the
artist could shed some light upon the strange artifact Rodrigo had
dubbed "the Apple".
Leonardo examined the unique device, commenting that the metal it
was made of should not exist, and that its design was highly advanced
despite its age.
Upon briefly touching the Apple, Ezio accidentally activated the
device, which started to glow and show strange holographic images,
though he quickly deactivated it. Niccolò later announced that he had
arranged for the Piece of Eden to be held in the Rocca di Ravaldino, where it would be protected by an ally of the Assassins, Caterina Sforza.
Niccolò and Ezio met with Caterina in Romagna, just outside the
city of Forlì. After briefly discussing the Apple, the three made their
way back to the city, only to find that it had been invaded by the Orsi
brothers, Checco and Ludovico.
Ezio and Caterina conversing with the Orsi brothers
As the group fought its way to the city's locked gates, Ezio managed
to find another way inside and open the gates from within, allowing them
to continue their way to the Citadel.
Reaching the Rocca di Ravaldino, they found out that two of Caterina’s children, Ottaviano and Bianca,
were in the hands of the Orsi brothers, who had recently arrived and
were attacking the Citadel. Ezio repelled the attack, and left the Apple
in Caterina's hands, before going to rescue her two children.
Making his way into Romagna, Ezio overpowered the guard detail
assigned to imprison Bianca, who directed Ezio to her brother Ottaviano.
As Bianca fled back to the city, Ezio made his way to the lighthouse
upon which Ottaviano was being held by Ludovico himself. Climbing the
tower, Ezio dispatched Ludovico and freed Ottaviano, though not before
learning that the kidnapping was a distraction, which had allowed Checco
to steal the Apple.
Ezio swiftly tracked down and killed Checco and his remaining
men. As he bent to retrieve the Apple, Ezio failed to notice Checco
stabbing him in the abdomen before it was too late. Injured, Ezio
collapsed to the ground, with the Apple rolling from his hand. Before
losing consciousness, Ezio saw a monk with a missing finger pick up the
Apple and walk away, despite Ezio's pleads to not open the satchel
holding the Piece of Eden.
Ezio obtaining the Codex map from Caterina
Caterina’s guards later found Ezio next to Checco’s corpse and
returned him to Forlì, where Caterina nursed him back to health.
Returned to his senses, Ezio hurriedly explained to Caterina that a man
in black had stolen the Apple.
She recognized him to be dressed similarly to the monks residing
outside the city walls, and Ezio left to search the church. Though there
was no sign of the monk, Ezio met with Brother O’Callahan, who told him to continue his search at San Vincenzo, in central Forlì.
An abbot there identified Ezio as the monk Stefano da Bagnone's
killer, and fled. He was intercepted and, once convinced that he was not
about to die, the monk gave Ezio the name of the nine fingered monk: Girolamo Savonarola.
Journey in Spain
Ezio: "Do you know who betrayed us to the Inquisitors?"
Raphael: "Not yet, but we know the name of the Inquisitor Prosecutor responsible for their arrests."
―Ezio and Raphael discussing their situation
Ezio meeting Christopher Columbus
While trying to locate Savonarola, Ezio was told by an acquaintance
to meet Antonio at the Thieves Guild in Venice. Upon arriving there,
Ezio found Antonio accompanied by another man, Luis de Santángel.
Luis was looking for a good "killer" who could oversee a meeting
involving Luis' friend Christopher Columbus, but Ezio expressed no
interest.
However, when Ezio heard that Rodrigo Borgia was also involved in
the meeting, he rushed to Columbus' location, finding out that it was a
trap. However, he managed to save Columbus, who explained that Rodrigo
was interested in his plans to sail west. Soon afterwards, Ezio met with
Antonio again, who told him to go see both Luis and Columbus in the
gardens district.
They then told him that the Templars were in possession of
Columbus' atlas, which featured the journey's route. Ezio quickly
recovered the atlas and brought it back to Columbus and Luis. Luis
informed Ezio of the presence of Spanish Assassins, who were held
captive by the Spanish Inquisitor General, Tomás de Torquemada.
Feeling it was his duty to rescue them, Ezio temporarily diverged from
his goal to reclaim the Apple of Eden and set out to Spain, but not
before Antonio gave him the names of two of his contacts.
Ezio fighting a Spanish guard
After arriving in Spain and briefly losing his sword to a thief, Ezio
met with Antonio's contacts, and was directed to the local Thieves
Guild. When he arrived there, however, he found that it was empty, only
to be ambushed by the Inquisitors' men.
After making his escape through the sewers, Ezio met Raphael Sánchez,
who revealed himself to be an Assassin. Raphael informed Ezio of the
location of the first captured Assassin, and Ezio rushed to save him.
Right before the Assassin could be burned by the Inquisitors, Ezio
killed all the guards and freed him.
After Ezio's return, Raphael revealed that it was Gaspar Martínez
who had been ordered to capture the Assassins by Torquemada. Ezio
located Gaspar and found him, Torquemada, and a guard surrounding a
captured Assassin.
Torquemada revealed to the captured Assassin - and indirectly to
Ezio - that Rodrigo Borgia had ordered him to capture Assassins in
Spain, because they were "non-believers". After the guard killed the
Assassin, the group disbanded, and Gaspar was left unguarded.
Ezio then met with him and asked him what he knew of the
Templars, but Gaspar feigned ignorance and said that they "went away two
centuries ago". He fell silently to Ezio's blade, and Ezio acquired a
list of names of six other captured Assassins. After freeing the first
man on the list, Ezio took him back to Raphael, and informed the latter
of the existence of the list. However, all the remaining Assassins were
located in Zaragoza.
Luis, Raphael, Christopher and Ezio
Once in Zaragoza, Raphael told Ezio to find the Inquisition's Calficador, Pedro Llorente,
whose tribunal met at the far side of town. Arriving there, Ezio found
that Torquemada was also present. One of the Assassins was being tried,
and after he refused to convert and confess, he was killed.
Ezio eavesdropped on the ensuing conversation, and hurried to
locate the remaining five Assassins. Four of them were held captive
inside some catacombs, with the last held inside a church. After
securing their safety, Ezio killed Pedro Llorente.
Returning to Raphael, Ezio requested if he could return to Italy.
However, Raphael still needed some help against the Inquisitors in Granada.
Ezio complied, helping to assassinate a Templar spy in the city, and
discovering along the way that Luis Santangel was also an Assassin.
Ezio standing before Torquemada
Once again, Ezio planned to return to Italy, but was disturbed by the
Templars. He was forced to fight off the Templars to defend Luis, and
was informed that Raphael had been captured.
Ezio fought to rescue Raphael, and proceeded to infiltrate
Torquemada's fortress. After a brief conversation between Ezio and
Torquemada, Torquemada closed the gates in front of him, preventing Ezio
from assassinating him.
Ezio returned to Raphael and Luis, and said that he did not
believe Torquemada was a Templar himself, but only blindly followed
Rodrigo Borgia's false preaching. Ezio ultimately left for Italy to
resume his quest to recover the Apple of Eden, and told Luis and Raphael
to inform him of Columbus' journey to find the New World should he
return.
Bonfire of the Vanities
"There is no book
or teacher to give you the answers, to show you the way. Choose your own
way! Do not follow me, or anyone else."
―Ezio after Savonarola's death.
Ezio and Niccolò discussing Savonarola
Having returned from Spain, Ezio immediately continued his quest to
find the Apple of Eden. He returned to his hometown of Florence in 1492,
and bumped into a monk who was running from Borgia guards, saying they
were asking about "apples".
Ezio, realizing the Borgia knew that Savonarola had the Apple,
rushed to the Santa Maria del Fiore where he found a monk called
Savonarola being harassed by Borgia guards.
After watching the scene for a while, Ezio jumped down from atop
the church and rescued Savonarola. Only then did Ezio realize that the
monk had all ten fingers, and he introduced himself as Marcello Savonarola;
Girolamo's cousin. Marcello, in gratitude to Ezio, revealed that his
cousin was in Venice at the time, and Ezio set off once again.
Ezio was greeted by Teodora in Venice, and asked her where he
could find the fire-and-brimstone-preaching monk. She replied that she
did not know where Savonarola was, but did know where to find a herald
who preached similar things. Additionally, she revealed that Lorenzo
de' Medici had died, and that Rodrigo Borgia had become the Pope, under
the name Alexander VI.
Teodora led Ezio to the square where the herald was preaching,
and Ezio blended in with the crowd. Convincing the herald that he was a
true believer, and asking him about Savonarola's location, Ezio
concluded that the herald was completely blinded by faith.
Eventually, a young man screamed at the preacher, saying that he
had just escaped from Florence, which was taken over by Savonarola. He
explained that the Signoria were either behind Savonarola, or powerless
against him, and that people like Botticelli were joining him in starting bonfires to burn writings and arts related to the Renaissance.
The young man revealed himself to be Piero de' Medici,
son of the late Lorenzo. Ezio walked up to him, saying that he was a
friend of his father. After the herald ordered their deaths, Ezio
revealed his name to Piero, and the two men faced off against their
attackers.
The herald himself pulled out a dagger and charged at Ezio, but
Piero saved him by slicing the herald's legs, after which Ezio finished
the enemy off. While Piero went to warn Agostino Barbarigo of
Savonarola's preachings, Ezio left Venice.
Ezio returned to Florence in 1497, and made his way to the Oltrarno District,
hearing stories about Savonarola's dictatorship, and the desire for the
Assassin's return. Eventually, he met with Niccolò Machiavelli on a
bridge, and the two made their way to Savonarola's residence, the Palazzo Pitti.
Ezio devised a plan to overthrow Savonarola's rule: he would kill
the men who suppressed the people in Savonarola's name, while Niccolò,
Paola and La Volpe would rally the citizens to stand up to Savonarola's
rule. Ezio then set off to finish off each of Savonarola's nine
lieutenants.
Cristina dying in Ezio's arms
Ezio ran into Manfredo Soderini again, as he found him barely alive
after being attacked by Savonarola's men. Ezio hurriedly asked where
Cristina was, and Manfredo replied that the men had chased after her.
Ezio successfully managed to kill Cristina's attackers, but she
had already been heavily wounded. She admitted to Ezio that she would
have liked for them to have had a second chance, before she died in his
arms.
Soon after Ezio killed Savonarola's followers, the rioters formed
an angry mob and stormed the Palazzo Pitti, demanding an end to the
bonfires. Savanarola tried to use the Apple to quell the riot, but
before he could, Ezio threw a knife at him, knocking the Apple out of his hand.
In the ensuing chaos, the Apple was picked up by a guard in
service to the Borgia, who had also been trying to recover the Apple
from Savonarola. Ezio followed him, killed him, and recovered the Apple.
Savonarola was then sentenced to be executed in the same way he had
dealt with the city's knowledge: burned at the stake on the Piazza della
Signoria.
Ezio assassinating Savonarola
However, Ezio decided that no one should have to die in such agony.
The Assassin leapt onto the execution platform and put Savonarola out of
his misery.
Ezio then looked at the stunned mob and delivered a speech,
urging them to follow their own path and rely on their own thoughts, not
what they were told by the ones in power. Ezio then left with Mario,
Niccolò, Paola and La Volpe, ready to uncover the answers hidden within
the Apple.
Dealing with the Borgia
Confrontation in the Vatican
"I thought... I thought I was beyond this. But I'm not. I've waited too long, lost too much."
―Ezio to Rodrigo during his first assassination attempt.
The following year saw the Assassins come together once more at the
Villa Auditore, with the Piece of Eden and the completed Codex in hand.
Using the two objects, they discovered the location of the Vault to be in Rome - specifically, beneath the Vatican.
Unfortunately, Rodrigo Borgia had become the Pope in 1492,
although Mario believed he had only done so to gain access to the Papal
Staff, another Piece of Eden. Undeterred, Ezio went to assassinate
Rodrigo.
Ezio confronting Rodrigo in the Sistine Chapel
Fighting his way along the entire length of the Passetto di Borgo, Ezio snuck into the Sistine Chapel and struck at Rodrigo from above.
As he was about to deal the killing blow, Rodrigo surprised Ezio by using the Staff of Eden
to blast him away, and drain the energy of those in the room. Since
Ezio held the Apple, he was immune to the Staff's effects, and the two
engaged in a duel.
Ezio created multiple illusional copies of himself with the
Apple. For a while, it seemed that Ezio had bested Rodrigo, but the Pope
overcame him. Rodrigo then took the Apple and stabbed Ezio in the
abdomen, leaving him to die before fleeing towards the Vault.
However Ezio soon regained consciousness and, following his
nemesis to the outside of the Vault, Ezio watched as Rodrigo tried in
vain to open it. Laying down his arms, Ezio challenged and defeated
Rodrigo in a final brawl, obtaining possession of both the Apple and the
Staff. However, he refused to take Rodrigo's life, having realized the
futility of revenge.
Minerva appearing before Ezio
Entering the Vault, Ezio stood in shock as he was confronted by a hologram of an individual naming herself Minerva, and claiming to be one of "Those Who Came Before".
Ezio was further confounded when the hologram spoke to an unseen
figure named Desmond, and started showing holograms of an event that
would befall the world hundreds of years from then. Minerva then
disappeared abruptly, leaving Ezio with many unanswered questions.[1]
Ezio left the Vault and met up with Mario. Together, they fought their way out of St. Peter's Basilica, and climbed a tower, where Ezio prepared to drop the Apple of Eden into the Tiber.
However, upon realizing his insecurity, Mario took the Apple and
promised to keep it safe until Ezio could make a decision. The two then
proceeded to return home to Monteriggioni.
Siege of Monteriggioni
Mario: "I am keeping it safe. The Borgia must not be allowed to breach the walls until everyone is safely away. Insieme per la vittoria!"
Ezio: "Insieme. Uncle... be careful."
―Ezio and his uncle before the siege
Ezio meeting with the other Assassins
During the journey with his uncle, Ezio told Mario what he had
learned from Minerva, but also found solace in the fact that his own
battles were finally at an end. That evening, Ezio once again retold the
events of his encounter in the Vault, this time to Niccolò, his sister,
and mother.
Niccolò in turn criticized Ezio for his failure to kill Rodrigo
Borgia, and angrily left for Rome. That night, unconcerned with
Niccolò's outburst, Ezio returned to his bedchamber to share an intimate
night with Caterina Sforza. He soon learned that the Borgia threat was
far from over.
Ezio using a cannon during the siege
On 2 January 1500, Cesare Borgia, the son of Rodrigo, Commander of the Papal armies, and a high-ranking Templar in his own right, laid siege to Monteriggioni.
Taking the Assassins by surprise, Cesare's forces were quickly
able to level half the city before Ezio managed to reach the cannons
above the ramparts. He and the Monteriggioni mercenaries returned fire,
destroying many of Cesare's own siege weapons.
Despite knowing this to be a futile effort, they managed to stave
off the attackers long enough for the citizens to reach safety.
However, as Cesare's forces managed to breach the city gates, Cesare
brought a mortally wounded Mario Auditore and captured Caterina Sforza
before him.
Seeing his uncle lying on the ground, Ezio ran across the rooftops in a vain effort to reach them, but was shot by arquebusiers upon the city walls. At the same time, Cesare "invited" Ezio to come to Rome with a shot of his own firearm, killing Mario.
Ezio and the others escaping through the Sanctuary
Ezio, having soon regained consciousness as two of Mario's
mercenaries dragged him to safety, continued to partake in the battle,
which had spilled into what was left of the city streets.
Retreating to the Sanctuary, Ezio and the fleeing civilians fled through a secret passageway that had been hidden behind the statue of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.
After ensuring his mother and sister were safe, Ezio began to
make his way for Rome. During this journey, however, Ezio passed out and
fell from his horse due to the severity of his wounds.
Moving to Rome
"There will be no peace until we rise up against the entire Borgia family and the Templars who serve them."
―Ezio discussing his motives for staying in Rome.
Margherita treating Ezio's wounds
Ezio eventually awoke to find his wound being treated by a stranger, Margherita dei Campi,[9]
who told him that he had simply been dropped off at her home by a man
who wished for Ezio to meet Niccolò de Machiavelli at the Mausoleo di Augusto.
The man who had brought him there had also supplied him with a
new set of Assassin robes. After leaving the house, Ezio retrieved some
medicine from a local doctor, and searched for Niccolò in front of the
Mauseleo.
Ezio's attention was soon caught, however, by the discussion of a
group of guards who were set on injuring an innocent civilian for
"causing the Borgia guards trouble". Following the guards and aiding the
distressed civilian, whose wife had recently been executed by a Borgia
ally known as Il Carnefice, Ezio got his first taste of life in Rome.
Making his way up to Il Carnefice's abode, Ezio assassinated him
and continued on his way to meet with Niccolò. From him, Ezio discovered
that Rome had fallen into a state of disrepair under the Borgia, and
that its citizens were being heavily oppressed. Niccolò also told him of
Cesare Borgia, the man responsible for the death of Mario Auditore.
Ezio conversing with Niccolò and Fabio
Together, Ezio and Niccolò met with Fabio Orsini, the cousin of Bartolomeo d'Alviano who had been forced into serving Cesare Borgia. Fabio lent to the Assassins an old storehouse of his on Tiber Island, in the hope that they would find a better use for it.
From here, Ezio traveled to the Rosa in Fiore in an attempt to gather the support of the city's courtesans. When he arrived however, he learned that madonna Solari, the head of the brothel, had been kidnapped by the Cento Occhi, Cesare's hired thugs, and was being held for ransom.
Gathering the funds necessary, Ezio made his way to the
kidnappers' location, only to be double-crossed. Madonna Solari was
killed, and the Cento Occhi attacked Ezio. Ezio survived the ambush and
returned to the Rosa in Fiore to discover his mother and sister there.
With no one to lead them, the courtesans turned to Claudia Auditore to
act as their Madam, with a very reluctant Ezio agreeing to her
appointment.
Ezio then moved on to gather the support of both La Volpe's Roman
thieves, who were suffering at the hands of the Cento Occhi, and
Bartolomeo's mercenaries, who were under attack by the French.
Aiding Copernicus
"If the Borgia are involved, then so am I."
―Ezio, after noticing the guards attack Copernicus.
In 1500, while passing the Campidoglio, Ezio noticed a scholar by the name of Nicolaus Copernicus
giving a strange speech to the Roman citizens. After having asked
another spectator about the man's identity, he learned that the man came
from the Vatican, though spoke contrary to the Church's teachings.
However, Ezio soon saw a battalion of Borgia guards attack
Copernicus, and swiftly stepped in to defend him. Afterwards, the two
men introduced themselves to one another, with Copernicus admitting to
having been a Templar himself, until he disagreed with the other
Templars on keeping the findings of his scientific experiments hidden
from the public.
Copernicus giving Ezio the letters
Upon hearing that more Borgia guards were looking for Copernicus,
they quickly left the Campidoglio and went looking for a hideout.
Evading the Borgia guards, Ezio found shelter for Copernicus in a small
house in the Antico District, next to the Colosseum.
Once they were safe, Copernicus realized that his fellow scholars
would be in danger as well, and asked Ezio to deliver a letter of
warning to each of them. Despite being insecure on whether to trust
Copernicus or not, Ezio agreed to deliver the letters.
Ezio traveled across the Centro District,
handing letters to several scholars, and managing to reach most of them
in time. He returned to Copernicus in the countryside, who told him
that the Master of the Sacred Palace,
a priest appointed by the Pope to ensure that Roman religious
philosophy remained pure, was most likely the person responsible for the
attacks.
Ezio followed a cardinal
roaming nearby, who eventually led him to the Master. Eavesdropping on
their conversation, Ezio found out that the Master had sent his best men
to kill the scholars whom Ezio had delivered the letters to, and he
quickly rushed to save them. Ezio successfully managed to assassinate
all of the hired men, and returned to Copernicus.
Ezio and Copernicus looking at the eclipse
He informed Copernicus that his suspicions were correct, and warned
him of his own safety, but Copernicus forewent caution, as he wanted to
chronicle an eclipse that night. Ezio set off once again, with the
intention of killing the Master.
Ezio found the Master and killed him with his Hidden Blade, and
with his dying breath, the Master revealed that he had already sent his
best man to kill Copernicus. Ezio quickly set off to where Copernicus
would research the eclipse, and arrived just in time to kill the
assassin.
As they looked up at the eclipse together, Copernicus revealed to
Ezio that the sun was most likely the midpoint of the universe,
contrary to common believe that it was the Earth. Copernicus thanked
Ezio for his aid, and they went their separate ways.
Infiltrating the Castel Sant'Angelo
"Do not worry. The Borgia will die. You have my word."
―Ezio, after agreeing on killing Rodrigo and Cesare.
After receiving intelligence reports from Claudia, La Volpe and
Bartolomeo indicating that Caterina Sforza was being held in the Castel Sant'Angelo,
Ezio departed to rescue her, though not before Niccolò demanded that,
given the chance, he prioritize killing Cesare and Rodrigo.
Ezio carrying Caterina
Infiltrating the stronghold in 1501, Ezio scaled the fortress' double walls and apprehended Lucrezia Borgia,
who was holding the keys to Caterina's cell. From there Ezio and
Caterina escaped, making sure that they remained undetected until they
reached the stables.
They fled across the Ponte Sant'Angelo,
and Ezio ordered Caterina to ride on as he dealt with the pursuing
guards. Only a timely explosion from within the Castel prevented him
from being overwhelmed.
Returning to his base of operations, Ezio decided that in order
to free Rome from its Borgia oppression, he needed to involve those who
were being oppressed. Despite Niccolò's protests, the two agreed to
begin recruiting citizens of Rome into Ezio's new Brotherhood, so that
the liberation of Rome could begin.
Expanding the Brotherhood
"I say we work here. In Roma. Erode the Borgia’s influence while restoring our own. And in fact, I want to begin right now."
―Ezio revealing his plans to fight against the Borgia.
Ezio recruiting a citizen
Within a year, Ezio had turned a number of Rome's citizens into Assassin apprentices,[5] and had adopted several existing members of the Order into his guild, such as Francesco Vecellio, whose former master had betrayed the Order.
The apprentices fought and trained alongside Ezio, and undertook
missions to aid their fellow Assassins in cities across Europe and
beyond, including Calicut, India. Ezio also had his apprentices aid him in removing a number of Templar agents, such as Malfatto and Silvestro Sabbatini.
Eventually, Ezio received a surprise visit from his old friend
Leonardo da Vinci, who informed him that he had been pressed into
providing the Borgia with various forms of advanced weaponry and War Machines.
Leonardo promised to provide Ezio with the tools necessary to destroy
his weapons, albeit at a small monetary cost. Ezio agreed and managed to
demolish all of Leonardo's machines in his war against the Borgia.
Finding the Banker
"If we cut off his funds, Cesare will lose his army and return without his men. So, I ask you, where does he get his money?"
―Ezio, asking the other Assassins about the Banker.
Ezio at the meeting in the hideout
Ezio met with Niccolò, La Volpe, Claudia, and Caterina in the
Assassin hideout, where they discussed their plans to attack the Borgia.
Ezio asked them for the source of Cesare's funds, to which La Volpe
replied that Cesare had his own personal banker, whose identity was
unknown, as he was only referred to as "the Banker".
Additionally, Ezio revealed that he intended to kill the French general, Octavian de Valois,
so that Cesare would lose the protection of his foreign allies. La
Volpe also remarked that there was a side entrance into the Castel
Sant'Angelo that Ezio could use, and that Lucrezia's lover Pietro Rossi had a key to enter it.
Upon leaving the hideout, Ezio noticed Caterina about to leave on
horseback; she said that she was of no good to anyone without Forlì in
her possession, and that she wanted to be with her children in Florence.
Despite Ezio's request for her to stay, Caterina left Rome.
Ezio handing the money to Egidio
Ezio met Claudia in the Rosa in Fiore, and she told him that senator Egidio Troche
frequently came into the brothel to complain about his debts to the
Banker, and that he could be found at the Campidoglio. Hearing several
men on the Campidoglio talking about Egidio making failed attempts to
get finances, Ezio eventually found him under attack of Borgia guards
and rescued him.
Together, they went through the district looking for a safe place
for Egidio to hide out in. Finally, Egidio found shelter in the home of
his brother Francesco, who was angry at Egidio for warning the ambassador of Venice of Cesare's plans for Romagna.
Egidio was willing to aid Ezio, telling him that the Borgia
guards usually led him to the Banker, and that he needed money to meet
with them. Ezio brought him the required amount of florins, and Egidio
met with the guards, while Ezio followed them from above.
Disguised Ezio handing over the chest
Eventually they arrived at the Pantheon, where the money was given to the Borgia captain Luigi Torcelli.
Ezio infiltrated the Pantheon via the roof and killed Luigi, taking his
clothes and impersonating him. Together with two Borgia guards, Ezio
was able to carry the money to the right location - a feast Cesare was
throwing in celebration of his conquests - and passed the chest of money
on to the next guard.
Ezio was given entry to the party, but the guards soon found out
that Luigi had been killed in the Pantheon, and they went out looking
for Ezio. However, with the aid of Claudia's courtesans, he was able to
remain undetected while following the chest carrier to the party.
Once there, Ezio overheard the Banker introduce himself as Juan Borgia
to a courtesan. Ezio followed them both to where Cesare was giving a
speech. Ezio avoided the patrolling guards and took a seat on a bench,
killing Juan Borgia as he passed him.
Ezio escaped and returned to the Rosa in Fiore, where a group of
courtesans who had stolen the chest of money cried out that the Borgia
guards had followed them to the brothel, and that they had gone after
Claudia and Maria. Ezio rushed inside, only to find out that Claudia had
already killed all the Borgia guards by herself using a knife.
Battle with the French
Ezio: "Once inside, your men can overpower the camp's patrols, correct?"
Bartolomeo: "Yes, but..."
Ezio: "Especially if the patrols are taken completely by surprise?"
—Ezio and Bartolomeo forming a plan
Disguised Ezio delivering Bartolomeo to Octavian
Following the Banker's death, Ezio traveled to Bartolomeo d'Alviano's
barracks, where he soon discovered that Bartolomeo's wife, Pantasilea Baglioni,
had been kidnapped by the Baron de Valois, commander of Cesare's French
allies in Rome. Despite putting up a valiant defense of his barracks,
Bartolomeo saw no feasible way that he could secure his wife's safety
short of surrendering; Ezio however, had another idea.
After Ezio eliminated a large number of French soldiers,
Bartolomeo's mercenaries wore their armor and took on the guise of a
French patrol escorting a defeated Bartolomeo to the Castra Praetoria, the base of operations for the Baron de Valois' forces.
Infiltrating the fortress, Bartolomeo and Ezio came face to face
with the Baron, who very nearly killed Pantasilea, had not Ezio
interrupted him with a shot from his Hidden Gun. Battle soon broke out,
and with Bartolomeo's mercenaries engaging the French forces, Ezio was
free to pursue the Baron and Pantasilea, eventually freeing her and
killing him.
Securing the keys to the Castel
"It is time to pay a visit to Lucrezia's lover, Pietro."
―Ezio on obtaining the key to the Castel.
Not long after his victory over the Baron de Valois, Ezio traveled once more to La Volpe Addormentata,
where he and La Volpe discussed the latter's suspicion that Niccolò had
betrayed the Assassins by guiding the Papal Army to Monteriggioni, and
by informing Rodrigo and Cesare to stay away from the Castel during
Ezio's infiltration. Ezio disagreed, but promised to look into the
presence of a traitor.
La Volpe informed Ezio that Pietro Rossi, an actor and Lucrezia
Borgia's lover, had the key to the Castel and that Cesare intended to
kill Pietro over his feelings for Lucrezia. Locating Cesare at one of
the city gates, Ezio witnessed the assassination of Francesco Troche,
brother of Egidio, by Cesare's personal assassin Micheletto Corella.
Ezio then tailed Micheletto, who was to infiltrate the play that
Pietro would appear in, and kill him. As he followed him, Ezio had his
apprentices discreetly replace the guards Micheletto tasked with
partaking in the murder.
Ezio apprehending Paganino
Eventually, Micheletto arrived at the site of the play, the
Colosseum. Climbing up the outside of the structure, Ezio made his way
down from the roof to the backstage area below, picking off Micheletto's
marksmen as he went. Ezio soon struck Micheletto, but spared his life
when he learned that Pietro had been poisoned previously, as a means of
insurance.
Ezio hurried from the Colosseum with Pietro in his arms, while
his apprentices covered the retreat. After handing Pietro over to a
doctor and receiving the key to the Castel from him, Ezio spotted Paganino, a member of the Venetian thieves guild who had been present at the siege of Monteriggioni.
When approached, Paganino ran and Ezio gave chase. Ezio quickly
caught him and reasoned that he was in fact the traitor, not Niccolò.
Paganino pressed Ezio's Hidden Blade into his own throat to kill himself
rather than risk further revelations. Ezio raced back to Tiber Island
to stop La Volpe from killing Niccolò.
Ezio being promoted to Mentor
Later meeting with La Volpe inside the Tiber Island hideout, Ezio
ordered him to gather the Assassins, and bring Claudia as well. They
gathered in the ceremony hall, and there Ezio offered Claudia a chance
to join the Order, just as the others of their family had. She agreed,
and was inducted into the Order.
At the time, Niccolò also decided to step down from leading the
Order, and to promote Ezio to the position of Mentor, realizing that
Ezio was both a better leader, and "exactly what the Order needed". Ezio
in turn appointed Niccolò as his trusted adviser, who then recommended
he finish what he started. Ezio consented, and left for the Castel
Sant'Angelo.
Fall of the Borgia
Ezio: "You'd better not stop telling me what you think. Why else would I seek the opinion of my most trusted advisor?"
Niccolò: "Go kill them, Mentore. Finish what you started."
Ezio: "Good advice."
—Ezio and Niccolò discussing the Borgia.
Ezio giving Rodrigo last rites
With Cesare's supporters in Rome dead, the Brotherhood and its allies
were in command of the city. Ezio was informed that Cesare had returned
to Rome, and was meeting with his father in the Castel Sant'Angelo.
Once again infiltrating the Castel, Ezio witnessed Rodrigo's attempt to
poison his son, only to be murdered in retaliation.
As Cesare hurried off to obtain the Apple of Eden that his father
had hidden away, Ezio entered the Castel and gave Rodrigo's body his
blessing. He then learned from Lucrezia where Rodrigo had hidden the
Apple, and raced out of the fortress.
The Assassins making their final stand against Cesare
Ezio arrived at St. Peter's Basilica, and took possession of the
Apple before Cesare, with just moments to spare. Cesare arrived with a
sizable contingent of Papal soldiers, though Ezio managed to escape
them. Over the next few months, and with the help of his fellow
Assassins, Ezio used the Apple to completely destroy what little support
Cesare still had in Rome.
Eventually, the Assassins caught up with Cesare himself, who was
awaiting reinforcements from Micheletto and his army by the gates of
Rome. Cesare's forces were defeated, although their leader had retreated
behind the city portcullis. However, he soon realized that he was not
safe as he was quickly arrested by Fabio Orsini on the orders of Pope Julius II. As he was dragged away, Cesare screamed that chains would not hold him, and that no man could murder him.
Ezio and Leonardo looking into the Apple
Despite their victory, Ezio was troubled by Cesare's comments, and
upon meeting with Leonardo, he confessed his concerns. At Leonardo's
suggestion, Ezio decided to look into the Apple to see if Cesare's
threats were true.
Upon doing so, Ezio quickly let go of the Apple, standing before
Leonardo could question him and commenting that he had to leave
immediately. Before he departed, however, Ezio left Leonardo a parting
gift: a chest full of gold, in compensation for losing his patron.
Chasing Cesare
Captain: "Cesare’s escaped!"
Ezio: "When?"
Captain: "The guards were being changed. About half an hour ago."
—Ezio discovering Cesare's escape
Running from the Tiber Island headquarters, Ezio made his way to the
Castel Sant'Angelo and was greeted by a scene of mass confusion.
Questioning a guard, Ezio learned that Cesare had escaped, likely with
the aid of an inside-man, but that Lucrezia had been left behind.
Concluding that the best way for Cesare to escape the city was by boat,
Ezio ran to the docks nearest the Castel.
The docks were extremely busy when he arrived, and as such, Ezio
was forced to use the Apple to learn of Cesare's location. Pointed to a
red-sailed caravel on pier six, Ezio made his way there, only to find
that it had already set sail. Ezio headed to the nearest boat and
offered to pay the boat-master handsomely if he pursued the caravel.
Ezio was surprised to see that it was Claudio who captained the boat, having been given money to do so by La Volpe previously.
The ships were already nearing Ostia
by the time Claudio's scoop caught up. Locking sails, Claudio gave Ezio
the order to jump aboard and together Ezio and Claudio quickly
overpowered the ship's crew, while Cesare watched helplessly from the
secure wooden crate he had been hidden in. Upon docking in Ostia, Cesare
was securely sent back to Rome.
Councilor to the Pope
Julius II: "Cesare Borgia has been safely delivered into one of their strongest and most secure rocca!"
Ezio: "Where?"
Julius II: "Ah, that's classified information, even to you. I can't take any chances with Cesare."
—Pope Julius II speaking with Ezio.
By 1504, Ezio had become councilor to Pope Julius II, and was with
him when the Pope received word that Cesare Borgia had been successfully
handed over to King Ferdinand II of Aragon, and his wife Queen Isabella I of Castile.
When Ezio inquired as to where he was being held, Julius politely
refused to answer, perhaps cautious of any attempts Ezio might make on
the Templar leader's life. Later in the conversation, a tired Ezio
nonchalantly suggested the name "Swiss Guard" for the contingent of Swiss mercenaries Julius II was thinking of hiring as his personal bodyguards.[9]
The following day, Ezio called a meeting with La Volpe,
Bartolomeo, Niccolò, and Claudia to discuss rooting out the Borgia
diehards who still pocketed Italy. Together, they formulated a plan that
would keep control of the Borgia loyalists until the time to strike
presented itself.
Following the meeting, Ezio and Niccolò met with a number of Rodrigo's former lovers and associates, including Vannozza dei Cattanei and Giulia Farnese, as well as Cesare's wife, Charlotte d'Albret.
On their way to meet Giulia, Ezio and Niccolò noticed they were being
followed by someone, and had been since leaving Vanozza's palazzo. After
making their way onto the rooftops, the Assassins were eventually able
to lose their pursuer, although it took a lot of effort on their part.
During this mission, Niccolò repeatedly asked Ezio to use the
Apple to more easily locate Cesare; Ezio consistently refused, not
wishing to become dependent on its power at the expense of his own skill
and experiences.
Dealing with the Borgia diehards
Bruno: "The Borgia diehards! They sent someone to follow you and Maestro Ezio-"
Niccolò: "And?"
Bruno: "Sure that you were out of the way, they have taken Claudia!"
—Ezio and Niccolò discovering Claudia's capture.
After leaving Charlotte's palazzo, Ezio and Niccolò were approached by Bruno,
one of Niccolò's spies, who informed the two that the Borgia had had
them followed, so as to ensure they were not present when they kidnapped
Claudia Auditore. Upon learning her location, the two quickly made
their way to liberate her from her captors, only to discover they had
been led into a trap; Bruno had been working for the Borgia for at least
a year.
Upon reaching the Borgia diehards' facility, Ezio saw Claudia
tied to a chair, half-dressed and bruised. The leader of the diehards
held a knife to Claudia's throat and threatened to kill her if Ezio did
not leave Rome once and for all. Ezio refused and, together with
Niccolò, quickly overpowered and eliminated the diehards.
After rescuing Claudia, Ezio learned that Micheletto had holed up in the Ludus Magnus in Zagarolo,
east of Rome. Bringing together a force of one-hundred apprentices and
thieves, Ezio's forces quickly surrounded and overpowered the
two-hundred and fifty strong force commanded by Micheletto.
Micheletto was taken to Florence, and was incarcerated in the
cell atop the Palazzo della Signoria; the same cell that had held Ezio's
father twenty-eight years earlier. There, he was tortured by Niccolò, Amerigo Vespucci and Piero Soderini,
the Gonfaloniere of Florence and Niccolò's "master". Despite learning
nothing from Micheletto, Niccolò promised to continue in his attempts to
prise any information from him, and parted ways with Ezio warmly when
the latter was forced to return to Rome.
Locking away the Apple
"I have more than played my part in your career and you must now return me."
―The Apple to Ezio.
Days later, Ezio was awoken in the early hours of the morning by
Niccolò, who informed him that Micheletto had managed to escape from the
Palazzo della Signoria with the aid of a Borgia-friendly priest and the
diehards. Ezio quickly realized that this could work to their
advantage: if they could track Micheletto down, they could follow him to
Cesare.
Convening an emergency meeting, Ezio organized a manhunt for
Micheletto that focused on the area surrounding Rome and Ostia. Later,
Ezio was effectively ordered by Niccolò to use the Apple to locate
Micheletto, but was only provided with a vague image of a Spanish
castle.
Ezio walking out of the Vault
Ezio was confused by this, and expressed his feelings to Niccolò, who
recommended he ask the Apple why it wasn't showing him what he wanted.
The Piece of Eden told Ezio that the time had come for him to relinquish
it, so that future generations might make use of it, and also indicated
where it should be hidden. As a parting gift, the Apple informed the Assassin that Micheletto was making his way to Spain via the port in Naples.
Before making their way to Naples, Ezio and Niccolò decided to
abandon the Apple just at it had requested. Entering the Colosseum, the
two Assassins made their way through the old lair of Romulus, marking the way as they went, until they reached the entrance to the Vault.
Ezio entered the Vault, placed the Apple on the central pedestal,
and exited. As the door closed behind him, both Ezio and Niccolò
noticed that the door seemed to vanish, instead taking the appearance of
the surrounding wall.
Rescuing Da Vinci
Leonardo: "Salaì? Is that you? Ezio! I must be getting lazy in my old age. I did not know you had returned to Roma."
Ezio: "Unfortunately, I cannot stay. I am here to charter a ship."
―Leonardo and Ezio, shortly after the latter's return.
Ezio and Leonardo looking at the unfinished Mona Lisa
With the Apple safely hidden away, Ezio met with Leonardo in 1506 to
discuss his need of chartering a ship to Navarre. Leonardo interjected
that he knew the name of a friendly ship captain, but was unable to
remember it at the time. As the artist searched for his records, Ezio
and Leonardo briefly discussed the ancient Greek scholar Pythagoras, whom Leonardo was researching.
However, Ezio suggested he instead focus on his painting, and complimented a portrait of a smiling lady
Leonardo was working on. Eventually, though he could not find the
captain's name, Leonardo offered to accompany Ezio to the docks, though
he was unable to leave the studio unaccompanied. As such, Ezio offered
to bring back Leonardo's apprentice, Salaì.
Ezio meeting Salaì in La Volpe Addormentata
Ezio found Salaì in La Volpe Addormentata, enjoying a game of dice.
Despite some initial resistance, Salaì eventually agreed to return to
his Master's workshop with Ezio, much to the chagrin of three cloaked
individuals who had been playing against Salaì.
Once outside, the three individuals and several of their
comrades, who were all revealed to be Hermeticists, attacked Ezio and
Salaì. The two manage to defeat them, and Salaì remarked that only one
individual could fight with such skill, correctly guessing Ezio's name.
Ezio simply suggested that they continue on to Leonardo's workshop.
Avoiding the throngs of Hermeticists between them and their
destination, Ezio and Salaì returned to find the workshop wrecked and
Leonardo missing. Salaì regretfully informed Ezio that he did not know
the location of the Temple of Pythagoras, which was likely where Leonardo had been taken.
Looking down to the floor in sadness, Salaì spotted some writing
on the floor, which suggested that Leonardo's artwork that had hung in
the Villa Auditore had held clues to the location of the temple. At
first Ezio was dismissive, commenting that all the paintings had been
destroyed in the attack, though Salaì quickly responded that only two
had been destroyed, and one had been sold (by Salaì himself to buy a
"now out of fashion" doublet), leaving five more to find. These five, he
said, were currently in the hands of Lucrezia Borgia, Duchess of Ferrara.
Recovering the paintings
"I count five Leonardo da Vinci paintings you have stolen, and I want them returned."
―Ezio to Lucrezia, Duchess of Ferrara.
Ezio seducing Lucrezia inside Delizia di Belriguardo
Ezio made his way to Delizia di Belriguardo,
climbing over the palazzo's outer walls and overhearing a paranoid
Lucrezia ordering the guards into high alert. Infiltrating the palazzo
through the attached stables, Ezio confronted Lucrezia on the stolen
paintings, clarifying that he had not come to take her life.
Willingly, Lucrezia revealed that she only had one of the
paintings left, as the rest had been taken after the fall of her family.
Ordering her men to place the Annunciation
painting in a cart outside the palazzo's walls, Lucrezia was then
thrust against the wall by Ezio, who began to kiss her neck intimately.
At this, Lucrezia told Ezio that three of the paintings had been sold to Francesco Colonna, while the fifth went to an old flame of Lucrezia's named Patrizio.
Ezio apologized to Lucrezia and then pulled back, revealing that he had
tied her to the hanging drape. Lucrezia angrily called for her
husband's personal guard, who pursued Ezio through the palazzo until he
escaped out of a window, and into a bale of hay near the cart containing
the painting.
Returning to Rome, Ezio made his way to the Vaticano district, where he followed Patrizio, who was hoping to sell Portrait of a Musician
to the Hermeticists. Ezio watched as Ercole Massimo belittled Patrizio
for his racist views on Lucrezia's Spanish heritage, and then had him
murdered when he tried to destroy the painting out of anger. Ezio
pursued the Hermeticist Ercole had tasked with transporting the
painting, and eventually retrieved it.
Ezio interrogating Duccio
Ezio then traveled to the home of Francesco Colonna, only to find
that the house had been seized by the bank. He was told that the da
Vinci paintings had been sold to an art merchant from Florence, who was
waiting at the docks outside the Mausoleo di Augusto.
Making his way there, Ezio was surprised to see that the art
merchant was his sister's former love interest Duccio de Luca. Duccio
immediately set about insulting Ezio for living in a "third-rate city"
such as Rome, and then again for his sister being the Madame of the Rosa
in Fiore. For his troubles, Duccio received a short, stout punch to the
face from a now angered Ezio.
Duccio ordered his entourage to attack Ezio, though the Assassin
was able to easily hold off his attackers. He eventually gained the
information he wanted from Duccio, but the merchant pushed his insults
even further against Claudia, resulting in a final blow, which knocked
him unconscious.[12]
After knocking Duccio out, Ezio made his way to the merchant's boat, which had been occupied by Hermeticists, to retrieve the third painting.
Ezio swiftly eliminated them without being seen, and claimed the
painting as his own. He then made his way to the Rosa in Fiore in order
to ascertain a means of obtaining the last two paintings, which had been
bought by a cardinal and put on display inside the Castel Sant'Angelo.
Infiltrating the art exhibition
"There is
a viewing at the Castel Sant'Angelo later today. You will need an
invitation. Fortunately, I know where you can procure one."
―Claudia helping Ezio.
Ezio entering the art exhibition
Upon reaching the Rosa in Fiore, Ezio spoke of the art exhibition
with his sister Claudia, who directed him to the docks, from where one
invitation was meant to be delivered. Ezio intercepted the courier
carrying the invitation, and met up with a group of courtesans on the
Ponte Sant'Angelo, instructing them to steal the paintings he would
mark.
Ezio marked the frame of the first painting, St Jerome in the Wilderness,
after distracting the guards on duty, then proceeded into the Castel
for the second, backtracking along the same path he had used to escape
with Caterina years previously. After marking the second painting, Adoration of the Magi, in the upper chambers, he quickly left the Castel as cries over the theft rang out around him.
Ezio and Salaì looking at the map leading to the Pythagorean temple
Ezio returned to Leonardo's workshop, where the five paintings had
been stored. Inside, he found Salaì already working to find any clues
for the location of the temple, though he had found nothing. Salaì was
on the verge of giving up, when Ezio prompted him to think of ways
Leonardo might have concealed his work. Salaì remembered that Leonardo
taken to working with invisible inks, and suggested that Ezio he use his
gift of Eagle Vision
to find any clues. Despite his annoyance at Leonardo for telling Salaì
about his gift, Ezio did as was asked, and found small diagrams in each
painting.
After inspecting all the paintings, Ezio drew out each diagram
and laid them on the table. Salaì immediately worked out it was a map,
although there were probably pieces missing from the two paintings
destroyed during the Siege of Monteriggioni. Nonetheless, Ezio managed
the piece together the map, and located the entrance to the catacombs
containing the Temple of Pythagoras.[12]
Temple of Pythagoras
Leonardo: "Those are not Pythagorean symbols. 43 39 19 N 75 27 42 W. Nothing. The Cult of Hermes is wrong, the number is meaningless."
Ezio entered the catacombs and made his way towards the temple. As he
did so, he could hear Ercole Massimo beating Leonardo, demanding he
open the door to the temple. Ezio ordered the Hermeticist to stop, and
after a brief exchange of words, he was attacked by Ercole's allies. He
dealt with them swiftly, before climbing up to Ercole and assassinating
him with his Hidden Blade.
Though Ezio suggested that they leave as Leonardo was injured,
the other protested, saying that the "number" the Hermeticists had been
seeking must be destroyed, lest another go searching for it.
Reluctantly, Ezio agreed.
In each room of the temple, Ezio and Leonardo found themselves
confronted by a complex puzzle. The first room required Ezio to redirect
beams of light, while the second had him redirect the flow of air into a
large, fan-dominated, locking mechanism. In the final room, Ezio had to
activate several switches, which directed streams of burning oil into a
central plate. Once activated, the central plate lowered, revealing a
large circular pedestal.
Ezio and Leonardo recognized the symbols upon the pedestal as
those shown to them by the Apple, albeit in the wrong order. Ezio
watched as Leonardo rotated the pillars so the images fit, opening the
door into the temple's final chamber.
Ezio and Leonardo in the Vault
Entering the vault, Ezio recognized the architecture as matching that
of the Vatican and Colosseum Vaults. He approached the central pedestal
and placed his hand above it. A bright light activated above him and
soon enough, the entire chamber was cloaked in a dim green light. Before
them, six numbers and two letters repeated themselves: 43 39 19 N 75 27
42 W.
Although Leonardo totally dismissed the numbers as nonsense, Ezio
remarked that the numbers were not meant for their eyes. To distract
him from the numbers, Ezio asked Leonardo of his other projects as he
led him from the room.
Finishing the Borgia
Travelling to Spain
Ezio: "Where is he now?"
Captain: "Gone! I know he was in the town, asking questions, but he’s well-known here, and he has many friends, believe it or not."
―Ezio and the captain discussing Michelleto's whereabouts.
Arriving in Naples on Midsummers Day, 1506, Ezio, Leonardo and
Niccolò were met with a wall of silence from the local population when
they questioned them about Micheletto. They persevered, fortunately
happening upon a courtesan named Camilla,
who claimed to have spent the previous night with a man matching their
description of Micheletto. She pointed them to the docks and to Valencia.[9]
Ezio, Niccolò, and Leonardo booked passage to Valencia, though
the crossing took five days, as the sea was particularly rough, which
lost the three any chance of catching up with Micheletto. Once they
arrived however, they quickly learned that Micheletto had headed to the Lone Wolf Inn, a place being described as "not for gentlemen".
Nonetheless, the three made their way to the inn and entered,
only to be immediately set upon by ten men whose eyes were already
accustomed to the darkness. Ezio and Niccolò fought off the ambushers,
as Leonardo hid behind the bar. Ezio was then approached from behind and
garroted by Micheletto himself, though a well placed strike to the
stomach from Niccolò's blade forced Micheletto to let go and flee.
Although Micheletto had fled, one of his underlings had survived
the Assassins' onslaught, and reluctantly surrendered his master's
destination: the Castillo de la Mota. The next day, after a short rest, the three continued on to the Castillo.
They arrived too late though, and Ezio learned from a lieutenant
that Cesare had escaped, although they were not yet sure how exactly he
had managed it. Ezio immediately demanded a fresh horse, but Leonardo's
exhaustion and Niccolò's counsel convinced him to stay a while and rest.
Within the month, they were back in Valencia, and found the city
in the grip of Cesare's diehards. Disheartened by the turn of events,
the Assassins contemplated their next move. Leonardo piped up with a
suggestion, asking them to gather sulphur, charcoal and potassium
nitrate, as well as thin sheets of malleable steel.
They complied, and in a short time, Leonardo managed to construct twenty small, hand-held bombs,
which could be thrown onto enemy positions after lighting the fuse.
Leonardo then revealed to Ezio and Niccolò that he was returning to
Italy on the next ship, as he was becoming homesick.
Attack on Valencia
"Well, we don’t need the Apple to tell us what our old friend Cesare is planning."
―Niccolò, on Cesare's plans.
Despite this setback, Ezio and Niccolò were determined to destroy
Cesare's new army, and together formulated a plan. While Niccolò made
his way to the diehards' camp, Ezio headed to the docks. Approaching the
first ship, Ezio lit the fuse and threw it into the vessel, dismissive
of what destructive power such a small device could possible contain. He
was shocked when the device exploded, cracking the warship's mast and
felling it, with splintered wood flying high into the air.
Ezio continued to target Cesare's vessels, and in several cases,
the initial bomb's explosion was followed by the detonation of the
vessel gunpowder reserve; at one point, the explosion of one ship
brought down the two on either side of it. All in all, Ezio managed to
destroy twelve vessels with his ten hand-held bombs. He then met up with
Niccolò on the corner of the street where the Lone Wolf Inn was
located.
Climbing onto the roof of the building, Ezio and Niccolò peered
over the open skylight onto Cesare and Micheletto, who were discussing
the recent turn of events. Cesare angrily belittled Micheletto, blaming
him for what had happened and driving him to launch himself across the
table at his Master.
Cesare quickly pulled one of his pistols from his belt and shot
at Micheletto, destroying his face completely. Ezio pulled back, hoping
to catch Cesare as he left the building, though Niccolò, who had craned
forward to get a better look, kicked down a tile in the process, and
caught Cesare's attention. Drawing his second pistol just as rapidly as
he had his first, Cesare shot at the Assassin, hitting Niccolò in the
shoulder
Ezio briefly thought of pursuit, but Niccolò's injury was severe
and required immediate medical attention. Finding a doctor, they learned
the bullet had gone straight through, and that Niccolò would be
sufficiently healed for travel in two weeks. Before Ezio left to pursue
Cesare, Niccolò wished him good luck.
Siege of Viana
Cesare: "How did you find me?"
Ezio Auditore: "The Apple you stole from Mario Auditore led me here."
―Cesare Borgia and Ezio Auditore
In 1507, Ezio finally located Cesare Borgia, who was leading the forces of his brother-in-law, John III of Navarre, in a siege of the city of Viana.
Ezio fighting Cesare in Viana
Ezio engaged Cesare on the battlefield, initially making an
unsuccessful attempt to kill him with his Hidden Blade. Cesare made his
escape towards Viana Castle, and Ezio was almost overwhelmed by Cesare's
guards. Narrowly surviving an artillery strike, Ezio chased after
Cesare, and followed him through the village.
Fighting past the battling guards, and climbing two burning siege
towers, Ezio eventually reached the ramparts of Viana Castle. He made
his way through another small group of guards, and engaged Cesare in
combat atop the city walls.
Ezio letting Cesare fall to his death
Despite a continual stream of soldiers attacking him, Ezio was able
to whittle away Cesare's armor and overpower him. When Cesare angrily
repeated his claim that no man could kill him, Ezio coldly replied he
would leave him in the hands of Fate, and threw Cesare from the city
walls to his death.
Later, a much older Ezio returned to the Sanctuary beneath the
Villa Auditore to leave a clue to the password that protected the
Vault's entrance, as suggested by Leonardo years previously. The clue
was visible only to those who possessed Eagle Vision.
Search for the Masyaf Keys
Discovering a new purpose
"There,
over two centuries ago, our then Mentor, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, greatest
of our Order, established a library deep beneath the fortress."
―Excerpt from the letter of Giovanni Auditore.
With Cesare's death, the Borgia and their plans for Italy were
finished. Ezio focused himself on internal matters, forming stronger
ways of communication for the Assassins from Sicily to Venice, and
creating more standard training methods for new Assassin recruits.
In 1509, Ezio happened upon some of his uncle Mario's documents,
finding a letter written by his father Giovanni a year before Ezio was
born, which mentioned a sealed library
beneath the old Assassin fortress of Masyaf; the home of Altaïr
Ibn-La'Ahad, who had been Ezio's spiritual mentor during his early years
as an Assassin. Driven by a will to find out more about the Order, Ezio decided to leave Italy in 1510 and set sail for Syria.
Pilgrimage to Masyaf
"None of you leave until the Assassin is dead. Do you understand?"
―Leandros sending his men after Ezio.
In May 1510, Ezio set out from Rome on horseback, accompanied by
Bartolomeo d'Alviano and fifteen of the general's mercenaries. After
fifteen days, they arrived at Bari, on the eastern coast of Italy. At
Bari, Ezio chartered a ship, a freighter called the Anaan, and set sail for Corfu, located between Bari and Athens.
Along the way, the freighter was attacked by pirates, as it was
carrying a valuable cargo of spices. Ezio joined the crew in fighting
off the pirates, and assisted in capturing the pirates' captain, a man
Ezio would later come to know as Al-Scarab. The Anaan
arrived safely in Corfu, and Ezio promptly made arrangements to sail to
Athens, and from there to Crete, and then Cyprus. Not long after
departing from Crete, Ezio's ship ran into a storm, and was forced to
dock at Chios for minor repairs.
Finally, Ezio arrived at Cyprus, where he spent some time exploring the island, including the Templar's archive.
However, as he experienced more delays, it became apparent that the
Venetian authorities stationed in Cyprus were intervening with his
journey. Finally, Ezio took matters into his own hands and attempted to
"acquire" a small ship of his own, so he could continue on to Masyaf.
No sooner had he found a seaworthy vessel was he attacked by a
mysterious man, whom Ezio thought he recognized. The commotion caused by
their fighting attracted several members of the island's Night
Watchmen, and Ezio, along with his mysterious assailant-turned-ally,
fought off the guards. As the last man fell, Ezio was stabbed in the
side and fell unconscious. When he awoke, Ezio found himself on a ship
headed for Acre, manned by none other than the pirate captain he had
defeated some months earlier.
Ezio arrived in the city of Acre
ten months after leaving Rome. After spending a week there, Ezio was
informed that the road to Masyaf was filled with foreign bandits and
mercenaries. He also wrote a letter to Claudia,
informing her of his journey so far and that, should he not survive,
she should not seek vengeance. Shortly thereafter, he continued his
journey to Masyaf.
Templars leading Ezio to a plank
Ezio arrived at Masyaf in March 1511, and found the town to be
crumbled and largely abandoned. Upon making his way to the fortress,
Ezio was ambushed by the town's Byzantine Templar garrison, under the command of their captain, Leandros.
Overrun and outnumbered, Ezio was captured by the Templars and lead
onto a plank to be hung from the fortress' watchtower. However, as
Leandros put the noose around Ezio's neck, Ezio attacked Leandros, threw
the noose about Leandros' neck, and eventually escaped along the
outside of the tower.
Ezio quickly made his way back to the battlements, where he
retrieved his weapons. He then made his way beneath the castle, to the
doors of Altaïr's library, where he learned from a worker that Leandros
had the journal of Niccolò Polo
in his possession, which supposedly led to the keys needed to open the
library's door. Ezio left the fortress, and pursued Templar Captain, who
had escaped by carriage.[
Ezio assassinating Leandros
Ezio managed to hold onto a rope trailing from the carriage, and
dragged himself up to the carriage itself. Leandros escaped onto the
carriage of one of his men, and the chase continued, with each carriage
jostling for space on a narrow cliff path.
Eventually, a well-placed bomb sent Ezio's carriage over the
edge, severely injuring him, though he persistently continued to follow
Leandros. Fighting his way through a nearby village, Ezio confronted and assassinated Leandros, claiming the journal for himself.
Settling into Constantinople
"Welcome
to Galata district. For centuries it has been a home to orphans from
Europa and Asia alike. You won't find more diversity anywhere else in
the city. And for that reason, Assassins make it their home."
―Yusuf welcoming Ezio.
Having obtained the journal, Ezio made his way to Constantinople
by ship, where he hoped to find those Masyaf Keys the Templars had not
already obtained. As they neared the port, Ezio briefly spoke with a
fellow passenger, a young man
who claimed to be a student. Ezio spoke to him of how he spent his own
youth, until a woman on the ship caught his attention. Disembarking the
ship, Ezio was greeted by the leader of the local Assassin guild, Yusuf Tazim.
Yusuf welcoming Ezio
Yusuf informed Ezio of the state of affairs in the city and of how the Byzantine remnants fought with the Ottomans for control of the city. Later, Ezio was introduced to some of Yusuf's men, and was advised to get new equipment.
When the two met again, Ezio was provided with an Ottoman hookblade and was taught on its use by Yusuf. The two then aided in the defense and reclamation of two of the Assassin dens in the city. Ezio additionally met with Piri Reis, another Master Assassin
in the city. Together with Piri, Ezio found Niccolò Polo's old trading
post, which was inhabited by the Venetian bookseller Sofia Sartor; the
woman who had caught Ezio's eye on the ship into the city.
Locating a secret passageway beneath the trading post, Ezio
flirtingly suggested they both investigate, but was politely rebuked. He
then entered the underground cavern,
successfully obtaining his first Masyaf Key, as well as an encrypted
map, which he eventually managed to decode with Sofia's help. Over time,
Ezio started to develop feelings for Sofia, but could not bear to tell
her about his Assassin affiliations.
Working with Prince Suleiman
"For now, keep an eye on Tarik and his Janissaries. They spend much of their free time in and around the Bazaar."
―Suleiman instructing Ezio.
Ezio continued to aid the Assassins in the city while Sofia worked to
uncover the location of the remaining Keys. At one point, Ezio
disguised himself as a minstrel, and prevented an attack on the young
Prince Suleiman at Topkapı Palace;
whom he recognized as the "student" from the ship he had entered the
city on. After becoming acquainted with Suleiman, Ezio helped to uncover
those behind the attempted assassination.
Suleiman conversing with Ezio
Their investigations led them to Tarik Barleti, Captain of the Janissaries responsible for Suleiman's protection, and supporter of his father, Selim I. After observing an exchange of weapons between Tarik and Manuel Palaiologos, heir apparent of the now-defunct Byzantine throne and member of the Templar Order, Ezio was tasked to kill Tarik by Suleiman.
Ezio carried out the assassination, only to discover Tarik had been working to apprehend Manuel and his associate - Shahkulu - "where they felt safest". Remorsefully, Ezio asked for Tarik's forgiveness, before delivering the news to Suleiman.
Journey to Cappadocia
"There he is. The monster I came to kill."
―Ezio when confronting Manuel.
Ezio leaving Constantinople with Piri Reis
After obtaining the four Keys still within Constantinople, Ezio traveled to Cappadocia,
the location given to him by Tarik, to confront Manuel Palaiologos.
Before he could depart however, he was intercepted by Yusuf, who
informed him that the Janissaries had raised the Great Chain
across the mouth of the Golden Horn to prevent him from leaving the
city. Yusuf provided Ezio with a sizable bomb, claiming that it was
significantly more dangerous than their usual explosives.
Ezio proceeded to the port, where he destroyed the Great Chain
with Yusuf's special bomb, and burned the numerous Templar ships that
guarded the harbor using Greek Fire.
Arriving in Cappadocia aboard Piri Reis' ship, Ezio sought to
make contact with Tarik's spies, who were already in the city. However,
he soon learned that many of Tarik's men had already been discovered,
apprehended, and executed by the Byzantines. He arrived just in time to
prevent the execution of the remaining spies, engaging and eliminating
Shahkulu in open combat.
Ezio facing Manuel Palaiologos
With the spies safe, Ezio proceeded to detonate the city's ordinance
supply and, in the ensuing panic, gave chase to Palaiologos. Confronting
him at one of the city's docks, Ezio killed him and claimed the fifth
and final Key. Before he could leave however, he found himself
confronted by Suleiman's uncle and heir-apparent to the Ottoman throne, Ahmet.
Revealing his own Templar allegiance, Ahmet demanded Ezio to hand
over the Key, lest harm fall upon Sofia Sartor. Angrily, Ezio pledged
vengeance should any harm come to her, then made his way back through
the now smoke-filled city to his ship, and to Constantinople.
Fight with Prince Ahmet
"Now should be a time for remembrance and mourning, I know... but our enemies do not permit us that luxury."
―Ezio before confronting Ahmet.
Ezio rallying the Assassins against Ahmet
After arriving in Constantinople, Ezio hurriedly made his way to
Sofia's bookshop. He found that the place had been ransacked and Yusuf,
whom Ezio had asked to look after Sofia during his time in Cappadocia,
had been killed. Upon discovering Yusuf's dead body, Ezio gave him a
final blessing before shutting his eyes. Declaring a renewed vengeance
against all those who dared to cross the Assassins, Ezio collected the
remaining Keys and prepared to ambush Ahmet during the exchange.
However, Ahmet held Sofia hostage atop Galata Tower, and Ezio was forced to give him the Keys in order to rescue her. The hostage turned out to be Azize, one of Ezio's fellow Assassins, and Ezio saw Sofia was being hung in a courtyard.
After parachuting
down towards her, and after ensuring that she was fine, Ezio boarded a
carriage with to pursue Ahmet, who had already hurried off towards Syria
to find the library and unlock its contents.
After a lengthy ride through the country, which left Ezio
essentially parasailing to hang onto their carriage, he managed to grab
Ahmet and the two struggled as they both went flying off a cliff. Ezio
subdued the prince and opened a parachute to save them both.
As they both recovered from their rough landing, Ezio and Ahmet
saw an army arrive with Selim at its head. Selim explained that the
Sultan had chosen him over Ahmet, and proceeded to strangle his brother
and throw him off a cliff. Selim spared Ezio, having heard good things
about him from his son Suleiman, but ordered him to stay out of
Constantinople.
Ezio speaking to Desmond
After traveling to Masyaf with Sofia, Ezio used the five Keys to open
the door to Altaïr's library. Ezio discovered there were no books, only
the body of the former Mentor, with a memory seal in his hand. The seal revealed Altaïr's final moments, and the location of his Apple at the back of the library.[14]
Ezio moved towards the Apple, but refused to take it, believing
he had seen enough for one life. The Apple emanated a wave of light, and
Ezio began speaking to Desmond. Acknowledging he was a conduit for a message,
Ezio removed his bracers and sword to declare the end of his life as an
Assassin. He then encouraged Desmond to make his life's sufferings
worth it, and told him to listen.
Return to Constantinople
"Prince
Suleiman knows of your return and has provided you with a safe-conduct.
But his father is adamant that you should not remain long."
―Azize to Ezio.
After their visit to Masyaf, Ezio and Sofia returned to
Constantinople to set their affairs in the city to rest. Despite Selim
ordering Ezio never to return, Suleiman managed to secure Ezio a brief
visit, as long as he behaved himself.
Ezio made sure that Dogan,
the new leader of the Turkish Assassins, was able to competently
command the Assassins' Guild there. Ezio also oversaw the selling of
Sofia's bookshop to Azize, the Assassin who had been kidnapped by Ahmet
and held at the top of Galata Tower as a decoy for Sofia. The bookshop
was used as an outpost for the Assassins, and Ezio stored the Masyaf
Keys in the chamber where he had found the first key, underneath the
bookshop.
Later life
Settling down
"I knew I would not have enough time to do everything. Now I worry I do not have enough time to do anything."
Ezio and Sofia married in Venice. They had a daughter, Flavia, in May 1513, and a son, Marcello, in October 1514.
By 1524, a retired Ezio lived with his family in a villa in the Tuscan
countryside. There, he tended to a vineyard, and often spent time in his
study, writing his memoirs.
Final visits to Leonardo
"I’ll tell you a secret. All my life—while I thought I was learning to live, I have simply been learning how to die."
―Leonardo's words on dying.
By 1519, Ezio had suffered a chest infection, and as a result developed a
serious cough. This is likely hypersensitivity pneumonitis, also known
as wine-grower's lung, due to his time in the vineyard.
A visit from Machiavelli revealed that their mutual friend
Leonardo was dying. The pair traveled to Amboise in France to the manor
Clos Luce, where Leonardo was staying.
Ezio learned that his friend wished to travel outside of the
manor to places like England or even back to Venice where he hoped to
sell his submarine idea, seeing as he was disappointed with his patron's
last creation, a giant mechanical lion.
The pair stayed in France for another week, and visited Leonardo often. Upon their departure, rumors began to spread that King Francis
was with Leonardo until he died, and had cradled his head. Ezio was
disgusted by this rumor and believed that anyone, even a king, would do
anything for publicity.
Teaching Shao Jun
"So
I spent many years teaching men and women to think and act for
themselves. First in Rome, then among our Brotherhood in
Constantinople."
―Ezio expaining his deeds to Shao Jun.
One day in 1524, Sofia left with Marcello to visit Claudia, leaving
Ezio to watch over Flavia. As Ezio started harvesting the crops, he
called for Flavia to stay where he could see her. However, as he worked,
he saw a mysterious cloaked figure approach Flavia. Panicking, he
sprinted over to them, seizing the stranger by the collar, but pausing
as he noticed the Assassin insignia on the necklace she wore.
Afterwards, the Assassin introduced herself as Shao Jun, a
Chinese Assassin, who had traveled to Italy with her Mentor to learn of
methods to unite the Assassins of her homeland. However, Ezio refused to
be involved, though he allowed her to stay in the villa for the night
on Sofia's insistence.
Ezio and Jun in Florence
The following day, Ezio found Jun sitting in his private study,
reading a letter he had been writing. Infuriated, he ordered her out of
the room, and insisted that she leave the villa.
However, Jun thoughtfully recited to him the words that he had
written, wishing to understand their meaning. Ezio finally consented and
invited her to accompany him into Florence while he ran errands. On the
journey there and back, he finally spoke to her of the importance of
love in the Assassin Order, saying that if she could support that which
inspired hope in her people, she would succeed.
However, the two of them were ambushed by a Chinese Imperial
soldier in Florence. Jun explained that she was a concubine who had
escaped by joining the Assassin Order, and the soldier who attacked the
two worked for the Chinese Emperor. Correctly expecting another attack
at the villa, Ezio had his family evacuate to Niccolò Machiavelli's
home, while he and Jun stayed behind.
Ezio and Jun were able to defend against the attack later that night, and in the morning, Ezio gave Jun a small chest
before her departure, telling her only to open it if she lost her way.
He had known from the start that the chest – which happened to be of
Precursor origin – was always empty, to teach Jun to accept the
responsibility that only she could decide which path to follow, the same
path of blood that Ezio had taken. Although he had seen the rage and
anger behind her eyes and tears, he could not encourage Jun to seek
revenge, for it was her that would fulfill her own destiny.
Death
"I am home."
―Ezio to Sofia in Florence.
Ezio passing away on the bench
In his final hours, Ezio chose to go to Florence with Sofia and
Flavia while they went shopping. Ezio sat down on a bench, feeling ill,
and shrugging off Sofia's concerns that he should have stayed home,
stating "I am home."
While Sofia and Flavia went to buy groceries, a young man
approached Ezio, thoughtfully berating the women of Florence. Ezio
wearily responded by implying the man was the problem, not the city.
Immediately afterward, Ezio began panting and holding his chest in pain.
The young man quickly grabbed Ezio's hand and told Ezio to have
courage. He told Ezio to "get some rest", and then left. Ezio looked
back at him angrily, but calmed down just as quickly. Breathing heavily,
Ezio looked over at Sofia and Flavia, smiling, before resting his head
against the back of the bench, and passing away peacefully.
Ezio obtaining the scar on his lip
Ezio's initial meeting with Leonardo da Vinci
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