Venetian Conspiracy

"Do not underestimate this troublesome foe, who now haunts your city."

- Rodrigo Borgia regarding Ezio's presence in Venice.

The Hunt in Venice was a event in the Italian Renaissance in which Ezio Auditore da Firenze hunted down the Templars that had corrupted Venice.

After reading a letter taken from one of the Pazzi Conspirators, Ezio Auditore learned that the Templars' presence was not limited to Florence, for it made mention of the city of Venice. This, paired with the fact that a man from Venice had been present during the meeting in the countryside of Tuscany, proved that the Templars intended ill upon the city. With the intention of stopping the Templars' plans, Ezio made his way to the floating city.

Trouble in the Mountains
Ezio made his way to the Apennine Mountains, where he managed to catch up with Leonardo da Vinci, who was having trouble with his carriage. Ezio helped him by lifting the carriage as Leonardo fixed the wheel, and as he did, he noticed a bat-like contraption made of wood stored within it. When he asked Leonardo about it, he revealed that it was an invention that could make a man fly. Laughing about the subject, Ezio climbed aboard the carriage along with Leonardo, and they made their way to Venice.

While Leonardo fantasized about the beautiful sites of Venice, Ezio heard a faint noise. Just then, the silence was broken as the carriage was attacked by soldiers on horseback, who were presumably men sent by Rodrigo Borgia to search for Ezio. Leonardo hid in the carriage as Ezio tried to fend off the attackers, maneuvering the carriage to shake off any who attempted to climb aboard.

As he continued to make his way out of the countryside, soldiers that were stationed farther ahead attempted to stop Ezio's progress by burning down a wooden bridge, which was the only means of crossing a large chasm. However, this wasn't enough to hinder him, as he managed to make it over the burning bridge unscathed. Continuing onward as the soldiers tried to further damage the vessel, Ezio asked Leonardo to go on without him, before telling him that he would catch up.

Taking command over the carriage, Leonardo left the countryside as Ezio faced the attackers. After a tedious fight, Ezio successfully dispatched all of them. He then made his way out of the countryside, and soon found himself in Forlì.

Damsel in Distress


It was 1481, and Ezio, making his way through the city and out of the countryside, managed to reach the harbor where Leonardo was waiting for him. Expecting a simple passage onto the boat, he was stopped in his tracks by the ferryman, who told him that he needed a pass to enter the ship.

Just then, Ezio heard a call for help from a woman, who was stranded on a small land form in the middle of a lake. He commandeered a gondola and rowed it over to the woman, politely helping her onto it. As he brought her back to the harbor, she introduced herself as Caterina Sforza. In order to return the favor to Ezio, she talked to the ferryman to grant Ezio safe passage onto the boat.

After they had both boarded the ship, Leonardo informed Ezio of who the woman was. He revealed that Caterina Sforza was the wife of Girolamo Riario, the count of Forlì, and also the daughter of the Duke of Milan, Galeazzo Maria Sforza. Leonardo continued, and said that it would be best that Ezio refrain from doing anything he might regret. Ezio only replied with a faint chuckle, and remarked that she was his type of lady. After this, the boat continued en route to Venice.

Settling in
Ezio arrived in Venice with Leonardo, who was organizing his belongings along the river bank near the Ponte di Rialto. As they conversed, the two were greeted by Alvise, who had been instructed by Leonardo's employer to give him a short tour of Venice.

Ezio and Leonardo walked the streets with Alvise as their guide, listening as he pointed out the city's most famous landmarks, such as the Rialto Bridge, an old church, the Venetian Markets, and finally, the Palazzo della Seta. Near the Venetian Markets, they saw guards abusing one of the street merchants and claiming that he needed to leave, as he had no right to sell at his stand. Upon his refusal to comply, the guards quickly resorted to force.

Alvise explained to Leonardo and Ezio, as they looked upon the large palazzo, that the man who resided within was the wealthy Emilio Barbarigo, who desired to unite all of the Venetian merchants under his banner. Alvise continued, and mentioned that there were some who refuse to cooperate, and were often the victims of unwarranted violence. Alvise commented that it was nonsense, and as Ezio looked into the Palazzo, he noticed the merchant whose stand had been destroyed earlier evidently seeking compensation for his losses. At this, the soldiers merely abused their authority further, and arrested the man upon false grounds.

The tour continued, and as they walked further into the city, Ezio caught sight of a woman dressed in rags, rudely knocking him over as he conversed with Leonardo. After this, the tour concluded with Alvise introducing Leonardo to his new workshop, and boasted that they had spared no expense in making it as presentable as possible, remarking that it would be as if Leonardo had never left Florence. Leonardo, giving Alvise his simple thanks, asked Ezio if he was going to stay. Ezio replied that he planned to seek an audience with Emilio.

Leonardo remarked that his door was always open for Ezio, if ever he was in need of help, or of assistance in deciphering a Codex page. Ezio and Leonardo then exchanged a brotherly hug, bidding each other farewell. After this, Leonardo prepared to organize his belongings, as Ezio left for the palazzo della Seta.

The Venetian Thieves
"Don't look so surprised. We know all about you, Ser Ezio. Your work in Florence and the rest of Tuscany. Good work too, if a little unrefined."

- Antonio, on Ezio's actions in Florence and Tuscany.

Ezio, examining the palazzo from afar, planned his move to enter the heavily-guarded fortress. However, as he observed, he saw no other way in other than by climbing a window on the second floor; a height that Ezio, as of yet, could not hope to jump.

As he searched for another path, several men in rags suddenly ran towards the palazzo's guards, breaching the perimeter, and thus causing the nearby soldiers to give chase. As the guards left, however, the same woman Ezio had bumped into earlier suddenly appeared, and tried to climb the fortress' walls. The woman amazingly jumped the large gap up to the window, but it proved to be a vain effort, as an archer guarding the rooftops opposite of the building managed to hit the woman in her thigh, injuring her, and causing her to fall.

The woman, stumbling to flee the palazzo, came up to Ezio and asked for his assistance. As Ezio agreed to help, the woman requested that he take her to the water, much to Ezio's confusion. Before he could ask anything though, the woman quickly fled after seeing more of the guards approaching.

Ezio followed the woman through the streets of Venice, and, along the way, dispatched all of the soldiers that blocked their path. When the woman was no longer able to continue, she fell to her knees, gasping in pain and unable to stand. Ezio carried her with him, and as he did, he learned the woman's name: Rosa. When Ezio revealed his own, however, he discovered that she already knew who he was, thus surprising him.

As he carried Rosa to the edge of the canal, he found Rosa's comrade Ugo awaiting her with a gondola in tow. Ezio left her with her friends so they could bring her to safety; however, upon learning that there were guards stationed by the canal, he took it upon himself to deal with the soldiers in order to protect the gondola.

After Ezio took out one guard after another, the gondola successfully made its way to the Venetian Thieves Guild. After docking the gondola, Ugo attempted to take Rosa to the other thieves by carrying her, but only inflicted more pain. Enraged, she angrily demanded that her friend run ahead instead to fetch Antonio. Ezio suggested that it would be best to leave Rosa in his care, to which Ugo agreed and he did as he was told.

Ezio then carried Rosa into the guild, and carefully placed her on a work table cleared by the thieves. Just then, Antonio, the man Rosa had called for, came to Rosa's aid. He saw the arrow, and carefully examined the wound it had inflicted. Angry and in great pain, Rosa demanded that it be removed.

Antonio then proceeded to break off the bolt's lower half, before pulling the other half out. He then instructed Ezio, who was watching attentively, to get a clean piece of cloth, and very quickly place it on top of the wound after he had removed his hand. Ezio successfully did so, and stopped the bleeding, an effort that the man praised. As the thieves carried Rosa to a doctor to bandage her wounds, she continued to loudly scream and curse Antonio while being taken away.

Antonio then thanked Ezio for his assistance. He revealed that he and his people knew him from his work in Florence and the rest of Tuscany, commenting that it was quite remarkable, "if a little unrefined." He then requested him to come to his office when he had some spare time, for they had much to discuss.

Preparations
"Our failure at the palazzo cost us dearly. It will take time to recover. No doubt Emilio will use this pause to strengthen his defenses, and continue his oppression of the district. You may not share our motive, but I know you share our goal."

- Antonio to Ezio, on the failure at the Palazzo della Seta.

As Ezio entered Antonio's office, the man offered him some coffee, a drink still unfamiliar to some of the Italians. Antonio then continued, remarking that their efforts to attack the Palazzo della Seta had been wasted yet again, and that they would need time to recover. He asked Ezio for help, commenting that although he had a different motive, they both shared the same goal.

Ezio questioned why they did not just regroup and try again, to which Antonio replied that if they were to act in haste, it would only result in more casualties. He continued, saying that they needed to resupply, and plan anew, though Ezio protested that he could not simply sit around and wait. Thus Antonio suggested that he help hasten the preparations instead, and told him to seek out his men for work. Ezio agreed to this, and proceeded to leave the office in order to assist the thieves.

His first job, which he received from Ugo, was to inspect three sectors of the Venice for any captured thieves, and free them from their imprisonment. After inspecting these areas, Ezio was able to set all of them free, and lead them to safety.

He was then instructed by Antonio to get rid of three traitors of the guild, who had been reporting their actions to the guards. After successfully doing so, Ezio was tasked to steal a new shipment of archer uniforms from chests located all over the Middle District. After doing so, he delivered the uniforms to the guild via a gondola. The preparations spanned a total of four years, with Ezio constantly aiding the guild, and all the while learning from them; picking up new methods of scaling buildings and scaffolding.

By 1485, all of the preparations were deemed complete by Antonio, and he then instructed Ezio to meet him at his office, where he would inform him of the plan to assault the Palazzo della Seta once more.

The Corrupt Merchant


Antonio, finally ready to initiate the takeover, filled Ezio in on his role on the attack. He was to dispose of the archers guarding the palazzo opposite the building, after which their own disguised men would replace them. Afterwards, he was instructed to meet him and the others in a nearby, secluded area. Ezio agreed to this and, after successfully dispatching the guards, met up with Antonio and Rosa. He was then instructed by Antonio to enter the palazzo from ground level with the help of several of his men. Ezio agreed to this, and returned to the palazzo's doorstep.

Ezio, with thieves in tow, ordered them to cause a distraction in order to open a way for him. As they successfully did so, Ezio quietly sneaked inside the palazzo. Scaling the walls using the methods taught to him by Rosa, Ezio managed to reach the top of the palazzo unscathed and undetected.

From there, he was able to observe a brief conversation between his target, Emilio Barbarigo, and another man named Carlo, who, based on his appearance, was a government official. The official thought that it was best for Emilio to leave his palazzo, for the Assassin had been seen on numerous occasions around Venice, much to Emilio's surprise. He was openly shocked by this revelation of the Assassin's presence, an ignorance which the official quickly reprimanded.

Emilio defensively said that he had been busy, angrily reminding Carlo that he had been supplying weapons to their allies in Firenze; an act which Carlo snidely remarked had done little good. Whatever the case was, the official reminded Emilio of the impending meeting scheduled to be in three days time, before he left, advising him to find a place to lie low until then.

The merchant, fearing the Assassin's possible presence, ordered his men to fetch him a boat. Wasting no time, Ezio made his way inside the palazzo, and slew the old merchant. Before dying, Emilio admitted that he did not feel fear, but regret, for he had only sought unity and order. The guards that inhabited the palazzo were then taken down by Rosa and the other thieves posing as archers. Ezio, after speaking words of respect for Emilio's corpse, came along with Rosa to open the palazzo doors for Antonio and the others.

Antonio gleefully greeted Ezio on his success, and remarked that they were now free of Emilio's tyranny. When asked for what he wanted in return, Ezio only asked for two things; money, and the full name of the government official he had overheard speaking with Emilio. He received both from Antonio, a sack of Florins, and the name Carlo Grimaldi, a member of the Council of Ten. After this, Ezio left the Palazzo, as the thieves celebrated their victory.

Meeting in the streets of Venice
"The plan is this: Doge Mocenigo will die tonight. And once the deed's been done, Marco shall take his place."

- Rodrigo Borgia.

After some time of scouring Venice, Ezio located some of the Templars' officers, and decided to tail them and eavesdrop on their conversation. While he observed Silvio Barbarigo and Carlo Grimaldi from a distance, he noticed that they lacked trust in each other.

As the two conversed, Carlo revealed that he had been trying to befriend and gain the trust of Doge Mocenigo, but admitted that Mocenigo kept his personal circle close, and had others giving him suggestions and opinions. Carlo continued, telling Silvio that befriending the Doge was harder than he had expected, due to the fact that Mocenigo did not hold him in high regard. Silvio sarcastically wondered aloud why, to which Carlo quickly answered that it was not his fault. Silvio continued to belittle him, sneering that Grimaldi was coming off as a sycophant to Mocenigo, rather than a friend. Carlo, enraged, angrily answered back to Silvio, telling him that he did not know what it was like to be in his position. Continuing his tirade, Carlo revealed that he was nevertheless close to recruiting Mocenigo to their cause, and only asked for more time.

Arriving at the courtyard of the Palazzo Ducale, the two met up with Silvio's cousin, Marco Barbarigo, and his personal bodyguard, Dante Moro. Marco quickly revealed the death of Emilio, telling them that the Assassin had managed to strike the merchant in his own palazzo. He continued, saying that their plans had changed, and revealed that they needed to act before the week ended, despite Grimaldi's objections. Marco then remarked, as they walked, that Rodrigo Borgia had arrived from Rome so as to personally give them their orders.

Making their way to the meeting place, the three speculated on who was to become the Doge once Mocenigo was dealt with. Each favoring themselves, they were quickly reprimanded by Rodrigo as he arrived, and were told that it was never up to them to decide. Rodrigo then revealed their new scheme, and said that they were to murder Doge Mocenigo by nightfall, and after doing so, Marco would be the new Doge of Venice.

Leaving the acquisition of the poison in Silvio's care, and the poisoning in Carlo's, the group arrived at the Ponte di Rialto at the near-end of their discussion. Marco asked why Rodrigo had come all the way to Venice, if it was only to handle their plans and roles. Borgia replied that he felt the need to involve himself more directly, due to the Pazzi's failure in Florence. Silvio then reassured him of any worry, and continued by mocking the Pazzi. Borgia quickly reprimanded him, saying that it was the Assassin's meddling that had reduced the Pazzi to nothing, and not because of their own arrogance or foolishness. He then continued, saying that they should keep an eye out for the Assassin, and be cautious not to underestimate him. That said, he left the plan in the Barbarigo's hands, and returned to Rome.

Ezio, who had followed the entire exchange from afar, quickly lost track of the Templars after this. Concerning himself with the planned strike on Mocenigo, he proceeded to make his way to the Palazzo della Seta, which now a den for the thieves he had befriended, in order to speak with Antonio. After a spot of playful flirting with Rosa, Ezio explained that he was there for business, not pleasure. He asked her for Antonio, insisting that it was urgent, at which Rosa swiftly alerted Antonio of his guest.

A Way in through the Skyline
Consulting with Antonio, Ezio revealed what he had learned from the meeting. He told Antonio of the Templars' scheme to murder the Doge, and the two subsequently traveled to the Palazzo Ducale in order to find a way inside. Along the way, Antonio spoke of his past life, of his father being a cobbler, and his mother being a simple maid. He spoke of a noble's true evils and intentions, and that, in the end, it was the thieves, mercenaries and prostitutes who were the real nobles of Venice.

They finished their conversation as they arrived at the palazzo's courtyard. Scouting the area around the palazzo to locate a way inside, the two first observed the front gates; but found no way in, for it was guarded by various soldiers, and dealing with them would give Carlo enough time to kill Mocenigo. They then scouted the upper area from a small tower not too far from the palazzo, but found archers posted all around the rooftops. They took one last look at the palazzo from the back, and although they found a convenient way to the roof from the scaffolding, further progress was blocked by metal fences built on the roof. As they looked for another way in, they saw Grimaldi and Mocenigo in the palazzo below, with Grimaldi forcing his opinions upon the Doge as if in a last attempt to ally him to the Templar cause. Fearing the worst, Antonio gave up the search for another way inside.

Once again at the courtyard of the palazzo, Antonio contemplated on their failure to find a means to enter, remarking that only birds were granted safe passage into the impenetrable fortress. Ezio suddenly remembered Leonardo's idea of making a man fly, and bade Antonio farewell as he left to see him.

Meeting with Leonardo in his workshop, he quickly asked if his machine worked. Leonardo told him that he did not know exactly, for it was only a prototype, and that only a madman would be crazy enough to test it. Ezio chuckled, and remarked that Leonardo had found his madman. Leonardo then set up the machine on top of a tower not too far from his workshop.

Leonardo instructed Ezio on how he could balance his weight with the machine, telling him that he should imitate a bird's methods for flight. Bracing himself, Ezio leaped from the tower with the machine and took to the air. Though a successful launch at first, the machine rapidly began to lose altitude, and eventually crashed before Ezio could even reach a fraction of the palazzo's distance.

Leonardo was happily astounded by the machine's capability, but Ezio felt otherwise, stating that the flight time was much too short for him to reach the palazzo. Leonardo remarked that it was never made for distance, before attempting to alter the blueprints to allow the machine to fly higher and longer, but to no avail.

As he worked, Antonio arrived at the workshop to warn Ezio of the lack of time they had. Ezio gave Antonio and Leonardo a formal introduction, then showed Antonio the machine that could potentially grant them passage to the palazzo, but had failed to do so. Leonardo told them that it was not his fault, before throwing the designs he had drawn into the fireplace out of frustration. As Leonardo calmed himself down, he, Ezio and Antonio noticed the paper in the fire floating over it in mid-air. Leonardo was ecstatic at the realization, and quickly returned to his work table to draw out his idea.

Antonio and Ezio looked over the designs, and saw immediately what Leonardo intended. The inventor told them to set up open fireplaces across Venice in order for the machine to stay airborne, allowing it to be buoyed up by the hot air. Antonio agreed and told them that his men could set up the equipment, though he was concerned about the guards. Ezio then remarked that he would take care of them as the thieves prepared to bring the materials for the bonfires. With this, Ezio, Antonio and Leonardo, put their plans into motion, before it was too late.

Man from Monaco
After the guards around the city had been disposed of, Antonio and his men managed to set up the fireplaces all over Venice. Meeting up with Leonardo and Antonio at the tower where the machine was set up, Ezio prepared to take flight once more. Leonardo bade Ezio good luck, as Antonio warned him of the very short time they had left. With this in mind, Ezio took hold of the machine, and jumped off of the tower. Archers, who saw the machine from afar, quickly tried to shoot down the "flying demon," but to no avail, as Ezio glided through the skyline, evading the guards' fiery bolts.

Flying through the skies of Venice, with hot air beneath him to give altitude, Ezio finally made it to the rooftops of the Palazzo Ducale. However, as he was about to land, the wooden wing of the machine was struck by one of the many fire arrows, and ignited. As luck would have it, Ezio landed unscathed on the rooftops, with the machine crashing into a group of guards patrolling the rooftops. Mocenigo heard the disturbance from afar, and looked up from the chess game he and Carlo were playing. Carlo reassured him of any worry, telling the Doge that it was his move.

Ezio, who had quietly made his way to the Doge's quarters, arrived too late, for Carlo had already succeeded in poisoning Mocenigo. The Doge, confused by the betrayal, began to cough up blood as Carlo reprimanded him for ignoring his warnings, before fleeing the scene.

Ezio apologized to Mocenigo before giving chase to Carlo, hearing him calling for the guards and announcing the Doge's death at the hands of the Assassin. Catching up with Carlo, Ezio gave the final blow to the councilman, ending his life with his hidden blade.

As he died, Carlo assumed that both he and the Assassin were the same, considering death as the best way to solve their problems. Ezio remarked that it is not his wish for his targets to die, and that he made sacrifices for the betterment of the people. He then gave his final words to Carlo, and took a Codex page from his body.

Mocenigo, delusional from the poison coursing through him, screamed out his final words, and accused Ezio of killing him. After this, the guards closed in on Ezio, but he swiftly managed to escape before they could capture him, and left the San Marco district.

A Night to Remember
In the year 1486, a year after Doge Mocenigo's death, Ezio made his way to Leonardo's workshop. Gleefully greeted by Leonardo after a long period of absence, the painter quickly asked him if he was the one responsible for the murder of Mocenigo. Denying the rumors, Ezio exclaimed that he had been trying to save the Doge, but concluded that the truth mattered little, for he had failed, and terrible consequences had resulted.

Leonardo tried to lift his spirits by telling him that Carnevale was being celebrated all over Venice, and that hiding his identity would be the least of his worries. Ezio asked him if he had a mask that he could borrow, and as Leonardo searched for one, Ezio handed him the Codex page he had taken from Carlo Grimaldi. Ecstatic, Leonardo quickly placed the page on his work table and deciphered it. From its writings, he discovered schematics to attach a small firearm onto Ezio's hidden blade.

Ezio, after arming himself with the new weapon, tested the firearm's capabilities, and was left in awe. As Ezio thanked Leonardo, the painter assumed that Ezio's return was not just to play with new weapons, and guessed that it was due to the new Doge, Marco Barbarigo, who was also secretly a Templar. Leonardo advised him to meet with Antonio, whom he had seen frequently at the home of a mutual friend in the Dorsoduro district. There, he told him to ask for Sister Teodora. After receiving a mask to cover his face, Ezio left the workshop and quickly made his way to the indicated district.

Ezio managed to locate the building, and as he entered, he saw Antonio drinking in the company of two women. Asking to speak with him, Ezio removed the mask he wore for Antonio to better recognize him. Antonio was ecstatic at Ezio's presence, and proceeded to give him and Sister Teodora a formal introduction, calling Ezio the most talented man in all of Venice. As they were getting acquainted, a visitor of the brothel murdered one of the courtesans, and stole the woman's money. Teodora demanded that Ezio prove his talents by chasing down the murderer, which he successfully did.

As he returned to the brothel, he saw the courtesans mourning over the loss of one of their friends, as Teodora and Antonio looked on. While Teodora thanked Ezio, Antonio reprimanded him, saying that everywhere he went, trouble would always follow. Ezio then asked Antonio if he knew why he was there. Antonio quickly assumed it was due to the new Doge, but he was quick to dissuade him, stating that they had already attempted and failed an assault on the Palazzo Ducale, and continued by stating that the new Doge was a bigger nuisance than Mocenigo ever was.

Teodora then spoke, telling Ezio and Antonio that Marco would leave his palazzo that very night to throw the biggest party in all of Venice. She continued, stating that all exclusive guests were given a Golden Mask as a pass into the party. Before Antonio and Ezio could even think of forging one, Teodora warned them both that each mask was numbered. However, she told them that there was a way to obtain one fairly, by competing at the parlor games thrown annually within the district. She then escorted Antonio and Ezio to the Squero di San Trovaso, where the games were held.

Reaching their destination, the three witnessed the speaker of the Carnevale games show off the Golden Mask to the crowd, and reveal the number of games one needed to participate in so as to receive the prize. Teodora and Antonio left Ezio at the carnival square to handle the parlor games. After winning one game after another, Ezio's victory was almost certain, though his success caught the eye of Silvio Barbarigo and Dante Moro.

After the third game, the fourth and final game was held near the square, where contenders needed fight each other in hand-to-hand combat in order to win. Ezio, who fought every contender that stood in the arena, was soon faced by Barbarigo's personal bodyguard, Dante Moro. Although the man's size was to Ezio's disadvantage, Ezio proved otherwise, and defeated the brute fair and square. As Dante left the arena, bruised and battered, Silvio then bribed the speaker of the games. Silvio's guards were granted passage into the ring, and Ezio was soon faced with armed combatants. Although he was again at a disadvantage, Ezio still managed to finish off all of the guards that faced him, and win the last game.

Soon afterwards, Ezio took his place on-stage behind the speaker of the games, expecting to be declared the overall winner of the games. However, just as the winner's name was about to be announced, Silvio, who was watching from the sidelines, let out a fake cough, reminding the speaker of the deal they had made. The speaker then declared Dante Moro the winner of the games, much to the outrage of many of the citizens, and handed him the Golden Mask as his reward. Ezio, humiliated in front of the crowd, returned to the brothel in order to consult with Antonio and Teodora.

Crashing the Party


Contemplating on his failure, Ezio frustratedly paced back and forth as Teodora tried to reassure him. As they conversed, one of Teodora's courtesans came to inform them that Dante was on his way to the party. After learning this, Ezio quickly told the others that he would go meet with Dante, and take the Golden Mask back by killing him. Antonio reprimanded him, telling him that if he killed the bodyguard, Marco would surely cancel the party out of fear, and waste their efforts once again. He then instructed Ezio to steal the mask instead. Teodora continued further, saying that Ezio should put her girls to good use distracting Dante. Obliging, Ezio immediately left the brothel to pursue Dante Moro.

Ezio caught up with Dante, and sent the courtesans to hold his attention. Seeing an opportunity, Ezio stole the mask as Dante was busying himself with the courtesans, and quickly left the area. Arriving at the party, Ezio switched his current mask with the golden one, and entered. Inside, he was greeted by Teodora, who informed him of Marco's location. The Doge was evidently making his way to the party by boat, and would arrive shortly. As Ezio waited, however, Dante arrived with several guards in tow, and ordered them to search the area for Ezio.

As he hid himself from the guards, Ezio witnessed Marco's arrival. As Marco gave his speech from the safety of his ship, and as the guards continued to search for the Assassin, Ezio contemplated on what to do next. Teodora reprimanded him on the ideas he posed, of swimming out to the boat, and attacking the Doge directly. Just as they were debating on how best to approach, fireworks ignited the night sky. Gaining an idea from the loud noises, Teodora told Ezio to use his pistol, as the fireworks were there to mask its noise. Quickly, Ezio pointed his new weapon at the Doge, and fired one shot from it. Landing a direct hit, Marco Barbarigo was no more, and Ezio was successful in his mission.

However, the fireworks weren't enough to silence the noise of his new toy, as the guards quickly caught sight of Ezio from afar. The Assassin hurriedly escaped the area, slipping past the guards and the civilians, and making his way back to the brothel.

There, Ezio was greeted by the applause and praise of the courtesans as they surrounded their hero. With Antonio giving Ezio credit for his work, Teodora told Ezio that, with all the work he had done that night, he deserved some "comfort and succor." Ezio then told her that, with his body in so much pain, he may need a great deal of "comforting." Understanding Ezio's qualms, Teodora ordered the girls present to accompany him.

With courtesans escorting him further into the brothel, Ezio rested, forgetting any troubles he had encountered, and sleeping through the night with the women to keep him company.

The Brave Condottiero
"About goddamned time! I don't know if I should kiss you or slap you! Maybe both, just to be safe..."

- Bartolomeo d'Alviano, after being rescued by Ezio.

Some time after his business with Marco Barbarigo, that same year, Ezio, who was at the Rialto Bridge, received a message from one of Antonio's men to meet him at the Palazzo della Seta. Agreeing to this, Ezio left the district and met up with Antonio. There, he was introduced to Agostino Barbarigo, the next Doge of Venice, and also the younger brother of Marco. Ezio gave his condolences to Agostino's loss, but the future Doge denied it, stating that his relatives had been corrupted by the Borgia's influence, a mistake he had no intention of repeating. Ending their conversation, Antonio told Ezio to come with him and Agostino, for they had much to discuss.

Making themselves comfortable in a room of the palazzo, Antonio told Ezio that he and his men had located Silvio Barbarigo, who had fled to L'Arsenale di Venezia. Agostino commented on the subject, saying that Silvio had occupied L'Arsenale, and had filled it with his own mercenaries and personal militia. Ezio asked if Agostino, as Doge, could command them to stand down, but he told him that he could not, as the council had not yet confirmed his ascension. Agostino also added that, because of Silvio's actions, the conditions for his election could get worse for him.

Ezio thus thought of an alternative action to take, stating that he needed to raise his own army to combat Silvio's. Antonio, figuring as much, told Ezio to head for the Castello district of Venice, and search for Bartolomeo d'Alviano and his men, none of whom held Silvio in high regard. After this, Ezio quickly left the palazzo and made his way to the district.

As he progressed through it, he heard a faint cry for help coming from the rooftops. Making his way to the source, Ezio discovered a severely injured mercenary on the balcony of a small building. Ezio asked what had happened, to which the injured man replied that Silvio and his men had instigated an attack, and had captured Bartolomeo, who was now being held captive somewhere in the district. This was to be the last thing the mercenary would ever say, and the man drew his last breath before Ezio. Closing the eyes of the mercenary, Ezio left the area and immediately scoured the district for Bartolomeo.

After a brief period of searching, Ezio found Bartolomeo, who was shouting insults to the guards that held him captive, remarking that their acts were only proof of their cowardice. After dealing with the guards, Ezio came to Bartolomeo's rescue, and unlocked his cage. After a brief conversation, they were attacked by guards, but the two easily dispatched them. After this, the two made their way back to Bartolomeo's home.

Besieging L'Arsenale
Upon returning home, Bartolomeo saw the mess the guards had made, and began to worry about someone named "Bianca." After locating Bianca (who was revealed to be a claymore sword), Bartolomeo asked why Ezio had come to him. Ezio explained his story, telling him that a mutual friend had claimed that Bartolomeo was a man who could help him with his business with Silvio Barbarigo. Bartolomeo gladly obliged, and told Ezio that he would begin the preparations. As he did so, Bartolomeo asked Ezio to free his men that were being held captive by Silvio's, for he could not leave them behind with good conscience. Ezio agreed to his terms, and proceeded to rescue the mercenaries.

After rescuing Bartolomeo's men, Ezio returned to discover that the condottiero had devised a plan. Bartolomeo told Ezio to plant his men across the district where the Venetian guards were stationed, so that after setting off a signal, the men could cause mayhem across the district simultaneously, and lure Silvio's men out of L'Arsenale. After this, Ezio began the first half of the plan, and stationed the mercenaries throughout the district.

As he made his way back to Bartolomeo's home after setting up the attack, Ezio was handed a small firework. Bartolomeo instructed Ezio to climb the tallest tower on the district, and set off the firework there to signal the men to launch their attack. After doing so, from afar he saw the Castello district in chaos, with the mercenaries and guards in combat. As he looked on, however, he saw Bartolomeo in need of help against Dante Moro. Making his way down the tower, Ezio assisted Bartolomeo in handling Dante, who, upon realizing that the situation was beyond his control, fled the scene and made his way back to the gates of L'Arsenale.

Ezio pursued him, and fought against Dante and Silvio's guards; all the while hearing Silvio taunt and insult Ezio's allies and family from atop the walls of L'Arsenale. However, as his guards fell, Silvio foolishly opened the gates to let Dante escape inside, shouting that their ship was about to leave without them. This was Ezio's chance to assassinate the two. With Bartolomeo handling the remainder of the soldiers, Ezio chased after the two Templars, and successfully assassinated them both.

As he drew his last breaths, Silvio revealed that the attempt to gain the seal of the Doge was merely a distraction for their ship to set sail safely. When Ezio asked for its destination, Silvio swore to hold his silence and died without another word. Dante, however, managed to tell Ezio of the Templars' destination: the island of Cyprus. Shortly though, he too succumbed to his injuries, and was unable to tell him what the Templars sought there. After speaking words of respect on behalf of the two, Ezio left to meet with Bartolomeo.

Bartolomeo happily greeted Ezio, congratulating him on his success. Ezio, puzzled by the last words of his two targets, admitted his uncertainty to Bartolomeo, and told him that he needed to discover what the Templars were hiding. Finally bidding the other farewell, Ezio left L'Arsenale as the mercenaries celebrated their victory against Silvio.

The Apple from Cyprus
"These last two Codex pages, I was studying the copies... I don't know why I never saw it before! But when put together, I realize the markings on the back, clarify into words. Here: "The Prophet... will appear... when the second piece is brought to the floating city.""

- Leonardo, telling Ezio what he had found within the Codex.

By the year 1488, Ezio had grown restless. On his birthday of that year, Ezio sat brooding on a bench by the harbor, where he was approached by Rosa. The thief greeted Ezio, and asked him of his problems, to which he only replied that it was his birthday. Rosa, after wishing her old friend a happy brithday, asked why was he was so glum. Ezio recalled his life as an Assassin, and told her that his journey so far had proven nothing to him, stating that even after ten years, he was no closer to the reason behind the murder of his family. Rosa tried to raise his spirits by telling him that his actions had made things better for the people of Venice.

Thinking of another way to cheer her friend up, Rosa presented Ezio with a birthday gift: the Shipping Manifest of L'Arsenale from the day the boat to Cyprus had left. Ezio, ecstatic, tried to take the manifest, but Rosa teasingly kept the book out of Ezio's reach, right before telling him of the boat's return, which was due tomorrow. Just as the two were playing around, Leonardo arrived, and told Ezio that he had something important to discuss with him. Handing Ezio the shipping manifest, Rosa left the two alone, as Leonardo and Ezio took a walk to discuss what Leonardo had learned.

Leonardo explained to Ezio that the last two Codex pages, after putting them together, had markings that clarified into words and revealed a message: "The Prophet will appear when the second piece is brought to the floating city." After hearing this, Ezio recalled the two Pieces of Eden that been previously mentioned to him, and explained to his friend that his uncle had once told him of a prophecy hidden within the Codex, which led to an ancient vault that contained a powerful entity. Leonardo was astounded by the possibility, but was worried by the fact that some of the pages were taken from the Barbarigo and their cohorts, meaning that the enemy likely knew of the prophecy as well.

As they walked, Ezio then theorized that the boat to Cyprus was an attempt of the Templars to locate the Apple on the island and bring it back to Venice. Remembering the Codex' hidden message, everything suddenly fell into place for Ezio. Then and there, he realized that the death of Mocenigo, the conspiracy of the Pazzi against the Medici, and the deaths of his father and brothers were all part of Rodrigo Borgia's scheme to find the Vault. He told Leonardo that he would meet the boat's arrival the next day. Bidding his old friend good luck, Leonardo left to attend to his personal business, as Ezio prepared to await the boat.

The Spaniard's fantasy
Arriving at L'Arsenale, Ezio climbed onto the fortress walls, which was a better and safer vantage point. As expected, the boat arrived at the harbor, and soldiers bearing the Borgia's coat of arms on their armor delivered an ornate artifact to a courier. As Ezio looked on, he was surprised to see his uncle Mario also spying on the boat from afar. As Ezio wondered what his uncle's business was in Venice, the courier completed his preparations and left the harbor. For hours, Ezio tailed him across the district, evading the guards as he did. When the courier finally made his way to the supposed meeting place, as it turned out, it was only a temporary place to prepare everything for the arrival of the Spaniard, Rodrigo Borgia.

When Ezio heard of the Spaniard's presence, he took it upon himself to kill the courier, and pose as him in order to meet Rodrigo, and see to his death personally. After passing through the barricade of guards and dealing with the courier, Ezio took the man's armor, and wore it in conjunction with his hidden blades and other weapons. After his preparations, a guard captain arrived and spoke with Ezio, unaware that he was talking to an Assassin. The guard asked him if everything was ready, before telling him of the great importance of his role in the delivery. After this, Ezio and the captain, accompanied by two other guards, left to meet with Rodrigo by the side of one of the city's canals.

The group arrived at the meeting place, where Rodrigo was awaiting them alone. As the captain gave his respects the Grand Master, Ezio prepared to make his move. As the guard captain gave his remarks on the journey and safe delivery of the artifact, Ezio stabbed through the captain's back with both his blades, killing him.

As Borgia offered his greetings, Ezio dispatched the other two escorts and demanded Rodrigo to tell him where the so-called Prophet was, remarking that there was no one else in the area but the two of them. Borgia mocked Ezio's ignorance, exclaiming that he himself was the Prophet, before demanding the Apple. Ezio challenged Borgia to take it from him, and a sword fight ensued.

As they fought, Borgia called for his men to join the fray. Even though Ezio was at a disadvantage, he managed to fend off Borgia's men. Angered, Borgia ordered even more of his men to attack Ezio, but as they did, Mario arrived on the scene, much to Ezio's surprise. As Mario prepared to do battle, Ezio was attacked by another guard, who was subsequently killed off by La Volpe, the thief Ezio had met in Florence. As La Volpe helped Ezio to his feet, more of the guards around them were killed off by Antonio and Bartolomeo. As all of them joined the fray, they offered praises and compliments on Ezio's improvement in combat over the years.

As the fight continued, Borgia taunted Ezio and told him that his brothers, Federico and Petruccio, had never needed to die, remarking that he had killed them only to make a point. He also told all of them that their efforts to recover the Apple was futile, saying that they could not change what was written. After all of them had dealt with the guards, Ezio prepared to exact the final blow and complete his revenge, however, Borgia fended him off with a simple kick, before fleeing and leaving the treasure behind.

Into the Order
As he tried to recover from the blunt kick, Paola, the courtesan who had helped Ezio in Florence and had thus begun his journey, made her appearance and helped him to his feet. She told him that they did not need to follow Rodrigo, as they had what they had come for. Ezio exclaimed that he needed to go after him, but as he did, Teodora arrived as well, asking Ezio of his true intentions. Ezio, surprised, demanded an answer as to why all of them were there at all. He was answered by a man he had never met, who stood behind all of his allies.

The man explained that they had all come for the same thing that Ezio sought, the Prophet. Ezio denied the statement, stating that he had come to kill the Spaniard, and also exclaiming that he couldn't care less about the Prophet, for he had never shown up. The man then reminded him that he, Ezio, was there. He then told Ezio that he was the Prophet, unbeknownst to them for all this time.

Ezio, extremely confused, asked for the man's name, to which the man replied, Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli. He then revealed that everyone present (himself included) were all Assassins, and that the help that Ezio had received over the past twelve years was their way of giving him the skills he needed to become one of them.

Mario then told him that it was finally time for him to officially join the Order, as Antonio exclaimed happily that they had their prize. Mario handed Ezio a map to where they would all meet, before all of them parted ways. Ezio, arriving at the meeting place, stood before all of the significant members of the Order, as his uncle began the ceremony by uttering the words spoken by his ancestors, "laa shay'a waqui'n moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine." Machiavelli then began the initiation, as he and the others began to recite the Creed. Mario then asked his nephew if he was finally ready to join their ranks, to which Ezio unhesitantly replied yes.

Antonio then applied the mark of the Assassins to Ezio's ring finger, using a hot metal tong that had been placed in a brazier. After this, Machiavelli gave Ezio a formal welcome, and told Ezio to follow him, for they had much to discuss. With this, Machiavelli and the other members of the Assassin Order executed a Leap of Faith, an act which Ezio closely followed.

Aftermath
With the Apple of Eden in hand and Rodrigo Borgia defeated, Ezio, Mario and Machiavelli brought the artifact to Leonardo's workshop for the painter to examine. Fearing its presence and power, they decided that they needed to find a safe place to store it. It was here that Mario suggested that Ezio should take it to Forlì, where their close ally, Caterina Sforza reigned.

Source

 * Assassin's Creed II