Assassination contract

Assassination Contracts are contracts sent to Ezio Auditore, instructing him to assassinate key people responsible for certain nefarious deeds. The details of these contracts are sent via carrier pigeon, a method similar to the messaging system Al Mualim once used. The contracts are acquired in the same order, regardless of which pigeon coop it is obtained from.

In Assassin's Creed II, contracts are given by Lorenzo de' Medici, and may be accessed even in the Sequences that take place after his death. In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, contracts are provided by Niccolò Machiavelli, and Ezio may also provide contracts of his own for his Assassin recruits.

Day at the Market
thumb|300px|right|Day At The Market Lorenzo explains that there is a plot to cut off Florence's supply line, which can be prevented by assassinating a merchant located in the San Marco district. It is relatively simple, as he is standing next to an Art Merchant. Use Eagle Vision to detect him easily. Remember that there is an Elite Guard near one of the entrances of the corridor that leads to the target.

Fallen Archers
Several Pazzi Archers were spotted attacking the Palazzo della Signoria and tracked down to the San Marco district, the largest district in Florence. There are 3 of them, and they are spread out quite thinly, so it may take a while to reach them. You can choose open combat or stealthy assassination to take them out.

Political Suicide
thumb|300px|right|Political Suicide Lorenzo claims that a member of the Signoria was working with the Pazzi to turn the tide against the Medici. They are meeting in a low passageway, concealed from the rooftops. Each entrance is guarded by 4 guards. It is best to hire some Courtesans or Thieves to distract the guards (using Mercenaries will result in desynchronization), and use some of them to conceal you from your target. You cannot be detected by him or his companion, else you will be desynchronized.

Caveat Emptor
It seems that a member of the Salvucci family, who helped smuggle enemies into Florence, has been sighted. Find the target and kill him without being detected. He has one guard following him.

Meeting Adjourned
thumb|300px|right|Meeting Adjourned Several enemies are planning a meeting in the city; you have to tail the only known lead and then kill all those affiliated. As soon as you accept the contract you can clear out the area of the guards stationed nearby in the courtyard. Then when the target returns, the area is less guarded.Follow him and he'll walk into a heavily guarded room. Your number of targets increases, as you have to kill all those responsible. It is simplest to toss a Smoke Bomb and start assassinating everyone. Be careful, the lead is a quick walker, and one of the targets may start fleeing in the chaos.

Needle in a Haystack
thumb|300px|right|Needle In A Haystack Lorenzo remarks that we are so close to eliminating all those responsible for the attack on Florence. One of the conspirators has been spotted near the Santa Maria Novella. The target will be in one of the courtyards within the area. It appears to be entirely random as to which garden he appears in. It is recommended you search from the roofs, and use Eagle Vision to find him. If he detects you, you will be desynchronized. Can't confirm this, but it appears that the direction you enter the area from determines his spawn point. I tried one entry 10 times and he always spawned in specific spots, and another 10 times and he spawned in the same different spot each time

Peacekeeper
thumb|300px|right|Peacekeeper A contingent of traitorous guards are planning to march to Lorenzo's palazzo, and Ezio has to kill them before they start a riot. The timer only starts once you have killed one of them. They are just west of the bridge, where the company of guards is composed of 10 Brutes. It is easy to dispatch them by tossing a Smoke Bomb and assassinating or poisoning everyone. You could also hire the mercenaries nearby and have them fight them. As long as you aren't already seen, you can simply walk up behind each one that is in a fight and get an easy hidden blade kill without the alert being triggered

Leader of the Pack
Several condotierri who attacked Lorenzo's palazzo are regrouping. Ezio has to tail one of them to their garrison and kill their leader. First things first, make sure you're full on Smoke Bombs. Find the target, then follow him for a while. As you tail him, more and more guards will start to follow him. You will get to an alley entrance that's guarded. There should be some Courtesans nearby, hire them to distract the guards, then run into the garden area that's full of enemies. Smoke Bombs and the Hidden Blade should finish this. Otherwise, you can bypass the guards by climbing up the walls and Air Assassinating the guard leader. After this, it doesn't take much to get majority of the guards to flee.

However, the quickest way to complete this is by assassinating the leader with the hidden gun.

Reap What You Sow
thumb|300px|right|Reap What You Sow One of the benefactors of the Pazzi has been found in a farm east of San Gimignano. First go the View Point located conveniently near your target, then perform a Leap of Faith into the hay below. This cart of hay is also conveniently placed adjacent to your target, so assassinate him from the Hiding Spot. If he sees you because you did not follow the aforementioned strategy, he will run away, but you can still catch up to and kill him.

Don’t Get Your Hands Dirty
There are 4 guards who want Lorenzo dead. Your task is to have these guards killed without appearing to have killed them yourself. It is fairly easy because three of the guards are on towers. Simply climb up to the top of the tower, grab them, and throw them over the edge to their death. The fourth guard is in the market at ground level; you can poison him and wait, kill him with your fists (even though he still writhes on the ground, he counts as being dead), hire the nearby mercenaries to kill him, or throw him into the nearby drying rack.

Supply In Demand
A local guild leader has been supplying the Pazzi with arms. Your task is to tail one of his men to find him then kill him. After following the member, simply assassinate the leader by running to him.

Flee Market
thumb|300px|right|Flee Market There are several conspirators who plot against Florence. Make your way toward the area and dispatch the Archers first to avoid being detected. Then perform a Leap of Faith from the pigeon marker into the cart of leaves. After this, double-assassinate both targets. For best results, hire some Thieves to attack the Archers instead, diverting the guards' attention to them, then assassinate your targets. You must kill the two conspirators before they leave the restricted area. If you let them escape across the rooftops (they are Agiles and very good at outrunning/climbing you) and then later catch up and kill them, the mission will be left incomplete, forcing you to abort the memory and try again. You do not have to double-assassinate the targets for the mission to succeed, but you must kill them before they leave the area marked red on the map, which makes this a very frustrating mission.

Vertical Slice
thumb|300px|right|Vertical Slice There are several Borgia soldiers in the vicinity who may be planning a Coup. Your task is to kill them without being seen, as Rodrigo Borgia might use your involvement as an excuse for a war. Use Ezio's ledge and Hiding Spot assassinations to its fullest, since most of the targets are archers. If possible, observe the enemies' movements to get a look at how to assassinate them efficiently.

No Camping
There are enemies who have gathered in camps around the city. Kill their leaders as quickly as possible. You have 5 minutes to do so. Go to each area whilst air assassinating the leaders. Fighting the leaders is possible, however they are accompanied by many guards in the vicinity. Note that it is almost impossible to do this without a horse, as the targets are so far away from each other.

Showtime
thumb|300px|right|Showtime One of the people responsible for hiring the condotierri who attacked Florence has been spotted. He regularly takes a walk around the countryside, and can be ambushed in the Ancient Roman Theater. Tail the target to the Theater, then approach him from the opposite side of the landmark to avoid conflict with the guards as much as possible. He keeps two Brutes close, and will flee to the center of the theater if he sees you.

Thin The Ranks
Kill six guards. There are six guards posted in pairs, on three different locations in the city. Double assassinations are easily made, or you can kill them in an open battle.

Beginnings of a Conspiracy
thumb|300px|right|Beginnings of a Conspiracy Some of Girolamo Riario's men broke into the Palazzo Pitti and stole a valuable map. Ezio needs to kill these three men without being spotted. First make sure that you are stocked up with poison, kill the guard close to the fountain using mercenaries, then walk towards the target on the left side of the map and poison him. Make your way to the last one and assassinate with the hidden blades or Pistol before he or his bodyguard detect you.

Arch Enemies
Some Borgia archers have to be taken care of, and fast. Ten archers posted on the roofs of the buildings on the edge of the river, need to be cleared within two minutes. The Throwing Knives work perfectly for this job; free run between the houses and kill all the archers on the way.

Wet Work
thumb|300px|right|Wet Work An ottoman boat has been seen scouting for a suitable place for an attack. Kill the captain. First make your way to the boat, either by swimming or by taking a gondola. Taking out the guards in the smaller boats will make this task easier. When ready, sneak aboard the main boat and kill the captain. Smoke bombs and ledge assassinations can be used with great profit.

Dead On Arrival
Kill the courier before he leaves. He is located not far from the pigeon coop, and can be easily killed with throwing knifes. Note if you kill him with throwing knives before he spots you, he will die but the contract may not be end, forcing you to quit and restart. Remember, he will flee on sight, and the adjacent archers (as well as a Leader and an Agile) will attempt to hinder you. Using hyperblend youcan get close enough to kill him before he starts running. Killing other archers around him will also trigger him to flee if he sees their dead bodies

Go Towards The Light
thumb|300px|right|Go Towards The Light You need to kill the new commander of the army of Forlì at the lighthouse. Keep the Guards outside the lighthouse busy using the mercenaries not far from there (or swim around them), then make your way to the top of the lighthouse and assassinate him.

Mark And Execute
thumb|300px|right|Mark And Execute You must kill the one who captured one of Lorenzo's spies without being detected. Go towards the target, but make sure that you are filled up with throwing knives, poison and smoke bombs, just in case, since this is quite tricky. First, kill the archers on the roof, then double assassinate him and his bodyguard (you can do it from the air). If you're looking for a challenge, you can clear the whole area of guards (which is quite difficult, as there are a lot of normal guards, two archers, and at least one Seeker and Brute to deal with). Additionally, there is an unguarded archway you can use to sneak behind the target and kill him, as the spy leads him in front of it.

Thicker Than Water
thumb|300px|right|Thicker Than Water A gondolier will lead you to your target. First make your way to the gondolier, then follow the gondolier to your target. The best way should be by following behing in your own gondola. Be careful though, since being spotted will lead to desynchronization. When you have made your way to the real target, you can jump out of your gondola and swim behind the boat and end him with a ledge assassination.

Zero Tolerance
A family friend of Lorenzo is being harassed by a merchant, who must be killed without her noticing. Finding the target may be a little tricky, since he and Lorenzo's friend are constantly circling around the area. When you find them, stay blended until you are behind the man, then kill him in any way you like. Poison is easy since it won't get you in any trouble with the guards that will be in the vicinity; or you can assassinate him from a hiding spot.

Blade in the Crowd
The Doge has decided to send several trusted administrators to rouse the populace in Florence. They are supposed to meet with the Doge shortly. Find and kill them before the meeting, without alerting them to your presence. Find the three targets within the green circles, all of which are quite near you. There is a 3 minute countdown, thus it's probably better to kill all three with poison.

Honorable Thief
One of Lorenzo's connections uncovered a plot to destroy the Venetian branch of the Medici bank. Meet his informant, a nimble thief, and follow him to the target's location to kill him. The informant is to the north of St. Mark's Square. Be wary, as there will be many archers that will oppose you before the end.

No Laughing Matter
thumb|300px|right|No Laughing Matter There are three harlequins that are actually co-conspirators of Archbishop Salviati. They have already been marked and identified for you. One is in the open, and should be dealt with easily via an air assassination. The two others are in guarded locations. The best way to deal with them both is to let them run out, away from their guards, so you can chase and kill them. All of them will flee if they catch a glimpse of you.

Crash a Party
thumb|300px|right|Crash A Party One of Francesco de' Pazzi's cousins is throwing a party. Tail one of the guests to his location and assassinate him. Tailing the guest is simple enough if you aren't notorious. When you come to a guard entrance, climb the buildings. As the party is being held in a restricted area, you must not be seen. Your target is close to some Gondolas, making for a quick and easy escape. There is a small bug on this level. If you decide to go to the restricted area first to clear out the guards, and then stalk the target, the real target will spawn, but the mission will not end if you kill him, meaning you will have to exit the memory.

False Legacy
thumb|300px|right|False Legacy A Venetian Condottiero (a Brute, actually) is forcing artists to depict him as a war hero. This job will be quite difficult, as he is surrounded by Elite Guards, though he is easy to distinguish. Use the Hidden Pistol for a quick (but loud) kill, or hire the nearby Mercenaries to distract them. You can throw money at the guards and simply walk past them and take out the Brute, once the mission is over all the guards that are part of the mission should disappear instantly.

Hunting the Hunter
thumb|300px|right|Hunting the Hunter This mission is the last contract you receive. Your first task is to kill a marked target (an Agile). A single shot from the Pistol will finish it. After that, loot the body and head to the designated coordinates. Approach the 'person' in front of the fountain, revealing it to actually be a scarecrow. Afterwards, a Venetian Agile and some Medici Leader Guards will ambush you. Killing the Agile will finish the mission, and make the other Guards disappear.

Two's Company
In an attempt to scare the citizens of Roma, the Borgia haver hired two notoriously cruel guards to beat up anyone they see. Remove them from the streets to give people hope. To get full Synchronization you must kill both targets with the Hidden Blade.

Tactical Correction
Cesare has called one of his chief tacticians back to Roma. He is a valuable asset, so the Captain General has provided a horse and an escort. I suspect neither will be a problem. To get full synchronization you must complete this contract within two minutes.

...And Three's A Crowd
Cesare hopes that our rebels will stumble into his line of fire. His expert gunmen wait, instructed by their master to shoot unsavory targets on sight. Blind them to further our cause. To get full synchronization you must kill the three targets within two minutes,

Serf's Turf
Farmers have a hard enough time turning a profit in times of war, but Romans must deal with the Borgia taking their hefty share. Put an end to this injustice. To get full sychronization you must assassinate three guards with the hidden blade.

The Three Amici
To bolster his troops, Cesare has begun to recruit untrained soldiers. His veteran trainers are critical to his success. Find and kill them. To get full sychronization you must kill the targets with the hidden blade.

Red Letter Day
Our enemy is feeling pressure as we close in. Important messages are now delivered by armored mercenaries. This tactic will not slow us. Ensure the messages die with their couriers. To get full sychronization you must kill both targets in under 60 seconds.

The Merchant of Rome
Merchants under Borgia protection often trade favors at the expense of their honest peers. Teach them that Borgia protection is a myth. To get full sychronization you must use the assassin apprentices to assist in a diversion.

Bearers of Bad News
The Borgia have unleashed their interrogators. If they cannot find us, they will brutalize the people of Roma until they get answers. Strike with precision or you may be overwhelmed. To get full synchronization the targets must not call for reinforcements.

Cardinal Sin
Servants of the Borgia believe they can hide behind the church, their actions protected by the clothing they wear. Make an example of a cardinal. Kill him before he reaches the sanctuary of San Pietro. To get full sychronization you must kill the cardinal only.

Turning The Tables
Cesare's charisma has brought his guards the best equipment available. Use their weapons against them. To get full sychronization you must kill at least one Brute, one Seeker, and one Papal Guard with his own weapon.

Graduation
Four of the Borgia Papal guards are scheduled to complete their training today. Send them congratulations on behalf of the Brotherhood. To get full sychronization you must not lose any health squares.

Brutes and Brutality
The Borgia have sent large numbers of heavily armored guards in the city, hoping to futher dissuade any opposition. GO. Oppose them before they hurt any of the rebels. To get full sychronization you must kill all targets in under 15 seconds.

Trivia

 * During Sequence 14 and the succeeding free-roaming sequence, these contracts are still playable, even though Lorenzo de' Medici is already dead. Ezio will also be tasked to assassinate affiliates of various characters that have been dead for years. This could be explained by the fact that the contracts are secondary memories and thus their actual position in the timeline can't be determined.
 * Interestingly, in Hunting the Hunter:
 * The other Guards are bearing Medici colours.
 * If you loot the scarecrow target afterward, it will yield a set of keys (noted with a multiplier, indicating numerous may be held). A similar set of keys results from looting any scarecrow target throughout the game, such as those found after testing your pistol for the first time. These keys' use and purpose are unknown.