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A Brief History of the Hidden Ones was a virtual representation of one of Eivor Varinsdottir's genetic memories, relived by Layla Hassan through the Portable Animus HR-8.5.[1]
Description[]
The Hidden One Hytham asked Eivor to help him recover codex pages believed to be scattered throughout England.
Dialogue[]
Following Hytham's advice, Eivor traveled to Lunden and found the Londinium bureau within the Roman ruins of the city. Access to the entrance was gained by climbing up an old aqueduct and performing a Leap of Faith into the partially submerged bureau. The first letter Eivor found was an evacuation order.
Evacuation Order
After some traversal puzzle-solving, Eivor gained access to the office of Magister Vitus, where she found one of his journal entries.
Journal of Magister Vitus
- I write this final entry at night in the fading glow of a single oil lamp. It appears our work in Britannia has been cut short by forces far outside our control. But that is not quite true.
In some ways, we are to blame. For years we have scratched at the pillars of empire, toppling one or two when the foundation seemed too strong, and the weight of one Caesar's ambitions seemed too pressing.
But there is a limit to how many supports a building may lose before it topples to the ground. We might have been more careful. We might have been more selective, more cautious in our approach to liberty. But we have helped free Britannia of all structure, and now the roof has collapsed.
A dark age is coming. The burden now falls upon a future generation to bring back the light. How soon that will be, I cannot say. And I dare not hope.
M.V.
Eivor exploring the Londinium bureau
She also opened a chest which held a mask belonging to a Hidden One and a contract.
Hidden Ones' Contract
- GENVS PACTI
Execution
Reliable sources tell us Imperator Hadrian sails for Britannia this month – He intends to make war upon the northern native people – Intercept the Imperator in Londinium – We believe he will stay five nights at the villa southeast of the colosseum – enter villa as a slave and dispatch him via poison or under nights obscuring darkness – Amorous diversions are not advised – The Imperator is known to be a cautious man.
CONTRAHIT
Acolytus Caius
STATVS
Failure – Acolytus discovered and killed
Eivor then collected the first page of the Magas Codex.
The Magas Codex, Page I
- On a typical day of study and training, as a departure from our usual routine, Master Hakor welcomed a guest to our Alexandrian Bureau. A taut woman with a stoic expression, she seemed to be in the later years of her fifth decade. She entered the hall with feathered steps and sat at the head of the room in silence for quite some time as Master Hakor delivered a vague introduction of this unknown figure. Throughout his speech, the woman never once glanced upon him, but swept her eyes across the acolytes seated before her, among who I counted myself.
When at last Master Hakor stepped aside, the woman stood and opened with a blunt statement.
"If nothing is true" she said, "this statement must also be false."
The woman left her words hanging in the air. After a long and puzzled silence, a keen acolyte named Magas offered a reply.
"The Creed itself is an irony. It suggests that the world cannot be broken into truths and falsehoods, facts and fictions."
"Yes," the woman replied. "The world merely is. It exists, and we are but a small part of its wholeness."
"But to exist is to be true, no? A thing that exists is a thing we call a fact."
"To exist is to exist," the woman countered. "Truths and facts are valuations. Acts, not objects."
Magas fell silent, and the woman continued.
"If everything is permitted, who gives this permission?"
Eivor found the Eboracum bureau in Jorvik. As she navigated her way inside, she found a note on a shelf.
A Faded Note
- Interloper, seek high if you wish to pass beyond. We have no further use for the tools that have failed us.
Q.D.B.V.
Eivor also found an evacuation order.
Evacuation Order
- CAVETE!
Following the order of Caesar Magnus Maximus to withdraw all imperial troops from the north, our mandate to remain in Eboracum has weakened considerably. I have therefore made the difficult decision to cease all operations in the North and West of Britannia, including our bureau in Jorvik.
All Hidden Ones are hereby ordered to return to our bureaus in Londinium and Camulodunum for further instruction.
MAGISTER MARCELLUS
OPERARE IN TENEBRIS UT LUMINI SERVIAS
Entering the office of Magister Khloe, Eivor found a contract.
Hidden Ones' Contract
- GENVS PACTI
Execution
Imperator Severus flouts the terms of our treaty with Aurelius – He has arrived in Britannia to oversee the fortification and reoccupation of the Antonine wall – Swift and bold reprisal is needed – The Imperator must die of poison to avoid suspicion of foul interference – Infiltrate Eboracum villa with caution – Imperator's praetorians will be on high alert — Make contact with Centurion Calvinus on the morning of a. d. III Non Feb. – The Centurion is one of us and will provide you with the necessary cover.
CONTRAHIT
Magister Khloe
STATVS
Success
Eivor then found a set of Hidden One robes and collected the second page of the Codex.
The Magas Codex, Page II'
- Another silence. Magas opened his mouth, inhaled, and shut it without speaking.
"We gift this permission to ourselves," the woman said. "We are the source of our own purpose."
None said a word in reply as the woman looked us over. It seemed that she was neither pleased not dissatisfied with our silence. Then she began pacing the room, slowly, turning about and looking around our hidden hall with an expression that verged on nostalgia or satisfaction.
"With this knowledge," she continued, "with this understanding comes a great and terrible freedom. The freedom to rise or fall, to live or die, by your own volition. This is why our Creed cuts cleanly as a double-edged sword. You must take this paradox to heart. The success or failure of our Brotherhood depends on your willingness to live in the unfeeling emptiness of this world, as if lost in Tartarus, alone and hoping against hope that a door will one day open and let in the light. And that you shall exit, not alone, but with all your brothers and sisters at your side."
The woman stopped for a moment to run her hand over a dilapidated stony pillar. She seemed to be reliving or half-forgotten memory. Catching herself, she stepped away and continued.
"Because they were with you all along, your brothers and sisters, beside you in the shadows, you walked the dark in silence but you were never alone."
Eivor found the Temple of Ceres bureau in the far south-west of Glowecestrescire. Making her way through a poisonous miasma, Eivor found an execution contract.
Hidden Ones' Contract
- GENVS PACTI
Execution
The new Church of Rome has found sturdy footing in the isle of Britannia, yet our past support of these same worshippers goes unrecognized – Executions of Belgae pagans are a routine occurrence in the streets of the city – Our pleas for compromise fall upon deaf ears – Imperator Theodosius is unresponsive – We must send a message – Three church fathers – Vitus, Secunda, Agapitus must die in a public spectacle – Remind the Romans that Britannia is home to numberless tribes.
CONTRAHIT
Acolytus Teague
STATVS
Partial success – Target killed – Magister succumbed to wounds
She then discovered a faded letter on the nearby desk.
Faded Letter
- Magister Sebastos,
Forgive my spirited tone, but this evacuation order from Magister Vitus in Londinium seems premature and cowardly. For over three centuries the Hidden Ones have worked in the shadows of this empire to protect its subjects from the worst abuses of numberless Caesars and their petulant whims.
Yet now, as the empire recedes and our protections begin to bear fruit, we are told to abandon our post? Madness. Have all our efforts come to nothing? Will our noble Sisterhood let these violent but few voices who oppose our presence sing loudest? We must be better than this, I am sure you will agree.
Your friend and sister in shadows,
Magister Maya
ALTERIVS NON SIT QVI SVVS ESSE POTEST
She then collected a pair of leggings belonging to a Hidden One, and collected the third page of the codex.
The Magas Codex, Page III
- "Yet to see the last light, you must first feel the loss, the emptiness, the pain. And you must act with the belief that you have failed, that you will fail again, that you must always fail. This is the way of the Hidden Ones. To fail better than you have before. We wander in the dark ever searching for the light."
She then paused and drew a great breath.
"But here I must contradict myself. For although the nature of reality is empty and unknowable, the nature of our work is not. And for this Brotherhood to succeed, we must have tenets by which we may judge our success. Hard, cold rules. Truths by which we must swear."
A faint murmur rushed through the gathered acolytes at the realization of what was happening. The Final Codification, long rumored, was now upon us. The woman spoke again, with more gravity than before.
Since the Twilight of the Ptolemies, the Hidden Ones have served to break the unnatural shackles that man puts upon man. And we have done so in a manner consistent with our Creed, yet this has often led to confusion and chaos. This have we devised a set of three tenets, borne from rigorous practice and application, to lead us to greater success."
"One," she began, "Hide in plain sight, that your success may come in the view of all, yet swiftly and without forewarning."
"Two, never compromise the Brotherhood. Be thoughtful in act and speech, for it is the only sure way to protect ourselves from outside influence and keep our motives uncorrupted."
Eivor exploring the Ratae bureau
Eivor discovered the Ratae bureau on the outskirts of Ledecestre and gained access by shooting a pulley holding a heavy load, which revealed a covered entrance when it fell. She found a contract within the lair.
Hidden Ones' Contract
- GENVS PACTI
Espionage
Overtures to Imperator Aurelius have been successful – In exchange for a cessation of hostilities in the north, the Romans have agreed to withdraw from the Antonine wall – Imperator Aurelius is known to be a fair broker yet we must verify this withdraw for ourselves – Dispatch one of Magister rank to oversee troop movements and verify these orders have been carried out to the letter.
CONTRAHIT
Magister Eghan
STATVS
Success – troop withdrawals
Complete – treaty enforced
She also collected a pair of bracers belonging to a Hidden One. Behind a wall she found another evacuation order.
Evacuation Order
- CAVETE!
Brothers and Sisters, I write bearing difficult news. With the death of Imperator Honorius, all hope of stability and balance in Britannia is lost. The time has come to leave these shores, to regroup and refocus our attention where it is needed most.
With the departure of the last Imperial Legions from this island a decade ago, the tribes and clans native to his island have moved swiftly to fill the vacuum, and few if none of their number have any love for our Brotherhood. I fear our work has been misunderstood in this land, but the time is long past for redressing these impressions.
All currently serving Hidden Ones are hereby ordered to vacate these premises. Should you wish to continue our great work, make your way to our Bureau in Cologne. You will be welcomed.
MAGISTER VITVS
OPERARE IN TENEBRIS VT LVMINI SERVIAS
Eivor then retrieved the fourth page of the Codex.
The Magas Codex, Page IV
- "And three, stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent. Only those with an active malice in their hearts need answer for their cruelty. The unwilling pawns of evil and the bystanders caught in their wake do not deserve the sting of our steel."
"This is the decree of the Hidden Ones. Three tenets, together with the Creed, to define our path forward. Only these and nothing more. To encumber ourselves further would only dilute our resolve."
Here Magas spoke again, most ardently now. "Yet, if nothing is true, how can we justify such strictures? Should we not be free to pursue our goal in whatever fashion we see fit?"
"You find this is a fatal irony?" the woman asked.
"I only wonder at the contradiction," Magas replied. "From what authority do these tenets derive?"
"We are the Hidden Ones, a title we gave ourselves. And we gave ourselves a goal, the physical and spiritual liberation of man. These are self-made ambitions. To achieve them, therefore, we need laws to guide us. There is no magic in these words, no appeal to a higher authority. We follow them only because they help us achieve what we ourselves have defined. These laws, they allow us to persist. The effectiveness of any tenet must be judged on the outcome of its practice."
She grew silent for a moment, looked at Master Hakor, then back at us.
"Let it be known and recorded; these are the conclusions of the final Synod of the Hidden Ones. There will not be another. Today the shadow falls, now and for all time, to obscure us forevermore. Let our work continue only in the dark."
Eivor exploring the Camulodunum bureau
When in Colcestre, Essexe, Eivor discovered the Camulodunum bureau, with its entrance hidden on the ground within the Roman ruins of the city. After some traversal puzzle-solving, Eivor gained access to the bureau's office. She found a contract.
Hidden Ones' Contract
- GENVS PACTI
Execution
The Iceni grow impatient for reforms – Four decades after Boudicca, the Romans are unyielding – Citizenship denied to all but outsiders – Requests and pleas sent to Governor Verus and Imperator Domitian remain unanswered – It is time to speak in words the Senate cannot ignore – Verus must die Kal. Mai. at noon – Make a spectacle of it.
CONTRAHIT
Acolytus Anicius
STATVS
Success
Eivor found another evacuation order, a hood, and the fifth page of the codex.
The Magas Codex, Page V
- "Work in silence from this day forward. Speak not your name, nor the names of your family and friends. For to do so would be a deadly compromise and a useless gesture. Seek not recognition, nor glory, nor compensation for your duty. Seek only the light, however dimly it may flicker upon the horizon."
Pausing, the woman smiled slightly. For the first time since her arrival she seemed content.
"We are Hidden Ones, all of us, forever together in our solitude. May it ever be so."
She stopped there, gave a slight nod, and turned and strode towards the exit at the back of the hall, making no sound as she went. The room stayed silent for a time, until Master Hakor broke the peace by urging us to our afternoon studies. Euclid was the subject this day, and amid a rustle of scrolls, the acolytes set to work.
Some hours later, I found myself in the garden outside the tomb of Alexander Rex, enjoying a bowl of dates and thinking of the lessons of the day, and of the woman who had given us so much to ponder. So deep in thought was I, that i did not notice the arrival of Magas, who startled me with a touch on the shoulder.
"Quite a day, was it not?" he said, excitedly, "To be visited by such a one?"
Eivor discovered the Venta Belgarum bureau in Wincestre. Within she found another of Marcellus' evacuation orders.
Evacuation Order
- CAVETE!
Caesar Magnus Maximus has ordered the full withdrawal of imperial troops from the west of Britannia. Now the people of this region grow wary of our presence, and wish us gone. Our task here has always been to strike a balance between lawful obedience and revolutionary action in pursuit of human liberty, but we have often been misunderstood, and this has led to resentment and accusations of fanaticism. Enough is enough.
I have made the difficult decision to abandon our bureau at Venta Belgarum. All Hidden Ones are hereby ordered to return to our bureaus in Londinium and Camulodunum for further instruction.
MAGISTER MARCELLVS
OPERARE IN TENEBRIS VT LVMINI SERVIAS
After exploring some more, Eivor soon found a delivery contract.
Hidden Ones' Contract
- GENVS PACTI
Contact and Deliver
Belgae and Roman tensions run high – Mutilations and murders of Christian populace at the hands of local Belgae warriors continue to mount – An acolyte is needed to deliver a personal message to Imperator Constantinus pleading for the protection of Christian worshippers in the region – The Imperator's schedule and route through Britannia is not yet known – Acolyte must trace and follow Imperator's entourage – Deliver message at the most opportune moment.
CONTRAHIT
Acolytus Beatha
STATVS
Success – Message delivered
Eivor then retrieved both the seax called Suttungr's Claw and the codex's final page.
The Magas Codex, Page VI
- Mistaking my inquiring expression for censure, Magas waved his hands before him.
"I know, I know," he said. "Glory and recognition are frowned upon. Our anonymity is our weapon. But allow me this one moment of glee. For to meet one of our founders, the woman who ended the Ptolemies, no less... it is not a chance we shall have again."
"A founder," I repeated. "Of the Hidden Ones? Her?"
"Yes, O, yes," Magas said. "Her true name is lost to the living, as are the names of all out first Hidden Ones. A testament to their devotion, I suppose! But this woman colored and stained by history cannot live invisible in her own time. She has seen the blood of Caesar, the tears of Cleopatra, and the wrath of Imperator Augustus no less!"
Magas leaned in close so that only amid the drifting bees and butterflies would hear.
"She would kill me for speaking her name, but I'll say it! Amunet they called her a long time ago. And today, for a moment, she lived not in memory but in flesh. As for the rest, they are gone... and happier for it, I think."
Eivor then returned to Ravensthorpe and delivered all six codex pages to Hytham.
- Eivor: Hytham. I have the codex pages you asked for. Six in total.
- Hytham: Ah, wonderful! We have so little writing from the original Hidden Ones. This will grow our understanding immeasurably. These documents may have been inked by the founders of the Hidden Ones, in fact. But their names are unknown to us, lost to history. A deliberate choice on their part, I think. I'm hoping these documents may shed some light on that mystery.
- Eivor: I could not say. They are written in a language I do not understand.
- Hytham: You know, the black market merchant Reda has an old piece of writing from the same era as the codex pages you found. Speak with him if you are curious to see it.
Eivor then walked outside to Reda's tent.
- Eivor: Reda. Hytham says you have an old piece of writing from the early Hidden Ones.
- Reda: O, that old scrap? Yes, it's just a short letter from one Hidden One to another. One of my rarest artifacts.
- Eivor: How did it find its way to you?
- Reda: A friend gave it to me, for safe keeping. Bayek was his name. Egyptian fellow. Very kind. Haven't seen him in a long time. A very long time. Anyway, the letter is written in demotic, so it may not mean much to you. But you're free to have a look.
Eivor then read the Hidden Ones' letter.
A Faded Letter on Papyrus
- A warning, my beloved. I have heard numerous tales now of a secret codex circulating among the acolytes of our bureaus, both within and without the empire of Augustus. Called the Magas Codex, it names you directly as one of the founders of the Hidden Ones.
Apart from putting your life in danger, it flies in the face of what we have tried to achieve with our brotherhood. We are justice seekers who shun the light of praise for our good works, and who must live in the shadows of our triumphs. Should you see any pages of this codex, I advise you destroy them. Keep the dream of our Hidden Ones alive.
I am not so naïve to think this will be a simple task. Few men and women are suited to keeping such secrets for so long, and it may be that we will fail in the end. But we will have failed in the name of righteousness.
Take care, my love, my Iset, my Northern Star. Even in my waning years, I am ever your Osiris. Let our Horus live on beyond us. I think of you often, my jewel. At sunrise and twilight, at new moon and full, when the rain falls and the breath of Amun rides across my neck. I remember you kissing me just there, and I will take that soft feeling to my tomb.
The Hidden One
Outcome[]
Eivor helped Hytham to collect all the codex pages in England.