Apocalypse

Apocalypse is the fourth expansion pack for Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice. It was released in October 2024.^[3]

Synopsis[]

Venice - 1524 - Seat of the Brotherhood

It has been years since your team of Assassins last met in the hallways of the headquarters of the Brotherhood. They all have had their share of heroic and tense fights with the Templars.

Now they are assembled again for a special briefing.

Months ago, the Brotherhood received worrying reports about a group of former Assassins gone rogue, deep into the jungles of the ancient kingdom of Cambodia. They seem to instill terror into the local populations. Not to mention the fact that this group is giving the Brotherhood a very bad reputation...

The rumor has it that they are led by a giant viper who goes by the name of Colubra...

A group of less-experienced Assassins was sent to investigate but they have gone silent and the Brotherhood is not optimistic about their fate.

This is why the Brotherhood has tasked you, the four most loyal and experienced Assassins currently in Italy, with the delicate mission to find the team that was sent before you, seek the rogue Assassins, and deal with their leader in the most discreet fashion.

You will not be alone in this: Shao Jun, a brilliant Assassin, was on her way back to China but accepted to help you work your way in the jungle of the Khmer Empire.

Good Luck and remember: Nothing is true, everything is permitted!^[4]

Supplementary material[]

The booklet for this expansion, like one for the main campaign, includes a number of database-like entries:

Born in 1505, Shao Jun was an Assassin of the Chinese Brotherhood.

A former concubine of Emperor Zhengde [sic], she was rescued by the Assassins after the emperor's death and subsequently dedicated her life to the Brotherhood.

During the interregnum following the death of the Zhengde Emperor, Zhang Yong, the leader of the Eight Tigers, a Templar faction ordered a purge of all those who opposed him, including the Assassins. Shao Jun and her Mentor, Zhu Jiuyuan, fled west to find Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the retired mentor of the Italian Brotherhood. She helped him repel a Templar assault on his villa in Tuscany. As thanks, Ezio gave her a Precursor box to help her rebuild the Chinese Brotherhood.

When she heard of the trouble the Renegade Assassin was causing in the Khmer Empire, she agreed to meet with the four Assassins dispatched there and to help them.

Measuring up to 5 meters, it is one of the most dangerous animals found in the area.

Its bite injects a potent venom that can kill an adult human in thirty minutes if they do not take an antidote. It is not uncommon for expert trainers to extract their venom and use it to poison weapons.

Fast as lightning, the mongoose is the natural enemy of the cobra. Thanks to its incredible reflexes, it can take on venomous snakes and exploit any weakness, striking at the right time and place.

Mongooses have developed resistance to the venom, allowing them to continue fighting, even after a bite.

They are admired and revered by the inhabitants of the region, who sometimes tame them and train them to fight against snakes.

For lack of words to designate these aggressive snakes, you name them Hydras. Obviously resulting from the influence of the Colubra Artifact on the fauna and more particularly on the snakes, the Hydras and the giant creature named Shesha could be part of the same creature.

You come up with the idea of capturing and sacrificing these vile parodies of animals in order to influence Shesha. You will have to burn the Hydras at the appropriate time!

Alif is a hot-headed assassin. He grew up in a small coastal village in what would later become Morocco. At the age of six, he was kidnapped by ruthless pirates. Immediately put to work as a cabin boy, he reluctantly learned navigation as his ship and crew traveled the Mediterranean. As a result of these difficult years, Alif became strong, impulsive, and bold.

At 17, they attacked a Venetian freighter heading to Constantinople, or so they thought. It was in fact a decoy; the cargo ship had many Venetian soldiers on board, as well as a Doge captain.

While his fellow pirates were executed to set an example, he managed to escape his fate and trapped the captain in a fishing net. Perhaps the rage and thirst for freedom in Alif's eyes held back the Captain's hand... Regardless, he understood that he could channel Alif's boundless energy thanks to the Brotherhood of Assassins. He therefore decided to spare his life, took him under his wing, initiated him into combat and finally introduced him to the Brotherhood of Rome within which he demonstrated extraordinary abilities!

Alif rarely bothers with subtlety in his activities for the Brotherhood. His incredible strength makes him a valuable ally and his temerity makes him indispensable to any mission that risks degenerating.

Beatrice was born in the heart of Rome in a family of artisans. Her father was a blacksmith and her mother was a seamstress. From a young age, she showed an exceptional aptitude for mechanics and a keen eye for detail. Her life took a turn when her family was accused of heresy and imprisoned by the Templars who were manipulating the Church for their own gain.

Saved by the Brotherhood, Beatrice was taken under the wing of Clara, a very experienced Assassin. Beatrice trained rigorously, she learned to master the art of stealth and combat. She has also become proficient in crafting Hidden Blades and other Assassin tools. Her motivation was not limited to the Creed alone, but was also linked to her burning desire to free her family and bring the corrupt Templars to justice.

One fateful night, after patient searching, Beatrice discovered the place where her family was being held. Armed with her secret blade and previously prepared by Clara, she infiltrated the Templar prison. However, when she made it to the cell, she found it empty. Under duress, a guard revealed to her that her family had been transferred to an undisclosed location and that they were to be executed a few days later for high treason.

The weight of the looming threat on her family and her inability to save them left her broken. It was on the roofs of Rome that Clara found her in tears and completely discouraged. Clara gave her sincere support, sharing her pain and reminding her that the battle of life is long and fraught with pitfalls. This emotional shock is at the origin of Beatrice's determination. She couldn't save her family, but she realized she had the power to save others. Her fight became bigger than her own tragedy and she emerged more engaged than ever in the Brotherhood.

Beatrice developed a wide range of tactics, from seduction to provocation, leading to her being known as The Fox.

Born in Florence, Clara is a seasoned Assassin who has served the Brotherhood for several decades. Her keen intellect and combat skills caught the attention of a high-ranking Assassin and thus she was recruited. Clara had participated in numerous missions across Italy, from Venice to Naples and had even ventured into Ottoman territories.

White Clara was stationed in Rome, where she was responsible for training new recruits, she met Beatrice, a brilliant young girl thirsty for justice. Seeing Beatrice's potential, Clara takes it upon herself ta train her, not only in the methods of the Asaaasins, but also in the philosophies behind the Creed.

Clara is a master of disguise, often infiltrating Templar fortresses dressed as a noblewoman. She is also an expert in poisons and has a vast network of informants and allies, some of whom are within the Church itself.

Together, Beatrice and Clara form an incredible duo, targeting the Templars' operations in Rome and working to free the city from their influence. Their partnership is not just that of mentor and student; they are like a family, bound by the Creed and their common quest for justice.

This is how in the dark alleys and great palaces of Rome, the legend of Beatrice and Clara was born: Two Assassins linked by a Creed, a cause and an unbreakable bond.

As an Assassin, Clara is the backbone of any team. Everyone knows they can count on her all circumstances.

Domenico grew up in Venice, left to his own devices as a child. His parents were destitute and could not or would not take care of him.

He was often sick, malnourished, and weak.

Domenico quickly felt the need to join a group of street thugs, not because he liked it, but because it seemed obvious to him that it was the only way to ensure his survival. Even though the members of the gang constituted a kind of family and allowed him to feed and house himself, he was still confronted with violence and abuses. As a teenager, had a strong feeling that he was on the wrong path and it took him a lot of work and willpower to finally give up his life as a thug.

It was only thanks to favorable circumstances that he was able to find refuge in a monastery and was accepted as a recruit. After years of training and menial tasks, Domenico finally became a monk.

The promises of religious life were so great and so extraordinary to Domenico that he soon felt increasing disappointment with the answers he thought he could get from his fellow monks and the clergy as a whole.

In his late teens, he was sent to Florence and attended a sermon by Savonarola, a self-proclaimed prophet preaching against the excesses of the Church. Domenico had a revelation and immediately became one of his followers. His enthusiasm was short-lived, as his new idol took a turn for the worse. Domenico witnessed with bitterness the fall of Savonarola and realized that nothing could be changed from within in the Church.

When he saw Ezio commit the merciful murder of Savonarola in order to spare him a horrible death by the flames of the stake, Domenico immediately transferred his fascination to Ezio who welcomed him into the ranks of the Brotherhood.

Domenico is a tormented person. His stolen childhood and his disappointment with the Church made him a very determined man. He knows he has difficulty controlling himself and will try, as much as he can, to stay away from direct action.

Development[]

On 13 March 2023, Triton Noir announced their future fundraising campaign for the Apocalypse expansion, which would follow the Renaissance-era Italian Assassins either from the core box or the Roma expansion pack, while they travelled to Cambodia to hunt a rogue Assassin with the aid of Shao Jun. This announcement also included a number of concept art pieces.^[5] On 30 May, the campaign launched and was funded in less than 25 minutes.^[6]