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Taste of Her Sting was a virtual representation of one of Bayek's genetic memories, relived by Layla Hassan through the Portable Animus HR-8.

Description[]

Bayek finds a disturbing scene of death, and decides to keep his eyes open for more clues.

Dialogue[]

Bayek travelled to the Lost Crypt located on an island in Lake Mareotis.

  • Bayek: A scene of death. I should investigate.

He discovered a papyrus on the ground.

  • Bayek: Scraps of a message. There's too much missing.
Prayer to Serqet:
I speak for the goddess, and the goddess speaks through me. She sits upon my tongue, and my sting is her sting. Her face is the scorpion, and snake, and spider, and I wear her mark. I take her name, for mine was a dull, rusty thing. I do her honor, in hopes that she will show me the mysteries. I speak for the goddess and you speak for me.
ACO - Taste of Her Sting 01

The first murder ritual.

Bayek discovered traces of blood on a mat with candles.

  • Bayek: Was this some terrible ceremony? There is so much blood, as if some butchery occurred here. But the elements have eroded many of the signs.

He walked down the stairs, where he discovered a statue of Sekhmet laying on the ground.

  • Bayek: Sekhmet, the goddess of hunters. But there are scratches here, above the statue's stomach. What does it represent?

Bayek descended further and discovered an open, empty wooden sarcophagus.

  • Bayek: Scraps of blood and flesh. There was a body here, but crocodiles must have devoured it.

He discovered the lid of the sarcophagus laying on the water.

  • Bayek: The lid of a sarcophagus? There was a symbol here, but it is too damaged for me to make out. Troubling. If I had more information, I might understand this better. But as he was eaten by a crocodile... I'll keep an eye out for anything else so unusual.

Bayek left the site. While travelling in the northeast of Kanopos Nome, Bayek discovered more signs of killings outside the shrine of Serapis.

ACO - Taste of Her Sting 02

The cave entrance to the second murder.

  • Bayek: Indications of violence and bloodshed. I should investigate.

He investigated a mark of Serqet beneath the statue of Serapis near the edge of a cliff.

  • Bayek: Serapis, god of divine majesty and lord of the sun, someone has placed a mark upon you. The scorpion is the sign of Serqet.

He investigated a scroll near the edge of the cliff.

Prayer to Serqet:
The mysteries of the gods are held beyond the door, contained within the secrets of the body. We must call together facets of the four gods—Sekhmet, mistress of the desert, Serapis, lord of transition, Sobek, lord of the Nile, and Horus, lord of the sky. Their followers will be initiated into our order in their holy places. We will share their knowledge, and drink of their wisdom.
  • Bayek: Curious, sinister writings.

At the foot of the cliff, Bayek found a corpse and blood trails on the ground.

  • Bayek: This poor man was half-eaten by crocodiles. But only after he died. Someone prepared him for burial, and cut out some of his sacred organs. His stomach at least, was removed.

Near the corpse, Bayek found a small entrance under the cliff and entered the small chamber. He investigated a symbol on a wooden sarcophagus.

  • Bayek: This symbol. A dedication to Serqet, the goddess of magic. The scorpion.

He investigated blood stains on a table.

  • Bayek: Old blood stains this table. I think the body was prepared here. But crudely. This is no fine, skilled work.

Having investigate the scene, Bayek thought.

  • Bayek: These deaths seem like some kind of perverse ritual against the gods. Who, or what, is driving it?

Later, Bayek came across old ruins in southern Kanopos Nome, which had become the lair for a group of crocodiles.

ACO - Taste of Her Sting 03

The third murder ritual.

  • Bayek: What happened here? Omens of death.

He noticed a felucca, and on it, tools.

  • Bayek: Looks like the pilot got away, but left embalming tools.

In the embrace of the stonework, he found a statue of Sobek.

  • Bayek: A statue of Sobek, lord of the Nile. But he's contained within a symbol that invokes Serqet, the scorpion goddess of magic.

On top of a raised part of the ruin, a sarcophagus laid, with candles and offerings around it.

  • Bayek: They must have brought the sarcophagus by felucca. Pretty remote place for this. Some of those marks on the body look like the sacred organs were removed. At least the lungs are gone.

A papyrus was left on another piece of the ruins nearby.

Prayer to Serqet:
We call upon Serqet, who holds the breath and delivers the poison. We bring priests of the four gods to their sacred places, and we give them the glorified rites to meet Serqet, in her place of power beneath her heavenly sign. Their powerful divine organs contain the secrets of divinity. We sacrifice them to appease the goddess of magic and medicine.
  • Bayek: Dark and foreboding invocations.

Bayek thought.

  • Bayek: These deaths are a harrowing journey into madness. What could the perpetrators hope to gain by invoking the goddess of magic?

Bayek visited another ritual site in flooded ruins in Sapi-Res Nome. He found a pool of blood in the waters.

ACO - Taste of Her Sting 04

The fourth murder ritual where the corpse can be found underneath the pool.

  • Bayek: Blood on the water. Omens in the sky.

He investigated a scroll on the ground and pieced it together with the rest of the scrolls he discovered.

  • Bayek: This perverse poetry celebrates chaos. It inverts all that is divine and just.
Prayer to Serqet:
I speak for the goddess, and the goddess speaks through me. She sits upon my tongue, and my sting is her sting. Her face is the scorpion, and snake, and spider, and I wear her mark. I take her name, for mine was a dull, rusty thing. I do her honor, in hopes that she will show me the mysteries. I speak for the goddess and you speak for me.

The mysteries of the gods are held beyond the door, contained within the secrets of the body. We must call together facets of the four gods—Sekhmet, mistress of the desert, Serapis, lord of transition, Sobek, lord of the Nile, and Horus, lord of the sky. Their followers will be initiated into our order in their holy places. We will share their knowledge, and drink of their wisdom.

We call upon Serqet, who holds the breath and delivers the poison. We bring priests of the four gods to their sacred places, and we give them the glorified rites to meet Serqet, in her place of power beneath her heavenly sign. Their powerful divine organs contain the secrets of divinity. We sacrifice them to appease the goddess of magic and medicine.

Serqet, Selqet, Selkit goddess of scorpion and snake and spider, we give you the sacred organs of the lesser priests as offering.
Serqet, Selqet, Selkit we perform this rites in the shadow of your stone circle, in the caves beneath your stars.
Serqet, Selqet, Selkit hold our breath until we see the light of divinity, and then return our breath to us to bring your words to this earthly realm.
Serqet, Selqet, Selkit imbue us with your burning wrath, and keep us safe in our explorations of your mysteries.

He investigated a sarcophagus on the ground.

  • Bayek: I suspect the sarcophagus was transported by cart. It is inscribed with the mark of Serqet, the scorpion goddess. But where is the body?

He investigated tracks on the ground.

  • Bayek: Someone came here with a heavily laden cart. And left the same way, though the second track looks lighter.

Bayek dove into the flooded ruins and found a cadaver at the bottom.

  • Bayek: Poor man. You did not deserve to be dragged underwater by these hippos. And it appears you were prepared for the afterlife by a clumsy butcher with no thumbs. Where is your liver? This happened recently, and the cart may not have traveled far. There may be more to this mystery nearby. Those responsible should not be allowed to do this again.

Eventually, Bayek's investigation brought him to the ruins of the House of Serqet in Ka-Khem Nome guarded by fanatics. He overheard two people talking outside west of the temple.

  • Man: I wonder if olive trees can grow around here.
  • Woman: I don't know...
  • Man: Could be a great business. Plant an orchard across the river. Press the oil. Sell it up and down the Nile. Just like the olive trees back in Cyrene.
  • Woman: This is not Cyrene. Not everything from there is better. I like my sesame oil better. Besides, the area you are talking about? It's... not safe. Cursed maybe. My sister was gathering herbs near there last month and told me she heard weird singing in the middle of the night.

Within the depths of the ruins, he found a scroll.

ACO - Taste of Her Sting 05

The fanatics' quarters.

Offerings to Serqet:
Oh great Prophet, we bring you these valuables in offering to our beloved Serqet.

Nearby, there were sarcophagi.

  • Bayek: Sarcophagi inscribed with the mark of Serqet. How much death does she require?

The wall was cracked, and sounds emanated from it. Bayek listened.

  • Bayek: What is that sound... voices? Ghosts? Demons?

Bayek thought.

  • Bayek: I need to find the source of the chanting.

Outside the ruins, near the river, there was an entrance into a natural cave. Inside the cave, the scorpion symbol had been scrawled onto the wall.

  • Bayek: The mysterious killings have led here. This symbol is old. This place is from a long time lost.

Bayek slipped through a crack, and sneaked further in, the sound of chanting growing louder, until he reached a grotto. Inside, he spoke to the Prophet of Serqet.

ACO - Taste of Her Sting 06

The cave entrance southeast from the ruined temple.

  • Prophet of Serqet: What is this insolence? Who dares to intrude upon our most sacred work?
  • Bayek: Sacred? A trail of death led me here. This cavern reeks of the profane. Are you the bloody hand responsible?
  • Prophet of Serqet: The goddess Serqet is she who tightens the throat, and the one who lets us breathe. I do her will, I am her sting.
    All of the souls were chosen from lesser faiths. But we study their organs, and read the signs. Soon we will know Serqet's secrets, and become immortal.
  • Bayek: This was your last chance to win the goddess's favor. Let's test your immortality, shall we?

They fought, and Bayek slew the Prophet and his two companions. Afterwards, Bayek explored the grotto. On a table was a body.

  • Bayek: I arrived too late to save this one. You will be the last victim of this cursed ritual.

Near the body was a scroll, which Bayek read.

  • Bayek: The ravings of a madman.
Writings of the Prophet:
I have unlocked the secret of how to get closer to the light of the goddess. We are a solemn group who all wish to plunder the secrets of death and find the answer to eternal life. I have heard of the so-called masters of the land, the Hyena, the Scarab, the Heron, and the Ibis, but they are nothing compared to the Lady of Poison.
We follow the stars to find a sacred location for the ritual, washed upon the shore and blessed with blood. The chosen one is dressed in the robes of lesser divinity. They are sealed up and the goddess both steals their air. Once they have passed over, we remove their most sacred viscera for meditation, and as a gift to the Lady of Stings. Once we have the goddess's trust, she will make us all god-kings and travel to the stars.

On another table, a journal awaited. Bayek read it.

Journal of a Killer:
I have failed to appease the goddess. Perhaps I should not have used an unworthy vessel. Yet he was but a humble traveler, coming from nowhere, going nowhere, I did him an honor. I showed him the light of the goddess. I told him she would take his breath for a moment, and then return it with a kiss. And in that moment he would become my teacher, and I would learn all that he saw and heard touched and smelled and tasted. But it was for nothing. I tried my hand at removing his viscera. It was not as simple as the priests have said. I may have ruined it all.

>I realize now that the chosen should be divine, but faces of lesser divinity. Priests of other gods will open the door for me. And I will learn, and teach my followers how to handle the sacred viscera with more care and love. We will create our gifts in solemn places, and the goddess will be pleased, and open the doors to the stars for us.
ACO - Taste of Her Sting 07

The mad prophet performing his final ritual with his followers.

There was also a prayer scroll to Serqet.

  • Bayek: Profane ravings to the gods.
Prayer Scroll to Serqet:
Each king is a rebirth of Osiris. Serqet, who stings the unrighteous, is the keeper of magic and medicine. She is a protector of the funerary rites, and a shield of kings. She knows the six names of night, four ways to love, and five ways to return from death. Serqet perfects the cut, masters the sting, and relishes the bite. She is sacred to the khery-heb priests, they who hold the rolls. She is mistress to the dream guides, and instructs them on the sacred dream journey, and how to navigate among the stars.

Outcome[]

Bayek investigated the various gruesome ceremony scenes, eventually hunting down the man who was known as the "Prophet of Serqet", and ended his life.

Behind the scenes[]

The Prayer of Serqet states, "Serqet, Selqet, Selkit we perform this rites in the shadow of your stone circle. In the caves beneath your stars." However, the cave near the House of Serqet is actually under the Hathor Stone Circle.

References[]

Assassin's Creed: Origins memories
Main Quests
The Heron Assassination - Homecoming - The Oasis - The False Oracle - May Amun Walk Beside You - Aya - Gennadios the Phylakitai - End of the Snake - Egypt's Medjay - The Scarab's Sting - The Scarab's Lies - Pompeius Magnus - The Hyena - The Lizard's Mask - The Lizard's Face - The Crocodile's Scales - The Crocodile's Jaws - Way of the Gabiniani - Aya: Blade of the Goddess - The Battle of the Nile - The Aftermath - The Final Weighing - Last of the Medjay - Fall of an Empire, Rise of Another - Birth of the Creed
Side Quests
Special
A Gift from the Gods - Incoming Threat - Here Comes a New Challenger - Phylakes' Prey - Lights Among the Dunes - Secrets of the First Pyramids
Siwa
Gear Up - Family Reunion - Water Rats - Hideaway - Striking the Anvil - The Healer - Prisoners in the Temple - Bayek's Promise
Lake Mareotis
Hidden Tax - The Book of the Dead - Ambush in the Temple - Ulterior Votive - Lady of Slaughter - Birthright - Taste of her Sting
Alexandria
The Accidental Philosopher - The Last Bodyguard - Higher Education - Serapis Unites - A Tithe By Any Other Name - The Shifty Scribe - The Odyssey - Wrath of the Poets - Symposiasts - Phylakitai in the Eye - Cat's Cradle
Kanopos
Old Times - Wild Ride - Blue Hooligans - The Weasel - The Hungry River
Sap-Meh Nome
In Protest - Thick Skin - Fair Trade
Sapi-Res Nome
Conflicts of Interest - Smoke Over Water - All Eyes on Us - Lost Happiness - Abuse of Power - The Tax Master - The Ostrich - New Kid in Town - Worker's Lament - The Old Library
Giza
The Planetarium - Precious Bonds - What's Yours Is Mine - A Gift from the Gods
Memphis
A Dream of Ashes - Blood in the Water - Odor Most Foul - Children of the Streets - Taimhotep's Song - The Baker's Dilemma - Mortem Romanum
Saqqara Nome
Rites of Anubis - First Blood - When Night Falls - A Rebel Alliance
Faiyum
Murder in the Temple - Feeding Faiyum - Curse of Wadjet - Rebel Strike - The Bride - Sobek's Gold - Forging Siwa - The Sickness - Fires of Dionysias - Demons in the Desert
Faiyum Oasis
The Champion - The Man Beast - Sobek's Tears - The Jaws of Sobek - Bad Faith - Shadya's Rest - Fighting for Faiyum
Herakleion Nome
Recon Work - Loose Cargo - Reunion - Predator to Prey
Uab Nome
Seven Farmers
Atef-Pehu Nome
The Matriarch
Green Mountains
Unseeing Eyes - One Bad Apple - The Good Roman - Playing with Fire - Taking Liberty - Halo of the Huntress - Carpe Diem - Shadows of Apollo
Marmarica
His Secret Service
Kyrenaika
The Flea of Cyrene - The Lure of Glory - The Mousetrap - Founding Father - Pax Romana - Cat and Mouse - Absolute Power - Are You Not Entertained? - The Smugglers of Cyrene - Dead in the Water - My Brother for a Horse - Here Comes a New Challenger
Isolated Desert
Plight of the Rebels
Event Quests
Antique Trafficking - Bandit Raid - Control Nuisance - Gather Materials - Lost and Found - Missing Worker - Stolen Goods - Recover the Merchandise
DLC
Ambush At Sea - Secrets of the First Pyramids
The Hidden Ones
Main Quests
The Hidden Ones - The Land of Turquoise - Where the Slaves Die - The Walls of the Ruler - The Setting Sun - No Chains Too Thick - Sic Semper Tyrannis - The Greater Good
Side Quests
Klysma Nome
Rise of Shaqilat - Howls of the Dead - The Ballad of Si-Mut and Gertha - The Killer Shadow - Shadows of the Scarab
Madiama Nome
Respect Thy Brother
Arsinoe Nome
Shards from a Star
The Curse of the Pharaohs
Main Quests
The Curse of the Pharaohs - No Honor Amongst Thebes - The Lady of Grace - Cleansing Rite - Something Rotten - Soured Libations - Aten Rising - The Heretic - Blood in the Water - The King of Kings - A Pharaoh's Shadow - A Pharaoh's Heart and Name - A Pharaoh's Hemset - A Pharaoh's Ka
Side Quests
Thebes
The Theban Triad - Master of the Secret Things - Perchance to Dream
Theban Necropolis
Burnt Offerings - A Sister's Vow - Idol Hands - Drowned Tools - A Motherless Child - Unfair Trade
Thebes Nome
Crocodile Tears - National Treasures
Yebu Nome
Losers Weepers - Fish Out Of Water - Laid to Rest
Aaru
Love or Duty
Aten
Gods or Creed - The Cat - The Ibis - The Hawk
Heb Sed
Follower or Leader
Duat
Shield or Blade - A Necessary Evil - Khepri's Amulet - The God's Spark
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