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You cannot know anything. Only suspect. This article contains content from pre-release sources that may or may not be reflective of canon upon release. This article therefore likely contains spoilers. |
The Cursed Treasure was a genetic memory.[1]
Description[]
On the trail of a Shroud of Eden, the Order of the Ancients has settled in the Warwick Burh (fortress) on the River Avon, the residence of one of the wealthiest merchant families in the area. The Hidden One bureau leader, Basim, has recently traveled to Bulgar to meet Sigurd and his companions, intending to gather a few capable allies to infiltrate the castle and recover the Piece of Eden.
Intro[]
The cold sky turns to hues of fire and gold as the sun sets while the river flows serenely through the quiet valley. From the small village of herders on the Avon Trail, you have been studying the castle for the past few days. From there, you can admire the sturdy walls of the burh overhanging the river and the warriors who patrol them day and night. The Order of the Ancients still occupies the place, meaning they have yet to find the artifact or perhaps the fortress has become their new base of operations in the province. There is nothing more to be learned from afar. The time to act has come.
Key objectives[]
The first goal of the Witnesses is to enter Warwick Burh without being noticed. There are a few different ways to achieve this. The Witnesses could disguise themselves as traders and enter through the main gate, or pose as soldiers hired by the Order of the Ancients. Another way could be to convince a villager to let them hide in a supply wagon full of straw to be brought into the burh. For a more direct approach, the Witnesses could climb the walls, or stealthily cross the bridge leading to the main gate and eliminate any guards stationed there.
- Challenges
- Guards at the gate: 5 men guard the only gate into the burh. They are part of a contingent of two dozen mercenaries hired by the Order of the Ancients.
- Guards on the walls: The remaining mercenaries patrol the burh's walls. The fortified location is quite extensive, and the men seem insufficient to cover it without keeping a significant distance between each other.
- Weaknesses
- Mercenaries will be mercenaries (minor): The Witnesses might try to offer the mercenaries a better deal than the one they struck with the Order of the Ancients, or attempt to bribe them with spirits. If they do, any Social check made to try convincing the guards to let them enter the fortress and overcome the Guards at the gate Challenge has 1 Free Raise.
Once they enter the compound, the Witnesses must find the artifact. It is hidden in a secret garret at the top of the river-facing tower. Aleksi, the local leader of the Order of the Ancients, has been locked in there for days, studying the artifact.
6 of the Order's soldiers are patrolling the courtyard, clearly bored. 2 more stand by a tall door into the main building, wherein a group of visiting merchants and the remaining members of the Order of the Ancients are enjoying a sumptuous banquet. The feast presents an excellent opportunity to spy on the affairs of the Order of the Ancients. The Witnesses might take a guard or diner away from the main hall to interrogate them, hide in the shadows to spy on a crucial conversation, or infiltrate the upper floors to search parchments left in the dormitory rooms.
- Challenges
- Courtyard patrol: The soldiers in the courtyard look bored, but they've been well-paid and stand ready to fight any intruders, particularly any Hidden Ones who might show up.
- The Banquet: Merchants and off-duty soldiers are indulging in food and wine in the main hall. Confident in the safety of the burh, they are relaxed and off guard. Here it is possible to discover that Aleksi has been locked up for days in the river-facing tower, along with his "cursed treasure." Those who have brought him food describe him as intent on writing tirelessly and doing "calculations". They are sure they heard him talking to someone, even though they saw nobody else in the room.
- Weaknesses
- Eagle Vision (minor): Characters exploring the upper floors who activate the Eagle Vision Skill can sense the presence of something powerful coming from "above".
- Animal Companion (major): Witnesses who activate their Animal Companion Skill to explore the rooftops or the wall's walkway can sense the presence of the Shroud coming from the river-facing tower's attic.
- Special (The Voices)
The Shroud of Eden worn by Aleksi houses the conflicting fragments of two different copies of Isu consciousnesses: Juno and Consus (see Shroud Of Eden #Unknown_1, page 64). Both entities vie for possession of Aleksi. While Consus tries to communicate with the Descendants across the Animus, asking them to destroy the Shroud of Eden, Juno seeks only the subjugation of the human race.
As the Witnesses climb towards the top of the tower, they can hear Aleksi talking to someone and a frantic, stone-scratching noise.
The room is lit by burning braziers. The floors and walls are covered entirely with symbols, numbers, and complex calculations written using charcoal or scratched into the stone. A man wearing a golden shroud over his shoulder is writing on the rock wall with blood, using what's left of his forefinger, worn down to the bone. He turns to you with eyes veiled by cataracts while his injured finger heals with unnatural vitality.
Expressionless, he speaks with a male voice that resonates as if distorted and amplified by a repeater: "Eventually, you arrived as calculated, Wolf-kissed. However, I speak to the one who's with you but is not here... this must be stopped... you mustn't let them have it! She must be sto—!"
The voice abruptly stops. Aleksi's eyes light up with an iridescent glow, and a female voice thunders, sweeping you like a storm's gust. "Hopeless you are... pawns in my hands. And you—Consus—are lost, nothing but a remnant, an error... like those who will die here, tonight! With these words, Aleksi takes up his weapons and lunges at you with extraordinary speed.
- Challenges
- Call for Consus: A Witness can try to rally Consus, stopping Juno from possessing Aleksi. In this case, the character must make a Wits or Social check with 2 Raises. On a success, Consus invites the characters to take the Shroud of Eden from Aleksi's shoulders—Aleksi then collapses to the ground in a semi-comatose state.
- Wake Up Aleksi: A Witness can try to bring Aleksi back to his senses, or to strengthen his resolve to fight off Juno's possession. In this case, the character must make a Social check with 1 Raise. On a success, Aleksi regains control of his own actions. However, the soldier's mind is already consumed by the inconsistent and fragmentary incursions of the two Isu consciousnesses, and he will try to put an end to "the voices" in any way possible. At this point, in order to take the Shroud from him, 2 or more characters must make an Action check with 1 Raise. On a failure, the Shroud of Eden triggers the Shroud's Overheating Setback.
- Special
As long as he wears the Shroud, Aleksi can't be surprised and instantly regenerates any wounds suffered meaning that he can't be injured or killed. While Juno possesses Aleksi, the soldier attacks with supernatural speed and strength. All Witnesses must make an additional Reaction check to dodge or parry and fight back at the end of each Approach check.
- Weaknesses
- Apple of Eden (minor): A Witness in possession of an Apple of Eden can use it to bolster the mind of Consus. In this case, the Approach check made to overcome the Call for Consus Challenge requires no Raise. Also, the Wake Up Aleksi Challenge doesn't trigger the Shroud Overheating Setback on a failure.
- Sword of Eden (major): A Witness using a Sword of Eden may be able to bypass the Shroud of Eden's protection and injure Aleksi effectively. In this case, the Witnesses can defeat Aleksi with 2 separate Action checks with 1 Raise.
Behind the scenes[]
Notables NPCs[]
Tall and beefy, with scars all over his arms and face, Aleksi is a captain of the Order of the Ancients operating in England. Before losing his mind to the Shroud, he used to be a ruthless commander, taking pleasure in hunting down and executing as many Hidden Ones as possible.
Pieces of Eden[]
Known Owners: Unknown, Aleksi
Current Status: Unknown
While wearing the Shroud, you gain the ability to regenerate and heal from physical wounds. Once each Sequence, you can activate it to recover from Snags as if resting in a safe place and you obtain exceptional strength, gaining 1 Free Raise whenever you make a brawn-related Action or Reaction check. Additionally, you constantly hear voices opposing each other, causing your mind to fog. Every Wits and Social check you make requires 1 Raise. Also, if you suffer a Snag to your Wits or Social Approach, you immediately become Broken, and Juno or Consus might take possession of your body.The Shrouds of Eden (see page 185 of Assassin's Creed – Animus Handbook) are rare artifacts with mysterious healing capabilities whose earliest appearance can be traced back to Greek mythology. This specific Shroud represents one of Juno's first failed experiments to clone the technology developed by Consus. The result is a Shroud of Eden that maintains the original's extraordinary healing properties, significantly improving the wearer's physical faculties, but retains fragments of the consciousnesses of the Isu Consus and Juno. Both consciousnesses can speak with the wearer and attempt to possess them. For this reason, wearing the Shroud of Eden can be dangerous, eventually leading to insanity and death.