Prerequisite: Complete Main Quests: The Crocodile’s Jaws; The Lizard’s Face; The Hyena; The Scarab’s Lies
Suggested Level: 31
REWARDS: NA
Unlocks: Main Quest: Aya: Blade of the Goddess
Details: Bayek meets with Cleopatra to confirm this hunt is complete, yet he remains determined to find the man who actually killed his son.
Speak with Cleopatra in Herakleion
Herakleion
If this is your first time in Herakleion Nome, you should synchronize the Viewpoints, at least the one near Cleopatra’s Palace (1). Apollodorus greets you as you enter the palace and hands you some drink. You leave him and talk to Cleopatra about finding the men who killed your son. Bayek and Cleopatra have a light argument, each fighting for control over the other. Cleopatra reminds him of the duties associated with the golden Medjay badge. She says she has a gift for you. Follow her.
Follow Cleopatra
While following Cleopatra, Bayek asks about Aya and learns that she is still defending the seas and will be back any day. As you head down the hallway and back outside, rob the palace at the loot opportunities. Along the way, Cleopatra reveals that two new names on your list—the Jackal and the Scorpion—are within her brother’s circle.
Cleopatra says Septimius sent a Gabiniani named Venator to try to assassinate her. Then Apollodorus shows up with a captive and throws him at your feet. He says he caught him snooping around and thinks the spy knows who killed your son. Bayek strangles information out of him. He says that Septimius killed your son.
Apollodorus and Cleopatra send you on an assignment to dig up more information on the plot against her. Septimius is in town; his main Phylakes is a man named Venator. There are rumors he’s lurking around the brothel.
Speak with the Brothel Owner
Head south into the city and enter the brothel (2). When you meet the brothel owner, she offers you a discount if you aren’t with the Gabinianis. You tell her you are a Medjay and would like to speak to the legendary twins the spy had mentioned. She tells you it will cost you to see the twins.
Pay the Brothel Keeper
To continue, pay the brothel keeper 200 drachmas. She tells you to make yourself comfortable upstairs and the twins will come for you.
Wait for the Twins Upstairs
Head upstairs and meditate in the objective marker location. The male and female twins arrive. You tell them you are looking for Venator. They immediately get scared and tell you not to say that name out loud. They say everyone is scared of him and that you should kill him. They tell you he’s staying at the top of the square.
Reach Venator’s Room
Leave the twins and head southwest to Venator’s room (3). Travel by rooftops and drop onto his balcony.
Investigate Venator’s Room
The room is unoccupied. Use Animus Pulse to find clues to see what occurred there. There is blood on the walls and broken dishes on the floor, but the clues that count are downstairs.
Downstairs are these clues: arrows shot at a Cleopatra bust (target practice); lutes; lipstick; scented oils on a chair; a crate of wine casks filled with oil—enough to burn down an entire city; and a letter from Septimius in a vase that you need to break (beware of the cobra inside). The letter mentions multiple assassins assigned to killing Cleopatra.
Bayek deduces that one of the assassins is posing as a woman to infiltrate the palace. Another is leading a group posing as wine merchants that will dock and set a fire to cause panic. Then, in the confusion, an archer will pick off the queen from somewhere high.
Find and Kill the Mercenaries
There are three targets you must hit: the infiltrator (4), the lamplighter (5), the archer (6). Send Senu up to locate these three targets around the palace.
Infiltrator Assassination
Start your assassinations with the nearest target to you: the infiltrator (4), posing as a woman. Run up behind him and assassinate him in the crowd. Beware the Romans enjoying the bath area as they will attack if they see you killing the infiltator.
Lamplighter Assassination
Next, run from soldiers, heading northeast as you chase the lamplighter (5). If you want, hide in safety and send Senu up to find the lamplighter. He is surrounded by several Level 30 to 31 soldiers. Now you may have some collateral damage.
Reach the rooftop and drop down into the yard near the shoreline. Throw sleep darts at everyone (or at least throw the amount of darts you have), including the lamplighter. Now run up and assassinate the sleeping lamplighter. You can leave the others alive or just send them to Duat.
Archer Assassination
To avoid the Romans at the foot of tower, jump into water and swim around to the back north side of the lighthouse tower. Ledge assassinate the lower guard and run northwest toward the viewpoint lighthouse tower. The archer (6) is perched high on the topmost platform near the large flame. There is a guard on the lower platform as well. You can either put an arrow through the archer (which is poetic justice) or you can fight through the Level 31 bandits at the base of the lighthouse, climb up, and kill him close. Be cautious of the bandit bodyguard on the platform below him.
Return to Cleopatra
Before you head back to Cleopatra, equip yourself with weapons that you’d be comfortable with in an ambush. Select your favorite bows and your most powerful weapons. Head back to Cleopatra’s palace to reunite with Aya, who jumps on you and kisses you like she hasn’t seen you in a year.
But the threat is not over yet! She pushes you out of the way of another archer coming up behind you from the shore. Aya defects the arrow with her sword and the rumble begins.
Defend the Queen
Where you thought you were going to report the good news of thwarting an assassination attempt, here you are in the middle of another attempt you did not know about. You are up against five mercenaries. Pull out your hunter bow and pick off the advancing gang with multiple headshots.
Six Level 31 mercenaries are marching toward you. You should be able to eliminate all but the large brute before they’re on top of you.
Use a special adrenaline move on the brute and finish off any stragglers to complete the objective. When you do clear the warm-up band, Raging Axes “Venator” arrives.
Kill Venator
Venator is a Level 31 massive brute wielding twin heavy blades. He comes from the docks (the same direction as the previous gang), so there’s plenty of space to put distance between you. Begin with long-range arrow attacks to the face. When you have built up adrenaline, release it on him. Target-select him so your dodge moves become more effective and send you behind him instead of out of hit range.
After he swings and misses, hit his side or back with your most powerful fast weapon. He’s relentless and doesn’t get knocked down easily, so be vigilant. Keep moving, dodging, and striking; when possible, back up and get some arrow shots to his head. Eventually he goes down.
After the battle, Cleopatra is fed up with her brother’s antics and expresses her desire to have a throne. She tells Apollodorus to instruct Phoxidas to prepare a ship. She plans to meet Pompey. Aya tells Bayek that if they don’t get to Pompey first, Septimius might.
Bring Aya to where Pompey Is Landing
Take a boat from the nearby pier and allow Aya aboard. Sail toward the marker (7) on the north shore of the small island in the northeast. Aya and Bayek have time to catch up along the way.
When you reach the camp area, you find many dead and rotting Roman soldiers scattered about. When you reach the marker, you find the skewered, headless corpse of Pompey sitting upright on the beach. Septimius beat you here. Cleopatra and Apollodorus arrive soon after your discovery. She demands that Aya escort her to Caesar.
