Visions of the Animus [Reference Material]

**Secura** · 03-31-2011, 16:41

Welcome to the
Visions of the Animus

Hosted by:
Beskar & Secura

Rules:

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Players (40):

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Introduction:

Dr. Warren Vidic marched across the corridor that led to the laboratory, each step laced with a sense of purpose and punctuated by a high-pitched squeak as shoe soles grinded against the polished white floor; a large group of employees were struggling to keep pace with the man, their own footfalls failing to mask the fact that they were nervous to even walk in the shadow of such an enigmatic figure.

The personal tour was the culmination of their induction to the Animus Project, a full-day’s pay for a series of briefings on health and safety, the code of conduct and various other trivial rules to abide by; the excitement of finally getting to grips with the Research and Development Division’s pride and joy made the last few hours of administrative torture more tolerable.

The group stopped, having been led into the largest laboratory in the Milanese headquarters of Abstergo Industries; it was a vast room that would have struggled to fit onto a football pitch, filled from wall-to-wall with technological wonders that all but the most fortunate of the company’s staff would never see.

“Animi, as far as the eye can see!”

The doctor swivelled around to face his audience, a wicked grin visible even among his greying, unshaven beard; it was evident that he was proud of everything that his department had achieved over the course of the last year, despite the rumours of rebellious test subjects and the loss of his favourite researcher.

“Our engineers have spent countless hours perfecting this top secret, state-of-the-art facility in order to house our most ambitious project to date!”

Vidic turned around once more, and began to lead the group past row after row of cubicles, his hands gesturing from left-to-right as he explained just how much effort had been ploughed into the project, all in the name of exploring the past to secure a safer world for future generations.

The new subjects were ushered into one of the larger cubicles, where they finally had their first encounter with the Animus; it resembled a bed of sorts, sleek and sophisticated, with a chrome finish and a series of azure blue lights that gave the machine an almost otherworldly glow.
A man lay on the machine; his eyes were closed as though he was immersed in eternal slumber, though his visage told a different story as it occasionally wrinkled into a horrific grimace. A glass panel was curved over the subject’s head, with a series of words and images rapidly flickering across it; the observing scientist sat nearby took notes every so often, sipping from a mug of black coffee in the meantime.

“Your first time in the Animus will be disorienting, a few of you will panic, yes”, Warren continued, noting the mixed looks of concern, disgust and anxiety on the faces of his audience; “you will be eased into the project gently, where your goal will be to find the VIP among your numbers and desynchronise them.”

He left the cubicle with his now rapt audience in tow, before gesturing for some nearby researchers to direct the new subjects to their own cubicles; if there was one thing that Warren didn’t like, it was these tours dragging out longer than usual, it was far more important to get to work as soon as possible.

“So, any questions?”

There was silence for what seemed like an eternity, before the gentle humming of active Animi in nearby cubicles broke the tense atmosphere; Vidic clapped his hands eagerly, he’d won this round.

“Good... then let’s begin!”

**Secura** · 03-31-2011, 16:41

Day One

La Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia, Italia - c.1512

As the arched-glass screen of the Animus slides over your head, you recall the grimaced face of the subject you visited a few moments ago and immediately feel an impending sense of doom. The chrome finish, originally so cool to the touch, seems to have grown to near-boiling temperatures and you feel increasingly faint until the machine's humming reaches a blistering crescendo and you fall into unconsciousness.

Seconds later, you gasp, eyes opening wide to the glare of natural sunlight rather than Abstergo's halogen lighting; you find yourself stood in a town square bustling with activity, dozens of people going about their daily business under the overbearing shadow of the Campanile di San Marco. A quick glance about your person and you realise that the Animus has adjusted your attire to suit the time period.

Stumbling slightly as you become accustomed to your surroundings, you recall the instructions left by Dr. Vidic; find the VIP and kill him.

Alive Players (40):

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Phase Ends:
00:00 GMT, 28/02/11

**Secura** · 03-31-2011, 16:42

End Of Day One

La Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia, Italia - c.1512

As the sun slid towards the horizon and bathed the Most Serene Rebublic of Venice in an earthly glow, the crowds began to thin in the Piazza di San Marco, and yet the square didn't seem any less populated; masses of people began to emerge from the shadows created by the setting sun, their eyes all fixed with the same sense of determination, the same goal.

The assassination of the VIP.

A knight, decked in the sturdiest suit of polished platemail armour, was showing agility beyond the confines of his attire by keeping step with a lithe figure decked in flowing robes of tinted cream; leaning against a pillar of the Palazzo Ducale, a well-dressed man observed as a figure with a bone-white, bird-like visage ran past him and leaped into a nearby cart of hay without a second thought, as though this was a regular thing to do in Renaissance Italy.

Nearby, a mismatched crowd of thieves, courtesans, smugglers and guard captains had assembled at the edge of the docks, focused on what appeared to be a couple, locked in a staring contest, their eyes glaring at once another while their hands seemed to hover at their waists, ready to draw a weapon and strike.

The man, a hunched-over gentleman dressed in the finest Florentine silk, seemed to be tinkering with a prosthetic appendage attached to where his left forearm should have been. The metallic instrument was comprised of three sharpened blades that gave the impression of claws and, coupled with his battle-ready stance, they gave the impression of a feral beast poised to strike.

The female, on the other hand, retained a greater level of composure and dignity, stood firmly upright, tall and proud. Her gaze never falling from her opponent, she raised a hand and ran it through her vibrant red hair, gloved fingers grasping upon a long, steel hairpin; the nobleman's eyes widened as he realised what she was doing, rose his monstrous appendage to act... but it was all too late.

In a matter of seconds, the accessory had been slammed into his eyes, the crescendo of his agony-laced screams extinguished as she removed the blade to a finale of gushing blood, her own face splattered with the draining lifeforce of her victim. She had emerged victorious... until a loud bang rang through the air and she felt her own life slipping away; collapsing to her knees, the woman began to speak, but words failed her. Within moments, she was also dead.

The ringing sound in the ears of the fleeing crowd were indicative of a gunshot, and yet nobody could determine where the sound had actually originated from; in the shadows, a bearded man, his identity masked by flowing ivory-hued robes, grinned wickedly before leaving the scene. He had escaped unharried, but not without leaving his mark on his fellow agents.

-Round Concluded-
-VIP Target Lost-
Poor show, God Emperor! I expected better!
Diamondeye, you took your eyes off the prize! Do pay attention!

Begin Night One
Ends 00:00 GMT, 01/03/2011.
Send all orders to Beskar.

**Secura** · 03-31-2011, 16:46

End of Night One

Abstergo Industries Headquarters, Milan, Italy, 2012

Dr. Warren Vidic paced along the length of the meeting room, deep in thought; three researchers were sat at the oval-shaped frosted-glass table in the centre of the room, nervous eyes flicking from left to right in time with the movement of their superior. They were in trouble, it was merely a matter of moments before Vidic's reaction to their grave news became apparant.

In the early hours of the morning, while the test subjects were immersed in their training, core aspects of the Animus network began to act strangely; firstly, each machine entered a lockdown state that prevented the user from leaving the virtual world, followed by files critical to life support being deleted spontaneously.

This would have been little worry to the researchers under normal circumstances, since these things could be resolved by rebooting the network, but the fact that the administrative passwords had been changed ensured that logging in was impossible without disconnecting the network entirely, which would result in all Animi shutting down, killing the user.

It was a grave situation, and only the project leader was authorised to decide on any course of action given everything at stake; they could not afford any loss of life at this early stage. The loss of an entire day's work was trivial at this point.

Vidic stopped walking, turned to his underlings and gestured towards the two-way window that looked out over the laboratory, though words failed to escape his lips; he was unable to fathom what could be happening, but he had a feeling that the blasted Stillman girl was involved somehow, this had the handiwork of her ilk written all over it.

Without waiting for a response, Vidic left the room, hurtling down the stairs and into the nearest booth, a name plate fixed upon the glass indicating that the test subject inside had been dubbed 'Renata'; she looked peaceful, almost serene, unaware of the danger she faced from this mysterious cyber-attack.

Warren checked the curved glass panel that raised over the subject's head, but the readings made little sense; rather than detailing the usual information regarding the training period she was visiting, the screen showed several locked memory blocks. He turned to the nearby computer screen, and it quickly became apparant that, despite the critical files deleted from the network, the subject's vital signs were fine; she was trapped in the Animus for the time being, but at least she was alive.

"It's the same for every terminal, sir", came an anxious male voice from the doorway; a bespectacled researcher had entered the room behind Vidic, but the project leader made no motion to acknowledge him, his gaze focused entirely on the Animus terminal.

After a few minutes, the silence punctuated only by the gentle thrumming of the machine, Vidic spoke, his voice as gruff as usual; "we continue with the project, this is little more than a minor setback!"

**Secura** · 03-31-2011, 16:47

Day Two

تخت جمشید ، امپراتوری هخامنشی, c.465 BC

"More water, my King?"

The soft-spoken female adjusted her balance, shifting the weight of the clay pitcher in her arms; beads of crystal-clear water managed to escape, dashing through the air triumphantly before colliding with upon the stone ground with an audible crash which turned the head of the entire court.

The servant mouthed a series of apologies for her indiscretion, but there was no acknowledgement at all from the despondent man perched upon the edge of a marble throne, his bearded visage buried in his hands; two guards quickly appeared at her side and directed her out of the room, all eyes watching them leave before turning their attention back to their monarch.

There was complete silence for a while, broken only by the occasional cough, until the figure upon the throne finally raised his head and looked around the room; his eyes were bloodshot, the skin around them tinged red. He had obviously been weeping, a rare show of emotion from the usually stern monarch.

"Treachery is abound in Persepolis"

Xerxes had whispered these words as gently as a light summer breeze, and yet everyone present in the hall of the Apadana heard them as though they had been shouted at the highest of pitches; when the God-King of the might Achaemenid Empire spoke, men would be wise to listen.

"There is little news that does not reach these ears", he continued in the same soft tone, all in attendance remaining rapt with attention; "and there is less news still that I share with the entire court".

Xerxes rose from his throne, adjusting his scarlet robes before walking calmly into the centre of the hall and looking around the room from this better perspective. His firm gaze seemed to fix upon each man present; some shuddered, others struggled to keep eye contact, yet each found themselves enraptured by his voice.

"I address you as a whole because the traitors sit among you".

Initially, there were gasps of disbelief, but these were quickly replaced by a flurry of accusations, several protestations of innocence and the stamping of feet in anger; the traitors must be fearless to sit before the God-King while harbouring thoughts of treason!

Xerxes sighed as the noise escalated, before removing a small sphere from the inside of his long robes; it was comprised entirely of gold, with a series of grooves running around the entire orb, and he held it with both the upmost care and pride. Holding the sphere aloft in his right hand, he closed his eyes and squeezed it slightly... and there was silence.

He opened his eyes to see that the entire court had been frozen still, their statuesque bodies flickering with an almost-ethereal golden glow; he had seen this happen before, but it did not fascinate him any less for every subsequent occasion that he used the orb, and it gave him the perfect opportunity to complete his speech.

"The traitors must be dealt with harshly, of course", the King smiled benignly, yet his voice had taken on a harsh tone that his face did not show; "let it never be said that I am unfair, however, as I will allow the court to vote among themselves to determine the guilty party".

Xerxes squeezed the golden sphere once more before concealing it beneath his robes; the members of the court returned to normality, and despite the many questions they now held, they knew better than to question Xerxes and so they promptly sat down and began to discuss the treacherous scum that hid among them.

Alive Players (40):

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Achievements:

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Phase Ends:
03:00 GMT, 03/03/11

New Role PMs are still being sent out, but you are now free to vote. Thanks for being patient! :3

**Secura** · 03-31-2011, 16:57

End of Day Two

تخت جمشید ، امپراتوری هخامنشی, c.465 BC

The rest of the day proceeded much as it had started, with elaborate conspiracy theories, bouts of confusion and direct accusations all made under the pretense of a democratic vote; Xerxes often found himself instinctively reaching into his robes for the golden sphere which had proven so useful over the years, but he always found restraint just before his fingers found their prize... it was much better for their ire to be focused towards one another rather than Xerxes himself.

One man had been particularly vocal during the course of discussion, levelling ideas of abstainance at his fellow courtiers which largely fell upon deaf ears; indeed, many took the idea of opting out of the voting process as an afront to the very responsibility that the God-King had bestowed upon them, but there was still hesistancy to follow through their anger with a vote.

At least until 'Pizza' burst into life, regaling the court with tales of athletic gentlemen, powerful warriors and one man's quest for the correct recognition of his name; for some, this was too much, and despite the best efforts of the dancing lunatic to turn his detractors towards someone else, the final tally for the day stood in favour of his execution.

A brutish figure of a man dragged the verbose gentleman before the throne, where his eyes met Xerxes' own; the God-King looked him up and down, immediately recognising the dusty orange robes and the gilded shortsword clipped to his belt... gently sighing, the monarch proceeded to address him with a solemn tone that carried just a hint of uncertainty with it.

"You have been chosen by your fellow courtiers as a possible traitor to the Persian Empire; do you have any last words?"

The man remained silent for a moment, bowed his head and said boldly; "do or do not, there is no try".

Puzzled as to why the condemned would offer such advice, but nonetheless greatful for his final contribution, Xerxes nodded towards his chief bodyguard; relishing the opportunity to act on the whim of the court, the brutish figure drew his sword and proceeded to behead the unwavering knight, savouring each swing of the blade and the accompanying reaction from the more squeamish courtiers.

Once the deed was done, Xerxes hastily ajourned proceedings for the day and retired to his chambers, leaving the members of the court to return to their homes for the night; at the God-King's request, the deceased was afforded a proper burial as befitted his stature.

Alive Players (39):

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Begin Night Two
Ends 00:00 GMT, 05/03/2011.
Send all orders to Beskar.

**Secura** · 03-31-2011, 16:58

End of Night Two

تخت جمشید ، امپراتوری هخامنشی, c.465 BC

The courtiers dispersed into the night, but not all of them headed for their dwellings, as the shroud of darkness provided the ideal cover for unscrupulous nocturnal activities that Xerxes would certainly not have approved of; thoughts of food, drink and slumber were the last things on many minds that night.

Upon the steps of the Adapana, two guards were carrying the lifeless form of the executed Pizza, while the brutish bodyguard who had slain the condemned man maintained a tight grip on a bloodstained cloth sack that one would presume held the knight's severed head.

Nearby, four gentlemen approached one of the Immortals standing guard; they were dressed in the finest robes of azure blue silk, carrying sizeable coinpurses from which they proceeded to offer a generous sum of coin to the man, which served to exaggerate their wealth and status. Before they could even speak a word, however, pevergreen had spotted his brothers-in-arms carrying the corpse, and he immediately dropped his weapon and ran over to stop them.

"A fool such as this one does not deserve the right of burial; he spelt my name incorrectly!"

The Immortal tried to push the two guards off-balance so he could defile the deceased knight's body, but no sooner had he thrown his first punch did he find that Artabanus was ready for him; the commander swung the bloodstained bag in an upwards arc, knocking the disrespectful guard to the floor with a sickening, crunching squelch. Before pevergreen could regain his composure, a spear had been thrusted into his jugular, ending his life in one short, sanguine second.

"As the God-King wills it, so shall it be, whelp."

Artabanus levelled his gaze at the four satraps who had approached the fallen guard not a moment ago; they scattered into the night rather than face the wrath of Xerxes' closest ally in the court.

----------------------------------------------

Elsewhere, Beefy was walking back home; the roads in Persepolis were largely crime-free due to the high concentration of guard patrols, but the pathways that led to his dwellings were not afforded such an honour.

No sooner had he left the road, he was surrounded by four gentlemen, all wearing silken robes of the lightest blue and offering coin in exchange for his assistance in court the next day; Beefy found himself unable to respond, however, as four more men emerged with spears and wooden poles.

The two groups stared at one another for some time, the timid Beefy unsure what was going to happen to him; eventually, the satraps realised the futility of their efforts and vanished into the night, leaving the combination of eunuchs and guards to escort Beefy back home safely.

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Renata had also been afforded the protection of the Adapana's finest that night, and she walked boldly down the city's main road, something she would have been unable to do during the course of the day; four men walked close by, on either side of her, keeping a lookout for anyone who may bring harm upon their ward.

The group spotted a man leaning against a nearby stone pillar, grinding a jagged stone against the head of his ornate spear. Without looking upwards, he addressed them, his eyes remaining upon his weapon.

"Well, well, well... may I take a look at your companion, gentlemen?"

The guards nodded, acknowledging the voice and moving aside so that the man could get a better look at Renata; the spearbearer looked up and down, paused as if to speak, then gestured for the group to move onwards.

**Secura** · 03-31-2011, 16:58

Day Three

تخت جمشید ، امپراتوری هخامنشی, c.465 BC

Xerxes peered around at the assembled courtiers, and noticed that their number was considerably lighter than it had been when he saw them together last; the Apple had not alerted him to any danger during the night, and yet three people were missing, so the God-King rose to his feet and walked into the centre of the room.

"Who is missing among your number?"

There was silence initially, as the courtiers began to assess who had not turned up; they began to argue among themselves, each trying to ascertain the whereabouts of the other while maintaining their own innocence. Little headway was made for around an hour before they eventually came to the conclusion that both Nightbringer and Seon were missing.

Xerxes ordered two of his Immortals to find the dwellings of the missing pair and learn their fate, while he assured those present that the perpetrator for these injustices would be punished soon. It did not take long for the guards to return with tales of murder; two clean kills with little sign of a struggle and no evidence as to who was responsible.

The God-King shook for a moment, before staggering wearily over to his throne; two fine men lost to the traitors, but there would be no more if the court was a little wiser and more vigilant today. He nodded his head curtly, and they descended into their second day of discussion.

Alive Players (36):

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Begin Day Three
Ends 00:00 GMT, 07/03/2011.

**Secura** · 03-31-2011, 17:00

End of Day Three

تخت جمشید ، امپراتوری هخامنشی, c.465 BC

The midday sun had begun to drift closer to the horizon, bathing Persepolis in warm, saffron-hued light; another day was quickly drawing to a close, yet the courtiers had not reached an overwhelming majority in their decision, and Xerxes was prepared to intervene if it was entirely necessary.

One group argued against Kagemusha, largely citing the case left behind by the deceased knight from the previous day; he was nonplussed by their accusations, shrugging them off with ease and responding that Warman was a much better bet for being a traitor. The two traded verbal blows for some time, until the balance began to swing against Kagemusha and he finally reached the majority that noone wanted to attain.

Xerxes rose from his throne and walked over to the condemned man; he looked over Kagemusha's robes, possibly for signs of a weapon, but there was nothing. Their eyes met briefly, and Xerxes noted that the eunuch showed no fear, no sign of the hatred that the God-King expected to find... indeed, there was no emotion whatsoever, and Xerxes felt uncertain about the decision that had made.

Nevertheless, the majority decision of the court had to be final, as per the very same rules he had bestowed upon them only a day ago; he signalled for the guards to seize Kagemusha and drag him to the centre of the room, yet this was not required as the condemned man climbed to his feet and gladly walked there, his face still showing no sign of emotion as he was forced to his knees.

Nor when the blade of Artabanus was drawn against his throat. Not even the moment where his life was ended as the sword cleaved into his gullet.

Xerxes watched every moment of the execution, then bowed curtly to the courtiers before excusing himself and retiring to his chambers, leaving his guests to make their way home to return anew the next morning.

Alive Players (35):

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Begin Night Three
Ends 00:00 GMT, 09/03/2011.
Send all orders to Beskar.

**Secura** · 03-31-2011, 17:02

End of Night Three

تخت جمشید ، امپراتوری هخامنشی, c.465 BC

Xerxes paced silently around his chambers deep in the Adapana; the day's events had weighed heavily on his mind at first, but now he was focused on something else entirely. For reasons unknown to his loyal guardians, the God-King had ordered for one of the courtiers to be invited to his chambers where they could talk face-to-face, but Xerxes was still waiting for his guest to arrive.

"You called for me, my King?"

God Emperor, wearing robes dyed a multitude of greens, was stood in the doorway, back arched downwards into an unmistakeable bow; Xerxes nodded in response, gesturing for the man to come inside and take a seat, which he did so somewhat reluctantly. He rested his spear upon the floor and faced the God-King, the nearby torchlight highlighting the attentiveness with which his guest had devoted entirely to the monarch.

Xerxes smiled softly at the eager spearbearer, removing his hands behind his back to reveal the mysterious golden sphere that he had used a few days ago; he turned the orb over in his hands, mouthed something inaudible and incomprehensible to his guest... then a blinding flash of brilliant light engulfed the room.

When it subsided, God Emperor's visage had glazed over somewhat, as though his eyes had suddenly become dull and lifeless; Xerxes knew different however and, after helping the spearbearer climb to his feet and ushering him from the room, he felt at ease knowing that he would have an ally in the voting process the next day.

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ArpeggiateTHIS was resting upon a mound of comfortable silk in her private quarters, surrounded by a group of the God-King's concubines; they were all discussing the course of the day's events and what Xerxes may ask of them next when a eunuch stumbled into the room, platter in hand.

"What is the meaning of this intrusion?", Amestris hissed, eyes narrowed at the intruder.

The man bowed before her, reaching out with the platter upon bended knee, presenting an array of fruit to the King's wife; her cold glare turned into a warm smile, and she gladly took the food from the eunuch, who quickly made his excuses and departed.

The elation of the late-night snack quickly turned into a coughing fit as the poison took hold of ArpeggiateTHIS; within seconds, she lay dead, a half-eaten date rolling from her lifeless fingers.

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Within a small side-room in the Adapana, Diamondeye was kneeling at a makeshift altar, praying to the Father of Understanding for the safe passage of his deceased comrade; despite the proper burial bestowed upon him at Xerxes' request, the knight could not help but feel remorse for Pizza's death, and he wept softly while pounding his fists against the ground.

"Why do you cry?", a voice behind the knight whispered softly.

Diamondeye turned to look at the newcomer, but his gaze met little more than the sharpened steel of an ornate dagger as it slammed into his left eye; the attacker kicked the heavily-bleeding knight to the ground, taking care not to soil his fine silk robes in the process. Diamondeye attempted to curse his foe, but no words came out, and he died within moments, the earth beneath his body stained crimson.

The satrap sighed heavily befor... turning tai... and lea... the ro... his mis...on acco...ish.......