Assassins Creed II walkthrough Sequence 2/3

Sequence 2

Fitting In

Learn the Ways of the Courtesans

It's time you learned the ways of the Courtesans, which includes skills such as blending and stealing. To start things off, stand inside either of the circles the girls form. When doing so, you'll notice lights have appeared on the ground, indicating you're now "blending," essentially making you invisible to the enemy. You can "blend" in among any travelling groups of people out on the streets, so do so whenever you wish to remain incognito. In fact, you'll have to employ that very technique as you follow one of the Courtesans through the city. Keep her in sight, but blend into the nearby groups to evade the myriad guards lining the street. When blending, avoid running or pickpocketing others, as both will draw unwanted attention.

She'll eventually lead you back to where you started, at which point she'll teach you how to pickpocket others. Doing so is easy, just hold down the "fast walk" button as you pass by others to steal from them! You'll want to keep moving immediately afterward though, otherwise victims may try to fight you or alert others of your presence.

Ace Up My Sleeve

Go to Leonardo's Workshop

Your first task is to head to Leonardo's workshop. Like usual, we recommend sticking to the rooftops as you head for it, but watch out for some archers stationed throughout the city.

Assassinate the Guard

Now that you have a weapon again, you can try it out on the guard accosting Leonardo outside. Just walk up behind him and tap the "attack" button to perform a silent kill.

Carry the Corpse into Leonardo's Workshop

With the guard down, grab his corpse and follow Leonardo back into his workshop and drop it in the highlighted area to complete the mission.

Judge, Jury, Executioner

Find Uberto in Santa Croce's Cloister

Your target location is on a rooftop, so might as well take the high road! The stacked boxes dead ahead provide a convenient route to the rooftops. If you encounter any archers along the way, simply throw them off the roof for a quick victory.

Follow Uberto Without Being Detected

Leap from the wooden beam into the hay below then head up the street and blend into the first group of people you can to bypass the guards. Follow the group around the corner until they break off. Now just ahead is a group of Courtesans--hire them before pushing ahead, as they'll distract two pairs of guards blocking the way. Once past, continue into the courtyard where you'll find Uberto--murder him.

Escape from Santa Croce

You know the deal--run away! Make a dash for the rooftops and find a hiding place if you can to ditch the guards.

Laying Low

Reduce Your Notoriety

There are three ways to reduce your notoriety. Remove posters, bribe a herald, or kill a corrupt official. We found the easiest option is to kill a corrupt official, as long as one's nearby. Check your map to see if you can spot one--if so, just head for him and take him down. Barring that, removing posters is also a simple task, as they're plentiful. But you'll have to remove several, plus you may draw attention as you venture throughout the city.

Arrivederci

Escort Maria and Claudia Out of Florence

Maria and Claudia will follow your lead--even if they can't see you--as you you lead them from checkpoint to checkpoint until you're outside the city. Along the way, you'll have to avoid the guards, either by blending in, or distracting them in some way, such as by tossing money. However, you can avoid them altogether by taking to the rooftops and heading for the checkpoints that way. Although the girls won't come up after you, they will follow from the streets below--if the game says they're falling behind, give them a moment or two to catch up. However, you will have to drop to the ground in order to trigger each checkpoint, before climbing back to the rooftops.

When you reach the city's exit, you'll find a row of guards blocking the exit. Drop to the ground and hire one of the Courtesan groups. Now lock-on to one of the guards blocking the exit and send the Courtesans their way (by tapping "Y" on 360 or "Triangle" on PS3) to distract them, allowing you and the girls to safely exit the city. Now just head for a few more checkpoints to complete the mission.