Memory Block 4: Abul Nuqoud (Damascus)

Now that the Garnier de Naplouse hospital is shutdown and Telal is no longer trolling the streets for vagrants, the cities are over-run with this game’s  most interesting character, the crazy street urchin. The raving mad, nearly cadaver-esque street crazy pushes you if you come close and exposes your position more often than you would like. Considering this game was created in Montreal, and having visited there a few times, I have no doubt that the city’s bums were quite the influence. One time
I went to an outdoor film screening and this one bum stumbled up to the screen and pointed at the lead character and repeatedly yelled to the crowd “That’s me, That’s me!” There is even a street guy who dresses like Spiderman and
dances for change (note that his web slinging makes whistling sounds.)

Investigation:

The city is abuzz with the talk of a party to be thrown by the Merchant King Abu’l Nuqoud. A Koran reciting Englishman even brings wine despite it being a verboten drink in this city. Abu’l Nuqoud throws these parties regularly even though he hates them. He comes out to look on the disgusting rabble of party monsters. The feeling is mutual though as the town’s people see him as a coffer squandering aristocrat.

The Kill:

Follow the icon to the palace courtyard. To get in, climb over the gate and head through the door. For all this talk of a party through by a decadent Merchant King it is pretty chill. If there is anything I have learned from historical sources such as Caligula, 300, and HBO’s Rome
it’s that parties from the pre-industrialized world must include tons of women making out with each other, large cooked animals, leather, oh and a lot of beads and cushions. Not so much in this one. The party seems to be going fine though except when Abu’l Nuqoud appears and it turns into the Jonestown massacre. The Merchant king poisoned all their drinks and this party was a trap to kill the people he sees as xenophobes and religious zealots who blindly promote Saladin’s war machine. Knowing they are poisoned, the crowd takes the
last few moments on this mortal coil to run around in circles and yell.

Navigate through this swarm and climb the back wall to the upper deck. Kill the archers as you continue towards the balcony where the Merchant King oversees the chaos. If you are quick, you can kill him before he runs madly through the streets.

The Blue Screen of Death:

Altair grabs Abu’l Nuqoud by his fifth chin and asks what he has doing with the money. The Merchant King has never diverted the funds to Saladin because he does not believe in the gods the crusaders are fighting for. Instead, the funds go to the mysterious Brotherhood that we have been hearing so much about. Nuqoud then questions Altair’s motives and considers the two of them the same because they both kill the supposed bad guys to bring about a better tomorrow. Nuqoud slips away and oh my god I think we just killed Jasmine’s Dad from Aladdin.

Assassin Debriefing:

Altair angrily reports that the assassination was successful but Al Nuqoud was still able to poison (a way of killing Assassin’s despise) his people.

In case you were sensing a trend, let me line it up for you. Altair goes to a guy who is doing something unspeakable and then on his deathbed, the targets confesses his sins which is always this Utilitarian argument to justify the means.

For example:

Altair: You’re a drug dealer who ruins childrens’ lives and you deserve to die!

Assassin Target: Do I? I am giving these kids who live such hard lives the illusion of a normal life. It is you that is ruining lives by killing me. Who will give the children their cracks after I am gone?

Altair: Damn that man makes a good point.