The Hidden Blade Assassin's Creed in Depth

This topic works as assistance to solving all 20 glyph puzzles in Assassins Creed II in order to unlock Subject 16's "The Truth" video or to obtain the achievements/trophies "A Piece of the Puzzle" (Unlock a piece of Subject 16's video) and/or "Vitruvian Man" (Unlock all 20 pieces of Subject 16's video). The glyphs are all in order of appearance.

IN THE BEGINNING

The core similarity here is that the five paintings all have Apples of Eden somewhere in them. These five paintings are:

Atalanta and Hippomenes
Judgement of Paris
Idun and the Apples
The Fall
Hercules in the Garden of the Hesperides

SIXTY-FOUR SQUARES

The goal here is to form a picture of Queen Elizabeth I, Emperor Napoleon, and George Washington. These circle puzzles are much more simplistic than many of the ones to come, so just work from the first ring to the last and line up the rings in a smooth image. The picture will form quickly.

DESCENDANTS

In this photo hunt we are looking for Pieces of Eden that are not normally visible in the photograph. In the first picture, when infrared is activated, the first Apple lies on the coffee table. In the second picture, when infrared is activated, the second Apple is in the hands of the assistant closest to Houdini. In the final picture, when infrared is activated, the third Apple is located atop Gandhi's walking staff.

INFINITE KNOWLEDGE

Another photo hunt, but this time we're searching for firearms, not Pieces of Eden. The weapon we seek in the first picture is the flamethrower (specifically it's mouth), the next picture we seek the young soldier with his gun (it appears he's rushing into the gunfire), the third picture we seek the tip of a gun pointed in the air (it lies between the two trees, closer to the one on the right), and in the fourth picture we seek the dark-tan creature holding a gun (he's on the upper right part of the picture).

INSTRUMENTS OF POWER

The first image selection refers to a SWORD Piece of Eden. The five paintings containing swords are:

Perseus, Greece
Attila the Hun, Eurasia
King Arthur
Sigmund, Norse
Joan of Arc, France

The second image selection refers to a STAFF Piece of Eden. The five paintings containing staffs are:

Shabataka, Egypt
Peter, Jerusalem
Moses, Egypt
John the Baptist, Jerusalem
Alexander the Great, Macedonia

BROTHERS

Solve Puzzle 1: There are six plains in which to rotate the circle puzzle pieces to be in the right order. It helps to work out from the smallest circle to the largest. Notice that the outer two layers are connected as well as the next set of outer layers; the inner three layers can move independently.

Solve Puzzle 2: This one is a little harder. Now the outermost layer can be moved independently. Also see that the second outer layer and the third inner layer are connected...sort of. Each time you turn the second outer layer once, that third inner layer rotates a few places. But this is just meant to throw you off. You can independently move that third inner layer by itself when you are ready to line everything up.

Solve Puzzle 3: Just like the previous puzzle. That rotation that is happening with the third inner layer is an illusion. Each time you turn the second outer layer once, that third inner layer rotates a few places. You can independently move that third inner layer by itself when you are ready to line everything up.

Solve Puzzle 4: This one is much more of a pain. There are a number of circle layers that are connected this time (don't worry, no more phantom rotating). Concentrate on which layers are doing what and how they affect each other. If you turn one layer clockwise two places, it's possible you'll have to rotate a portion of that connect layer counterclockwise.

The Morse Code written at the bottom once all the scripture is revealed states: "Templar Texts adapted by Mr Art Smith."

KEEP ON SEEKING, AND YOU WILL FIND

Five of the paintings have a certain theme around the color red. They are:

Christ Disrobed, Jerusalem. c. 30
Joseph, Egypt. c 1700 B.C.E.
Jesus Christ, Jerusalem. c. 30
David and Goliath, Valley of Elah. c. 970 B.C.E.
Jason, Greece. Prehistory

After solving the painting it's another photo hunt with a painting of Jesus on the cross. Look on the right hand side of the painting for the shroud.

MARTYRS

Czar Nicholas II is holding the Piece of Eden Staff, move your cursor over until the beeping noise becomes extremely frequent and then click it. Joan of Arc has the sword on her left leg, move your cursor over until the beeping noise becomes extremely frequent and then click it. Afterward a map will appear that has fire, Rasputin, Czar Nicholas II, and Joan of Arc on it. Joan was killed when she was burned at the stake, so drag the fire over to her. Rasputin initiated the Russian Revolution that overthrew Czar Nicholas II, so drag Rasputin over to Czar Nicholas II and you're all done.

HAT-TRICK

The first Piece of Eden is inside Houdini's coat, and the second is on Ghandi's chest. For the puzzle wheel, do you notice that there is "6=1" listed next to the picture of Lee Harvey Oswald? Line up that 6 on the dial and then fill in the appropriate numbers to get the correct result.
867
312

APOLLO

What you're looking for isn't on the moon, but in the blackness of space. You're looking for the Eagle, the Apollo lander that touched down on the moon. If you go to the center of the picture and then head towards the bottom-left-hand side, you will see it. Finding the Eagle will then unlock a rotating puzzle you must solve.

There are a number of circle layers that are connected this time and it would help to start from the smallest circle and work your way out. Concentrate on which layers are doing what and how they affect each other. If you turn one layer clockwise two places, it's possible you'll have to rotate a portion of that connect layer counterclockwise. The first inner layer can be rotated on its own, even though it is connected to layer four in one instance, and layer six in another instance. Don't let it fool you because you can always go back and move the first inner layer on its own.

Identify the Piece of Eden that is in the Moon dirt on the ground near the astronaut's right foot. Also note that when you scroll over the American flag on the Lunar Lander, it becomes an Abstergo logo.

THE INVENTOR

First, move the cursor over all the light bulbs on the map. Then when you arrive at the photo of Tesla's Tower, highlight the window at the center of the building. The image will zoom in and you will enter infrared mode on an image of Tesla sitting near his electricity machine. The Piece of Eden is sitting in his lap.

TITANS OF INDUSTRY

Edison's blueprints for a generator have a "4=1" in the middle of them. The answer for this portion is:
917
240

Moving right along, take your cursor (a dollar sign) and cross it over the lights to turn them off. Then highlight the shining object in Edison's grasp (a Piece of Eden). Finally, we come to Ford's puzzle. If you look at the picture with the automobile on it, there is a "2" on the side of the car. In the picture next to it, the Dearborn Independent is headed by a "ll.." symbol. The answer is as follows:

1 3 9
ll. lll l..

I AM BECOME DEATH, THE DESTROYER OF WORLDS

Look at the photo on the far left and see the number 9 resting in the clouds, and the triangle shape in the photo below that -- line up those respective symbols on the wheel. Now to figure out what to fill in for 2 and 5. Notice how squares and circles seem to count for something. There are two sequences here (Lines with triangles, and Squares with circles)and in each sequence the two previous symbols equal the next one. Here is the answer:
5 2 9
Circle+Square over a Square, Circle, Triangle

Move your cursor over the big red button and press it to set off the atom bomb. Then when the blank sheet of paper comes up, look towards the bottom-left-hand side for the number code 71465, ID it, and the puzzle is solved.

BLOODLINES

Look for the Paintings that depict Gods and Humans interacting. They are:

Jupiter and Io
Danae Visited by Zeus
Cupid and Psyche
Leda and the Swan
Rape of Europa

GUARDIANS

Work from the inside out on this puzzle, so that you have have an idea on the direction the characters are positioned in the painting. Then it's a matter of moving the circular puzzle pieces in the correct order. The trick is that many of the layers are connected. The inner layer is connected to the outer six layer, the inner two layers are connected as well as the mid layers four and five.

THE CAVALRY

This is a pretty easy puzzle. All you have to do is select the correct location name: Tunguska. Then hover the cursor over the staff and then stab the photograph to solve this puzzle.

THE BUNKER

This is one of the harder puzzles in the game. The only hint you really get is the < symbol in the photograph in the lower left, and a faint number 4 in between the middle pictures. Lining up those puts the hourglass looking image under the 9. Now you have to figure out which symbols go under the 7 and 1. The key to the pattern on the wheel is the number of angles, or sharp corners, each shape has. The O has no angles, the < has one angle, etc. all the way up to nine angles. By this logic, if the 4 has one angle, the missing symbol under the 7 must have four angles, while the symbol under the 1 must have eight angles.
Now that you got that puzzle out of the way, it's time for a photo hunt. Aim your cursor over the attic of the house in the upper right and locate the Assassin symbol, and then ID it.

If you scroll over the front of the bunker you will see some encrypted text moving over the triangle tower shows that the Cypher is A=H that is H->A, I->B, etc. Decoding this message states: "THE DOUBLE WAS KILLED IN THE BUNKER"

SYNAPSES

In the lower right there are a number of x-rays of the brain with the number 5 and then Sumerian symbol for 1. Line up 5 with that symbol on the dial. On the second picture from the left is a mathematical progression, starting with the Sumerian symbol for 1 and continuing with "+2+6+2+1..." and so on. This is the system in which the codewheel is arranged. As you can see on the code wheel, the symbol following the Sumerian 1 is the Sumerian 3 (being 1+2), the next is the Sumerian 9 (being 3+6), then Sumerian 11 (9+2) and Sumerian 12 (11+1). Continuing the sequence will let you figure out which Sumerian symbols are missing on the codewheel (17 and 31). It will help you greatly to google a page of Sumerian numbers when you unravel this one! But in terms of the actual answer, I will tell you that 6=YYY and 3=<<<Y.

Once that portion is done, it's a nice an easy photo hunt where you guide the symbol over each neural synapse, turning them blue.

THE FOURTH DAY

"Once worshiped, now ignored, from a distance it watches and waits," is the big hint here. What do all of the paintings have in common? What was an object that was once worshiped? Why the sun of course! Select each of the five paintings that have some relation to the sun (or the use of the sun as in a calendar). The names of the correct paintings are:

Aztec Calendar Stone. 1427
The Eastern Gate. 1816
Sistine Chapel Ceiling Fresco. 1512
Nazca Textile. c. 200
Book of the Dead. c. 1310 B.C.E.

After you select the paintings, there will be a large image of the sun. Like from a puzzle earlier, move the cursor around on the screen until the radioactive clicking sound increases and then ID that zone revealing the planet Earth.

THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES

The second inner layer and the fifth outer layers are not connect to any other circle. So, that means you can always come back to these layers last since you can rotate them independently of the other layers that are stuck to each other. Work your way out from the middle.

1) Rotate Ring 5 (should be linked to Ring 3) two notches to the left.
2) Rotate Ring 4 two notches to the left.
3) Rotate Ring 3 (should be linked to Ring 1) two notches to the right.
4) Rotate Ring 2 five notches to the right.
5) Rotate Ring 1 (should be linked to Ring 5) three notches to the left.

Now with that puzzle out of the way, it's an easy photo hunt. ID the sun to complete this painting to move onto the next portion. You may also notice that every type of Piece of Eden is portrayed in this painting. Move your cursor over something such as the staff leaning on the goat and you will see it illuminated in red in a similar fashion as that of when you previously identified it in other puzzles.

Notice the text that says "Nothing is true, everything is permitted." That means you can put any symbol you want in the red section to pass this puzzle.

Lastly, this skeleton puzzle. Just move the cursor over each of the bones to change it from a monkey into a human skeleton. And that's it! Now sit back and watch Subject 16's Truth video.

Congratulations! You have now unlocked Subject 16's video "The Truth" and have obtained the corresponding achievement/trophy "Vitruvian Man!" Any questions, feel free to ask me.