The Lizard's Mask (Main Quest)
The first step in rooting out the Lizard from blighted Memphis.
Follow the marker to begin an extended cutscene, revealing just how dark things really are.
Once you've plumbed the depths of despair here, follow your marker to the Seer's house.
Once inside, things get weird.
Grab and place the cauldron when asked, and let the madness play out.
When you regain control, head toward the flames.
Continue along the passage, which spawns another psychedelic cutscene. At least this one ends by giving you unlimited ammo.
Now begins a sequence where you fight a giant snake while on a boat.
Things to know-
Apep's poison doesn't linger- it only hurts while it's touching you. So don't stand in the bad- run to clear deck as soon as possible if you're hit.
You have an endless supply of arrows, so while headshots are always the best shots, keep busy firing into his body when headshots aren't available.
Your detection glare will keep track of Apep when he can't be seen, and splashing water will indicate where he's surfaced, when he does.
If he surfaces and suddenly goes all motion-blurry, it means he's about to charge and you should dodge.
If you do get badly hurt, spend a few rounds just dodging, to let your health build back up.
When you get him down to half-health, the venue will shift to a rocky shore.
The same tactics apply here- avoid poison and headcharges, keep firing.
You'll also want to be nimble- Apep's rampage will slowly destroy more and more of the rock, and the water will kill you in about six seconds if you fall in.
Still, as long as you keep firing, everything else will fall into place. Apep's death will route you through a few more surrealities- the next time you can take action, you'll need to chase transitory visions of Khemu through the fields, Shepard-style.
This leads to the end of the visions. Rise, and exit the seer's house to run into another cutscene, this one with Aya.
Take the indicated boat to the Temple, then follow your marker to investigate the mystery of the Apis Bull's failing health. Another cutscene plays while you and Aya divide up the work.
This launches you into the Investigation Area. The key things to investigate are the bull itself and, prophetically enough, the dungheap outside.
Investigate the area where the food is stored. Talk to the attendant here to verify the building, then smash open the door.
Inside there's just one clue- inspect it to find more poisonous peach pits, and a necklace.
Talk to Aya to confront the priestesses with your finding.
They confess, but they only poisoned the bull to save their kidnapped brother. He's now being held in the south of the city, at the Temple of Hathor.
Enter from the north, and scale the outer wall.
At night, there should only be one guard patrolling the inner wall. Cross over using the banner-rope, and assassinate him.
This perch is key piece of ground- there are three guards around the north outer curtain here, and a captain, who patrols between the inner core and the outer wall. Dropkill him when he's on the inside of the inner wall.
Take out the other three the same way. While their resting positions are too far away from the walls for a flying assassination, all will occasionally patrol around a corner or down the way, bringing them into range.
Before moving on, snipe any upper level watchmwn. There should be at least one to the southwest.
Head to the south gate to rescue Panchrates and get the location treasure (note that Senu scans will show other treasures, but these are part of the Hathor Cistern, which we tackle here).
There are two guards tasked just for the boy- snipe or chainkill them to stage your escape.
Before rescuing in earnest, grab the loot in a large red chest by the right/western statue's feet.
Now you can pick up Panchrates and make for the exit.
You'll actually have to carry him all the way home, tt's only at his doorstep that he's well enough to stand, and speak.
His testimony reveals the Lizard's identity, and completes the mission.