Dante Moro displaying the mask
The Golden Mask was an item that granted any civilian access to Marco Barbarigo's 1486 Carnevale party as an honorary guest.
During the Carnevale, Ezio Auditore da Firenze had to pickpocket the mask from Marco's bodyguard Dante Moro in order to enter the party and assassinate Marco.
History
There were four Carnevale challenges and winning them all granted someone the golden mask. These challenges were a running race, capture the flag, woman charming and a fist fight. When Ezio won in the first three challenges and seemed like winning in the last challenge, Silvio Barbarigo bribed the Carnevale organizer to allow guards with knives to enter the fight. Ezio then defeated the guards and won the challenge. Barbarigo, however, bribed the organizer to award the mask to Dante Moro instead.
Ezio, Antonio de Magianis and Sister Teodora planned to take the mask back. Sister Teodora warned them that each mask was numbered to prevent unauthorized access with copies, therefore discounting the possibility of forging a replica. Ezio then suggested killing Dante, but Antonio told him to steal the mask from him instead using Sister Teodora's girls to distract him, as killing Dante would surely cancel the party altogether.
After successfully stealing it, Ezio wore the mask just before entering Marco Barbarigo's party. There, Ezio hid from the Templar guards and Dante, while they searched for Ezio and the stolen mask. Under the cover of the fireworks, Ezio then assassinated Marco with his hidden gun.
Trivia
Concept art of the mask
- The mask is also known as a Bauta because it is a full mask that hides the whole face.
- The Golden Mask is only used during Sequence 9.
- Although Sister Teodora cautioned Ezio that "each mask is numbered", the guards at the entrance to the Doge's party do not make any effort to check the mask, nor is there any visible number on the outside of the mask.
- Several Pedestrians around the Dorsoduro District of Venice can be seen wearing a Golden Mask, but they will not drop it if killed or pickpocketed.
- The Golden Mask is the second and last mask Ezio wears in Assassin's Creed II, the first one being a plain silver one given to him by Leonardo da Vinci to help disguise him during the Venetian Carnevale.
- Of the two masks in Assassin's Creed II, the golden mask is the only mask that does not lower notoriety.