Unlocking the Secrets of the Ancient Mechanisms: My Journey to Find and Activate All 6

As a long-time Assassin‘s Creed superfan who loves digging into the immense lore and mythology of the series, I set out on a quest in Origins to uncover the secrets of the ancient mechanisms hidden around Egypt. What happens when you seek out and light up all 6 of these mysterious First Civilization relics? Read on for my complete guide to these lost artifacts – including gameplay tips, detailed walkthroughs, and speculation on how they tie into the deeper AC story.

My Life as an Assassin‘s Creed Lore Hound

I‘ll start this journey of discovery into the ancient mechanisms by introducing myself and my passion for Assassin‘s Creed lore. I‘ve played every major entry since the first beloved game back in 2007, falling deeper in love with the sci-fi infused alternate history with each subsequent title. There‘s just something about the struggle of Assassins vs Templars across centuries that grabs me and never lets go!

Now I wasn‘t going to let a small thing like a full reboot with Origins disrupt my addiction to AC lore and mysteries. While Origin‘s take on the foundation of the Assassin Brotherhood intrigued me, what got my heart racing was hints of First Civilization influences hidden around Ptolemaic Egypt. So when I first heard murmurs on the AC forums of lost tomb mechanisms tied to secrets of the legendary Isu, I knew my mission – seek and activate them all!

In my quarter century as a gamer before becoming a professional streamer and guide creator, no game has ever inspired such a burning urge to search out every corner for bits of secret history quite like AC. These ancient machines spoke directly to that obsessive part of my soul. I had to know the nature of their power and purpose!

Decoding the Ancient Mechanisms in Origins

So what exactly are these mysterious ancient mechanisms, beyond intriguing ties to the story of the First Civ? How do they work, and what is their connection to ancient Egypt? Let‘s analyze the clues.

Bayek first discovers hints of the mechanisms via hidden codex pages scattered across Egypt. These cryptic texts point the way to subterranean tombs and temples where the devices have remained for thousands of years.

Based on the intricate technology on display, the mechanisms definitively originate from Isu artifacts built long before the rise of the Egyptian empire. In fact, some markers indicate they were constructed as far back as 75,000 years ago!

They seem to serve as advanced holographic repositories of stored memories – a common motif with much First Civilization technology. By interfacing with Bayek‘s Modified Animus, they reconstruct critical scenes from major events tied to early human rebellion against their Isu overlords.

Table of Known Ancient Mechanisms

While the depictions differ, patterns emerge – all show events both pivotal to Egypt‘s history but also tied to early humans resisting their high-tech creators. A tantalizing web of clues for AC conspiracy theorists like myself!

Now that we‘ve analyzed their nature and origins, let‘s move on to physically tracking down and powering up all six of these ancient devices. Where lies the path to illumination?

Guide – Locating and Activating All Ancient Mechanisms

While guides list the mechanisms separately as side activities to complete, I‘m going to walk you through this process as I experienced it – as an epic quest to seek out and reactivate 6 lost First Civilization relics slumbering beneath Egypt‘s sands!

Your journey begins as mine did – stumbling upon notes and clues pointing the way to these hidden devices. As part of both the main questline and several side missions, you‘ll find Codex Map Fragments indicating mechanism locations around Egypt.

Once a site is revealed, it gets added via a question mark icon to your map‘s points of interest. I‘ll include detailed instructions on reaching all six tombs next.

For actual activation, the process is quite straightforward. Simply clear out any enemies or obstacles around the mechanism altar, then interact with it. A bridge extends, allowing you to hop across gaps in the flooring and reach the central control pedestal.

When Bayek inserts his hand, a modern looking interface manifests, powered by his Modified Animus directly interfacing with Isu tech. Turning it on triggers a holographic memory relay showing a pivtoal historic event, along with unlocking an ability point. Easy enough!

Now let‘s journey around Egypt and awaken these slumbering mechanisms together:

Krokodilopolis & The Forge

Activating The Forge:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXJ4Eo0kP7E

The first mechanism on my journey was The Forge, found hidden beneath the ruins of the old city Krokodilopolis in the Faiyum region. Appropriately, this memory depicts an event that sparked the fire of rebellion against Isu control – humans destroying an Isu factory station in retaliation for enslavement.

To reach the tomb, head south of Philadelphia into Lake Moeris‘ southeast bay. Dive down through the underwater entrance and then fight through Krokos‘ undead defenders to reach The Forge altar. Once the device awakens, the full-scale assault plays out in fiery holographic detail! A sign of humanity‘s awakening rage against their creators.

Letopolis & The Scarab

Activating The Scarab:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iklFcTwAVDU

The next stop brought me to ruins of the great temple precinct of Letopolis, near the Natho region of Egypt‘s eastern desert. This houses The Scarab – depicting the assassination of Pharaoh Seqenenre Taa II on the orders of his Hykso rivals.

Locate the underground tomb on Letopolis‘ south end. Make your way past traps and ambush sites while keeping an eye out for tablets filling in story gaps. At The Scarab pedestal, we witness the bloody demise of Seqenenre at the hands of Hykso assassins – helping spark the eventual Egyptian revolt.

Haueris Nome & The Sheath + Compass/Sword

Activating The Sheath:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG2hKZYewhY

For our third mechanism pair, we head north up the Nile to the Haueris Nome region. Beneath the towering pyramids at Giza lies a secret vault housing both The Sheath and Compass & Sword devices.

The Sheath holds recordings of the Great Pyramid‘s grueling 25 year construction, showing both voluntary and slave labor. Meanwhile Compass & Sword depicts two failed assassination attempts on Ptolemy I by the Medjay – inspiring their transformation into the Hidden Ones.

Reach these mechanisms by entering the tunnels under Menkaure‘s pyramid in Giza‘s southern corner. Brave mummy swarms, hyena attacks, and challenging platforming to activate both machines in turn. Their memory relays reveal the backbreaking labor required for such massive monuments while also sowing the seeds for the organized Assassins movement.

Kanopos Nome & The Bull + Scales

Activating The Bull:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P8O1o5u3bg

Our final destination lies in the lush Nile Delta region of Kanopos Nome. This fertile floodplain hides two tombs – one with The Bull holding coronation footage of Egypt‘s first Pharaoh Menes, while The Scales shows rebel leader magician Hermes Trismegistus meeting grim judgement by Anubis.

Use synchronisation points called Nomarch‘s Tomb and Tomb of Amenemhat III as your guide. Brave their monster filled depths to locate both mechanism chambers. Once activated, The Bull‘s ritual gives context on how absolute rule was vested in Egyptian leaders as god-kings. Meanwhile The Scales relays Hermes failure to free his people, condemning humanity to millennia more manipulation by Isu artifacts.

With all six ancient mechanisms fully activated, return to Giza to claim your reward!

Completion Rewards – Claiming the Keys to the Sphinx

After lighting up that last machine in Kanopos Nome, a milestone unlocked on my menu screen – follow the marker back to the Great Sphinx in Giza. Beneath its enigmatic gaze, I discovered a newly opened chamber filled with opulent treasure and mysteries.

Most prominently, activating all the mechanisms grants access to the secret Isu Armour chamber! This incredibly powerful legendary armor set provides huge boosts to combat, hunting, and environmental protection.

Don the white and gold Isu outfit and feel like a demigod stalking the dunes of Egypt‘s deserts. It‘s a reward befitting the Isu influence driving you to uncover their lost history. A perfect symbolic way to crown this epic journey of discovery!

In summary, while the mechanisms don‘t radically impact Origins‘ core gameplay, they provide fun objectives for us lore hounds and completionists. I loved scouring papyrus clues to pinpoint tomb locations hiding mechanisms tied to Egypt‘s murky past. The interactive memory playback approach gave some texture to key events.

And getting outfitted in Isu Armour ensures you feel that tangible connection to the First Civilization. We reawakened these gods and claimed their power as our own! Plus it looks incredibly badass striding through cities glinting gold. Totally worth the long hours navigating dank catacombs for recordings of rebellions and ritual sacrifices!

So if you also love plunging headfirst into convoluted AC lore like me, take up the quest – voyage across Egypt to resurrect the mechanisms and unlock the Sphinx‘s secrets for yourself! Just beware scarabs, scorpions, hyenas, and one very grumpy Anubis along the way. Glory awaits those who dare!

Let me know in comments if this epic guide helps you uncover the mechanisms‘ hidden wonders as well! And click subscribe for my next deep dive into AC lore – breaking down all the juicy Atlantis storylines. Stay bright out there, wanderers!