The Location: “A Tale of Wine Making” Mystery

To begin this puzzle, you’ll need to make your way into the Cloaca Maxima area of Rome. Rather than following the main mission, you’ll need to go off the beaten path. Look for a breakable doorway that you can smash with a sledgehammer. Inside, you’ll find the mural and the pieces you need to solve it.

• The mystery is called “A Tale of Wine Making.”
• It is located in a hidden area off of the main path in the Cloaca Maxima.
• You’ll need a sledgehammer to break down the wall to access the area.

The Puzzle: The Vines are the Key

The puzzle presents you with five tiles that you need to place on a mural that depicts the process of wine making. The tiles, which have a single word on them, describe the process in the following order: Plant, Grow, Harvest, Process, and Ferment. However, you can’t just place them in that order. The key to the puzzle is the winding vines that are carved into the mural itself. You need to follow the path of the vines to determine the correct placement of each tile.

The solution is as follows:

1. Find all four loose tiles in the room.
2. Take the fifth tile off the mural, as it is in the wrong place.
3. Look at the mural’s vines. The first vine from the base leads to the first and third slots. The second vine leads to the second and fifth slots. The third vine leads to the fourth and sixth slots (the sixth slot has a fixed tile you can’t move).
4. The order of the tiles, based on the vines, is: Plant, Grow, Harvest, Process, Ferment.
5. Place the tiles in the correct order, following the path of the vines, and the puzzle will be solved.

The Solution and Reward

The correct order for the tiles, based on the vines, is not a simple left-to-right pattern. Instead, you need to place them in the following order:

• Plant: Goes in the first slot, at the bottom left.
• Grow: Goes in the second slot, at the very top.
• Harvest: Goes in the third slot, in the top left.
• Process: Goes in the fourth slot, on the far right.
• Ferment: Goes in the fifth slot, in the middle of the tree.

Once you have placed all the tiles in the correct order, a secret compartment will open at the bottom of the mural, revealing a Mithraic Artifact. This is one of the collectibles needed to earn the “Symbol of Initiation” achievement/trophy. While the puzzle may seem obtuse, it’s a great example of the kind of clever, head-scratching challenges that are a hallmark of a good Indiana Jones adventure.