AC Mirage Al-Anqa Investigation – Of Toil and Taxes Walkthrough

Al-Anqa Investigation Overview

Investigation type: Karkh Bureau investigation, one of the two starter cases in Karkh
How it starts: Meet Rebekah and Roshan at the Karkh Bureau
Missions: Of Toil and Taxes and The Toll of Greed
Cases: The Bazaar, Stranded Merchants and The Tax Collector’s Mansion
Target: Al-Anqa, the Tax Collector
Key characters: Rebekah, Roshan, the Perfume Merchant and the lead merchant
Other starter case: The Al-Kullulu investigation (The Harbormaster)
Unlocks: A clue toward the Order leader in Karkh, Al-Pairika the Treasurer

Mission Text:
“Investigate the threats in the Bazaar.”

1 – How to Start Of Toil and Taxes

Travel to the Karkh Bureau in the district of the same name to meet Rebekah. Roshan is already waiting there and asks you to walk with her to the Bazaar. On the way, she tells you that merchants are being harassed. This is the first clue of the case.

As soon as Roshan leaves, the case An Old Friend from the Al-Kullulu investigation unlocks too. Both starter investigations lead to the same leader, and Basim has to find a way into the Grand Auction.

2 – Rescue the Perfume Merchant

Case Text:
“The bazaar is the heart of commerce, filled with corruption.”

The Bazaar case has 4 clues, including Roshan’s lead about the harassed merchants.

Find the Perfume Merchant

Enter the Bazaar and use Eagle Vision. The key information of the case glows in bright orange. Three groups of merchants are highlighted: two of them only complain about harassed merchants, but one merchant is surrounded by a group of guards. That is the one you need.

Read the letter on the table for the second clue: the Perfume Merchant requested more time to pay her debt.

Bribe or Assassinate the Guards

Talk to the guard to free the merchant. You can bribe him with a Power Favor Token or assassinate the guards. This gives you the third clue: she is being extorted for her stocks of perfume.

Free the Perfume Merchant and speak to her for the last clue: a delayed shipment meant missing merchants. This opens the next lead of the investigation.

3 – Stranded Merchants South of Baghdad

Case Text:
“Merchants are missing. They were last seen around Baghdad.”

Find the Lead Merchant at the Oasis

Open your world map: the marker points to the wilderness south of Baghdad. At some point the marker disappears from the HUD, so use Eagle Vision to focus on your objective. A new quest marker appears right at the water of the oasis. Speak to the merchant there.

Investigate the Merchant Site

The merchant accepts your help, and you start investigating the merchant campsite. There are 4 clues to find. Use Eagle Vision again: two people and something on the ground are highlighted in bright orange.

Horse head: Investigate the horse head on the ground.
Horse owner: Speak to the man next to it. He is the owner and very troubled about it.
Jittering merchant: Speak to the other highlighted man. He may have seen someone in the dark.

For the last clue, look for the note next to the chest. It is on the ground on the other side of the jittering merchant. Then go back to the lead merchant and talk to him.

Escort the Merchants to the Karkh Gate

Next, escort the merchants back to the Karkh gate. It is easier to call your mount for this. On the way, an ambush is waiting for you. Defeat the enemies for another clue, then continue the last stage to the Pomegranate Gate and speak to the lead merchant again.

This closes the case and reveals Al-Anqa as the Tax Collector. He lives in the Tax Collector’s Mansion, the next and last case, and he is inside when you arrive.

4 – The Toll of Greed at the Tax Collector’s Mansion

Case Text:
“Al-Anqa lives in a mansion west of Karkh.”

The Toll of Greed sends you to Al-Anqa’s mansion in the west of Karkh. The location is visible on the map with a quest marker.

Get the Key to the Back Door

Scan the mansion for guards with Eagle Vision and clear the garden around the house. At the back of the mansion, the back door is locked. With Eagle Vision, you can see that one guard carries the key. Take it from him to open the door.

All 3 Tax Collector Clues

The Toll of Greed has 3 clues in and around the mansion. Clue 1 is a note outside the house next to a treasure chest, on the same level as the locked back door.

Enter the mansion through the back door with the key. Clue 2 is on top of a table in the same room on the ground floor.

Assassinate Al-Anqa the Tax Collector

Al-Anqa is in the room upstairs, where you can easily assassinate him. On a table nearby is Clue 3, the last one: “A familiar scent lingers on the letter.” It points to the person who pulls the strings in Karkh, Al-Anqa’s boss.

With all clues collected and Al-Anqa assassinated, the investigation is closed and a clue goes to the unknown leader case. If you haven’t done the second starter case yet, continue with the Al-Kullulu investigation. Otherwise, it is time for the Order leader in Karkh, Al-Pairika the Treasurer.