| “ | For those that defy the Imperium, only the Emperor can judge your crimes. Only in death can you receive the Emperor's Judgement. | „ |
| ~ Motto of the Officio Assassinorum |
Summary
The Officio Assassinorum is the Imperium's highly secretive agency designed to push individuals beyond normal human limits, turning them into some of the deadliest killing machines ever conceived. Even the most hardened warriors fear the Assassins, and rightly so. Each Assassin is rigorously trained in his or her temple's ways, perfecting the art of killing. All members of the Officio Assassinorum are capable of operating on their own behind enemy lines, with little to no assistance, almost indefinitely. Even the mightiest warlords can be felled and the greatest armies thrown into turmoil by these individuals, all without ever alerting a single soul to their presence, while even the thickest armour and strongest body guards are meaningless against the silent death delivered by the Emperor's Knives.
Powers and Stats
Tier: At least High 8-C physically. Exitus Rounds ignore durability | Unknown. All weapons ignore durability to an extent | Unknown. At the very least 8-B, possibly up to Low 5-B for the absolute strongest. Bio-meltdown is at least Low 5-B. All weapons ignore at least one type of durability | Likely Low 5-B. All attacks ignore durability
Name: Varies
Origin: Warhammer 40,000
Gender: Varies
Classification: Members of the Officio Assassinorum, Imperial Assassins, Enhanced Humans, Snipers (Vindicare Assassins), Infiltration specialists (Callidus Assassins), Combat and terror specialists (Eversor Assassins), Psychic blanks and bearers of the Pariah gene (Culexus Assassins)
Powers and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Enhanced Senses, Extreme temperature resistance, Stealth, Weapon Mastery (Vindicare Assassins in particular are so skilled with their rifles, it is virtually impossible for them to miss), Biological Manipulation (Vindicare Assassins in particular, Ability to slow down their own metabolism and internal functions, allowing them to occupy the same location, unmoving, for even years on end until their target finally shows themselves, causing subliminal signals to instantly wake the assassin. Callidus Assassins are also able to absorb and analyze genetic material through mere touch.), Durability Negation (All Assassins via various means), Shapeshifting (Callidus Assassins only, Can alter their bodies into almost any shape, size, and volume, as well as perfectly mimic others. Internal implants also allow mimicry of alien species), Poison Manipulation (Callidus and Eversor Assassins only, Callidus Assassins carry incredibly think needles coated in lethal toxins, while Eversor Assassins carry pistols that deliver similar poisons, as well as Neuro Gauntlets that deliver fatal doses of toxins and chemicals to even the most resistant organisms), Matter Manipulation (Eversor and Vindicare Assassins only, Eversor Assassins disrupt their target's atoms with power swords, while Vindicare Assassins' Turbo-penetrator rounds tear up the molecular structure of the target), Soul Manipulation (Culexus Assassins only, A single touch can destroy the target's soul), Absorption (Culexus Assassins only, Animus Speculum absorbs the power of all psykers, magic users, and reality warpers in the vicinity), Mind Manipulation (Culexus Assassins only, Their mere presence causes paranoia, unease, mental instability, and even extreme anguish), Intangibility (Culexus Assassins only), Invisibility (Culexus Assassins only), Immunity to psychic powers, magic, and reality warping (Culexus Assassins only, Can only be overcome by truly extraordinary beings, such as the Emperor, a C'tan, or Abaddon the Despoiler, who has become known as "The Foe Untouchable" by the Officio Assassinorum due to slaying every single Assassin sent after him), Power Nullification (Culexus Assassins only, Anyone within the Assassin's general vicinity will have any psychic, magic, and reality warping powers disabled. This also applies to weapons and other objects that possess these properties.)
Attack Potency: At least Large Building level physically (Body enhanced to superhuman degrees, should at least be on par with an average Space Marine). Exitus rounds ignore durability (Hellfire rounds completely destroy matter, Turbo-penetrator rounds punch through tanks better than Melta weaponry and tear through the target's molecular structure, and Shield-breaker rounds use a combination of science and arcane wards to easily break through Warp-based, magical, supernatural, and reality-warping defenses) | Unknown. All weapons ignore at least one type of durability (Poison Blades can slip through joints in armour, eyelids, etc. to poison the target, The Neural Shredder tears apart the target's nervous system and destroys the mind of anything organic it hits, The Phase Sword ignores all physical defenses, as well as reality warping and magic defenses due to its mysterious origin and relation to the C'tan) | Unknown. At the very least City Block level (Often sent to shred foes which even Space Marines cannot overcome), possibly up to Small Planet level for the absolute strongest members (An Eversor berserker was the only one able to hold his own against the rogue Maerorus Assassin known as Legienstrasse, who was capable of easily fending off and overpowering Darnath Lysander, two of the most elite squads in the Imperial Fists, the Emperor's Champion, a squad of Scout Snipers, and two Assassin Grand Masters, simultaneously. Lysander on his own was repeatedly shown to be capable of defeating Shon'tu, who was the master of Velthinar Silverspine). Bio-meltdown is at least Small Planet level (Upon death, an Eversor Assassin will explode in a Bio-meltdown. This explosion was capable of dealing fatal damage to Legienstrasse while nothing else could). All weapons ignore durability to an extent (Executioner Pistol injects targets with deadly poisons, Neuro Gauntlet fills foes with fatal doses of chemicals and toxins, Power Sword disrupts the target's body on an atomic level) | Likely Small Planet level (A Culexus Assassin known as Vaedrex killed the Daemon Prince Malfecius with multiple blasts from his Animus Speculum). All attacks ignore durability (Even the Assassin's touch is fatal, shredding through conventional matter while simultaneously wiping away every last trace of the victim's soul)
Speed: Possibly FTL reactions (Most Assassins are shown to be similar in speed, Much better reactions than even the majority of Space Marines), Exitus rounds likely fire at Relativistic+ speeds (Capable of hitting other assassins, A Vindicare was able to shoot a target on the moon through his eye, all while standing on top of a building on the planet that the moon orbited. However, due to having to obey traditional laws of physics, the bullets cannot travel at lightspeed or beyond, unlike something such as a C'tan shard, which is immune to natural laws) | Possibly FTL reactions (Most Assassins are shown to be similar in speed, Much better reactions than the majority of Space Marines) | Possibly FTL reactions (A skilled Eversor was able to fight Legienstrasse, who was overwhelming Lysander) | Possibly FTL reactions (The Culexus known as Vaedrex was able to surprise a Daemon Prince and slay him before he could recover. Daemon Princes can easily fight on par with and overwhelm the most experienced Space Marines, who can process immense quantities of information and react in under a nanosecond)
Lifting Strength: Unknown
Striking Strength: At least Building Class (Even the weakest Assassins can break through steel and ceramite with their fists)
Durability: At least Large Building level (Synskin can absorb bolter fire) | Unknown, at least Large Building level (Synskin can absorb bolter fire) | Unknown. At the very least City Block level, possibly up to Small Planet level for the absolute strongest | Unknown. At the very least Large Building level (Synskin can absorb bolter fire. Etherium makes non-conventional attacks pass right through the Assassin as if he wasn't even there. Culexus Assassins are still vulnerable to basic attacks, though they are incredibly difficult to hit, as they only appear as ephemeral blurs in their foes' peripheral vision.)
Stamina: Immense. A Vindicare Assassin was able to remain motionless in the same spot for six entire years while waiting for his target, killing said target within half a second once it finally arrived.
Range: Likely hundreds of thousands of kilometers with Exitus Rifle (Hit a target on the moon while still on the planet), likely hundreds of meters with Exitus Pistol | Melee range with Phase Sword, at least several dozen meters with Neural Shredder and Poison Blades | Melee range with Power Sword and Neuro Gauntlet, likely hundreds of meters with Executioner Pistol | Melee range, at least several dozen meters with the Animus Speculum
Standard Equipment:
Synskin: All Assassins sprays their bodies with a synthetic coat of black skin. This protective covering not only absorbs damage to the Assassin, but can also be used to conceal weapons, enhance physical prowess, and provide the Assassin's body with oxygen and metabolic boosters.
Intelligence: All Assassins have genius level intellect,as they are able to operate almost any technology, navigate around the galaxy on their own, memorize the entire history of the Imperium along with the function and inner workings of all its organizations, speak all Imperial languages, understand every single aspect of human anatomy as well as every discovered aspect of xenos anatomy, etc.
Weaknesses: None notable | Certain absorbed substances can have adverse effects on the Assassin | Eversor Assassins have little concern for their own lives | None notable
Key: Vindicare | Callidus | Eversor | Culexus
Note: The stats for Venenum and Vanus Assassins have not been included, as Assassins from those two temples are not fighters, and thus little is known of their combat capabilities.
Temples of the Officio Assassinorum
Vindicare Assassin
| “ | Exitus Acta Probat; The outcome justifies the deed. | „ |
| ~ Dictatus Vindicare |
Vindicare Temple: Assassins of the Vindicare Temple are cold, calculating killers who have elevated their marksmanship to such heights that it has become an art form. With a single bullet, they can bring a pathetic death to those who defy the Imperium, turning a roaring rebellion into a meek crowd easily herded back into place. This is due in no small part to the Assassin's superhuman aim. Vindicare Assassins are always in high demand, as they can effortlessly pick off enemy leaders from insane distances, regardless of the surrounding conditions. Even the threat of a Vindicare watching from the shadows has been enough to make countless upstarts think twice, giving up on their schemes against the Imperium before ever even putting them into motion.
Assassins of the Vindicare Temple carry the following wargear:
- Exitus Rifle: An absolute marvel of Imperial technology, each individual gun is built specifically for its wielder. The rifle is balanced and weighted so perfectly, it becomes an extension of the Assassin's own body when aiming and shooting. The advanced machine spirit housed within the weapon insures that it will never jam or misfire, ensuring the shot always lands exactly where it was planned.
- Exitus Pistol: Just like its larger variation, the Exitus Pistol is made specifically to fit an individual's needs. The Assassin will usually employ the pistol in the rare instances that his position is compromised, using it to blast enemies at close range while he makes his escape.
- Exitus Rounds: Perhaps even more stunning than a Vindicare's guns are the bullets used for such weaponry. The three individual types of rounds ensure the Assassin is prepared to take down any target, no matter the circumstance. Turbo-penetrator shells are segmented cylinders, each portion of which is tipped with a melta charge that activates with a staggered detonation to the last. Because of this, the bullet can punch through any armour, no matter its thickness or composition. Regardless of how well defended a foe thinks he is, a Turbo-penetrator bullet will cut through his defenses as if they were not even there. Then, there are Hellfire shells, which are filled with a wide mix of virulent chemicals and acids. On impact, the bullet explodes, showering the foe with a hail of microscopic needles which pump the chemicals into them. No matter how tough the matter seems, the acids within the shell will eat away at it, leaving nothing but a pile of black gunk. Finally, the Vindicare is armed with Shield-breaker shells, which include destabiliser cores capable of blasting through both physical and metaphysical defenses. Even incorporeal foes are not safe, as the runes inscribed on the shell allow it to make contact with the aetheric foes, blasting them into an explosion of dissipating ectoplasm.
- Spy Mask: Even amongst Mars' mysterious technology, the Spy Mask is one of the least understood. The device fits snugly around the contours of the Assassin's face, connecting with his cerebellum and feeding exact trajectories, atmospheric conditions, thermal imaging, and more into his field of vision. The Mask also allows the operative to see right through fog, smoke, and snow, while simultaneously using probability scripture to identify a target's weak points. Even a veteran Space Marine could not handle such a massive influx of information, but the Vindicare's mind processes it all with extreme ease. Additionally, the incredible device holds concentrated food and water cartridges, a motion-tracking Auspex, high-quality magnoculars which allow perfect vision for absurd distances, a photo-visor to render the Assassin immune to the effects of blinding tech such as Photon Grenades, a multi-channel communications sensor for secretly listening in on enemy conversations, a Vox-caster, Pict-recorder, and a Re-breather to allow the Assassin to survive even the most toxic environments in the galaxy.
- Blind Grenades: Simple but effective, these explosives allows the Assassin to temporarily blind any enemy who gets too close, while his Spy Mask renders him immune to the grenade's blinding effects, allowing him to put a shot through the enemy with his Exitus Pistol even as the flash goes off.
Callidus Assassin
| “ | To assume the shape of the accursed and deliver death from the purity within you - that is to be Callidus. | „ |
| ~ Dictatus Callidus |
Callidus Temple: The ancient Callidus Temple is unique in the fact that every single one of its Assassins is female, a trait attributed to the temple's particular style of assassination. The Callidus Assassins are the most subtle members of the Officio Assassinorum for a reason, as they are masters of disguise. A Callidus can take the form of anyone she pleases due to a drug known as Polymorphine being injected into her body; a substance which only seems to work to its fullest extent on women. This allows not only for some of the most effective assassinations imaginable, but also the opportunity to sow extreme paranoia and anarchy amongst the foe. Often times, a Callidus will not simply infiltrate the foe's headquarters and assassinate the leader, but also proceed to take his form, giving the enemy contradictory and detrimental orders, allowing the armies of the Imperium to wipe them out without hassle.
This tactic is not strictly limited to humans and similar beings either, as internal modifications can allow a Callidus to shift her form even more drastically, such as to the form of a Genestealer Hybrid. The prey of a Callidus Assassin is never truly safe, for the Assassin's shapeshifting also allows her to squeeze her body through pipes, cracks, and vents to get where she needs to go. Her control over her form is absolute, being able to accomplish anything from flattening herself under a door to swallowing her target whole.
Assassins of the Callidus Temple carry the following wargear:
- Poison Blades: Concealed on her person, a Callidus carries numerous needle-like blades, both incredibly slim and wickedly sharp. The Assassin's superhuman aim allows her to easily drive these through the tiniest weak points, be it a joint in armour, gaps in a scaly hide, or even through a victim's eyes. Each blade is coated in a lethal venom that can cause even the toughest foes to drop dead in seconds.
- Neural Shredder: An extremely rare and dangerous weapon often used by the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, the Neural Shredder fires a blast of energy that is fatal to virtually all living foes. Any being unfortunate enough to be caught in the weapon's sights will have their nervous system dismantled, their mind rended to nothingness, and be left as a slab of drooling meat. Though technically still alive, the foe's mind will be gone forever, and they will be stuck in an irreversible vegetative state until their body shuts down, for good.
- Phase Sword: Easily the most deadly of all weapons a Callidus carries on her person, the Phase Sword is a forearm-mounted blade of alien origin that is lethal to all it touches. The sword constantly phases in and out of reality in a frequency even more different than that of Warp-based weaponry. There is no blocking the Phase Sword, for it not only cuts through all that is physical, but also all defenses on a metaphysical level, as well.
- Death Card: Unlike all other weapons carried by a Callidus Assassin, the Death Card is purely an instrument of terror. After the Assassin has brought a swift end to her target, and provided there is enough left of said target, she will sometimes leave a psychoplas wafer on the body. For added effect, it will often be left between the gritted teeth or stiff, dead fingers of the corpse. When a living being discovers the body and makes contact with the device, it will spring to life, projecting a hololith of the victim's terrified face the exact moment before their death, complete with an audio loop of their agonised screams as the Callidus ended their life in some unthinkable way.
Eversor Assassin
| “ | Fear me, for I am your apocalypse. | „ |
| ~ Dictatus Eversor |
Eversor Temple: Unlike the other temples, the Eversor Temple puts less of a focus on complete secrecy and stealth, and more of a focus on pure, primal terror. Eversor Assassins are often deployed when the taint of Chaos reaches a world controlled by the Imperium of Man. As opposed to sending a force such as the Grey Knights when a full-scale daemonic incursion breaks out, the Eversor will be dispatched to rip out the heart of the insurgency, quelling it before it can become more of a problem. Once behind enemy lines, the Assassin will track down the heretic leaders, slaughtering them in horrific and gory ways while the cocktail of chemicals flowing through his body fuels his inhuman rage.
After seeing the Eversor's handiwork, any potential successors of the cult are scared away, and the forces of Chaos seep back into the darkness from whence they came. Of course, Chaos worshippers are not the only ones to feel an Eversor's wrath, for the Assassin may be roused from his cryo-stasis to tear apart upstart xenos leaders as well, such as an up-and-coming Ork Warboss and his elite Nobz, or a group of Eldar Warlocks. Even in death, an Eversor Assassin strives to kill as many foes of the Emperor as he can, the chemicals in his body producing a catastrophic Bio-meltdown and annihilating anything unfortunate enough to be around him.
Assassins of the Eversor Temple carry the following wargear;
- Executioner Pistol: Each Eversor Assassin carries a deadly Executioner Pistol, designed to fire both explosive bolt rounds and toxic needle rounds whenever the Assassin so desires. With the touch of a button allowing him to switch rounds at insane speeds, an Eversor can blast open his enemies' armour before burning away their nerves with neurotoxins, all before they can properly process the Assassin's brutal assault.
- Neuro Gauntlet: On one of his hands, an Eversor wears a gauntlet with neurotoxin injectors in the place of fingernails. With even the lightest scratch, he can fill his foes with a fatal dose of hazardous chemicals.
- Power Sword: The Power Sword of an Eversor Assassin is covered in a molecular dissonance field that slices through his unlucky victims on an atomic level. Thanks to the superdense core and the operative's enhanced strength, every strike packs even more power than a comparable weapon normally would.
- Sentinel Array:This device allows the Eversor to process targetting information at ludicrous speeds, meaning even while running the risk of being overwhelmed, he will always be able to aim and fire to the best of his ability.
- Melta Bombs: An Eversor is never without a variety of Melta Bombs, allowing him to blow apart reinforced structures and reduce even the hardiest vehicles to slag. Under the most extreme circumstances, the Eversor may use all of his bombs as a suicide weapon, adding on to the force of his Bio-meltdown in order to achieve maximum potential damage.
Culexus Assassin
| “ | That which is unknown and unseen always commands the greatest fear. | „ |
| ~ Dictatus Culexus |
Culexus Temple: Members of the Culexus Temple are unique and terrifying, even among the ranks of the Officio Assassinorum. All Culexus Assassins are born with the Pariah Gene, an incredibly rare genetic defect that means, unlike all other sentient beings, the Assassin lacks any presence in the Warp whatsoever, making him effectively soulless. This trait is believed to have been inserted into humanity's ancestors countless years ago by the C'tan as an anti-psyker weapon, and the effect shows. Even to a regular person, being around a psychic blank is an uncomfortable and painful experience that can never be forgotten. However, to a psyker, the experience is unfathomably worse, as the psyker experiences unspeakable pain, mental anguish, and horrors they cannot fully comprehend.
On top of this, any psyker within the presence of a Culexus Assassin will have his powers disabled, whereas the blank's merest touch is enough to completely extinguish a sentient being's soul. Once a Culexus stalks onto the battlefield, psychic lines are severed, ancient and powerful magic fizzles out, and warping of reality is suddenly undone. Formerly powerful entities panic as the abilities they once thought omnipotent are erased, and the Culexus Assassin slowly treads closer with the crushing inevitability of death.
Assassins of the Culexus Temple carry the following wargear:
- Animus Speculum: The Culexus' ornate helm can function either as a dampener or amplifier of his powers depending on what the situation calls for. As the Culexus nullifies powers that twist and mold reality, users of such powers will find all their energy absorbed into the Animus Speculum, making the Assassin even stronger. While usually used to stifle the Pariah's presence as he stalks the battlefield towards his prey, it can also be used to project his horrific aura, even firing focused blasts of what can only be described as "negative Warp energy" back out; a technique absolutely devastating on all sentient beings.
- Etherium:A highly advanced nodal layer is built into the Assassin's synskin, shifting his body out of sync with reality. This renders him practically invisible to mortal and immortal eyes, as he appears absent in both the physical and spiritual planes while he moves through all obstacles and towards his kill.
- Psyk-out Grenades: All Culexus Assassins carry rare and exotic Psyk-out Grenades in order to even further enhance their effectiveness at killing wielders of supernatural power. Made from psi-refractive particles gathered from the Golden Throne, Psyk-out Grenades are effective on normal beings, and even more effective on abnormal ones. Sentient beings who do not make use of psychic or magical powers will simply lose conscious thought, making them easy targets. However, for those that make use of reality-bending abilities, the negative psychic energy from the grenades will cause their powers and abilities to fundamentally collapse and implode, destroying them from deep within their very soul all the way to their physical form.
Others
Notable Victories:
Notable Losses:
Inconclusive Matches: