There exists within the setting of Warhammer 40,000 a shadowy organization that has the capacity to quell any insurgency, turn the tide of a war or put down a powerful foe with one well-placed bullet, blade or wanton slaughter - as is needed!
Hello there, my name is Zak Ludick from Cape Town, South Africa. Delving into Warhammer lore again, we look at Imperial Assassins or Temple Assassins.
Back in my day, there were 4 main Temples, but that number has been beefed to 6 - though the former 4 Temple Assassins are still the only ones that you will find on the tabletop.
As is usual with this universe and setting, there are a lot more things that have been created in the books and the lore than exists in any gaming system. Together with the grimdark GALAXY with untold numbers of worlds controlled by humans, there exists factions and sub-factions within the Imperium and the Inquisition that then allow them to create new and secret societies.
There could be even more Temples of assassins out there but we have not seen them revealed yet. The galaxy is a big place!
A Brief History
The Officio Assassinorum traces its origin back to the time of the Great Crusade when the Emperor and his Primarchs were roaming around and battling their enemies.
There was a need for the removal (assassination) of various enemies including those that made it difficult for armies to find. Entrenched enemies or those that fled and hid would escape the Emperor's wrath and that would not do!
Thus there were men and women who became assassins, soon enough this turned into an organization where they would train perfect assassins from a young age.
Usually, orphans who showed particular promise were collected by the Temples and trained rigorously. Most assassins are heavily augmented with implants and stimulants, trained in their art of Death and psycho-conditioned to allow them to never break against the odds before them.
The Main Temples
I shall begin with the main 4 Temples, these are accessible in the Tabletop game:
Vindicare Temple
Sharpshooters, snipers. These operatives can wait out an enemy with very little food and drink sometimes for months to get the perfect shot. When they take their shot, their accuracy is legendary!
Callidus Temple
Utilizing body-morphing technology, their operatives infiltrate into the ranks of the enemy, often taking the place of someone in that army until it is time to strike!
Culexus Temple
Anti-psychic assassins who prey on the souls of magic-users.
Eversor Temple
Real killing machines and ticking time bombs. These assassins will kill the target and everyone in the general area. These guys are so volitile, they keep them asleep on the starships that carry them until there is a need for one of these psychotic killing machines.
Other Temples
- Venenum Temple - A Temple of venom/poison users. Self explanatory!
- Vanus Temple - A Temple of intelligence-gatherers. It is suggested that they can kill by providing the enemy with miss information.
- Adamus Temple - A Temple that uses skilled swordsmen.
- Maerorus Temple - An expunged Temple that used hybrids human/xeno mutants to create stronger assassins. Heresy!
And there you have it! A Decent overview of that the Assassins of the Imperium are like!
Thanks for reading!
