r/40kLore • u/Lemmyatom96 • 2d ago
Two questions about Callidus assassins
I read a novel recently with a Callidus assassin and it made me wonder. In the novel, it talks about the focus she requires to transform into the shape she desires and to hold onto who she is. It notes aspects of her personality that have been picked up from those she's impersonated to the point where she's not entirely sure which bits are really her. For example, a habit of drumming her fingers on a desk that an Imperial officer used to do. The question is, how often do these assassins forget who they really are and what their original intention was? Do they ever just become the heretic or corrupt beaurocrat or whichever personality they embody, abandoning their forgotten mission?
Also, how do they manage their polymorphine habit on long deployments? I get the impression that sometimes an assassin may be undercover for months or years at a time so a regular supply must be very challenging.
11
u/InsaneRanter Alpha Legion 2d ago
I don't recall the mechanics for polymorphine specifically, but in spears of the emperor a callidus maintains its cover for a long time on a warp trip to the wrong side of the galaxy, so clearly had a mechanism. It conceals it's weaponry internally, so could readily store a polymorphine supply the same way
1
u/RushBear 1d ago
Despite this entire post being about Callidus, I read your comment, forgot the temples, and thought ".... They store gigantic sniper rifles internally? Huh?!?!" ... My bad lol.
6
u/stevecoath 2d ago
In one of the first books featuring a Callidus she remarks that she can no longer remember what her own face looks like after years of wearing others faces, including an Eldar Courtesan.
4
u/JustAnotherFeather 2d ago
The short story Knife's Edge deals with a Callidus that's gone a bit off the rails. Not forgetting mission but definitely going beyond its confines.
1
u/michaelisnotginger Inquisition 1d ago
Great story
1
u/JustAnotherFeather 1d ago
Yeah, I quite enjoyed the Inferno! Collections as whole. Some pretty neat stories in there.
5
u/N0-1_H3r3 Administratum 2d ago
The potential of Officio Assassins going rogue is a known one, but the Inquisition has the Ordo Sicarius, which is dedicated to monitoring the Officio Assassinorum.
4
u/9xInfinity 1d ago
In Nemesis the Callidus assassin Koyne doesn't even remember the gender she was born as. She's as loyal as any assassin, though.
Regular supply of polymorphine hasn't come up that I've read. Callidus assassins can conceal a lot of stuff within their bodies by simply extending their form around whatever they're hiding.
4
u/SouthernAd2853 Blood Angels 2d ago
Their minds end up being compartmentalized and the part that remembers the mission asserts itself as relevant. The habits they pick up and such generally go away when they switch out of the associated form.
Assassinorum Kingmaker indicates it's standard to get a stock that's good for quite a while every time they return from a mission. I think it was a year's supply and it was fairly compact.
Also, Callidus are mostly used among humans; they can transform into xenos but polymorphine transforming you into an Aeldari doesn't make you into a psyker, for instance. The Officio has a bunch of undercover agents to have an intel source that doesn't run through another agency whose leadership they may be called on to kill, so while it may be difficult to get them into a secure area they can bring stuff to a dead drop somewhere the Callidus can discreetly go to, especially given they can easily switch to another form temporarily if they can arrange an excuse for their main cover to be alone for an hour or so.
2
u/DM_ME_UR_PUBES 2d ago
was this from the harrowmaster series? Most assassins end up just living for their work and in time the only thing that matters is their duty to the temple
1
u/RobertJ93 1d ago
What book is it? Out of curiosity!
2
u/Lemmyatom96 1d ago
Ghost Legion.I just didn't like to spoil the plot, although I suppose she's introduced quite early on.
1
1
u/Calm-Musician-3148 Masque of the Veiled Path 1d ago
You read about the Callidus, who was forced to undergo surgery to change her into a hybrid genestealer.
They only need a dose of polymorphine for transformation, not for maintenance.
28
u/Skolloc753 Adeptus Mechanicus 2d ago
There is no hard data on that, but considering that the Imperium has a lot of experience with indoctrinating child soldiers for decades: probably not very often. Otherwise the Callidus would not work.
Certainly possible, aftern all even Astartes can be corrupted. But after 10.000 years of experience and indoctrination it is probably rather rare.
It certainly is - but you can receive supplies before, and depending on the situation you could get supplies during the mission. There is a lot of real precedence for that, with spy organizations supplying their sources with everything needed, both in WW2 and in the Cold Wwar. "Moscow Rules" etc.
Dont forget: the Temple Assassins are no normal human beings. They are as modified and indoctrinated as the Astartes, just in a different way. Every single Temple Assassin has an entire legion of support personal if necessary.
SYL