Hi everyone!
I've been wondering.....Officio Assassinorum operatives are genetically modified, correct?
What kind of enhancements are they given? Does anyone know anything specific?
This could help me develop either a character, a fiction story, or both.
Thanks in advance,
Swarbie
I can't recall any specific reference, but I would say that grafted muscle, neural enhancement, adrenal gland boosts, erythropoeitin supplementation (to increase red blood cell count), hypno-indoctrination, bone-strengthening and all sorts of physiology moderating drugs would be plausible.
While the specifics vary from temple to temple, we know that the Eversor has subconscious control over its circulatory system, which is rather impressive, and the Callidus presumably has a conscious equivalent to allow them to use Polymorphine more effectively. We also know that the Callidus occasionally has muscle grafts and implants for when they need to emulate targets with extremely alien physiologies.
The Vindicare probably has some form of regulation for its metabolism to allow it to stay perfectly still for days, staying alive on the concentrated food in the Spy Mask.
Actually from what I've read in the fluff assassins are not genetically engineered, they are normal humans recruited in a similar fashion to space marines. I imagine that their training and biological conditioning lead to their extreme skills. Also although it's not mentioned in the fluff I imagine they would avoid bionics to avoid a assassin being taken out of action due to a haywire grenade or some other weapon of that nature.
Depends what you call "genetic engineering". If by that you mean "vat-grown" then no, since growing entirely new humans in such a way can easily be construed as a Tech-Heresy of the vilest sort. However, the bio-enhancements that Offico members get I would call a kind of genetic monkeying, since it plays on altering the natural functioning of a human body.
Tullio
I'm not sure about vat-grown humans being considered a "tech heresy", considering that many types of servitor, namely the cherubim, are made using vat-grown human bodies. (Whilst the rarer nephilim tended to be made from human children, but that's by the by.)
However, as far as we all know, the officio assassinorum does not use vat-grown humans, probably for much the same reasons why nephilim are typically superior to cherubim... Natural human bodies are just plain superior.
I imagine that the assassins of the officio assassinorum are modified to much the same degree that a space marine is modified, but the modifications made to an assassin will be completely different to those that the astartes would receive.
The specifics of these modifications would depend on the temple that the assassin belongs to. Enhanced vision and an extra steady hand would probably be favourable traits for a vindicare assassin, but they wouldn't be quite as much of a benefit to an eversor assassin.
Although personally, I think that the likelihood is that most of the modifications would consist of adding additional vat-grown organs, drug treatments and bionic enhancement. Genetic engineering would have to be done prenatally in order to have much of an effect.
Well, the eversor explodes when he dies and the callidus can use polymorphine. Both of these imply that the workings of their body has extensively altered. As has been noted, this doesn't necessarily mean gene conditioning. Depending on the temple, various degrees of psychological conditioning are also the norm (the eversor again being an extreme example).
End of the day, whatever enhancements fit the character can probably be justified by fluff, but bear in mind that all the enhancements tend to be focused towards a specific role that the assassin is expected to fill, hence they should have similar purpose.
Well thanks everyone! Anyone have any idea what kind of 'enhancements' a Venenum assassin would have?
As for genetic engineering, I was thinking more along the lines of Tullio's term "monkeying". You know, surgical enhancements, genes switched on or off to create a desired effect, that kinda thing.
No one really knows anything about Venenum assassins, other than they're experts in the use of poisons. It has been suggested they could be implanted with glands allowing them to synthesise poisons within their own body.
I just had a quick flick through the codices and the only specific mention of modifications that I saw concerned the Eversor temple - for which there was a huge list of enhancements including genetic manipulation, drugs, bio-implants, chemical-boosters, endo-skeletal restructuring, muscular hypertrophy, a second heart, lobo-chips, adrenal ducts & hyper-immuno system.
Quote from: Kaled on August 31, 2009, 06:02:39 PM
genetic manipulation, drugs, bio-implants, chemical-boosters, endo-skeletal restructuring, muscular hypertrophy, a second heart, lobo-chips, adrenal ducts & hyper-immuno system.
In short, the assassins are as different from normal humans as space marines are, just they're engineered for a different purpose.
Quote from: Kaled on August 31, 2009, 06:02:39 PM
No one really knows anything about Venenum assassins, other than they're experts in the use of poisons.
Ok,that's good. It means I can come up with whatever crazy stuff I desire (within reason, obviously). Thank you, everyone. You've all been a great help.
Yeah, same reasoning lead me to one of my characters being able to leave a temple and not fall to pieces. ;)
The classic Ian Watson short story "The Beast Within" gives an example of Callidus modification. References exist to similar operations to allow Callidus assassins to replicate Ork and Eldar physiognomy, as well.
R.
I believe there's reference to each Eversor being a veritable scientific experiment due to the amount of messing about that happens with them.
I imagine the same is loosely true of all of the other temples.
If anything, assassins are enhanced far beyond the level of a Space Marine - in the same way a Bugatti Veyron is technologically more advanced than most military land vehicles. However, the Veyron would be rubbish at transporting troops through a warzone, or at carrying more than one soldier with gear... To explain, the Space Marines are adjusted to be the perfect shock and line troops. Assassins are adjusted for a specific role, and tuned to perfection - but if anything went wrong, the whole thing collapses - Eversors explode, Callidus probably turn into cancerous blobs, Vindicare probably go into comas, Culexus might... find themselves on the recieving end, if the Animus breaks down somehow? Venenum would probably get poisoned (duh), and I have no idea about the last one...
Vanus could end up mind-wiped with all their relatives and friends dead by their own hand as their programming goes out of control?
Assuming that the "they get rid of you and everyone who could confirm you ever existed" suggestion is real - which, though kinda cool, doesn't quite fit with the stated methods of the Assassins. They are commonly known to exist, and they're exploits are held up as examples of what happens to you if you cross the Imperium - or thats what I got from the Codex...
Quote from: DapperAnarchist on September 05, 2009, 11:52:01 PM
Assuming that the "they get rid of you and everyone who could confirm you ever existed" suggestion is real - which, though kinda cool, doesn't quite fit with the stated methods of the Assassins. They are commonly known to exist, and they're exploits are held up as examples of what happens to you if you cross the Imperium - or thats what I got from the Codex...
My inclination is less "commonly known to exist" and more "rumours of such beings are commonplace" - actual knowledge should, as with so many things in the Imperium, remain elusive, giving way to superstition and fearful speculation.