Nicolina LXIV, Vanus Temple Assassin

[DapperAnarchist]

its been quite a while since I post on this bit, as I've mostly been finishing off old models. But now I'm writing rules and background for new models! Hurrah!


Nicolina LXIV, Vanus Temple Assassin

+++FileRef///Inq>Ord>Sic>TemplesAssassinorum>Vanus
+++Passcode///INQORDSIC****************
+++Thought for the Day – A Still Tongue Makes A Happy Life.

Often considered the sixth of the Temples (were they to be differentiated in such a manner), the Vanus Temple is a source of confusion for those who first come across it. While the other five Temples Prime have a clearly defined and direct method of killing, the Vanus agent is most often "armed" only with a limited number of hold-out weapons, such as thrown weapons or a compact needle weapon. This is a failure to recognise what all agents of this Holy Ordo must know – that knowledge is power, a power most dangerous to those who are invulnerable to all other means. It will sometime occur that even the most virulent toxin, the most precisely fired bullet, the most cunning infiltration, the most furious berserker or the most soul-draining abomination will be unable to overcome the defences of a heretic or Xenos. In that case, it is the Vanus who should be sent, as their technique is like that of the virus – they turn the defences inwards. The lifeblood of any regime is information, and the Vanus twists and corrupts that information. Utilising the finest noospheric insertion techniques available, they
[CONTINUE FILE Y/N]

+++AAR Precis>Vanus>Nicolina LXIV

Recruited – Techclan Steelstrong/Te'Tarst[Warworld]/7 Imperial Years old approx.

Assigned to Vanus Temple at 11 Years.

First Field Mission 23 Years.

74 Successful Field Missions to date.

Cumulative Success Rate 84%

Notable Engagements

Destruction of the Tainted Forge of Magos Zhabotinskii >
Operative LXIV infiltrated Forge 39 by initially disabling a pumpstation and then, relying on her synskin for preservation from the corrosive toxins, climbing the inside of a 82 metre pipe. Once within the Forge complex, LXIV released her assigned surveillance units [Eyerats 8299Beta, 7183Epsilon, 5056Alpha] and began extensive datamining. Having determined a weak point within on of the shipment intake pipes, she concealed herself with line-of-sight to the target for 56 hours until the next shipment of alkahest [NOTE – Alkahest – highly corrosive liquid/molecular acid. So-called "universal solvent"] arrived. As the airbarge docked, LXIV utilised her noospheric interface to create an out-of-sequence transfer error, resulting in the alkahest being diverted into the processed organic fluid tanks. The resultant chain reaction crippled Forge 39's ability to produce the synthetic foods required to feed Magos Zhabotinskii's planned servitor army. LXIV was able to escape on the shipment airbarge as it made an emergency ascent, and from there was able to exfiltrate the planet.

Mission Analysis – Though Nicolina again showed an unwillingness to utilise the easiest method, in this case at least it resulted in a successful mission where even the target was apparently unaware that any outside action had occurred. – Mission Handler [CENSORED]

WS   BS   S   T   I   Wp   Sg   Nv   Ld
74   71   64   62   113   96   121   95   43

Nicolina is ambidextrous

Equipment
Cameoline Cloak
Mem-implants (+30 to Sagacity, only forgets things intentionally, can wipe information from her mind)
Visual Enhancement Visor (contains Infrascope and Motion Tracker gunsights)
Aetheric/Noospheric Interface (Grants the Hacking Powers, controls Eyerats)
Interference Generator (Counts as Sensor Cloaking)
Active Countermeasures
Four Eyerats (All fitted with a Motion Tracker auspex)
Haywire Pulse
Six Throwing Stars with Choke
Two Direct Access Spikes (can be thrown as a Throwing Knife, or used as Knife in Close Combat. Also acts as an Interface device in the same way as the Collanex Interface Dart)
Temple Synskin (+40 to all Resistance tests, Av. 5 on all locations, counts as Av. 1 for Encumbrance)

Abilities
Acrobatic, Catfall, Scale Terrain, Ambidextrous, Force of Will, Nerves of Steel, Stealthy, Dodge, Feint, Lightning Reflexes, First Strike

Eyerats – Bionically and even genetically altered vermin, Eyerats are a specialist tool for the Vanus assassin. Each is threaded with a variety of sensors, and are able to use short-burst high encryption signals to send back data and receive orders. They count as having Speed 2 (Initiative 20) but always get one action, without having to roll. They can be shot and attacked separately (they cannot parry), and are small targets (-30% to hit). They have an Armour value of 2 but are destroyed if they take any damage. Due to their small size and unnoticeable design they count as Stealthy (-20% to detect). It takes one action to give an order to an Eyerat through an MIU or similar device, requiring a Sg roll. For each additional Eyerat given an order as part of that action, the Sg test is at -30%. Each Eyerat carries an Auspex, used only on passive. The user is aware of whatever the Eyerat is aware of.

All of the background for the Vanus is taken from the Horus Heresy novel Nemesis (I haven't just decided to invent stuff for the Vanus Temple), as is the phrase "eyerat". There are also spy-flies, which I would probably just count as archaeotech for Dectection, if I included them. The model is WIP, and mostly sculpted (the basic torso and upper thighs are from a Dark Age Dragyri Warden or Maiden or whatever they're called). The Eyerats are just Skaven Giant Rats from the Giant Rats/Rat Ogre set.

C&C welcome...

[Inquisitor Goldeneye]

So the Vanus assassins are essentially the 'Mission Impossible' temple? I find this to be a very interesting concept.

Also, which one is the fifth temple? I only know Vindicare, Callidus, Evesor and Culexus.

[MarcoSkoll]

Which one is the fifth temple?

Venenum Temple - using, as the Latin suggests, poisons.

[DapperAnarchist]

Indeed - before the release of Nemesis, there were 6 Temples of which 5 have a description of their method and 4 had rules for the 40K battlefield. Now, all 6 have a description, and a lot more detail on recruitment, methods, and personalities (Eversors are literally addicted to violence, though they can push it off by handling weaponry).

[Inquisitor Goldeneye]

Ah, I see. Perhaps I should have checked Lexicanum first.

I must say, I'm quite surprised that no-one has posted a Vanus Temple assassin character here before; they do seem very well-suited to Inquisitor (rather more so than the more directly combat-oriented assasssins, anyway).

[DapperAnarchist]

Yeah - she's pretty much invisible, and so stands a good chance of getting to backstab, but in the wrong situation, she's almost pointless. However, put her in an industrial enviroment or against an AdMech warband, and you have yourself a game! If I ever get round to actually playing a game (at all, and then with this model), i'd be tempted to do a lot taking over of systems around her - civic lighting (powersurge blinding characters, perhaps?), any vehicles, doors, any industrial systems, that sort of thing. Perhaps even hacking into commlinks and impersonating, to do some psyops stuff.