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Imperium Portal

A Callidus assassin.

The Callidus Temple is one of the temples of the Officio Assassinorum. Callidus is Latin for "cunning" - which characterizes the methods employed by the Temple.

Operatives

The Callidus Assassins are the most cunning of all the assassins - they specialise in trickery, deception, deceit, infiltration and impersonation. Their greatest asset is their ability to use the shape-changing drug Polymorphine. This drug, coupled with special training, allows Callidus agents to change their very shape and appearance allowing them to impersonate other persons, members of the opposite sex, and even humanoid aliens like Orks and Eldar. Meh'Lindi, one of the most cunning agents, managed to successfully impersonate a Genestealer Hybrid at least two times^1,2.

This makes them experts at getting close to their target, be it rebellious Imperial Governors, corrupt Imperial high officials, heretic prophets, alien leaders, etc. This allows them to manipulate the enemy's plans and eventually assassinate the main target at the best possible moment. Once the target is eliminated, the Assassin may even replace the victim by assuming his appearance⁵. Polymorphine works better with women, and therefore the vast majority of the temple operatives are female.

The traitor Primarch Konrad Curze, aka "Night Haunter", was assassinated by M'Shen, a Callidus Assassin. However he allowed her intrusion as he wanted to die - to show that his rebellion was justified⁶.

Equipment

Callidus assassins, besides being exceptionally well trained in martial arts, normally use whatever weapon they are able to carry in the presence of their target³. They would not normally use weapons other than those inconspicuous and easily concealed (digital weapons are commonly used, as well as even more unusual and exotic weapons). Even unarmed they are deadly, able to kill with a single touch. They also make use of more overt weapons such as the C'tan Phase Sword and the Neural Shredder^7,8.

The C'tan phase swords have a special link to the Necron gods, the C'tan. A report tells how Jaramshaela, a Callidus assassin, tried to assassinate the heretical Imperial governor Takis who later turned out to be the Deceiver. The phase blade was absorbed back into the C'tan and she was flayed alive.⁴

Notable Callidus Assassins

• Meh'Lindi
• M'Shen
• Tziz Jarek
• Mother Gullet
• Koyne
• Asaid Virenus, the rogue assassin

Miniatures

Callidus Assassins

Sources

• ¹The Alien Beast Within (Short Story) by Ian Watson (N.B. One has to mention that Meh'Lindi had to undergo special surgery to be able to impersonate a Genestealer hybrid).
• ²Inquisition War (Novel Series) by Ian Watson
• ³Eternal Damnation (Graphic Novel), comic strip The lonis gambit by Christian Dunn.
• ⁴Codex: Necrons (3rd Edition), p. 8
• ⁵Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, p. 170
• ⁶Index Astartes II
• ⁷Codex: Assassins (2nd Edition)
• ⁸Codex: Assassins (3rd Edition)
• The Raven's Claw (Short Story) by Jonathan Curran.
• Obvious Tactics (Graphic Novel), by David Pugh.
• Thorion Faction Sourcebook

External Link

• Inquisitor Facets of Death